Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #75: Divided (9/5/98)
Nully walks over to where Snake is fiddling with the medicine bag beside the fire.
Nully: Hajene, you gotta talk to Neffy! She won't do as she is told!
Wise Snake jumps guiltily.
Neffy storms over behind him.
Wise Snake: Er... oh, Nully, it's you.
Neffy: He is a bully and I don't hafta!
Nully: Yes you do! I'm the Sime and I'm a boy and I'm bigger then you!
Wise Snake checks Nick's sleeping nager then downs the pills and closes the satchel.
Wise Snake sighs and regards them patiently.
Neffy: Well, Eliza said that Gens don't have to do whatever they don't want to!
Nully: Do to!
Neffy: Do not!
Wise Snake feels much more patient as the seconds pass and the tranquilizer takes effect.
Nully glares.
Neffy glares back.
Wise Snake watches them curiously, if detachedly.
Neffy's glare has a definite nageric feel to it.
Wise Snake thinks that Neffy's nager would be really uncomfortable if everything wasn't so OK right now.
Nully: Mum always said that Gens should be seen and not heard!
Neffy: Yeah? You go tell that to Eliza! Dare ya!
Neffy looks gleeful.
Wise Snake: Now, now.
Wise Snake: Both of you, sit down here beside me.
Wise Snake takes Neffy and Nully's hands and pulls them down to sit one on each side of her.
Nully sits on one side of her and Neffy on the other.
Wise Snake: I want to tell you something. A story.
Wise Snake: My mother told this to my brother when he was a little child, and then much later he told it to me.
Wise Snake: Once upon a time, long ago... and I mean really long ago. So long ago the Ancients were still the gods of the world and people flew through the air on metal wings.
Neffy sits with her mouth open
Wise Snake: There were two kids... twins.
Wise Snake: Jenny and Simeon.
Nully: Like us?
Wise Snake: Yeah... a lot like you.
Wise Snake: Only the thing was, they would always be the same. Because they were Ancients. Everybody was.
Neffy: Shussh - don't interrupt!
Wise Snake: Now, when these two were born, they were given a special gift... some say by God, others say it was simple accident.
Wise Snake: The gift of being twins.
Neffy makes a rude noise.
Wise Snake: In all this great world... and back then, the world was filled with people, so many you could go for days seeing thousands and never see another person you knew - this was a very special gift.
Nully: Now who's interrupting?
Wise Snake, thanks to the tranquilizer, hasn't slapped anybody yet.
Wise Snake has, in fact, not slapped anybody in at least a half hour.
Wise Snake thinks she's doing pretty good under the circumstances.
Wise Snake: Anyway....
Wise Snake: These two children didn't care that they'd been given this perfect gift, this birth-bond.
Wise Snake: They decided they didn't like each other and would always fight.
Wise Snake: In fact, they'd always argued a little bit.
Nully nods.
Wise Snake: It started out as bickering and punching and sometimes somebody would start crying.
Neffy nods too - in perfect agreement for once.
Wise Snake: Then as they got older, as they became adults, they learned to say cutting, powerful words that made enemies of each other.
Wise Snake: Each time one scored, the other would lash back, until there was no hope of ever making peace.
Wise Snake: Now, the people around them were divided. Some of them believed Jenny was right, others sided with Simeon.
Wise Snake: Who knows which of them was really better than the other? Maybe neither.
Nully: Simeon?
Nully: But he wasn't Sime?
Wise Snake: No. Nobody had even heard of Simes back then.
Wise Snake: In Ancient times, everybody was... nothing. Not a Sime or a Gen.
Neffy: She already said that they were Ancients you idiot!
Wise Snake thinks she may be corrupting whatever beliefs these kids' mother tried to instill in them... thinks 'so sue me'.
Wise Snake: Now, when they were just kids, and the other kids picked sides, there would be fights. Bloody noses, cut lips.
Wise Snake: Then people's parents would get into fights.
Wise Snake: The fighting between the twins spread to all those around them.
Neffy nods. "They told us about that at school. But he probably wasn't listening."
Nully glares at Neffy.
Neffy: So what happened then?
Wise Snake counts to eighteen.
Wise Snake takes a deep breath, then starts rummaging in the satchel again.
Wise Snake: Curse Nick and his rationing. [under her breath]
Wise Snake: Ah. So, [gulps some substitute pills to the ones she really wanted]
Wise Snake: But as they grew older, the consequences became more and more terrible.
Wise Snake: When they became old enough to work, they went to work in rival companies.
Wise Snake: When they became old enough to vote, they voted for rival politicians.
Wise Snake: When they became active in the community, they supported opposing efforts.
