Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #13: The Message Trap (3/30/99)
Riyyh, having heard that another Tecton official is on his way up to the office, hurries to ready himself. (By dodging into his office's executive washroom and making sure his look is divine.)
Beni does not look or feel terribly official at the moment, being more soaked and shivering from the freezing rain.
Riyyh: Oh dear. I do wish they wouldn't come quite so close together, it's perfectly exhausting. (to himself)
Riyyh makes sure his long, lush silvery hair is tweaked just so, that he smells nice, and that there aren't any cat hairs on him. (The last bit is what takes most of the time.)
Beni has managed to keep his precious documents dry, by dint of much plastic and oilcloth.
Riyyh emerges into his office and sits down, in a very composed and dignified and Sectuibly fashion.
Riyyh uses the extra time to verify that nothing terribly incriminating is lying about on top of the desk.
Beni is shown in, looking like something Kadi played with and left on the front step to be admired. (Half eaten, of course.)
Riyyh notices a smooch letter from Tiarala that Anmyn had left for him, and quickly covers it with something else as Beni enters.
Beni: ~~ thoroughly chilled, soaking wet, and very determined ~~
Riyyh: Welcome to... my word, you're completely soaked! ~~ concern ~~
Beni: Good afternoon, Sectuib Riyyh.
Riyyh jumps up immediately to go assist him.
Beni: Yes, it's a nasty day out there.
Riyyh: Allow me to help you with your wet clothing. Would you like some nice hot tea?
Riyyh flutters about Beni protectively and nurturingly.
Beni courteously tries to keep the worst of the shivers out of his nager.
Beni: Hot tea sounds lovely.
Riyyh: I have blankets....
Riyyh: Of course.
Beni sneezes.
Riyyh hurries to fetch the tea.
Beni: I should have grabbed a change of clothing from my saddlebags before your stable person took the horse away, I suppose.
Riyyh eyes him. "I believe my Companion's clothing would fit you, if you'd like to borrow some dry clothes until you can get to your own?"
Riyyh: I'm sure Rapol wouldn't mind in the least.
Riyyh brings Beni's tea to him, then goes to a cupboard to find the clothes.
Beni: Thank you, it would be good to get into something dry.
Riyyh: There is a hot shower as well, if you would like? I am perfectly content to wait the few minutes it would take for you to get warmed up. [smiles kindly]
Beni: I really should take care of business first, but....
Beni: ~~ tempted ~~
Riyyh: Oh, go ahead. I'll wait right here.
Riyyh appears friendly and completely without guile.
Riyyh offers a bundle of clothes.
Beni: Thank you.
Beni succumbs and staggers for the shower, hoping that Arat won't quiz him on the matter when he returns.
Riyyh: Do call me if you require anything else. [calls after him]
Riyyh sighs and sits down at his desk again.
Beni strips off his soaked clothes.
Riyyh always wants to personally comfort and lend warmth to poor, bedraggled visitors from the great outside.
Beni turns on the hot water and jumps in.
Riyyh finds the letter from Tiarala again and reads it.
Riyyh smiles.
Riyyh can see why Anmyn wasn't sure whether he, or she, should answer it though.
Beni unthaws under the steaming water.
Riyyh makes a mental note to let Anmyn know that Tiarala is just a flirt and has no actual permanent intentions regarding Riyyh, which means it's safe for him to write his own replies.
Beni: ~~ bliss ~~
Riyyh zlins some of the happy feelings Beni is emitting, and sighs with pleasure at having made another happy.
Beni finally turns the water off, and only then realizes that there isn't a towel around.
Beni ponders A) putting on wet clothes or B) using the bathmat.
Beni sneezes again, and rejects Plan A.
Riyyh is writing his reply to Tiarala, in care of Imil.
Beni then scouts out the bathmat, and discovers that his cold, wet clothes have been sitting on it all this time.
Beni discards Plan B, and moves to Plan C.
