Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #51: Mortification of the Flesh-and-Blood (7/30/98)
Nick paces back and forth.
Nick: ~~ furiously embarrassed ~~
Nick: Snake, I'm sorry. Believe me, I didn't choose to have that man be my parents' friend.
Wise Snake: Ummh... unnh. [grunts in distracted assent as she scribbles something on a piece of note paper]
Nick: To barge in like that when we were....
Nick: And then to give Linn a hard time in the bar....
Nick: The man's shameless.
Wise Snake looks up.
Wise Snake: Who?
Carmikel eats his soup and wonders when they are going to leave.
Nick concludes that Snake wasn't paying attention.
Nick: My uncle, the old goat.
Carmikel didn't plan on his hosts being host to a Farris channel and her Donor [possibly both mad].
Wise Snake: Hey look, I think I have worked out this contract with the Children's Aid Society to give me 8000p to check 3 schools for communicable diseases and birth defects.
Wise Snake hands the scrap to Nick.
Wise Snake: Now, what's this about your uncle and a goat?
Nick: They want communicable diseases and birth defects now?
Carmikel: [not to mention horning in on his, and the Tecton's, territory]
Wise Snake: Well, they wanted me to do the eye and hearing tests too but I told them they didn't require a channel for that.
Wise Snake: Besides, it'd take days. This way we can just line them all up in a hallway or something.
Wise Snake: Don't lose that piece of paper, it's got all my notes on it.
Carmikel: Does that mean that you will be wanting a more permanent residence then?
Wise Snake looks over at Carmikel.
Wise Snake: What? Oh... no, no problem. This should only take a day and a half or so.
Wise Snake nods.
Nick looks at the scrap of paper.
Carmikel sighs.
Wise Snake: Are you all right?
Wise Snake doesn't exactly feel guilty about the transfer thing, but she is aware it can be stressful for the other person.
Nick realizes that Snake is concerned about something.
Nick: I'm fine, it's my uncle who's the problem.
Nick wonders if his uncle's goat ever caught a communicable disease.
Wise Snake was actually talking to Carmikel, but looks at Nick when he speaks up.
Wise Snake: What is the matter with your uncle?
Wise Snake hopes it's nothing complicated so that she won't be late to deliver this contract... but then again, something complicated would sure help her entran.
Nick: You can ask that when you've met him?
Nick: The man's depraved.
Wise Snake looks uneasy as she realizes she isn't precisely sure what Nick means... or at least, she isn't sure which of many possible interpretations to choose.
Wise Snake: I see.
Nick: Walking in on us like that.
Nick: ~~ frustrated postreaction ~~
Nick pulls himself together.
Wise Snake, who wasn't that post herself, tries to look sympathetic.
Nick: Oh, well. At least we've caught up with Linn and Griff, and Eliza and Tanzarra should catch up with us eventually.
Wise Snake: Yes, actually I am a bit concerned, I thought they'd have gotten Linn's message by now.
Nick: Maybe they got lost, or ran into old friends.
Nick thinks that either might be a better deal than they can get with him and Snake.
Wise Snake could almost be relieved to have Tanzarra's case off her hands, but she would regret losing Eliza, at least by accident.
Wise Snake: Hmmm... well, if they don't turn up in another two days, we'll go back.
Wise Snake digs through her pockets and comes up with a huge ball of lint.
Nick looks concerned.
Nick: There didn't seem to be much work there.
Wise Snake: Well, no, but, we can't abandon them can we?
Nick thinks entran might have been at least partly responsible for Snake's lapse.
Nick: I suppose not.
Wise Snake picks at the lint ball, hoping to find something useful inside.
Nick looks at the lint ball.
Nick: What are you planning to use that for?
Wise Snake sees Nick staring and jams the lint ball back into her pocket.
Wise Snake: Oh... I dunno... it was just lint I guess. From my pocket.
Wise Snake has found Nick's new obsession with responsible drug use to be quite a trial.
Wise Snake hopes it's just a phase.
Nick: Why is it blue instead of white, then?
Wise Snake shrugs and reaches for a clean piece of paper.
Wise Snake: I didn't realize you were such a scholar of lint.
Nick remembers the blue horse tranquilizers, and hopes Snake isn't hoarding them in her pocket.
Nick: Well, it's usually the same color as the garment.
Nick: ~~ concern ~~
Wise Snake tries to write, but is finding it really difficult to concentrate.
