Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #8: Up-Suckery (3/19/99)
Vannial is able to use Arat's instructions to find the stairs, but after doing two laps around the first floor halls, he gives up and takes the nearest exit.
Vannial walks around the outside of the building until he finds a prominent sidewalk leading to a door with the building's name prominently posted: Arathra C. Kargyle Building.
Vannial automatically salutes the flags, as was drilled into him at the training camp, then makes his way into the building.
Vannial rubs his hands together, wishing he'd brought a coat.
Jeniard hurries breathless into the grand lobby, having finally managed to win free of his duties in the Collectorium.
Jeniard spots Vannial.
Jeniard: Sosu Vannial! [calls out]
Vannial turns, and grins broadly as he sees Jeniard.
Vannial: ~~ delight ~~
Vannial: Hajene Jeniard!
Jeniard: What a pleasant surprise. [smiles]
Jeniard: Are you assigned here, or just passing through?
Vannial: I'm here for a few days only, I'm afraid.
Vannial: However, I couldn't pass up the chance to see you, and to meet your mentor, Controller Arat.
Jeniard: It's been so long since I zlinned you in person... my, you seem to be doing well.
Vannial: You're not looking bad yourself.
Vannial: Have you been staying out of trouble?
Jeniard: Always!
Vannial: Well, almost always.
Vannial winks broadly.
Vannial: But that's past.
Jeniard's tentacles wilt slightly at the memory.
Jeniard: Oh yes... heh heh heh.
Vannial: ~~ reassurance ~~
Jeniard: There was a flare up of that the other day, actually.
Vannial: Oh, dear. Really?
Jeniard: Somebody else made the same mistake and of course everybody started to remember when I went there. Ah, well.
Vannial nods sympathetically.
Jeniard: So, are you hungry, or do you want to go do some sight seeing, or what are you up for?
Vannial: Food sounds great; I've already seen quite a bit of the building as I searched for you.
Jeniard has made a hash of the afternoon's Collectorium schedule by bailing early, so he has a bit of free time.
Jeniard: Some things never change, eh? [sympathetic]
Vannial: Well, no.
Vannial: ~~ sheepish ~~
Jeniard: Let us swing by and see if I can make Arat go to lunch with us.
Jeniard has to soothe Arat's ruffled feathers anyway, as he has heard from Beni about Vannial's popping in on them unexpectedly.
Jeniard has not, however, heard about what happened after that.
Vannial: I'd like that. I met him on my wanderings--someone told me that you'd likely be with him.
Jeniard mutters something to himself about guts and violin strings.
Vannial's nager falls into a companionable almost-linkage which blocks nageric noise without impinging on the privileges of an assigned Donor.
Vannial: What was that?
Jeniard: Oh, it's nothing, he'll just want to know why I didn't warn him you were coming. [explains]
Jeniard notes Vannial's lack of baggage. "Are you staying in a hotel or the travel dorm?"
Jeniard: [this is the equivalent of asking, "are you traveling for work or vacation?"]
Vannial: The travel dorm. It was only one bag; the rest is being shipped to my new posting.
Jeniard leads the way back into the bowels of the building.
Jeniard: Which is...?
Vannial: A place by the border, on the coast.
Vannial: Called Ender Cove or something of the sort.
Jeniard: Bender Cove maybe? On the coast of the Greater Lake?
Vannial: Yes, that's it. I understand they've been having trouble with some of their Donor staff.
Jeniard: Tough post. But I've heard they can use good people.
Vannial: I don't see why it should be a hardship post, even if it is on the border, but they didn't take time to brief me properly before sending me off.
Vannial: Do you know anything about the place?
Jeniard: It was an experiment, a fellow named Veraik ambrov Liorie petitioned to open a Center in a very bad section of town. He felt the residents weren't being served by the other Center located in a better neighborhood.
Vannial: Was the experiment a success?
Jeniard: It succeeded wildly, beyond anybody's expectations. And Veraik was recently pledged to Zeor.
Jeniard: But being it is where it is, it's a difficult post.
Jeniard: I guess anything that's worth being rewarded for is tough work. [smiles]
Vannial comes from a relatively privileged background, and his idea of "the bad part of town" is consequently skewed.
Vannial: It can't be that bad, if it's been so successful. Zeor doesn't usually pledge failures.
Vannial is personally acquainted with only one Zeor member, but has heard a great deal about them.
Jeniard: It's not for the weak, I can tell you that. Bender Cove has chewed up some people. We have one here now... scared of his own shadow, and ducks into closets if he sees a First Order Donor coming down the hall.
Vannial: First Order Donors?
Jeniard: Here we are....
Jeniard gives his signal at Arat's door, then sticks his head in.
Beni shakes his head.
