Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #55: Hoons (8/6/98)
Boofay strolls through the crowd, wearing his TBT shirt and wearing a stupid grin.
Nick waits impatiently for Snake to get back from her errands.
Boofay starts to walk past Nick, then pauses as he recognizes the nager.
Boofay tries to decide whether greeting him is too much effort, then decides that the decisionmaking is more effort than simply saying hi.
Boofay: Hi Nick. [waves]
Nick does a doubletake.
Nick looks at Boofay for a moment before placing him.
Boofay: Remember me? Bender Cove Sime Center?
Nick: What are you doing here?
Boofay: Dude, how can you even? The concert. Who'd miss it?
Boofay grins.
Nick decides it's more tactful not to say that he would gladly miss it, if Snake didn't need the work.
Boofay: Where's Weasel-Woman?
Boofay zlins about for Snake.
Boofay makes it sound like a compliment, like "Super Man"
Nick: I was just wondering that myself.
Nick: Can you zlin her?
Boofay: No, but I can't zlin the end of my own [CENSORED] in this ambient.
Nick: Well, let's hope she can zlin me.
Boofay: Who couldn't? [zlins Nick again for emphasis]
Nick has no doubts about Snake's sensitivity; it's her pharmaceutical recreations which worry him.
Boofay: Hey man, I got to tell you, Buggfa's going to be doing autographs behind the Tecton booth for the next 10 minutes only. I have to hurry up.
Boofay could not ordinarily be persuaded to hurry, and indeed his concept of "hurrying" means taking less than 10 minutes to go about 200 yards.
Nick: Say, while you're having fun with your friends, pass the word that there's a channel making the rounds, who'll do healing, no questions asked.
Boofay: OK.
Boofay: Take it easy, man.
Nick: Sure, Boofay.
Boofay wanders off.
Nick scans the crowd once more, hoping to snag Snake and get her over to the autograph session.
Nick thinks it has possibilities: riots, injuries....
Nick has spent far too long living with a Farris channel on the verge of entran.
Bum Bum hurries past sans Companion.
Bum Bum stops when he sees Nick.
Bum Bum: Have you seen Linn?
Nick: Have I seen....
Nick: She was supposed to be with you!
Nick: How could you let her wander off in this crowd?
Nick: ~~ worry ~~
Bum Bum: Well, it wasn't on purpose!
Bum Bum: ~frustrated~
Nick glares at Bum Bum.
Bum Bum: I was busy with a customer, and she sort of turned green and ran off.
Nick: Why don't you tell me exactly what happened?
Bum Bum quails.
Nick: And what were you doing with this customer?
Bum Bum: Well... me and Zaya were chatting up this customer. Linn was fine. Then we got down to business, just when things were starting to get interesting, whoop! She runs.
Bum Bum: So I'm looking all over for her... meanwhile, the customer is like, "Hey man where'd you go!"
Bum Bum: So I have to give the customer what he wants, and by the time I'm done with him, Linn is nowhere to be seen.
Nick: Zaya?
Bum Bum: Zaya. Zaya, my business partner.
Nick: How long ago was this?
Bum Bum: Well, it took me maybe three minutes to finish up with the customer, and another five to make sure he and Zaya were well on their way. So... eight, nine minutes?
Bum Bum: She was running awful fast. [adds]
Bum Bum: I checked the bathroom first, I thought she'd just gone to freshen up or something. But no dice.
Bum Bum doesn't mention the havoc he'd wreaked barging into bathrooms zlinning people in the last 2 minutes.
Nick: Shen.
Bum Bum: You'd think the lady had never seen somebody being given head before.
Nick: Did it ever occur to you that she probably hasn't?
Bum Bum: Well, I figured those school teacher types are all perverts. I mean, you'd kinda have to be, to spend all that time surrounded by kids, wouldn't you?
Bum Bum hasn't had much experience with schools.
Nick groans.
Bum Bum: Well, she should have said something!
Nick: Linn? She hardly knows what the word means.
Bum Bum: [defensive]
Nick: Couldn't you zlin her getting upset?
Bum Bum: Not really. I guess she was hiding it.
Bum Bum: Either that or it happened all at once.
Nick: She shouldn't have been able to hide it from a channel.
Nick: Even one of your meager skills.
