Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #82: Between a Rock and a Hard Luck Case (9/27/99)
Pylor reports for lunch duty on the second day, still trying to figure out what is going on.
Arat has left the door slightly ajar so he won't be forced to service Pylor in that regard again.
Pylor can't object to Arat's behavior towards him--quite the contrary (mostly)--but he is well aware that something more than a little strange is going on.
Pylor notes the open door, and pauses.
Pylor can't hear conversation, and so he pushes the door open.
Pylor: Controller Arat?
Arat looks up.
Arat: Pylor.
Arat can't quite bring himself to say "thank you for coming" for a 3rd time in a row, so hopes that Pylor will be able to deal with just "Pylor".
Pylor enters, somewhat reassured that Arat forgot the honorific "Sosu", that being more in character.
Pylor checks out the tea situation.
Arat has artfully pushed the cup Alea had left for him over to the corner of the desk nearest Pylor's chair, in the hopes that it will appear to be for Pylor.
Pylor's eyes widen at the gently steaming cup by his chair.
Arat meanwhile is writing quickly, hoping to finish the form he had started to fill out shortly before Pylor's arrival... or to at least make good headway towards finishing it before Pylor leaves.
Pylor: Why, thank you.
Arat nods in acknowledgment of the thanks.
Arat: [a bit absently, as he is occupied]
Pylor sits down and picks up the teacup, ~~ pleased ~~.
Pylor: That was very thoughtful.
Arat drags his attention away from his work when he hears the word "thoughtful", realizing that Pylor's illusions are not going to hold up if Arat isn't giving him the full, groveling attention of an inferior-presumed-to-be-equal.
Pylor takes a sip to fortify himself for the effort ahead.
Pylor was forced to take three "rests" the previous evening, having started the session tired from a day's work.
Pylor then ate and sought his well-earned bed, only to be subjected to dreams of trying to carry a full glass of water without spilling it while walking on an undulating waterbed.
Pylor wishes his current task were that simple.
Arat studies Pylor for a moment, trying to think of something to say, but draws a blank.
Arat hadn't counted on how quickly he'd run through the list of niceties he'd carefully compiled, and doesn't want to overuse any of them.
Pylor sets his tea down, takes a deep breath to steady himself, and tries to find the elusive nageric configuration that will support Arat properly.
Pylor: ~~ fumbling ~~
Pylor's first try starts a bit closer than yesterday's attempts, slides through the proper place, and distorts on the other side.
Pylor: Shen, that's not it....
Pylor overcorrects back almost to his starting point.
Pylor remembers the full glass of water from his dream, and tries to dampen the oscillation-corrections.
Arat remembers his first time on a yacht.
Arat swallows queasily and tries not to look too angry.
Arat tries also not to look too pathetic.
Arat has difficulty with anything in between.
Pylor's nager drifts slowly towards the proper spot, now that Pylor is no longer jerking it away.
Arat's fingers loosen from around his sweaty pen.
Arat nods encouragingly to Pylor.
Arat knows better than to try to offer any suggestions, after yesterday's blunders.
Pylor blinks at the feeling of "rightness" as his nager finally links properly with Arat's.
Pylor is so surprised that he almost loses it.
Pylor: Is that...?
Arat has carefully coached himself about complimenting barely-successful performance without making any judgments as to quality, or even adequacy.
Pylor's voice has a note of discovery.
Arat has actually rehearsed a number of what to him would seem to be perfect lies, so that he will have them ready as suitable occasions arise.
Arat: Yes, that's very good.
Arat in this case defines "very good" as "similar to a locomotive smashing through a town until it finally finds the location of the train station".
Pylor is so ~~ pleased ~~ that he forgets to stress out about maintaining the support.
Pylor's nager is therefore free to do what a Gen nager does naturally, i.e. stay linked to the nearest Sime's.
Pylor takes a sip of tea to celebrate, then dampens the wobble caused by the momentary distraction.
