Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #40: Among So-Called Friends (7/3/98)
Griff sits up in bed and looks over at the sleeping Eliza.
Eliza tosses, in the midst of a dream.
Griff grins evilly, then slips out from under the covers.
Griff reaches for the glass of water he left by his bed.
Griff tiptoes over to Eliza's bed and dumps it on her nasal orifices.
Eliza dreams that the juncts are trying to drown her and wakes up in a panic, spluttering.
Eliza: Argh!
Griff thinks about the water running over the ooky mucous membranes inside, and grins.
Eliza sits up in bed, dripping, and looks around the room frantically.
Griff, being Gen, isn't disturbed by her distress--quite the opposite.
Griff: Wake up, sleepyhead. You were snoring.
Eliza: What!
Eliza stares at Griff, not compreheding, at first, what has happened.
Griff: Besides, it's day.
Eliza looks at the empty glass in his hand.
Eliza: You little bastard!
Eliza rubs her face on the sheets.
Eliza: What did you do that for?
Griff: You know Miz Haskins doesn't believe in being lazy.
Eliza: Lazy! Do you have any idea... Oh forget it.
Griff: If you keep sleeping, she'll come in and dump you on your gluteous maximus.
Eliza climbs out of bed grumpily.
Eliza: Why I have to share a room with you is beyond me anyway.
Eliza: On my what?
Eliza is sure she doesn't own any such thing.
Griff: Your gluteous maximus.
Griff illustrates the phrase by pinching Eliza's rump.
Griff: Don't you know anything?
Eliza turns around and thumps him.
Eliza: Don't you touch me!
Eliza: Bah. I'm going to get dressed. Get lost for 5 minutes will ya?
Eliza is definitely going to complain to Snake about this.
Griff debates making a production about hanging around, but the half of the water glass that he drank makes itself known, and he heads for the john.
Eliza quickly dresses, sure the little mongrel will return before she is decent.
Griff walzes back in a few moments later, and begins taking his pajamas off.
Eliza: Oh for cripes sake!
Griff: What's the matter?
Eliza finishes buttoning her top on her way out the door.
Nick is in the hall, dressed in Tecton uniform.
Nick: Good morning, Eliza.
Eliza looks up and does a double take.
Eliza: Nick?
Nick blinks at the almost-buttoned blouse.
Eliza: Oh! I didn't recognise you!
Eliza finishes buttoning it and tucks it in.
Nick looks down at his uniform and makes a face.
Eliza: You look very, smart.
Eliza has never seen Nick in pants that don't accentuate the muscles of his... what Griff said, before.
Nick scowls, tugging at the pants.
Nick: I look like an idiot.
Nick: But Snake seems to think we'd better not let Torrance know that we're not Tecton.
Nick: So when he offered us uniforms....
Eliza: No you don't, you look nice.
Eliza: Very professional.
Nick: I swore I'd never wear one of these.
Eliza walks around him, looking at him the way she would look at a horse whose confirmation she was checking before purchasing.
Eliza: Well, it suits you!
Nick: Linn said she'd do some alterations on the other pants to make them fit better, but they won't be ready for a while.
Eliza's body remembers some sore places that it had forgoten while she was asleep, and she grimaces.
Nick: What's the matter?
Eliza: I'm a bit sore, probably the fall down the steps.
Nick: Fall down the steps?
Nick wonders what else has been happening while he crashed.
Eliza: Yeah. Oh dear! Where is Snake? She must be furious at me!
Eliza: ~ apprehensive ~
Nick thinks this is a good assumption, since Snake usually is displeased with Eliza.
Eliza: Has Zarra told her? Have they started a rescue mission?
Nick: Control, Eliza.
Nick: What's this about a rescue mission?
Eliza: For the other Gens, at the junct camp.
Nick blinks.
Tanzarra rolls over and half opens her eyes.
Nick: I can see that this is a little more complicated than I'd thought.
Eliza: What is?
Nick: Let's go to the kitchen and have some tea to wake up, and you can tell me the whole story.
Tanzarra feels like she has been shenned into next week after the events of the previous day.
Eliza: Oh that sounds wonderful.
Eliza would kill for a cup of tea
Nick leads the way to the kitchen.
Linn is just making a new pot.
Linn looks up as they enter.
Linn: I thought I heard footsteps.
Eliza: ~ nervous ~
Eliza: Where?
Linn looks at Eliza with some surprise.
Nick: Linn, we're dying for tea.
Nick smiles winningly, wishing he was dressed more decently.
Tanzarra decides that she had better get up and get on with the day.
Linn pours tea.
Eliza moves around the table so she can see the doorway.
Linn hands Eliza a cup.
Eliza: Thank you Linn.
Linn: Here, you look like you could use some help waking up. Doesn't look like your shower did the trick.
Eliza: Shower?
Linn: Your hair is wet.
Eliza puts her hand up to her hair.
Eliza: Oh, that was Griff, he dumped a glass of water over me.
Eliza: You didn't tell him to, did you?
Linn: Why would I do that?
Linn: ~~ slightly offended ~~
Eliza rotates her head to try to ease her stiff neck.
Eliza: I don't know, he said something about you tossing me out on my maximum gelatine or something. Who knows what he is talking about, he never makes sense.
Tanzarra takes her time waking up and after taking a shower heads to the Town Hall.
Linn: Maximum gelatine?
Eliza shrugs.
Linn: I was planning to make gelatine for dessert some time soon, but I wouldn't throw you in it, for goodness' sake.
Eliza: I don't know. Ask him.
Eliza drinks her tea.
Eliza: Ahhh, thats good. Thank you Linn.
Nick is slumped at the table in his usual early-morning stance: nose over his tea, practically inhaling it.
Griff bounces into the kitchen, hair slicked back to prove that he's washed, despite the grunge on his face.