Bum Bum: She was just kinda drifting along, and then... yow! She just turned green, like pea soup, and took off.
Bum Bum: Sorta sent me a little shock too. The customer found it kinda titillating, but I thought it was a bit much.
Nick: Look, Bum Bum, as long as you're working with Linn, you're going to have to forgo some of your...more exotic....lines of work.
Nick: Save that for when you have Eliza.
Bum Bum looks uncomprehending.
Bum Bum: You mean... but that's really going to cramp my style. Linn is with me for hours at a time.
Nick: Live with it, or live without Linn.
Bum Bum thinks maybe he'd be better off working alone.
Nick: And I don't think that would make Snake very happy.
Bum Bum shifts uncomfortably and tries to figure out how he could protest this without Snake finding out about any of this.
Nick: She was rather excited when Linn expressed an interest in learning more about field control.
Bum Bum groans.
Bum Bum: Look... I should be able to do some of what I want, shouldn't I?
Bum Bum: I mean, I'm the channel. And she's a teacher... that should make her fast at learning right?
Nick: Do it when Linn's not on duty.
Bum Bum wilts.
Bum Bum: Right.
Nick: Now, I suggest you find her before she gets herself into trouble.
Bum Bum: Well, can you help me?
Bum Bum: I mean, look at all these people.
Nick: Teachers aren't very popular among Torn By Tentacles fans.
Bum Bum: Yeah, I heard a teacher gets mock killed during one of the songs, on stage.
Nick weighs his duty to wait for Snake, who's late, and the necessity to find Linn before she gets herself killed--for real.
Nick turns to Griff.
Nick: Kid, you wait here for Snake. When she shows up, tell her Linn's missing and Bum Bum and I are searching for her.
Nick turns back to Bum Bum.
Bum Bum looks significantly relieved.
Nick: All right, let's go looking.
Bum Bum: Great.
Bum Bum crowds closer to Nick, willing to let him be in charge.
Bum Bum: Where is Snake, anyway?
Bum Bum zlins about nervously.
Nick: She went on some errands.
Bum Bum: Where do you suggest we look?
Bum Bum tries to jump up to see over the heads of the crowd.
Bum Bum looks worried, although it's difficult to tell whether he's worried about Linn or his own skin.
Nick scans the crowd, looking for the most respectable group of people he can find.
Nick: Let's try the lunch tent over there.
Bum Bum: OK Nick.
Bum Bum: You know, there probably isn't any reason to mention this to Snake, is there?
Bum Bum: I mean, she has enough to worry about....
Bum Bum follows alongside Nick.
Linn sits against the wall of the lunch tent, sipping tea slowly to ease the cramps in her stomach.
Nick looks down at Bum Bum.
Nick: That depends.
Bum Bum looks alarmed.
Bum Bum: I have money, if that's what you....
Nick shakes his head.
Bum Bum figures any employee of Snake's could use the cash.
Bum Bum looks dismayed.
Bum Bum: Well, what does it depend on then?
Linn is still shaking..
Nick: It depends on your making absolutely sure that this sort of thing doesn't happen again.
Bum Bum zlins the outside of the tent, trying to determine if Linn is in there without actually having to push his way in.
Bum Bum: How can I control that? I was in the middle of delivering a transfer when she ran off.
Bum Bum: Hey... she's in there. [excited]
Linn is hardly aware of anything but the tea in her hands.
Bum Bum points at the blank side of the tent.
Nick: ~~ relief ~~
Nick has dealt with far too many missing people, lately.
Bum Bum: Can you tell her not to bug Snake about it?
Bum Bum hurries towards the door of the tent.
Nick: I suggest you apologize. [yelled after Bum Bum]
Bum Bum squeezes into the tent and starts making his way through toward where he zlinned Linn.
Nick returns to where Griff is waiting for Snake.
Bum Bum: Linn!
Linn is trying to shut out the crowd, with their filth, drugs, and TBT tees.
Bum Bum: Linn?
Bum Bum approaches her cautiously.
Bum Bum: Are you okay?
Linn blinks, and slowly looks up.
Linn: Bum Bum.
Linn: ~~ numb distress ~~
Bum Bum: What's the matter? What happened back there?
Bum Bum reaches for Linn's hands.
Linn clutches her tea harder, white-knuckled.
Linn: What happened?