Pylor sets the tea down, far enough away that it won't tempt him again, and concentrates on not letting anything disturb the fragile balance he has managed to find.
Arat remains very still so as not to distract Pylor further. He'd like to go back to work, but the previous two sessions have left him gun shy and he'd rather give Pylor full attention while Pylor is giving him his full attention.
see note 1
Pylor discovers that holding the proper supportive configuration is marginally less tiring than merely wobbling around it, but is still starting to lose it a mere 45 minutes into the one hour session.
Pylor feels the wobble begin again, and this time, he doesn't have the concentration to stop it.
Pylor: ....shen.
Pylor loses the link entirely.
Arat feels it all happening in slow motion, 3-D and Technicolor.
Arat's face correspondingly wears an expressive Farris wince.
Pylor: Sorry.
Pylor leans back in the chair, eyes closed and nager ~~ exhausted ~~
Pylor hasn't worked this hard since the early days of his training, at least, during non-emergencies.
Arat is strongly of the opinion that "sorry" doesn't begin to cover the nageric equivalent of driving a team-of-eight hauling a load of barrels in circles around the town fountain until everything breaks loose and flies off.
Pylor justifies his current effort by thinking that the current status of his career is an emergency by anyone's standards.
Arat considers and discards various responses. "You did the best you could" sounds like damning with faint praise, while "That's all right I liked it" sounds very sarcastic.
Pylor braces for the inevitable Farris temper tantrum.
Arat finally resorts to one which he fears is going to become a fall back phrase.
Arat: You'll improve with practice.
Arat hopes the implied criticism is compensated for by the apparent optimism in the use of "you'll" as opposed to "you might".
Pylor winces at this assessment.
Arat sees the wince, and realizes this was not the case.
Arat: You've improved since yesterday. [tries hopefully]
Arat thinks it's only natural; after all, it's only the 3rd time Pylor has ever really tried, at least where Arat could zlin.
Pylor is sufficiently mollified by this observation to gather himself for another attempt.
Arat: Please take a moment to rest yourself completely.
Arat tries not to blurt it out too desperately, with marginal success.
Alea steps jauntily down the hall, tray in hand, smiling and humming as she approaches Arat's office.
Alea hmmmm...ummmm..hhuuummmaaaahmmm.....
Pylor: I can manage.
Pylor ~~ stubbornly~~ fumbles for the proper configuration, with about the measure of success one might expect, under the circumstances.
Alea is in a very good and secretive mood, planning a surprise luncheon for Arat.
Alea pauses at Arat's door and slips in, careful not to drop the tray..."Hello there Controller mine, I have come to give you suste...."
Arat: ~~surprise~~
Arat hadn't been expecting Alea back so soon.
Alea ~~ happy... surprise... confusion... concern~~
Pylor is distracted by the noise, and drops the fields abruptly.
Arat nearly looses his... well, breakfast, as Pylor's and Alea's oblivious nagers collide.
Alea gulps at the ambient [though most people don't believe Donors can feel anything of such]
Alea drops the tray.
Pylor stares at Alea.
Alea looks at the tray in shock and then reaches down and picks it up.
Pylor stares at the lunch, now decorating the office floor.
Alea starts toward the desk as if nothing has happened.
Alea ignores the spilled fruit on the floor as if it weren't there.
Alea sets the tray down on the desk and falls in next to Arat offering ~~ support ~~
Alea is staring at this other Gen as if he is doing something distastefully awful.
Pylor belatedly stands up from the Donor's chair and backs off, yielding Arat to his assigned Donor.
Arat, who had not fared well during the bit where the tray left Alea's fingers and hit the floor and his nager had left Pylor's nager and hit the... well, you get the picture... collapses gratefully onto Alea's nager as it is presented.
Alea wraps the sweating wilting flower -- er, Controller-- in her ambient warmth.
Alea: [so to speak]
Alea: I'm Alea Farris ambrov Zeor.