Wise Snake puts the pen down.
Wise Snake: And? [point blank]
Wise Snake: You are telling me my outfit isn't coordinated?
Nick: I was wondering how it got blue, that's all.
Wise Snake: My lint doesn't match my... good grief, Nick.
Wise Snake: Maybe it's from wearing my blue sweater.
Nick: ~~ relief ~~
Nick: Maybe so.
Wise Snake looks awfully relieved when Nick feels relieved.
Wise Snake is glad Linn wasn't there, the Out-Territory woman can tell a Farris lie a mile away.
Nick: So, when would that contract begin?
Wise Snake: Well, assuming they OK it, we can start tomorrow morning.
Wise Snake: The three schools are all in town here, so it shouldn't take long, especially if they can have all the kids lined up and ready.
Nick: Good. Will you want to go looking for work this afternoon?
Wise Snake: Ah, yes, I suppose so, after we get coordinated with the others again.
Wise Snake is worried about losing track of Griff and Linn before Eliza and Tanzarra show up.
Wise Snake has nightmares of spending the rest of her life trying to get the 6 people back in one place again.
Wise Snake thinks this is what happens when you let your Donor go to the bathroom by himself in a strange bar.
Nick: Did you tell them to meet us at the bar, or here?
Wise Snake: Here of course. Talking Linn into going back to that bar was not on my list of entertainments this morning.
Wise Snake has no doubt that she could have talked Linn into it, if she'd had the will to.
Nick: Good. I think my Uncle Seegis was a bit much for her.
Wise Snake zlins Nick.
Wise Snake wonders exactly what Nick is feeling about the whole Uncle Seegis thing and zlins him deeply.
Nick: ~~ embarrassed anger at Seegis ~~
Wise Snake: Huh.
Wise Snake: Did he say your parents live here? Near here?
Wise Snake: ~zlins~
Nick: Not too far away.
Nick shrugs.
Nick: I haven't seen them in years.
Wise Snake is having a tough time figuring out how Nick is feeling about his parents.
Wise Snake: Ummmh.
Wise Snake: OK.
Wise Snake stops zlinning figuring Nick doesn't think it's any of her business.
Wise Snake isn't about to grab him and make 5 contact points just to find that out.
Nick decides a change of subject is in order.
Nick: How are our supplies holding out?
Nick nods towards the satchel.
Wise Snake narrows her eyes, deliberately smoothes her expression, notices her mouth was open to snap some kind of annoyed comment about overcontrol, and then closes it.
Wise Snake: Er.
Wise Snake gets up and goes over to the satchel, begins checking through it.
Nick: We were running low on some items.
Wise Snake wonders how she was supposed to know that with Nick doling out the good stuff in nearly unusably small increments.
Wise Snake: OK, I'll check it out.
Nick is actually afraid that he failed to guard the satchel properly when he was searching for Snake.
Wise Snake: Holy Moley!!
Nick: What's the matter?
Wise Snake: Where did all the hydropramutanarticoliandrophabertane go?
Wise Snake: Did I have a three week long allergic reaction you didn't tell me about?
Nick: ~~ alarm ~~
Nick: It should be....
Wise Snake is a bit upset since that is something she'd been short of until they managed to requisition some with Torrance's help back in Vortez Lake.
Nick goes over to check the satchel.
Wise Snake managed to pocket a few things before Nick came over.
Wise Snake: We seem to be short of a number of the Tecton Lab drugs we bought in Vortez Lake.
Nick digs into some of the corners.
Nick: Ah, here it is.
Nick: Do you think Carmikel would be able to make up the difference?
Wise Snake: What about the 1,2,3-Actobomylargentugliimbolate?
Wise Snake looks up at Nick.
Wise Snake: What?
Wise Snake: The difference in what?
Nick: Replacements.
Nick: Or did you tell him you weren't Tecton?
Nick had assumed the other channel thought they were Tecton, and that's why they had been invited to stay.
Wise Snake: Nick, I think we're missing more than I used.
Nick wraps a concerned arm around Snake.
Wise Snake: How could I use a four month supply of 1,2,3-Actobomylargentugliimbolate in only 2 weeks?
Nick: Did you?
Nick is struck by a horrible thought.
Wise Snake: Shen no, if I'd had that many zits in that short a time I'd probably be a puddle of pus instead of a human being.
Nick: Could that be why you blacked out while I was in the men's room?
Wise Snake: An overdose on allergy medicine?
