diff --git a/app/talk-agent.hoon b/app/talk-agent.hoon
index 11ed04784..a640e0fb0 100644
--- a/app/talk-agent.hoon
+++ b/app/talk-agent.hoon
@@ -9,27 +9,32 @@
 ::::
   ::
 =>  |%                                                  ::  data structures
-    ++  house                                           ::  full state
-      $:  shells/(map bone shell)                       ::  interaction state
+    ++  chattel                                         ::  full state
+      $:  tales/(map knot tale)                         ::  conversations
           folks/(map ship human)                        ::  human identities
           nik/(map (set partner) char)                  ::  bound station glyphs
           nak/(jug char (set partner))                  ::  station glyph lookup
+          shells/(map bone shell)                       ::  interaction state
+      ==                                                ::
+    ++  tale                                            ::  user-facing story
+      $:  count/@ud                                     ::  (lent grams)
+          grams/(list telegram)                         ::  all history
+          locals/atlas                                  ::  local presence
+          shape/config                                  ::  configuration
       ==                                                ::
-    ::TODO  ++rental, state from the guardian we want to keep around
     ++  shell                                           ::  console session
       $:  her/ship                                      ::  client identity
           man/knot                                      ::  mailbox
           count/@ud                                     ::  messages shown
           say/sole-share                                ::  console state
-          active/{$~ u/(set partner)}                   ::  active targets
-          $passive-deprecated                           ::  passive targets
+          active/(unit (set partner))                   ::  active targets
           owners/register                               ::  presence mirror
           harbor/(map knot (pair posture cord))         ::  stations mirror
           system/cabal                                  ::  config mirror
           settings/(set knot)                           ::  frontend settings
       ==                                                ::
     --
-|_  {hid/bowl house}
+|_  {hid/bowl chattel}
 ++  sh                                                ::  per console
   ::x  shell core, responsible for doing things with console sessions,
   ::x  like parsing input, acting based on input, showing output, keeping
diff --git a/app/talk-guardian.hoon b/app/talk-guardian.hoon
index 72b7997bc..42b3280e0 100644
--- a/app/talk-guardian.hoon
+++ b/app/talk-guardian.hoon
@@ -23,14 +23,18 @@
 =>  |%                                                  ::  data structures
     ++  house                                           ::
       $:  stories/(map knot story)                      ::  conversations
+          ::TODO  rename to readers?
           general/(set bone)                            ::  meta-subscribe
           outbox/(pair @ud (map @ud thought))           ::  urbit outbox
           log/(map knot @ud)                            ::  logged to clay
+          folks/(map ship human)                        ::  human identities
+          nik/(map (set partner) char)                  ::  bound station glyphs
+          nak/(jug char (set partner))                  ::  station glyph lookup
       ==                                                ::
     ++  story                                           ::  wire content
       $:  count/@ud                                     ::  (lent grams)
           grams/(list telegram)                         ::  all history
-          locals/(map ship (pair @da status))           ::  local presence
+          locals/atlas                                  ::  local presence
           remotes/(map partner atlas)                   ::  remote presence
           mirrors/(map station config)                  ::  remote config
           sequence/(map partner @ud)                    ::  partners heard
diff --git a/sur/talk.hoon b/sur/talk.hoon
index 5e8752997..83e4b63d3 100644
--- a/sur/talk.hoon
+++ b/sur/talk.hoon
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@
   $%  {$design (pair knot (unit config))}               ::  configure+destroy
       {$publish (list thought)}                         ::  originate
       {$review (list thought)}                          ::  deliver
+      {$update update}                                  ::  change shared state
+  ==                                                    ::
+++  update                                              ::x  these may need work
+  $%  {$status (pair (set knot) status)                 ::  our status update
+      {$human (map ship human)}                         ::  new identity
+      {$bind (pair char (set partner))}                 ::  bind a glyph
   ==                                                    ::
 ++  cabal                                               ::  metaconfiguration
   $:  loc/config                                        ::  local config
@@ -52,6 +58,7 @@
       {$group register}                                 ::  presence
       {$house shelf}                                    ::  station set
       {$glyph (jug char (set partner))}                 ::  relevant binding
+      {$names (map ship human)}                         ::  new identities
   ==                                                    ::
 ++  speech                                              ::  narrative action
   $%  {$lan p/knot q/@t}                                ::  local announce