Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #138: First Insult (1/21/00)
Arat approaches Ormof's office without having made an appointment.
Arat is not particularly worried about showing up while Ormof is busy, since he has over the past years gradually come to realize that Ormof is never busy.
Ormof is actually making an effort to get the minimum departmental work out of the way, so that he can concentrate on his remedial coursework.
Ormof stares at a report, trying to recall whether the incident reported happened on his shift, or when others were covering for him.
Arat appears in the open doorway of Ormof's office, like some sort of nightmarish apparition.
Ormof forgets the report at the advent of the specter.
Ormof: Controller Arat!
Ormof: ~~ surprise ~~
Arat walks into the office, not requiring an invitation (no matter what he might look like).
Arat: Hajene Ormof.
Ormof forces his nager more into order, and pastes a bland smile on his face.
Ormof: I wasn't expecting you.
Arat surveys the office, then looks down at what Ormof is doing.
Ormof is very glad that he was actually caught doing work.
Arat: I am interested in how the new schedule suits you.
Arat: Has your coursework left enough time for your other duties?
Ormof: It has been... rather strenuous.
Ormof does not quite dare to complain any more than that.
Arat raises an eyebrow.
Ormof: The new procedures require extra time to monitor properly.
Ormof means by this, that he has actually had to do some direct supervision and make-up training, in order to make sure that the next inspection didn't find any more dirty laundry.
Ormof never wants to be dragged before Arat for a reprimand again.
Arat: And how have those new procedures worked out?
Ormof: There have been occasional slips here and there, but by and large, the changes in procedure have been successfully implemented.
Arat nods.
Arat: And your coursework?
Ormof tries not to wince.
Ormof: It's been a long time since I was in school, and I've lost the knack for it.
Ormof: I'm keeping up, but it's taking a bit more time than it should to do so.
Ormof wishes he was still in First Year, when learning was fun.
Arat frowns to himself.
Arat is not unaware of which courses Ormof chose, and they were the simplest ones available.
Ormof wishes, failing that, that he had a bit more academic-style cleverness.
Arat: As time goes on, you will become accustomed to it.
Ormof gulps at the implication that he is not going to get out of the classroom any time soon.
Ormof: I'm sure you're correct, Controller.
Arat: You will find that, even as the years pass, continuing to learn will keep your mind flexible.
Ormof nods, even though he much prefers a flexible, relaxing schedule to a flexible mind.
Arat: I notice that you took Everest Molil's course on elementary psychospatial concepts. Was that because it is a prerequisite to his space-time inflections series?
Ormof's eyes widen at the suggestion.
Arat knows perfectly well that's not why Ormof chose it.
Arat studies Ormof carefully.
Ormof: Er, not exactly, Controller. It was not an area with which I have any familiarity, so I thought it might be... broadening. Besides, it fit my schedule.
Ormof hopes fervently that Arat will not insist that he take the non-elementary version.
Arat's disapproval is not particularly difficult to detect.
Ormof wilts at the evident disapproval.
Arat: Have you given any thought as to which courses might... fit your schedule... next session?
Ormof had sincerely hoped that Arat would decide that he had been sufficiently disciplined before then, but fortunately he happened to read the course catalog a mere two days before, while nerving himself up to try the psychospatial homework.
Ormof: Er... I believe there is one on efficient management principles, and another on changes in regulations.
Arat: Excellent.
Arat doesn't say "I'm sure it will be a great addition to your skill set", but he's probably thinking it.
Arat: Carry on, then.
Arat turns and leaves Ormof's office.
Arat begins frowning to himself once again, upon reaching the hallway.
Ormof picks up the report once more, just in case Arat returns.
Arat is no closer to finding a "irreplaceable" niche in which to assign Nick, making him more difficult for the Powers that Be to wrest away.
Arat is pleased that Ormof is showing progress, of course.
Nick makes his way through the Sime Center, in the general direction of Arat's office.
Arat continues to stride down the hallway on autopilot, turning vaguely in the direction of the emergency ward as loses himself in thought.