Griff: Hi, Linn! What's for breakfast?
Eliza screws her nose up at Griff.
Griff always has an appetite when he's managed to play a good trick on a girl.
Tanzarra gets to the front door and realises the others are in the kitchen and turns, and heads for the kitchen. [still half asleep with eyes closed]
Linn looks at Griff.
Linn: Nothing, until you've cleaned you face.
Griff pouts.
Griff: I did!
Linn: Try washing the dirt off, instead of just rearranging it.
Eliza realises, somewhat to her surprise, that she is, indeed hungry.
Linn: You've just time before the pancakes are ready.
Eliza could do with a wash too, for that matter.
Eliza: [The wash that Griff gave her didn't do much]
Linn looks at Eliza.
Linn: You, too.
Linn: Your breakfast will be ready when you get back.
Eliza: I'll let him use the bathroom first. I'll have a shower after breakfast.
Linn turns to the stove and starts some pancakes for Nick, who has passed her sanitary inspection.
Eliza: I haven't eaten since yesterday morning now that I come to think about it.
Linn shakes her head.
Tanzarra zlins the others in the kitchen and wanders in, hoping they won't notice her so she can sit at the table and nod off.
Linn: The pancakes won't cook faster for your looking at them.
Linn: Wash, and they'll be done before you know it.
Linn has grown very used to the way that members of the group tend to find convenient emergencies through which to escape basic hygeine.
Eliza: Linn, I can't wash until he is out of the bathroom anyway.
Eliza drools.
Eliza: Zarra!
Griff has long since learned the futility of arguing with a teacher, and is already most of the way to the bathroom.
Eliza gets up, grimacing again as her body finds a new way to ache, and pours Zarra a cup of tea.
Linn puts the first plate of pancakes in front of Nick.
Tanzarra sits at the table and opens her eyes at last.
Nick blinks, mutters a semi-coherent thanks, and starts inhaling them.
Eliza: Here Zarra, have a cup of tea. Thank you for yesterday.
Tanzarra: Thank you. Did you sleep alright?
Griff bounces back into the kitchen, with satchel (containing the ooky anatomy text) and shining morning face, glad that he's not heading for school.
Tanzarra looks at griff and Linn.
Linn: Fine, thank you. Eliza, go wash.
Tanzarra: Good morning.
Linn: Tea, Tanzarra?
Linn holds the pot over Tanzarra's dimished cup.
Tanzarra: Ah, yes please.
Eliza looks at Linn and leaves to shower.
Tanzarra shakes her head in the hope of clearing it.
Linn splits the next skillet full of pancakes between Griff and Tanzarra.
Tanzarra: Eliza, have you eaten yet?
Linn: I told her to wash first.
Griff: She was gooky.
Eliza stops at the door.
Tanzarra looks at the pancake and feels decidedly ill.
Griff grins beatifically, as if he were always pristine.
Griff attacks his pancakes.
Tanzarra: Ah, I'll just have the tea thanks.
Griff: ~~ hungry adolescent Gen ~~
Tanzarra pushes plate more toward Griff.
Eliza: It's okay, I'll shower first. I'm not hungry anyway.
Nick: ~~ starving Farris-strength Donor ~~
Tanzarra: Eliza!
Eliza: What!
Eliza stops again.
Linn starts another batch of pancakes.
Eliza head is hurting and she feels like a yoyo.
Linn: Tanzarra, eat your breakfast. Eliza, go shower.
Linn: ~~ firm ~~
Tanzarra: Can't you just wash your face in the sink?
Tanzarra: ~~ hunger, yukk ~~
Eliza: I'm going back to my damp bed. If anyone wants me, that's where I'll be.
Tanzarra reaches for a pancake and starts nibbling on it.
Griff grins evilly at the thought of the wet bed.
Tanzarra: No you're not, sit right there and eat.
Eliza firmly walks out, trying to ignore the thought of food.
Linn: Don't stay in it too long. Griff will have to find time to change the sheets before he heads over to City Hall.
Tanzarra: Eliza!
Eliza ignores her and keeps walking.
Griff looks up, apalled.
Tanzarra sighs. "Oh shen."
Nick finishes his breakfast, and finally starts to register the existance of the outside world.
Nick: What's the matter, Tanzarra?
Eliza lays down on her bed [only a little damp, most of it soaked into her after all] and tries to sleep without shutting her eyes.
Tanzarra: Oh sorry. It has just been the worst couple of days.
Nick wonders what he's missed while he chased after Snake.
Nick: ~~ sympathy ~~
Linn finishes the pancakes, and frowns as she fails to hear the shower running.
Linn turns off the stove and goes looking for Eliza.
Linn checks the bathroom first, then the bedroom Eliza shares with Griff.
Eliza discovers that you can't sleep with your eyes open.
Linn: Eliza, dear, are you feeling all right?
Tanzarra: Eliza hasn't eaten since she escaperd the juncts, and now she's upset.
Eliza is scared to shut them, however, cause you don't know what might happen after your eyes are shut.
Eliza: I'm fine.
Eliza: Just fine.
Eliza: No one loves me, everyone hates me. I think I'll go eat a pigeon
Eliza: [mumbles]
Linn: A pigeon?
Linn: You don't like pancakes?
Eliza tries to stop her traitorous belly from grumbling.
Eliza: They're okay.
Tanzarra wishes she could sleep as long as Gens, she'd still be asleep right now.
Nick does a double take as he fully registers that sentence.
Nick: Escaped the juncts?
Linn: Come on, then. Rinse that grime off, and have breakfast.
Eliza groans and sits up in bed.
Eliza: I hope that brat left some hot water.
Linn: There should be plenty. I filled the tank this morning.
Linn shakes her head at the wet spot on the bed.
