Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #78: Pansy Raid (9/22/99)
see note 1
Alea is sitting in Arat's office, catching up on paperwork, missing the fact she isn't with her channel.
Racknie wanders down the hall, reading the numbers on the doors.
Alea casually goes through Arat's drawers looking for a better pen.
Racknie is a gawky, knock-kneed product of the Narosian breeding program.
Racknie is, however, possessed of a certain firmness of purpose (okay, obsession) from his grandmother's side.
Racknie finds the right door, and simply walks in.
Alea finds an oddly shaped paper clip laying in Arat's drawer and stares at it in wonder.
Racknie smiles at Alea.
Alea glances up.
Alea: ~~ surprise ~~~
Alea: May I help you?
Alea studies the young man curiously, wondering who he is.
Racknie: Hello. I was hoping to get some help for an educational project I'm working on.
Alea: Oh?
Racknie: The other partner refused, you see, which is strange, because he's not making clothes there any more, after all.
Alea: Ah... um....
Racknie seems to think that this statement explains his presence adequately.
Alea decides to let that go.
Alea: So what is your project about?
Alea drops the paper clip just anywhere into the drawer, not paying attention where, and shuts it firmly.
Alea moves over to sit at Arat's desk, motioning the young man to take a seat.
Racknie: Well, plants don't just grow themselves, you know, and there are so many people who could feed their own families, if they just knew how.
Racknie: But we have to have space, and land. It's the perfect location, surely you can see that.
Racknie looks at Alea quite appealingly.
Alea sighs, thinking it's just her luck.
Alea: No, I don't see that at all, dear boy.
Alea: Why don't you tell me what land you are talking about and who needs to feed who?
Racknie: It's the school, you see. We have to have a place for the school.
Alea pulls out her pen and a paper off Arat's desk.
Alea makes a note, "school".
Alea: Have you spoken to anyone here about this before?
Alea ~~ is very hopeful he has~~
Alea wouldn't mind at all sending this young man off to someone else.
Racknie: Not here, no. But surely you can see the value of a proper school, with a complete curriculum: botany, plant anatomy, pomology, genetics, ecology, viticulture, agronomy, hydroponics, and of course, practical classes on gardening and landscaping.
Alea: For who? Who would the classes be for?
Alea ~~ mild exasperation at this young man ~~~
Racknie: The families of Capitol, to begin with. But I expect that we'll have students from all over, in a year or two.
Racknie: Anyone who wants to learn should have the opportunity.
Alea: Don't we already have schools here?
Racknie: None of them teach a proper curriculum.
Alea makes another note... "young man insistent upon school"
Alea pauses.
Racknie: Tiril Audnes doesn't care. He said we couldn't have his building.
Alea: Well that makes sense.
Racknie: But surely his partner will be more reasonable?
Alea nods.
Alea writes down the name: "Tiril Audnes won't give building".
Alea: Who is his partner?
Alea writes down, "Partner? Give charity gift".
Alea: And what is your organization?
Racknie: His nephew. Arat Farris.
Alea glances up sharply.
Racknie realizes that he has neglected the social forms, and blushes.
Alea thinks, so he was looking for this office.
Racknie: Oh, I am sorry. I'm Racknie ambrov Naros, with the Urban Farming Program.
Alea: I see.
Alea writes down his name... and thinks... Naros!
Alea glances back at him.
Alea: Any relation to... um....
Alea thinks 'dumb question' and doesn't finish it.
Racknie does bear a distinct resemblance to his father.
Alea wonders just how many are in that family.
Alea: And what building is it you are seeking?
Racknie: It's the clothing factory on 38th Street. It's been abandoned for nearly two years.
Alea: Ah, I see.
Alea makes a note below "charity".
Alea: Well, all I can do is leave this message for your... for Tiril's nephew.
Alea: He's out right now.
Alea: Do you have an address where I can get in touch with you?
Alea: Er... where he can get in touch with you?
Racknie: Oh, dear, I was hoping that the matter could be straightened out today.
Racknie: It will take all winter to get the building ready.
Alea: Controller is a busy man.