Bum Bum settles for gripping her forearms lightly, since her hands seem to be otherwise occupied.
Bum Bum: Yes... what happened?
Linn: You were.... Zaya was...
Linn: And in public!
Bum Bum hadn't realized simply "being" in public was so shocking.
Bum Bum: Didn't you... didn't you follow what was going on there? I mean... you did realize Zaya was a prostitute, right?
Linn: She was?
Bum Bum: I mean, she is. She still is.
Bum Bum thinks, 'and she's probably collecting my fee right now, too.'
Linn: ~~ visceral distaste ~~
Bum Bum: Ah....
Bum Bum can see that this is going to be a problem.
Bum Bum: You don't like Zaya?
Bum Bum: Well, I can find another, if that's what you --
Linn: I don't want to work with a prostitute, helping her find customers.
Linn: Any prostitute.
Bum Bum: But it's just transfers, Linn.
Bum Bum: [pleading]
Bum Bum can't imagine a life of doing nothing but healing work... that would be like, well, like when he had to work for Snake at the Gen hospital.
Linn: That wasn't "just" a transfer.
Bum Bum: Well, I mean, a few variations... [sighs]
Bum Bum tries to figure out how you convince a Gen elementary-school teacher that she wants to spend a bunch of time hanging out with working hookers in a crowded, filthy outdoor concert audience.
Bum Bum: But just think how much you could learn about, er, math.
Bum Bum is grasping at straws here, but he knows Linn must be interested in math, since she is always scribbling on that notebook of hers.
Linn: I think your friend Zaya is quite capable of calculating her...fee...without my assistance.
Bum Bum: No no, that kind of math. [points at the notebook]
Linn looks at her notebook.
Linn: I don't see the connection.
Bum Bum doesn't either, but he presses onward nonetheless.
Bum Bum: I mean, each situation has its own equation, right?
Bum Bum: Or something?
Bum Bum: And when will you ever have an opportunity to zlin, ah, observe such a variety of situations?
Bum Bum should really leave this sort of conversation up to Snake.
Linn: I can do without observing Zaya's favorite variations.
Bum Bum: Oh. [shoulders slump]
Bum Bum massages Linn's arms with his tentacles as he tries to think of an argument with fewer holes, preferably one he knows enough about to use effectively.
Linn: Look, Bum Bum, if you really feel you have to work so... intimately... with prostitutes and their customers, I'll ask Snake if Griff or Eliza can help you instead.
Bum Bum looks alarmed.
Bum Bum: No! Nono... that shouldn't be necessary.
Bum Bum is beginning to comprehend just how devious Snake was being when she assigned this fiendishly delicate Donor to him.
Bum Bum looks dismayed.
Linn looks at the tentacles rubbing her arm, and tries not to think too much about Bum Bum being junct.
Bum Bum: In fact, if you could just avoid bringing this up to Snake at all, I'd really appreciate it.
Bum Bum slides his hands up toward Linn's to see if her fingers are loose enough now that he can remove that pesky tea cup.
Linn concentrates on preventing her nervousness from distorting her nager at a level perceptible to Bum Bum.
Bum Bum thinks Linn seems awfully distracted just now.
Bum Bum: Okay?
Bum Bum tries to meet her eyes, while prying at the tea cup.
Linn looks at Bum Bum, trying to gage his sincerity.
Bum Bum: ~~sincerely doesn't want her to talk to Snake... about anything~~
Bum Bum: I am sure I can find... something... else to do.
Linn decides Bum Bum really must be desperate for tea, and lets him take the cup.
Bum Bum sets the cup aside and grasps Linn's hands in his, entwining the tentacles about them.
Linn: Well, I suppose I can see how it goes.
Bum Bum: There's my girl.
Bum Bum: [encouragingly]
Bum Bum: Now, how about if we just forget about Zaya [suppresses a pang of regret] and just go for a walk? Or something?
Linn adds Bum Bum's grip on her to his reference to her as "his" girl, and doesn't like the sum.
Linn quickly does another sum.
Linn: ~~ neutrally supportive ~~
Linn: Very well.
Linn gets her her feet.
Bum Bum helps her up.
Bum Bum likes the support.
Bum Bum guesses he could do with less, or less pleasant, work if it gives him a better chance of finagling a long-time arrangement with Linn.
