ⅰ ♦ audio. backdated to midnight.

[corviform]

[ It's a bit past midnight and given the timing of this post, it's hardly a surprise there's minimal background noise that can be heard on Gil's end, save for the light scraping of soles against the pavement.

In spite of how late it is, when Gil speaks up he sounds quite awake, a hint of surprise filtering into his voice as he talks into the communicator. ]

There are quite a few messages that have piled up in the past few weeks. I'm sorry for not getting to them yet ― I've only just been ported back. [ A quiet scoff at that. ] And it's almost July already. I hope I haven't missed anything important and I'm trying to catch up, but um... What's this about some game called "paint ball"?

[ Did the government sponsor child's play or something? What. But he's heard the Porter was involved. ]

Did they really allow imPorts near the Porter? If so, did anyone find out anything? I've heard that these temporary port outs never happened when the first wave of imPorts were here. It makes sense if they began after Lachesis synced up with it, but... I've also been wondering if she was successful in the end. She hasn't been responsive since right before our arrival, unless someone found out something.

[ What's the 411 on that? ]

Comments

[corviform]

I think so. One of them said she would report her findings.

[malodorous]

I guess that's good of her.

... Do you think it'll actually help anything?

[corviform]

... I don't know.

[ He falters at first. ]

But many of us need to get home. We need answers for that.

[malodorous]

Yeah. Well... Fingers crossed, huh?

[corviform]

[ Another pause. ]

But not you...?

[ Wait, maybe that wasn't polite. ]

... Sorry, that was presumptuous of me.

[malodorous]

Oh, no, it's... Um. I have to go back, too, it's just a matter of having everything happen in the right order, I think. If that makes sense.

[corviform]

[ He sighs in quiet agreement. He wants to return home, but he would like to be able to say goodbye and get his arrangements in order.

It seems impossible for the moment. ]

I don't believe I've asked what it is you do back home.

[malodorous]

Oh. I, uh... I harvest ice. I cut blocks out from frozen lakes and sell them.

[corviform]

[ A broadly built man like Kristoff? That shouldn't be surprising. ]

It must be heavy labour.

[malodorous]

[ Bless you for at least believing that this is a real job. ]

It is. Work would be very satisfying if it weren't hard, though, huh?

[corviform]

[ Ice boxes were sure a thing in the past. With actual ice. ]

I suppose. As long as it gets completed.

oops I meant 'wouldn't' GOOD JOB, ME.

[malodorous]

[ Nobody else believes him, Gil. You're a gem! ]

I like it, at any rate. Or I did.

Now I work with horses, or... Well. It's just stable stuff, cleaning and hauling and repairs. Stuff like that.

I THINK I GOT IT

[corviform]

Did the government assign you that job?

i'm having a night of ditziness.

[malodorous]

No. I drove a Zamboni machine at first.

[ He kind of misses the Zamboni. ]

puts you to bed

[corviform]

A... sorry?

i'll burrito into my quilts now yes.

[malodorous]

A Zamboni machine. It was at an ice skating rink. It resurfaces the ice so everybody can skate smoothly.

[corviform]

Is that how they do it?

[ Well, that's a mystery solved at long last. ]

Did you leave that job?

[malodorous]

Oh. I left for a little while, and I got fired.

[corviform]

[ He pauses. ]

Fired? That... You said it so casually, too.

[malodorous]

Yeah. I guess employers don't really approve of people running off for a month.

Uh... What about you, then? Maurita Falls, right?

[corviform]

Not really.

[ Kristoff... ]

Huh? Oh, yeah... that's where I've been living and working.

[malodorous]

[ He's learning, alright? Dang. ]

Yeah. I, uh... I talked to your friend. That's how I know. I'm not, like, creepy or anything. [ Ahem! ] Uh. I actually went up there with a friend of mine once, to look at jobs. I guess it didn't stick well, though.

So what do you do?

1/2

[corviform]

I didn't say anything about being creepy...

2/2

[corviform]

Oh, but... it's not a bad place for jobs or to live. It's quiet and less humid, I find. The locals don't bother imPorts.

I work at a bakery.

[malodorous]

[ Okay, well he was just being sure. Like... Maybe that was creepy? Moving on, though! A bakery, you say? ]

Wow. I bet that'd be a great job. You could get a lot of bread.