Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #85: The Hazy Road (10/3/99)
Nick returns to Snake's cell, hoping that Arat will remember his promise to collect some reading material for Snake.
Nick automatically checks Snake's condition as he enters the cell, reaching out with ~~ support ~~
Nick: Arat said he'd send down some more files for you this afternoon, Snake.
Wise Snake grunts.
Wise Snake is waist deep, figuratively speaking, in one of the remaining case histories.
Wise Snake closes it belatedly.
Nick clears a spot so that he can sit beside her.
Nick: If he remembers.
Nick is a bit ~~ concerned ~~ still about Arat's condition.
Wise Snake looks at Nick.
Wise Snake can't miss either the concern, or Nick's divided Donorly attention.
Wise Snake: Oh?
Wise Snake: You going to tell me what's going on between you two?
Wise Snake: Is it just about you pledging, or is there more?
Nick ~~ apologizes ~~ and turns his full concentration on Snake.
Nick: He's been trying to train Pylor.
Nick: I walked in towards the end of a session, just in time to watch Arat collapse in a dead faint.
Nick: That idiot dropped the fields once too often.
Nick: It was a good thing I was there, or you'd have missed your chance to deal with him yourself.
Nick is well aware that Arat-dismemberment has been a recurring daydream for Snake.
Wise Snake frowns.
Wise Snake: I thought he'd decided to get rid of Pylor.
Nick: Apparently Neptude overruled that.
Wise Snake is not always too up to date on the gossip, given her isolation.
Wise Snake: Neptude, eh?
Wise Snake has still to meet the Regional Controller in person.
Nick: I don't think he understands just what it's doing to Arat.
Wise Snake: Sounds like he's as much of an idiot as Pylor.
Wise Snake: Either that, or somebody even higher has his laterals in a vise.
Nick: Perhaps. Or maybe he just isn't used to Farris requirements.
Wise Snake: Are you going to clue him in?
Nick: I don't know if I'm going to be around long enough.
Wise Snake considers.
Wise Snake: Maybe Neptude is doing it to force you to pledge.
Nick: Snake, what if Arat did mean what he said? What if I'm not allowed back in the Sime Center after our transfer? Not even to visit you?
Nick: ~~ worry ~~
Wise Snake's eyes dart about the room as she thinks about it.
Wise Snake: I don't know.
Nick reaches for Snake's hand and grips it tightly.
Nick: I can't stand the thought of losing you. Not even to stay out of the Tecton's clutches.
Wise Snake: I always thought in terms of you pledging and me busting you out of... oh come on, don't get all melodramatic on me, now.
Wise Snake sounds exasperated but looks touched.
Wise Snake: Look, even if you do pledge, it's not as if you'd 'have' me. Look how often Arat gets the Donor he wants... even the kind of Donor he wants.
Wise Snake: Every Farris channel alive would rather have you than their equivalent of Pylor.
Wise Snake: You'd be shared around the entire Tecton three or four times before you even got back to Capitol again....
Nick: I know.
Nick: ~~ upset ~~
Nick: Unless.... Is there some way to convince them to leave me here?
Nick has a very high opinion of Snake's deviousness and plotting ability.
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Wise Snake ponders the question.
Nick: If they thought I was good enough for you and Arat, but not for the Zeor Farrises...?
Wise Snake: No dice, Kenmore's had you.
Nick's face falls.
Nick: It wasn't a very good transfer.
Nick: ~~ forlorn hope ~~
Wise Snake: That was more a stylistic problem than a match problem.
Wise Snake: If you could find somebody to become permanently dependent to, in Capitol....
Wise Snake: Not an ideal solution, but the Tecton does grant exclusives sometimes.
Nick: But unless the exclusive is with you, not much would be gained.
Wise Snake snorts.
Wise Snake: I thought you said you didn't want to be sent all over the Tecton?
Wise Snake: Now you want to transfer with me regularly, too?
Wise Snake: We'd have to break out.
Wise Snake: Welcome to the Tecton, Nick. You're a commodity.
Wise Snake: You're a commodity, and I'm a tool.
Nick: We should have taken over Naros when we had the chance.
Wise Snake: Ha.
Wise Snake looks sour.
Wise Snake: I would have gone mad if I'd stayed there.
Nick forbears to mention that Snake was crazy long before they arrived at Naros.
Nick: Surely with all those books full of regulations you've been reading through, there's one or two we could use?
Nick: It does take some getting used to.
Wise Snake: Being shuffled like a pawn by faceless masters, for the good of the general populace who know nothing of what goes on behind the scenes?
Wise Snake: Or Naros.
Nick sighs.
Nick: Both, I suppose.