Bum Bum puts his disappointment about the work thing aside.
Linn is still under the impression that she is just doing a few temporary lessons with Bum Bum.
Wise Snake skitters through the crowd, carrying various bundles (and with bulging pockets) and muttering to herself.
Nick is getting increasingly worried at Snake's prolonged absence.
Gertie wanders through the crowd picking up bits of rubbish, examining them and putting some in her bag and discarding the rest.
Nick: ~~ paranoia ~~
Wise Snake appears in a gap in the crowd.
Gertie sees what looks like a coin and dashes forward to pick it up.
Nick: Snake!
Nick trips over Gertie in his rush to grab Snake before she can disappear again.
Gertie is an older, but probably not wiser, Gen woman who hasn't seen the inside of a bathroom for many months, possibly years.
Nick: Ooooffff!
Nick: ~~ banged elbow ~~
Gertie: Why don't you watch where you are going you stupid young idiot!
Nick: Sorry, sorry, I'll have a channel back to look at you in a moment...
Wise Snake is startled out of her very deep reverie by Nick's pain.
Nick jumps to his feet and runs after Snake.
Gertie picks herself (and the coin) up and rubs at her back where Nick kicked it during his trip.
Nick: Snake!
Wise Snake turns around.
Wise Snake: Nick?
Wise Snake: What's happened?
Gertie glares at Nick and then down at her bag which has spilt
Wise Snake zlins him.
Gertie quickly bends over and starts shoving things back in the bags.
Wise Snake: What did you do to your elbow?
Wise Snake: In the last 30 seconds?
Gertie: Don't know what the world is coming to!
Gertie: Young hoons all over the place
Wise Snake: Here... let me. [takes his elbow as she notes several renSimes in the vicinity rubbing their own elbows]
Gertie: Trippen over helpless old ladies!
Nick: Where the shen have you been for the past hour?
Gertie: Disterben the peace - that's what it is!
Wise Snake projects a healing field at the not-that-serious injury.
Gertie: Ought to be a law, no respect for age, no respect for wummen
Wise Snake pretends she didn't hear Nick.
Wise Snake: There you are, much better.
Wise Snake releases his elbow.
Gertie: Damn Simes all over the place. Last thing I need is to be kicked over and trampled to the ground!
Gertie does a quick check of the ground to make sure she hasn't missed anything.
Wise Snake looks around for the source of all this complaining, and spots Gertie some distance away.
Nick's immediate worry fades, as his annoyance at Snake for causing it increases.
Gertie: Didn't even stop to help an old lady pick up her belongens!
Gertie: Could be dead for all he cares.
Nick thinks Gertie has it about right.
Gertie: No manners, that's the problem.
Gertie: Don't teach em no manners these days.
Gertie: Not like when I was a girl.
Nick: I suppose she's all right? [to Snake}
Wise Snake: Who is that and why is her attention all over you?
Gertie: Youngens knew their place then all right!
Wise Snake starts in Gertie's direction.
Nick: I tripped over her.
Wise Snake zlins Gertie for a body part which might have caused Nick's elbow injury.
Gertie: Young hoons didn't go knocken old ladies over in my day!
Nick follows, not out of concern for Gertie, but because he doesn't want to let Snake get out of arm's reach.
Wise Snake: Hello. Do you require any assistance? [to Gertie]
Gertie: ~ sore back, sore joints, sore everything from age and living in the weather ~
Gertie peers myopically at Snake.
Gertie: Do I know you?
Gertie: Aren't you Mya's grand daughter? The one that went bad and ran off with that no good brush salesman?
Wise Snake: No, but I am a channel, and I might able to help you a little with your aches and pains.
Gertie: Ah channel? And who is he then? [points to Nick]
Nick sees business at hand, and drops into ~~ support ~~
Nick: I'm her Companion.
Gertie: You're a hoon that's what you are.
Wise Snake: Oh... he's nobo--- er, yes, my Companion.
Gertie: No care for the aged.
Wise Snake: I'm terribly sorry if there has been any inconvenience.
Gertie: Trip over a folk as soon as look at em!
Gertie: Inconvenience!
Gertie: Let me tell you about inconvenience.
Gertie: A Channel you say?
Wise Snake: Slightly before looking at them, I rather suspect... er....
Wise Snake: Yes, I am a channel.
