Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #116: A Match Made In, Well, (12/17/99)
Arat pulls the covers more thoroughly over his head, decides that is more than enough effort for one day, and becomes quiescent again.
Beni knocks on the door to Arat's room.
Beni: Controller Arat?
Beni: Are you awake? Controller Arat!
Beni is starting to get ~~ seriously concerned ~~
Arat tries to ignore the banging and calling.
Arat has been ignoring quite a bit of that as the section of his schedule that had been blocked off starts to be replaced by actual scheduled meetings and such.
Beni: Arat, Regional Controller Neptude is waiting in your office.
Arat thinks, 'oh shit'.
Beni: You have to get up there before he finishes his tea and starts asking too many questions about where you are!
Arat would have slumped, except that he's already about as slumped as it gets.
Arat tries to come up with something to tell Beni that will 1) make him go away and 2) make Neptude go away, and 3) not require any effort.
Arat tries hiding his head under the pillow as an alternative.
Beni: Please, Arat, I know you're awake.
Arat is, alas.
Beni: Tiarala can't cover for this--Neptude said he wanted to speak with you personally.
Arat removes the pillow from his face and lets it fall off the bed onto the floor with a sigh.
Beni is hoping fervently that Neptude is not forced to speak to Beni instead, as the Donor responsible for Arat's prolonged non-availability.
Beni hears the thud as pillow hits floor.
Beni assumes from this that Arat actually is alive and awake, something that he had begun to doubt.
Beni: Come on, you can't stay in bed much longer, or you'll get entran.
Arat thinks most people underestimate the power apathy has over entran.
Beni: Tiarala said there was a construction accident earlier today, and they're still pulling people from the wreckage.
Beni: As soon as you've finished with Neptude, you can flex your systems.
Arat groans inwardly and tells himself that he really should go, if he doesn't want Neptude to come to him.
Arat wouldn't want that, even in his current condition. Especially in his current condition.
Beni has, perhaps, been spending a bit too much time with Snake in the past few days, and it has affected his conversation.
Arat: All right... all right, I'm coming.
Beni: ~~ relief ~~
Beni: There's a clean uniform in your closet.
Arat crawls out of bed and sits in a nearby chair.
Beni saw it when trying to locate Jeniard's IV line.
Arat: Go tell him I'll be there in a few minutes.
Beni wishes he had thought to steal the key, while he was at it.
Beni: All right.
Beni hurries down the hall.
Beni does, of course, intend to come right back after delivering the message, to make sure that Arat actually is moving.
Arat remains inert for about 10 minutes, but eventually makes it into the shower.
Arat arrives at his office a half hour later, pale, gaunt, squinty-eyed and rather damp, but otherwise groomed and uniformed.
Neptude has long since finished his tea, and has spent the past 15 minutes composing a blistering memo for Arat's file.
Neptude: Arat, where the bloody shen have you....
Neptude pauses in his tirade as he gets a good look at Arat.
Neptude: What happened to you?
Arat: I'm fine.
Arat says it automatically as he goes around to reach his chair.
Arat: I apologize for having kept you waiting.
Neptude: You said Beni was coming along well. I'd assumed that he'd be up to giving you a better transfer than that.
Arat thinks a lot of people assume a lot of things when it comes to who, and what, can serve a Farris, and most of them are wrong.
Arat: He has been coming along well though.
Arat: I am certain that given enough transfers with Farrises he will be brought up to speed and capacity in time.
Neptude: Well, it certainly seems as though he botched it this time.
Neptude ~~ disapproves ~~
Arat tries to think of some way to tell Neptude that it was at least as much the fault of the lawsuit (particularly Jeniard's absence because of the lawsuit but also the subject matter of the lawsuit) and the lessons with Pylor, as it was anything to do with Beni.
Neptude: You have him with Snake this month?
Arat: Yes.
Arat: There were other factors. I would not turn down further assignments with Beni.
