video | november 12, 2016

[inkulcation]

[Right off, what will be remarkable is that China has enabled video; those familiar with her network habits will probably recall she doesn't usually.]

[The second remarkable thing is the small fluffball she's holding cradled to her chest. It's a rabbit. It's small, it's white, it's adorable, and it's got a collar around its neck with a soul gem. Which means yes, the small animal China is cuddling is none other than Erskine Ravel.]

[She's stroking the bunny very nicely.]

I wonder. Wasn't some fine gentleman giving us updates on the weather, occasionally?

I find I miss his gardening tips.

[She sounds and looks entirely earnest, blue eyes wide, face innocent, and she pauses only a moment to scratch behind the bunny's ears very delicately.]

And some sort of a forecast would be useful, I think, as things turn cooler.

[This is completely and totally the only reason she's made this post. Really.]

Comments

[inkulcation]

[There's time for such things yet. China pauses briefly, considers.]

Controlled demolitions?

[Compromise.]

[backwordscompatible]

[Zatanna pretended like she had to consider that for a long, moment. It was a testament to her skills how straight a face she managed all the while.]

I think I can live with that.

So long as they're decent fireworks going off. Gotta still have some entertainment in there, right?

[inkulcation]

Precisely. [China smiles back at her, seeing no reason to pretend not to be amused.]

Perhaps occasionally scheduled fights, if we really must, since those seem to break out every so often no matter what the situation. Some compromise between unrestrained chaos and utter boredom.

[backwordscompatible]

[Completely playing along:]

That would be so much more convenient.

I mean, if I can schedule my chores around whatever fight's are in store for the day, that would save me such a headache. You'd be surprised how many necessities it takes when you live in a public Welcome Center.

[inkulcation]

And that way we will be spared the inconvenience of having to dodge wild magic in the streets. The healers can be scheduled to stand by, those people who need it will get the aggression out of their systems, and we will all be much happier for it.

And a great many more chores will get done.

[Perfect solution. Excellent.]

[backwordscompatible]

It's so simple. I can't imagine why anyone never thought of it before.

We should tell everyone. I'll put up a post on the Welcome Center bulletin board. ...you know, just as soon as I get the Welcome Center a bulletin board.

[lbr, the Welcome Center probably has a bulletin board somewhere.]

[inkulcation]

Not enough imagination, I suppose, more's the pity.

[A bright little smile.]

Excellent. Once you've your sign posted, we can broadcast the decision and hold signups for the first slot.

[backwordscompatible]

I call dibs on lunch hour.

...I tend to eat early anyway, and there's less people around since they're all trying to take advantage of that day's specials.

[inkulcation]

[China laughs.]

I see you're thinking ahead. Very well, the lunch hour is yours. I don't anticipate you'll have many objections.

[backwordscompatible]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[inkulcation]

Of course.

Do let me know if you need me to rearrange the schedule for you. I'm happy to let you retain priority.

[backwordscompatible]

How kind.

I feel like I should be returning the favor somehow. Anything you need a hand with? Or a charm that needs recharging, or something along those lines?

[inkulcation]

[It's a hypothetical favor, really, but if Zatanna's offering, China's hardly going to turn it down.]

I've found your perspective useful before. You're among those Foreigners who have been here the longest, after all, aren't you?

[backwordscompatible]

[Not...quite where she expected the conversation to go. Her smile faltered the slightest, but she maintained her composure.]

That's right.

Me and Jack have been here...what, three years? Four? I kind of lost count after that whole fiasco with the Dreaming Realms.

[inkulcation]

So you have perhaps the most complete picture of events, and the city's dynamics, and the changes in them. As complete as any Foreigner can have.

[She doesn't mention the faltering smile.]

Were I to ask a favor, it would be in that vein.

[...but of course, this entire exercise was hypothetical.]

[backwordscompatible]

[Of course.]

In other words, you might have questions for me.

That's cool. You wouldn't be the first.

[inkulcation]

[Zatanna's answered her before, as well.]

With the rate at which we Foreigners vanish unexpectedly, it might be beneficial to make the most of your knowledge.

While it remains.

[backwordscompatible]

You mean you think there's a good chance I could be the next one to go.

[She didn't sound particularly frightened or even upset by the thought. In fact, she had little more than a shrug in reaction.]

Like I've said before, if there's anything you want to ask, just go ahead.

The worst that could happen is that it's something even I never knew about.

[inkulcation]

Isn't there?

[It's just a fact of the world, yes. China likes Zatanna's attitude; no need to get up in arms about something that simply is. It will happen, or it won't.]

Evandau. He died before I arrived.

[This is not exactly a question, but half the interest is in seeing what Zatanna finds most important to mention.]

[backwordscompatible]

[She waited for a question. Her reaction was...minimal, at best. Which was perhaps harsh, given they were speaking of someone's death, but...she never had any personal relationship with the guy. He was a noted improvement over Eshai, and that was only because of certain personal bias.]

If you're asking whether or not he's actually dead, then I can't say.

Last time I checked, he still was, but who knows?

[inkulcation]

[Well, that's certainly a direction.]

You did mention the dead walking before, didn't you.

I've heard little of the man other than his death, and that the shoes he had to fill were too big for him.

[backwordscompatible]

That was different.

[...probably; she couldn't say with all certainty, but there hadn't been any evidence of the dead walking since. Eshai certainly hadn't come back, and Evandau had certainly been loyal enough to her that he would have tried to bring her back before himself.]

And that--[referring to the "shoes"]--depends on who you ask. Which probably shouldn't be me, because I am incredibly biased against that woman.

She might have done a lot of good, I'll give her that, but that doesn't change the fact that she was often a cruel bitch.

[inkulcation]

[China's been called worse. She doesn't dismiss Zatanna's opinion out of hand, but she does take it with a sizable grain of salt. Leading:]

That sounds personal.

Even a biased opinion has information in it.

[...including information about the person giving it.]

[backwordscompatible]

It was very personal.

[And she doesn't mind admitting that much. There was an old expression about never speaking ill of the dead, but China had asked, and this was nothing she wouldn't--or hadn't--said to the woman's face at some point.]

Jack once tried to express his concerns to her about something. She responded in a way that basically threatened to hurt other people on his behalf, and then display that pain right out in our front yard so he could see it first-hand. She was rude and sniped at us and never answered any questions we had, no matter how reasonable they were.

[inkulcation]

May I inquire about the specifics of that something?

[She sounds only thoughtful still, not judging either way.]

It hardly sounds becoming of a leader.

[But a tyrant, perhaps.]