Sime/Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #49: Punishment Swiftly Follows Mis-Take, Gen-erally (10/30/98)
Riyyh is in the garden looking over the rosebushes which were just pruned for the winter months, but not yet mulched over.
Linn starts through the garden, having been sent away to get a different tea by the long-suffering Mostan.
Zuvaleb floats through hyperconscious space, homing in on a ripe, alluring Gen nager.
Linn is using the time away from her assigned channel to relax her control.
Linn: ~~ nervous ~~
Zuvaleb is a young renSime near the end of her First Year, and near the end of a long and ardorous disjunction process.
Zuvaleb is possibly also at the beginning of a very short rejunction process.
Nick takes a book recommended by Kenmore, and starts into the garden to find a quiet spot to read it.
Riyyh looks up in alarm as he zlins Linn coming into the garden and a junct in hard need coming up behind her.
Linn is wondering if she really ought to go through with this Qualification thing when she doesn't really know Mostan at all.
Nick sees Riyyh.
Nick: Hello, Riyyh....
Nick sees Riyyh's alarm.
Riyyh darts toward them, augmenting.
Nick: What's the matter?
Nick drops the book and sprints after Riyyh, sending ~~ support ~~ ahead of him.
Zuvaleb reaches for the beating pulse of Gen selyn, feeling curiously set free of all responsibility, angst, etc.
Linn sees a blur of augmenting Sime coming at her.
Linn: ~~ alarm ~~
Linn recognizes the approaching Sime.
Linn: Sectuib Riyyh, what's the matter?
Linn: ~~ alarm changing to concern ~~
Riyyh skids to a stop on some wet dead leaves.
Riyyh: Linn, turn around slowly, and control your nager.
Linn: What?
Riyyh: ~~clear, pure, non-Larity-specific selyn source~~
Riyyh: Turn around and look behind you.
Linn turns and sees Zuvaleb.
Riyyh: Control your nager.
Riyyh: Hello, Zuvaleb.
Riyyh: [quietly]
Riyyh: She's hyperconscious, she doesn't see who you are.
Zuvaleb slows down as the two... no, three... sources present themselves.
Linn: Oh.
Nick barely manages to stop before crashing into Riyyh.
Nick assesses the situation.
Nick: Shen.
Zuvaleb takes another step toward Linn, tentacles waving, the laterals extended moistly.
Zuvaleb's face is twisted with need.
Nick means this literally, as the most probable outcome of the situation.
Linn takes a slow step backwards, closer to Riyyh.
Nick throws as much ~~ support ~~ at Riyyh as he can.
Riyyh: Linn, move a little bit farther to your left... put a little bit of space between us.
Linn: Farther away?
Linn thought the proper way to handle this sort of situation was to hide behind a channel.
Riyyh: Yes, she has to be able to zlin the difference between our fields.
Riyyh: And make the right choice.
Linn: Choice?
Linn moves two steps away from Riyyh.
Linn: What choice?
Riyyh: Linn, Zuvaleb is junct. She couldn't hurt you no matter how hard she tried, but she must choose me to fully disjunct.
Zuvaleb turns slowly toward Linn, her indecision and tormented need written all over her face.
Riyyh: She must pick the non-Gen. The channel.
Riyyh: But she must truly choose, not accept me because she can't get you. Do you understand?
Riyyh: [quiet voice]
Linn has read up on juncts and disjunction, since she started working with Bum Bum.
Linn notices how young Zuvaleb is.
Riyyh's words are for Linn, but his nageric attention is all for Zuvaleb.
Linn: Yes, I understand. The poor dear.
Linn: ~~ sympathy ~~
Linn's attention turns to Zuvaleb.
Zuvaleb starts toward Linn.
Riyyh: ~~Bright channel's field offering~~
Riyyh: Try not to invite her.
Riyyh: Don't reject her, but don't invite her.
Riyyh would have maybe preferred somebody with just a little more experience to do this with.
Riyyh sweats.
