Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #108: Vanishing (11/30/99)
Lilaca fills out some back paperwork while waiting for her noon appointment to show.
Homer wanders down the hall for his first meeting with the cultural instructor.
Homer is still feeling buoyed up by the memory of Sosu Lemuse's cheerfulness.
Homer thinks that she zlins just like a bubbling cool spring.
Homer reaches the correct office and signals.
Lilaca: Come in! [a friendly sounding female voice calls]
Homer enters, peering around.
Lilaca's office is small but pleasant. It has a couch, a chair, a small table with a tea set on it and a short crowded little bookcase.
Lilaca rises.
Lilaca: Hello, I'm Hajene Lilaca. You must be Hajene Homer.
Lilaca smiles.
Homer examines Lilaca politely, being careful not to stare or zlin directly.
Homer: Yes. I am pleased to meet you.
Lilaca: Have a seat, and I'll pour you some tea... if you want some?
Lilaca indicates that the couch is Homer's for the taking.
Homer seats himself carefully.
Homer: Yes, tea would be good. Thank you.
Lilaca pours for two.
Homer thinks that Hajene Lilaca does not appear too dangerous.
Homer hopes that she will not become angry with him like so many of the other people he has met.
Lilaca: So, I'd like to begin by telling you a little bit about myself and what it is I do here. [smiles]
Homer: Yes, very good.
Homer sips his tea.
Lilaca is a 3rd Order channel of middle age, whose nager zlins professional without being too rigid, friendly without being giddy.
Lilaca: I've been stationed here at the 53rd District Offices for about three years now. Before that, I was part of the MELA research project, and traveled to many different locations to study the cultures and practices found elsewhere.
Homer: MELA research project?
Lilaca: A privately funded project to preserve historical data from vanishing cultures.
Lilaca: Primarily junct cultures, but also nonjunct subcultures such as the Householdings.
Lilaca: Much of what I do now is Tecton-funded research into the MELA project's data.
Homer understands about one word in three of this explanation.
Homer: You learn about the old times?
Homer: Before the Tecton came?
Lilaca is old enough to remember those particular "old times" well enough herself, thank you.
Lilaca: Well, all over the Territories there are little pockets of different cultures.
Lilaca: Even today they are changing... in fact, the world will always be changing in that way.
Lilaca: Some of the places I got a chance to study were little more than interesting variations on the same lifestyle people live today in Capitol.
Homer listens intently.
Lilaca: The MELA project is about recording the histories of these different cultures for posterity.
Lilaca: For example, there is a town on the border called Rell's Crossing.
Lilaca: Many Simes and Gens have passed through there since Unity, on their way to the opposite Territory after becoming adults.
Lilaca: The town itself is made up of travelers who were stranded there, or found it pleasant and stopped.
Lilaca: In the earliest days of Unity, it was a colorful mixture of languages and cultures.
Lilaca smiles again in remembrance.
Homer can zlin Lilaca's fascination with her studies and smiles in response.
Lilaca: Anyway, as a researcher I do have a fairly flexible schedule, and when Controller Arat asked me to spend some time with you, I was all too happy to.
Homer: Thank you. I am glad.
Homer: My own people have much history.
Homer: But it is changing, as you say.
Lilaca: Tell me about it.
Lilaca obviously finds this type of thing intriguing.
Homer: Controller Aloe said that one day it will all be changed. I think that would be very sad.
Homer: She said I should forget about the Canyon ways and learn the ways of Nivet.
Homer: I would like to know about the people here. I have hurt people with my ignorance and I am sorry for that.
Lilaca nods sympathetically.
Lilaca: Well, I would be glad to help in any way I can.
Homer: But I can not throw away the ways of my home.
Homer: To do that would be wrong.
Homer: It would show a lack of gratitude to people who were kind to me in a bad time.
Homer: I know I have not always acted wisely, but I am sorry for any hurt I have caused.
Homer: One day I want to go home.
Homer: I would know of the ways of Nivet, but I do not want to bar the doorway leading back.
Lilaca nods.
Homer: Do these words and desires offend?
Lilaca knows perfectly well that Homer can zlin they do not.
Lilaca isn't a psychologist, so she doesn't know how to respond to the demand in a healing way.
Lilaca: Of course not. [kindly]
Lilaca had been thinking this would be fun, but now wonders what Arat has set her up for.
Homer studies Lilaca, never looking directly at her, never zlinning her deeply.
Homer sighs in relief.
Homer: Many times since I have come here, I have said things that seemed very simple and true but people get angry with me.
Lilaca: That sort of problem is very common when entering into a new culture.
Lilaca: The people here probably have a very different world view than what you are used to, and you probably see things differently than we do.
Homer: May I have permission to ask a question?
Lilaca wonders what she's doing wrong, since Homer had no hesitation to ask questions before this.
Lilaca: Of course.
Homer: When is it all right to ask a question and when is it considered rude?
Lilaca chuckles, mainly at herself.
Homer: The Controller seemed to think I should have asked more questions.
Lilaca: Well, most people would rather a person ask questions, even seemingly obvious questions, than make a mistake.
Homer: Among my people it is considered very rude to ask directly.
Homer: Like zlinning someone without permission.
Lilaca: There are certain questions that are viewed that way here, as well.
Homer: If you want to know something, you talk about the subject and then wait to see what the other person wishes to say.
Lilaca nods thoughtfully.
Homer: Every time I have met with Controller Arat, he has asked me for an "explanation."
Homer: When I said what I wished to say, he was not happy and said I must tell him more.
Homer: When I said I didn't know what he wanted me to say, he said I was a fool.
Homer: I wrote a report that was pages and pages and then he was satisfied.
Homer: Among my own people, this would be considered very rude. Only a criminal would be addressed in this manner.
Lilaca: I see.
Homer: Well, they told me in Flag that by Tecton law I was a criminal.
Lilaca listens.
Homer: But now I wonder if I have misunderstood again.
Homer: I dared to question the Controller in my report.
Homer: I knew it was rude, and I thought he would be very angry.
Homer: Instead he sent me to you and said you would answer my questions.
Lilaca suspects Arat probably was very angry, since as a rule Arat is always angry at everyone and everything.
Homer: And they sent me a Gen, Sosu Lemuse. My "assignment".
Homer: She has the most beautiful field I have ever zlinned.
Homer: And she is happy to spend time with me.
Homer: I don't understand.
Lilaca smiles, as she is past turnover and talk about Gens is pleasant.
Homer: Why send me a wonderful Gen for being rude?
Homer: Why is she happy to serve a criminal?
Lilaca: Does she think of you as a criminal?
Lilaca: Maybe she doesn't.
Homer: Perhaps not. She is happy. I keep checking to be sure.
Lilaca thinks about the other things he said.
Lilaca: Have you asked Arat about this?
Lilaca: About why he wasn't angry at your report?
Homer: I did not dare.
Lilaca might be assuming a little more contact between Arat and Homer than really happens, since from her perspective it looks like Arat had asked her to help him out and therefore has a special interest in Homer.
Homer: He has been angry every other time we have met and whatever I said made him more angry still.
Lilaca nods understandingly.
Lilaca: Well, I might be able to help you a little bit with what kinds of questions are safe to ask.
Homer: Yes, that would be helpful. Also, what is included in an "explanation"?
Lilaca prepares herself mentally for the giving of an explanation of explanations.