Arat thinks, unless I were offered a transfer with somebody who actually matched me, that is.
Neptude: Is he up to her?
Arat: She has the control to prevent any problems.
Neptude: Will she use it?
Arat: Of course.
Neptude: Well, I'll take your word for it; you've been working with her more than I have.
Neptude has, in fact, managed to avoid personal meetings with Snake completely.
Arat nods.
Neptude settles back in his chair and surveys Arat's condition once more (visually, of course), then tut-tuts unhappily.
Neptude: Well, this forces me to change plans.
Neptude: I was hoping that you could spend this month getting Pylor up to speed.
Arat appears as described before, and less angry at the world than usual but instead resigned to it.
Arat: I had assumed as much.
Neptude: However, it's obvious that you really require something better.
Arat doesn't look particularly hopeful, but he hasn't said no either!
Neptude: I haven't got anything at the moment, but I'll see what I can do.
Arat: Thank you.
Neptude: Have you any preferences? Not that I can make promises, you understand.
Arat hesitates.
Arat of course can't request either Alea or Nick.
Arat: Perhaps somebody with a recent positive record serving Farrises?
Arat tries not to make it sound like an accusation.
Arat is used to people thinking he's being unreasonable on that subject, however.
Neptude doesn't quite squirm.
Neptude: Well, I'll see what I can do.
Arat simply looks at him, without any more expression than before.
Neptude: In the mean time, I suppose you might as well work with Pylor.
Neptude: The better he's doing, the easier it will be to trade him for something you can use.
Arat carefully keeps the resulting increase in depression from reaching his nager, at least to the extent it's possible.
Arat: Very well.
Neptude: Will Pylor be able to do the job, at least while you're pre-turnover?
Neptude: I suppose you could use Beni to fill in, at least for a while.
Neptude: Or does Snake require a Donor full-time?
Arat mentally weighs the value of Beni's help against the damage knowing the details of his own condition would do to Snake's training.
Arat frowns.
Arat: Probably not. I will use Beni when possible.
Arat means, when it will work out both ways.
Neptude: Good, then. That will give me time to find a suitable trade. If there is one.
Neptude: It's too bad Nick ran off with Sectuib Riyyh--have you heard anything about them?
Arat's jaw tightens and he looks away.
Arat: We know where they are, and where they are probably going. But Nick has not contacted me.
Arat eyes the mountain of correspondence on his desk - a week's worth - and wonders if there is a long-awaited letter from Nick in there.
Arat feels suddenly emotionally exhausted, and has to struggle to push away the feeling of wanting to hide under the pillow again.
Purple Letter stands out among the correspondence, due to non-regulation purple ink.
Arat looks at the letter with distaste, since he assumes it comes from one of his bloodsucking relatives.
Arat thinks they could have the grace to leave him alone until the lawsuit is over, at least.
Arat looks glumly at the floor.
Neptude: I was so hopeful that he would pledge.
Neptude: He would have been a great asset to the Region.
Arat looks up at Neptude and nods.
Neptude could have managed to get quite a few perks for his rosters, by auctioning off Nick's services in a suitable fashion.
Arat's expression is, through a herculean effort, not a basset hound like expression of woe. Or at least not very much so.
Neptude: He didn't seem to mind the work he was asked to do--I admit I still don't understand why he bolted instead.
Arat suspects it has something to do with lack of ability to make personal commitments combined with the fear of going channelless and Riyyh's persuasive abilities.
Arat makes a point of never mentioning Naros because so many people know he has biased against it, however.
Neptude: Oh, well, what's done is done.
Arat nods.
Neptude: When is this lawsuit of yours going to be over, anyway?
Neptude can't forbid such things, but he doesn't approve of a Controller getting caught in such a situation.
Arat has been wishing it was over since about three days after he initiated it.
Neptude finds his job easiest when the press is elsewhere.