Racknie: I'm working out of the Urban Farming office.
Alea ~~ smiles politely ~~
Arat comes down the hallway toward his office, little realizing his office is occupied by an undesirable.
Alea: I'm sure he would love to work this out as soon as possible, but he just isn't here.
Alea lifts her hands helplessly, glad that Arat isn't there at the moment.
Alea really wants to talk this over with him first.
Alea: I'll make note of that.
Arat walks into his office, and stops warily as he sees and zlins somebody there.
Racknie: Oh, dear. Surely there can't be any question? Think of the children who would benefit.
Alea picks up her pen... and stops.
Alea glances up and nods.
Alea slips out of the chair she occupied and glides across the room.
Alea: Controller, a Racknie ambrov Naros wishes an audience with you...
Arat meets Alea's eyes briefly, then looks hard at Racknie.
Alea trails off at Arat's hard gaze at Racknie ~~??~~
Arat spots the Narosian resemblance without difficulty.
Racknie zlins distinctly Narosian, although without a Donor's development to his nager.
Arat looks at Alea belatedly.
Arat: Thank you.
Racknie perks up as he realizes that this is the person he has come to see.
Alea falls into a position slightly behind Arat and offers ~~ support ~~
Racknie: You're Controller Arat? Oh, good. You can tell Tiril to be reasonable, and the school can open on time.
Arat eyes Racknie again, then walks around to take his seat at his desk.
Arat considers Racknie's words, which make little sense to him on first hearing.
Arat: What is this in regards to?
Racknie is ~~ pleased ~~ to see Arat.
Arat appears irritated, but that is basically Arat.
Alea pauses next to Arat's desk and taps the paper lying there, then moves to her own seat.
Alea: [paper is full of Alea's scrawled notes on Racknie]
Arat picks up the paper and tries to make sense of the notes.
Racknie: Tiril wouldn't be reasonable. After all, he's not doing anything with the building, is he?
Racknie: It's been closed up for two years, now.
Racknie: So what harm would it do to use it for the good of the community?
Arat: You know Tiril?
Arat thinks this is very unlikely.
Arat stares at Racknie suspiciously.
Racknie: Well, I only talked to him once.
Arat suspected as much.
Racknie unconsciously rubs the bruise he acquired when he was forcibly ejected from Tiril's presence shortly thereafter.
Racknie: He wouldn't answer my letters, you see.
Arat would like to simply send Racknie packing at this point, but his Farris obsession with detail leads him to at least want to know what is going on.
Racknie: I know it's a lot to ask, but think of the benefits to all the parents and children.
Racknie: ~~ almost Hero-ish enthusiasm ~~
Arat waves an impatient hand.
Arat: What is this building wanted for?
Alea clasps her hands together in slight worry.
Racknie: A school! A proper school, to teach the important subjects.
Arat sees something about a school on the sheet and tries to make it out.
Arat had thought the City's main objection to the Narosians at this point was that they were impeding a school's construction, not trying to found one.
Alea: He says, Hajene, he'd like to start a school, a proper school that teaches the correct curriculum and open to everyone.
Arat hopes this isn't a case of attempting to find a new home for the school to be built on the lot the lawsuits have been flying over lately.
Racknie: Botany, agriculture, plant anatomy, agronomy, plant breeding, pomology....
Alea: He also says, Hajene, that he wants the abandoned building your uncle owns and thought you might could help him.
Racknie: We'd also have more informal classes on gardening and landscaping.
Arat looks between Alea and Racknie.
Alea hates to interrupt but thinks he'll never learn anything from this guy.
Alea ~ apologetic for interrupting ~
Racknie has discovered that the landscaping in Capitol is far below the exacting standards of Naros.
Arat notes the word "charity" jumping out of the middle of the page.
Racknie: Just think what it would do for the city!
Arat drops the paper on the desk.
Arat: Audnes Enterprises is not in the business of charity.
Arat thinks actually it is, but the recipients are the actual shareholders of it, only one of which - himself - ever injects any money into the corporation.
