Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Bender Cove Township Scenario
Episode #46: Malpractice (10/14/97)
Fise comes downstairs very carefully groomed and dressed.
Alea is in her bedroom walking with a book on her head
Alea: step, step, step....
Alea arms flung out as she carefully takes steps to keep the book balanced
Alea: [step, step....CRASH!]
Alea: ooops
Fise is about to go out the door when the desk clerk reminds him that he is about to go on duty.
Alea looks at dismay at the desk she just cleared off with the book
Alea: and she TOLD me that would work
Fise directs what is supposed to be a withering glare at the clerk.
Alea glances back at her door, then quickly begins gathering the shards of glass to throw away
Veraik: Sitting in his office, Veraik pulls out a PlaySime and stares at the soft tentacles draped over an even softer breast. "Yumm" thinking that he really should take more breaks.
Briel comes downstairs on her way to her office to work
Fise sighs and gets himself a cup of tea, staying in the lobby.
Briel: well, good morning, Fise, isn't it?
Alea finishes cleaning up her desk and decides she'd better find Veraik before her lesson at Fiona's
Briel pauses to nod to the strange channel
Fise looks over. "Morning."
Fise: "Yes. Fise."
Fise looks Briel over.
Briel shakes her head, zlinning
Briel: I'm Briel. Nice to meet you
Briel stares coolly at Fise, warning him with a look
Briel [it's a look any sensible 3rd would quail at since it's coming from a First]
Fise comes to a snap conclusion about Briel.
Veraik groans at the next picture.
Alea straightens her new brown dress with the little buckles on the side and pulls her hair up in a clip on the top of her head, thinking, it might help if she looked nice
Fise is not zlinning.
Veraik: [good thing no one is around]
Alea trots out of her room and down to Veraik's office, passing Briel and Fise
Alea nods to Briel, frowns at Fise
Fise ignores Alea.
Alea signals at Veraik's door
Briel goes on down the stairs
Briel: aren't you on duty?
Veraik quickly puts his PlaySime away then adjusts himself before answering the door.
Fise: "So it seems." [gestures at clerk]
Alea: good morning, hajene
Briel: then why are you standing around here
Briel raises an eyebrow in polite query
Veraik: Good morning Alea. Come in. [stands aside]
Alea steps lightly into Veraik's office
Fise raises an eyebrow back. "Where should I be standing around?"
Veraik closes the door and goes to his desk.
Briel: you should be in Donations, working with whatever Donor was assigned you
Veraik: [sees the corner of the PlaySime peeking out the corner of the drawer and quickly pushes it in] [smiles at Alea]
Veraik zlins Alea.
Fise: "No one told me there was anyone there."
Alea stares at Veraik
Briel: why don't you go check?
Briel: and who is your Donor, by the way?
Fise sighs. "If you insist. I don't know why we bother with clerks then."
Fise walks slowly down towards Donations with his tea.
Veraik: I believe that we have a round of donations and transfers today.
Briel zlins Fise thinking she'd like to sit him in that chair and let him figure it out real quick
Alea: yes, hajene, we do
Veraik: In addition, I have to contact the Tecton again to see if they have any news about B'Cal.
Alea goes over and sits down on the sofa
Fise says while walking away "How should I know?"
Briel sighs and goes on to her office
Alea tries to sit up straight like she is suppose to, but keeps sinking into the soft material, slumping -- just what Fiona said not to do
Fise looks in the donation rooms for Donors or donors.
Zilla_ goes wearily down the hall, down the stairs to Veraik's office
Zilla_ signals
Fise discovers a donor who has been waiting for quite a while and is clearly irritated.
Veraik augments to answer the door.
Zilla_ looks up, startled
Zilla_: hajene
Zilla_ tries to smile
Veraik: Come in.
Zilla_ comes in and nods to Veraik
Veraik zlins Zilla.
Zilla_ and to Alea
Zilla_ meets Veraik's stare, waiting
Veraik: Please sit down [indicates with a tentacle]
Zilla_ sinks gracefully into a chair
Alea frowns at her graceful movements and tries to imitate them
Veraik adjusts ambient then makes tea without asking a question. [he listens]
JonDrake comes down the stairs and gets himself a cup of hot trin tea.
Fise treats the donor with a unapologetic casual disinterest that just irritates him more.
Zilla_: I have come, hajene, requesting an early transfer to the next Sime Center
Veraik zlins Zilla. "Why?"
