Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Bender Cove Township Scenario
Episode #187: This Place is Dangerous (3/18/98)
Alea comes down the stairs of the Sime Center.
Alea has decided today is a WONDERFUL day outside and she wants to go see Snake.
Alea wonders what she and her Donor are dong today.
Alea pauses in the lobby to check out the boards.
Nick is sitting in Snake's office, enjoying a cup of tea.
Alea nods when she sees the boards are set up correctly.
Alea goes to the front door and snatches up her cloak.
Wise Snake wishes she wasn't trapped in the office STILL.
Wise Snake fidgets restlessly.
Nick sees Snake's tentacles clench in frustration.
Nick: Still tied up in red tape?
Wise Snake: No! [snaps]
Nick thinks soothing thoughts.
Nick: What's the matter, then?
Alea slips her cloak, scarf and gloves on and goes out the front door--and almost falls on her face.
Nick: ~~genuine concern~~
Alea: Who the Shen forgot to clean these steps off!
Wise Snake calms somewhat under Nick's influence.
Noma scuttles down an alley, heading away from the dock.
Alea turns around, goes back in and demands someone go out immediately and de-ice the steps.
Alea heads out the back door.
Alea passes the Gnome and pauses.
Wise Snake massages her forehead.
Alea: You know, Gnome, I really have to get rid of those red and white colors. I don't like them on you.
Wise Snake: It's just....
Wise Snake: Oh, it's ridiculous.
Wise Snake: Forget it.
Alea shakes her head and continues on across the area, passing through the back gate.
Noma is a scrawny young woman, dressed in once-fine clothes now shredded and dirty. There aren't enough of them for the weather.
Alea smiles.
Alea hurries around to the front and hails a cab.
Nick: Sometimes problems are easier to solve if you talk about them.
Nick: ~~encouragement~~
Death Cab pounds to a snorting, raving halt in front of Alea (nearly running her over).
Noma peers around the corner of a building, and jumps back with a yelp as she sees a Sime pass by.
Wise Snake: Uh... well....
Alea jumps back, grabbing at her stomach in protection
Alea: Good heavens!
Wise Snake thinks some things are hard to talk about.
Wise Snake: You see, the other day, when you and Rapol were, er, occupied....
Alea eases toward the cab.
Nick: Yes?
Wise Snake thinks it would be just as well to not let on she was running around outside without them.
Alea: I hope you drive more carefully than that with customers in it.
Death Cab's driver leers down at Alea.
Noma gathers her courage and looks around the corner again.
Death Cab: Come in, come in. [eerie kindness]
Alea blinks, surprised.
Alea: I... uh....
Alea glances around, sees no other cabs and shrugs. She is a Farris, after all.
Wise Snake: Well, I suddenly had this weird feeling that something really awful would happen here if I spent too much time here today.
Alea: Fine. I'm on my way to the Ferry Building.
Alea goes over and opens the door.
Nick raises an eyebrow.
Death Cab 's driver waits until Alea is halfway in, then starts flogging his horses.
Death Cab: Yah! Yah!
Death Cab: [horses leap away from the curb]
Alea leaps in, screeching.
Alea: HEY!
Nick: Well, your premonitions have been accurate before, if not always in the way you thought.
Alea is tossed back against the seat.
Death Cab leans way to one side as the horses skid and claw around a corner, raising the cab up on its two left wheels.
Nick: However, why take chances, when it's easy enough just to go out today?
Alea struggles to sit back up and is thrown across the seat
Alea: Shendoni!
Nick: You could use the work, anyway.
Alea grabs at the door, watching the ground speed past.
Alea: Oooh....
Wise Snake looks around in a paranoid fashion.
Alea shoves back, grabbing at the door and jerking it closed with her.
Death Cab: Yah! Yah!
Alea reaches for the seat to pull herself up.
Alea: Hey you!
Alea: SLOW DOWN!
Death Cab 's driver weaves expertly through the twisting turns of some back alleys, taking a bee-line route for the Ferry Building.
Noma accosts a passing Gen, and babbles an obvious question in a foreign language; only the word "Hajene" is intelligible.
Death Cab's wheel hubs screech as the cab bumps from side to side in the tiny alleys.
Alea decides she's safer on the floor and curls into a ball.
Alea: I'm gonna g-g-get you f-f-ff-for THIS....
Death Cab: Whad you say!!! [leaning around backwards not looking where he's going]
Alea: Ouch!
Alea bangs her head against the seat.
Alea decides Avaleia should meet this Cabbie.
Death Cab hits a pot hole and catapults upward two feet before bouncing wildly.
Alea: SLOOOOW DOOOOWN....
Alea bounces with the cab, and comes back down hard.
Death Cab: DOWN???????
Alea sees stars.
Alea: YES!
Noma looks after the Gen, who walks on, pretending not to hear.
Nick: Come on, let's go out and see if there are any injuries at the docks.
Alea ~~ nausea ~~
Death Cab's driver yanks the horses' heads and they plunge down a wide avenue that descends steeply toward the docks.
Alea is certain she's going to throw up all over the cab.
Wise Snake: Nick, don't schedule me. You know I hate it when you do that.
Wise Snake: [tensely]
Alea: Aaaagggghhhh.......
Death Cab falls down as if into an abyss.
Noma tries another local, with no better luck.
Alea covers her mouth.
Nick goes over and rubs Snake's shoulder to relax her.
Nick: ~~soothing~~
Alea decides screaming might work better and lets out a shriek.
Alea ~~ fear nausea anger ~~
Death Cab goes up on two wheels again as the driver turns the horses onto the road fronting the docks.
Alea slams into the side of the cab.
Nick: Look, all I meant was, that if being here is making you miserable today, there's no particular reason to stay in.
Death Cab's driver sees the Ferry Building some blocks directly ahead and flogs his horses, accelerating to "max speed".
Alea: St-stu-stup-pid... Lorsh!
Wise Snake: Oh... yes... of course.
Alea flies backward, conking her head on the seat again.
Alea ~~ pain ~~
Wise Snake: [tensely]
Wise Snake tries to relax with Nick's shoulder rub.
