Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #27: Gunk (6/20/98)
Wise Snake re-enters City Hall, having delivered the package into the hands of a Tecton Courier in Novic Place.
Wise Snake is also carrying a bundle of much-needed supplies.
Wise Snake hurries into the Mayor's office.
Tanzarra leaves Eliza and Uben in the kitchen to talk.
Tanzarra decides their fluctuating emotions are getting too much for her.
Tanzarra heads back to the mayors office.
Wise Snake sits down at the desk and begins to dig through the supplies, sorting them into the medical satchel and another bag she has purchased.
Wise Snake is muttering under her breath, something about out-of-the-way chemists.
Wise Snake sets up the 2nd bag as a legal-items-only medical kit for Tanzarra and Eliza to carry.
Tanzarra thinking that there is still no one else around just goes straight into the office.
Wise Snake looks up, startled.
Tanzarra stops dead in her tracks as she see Snake at the desk.
Wise Snake smoothly continues her motion to close her own medical kit to disguise the contents.
Wise Snake: Hello, Tanzarra.
Wise Snake: I was just preparing some supplies for you to work with, here.
Tanzarra: Oh, sorry. I didn't realise you were back.
Wise Snake: I just returned.
Wise Snake: Where is Eliza?
Tanzarra goes to stand in front of the desk and takes the supplies.
Wise Snake: Here, let me put these bandages in there.
Tanzarra: Umm, I left her in the kitchen some time ago, I think she's still there.
Wise Snake: Hmmm.
Tanzarra holds open the medical kit.
Wise Snake finishes, and then closes up the other satchel, moving it down to the floor by her feet.
Wise Snake: Have you been staying busy?
Tanzarra: Well I ended up sleeping for eight hours.
Tanzarra thinks, far too long.
Wise Snake: Yes, I know. It had been 8 hours when I left.
Wise Snake: That was 6 hours ago.
Wise Snake: What have you been doing since then?
Tanzarra: I was finally woken by Eliza's hunger.
Tanzarra: It's better than an alarm clock.
Wise Snake: Ah... I'd imagine.
Tanzarra: ~~ humor ~~
Wise Snake has no sense of humor whatsoever and thinks Tanzarra was serious.
Wise Snake nods and begins searching through the Mayor's in basket.
Tanzarra thinks, oh well, you had to be there.
Tanzarra: Well anyway, shortly after that a young renSime came in.
Wise Snake: Did this guy have a real job? [frowning as she flips through useless memos]
Wise Snake looks up.
Wise Snake: Oh? Did you handle it?
Tanzarra: Did who have a real job?
Wise Snake: The Mayor. I was talking to myself.
Wise Snake: Did you handle the renSime? [impatiently]
Tanzarra: Oh yes, he had a serious injury that will take some time to heal.
Tanzarra: He is still here, somewhere.
Tanzarra: I left him talking with Eliza.
Wise Snake: I trust you feel comfortable with dealing with channeling business?
Wise Snake: Despite your avowed dislike of the Tecton?
Wise Snake zlins Tanzarra to determine how she is holding up physically and emotionally.
Tanzarra: I do it to help the people who require help. I wasn't thinking I was doing it for the Tecton.
Tanzarra: And I need to work.
Tanzarra thinks Snake should understand.
Wise Snake thinks Tanzarra didn't answer the question.
Wise Snake shakes her head and turns back to the papers.
Wise Snake starts tossing them into the waste bin as she sorts through them.
Tanzarra [coping with much control and trying not to think of what will happen when....]
Tanzarra: Anyway, with this renSime.
Tanzarra: ~~ avoiding the question~~
Wise Snake looks up at Tanzarra again.
Tanzarra: Well, I'm dealing with things okay, but each day I feel more panicky.
Tanzarra thinks, the closer to turnover the worse she will be.
Wise Snake, who has only known Tanzarra for 1 and a half days, considers.
Wise Snake: Panic about what? Or just in general?
Tanzarra: Eliza has been some help, but it's not the same as Soli.
Wise Snake wonders if Tanzarra isn't going to answer that question either.
Tanzarra looks down at the floor.
Wise Snake: Tanzarra... do you want my help?
Tanzarra: I'm worried about how I will cope with things with out her. [meaning Soli]
Wise Snake clenches a fist under the table, tentacles knotting.
Wise Snake: Yes, that would be a natural fear in your situation.
Tanzarra: ~~ sadness ~~
Wise Snake has not had much experience with people who just want to emote at her, without asking her to do anything for them.
