Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #96: Strayed (9/29/98)
Dess trudges through the gates of Naros and looks around dully.
Dess is a very dusty, newly established Gen.
Dess is seeking for someone in authority.
Dess finds that now she's at her destination, she just wants to sit down and rest her aching feet.
Teschua sees Dess come in and stands there staring at the Gen, letting running water fill up the planter and start to overflow.
Teschua is a renSime maybe 15-20 years past changeover, wearing overalls, with light brown hair and gray eyes, carrying a hose.
Dess sees Teschua and trudges over.
Teschua sees what he's doing and screws the hose mouthpiece shut again.
Dess: Where can I find someone in charge?
Teschua: Can I help you... oh.
Teschua is flustered by Dess' direct approach.
Dess: ~~ exhaustion ~~
Teschua: Well, the Sectuib's house is right over there, or if you want to go to the Administrative building and talk to Wolfa... [points up the road]
Dess's head turns from one building to the other.
Dess: Oh.
Dess: Is the Sectuib home?
Teschua: I think so, yes.
Teschua at least knows that his neighbor Sollyo had just come back from yelling at the Sectuib there about an hour ago.
Dess: He might not want to deal with work when he's at home, though.
Dess finds this possibility depressing.
Dess has been finding a lot of things depressing, lately.
Teschua: Well, I mean if you go up to the door he's not going to turn you away.
Teschua finds this kid incredibly depressing for some reason.
Dess: Oh. Well, maybe I should try his house.
Teschua brightens.
Teschua: Good luck....
Dess perks up just a bit at the idea of finally being able to sit down.
Dess: Thanks.
Teschua waits until Dess is out of sight, then turns and runs off to tell everybody he knows that a stranger just came in the gate, etc.
Dess makes her way towards Riyyh's house, limping.
Dess rings the doorbell.
Riyyh winces as yet somebody else comes to the door.
Riyyh really wouldn't begrudge any member of his the chance to speak with him, but he is really starting to cringe at the idea of being yelled at.
Riyyh realizes that with Snake out of commission, he has no choice but to take everything head on, as it were.
Dess shuffles from foot to foot, trying to find a more comfortable way to stand.
Riyyh puts down his book and goes to the door to open it.
Riyyh: Yes... oh! [sees a stranger]
Riyyh: Hello.
Riyyh: I'm Sectuib Riyyh. Welcome to Householding Naros.
Dess looks at Riyyh.
Dess: My mother told me to come here.
Riyyh smiles gently at Dess.
Riyyh: Please, come in.
Dess shuffles inside, looking around.
Dess: This is nice.
Riyyh: Would you like to have a seat?
Riyyh gestures to the couch.
Riyyh: Some tea, perhaps? [zlins Dess] A sandwich?
Dess thinks sitting sounds just about perfect.
Dess: Thank you.
Dess limps over to the couch.
Dess: I haven't eaten since yesterday.
Riyyh disappears briefly into the kitchen.
Dess wiggles her toes, which are very pleased to have the weight removed.
Dess debates taking her shoes off entirely, but decides that would be impolite.
Riyyh returns a short time later with a cucumber sandwich, an apple, and a corner of cheese, as well as some bread and tea.
Dess's eyes light up at this bounty.
Riyyh: There isn't much here, [apologizes] but I can get you some more later.
Dess: This is wonderful. Thank you.
Dess was pretty much expecting to have to make do with porridge.
Riyyh sits beside Dess, sipping some tea he'd brought for himself.
Dess systematically starts working her way through the offerings.
Riyyh tries to evaluate who she may be and where she may be from, based on her appearance, condition, age, etc.
Dess's appearance is scruffy, her condition healthy but exhausted, her age is a week at most past Establishment.
Dess finishes every bite of the meal, then sits back.
Dess: That was good.
Dess thinks maybe this won't be as bad as she was expecting.
Riyyh smiles kindly at Dess.
Riyyh: Now, you said your mother sent you here?
Dess: Yes. And my father said it was fine with him.
Dess: He said you could use me for selyn, or breeding, or a kill, but he wasn't going to have a Gen eating him out of house and home.
Dess considers.
Dess: I think he's just mad that Vortez Lake isn't buying Gens any more.
Dess: He bought a new plow with what he got for my brother.
Dess is young enough to see her family's attitudes as the standard for "normal".
Riyyh is confused.
Riyyh zlins Dess.
Dess: ~~ tired from walking, emotionally numb, and still feeling a bit out of sorts from Establishment ~~
Dess wonders vaguely what Riyyh does with stray Gens.
Dess's comments are the ~~ truth ~~
Riyyh sighs.
Riyyh: I see. Well, you are welcome here, of course.