Arat: I am given to understand it could take as much as another two months.
Neptude: Two months?
Neptude: I require a Controller, Arat, and not one who has to spend half his time in the courthouse.
Arat: I will not attend when it is not mandatory.
Neptude: Still, that's often enough, and it's a distraction whether you go or not.
Arat knows that is not what the main problem is: The main problem is Jeniard not being there.
Arat nods, looking somewhat distressed.
Neptude: Do you really think it's worth it, to punish Hajene Jeniard for what was quite obviously a drunken, childish prank?
Neptude: And one which he apparently didn't even initiate?
Arat: By their conspiracy of silence, the seven of them kept me from knowledge of Wise Snake's existence.
Arat: Do you realize what she could have been had she had a proper home as a child and a young adult?
Arat thinks she could have been the channel he was unable to be.
Neptude: Yes, and it's a pity, but really. What could you have done, even if Jeniard had told you the morning after?
Neptude: To find one prostitute? In Bender Cove?
Arat's anger rouses itself.
Arat swallows the response he had wanted to give, out of basic self-preservation.
Neptude sees the anger, even if he can't zlin through Arat's control, and waves an apologetic tentacle.
Neptude: All right, you could have tried.
Neptude: Still, your lawsuit won't change the past.
Neptude: And the time and effort you put into it is time and effort you can't spend on Snake.
Neptude: Jeniard knows what he's done. Is it really worth it to have it dragged through the courts?
Arat: In the eyes of the public, I am the one to blame.
Arat: The lawsuit rectifies that. Nothing more.
Arat: [stiffly]
Neptude isn't a Farris expert, but even he knows the futility of appealing to Arat's non-existent sense of self-preservation, on the grounds that separation from Jeniard is destroying Arat's health.
Neptude: Arat, the public isn't going to blame you--or Jeniard, for that matter--for being young and stupid.
Arat: I cannot afford to be associated with rogue behavior of any kind, nor with the creation of rogues.
Arat is very convinced of this point, having had it beaten into him almost literally in First Year.
Neptude is not unaware of Arat's past, but knows the situation has changed at least marginally since then.
Neptude: Arat, Snake was actually living at Zeor for several years before her changeover.
Arat: Two.
Arat automatically corrects for precision.
Neptude: It was they who botched her First Transfer, and drove her into going rogue.
Neptude: Tell me, if you had had a hand in Snake's upbringing, as you have for your other children...
Neptude: If Zeor had offered her a place among them, wouldn't you have urged her to go?
Neptude: Wouldn't you have felt that was the best place for her?
Arat looks extremely uncomfortable as well as angry now.
Arat's fingers pull the purple-inked letter from the pile and flick it back and forth in what looks very much like nervous tension.
Arat is not really looking at it.
Neptude sees the discomfort, and figures that he must be getting his point across, at least partly.
Purple Letter smells just faintly of narcissus, a scent not used by the Audnes leeches.
Arat's nostrils flare delicately at the telltale odor of something that has been near Riyyh ambrov Naros, or at least near the brand of massage oil that Riyyh prefers.
Arat's eyes travel down to the letter, and then he tosses it quickly back onto the desk, to get it out of smelling range until Neptude is gone.
Arat was nearly ill with stress already, without having to smell that as well!
Neptude: Look, Arat, I'm not going to tell you how to run your affairs. My own take up entirely too much time.
Neptude: However, if blame must be apportioned, you might as well blame Zeor as Jeniard.
Neptude: They knew Snake was a Farris, and they of all people should have been able to handle her.
Arat is of the opinion that what Zeor lacked was experience in handling a child who'd grown up in a crime-riddled slum, but he only nods in response.
Neptude gets up.
Neptude: Well, I can see you're still working through your mail.
Neptude politely ignores the fact that it is mid-afternoon, and the stack is far too large for one day's accumulation, even for a Controller.
Neptude: I'll contact you when I've found out what Donors might be available for you.