Nick: ~~ calm confidence ~~
Noma finally thinks to ask a beggar, who grins toothlessly and points to a nearby building, saying, "Hajene".
Death Cab reaches the Ferry Building and the driver yanks on the reins, causing the pair of black horses to come to a head up, haunches down, skidding halt.
Death Cab: [cab swings sideways and almost rolls over, then comes to rest safely on all four wheels]
Alea slams into the other side of the cab and groans in pain.
Alea collapses in a boneless heap on the floor.
Death Cab Driver: There you are, Miz. That'll be 12.
Noma goes in the indicated direction, and finds the building just in time to see the carriage careen to a halt.
Alea tells the cabbie very succinctly what he can do with it and slides out of the cab onto the curb.
Death Cab Driver: Hey!!
Nick hears a noise outside the window.
Alea crawls on hands and knees toward the Ferry Building.
Alea ~~ pain/ nausea ~~
Death Cab ties the reins off, pulls his spiked bat out from behind the seat, and jumps down.
Nick: What's that?
Alea ~~ relief to be alive ~~
Death Cab Driver: Where's my fare, you sniveling twat!
Noma sees the club and screams loudly.
Wise Snake gets up and looks out the window.
Wise Snake: Ah.. it's just Alea.
Alea pushes up against the wall.
Nick fights the impulse to run and put his new pants in the safe.
Alea looks over her shoulder at the Gen.
Alea: You ARE kidding!
Death Cab Driver: You owe me 12 p, lady!
Alea reaches for the bell cord, searching for it while not taking her eyes off the cabbie from hell.
Wise Snake: Well, we may as well go see what she wants.
Wise Snake remembers the LAST time Alea visited, and hopes Alea is feeling better today.
Alea: dream on, you shendoni....
Death Cab Driver smacks his hand with the club, warningly.
Alea covers her mouth and closes her eyes as her breakfast threatens to revisit the outer world....
Death Cab Driver: Look... I work for a living.
Nick tightens his belt just in case, and follows Snake down the stairs.
Alea: Murdering innocent Gens? [to Cabbie]
Alea: Innocent Pregnant Gens?
Death Cab Driver: Now I don't care who you are, or who you know. I want my fare!
Wise Snake goes down to the front door and opens it.
Nick offers support, figuring that the ambient is going to be a mess, one way or another.
Alea shakes her head
Wise Snake: Hello, Alea, I ... !?
Alea: Find it at the bottom of the bay as far as I'm concerned.
Alea ~~ nausea, anger, disgust ~~
Wise Snake zlins Alea, the cabbie, and Noma, trying to figure out what is going on.
Wise Snake: What is going on here?
Alea hears Snake and turns.
Death Cab Driver: This is none of your business, ya ... er.... [recognizes Snake]
Alea: Shendoni lorsh tried to murder me.
Alea mutters that.
Alea: Go ahead. Explain it to my sister. [to cabbie, seeing he recognizes Snake]
Alea nager offers an apology to Snake for the lie.
Noma sees the driver with the club back down, and stops screaming.
Alea hears the cessation of noise and glances at the woman.
Alea glances at Snake.
Alea: A customer of yours?
Alea ~~ nauseous ~~
Death Cab Driver: This cu... er... [pauses at the word "sister"] ... person tried to stiff me my fare!
Alea sinks back down to the walkway.
Wise Snake carefully edges closer to Nick's field.
Nick puts a hand on Snake's arm to reduce the nageric confusion.
Wise Snake glances at Noma.
Alea: You tried to make sure I didn't see another day. When that didn't succeed, you try to CHARGE me for it?
Noma sees Nick standing next to Snake.
Noma: ~~hope~~
Alea jerks back up and stalks toward the cabbie.
Death Cab Driver: I brought you here, now you owe me 12 p!!
Noma glances around fearfully, then sidles closer to Snake and points at her.
Noma: Hajene?
Alea: You want twelve pence?
Alea: I'll give you twelve p.
Alea: Outta your hide!
Alea: Let's see how you like hurting from head to toe!
Alea makes a grab for the club.
Death Cab Driver startled, jerks back, the club held too high for Alea to reach.
Alea: I happen to value this child. I asked you if you drove carefully.
Death Cab Driver: Hey, whaddaya...!
Alea: What do you do? Try to murder us both.
Alea jumps trying to get it from his hand.
Alea: Give me that!
Alea: Wait until I tell the father of this child what you did!
Wise Snake points inside the building. [to Noma:] Do you want to wait inside where it's safe?
Alea: Why... he'll probably hunt you down and 'kill' you!
Alea: If he doesn't, well... I have relatives.
Alea: I AM a Farris, you know.
Alea whacks the cabbie on the chest.
Alea: Give me that club NOW!
Death Cab Driver: Yeah well, where's my fare, ya farrie?
Wise Snake points inside the building. [to Noma:] Do you want to wait inside where it's safe?
Death Cab Driver sneers and pushes Alea away.
Alea stumbles backward
Wise Snake catches Alea.
Noma looks at the battle for the club and nods vigorously.
Wise Snake: Um... [hastily]
Alea blunts her anger
Alea: Thank you, Snake
Wise Snake: Alea, please.
Wise Snake: Let me handle this.
Alea ~~ guards her field ~~
Wise Snake turns to the Cabbie.
Wise Snake: How much is the fare?
Alea: Zlin me, Snake. I am bruised from head to toe after being in his cab.
Alea: Don't you pay that swindler.
Death Cab Driver: Twelve P. [suspiciously]
Wise Snake glances at Alea.
Alea quiets.
Alea turns toward the Ferry Building, muttering under her breath and limping.
Wise Snake: Just a moment. [to Cabbie]
Wise Snake follows Alea.
Alea hurts in places she hasn't hurt in a long time and would like to throttle the cabbie.
Wise Snake: Er, Alea, are you going to want to file charges against this guy or something? Do I need to get his name?
Wise Snake is trying not to zlin too much.
Alea: No, just forget it.
