Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #148: The Biz (2/5/00)
Lalique walks down the corridors of the Sime Center dormitory wing, searching for Buggfa's room.
Lalique glances down at her plaid skirt and white shirt. She is really going to have to get the custodial staff to find the suitcases she abandoned here a month ago. These borrowed clothes are demoralizing, to say the least.
Lalique turns up another of the endless dimly lit corridors and wishes she could zlin.
Lalique finally finds the right room number and signals at the door.
Buggfa: Come in.
Lalique walks into the room.
Lalique: Surprise!
Buggfa is lounging on his bed fiddling with a shiltpron.
Buggfa straightens in surprise.
Buggfa: Lalique!
Buggfa was, as usual, not informed of what was going on.
Buggfa is the sort of person people forget to include in these discussions.
Lalique looks at Buggfa to see how he is bearing up as a detainee.
Buggfa grins.
Lalique: How ya doin', kid?
Buggfa appears almost exactly the way he did when he was a detainee of Nick, Riyyh, and Lalique, except better bathed.
Buggfa: Oh, so-so, how are you?
Buggfa: I heard all these crazy stories.
Lalique: I'm okay.
Lalique: Except for the outfit.
Buggfa: Heard you got busted at this cosmic party up north.
Lalique: Yeah.
Buggfa: Was it worth it?
Buggfa smiles good-naturedly.
Lalique: Worth what?
Buggfa: Was the party worth the hassle?
Lalique: It was a gig.
Lalique: It went wrong.
Lalique: Not one of the prouder moments of my life.
Buggfa is used to a bit more cavalier attitude about these things, and is beginning to pick up that Lalique thought it was a real bummer.
Buggfa: Oh, man, sorry to hear that.
Lalique shrugs.
Lalique: Well, the show must go on.
Lalique: Only under new management, it would seem.
Lalique: How about you? You been cooped up here all this time?
Buggfa: Naw, I've been rehearsing for the tour.
Buggfa means, the tour that was supposed to have started 3 weeks ago, that wasn't supposed to have started until the Spring.
Buggfa has long since stopped wondering about the capricious scheduling habits of his employers.
Lalique: How's that going?
Buggfa: OK, I guess. They're working on ways to cover for the therapy changing my nager.
Buggfa: It's a lot of work, but that's why they call it rehearsing, I guess.
Buggfa laughs.
Lalique: Interesting. How are they gonna manage that?
Buggfa: Oh you know, just trying to make it look like there's no difference. Projecting to cover it, and the shiltprons can do a lot.
Buggfa: I think the kids won't respect it as much if it's fake, you know, but I don't think they have much choice at this point.
Lalique: Do you mind what they're doing? Wouldn't you rather zlin like you're in good health?
Buggfa: Well, yeah, but I mean, what's really important is what the kids want to zlin.
Buggfa: Hey look, do you want to see my shiltpron?
Buggfa: You never saw it before, huh.
Buggfa offers it to her.
Buggfa: I have two, really, but this is the one I brought back today.
Lalique takes the shiltpron and fondles it lovingly. It's a beaut.
Lalique: Wow.
Lalique lets her finger stroke a tine.
Lalique savors the clear vibratory note.
Buggfa beams at her reaction.
Lalique: I only got mine back last night.
Buggfa: Fuzz had it locked up, huh.
Buggfa sounds as if he is familiar with the type of situation.
Lalique: Yeah, they stuck it in the evidence room and didn't treat my baby very well at all.
Buggfa: Hope it's OK.
Lalique: A few scratches, but nothing that will affect the sound, thank goodness.
Buggfa: They're pretty clueless.
Lalique hands Buggfa his instrument back reluctantly.
Lalique: That's really fine craftsmanship.
Buggfa: Thanks!
Buggfa: My other one is a lot like this, but only the five tines on top and red instead of blue.
Lalique: Yeah. You ever been arrested... before this, I mean?
Buggfa: Oh yeah, lots of times.
Buggfa: It's kind of expected you know?
Buggfa: As long as it's not for anything too serious. Partying, galloping in city streets, that kind of thing.
Lalique: Yeah.
Lalique: What's that like, in Gen Territory?
Buggfa: Getting arrested?