Arat at times like this is reminded of how tedious his relatives can be, even in absentia.
Racknie stares at Arat, with a mortally wounded expression.
Racknie: But there are already three greengrocers in the neighborhood who have expressed a desire to bid on the produce!
Arat stares at Racknie with an expression of produce-withering contempt.
Racknie wilts a bit under the glare.
Alea is simply glad she isn't on that end of the stare. Of course, being a Farris -- a Zeor Farris -- she knows the starer really wouldn't out stare her, but thinks for transfer purposes, it's best.
Racknie: The school would be an asset to the community. Tell him.
Racknie looks at Alea in appeal.
Alea shrugs with a look of 'don't ask me'.
Racknie doesn't do "appealing" quite as well as his father, but well enough.
Alea sighs.
Alea: Perhaps, Hajene, if the young man worked up a proposal of what he planned, wanted, say a five year plan....
Alea: Then you could decide later.
Alea doubts the Gen will ever accomplish that so feels safe with the suggestion.
Arat narrows his eyes.
Alea shrugs helplessly at Arat.
Alea: You might make money off such a product.
Alea: Tax write off.
Alea: Or there are many other ways....
Racknie bobs enthusiastically.
Alea thinks, what is she doing!
Alea: Of course, it might be best to direct him back to your uncle.
Arat finds that his forehead requires a bit of a massage, and uses the fingers and tentacles of one hand to accomplish the task.
Racknie: Oh, yes, I can give you a proposal. Urfey is very good at writing things.
Alea quietly stands and moves behind Arat and begins to gently rub his shoulders.
Arat: No... no. [to Racknie, as he removes his hand]
Arat's shoulders are all knotted up, and definitely in need of Alea's ministrations.
Alea works to make herself invisible to all in the office as she uses her nager and hands to work on the knots.
Racknie: I can give you copies of the alterations we'd have to make to the building and grounds, too.
Arat: If Tiril said he does not want to give it to you, I will not argue with him about it.
Arat: [mainly because Arat finds his uncle unbearably annoying to be around]
Racknie's head bobs.
Racknie: We can convince him, I'm sure.
Alea ~~ we???? ~~
Alea wonders what Arat's reaction will be to that.
Arat: I will not be responsible for anything which may occur if you press him unreasonably on the issue.
Arat remembers the time Tiril had a restraining order put on the paper boy because the kid threw the paper too close to his prized flower bed.
Racknie beams, concentrating now on action, and the added focus makes his nager zlin vaguely reminiscent of Nick's.
Arat's uncle has never been known for restraint, in financial matters or anything else for that matter.
Arat is temporarily distracted by Racknie's nager, and zlins him more thoroughly.
Racknie: I saw his house. He understands what an asset plants can be--just look at his collection of rare pansies!
Arat fortunately misses that line.
Racknie has only ~~ admiration ~~ for the landscaping work at Tiril's house.
Alea: Pansies?
Alea had no idea the flowers even grew up here--or that someone would find the time to grow them.
Racknie turns to Alea enthusiastically.
Racknie: There are colors I haven't seen before, and some interesting pattern mutants as well.
Racknie: Does he breed them himself? [to Arat]
Alea realizes she said it aloud and drew the man's attention and immediately returns all attention to soothing Arat.
Alea is a bit worried at how out of kilter Arat is.
Arat blinks, and rejoins the real world, frowning to himself.
Arat realizes he lost track of the conversation, but can't be bothered to find out what was said while he was investigating Racknie's nager's similarity to Nick's and Hero's.
Arat flicks a hand and tentacles.
Arat: You're wasting your time. I will not go against my uncle's wishes in this matter, as I have no stake in it and he has made his opinion plain.
Arat: I do not appreciate being interrupted in my Tecton duties for matters of this nature.
Racknie: No stake? But...?
Arat: You will not approach me again about it, nor will you... provoke Tiril Audnes.
Racknie's voice trails off as he realizes that Arat isn't responding to his coaxing.
Arat has been known to respond to coaxing... when being coaxed by a high order Donor who has a lot of patience and persistence. Other than that: Forget it!