Wise Snake wonders if she could slip away without Gertie noticing.
Gertie: Hmmm, you could do me a service at that.
Wise Snake: Great! Great. And what is that?
Gertie drops her nasty old woman pose and puts on the poor old lady pose.
Gertie: Oh dear, I'm so frightened.
Wise Snake does a double take at the change in nager.
Wise Snake: Er... you are?
Wise Snake: I mean, what of?
Gertie: All these people! So many Simes! And me with Selyn to burn....
Wise Snake: Do you want your field taken down?
Gertie: Would you mind terribly? It's such a long way to the Center.
Gertie: [back to her harsh tone] Center rates mind you!
Wise Snake: No probl-- er... oh?
Wise Snake: No, thanks.
Wise Snake: I can't buy selyn.
Nick adjusts his nager to block the surrounding fields during the negotiation.
Gertie: [poor little old lady] It would be such a goodness.
Gertie: Save me such a long trip.
Gertie: At my age [creaks a few joints unpleasantly] it's not easy.
Wise Snake thinks, unless she is impersonating a Tecton channel.
Gertie: You can't? Why not?
Wise Snake winces.
Gertie: Isn't that what you folks do?
Wise Snake: Yeah, but it's usually done at Sime Centers.
Gertie: Use to do it myself, every month, until the trip got too much for me/
Gertie: I thought you said you were a channel?
Gertie: ~ suspicious ~
Nick wonders how long it's going to take to deal with Gertie, and whether Buggfa Lube will still be signing autographs by then.
Wise Snake: Well, I am, but I can't just go emptying my wallet every time I try to go to a concert and someone comes along looking to get rid of some selyn.
Gertie: Oh deary deary me. I can't travel that far, not at my age! I guess I'll have to just risk it, risk being killed an turning some poor defenceless person junct.
Gertie: Who knows what might happen next time some hoon runs into me?
Wise Snake: Well I guess if a few coins are worth more to you than your life, then go right ahead.
Gertie sighs deeply.
Wise Snake: Personally I'd rather be low field.
Wise Snake: And I'd be glad to take your own field down, if you want it down.
Gertie: Oh my poor back. Done it an injury he did.
Wise Snake: Here, why don't you sit down for a moment?
Gertie: ~ in truth, her back does ache ~ [of course it probably would anyway]
Wise Snake looks around for somewhere for Gertie to sit.
Gertie: But don't you worry, you don't have time to help an poor old Gen like me.
Gertie: Not knowing where my next meal is coming from.
Gertie: Getting knocked over in large crowds.
Wise Snake thinks this woman's tale would surely touch her heart... if it had been back in Bender Cove.
Wise Snake thinks if she gave herself body-and-soul to every person who desperately needed help they'd met since they'd gone on the road, they'd still be stuck in Fum Buck.
Gertie allows a tear to run down her face, making interesting patterns in the dirt and wrinkles.
Gertie: My mother was a pen Gen, you know.
Wise Snake: Right.
Gertie: Generations drugged and killed.
Wise Snake snatches Gertie and takes down her field.
Gertie: Does anyone care what happens to an old lady?
Gertie doesn't shut up.
Gertie: My goodness girl, don't just go grabbing people like that.
Nick: There, now. You're lowfield, so you don't have to worry about the Simes.
Gertie: Give me a heart attack you almost did!
Wise Snake: Now stand still so I can take care of that back injury.
Gertie: ~ anger ~
Gertie: And what about my payment?
Wise Snake sticks her arm up the back of Gertie's shirt.
Nick: You can ask for it at the Tecton tent.
Gertie: You can't just take my selyn without my permission! Without paying for it!
Gertie stands up.
Nick is careful not to promise that it will be forthcoming.
Gertie: HELP HELP! POLICE POLICE!
Gertie: I've been ROBBED!
Gertie: Someone HELP a poor old lady!
Gertie: Help! Help! FIRE! RAPE!!!!!
Wise Snake sighs and lets Gertie go.
Gertie: ~~ HELP ~~
Wise Snake: Well, if you want that back taken care of later, let me know.
Gertie grabs hold of Snake's arm.
Gertie: You aren't going anywhere! We will let the police see about this!
Gertie: You can't just go around stealing someone's selyn!!!!!
