Chad walked into the kitchen, rubbing his hands with a mischievous grin.
Chad: "Oh, Gralha, you won't believe what I just heard! The Sailor's losing it. Says he's going to leave everything behind and disappear into the forest! Can you imagine?"
Gralha squinted at him, her curiosity betraying the air of disinterest she tried to maintain.
Gralha: "What do you mean? He's trying to become some kind of wild man now? Or does he think he can escape his own mind in the woods?"
Chad: "That's what it looks like! Said he's tired of everything, that the city's destroying him. Oh, and there's more... apparently, he's been writing some weird stuff about dreams and... Ly'u. You remember her, right?"
Gralha let out a coarse laugh, though her thoughts were already weaving a different version of the tale.
Gralha: "So that's it? Running off into the forest because he's obsessed with a woman who isn't even in his life anymore? I've seen this story before. Let me tell you, the ending ain't pretty."
Chad: "It's not quite like that, Gralha. He's just... I don't know, lost. Maybe he just needs some time, you know? But it's curious, the way he writes. It's like he's trying to pour everything he feels into words. Almost makes me want to help... but, hey, who has the time for that?"
Gralha, with a breath heavy with something strong, slapped the table and laughed hoarsely.
Gralha: "Help? You're as lost as he is, Chad. But don't worry, I'll spread the word. This story will reach the northern winds. Maybe someone will care enough to save him before he turns into jaguar food."
Chad hesitated for a moment, then simply smiled.
Chad: "Go ahead, Gralha. Just be careful with what you say. I don't want to be blamed for the exaggerated parts of your sharp tongue."
And with that, Gralha, already stumbling over her own words and ideas, walked out the door, ready to give the world a completely transformed version of what Chad had told her.