Tanzarra: Yes, I found her yesterday, after she got away from them. She's in a bad way and should be eating and resting.
Eliza grabs a towel and heads for the bathroom down the hall.
Linn nods in satisfaction and returns to the kitchen.
Nick: They didn't hurt her, did they?
Tanzarra: One of them tried to kill her.
Eliza turns the water on and discards her clothing.
Eliza carefully feels the temperature of the water and steps under it.
Tanzarra rests her head on her hands.
Nick frowns.
Eliza gasps as the water hits her head.
Nick: They must be getting careless, or desperate.
Tanzarra: She had to defend herself and she thinks she slamed him hard enough to kill him.
Nick winces.
Nick: I'll have to work some more with her on basic control.
Eliza pokes the sore spot on her head.
Eliza: Snake's not going to be happy with me.
Tanzarra: I think she had no real choice in the matter as far as I can see.
Eliza finishes washing and gets out and drips.
Tanzarra can't help think she would probably have done the same thing.
Nick: Well, maybe not, but she shouldn't be slamming Simes and not knowing how hard.
Tanzarra: Well at the moment I'm more worried about her, she was pretty drugged up when I found her.
Linn notices that Nick and Griff finished the last batch of pancakes, and starts a new set.
Nick: Drugged?
Eliza: [drip drip drip]
Eliza blinks several times and looks for the towel.
Eliza: [drip drip drip]
Tanzarra: Yes. I don't know what they did to her yet.
Nick reconsiders.
Nick: Well, in that case, maybe it wasn't a control issue after all.
Eliza locates the towel under her clothing and wraps it around herself.
Eliza picks up her cloths and heads back to the bedroom leaving a trail of wet footsteps.
Tanzarra nibbles at some more of her pancake.
Eliza sits on the bed and gazes into space.
Linn flips the pancakes.
Eliza sighs and starts to dry herself and dress.
Tanzarra: Linn, did Eliza say she was coming to have something to eat?
Linn: She'll be down when she's clean and changed, I expect.
Tanzarra: Oh, okay.
Tanzarra pushes the plate aside and lets her head fall to the table.
Eliza puts the towel away neatly on the floor and lays down on the bed again.
Tanzarra: [thunk]
Nick: Shen!
Nick goes over to Tanzarra.
Nick: Are you all right?
Nick: ~~ support ~~
Tanzarra: ~~ depressed ~~
Tanzarra: I guess so.
Nick: Linn, go get Eliza.
Tanzarra feels that life has just seemed darker and closer to ending.
Linn hurries up the stairs to Eliza's bedroom.
Eliza lies on the bed and looks at the ceiling.
Linn: Eliza, your channel needs you.
Eliza looks at Linn uncomprehendingly
Linn: Come on.
Linn gestures urgently.
Eliza: Nick's there with her.
Nick: Turnover?
Nick: ~~ support ~~
Eliza: She is probably safer with him anyway.
Linn: But she's your channel.
Tanzarra: ~~ wants Soli, needs Soli ~~
Linn: And he can't be there for her transfer, as they both know.
Eliza: Well I can't either. It's not likely that Snake will ever let me have transfer wtih anyone again
Eliza: ~ what about me. Who is going to support me! ~
Eliza: Oh shen, fine then.
Eliza gets up and stamps out of the room.
Linn looks after Eliza and shrugs, glad that her life isn't in such tempermental hands.
Tanzarra: ~~ guilt and despair ~~
Tanzarra starts hitting her head against the table.
Nick: Come on, Tanzarra, stop that.
Eliza walks into the kitchen.
Eliza: What's wrong?
Nick backs off.
Nick: Turnover.
Tanzarra: It's all my fault, all of it.
Nick: Give her a firm support to steady her fields on.
Eliza: Cripes Zarra, you go through turnover every month. Get a grip!
Nick frowns at Eliza and shakes his head.
Tanzarra stops.
Eliza: Shen.
Eliza: That's better.
Eliza: ~ support ~
Eliza: Let's see your head... Looks okay, might have a bruise.
Eliza: Snake can look at it later.
Nick waits to see if Eliza has really succeeded in stabilizing Tanzarra.
Tanzarra is rather embarrassed at her behaviour.
Tanzarra: I'm sorry.
Tanzarra: ~~ feelings are less intense ~~
Nick nods grudging approval as Tanzarra calms.
Eliza: Don't worry about it. Things haven't been too stable around here.
Eliza: Not that anyone cares what happens to Gens. [glares at Nick and Linn]
Linn: I'm sorry you feel that way, Eliza.
Linn sets a plate of steaming pancakes in front of Eliza.
Tanzarra straightens as she remembers the day before.
Eliza doesn't think Linn sounds at all sorry.
Eliza: No thanks Linn, I'm not hungry.
Eliza glares at the pancakes.
Eliza: You okay now, Zarra?
Tanzarra: You shouldn't have to deal with all this as well. Here, have something to eat.
Tanzarra: Yeah, I'm feeling a bit better.
Linn figures that Eliza is old enough to take responsibility for feeding herself, and pours herself some more tea.
Eliza wouldn't take food that Linn cooked if it were the last food in the world.
Eliza wants to get away from the pancakes before she weakens.
Tanzarra closes her eyes. "Eliza, please eat something."
Tanzarra decides to take her mind off her own fears.
Eliza: Why is everyone suddenly so intent on making me eat?
Eliza looks at the pancakes suspiciously.
Eliza: What did you put in them?
Tanzarra: I didn't get to ask yesterday, but how did you get away?
Tanzarra looks at Eliza.
Eliza sits down heavily.
Tanzarra: It's okay, there's nothing in them.
Eliza: I don't remember. ~ lying ~
Tanzarra: Yes you do. [ tries to smile, unsuccessfully]
Eliza pushes the plate of pancakes in front of Griff and hopes they are poisoned.