Alea nods to the other Gen, making sure her black is easily seen over Arat's shoulder.
Pylor's mouth grimaces in distaste at the mention of the name "Farris".
Alea smiles, her eyes narrow.
Pylor: You're back early.
Alea: And you are...?
Arat uses Alea's field to balance his own, and is thus occupied during the critical first moments of Alea and Pylor's interaction.
Pylor: Sosu Pylor. Filling in for you during your lunch break.
Alea picks up on that statement immediately... he knows her schedule and knows she is back early which obviously means there was a reason she had been sent away all of these times to eat.
Alea: ~~ him? ~~
Alea studies Pylor closely.
Pylor stares back, starting to get more than a little ~~ annoyed ~~ at Alea's attitude, seeing as how he is present at Arat's request.
Alea looks down at the food, to find the main dish still in one piece, even if the fruit is gone, and then looks back at Pylor.
Alea: Then I am certain he is making sure you eat properly?
Alea makes to look around for a tray then lifts a haughty eyebrow at Pylor.
Alea: Oh... dear... no tray...?
Pylor is ~~ stung ~~ by accusation.
Pylor: Nutrition is the responsibility of the assigned Donor.
Alea: And as you are 'assigned' during meals I would think you would see to that.
Alea tsks and then motions toward the tray.
Alea: Please, see that Arat eats. I certainly didn't mean to interfere in your... activities.
Alea ~~ what a lie~~
Arat finally takes enough notice of what is going on around him to realize that it's a bad scene.
Pylor smiles, not nicely.
Pylor: Since you are back, I wouldn't dream of interfering between you and your channel.
Alea wants to walk off and leave Arat but just can't bring herself to do so, continuing to support him.
Alea's eyes narrow. ~~ protective ~~
Arat: Pylor... Alea. Please.
Pylor starts towards the door, but pauses at Arat's words.
Alea immediately turns all of her concern to Arat.
Alea's nager turns totally professional and she moves behind Arat offering a cool calm nager, purely professional ~~ apologetic ~~
Pylor: I'm obviously not required here any more. [to Arat]
Arat: Since Alea is here, you may as well observe what she does and learn something from it.
Alea lays a hand behind Arat's elbow where none can see just to offer a bit of extra support through physical touch, realizing how awful she has treated her channel with her display of overprotectiveness.
Alea glances up in surprise.
Arat appreciates the extra support; he always does!
Alea: Sosu Pylor is in training? [to Arat]
Arat: Pylor has not worked with Farrises much to date. [confirms] Nor has he had many opportunities to observe others doing so.
Pylor's nager flares resentment at this causal dismissal of his abilities.
Alea: Ah....
Alea nods in understanding.
Alea: He does have potential if your reaction when I walked in was any indication.
Alea studies him like she would a worm under a microscope.
Arat: Yes, he does.
Alea: He just has to learn to get those flares of nager under control.
Pylor is remembering all the things he dislikes most about Farrises, which Arat's civility the past two days had started to allow him to set aside.
Alea: It's possible... even for him, I would imagine.
Pylor is, obviously, in no mood to learn anything at the moment.
Alea: So how's he coming along?
Alea smiles.
Alea: It's a great honor to work with a Farris.
Alea: Any Farris.
Arat blinks at the words "Any Farris", and wonders if it's a slight of him as non-Zeor.
Arat: Indeed.
Alea: I'm sure Arat, being as well trained as he is, will guide you into a wonderful state of serving.
Arat: Pylor, if it is more distressing to you to stay than to leave, then by all means, you are free to go.
Arat: I simply thought you might appreciate the opportunity.
Alea actually looks surprised that a Donor would be displeased at the opportunity to watch a Farris channel and a Farris Donor working together, for the world knows the two together can change entire civilizations with a simple uniting of fields.
Alea thinks okay, maybe a bit of an exaggeration since this man isn't Zeor, but....