Nick: So much for Arat's promise that I was destined to be one of the Tecton's powerful elite.
Wise Snake: Oh, don't get me wrong. For every Donor like you, there are literally hundreds who have even less sway in things.
Wise Snake: At least you would have the ear of every Controller you'd ever pleased in transfer.
Wise Snake: As far as that powerful elite stuff, well, you have to make what you can of your position. It's possible to be a high powered channel or Donor and still be nobody. Look at Jeniard.
Nick nods thoughtfully.
Nick: Do you think I could gain enough influence to get assigned to you regularly?
Wise Snake: Beats me, I've never moved in those circles.
Wise Snake: Ask Arat how he keeps his hands on people.
Wise Snake: From what I've heard, though, his thing with Jeniard was less to do with political influence and more to do with good old fashioned temper tantrums.
Nick looks hopeful.
Wise Snake: It's probably all in his file.
Nick: Now that you mention it, I do recall some entries about him being "unreasonable" and "hysterical".
Nick: If I said that I wouldn't work for other channels if I couldn't have you regularly in rotation, do you think that they'd accommodate me to have my services the rest of the time?
Nick: It's too bad I don't have your talent for forging; those assignment cards aren't locked up.
Wise Snake chuckles.
Wise Snake: I can't tell you how to handle this, Nick.
Wise Snake: I've got problems of my own, and I can't even describe my feelings about my own situation to myself, much less yours.
Nick is instantly ~~ contrite ~~ about bothering Snake.
Wise Snake: But I wouldn't recommend unreasonable behavior unless you are damn sure you can make up for it in performance.
Wise Snake: Hysterics and unreasonable don't go over as well in a Donor as it does in a channel.
Wise Snake: And, it's what the nay-sayers are expecting of a rogue.
Nick: I know.
Nick: Still, there are ways.
Wise Snake looks at Nick.
Nick considers.
Nick: And if it doesn't work out, well, Naros would take me in, at least for a while.
Wise Snake grimaces.
Nick: I know, but it's close, and I'd have some freedom of movement.
Nick: Besides, if the Tecton is determined to keep us separated, what's the gain in working for them?
Nick tries not to dwell too much on quality-of-transfer issues.
Wise Snake looks exasperated this time.
Wise Snake: If you can't answer that question for yourself, it's no wonder you'd having such a hard time making a decision.
Nick looks slightly miffed at Snake's response.
Nick: They have to provide you with a Donor each month, anyway. It's not too much to ask that it be me, occasionally.
Wise Snake: There's stability of employment, good transfers, travel without hardship, all the food you can eat, meet new people who aren't necessarily scum, the pay is great, and... well yeah, Nick, asking is one thing. People ask all the time. But demanding?
Nick: I'd try asking first, of course, but from what you and Arat have said, it isn't likely to get me very far.
Nick has perhaps underestimated the Gen ability to wheedle Simes, having dealt primarily with the most stubborn and inflexible of the breed.
Wise Snake: Who are you going to demand this of?
Nick's shoulders slump.
Wise Snake: Not Arat - it isn't in his power to grant that.
Wise Snake: Look what happened to his exclusive rotation idea.
Nick: I don't know. Who's in charge of the rotations, anyway?
Wise Snake: It isn't centralized. Each Controller deals with those under him.
Wise Snake: On your level, it would be regional or even Territory-wide.
Wise Snake has never met Neptude or Seruffin so has little idea of how to predict their opinions on the matter.
Wise Snake does know, however, that individuality and roguishness in Donors is feared.
Nick finds the idea of bearding Regional Controllers in their offices a bit intimidating.
Nick is then struck by a thought.
Nick: Well, if Donors at my level are in as much demand as Arat says, surely any channel who actually gets one has enough influence to affect assignments?
Wise Snake shrugs.
Nick: It would be a place to start, anyway.
Nick: And maybe it won't be necessary.
Nick: If you're right, and Arat was bluffing.
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Nick isn't convinced that Arat is in to bluffing himself, but hope doesn't require conviction.
Arat sits in his office waiting for a somewhat tardy Pylor to arrive... if he even bothers at all.
Arat is still not feeling well, and it took everything he had to force Alea to leave him alone for the hour... even so, there's no telling if she'll pop back in unexpectedly.
Arat: ~~ glum ~~
Arat is already hoping she will.
Pylor's self-confidence is in much better shape, after several hours of being admired by Riyyh, so perhaps he can't really be blamed too much for failing to allow for traffic in estimating his time of return.
Arat's conviction that he ought to be able to endure anything that doesn't kill him outright for at least an hour is starting to waver.