Zilla_ 's eyes dart to Alea, who is frowning and totally ignoring them
JonDrake makes his way over to the appointment board.
JonDrake looks at the schedule.
Veraik hands a tea to Alea "Be careful. It is really hot, Alea"
JonDrake looks again, indredulous.
Alea glances up and smiles... takes the tea
JonDrake: What the--?
Veraik: Then Veraik hands a cup to Zilla.
JonDrake shrugs.
JonDrake: Oh well, might as well make the most of it.
Fise asks the donor if he wants to donate or not.
Zilla_: I-um-well... it's Snake
Zilla_: I'm sure Jirelle told you she broke into my room
Zilla_ smiles sweetly and takes the tea, handling it without spilling a drop
JonDrake heads down the hall.
Alea gets up and moves over by Veraik's desk
Alea on the way, she accidently spills her tea on his floor
Alea: Ooops. Sorry about that Veraik
JonDrake stands outside the donation room, signalling to enter.
Zilla_ turns and sees the mess... she gets up to help clean it up
Alea: oh, no, please, I'll get it.
Fise is grateful for a distraction, opens the door.
Alea gets a cloth and wipes up the extra... noting the huge stain the tea left on Veraik's beautiful carpet
JonDrake: Good morning, Donor Drake, reporting for duty!
Alea goes behind Veraik to toss the cloth in the trash and sees the corner of the PlaySime...while he's not looking, she drops it in the trash with the cloth
Fise: "Oh. Good. Come on in."
JonDrake looks to the donor...
JonDrake: Good morning.
Zilla_ sees her actions and she freezes, unable to believe what the Donor just did
JonDrake takes his position near Fise.
Fise: "Tuib Hays feels he was waiting too long. Why wasn't I told he was here?"
JonDrake: You've been waiting here by yourself Tuib Hays?
Alea nods at Zilla indicating, yes, she did throw his PlaySime in the trash and moves to go back around Veraik
JonDrake checks his watch...
Fise: [Hays complains at length]
Zilla_: as I was saying, uh, hajene Veraik... I um... Snake has not only lured me away from the Center, but she broke into my room two nights ago too
Veraik: She did. [zlins the truth and shakes head in denial]
JonDrake: I'm terribly sorry, Tuib. It appears you were sent in early and we weren't informed you were here. I promise I'll look into it for you.
Alea scoots back behind his chair and around his desk to the chair Veraik has next to him for her to sit on
Fise: "Well, Hays, let's get on with it then." Fise holds out his arms.
JonDrake: How about we don't waste any more of your time and get going? Fise?
Zilla_: yes, hajene Veraik. I just don't feel safe. She's crazy
Veraik sighs and thinks that he has failed.
Alea projects comfort, moving a bit closer to lay her hand on his arm
Veraik takes comfort from Alea.
TuibHays holds out his arms, still a little irritated.
Fise grabs the arms and wraps tentacles around them.
Fise leans forward for a fifth contact.
Zilla_ shifts
Zilla_: it's not that I wouldn't like working here, hajene... but Snake is just...
Zilla_ trails off
TuibHays leans forward, his irritation still present in his nager.
Zilla_: she's affecting my work...
Veraik: Fine. I'll sign your papers as soon as I have contacted the next Center you are scheduled at.
Zilla_: I must profusely apologizing for the other night too... thank you, hajene
Veraik: I understand Zilla. I'm just sorry that we are losing you so soon.
TuibHays 's selyn comes through slightly 'sour.'
Zilla_ stands and smiles
Zilla_: thank you for being so understanding, hajene
Veraik: I'll arrange for you to take your next two transfers at the next Center.
Veraik: I am sure that they will welcome you with open arms.
Veraik: Your nager is very powerful.
Zilla_: Well I will be working at Zeor.
Zilla_ says with a bit of pride
Fise draws selyn carelesly and a bit faster than he should.
Veraik waves a tentacle. "Go pack while I handle matters."
Alea wonders how Zilla can look graceful standing up. Wonders if she should try that too
TuibHays frowns.
Zilla_: thank you
TuibHays 's eyes snap open.
TuibHays: Ow!
Veraik inwardly encloses nager in response.
Zilla_ goes out the door and to her room to pack
TuibHays tries to pull his arms back a little.
Fise jerks back from the lip contact, annoyed.