Beni hops out of the shower and drips his way over to the bathroom door.
Beni opens it a crack and sticks his (dripping) head through.
Beni: Umm, Sectuib Riyyh?
Riyyh: [writes:] "Always and ever in your debt, Riyyh Sectuib in N..."
Riyyh: Yes?
Beni: Is there a towel about, by any chance?
Riyyh: Oh! Yes, of course.
Beni: ~~ apologetic ~~
Riyyh lays down his pen, and rises.
Riyyh goes to the bathroom.
Riyyh: It's rather tricky, actually, I should have mentioned....
Beni regrets the draft cooling the nicely warmed, if steamy, bathroom.
Riyyh slips inside, and goes to the longest section of polished wainscoting.
Riyyh: There are hidden buttons, you see. [sheepish]
Beni: Hidden buttons?
Riyyh pops open the twin doors, revealing a fine display of fluffy towels and exotic massage and body oils.
Beni: ~~ astonished ~~
Riyyh picks up, then offers to Beni, a fleecy white towel.
Beni: Are bath accouterments so rare in Naros that they have to be protected from theft?
Riyyh smiles.
Riyyh: No, of course not. That was done mostly in the interests of design, I think.
Beni takes the towel and wraps himself in it.
Riyyh: Would you like a massage?
Riyyh thinks it's polite to ask, since his guest is wearing only a towel and he is standing there holding the massage oil cabinet open.
Beni: I don't think I've ever had one, actually.
Beni: ~~ curiosity ~~
Riyyh: Oh, it's really quite pleasant, particularly if you have sore muscles or unrelieved tensions.
Riyyh: These different oils came mostly as gifts... do you like this one?
Riyyh selects one and offers it to Beni to smell.
Beni sniffs.
Beni: Rose and lilac?
Riyyh: Or this one has always been one of my favorite.
Riyyh offers another.
Beni: What's that one called?
Riyyh: It's called Eau d' Narcissus.
Beni: Narcissus?
Riyyh: A beautiful flower. Shall we? The smaller of the couches folds nicely out into a massage platform.
Riyyh appears eager to please Beni.
Beni: You have a special platform for this?
Riyyh is, in fact, always eager to please anybody, especially if massaging is involved.
Riyyh smiles a bit self-deprecatingly.
Riyyh: It is a luxury, I know.
Riyyh: And yet, if one cannot enjoy the good things in life, what is the point in living?
Beni: You have a point, there.
Riyyh leads the way to the couch in question, and tugs it into position.
Beni: But I really should tell you about Controller Arat's concerns.....
Beni sort of drifts after Riyyh.
Riyyh is capable of both successfully reconfiguring the couch, and tugging at it ineffectually until somebody else helps him, whichever seems more appropriate at the time.
Riyyh opts for the former, in this case.
Beni: It's very important to resolve the matter quickly...
Riyyh: Of course, of course. Why don't you tell me as I rub your back?
Riyyh: There is no reason to wait.
Beni is tired from the long ride in the cold, and sleepy from the hot shower.
Riyyh: And I assure you I will do everything in my power to accommodate any requests or concerns he may have. [reassures Beni]
Beni lies down, forgetting for a moment that he will be at a distinct disadvantage when trying to get the truth from Riyyh, when he's buck naked, damp, and being subjected to a backrub.
Beni: Well, you see, there are some questions about that selyn usage form you turned in.
Riyyh removes the cape he'd donned to greet the visitor, since formality seems to have stepped down a notch.
Riyyh: Yes, go on?
Riyyh applies some of the oil to his hands and rubs them together, then places them on Beni's shoulders.
Beni: And when we tried to get the matter straightened by courier, you wrote back..... Uhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Riyyh's tentacles join the palms and fingers as Riyyh begins a slow, sensual, extremely practiced shoulder rub.
Riyyh: Ah, so you received our reply, good.
Riyyh: [from somewhere in the vicinity of Beni's left ear]
Beni: So he sent me to get an Ummmmmmmmmmm answer in person.