Wise Snake looks at some of the rest of the satchel's contents.
Nick: Well, the pills are blue. Could you have mistaken them for something else?
Wise Snake: No no no.
Nick: Wait a moment. Blue.
Nick thinks "lint".
Wise Snake: I know what you're thinking, and it's not even close.
Nick: Could they have been in your pocket?
Wise Snake: No.
Wise Snake: Nick, I know how to keep the medical satchel in order.
Wise Snake knows what is in her pocket and it's not those.
Nick starts digging through the satchel in earnest.
Nick: What else is missing?
Wise Snake: Well...
Wise Snake names 4 or 5 official Tecton purchases picked up in Vortez Lake.
Wise Snake also thinks they are awfully low of a number of narcotics and tranquilizers but she thinks Nick has been keeping them out of the medical bag on purpose and doesn't want to let on that she is anxious about their whereabouts.
Nick: The Farris medkit, in other words.
Wise Snake figures she can find them later when he's asleep.
Wise Snake: Well, yes.
Wise Snake: I find it a little bit frustrating.
Wise Snake is working on her temper.
Nick: I could ask Carmikel to order another from the Tecton for you.
Wise Snake: Shen, I can't afford to be buying that kit over and over again.
Wise Snake: What happened to the first one?
Nick: When did we use it last?
Wise Snake massages her forehead.
Nick tries to think back, which is more difficult than it might seem, because he wasn't tracking well during most of his search for Snake.
Wise Snake: I think it was when that evil woman hid green tomatoes in the apple pie in Torque Village.
Wise Snake gets queasy just thinking about it.
Nick winces at the memory.
Wise Snake: Or maybe it was when that cat-hair covered couch fell out the window onto us?
Nick: No, that was before the pie.
Wise Snake's laterals writhe at the memory.
Wise Snake: Oh.
Wise Snake: Not long before, though.
Wise Snake: That town was a menace.
Nick tries to think where they went after the pie.
Nick: You emptied your stomach in the alley behind the place.
Wise Snake wishes Nick hadn't had to mention on that.
Wise Snake: Yeah well,
Nick: Where did we go from there?
Carmikel re-enters the room reluctantly.
Carmikel: Hajene, could I have a moment?
Wise Snake looks up.
Wise Snake: Yes?
Nick mostly remembers being terrified that Snake was irreversibly poisoned.
Carmikel hears the topic of conversation and blanches.
Wise Snake closes the medical satchel to hide its contents.
Wise Snake: Of course, what is it?
Carmikel: Warron and I are due to leave soon, the day after tomorrow actually.
Wise Snake: That works out well, we were leaving then also.
Wise Snake thinks, assuming they can fly through those schools in a timely fashion.
Carmikel: It makes it a bit awkward for the Plenstons, having you here I mean [the Plenstons being the people who actually own the house]
Wise Snake: Yes, yes, we'll be sure to be out by the time you are out. Don't worry about that.
Carmikel: Ah, I see. ~ uncomfortable ~
Nick: We wouldn't want to outstay our welcome.
Wise Snake is glad that is settled, because she really has too many other problems to work on a place to stay for only 2 days in a town this small.
Carmikel: Oh, good, good. Thank you for your cooperation.
Carmikel puts his head down and slinks out.
Wise Snake: Say, uh, Carmikel?
Carmikel goes to tell Mr. Plenston the "good" news.
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Wise Snake turns back to Nick.
Carmikel turns around.
Carmikel: Yes Hajene Farris?
Wise Snake: Oh.
Wise Snake: Is there any way I can do a requisition through you?
Wise Snake: Our medical kit seems to be short of a few required medications.
Nick tries to look pure, innocent, and Tecton.
Carmikel: A requisition? For what?
Carmikel: Wouldn't it be better to go to a Center for that?
Nick would look considerably more Tecton if his pants weren't so tight.
Wise Snake: No.
Carmikel: I usually pick up supplies from the Center in between visits. I don't actually put in my own orders. Don't you work that way as well?
Wise Snake: Yes, more or less.
Wise Snake sighs.
Wise Snake: Thank you.
Carmikel: ~ suspicious ~
Nick: ~~ we're innocent ~~
Wise Snake: ~~almost, but not quite, impossible to really get a good reading on~~
Wise Snake looks at Nick.
Carmikel: Was that all?
Nick: You've been a great help.
Carmikel goes to tell Mr Plenston the "good" news.
