Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #15: The Truth Comes Out (4/3/99)
Beni makes it to Arat's office without getting ambushed by well-meaning channels.
Beni enters quietly and goes to his chair, glad to be sitting.
Beni: ~~ support, adequate if not outstanding ~~
Beni pats his pocket to make sure the handkerchief supply hasn't fallen out, then checks Arat over to determine his condition.
Arat looks like he's been through a war.
Arat is reasonably well groomed, and his uniform is OK, and his nager is pristine of course, but for some reason he just looks....
Beni moves his chair closer.
Arat finally looks over at Beni.
Arat: Should you be out of bed?
Arat's tone implies otherwise.
Beni: It's just a cold.
Beni: You, on the other hand, look like you've been wrestling bears and losing.
Beni: What's gone wrong while I was away?
Arat tries to summon a bristle, but only slumps instead.
Beni thinks that's a bit more diplomatic than "You idiot, why'd you send me away when you were past turnover?", which is what he'd really like to say.
Arat: There have been a lot of small difficulties.
Arat: And... [looks as though it pains him to say it] ... one or two more serious problems as well.
Beni: Serious problems?
Beni: ~~ concern ~~
Beni gives up his half-formed impulse to tease Arat for being his own worst enemy.
Arat looks at Beni again.
Arat: I... wasn't 100% honest with you about why I sent you to Naros.
Beni: You didn't want the form filled out?
Arat: No, that part was true enough.
Arat grimaces.
Arat: It didn't have to be you who was sent, though, not because of that.
Beni: Then why did you send me away, and so close to our transfer?
Arat: The Regional Controller was down again.
Arat: Asking questions about what was going on between you and I.
Arat: I... had some advance warning.
Beni: And you thought that sending me halfway across the District was going to convince him that there was nothing to worry about?
Arat's voice and expression come about as close to apologetic as they've come in his life, which is not close unless you are used to scanning him for subtleties.
Arat: Yes.
Arat is exaggerating somewhat: He basically panicked and didn't want the Regional Controller to speak to Beni directly.
Arat: I... am glad you are back now.
Beni: Shen, Arat, if he'd discovered I wasn't around, after the things in your file....
Beni's mind boggles at the possibilities.
Arat: He knew you weren't around. I told him where you'd gone.
Arat: I told him I couldn't trust anyone else to do the job correctly.
Arat in short had resorted to bald faced lies in order to save his ass.
Arat is not at all proud of this.
Beni wonders if the RC swallowed that nonsense because he hoped it was a sign that Arat had finally come to trust a Donor.
Beni makes a mental note to read over Arat's file for recent additions.
Arat looks down.
Beni gets out a handkerchief and blows his nose.
Arat: I... don't want to fail to get along with you, Beni.
Arat says this wholly remarkable (and thoroughly uncharacteristic) sentence after having rehearsed it for several days.
Beni: Arat, if you'd asked me, I would have told you that I don't put everything in my reports.
Beni: At least, not when it would do more harm than good.
Arat looks up at Beni again, somewhat unreadably.
Arat: I... felt like I couldn't let the Regional Controller speak to you face to face. [admits]
Beni: Ah.
Arat looks thoroughly gloomy and wretched.
Arat: I suppose that sort of thing is precisely what he was talking about, though.
Arat toys with a pen that is on his desk.
Arat: [another uncharacteristic behavior]
Beni is ~~ sympathetic and understanding ~~, without being either accusatory or angry.
Beni: Yes, I believe it is.
Arat is in the unpleasant situation of feeling he would be happier in some other position beside District Controller, but yet unwilling to fail to do what the Tecton demands of him.
Arat tells himself for the 1000th time to forget his own feelings on the matter.
Beni dabs at his nose again.
Arat squares his shoulders.
Arat looks less sorry for himself and more characteristically angry at the world.
Arat: It is, of course, up to you how you use this information.
Arat turns back to his desk.
Beni considers Arat's admission to be a sign of real progress, and refuses to let himself feel hurt at the lack of trust implicit in his last statement.
Beni fetches himself a cup of tea, then settles in to provide as much ~~ support ~~ as he can manage in his current condition.