Wise Snake: Oh... okay.
Alea: I'll make sure he gets his recompense later.
Wise Snake: What!
Alea thinks of various ways....
Alea glances at Snake
Nick is trying to stick close to Snake to help with the minimal-zlinning exercise.
Alea: What?
Wise Snake: What did you say! About making sure he'd get his...?
Alea shrugs
Alea: I do still have connections... somewhat.
Alea: Granted, not many.
Wise Snake: Alea, you can't just... have people taken care of. You're a Tecton Donor!
Wise Snake: Look... I'll be back in just a minute.
Wise Snake: Don't do anything rash.
Noma perks up at the word "Tecton"
Alea reluctantly nods.
Wise Snake hurries back to the Cabbie and gives him some money to make him go away.
Alea rubs her sore neck.
Wise Snake: And don't pick her up again! [calls after him]
Alea goes into the building and sits down on the... questionably tasteful couch.
Noma sees money changing hands.
Noma: ~~ sudden apprehension~~
Death Cab Driver vaults to his seat, slams the spiked club into its slot behind the chair, and seizes hold of the reins.
Death Cab Driver: Hyaaah!
Death Cab: [horses mill and plunge in confusion for a few moments before galloping wildly off, cab swinging from side to side]
Alea shifts on the couch, then motions for Noma to come sit with her.
Wise Snake massages her forehead and walks back inside.
Wise Snake locks the door to prevent anything nasty from coming in.
Noma looks around, noting the general air of disrepair and the furnishings which have no central theme except a certain lack of taste.
Alea sees Noma isn't coming over and lays down on the couch and closes her eyes.
Wise Snake: Alea, would you like some tea?
Alea nods.
Wise Snake: I think you should go upstairs where it's heated, all right?
Alea: Yes, please.
Wise Snake: You'll catch a chill lying down, down here.
Alea pushes herself back up.
Alea: Fine.
Alea gets up and heads over to the stairs.
Alea feels 80 years old at the moment.
Wise Snake: There's hot water on the fire in the office. [to Alea]
Wise Snake: I'll be up in a few minutes.
Alea: Thank you Snake.
Alea: Okay.
Alea goes up the stairs.
Wise Snake turns to Noma.
Wise Snake: Can I help you?
Noma looks at Snake uncertainly.
Alea goes to the third floor and turns down the hall toward Snake's office.
Wise Snake: Can I help you? [tries again in English]
Sky walks into the hallway directly in front of Alea, zipping up his pants.
Sky: ~~surprise~~
Sky: Oh!
Alea looks at Sky
Alea ~~ shock ~~
Noma tries a question, incomprehensible to Nick.
Alea: Hello, Sky.
Alea forces herself to ignore Sky's actions and smile at him.
Sky blushes bright pink and finishes zipping.
Sky drops his hands self-consciously to his sides.
Sky: Oh, Hello, Alea.
Sky notices Alea's condition.
Sky: Are you all right? [alarmed]
Alea: Some idiot Gen thought the world would be a better place without me and the future channel I carry and tried to get rid of us.
Alea: Other than that, yes, I'm fine.
Alea: Where DO they find cabbies in this city?
Sky: Oh! Oh, dear. I'm sure I stay away from cabs, whenever possible, myself.
Noma: You are the Hajene? [in a really weird dialect of a seldom-heard language]
Alea: Well, you can bet I will from now on.
Sky: You're covered head to toe in bruises! [judging from how Alea is walking bent over]
Alea: Of course, I thought I'd get too tired....
Alea: However, I'd rather be too tired than in pain.
Alea heads toward Snake's office.
Alea: You know, I have tried so hard not to cause any problems at the Center.
Alea: I think, sometimes, that problems just follow me no matter what.
Wise Snake thinks that sounds awfully familiar.
Nick: Do you know that language?
Wise Snake: Uh... [not willing to make a firm statement on that yet]
Wise Snake: [to Noma, in her tongue] "My self had better not be other than that which you so unspecifically specified."
Noma: You must help my acquaintances before the evil man sells them to an awful fate.
Alea goes into the office.
Noma looks at Snake hopefully.
Alea goes over to the fire and looks at the water.
Alea looks around for a cloth to dip in it to wash the grime off her face and arms.
Wise Snake: Er... [in Noma's tongue] "You ask me to be the awful fate to which they are sold? How cheap are your friends?"
Alea dips the cloth in the water and gasps, dropping the cloth.
Alea: Hot!
Alea sticks the injured fingers in her mouth.
Noma remembers Snake paying off the driver for delivering Alea, and the incident suddenly seems sinister.
Alea: Mrsshhendumni!
Alea ~~ pain ~~
Noma: No! They said a Hajene doesn't sell people like cattle to be slaughtered.
Noma: ~~ alarm ~~
Alea continues to mutter around her fingers she is sucking.
Wise Snake: Er... I mean... [struggling with the unfamiliar words] I meant, I would gladly fatten your cattle for milk rather than meat.
Wise Snake hopes that came out right.
Noma is wondering why this offer of bovine husbandry was suddenly inserted into the conversation.
Wise Snake realizes "cattle" was too literal.
Noma: You must stop the bad man before he sells my friends.
Wise Snake: "Your friends. I would gladly fatten your friends for you."
Noma frowns, then decides that her friends can't be fattened in their current location.
Noma: He stole us away, the bad man, and shut us in the hold with no food and little water.
Wise Snake: Okay. And what did you want me to do about it?
Wise Snake starts moving toward the stairs, figuring the woman could use some warmth.
Wise Snake also thinks it might be a good idea to keep an eye on Alea, even if Sky is up there.
Noma sees Snake leaving.
Noma: ~~ alarm ~~
Noma: No! You must help!
Alea thinks Snake must be trying to get her too.
Alea goes to the window and pushes it open.
Alea sticks her hand out the window, hoping the cool air will cool it off.
Noma follows after Snake.
Alea: Okay, okay, so I shouldn't have told the cabbie you're my sister when you're my niece... but hey, I liked to see him scared.
Alea continues muttering as she waves her hand outside the window.
