Down to the Depths

Sylvie nodded. "Walk and observe it is."

Onni gestured to a group of whispering elderly women. "Do you think they're gossiping? Or is that too obvious?"

"They might be," said Sylvie," but the chances of them gossiping about something that might help...that's probably low. It seems too easy."

Onni shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to try."

"Yeah, alright, let's see if we can walk past without looking too suspicious."

Onni put eir hands in eir pockets and leaned against a wall beside them, carefully keeping eir eyes trained on the sky.

One of the women, who seemed to be washing linen with a washboard, tutted. "We need to talk about that Phillip up on that hill. He's grown so bitter in his grave."

Sylvie did her best to follow Onni's lead, but she wasn't anywhere near as good at looking causal as Onni was. With the first line she heard, she gave Onni a look.

"I think this might be a good plan after all," she whispered as quietly as she good.

Onni nodded, eyes wide with surprise.

Another woman, this one hanging white clothes on a laundry line, scoffed. "You and that Phillip. When are you going to see he's never going to change?"

Sylvie gives a small smile as she does her best to listen intently without making it any more obvious than it already was.

"Listen! If Brian just apologized, Phillip would leave his home once in a while." The washboard woman sighed. "I believe it could happen."

The laundry line woman shook her head. "If you say so, dear."

Sylvie turned to look at Onni, this time mouth opened wide.

"Apology. Bitterness," she mouthed slowly.

Onni scratched eir head in pure confusion. "How did that turn out so perfectly?" Ey shook eir head. "Whatever. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Ey blinked. "Or, question gift old lady rumors."

"Yes, and definitely don't look in the old lady's mouth," said Sylvie.

"Damn, you ruin all of my plans." Onni smiled at Sylvie and pointed at a hill in the distance. "What do you want to bet that's Phillip's house?'

Sylvie returned the smile. "Oh I'm not stupid enough to take that bet."