Zuvaleb hesitates again, obviously torn.
Nick tenses, ready to deal with casualties if necessary.
Nick doesn't let the tension interfere with his support, however.
Linn tries to cut back the support without rejecting.
Linn really has no clear concept how to do that, since her nageric vocabulary is limited to full support or completely nonresponsive, with nothing in between.
Linn: Like this?
Zuvaleb leaps at Linn with a snarl of savagery.
Zuvaleb: ~~need~~
Riyyh tenses, but does not intercept.
Riyyh: ~~damn~~
Zuvaleb's tentacles lash around Linn's arms.
Zuvaleb yanks herself up for a 5th contact.
Linn blinks, trying to figure out what's happening.
Zuvaleb draws.
Linn: ~~ astonishment ~~
Zuvaleb draws greedily, feeding her starved system.
Zuvaleb drops Linn after those brief moments, satisfied.
Linn feels a surge of selyn, rather less than Snake put her through on her practice imitation Bum Bum donation, but it ends faster.
Zuvaleb opens her eyes and sees....
Zuvaleb: Oh no!!!!
Zuvaleb bursts into tears.
Linn feels rather strange.
Riyyh: ~sympathy~
Nick lets out a the breath he was holding.
Riyyh wants to go comfort Zuvaleb, but sadly it is not his place.
Nick: ~~ relief ~~
Riyyh: Linn....
Riyyh gestures at Zuvaleb, looking tired.
Riyyh: Can you....
Linn: Of course.
Riyyh: I'm terribly sorry about this, but you performed magnificently.
Zuvaleb: Oh I thought you were dead!!
Linn goes to Zuvaleb and puts her arms around the Sime.
Zuvaleb sobs on Linn's shoulder.
Linn: No, I'm quite alive, as you see.
Linn finds that a bit surprising, actually.
Linn is struck by a sudden thought.
Zuvaleb can't zlin the surprise, probably fortunately.
Linn: Mostan! He'll be wondering where I am....
Riyyh: I'll send someone else.
Riyyh: Don't worry about Mostan.
Riyyh: She lives in the red house three down from the mill.
Riyyh: I'll be there as soon as I can.
Linn realizes only then that her transfer with Mostan has been cancelled.
Riyyh hesitates.
Riyyh: Will you be all right? [gently]
Linn isn't quite sure what happened, but looking after upset kids is something she's good at.
Linn: We'll be fine.
Riyyh nods and turns back toward the administrative building.
Riyyh pauses as he sees Nick still standing there.
Riyyh: Thank you. [apologetically]
Riyyh: Thank you for your help.
Nick: It could have been very messy.
Riyyh: Yes, it could.
Riyyh: I'm sorry, I must arrange for....
Riyyh hurries away toward his office.
Nick decides that Linn's doing OK, and goes to report the incident to Snake.
Linn waits until Zuvaleb's tears slow down a bit, then starts leading her towards the mill.
Linn: Come, dear, let's get you home.
Linn: ~~ comfort ~~
Zuvaleb follows along numbly.
Zuvaleb: But... but what does this mean?
Zuvaleb: Am I still junct?
Linn: I'm not sure, actually.
Linn: You'll have to ask Sectuib Riyyh.
Zuvaleb: I wanted to do the right thing, but....
Linn: You didn't hurt me.
Zuvaleb: I'm glad.
Zuvaleb: I didn't know you were a Donor!
Zuvaleb not being a native Narosian, is not totally up on the gossip or anything.
Linn: I'm not, officially.
Zuvaleb blanches.
Linn: I was supposed to have my Qualifying transfer in about an hour.
Zuvaleb: Oh no!!
Zuvaleb: I ruined your transfer?
Zuvaleb's weeping, which was ticking along quietly, starts revving up again.
Zuvaleb: Oh, I'm so sorry!
Linn: There, there, now. Sectuib Riyyh will find someone else for Mostan.
Zuvaleb: I should have turned toward Riyyh, I knew I was supposed to, but....