Fise lets go.
JonDrake sees the donor's reaction and tries to even out the fields.
Alea: another one lost, Veraik.
Alea sighs
Alea: do you think she'll recover after what she's been through
Alea: I mean, I know she was putting on a good front, but she was terrified the other night
TuibHays pulls back, rubing his arms.
TuibHays: That hurt!
Fise gets up and goes over to the table and scribbles on a form.
Veraik: [wiping tentacles over eyes] I don't know.
TuibHays looks to the Donor.
TuibHays: He hurt me!
Alea touches arm again, trying to encourage him
Veraik: I just hope that all this won't affect her chances of getting into Zeor.
Fise tears off a copy and holds it out to Hays without looking at him.
Alea: I'd say it probably has
JonDrake tries to be comforting.
Alea: if she wants to get around a Farris again, I'll be surprised
Veraik: I know.
JonDrake: I'm sure it was an error. Let me get you something.
Alea: do you think she's realized it yet?
JonDrake shoots Fise a look and quickly gets a little fosebine for Hays.
JonDrake hands it to him.
Veraik: Look. Alea I have to contact the Tecton and several others.
Why don't you go eat while I do it and that will give me a chance to help Zilla.
Veraik: I don't know. Maybe not.
JonDrake Here, take this. It will help.
Alea is surprised and a bit shocked by Veraik's words
Alea wonders what she did wrong this time
Alea: of course, hajene
TuibHays drinks a bit of the Fosebine, grimaces.
Alea stands and goes to the door
Alea thinks she IS a little hungry
Veraik zlins Alea. "You did nothing wrong, Alea."
Alea thinks maybe she'll find someone in the cafeteria who will compliment her on her dress and new hairstyle
TuibHays sees the Channel standing there with the slip, snatches it out of his hands and leaves the room.
Alea: of course, hajene
Alea goes out the door
Veraik: It's just that I don't want anyone over hearing my song and dance right now.
Alea doesn't believe him for a minute
JonDrake: What was _that_ all about?
Veraik calls the Tecton first.
Alea drags down to the cafeteria
TuibHays storms over to the payment desk.
Fise: "What was that all about?"
TuibHays slams down the voucher to the Sime on the other side of the window.
Veraik updates about Snake, Zilla, and the Center.
JonDrake: You singed that donor.
Veraik gets beaten up by the other person
Alea goes down the line and gets her some food and some hot tea
Alea sits down and eats
Veraik calls the House of Zeor... talks to the Sectuib about Snake and Zilla. [gets beaten up by the Sectuib as well]
Fise: "Nonsense. He's just tic'd about the delay. And that isn't my
fault."
TuibHays rubs his arms, muttering while rubbing his sore arms. The pain seems to go all the way up his arm.
Veraik calls the next Sime Center. tells them that they are getting a really great Donor in Zilla. Doesn't tell them why she is leaving, only that Bender Cove doesn't have a qualified Channel for her so he is sending her on.
JonDrake: I don't think so. He looked like he was hurt. Didn't you zlin?
Veraik finally sits back and hopes that he has protected Zilla as much as possible and hopes that she will be fine.
TuibHays: [The cashier returns with the cash. She asks, "Are you all right?"]
Fise: "Why should I? He's a donor, not a patient."
TuibHays: It's that... that channel. He BURNED me! I can feel it!
JonDrake: What difference does _that_ make?
Veraik stares out the window and hopes.
Alea finishes her meal and plays with her cup of tea... dribbling it onto her plate and watching which way the tea runs
TuibHays: I can feel it. It hurt at my wrists, now I can feel it up to here.
Fise: "Oh all right. If you insist."
TuibHays touches just below shoulder.
Fise walks out and looks for Hays.
Fise goes over to the payment window.
TuibHays is a little satisifed by the cashier's apparent concern. He takes his money, his fingers a little sore.
TuibHays: HEY! Where's the rest of my MONEY!?!?
TuibHays: ~~anger, indignation~~
TuibHays: Burn me and cheat me!?
JonDrake is following behind Fise.
Briel hears an uproar and comes out of her office to see what is going on
Fise , behind Hays "You moved and broke contact. Of course I didn't get all of it."
Briel winces at the angry ambient
TuibHays: You burned me, you Lorsh!
* Briel motions to JonDrake to come support her, then moves carefully forward
* Briel holds out her hands, let's just all calm down
* Fise rolls his eyes up. "First You complain I took too much, now you complain I didn't take enough. Make up your mind."