Wise Snake: Even in church... even there, the people were divided.
Wise Snake: Pretty soon, the bad feelings had totally ruined their congregation.
Wise Snake: People split off and pretty soon their church had to shut down.
Wise Snake: Well, I could go on forever describing what the effects of this was.
Wise Snake: But I think you get the picture.
Wise Snake: What they were doing was destructive.
Wise Snake: And yet, nobody seemed able to stop it. It too late.
Wise Snake: It was too many years of hatred, too many years of bitterness.
Nully: Why didn't they just move to different towns?
Wise Snake: Back then, there was only one town. The whole world had become a single city.
Wise Snake: You could travel thousands of miles in only hours.
Wise Snake: You could talk to someone on the other side of the world instantaneously.
Wise Snake: There was no "other town".
Nully: Wow!
Wise Snake: Now, I'll tell you something. This story has two different endings. One that my mother told my brother, and another one I've heard more recently.
Neffy is all ears.
Wise Snake: Some say that it was God who blessed their mother with twins, and gave to them each other for lifelong companionship.
Wise Snake: And that they committed a sin against God and nature when they turned their birth bond into a feud.
Wise Snake: And that when the church was abandoned, God struck them with a curse, the curse of Simehood and Genhood, which then spread to the rest of humanity.
Neffy: OH!!!
Wise Snake: Leading to the destruction of the Ancients, and the ruination of their great city and their flying wings.
Nully: Is that true?
Wise Snake: Maybe, maybe not. I have heard another version also.
Neffy: It's a story you moron - she said that.
Neffy: What's the other version?
Wise Snake: In the other version, their hate grows so passionate - because they never tried to control it - that one day Simeon stabbed Jenny and from the blood of her fallen body sprang the first Sime and Gen.
Wise Snake: Born out of death... Sime from Gen divided.
Neffy: Ewwww.
Neffy: I like the first one better.
Nully looks thoughtful.
Wise Snake: Let me tell you. You do have a precious gift.
Wise Snake: Not only are you they only people each other knows in the whole world right now, but you are also transfer partners.
Neffy looks at Nully and wonders if she can get an exchange.
Wise Snake: Do you have any idea how rare it is for a Gen to survive trying to serve a renSime's first need?
Wise Snake: Appallingly low.
Wise Snake: You could easily have been killed, Neffy. And you, Nully, would be junct.
Wise Snake: You were given a gift. Whether by divine intervention or by blind, raw, dumbass luck, you were gifted.
Wise Snake: Are you going to be stupid enough to wreck that now?
Nully: I wouldn't have killed her [protests]. I might talk tough, but I really wouldn't hurt her.
Wise Snake: No! [angrily to Nully] You would have killed her in First Need.
Wise Snake: You're a renSime, you have no control. She was helpless before your need.
Neffy: I don't really hate him you know.
Neffy: It's just that he gets so bossy at times!
Wise Snake: Remember how it started for the two in the story? Always bickering.
Wise Snake: I haven't heard anything but whining and fighting out of the two of you since we picked you up.
Nully: Yeah yeah, I get it.
Wise Snake: If you aren't getting along by the time Nully's next transfer comes along, it'll be a bad transfer and then he'll be a real jerk next month.
Wise Snake: And feel miserable besides.
Nully has the grace to look embarrassed.
Nully: I'm sorry if I'm bossy, Neffy. But you go out of your way to annoy me!
Neffy: I don't mean to!
Neffy: I'll try to be less annoying if you stop trying to tell me what to do all the time, how's that?
Wise Snake massages her forehead and checks to see if there are any head ache pills.
Wise Snake thinks everything will be so much less stressful once they reach the Householding.
Wise Snake fantasizes about dropping off the kids then enjoying maybe 2 or 3 days of rest in an idyllic farming community, then moving on.
Nully: Yeah, okay.
Wise Snake puts down the medical satchel and starts pawing through Nick's pockets looking for the head ache stuff.
Eliza: I have some food cooked. Would you like to come over and join us Snake? Or would you like me to bring you some. Kids, go help yourselves.
Wise Snake jumps guiltily.
Wise Snake: Er, yes, of course, I'll be right over.
Nully jumps to his feet.
Nully: Come on Neffy, growing Gens have to eat!
Nully helps Neffy up.
Eliza frowns at Snake's slightly glazed expression.
Eliza: Are you all right, Snake?
Wise Snake: Ah yes, I was just [as soon as the kids are out of earshot] trying to cut down on the childhood squabbles.
Neffy goes happily with Nully.
Wise Snake: I told them the old Jenny and Simeon story.
Eliza: What old Jenny and Simeon story?