Arat: Thank you.
Neptude departs to take care of his own stack of mail.
Arat puts his head in his hands, shaking.
Arat realizes he'd broken out in a sweat during the talk about the lawsuit, and the repeated mention of Jeniard, Snake and Zeor.
Arat in the privacy of his office, admits to himself he does not feel good.
Purple Letter's odor wafts more strongly to Arat's nose, due to the greater proximity.
Arat's queasiness increases at the reminder.
Arat lifts his head and looks at the letter bitterly, knowing the bulk of its thickness is for Snake, and there will be a note for him that says something like, "Arat, still alive, did an interesting functional the other day, Nick."
Arat rises, goes to the door, and asks someone passing by in the hallway to locate Pylor and order him to the office.
Arat then returns to his desk and grimly opens the purple letter.
Purple Letter does indeed contain a packet for Snake of the usual thickness, but the note enclosing it is also of a respectable length.
Arat scans Snake's letter out of habit.
Purple Letter's Snake-related contents don't owe all their designation as "purple prose" to the unfortunate choice of ink.
Purple Letter's author's skill at writing often resembles his skill at choosing pants.
Arat wades through several pages of tightly wedged together, overly colorful phrases in vain search for actual content.
Arat can make no sense of the letter other than that it seems to be a rambling reminiscence of certain transfers and posts the two have shared.
Arat grimaces.
Arat of course is obligated to keep such communications away from Snake, in order that it not tempt her toward escaping.
Purple Letter does describe Buggfa Lube and how they are handling him, among many lamentations about their separation.
Arat finds the part about Buggfa interesting, and wishes he had some hard technical data on the subject.
Purple Letter does not, however, describe the background in detail, as Snake is already familiar with the case.
Arat briefly considers trying to pump Riyyh for the information.
Arat decides that he doesn't require any more stress in his life at the moment and resigns himself to simply mentioning it in detail in his next report on the District.
Arat puts Snake's letter aside for heavy censoring and opens the one meant for him.
Arat is not expecting a lot, and is surprised by the length.
Purple Letter: Dear Arat, I wish you were here, or I was there. Riyyh is very kind, but he's not a Farris.
Purple Letter: Our transfer was better than nothing, but not by as much as I'd like.
Arat's eyebrows raise.
Purple Letter: Riyyh is very kind, of course, but he spends a lot of time dealing with Naros affairs, and since I'm not ambrov Naros, I can't help much.
Purple Letter's author may, of course, have a completely unrealistic view of how much his simply being on call helps Riyyh.
Purple Letter: I've been spending a lot of time working with a singer who's traveling with us, named Buggfa Lube.
Purple Letter: Snake can tell you about him.
Purple Letter then proceeds to spare Arat the trouble of asking Snake, by providing a great many technical details; enough to make even a Farris happy.
Purple Letter: We'll be moving on soon, I guess. Riyyh still plans to be back in Capitol by Spring.
Purple Letter: I miss you, Nick.
Arat stares at the letter for a long moment.
Arat then carefully folds it, a good deal less impatiently than he'd opened it.
Pylor presents himself at Arat's office door and signals.
Arat is shaken out of his thoughts.
Arat puts the letter back on his desk.
Arat: Enter!
Pylor comes in, looking just a touch pale, and without his usual energy.
Pylor: You wanted to see me, Controller Arat?
Pylor knows it's not time for one of their regularly scheduled sessions.
Arat briskly pulls his schedule book out from under the mound of mail.
Arat: Yes. Sit.
Arat opens it, takes a moment to adjust to the fact that everything is different from how he left it, and most of the changes in Beni's writing.
Arat turns a couple of pages until he finds the one he wants.
Pylor makes his way to his usual chair, since there isn't a Donor in it at present.
Pylor is glad that he's no longer actually nauseous, but he's still a bit weak in the knees.