Pylor: I wouldn't want to bother Her Exaltedness with my lowly self.
Pylor: ~~ sarcastic ~~
Alea does indeed look surprised, then arrogant, as she purposefully turns her entire attention to Arat and the joy of serving as a Donor, refusing to reply to Pylor's remark.
Arat is surprised into an expression of open amazement; Pylor has never acted like this around anybody but Arat - without witnesses - before.
Alea: Looks like you have your work cut out for you [murmurs]
Alea resists a chuckle.
Alea: [barely]
Alea for some reason, has suddenly found his bit of rebellion funny.
Alea mild amusement ~~ mirth ~~
Pylor finally puts one and two together, and they come out to pi. (Pylor lacking Farris precision)
Arat, whose sense of humor is smaller in proportion to his body than the Grinch's heart to his, simply tries to figure out what he can say to Pylor that will be sufficiently groveling to mollify his completely unreasonable anger, while retaining a level of dignity and truthfulness suitable for the ears of others.
Arat unfortunately has had so little practice at this sort of thing, that he is rendered speechless.
Pylor: This whole business of you wanting extra support while your Donor took her breaks was all a sham, wasn't it? [to Arat]
Alea glances at Pylor.
Alea: Please!
Alea sneers at Pylor.
Alea: Any channel of Controller's caliber needs support all the time.
Alea: I am glad he had sense enough to see to having a Donor with him.
Pylor ignores Alea, and waits for Arat to answer.
Alea has to wonder why this one, though she doesn't allow a peep of it in her nager or face.
Alea: To be without a Donor... to be without a Donor is just irresponsible.
Alea: And you see a channel before, a Farris, the most sensitive of channels....
Alea is indignant at Pylor's accusation.
Pylor looks at Alea in matching disgust.
Alea works very hard to curb her tongue and her field and stay professional, forcing her gaze from the "Donor" back to working on a particularly nasty bunch of nasty on Arat....
Arat frowns to himself.
Pylor: He went three weeks with no Donor at all, not long ago. He's not so fragile that he can't survive a lunch break on his own.
Pylor: Who put you up to this? [to Arat]
Alea sniffs disdainfully, thinking how like someone who hasn't been trained at Zeor.
Pylor is now convinced that this whole exercise, including Alea's premature arrival and what has followed, was a plot by Arat to humiliate him.
Arat looks extremely uncomfortable, both because of the confrontation and because of Pylor's demand.
Pylor is, indeed, ~~ thoroughly humiliated ~~
Arat: Neptude asked me to work with you for two hours a day. I thought meals would be the least disruptive time periods available.
Pylor: ...Neptude?
Pylor: ~~ shen ~~
Alea listens to this with interest wondering what "fishman" as she think of the person, could possibly want to send this person over to torture the channel.
Alea wonders what Arat did to get on somebody's shen list.
Pylor thinks it's just like Arat to run him through career-affecting testing under false pretenses.
Arat zlins Pylor's reaction and realizes that honesty was, once again, not the best policy with the man.
Arat forges ahead.
Arat: Neptude is concerned about your future.
Pylor: I suppose now you'll tell him that Pylor the fool still can't get anything right.
Alea really wishes she wasn't hearing this conversation.
Alea thinks if she were in the field she was once in, it might be very useful, but she is doing her best not to be in that field so really wishes she didn't hear the bitterness in his words.
Pylor: Too gullible even to know when he's being had.
Arat: "Being had"?
Arat has no idea what Pylor is talking about.
Pylor: "I require special assistance while my Donor is on break, and you're the best one for the job"
Pylor's Arat imitation actually isn't all that bad.
Pylor: What a fool I've been!
Pylor imagines how Arat has been laughing himself to sleep over Pylor's gullibility.
Arat's patience breaks.
Arat: So far, the only foolish thing you have done is to fight with another Donor and hurl accusations about things you do not know the details of. [snaps]
Alea ~~ soothing ~~ runs her fingers up his arm toward the nodes.