Linn: Why did you choose me?
Linn: ~~ curiosity ~~
Linn: Most Simes have tended to avoid me, you see.
Linn: Except for Hajene Snake, and Bum Bum, when she told him to work with me.
Zuvaleb: Well, I... I don't know, your nager was just so, nice and full and so... Gen.
Zuvaleb: It was because you're Gen. [confesses tearily]
Zuvaleb: I'm sorry.
Linn: Hush, no more tears, or you'll make yourself sick.
Zuvaleb: And also, you seemed so... you seemed to want to.
Zuvaleb wipes her eyes.
Zuvaleb is actually feeling not too bad.
Zuvaleb: [now that Linn mentions it]
Linn is a little embarrassed.
Linn: I'm afraid my field control isn't quite what it could be.
Linn steers Zuvaleb up the path to her house.
Linn: Here we are. You'll feel better after a nice cup of tea.
Linn is really not sure how to handle a Sime after transfer, but supposes that Nick's usual solution is probably inappropriate.
Zuvaleb: Tea...? OK.
Linn is glad that she seems to have hit on an acceptable solution.
Zuvaleb is relieved to see that Naros people have cleaned up the house.
Zuvaleb is still struggling, at age 14 and suddenly adult, with the concept of keeping her own house.
Linn: Now, where's your kitchen?
Zuvaleb: Over here....
Zuvaleb leads Linn to it.
Zuvaleb has had a lot of other things to learn too, like Simelan, Sime Territory culture, and how to avoid being the butt of gossip.
Zuvaleb sees they have given her groceries too.
Zuvaleb is relieved; she really wants Linn to think she is a normal, well-adjusted person.
Zuvaleb: ~desperately grateful~
Linn pushes Zuvaleb towards the kitchen table.
Linn: There, you go have a seat, and I'll put the kettle on.
Zuvaleb sits down.
Zuvaleb: I can't believe you're being so nice to me after I messed up your transfer and all.
Zuvaleb: [wistfully]
Linn fills the kettle at the sink, then fusses with the stove.
Zuvaleb: But I'm so glad you weren't just a regular Gen.
Linn: To tell the truth, I'm not sure Hajene Mostan really wanted a transfer with me.
Zuvaleb looks surprised, both at the personal revelation and at the content.
Zuvaleb: Why not? You were great.
Zuvaleb is speaking from a renSime's POV of course.
Linn: He wasn't comfortable about my association with Hajene Snake.
Linn goes through the cupboards in search of tea and glasses.
Zuvaleb: Oh.
Zuvaleb: She's scary.
Zuvaleb: [shyly]
Linn: Snake?
Zuvaleb likes having somebody pottering around in the kitchen... it reminds her of her mother, who she misses sorely.
Zuvaleb: Isn't she?
Linn must be about the only person in Naros who doesn't find Snake unusually scary.
Zuvaleb only ever ran into Snake once, and was scared out of her wits.
Zuvaleb had been pre-conditioned by rumors, however.
Linn: I'm rather fond of her, actually.
Linn pours the water into the tea mugs, hands one to Zuvaleb, and sets hers by the other chair.
Linn: [on the table, that is]
Zuvaleb: Thank you.
Zuvaleb sips her tea.
Linn sits.
Linn: You're welcome.
Zuvaleb: I was sorry when she got hurt, though.
Linn sips.
Zuvaleb tries to repair the faux pax.
Linn nods a polite acceptance of the tacit apology, and changes the subject.
Linn: You know, I've grown to like trin quite a bit in the past year or so.
Linn: I never drank it until I moved to Sime Territory.
Zuvaleb: Me neither. [confesses]
Zuvaleb: I came from Fort Bryant.
Linn: Fort Bryant?
Zuvaleb: It's way Out-Territory.
Linn: I see. Eastcove is on the border, near Bender Cove, but most of the people there don't have much contact with Sime Territory.
Zuvaleb: We were visiting a Border town when I... when I... ~~acute embarrassment and fading loss~~
Zuvaleb: That's the only reason I'm alive now.