Nick looks at Snake, discouraged.
Wise Snake: Do you know, I think we did actually use all that stuff. Between the pie, the couch, that guy with the rusty knife, that haystack full of needles, the bad water in Bordertown, the mad dog in Livertone, and those mystery spices in Tanadu Junction....
Nick thinks it over.
Nick: I'd forgotten half of those--they all seem to blur together after a while.
Nick thinks that with so many emergencies and the Farris frailty, Snake must have more lives than Kadi the cat, or this must be a universe with instant reincarnation.
Wise Snake: You know Nick, I've been meaning to talk to you about something.
Nick raises an interrogative eyebrow.
Nick: Oh?
Wise Snake: I realize that the, er, incident of our separation (she still dances around the bit about it being her that got lost in the first place)....
Nick waits.
Wise Snake: ... may have been some cause for concern, on your part, that is, because of how you think it happened,
Wise Snake tries to phrase this carefully.
Nick: Some cause for concern???!!!
Wise Snake flinches.
Wise Snake becomes visibly and audibly more nervous.
Wise Snake: That is, ah, well, and anyway, so you have been taking certain steps to, as you would see it, reduce the risk of er, similar occurrences in the future as it were,
Wise Snake's tentacles flutter nervously.
Nick: Absolutely. I never want to go through anything like that again.
Nick: ~~ firm determination ~~
Wise Snake: Great ah,
Wise Snake: However I think that there has been a bit of overkill, that is to say, too much regulation, in certain areas,
Nick: ~~ hurt ~~
Wise Snake: Of a more or less harmless and/or required nature, which perhaps ah....
Nick: You don't want help to ward off the CD's?
Wise Snake: Er... what?
Wise Snake: No! No no.
Wise Snake is thinking... what?!?
Wise Snake: That's not what I'm talking about.
Nick: If you preferred Carmikel, all you had to do was say so.
Wise Snake: ~~flabbergasted~~
Wise Snake stares at Nick with her mouth hanging open.
Nick: Or even Uncle Seegis, though what anyone could see in him is beyond me.
Wise Snake looks even more flabbergasted if that is possible.
Wise Snake: WHAT are you TALKING about??!
Nick notices Snake gasted with flabbers.
Nick: ~~ confused ~~
Wise Snake: I'm talking about this. [points to the medical satchel]
Nick: Oh.
Nick: Well, you said yourself that you probably used all the missing items yourself.
Wise Snake: The legit ones, yes.
Nick: And that's what they were there for, isn't it?
Wise Snake: Yes. But that's not what concerns me at the moment.
Nick is even more confused, if possible.
Nick: I thought what you were worried about was replacing the Farris medkit?
Wise Snake clutches her head and sags against the table.
Wise Snake: Never mind... just... forget it.
Nick: Here, let me work on that headache.
Wise Snake: No! Just....
Wise Snake tries to fend him off.
Wise Snake: You're going to make me crazy.
Nick goes over to Snake and puts one hand on her forehead and the other on the back of her neck.
Nick: Just relax for a moment and let me work.
Nick: ~~ cool dark room ~~
Nick: ~~ soothing ~~
Wise Snake wilts against the table.
Nick is getting pretty good at handling reptilian headaches, since he's had so much practice.
Wise Snake: Nick... can you just do me a favor and not keep things out of the satchel?
Wise Snake: [says this with her eyes close and face pressed against the table]
Nick: What?
Nick: [absentmindedly as he concentrates on his work.]
Wise Snake: You can't know what I'm feeling, what I require from the satchel. I have to know what I want is inside there, I can't be surprised.
Nick: Do you want me to try requisitioning you a Farris medkit the next time we're in a town with a large Sime Center?
Nick: Or we could send Eliza.
Wise Snake's tentacles curl in frustration.
Nick: Don't do that. Relax.
Wise Snake: Nick, if a person can't trust her Companion, who can she trust?
Nick: ~~ relax ~~
Wise Snake relaxes since Nick has a lock on her nager.
Axe and the missus get out of the wagon in front of the little house.
Axe: To think that our boy is in there!
Picc wrings her hands together.
Picc: Oh do you think he will be pleased to see us?!
Nick wonders why Snake is suddenly talking about trust.
Nick: You can trust me, Snake. After all, I spent 5 days chasing you down.
Wise Snake: Trust you? I can't even make you understand me and this is important.