Eliza: ~ curious ~
Wise Snake: Ah, twin Ancients with a lifelong feud who brought the curse of Sime and Gen division down upon humanity.
Wise Snake: A great lesson in getting along with one's siblings.
Eliza: They did?
Wise Snake: Well, according to the story.
Wise Snake: You've never heard it?
Wise Snake casually finishes pilfering Nick's pockets.
Eliza: No, never.
Eliza: Snake, do you really think you should take those?
Eliza considers waking Nick up for dinner.
Wise Snake: If you could feel my head right now, you wouldn't ask that.
Eliza: ~ concern ~ Is there anything I can do to help?
Wise Snake has a couple of head ache pills and puts the rest in her pocket.
Eliza: Maybe you should wake Nick up.
Wise Snake gets up.
Wise Snake: No, no, he requires his rest.
Wise Snake: I'll come eat with you.
Eliza: ~ doubtful ~
Eliza: Well, all right.
Eliza waits for Snake to get up and heads back over to where Tanzarra is feeding Griff and the kids.
Wise Snake follows Eliza.
Eliza: Got some left for Snake, Zarra?
Eliza takes the plate that Tanzarra passes her and hands it onto Snake.
Wise Snake: Thank you.
Wise Snake inspects the food automatically for non-Farris safe items.
Wise Snake pokes them over to the edge of the plate and picks out the goodies.
Eliza: It's beans, there are mug beans, chick beans, kidney beans, navy beans, snake beans and king beans.
Eliza: We had some red beans but Pumpkin ate them.
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Wise Snake eats the safe ones.
Eliza: Don't you like those others?
Wise Snake: I'm allergic to those.
Wise Snake: I'm allergic to many things.
Wise Snake is lucky in that she has a legitimate excuse to toy with, and pick at, her food the way all Simes want to do.
Eliza: I never thought of that. ~ shame ~
Eliza: If you tell me what you can eat, I'll make sure that we only get that.
Wise Snake: Linn has the list memorized, why don't you check with her? Or Nick.
Wise Snake is not optimistic that the entire party will be able to tolerate Snake's limited diet.
Eliza: Linn and Bumanuel have wandered off again.
Wise Snake: Ah, yes.
Wise Snake: Good.
Eliza takes a plate of beans from Tanzarra and starts on them.
Neffy and Nully have gone over to eat and discuss what Snake told them.
Wise Snake: As long as he's pre-turnover, that's all for the better.
Wise Snake: The stronger the bond they have, the less chance Linn will screw up her big chance.
Wise Snake: And Bum Bum's big chance. [adds, after a pause]
Eliza: Are you going to let her give him transfer next time?
Wise Snake: Not next time. But perhaps the following month. If she does as well this time as before.
Eliza: Am I going to give him transfer next month then? Or am I going to give Tanzarra transfer?
Wise Snake: You won't give Bum Bum transfer this month, you've already had him twice in a row.
Eliza: ~ confused ~ What difference does that make?
Wise Snake: I thought you learned that lesson with Mostan.
Wise Snake pushes the offending beans off onto Eliza's plate.
Wise Snake: At any rate, you're not.
Eliza looks at the extra beans her plate suddenly grew and wonders if she can fit them in or not.
Wise Snake: As far as Tanzarra goes, her situation isn't anywhere near as delicate as I originally believed, but still it will be a matter of time.
Eliza decides that she can.
Eliza dreads next month with no transfer in sight.
Wise Snake: As you know, she has never had much luck taking Gen transfer and she still has trouble reconciling the difference between you and Soli.
Wise Snake: I would say that you'll be taking serving transfer to her someday.
Eliza looks in Tanzarra's direction (she has just moved out of hearing, but not out of zlinning, range to wash the pots).
Wise Snake: I think she'll live through this and, with your help, stabilize mentally.
Eliza sighs.
Wise Snake: And if you spend enough time together, eventually whatever part of her has to cling to Soli now will find its home in you.
Wise Snake thinks that's a nasty image but figures Eliza will take it in the spirit it was intended.
Eliza feels a brief yearning for Mostan and quickly packs it away in the back of her mind.
Eliza: ~ pine ~
Wise Snake: I know it's hard, Eliza, but you have to give Tanzarra some time.
Wise Snake: Soli may not have been her matchmate, but she was her best friend.
Wise Snake: She's only been dead a short time.
Wise Snake: It takes time for people to heal.
Wise Snake: You were fortunate that you were strong enough to make the transition after John's death, but Tanzarra isn't as strong as you are.
Eliza: Errr, yes. ~ blush ~
Eliza: We seem to be getting on fine.