Linn nods sympathetically.
Zuvaleb wishes her father were still alive too.
Linn: Your family was taking a vacation?
Zuvaleb: My dad was doing inspections.
Zuvaleb: He was in the Army.
Zuvaleb: We didn't usually go with him, but this was... this was going to be a special trip.
Zuvaleb: ~sad~
Zuvaleb: There was a reunion being held in Wallacia and all the wives were invited too, we would have been there a week later.
Linn: But instead.....?
Zuvaleb is unaware that there is a tiny part of her deep down inside that is glad she changed over and didn't have to go to the grown up party.
Zuvaleb: I changed over.
Linn can understand how a sudden changeover could spoil such plans.
Zuvaleb: And I... [stiffens her spine] ... I killed my father.
Linn: And moved to Sime Territory?
Zuvaleb: They took me to Sime Territory, after.
Zuvaleb: ~shame~
Zuvaleb: ~humiliation~
Linn: Oh, my dear, what a terrible way to begin your new life.
Linn: ~~ sympathy ~~
Zuvaleb: At least I'm alive. And my mother and brothers.
Linn: Your mother went back home?
Zuvaleb rests on Linn's sympathetic field.
Zuvaleb: She... she didn't really understand.
Zuvaleb: That I'm still the same person. [painfully]
Linn shakes her head.
Linn: You're not the same person, Zuvaleb.
Zuvaleb hangs her head.
Linn: You were a child, and now you're on your own, an adult by the laws here.
Linn: Growing up always changes people.
Zuvaleb: I don't think I turned out the way she wanted.
Linn: Perhaps not, but you can make yourself turn out the way you want.
Linn: At least for the important things in life.
Zuvaleb: I hoped so. Now I'm not sure.
Zuvaleb: I mean, what happened today? Can I still disjunct?
Zuvaleb: Or am I... am I gonna die?
Zuvaleb has heard what happens to those who become semi-junct.
Linn: I don't know. I'm not familiar with the disjunction process.
Linn: You'll have to ask Sectuib Riyyh about the details.
Zuvaleb nods.
Zuvaleb: Yeah, I forgot.
Zuvaleb: Sorry.
Zuvaleb tries to smile.
Zuvaleb: Can we change the subject?
Linn smiles back.
Linn: Of course.
Zuvaleb: I heard you guys were leaving soon. Where were you going to go, do you know yet?
Linn: Hajene Kenmore is still working at getting Hajene Snake back into good health.
Zuvaleb: Oh.
Linn: There'll be time enough to make decisions when we know she's well.
Zuvaleb had thought she heard they were leaving really soon.
Linn: But I've heard there are several different possibilities under discussion.
Linn assumes that's what's going on; at least, that's the best interpretation of the wildly conflicting rumors making the rounds.
Zuvaleb looks curious.
Linn: I don't think anything will be decided until Hajene Riyyh gets back from Bender Cove.
Zuvaleb: ~disappointed~
Zuvaleb: Well, where do you hope you'll go?
Linn considers.
Linn: Mostly, I hope it will be somewhere we can stay for a while.
Zuvaleb: Yeah... I know what you mean.
Linn: We'd been on the road for months before we came here.
Zuvaleb: Did you ever think about... you know, staying here?
Zuvaleb: [shyly]
Linn shakes her head, smiling.
Linn: I belong with Snake.
Linn: She was my first friend on this side of the border, you know.
Linn: She and Nick are all the family I have left.
Zuvaleb looks pale.
Zuvaleb: Did....
Zuvaleb: Was your family....
Linn: Was my family what?
Zuvaleb looks embarrassed.
Zuvaleb: Did they get killed?
Zuvaleb: I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that.
Linn: Not at all.
Linn: It was a long time ago. I was hardly older than you at the time.
Zuvaleb nods soberly.
Linn: I lost my sister and both parents, by the time the dust settled.
Linn: So I sold the house and went away to the big city, to a teacher's college.