Beni's coherence is dropping rapidly.
Riyyh's hands move firmly yet gently, masterfully yet tenderly.
Beni: Got to get back tomorrow, Arat's past turnover.
Riyyh: Mmm.
Riyyh is starting to get into it himself, experiencing Beni's pleasure as if it were his own.
Riyyh: I understand. [quietly]
Beni's eyes start to close, then open again as he sneezes.
Riyyh's hands work their way down toward the small of Beni's back.
Beni: Just another [moan] mixup, I'm sure.
Beni: Get it all straightened out in a hurry.
Riyyh: Are you cold at all? [gently]
Riyyh always asks, in case a person wants to say yes even though they aren't.
Beni: Much better than I was.
Beni is currently disinclined to get completely warm, if that means moving.
Riyyh's kneading hands move down to his butt and legs, to soothe any muscles tensed up by the long ride.
Riyyh: Of course, I will be completely cooperative in every way.
Beni's legs are in worse shape than his back, since he doesn't ride all that much as a Donor.
Beni: Jus' require the correct figures.
Riyyh uses the same soothing voice he might use to, say, calm a frightened donor, or, more practically speaking in the Naros environment, soothe a kid who's fallen down and skinned his knee on purpose in order to get some soothing from his Sectuib.
Beni is finding it difficult to really care about the shenned paperwork at the moment.
Riyyh murmurs something that isn't really either a yes, or a no, or even really a response.
Beni: Gotta get back to my channel, you see.
Beni is sure that this is important, but can't quite remember why.
Riyyh: He will be worried about you.
Riyyh assumes so, anyway.
Beni: Shouldn't have sent me away.
Beni: Lots of other people to go, after all.
Riyyh makes sympathetic noises, as he starts from the ankles back upward again.
Riyyh: You are just a little chilled yet, aren't you? I know what we can do.
Riyyh opens a nearby cabinet and gets a blanket.
Beni: Long ride from Capitol.
Beni is ~~ disinclined to do anything ~~
Beni has, however, been brainwashed about Duty First since his First Year.
Beni: Papers are in my packet, there.
Riyyh pulls the blanket over Beni, in a practiced motion that lets it touch every part of Beni's body at once.
Riyyh: Pardon me? Oh, of course.
Riyyh tucks the blanket around Beni. "Would you like me to retrieve them for you? You're already so comfortable..."
Beni: Ummmm, yessss.
Beni rests his eyes, just for a moment, while Riyyh fetches the packet.
Riyyh goes over to the packet and hovers around it for a while, fastidiously trying to figure out how to get the papers out without touching dirt or mud.
Riyyh: Oh! Your tea... I'll fetch you some new, it'll be warmer.
Riyyh goes to get the new tea.
Riyyh: Did you like the Cago Rose, or would you prefer a different blend?
Riyyh is well aware that the average Tecton employee can't get their hands on good tea just anytime.
Beni presses down on his cerebral clutch and tries to engage at least low gear.
Beni: I'll try the other one.
Beni debates trying to get a bit of whichever seems best to take back, to calm Arat's temper.
Riyyh considers, and then selects one.
Riyyh pours the water into the leaves, and brings the cup to Beni.
Riyyh: This one is called 'His Lover's Lips."
Beni: Lover's Lips?
Riyyh: Because of the color, you see.
Riyyh smiles fondly.
Beni peers at the scarlet brew.
Beni: What makes it red?
Riyyh: A rose we grow here, the Eros Trin.
Beni: Eros?
Beni sips it cautiously.
Riyyh: It's one of the oldest descendants from our original rose, the Naros Trin. I far prefer this one myself.
Riyyh seats himself near to Beni, smiling.
Riyyh likes to sit very near to mellow people, particularly Gens, as it feels so nice.
Beni: Nice.
Riyyh moves closer.
Riyyh: You may have some to take back with you, if you like.