Buggfa: It's kind of the same actually. [smiles]
Buggfa: Except they can't zlin if you are telling the truth or not, so they spend a lot of time asking you questions and stuff.
Lalique: Yeah. I heard they had to do body searches.
Buggfa: Oh yeah, how could I forget those?
Buggfa: But like here, they assume if you feel guilty about something it must be about what they think you've done.
Buggfa: So like one time I had just stood up my girlfriend at the time, in order to go out drinking with these two guys I had never seen before in my life, and when the cops were asking me questions later, I kept thinking about her.
Buggfa: So of course I zlinned all guilty and everything. I wasn't about to try to cover it up, since that would be lying.
Buggfa: Only the thing was, I wasn't the one who did the deed they were asking about.
Buggfa: That one took a while to straighten out.
Lalique: Yeah, I guess it would.
Lalique: How about here? You're not really under arrest, of course.
Lalique: But do the people here listen when you tell them stuff? Do they take you seriously?
Buggfa: Man, I don't think anyone takes me seriously anywhere.
Buggfa: Well, some people do.
Buggfa: Like if I tell my trainer I hurt something he's all over it right away.
Lalique nods with sympathy.
Buggfa: But I mean, when you cultivate this total rock star reputation, it's not like the police are going to be all into respect and stuff.
Buggfa: And I've got to admit I do it all, except the drugs and stuff. Well, not much of that.
Buggfa: I mean, otherwise the audience won't give any respect.
Buggfa: And that's where it's really important. Not behind the scenes.
Lalique: So you don't really like going to parties and raising Cain all over town? You just do it for public relations?
Buggfa grins.
Buggfa: I'm not going to try to claim I don't have any fun.
Buggfa: And some of the stuff is my idea.
Buggfa: What about you?
Buggfa: That party, the one that got busted?
Lalique: You wouldn't have enjoyed it. Not your style.
Buggfa: Oh.
Lalique: I was there as an entertainer, not a guest.
Lalique: Still, I enjoy performing, when it doesn't land me in the slammer.
Lalique: That kind of ruined the evening.
Buggfa: No kidding!
Buggfa: So I'm kind of surprised you're back here and all.
Lalique: Well, it wasn't exactly my idea.
Buggfa nods understandingly.
Lalique: Some people suggested I might pay my debt to society by helping out here at the 53rd District.
Buggfa: The public service thing, yeah.
Buggfa: Been there.
Buggfa: What do they have you doing, talking to kids about the horrors of porstan abuse and so on?
Lalique: [drily] Something like that.
Lalique: The horrors of shiltpron abuse and irresponsible party behavior.
Lalique: For the time being, they suggested I hang out here with you and give you the benefit of my sad experience.
Buggfa: Oh yeah?
Lalique: I suspect they will come up with additional public service assignments in the future.
Buggfa: I'm your public service assignment?
Buggfa: Man, you got off light duty.
Lalique laughs.
Lalique: Yeah, but I think this is only to get me started.
Buggfa: What was the alternative, doing time?
Lalique: Yeah.
Buggfa's employers have always opted for the public service because it adds positive publicity while still letting their musicians appear suitably wild, and there is less wear and tear on the livestock.
Lalique: Hope I don't blow your PR image any worse, but this is state-ordered public service duty.
Buggfa: Hey, it's out of my hands. I don't think anything I could do now would be worse than what Mantia Morrels did.
Buggfa had heard that whole story from Rocky and Tarzan during a clandestine smoke break.
Lalique: What did she do?
Buggfa: She's one of our managers. She was the one who got your and my ass dragged back here to Capitol... she went to Controller Arat demanding he bring me in, so they could start the tour early.
Buggfa: She claimed it was his responsibility because I was travelling with Nick, who she said was a rogue that Arat had released on purpose.
Buggfa: Only the thing was, she said all sorts of stuff like the label didn't want me rehabilitated because it would lose money.
Buggfa: Stuff you don't really say in so many words, if you know what I mean.
Buggfa: She really blew it.
Lalique: She actually said that... to Arat?
Buggfa suspects that recreational substances were somehow involved.
Buggfa: Yeah. Pretty wild, huh?
Buggfa: What was she thinking?
see note 1
Notes:
1) This scene is continued in the next episode. [return]