Zuvaleb: That's sad.
Linn: It wasn't all bad. I loved teaching, and I was good at it.
Linn: I still miss it.
Linn: ~~ nostalgia ~~
Zuvaleb: Maybe you could be a teacher where you go!
Zuvaleb: I had a teacher I really liked.
Linn: Perhaps.
Linn: You did?
Zuvaleb: Yeah.
Zuvaleb: But I guess I won't be seeing her again.
Linn: You could write her, you know.
Linn: She might be very glad to hear from you.
Zuvaleb: I hadn't thought of that.
Zuvaleb had written a few letters to her mother, who has never responded.
Zuvaleb: She was my teacher three years ago.
Zuvaleb: But I used to still say hi to her in the halls.
Linn: What subject did she teach?
Zuvaleb: Science.
Linn: Did you want to be a scientist?
Zuvaleb: Not really. It's so stuffy.
Zuvaleb makes a face.
Zuvaleb: I liked the drama department.
Zuvaleb: But Miz Arugula was the best.
Zuvaleb thinks, even if they did call her "Arugula Test Tubula"
Linn tries to figure out the career possibilities for a drama enthusiast in a farming community.
Linn: Have you given any thought to what you want to do with your life, after you disjunct?
Zuvaleb: Well, if I can disjunct, I can go anywhere in the entire Sime Territory.
Linn figures that it's not really worth extensive planning, if disjunction isn't possible.
Zuvaleb: But I don't know of that many places yet, that's why I asked....
Linn: When you know what you want to do, you'll be able to find the best place to do it.
Zuvaleb: Yeah... that sounds right.
Zuvaleb: What do you want to do?
Zuvaleb: ~curious~
Linn considers.
Linn: When Snake suggested that I try to learn to be Bum Bum's Donor, I thought I'd be doing that for the foreseeable future.
Linn: But now that Bum Bum's joined Naros, I'm an almost-Companion without a channel.
Zuvaleb: Gee.
Linn: I don't know how much of a future there is in that.
Zuvaleb thinks that sounds pretty rough.
Linn: However, I'm sure that I'll be able to find something worthwhile to do.
Linn: Once we find a place to call home.
Zuvaleb thinks that sounds like the total opposite of the advice Linn just gave her.
Zuvaleb: Oh....
Zuvaleb: I wonder what has happened to Riyyh.
Zuvaleb: [after a pause]
Zuvaleb: I thought he was going to come right over.
Linn frowns.
Linn: I hope he isn't having too hard a time trying to find someone else for Mostan.
Linn: Would you like me to find him for you?
Zuvaleb: I wish I had not gotten so... and it happened early....
Zuvaleb: Well, no, I... I think I'm fine.
Zuvaleb: I can wait and ask him later, about... about what happened to me.
Zuvaleb: Er, what I did.
Zuvaleb isn't actually sure if what happened was her fault in truth, or not.
Linn nods approval at Zuvaleb's willingness to take responsibility for her actions.
Zuvaleb zlins Linn's approval and is reassured.
Zuvaleb: I guess you don't have to stay here with me, if you're worried.
Zuvaleb: I think I'm OK.
Zuvaleb smiles at Linn, thankfully.
Linn looks at Zuvaleb, and decides that she's all right for now.
Linn: Very well. I'll check back later, shall I?
Zuvaleb: Oh yes, thank you. [relieved]
Linn puts down her empty tea mug and stands.
Linn: In the mean time, why don't you take a nap?
Zuvaleb: OK.
Zuvaleb: Thank you for... for everything.
Linn: You're welcome.
Linn leafs. 1
Small Child is sitting in the garden reading a large book.
Small Child is a boy of perhaps five years of age, with light brown hair and gray eyes.
Small Child is frowning in studious puzzlement.
Ifto passes through the garden on his way to the administrative building, and discovers the child and book.
Ifto: Hello, there. What are you reading?
Small Child looks up at Ifto.