Nick has persisted in wearing civvies while off duty, although thanks to Riyyh these are a bit less....extreme than previous.
Nick is still more than a little self-conscious about the new ring on his right hand, however.
Nick spots Arat turning a corner ahead of him.
Nick: Arat!
Nick: ~~ greeting ~~
Nick hurries to catch up.
Arat: Nick. [as Nick comes up alongside him]
Arat still seems somewhat lost in thought.
Arat's expression therefore is sort of a "what am I going to do with you?" type of expression.
Nick raises an interrogative eyebrow.
Nick: Is something wrong?
Nick starts ~~ soothing support ~~, just in case there is something wrong.
Arat: No.
Arat frowns more, in contradiction.
Arat does not normally reveal anything of his machinations to his underlings, as much of what he must do to retain favored employees is not, strictly speaking, entirely by-the-book.
Nick tries to determine if that was a considered response, or simply Arat's usual Farris denial-of-trouble.
Nick: Is Ormof causing trouble again?
Arat: Why do you ask? [suspiciously]
Arat does not think that Nick should have any reason to know where he has been.
Nick is 75% Narosian, after all.
Nick: You were coming from that direction, and the histology lab has been functioning smoothly for months.
Nick has been cornered twice by Hero since his return to Capitol, and is therefore up on the latest, more or less.
Arat still looks rather defensive, and has to think about it for a long moment before finally answering Nick's original question.
Arat: No.
Nick accepts that statement, provisionally.
Nick: I'm told that Ormof's been getting his department into shape at last.
Nick: ~~ encouragement ~~
Arat: He has followed my direct orders in that matter.
Arat is more interested in managers who can run a department on their own, although "able to follow orders" is infinitely better than "lazy and incompetent".
Nick nods sympathetically, able to fill in the gaps in Arat's statement.
Arat pushes through the doors of the Emergency Ward.
Nick notes the presence of patients, and wishes that he had had time to change before meeting Arat.
Nick then decides that sticking with Arat is more important.
Arat stops just inside the doors, as they are enveloped by the panic and chaos of the emergency room hallway.
Arat still seems lost in thought.
Nick automatically steps up his ~~ support ~~ to shield Arat from the chaos.
Nick does not find the scene particularly daunting, after multiple TBT concerts, but some reflexes are automatic.
Arat has visited all the other departments in the complex, and none of them seem quite the fit for Nick. Either their current directors deserve to keep them, or Nick couldn't handle them.
Arat reluctantly decides that the Emergency Ward, while suitable in other ways, would require too much of Nick's time.
Arat crosses it off of his list.
Arat turns decisively and leaves the way they came.
Nick follows at his elbow.
Arat scowls to himself as he walks off on a random heading.
Arat is thinking through his other options.
Arat has temporarily ruled out some of his usual extreme methods due to his recent illness.
Arat just doesn't feel up to staging a strike of any kind.
Arat had also considered marrying Nick to one of his long-time permanent employees, but there didn't seem to be any suitable prospects in that area either.
Nick decides that Arat is thinking something over, and that the best thing he can do is to just stick with Arat until he's reach a conclusion.
Arat had also turned down several less-than-ethical suggestions of Jeniard's, including the one about convincing Nick that Arat was the only channel in the Tecton who wasn't a living hell to work for.
Arat refuses to consider the dependency option.
Arat doesn't mind admitting (only to himself, mind you) that the idea of a dependency terrifies him, expedient though it might be.
Arat also doesn't want the very large, very black mark that would make on his record.
Arat: [and not the Farris kind of black either]
Nick lets his nager assume a ~~ meditative ~~ attitude, in hopes of spurring Arat's thought processes.
Arat considers turning Riyyh on Neptude and Seruffin.
Arat has never been particularly impressed by Neptude, and suspects he would be no match for the Sectuib in Naros if Riyyh could somehow be convinced that Naros' welfare depended on Nick being around for Arat.
Arat can't imagine that would be too difficult to arrange.
Arat however is not sure that said Sectuib would fare so well with Seruffin.