Beni recalls himself to duty.
Beni: Did you find the forms?
Riyyh looks into Beni's eyes.
Riyyh: Why yes, I did.
Riyyh: [smiles]
Riyyh: Do you want to see them?
Beni nods.
Beni: Gotta have them filled out right, or Arat will get mad again.
Riyyh has the ability to, when in the presence of a person with a very mellow nager, appear perfectly angelic and innocuous.
Riyyh: Of course. Let me fetch them, then.
Riyyh gets up and returns to the packet, eyes its mud spattered exterior with something approaching trepidation.
Beni: Go on, open it. It's not in a locked case.
Riyyh: Oh, very well.
Riyyh: It's just a bit... well, road worn.
Riyyh is a bit embarrassed to have to say so.
Beni: After all that wrapping, it leaked?
Beni would be indignant, if he weren't so relaxed.
Riyyh: Oh, dear. I hope not.
Riyyh actually hopes so, but it'd hardly profit him to say it.
Riyyh: Let me see.
Riyyh reaches for the packet and, with a sad little grimace where Beni can't see it, grips the muddy object.
Riyyh opens the packet.
Riyyh: Oh no, I mean, oh yes, they appear to be just fine.
Beni: ~~ relief ~~
Riyyh uses two tentacles to pull the papers out, one by one, and deposit them on his desk.
Riyyh replaces the packet near Beni's things.
Riyyh: Just a moment, I really must go and wash up before I fill these out.
Riyyh flees into the washroom.
Riyyh soon becomes involved in a very elaborate ritual which involves many different forms of hand washing, hair primping, scent applying, jewelry comparing, and ultimately, looking at himself in the mirror and wondering if he should try to seduce Beni or try to make him go to sleep.
Riyyh: Oh dear, it just never ends does it?
Beni starts to get ~ concerned ~
Beni: You all right in there?
Riyyh: I wish that Hajene Arat would just come here and speak to me himself, it would be so much more civilized.... yes! I'll be right out. [calls]
Riyyh rushes out of the bathroom, managing to both look three times as good as before, and like he'd had barely enough time to just wash his hands.
Riyyh: I'm terribly sorry.
Beni is moderately satisfied with the reassurance, but makes a mental note to suggest to Riyyh's Donor that he inquire as to whether his channel is experiencing constipation or some other such problem.
Riyyh: Now where was I?
Riyyh: Are you warm enough?
Beni: I'm fine. You were going to fill in the right selyn usage figures.
Beni doesn't consider that Arat would not consider lying on a massage couch in Riyyh's office, wearing nothing but a towel and blanket and with no clothes in sight, as being "all right".
Riyyh: Of course, you're right.
Riyyh nods and smiles his way over to his desk.
Riyyh: You know, it's very odd, but I don't seem to recall filling in one of these forms this year.
Riyyh: Are you sure the one Arat was looking at, came from me?
Beni: It has your signature on it, as you see.
Riyyh looks through the papers until he locates the filled-out-form, and stares at it in some astonishment.
Beni: Something the matter?
Riyyh: But this is all wrong. [dismayed]
Riyyh: This is more than wrong, it's wildly inaccurate.
Riyyh: I am not surprised Controller Arat became concerned.
Beni: Well, there's a blank form there, too. Go ahead and fill in the right figures, and I'll see Arat gets them down.
Riyyh: I would like to know where he got this piece of paper. [mildly]
Beni: It was with Tiarala's report, I think.
Beni: Or maybe Mulla's, I can't remember.
Riyyh: Oh, no. Dear Tiarala was quite persistent, and, I might say, delightfully persuasive in many very different and inventive ways, but my numbers simply weren't ready by the time she left.
Beni: They weren't?
Riyyh: No, when she arrived were in the midst of an emergency, since resolved, and I did not have time to comply with her request.
Riyyh: I did assure her that I would post the figures as soon as they were available, but this... [gestures at the form] ... why, this isn't even in my writing.