<Briel> Fise?
* Briel zlins Hays
<TuibHays> Ouch! Careful!
* Fise turns abruptly "What?" [sharply]
* wisesnake and NickR pick a really bad time to walk in the front door of the Sime Center
<NickR> I still don't know what that has to do with anything!
* Briel backs into Jon Drake and shoots Fise an angry look
<wisesnake> Shhhh!
<Briel> control yourself
<Briel> what is going on here?
* NickR clamps his lips together
<TuibHays> He burned me!
* Briel snaps a tentacle up at Hays
<TuibHays> First he makes me wait, then does THIS! And then shorts me my cash!
<Briel> I asked my channel
* TuibHays shuts up.
* Fise gestures his hand at Hays "he broke the contact early and now he's bitching cause the S.A.D. is short."
* TuibHays thinks that somehow, this channel is more intimidating.
<Fise> [ Selyn Amount Delivered ]
<Briel> let's go back in a transfer room and let me examin him
* wisesnake approaches the front desk, notices that the clerk seems quite a bit more wary of Snake than she did a few days ago when she didn't know who she was
* Briel motions for Fise to come along
<wisesnake> Hello. Is Veraik available?
* TuibHays follows the new Channel.
* wisesnake waits through a lengthy series of excuses
* Fise sighs and follows.
<wisesnake> Yeah... yeah... yeah... oh. Oh really. ... uh huh...
<wisesnake> Look, can we wait or something? It's kind of important.
* Briel goes into a transfer room
<Briel> hays, please sit down
<wisesnake> Great. [disgusted]
* TuibHays plops himself down indignantly.
* Briel winces and takes a seat across from him
<Briel> let me just check you...
<wisesnake> [to Nick:] might as well have a seat, it looks like it's going to be a while...
* Briel holds out her arms, leaning forward
* TuibHays holds out his arms.
* Fise comes into the room and stands leaning back against the wall, arms folded in front of him (Tentacles in as always).
* NickR walks to a couch and sits down, lips still shut tight
* Briel carefully slides her arms up Hay's and then leans further forward for fifth contact point
* Briel zlins deeply
* wisesnake joins him
* Briel carefully draws the extra selyn
* Briel then releases him
* Briel goes over, gets some fosebine and gives it to him
* TuibHays blinks, a little calmer. He takes the Fosebine.
<Briel> want to fix the chart, Fise and show he gets the entire donation
<TuibHays> Thank you.
<TuibHays> What about what he did to me?
* NickR looks around at the Sime Center lobby
<Briel> The Center will see to it, Hays. Why don't you just go collect your pay?
* Briel raises an eyebrow at Fise, waiting for him to fill out a fresh voucher
<TuibHays> Ok.
* TuibHays gets up and heads out with the new voucher.
<NickR> I thought this place looked different through the eyes of a Donor in training... it really looks different after that disaster that happened last time we sat here.
* Fise stalks over to the table and grabs a clipboard. His first try tears through the paper.
* Veraik leaves the Center to meet a contact.
<wisesnake> Please don't remind me.
* wisesnake notices Veraik leave suddenly.
* wisesnake throws up her hands
* Fise frustrated, rips off the form and hurls it away, tries again.
<wisesnake> Obviously no Donor even now or he would at least have said hello.
<wisesnake> Let's go.
* NickR gets up
* Briel leans back into her Donor getting angrier with each action of Fise's
* wisesnake and Nick leave
* JonDrake reaches out to Briel to help calm her.
* JonDrake is glad she's here, even though she had to deal with this mess.
* Fise tears off the form with overextreme care and slaps it down on the table, and returns to his spot on the wall.
* Briel picks it up and hands it to Jon
<Briel> take this to Hays and wait for me outside. I want to talk to Fise
* JonDrake is hesitant...
<JonDrake> Very well.
* JonDrake shoots Fise a look on the way out.
* JonDrake rushes to catch up with Hays, to give him his updated voucher.
* Briel glides foward, her eyes hot
* Fise is studying the equipment rack.
<Briel> you want to tell me exactly what that little display was about?
* Briel nose to nose with Fise
<Fise> "Why are you asking me? Hays and your Donor were the ones who had their tentacles in a knot."
<Briel> after what I zlinned in Hays, I'm not surprised
<Briel> you hurt that "donor".