Arat also knows that the problem with Nick extends far beyond Neptude and Seruffin.
Nick is trying very hard to ~~ meditate ~~ without actually thinking, as his thoughts have been tending to dwell on the ring weighting down his finger, and all that that implies.
Arat considers the Buggfa Lube problem and Nick's connection to it.
Arat wonders if there is a way to play the diplomatic incident angle to his advantage... perhaps Nick should remain here until that is resolved, if only to reassure Buggfa?
Arat wonders how long such a situation could be dragged on without putting undue stress on the patient.
Arat frets, preferring to have several safeguards to such arrangements, and preferring more permanent "reasons" for keeping people.
Arat is forced to overlook the issues of his own health and productivity as far as this particular equation goes, for more reasons than simple health and productivity - the Powers that Be have displayed a stunning disregard for those statistics recently.
Nick sees Arat's fretting, and tries to find a positive subject of conversation before Arat gets too depressed and frustrated.
Nick: Have you seen Pylor lately? He's taken to wearing a belt.
Nick finds the other Donor's shrinking waistline, and most particularly its cause, ~~ amusing ~~
Arat turns and looks at Nick as if Nick had just told him that Pylor was waxing gerbils and selling them covered with powdered sugar on the street corner.
Arat looks, in other words, frankly astonished and just a little bit bewildered.
Nick: Snake has been working him hard.
Pylor has been rushing all over the building, always just two minutes behind Arat.
Pylor does not fully appreciate the increased speed with which he was able to maintain the pursuit.
Pylor does appreciate seeing Arat's spectral form in the hall ahead of him at last, though.
Pylor: Controller Arat!
Pylor: ~~ pathetic relief ~~
Arat spins around to face Pylor, partly out of self-defense and partly because of the tone of Pylor's nager.
Nick makes sure that Pylor's nager doesn't have a chance to mess up Arat's.
Pylor's hands reflexively check his belt, to make sure that his pants are in place.
Arat's eyes dart to Pylor's belt, since Nick has made such a big deal out of it, and now Pylor is grabbing it.
Arat sees nothing unusual about the belt.
Arat pushes his confusion impatiently aside.
Arat: Yes, what is it?
Pylor is only breathing hard, not actually panting, a measure of his improved physical condition.
Pylor: Hajene Snake wants to speak with you--she says it's urgent.
Arat immediately tenses up.
Arat: Where is she?
Pylor: Her room.
Arat nods once, curtly, and strides in that direction.
Nick follows at Arat's elbow, ~~ concerned ~~ about what could have precipitated this unusual summons.
Arat: What has happened? [to Pylor tersely]
Pylor hurries behind, torn between wishing they were moving at a more reasonable pace, and wishing that they could get there faster.
Pylor suspects Snake won't be happy with "I had to chase him down first" as an excuse for the length of time he spent on the errand.
Pylor: She didn't say.
Arat doesn't bother signalling when he arrives; he simply brushes the guards aside, unlocks the door, and enters.
Arat is taking no chances with Snake after her latest outrages.
Wise Snake looks up as they burst in.
Nick follows, scanning the cell anxiously to make sure that Snake didn't send for Arat because she was injured.
Wise Snake had been lounging in a chair, reading the horse racing results of the local newspaper... from last summer, of course.
Wise Snake: Pylor, would you get that door please?
Wise Snake would prefer the door closed for this.
Nick is ~~ relieved ~~ to see Snake in apparent good health.
Pylor wonders what it is about Farris channels, that they are unconstitutionally incapable of managing basic door-functions.
Pylor closes the door without commenting, however.
Wise Snake zlins Pylor's attitude, and tsks.
Wise Snake: All right. Everybody have a seat... this is important.
Pylor sits on a chair, just out of tentacle-reach of Snake.
Wise Snake jumps up to help arrange the chairs (4 now, her new digs are much more posh than the old one that was abandoned when it became obvious she could break out any time she wanted to)
Arat, whose tension has hardly eased since he entered and in fact has only worsened with not knowing what is going on, declines a chair.