Tanzarra: Eliza believes that you can help me, and she is trying as well.
Wise Snake manages to assemble ~~sympathetic soothing~~
Wise Snake: Ah, well, it is a tough time you will have ahead of you.
Tanzarra: So, will you be able to help me?
Wise Snake: What is it exactly that you want from me?
Tanzarra: ~~ hopeful~~
Tanzarra: I want help in breaking my dependency and I would rather not have to go back to the Tecton to do it.
Wise Snake: I'll be honest with you, I've only ever heard of a couple of cases of people successfully breaking dependencies with matchmates.
Tanzarra is feeling a little anxious.
Wise Snake: And in at least one of them, the person miraculously found another matchmate and became dependent upon him instead.
Tanzarra: ~~ fear ~~
Tanzarra: Oh. And the other ones? What happened to them?
Wise Snake: Now, your tendency to prefer channel's transfers may actually help you in this case....
Wise Snake: Ah.
Wise Snake: Well, there are some people whose will is so powerful that they can fight through the most intense physical discomfort to take what they require to live.
Wise Snake: Those people are rare, however.
Wise Snake: It is possible that you might find a channel who knew your Soli well enough to approximate her field.
Wise Snake: Perhaps, between that and your own will to live, you could get over the worst of it.
Tanzarra: That would mean going back.
Tanzarra: ~~ dejected ~~
Wise Snake spreads her hands and tentacles.
Wise Snake: People don't get out of dependencies with matchmates. That is why every effort is made to avoid the situation happening in the first place.
Wise Snake: Whoever set that situation up, your superiors, have surely been disciplined for it.
Tanzarra: I know.
Tanzarra thinks that she has the will power to try.
Wise Snake: Can you think of a channel like that, a channel who knew Soli well?
Tanzarra: ~~ desperate ~~
Tanzarra: There must be a way you could help, without me having to return to the Tecton.
Wise Snake recoils somewhat from Tanzarra's desperation.
Wise Snake: It is not I who has to help you. It is you who must help yourself.
Wise Snake: I cannot give you the will to live, or give you the strength to fight.
Tanzarra: ~~ calms a bit ~~
Wise Snake: I never knew Soli.
Tanzarra: Oh sorry.
Tanzarra: I believe I have those qualities.
Tanzarra: I went through a lot before I was assigned Soli.
Tanzarra: She made me promise not to give up just before she died.
Wise Snake: When I gave you transfer yesterday, you gave up the will to live. I had to force you to accept life.
Tanzarra: Yes, I know.
Wise Snake: Tanzarra, what are your goals?
Tanzarra: I don't have specific goals, just to be able to work and help others the best way I can.
Tanzarra feels awkward because she has no real goals, except to survive and work.
Wise Snake: What did your goals use to be, before this happened?
Tanzarra: I had hoped to travel and work in different Centers.
Wise Snake massages her forehead.
Wise Snake: You said that they tried to break you of the dependency and that you left the Tecton because it was "too much".
Wise Snake: It is going to be "too much" now, too.
Wise Snake: Nothing has changed except now running away won't be any option.
Wise Snake: What do you hold so dear, what goal or love, that you can keep your eyes on as something you can win by defeating this problem?
Wise Snake: Because I can guarantee you, you aren't going to get through this by simply drifting through life.
Tanzarra: To be alive.
Tanzarra: ~~ frustrated ~~
Tanzarra: I don't have an ideal goal, like being Controller or anything.
Tanzarra: For me, just living. And, well, being a channel.
Wise Snake looks down and straightens a piece of paper on the desk.
Wise Snake: All right... so you are asking me to help you, a futureless goalless person with no loyalty to those who saved your life before, and no proof that you can fight for your own life.
Wise Snake: What will you give me if I do this for you?
Wise Snake looks up at her, curiously.
Wise Snake thinks all that Tanzarra has given her so far is a hard time.
Tanzarra: What do you ask from me?
Wise Snake: So you have nothing to offer?
Wise Snake: I do not see an immediate use for you at this time. I already have enough problems with entran without supporting a 2nd as well.
Wise Snake: Would you swear loyalty? Or would that be too far to go, for you?
Tanzarra: Would you accept it knowing I don't wish to return to the Tecton?
Wise Snake does not like Tanzarra's repeated refusal to answer direct questions. It feels like defiance, disrespect to her.