Beni: You'd think people would understand what "do not disturb means" [muttered]
Arat looks up.
Arat: Jeniard.... [notices the man behind him]
Vannial smiles in greeting.
Beni: I see you found your friend, Hajene Jeniard.
Jeniard: Yes, thank you.
Beni is always careful to be polite to Jeniard, since it keeps his channel happy.
Jeniard: Arat, I was wondering if you'd care to go to lunch with us.
Jeniard: And Beni, you too, of course. [a little too late]
Beni looks at Arat for cues as to whether he should accept for both of them, or bow out, or what.
Arat: No, thank you.
Beni: It's true that we haven't had lunch yet.
Beni: ~~ moderate appetite ~~
Arat looks at Beni.
Arat really doesn't like having to say "no" twice.
Jeniard: Oh, go ahead and come with us. It won't take that long, and you can come right back.
Beni refuses to apologize for doing his job: force-feeding his channel.
Jeniard's nager slips automatically into cajoling-mode.
Vannial: I was hoping to have a chance to get to know you a bit better.
Vannial: ~~ wistfully appealing ~~ in a way that reinforces Jeniard's effort perfectly.
Arat's resentment of their manipulation is perfectly visible.
Beni ~~ soothes ~~ without trying to pretend that he's not hungry.
Arat: Didn't I just say I have work to do?
Arat's sentence, which started off "annoyed", comes off as more "fretful" under Beni's influence.
Beni: You're overdue for a break.
Jeniard: Excuse me for a moment, [to Vannial]
Jeniard goes over to Arat's other side, away from Beni.
Vannial steps tentatively into the room, staying near the door.
Beni: You'll have to stop for a meal soon, anyway. Why not go now, and have some company? ~~ reasonable ~~
Beni is well aware that Arat prefers Jeniard's company to his own.
Jeniard: Come on. We've a guest, and poor Beni is starving. Don't tell the three of us to go without you, either, you'll fret yourself into a lather in here by yourself and you know it.
Jeniard tries to bend Beni's ~~reasonable~~ and Vannial's ~~wistful~~ into a sort of ~~I wish you would be reasonable~~.
Beni: That report isn't due until next week; there's plenty of time to get it right.
Arat shifts restlessly, then shoots Vannial a dirty look for having witnessed this, and Beni and Jeniard one for pushing him around.
Arat: Fine... fine.
Arat stands, shaking off their nagers.
Vannial has to ~~ respect ~~ Arat's ability to take the suggestions of his subordinates when necessary.
Beni's stomach growls loudly.
Arat pushes past them and walks out of the office by himself.
Beni follows, knowing better than to ask Arat to wait when he's in such a mood.
Vannial starts to follow.
Vannial: He's got good sense, your Arat. [softly, to Jeniard]
Jeniard: Good sense? He's perfectly impossible.
Jeniard is pleased by the praise, though.
Vannial grins.
Vannial: I know at least one channel who's more stubborn, when he wants to be.
Vannial: ~~ teasing ~~
Jeniard: No!
Vannial: I told you three times not to.... Well, never mind that, now.
Vannial: Water under the bridge, and all that.
Vannial would hate for Jeniard to remind him a of a few of his own mistakes.
Jeniard: Whatever you do, don't remind him of that.
Vannial: He's touchy about it?
Jeniard: Oh, yes.
Vannial: Well, I suppose with Naros in the District and all....
Vannial: Does the Distract handle their transfers, or do they use their own staff?
Jeniard: Maybe we just better not talk about N... that at all.
Vannial: All right. Though it has its pleasant aspects.
Vannial: ~~ reminiscence ~~
Arat leads the way to the executive lounge on the top floor, utterly ignoring those trailing behind him.
Jeniard: Er... maybe we'll talk about it later then. [laughs a little]
Vannial looks around.
Vannial: Nice place.
Beni smells the food and his appetite ~~ sharpens ~~
Jeniard signals "4" to the waiter who looks to see where Arat goes, then shows the rest of them to that table.
Beni settles down next to Arat's chair.
Vannial sits across from Beni, on Arat's other side, to provide both Simes with the maximum exposure to Gen appetite.
Waiter: Our specials to today are the Boticelli mushrooms with Fenu-Velveteen sauce and potato pie with rosemary and port wine.
Arat looks hard at Vannial.
Vannial: The potato pie for me, please.
Beni is still contemplating the menu.
Arat chafes with annoyance.
Jeniard looks apologetically at Arat.
Waiter: And for you? [to Jeniard]
Jeniard: A small endive salad, please. [distractedly]
Beni closes his menu.
Jeniard: And Arat will have the Fini mushrooms, with no bell pepper and no nutmeg.
Beni: I'll have the onions and raisins over rice.
Waiter: Very good.
Waiter disappears.