* Fise tries to pull back and bumps into the wall.
<Briel> do you know what the people of Bender Cove would do to this Center if they heard a donor had been hurt
<Fise> "No. Now ask me if I care."
<Briel> Why don't you ask yourself, instead if you are fond of your laterals staying where they are
* JonDrake begins to return, but hearing the voices, decides to back off politely.
* Briel moves forward crowding Fise in her anger
<Fise> "I don't recall asking for them."
<Fise> "or this job."
* JonDrake figures not even a Gen would want to be in the neighborhood.
<Briel> well, attrition is easily arranged if that's what you want
* Fise flattens against the wall.
<Briel> I guarantee you you'll reconsider after a few hours of the torture
<Briel> do you understand me?
<Fise> "They never mentioned that as a fringe benefit."
<Fise> "No."
* JonDrake decides to wait in the lobby.
<Briel> Then let me make it clear to you. You hurt another donor and you won't have to hide those tentacles or laterals up in your sheaths...
<Briel> I'll make sure you don't have them to worry about
* Briel backs away a step
<Fise> "Are you finished?"
* Briel turns and gathers the chart up
* Briel turns back to him
<Briel> for now
* Briel smiles sweetly as if she hadn't said the threat
* Fise walks out.
* Briel shakes her head and goes to find her Donor
* Alea gets tired of pouring tea on her plate and puts up her dishes and decides, since Veraik wants to be alone, she'll go paint some more
* Briel goes to Veraik's office and writes up an offical report, leaving it for him on his desk
* Alea goes to her office and picks up her pastels, feeling in a soothing mood
* Fise goes out and asks the clerk what he's supposed to be doing now.
* Zilla goes downstairs to check with Veraik about her orders, suitcases are upstairs packed
* Zilla finds out Veraik is out and decides to go for a short walk for souveniers for home
* Zilla goes out the front door and looks around, not sure which direction to head since she is so new
* Zilla knows she doesn't want to go toward the docks
* Zilla decides to go North
* Zilla goes up the side walk and turns right outside the gate
* Zilla goes shopping
* jirelle enters the lobby, coming off break
* Fise learns he has no donors at the moment, and goes for some more tea.
* jirelle waves to Fise on his way out, then notices he seems upset.
<Fise> ~~ grumbling ~~
<jirelle> Fise, what's wrong?
<Fise> "huh?"
* jirelle smiles gently
<jirelle> I just asked if anything was wrong. You seem down in the dumps.
* Fise turns. Visibly tries to look more cheerful. "Hi Jirelle. Just... stuff."
<jirelle> Oh...
<jirelle> Well, I hope you feel better. [smiles nicely]
* Fise considers telling her what that bitch Briel just did, but thinks she might take it wrong.
<Fise> "A difficult donation."
<Fise> "How are you doing? You do look nice today." [smiles]
<jirelle> Thank you!
<jirelle> [beams]
<Fise> "Would you care for some tea?"
<jirelle> I'm supposed to be on duty... let me just check and see if anybody is waiting.
<jirelle> [checks in with desk clerk... finds out there is nobody... asks that she be paged in the cafeteria if anybody comes in]
* jirelle returns to Fise
<jirelle> I have a few minutes...
<jirelle> [smiles]
<Fise> "Ah. Shall we then?" [gestures grandly towards the cafeteria]
* jirelle accompanies Fise
<Fise> As they get the Tea Fise asks "How is your friend? the one with the bad dreams?"
<jirelle> She seemed rather subdued this morning. I've been working, so I haven't seen her since. I hope she's all right.
<Fise> "I'm sure she will be. Busy day?"
* jirelle laughs
* Fise tries to laugh along without knowing why.
<jirelle> Yeah.... it was rather.
<jirelle> So far, anyway. I was surprised to see the lobby empty when I went out there.
<Fise> "You took all the work and left me to get entran?" [mock sadness]
<jirelle> Well, "a lot of work" for me isn't THAT much work.. I'm only a 2nd you know!
* Fise tries not show resentment.
<Fise> "Yeah. I wish I had that kind of stamina."
<jirelle> Well, they say it increases slowly with practice...
<Fise> "Well, I don't know that that will apply to me, so much else doesn't."
* jirelle looks unhappy at Fise's pessimism
<jirelle> Why the long face, Fise? What happened this morning?