Wise Snake: Help how! Where did you say they were? A hole?
Alea scoops up some snow and washes her arms with it.
Alea unbuttons her large, untucked blouse and slips it off.
Sky walks into the office, carrying a huge stack of books that blocks his sight.
Alea looks around to see if she has any bruises on her tummy.
Alea turns her arms this way and that, looking at them.
Alea: Well, Shen!
Alea: I'm bruised completely....
Noma: They held us in the ship for a long time. Yesterday they moved us to a cellar under a tavern.
Alea suddenly smiles.
Alea: Except for you, my dear.
Sky jumps, nearly dropping the books, which waver, tilting from side to side.
Alea: You are perfectly fine.
Alea pats her tummy.
Sky: Whoa.... whoo.....a...!
Alea jumps and whirls around.
Alea: Where did YOU come from!
Sky gapes as the stack sways far enough that he can see Alea plainly.
Sky: Wha!!
Sky staggers backward, the books tilting alarmingly.
Alea sees Sky gaping and searches for where she tossed her blouse.
Alea: Watch out!
Alea leaps toward Sky.
Alea makes a grab for him and the books.
Sky runs into Alea.
Sky: OoOOOF!
Alea's face smashes into the books
Alea: Oooghmrupmph.
Wise Snake: How did you start feeling loose? [in Noma's language.. sort of]
Alea grabs at Sky to keep from falling.
Sky: [books teeter wildly as Sky and Alea stagger back and forth, locked together]
Alea: Sky! Oh... oh... watch... OUT!!!
Noma is getting a bit better at interpreting Snake's mangled version of her language.
Alea realizes she shouldn't have tried to help
Sky: [stack of books falls, crashing out the window]
Sky: Oh no!!! [long, despairing noooooooooooooo]
Alea tries to release him and grab the books.
Alea: Oh!!!
Noma: I was the smallest, and they didn't have a chain for me.
Alea: Oh Sky!
Noma: I broke a back window and managed to slip out.
Alea looks out at the books and groans.
Sky looks dismayed.
Sky looks out the window, then back at Alea.
Sky: Are you all right?
Alea looks disgruntled.
Alea: I'm sorry, Sky.
Richard, walking along minding his own business, is amazed when he is almost flattened by a pile of books raining down
Noma shows the recently scabbed cuts on her hand to illustrate her dialog.
Sky smells something burning.
Sky: What's... oh!
Alea: I was simply trying to examine my bruises... oh NO!
Sky runs over and tries to pull Alea's shirt out of the fire.
Alea sees the person below
Sky holds it up on fire.
Alea sniffs.
Richard picks two up at random.
Alea wonders what on earth....
Alea: My SHIRT!
Alea hurries across the room toward her shirt.
Alea grabs at it.
Alea: Put it OUT! PUT IT OUT!
Alea shakes it, trying to pull it out of Sky's hands.
Sky: Wait... wait....
Sky pulls.
Sky flinches back as sparks fly.
Alea lets go and staggers back, falling into the chair by the desk.
Wise Snake approaches the top of the stairs, then pauses.
Richard: "The science of Gargoyles." They have a science?
Wise Snake: Could you lead me on?
Wise Snake: In the Tavern?
Wise Snake: [thinks she said something else]
Richard: "How to win friends and influence people"
Richard starts to stack the books
Noma is a bit surprised, then realizes that the Hajene must have a plan.
Alea bounds back out of the chair.
Alea: Give me my SHIRT!
Noma: Yes, if that would help your disguise.
Sky drops the shirt and covers his head with his arms.
Sky: I'm sorry!!
Sky: [shrieks reflexively]
Richard picks up the stack and signals at the door.
Alea stomps on her shirt trying to put it out.
Sky jumps as the doorbell clangs.
Alea: Ow ow ow....
Sky: Oh! I'll go get that! [intense relief]
Sky rushes out of the office.
Alea [each time Alea jumps, she jars her bruises]
Alea: Don't you leave me!
Alea starts out after him.
Alea: I don't have a shirt!
Alea realizes Sky has seen her without her shirt and gasps.
Wise Snake tries to figure out what Noma just said... something about guys?
Alea: I don't have a SHIRT! [horrified]
Wise Snake is startled to see Sky barrel past, and Alea starting toward them nude from the waist up.
Wise Snake goggles.
Wise Snake: Uh... Alea....???
Alea covers her bra with her hands blushing.
Alea: Er....
Wise Snake puts out a hand to reassure Noma.
Alea thinks of where she can find some clothes, and makes a dash into Nick's room.
Alea: Excuse me a moment!
Alea hurries into Nick's room, slamming the door behind her.
Nick sees Alea (more of her than he really wants to) disappear into his room.
Alea rushes to the closet.
Alea: I don't believe this.
Nick: ~~ muted but genuine alarm ~~
Sky bolts down the stairs and answers the door gratefully.
Sky: Hello? Oh! [sees the books]
Nick: Shen!
Wise Snake: Nick?
Richard is a very tall goodlooking and well built gen of heroic proportions and devil may care expression.
Wise Snake: Uh... do you want to... make sure she's okay?
Alea: I try to straighten up my act, which includes not seducing innocents, and what happens, every man within ten miles, and woman for that matter, sees me nearly naked!
Sky does a double-take.
Alea jerks the clothes back and forth until she finds a shirt.
Alea pulls the shirt out and slips the large button up cotten shirt on.
Richard holds the pile of books out to Sky "I believe these came from your window?"
Sky: Hello. Would you like to meet my sister?
Nick, to his credit, checks to see that Snake doesn't require assistance before bolting for his room.
Sky: Er.. I mean... yes!
Alea begins buttoning it... sees it is a bit tight over the tummy and too big everywhere else.
Sky: Thank you very much.
Sky accepts the books.
Sky: She's single. [adds]
Nick throws open the door.
Nick: Not my clothes again!
Richard is a little surprised at the straight forward approach.
Alea jumps, gasping.
Alea: Nick!
Alea grabs at her heart.
Alea: You nearly scared me to death!