Busboy comes by with a water pitcher, glasses, and a bowl of hot bread with butter, jam, and honey on the side.
Beni settles back to wait for his food, trying to stay inconspicuous to let the others have their visit.
Arat sends Jeniard a poisonous look.
Jeniard looks away.
Jeniard: Vannial, [lower voice] would you switch seats with me?
Vannial: It was very kind of you to take the time to eat with us, Controller Arat.
Jeniard blinks in dismay as Vannial doesn't notice him.
Vannial feels genuinely ~~ flattered ~~ at Arat's condescension.
Arat looks upon Vannial with the expression one might normally reserve for a large flattened cockroach on the underside of a waiter's tablet.
Vannial turns to look at Jeniard.
Vannial: What was that?
Jeniard: Would you trade seats with me?
Vannial notes that the bread ended up in the corner between Beni and Jeniard.
Vannial: Of course.
Vannial warms to Jeniard's thoughtfulness.
Jeniard gets up to allow Vannial access to his chair.
Vannial settles in and arranges his napkin in his lap.
Beni has already made good use of the bread basket.
Vannial: So, Controller Arat, Jeniard tells me that you two met in training?
Jeniard sits down beside Arat, soothing the other channel with his nager.
Vannial: ~~ friendly interest ~~
Arat, who was somewhat mollified by the change in seating, looks at Vannial with something less than utter distaste this time.
Arat: Yes, we did.
Tea Lady comes by with cups and hot water, and a basket of different bags of Tecton Standard Tea.
Vannial smiles.
Vannial: An enduring friendship, indeed. How have you managed to stay together so much?
Arat, who was at one point infamous for drastic measures taken to ensure assignment with Jeniard, doesn't answer.
Jeniard: It hasn't been easy. [admits]
Vannial makes a mental note to be sure to send Jeniard some decent teas; he suspects Narosian blends would evoke pleasant memories.
Jeniard: Although now they pretty much accept it. A few years ago, it was by hook or by crook.
Vannial: But well worth doing, to be able to work with people whom you really respect.
Jeniard thinks it would not be prudent to mention that the final straw was when Arat had staged a "denial strike", refusing to work, sleep or take transfer until Jeniard was pulled from his Gen Territory assignment and returned to Capitol.
Arat eyes Vannial, zlinning him silently.
Vannial: It's rare, that two people pledged to the Tecton can find a way to stay together.
Vannial's nager reflects that he understands the value of such friendships.
Jeniard: It's more common in remote and isolated posts than it is in the heart of the circulation like this.
Vannial: Treading water is always easier away from the currents, that's true.
Vannial: But you've managed to stay at this Center for a while, as I recall.
Jeniard: Yes, although we were in New Othwol for longer.
Jeniard: Until Arat became District Controller, he and Deah Tigue would tag team on the New Othwol City Controllership.
Vannial: Really? That's a brilliant solution.
Arat finishes his zlinning of Vannial and glowers at nobody in particular.
Vannial: Continuity of leadership adds a particular strength to a Center.
Vannial: What made you decide to switch to Capitol, instead, Controller Arat?
Arat's dark eyes penetrate Vannial.
Arat: It wasn't my decision.
Vannial: Ah..
Vannial: ~~ respectful sympathy ~~
Vannial: That must have been difficult.
Arat's eyes lower in acknowledgment of the save.
Jeniard will have to tell Vannial about Arat and New Othwol at a later, more private, time.
Waiter reappears.
Vannial: Jeniard has mentioned several projects you've been working on. Have they been as successful as you'd hoped?
Waiter: Endive salad... Fini mushrooms... potato pie... rice with onions and raisins.
Waiter places the plates before their respective people.
Beni: Thank you.
Beni leans forward to smell his dinner.
Beni: Ahhh.
Beni: ~~ sharp hunger ~~
Arat's shoulders tense in habitual resentment, and he stops zlinning.
Vannial tastes his pie.
Vannial: This is good!
Vannial isn't used to edible food in a Tecton establishment.
Jeniard: Isn't it? [grins, enjoying Vannial's enjoyment]
Vannial takes a sip of tea and is reassured: Some things never change.
Jeniard: Arat, try a little of these mushrooms, I know you'll like them.
Vannial takes a second bite of his pie, and butters a piece of bread.
Vannial: They smell delicious.
Jeniard: Come on, just try one.
Vannial seems to recall using a line like that on Jeniard, long ago.
Jeniard reaches over and spears a mushroom off Arat's plate with a fork, then offers it to him.
Vannial watches with interest to see if Arat will take the bait.
Vannial recalls that to be successful, the food has to be good enough to make the second bite automatic once the first is accomplished.
Vannial knows too well that this can be a difficult task in a standard Tecton cafeteria, although fresh fruit in season can sometimes work.