Tanzarra reaches for the plate and slides it back.
Tanzarra: Eliza, they are not drugged. Look, if you eat, I'll eat. How's that?
Eliza: Oh, okay. After I slammed the guy I locked him in the cage in case he came to.
Tanzarra: Yes.
Griff looks up.
Griff: Oooh, that sounds ooky!
Eliza: We were in a basement [slides plate away] and as I got to the top the door opened and knocked me down the steps.
Eliza doesn't particually care if Zarra eats or not at the moment.
Eliza: Oh, whatever.
Eliza picks up a pancake and holds it.
Tanzarra picks up another pancake and starts eating.
Eliza: Not sure what happened next, but he took me somewhere else and then this great BIG sime came in and he was in need and the other one said that he would serve him.
Eliza: So I knew he was a channel.
Eliza: They locked me in and left.
Eliza: Then he came back with some water and I drank it but it tasted funny so I didn't drink it all.
Eliza looks at that pancake and puts it down again.
Eliza: I don't know what happened then, but when I woke up I was in the back of a cart and we were moving.
Eliza wonders if it's a Gen-specific poison.
Eliza: So I jumped out and ran off.
Eliza stops.
Eliza watches the butter run down Zarra's tentacles.
Eliza licks her lips.
Tanzarra hands Eliza the pancake she has already taken a bite out of.
Tanzarra: Here.
Tanzarra: So what happened after you jumped off?
Eliza: He chased me.
Eliza watches Tanzarra swallow.
Tanzarra: It really is all right. I wouldn't lie to you.
Eliza licks her lips.
Tanzarra: You must eat.
Eliza: Oh, all right, just one.
Eliza picks up a pancake and nibbles the edge.
Linn turns back to the sink so that Eliza won't see her roll her eyes in exasperation.
Tanzarra: Go on, after he chased you.
Eliza can't taste anything odd so eats the whole thing.
Eliza: It's all fuzzy.
Tanzarra: Was this the one you suspected of being a channel?
Eliza: We ran around for a bit, then I fell over and he picked me up and I took his arms.
Linn knows full well that an adolescent Gen is perpetually starved, and has no sympathy with the histrionics Eliza has been showing.
Eliza: Yes, they called him Loth.
Eliza: He just stopped then.
Eliza: I did't hurt him!
Eliza: ~ worried that they might think she did ~
Eliza doesn't think she hurt him.
Tanzarra shivers and thinks, I'd stand still too.
Eliza: Then you turned up.
Eliza: But he was gone. I hope he was gone.
Tanzarra: Well I didn't zlin anyone so he probably took off.
see note 1
Nick climbs the stairs to City Hall, feeling dreadfully conspicuous in his new Tecton uniform.
Nick signals at the door to the Mayor's office.
Wise Snake is enjoying(?) a brief respite from work.
Wise Snake has failed to wear a Tecton uniform so far.
Wise Snake: Come in.
Nick opens the door and steps through.
Nick checks Snake out for signs of nageric trouble or overdoses of large blue pills.
Wise Snake appears stressed out, under-slept and spoogled. OIW, the usual.
Wise Snake: Ah, Nick, you're back. Great!
Nick decides that Snake is in an acceptable condition, sort of.
Wise Snake climbs over the desk and goes to Nick's field.
Nick also notices that Snake's outfit is, once again, "thoroughly used".
Nick: ~~ support ~~
Wise Snake sees Nick looking at her outfit and looks down.
Nick: Better not let Linn catch you looking like that.
Nick: She tends to take dirt on clothing as a personal challenge.
Wise Snake: [vomit and blood stains, torn where a desperate changeover victim clawed at her, etc.]
Wise Snake: Er... thanks.
Wise Snake: I'll be sure to watch out for her.
Nick: Though it's better than this. Did you have to accept those extra uniforms from Torrance?
Wise Snake is glad Nick is looking out for her.
Wise Snake: Well of course. We have to appear to be Tecton representatives, don't we?
Nick: Look at these pants. They hang like feed sacks.
Wise Snake looks at Nick's Tecton uniform's pants, which appear to fit perfectly.
Wise Snake: Er....
Nick: I'll have to get Linn to take them in, so they fit properly.
Wise Snake: They look fine to me.
Wise Snake: I think your other pants were too tight.
Nick: What?
Nick: ~~ hurt ~~
Wise Snake: Your er....
Nick is very proud of how he looks in "properly fitting" pants.
Wise Snake stares at Nick, stunned by his reaction.
Wise Snake wonders what she said.
Wise Snake: Or... er... maybe not. Uh....
Nick puts the hurt aside.
Nick: ~~ businesslike support ~~
Nick: Did you know that Eliza had a run-in with the juncts yesterday?
Wise Snake is blindsided by the change of subject, and a second shock.
Wise Snake: She... what?!
Wise Snake: What juncts?
Wise Snake: Where?
Wise Snake: When was this??
Wise Snake: Yesterday?? And you're only telling me now?!
Wise Snake grabs Nick.
Wise Snake: Details, man! Give me the details!
Nick: I didn't get all the details, and I only heard about it myself over breakfast.
Wise Snake: Well, what did she say?
Nick: Apparently she was captured by the junct ringleader and held briefly in a cellar cage.
Wise Snake: What!?
Nick imagines something like the cage in which the Anti-Tectonists were imprisoned.
Wise Snake: What?!!!
Wise Snake manages to look furious and freaked out simultaneously.
Nick: She got away, after doing unspecified damage to her captor.
Wise Snake: What?!
Nick: She'll be coming by to give you the details when she has Tanzarra stabilized. She just had a very rough turnover.
Wise Snake: Why didn't I hear about this yesterday?