Eliza: She seems nice, a bit quiet at times.
Wise Snake zlins Eliza's embarrassment but can't interpret it.
Wise Snake: Er... good, good. ~puzzled~
Eliza: But we are getting on OK.
Wise Snake: Great.
Wise Snake: I'm sure it will only be a matter of time, then.
Wise Snake nods.
Eliza stops talking about her as Tanzarra comes back into hearing range.
Tanzarra finishes cleaning up and goes to join the others.
Wise Snake, who has never been bothered by social niceties, looks up as Tanzarra approaches.
Wise Snake: I was just reassuring Eliza here that she is doing a great job and you are making great progress.
Eliza: ~ embarrassed ~
Tanzarra looks at Eliza as she zlins her embarrassment..
Eliza: Here Zarra, sit here. [pats the ground next to her]
Eliza feels guilty that she doesn't feel closer to Tanzarra than she does.
Tanzarra: Oh, Yes. Eliza is doing a great job.
Tanzarra sits down next to Eliza.
Eliza resolves to try and do a better job - tomorrow.
Eliza: Thanks for dinner, Zarra.
Tanzarra: That's all right, I'm not the best cook in the world, but it does the trick.
Wise Snake is pleased that her head ache seems to be temporarily banished.
Eliza: It was very nice. [if you like beans]
Wise Snake thinks now if only entran had never been invented, everything would be perfect.
Eliza: ~ reassuring ~
Tanzarra smiles at Eliza, as you can't really go wrong with beans.
Eliza: I wonder when we will get to Naros.
Eliza thinks longingly of beds and showers.
Tanzarra: Yes. Snake, do have any idea of how much further it is?
Eliza: Do you think, if we get an early start, we could get there tomorrow? [to Snake]
Wise Snake: Well, it really depends on how many more peop... obstacles we run into on the way.
Tanzarra rests on Eliza's field.
Wise Snake: It's possible. [says just to make them feel better]
Tanzarra: It will be nice to stop for a while.
Eliza: You know what I'm going to do when we settle down?
Tanzarra: What?
Tanzarra: ~~ curious ~~
Eliza: Well first I'm going to have some ice cream - chocolate.
Eliza: Then I'm going to have a hot bath!
Eliza: Then I'm going to get into a real bed and not get out until I have to!
Tanzarra nods in agreement, especially the part about a hot bath.
Eliza hopes that they have good guest accommodation at Naros and that they can afford to stay a while.
Eliza yawns.
Eliza: I guess I should go to sleep.
Eliza: Just what do you Simes do while us Gens are asleep?
Eliza: ~ curious ~
Tanzarra: Well, that depends.
Eliza remembers Mytag saying that he did some of his best work while he was asleep and wonders again if he were joking.
Tanzarra looks to Snake and shrugs her shoulders.
Eliza resists the temptation to wave her hand in front of Snake's eyes.
Eliza: [whispers to Tanzarra] Is she OK? Should we wake Nick?
Wise Snake is in the stereotypical Farris-off-on-own-mental-tangent mode.
Wise Snake: [staring into space, semi-hyperconscious]
Tanzarra zlins Snake.
Tanzarra: She's all right. Just thinking about other things, I'd say.
Eliza gives into impulse and waves her hand in front of Snake's semi-open eyes.
Eliza gives her a slight nageric shove to see what will happen.
Tanzarra shifts as Eliza gives Snake the nageric shove.
Eliza: I'm sorry Zarra, did you feel that?
Eliza: ~ guilt ~
Tanzarra smiles.
Wise Snake starts.
Wise Snake: What!!
Tanzarra: Yes, but it's all right
Eliza: Tea, Snake?
Wise Snake looks at Eliza, wide-eyed.
Wise Snake: You did that to ask me if I wanted tea???
Tanzarra is actually tempted to laugh at Snake's reaction; Soli used to use the same methods to get her attention.
Tanzarra: Umm, I'd like some.
Eliza blushes, which can't been seen in the firelight but can probably be zlinned from Timbuktu.
Eliza: You were sort of zoned out.
Eliza starts to prepare some tea.
Tanzarra: A bit of daydreaming, Snake?
Wise Snake: Please be careful about engaging my nager without warning me.
Wise Snake moves slightly away from them.
Wise Snake: And yes, I'd like some tea. Thank you.
Eliza: How could I warn you? You were out of it. Anyway - it worked!
Wise Snake: Eliza, please - just do as I ask and respect my sensitivity, especially when I can't know you're coming.
Eliza pours two teas and hands it to them.
Tanzarra takes one of the cups.
Tanzarra didn't think it was that strong, but then she isn't a Farris First.
