Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #9: Magic Armor (3/21/99)
Beni brings a mug of tea over to Arat's desk.
Beni: Here, take a break for a few minutes and drink this.
Beni: You'll get all cramped up if you keep hunched over the paperwork like that.
Beni: ~~ soothing ~~
Arat bridles at Beni's motherhenning, but puts down his pen.
Beni moves the papers aside and replaces them with the tea.
Arat has been extra irritable, that is to say, himself, since his turnover a couple of days ago.
Beni uses his nager to calm Arat.
Arat's annoyance, rather expressively hinted at by his Farris features, fades somewhat under pressure.
Beni tsks and sets his tea down.
Arat fiddles with the cup.
Beni: Would you like me to rub the knots out of your shoulders?
Arat tenses up at the suggestion.
Arat: No, I'll be fine. [automatically and hurriedly]
Beni: What's wrong?
Beni: ~~ concern ~~
Arat: I'm fine.
Arat takes a sip of his tea, which often serves to distract Donors.
Arat: Thanks. [adds, way too late]
Beni reaches out to place a hand on Arat's shoulder, anyway.
Beni starts trying to coax Arat into a more cooperative frame of mind.
Beni: Come on, you'll feel better.
Arat flinches at the touch, obviously very wound up.
Beni pulls back.
Beni: ~~ surprise ~~
Beni: You really don't like having a Donor help you, do you? Not at all, even when you need it.
Arat looks up at Beni, clutching his tea and looking somewhat distressed.
Beni: I'm sorry. A lot of channels like to pretend that they don't want their Donor to look after them, but they don't really mean it.
Beni: Donors get used to humoring that sort of thing, but you really mean it, don't you?
Arat: No, I'm... I'm sorry.
Arat has a hard time saying the words, but he really doesn't need another reprimand from above right now.
Arat: Do what you want.
Beni considers a moment, then deliberately shakes his head.
Beni: No, just for once, I'm going to try doing what you want.
Beni withdraws just a bit, both physically and nagerically.
Arat looks down, and tries to compose himself.
Beni: If you want me to work on you, rub your shoulders, bring you tea, I'll be glad to do it.
Beni: But how much I do for you is up to you to decide.
Beni: I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do, unless your life is in immediate danger.
Arat looks up at Beni again, doing a much better job of hiding his thoughts this time.
Arat zlins Beni carefully.
Beni is ~~ completely sincere ~~ in his commitment to not force Arat.
Beni goes back to his chair.
Beni: I'll be over here. If you want something, all you have to do is ask.
Arat stares after Beni for a few moments, and then looks down, fingering his forehead with one hand and the tea cup's handle with the other.
Beni lets his nager fade from ~~ your personal Gen ~~ to ~~ generic Donor ~~
Arat's tentacles curl at the change in the ambient, but he says nothing.
Arat slowly reaches for the pile of paperwork and pulls it back in front of him.
Beni picks up a book on transfer mechanics and is soon engrossed in it.
Beni: ~~ studying Gen ~~
Beni turns the page, glancing briefly up at Arat to make sure he's all right.
Beni is actually a bit concerned about how his strategy will be viewed by the mucky-mucks, but the regulation approach hasn't been working.
Arat slaps down his pen and looks at Beni in annoyance.
Arat: Must you do that with your nager?
Beni looks up from his book, his ~~ attention ~~ focusing on Arat.
Beni: What would you like me to do with my nager?
Beni: ~~ complete willingness to cooperate ~~
Arat looks as if he feels he is being toyed with, and does not like it one bit.
Arat: Don't... pretend we are not even assigned.
Beni: Ah. Is this better?
Beni lets himself be aware of Arat, in a background sort of way.
Beni: Or do you want more explicit support?
Arat: Yes, of course, I just don't want to be interfered with, interrupted.
Arat looks rather upset, despite his best effort.
Beni strengthens the support.
Beni: How's that?
Arat: Better. And why do you always sit way over there?
Beni: Where would you like me to sit?
Arat looks at Beni for a moment, and then points at a spot about 3.5 feet away from his own chair.
Beni is still being ~~ utterly cooperative ~~
Beni moves his chair to the indicated spot and sits down.
Arat looks distrustful of what he apparently thinks of as erratic behavior on Beni's part.
