She switches to the backstroke after ten laps. Ten more and she rolls over again; breaststroke. She has waterproof headphones and an audiobook going.
"Depends, are you one of those people who finds your creativity improved by limits?"
"Incredibly smart, very interesting, gorgeous, knowledgeable, diamond-in-the-dust1, yellow-productive2, and delightfully persuasive."
Translator's Notes:
1 Adjective saying someone has some rare skill or piece of knowledge. Sometimes has caste connotations if said with a caste name and is seen as a bit gauche, but the more progressive people at the time of writing use the casteless version fairly often to compliment someone in a manner that is aware of the fact that within a caste people still vary a lot and statistical averages do not set things in stone.
2 Adjective that means someone is as hardworking and productive as a very overworked yellow. Has somewhat humorous/tongue-in-cheek connotations.
"Well I don't remember the specific details of stuff you've convinced me of with your blog but I do have a gestalt memory of it being a thing that happens with some frequency."
"I actually sometimes drop an especially controversial arcball post when my usage stats are looking too heavy on the politics or other miscellany."
"Sure, any opinion on the outside run rule or a player who's been harassing the water carriers will get them going."
"Uh, sort of? The water carriers are greys so you've got some people arguing that it boils down to an offer of some side cash, people saying the accusations are totally fabricated and the water carriers are plants from opposing teams or just personally out to sabotage players, people saying it's an expected part of the cultural environment of pro arcball and if the water carriers belong there at all they'll understand, people saying the reports aren't made up but are exaggerated and in real life it was a miscommunication that just sounded bad to third parties and is getting blown out of proportion, and of course people who are just basically against harassing water carriers and don't see why this is so complicated, and people who are against harassing water carriers but more against having their team down a good arm for the rest of the season so they propose that instead of being kicked off the offending player just have to carry her own water or something."
"I'm convinced, if nothing else this water carrier drama seems fascinating from a sociological perspective."