Pylor pauses outside of Arat's door to catch his breath, after running from the front door, then signals.
Arat wonders if Neptude would mind if he reduced the sessions to one a day, or perhaps one every second day.
Arat straightens.
Arat: Enter!
Arat momentarily forgets his Pylor-suckup-manners.
Pylor had almost set aside the entire unpleasant lunchtime-episode, but gathers from Arat's tone that the channel has not.
Pylor enters as ordered, however.
Arat sighs and prepares himself for a more palatable "Thank you for coming, I appreciate it", telling himself that it isn't important whether it's true or not, just that he says it.
Arat starts to say it, and then stops in surprise as the air that came in with Pylor reaches him.
Arat sniffs suspiciously, looking surprised.
Arat: Where have you been?
Pylor is Donor enough to check Arat's condition.
Pylor: Are your allergies acting up?
Arat: No. [shortly]
Arat appears to be conscious, but not a happy camper.
Pylor grudgingly answers Arat's question.
Pylor: I went out during my break.
Arat's sharp eyes pick out a long, pale hair curling down the front of Pylor's uniform.
Arat frowns.
Arat isn't just frowning because he himself had to effect an emergency uniform change today, either.
Arat: [although he did]
Pylor wonders why the frown makes him feel ~~ defensive ~~, since a Donor's free time is his own.
Arat: With Riyyh ambrov Naros.
Pylor then remembers that Arat never gives his Donors free time, and so might not recognize this tradition.
Pylor: As a matter of fact, yes.
Pylor: He's a very pleasant channel to work with.
Arat now has sightings of Riyyh twice a week for three weeks, by six separate sources, confirming his unsettling theory that Riyyh has taken up residence in Capitol, or at least is making an extended stay.
Pylor makes no effort to hide the implication that Arat is less enjoyable to work with.
Arat: And not particularly discriminating about people... or Donors.
Arat: I thought you had started taking your work more seriously, Pylor.
Pylor feels that cut right where it hurts--his ego.
Arat: You can't improve if you keep running to the easy channels.
Pylor: I don't see that Riyyh is less deserving of my help, simply because he can work with anybody.
Arat: Riyyh ambrov Naros is not your responsibility.
Arat: Nor, I might point out, is he technically Tecton.
Pylor: He was a channel without a Donor.
Pylor: And I was on my own time.
Arat: And your assigned channel?
Pylor: Was taken care of--I knew I wouldn't be in any shape to help her after a session with you.
Pylor: Sectuib Riyyh, as you pointed out, does not require much more than a Donor's simple presence.
Arat notes that a certain amount of physical contact was apparently required as well.
Arat struggles between his own condition (not great, physically, and mentally in a state of loathing for the whole tiresome Pylor affair) and Neptude's orders.
Pylor: And it's not as if he'll be wanting me in another week or so, when he's got Nick.
Arat's eyes narrow.
Pylor had, of course, been regaled with a great deal of interesting gossip during the museum tour.
Arat is on the verge of ordering Pylor to simply leave, because he can't stand another instant of his insolence, and he'd rather be alone than with Pylor's nager, but he knows he'll be in trouble if he does it.
Arat therefore simply sits there looking miserable and feeling worse.
Pylor notes the slumped shoulders, and recalls that Arat has had a rough day.
Arat is beyond polite Pylor-buttering at this point, however.
Pylor isn't averse to Arat having a rough day in principle, but not if it has a chance of getting on Pylor's record.
Pylor goes to sit down in the Donor's chair.
Pylor: It's for the best. No rogue is ever truly dependable.
Arat thinks, nor does it seem employment by the Tecton guarantees much.
Pylor honestly does mean this statement to be ~~ consoling ~~
Arat finds Pylor's sudden shift of mood makes him feel less consoled than wary... although it's difficult to avoid a little consolation with Pylor jamming it down his throat.
Arat nods shortly.
Arat manages not to say anything that would drive Pylor away, since the man has actually attempted some sort of Donoring and Neptude would have a cat if Arat did anything to discourage it.
Pylor uses his atypical sympathy for Arat, and the boost to his self-confidence generated by Riyyh's... appreciation... of his talents, to attack his support exercise with renewed concentration.
Pylor therefore manages to get it more or less right the first try, without the usual wobbling and fumbling.
Pylor: ~~ achievement ~~
Arat remembers to breathe again, having forgotten temporarily due to a combination of momentary terror and anxious moments of suspense.
Arat of course knows better than to ask Pylor to tone down his trumpeting sense of achievement.
Arat: That was... not so bad. [manages]
Pylor is feeling so proud of himself that he takes this as a compliment--perhaps fortunately for Arat.