Arat seems somewhat mollified by the changes, however.
Beni waits to see if Arat wants anything else at the moment.
Arat: You're not going to report this, are you?
Beni: Report what? That you asked for support, and wanted me to sit at a different spot?
Beni actually has no intention of reporting this gambit, at least not unless it works.
Arat's eyes narrow.
Arat eventually lets it by.
Arat turns back to his paperwork and is soon working away.
Arat: [hunched over in the same position as he had been before]
Beni decides that means Arat has no further requests at the moment, and so goes back to his book, keeping up the level of support Arat requested as he reads.
Beni notes Arat's hunch, and has good idea of what it's doing to the channel's shoulders, but lets it go for now.
Beni just hopes that Arat's sense of duty will allow the channel to justify using his Donor's services enough to maintain the semblance of health.
Lemuse: And now, we just have this one teensy appointment before you can go back to work.
Lemuse's perpetually happy and optimistic nager buoys Darrel along the hallway.
Darrel: Appointment?
Darrel manages to dredge up a respectable dollop of apprehension despite Lemuse's cheer.
Lemuse: Oh, dear, don't sound so melodramatic. You don't want to walk in on Controller Arat projecting gloom and doom do you?
Lemuse: Heavens, imagine what effect that might have on the outcome of the meeting.
Darrel grins weakly and gets his nager in order.
Darrel: Why does the Controller want to see me?
Lemuse: Why, to check up on you and see how you're doing, of course. After all the ruckus that was raised over getting you here. [grins]
Darrel: Oh.
Darrel still isn't convinced that it wouldn't have been better and easier for everybody concerned just to leave him at Naros.
Lemuse: Shen-doni.
Lemuse pulls him to a stop.
Lemuse: You're so full of blues Controller Arat will think I served you a flank roast instead of a transfer.
Lemuse: Come on, let me cheer you up a little first.
Lemuse: ~~engaging/spirited~~
Darrel leans on Lemuse's nager, letting his spirits be raised.
Darrel: It's just.... Controllers make me nervous.
Lemuse: Did you know that Controller Arat only sees people he thinks are worth more than they seem?
Darrel thinks he must look even worse than he feels, most of the time.
Lemuse: Oh, sometimes it turns out they're not, [thinking of one particular person who got busted for being overly friendly with the natives on a recent Naros trip] and they find out quickly enough, but for the most part he's dead on.
Darrel smoothes his hair self-consciously, wishing it didn't always look as if he'd been out walking on the seashore.
Lemuse: Now come on, five minutes and it'll be over.
Darrel: That's what I'm afraid of....
Lemuse: Do as I do: keep your lips zipped and your nager... what??? What do you mean?
Lemuse: ~perplexed~
Darrel: He threatened me with retirement once already.
Darrel: And Controllers tend to follow through on their threats.
Lemuse: My dear Darrel, Controller Arat never threatens.
Lemuse: You must have been mistaken.
Lemuse doesn't add that she has observed Arat punish without warning, in lieu of threats.
Darrel: Well, I certainly felt threatened. I'm not ready to die.
Lemuse: Goodness me! He's not going to murder you.
Lemuse: Whatever you may have heard, Arat is a perfectly honorable fellow.
Darrel would have preferred someone dishonorable enough to overlook his eccentricities and help him find a nice, safe niche in a Sime Center far from Bender Cove.
Lemuse: He hasn't even slapped anybody recently.
Lemuse's nager lets him know she is kidding.
Darrel looks askance at her anyway, just to make sure it isn't the nager that's kidding.
Lemuse gives him an exasperated look.
Lemuse: Come on, Arat is a perfect teddy bear once you get to know him.
Lemuse isn't lying, she has it on good authority that Arat can be quite friendly with Jeniard in private.
Darrel: A teddy bear??
Darrel: ~~ blatant disbelief ~~
Lemuse: Zlin me. Am I lying?
Lemuse thinks of the time she caught them... uh... and ~~blushes~~
Darrel, of course, gets the full effect of the ~ blush ~, as he was obediently zlinning her.
Darrel: What is it?
Lemuse: Well, trust me, Arat can be really friendly, in the right circumstances.
Darrel suspects privately that interviewing errant runaway Second Order channels with known psychological instabilities isn't such a circumstance.
