Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #37: Family History (6/11/99)
Beni checks his latest client over, as she lets him go.
Beni: Entran under control, now?
Wise Snake grunts.
Beni: Would you care for some better tea?
Wise Snake: This is fine. [shortly]
Wise Snake knows Nick went to a bit of trouble to locate tea like that one can get in Bender Cove.
Wise Snake: [read: Nasty homegrown tea with stems in it]
Beni blinks.
Wise Snake drinks some of the tea to demonstrate.
Beni: You like Mona's Medicinal Tea??
Wise Snake thinks more expensive, supposedly better brands of tea are too flowery and don't have the special astringent bite the real stuff has.
Wise Snake looks defensive.
Wise Snake: And what if I do?
Wise Snake: Do you have a problem with that?
Beni backpedals hastily.
Beni: Not at all. I'm just surprised, that's all.
Beni: ~~ apology ~~
Beni: The Farrises I've met have mostly liked the really fancy teas. Narosian or something similar.
Wise Snake: Stop your groveling, I'm not going to bite you.
Beni is just a touch ~~ relieved ~~ at this promise.
Wise Snake: Narosian tea is too foofie. It tastes like something I should be violently allergic to.
Beni: Except for Controller Arat; he drinks the Tecton Standard, but to tell you the truth, I'm not sure he likes it that much.
Beni: Foofie?
Wise Snake is more interested in what Beni said.
Wise Snake: Controller Arat drinks tea he doesn't like?
Wise Snake: Why?
Beni: I think he wants to set an example. After all, there are lots of staff members who can't afford to drink Narosian blends all the time.
Wise Snake considers.
Wise Snake: Oh.
Wise Snake: If it was me I'd drink what I wanted in private.
Wise Snake would drink what she wanted in public too, but she's conceding the point about making an example.
Beni: Perhaps he does; at least, I saw a box of Narosian tea in his office when I reported in.
Wise Snake smirks cynically.
Beni: Of course, it might have been for his Donor.
Wise Snake: Nick.
Wise Snake: He loves the Narosian tea.
Beni: Well, that's probably it, then.
Wise Snake's eyes have taken on a dangerous glitter.
Beni eyes Snake curiously, wondering if it's safe to pump her for a bit of extra information on the mysterious rogue Donor.
Beni decides reluctantly that he'd rather wait until there aren't witnesses before he satisfies his curiosity.
Beni: Is there anything else I can do for you?
Beni: ~~ friendly and open ~~
Beni adds a friendly smile to the nager.
Wise Snake zlins the various changes in Beni's nager.
Beni was taught during Donor training that maintaining a cheerful and friendly outlook was an important part of the job.
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Beni wonders whether in this context, "Ummh." means yes or no.
Wise Snake: This guy Arat.
Beni: Controller Arat?
Wise Snake doesn't know much about Arat besides he is Controller here, he was refused admission to Zeor a long time ago, he is very arrogant and his neck is salty.
Beni: What about him?
Wise Snake: What is his thing? I mean, does he get a personal charge out of kidnapping and brainwashing, or is he just such a drone he'll do anything his superiors tell him?
Beni: Kidnapping? Brainwashing?
Wise Snake: You don't think Nick came here willingly, do you?
Wise Snake: Or is it just that you never wondered?
Beni: I'd heard he was drugged when he was dropped off. Not surprising, really; traveling with a broken leg would have been excruciating.
Wise Snake knows Prunida well enough to suspect the drugging was more to keep Nick tractable than to keep him comfortable.
Wise Snake looks sour.
Wise Snake: That grandmother of his has been trying to get the drop on him for months.
Wise Snake: When the landslide knocked him out, she grabbed her chance.
Beni: It was his grandmother?
Wise Snake: Yes.
Beni hadn't heard that particularly choice bit of gossip, as he was sent away just before Nick arrived and so much has happened since.