<Fise> "Some shenned donor was p.o'd that his yield was down, so he sold some ridiculous story to Briel,."
<jirelle> Really!
* jirelle zlins Fise in surprise
<Fise> "I don't know what they expect me to do about it."
<Fise> ~~ sorta-kinda believes his own story ~~
<jirelle> Um... what did they think the reason was?
<Fise> "Something about him being burned. Like that could happen in channel's mode."
<jirelle> Wow!
* jirelle doesn't see how anybody could think such a terrible thing about anybody
<jirelle> Well... was he hurt? Did they zlin it?
<Fise> "Briel pretended to. And to have gotten more selyn out, but *I* had to sign the second form."
* jirelle looks puzzled
<jirelle> Oh...
<jirelle> Well it sounds like you had a really difficult time.
<Fise> "You could say that, yeah. I'll live."
<jirelle> Were they really hard on you about it? [gently]
<Fise> "Does threatening me with excision and attrition count?"
<Fise> "But I've been threatened before."
* jirelle looks shocked
* jirelle offers a tentative laugh
<jirelle> Oh... you're kidding me!
* jirelle is kind of disconcerted by the seriousness she zlins in his nager.
<Fise> "That's what she said. Don't ask me what she meant."
<jirelle> Who said that?
<Fise> "Anyway, I found this lovely little restaurant uptown. We should go there soemtime when we are both off."
* jirelle smiles suddenly, a genuine smile, now that they are off that other subject
<jirelle> I'd like that.
<Fise> "They have a mushroom sautee to kill for."
<Fise> And some good out-t food too.
<jirelle> Really? I would love to try it. I've never been out-Territory.
<Fise> "I went to a summer camp out there when I was 8. It's a very different place."
<jirelle> What is it like?
<Fise> "of course there is that other stuff they eat there, but They don't have it at the place here."
<Fise> "Strange. Things go slower there, and everything closes at night. And they all were so jumpy around our group."
<Fise> "And they don't speak Simelan, of course."
<jirelle> No... I suppose they wouldn't.
* jirelle tries to imagine what it must be like
<jirelle> But you were all children, weren't you?
<Fise> "Oh yeah. They wouldn't let anyone over ten go except for the counsellors, who were all gens."
<jirelle> Oh I see.
<Fise> "One of our cousellors was a 3rd Order Donor, and some out-t kid who had just changed over was hiding in the boathouse one morning."
* jirelle 's eyebrows raise
<Fise> "The out-t people all came running with those long guns of theirs, but she told them to stop."
* jirelle listens
<Fise> "She gave the kid transfer and she got sent in-t."
<Fise> "The other kids, the out-t ones wouldn't believe that anyone but channels could give transfer."
<Fise> "They said it was all some kind of trick."
<jirelle> Did you want to be a Donor too?
<Fise> "Nah. I didn't really care one way or another. I never gave a shen about larity and that stuff."
<Fise> "And then I became a channel. Major bummer."
<jirelle> Oh no!
<jirelle> How come?
<Fise> "Because I have to work for the Tecton, put up with all their shenshid."
<jirelle> Oh...
* jirelle isn't sure what all shenshid Fise might be talking about, having been way too mellow to never notice anything bad about the Tecton
<jirelle> That's too bad. It must have been very hard for you in the first few months.
<Fise> "Mom wanted me to take over, but I gotta work for the big T or die young."
* Fise doesn't realize that he is being inpolite to badmouth the Tecton in general to someone who likes working for it.
<jirelle> Your mom was in business?
<Fise> "Yeah. I didn't believe I was a channel for a long time. They shrugged and put me on channels transfer until I started aborting and got pneumonia."
<jirelle> Oh..! [compassion]
<Fise> "Yeah. She had a big construction supply business that grandpa left her."
<jirelle> Wow. I hope she found somebody who could help her. Do you have brothers and sisters?
<Fise> "She's still nagging me about quitting and coming back. She just won't listen when I say that I can't take channel's transfer anymore. she never had a problem with it."
<Fise> "Not yet. I never knew dad, he ran off after some big fight with Grandpa."
* jirelle sighs sympathetically and reaches out for Fise's hand
<jirelle> Just think, though, it could be worse... you still have your mother, and at least you found out you were a channel before it was too late.
<Fise> "Is it? I wonder some times."
* jirelle studies Fise, brow knitted
<Fise> "never mind me being gloomy Gus. Where are you from?"