Alea ~~ soothing ~~
Alea: If you stop by the front desk, the clerk might be able to direct you to where you can find another piece of abandoned property.
Alea has no idea what the lower people can do, but figures they have to be out there in the real world and probably have heard some gossip or such.
Arat frowns, then decides to let this abuse of the Information Desk's function slide.
Arat being upper management has no idea just how routine this sort of request is, for them.
Racknie: But the factory would be so perfect....
Racknie has never been all that good at coping with sudden changes of plans.
Arat having found that words just don't seem to work with Racknie, resorts to his patented stare of flat-out loathing.
Arat: If there is nothing else?
Alea decides to help Arat since she feels partially responsible.
Alea goes to the door and pulls it open.
Racknie: Well, perhaps Tiril will change his mind. He must be a good person, with a garden like that...
Racknie walks out of the office, only narrowly avoiding banging into the door in his single-mindedness.
Alea holds her breath then sighs in relief as she closes the door behind him.
Arat begins to become genuinely upset after the cause has gone.
Alea notes this and hurries over to Arat.
Alea: Controller?
Alea ~~ worry having rarely seen Arat like this ~~
Arat: The security in this building requires a complete overhaul.
Alea: He's gone now.
Alea: I was about to send him on his way when you arrived.
Alea ~~ soothing ~~~
Arat: He never should have made it this far in the first place.
Alea leans against the desk facing Arat and increases her support by laying a hand on his hand.
Alea: Things happen occasionally.
Alea wishes she could take that back.
Arat takes a deep breath, using Alea's support.
Alea: Of course, I'm sure it was a simple oversight, perhaps....
Alea decides to simply close her mouth.
Arat has never been very good at dealing with "things" that just "happen"... he prefers precision and regularity.
Arat sighs as Alea falls silent.
Alea: Would you like some lunch?
Alea ~~ brightly ~~
Arat: No. [shortly]
Arat tenses up automatically as he gives his standard answer to the question.
Alea nods.
Alea: Very well.
Alea continues to support Arat with no words.
Alea simply allows her hunger to gradually project itself at Arat.
Alea ~~ very hungry in need of a good satisfying meal... will faint without it ~~
Arat: You may go on break now.
Arat: I will be fine.
Alea: Not without you, Hajene.
Alea ~~ mild stubbornness~~
Arat would prefer for Alea to control her hunger and stay here to support him and perhaps rub his shoulders, but Donors inexplicably find that sort of thing out of the question.
Alea: You won't go with me then?
Arat: Go ahead. I have some things I can get done here in the meantime.
Alea shakes her head.
Alea: Not at all. I'll stay right here.
Alea wiggles and plops down in his lap, putting her hands to his shoulders.
Alea: If you are that incapacitated that you just can't go with me, then it's my duty to stay here.
Arat: ~~astonishment~~
Alea smiles.
Alea starts working the muscles of his shoulders.
Alea: My job to make you feel better, Controller.
Alea ~~ stomach growls ~~
Alea: And I wouldn't dare leave your side after what happened.
Alea: ~~ determined to support and soothe ~~
Arat fights a losing battle as Alea's full body contact makes it very difficult to ignore her hunger.
Alea smiles at Arat.
Arat: It is not necessary to.... [can't quite bring himself to tell her to stop the support and soothing and shoulder rubbing, since he wants that part very badly]
Arat: ... to ...
Alea: Why don't we go to lunch then we'll come back here and I'll spend an hour working on those muscles?
Alea: You've obviously had a very bad day and it's the least I can do.
Arat: I can come with you, if that is what you want.
Alea: It would be very good for you to eat....why don't we.
Alea stands submissively waiting.
Arat is notorious for accompanying his Donors to meals but refusing to take a bite; that's what he assumes he'll get away with this time.
Arat: Very well.
Arat rises.
Alea remembers her few times with Snake, and all the other stubborn Farris channels she's worked with, and grins to herself.
Alea walks to the door.
Notes:
1) This is part of a larger HHN/DCO crossover episode. To read the whole thing, see HHN #160. [return]