Beni: Tiarala forged the numbers?
Riyyh: My heavens, Tiarala would never.
Riyyh sounds hurt at the very idea.
Riyyh: Although, I can't say that I know who might have... oh dear, this is most distressing.
Beni: I don't think Tiarala said that it was actually you who filled the form out. Could it have been one of your people, trying to be helpful?
Riyyh: I suppose it is possible. [dubiously]
Beni: Well, if you could just fill out the blank one, that would take care of the immediate problem.
Beni: You can figure out who is responsible for the false data later.
Riyyh can't see anybody on his staff botching the numbers this badly, and Tiarala wouldn't have turned to one of the children or a lawn worker or something would she?
Riyyh: Of course, you're right.
Riyyh looks at the forgery again, then puts it out of his sight.
Riyyh: How awful.
Riyyh: This reminds me of that entire Bender Cove debacle.
Beni: What happened in Bender Cove?
Riyyh gets out the appropriate ledger (the one he keeps for official eyes) and opens it on his lap.
Riyyh: How could you possibly have avoided hearing about that, my dear man? It was positively everywhere in the tabloids.
Riyyh sounds rather embarrassed.
Beni: Don't have time to read tabloids.
Riyyh: Well, if you must know, Snake Farris forged a document pledging me to the Tecton and assigning me to Bender Cove for my first assignment.
Riyyh: It took forever to get it straightened out.
Riyyh: Brrr.
Riyyh shudders at the memories.
Beni: Snake Farris? Isn't she the one who ran away from Zeor?
Riyyh: Oh, is that how it happened?
Riyyh: Fascinating story.
Riyyh carefully fills out the form in the way he tends to fill out Tecton forms: Right on the edge of way too vague to possibly get past the laziest official.
Riyyh would hate to lock himself into anything definite his numbers would be compared to in following years, after all.
Riyyh: And how is Hajene Darrel progressing?
Beni: Well enough. At least, Controller Arat hasn't sent him off yet.
Riyyh nods.
Riyyh: And what did Controller Arat make of his condition?
Riyyh seems to think that Capitol is about the size of Naros and everybody knows everything about each other there.
Beni: He hasn't said much about it, at least not to me.
Riyyh: Oh, I see. [disappointed]
Beni: He seems to think it can be treated, though, or he wouldn't be wasting his time with the man.
Riyyh: Oh... that's good.
Riyyh thinks that's good, anyway.
Riyyh: And how is Jeniard?
Riyyh: [a bit anxiously]
Beni's eyes narrowed.
Beni: What happened between you and Hajene Jeniard, anyway?
Riyyh looks surprised.
Riyyh's pen stops.
Riyyh: Why, I had no idea it was not well known.
Beni: Arat always looks at him when your name comes up.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Riyyh: I would have thought after all these years... well.
Riyyh: You see, at one point there was some difficulty over one of our outreach programs in the city... I forget which one, the details don't matter, I suppose.
Beni nods.
Riyyh actually has a rather keen memory, but finds faking otherwise to his advantage on a regular basis.
Riyyh: At any rate, Hajene Arat - he wasn't District Controller at that point, of course - sent Jeniard to, er, straighten me out on the matter.
Beni: What happened?
Beni: ~~ curiosity ~~
Riyyh: Well, [grows vague and smiles fondly]
Riyyh: We hit it off quite well, to begin with.
Riyyh: I think he genuinely liked me. [confides]
Riyyh: And of course, there was this little bit of business that had to be taken care of, but Jeniard did have a lot on his mind at the time,
Riyyh: Actually, he asked to pledge to Naros.
Beni: He did?
Beni: He always seemed so devoted to Arat.
Riyyh: I was perfectly thrilled, but of course, such a thing was hardly possible. I mean, at the time, Naros was not accepting new members at all, much less out of the Tecton.
Riyyh: Oh no, he wanted Arat to pledge also.