Nick: I expect Eliza went back to the house afterwards and fell into bed.
Wise Snake: ~outrage~
Nick: ~~ calm ~~
Nick: If you snap at her like that, you'll never get the story out of her.
Wise Snake smacks the desk with her fist, scattering papers.
Eliza and Tanzarra head down towards the Town Hall as slowly as possible. Eliza isn't looking forward to giving her report.
Wise Snake: Shen it, don't tell me what to do.
Wise Snake picks up the papers and slaps them onto the desk, then picks up the medical satchel and stalks out of the Mayor's office.
Nick follows, sighing.
Nick: ~~ calm ~~
Wise Snake: Is she at the apartment now?
Nick: She was.
Nick: I told her to come here when she had Tanzarra comfortable.
Wise Snake: Nick, did you tell her what to do with a Sime in a rough turnover?
Wise Snake strides down the street in the direction of their apartment.
Nick: I've covered some of the basics, and she seemed to be handling it acceptably.
Wise Snake zlins Eliza and Tanzarra some distance off and continues in that direction, muttering and tentacles writhing.
Nick: I wouldn't have left if I'd thought Tanzarra was in any serious danger.
Nick looks at the writhing tentacles and remembers Eliza's mood earlier.
Nick doesn't think they make a good combination.
Nick: ~~ CALM ~~
Wise Snake: Nick...
Nick deliberately slows down, just a little.
Nick: What, Snake?
Wise Snake struggles to remember why she was angry, as Nick manipulates her nager.
Nick lightens up on his projection, now that he's got her attention.
Wise Snake: Could you ease off a little? I'm trying to talk to Eliza about something.
Wise Snake ignores the detail that she isn't actually within range of Eliza yet.
Eliza sees Snake and Nick heading towards them and stops.
Eliza considers fleeing.
Wise Snake thinks Nick's having had sleep gives him an unfair advantage.
Eliza wonders if she wouldn't have been safer with the juncts at that.
Wise Snake: This isn't about the pants thing, is it? I promise, I won't say anything to Linn. You can have them any way you want.
Nick adjusts his nager to allow Snake to think clearly, while preventing the worst sorts of herpetological temper tantrums.
Eliza remembers the whips and the drugs, then looks at Snake's face, and still isn't sure which she would prefer.
Eliza: ~ scared stiff ~
Eliza turns, and, much to Tanzarra's surprise, takes off like a startled rabbit.
Nick sees Eliza flee.
Nick: Shen!
Wise Snake sees Eliza bolt and, instinctively, takes off after her.
Wise Snake: Eliza!
Nick pounds after Snake, trying to keep within range.
Wise Snake augments to catch up to Eliza.
Nick sees Snake outdistance his ability to keep her calm and groans.
Eliza feels her breathing down her back, looks over her shoulder and promptly trips over her feet as they try to do two things at once.
Wise Snake tackles Eliza.
Wise Snake: [carefully not zlinning any more than necessary]
Eliza goes flying to the ground under a combination of her trip and Snake's tackle.
Wise Snake lands on top of Eliza and pins her down.
Wise Snake: Hey... where do you think you're going?
Eliza: Ooffffh.
Nick puts on a last sprint, in hopes of averting disaster.
Eliza: ~ sheer terror ~
Eliza: N-n-n-nowhere?
Nick: ~~ CALM/breathlessness/stomach cramp from running after too many pancakes ~~
Wise Snake: Well, do you think if I let you up you could hold off on going "nowhere" until I have asked you a few questions?
Wise Snake sounds sarcastic, but looks furious.
Eliza nods dustily.
Nick adds to the dust as he skids to a stop beside Snake.
Wise Snake lets Eliza up slowly.
Wise Snake sneezes.
Wise Snake thinks this is going to be one of those days.
Eliza gets up, trembling like a tree in a tornado.
Wise Snake: What's this about your getting captured by the leader of the juncts and held in a cellar?
Nick gives Eliza an encouraging nod.
Eliza looks at Snake numbly.
Eliza: It wasn't the leader, not at first.
Eliza: It was this other one.
Eliza: He caught me while I was coming back from delivering that mail.
Eliza: You know, the orders that you sent off to the Tecton?
Wise Snake narrows her eyes but says nothing, gesturing for Eliza to continue.
Nick thinks he was right: any dealings with the Tecton are trouble by definition.
Eliza: Well he put me in a cage in a cellar. There were a group of buildings, I think it was a farm by the look of it, but I didn't get a good look. I know where it is though!
Wise Snake: How did he manage to capture you?
Wise Snake clearly means, "how did you manage to let yourself get captured?"
Eliza: He grabbed me off Flossie.
Eliza: No. First he grabbed Flossie and pulled her along. Then he grabbed me.
Wise Snake: And you did nothing?
Eliza: I was afraid I would fall off! We were going very fast.
Wise Snake: You could have used your nager!
Wise Snake: You've done it before, why didn't you?
Nick thinks he's going to have to spend some more time working with Eliza on appropriate times and places to use what she's been sort-of learning.
Eliza: I was scared he would drop me.
Wise Snake is starting to look very frustrated.
Wise Snake: Why didn't you use your nager before... oh, forget it.
Eliza: Cause I didn't know he was junct before!
Wise Snake: Look, explain to Nick exactly what happened, and where you saw how many juncts and Nick, you write it down.
Wise Snake: I have to go for a walk.
Wise Snake: [end of sentence: or I'm going to strangle somebody!]
Eliza bursts into tears.
Wise Snake shrinks back from Eliza's outburst.
Nick takes the satchel from Snake, stepping between her and Eliza.
Wise Snake turns and hurries off down the street.
Nick: Eliza, control!
Nick: You've got to learn to keep your control, especially when you're upset.