Dess looks at Riyyh.
Dess: Do you do the breeding yourself, or leave it to stud Gens?
Dess: ~~ mild curiosity ~~
Riyyh smiles apologetically at Dess.
Riyyh: I'm afraid your mother may not have been entirely clear on what it is we do here, and for that I do wish to apologize.
Riyyh: We do not breed Gens, we are simply a community where people live and work together.
Dess: Oh.
Riyyh: You are welcome to live with us, if you like, at least for now.
Dess: My mother thought this was a place that takes in stray Gens to raise.
Dess: I didn't mean to take advantage of your hospitality.
Dess: ~~ embarrassed ~~
Riyyh: Well, we take stray people in to raise. [cautiously]
Dess: ~~ hope ~~
Riyyh hasn't heard anybody talk like this in 30 years. If he hadn't seen the news item about Vortez Lake he'd be checking this girl for mental deficiencies right now.
Dess: I can work hard, I promise.
Riyyh: Well, that's good. Hard workers are appreciated everywhere.
Riyyh: What is your name?
Dess: Dess....
Dess hesitates, having been informed that she's no longer fit to bear her father's name.
Dess: Just Dess.
Riyyh: Dess? That's a lovely name. [smiles at her reassuringly]
Dess starts to feel a little better.
Dess: Thank you.
Riyyh: Why don't we go over to the administrative building and I'll introduce you to some people who can help you get settled and maybe talk with you some more?
Dess is refreshed enough (and young enough) to get to her feet without too much complaint from them.
Dess: The administrative building? Is that the tall one?
Riyyh: It's sort of tall. Not as tall as some of the barns, though. Or the silos.
Riyyh leads Dess out of the house and toward the administrative building, keeping a sharp eye out for stray irate people.
Nick hovers over Snake, looking for signs of life.
Bum Bum walks softly up to the door of Snake's sick room, which was once Riyyh's office, and pokes his head in.
Bum Bum sees Nick there, awake, and Eliza there, asleep.
Linn stands behind Bum Bum, waiting to see if they're going to be thrown out.
Bum Bum: Nick. Can we come in?
Nick sees the door open.
Nick: Shh! Eliza's asleep.
Bum Bum removes his head and closes the door.
Bum Bum: I guess we can't.
Bum Bum: [to Linn]
Nick presumes that after her latest... upset... Bum Bum will see the value of letting sleeping Elizas lie.
Bum Bum shrugs.
Linn: How did she zlin?
Bum Bum: Beats me. Nick and Eliza were in the way.
Bum Bum: Shall we go eat?
Linn blinks at this abrupt change of topic.
Bum Bum starts off down the hall.
Linn: I thought you wanted to know how Snake was doing?
Linn trails after Bum Bum.
Bum Bum: Well I did, but not with Sosu SHHHH!! sitting there.
Bum Bum: It's not as if I yelled or anything.
Bum Bum thinks Nick just hates his guts and won't bother hiding it with Snake unconscious.
Bum Bum has been in a bad mood ever since Wolfa confronted him the day before.
Linn: He's just worried about Snake, Bum Bum.
Bum Bum: Worried she'll die or worried she'll live?
Linn: Bum Bum, how could you say such a thing!
Bum Bum: Think about it. If she dies, he's free. We're all free.
Linn looks at Bum Bum, surprised.
Bum Bum: Maybe he'll feel guilty for a little while, [Bum Bum doubts it] but then he'll get on with his life.
Linn: Do you really hate Snake that much?
Bum Bum: Why shouldn't I? She wrecked my life. She's held me prisoner.
Bum Bum: She's kept me from Gen transfer... she's kept Eliza from transfer.
Bum Bum: Shen, if she'd let Eliza have transfer this month Eliza might not have been able to do what she did.
Bum Bum: I'm tired of crawling around like a coward around her, Linn!
Bum Bum: I want to just... just be alive, without having to be somebody's.
Linn: You could leave, any time, Bum Bum.
Linn: Sectuib Riyyh might even be able to keep you from killing again.
Bum Bum snorts.
Bum Bum: Him? He's a joke. He can't even keep his own pants on.
Linn: Well, I can't argue with you there.
Linn: But he must know something about channeling, or they wouldn't have picked him to head their House.
Bum Bum: I thought it was just because all the other channels here are too watered down to float the gig.
Linn is more hopeful of this than convinced of it; she has no great confidence in the judgment of the local rutabaga farmers.
Linn: Watered down?
Linn thought her Simelan was getting fluent.
Linn: Doesn't "watering down" have something to do with hoses and irrigation?
Bum Bum fights to keep from snapping at Linn.
Bum Bum: Yes.