Wise Snake: She'd been following us for weeks, ever since we left Naros.
Wise Snake: She even overwintered in the same town we did.
Wise Snake: All because she wanted to collect Nick's Tecton paycheck.
Wise Snake: Does Arat give her Nick's paycheck? [asks sharply, in afterthought]
Beni: I'm not privy to the personal financial arrangements of other staff members, but such arrangements would have to be approved by Nick himself.
Wise Snake: Ah, well, no chance of that then.
Wise Snake seems mildly satisfied by the small victory.
Beni: He doesn't like his grandmother?
Beni has already figured out that Snake doesn't.
Wise Snake can't quite see Nick willingly falling into the arms of the Tecton, but she knows he wouldn't willingly dump his money into the arms of Prunida.
Wise Snake: Not really.
Wise Snake: Wouldn't let me murder her, but that's about where he drew the line.
Beni: I see.
Beni doesn't know whether to be appalled at this casual admission of intent to murder, or glad that apparently Snake was willing to give up the idea at Nick's request.
Beni makes a mental note that if Snake ever threatens to murder him, he should not get within striking distance of her teeth until Nick has been summoned to talk her out of it.
Wise Snake: Just picture a person with enough ambition and meanness to counterbalance two generations of Riyyh ambrov Naros, and you've got Prunida.
Beni: Two generations of Riyyh ambrov Naros?
Beni: I'd heard some rather outrageous stories....
Wise Snake lies down on the institutional bed and stretches out.
Beni hadn't quite credited them.
Wise Snake: About Riyyh?
Wise Snake: They're probably true.
Beni: Really? But I've met him. He seems so--harmless, to have done the sorts of things I heard about.
Wise Snake: Oh, well, what did you hear?
Beni: Well, it's said that the Mayor runs in terror of him; that bit about the urban farms, you know.
Wise Snake's eyes trace the ventilation duct on the ceiling automatically, even though she had decided days before it is just too small to squeeze through.
Wise Snake: Runs in terror?
Wise Snake doesn't know anything about urban farms, or even which Mayor he's talking about, but she does know nobody in their right mind runs in terror of Riyyh ambrov Naros.
Beni perches on the edge of Snake's cot, there not being any other convenient seating.
Wise Snake: I don't think people run in terror from Riyyh.
Wise Snake: You know, unless she really didn't want to get pregnant or something....
Beni: Yes. Apparently, he's managed to foil every effort she's made to put some public buildings up. They've been delayed for years, now.
Wise Snake: Ah!
Wise Snake: Well, they say he can be very persuasive.
Wise Snake actually hasn't seen much of this first-hand, as Riyyh typically dissolved into a puddle whenever they met face-to-face.
Beni: I've only seen him at a few parties, myself--he's not on the Tecton rotations, you know. 1
Beni: He seemed very pleasant and harmless, though.
Wise Snake: Yeah.
Wise Snake remembers Riyyh trying to steal Nick from her and her jaw hardens.
Beni: You don't like him?
Wise Snake can't wait until the next time Arat is foolish enough to enter the same room with her.
Wise Snake: He's all right, but he doesn't know how to keep his tentacles off what's not his.
Beni quite naturally (given Riyyh's reputation) makes a wrong assumption.
Beni: He tried to seduce you?
Wise Snake: Me? [surprised] No, Nick.
Wise Snake not knowing what he was thinking of, assumes he meant nagerically.
Beni: He tried to seduce Nick?
Wise Snake: Yes. [tightly]
Beni thinks that the rumors didn't say half of it.
Beni: That's supposed to be physically impossible.
Wise Snake: I let him know in no uncertain terms that... what??
Wise Snake: No no, he tried to seduce him into pledging Naros and becoming his Donor.
Beni: Oh!
Wise Snake: Not that Riyyh doesn't do plenty of the other as well.
Wise Snake: Just not with Nick, that I know of.
Beni: Did Nick inherit his father's... tastes?