Alea [heart racing]
Wise Snake: I'm sorry, [to Noma] it is difficult to talk of deep personal things in this crowded hallway, is it not?
Richard: Well, I hadn't expected to be visiting anyone. But if "the science of gargoyles" belongs to her, she must be a very interesting person.
Alea ~~ high field on a low first or second order level ~~
Wise Snake: Shall we to the watering hole, then?
Alea eyes Nick as her heart rate slows.
Alea: Are you okay?
Sky: Oh... yes, it's either hers or the library's. I've tried to talk to her about returning those, but....
Sky: Do come in! Come in, let me get you a cup of tea.
Noma nods eagerly, glad that Snake is willing to drop everything and run to the rescue.
Sky: Thank you for picking up our books. Things have been just a little hectic here recently....
Nick: More to the point, is my shirt going to be okay?
Alea: I suppose so.
Nick: My clothes don't seem to be doing very well around you, lately.
Alea looks down at it.
Alea glares.
Alea: It's not MY fault.
Alea: Those old things of yours should have been labeled if they meant so much to you.
Alea: And well, you were near frozen and we had to get your clothes off you....
Wise Snake: Let us first beget you in fabulous raiments.
Richard hands them over, bowing graciously. "No problem, I'm sure. I'd heard of rains of frogs, but never expected a rain of books. At least, not this time of year"
Wise Snake leads Noma toward their rooms.
Alea: Besides, what else am I supposed to do?
Nick sighs.
Wise Snake: So that your heat will not cool before its time. [in Noma's language]
Richard enters the building and looks about curiously
Richard: Like it dark also do you?
Alea: Sky burned my own blouse.
Alea: I couldn't believe it. I turn around, and there he is, holding it in the fire.
Alea: Why in the world would he do something like that?
Sky: Oh... [embarrassed] it's still sort of... abandoned. Scheduled to be restored soon.
Nick: Look, you can borrow the shirt for now, but from now on, please leave my clothes alone.
Alea look at Nick coolly.
Alea: Fine.
Alea begins unbuttoning the shirt.
Noma: Ah, you wish to disguise us as women of pleasure, so that we may enter the tavern unobserved?
Alea: Far be it from me to borrow something of yours if you're that adverse to it.
Alea shrugs her shoulders, allowing the shirt to slip off and fall down her arms.
Wise Snake tries to puzzle out Noma's words... something about entering women-of-pleasure unobserved.
Alea catches the shirt on her finger and hands it back to Nick.
Alea: Here you go.
Alea: I'll just go borrow one from someone else's closet instead.
Alea thinks Rapol is certainly big enough.
Richard: Well I must say, it's definitely a unique landmark.
Wise Snake: No time for that now. Allow me to warm you quickly before we get off. [in Noma's language]
Wise Snake leads Noma to her office.
Alea walks out of Nick's room, nose in the air.
Sky: Oh, er, yes, yes. I think that's one of the reasons why she picked it.
Sky doesn't know beans about architecture.
Noma follows, hoping that Snake isn't really intending to do what she implied.
Sky: Please, come upstairs.
Alea continues down the hall to Rapol's room.
Richard: And this "she" would be your sister?
Nick puts his shirt back, relieved that it survived its contact with the walking disaster area.
Richard has nothing better to do and is curious to see who the owner of this building is.
Sky, who had been getting various "she's" mixed up in his head lately, flushes.
Alea looks both ways and then slips into Rapol's room.
Sky: Oh! Er... yes, my sister. Of course.
Sky keeps his eyes down as he hauls the books up the stairs.
Alea sneaks over to Rapol's closet and rummages through it.
Richard: Here, let me help you with those.
Richard reaches out and takes a double handful of the books back.
Wise Snake serves Noma some tea, offers her a seat, and begins to dig through a pile of clothes for the homeless, finding some outdoors garments close to Noma's size.
Alea smiles with satisfaction as she finds an oversized shirt that will button around her tummy.
Sky: Oh... thank you. [as books wobbly precariously]
Alea slips the huge shirt on.
Noma sits by the fire and drinks the tea, enjoying the feeling as the numbness of a thorough chilling fades.
Alea wishes it was a bit lighter so she could see the color of the shirt.
Alea has no idea if it goes with her blue skirt.
Noma moves, and is reminded of the down side of sensation as various scrapes and bruises make themselves known.
Alea quickly buttons the shirt up the front.
Alea sneaks back over to the door and pulls it open.
Alea peeks out and sees no one.
Alea slips back out the door, pulling it closed behind her.
Alea starts down the hall toward Snake's office, relieved that she escaped the second raid unscathed.
Wise Snake comes up with a sweater, an out-Territory style coat, some oversized boots, and some long pants.
Noma reflects that her friends are being subjected to much worse damage, and ignores the pain.
Richard follows Sky up the stairs where voices can be heard.
Wise Snake: These will impress you with their size, or lack thereof. [in Noma's language]
Sky: Look! There is my sister now!
Alea goes into Snake's office to leave a message.
Sky: Snake! Guess what!
Wise Snake looks up as Alea enters.
Alea thinks she's had enough of this and just wants the safety of the Sime Center.
Wise Snake: Oh... hello, Alea. Did you get some tea?
Noma accepts the clothing, thinking that the call girls must dress very differently here.
Alea blinks.
Wise Snake fails to notice Alea is wearing Rapol's shirt.
Alea: Oh.
Wise Snake: Please, have a seat.
Alea: No, no I didn't.
Wise Snake goes to get some tea for Alea.
Alea: I was just... I think I'll just go back to the Center....
Wise Snake stops.
Rapol dreams about a pirate ship in a storm, as the mast snaps and collapses on the deck.
Alea is surprised by Snake's kindness.
Wise Snake: What? But... you just got here.
Alea: Why... thank you.
Wise Snake confused
Richard looks at the small Gen in very unmatched clothing and notices that she is pregnant. No wonder he wanted him to meet his "single" sister.
Alea: I'm just a bit sore, is all.
Sky: No no, not her... that's my sister's cousin.