Small Child: Learn to Pun Quickly by Tom Swifty.
Small Child holds it up.
Small Child: It sure is a hard book. [says reedily]
Ifto takes the book acquisitively.
Small Child: I borrowed it from my friend [he says amiably]
Ifto: Yes, quite solid [agrees hardily]
Small Child: He said it was too sappy for him. [dryly]
Ifto: Friends are a good place to get books. [with lonely thoughts of Zeor]
Small Child looks curiously at Ifto.
Ifto: Is your friend into building puns? [archly]
Small Child: No, he had actually meant to gift the book to me. [ionically]
Ifto: But he got the chemistry between you wrong? [acidly]
Small Child: Basically. [neutrally]
Small Child: Do you like to build puns? [reflectively]
Ifto: Well, when it's not life threatening. [admitted safely out of Kenmore's hearing]
Ifto: Many people don't think puns are funny. [humorlessly]
Small Child: They would kill people for punning? [deadpan]
Ifto: Worse: They'd spray them with Pundacide. [murderously]
Small Child: Pundacide? You've got to be pulling my leg! [caught off balance]
Ifto: That's a comedian's job. [laughingly]
Small Child: Or Hero's. [bravely]
Small Child: Are you in need? [HAS to know]
Ifto: Why do you ask? [inquisitively]
Small Child looks at Ifto's tentacles.
Small Child: Well, you are clutching my book awful tight. [tenaciously]
Small Child: Also, you have bags under your eyes. [darkly]
Ifto: Well, a channel's life can be harried at times. [busily]
Small Child: Not to mention, there is some ronaplin on your finger. [brightly]
Ifto returns the borrowed book that he took, redundantly.
Small Child: I hope that's ronaplin, anyway. [snottily]
Ifto: Did you know that your face is dirty? [earthily]
Small Child: Would you help me with my homework? [problematically]
Ifto: Perhaps you'd better find a different tutor. [learnedly]
Small Child rubs his nose.
Ifto: I wouldn't want to cause friction by rubbing people the wrong way, you see.
Small Child: Thank you, I can rub it off myself. [heatedly]
Small Child: Since you will not help me, may I assume you are ignorant of the subject? [helplessly]
Ifto: If you weren't so young, I'd take offense. [childishly annoyed]
Small Child: If I weren't so young, I'd wouldn't find you as entertaining. [ingeniously]
Ifto: I know, as a humorist, I tend to die on stage, as it were. [fatalistically]
Small Child: So will you help me, or do I have to go tell my father? [sunnily]
Ifto speculates on the parentage of the child. [genetically]
Ifto: Perhaps you should ask your father to tell you about a suitable tutor. [informatively]
Small Child: I'll tell him you were quite unhelpful.
Small Child: And you know nothing about Tom Swifties.
Small Child turns and walks off in the direction of the Admin building.
Ifto: I'm sure he can find someone to assist you. [helpfully]
Ifto shakes his head at the strangeness of the Narosians.
Hero bounces into the garden, or what's left of it.
Ifto wonders if it's because of the second generation of inbreeding that the child was so determined to clone around.
Ifto sees Hero and looks around for an escape route.
Hero: Hi!!!!
Hero bounces over to Ifto.
Hero: What are you doing out here?
Hero looks around at the wreckage of summer.
Ifto resigns himself to an inquisition.
Hero: Hey guess what!!
Hero: We have all these little, cute puppies to give away.
Hero: Want one?
Ifto: What, Hero?
Ifto: Err, I don't think I should take one.
Ifto: I'll be going to work for the Tecton when I've finished my training, and that means travel.
Ifto: I'm sure there's someone else who could give the dogs a more permanent home.
Hero: Like Kenmore!
Hero: Oh, do take one for him, please????
Hero: ~~pleading~~
Ifto winces.
Ifto: Hajene Kenmore is a Farris, Hero.
Ifto: And he spends a lot of time at Zeor, where there are lots of other Farrises.
Hero: So? He can take some pills or something.
