Hmm, I get the impression that the issue here is less the mailing and more the envelope stuffing? Unless your boss spotted your bike and decided that you could hand-deliver all the envelopes yourself in order to get more practice on the bike? :)
Going full tilt Fabian decided, after the Maestro's words stopped ringing in his ears and his vision had cleared up from the narrowing tunnel it had gone into, that a coffee was in order. While he was pouring himself a cup and appreciating the aroma wafting up from the pot -- it seemed to have been freshly brewed -- Rystin walked past the doorway. He hesitated and before Fabian could call out to him, stopped and came back. "I might have a coffee too," he said casually. "Oh, Director, I'm sorry, were you using that?" Fabian managed a nervous smile and handed the pot of coffee to Rystin. "It smells fresh," he said. Rystin took the pot and did something odd with his other hand. "There's a small sound ward on the doorway now," he said, pouring the coffee. "Nothing complex, and it'll break as soon as someone walks through it. I just wanted to let you know that the wisp-elves are not going to help us. In fact, they're going full tilt at being unhelpful and uncommunicative. I've tried hinting gently that there might be an artefact of interest to them, and they're just closing ranks. The most I've got is that something happened two nights ago that they won't talk about. It's got them very worried, maybe that's part of this. But... we're not going to get help." "Two nights ago? When--" "Yes. Exactly then. So maybe when we went there we changed something." Fabian shook his head. "I don't think so," he said. "We touched practically nothing." "We could have walked through security spells that act when they're broken," said Rystin, indicating the doorway. "Though, in fairness, I think the Admiral might well have noticed that. He's... wary. I like that about him." "Why would something in there be linked to wisp-elves?" asked Fabian. "Because of the... box?" Rystin grimaced at the inept description of the altar. "I don't know," he said. "I've been thinking about it all day and I can't see why anything we could have done there would have affected wisp-elves. Maybe triggered an alarm in the Imperial buildings, or maybe triggered the Auditors to come looking for intruders, or even opened a stasis chamber and released some Hunting Beasts. But just scare a few wisp-elves? That's nonsense, isn't it?" Fabian got the impression that Rystin really wanted him to agree with him. "It is," he said slowly, trying to give the impression he'd thought hard about it. "But you say they won't help us anyway, so that's the real problem." "I hope so," said Rystin. Voices drifted down the corridor to them and Fabian tensed. "That's Cass," he said. "She's probably looking for me. More paperwork, I expect." "See you later, then, Director," said Rystin with a sad smile.
Greg - hah. Well, it was the printing (never fails to surprise me how it actually takes to print that much stuff), the stuffing, and the labeling (as they were peel and stick since the stuff being mailed was not individually addressed and we honestly probably couldn't have fit another piece of paper in those envelopes strictly for addressing purposes... plus the labels were left to us, so not using them would have been a) wasteful and b) required more printing).
Anyway, it's done now and I'll have less to do with tabulating the results when they start coming in.
I appreciate Rystin's appreciation of Dread's wariness :)
And I can't say I'm surprised they've found no help with the wisp elves. I'm not sure where they're going to find help, actually, if anywhere!
2 comments:
Hmm, I get the impression that the issue here is less the mailing and more the envelope stuffing? Unless your boss spotted your bike and decided that you could hand-deliver all the envelopes yourself in order to get more practice on the bike? :)
Going full tilt
Fabian decided, after the Maestro's words stopped ringing in his ears and his vision had cleared up from the narrowing tunnel it had gone into, that a coffee was in order. While he was pouring himself a cup and appreciating the aroma wafting up from the pot -- it seemed to have been freshly brewed -- Rystin walked past the doorway. He hesitated and before Fabian could call out to him, stopped and came back.
"I might have a coffee too," he said casually. "Oh, Director, I'm sorry, were you using that?"
Fabian managed a nervous smile and handed the pot of coffee to Rystin. "It smells fresh," he said.
Rystin took the pot and did something odd with his other hand.
"There's a small sound ward on the doorway now," he said, pouring the coffee. "Nothing complex, and it'll break as soon as someone walks through it. I just wanted to let you know that the wisp-elves are not going to help us. In fact, they're going full tilt at being unhelpful and uncommunicative. I've tried hinting gently that there might be an artefact of interest to them, and they're just closing ranks. The most I've got is that something happened two nights ago that they won't talk about. It's got them very worried, maybe that's part of this. But... we're not going to get help."
"Two nights ago? When--"
"Yes. Exactly then. So maybe when we went there we changed something."
Fabian shook his head.
"I don't think so," he said. "We touched practically nothing."
"We could have walked through security spells that act when they're broken," said Rystin, indicating the doorway. "Though, in fairness, I think the Admiral might well have noticed that. He's... wary. I like that about him."
"Why would something in there be linked to wisp-elves?" asked Fabian. "Because of the... box?"
Rystin grimaced at the inept description of the altar. "I don't know," he said. "I've been thinking about it all day and I can't see why anything we could have done there would have affected wisp-elves. Maybe triggered an alarm in the Imperial buildings, or maybe triggered the Auditors to come looking for intruders, or even opened a stasis chamber and released some Hunting Beasts. But just scare a few wisp-elves? That's nonsense, isn't it?"
Fabian got the impression that Rystin really wanted him to agree with him.
"It is," he said slowly, trying to give the impression he'd thought hard about it. "But you say they won't help us anyway, so that's the real problem."
"I hope so," said Rystin. Voices drifted down the corridor to them and Fabian tensed.
"That's Cass," he said. "She's probably looking for me. More paperwork, I expect."
"See you later, then, Director," said Rystin with a sad smile.
Greg - hah. Well, it was the printing (never fails to surprise me how it actually takes to print that much stuff), the stuffing, and the labeling (as they were peel and stick since the stuff being mailed was not individually addressed and we honestly probably couldn't have fit another piece of paper in those envelopes strictly for addressing purposes... plus the labels were left to us, so not using them would have been a) wasteful and b) required more printing).
Anyway, it's done now and I'll have less to do with tabulating the results when they start coming in.
I appreciate Rystin's appreciation of Dread's wariness :)
And I can't say I'm surprised they've found no help with the wisp elves. I'm not sure where they're going to find help, actually, if anywhere!
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