Wise Snake frowns, rubbing her wrist with a pair of tentacles.
Wise Snake: Look.
Wise Snake: I'm only going to be here for another week, or perhaps two.
Wise Snake: This place is going to be swarming with Tecton people towards the end.
Tanzarra thinks really hard about this decision.
Tanzarra: I will swear loyalty to you.
Wise Snake: You understand that I am Tecton myself?
Tanzarra: Are you Tecton?
Tanzarra: It seems that you are rather eager to be gone before they "swarm " in.
Wise Snake looks Tanzarra in the eye.
Wise Snake: You misunderstand.
Wise Snake: I called them in. And I will be here for the beginning of the swarm.
Wise Snake has strange, pale eyes.
Wise Snake: I was born and raised in a Tecton town. I trained, what training I've had, at Zeor. My first work as a channel was in a Tecton Sime Center.
Wise Snake: I believe in the Tecton, and I have never, except when desperate, ever worked against the Tecton.
Wise Snake isn't sure exactly what Eliza has told this channel.
Tanzarra: I do not intend to work against them. I just can't go back.
Wise Snake continues to watch Tanzarra intently.
Tanzarra's tentacles are fidgety.
Wise Snake sighs, then finally leans back.
Wise Snake: What will you do, then, when your dependency is broken? Assuming the breaking leaves you alive.
Tanzarra: I would work for you.
Wise Snake: Oh?
Wise Snake: Do you know I have no home?
Tanzarra tries to control her breathing.
Wise Snake: Do you know that I haven't stayed in the same place for longer than three days in longer than a month?
Tanzarra: Yes.
Wise Snake makes a mental note to give Eliza a stern talking-to.
Tanzarra: I, too, have been homeless for some time.
Wise Snake: I can't promise you that it will ever change.
Tanzarra tries testing the waters.
Tanzarra: I also know you tried to help a junct.
Wise Snake's eyes narrow.
Tanzarra: And that the people with you are not who they appear to be.
Tanzarra: But, that is none of my business.
Tanzarra raises her eyebrows ever so slightly.
Wise Snake agrees on the point about it not being Tanzarra's business.
Wise Snake nods.
Wise Snake: I will tell you something, Tanzarra. And the other people travelling with my can confirm this.
Wise Snake: I must insist that those around me trust my judgment on certain matters.
Wise Snake: I am open to suggestions, but once I have made my decisions known, I expect them to be obeyed in trust.
Wise Snake: I may ask you do to something you do not like, or find difficult.
Wise Snake: I may ask you to do something you find immoral.
Wise Snake: You may witness me doing something you find immoral.
Tanzarra: ~~ concern, curious ~~
Tanzarra: I... understand.
Wise Snake: If you prove yourself to be loyal, hard working and trusting, I will not fail you or abandon you.
Tanzarra: Then I will prove myself.
Wise Snake studies Tanzarra briefly, then nods.
Wise Snake: Work with Eliza. She is immature in her field control, for the size of her field.
Wise Snake: She becomes extremely frustrated and can become violent.
Wise Snake: She is attracted to you because she has not had transfer recently.
Tanzarra: Yes, Snake.
Tanzarra: I will do my best.
Wise Snake: Offer her advice. She requires feedback because she has no sense of how her field affects others, and must learn by memorization.
Tanzarra is a bit anxious about the possibilities but won't say so.
Wise Snake: The two of you are not a close match, but she is the closest I have to you if you are ever ready to take Gen transfer again.
Wise Snake zlins Tanzarra's anxiety and frowns.
Wise Snake: If you have a problem with this, and it is anything that may interfere with you doing as I say, you had better tell me now.
Tanzarra thinks of the positive possibilities and brightens.
Tanzarra: No. I have no problems with it.
Tanzarra: I know it's going to be hard, I accept that.
Wise Snake: Now, there is another. Linn Haskins.
Tanzarra: Yes.
Wise Snake: You may have observed she is a GN-1.
Wise Snake: She could be qualified as a TN-3 if her timidity could be overcome.
Wise Snake: I'd like you to spend some time with her on field control. She has recently expressed an interest in learning some of it.
Wise Snake: How strong are you on transfer mathematics?
Tanzarra: How timid is she, exactly?
Wise Snake pauses.
Wise Snake: She is not timid at all, when she forgets to think about it.
Wise Snake: If she is allowed to dwell on it, she becomes nervous emotionally, but her field remains open.
Tanzarra: Math is not a strong point, but I do understand it well enough.