Hero: Hey, guess what?
Ifto: What?
Hero: A friend of mine like totally has a crush on you.
Hero: She thinks you are soooooo cute.
Hero eyes Ifto speculatively.
Hero: I think she just wants to have your babies, but what do I know?
Ifto: Zeor doesn't marry out of Zeor.
Hero: Who said anything about marriage?
Hero: ~~lust~~
Ifto is fortunately in no condition to appreciate the lust.
Hero is disappointed by his lack of, er, capability.
Hero: ~disappointment~
Hero: Oh well... hey, um, did you hear that Linn just served a junct renSime in transfer?!?!
Hero: Wow, and it was like, totally an accident.
Ifto: What??
Hero: She just came out of it, like, wow, what the hell just happened!
Ifto's mind boggles.
Hero: She is so ditzy, you know, so she was all, Oh, I don't believe that just happened! [giggles dizzily]
Ifto: You are talking about Linn Haskins, aren't you? Hajene Snake's friend?
Hero: And the Sime was all, "Oh my god! I thought you were like, totally dead and all."
Hero: Slave is more like it. Did you know Snake kidnapped her from Bender Cove? Right off the train platform!
Ifto had thought letting Linn try to qualify at all, even with a steady channel, was insane.
Hero: And then she assigned her to Hajene Bum Bum. I mean, really!!
Hero: He is way too cool for her.
Ifto: Slave?
Ifto: Kidnapped?
Ifto seems to recall hearing Kenmore muttering something about that.
Hero: Snake is like, a total kidnapper.
Hero: She had snatched all these people from all over the place.
Ifto: Well, then, you'd better stay out of her way, or she might take you with her when she goes.
Hero: She hates me!
Hero: She even threw something.
Ifto: She hates Bum Bum, too, I'm told.
Hero: I can show you where it stuck in, it was a branch and it left a mark on the fence.
Ifto understands the temptation.
Hero: Sectuib Riyyh managed to rescue him.
Hero: He tried to rescue Linn Haskins too, but she was too chicken.
Ifto: If Linn chose to stay with Hajene Snake, that means she must not be a prisoner, after all.
Hero gives him a 12 year old's disparaging look.
Hero: She was just scared what Snake would do to her if she tried to run!
Hero: Hey did you know Sectuib and Mytag are going to Bender Cove?
Hero: To go to a big party...
Hero: And while they're there, Nick and Snake are going to, totally, like, take over Naros.
Hero: And put in all their own rules and send all sorts of people they don't like off to the Tecton.
Hero pauses for a moment.
Hero: Well, unless Hajene Kenmore like throws a wrench into their plans or something.
Hero: He is soooo manly and, and firm.
Ifto: He is firm, yes.
Hero: You don't think Hajene Kenmore is manly?
Hero: ~~very curious~~
Hero: Oh wow.
Hero: I think he is such a hunk.
Hero: When he took me in full transfer position on your first day I just about fainted, I was so, oh, swept away.
Hero: ~~swoon~~
Hero bounces in a small circle around Ifto.
Ifto: And then he stabilized your blood pressure?
Hero: Hey, we were all wondering, is he Post?
Hero: Cause you know, there are all sorts of women who would be way willing, if, you know,
Hero: [not to mention a sizable betting pool]
Ifto: I'm sure Hajene Kenmore is quite capable of finding a partner if he wishes.
Ifto starts walking towards the admin building, hoping to shake Hero.
Ifto wonders how Nick manages to do it.
Hero follows enthusiastically.
Hero: Oh wow! Does he wish? I mean, can he? We all want to know.
Ifto: Well, then, you'll have to ask him yourself.
Hero: Oh.
Hero thinks that sounds rather daunting.
Hero: Bye!!
Hero calls after him as he disappears into the Admin building.
Hero turns and wanders away, directionlessly.
Ifto makes a beeline to Riyyh's office, before he can get stung by another Narosian.
Ifto signals.
