Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #31: Squeezing the King Grape (10/5/98)
Riyyh reasons that, it's a nice day, and with harvest of certain produce beginning, he should put in an appearance.
Riyyh feels a certain amount of trepidation at going where people are using large blades such as sickles and so forth.
Riyyh takes a few short detours, telling himself he's not procrastinating going to the fields. [and not procrastinating in doing his paperwork either!]
Eliza leaves Hero to rush back to Wolfa and walks more sedately across the compound.
Eliza meditates over what Hero has told her (the useful bits) and wonders if Nick will be pleased.
Riyyh tarries near a rose bush, sniffing the blossoms.
Riyyh: [it's the type with each branch grafted to a different flower stock, so this could take quite a while]
Eliza sees the Sectuib, well it looks like the Sectuib, beside the path, doing something to a bush.
Eliza hesitates, not sure if she can just walk past him, or if she has to say something, or maybe there is another path to take?
Eliza: ~ hesitant ~
Riyyh looks up belatedly.
Riyyh: Ah, Eliza. Hello.
Eliza decides to try to get around... ah too late.
Eliza: Hello, Sectuib Riyyh.
Riyyh smiles at Eliza.
Riyyh: Isn't it a beautiful day?
Eliza: Thank you for asking Tictoc to talk to Nick for me.
Eliza hadn't really noticed.
Eliza: Yes, it is.
Riyyh winces slightly at the memory of that meeting with Tictoc afterward.
Riyyh: It was our pleasure, of course.
Riyyh: Do you see this bush? It has one blossom from each variety we grow here.
Eliza: How do you make it do that?
Eliza: ~ curious ~
Riyyh: Well, all of the roses are propagated by grafting. That means, attaching the blooming branches from good flowering plants, to the branches of a sturdy root stock.
Riyyh: See? [pulls back a branch to show the scar where the wood was joined]
Riyyh: Of course, usually one grafts only one kind per bush.
Eliza: Oh I see. I didn't know you could do that.
Eliza: I guess that's kind of like introducing members into a Household who weren't born there isn't it?
Riyyh thinks.
Riyyh: Well, I suppose you could say that.
Riyyh: With the roses, as with people, they have to be similar enough in type that they will not reject the graft.
Eliza nods.
Eliza: Do you think that Bumanuel will stay with you?
Riyyh: I don't know yet. I am hoping that he will come to me himself, and talk about it.
Riyyh: It is a difficult decision to make.
Eliza: He doesn't handle direct conflict well, you sort of have to put him in a corner or he won't talk about much at all.
Eliza: He prefers to just skirt around things.
Riyyh winces sympathetically for Bum Bum.
Eliza: Snake's probably a bit the same, but at least she will give you a straight answer and spend time discussing things.
Riyyh: If Bum Bum doesn't come to me about it in the next few days, I will approach him personally. [promises]
Riyyh: How about that?
Riyyh tries to sound reassuring, because it seems Eliza is asking for personal reasons, not gossip.
Eliza: I think that's a good idea.
Eliza: He probably does want to talk about it, he just doesn't know how to approach you maybe.
Riyyh: Perhaps so.
Riyyh lets go of the rose bush, no longer requiring it for an excuse to dally in the garden, now that Eliza is here.
Eliza: I don't know how scared he is of killing, but he is terrified of dying.
Eliza: I think he has hopes on Linn. That scares me a bit.
Riyyh considers.
Riyyh: Hajene Farris seems to feel there is a chance that would work out.
Eliza: I hope so.
Riyyh: Have you spoken with him about your fears?
Eliza: No, I haven't spoken to him much at all lately. I doubt that it would do any good worrying him about it anyway.
Eliza: Linn is so clinical about everything. But I've seen her absolutely petrified by a Sime that she unknowingly provoked into stalking her.
Riyyh nods; he has heard of some of these incidents in Linn's past.
Eliza: I mean, she has come a long way I guess.
Eliza: But I don't see how a person can get over a phobia like that in just months, do you?
Riyyh: It does seem unlikely. [admits]
Riyyh: However, not having examined her or known her long, makes it difficult for me to say.
Riyyh: Perhaps if I had an opportunity to zlin the two of them together....
Eliza: Snake's done that, I think. She simulated Bumanuel's draw for Linn when she lowered her field last time.