Eliza: I get caught and beaten and drugged and threatened. I get away all by myself and what do I get when I'm back among so-called "friends"?
Eliza: No one gives a damn about me.
Nick sighs, losing patience with Eliza's histrionics.
Nick: Eliza, if you want to help out the town, give me the details about what happened to you, how many juncts there are, and where.
Nick: If you don't want to help the town, then I've got a channel to get calmed down.
Eliza: Nick, get....
Eliza: Go to Snake. I'll write it down or something.
Nick thinks of the effect that the sight of a furious Snake is likely to have on the population and shudders, even though treating a couple of heart attacks would do Snake a world of good.
Wise Snake continues down the road aimlessly for a while, then heads toward the apartment.
Wise Snake hopes nobody is there.
Nick fishes an old envelope and a pencil stub out of the satchel and hands them to Eliza.
Nick: Here.
Eliza takes them.
Nick: Don't be too long about it... once the juncts start hunting their own kills, no one will be safe.
Wise Snake slams into the apartment and looks for something to break, but there really isn't much but some beds and clothes there.
Wise Snake mutters something about inadequate furnishings and throws herself down on the bed, glaring at the ceiling.
Nick hurries after Snake, tracking her path by looking for disturbed pedestrians.
Tanzarra is feeling like she is going to scream any minute now.
Linn calls from the kitchen.
Linn: Who is it?
Eliza: Zarra, I don't think I'm the best person for you to be around at the moment.
Eliza doesn't want to hurt Zarra and keeps a tight rein on herself.
Linn starts searching the apartment, until she finds Snake's room.
Linn: Snake! Did you decide to take a rest?
Tanzarra: Why?
Wise Snake sees Linn and jumps up.
Tanzarra looks around.
Wise Snake: Ah... ah, no.
Wise Snake: Yes.
Wise Snake: No.
Tanzarra: Because of this?
Linn thinks it's about time.
Eliza: You need steady support now and I can't give it to you at the moment.
Linn: Why don't you come to the kitchen and have some tea, then?
Linn: You look like you could use something calming.
Wise Snake: I just... [starts to say she required some breathing room, then sighs at Linn's invitation]
Wise Snake: All right.
Tanzarra: Well how about we just get out of town altogether for a while?
Linn leads the way to the kitchen and pours them both tea.
Eliza shudders.
Eliza: I've been out of town.
Linn hands Snake a mug.
Wise Snake sits, relieved that Linn hasn't harassed her about cleanliness yet.
Tanzarra: I didn't mean that far out.
Wise Snake: Thank you.
Wise Snake sips the tea carefully.
Linn: Here. Why don't you sit down and tell me what's gone wrong?
Eliza: I'll go to the office and write it down. I'll need more paper then this.
Linn: ~~ sympathy ~~
Eliza: Why don't you go back to the rooms and I'll meet you there later?
Tanzarra: I don't much feel like being on my own right now.
Eliza sighs.
Eliza: Okay, I'll stay with you.
Linn: Where's Nick? I thought he was going over to City Hall to meet you?
Wise Snake: I left him with Eliza.
Wise Snake sips her tea again, glowering at the kitchen wall.
Tanzarra: Well let's go back, I have some paperwork I should be doing anyway.
Linn: Eliza? Is something wrong with her?
Tanzarra heads toward the guest house.
Eliza tags along listlessly, about as much support as a wet paper bag.
Linn waits patiently, deducing that Eliza is somehow at the center of Snake's outburst.
Eliza tries to think of the sort of details that Snake would want.
Tanzarra wiggles a tentacle at Eliza, and smiles.
Eliza realises that the details Snake would be interested are the ones she doesn't have, how many juncts, how many Gens etc.
Wise Snake wonders how Linn has figured out that something is wrong, and/or that Eliza had anything to do with it.
Tanzarra: Come on, it's be all right.
Linn: She can't be injured, or you'd be treating her.
Tanzarra: Maybe somewhere quiet will do us both some good.
Linn thinks, "and in a much better mood."
Wise Snake sighs.
Wise Snake: Look... I'm just... I came back here to get a little free space, okay?
Tanzarra laughs, sort of. "But then again, it might not"
Eliza: Whatever.
Linn: Of course, Snake.
Linn: I hope you won't be too hard on Eliza. She really did get a nasty shock yesterday. I could see it in her face when she was telling us her adventure over breakfast.
Linn: And it didn't help that Griff woke her up this morning by pouring a glass of water on her face.
Wise Snake leans her tea wrist on the table while massaging her forehead with her other hand.
Wise Snake: Oh?
Linn: Yes. He's now laundering her sheets for her.
Tanzarra gets to the house and stops at the door.
Wise Snake: Shen, I don't know why I even bother sometimes.
Eliza: Do you have some spare paper and a pen?
Wise Snake removes her hand and sets the tea down.
Tanzarra: So, shall we get some tea?
Eliza: If you get your paperwork I'll get the water on.
Linn: Because it's the right thing to do?
Wise Snake sends Linn an indecipherable look.
Tanzarra: Deal. I'll just get it.
Wise Snake: [since she's a Farris, an indecipherable look generally means she's feeling an indecipherable emotion]
Linn sees Snake looking rather strange.
Linn: Have you slept recently?
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Wise Snake removes her eyes from Linn's and looks at her tea leaves instead.
Eliza heads to the kitchen.
Tanzarra darts over to the desk where her papers are and follows Eliza.
Eliza enters the kitchen and stops when she sees Snake and Linn.
Eliza: Oh! I didn't know, I'm just making some tea. Is that all right?
Tanzarra sidles up behind Eliza and stops.
Wise Snake avoids looking at Eliza.
Eliza is under tight control, she feels like there are constricting bands around her chest holding everything in.
Tanzarra: Shall we? I got the papers and a pen for you.
