Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Bender Cove Township Scenario
Episode #182: Hooker-Hookee (3/8/98)
Tanat signals at the door to Jemmie's parents' house.
Jemmie slips out the door.
Jemmie ~~ need ~~
Tanat poses to let Jemmie admire his truly cosmic outfit.
Jemmie smiles admiringly.
Tanat: What do you think?
Jemmie nods.
Jemmie: You look fine.
Jemmie: Let's go.
Tanat: A truly cool outfit, but loose enough for action.
Jemmie: If you say so....
Jemmie ~~ need ~~
Jemmie zlins Tanat.
Tanat: We're supposed to meet the carriage down at the end of the drive.
Tanat: ~~nervous anticipation~~
Jemmie: Great.
Nick looks around the "remodeled" fishing boat.
Nick: Well, it looks like Rapol did a... thorough... job.
Wise Snake squints at the gold-festooned room.
Wise Snake: Yeah but... thoroughly what?
Nick: Hopefully, thoroughly impressive to our clients.
Wise Snake: I have only seen two or three pirate ships, and they were a good deal scummier than this. All the money went to booze.
Wise Snake: Then again, our clients won't know that.
Wise Snake wonders if she just hadn't been hanging out with the right pirates.
Nick: The trunk is a nice touch, but I'm having trouble visualizing an oversized banana-shaped couch on a working ship.
Nick: Where did it come from, I wonder?
Wise Snake had been trying to avoid visualizing the over sized banana shaped couch anywhere.
Wise Snake: The tropics?
Nick goes over and tests the banana.
Nick: Must be. It's overripe.
Wise Snake: It IS vaguely like a transfer lounge, though.
Wise Snake sits on the other end of the banana.
Wise Snake: Are real bananas fuzzy like this?
Wise Snake hadn't thought so.
Nick: No.
Wise Snake runs her hand over the plush, bright yellow surface.
Nick: Not unless they've been sitting too long in the refrigerator.
Wise Snake: Ucch!
Wise Snake jumps up.
Nick investigates the contents of the trunk.
Nick: Hmm, there's some long scarves in here.
Wise Snake goes over to inspect the four small cages.
Nick holds up a green and pink number.
Wise Snake: I thought the water bowls are a nice touch. Make them think they're going to be in there a while!
Nick: Yes.
Nick: What are the locks like?
Wise Snake goes over to the trunk by Nick.
Nick shows Snake the scarf assortment.
Wise Snake: You can probably see them from here. I've never seen such huge padlocks in my life.
Wise Snake picks up a blood-red satin one.
Wise Snake: Hey... this one is a mask.
Wise Snake grins and ties it around her head, positioning the eyeholes over her eyes.
Nick raises an eyebrow, and digs further among the collection.
Nick: So is this one.
Nick dons a black silk number.
Wise Snake musses her hair so it looks like something you'd find on the deck of a ship that's been at sea a long time and doesn't care how respectable it looks.
Nick: It sets off your eyes.
Wise Snake: "I am the Pirate Queen!" [shouts triumphantly, holding up both arms]
Wise Snake stops at Nick's comment.
Wise Snake: Ugh... I can imagine. [not liking the sound of that]
Nick: Hurrah! Hurrah for the Pirate Queen!
Wise Snake: Let me trade with you.
Wise Snake removes the red mask/scarf.
Nick hands the black mask to Snake and tries the red one on himself.
Wise Snake puts on the black mask, and re-spoogles her hair.
Wise Snake: How's this?
Nick looks critically.
Nick: Better. Your eyes don't look so unusual.
Wise Snake stands up very stiffly and looks at Nick with an evil Pirate Queen snarl.
Nick swaggers.
Wise Snake: Uhm....
Wise Snake: It still reeks like fish in here.
Wise Snake: And the bilge water.
Wise Snake: And the harbor.
Nick: Hmm, that's pretty good, but you'll want to let your laterals out when the time comes, or Jemmie's friends won't believe that you're attacking Tanat.