Lemuse rearranges her nager.
Lemuse: So, are you going to go in there with a positive attitude and show him what you're made of, or do I have to go report to him that you wouldn't come?
Lemuse: ~ cajoling but serious ~
Darrel: I'll come, I'll come.
Darrel grins weakly.
Lemuse: Uh oh!
Lemuse places a hand to her forehead.
Lemuse looks dismayed, without zlinning very dismayed.
Darrel: What's the matter?
Lemuse: I almost forgot our magic armor.
Darrel: Magic armor?
Lemuse dashes back the way they came, and returns moments later carrying a thick bundle of cloth.
Darrel has never heard of an armor effective against pissed-off Controllers.
Darrel: What's that?
Lemuse: It's to protect you from Arat's Donor.
Lemuse: See? It has two head holes, so I can be inside with you.
Lemuse shakes it out, displaying a huge garment with two head holes.
Lemuse: It's fully insulated, too.
Lemuse: Granted, we'll look awfully silly, but....
Darrel looks at the garment dubiously.
Lemuse: What's the matter? You don't like it? I worked all night on this.
Darrel: It's rather awkward.
Darrel: ~~ diffident ~~
Lemuse: Um, well... a little. [admits]
Darrel thinks that sounds better than "How the shen can I run away when I'm wrapped up with you in an insulated blanket?"
Lemuse: Look, Arat's not going to be pleased if you jump into his closet the moment you see Beni.
Lemuse thinks Arat's already in there himself, which would make it awfully crowded.
Darrel weighs the risks.
Darrel: Couldn't you just sort of stay between us?
Lemuse: Of course!
Lemuse: ~~competent, cheerful and willing~~
Darrel looks one more time at the "armor", with a certain wistful longing.
Darrel: Maybe we'd better leave that behind, then.
Darrel: ~~ reluctant ~~
Lemuse: OK, Darrel.
Lemuse disappears back down the hallway, and returns without the "armor".
Lemuse: Oo, we'd better get going.
Darrel doesn't want to give Arat the impression that he's clinging to Lemuse for comfort, so he is careful to keep distance between them as they approach the office... well, okay, so it's only 3 inches.
Lemuse glances at her pocket watch.
Lemuse: Is it the hour in six seconds?
Darrel: Well, four now.
Lemuse: Three... two.... [signals]
Arat flicks a tentacle indicating that Beni should get it.
Beni immediately sets his book aside and does so, maintaining his ~~ support ~~
Beni: Ah, Sosu Lemuse.
Beni peers over Lemuse's shoulder to identify the person huddled against her back.
Beni: And Hajene Darrel. Welcome.
Lemuse: Sosu Beni. Controller Arat wanted to see Hajene Darrel and I?
Beni: Of course.
Lemuse ~~supports~~ Darrel as best as possible... it'd be a bit easier if he was next to her instead of behind her.
Beni steps well back, having heard through the grapevine a bit about Darrel's phobia.
Arat had stretched his abused back and fetched Darrel's folder while they were talking, and now waits for them to come in.
Lemuse enters the office.
Lemuse looks back to make sure Darrel is following.
Lemuse: ~~good clean professional support~~
Darrel follows, gradually moving to her side in such a way as to keep her between himself and Beni, despite the changing angle.
Beni retires back to his chair, ignoring Darrel as he supports Arat.
Arat zlins them both intently as they approach, waving an absent minded tentacle to indicate that they should sit.
Arat waves a different tentacle to indicate that Beni should step up his support.
Darrel manages to end up in the chair farthest from Beni's.
Beni increases his support as directed, trying to keep the effect from spreading too much in Darrel's direction.
Arat's temper is fanned by Beni's nageric contortions.
Darrel tenses as he zlins the temper.
Lemuse waits obediently, zlinning ~~calm and professional~~ and supporting Darrel.
Darrel is prevented from actually bolting by Lemuse's efforts.
Arat: Beni, would you go see if there is any mail.
Arat's voice is cool.
Beni chooses to walk to the door on the far side of Lemuse from Darrel.
Arat looks none the happier when Beni is gone.
Arat: I have been following your progress, Hajene Darrel.
Arat opens the folder before him, studying Darrel visually and nagerically.