Sky leads Richard the rest of the way into the office.
Alea: And....
Alea glances at Sky and frowns.
Alea moves over to sit down.
Noma puts on the offered clothes, noting how much they cover.
Richard: I see [smiles at Alea]
Alea lowers herself carefully into a chair.
Rapol: [Shirt has a painting of a savage bird in the middle of a fire on the back]
Sky: Look Snake! Here's somebody for you to meet.... [in a proud, look what I brought! voice]
Richard: obviously your sister comes from a family of beautiful women.
Noma: The call girls here, they dress for comfort.
Alea nods at the newcomer.
Alea's eyes narrow and she turns her head toward Snake.
Alea: Thank you for your offer of tea.
Alea: I'd love some.
Wise Snake glances at Alea, thinking Noma is referring to her, and embarrassed that her cousin could possibly be mistaken for an... er....
Wise Snake gets Alea some tea.
Wise Snake: Uh.. don't mind her. [to Alea, nodding at Noma.] She's from out of town.
Alea: Obviously
Noma: Oh.
Richard looks for someplace to put the books down.
Sky: Oh! Here, I'll take those.
Wise Snake finally notices that Sky and Richard are carrying stacks of books.
Wise Snake finally notices that the main window of the office is sans glass, with a big jagged gaping hole instead, letting in a massive draft.
Wise Snake leaps up in frantic outrage.
Wise Snake: !!!!???
Wise Snake sees snow on the books.
Alea jumps, looking at Snake
Alea: What?!
Wise Snake wonders who in the hell Richard is.
Alea pushes up to go to Snake thinking she's zlinned something
Richard: I'm happy to hold them until we find somewhere safe to put them. Such valuable books should be cherished and protected
Wise Snake finally notices Alea is wearing Rapol's shirt.
Wise Snake's eyes widen in alarm.
Alea moves over to Snake's side
Alea ~~ soothing ~~
Wise Snake suddenly gets a massive headache, while her heart is beating double-time.
Alea: Snake?
Nick beats her to it.
Alea: Are you okay?
Wise Snake hyperventilates.
Wise Snake: Oh no... it's happening.. it's happening already!!
Nick puts an arm around Snake.
Alea ~~ calm ~~
Nick: ~~ soothing confidence ~~
Alea glances carefully at Snake
Alea: What is happening, Snake?
Alea reaches out and touches a tentacle.
Richard looks at Sky in concern. "Perhaps this isn't the best time to be visiting?"
Wise Snake takes a few deep breaths.
Alea shoots a questioning glance at Nick.
Sky: Oh!
Sky: Oh, don't worry.
Alea: Snake?
Sky: That's just Snake, she's a little bit er, high strung.
Alea: Everything is fine.
Alea: Just fine....
Sky: Why don't we put these over here?
Sky carries his pile of books over and puts them on Snake's chair.
Wise Snake is relieved by Nick's and Alea's attentions.
Richard follows Sky to put the books carefully down where indicated without taking his dark and intelligent eyes off Snake
Wise Snake: Will somebody, [quietly] please explain to me why there is... no. No, never mind.
Alea nods.
Alea: Of course, Snake.
Alea has no idea what Snake is talking about, but just wants to soothe her.
Wise Snake picks up a towel and opens the top of the window, lays the towel over the top, and pushes the window up again so the towel blocks the worst of the draft.
Alea sees Snake's actions and shoots Sky a look.
Wise Snake picks up the burned clothing on the floor and tosses the remains in the fire. [without comment]
Alea: Perhaps I should come back later.
Wise Snake: No... no... everything's fine, as you say.
Alea sees her pretty shirt burning and winces and shoots Sky ANOTHER look.
Wise Snake: Please, Alea, have a seat.
Alea nods and moves slowly over to a chair and sits down.
Sky shoots Alea a what-me?? look.
Alea shoots him a OH YEAH YOU look.
Wise Snake looks to see if Noma has put on the outdoor clothing yet.
Alea smoothes the shirt over her stomach and happens to glance down--and almost has a cow.
Sky shoots Alea a narrow-eyed "so???" look.
Alea: What in the.....UGH!
Noma thinks that this Tecton Center with its Hajene is just as strange as rumored.
Wise Snake jumps and stares at Alea in alarm.
Wise Snake: What!!
Alea shoots Sky a this-is-your-fault look and points at the tasteless shirt.
Noma is dressed in the borrowed clothing, although the boots aren't a perfect fit.
Wise Snake: What's the matter?
Wise Snake: [to Alea]
Alea realizes if she tells Snake what's the matter she'll have to confess she appropriated Rapol's shirt without permission.
Alea: Oh, nothing.
Alea: I just... jitters.
Richard looks at Sky and waits to be either introduced or shown the door out.
Alea: I sat on a bruise, you see....
Alea shrugs feebly thinking the pain will surely testify to her words.
Wise Snake wonders, for the second time, who in the hell Richard is.
Wise Snake: Sky?
Wise Snake looks at Richard meaningfully.
Sky jumps.
Sky: Oh!
Sky: Snake, this is... um... some guy off the street.
Sky: He rescued... er... after the... uh... [decides to skip the explanation]
Sky: I thought you two might hit it off. [ends lamely]
Rapol wakes up just before the Yecton frigate rams the pirate ship.
Richard is amused at the introduction.
Rapol looks around the dark room sleepily.
Alea shifts uncomfortably and realizes she has to go to the bathroom.
Richard: Richard Hardwick-Greeves at your service. I was fortunate enough to be able to rescue some of your belongings [indicates books] from a rather nasty fall.
Nick thinks that Richard is a bit too slick.
Rapol rolls over to the edge of the bed and sits on it.
Alea shifts again, thinking she can't possibly have to go again since she just went before she came to the Ferry building.
Wise Snake looks at Sky in disbelief.
Wise Snake looks back at Richard.
Wise Snake looks at the books on her chair.
Wise Snake looks at the broken window.
Wise Snake pales.
Wise Snake looks around to make sure everybody is present, accounted for, and alive.
Wise Snake: I... see.