Wise Snake: Well, I'll be taking down his field, there will be plenty of lateral showing.
Nick: I don't think we can do anything about the smell. Not unless we burn a ton of cheap incense.
Wise Snake: Yeah... yeah, let's buy a ton of that Southern Continental incense, the really exotic stuff.
Nick looks dubious.
Wise Snake: Um... might have to buy the boat outright if we do that, though. The owners probably wouldn't want to live with the results.
Nick: Won't the smoke trigger your allergies?
Wise Snake: Could test them out first.
Wise Snake considers the amount of money riding on this gig.
Wise Snake: Er, maybe not.
Nick looks relieved.
Nick sits on the banana again.
Nick: So, just what do you want me and Rapol to do, besides look fierce?
Nick: You mentioned getting a little rough with Tanat. Is that something you can leave to us?
Nick thinks that would at least let them shield Snake from the worst of it.
Wise Snake: Um... maybe the beginning part.
Wise Snake: I'm going to have to take his field down.
Nick: Of course.
Nick bends over to scratch his leg, and makes a discovery.
Nick: There are metal loops on this thing.
Nick finds several more around the sides of the banana couch.
Nick: Almost like anchor points for....
Wise Snake: Banana bondage?
Nick suddenly remembers seeing a similar device, minus fruit theme, in one of the Post Office's "dungeons".
Nick: Probably.
Wise Snake: You propose strapping Tanat to a giant banana?
Nick: Well, you have to admit that his friend is unlikely to have ever donated when strapped to a banana bondage couch.
Nick: The idea is to win their crazy exotic-transfer bet, after all.
Wise Snake: Er... true.
Wise Snake: I wonder how attached Rapol is to that couch. We may want to chain it to something to deter theft.
Wise Snake inspects more closely and realizes the couch has already been bolted to the deck to imitate maritime safety securing.
Wise Snake: Never mind.
Nick wonders if he could pay a thief to steal the banana, then realizes that he isn't that wealthy.
Nick: So, when you let Jemmie out, she's likely to go for you immediately. Are we supposed to "try to intervene", or just leave you to your fate?
Wise Snake: I thought Rapol had this all choreographed.
Wise Snake finds the satchel and digs through it, comes out with a wad of papers.
Wise Snake flips through the papers, finds a scene entitled "Battle with Pirate Queen"
Nick checks the script over Snake's shoulder.
Wise Snake: Ah... it says I am supposed to whip a knife out of my belt, then let her grab it from me.
Nick winces.
Wise Snake: It would have to be one shenned dull knife for me to go for that!
Nick: Wait a minute.
Nick goes over to the trunk and digs around in it.
Wise Snake: Not that I wouldn't bet for myself in a knife fight against a suburban teenager, or anything....
Wise Snake has once again forgotten she is a teen also.
Nick: Ah, I thought I remembered seeing this.
Nick withdraws a realistic foam knife, and tests it by bending it in half.
Nick: Your noble blade, my Queen.
Wise Snake: Umm... that is never going to fool anybody.
Wise Snake: Nobody who can zlin, anyway.
Nick tosses the nerf knife in her direction.
Wise Snake catches it, spins it around her finger, and slides it deftly into her belt.
Wise Snake stares in disgust as the knife mooshes against her belt then falls to the floor.
Wise Snake: Uhn uhn. This is NOT going to work.
Nick looks at the prop sadly.
Nick: Well, there's always the pistol, instead.
Nick hauls out a genuine antique pistol, sans round.
Nick: Do you think it would work better?
Wise Snake: Well... hey! This thing is actually worth some money.
Wise Snake takes it from Nick and examines it enthusiastically.
Nick raises an eyebrow.
Nick: It is?
Wise Snake: Yeah.
Wise Snake: This is over a hundred years old, and made deep Out-Territory. I'll have to ask Sky to identify it later.