Wise Snake's voice is still frustrated though her body has relaxed.
Nick: I understand perfectly. We've got to get replacement Farris meds from somewhere.
Axe: There there dear, of course he will!
Wise Snake: I'm not talking about the Farris meds!
Wise Snake: I'm talking about the others.
Nick: You're not?
Nick: ~~ astonished ~~
Wise Snake: I'm talking about the... the... others.
Nick: What others?
Wise Snake pushes herself up from the table.
Wise Snake: These. These, these, and these.
Wise Snake shows him the things she has hidden in her pockets.
Nick makes a mental note to be more watchful for sleight-of-tentacle from Snake.
Nick: How did those get into your pockets?
Wise Snake: Never mind that.
Axe leads the way up to the door.
Wise Snake: What I'm asking is if you could please stop hiding these from me.
Wise Snake: I really have to know where they are, both for my use and for my state of mind.
Picc follows him nervously.
Axe hesitates then pounds on the door.
Wise Snake jumps so violently that pills fly all over the room.
Wise Snake: Shen!
Wise Snake: ~~argh~~
Nick winces as the meds go flying.
Picc: Oh I do so hope he is there!
Wise Snake starts scrambling about on the floor trying to find them all.
Nick: Could it be a medical emergency?
Nick collars pills with brisk efficiency.
Wise Snake [clutching her heart as she does so] It shenned near was.
Wise Snake: Hey... give me those.
Wise Snake tries to take the ones Nick already snatched.
Wise Snake: Go get the door.
Axe pounds on the door again.
Wise Snake: I'll handle these.
Picc: No one's home. Let's go!
Picc turns back towards the steps.
Nick hands Snake the pills, content to know that they total no more than two doses of any one pill, which isn't enough to get the police seriously interested.
Nick goes and opens the door.
Nick: Yes?
Axe: Hello is Nick... Nick? Son!!!!!
Nick tries to look very Donorlike just in case it's work.
Axe throws his arms around his boy.
Nick: Oooof!
Nick: Dad, what are you doing here?
Wise Snake gropes under the bed, thinking that Nick really should be doing this since he has such a lint fetish these days.
Picc: Oh! Oh! Is that really my little Nickiewhicky?
Picc pats any bits left over.
Nick winces.
Nick: Not so little any more, Mom.
Axe pounds Nick on the back.
Axe: Son! It's so good to see you!
Wise Snake finds the rest of the pills, scrambles up and sets the medical satchel back to rights.
Axe: We heard you were here! So close! We had to come see you for ourselves.
Nick: ~~ ooooof oooof ooooof ~~
Nick: You heard?
Nick mentally curses Seegis.
Picc: Oh Nick, Nick! Are you all right? Are you looking after yourself? Are you eating properly? Oh my, those pants are so tight! Don't you have clothes that fit?
Picc: ~ worry worry, fret fret ~
Nick: My pants fit perfectly.
Axe: So boy, aren't you going to invite us in?
Wise Snake puts it over her shoulder, not before gulping a couple of tranquilizers and a couple of painkillers, and goes to join Nick at the site of what seems to be a major medical emergency [at least judging from the pain in Nick's nager]
Axe releases him.
Wise Snake arrives panting at the door, hair in disarray.
Nick: Err....
Wise Snake: I came as soon as I could... what are you doing to my Companion!!
Axe: Oh, so this is the little girl who finally caught my son!
Axe grabs Snake in a bear hug.
Axe: A daughter at last!
Wise Snake: Aghhh!!!
Picc bursts into tears.
Wise Snake shoves Axe firmly away.
Picc: Oh Nick! Couldn't you have told us?
Picc looks for signs of pregnancy.
Nick: Mother, it's not like we were getting married or something.
Wise Snake: Don't touch me!
Picc thinks she looks like a tramp.
Picc: Well! Really!
Wise Snake: ~~outraged~~
Picc thinks that that confirms it.
Wise Snake: Nick, do you know these people?
Wise Snake brushes herself off and inspects her arms.
Nick: I used to think I did.
Nick: They're my parents.
Axe: We can talk about that later, Picc. What's important now is seeing Nick after all.
Wise Snake stares at Nick, then the two strangers.
Wise Snake: Your parents?!
Axe looks at Snake with a hurt expression.
Wise Snake: ~surprise~
Nick: I'm afraid so.
Wise Snake: Why didn't you say so?
Axe: How has our boy been?