Linn: There's a fresh pot right there.
Linn points to the stove.
Wise Snake zlins Tanzarra surreptitiously, however.
Tanzarra gives Eliza the slightest nudge with a tentacle.
Eliza: Thank you Linn.
Eliza pours two cups of trin and hands one to Zarra.
Linn: You're welcome.
Tanzarra: Umm, Snake, Linn. You don't mind if we have out tea here?
Linn: Of course not.
Linn stands.
Tanzarra: We could go elsewhere if you like.
Linn: You three have business to discuss, I'm sure.
Wise Snake looks up as all three of them profess willingness to go elsewhere.
Eliza puts her tea carefully down opposite Snake and sits down.
Tanzarra: Thank you Linn.
Tanzarra goes to sit beside Eliza.
Eliza wonders where Nick got to.
Linn nods to Tanzarra and heads off to make sure that Griff hasn't managed to sabotage Eliza's sheets.
Wise Snake looks at Eliza and Tanzarra sitting across the table from her, then looks down again, fiddling with her tea cup's handle.
Eliza feels the silence descend.
Eliza: Would you like more tea, Snake?
Wise Snake fiddles with her cup indecisively, then shoves it forward a little, eyes still averted.
Wise Snake mutters something that might be a thanks.
Eliza tops up Snake's cup.
Wise Snake pulls the cup back toward her and holds it clasped between her hands.
Eliza: I've been thinking about what you want me to report on and I don't think I can give you the details you want.
Eliza: I only saw 3 men. One was a channel. I'm sure there were more, I heard people working, but I don't know how many.
Eliza: I didn't see other Gens, they kept me separate.
Eliza: I'm sorry.
Wise Snake: Eliza, I only asked you to tell me what happened to you, and where you saw how many juncts.
Wise Snake: [repeating herself verbatim]
Wise Snake: I didn't ask you to tell me anything you didn't know.
Eliza mentally kicks herself for not finding out more while she was there.
Eliza: They gave me some sort of drug, so I didn't see much.
Wise Snake feels the stress levels rising, and wraps her tentacles around her hands and the mug to hide their twitching.
Eliza is very calm.
Eliza: ~ control ~
Tanzarra: When I found her she was starting to come out of it.
Tanzarra: ~~ steady ~~
Eliza sips her tea.
Wise Snake: Which part of "explain to Nick exactly what happened, and where you saw how many juncts", was unclear?
Wise Snake: I'm not asking the impossible here.
Wise Snake: Where is Nick, anyway?
Eliza: Nick left, he said he had to calm you down. He told me to write it down.
Eliza: I don't know.
Eliza: I assumed he was with you.
Tanzarra rests her head on Eliza's shoulder.
Wise Snake grits her teeth.
Eliza: ~ support for Zarra ~
Eliza: You OK Zarra?
Eliza: [to Snake] We came here to write it down.
Eliza picks up pen and paper.
Tanzarra: Oh yes.
Tanzarra: It's like a cat purring.
Eliza: What?
Tanzarra: You know, it's like a ca.....
Tanzarra sits up shocked.
Eliza looks at her.
Wise Snake looks morosely into her tea.
Tanzarra: Oh, sorry, never mind. I'll explain later.
Tanzarra: ~~ embarrassment ~~
Eliza looks back at the blank paper and start laboriously writing.
Eliza writes about 1/2 word a minute.
Eliza: [all of them spelt wrongly]
Eliza sticks her tongue out the side of her mouth as she concentrates.
Tanzarra: Ah, well Snake, I've been trying to think of how we can find this junct town again, but I fear I'm at a loss.
Eliza: I know where it is. I'm sure I could ride there again.
Eliza keeps writing.
Wise Snake looks at Tanzarra.
Wise Snake: Oh?
Wise Snake: And what has your involvement been in this?
Eliza: [writing:] "this junk road up behind me and I didn't kknow he was a junked so I didn't do anything then he grabeb my hourses rins and galooped off."
Tanzarra: What? In what way?
Eliza doesn't think she spelt "hourses" rite.
Wise Snake stares at Tanzarra deadpan for a few moments, then shakes her head.
Wise Snake: Never mind.
Wise Snake goes back to staring into her tea.
Eliza: [writes:] "Ten he dragged me onto his hourse and let Flosy go."
Tanzarra: I went looking for her after her horse came back alone and found her drugged in a cart.
Eliza: [writes:] "I torth he wold drop me so I didn't do any thing then either."
Tanzarra: She wasn't very clear because of the drugs, but she was worried that there was still someone nearby.
Eliza: [writes:] "then I torth that I would find out where the junks were, so I still didn't do nothing."
Tanzarra: I zlinned the area but if there had been anyone they were long gone.
Eliza's hand cramps and she puts down the pen and shakes it.
Tanzarra: Other than that, I have no idea. I didn't send her out of town for anything.
Eliza drinks some more tea.
Wise Snake looks at Tanzarra oddly after the bit about not sending Eliza out of town.
Wise Snake zlins Tanzarra.
Tanzarra wouldn't have let her out go, even if it was for selfish reasons.
Tanzarra: ~~ concern ~~
Eliza: [writes:] "Then he put me in a celer in a cage and locked the cage. I tort that he mite not let me out and I got scard."
Eliza: [writes:] "Then he said he likes to have fun first, and I got scard cause I neded him to unloke the cage"
Eliza puts the pen down again.
Tanzarra: ~~ fear of having no support ~~
Wise Snake: When was this?
Tanzarra's thinking of how she felt when she heard Eliza was missing and how she panicked.
Eliza: [writes:] "So I made him open the cage for transfer by using my nager, and then I slamed him when he tried. I do not know if he was ded or not and I'm sory."
Eliza stops.