Wise Snake: Hey. Be careful there.
Gertie: THIEF THIEF!!!!
Griff draws near, having followed the screams in hopes of seeing something really ooky.
Nick decides to take matters into his own hands.
A Crowd gathers around and starts to mutter angrily
Nick is glad that the surrounding Torn By Tentacles fans are all stoned out of their minds.
Wise Snake prudently alters her nager to zlin like a renSime about 5 days past turnover.
A Voice from the crowd yells out "what are you doing to that lady?"
Gertie grabs Snake's bag with her other hand.
Nick detaches Gertie's hand from Snake's.
Wise Snake slaps Gertie's hand away from the satchel.
Nick: Just showing her something really cosmic, man.
Gertie: You pay me, you hear? You got money in there? You can't go around stealing people's selyn!
Nick: Hey, did you all know that Buggfa Lube is signing autographs over by the stage?
Gertie holds her hand an moans.
Gertie: Theft AND assault!
Gertie: You'll go to hell for this!
Nick: The cosmic Man himself?
Wise Snake: I'll go where?
Wise Snake: [confused]
Gertie sits down and gathers together her bags.
Nick has picked up some of the local dialect over the past hours.
Nick: Try this way.
Nick takes Snake's hand and gets her and Griff moving.
The Crowd all head over to the stage in quick time
Nick breaths a sigh of relief as they leave Gertie behind.
Nick looks sideways at Snake.
Wise Snake rubs her arm, checks the medical satchel, then runs a hand over her greasy mane.
Wise Snake acts like nothing special has just occurred (sort of like a cat that's just made a fool of itself)
Nick: How long until the concert starts?
Wise Snake thinks on the plus side, Nick has totally forgotten about the long errands.
Wise Snake: Couple of hours.
Nick: Shall we make our way over to the stage, and see how many fans have managed to trip over their own feet on the way to collect autographs?
Wise Snake: I thought that was going on behind the Tecton tent? At least it was when I left there.
Nick: Did you find a Farris medkit?
Wise Snake then realizes that just because the autographs are being signed behind the Tecton tent doesn't mean a bunch of people haven't hurt themselves rushing to the stage thinking they can get autographs there.
Wise Snake: Yeah... two actually.
Wise Snake grins mischievously.
Nick: Good. The way things have been going, we'll require them.
Wise Snake sobers.
Nick looks ahead as they near the stage, scanning for casualties.
Kcholch sways up to Nick and clings to his arm.
Kcholch: Heyyyyy buddy yoogoddany looooooooooods?
Nick looks to see what kind of leech had attached itself to him.
Kcholch is a leech of the adult Gen variety, unwashed.
Nick: No, but I hear there's a really cosmic scene over there by the fountain.
Nick points.
Kcholch: Fountain?
Kcholch turns his whole body in that direction, trying to see what Nick is pointing at.
Nick: Well, there isn't any water in it at the moment.
Kcholch lets go of Nick and lurches off in that direction.
Nick thinks he's getting pretty good at getting TBT fans to do what he wants.
Wise Snake: Aren't you going to congratulate me?
Nick: On the success of your mission? Yes.
Nick: Although you took about three years off my life, being so late.
Wise Snake: No, not that. Although that deserves congratulations too.
Wise Snake: Haven't you noticed I haven't given away free selyn, or paid for selyn, or gone way out on a limb for somebody I'm never going to see in my life, even once in the last 12 hours?
Wise Snake considers this a personal record.
Nick: Well, some channels would consider healing that kid who fell in the campfire "going out on a limb", particularly in the middle of a crowd.
Nick: However, that's a minor point.
Wise Snake: Well he wasn't still in the fire when I healed him.
Nick: True.
Wise Snake: But the point is, in the last 12 hours, I've had a positive cash flow unsupported by pick pocketing or drawer-heisting for the first time since we left Bender Cove.
Ankara waits in line for her autograph, clutching a tattered poster of Buggfa Lube.
Wise Snake leaves out the fact that a number of lucrative sales conducted during the earlier "errands" were partially responsible.
Nick: If you can keep that up, we'll be able to afford a hotel tonight.
Nick: Linn would appreciate that.
Ankara wants more than anything to be like her hero.
Nick: She likes baths.
Ankara is at a fever pitch of excitement as she draws near the front of the line.