Wise Snake: We definitely can't let those kids get their hands on this, they might run off with it while we're all playing dead.
Wise Snake: See? Rapol does find a good thing or two.
Wise Snake hands the gun back to Nick.
Nick puts the gun back in the trunk and casts about for an alternative weapon.
Wise Snake: Fine, fine. We'll use this silly rubber knife and I'll just have to project such realistic terror nobody will have time to realize it's not the real thing.
Wise Snake picks up the rubber knife.
Nick pulls out a Raider-style whip.
Nick: You could wrap this around your waist.
Wise Snake: I think you guys should keep that for Tanat.
Wise Snake: Rapol has the costumes all picked out. We shouldn't mess with his plan, he spent a long time on that.
Nick: We're supposed to whip the kid?
Wise Snake: Not really. [disgustedly]
Nick wishes Rapol had had the opportunity to brief him before collapsing for a rest in the rear cabin.
Debette swaggers down the docks looking for an easy mark. Garon was quite explicit in the "or else" department when he told her to up her job.
Debette swings her hips and gestures with her tentacles seductively at the passing dock workers.
Nick also hopes that he can manage this "play unconscious" trick when the time comes.
Debette scowls when they ignore her.
Nick looks around at the cabin.
Nick: Well, it looks like things are pretty much ready here. Why don't we go up and breathe some fresher air until it's time to start the show?
Debette walks up to a likely looking male. "Hey friend, what time do you get off work? Hows about I wait around for you ...?"
Debette glares as he shakes his head and otherwise ignores her. She turns and looks at the boats, wrinkling her nose at the smell of dead fish.
Wise Snake: Okay.
Wise Snake climbs out of the fishing boat's hold.
Debette sees that one of them seems to be flying the "jolly roger". How exciting!
Nick follows Snake out to the deck.
Wise Snake surveys the chopped-out area of ice around the boat, so it will bob realistically for the show, and hopes the coming dark will obscure the gaping hole.
Nick has unfortunately forgotten to take off his scarlet scarf-mask.
Wise Snake is still wearing the black one.
Wise Snake 's eyes gleam whitely from the holes.
Nick is also wearing a rather dashing cape instead of his usual winter coat.
Wise Snake's black hair is doing the "volcanic eruption" thing and her black cloak is torn up from Veraik rubbing it against a tree.
Debette heads towards it - only to stop as people appear on the deck. Ohhh one of them is a gen - A MALE at that! and such an interesting field....
She peers myopically at the blurs of their faces - something doesn't look right...
Nick gratefully breathes in the slightly-less-fishy air.
Debette heads down for a closer look, wiggling seductively, not looking where she is going. She is concentrating so hard on the Gen's field she totally misses the bundle of nets and hooks piled right under her next step....
Debette: YOWLLUPPP!!!!!! Oh shen!!!! ~~ ouches ~~
Nick turns at the yell.
Nick: What was that?
Debette sprawls flat on her face, managing to get tangled in the nets and getting more then a few of the hooks embedded in her, errrr, front.
Debette struggles to get free - managing to make the problem worse. "HELP!!!! YOW!!!"
Wise Snake frowns.
Wise Snake sighs and jumps off the boat, to the dock.
Nick follows, a bit less gracefully.
Wise Snake goes over to the struggling woman.
Wise Snake pushes the mask up to become a headband.
Wise Snake: Hey... calm down. You're going to hurt yourself.
Debette: Shendoni hooks!
Wise Snake reaches out, trying to calm the woman.
Wise Snake: Just stay still... we'll try to get you loose.
Debette sees Snake's feet and looks up at her.
Wise Snake sees how the woman is dressed and realizes she is probably "loose" on a regular basis.
Wise Snake is a roguish looking Sime in black, with wild black hair and white eyes.
Debette now struggles in a different direction - sure that Snake is a demon of some sort.
Nick offers steady, calming support, hoping some of it will rub off on their patient.
Wise Snake sighs again.