Axe: Treating you right? You been looking after him?
Picc thinks that they both look like they need looking after better.
Wise Snake's expression miraculously changes from rabid-weasel to cute-inquiring-bunny.
Wise Snake: Of course.
Wise Snake's reaction had less to do with learning their identities than to do with the pills kicking in, but the timing was fortunate.
Wise Snake: Please. Come in.
Nick looks at Snake, a bit alarmed.
Axe smiles at her, realising that he must have scared the little thing, grabbing her like that.
Axe punches Nick on the arm as he goes by.
Nick hasn't seen Snake look so harmless since the incident of the 3 horse tranquilizers.
Wise Snake looks pretty mellow.
Axe: You weasel you, got a live one there don't you?
Nick: Umm....
Picc doesn't trust her as far as she can throw her.
Nick: Well, some people have compared Snake to a weasel.
Axe bursts out laughing.
Wise Snake is evidently very mellow, for she fails to bridle at the mention of the hated comparison.
Nick personally thinks she usually looks more like an enraged stoat.
Wise Snake beams.
Nick makes a mental note to count the pills tonight.
Axe: So, tell us what you pair have been up to?
Wise Snake: Please, sit down.
Nick: We plead the fifth.
Picc is outraged to see that the house is spotlessly clean so she has nothing to complain about.
Wise Snake offers them seats in the Plenstons' sadly over-used living room.
Wise Snake: Well, we have been travelling.
Axe: The fifth? The fifth what?
Axe: ~ curious ~
Nick: Our right not to incriminate ourselves.
Wise Snake: We met in Bender Cove, then left when a gang of international terrorists tried to murder me and everybody I knew.
Axe: Ah yes! Last we knew we had packed Nicky boy there off for Donor training. What happened there boy? Couldn't hack it?
Nick looks just a bit haughty.
Picc screeches.
Axe's mouth drops open and stays there.
Wise Snake: Then we were on the run from the law, so... oh, Donor camp? Well, I didn't really know him back then... heard it was a bust though.
Nick: Hajene Snake seems content with my services.
Picc: What!?
Axe: What?!
Nick shoots Snake a "shut up" signal.
Axe: Who seems content with your what?
Wise Snake looks at Nick in mild exasperation.
Picc: Oh my baby! my baby! In with terrorists, murderers and thieves!
Nick: I'm her Companion.
Picc throws herself on him and smothers him with kisses.
Nick: Oooof!
Picc: You must come back home with us, away from this awful floozy!
Wise Snake: Well, to make a long story short, after rescuing a few hundred people from gangsters and certain death by killing and attrition in Vortez Lake, which I am sure you read about in the Tecton Star,
Wise Snake: Floozy!?
Nick: Mrglumlpff!
Wise Snake looks at Nick's mother who is climbing all over him and kissing him, then glances at Axe.
Axe: Now, now Picc, we musn't interfere with our children's lives.
Nick sees the bunny fading in favor of stoat.
Axe: No matter how much of a wreck they are making them.
Nick tries to push Picc away, as he struggles for air.
Axe looks extremely worried.
Wise Snake: I am not your child. [points out]
Axe: ~ extremely worried ~
Picc: Oh your mummy should never have let you go!
Picc: I should have keep her Nickywhicky with me!
Picc: ~ smothering ~
Wise Snake: Nickywhicky??
Nick is mortified.
Wise Snake feels stress trying to well up in her heart despite all the pills.
Wise Snake struggles for calm.
Picc has run her hand through Nickywhicky's hair so it all stands up.
Wise Snake: Ah... cute. Well.
Wise Snake: ~~breathe deeply~~
Axe: Nick, I'm prepared to help you out.
Wise Snake: Where was I?
Axe: There is always a place in the family business for people who don't mind travelling.
Nick manages to pull free and goes over to Snake, trying to hide behind her.
Axe: I'm sorry this Donor thing didn't work out, but dreams don't come true in the real world.
Wise Snake: Er... excuse me... what?
Picc looks hurt.
Wise Snake: Donor thing not work out?
Picc: ~ hurt ~
Wise Snake braces herself between Nick and his attackers.
Wise Snake: What do you mean, 'Donor thing not work out'?
Axe: Just because you couldn't make it with the Tecton doesn't mean you have to settle for second best.
Wise Snake: Second best?
Wise Snake: Second best?!
Nick thinks this hiding business might be more successful if he weren't twice Snake's size.