Wise Snake: She is shy of selyn movement because she associates it with negative events which have happened in her life.
Tanzarra: I can relate to that.
Wise Snake: Well, use your knowledge of transfer mathematics if you have difficulty in explaining a concept to Linn. She knows far more about the theoretical aspects than she does about the physical aspects.
Wise Snake: And whatever you do, do not allow her to feed upon her nervousness.
Wise Snake: It is a destructive habit and should not be encouraged.
Tanzarra: I will be careful around her.
Tanzarra makes mental note of Linn's nervousness problem.
Wise Snake: Now, about Soli... what was your relationship to Soli, aside from the dependency?
Tanzarra: We were friends. Good friends.
Wise Snake nods.
Tanzarra remembers the times they walked in the fresh air.
Wise Snake: I see.
Tanzarra: She was fun to be around.
Tanzarra thinks, unlike I am lately.
Wise Snake: Do you remember much about the month when you first had transfer?
Tanzarra: With Soli?
Wise Snake: Yes.
Wise Snake: With Soli.
Tanzarra: Yes. It was the first time that I didn't try to abort from a transfer.
Wise Snake: Was Soli involved in the decision to assign the two of you together?
Tanzarra: I don't know. She never said so.
Tanzarra: Although it was her idea to leave after we tried to break the dependency.
Wise Snake: She never talked about it?
Tanzarra: No, she didn't.
Wise Snake: Why did you want to leave?
Wise Snake: That is a pretty drastic move.
Wise Snake: Did you know where you would get work?
Tanzarra: At first I didn't.
Wise Snake: Did you think you even had a future, or did you think that time would just stop once you were gone?
Wise Snake is studying Tanzarra intensely once again.
Tanzarra: No, I felt that I would not survive without her.
Tanzarra: We felt they were blaming us for the dependency. So we left.
Wise Snake: You felt they were blaming you?
Tanzarra: We both did.
Wise Snake looks disappointed.
Wise Snake: I see.
Tanzarra really wants to hide.
Wise Snake: Well.
Wise Snake: You had better consider how you will choose to behave when the Tecton arrives in force here in a few days.
Wise Snake: There may be those who recognize you or know you are on the run.
Wise Snake: I cannot protect you if you do not leave the talking to me.
Tanzarra: I have said that I will do as you say, so I will stay.
Tanzarra: As you said, I can't run forever.
Wise Snake: We will not attempt to hide your presence here. In fact I will report it.
Wise Snake: However, I will not hand you over.
Wise Snake: When they learn what has become of Soli, I think they will accept that.
Wise Snake: [read: They will think Tanzarra is done for and forget her]
Tanzarra: I trust you to do what you can.
Wise Snake nods.
Wise Snake: Very well.
Wise Snake: Now, do you have questions?
Wise Snake wonders if Nick is awake yet.
Tanzarra: No, Snake.
Wise Snake zlins Tanzarra.
Tanzarra: Oh, except for Joad's sister.
Tanzarra: Have you heard anything?
Tanzarra [taking her mind off her own problems.]
Wise Snake: There were only 3 juncts who surrendered, and none of them brought Gens.
Wise Snake: I have arranged for the Sheriff's department to collect renSimes for a manhunt. When a suitable force has been gathered, a search will be made.
Tanzarra: He will be heart broken.
Tanzarra: I will tell him there is still hope that she will be found.
Wise Snake hopes Tanzarra doesn't pump up his hopes too much.
Tanzarra: Is there anything you wish me to do?
Wise Snake: Regarding...?
Tanzarra: Anything.
Wise Snake: Ah.
Wise Snake: Well, aside from spending time with Linn and Eliza, perhaps you could secure us a bit of suitable housing for the interim.
Tanzarra wonders if Eliza is still with the renSime.
Wise Snake: The City Hall makes an adequate workspace, but the Gens have complained about the sleeping accommodations.
Wise Snake thinks, or the lack thereof.
Tanzarra: Yes, Eliza slept with me on the floor, it couldn't have been good for her.
Wise Snake: Here is some money, this ought to be suitable.
Wise Snake pulls a wad of notes out of her pocket and hands it over.
Tanzarra: I will see what I can find.
Wise Snake: And, while you're at it, see if you can get your hands on this fellow named Bowwser, lives over on 6th street.
Wise Snake: He has Donor potential and I'd like to work with him a little bit, or perhaps have you do so.