Wise Snake: Nick?
Wise Snake: Why don't you help her.
Nick looks quite dangerously debonair, in a cute sort of way.
Wise Snake isn't in the mood for people being afraid of her... not quite yet, anyway.
Nick kneels beside Debette.
Nick: Hey, stop that.
Wise Snake walks off a little way down the dock, so her presence isn't so immediate.
Debette is very attracted to Nick (and Nick's field) and wonders if he has money.
Nick: ~~ calm ~~
Nick: Just be still. You're working those hooks in deeper.
Wise Snake studies the sunset and decides the fishing boat doesn't look so bad, out of direct daylight.
Debette: Oooohhh that is nice. [smile] I seem to be stuck. [indicates hooks implanted in breast area]
Debette: ~~ ouch ouch ~~
Nick: So I see.
Nick: You really require a channel to get them out and heal the holes.
Debette thrusts her breasts towards Nick. "I'm sure you are VERY capable."
Nick sighs, and reaches for the first hook.
Nick: Hold still. This is going to hurt.
Debette bites her bottom lip.
Nick works the hook loose, leaving a thin trail of blood behind.
Debette gives a soft gasp.
Nick inspects the next hook.
Wise Snake grimaces.
Nick: Shen, this one's got a barb. I'll have to work it through, or it will tear you up coming out.
Wise Snake tries to think of something else.
Nick arranges his field to block Debette's nager from Snake as much as practical.
Debette moans softly and leans against Nicks field - rarely has she felt so much GEN in one place....
Nick checks to see how the barb is implanted, then neatly stabs it through and out.
Debette gives a little shriek automatically pulling away from the pain.
Nick barely manages to get the hook clear in time.
Nick: You've got to hold still, er... What is your name?
Debette: I'm Debette. [tear of pain or not, Deb manages to flutter her eyes at Nick]
Nick: Well, Debette, can you hold still while I get the last one out?
Debette nods towards Snake whom she has now recognised as basically female. "Who is your friend?"
Nick: She's Snake Farris.
Nick figures that just about any working girl in Bender Cove should be familiar with the name.
Debette: I've heard of them - aren't they freaks or something?
Nick: I'm her Donor, Nick.
Debette's eyes widen.
Nick takes advantage of Debette's momentary paralysis to remove the final hook from a particularly tender area.
Debette: Ouch! ~~ouch!~~
Nick: There, it's out.
Nick surveys the damage in a very professional fashion.
Nick: Now, if you want to avoid scarring, those really should be healed.
Nick: Snake would be happy to help you, if you don't want to lose half a night filling in forms at the Sime Center.
Debette doesn't want Nick to disappear into the blue and clasps at his hand. "Please - will you stay with me? She looks, well, wild!"
Wise Snake figures the woman must be from out of town, if she knows what a Farris is but has never heard of Snake.
Nick tries to find a way to reassure Debette without getting caught lying.
Nick: She won't hurt you.
Nick: And I'll stay right here until she's done.
Debette doesn't let go of Nick's hand as she looks past him at Snake.
Nick waits for Debette to make her decision.
Nick: ~~ calm ~~
Debette: Errr - sure - if she doesn't mind.
Debette: I really can't afford any scarring - there.
Nick signals for Snake to come over.
Debette starts to tremble as she realises that this is likely to lose her income - and incur Garon's displeasure.
Nick: Yes. You wouldn't like the kinds of johns who would find it exciting.
Wise Snake sighs, then turns and walks over to them, studying the woman's injuries with idle displeasure.
Debette cringes from Wise Snakes obvious displeasure.
Wise Snake: Fish hooks. Infection... nasty scars.
Nick smoothly switches his support from Debette to Snake, while gripping Debette's hand reassuringly.
Wise Snake: If I give you an antiseptic wash, would you use it?
Debette: Yes! I can't afford to be sick!
Wise Snake: Hold on a minute.
Debette squeezes Nicks hand.