Eliza: When I went to deliver the mail, Snake.
Wise Snake was talking to Tanzarra.
Wise Snake looks over at Eliza.
Wise Snake: When did Tanzarra find you?
Eliza: Remember? I took that Tecton man's horse to the stable... yesterday afternoon late. I think.
Wise Snake looks increasingly incredulous.
Wise Snake: This happened late yesterday afternoon and you didn't tell me? Nobody told me anything??
Wise Snake looks at them both, a little wildly.
Eliza: I was sort of unconscious pretty much. I'm sorry, I should have come straight to you, I wasn't thinking clearly.
Wise Snake looks at Tanzarra accusingly, waiting to hear her excuse as well.
Eliza sighs.
Tanzarra: Well, you were out of contact and when I was going to come and see you I was called to an emergency.
Eliza: Can't I just tell you this? It's going to take me ages to write it all down.
Wise Snake: For hours?
Wise Snake: [to Tanzarra]
Wise Snake looks at Eliza.
Wise Snake: That is why I asked you to tell Nick.
Wise Snake sighs.
Tanzarra: Yes. It was a changeover.
Wise Snake clutches her hair briefly in her hands and tentacles, then lets go of it carefully before pulling any out.
Wise Snake: Look... I am not so stupid as to believe there was no way to get word to me for more than 12 hours.
Wise Snake: Eliza, what you did was irresponsible but you can rectify it partially by telling what you know in a responsible fashion.
Wise Snake: Can you do that for me?
Eliza: Yes Snake.
Wise Snake: And Tanzarra, we will talk about this later. For now, just help Eliza piece together as much of it as she can, and help her write it if necessary. All right?
Tanzarra: Yes.
Eliza: I was coming back from the other town where I had posted those two letters when this man rode up behind me and started to chat friendly like. I didn't know he was junct.
Eliza: Then he said that he zlinned a hostile group around the bend and that he knew a safer way. Then he grabbed Flossie's reins and took off at a gallop.
Wise Snake, who had hoped to slip away from both of them after her last words, sighs and sinks back down into the chair as Eliza starts speaking.
Eliza: He wasn't happy with her going so slow so he pulled me off her.
Eliza: I realized by then that he was probably junct and I thought that maybe we could at least find out where they were hiding, so I didn't struggle too much. Also I was afraid he would drop me. We were going very fast.
Eliza: We got to a group of buildings, I think it was a farm or something, there were several buildings of different sizes, and he took me down some stairs and locked me in a cage.
Eliza: This made me frightened, because I couldn't get out without him unlocking it.
Eliza: Then this other man came in and they argued. Then the other man left.
Eliza: I asked him to let me out and he said he was't ready yet, so I [looks at Snake] enticed him a bit.
Eliza waits to see if Snake is going to say anything about that.
Eliza takes a deep breath.
Eliza: He said he liked some fun first, and I asked him what he meant by that, and he said he liked his Gens to hurt.
Eliza: I didn't like that idea much.
Eliza: But I really wanted him to unlock the cage, so I, I, bit my thumb. [holds out thumb to show Snake the bite mark]
Eliza: He unlocked the cage then and went hyper. So I slammed him.
Eliza: I left him in the cage and locked it, in case he came to.
Eliza: Then I went up the stairs to get out, but the door open and knocked me down the stairs.
Eliza: The other Sime, the one that was in there before, it was him. He looked at the one unconscious in the cage and dragged me off.
Eliza: He took me to another room and then this other one, a different one, came in and said he was in need. So the other one, the one that was in the basement, the one that carried me out of the basement I mean, he said he would serve him. So I knew he was a channel.
Eliza: His name was Loth, I heard them call him that.
Eliza: He locked me in the room and went off with the other one. Then he came back with some water.
Eliza: I drank some of it, but it tasted funny cause it had something in it.
Eliza: It didn't entirely knock me out, just made me woozy and I couldn't control anything at all.
Eliza: Then, after awhile, I don't know how long, he took me out and put me in a cart. I must have dropped off about then, 'cause when I came to the cart was moving.
Eliza: As soon as I could, I jumped off and ran. But he ran after me and caught me. He hit me a bit but then he sort of put his arms out to pick me up and I grabbed them.
Eliza: I think he thought I would be his Companion and he could leave. But I promise I didn't do anything to encourage him!
Eliza: Anyway, he just froze when I had his laterals under my fingers.
Eliza: I told him not to move and not to follow me or there would be another time. Then I got in the cart and drove off.
Eliza: Then Zarra found me and brought me back and I slept off the rest of the drug.
Eliza: And then I woke up with water being poured over me.
Eliza stops.
Eliza: That's all.
Tanzarra shudders.
Wise Snake has been looking at the wilted leaves at the bottom of her tea cup during all this.
Wise Snake puts the tea cup down.
Eliza: I don't know what I could have done differently. Each step of the way just lead to something else.
Wise Snake carefully considers, then discards, several things she might have said.
Wise Snake finally settles for an indecisive nod.
Wise Snake: Well.
Wise Snake: If that is all?
Eliza tries to think if she left anything out.
Eliza: I think so.
Wise Snake: Then, thank you for your report, and if you think of anything else, be sure to let me know. In a timely fashion.
Wise Snake gets up from the table to leave.
Eliza: Snake?
Wise Snake pauses.
Wise Snake: Yes, Eliza?
Eliza: I'm sorry if I did anything wrong.
Wise Snake hesitates, almost says something, and then nods.
Wise Snake turns and walks out of the kitchen.
Eliza doesn't want to lose it in front of Tanzarra.
Tanzarra: Ah, Eliza?
see note 2
Notes:
1) Either no play occurred between these two scenes, or a section of the log is missing. [return]
2) There may have been additional play involving Eliza and Tanzarra after this. [return]