Bum Bum: What happens if you have lots and lots of water and almost no dirt?
Linn sees that Bum Bum is upset and tries to ~~ calm ~~ him.
Linn: It washes away?
Bum Bum: You get dirty water. Not ground to build something on.
Bum Bum tries to accept Linn's calming but is infuriated at the change of subject.
Bum Bum: Whatever! That isn't important!
Bum Bum tries to remember what the original subject was.
Bum Bum: I don't have any reason to love Snake and every reason to hate her.
Linn: I'm sorry, Bum Bum. I still have trouble with Simelan.
Linn: ~~ apologetic ~~
Bum Bum decides to break it down into something even a Genlan-native could understand.
Bum Bum: We have always been enemies. Now is no different.
Linn: Are you sure? She doesn't treat you the way she treats her other enemies.
Linn: Though she doesn't seem to like you, either.
Linn: I admit, I find it a bit confusing.
Bum Bum: She's just trying to suck up channels for her House. [bitterly]
Bum Bum: If I didn't have something she wanted, she'd have bumped me off long ago.
Linn: Oh.
Bum Bum: She put me out of business two months before she bothered to come around and take me prisoner.
Linn: Put you out of business?
Bum Bum knows Linn is familiar with the story of Snake muscling him off the selyn black market picture, and is not interested in discussing it again.
Bum Bum: I probably should stay here and take my chances with Sectuib Pants-On-Fire.
Linn: He seemed to think he could help you.
Bum Bum: Yeah, he's a real eager one to 'help', isn't he.
Linn: And any Gen he found for you would have more training than me.
Bum Bum: Shen Linn, I don't care about that. I just want to get away from this living hell.
Linn: Would you like me to talk to Snake?
Linn: She's so singleminded, she might not be aware of how much you want to leave her.
Linn still maintains illusions about Snake's character.
Bum Bum fixes Linn with a disbelieving stare.
Bum Bum: Linn? Don't you ever open your eyes and look around you?
Linn: What?
Linn checks the surroundings and swerves to avoid a potted plant.
Bum Bum: Snake has hated me ever since we were little kids. She's certainly not forgotten that now.
Bum Bum: And she knows shenned well I'd rather be free of her.
Linn: Then why is she so determined to train me as your Companion?
Bum Bum: She is not determined to train you for me!
Bum Bum: Don't you see... she's using me, to train you.
Bum Bum: She wants you for her House and she always has.
Bum Bum: I'm temporary, but you're permanent.
Bum Bum: When I'm gone, she'll give you someone... someone better.
Linn blinks.
Linn: She never said anything to me about joining her House.
Bum Bum: Why do you think you've been hauled all over the Territory like a piece of loose baggage?
Bum Bum: For her health?
Bum Bum: All of you guys, you, Tanzarra, Eliza... you're meant to be the first channels and Donors for her House.
Bum Bum: And me, but only until she finds something better.
Bum Bum: Maybe not even that long. [adds, under his breath]
Linn puts a comforting hand on Bum Bum's shoulder.
Linn: Bum Bum, if you decide not to take Sectuib Riyyh's offer....
Bum Bum shudders, but accepts the soothing Gen touch.
Linn: Well, you'll be my channel for as long as you want.
Bum Bum: I wish I could believe that, Linn.
Linn: ~~ loyalty ~~
Bum Bum: But I don't think you'll have any choice in the matter.
Bum Bum: ~~bitter realism~~
Bum Bum rests on her field.
Linn: There's always a choice.
Linn: It's just that some choices are easier than others.
Bum Bum thinks Linn is kidding herself.
Linn puts her arms around Bum Bum.
Bum Bum: Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll never wake up.
Linn: ~~ comfort ~~
Linn: If she doesn't wake up soon, you'll have to take transfer from Riyyh.
Linn: You've already waited past your time.
Bum Bum grimaces, but actually he would much rather try Riyyh than be at Snake's mercy again.
Linn daringly lets a hand rest lightly on Bum Bum's arm.
Linn: ~~ sympathy ~~
Bum Bum's laterals lick out reflexively.
Bum Bum: [well, his handling tentacles do, too]
Linn: You really are uncomfortable.
Bum Bum unwraps his handling tentacles from Linn's arm with a visible effort.
Linn: Shall we find you an insulated room, until Riyyh is available?
Bum Bum: Maybe that would be a good idea.
Bum Bum: ~shaken by the close call and glad Linn apparently doesn't realize how close it was~
Linn diverts their course from the cafeteria to the infirmary.
Bum Bum thinks about other things to try to avoid fixing on Linn.
Bum Bum finds the thinking bit a Herculean task.
Bum Bum: [for one thing, all he can think about instead is other Gens]