Riyyh: But of course, I couldn't have had that. [chuckles sheepishly]
Beni: Too many channels for your workload?
Riyyh: Not that either of them isn't a perfectly fine fellow, but I enjoy being Sectuib.
Beni: Ah, I see.
Riyyh: So then, he asked if he could visit me again, and of course I said he may, as often as he likes.
Riyyh: We parted on extremely amicable terms. [sadly]
Beni: Did he visit?
Riyyh: I'm afraid not.
Beni: Arat?
Riyyh: It seems that Hajene Arat was quite displeased with his story, and his talk of pledging Naros, and how he spoke of me, and I imagine the fact that he'd neglected to resolve the small issue with the outreach program may have figured into it somewhere.
Riyyh had basically sent Jeniard from Naros in a love swoon.
Beni takes the lesson to heart.
Beni: How are you coming with that form?
Riyyh: I do wish he wouldn't take it so personally, of course, and after all these years... pardon me? Oh, of course, even as we speak. [smiles]
Riyyh resumes copying the official numbers out of the official ledger.
Beni: Good. Don't want Arat mad at me--would ruin our transfer.
Riyyh puts down his pen.
Riyyh: I do wish Controller Arat would come and speak to me in person one day.
Riyyh: Do you think you might suggest it?
Riyyh: [sincerely]
Riyyh: It seems such a shame to leave this unresolved.
Riyyh is sure he'd have more luck with Arat in person than via indirect methods.
Riyyh is under the impression that the District Controller A) has plenty of free time and B) would bother traveling way out into the country to visit somebody like him.
Beni: I will be sure to do so.
Beni is careful not to commit himself to doing so any time soon; he has in mind making the suggestion as he is about to leave for the train station to his next assignment--and only then if it's to another District.
Riyyh: Thank you.
Riyyh: I appreciate it. [smiles]
Riyyh: Would you like any more tea?
Riyyh: You know, there is an excellent food service here, perhaps a meal later?
Riyyh: Really, you should be well fed and rested before you must travel again.
Beni: A meal would be welcome, and a fresh horse, if you've got one.
Beni: I'd ask for dry weather, but I don't think you could oblige me.
Riyyh frowns slightly, as he is not used to trading horses with the Tecton and has a pretty good idea of what would happen to him the next time he saw Rachel, if he did.
Riyyh smiles.
Riyyh: That would be difficult.
Riyyh: I cannot offer you a horse, I regret, but your horse is welcome to fodder and housing for the night, should you wish to leave first thing in the morning.
Beni considers.
Riyyh: And you, of course, are welcome to a guest cabin.
Beni: I took a bit longer getting here than I'd planned, you see.
Beni: Still, my horse won't make it all the way back without a warm night.
Riyyh: And neither shall you. You're perfectly exhausted.
Riyyh gets up and goes back over to Beni.
Riyyh: You're still not completely loosened up. Allow me?
Beni: Huh?
Riyyh: Stay here tonight, [urges Beni, while beginning to massage his shoulders through the blanket]
Riyyh: Surely your channel would not want to you head off into the night unrested?
Beni: Ummmmmm......
Riyyh: Why, he'd be worried sick if he knew.
Beni is momentarily distracted by the thought that Arat would expect him to do anything necessary to get back to Capitol, risky or not.
Riyyh: And you'd be more fit for riding after you've been rested.
Beni finds the thought hard to concentrate on, though, and can't bear to move just yet.
Riyyh's hands and tentacles slip underneath the blanket, Sime-hot.
Riyyh: You'll find Naros very good for the spirits. Your channel will be pleased to receive you back full of good cheer.
Riyyh: [encouragingly]
Beni: Ummmgrammmmnnn.
Beni starts to snore.
Riyyh slumps in relief, then withdraws his hands and tugs the blanket more securely around the Donor.
Riyyh makes sure all is in order, then returns to his desk, where he replaces the ledger and looks at the half-finished form.
Riyyh: Well, that was certainly a close call.