Arat: Neptude has assigned you to me once again, so until a replacement can be found, you will be working with me full time.
Arat: I am reassigning Shelala to somebody else.
Arat proceeds to do so, with many very precise and not particularly pleased curlicues.
Pylor: ...Full time?
Arat presents Pylor with his new transfer card.
Pylor wonders what idiot thought this was a good idea.
Pylor takes the card, squinting at the curlicues.
Arat: I would just as soon not overtax you just as you are making progress; therefore we will begin with two one hour sessions as before, only they will occur during the context of my channelling time slots.
Arat is basically saying that Pylor's effective workload will double and also become mission-critical at the same time.
Arat: We will expand upon that as it becomes appropriate to do so.
Pylor: Very well.
Pylor would really have appreciated a chance to finish his convalescence before having this dumped on him, but realizes that Arat isn't responsible, and Neptude probably didn't know about the food poisoning.
Pylor: When would you like to have the first session?
Pylor just hopes he's up to it.
Arat: I will come and get you tomorrow morning.
Arat plans on spending the rest of the day psyching himself up... from in bed with the pillow over his head, if necessary.
Pylor takes a good look at Arat.
Pylor: Are you sure you don't want some help now? You don't look very good.
Arat zlins Pylor, naturally suspicious of any appearance of goodwill on the Donor's part.
Pylor zlins moderately sincere, if rather weak in the knees.
Pylor gets to his feet and moves towards Arat.
Pylor: Here. I'll rub your shoulders.
Pylor thinks that at least this is pretty good at relaxing a channel, while not requiring huge efforts in the support division.
Arat resigns himself to remaining in human company for a little while longer.
Jeniard appears at the door of Neptude's office, frazzled, still wearing his used uniform after a six hour shift in the emergency ward, and with only an hour to get his business done and appear in court for a mandated appearance.
Neptude is working his way steadily through the large piles of paper that seem to spontaneously generate in a Controller's inbox.
Jeniard signals as he tries to search through his bag to make sure he has the right paperwork with him.
Neptude looks up in surprise, then glances at his daily planner, which doesn't show an appointment.
Neptude wonders if there is some emergency which would get him out of the office for some real work.
Neptude doesn't have the entran problems of a Farris, of course, but he is a Controller.
Neptude: Come in!
Jeniard jams the paperwork back in his knapsack and rebuttons it, then enters.
Jeniard: Controller Neptude! Shen, I'm glad I caught you.
Jeniard would have had an even tighter window for his next attempt.
Neptude: Jeniard! Whatever are you doing here?
Jeniard: I've got to talk to you about Arat and Pylor.
Jeniard: You can't assign them again, you just can't.
Jeniard: Isn't there anything you can do?
Jeniard seats himself, not to be rude, but just because he's too harassed to take heed of the niceties.
Jeniard: I mean, poor Beni was bad enough, but at least he has the brains of a parakeet!
Jeniard: You'll be lucky if he's not useless within a week.
Jeniard doesn't mean Pylor, he means Arat.
Jeniard considers Pylor more or less useless already, at least in this context.
Neptude: Jeniard, calm down.
Jeniard: And hasn't Pylor been hassled enough? For shen's sake, give him a nice normal First who doesn't know from....
Jeniard takes a few deep breaths at Neptude's admonishment.
Neptude: That's better.
Neptude: Now, I gather you disapprove of having Pylor assigned to Arat?
Jeniard's eyes bulge behind his glasses and his hair is still sticking out oddly in all directions, but at least he's not babbling.
Jeniard: It's not a matter of disapproving, Controller Neptude. It's just plain unworkable.
Neptude: As it happens, I agree with you.
Neptude: Unfortunately, there isn't anyone else who can be assigned.
Neptude: Beni has been with Arat for two months now; he can't do it again.
Neptude: And it would be unfair to ask him to try, when he's responsible for Snake as well, now.
Jeniard: Why can't they be assigned together, as long as they don't have transfer?