Wise Snake leaps back onto the boat, goes below to retrieve the medical satchel.
Wise Snake returns to Nick and Debette.
Nick's hand is by now feeling somewhat bruised.
Wise Snake finds a vial and gives it to Debette.
Wise Snake: Take this home and wash the wounds with this and clean warm water.
Debette wonders how to pay for this.
Wise Snake: Do that before healing yourself, understand? To prevent infection.
Wise Snake: Can you afford the selyn for healing?
Debette head spins.
Debette: depends.... ~~ fear at having to go back to Garon all scarred up ~~
Nick believes he sees the difficulty.
Nick: Who's your pimp?
Debette: Garon.
Debette: Errr....
Nick: He's more reasonable than some.
Debette: that depends on which side of the fence you stand, I guess.
Wise Snake: You must be new with Garon.
Wise Snake: I hold his transfer contract and I've never served you... or do you go to the Sime Center?
Nick shrugs, knowing his own work hours, risk of bodily injury, and living quarters are probably worse than hers.
Debette doesn't see why she is being quizzed on her personal life.
Debette looks unhappy.
Debette: I have a regular job as well - I usually go to the Center.
Wise Snake: Good.
Wise Snake: You could have gone there for this, then.
Wise Snake gives her the vial anyway.
Wise Snake closes up the satchel.
Debette is still holding Nick's hand.
Wise Snake: You might want to see about eating and sleeping regularly. Clumsiness in Simes is generally a sign of impending serious illness.
Debette: Well, your Donor here said you would do it....
Debette blushes - ashamed to say she wasn't watching cause she was zlinning Nick.
Wise Snake thinks Debette is a little confused, since she clearly understands Nick is Snake's donor, but persists in laying her hands on him anyway.
Wise Snake frowns.
Nick tries to reclaim his hand, now that Snake is finished with the patient.
Wise Snake: ~~edgy~~
Debette reluctantly lets go.
Debette: Thank you for your help.
Nick stands and moves to Snake's side.
Debette gets to her feet, carefully holding the bottle that Snake gave her.
Debette: How much do I owe you for this?
Wise Snake: Nothing. Your medical and protection are covered under my contract with Garon.
Wise Snake: Even if you do go to the Center for transfers.
Wise Snake rubs her hands together and rests on Nick's familiar nager.
Debette: I didn't know that you worked with Garon - he doesn't tell me anything.
Wise Snake: Really?
Wise Snake wonders what is up with Garon.
Wise Snake: I'll have a talk with him.
Debette: Oh, please, no! I don't want to get into any more trouble.
Wise Snake: He probably just forgot.
Wise Snake's eyebrows raise.
Debette: It's just that I owe him money - and I haven't been able to pay him back.
Wise Snake: I see.
Wise Snake zlins Debette for drugs.
Debette: ~~ clean NOW ~~
Nick has long since become accustomed to the messy lives found in the slums.
Wise Snake: How much are we talking about?
Debette looks upset. "Well it may not seem much to you - but it's more than I have at the moment."
Wise Snake: Ten or fifteen tricks, or are we talking indentured servitude?
Debette: Look, I'm grateful for your help [holds up the bottle] but I really don't think that is the sort of thing I should be telling a stranger.
Debette: I really should be getting back to work... [looks down at her ruined top and the dry blood on her breasts] or something.
Wise Snake nods.
Wise Snake: If you don't want my help, that's your choice.
Nick looks up as a clock chimes downtown.
Wise Snake turns away from Debette.
Wise Snake: Come on, Nick.
Nick: We should be taking our places. Goodnight, Debette.
Wise Snake vaults neatly across onto the deck of the "pirate ship".
Nick follows Snake back onto the boat, trying to nerve himself to face several hours in the presence of a giant, plush, banana-shaped bondage couch.
Debette nods "thank you" again and heads off home to put the wash on her wounds.
Go on to Episode #183: As the "Swash" Buckles
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