Jeniard finesses his nager to coax Arat toward duoconsciousness where Beni and Vannial's nagers can do some culinary good.
Arat: Must you? [irritated]
Beni is content to watch Jeniard's efforts without interfering with them, experience having shown that Jeniard tends to be better at coaxing food into Arat than himself.
Jeniard: Do you want some of my salad instead? It's endive, you like endive.
Jeniard eats the mushroom and forks up a bit of veggie instead.
Vannial's nager shows a ~~ Gen delight in a really good meal, modified so as to coax rather than overwhelm ~~
Arat relents and goes duoconscious, mostly because he can't stand not knowing what's going on around him.
Jeniard: Here... [presses the fork into Arat's hand] ... hold this, and let me get you some bread.
Vannial politely passes the bread basket and condiments to Jeniard.
Vannial: The whole grain is particularly nice.
Jeniard breaks a roll in half and spreads jam on one open face, being very careful to keep it extremely thin and spread all the way to the edges, which is how Arat prefers it.
Jeniard: [this takes some time]
Arat looks down at the fork, then turns it over, studying its contents fastidiously.
Arat finally uses the edge of the plate to remove the endive from the fork, and replaces it with a small mushroom.
Arat eats the mushroom.
Vannial politely concentrates on his own meal, without officially noticing that Arat has broken down and eaten.
Vannial: So, Controller Arat, Jeniard has told me that you have started several rather successful outreach programs.
Jeniard's nager purrs... or perhaps clucks... contentedly.
Vannial finds the accomplishment ~~ impresses ~~ him.
Arat glances at Jeniard, clearly wondering what Jeniard had told Vannial.
Arat finally nods.
Arat: Yes.
Vannial: What are the elements responsible for your success, where so many have failed?
Arat: The Tecton is 100% behind my programs.
Vannial is ~~ eager to learn ~~ from Arat.
Vannial is, in fact ~~hungering for knowledge~~ ...as well as his dinner.
Arat had, in fact, created some of them specifically to compete with similar programs run by non-Tecton organizations such as Naros.
Vannial: It can be very difficult to win approval and support for a new program. And you've created... how many?
Arat: Eight.
Vannial: ~~ admiration ~~
Arat diffidently probes, and then pierces, one mushroom seemingly indistinguishable from the others on the plate.
Vannial: How could you muster the energy to push so many through?
Arat examines it once it's on the fork.
Arat: Three of them were assigned me, so there was no additional approval required. The others....
Arat makes a noncommittal gesture.
Vannial thinks the mushroom looks ~~ delicious ~~
Arat puts the mushroom in his mouth.
Arat is so driven when it comes to ordinary matters that the effort of pushing an idea past the city council doesn't seem that strange a thing.
Jeniard crunches his salad.
Beni has made great inroads on his rice dish, but shows no signs of slowing down.
Vannial: Which program gave you the most trouble during the approval stage?
Jeniard: The child-tag program, I'd say.
Vannial: Child-tags?
Jeniard: Children with a strong likelihood of changing over rather than Establishing wear necklaces with an identifying symbol.
Vannial: Children of channels or potential Donors?
Jeniard: In the outlying rural areas especially, it's cut down significantly on the problems we've had with recent Gen Territory immigrants not knowing the early warning signs as well as they should.
Vannial nods.
Vannial: Yes, there's a great deal of education to do there.
Vannial: Do you have many immigrants in this District?
Arat: All the major cities do, these days.
Vannial: True. Where there are jobs, workers will follow, whatever the consequences.
Vannial: Although I suppose the Simes among them have no choice in the matter.
Arat had been shot down on an initiative to control the growth of Capitol and keep the population proportional to the percentage of channels born.
Arat is still very touchy about that.
Jeniard, who got over wishing he'd been Gen a long time ago, nods.
Jeniard: I think a lot of people who immigrate are moving here after their kids.
Jeniard: That, and single changeovers of course.
Jeniard: I have the numbers up in the office, if the subject interests you.
Vannial: Parents moving after their children?
Vannial: Are many of these people whose own parents emigrated to Gen Territory after they Established?
Jeniard: Some.
Jeniard: Few, though.
Jeniard: The timing doesn't work out right. Maybe in a few years....
Vannial: Better that the programs are in place before they get here, then.
Vannial: It shows a great deal of forethought on your part, Controller Arat.
Vannial: ~~ impressed ~~
Vannial: I can see that my friend Jeniard's high opinion of you is not misplaced.
Arat is starting to wonder if this Vannial is not very smart.
Arat however finds it much easier to pretend patience in the face of attempted up-suckery.
Vannial has a cute but well-behaved nager, too.
Beni finishes his meal and wonders what the pastry chef has come up with today.