Arat is going to be extremely angry if this is some sort of joke, and his expression and nager are dangerously frosty in preparation.
Nick raises an eyebrow in question, but sits down.
Wise Snake: Pylor? [once everybody except Arat is seated]
Pylor looks at Snake.
Pylor: Yes?
Wise Snake: Don't you have something to tell Arat?
Pylor shoots an uncomfortable look at Arat.
Pylor: ...tell him?
Pylor shoots a pleading look at Snake, hoping that she has some other issue in mind than he fears is the case.
Arat turns a look upon Pylor that is not at all conducive to any nonsense.
Wise Snake: About why you don't like him? [prods]
Wise Snake: You had a very good reason, if I recall.
Pylor winces.
Wise Snake: I don't think the problem will ever be resolved if you don't confess.
Wise Snake sounds quite reasonable.
Wise Snake is often at her worst when she sounds quite reasonable.
Wise Snake in fact does have just a glint of mischief in her eyes and nager.
Wise Snake does like to be entertained.
Pylor has gotten to know Snake well enough to realize the danger of her mood.
Arat begins to look offended as well as angry.
Nick is not at all averse to being entertained in this fashion.
Pylor squirms in his chair.
Pylor thinks that the whole incident seems incredibly childish, or at least that Arat will consider it so.
Pylor is pretty sure that Arat will not remember the incident at all, given that he didn't remember Pylor's name or that they had been classmates a few years later.
Arat's stare does not leave Pylor.
Pylor looks around, and fails to find any sympathy.
Pylor takes a big breath, steeling his nerves (such as they are).
Pylor: Arat, do you remember that contest in Deffries's history class? The oral presentation?
Pylor: The one when he offered....
Pylor struggles to get it out.
Arat looks blank.
Pylor: ...a framed copy of the First Contract to whichever student gave the best presentation?
Arat's expression suddenly changes - he remembers the framed copy of the First Contract rather well.
Arat displays both recognition and anger.
Nick notes Arat's reaction with interest.
Wise Snake settles back to enjoy the show.
Pylor hadn't expected Arat to recall the matter at all, and is rather floored by getting a positive--or maybe negative--reaction.
Pylor: We gave the last two presentations. Mine was on the Battle of Shen. Yours was...
Pylor searches for a diplomatic way to refer to Arat's family, and their role in resisting the Tecton in Norwest Territory.
Pylor gives up.
Pylor: Deffries gave you the prize.
Arat regards Pylor, wondering what Pylor could possibly know about the pain Arat suffered leading up to, and following, the awarding of that prize.
Arat says nothing.
Pylor is, of course, unable to hide his longstanding hurt at the loss, at least from Farris zlinning, but he does try to keep it from becoming too overwhelming.
Pylor: And I found it in the garbage a week later.
Arat's expression turns incredulous.
Pylor notes Arat's disbelief, and shuts up before he can get himself in any deeper.
Arat 1) can't fathom somebody going through the garbage, not even Pylor, and 2) can't imagine why the prize would mean anything to Pylor outside of context.
Wise Snake: Why did that upset you, Pylor?
Pylor glances at Snake, wondering just what sort of game she is playing.
Wise Snake's expression is sly, intense.
Nick has always enjoyed watching Snake at work, and values it twice as much after the year of goalless drifting she's done.
Pylor figures that if he doesn't say it, Snake will.
Pylor kicks himself mentally for ever telling Snake in the first place.
Wise Snake smiles.
Arat is anything but smiling. His anger has been cut somewhat by his lack of understanding of what happened back then, but he is definitely not happy.
Pylor: It was bad enough to lose the contest, after all the work I put into my speech, to what amounted to a recitation of family stories.
Pylor: But that he wouldn't even value the achievement enough to keep the prize...!
Wise Snake points with a finger, indicating that Pylor should be talking to Arat, not her.
Pylor's feelings on the issue are, of course, painfully clear to zlin.
Pylor looks at Arat.
Arat's expression is bright and dangerous.