<jirelle> Oh!
* jirelle smiles, relieved
<jirelle> Well, I'm from south of here...
<jirelle> there's no town nearby, it's sort of out in the country.
<jirelle> We lived on a farm... I had five brothers and sisters.
<jirelle> One of my brothers is a donor.. [smiles]
<jirelle> He established before I changed over, but when he found out how much fun I was having in channel's school, he applied for Donor training... he just got accepted last month! [smiles]
<Fise> "well. Congratulations to both of you then!"
<jirelle> Maybe someday we'll get assigned together... it's not too likely, but with all our lives ahead of us...?
<Fise> "A family business of sorts then? Mom would approve."
* jirelle laughs
<Fise> "Of course, The Tecton started from Householdings, so it is one big family business if you think about it."
<jirelle> Yeah... I never thought about it that way before!
<Fise> "Mom always talked about how the long-established families ran things, in-t and out."
* jirelle intrigued
<jirelle> Do you still get to talk to your mom much? Or at least write letters?
<Fise> "Yeah. I go back every few months, and she nags me and I go back to whichever SC I'm at that week."
* jirelle laughs
<jirelle> She can't just let you be what you are?
<Fise> "Not if she thinks she can change it, and she does. just hope she doesn't hear these were-gen stories...
<Fise> "She always was complaining about something I did.
<jirelle> [giggles] I like the Wer-Gen stories.
<jirelle> That's why I picked to come here, you know... all the stories they told about this place. Ghosts, rogue channels...
<jirelle> and wer-Gens.
<Fise> "they got those here too?"
* jirelle laughs
<jirelle> Well, I think so.
<jirelle> They said there was a Donor who was murdered here, and now she haunts this place, making bad things happen like fires.
<Fise> "I know this place has had a run of bad luck, burning down and stuff."
<jirelle> Yeah
<jirelle> And Zilla, she was haunted by a rogue channel. Twice!
* Fise is about to scoff at ghosts but stops himself.
<Fise> "Rogue channel? How can they do that?"
<jirelle> Do... what?
<Fise> "If you're Tecton you got to work for the Tecton. Just how things are. How can you go rogue?"
<jirelle> I certainly couldn't! Why are you asking me?
<jirelle> Do you mean, for real?
* Fise gets a gleam in his eye.
* jirelle considers
<Fise> "Getting Donors is the real problem."
<jirelle> Yeah... I think so...
<jirelle> Well I suppose for us it wouldn't be as bad as for a First.
<jirelle> There's entran...
<Fise> "Wait... is this that Snake flake we're talking about here?"
* jirelle giggles
<jirelle> I think so.
<jirelle> At least, that's who Zilla seemed so afraid of...
<Fise> "What is the deal with her? Everyone goes on about her, but never says why."
* JonDrake comes down the stairs to the cafeteria.
<jirelle> She's crazy. [delighted grin]
* JonDrake enters the cafeteria, looks around...
<jirelle> A crazy rogue channel...
<jirelle> That's why she does it, she's too crazy to care about entran, Donors, and so forth
* JonDrake gets himself a sandwich and sits down at a nearby table.
* Fise pointedly ignores Jon.
<jirelle> Oh, hello Jon! [smiles and waves goodnaturedly]
* JonDrake smiles and nods at Jirelle....
<jirelle> So anyway...
<jirelle> I suppose if you were too crazy to care whether you lived or died you could do the same thing...
* jirelle laughs at Fise, and squeezes his hand
* jirelle belatedly noticed the tension between JonDrake and Fise, has no idea what to make of it
* Fise concentrates on his tea.
* JonDrake relaxes with is sandwich and tea...
* jirelle feels that the lunch has turned into a terrible bummer and has no idea why
<Fise> "Well I'd better go see if anyone else has come in."
* Fise gets up and leans over to put his hand on Jirelle's shoulder.
<Fise> [whispers] "See you later?"
* jirelle looks up at him and offers him a smile
<jirelle> Okay...
* Fise kisses Jirelle carefully.
* jirelle kisses Fise lovingly
* Fise pats her shoulder and goes out.
* JonDrake doesn't realize that Fise is uncomfortable by his presence.
* jirelle stares at her tea after Fise leaves, trying to figure out what just happened
* jirelle decides she had totally misunderstood Fise's mood, and he was actually cheerful when he left.