Wise Snake: What do you mean second best?
Axe: Obviously, living on the road, never knowing what will happen next.
Wise Snake: Who are you calling second b... oh.
Wise Snake nods.
Wise Snake: Right.
Nick: ~~ calm, soothing, agonized embarrassment ~~
Axe: You said it yourself sweetie, murderers, terrorists.
Wise Snake: Yeah well,
Wise Snake: We won't be doing this forever.
Wise Snake: I can have my pick of positions once I decide where I want to settle down.
Axe: Too right. Now I can't start you out at the top.
Wise Snake: Nick will be well provided for, don't you worry.
Axe: No favoritism, but it's a good steady job.
Axe: Oh?
Nick: Dad, I have a job.
Axe: And where were you planing to settle down? And what about this Hajene fella?
Axe looks Nick up and down.
Axe: Obviously he doesn't pay you enough!
Picc: Oh my baby boy!
Wise Snake: I haven't decided yet.
Nick: ~~ mortification ~~
Wise Snake: And since you asked, I am Hajene Wise Snake.
Wise Snake is rapidly losing her cool.
Axe: You aren't going to let this little girl support you are... you are?
Axe: Oh! I'm sorry Hajene. I didn't realise.
Axe joins his son in ~ mortification ~
Wise Snake desperately wants to get along with Nick's parents, since she has none of her own, but somehow this isn't going at all according to plan.
Wise Snake sweats in increasingly desperate attempt to stay calm.
Wise Snake: Spare me. Look... you two sit down okay? You've got him all freaked out.
Nick demonstrates the depth of his parents' misconceptions by offering Snake ~~ support ~~
Wise Snake manages to recover some dignity with Nick's support.
Axe sits back.
Axe: Now Picc, let's just hear what they have to say.
Nick decides to start with basic concepts.
Nick: Mom, Dad, I have a job.
Nick: Taking care of Snake here.
Wise Snake smoothes back her hair, giving her a semblance of civilization.
Axe nods encouragingly.
Axe: What does it pay?
Wise Snake: [this of course does nothing for her eyes, which sparkle eerily]
Nick wishes that Linn had managed to talk Snake into braiding up her hair this morning.
Nick: Dad!
Axe: Yes son?
Axe: Do you have a retirement plan? Insurance?
Axe: Health cov... well, I guess you have health coverage.
Axe: What about holidays?
Picc: And why didn't you write!
Nick sighs.
Nick: Look, I have a job, and I'm happy with it. That's all you really have to know.
Axe sighs in carbon copy of his son.
Wise Snake glances at Nick, then whispers something in his ear.
Axe: Very well then, please continue.
Wise Snake: [Nick... do they expect you to be sending money home?]
Nick strains to hear.
Picc glares at the floozy, whispering in public. Obviously no manners.
Nick: ~~ negation ~~
Wise Snake: Oh.
Axe: Go on, go on. Sorry to have interrupted.
Wise Snake does Picc the favor of not glaring back at her, as she isn't entirely oblivious to the effect her glare has on people.
Picc: ~ FLOOZY ~
Wise Snake had somehow envisioned Nick's parents as being more cultured and highbrow than this.
Wise Snake had though maybe diplomats, or Tecton couriers, or something.
Nick wonders what else he can tell his parents without giving them the wrong, that is to say, right, impression.
Wise Snake: I'm going to found a Householding. [spontaneously]
Nick thought Snake had given up that dream when she had to flee Bender Cove.
Nick: ~~ pride ~~
Axe: You are?
Picc: You are?
Wise Snake: Yes.
Nick: Of course she is. She's a Farris. They do things like that.
Axe: Where?
Wise Snake: Oh, I don't know, I'm still looking for the right location.
Wise Snake: Location is important, you know.
Wise Snake: [vaguely]
Axe: Oh.
Wise Snake, looking wild-haired and behaving vaguely, resembles a Farris more than ever at this moment.
Picc: when?
Wise Snake: Ah, well, I had hoped to begin this year, but there was a setback or two with the building I had purchased in Bender Cove, and so now it maybe a few months.
Axe: Bender Cove? You have a building in Bender Cove?
Wise Snake: Yes.
Wise Snake: I do not plan on using it now, however.
Nick watches in amazement as his parents appear to warm to Snake.
Axe: Hmmm, so it's just sitting empty?
Axe: ~ interest ~
Picc definitely isn't warming to her, the floozy.