crystal; community outreach (mostly for elves)

[dirthsal]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Talin ( dirthsal )
RECIPIENT: Everyone
NOTES: N/A

Riftwatch.

[ he's been here a year and this is somehow his first public address to the crystals. there's a reason for that; talin sounds distinctly uncomfortable. ]

The weather's begun to turn, and many in Kirkwall's poorer districts are not prepared, particularly in the Alienage. I'm going to be spending my off hours assisting them with home repairs, labor, whatever tasks are asked of me. If you'd care to join me, I know they'd be grateful for the help—if you can sew, in particular, or darn clothes.

I wouldn't recommend anyone approach the alienage without an elven escort, but I'm willing to make introductions. Let me know when you're free and I'll make time.

[ the crystal turns off, and then, belatedly— ]

Thank you.

Comments

[mournwitch]

Let me know if you need anything haggled for, yeah?

( she’s not much for home repairs or sewing, nor in great need of alienage introductions, but hell—

it wouldn’t be the first time she’d set this particular skill to more altruistic ends than the ways she developed it. )

[dirthsal]

Sure. Could start with warm blankets and coats for now, until I have specifics to ask for. Can never have too many of those.

Can you teach it, too? That's a useful skill.

[mournwitch]

It’s just practise and panache, handsome. I’ll tag along when you’re at the market, you can watch and learn.

[dirthsal]

I'm not even sure I know what that word means, [ what is a pan-ash, it sounds orlesian?? ] but I'm sure I'll learn soon. Ma serannas, lethallan.

[mournwitch]

Means ‘incredible pussy’.

[dirthsal]

Well, I can do the practice part, at least. [ he's like. 85% sure she's not being serious. 75%. no less than 70%. ] I look forward to watching the master at work. Maybe I'll even take notes.

private.

[interroga]

[ Cassian waffles for a long time on whether or not to respond at all; he could continue quietly doing his thing in the background, unnoticed. This’ll most likely tip his hand, if the other guy’s as smart as Cassian suspects he is. But if there’s a chance they’ll run into each other in the alienage this winter, this conversation should probably be pre-empted.

So, in the end, the most careful response: ]

I’ve been introduced to a few people in the alienage, and I’ve been doing odd jobs for them. Happy to join you.

private ♾️

[dirthsal]

[ there are so many elfbloods in this organization, wolf's sake—though this one isn't so much a surprise as it could have been, there was always something about cassian. ]

I'll crystal you next time I'm on my way out. Are there any families you've been working with in particular?

[interroga]

The Jeldens. It’s been simple stuff, like you mentioned— heavy lifting, repairing things around the house, some cooking so the mother can tend to her kids.

[dirthsal]

Jeldens... haven't worked with them myself. Maybe 'cos they had you already.

[ makes him happy to know he and cedric aren't the only ones trying to help—there's always some guilt, some worry that he's not doing enough, no matter how hard he tries... but he's not the only one trying. he's not even one of the only two. ]

We can start with them, if that's alright with you. I'd like to meet them, at least, let them know there's more people they can turn to if they need.

[interroga]

Yeah, sure.

[ There’s a brief hesitation, a spy’s usual habitual reluctance to blow up someone else’s spot if they don’t want any personal details getting out there, but— Talin’s probably seen Josephine around the alienage, too. Anyone could run into her, and to put it politely, no one would look twice at finding her there. Plus, he’d heard that lethallan over the crystals.

So, humbly: ] Fifi introduced them to me. I’m just piggybacking on her connections.

[footholds]

I do not have any useful skills, but I have two hands and listen well, if that is helpful enough.

[dirthsal]

More than helpful, if you can write—can you write? Could use people to write letters for those that can't.

[footholds]

Yes, I can write.

[ Typecast. Is it the accent? Is it the velvet?

It's probably the velvet. ]

Should I bring the ink and paper as well?

[dirthsal]

[ let's be real, it's the everything. ]

Hard to write without them, isn't it?

[ that might sound mocking, but hopefully it'll be forgiven after the sincerity talin follows it up with: ]

The people will be grateful—there's many as left behind family and friends to come here during the last Blight. Opportunities to write them come few and far between, especially opportunities that don't cost them anything. You'll be very popular.

[armd]

I'm good at carrying things and doing repairs. I can stitch a cut... could do clothing in a pinch, probably. (Can't be that different.

... All this to say:) I can help. I mean — I'd like to, with whatever they need.

[dirthsal]

You can stitch a cut—can we spare anything for infection, or for pain? Can you teach about—what was it, the blood sharks? The reason Strange insists we was our hands in the infirmary?

[ abby isn't a doctor or a healer, like strange or isaac, but he's seen her working in the infirmary—and the elves might be more comfortable with her than stephen or isaac besides. she's got a... grounded quality that those two really don't. ]

[untiltheyarent]

Want to help me collect and transport a heap of old blankets?

[dirthsal]

Certainly, lethallan, [ warmly, he's fond of you, fifi, ] name the day.

[youwonscience]

I'm not a seamstress or anything, but I can do basic mending in the darning, hemming, patching departments. If you need a pair of hands that won't drop a needle and it won't freak anyone out who it is that they're attached to.

[In this, she's fully willing to take someone else's lead on what would or wouldn't make recipients uncomfortable.]

[dirthsal]

If I vouch for you, they won't be bothered by the anchor.

[ probably, anyway, he's never tried to bring a rifter to the alienage before. they're all of the people, though, they just don't know it yet, so it'll definitely work out. ]

Josephine and I are going to collect old blankets to take over, can we send you the ones that need patching?

[youwonscience]

Yeah, do, absolutely. If there are any past salvaging, you can send those along too for making the patches out of where it's necessary.

Thanks for organizing this. It's a good idea.