[Open & shut] girls in STEM

[sprent]

WHO: Gela and Iona Baynrac, and guests!
WHAT: Catch-all (closed; one open)
WHEN: Now
WHERE: Many places and new office
NOTES: Chill for now, will update where needed

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE

"Damn—"

That’s the sound of your new head of Diplomacy dropping something out of the already precarious stack in her arms. A sheaf of scrap papers, held together by a good clip, has slithered out of place and is slinking down the stairs behind her as she stands, wavering, trying to decide if she should leave it there and come back — but somebody could slip! — only to have more bits and pieces tumble to the ground when she crouches to snatch for it. "Wait! Wait, stay—"

If somebody would like to give her a hand before everything ends up halfway down the central tower, that would be greatly appreciated.

INSIDE THE OFFICE

The office, the workspace, the living quarters tacked on — she's exploring this new domain, having stacked her things by the open door, ready to push them around to her liking. There is a bit of furniture in here and a small window, which she has opened, though the occasional, sharp sounds from the eyrie above will take some getting used to.

Something else Gela is not used to: having this much room to herself. She seems a little bewildered by this new privilege, welcoming anybody at the door by leaping to her feet and opening it for them, ushering them inside herself.

Don't mind the duck attempting to nest on the tail of a bolt of twill propped up in a corner. She was given a nice box and rejected it.

Comments

inside.

[cozen]

"She should have a title, too," Bastien says of the duck.

This is not why he came. There are papers in the crook of his arm of sufficient volume to signal something more than small talk about waterfowl on the horizon. He might even sit down, eventually, instead of standing there contemplating. He spent a great deal of time in this room over the years of Byerly's tenure, but here is something he never saw or thought he would see in the space.

"The obvious choice is Ambassaduck, but I think we can do better."

[sprent]

"Don't look at her," Gela says cheerfully, "We're not on speaking terms right now, her and I."

She's standing at the door still, having let Bastien happily in but not knowing whether or not to shut it after him. Does it make everything seem very serious, to shut it? He is carrying papers. She compromises by pushing it closed but not all the way.

"Welcome," she says. "You're my first guest."

[cozen]

A scandal says Bastien's eyebrow raise, and he sneaks — 'sneaks' — another glance at the duck as if she might disclose what it is she's done to cause this rift, but otherwise he complies. First order from the new boss. Better not ignore it.

"First and worst," he says, not meaning it at all. Surely someone worse will be here eventually? Probably even today. "Congratulations on the promotion. If they had asked us to vote — " A concept he has been more enamored with ever since visiting a few worlds where it was not only done but expected. " — I would have voted for you."

[sprent]

Despite this grave missive the duck seems perfectly content, her bill already tucking into her tail feathers, preening quietly as Gela ushers Bastien toward a seat. She's got a strange array in front of her desk: a wooden chair and cushion, and a proper armchair, a couch that sits angled toward the first two.

The 'worst' comment makes her smile. There's always Kostos.

"Thank you! It might have been only me, though, who wanted the job. Which is fine — I'm excited to have it." Feels like a step in the right direction. Feels good.

[cozen]

"Remember this when you have not left the Gallows in a week, ouais?" Bastien says. He chooses the armchair, best for accommodating a crooked slouch. The stack of papers he places on her desk, facing her.

He is not technically part of her division anymore, though anyone would be forgiven for not noticing. In true Scouting fashion, he made no announcement, and he's spent no more and no less time hanging around the Diplomacy desks than he did before the change. But Gela was probably given a list or something that he was not on.

As Master of Information, however, he still reports to her. Third or fourth order of business: can they do something about that title. First order: the papers. Most of them are clips and abbreviated notes. The first is his best attempt at assembling a list of contacts, sources, and activities. Publishers, journalists, balladeers, their interests and audiences —

"In case I die," he explains. Also: in case he lives, and she would like to actually supervise him.

[sprent]

"I like the Gallows," she protests but softly, enough that the words are lost in the sound of paper reams landing on the desk for her to look through. She laughs at it and makes as if to rest her head on top of them for a moment — then takes the first clip, the smile fading as she gives it a quick scan.

"Wow," she says simply, thumbing through a few of the pages and then, setting it aside, taking the second clip. For a while she's silent as she sifts through, giving each front page a full glance in turn. Then she sits back in her chair, eyes wide. Still holding a clip, she fans herself with it. "Bastien, this is incredible — you're sure you shouldn't be doing this job?"

There's a tiny hit of nervousness behind her smiling eyes.

[cozen]

"Sure as anything," he says. "I'm good where I am."

The list of reasons is long — the numerous ways he would be terrible at it, the numerous ways it would make him so miserable he would wind up snapping and running away from Riftwatch entirely to get out of it again — but why he'd be no good for it is less important, he would guess, than the reasons Gela is.

Like: "I will be glad to have your perspective on things. Sometimes I look back and something I have done and realize I have been too much of a bard about it, you know? I want to go at everything sideways with insinuations and strings. But we are doing good, and we are doing most of it honestly. I don't always see that there are times we could stand to just tell people the truth with a smile."

He sits back in the chair, shaking his head.

"So weird."