Wise Snake looks back at Richard.
Wise Snake: I'm Wise Snake.
Wise Snake: Sorry about all the.... [waves a hand helplessly in Sky's direction]
Alea presses her knees together and places her hands on her knees.
Wise Snake: [hand ends up waving partly at the window, and the books, and Noma, and Alea too.]
Alea doesn't like to go to the bathroom downstairs since it has no running water and there are usually... creatures... in there.
Rapol scratches in various places.
Richard: I'm pleased to meet you, please don't concern yourself. This sort of thing seems to happen all the time.
Rapol struggles to his feet and goes over to the armoire.
Wise Snake looks around.
Alea clamps her teeth together thinking she can wait just a little bit longer and then make her excuses.
Alea's eyes widen when the baby shifts.
Alea shoots to her feet.
Rapol dresses in the first things that come to hand.
Alea: Er....
Richard: I can see that you are busy. If I can be of no further service, I won't intrude any more on your time. [smiles charmingly]
Wise Snake: Um, would you like some t.... [glance shoots over to Alea]
Alea: Excuse me a minute, Snake.
Wise Snake: Uh... sure, Alea.
Alea's eyes are nearly crossed.
Wise Snake glances back at Richard.
Alea hurries toward the door.
Richard: It has been a pleasure to meet you Wise Snake. Such an unusual name.
Wise Snake: Sure... if that's what you'd....
Wise Snake: Thanks.
Alea prays all the bugs and rodents are in hibernation at the moment.
Wise Snake thinks Richard's name is at least twice as weird as hers, but doesn't comment.
Alea hurries out the door.
Sky sees Snake is once again failing to react properly to a gentleman's presence and hastens to try to save the encounter.
Sky: Oh... would you like to, have dinner with us sometime? [to Richard hopefully]
Wise Snake looks at Sky like he's crazy.
Rapol goes to the door and opens it, squinting at the light.
Richard: Errr, perhaps you and your sister would be my guests one night. [pulls out a gold edged card and hands it to Sky]
Alea starts down the hall toward the stairs.
Nick wonders why Sky would think he and Rapol aren't sufficient to make Snake eat when necessary.
Richard: Thank you for your hospitality, but I really should be going.
Richard waits for Sky to escort him out.
Sky is elated at receiving the card.
Sky: Of course.
Sky moves to show Richard out.
Rapol walks down the hall in more or less the direction it goes....
Sky wonders if Richard is called "Dick" for short.
Alea sees Rapol and nods.
Nick looks at Snake.
Sky reads the card and realizes nobody would willingly be called "Dick Hardwick-anything" so forgets the nickname idea.
Rapol moves towards the smell of tea.
Nick: What was that all about? [mutters]
Alea: Good morning, Rapol.
Alea turns toward the stairs.
Rapol stops, bits of his brain telling him he should be doing something.
Wise Snake turns to Noma.
Wise Snake: Now... all I must do is put my cousin out of the picture, and we can to the tavern go. [in Noma's language]
Rapol tries to bring the listening part of his brain up to find out was was said to him.
Rapol: Huh?
Wise Snake figures Alea will be back as soon as she's relieved herself, so decides to wait in the office.
Alea: Good morning.
Noma remembers the half-dressed prostitute and nods to show that she understand.
Alea pauses and nods at Rapol.
Alea thinks she should have just ignored him.
Wise Snake: Now, how many of your friends are trussed up like livestock in the room under the beer place?
Alea turns and starts down the stairs certain he heard that time.
Rapol focuses on.... himself, judging by the shirt.
Noma: There were five of us taken, but one died on the trip and one was sold yesterday.
Noma: The purchaser had a mean countenance, but he looked worried when our captor mentioned the Tecton.
Kadi wanders down the hall and sees two idle humans.
Alea goes down the stairs as fast as she can without falling.
Kadi: Muurp?
Rapol reaches out for this... mirror?
Rapol sees himself running away.
Wise Snake: All right... two.
Rapol decides he is still dreaming.
Kadi sees Rapol's hand and stands on her hind legs to butt it demandingly.
Alea pauses, hearing Kadi.
Kadi: Muurrrrrp?
Alea turns and hurries back up the stairs.
Rapol looks down.
Alea: Kadi?
Rapol squats down to look at Kadidream.
Kadi rubs against Rapol, then turns and bats him with one paw, just in case he should think that such attention justified liberties.
Alea pauses at the top of the stairs to see rapol bending over her cat.
Noma: Two, unless another has been sold.
Rapol reaches out to pet Kadi slowly.
Noma: ~~ worry ~~
Kadi rubs against the hand, purring.
Rapol scritches around the ears.
Kadi enjoys it for a moment, then turns suddenly and nips Rapol with needle-sharp kitten fangs.
Kadi continues to purr loudly throughout.
Rapol jerks his hand back. "Hey!"
Alea reaches out and snags Kadi.
Alea: No no, Kadi.
Rapol looks up. "Where did you come from?"
Alea eyes Rapol, warily, making sure he isn't going to pull a Sumulo and try to drown her cat or something simply because Kadi was voicing her emotions.
Alea blinks.
Alea: What?
Alea looks at the stairs, then at Rapol.
Alea: I just passed you.
Rapol: You did?
Alea suddenly wonders if Rapol was sleep walking or something.
Alea: Yes, I did.
Rapol looks down the hall.
Kadi notices that she is being neglected, and fluffs her tail at Alea.
Alea rubs Kadi against her cheek.
Alea: There we go, Kadi, dear.
Alea snuggles Kadi closely.
Alea: She didn't mean to hurt you, Rapol.
Alea: She was only playing.
Rapol shrugs. "S'Okay."
Kadi demonstrates the truth of this statement by wrapping herself around Alea's hand, hanging on with all claws and teeth as well, all the time purring loudly.
Noma looks at Snake hopefully.
Noma: Can you stop the bad man?
Noma: He has a club, like the cab driver.
Noma: The one who brought the woman of pleasure.
Alea smiles and carefully pulls the claws from her hand.
Alea: See what I mean?