Arat: Your actual progress as a Donor has been adequate. If you insist upon ruining your chances for a decent future by making an enemy of everyone who does not live up to your standards, you will find what's left of your career very bleak indeed.
Alea: [up his arms.......down his arm]
Arat finds it very difficult to remain focused when Alea does that.
Arat's anger therefore becomes somewhat mixed up by the end of his sentence.
Alea eases off slightly realizing how very sensitive he is.
Pylor recognizes this outburst as Arat's usual, bluntly honest self, except for one word.
Pylor: ...adequate?
Pylor: ~~ confusion ~~
Pylor has never heard anything even that complimentary from Arat, sham flattery of the past two days excepted.
Pylor: You thought I was adequate?
Pylor's nager warms at what is the first true expression of collegiality he's ever gotten from Arat.
Pylor might resent the prestige of Arat's Audnes family background, but he's just as much of a sucker for Audnes approval as any New Othwolite.
Arat: Yes, for the past two days you have finally put some effort into your nager and your attention span, with noticeable results.
Arat: My intention was to carry that through until the end of the month, so that you could get a reasonable assignment next month.
Arat: But I can hardly fail to include these, these outbursts of argumentative animosity in my reports, not when you make no attempt to behave in at all a civilized fashion.
Pylor's nager sours, as he reflects that of course, he will be held completely responsible for the heated exchange with Alea, and never mind that she was doing her level best to provoke him.
Arat zlins it, and narrows his eyes.
Arat: Or is there some other reason you accused me of tricking you and working against your best interests?
Alea wonders if she should excuse herself.
Arat zlins Alea peripherally and grips her wrist firmly so she doesn't get any ideas about taking off.
Alea automatically moves closer.
Pylor: You call asking me to "help" you, as part of some....
Pylor snaps his mouth shut, before he does himself any worse damage.
Pylor knows he's really done it this time.
Pylor slumps.
Pylor: ~~ miserable ~~
Pylor: Never mind.
Arat: What would you have had me ask you instead?
Arat: You wouldn't have cooperated if I'd asked you to undergo training.
Pylor: You're right, I wouldn't have. For all the good that did.
Pylor stumbles to a seat.
Arat: It is remarkably difficult to get you to perform at your best without encountering either your tendency to start shouting abuse, or your tendency to quit trying.
Alea provides a steady nager for Arat, closing her mind to what is going on.
Arat: I fail to see what I could have done to prevent the exchange I just witnessed.
Pylor rubs his hands over his eyes, as his ebbing anger lets him feel his tiredness again.
Arat: Nor can I see how it is possible to succeed in this attempt of Neptude's, if I am the only one willing to meet halfway.
Pylor figures this is not the time to explain how Alea managed to stab a needle into each tender kink in his psyche.
Pylor: You have been much more....
Pylor waves a hand, trying to find something more complimentary than "human".
Arat: I have bent over backwards to be accommodating to you.
Arat: In every way I have contrived to concede to your wishes, your imperfections, your weaknesses.
Arat: I have made every attempt to encourage you,.
Arat: Will you at least continue to try?
Arat: Or must I report to Neptude that you are entirely unwilling?
Arat really doesn't want to do that, and it shows.
Arat hadn't thought this situation would blow up so badly after only a single day of the sessions.
Pylor sees Arat's reluctance to take official notice of his latest contretemps.
Pylor realizes that for some reason, his fate and Arat's have been linked by the Powers That Be, and that Arat therefore has a personal stake in his success.
Arat realizes Pylor realizes, and thinks, "curses!"
Pylor realizes that this gives him a certain equality with Arat that even his stinging description of Pylor's shortcomings can't overcome.
Pylor: It... is not necessary to go to Neptude.
Pylor: I will...
Pylor swallows, but manages to get the words out.
Pylor: I will work with you.
Notes:
1) About 45 minutes pass between these two lines. [return]