Neptude: For one thing, it would be very unfair to Snake, who also requires the services of her Donor.
Neptude says this with some asperity; he finds Jeniard's single-minded pursuit of Arat's welfare irritating, under the circumstances.
Jeniard: Yes, but she's in great shape! She's had Farris grade Donors for four months in a row now.
Neptude: She's also a rogue, addicted to pain, and that's something that she hasn't been allowed.
Jeniard is too singleminded to take much heed of a little irritation; besides, he is a champion at weathering irritation.
Jeniard: Look, all I'm saying is, you're going to have Arat holed up in his room with the door blocked by the end of the week, if not sooner.
Jeniard: Pylor may be in training, but he is not suitable for a Donor for Arat.
Neptude: I have promised Arat that I will find another Donor for his transfer if it is humanly possible to do so.
Jeniard: If? If??????
Neptude: Until then, he'll have to make do with Pylor.
Jeniard makes speechless hair ripping motions, illustrating how his hair came to be standing up in such a strange fashion.
Neptude: Get ahold of yourself, Hajene.
Neptude's voice is rather sharp.
Neptude: I am doing what I can; the rest is up to Arat.
Jeniard stops grabbing his head.
Jeniard: What is he supposed to do?
Neptude: He is supposed to use his assigned Donor to the best of his considerable abilities, in order to fulfil his duties to the Tecton.
Neptude: With Beni to cover any emergency, he should be able to manage.
Jeniard is reminded once again of just how many daily emergencies nobody but Jeniard has ever been forced to deal with on a regular basis.
Neptude: With all the time Arat's been spending in court, Pylor should be able to do most of it, though.
Jeniard: I just don't think... [gestures inarticulately; he doesn't want to say 'I just don't think you know what you're doing']
Jeniard: Just don't be in denial if bad data starts coming back to you, OK?
Jeniard: It might happen.
Neptude: ~~ exasperation ~~
Neptude: What the bloody shen do you expect me to do, Jeniard?
Neptude: I've given him the best Donors in the Region.
Jeniard waves his arms.
Jeniard: You're Regional Controller. Get another Donor somewhere.
Jeniard: I mean, Arat isn't the only Farris in the entire Region.
Jeniard is getting a little wild eyed again.
Jeniard: Or ask Seruffin.
Jeniard: Surely he can do something?
Neptude: No, there's also his rogue daughter, who requires a top-notch Donor herself.
Neptude: Jeniard, if there was a way to wave my tentacles and make a Farris-qualified Donor appear, I'd do it.
Neptude: Shen, I'd even welcome back Nick, pledge or not.
Jeniard looks at Neptude.
Jeniard: Do you know that he's been in bed for six days?
Neptude: What? Six days? But he was up when I called earlier.
Jeniard: Yes, Beni told me, he had to bang on the door for fifteen minutes to get his attention, and it was only your name that got him up.
Jeniard: This kind of thing is not unpredictable, Neptude. You're going to be seeing more of it if something isn't done.
Neptude doesn't appreciate being criticized by hysterical channels when he's honestly doing his best.
Neptude: I will do my part, and I expect Arat to do his.
Jeniard is at his wit's end, since his ability to do anything about any of this is hampered by his and Arat's lawyers' agreement and of course the social awkwardness of a lawsuit between two people who've known each other for so long.
Jeniard: Well, maybe nobody's best is good enough then, and it'll just be over.
Neptude sighs.
Jeniard picks up his bag, stuffing back in a few loose papers.
Neptude: Let's not borrow trouble.
Jeniard: Never mind, I don't know why I even bothered you.
Jeniard has never gotten anywhere with this tactic in the past, after all.
Neptude figures it's because Jeniard's lawyers are keeping him away from Arat in a way that various Controllers, including Neptude, never managed for long.
Jeniard gets up and hurries out, slightly late for his courtroom appearance.