Alea wipes the blood beads on the shirt.
Wise Snake considers.
Rapol: No, You'll ruin it!
Wise Snake: I will have to see, feel and experience the bad man before I can judge him truly. [in Noma's language... sort of]
Alea jumps.
Alea: What!
Rapol: The blood.
Alea shrugs and sucks at the spots on her hands instead.
Rapol: It's a lovely shirt.
Alea: Sorry.
Alea shudders at Rapol's words.
Alea: Of course it is.
Rapol: Have one like it.
Noma thinks Snake must have rather strange sexual proclivities, but can't think of a better fate for the bad man.
Alea wipes her hand on her skirt instead.
Noma: Yes, you must experience him.
Alea: I... um... hope you didn't mind me sneaking into your room... er....
Noma: He has earned much consideration.
Alea: I mean, I hope you didn't mind that I borrowed your shirt.
Alea: Sky burned mine up in a fire.
Rapol: Huh?
Rapol: Fire?!
Alea: And Nick was outraged that I had borrowed one of his. But what was I to do? Go around with no shirt on?
Alea: Yeah.
Alea: Fire.
Alea: In the office.
Rapol looks around.
Rapol considers the image of a shirtless Alea.
Wise Snake is flabbergasted at what it sounded like Noma just said, and concludes that her grasp of the language is even shakier than she had suspected.
Rapol gets up to go to the office.
Alea shrugs, sets Kadi down, and goes back toward the stairs.
Alea: I'll be back in a bit, Kadi, hon.
Alea hurries down the stairs.
Wise Snake settles for patting Noma's hand reassuringly.
Wise Snake: We will go soon.
Alea gets to the bottom floor and heads toward the bathroom.
Wise Snake wonders what is taking Alea so long and hopes she didn't go to sleep on the pot.
Alea slips into the bathroom with relief.
Rapol opens the office door and looks around quickly.
Nick looks around and sees no imminent disasters in progress.
Nick: Who is our guest, and what does she want?
Alea hurries through the process, greatly relieved when no nasty little bugs or anything shows up, and then heads back up the stairs.
Rapol: ~~ alarmed ~~
Alea pauses by the stairs where she sees her cloak lying on the couch.
Wise Snake: Ah.... [switches to Simelan]
Alea goes back over and slips it on, deciding to leave instead of go back upstairs.
Wise Snake: She says she is an escaped kidnapee, and that she and her friends were being held in the basement of a tavern, to be sold off one by one.
Alea wraps the scarf around her neck and slips the gloves on, then buttons up her cloak.
Alea goes to the door and then out it, pausing to jerk on the bell near the door.
Nick: Sold? To whom?
Wise Snake jumps up in surprise as the bell mechanism, no longer held in place by the broken window, flies out the window at the string's tug.
Alea screams and ducks.
Wise Snake leaps to the window.
Wise Snake: Look out...!
Alea tosses her arms up over her head.
Alea ~~ pain ~~
Alea: OUCH!
Nick rushes to Snake's side.
Wise Snake looks at Alea oddly.
Wise Snake: How did you get out there?
Alea stumbles and falls on her....
Alea looks up.
Alea: This place is dangerous today.
Alea shakes her head.
Alea: I'm going back to the Center.
Wise Snake: Nick... would you go down and make sure she's all right... and make sure the door is properly locked.
Wise Snake: Alea... don't walk all the way back. It's too far.
Alea: What? You want me to take a cab?
Alea shakes her head.
Alea: I'll be fine.
Alea gets up and brushes her bottom off of snow.
Wise Snake doesn't see how Alea could have gotten out, since Snake had relocked the door.
Wise Snake zlins Alea from afar.
Alea: The walk will do me good. Work out the bruises.
Alea waves.
Alea: Bye Snake.
Wise Snake thinks that idea is perfectly potty.
Nick signals Rapol to take over Snake-support temporarily, then hurries down the stairs.
Wise Snake: Whatever you say, Alea.
Rapol envelopes Snake, calm now that he sees no fire.
Wise Snake drops the towel down in front of the window and goes back to Noma.
Wise Snake: Ah... thank you, Rapol.
Alea turns and starts down the street, thinking the darned Ferry Building has become worse than the Sime Center.
Alea shakes her head in disgust.
Rapol goes over to get some tea, yawning.
Nick opens the door, sees that Alea is already gone, and shrugs.
Nick closes the door and relocks it, then returns to the office.
Alea heads toward the Sime Center.
Noma: Is your woman of pleasure safely departed?
Wise Snake shakes her head, disconcerted by what she is sure Noma is NOT saying.
Alea studies the scenery as she goes thinking what a beautiful day it is, something she missed with the cabbie from hell.
Wise Snake: Yes. [in Noma's language] Now, let us get off, so as to hasten the arrival of the moment of release.
Alea turns and cuts through the bad part of town noting how dingy it looks.
Noma gets to her feet as promptly as bruises will allow.
Noma: They awail our rescue with trepidation.
Alea hurries on through and up the street to the Sime Center.
Alea goes into the Center.
Alea strips off her cloak, scarf and gloves.
Wise Snake looks at Noma oddly.
Wise Snake: Right.
Alea wiggles her fingers in the warmth, then heads toward the infirmary for some fosebine.
Alea stops in room one and rummages through the cabinets until she finds the fosebine.
Alea: Ahhh....
Alea mixes a small dose up and then downs it.
Pleb marches into the Sime Center, barely managing to refrain from calling out the cadence.
Pleb marches up to the reception desk and stands at attention.
Clerk: Can I help you?
Pleb: Private Pleb Gussleson reporting for a donation, SIR!
Clerk gapes at him.
Clerk: Errr... what?
Pleb repeats himself, louder.
Clerk: I heard you the first time - shess.
Clerk: Take a seat over there, Private. I'll see who is available to help you.
Pleb does a parade-perfect "about face" and marches over to the indicated couch, where he sits bolt upright.
Clerk shakes his head and goes back to his paperwork
Pleb waits with the practiced ease of one for whom "hurry up and wait" is a way of life.