Eliza: Still, Linn trusts Snake.
Riyyh: What do you think Linn and Bum Bum should do? ~curiously~
Riyyh isn't asking because he thinks Eliza is an expert or anything, but just because he is curious about her opinion.
Eliza: There are some things that you just can't tell until you try them, aren't there?
Riyyh: Yes, particularly where other people's wills are concerned.
Eliza: I think it would be a good idea if Linn had transfer with another channel first, someone who couldn't hurt her. You know, someone who wasn't junct.
Eliza: So then, if she did panic, they could control themselves.
Riyyh: If the channel overrated her, yes.
Riyyh thinks.
Eliza: Mostan is here....
Riyyh: That might be arranged. There are a few oddities in the schedule this month due to... what?
Riyyh: Mostan?
Eliza: Yes, he is a third, like Bumanuel.
Riyyh: He is a bit skittish, though. [frowns]
Riyyh: I should think somebody a bit steadier, like Felpa or Minnie.
Riyyh: Still, he is from Bender Cove. Do you know if they have had any previous interaction?
Eliza: I don't remember.
Eliza: Sorry.
Riyyh: I will look into it. It is possible that if he knows and is familiar with her, he might be able to handle it.
Riyyh: And if she knows him, that would help immensely as well.
Riyyh: Unless, of course, there were any negative interactions....
Eliza: Well, if there was, someone else?
Riyyh has heard, (quite a bit actually) that negative interactions were a daily if not minute-by-minute occurrence at that particular Sime Center.
Eliza would hate for anything to happen to any of their party.
Riyyh: There may be. As I say, the schedule is a little odd this month because of the two channels leaving and the three Donors arriving.
Riyyh: It is possible the timing will work out such that Linn could serve somebody before one of the replacement Donors arrives.
Eliza: Thank you Sectuib. You are very kind to us.
Eliza: Can I ask, why are the two channels leaving?
Riyyh: Ah, well. [sadly]
Riyyh: I'm afraid there are some who found the... troubles that have recently befallen us, to be beyond their ability to adjust to.
Riyyh: They asked to be transferred rather than face the shame, and the struggle, that lie ahead of us.
Eliza: Oh, so you aren't sending them to the Tecton because the Tecton wants them?
Eliza wishes she could swallow the words, but they slipped out too soon.
Riyyh chuckles ruefully.
Riyyh: No. As a matter of fact, Tecton Central may never realize they employ those two.
Eliza: How come?
Riyyh: Your Hajene Farris arranged for a falsified transfer order for two locally-based channels who would like to pledge Naros. These two will take their place.
Riyyh would not even know about these details if Snake hadn't met with her unfortunate accident and left all the paperwork for Riyyh to straighten out.
Eliza: Oh. Why are you getting three new Donors?
Riyyh: We also have three Donors leaving.
Riyyh: The new three will replace them, as with the channels.
Eliza: Where are you getting the three replacements from?
Riyyh: The same way.
Eliza: Oh, I see.
Riyyh: There are always people willing to pledge into Naros.
Riyyh: We have been closed to new entries for a long time - many Householdings are, in this day and age.
Eliza: Well that's good. You will have new genes and all.
Riyyh smiles.
Riyyh: Yes.
Eliza: Oh shen, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.
Riyyh: No, I understand.
Eliza blushes.
Riyyh: It is an issue that is in the forefront of everybody's mind.
Riyyh thinks that actually, quite a few Narosians have let it slip their mind a bit, except the really irate ones.
Eliza backs off, embarrassed that she should raise such a delicate point.
Eliza: I should get back to Snake and Nick.
Riyyh feels compelled to ease her embarrassment.
Eliza really wants to unload the information she has gleaned for Nick in the hope that it will help him forgive her.
Riyyh starts after her, but remembers Tictoc's warning.
Riyyh stops in the act of reaching out to her, then withdraws his hand.
Riyyh: Of course. I shouldn't have kept you.
Eliza: Thank you for talking to me about Linn, Sectuib.
Riyyh smiles kindly at her.
Riyyh: Thank you for sharing your concerns.
Eliza nods awkwardly and walks rapidly away.
Riyyh sighs, over Eliza and Nick and Snake, and Linn and Bum Bum and the whole genes thing.
Riyyh bends over to sniff just one more rose.
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