Wise Snake: Why? Are you interested?
Wise Snake props herself up on her elbows and studies Beni.
Beni: Not really; he's not my type.
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Wise Snake flops back.
Wise Snake looks longingly at the vent.
Beni: The fan could be turned up, if you would like a bit more air.
Wise Snake: Why don't you take me on a tour of the city?
Beni chuckles.
Beni: I'm glad that you're keeping your humor up.
Wise Snake snarls to herself and rolls over, studying the perfectly blank wall.
Wise Snake: [it hasn't changed a bit]
Beni hasn't been with Snake long enough to know that she more or less completely lacks a sense of humor.
Beni: Are you tired?
Beni: If you're afraid of nightmares, I'd be happy to stay right here while you nap.
Beni: ~~ soothing ~~
Wise Snake crawls into the corner and sits up with her back to it.
Wise Snake: How about you go find Controller Arat and tell him he'd better let me go, or he's going to regret it?
Wise Snake: [testily]
Beni looks at Snake with interest.
Beni: I don't think threats go very far with Controller Arat.
Wise Snake's eyes dart about in a paranoid fashion, registering the walls, the window, the people behind it.
Beni: He tends to find them amusing. Well, as much as he finds anything amusing.
Wise Snake: Is that so?
Wise Snake: ~~smoldering rage~~
Beni thinks that this is safe to say, since "as much as he finds anything amusing" amounts to "not at all".
Wise Snake: Well, he wasn't too amused the last time we met face to face, in fact I'd say he was scared shitless.
Wise Snake: Tell him to admit he's in over his head and just let me go.
Wise Snake doesn't count through-the-glass as face-to-face.
Beni: I will certainly tell him what you have said.
Wise Snake doesn't doubt it.
Wise Snake supposes Beni repeats every word she says, whether the observers have recorded it or not.
Wise Snake looks sour.
Beni: It is part of my job, while you are in therapy.
Beni looks slightly apologetic.
Wise Snake shudders at the word "therapy".
Wise Snake: What does he think, he's going to make a perfect little Tecton worker of me?
Beni: He hopes that you will be able to rejoin society.
Wise Snake's lips twist into a sneer.
Wise Snake: Work for the Tecton, you mean.
Beni: Were you so happy to be on the road, living from moment to moment, without enough work to keep you comfortable?
Wise Snake: What business is that of his? Or yours?
Beni: It is our job; you know that. And quite apart from that, I don't want to see you destroy yourself.
Beni: Controller Arat.... Well, he's not a comfortable person to work with, but he's managed to help a lot of people who were having trouble of one sort or another with the Tecton.
Wise Snake regards Beni darkly, but says nothing.
Beni looks at Snake closely.
Beni: You know, you really do look a lot like him. Outside of being a Farris, I mean.
Beni: It's something about your eyes.
Beni has, of course, had ample opportunity to observe Arat's disapproval.
Wise Snake's eyes widen.
Wise Snake: What!
Beni: Oh, they're not the same color; it's more the expression.
Wise Snake looks angry and defensive, but perhaps fortunately is speechless.
Beni appears to think rather better of Snake for the comparison.
Wise Snake: If you think there is any chance that that cowardly, non-Zeor-quality, [shaking with rage]
Beni: Chance?
Beni: Calm down. What's the matter?
Wise Snake: ... back-of-room lurking, Donor stealing, bookworm of a channel is possibly the one, you are sadly mistaken!!
Beni: ~~ calm ~~
Beni: Possibly the one who what?
Wise Snake: Who fathered me you imbecile!!
Beni: Your father?
Wise Snake: He is not the one!!
Wise Snake's nostrils would be shooting fire if such a thing were physically possible.
Wise Snake is not, however, throttling Beni, due to his ~~calming~~ nager.
Beni hadn't really considered the possibility, until Snake mentioned it.