Arat's inner rage at the world has been recalled at the suggestion that he had 'not wanted' the prize, and furthermore had not worked for it.
Arat would not normally let such baiting affect him, but this situation is very unusual. Nick and Wise Snake are working together to disarm them both.
Arat cannot compete with two Farris-grade nagers.
Nick debates whether he should try to calm Arat, and glances at Snake in question.
Wise Snake negates the urge with a subtle tilt of a tentacle.
Nick nods and settles back, although he remains ready to intervene if actual violence appears likely to break out.
Arat struggles to suppress emotions which he had buried at great cost early in his adulthood. He does not want them; they are part of another time.
Pylor views Arat's expression with some alarm.
Wise Snake, by contrast, appears perfectly calm.
Wise Snake: Go on, tell him.
Wise Snake: No better time to do it, I'd say.
Wise Snake: Or maybe there is something you would like to ask?
Pylor looks at Snake, wondering if she would see fit to intervene if Arat actually exploded, as seems increasingly likely.
Wise Snake nods once.
Pylor: Why did you bother to try for the prize, if you didn't want it? Our classmates didn't bother, not really.
Pylor: Or did you do it just for spite? To show the world how little you valued the whole exercise?
Arat regards Pylor with a scathing contempt.
Arat: You presume to guess at my motives?
Arat: You know nothing of who I am or what I want.
Wise Snake thinks this is better than she had hoped.
Pylor gives a short, sharp almost laugh.
Pylor: Not know who you are? How the bloody shen could anyone in New Othwol not know exactly who you are, the way you and your family made a profession out of shoving it down our throats?
Pylor: Trust me, you never allowed us to forget it for an instant.
Pylor: Not that you returned the favor.
Pylor: Or have you forgotten the way you didn't recognize my name or my face, when we were first assigned for transfer?
Arat has no answer to that; how could there be an answer to that?
Arat: For your information, I did care very much about that prize.
Nick finds this admission very interesting.
Arat: And I did not, as your memory would surely tell you if it were as perfect as you claim, simply recite family stories.
Arat: My speech was on the role of the resistance in coalescing pro-Tecton sentiments and aiding constructive development.
Arat inadvertently gives the exact title of the piece.
Pylor: It was sheer coincidence, I'm sure, that every fifth word was "Audnes".
Arat's nostrils flare, making him look more Audnes-like than ever.
Pylor: And that every incident you described involved at least one member of your family.
Arat: My parents did not share your appreciation of the content. [icily]
Arat: They called it cowardice and treachery and I was punished severely for it.
Arat: That should mean nothing to you; as for the prize, which you seem more interested in, it was thrown in the ashbin by my father.
Pylor is momentarily taken aback by this admission.
Arat's fury is cold and dark and proud.
Arat: Now, if this farce is over, I have legitimate work to attend to.
Pylor's sympathy, which had started to awaken during Arat's story, subsides at this contemptuous dismissal of the issue.
Wise Snake: You are a coward. [notes, under her breath, but clearly in Pylor's hearing]
Wise Snake raises her voice, addressing Arat.
Wise Snake: This isn't a farce, it's dealing with the problem between you and Pylor.
Wise Snake: So are you going to sit down and deal with it, or are you going to run?
Pylor had never thought he'd get support from Snake, and isn't sure it's in his best interests, but finds it marginally reassuring, just the same.
Pylor finds the adult Arat in a full rage much more threatening than Arat-the-Controller putting bad reports in his file.
Nick waits, calmly, without making a move to get up.
Pylor rather wishes Arat were still a schoolboy, slinking away from the contamination represented by his classmates.
Arat fixes Wise Snake with a frigid stare.
Wise Snake returns the stare with a completely bland expression, refusing to either acknowledge or challenge the dominance... or retract her words.
Nick watches the contest of wills with interest, careful not to let his nager play favorites.
Nick figures that Snake and Arat have enough issues to work out between them, without invoking the Sime tendency to battle over compatible Gens.
see note 1
Notes:
1) This scene is continued in the next episode. [return]