Buggfa is about to die of boredom, but like all performers has learned to project a semblance of enthusiasm.
Buggfa: ~~I'm having a great time!!~~
Buggfa: Yeah? Yeah? Oh. OK. [signs the booklet "To Foogemeister: BUGGFA LUBE"]
Buggfa: Next.
Wise Snake: A hotel? Wh-- [thinks the better of asking why]
Wise Snake: Er, sure.
Ankara's mouth is open with awe as she holds her poster out to Buggfa.
Wise Snake adds blackmailing, extorting, or strong-arming her way into one of the town's overstuffed hotels tonight onto her list of things to do.
Ankara: I'm Ankara. Did you really get burned by a Sime?
Buggfa: Yeah.
Buggfa takes the poster.
Buggfa: What's your name, kid?
Ankara: Cosmic!
Buggfa: ~~wow... this is great!~~
Ankara: Ankara. With three "a"s.
Ankara: I want to be just like you!
Buggfa: Oh?
Buggfa signs the poster: "To Ankara: BUGGFA LUBE"
Buggfa: Here you go, kid.
Ankara: Yes. My boyfriend found a channel who does..."special donations".
Buggfa: Oh really?
Buggfa thinks, 'this guy must be some kind of an idiot.'
Buggfa: ~~interested~~
Buggfa: Well, good luck to you then.
Ankara: Yeah. He and his friends took up a collection to hire her for me during the concert!
Buggfa tries to see just how many people are still in line....trouble is, he can't see all the way to the end of the line.
Buggfa sighs.
Buggfa: Really?
Buggfa: You know, taking donations from unauthorized Simes can be dangerous or fatal.
Buggfa is required to say this by the management company.
Ankara shrugs.
Ankara: She's supposed to be a channel.
Buggfa: [also by the terms of his release from his prison term... 2000 hours of community service and he has to mumble something about danger and fatality to every starry-eyed kid who crosses his table]
Ankara: And you only live once, right?
Buggfa: That's true. Once is all you get. Think about that.
Ankara is a bit unclear on this, thanks to frequent overdoses of honeybee.
Buggfa: Next!
Buggfa: [hopefully]
Ankara finds herself shouldered aside.
Ankara wanders off, clutching her poster to her underdeveloped chest.
Vaad grins as he thrusts a copy of "TORN BY TENTACLES: THE LEGEND" at Buggfa, steadying it with his tentacles.
Buggfa: ~~delight~~
Buggfa thinks, 'ugh'.
Buggfa: Hello. What's your name?
Vaad: Hey, this is a cosmic scene, man.
Buggfa: Oh... uh-huh, yeah.
Vaad: Vaad, man.
Buggfa takes it and finds a relatively clean space to write.
Vaad: I wanna zlin the burn tonight.
Buggfa: Oh....
Vaad imagines Buggfa's nager burning.
Buggfa writes: "To Vaad: Zlin the Burn! --BUGGFA LUBE"
Buggfa wonders if ennui has ever killed anyone... or would that be called murder?
Buggfa: Thanks Vaad. You have a great time.
Vaad lets a tentacle reach out and stroke Buggfa's arm lingeringly.
Vaad: Any time you want to try it....
Vaad: Any time you want to try it...
Buggfa's neck hair stands up on end.
Buggfa: ~~been there done that~~
Buggfa: [yikes!]
Vaad's laterals peek out at the interesting alarm.
Vaad: Yeah!
Vaad moves closer.
Vaad: Cosmic!
Buggfa: Next!!
Buggfa: ~~this isn't happening~~
Buggfa's arm hair stands up as well.
Vaad is hyperconscious, unable to hear Buggfa's directions.
Buggfa wonders if the next person in line is deaf.
Buggfa: NEXT!
Buggfa hopes it's a renSime who can push Vaad out of the way.
Vaad grunts as three very large Gens break his concentration and toss him to the ground.
Buggfa decides he's had enough.
Buggfa: No more autographs!
Buggfa jumps up and darts behind the guards as they close in to block off the table.
Buggfa allows the crew to whisk him away, but can't shake the tingly fearful feeling.
Vaad screams as he's trampled by disappointed fans chasing after Buggfa and his security guards.
Wise Snake and Nick lurk like vultures until the stampede is done, then swoop down upon the fallen renSime.