Beni has a great deal of trouble imagining any woman accepting Arat as a lover, actually. Or any man.
Beni: Are you sure? He's the right age, goodness knows.
Wise Snake turns white as a sheet, and then bright red.
Wise Snake: If he is, I'll murder him!!
Wise Snake's tentacles lash.
Beni puts a hand on the lashing tentacles.
Wise Snake: No, he'll suffer. He'll....
Wise Snake calms down to silent fuming.
Beni: Snake. Calm down.
Wise Snake seems to be a very volatile person.
Beni: There's no way anything could ever be proved, at this late date.
Beni: And would it be so bad, to know your father?
Wise Snake: After what he did to my mother?
Wise Snake: And me?
Wise Snake: It would be great to finally get my hands on the bastard-fathering son of a lorsh.
Beni looks at Snake seriously.
Beni: Snake, if Controller Arat did father you, I know one thing for sure: He didn't know then, and still doesn't guess.
Wise Snake: And that makes it better? [incredulous]
Wise Snake: Oh great, we have the great responsible District Controller fathering kids all over the Territory and having no clue he's doing it.
Wise Snake: No wonder nobody at Zeor would admit to being the one!
Beni: Arat wouldn't ignore a child of his, if he had the faintest idea it existed.
Beni: Did your mother ever tell your father she was pregnant? [gently]
Wise Snake: How could she? He was gone the next shendi-flecking morning!
Wise Snake: She never even knew his name.
Beni: How not?
Beni can't imagine any channel having a reason to hide his identity.
Wise Snake: She was a prostitute, OK? A guy's drunk, a bunch of his buddies buy him a prostitute, and that's how it works, OK?
Wise Snake: [bitter]
Beni shakes his head in bewilderment.
Wise Snake: It's not as if the train station restrooms have sign-in books.
Beni: ~~ sympathy and compassion ~~
Wise Snake is somewhat mollified by Beni's sympathetic projection.
Beni: He was just traveling through?
Wise Snake: So I'm told.
Wise Snake: [stiffly]
Wise Snake: She died when I was born, still not having been able to locate him.
Wise Snake: Or to contact Zeor.
Wise Snake: Didn't they let you read my file?
Wise Snake knows enough of Tecton procedure to wonder at that.
Beni: Yes, of course. But the files never have everything in them--and they don't tell me what your past means to you.
Wise Snake: How many kids does he have that he knows about? [demands suddenly]
Beni: Controller Arat?
Beni: Two or three, I believe.
Wise Snake appears very jealous.
Wise Snake: How do they live? Supported by the Tecton? By his money?
Wise Snake ignores the people behind the glass, who are alternately running around like crazy and staring agog.
Beni: Of course. Controller Arat is very proud of his family.
Wise Snake looks briefly murderous again, but with Beni's touch on her wrist, she only looks it, instead of behaving it.
Wise Snake: Huh.
Beni: They were very powerful in this area long before Unity.
Wise Snake: He's not a householder. Juncts?
Beni: Yes. I believe they owned a large Genfarm, near what is now New Othwol.
Wise Snake looks revolted.
Wise Snake: What does he intend for Nick?
Wise Snake has given up on the idea of Nick being able to think, and act, for himself.
Beni: Nick? I understand Arat's managed to convince Controller Neptude to allow an exclusive: two months with him, then two with Controller Deah Tigue in New Othwol.
Wise Snake: How ironic.
Wise Snake: He steals my Companion and pretends Tecton righteousness while arranging to have as close to a Companion for himself as he can legally get.
Beni: He felt it would be easier for Nick that way.
Wise Snake: I'll bet!
Wise Snake: No wonder she called him "that snake". [to herself]
Notes:
1) Beni leaves out the recent incident of his being sent to Naros to collect some paperwork. Beni arrived soaking wet and chilled, and Riyyh was all too happy to give him a massage to warm him up. Somehow the paperwork never made it back to Capitol. [return]