Tanzarra takes the money and raises an eyebrow at the amount, but says nothing.
Wise Snake zlins Tanzarra again.
Tanzarra: I will pay him a visit. He may be able to help find somewhere suitable to say.
Wise Snake: Er... I don't know about that, but, er, you can never tell.
Wise Snake: [temporizes]
Wise Snake decides to let Tanzarra find out for herself.
Tanzarra: Oh well, It's worth a try.
Wise Snake: And do you think you can bring back some of those apple turnovers from Geogia's bakery?
Wise Snake realizes that's silly.
Wise Snake: Er, if it's convenient, I mean.
Tanzarra: Of course.
Wise Snake: Thank you.
Wise Snake takes a closer look at one of the memos, and pulls out a sheet of Mayoral stationary.
Tanzarra makes mental note to visit 6th street, then find Geogia's bakery.
Wise Snake: Then, unless there's something else?
Tanzarra: No, nothing else.
Tanzarra: Thank you.
Tanzarra turns to leave.
Wise Snake turns back to her work.
Tanzarra leaves office and goes in search of Eliza.
Tanzarra: ~~ hopes lifted ~~
Eliza is scrubbing the floor in the kitchen.
Eliza: Typical male-run place, don't see a need to have clean facilities.
Eliza: [scrub scrub]
Eliza: [years of accumulated gunk are transferred from the floor to a bucket]
Tanzarra heads back towards the kitchen.
Tanzarra walks in to see Eliza scrubbing the floor.
Eliza looks up and wipes a strand of hair from her eyes with a grubby hand.
Tanzarra: Hello!
Eliza: Hi Zarra. How's things?
Tanzarra: That looks like fun.
Tanzarra grins.
Eliza: Bah, you want to do it then?
Eliza dumps the brush into the water and climbs to her feet.
Eliza: I don't think the Mayor had anyone in to clean on any sort of regular basis.
Eliza wipes her hands on an old towel she has dug up from somewhere.
Eliza looks like, well, like someone who has just been close and personal with a dirty kitchen floor.
Eliza: ~ support ~
Tanzarra: Well do you want to leave that for now, and go for a walk?
Eliza empties the bucket down the sink.
Eliza: Sure! Have I got time to clean up and change?
Tanzarra: Of course. you go do that and I'll put this stuff away for you.
Eliza: You will? Thanks! ~ surprised gratitude ~
Tanzarra steels herself against Eliza's sudden shift in her field.
Tanzarra: Yeah, you go get cleaned up.
Eliza rushes to the bathroom in the City Hall building [she cleaned this earlier], has a quick wash and slips into one of her new sets of clothing.
Eliza looks at her wet shoes.
Tanzarra empties the bucket of near-black water down the sink and cleans the sink.
Eliza: I think I better ask Snake if I can get another pair of shoes. [puts them on]
Tanzarra then makes sure the floor is dry, before anyone comes in and slips.
Eliza squelches back towards the kitchen, leaving wet prints on the floor.
Eliza: [squelch squelch] Ok, I'm ready. Do you know where Snake is? I want to ask her something before we go.
Tanzarra: Yes, she is in the Mayor's office.
Tanzarra: Well I guess it's her office now.
Eliza: Come with me?
Eliza: ~ support ~
Tanzarra gets up and follows Eliza.
Eliza signals at the office door.
Wise Snake: Yes! [impatiently]
Wise Snake has found the pile of additional papers from B's house and is in the process of looking through them.
Eliza opens the door.
Eliza: Snake, I was wondering if it would be all right if I bought another pair of shoes.
Wise Snake: Yes.
Wise Snake: Tanzarra has money.
Eliza: Oh, thanks. We are just going out now.
Wise Snake looks annoyed and bedraggled, just having spent 6 hours riding like gangbusters and now facing more hours of paperwork instead of channelling work.
Wise Snake: Fine. Great. Have a good time.
Eliza backs out and shuts the door.
Eliza: I hope she gets some work soon. She don't look too good!
Wise Snake goes back to trying to decide which of these have to be sent immediately.
Tanzarra: Ready to go?
Eliza: Yes. Where are we going?
Tanzarra: Well, first we have to go and visit someone called Bowwser.
Tanzarra: Snake thinks he is Donor material and he may also be able to help us find somewhere to stay.
Eliza: Where does he live?
Tanzarra: 6th street.
Eliza: Oh! I know the man you mean.
Tanzarra: After that we have to stop off at Geogia's bakery.