Darrel nods, keeping the worst of his pessimism under control with a concerted effort.
Darrel's concerted effort involves a lot of leaning on Lemuse's support, but there isn't much Darrel can do about that.
Darrel hopes that won't be held too much against him.
Arat: How have you found your stay here, so far?
Darrel considers.
Darrel: It's certainly a great improvement over Bender Cove.
Arat studies Darrel.
Darrel is quite a bit steadier than he was upon their first meeting.
Arat waits to see if that is all he is going to say.
Darrel had, of course, a great deal of room for improvement upon that occasion.
Darrel: Saner, mostly.
Arat turns over a page on his desk.
Arat: Have you felt any differently in the past few days?
Darrel: Since transfer?
Arat: Since coming here.
Darrel: Yes. I've been sleeping better, thanks to Lemuse, and it's helped to talk with the therapists.
Arat nods.
Arat: And have you had any further thoughts regarding your condition?
Darrel grimaces.
Arat's expression is remote, as he zlins and listens at the same time.
Darrel: It's going to take a lot of work to get myself even close to normal again.
Darrel: Jumping at shadows has become a habit.
Arat: Do you know that I did not send Sosu Beni from here for your benefit?
Darrel thinks that's one of those trick questions: If he agrees, he seems a smart ass, and if he disagrees, he's calling Arat a thoughtless lorsh.
Arat: Nor did I send him from here because I wanted the mail.
Arat: I sent him away because by bending over backward to accommodate your phobia, he compromised the quality of his support of me.
Arat closes the folder, and removes a form from a desk drawer.
Darrel hadn't noticed any problems with Beni's support, but suspects that he wouldn't.
Arat begins to fill out the form, not looking up.
Darrel tries to read the form upside down.
Arat: [it is a work schedule assignment form... more than that is difficult to ascertain because of Arat's fetish for curlicues]
Arat blots the form and hands it to Lemuse.
Arat: Is there anything you wish to say to me before this meeting is concluded? [to Darrel]
Darrel shakes his head, wishing that he had some soothing ritual that he could perform, like playing Pick-up-Sticks or Barrel of Monkeys.
Darrel imagines monkeys playing Pick-up-Sticks, and manages not to wilt too badly under Arat's scrutiny.
Darrel has long since concluded that conversations with the muckety-mucks are best kept as short and simple as possible.
Darrel hasn't ever considered that he might have better luck with his Controllers if they knew him a bit better.
Arat considers Darrel for a few moments longer, giving the impression of examining every base cell of Darrel's being.
Arat then gestures that they are dismissed.
Darrel stands up, fighting the urge to augment.
Lemuse rises, remaining in support of Darrel. "Thank you, Controller Arat."
Lemuse bows slightly, then turns to lead the way out of the office.
Darrel makes himself stay behind her, this time by six inches.
Lemuse remains silent until they are out of the office and well down the hallway.
Darrel, chicken to the core, is unable to ask for the bad news.
Lemuse: Whooee! Was he mad at Beni.
Darrel: Shen, that's all I require: Giving a top-rated Donor a reason to hate me.
Lemuse: No, no, it was his own fault.
Lemuse: I'm sure he'll be fine toward you.
Lemuse: Anyway, I can guarantee you'll have other things on your mind, with this assignment.
Darrel: Oh?
Darrel: ~~ apprehension ~~
Lemuse hands him the form, which appears to have been given a thorough-working over by a master calligrapher.
Darrel squints, trying to detect the information content behind the artwork.
Lemuse: Arat's standard don't-feel-so-sorry-for-yourself assignment... the children's burn ward.
Lemuse: Two weeks of that and you'll think you never had a problem in your entire life.
Darrel perks up.
Darrel: I like working with children.
Lemuse: Great.
Lemuse personally is not looking forward to it, but maintains a ~positive~ nager for Darrel's benefit.
Lemuse: They rush kids from all over Nivet to this facility, it's one of the top rated children's burn units In-Territory.
Darrel: It sounds like a good place to get the latest techniques. Who else is on the ward?
Lemuse thinks it's not quite like working with children, per se.
Lemuse: Well,
Lemuse chatters about the staff, and some of the other less-than-gruesome details of the burn ward's operations, as they make their escape from the vicinity of the Controller's office.