Wise Snake accepts the tea.
Wise Snake: Thank you, Eliza.
Eliza pours one for herself too.
Eliza: I was just asking what you do when us Gens are asleep.
Eliza: You don't sleep as much as we do, so what do you do with the time?
Tanzarra: Well, if there's a lot of paperwork to do, when I worked that is, I would do it then.
Wise Snake: I use my free time to do... errands, usually.
Wise Snake: There are a lot of little details important to the success of our journey and livelihood that don't really require everyone being there for.
Wise Snake thinks it's much easier to, say, heist a store for travel money, when she only has Bum Bum and Tanzarra to elude than the whole gaggle of them.
Eliza nods and yawns again.
Eliza: I'm sorry that I'm not around to help you more then.
Wise Snake also finds obtaining certain supplies and medicines much easier without a train of Companions following her.
Eliza yawns again.
Eliza: I'm sorry. I'm going to have to go have a sleep.
Tanzarra yawns despite not having felt tired a while ago.
Nully comes over and sits down.
Nully: Neffy has gone to bed.
Nully: Why do Gens have to sleep so much?
Eliza: ~ dissatisfaction ~
Wise Snake: Because she's manufacturing all the energy both you and she need to survive for a whole month.
Nully: Can't she do that while she is awake?
Nully: It's boring when she is asleep.
Wise Snake: She's working twice as hard as you, that's why she needs twice the sleep.
Nully: Oh. ~ still boring ~
Tanzarra: Oh?
Eliza: I'll go join her, I think.
Eliza gets to her feet and wanders over towards the blankets laid out for sleeping Gens.
Tanzarra: OK, I may come and have a nap soon myself.
Nully sighs deeply. "Well, what are we suppose to do while they are asleep?"
Wise Snake sips her tea.
Tanzarra feels suddenly like sleeping, and thinks she may just not fight it.
Eliza nods and waves goodnight.
Wise Snake looks at Nully, then goes over to her pack and pulls out a huge tome.
Wise Snake has been trying to get rid of this for days.
Tanzarra: Good night.
Wise Snake: Here... [hands to Nully the "Military and Social History of the Nivet and Norwest Territories"]
Wise Snake: This ought to keep you occupied.
Nully blushes in the firelight.
Nully: [very softly] I don't read very good.
Nully doesn't actually read at all.
Wise Snake: You're in First Year, Nully.
Nully: Neffy reads good though, I'll give it to her to read.
Tanzarra: Not now, you won't.
Wise Snake: Oh, no you don't.
Wise Snake: Look.
Wise Snake writes the alphabet in the front of the book (stealing the pencil off Linn's sleeping form)
Wise Snake: These make these sounds.
Wise Snake sounds out the letters.
Wise Snake: Now, start reading.
Wise Snake has no sympathy for First Year people who whine they don't know how to do something.
Nully looks at Snake in horror.
Nully: But I can't!
Nully: I've tried before.
Wise Snake: Yes, but you were just a dumb kid then. Now you're a smart First Year Sime who learns really fast.
Wise Snake thinks, relatively speaking anyway.
Wise Snake: Look at this: What does this say?
Wise Snake points at the title.
Wise Snake: Look at the letters, and sound them out one at a time.
Nully: Mmmmmmmmm il Mil iiiii t it Millit airy Millitary....
Nully: Military.
Nully: Hey!
Nully: It says Military.
Wise Snake smiles.
Wise Snake: See? If you keep doing that for a couple of hours you'll be reading as well as Neffy.
Tanzarra watches as Nully begins to learn.
Wise Snake: Maybe better.
Tanzarra: Well Nully, you'll have plenty to do now while Neffy sleeps.
Nully keeps sounding out the letters until he has the whole title.
Wise Snake is confident that Nully will find the dry, lecturing textbook fascinating, a victim of his First Year condition.
Nully: Military...and ..Socyial History of the Niv... Nivet and Norwest Ter Terit Territories
Wise Snake feels slightly guilty but then, how else will she manage to slip away to get her side business done for the night?
Wise Snake: Very good. ~approval~
Nully smiles up at her.
Nully opens the book and looks at the title page.
Nully: Hey, it says it again!
Tanzarra smiles.
Tanzarra: Yes, that's because it is the title.
Nully: They putt the title all over it?
Nully flicks through the book.
Nully: But the writing is so small!
Tanzarra: You should start from the beginning, don't go jumping around the book or you will not understand it.
Wise Snake slips off into the darkness, once their attentions have left her.
Nully returns to the front of the book.
Tanzarra can see that she is going to be sitting here for awhile watching over Nully as he gets into his reading.