Riyyh, having dealt with Mostan's transfer reassignment, is taking care of a flurry of paperwork before he and Mytag leave for Bender Cove.
Riyyh is feeling rather snowed under at the moment.
Riyyh: Come in!
Riyyh pushes back his frosty hair and sits.
Ifto enters, looking around at the scattered papers.
Riyyh: Oh, Ifto. Such a nice surprise! [smiles kindly]
Riyyh zlins how tense Ifto is and figures he hasn't been spending much time in the garden lately.
Ifto: What's this I hear about Linn Haskins playing bait for a disjunction candidate?
Ifto: ~~ freaking over a near disaster ~~
Riyyh cringes automatically, though he has nothing to fear from the topic, it's more a matter of Ifto's nager.
Riyyh waves his tentacles ~~calmingly~~
Ifto sees Riyyh's cringe and gets his nager in order.
Ifto waves a tentacle ~~ apologetically ~~
Riyyh: It was an accident, Ifto, the poor girl's crisis came at a bad time, and Linn was there.
Ifto: What happened?
Ifto: She has no business anywhere near a disjunction, with her background.
Riyyh: Linn wasn't able to control her field well enough and allowed the girl to zlin her compassion and desire to help.
Riyyh: It was too tempting to resist.
Riyyh: ~disappointment~
Riyyh: And Linn had been so looking forward to Qualifying this month.
Ifto winces at the botched opportunity.
Ifto: And the girl?
Ifto: Does she still have time to try again?
Riyyh: Fortunately, yes.
Riyyh: And she has been a very hard working, willing student.
Riyyh: It was a shame this had to happen, but I think she will still pull through.
Riyyh: It was a perfectly good transfer, after all, nothing to interfere with her disjunction, it just didn't end it.
Ifto nods.
Riyyh: A few more weeks to build up her self-esteem, and....
Riyyh actually can't blame Linn for failing to hide her compassion and desire to help; that was his single greatest hurdle when he was first learning to work with juncts.
Riyyh is still working on that in other areas of his life.
Ifto: I'm a little surprised that Linn was able to hold together. From her file, she's panicked repeatedly when unexpectedly faced with a Sime in need.
Riyyh: Well, that information was pre-training, for her. It's months old.
Riyyh: She was a little alarmed when people started augmenting, but I think that was just because she didn't know what was going on.
Riyyh can't wait for Mytag to get wind of this story.
Ifto shakes his head in wonder.
Riyyh: Wise Snake has been working with her very closely for almost a year now.
Ifto: The woman was diagnosed with acute Simephobia.
Ifto: Gens are so much more flexible than Simes, it seems.
Ifto: I shall have to ask Hajene Snake about her techniques.
Riyyh thinks that if you believe Mytag, it's the Sime Center's diagnosis that is more in question, but he is generally pretty careful about how he passes on gossip.
Riyyh: I am sure she would enjoy such a question, phrased correctly.
Riyyh: [encouraging]
Ifto: Just think what would happen if we could start training Simephobes as Donors.
Riyyh thinks he already has Donors coming out of his ears, without resorting to such labor-intensive methods.
Riyyh smiles a little desperately.
Ifto: To be able to take advantage of every Gen with the genetic potential to be a Donor....
Riyyh pretty much has taken advantage of every Gen of that description here, although not in the way Ifto means.
Ifto is caught up in dreams of ending the perennial Donor shortages that seem to plague many Sime Centers.
Riyyh: Well, er, yes... [worried about what might happen while he is gone]
Riyyh is frankly amazed that Ifto hasn't made the connection about Naros' genetics yet.
Riyyh is not about to say anything, though.
Ifto: Kenmore is right: One always ends up learning from patients.
Ifto: Particularly when they're Farrises.
Ifto wouldn't have been invited to pledge Zeor if he weren't a Farris-worshipper.
Riyyh: Oh... oh yes, quite right.
Riyyh nods, smiling.
Riyyh prefers to worship Farrises from far, far away.
Ifto: Well, I must report this astonishing news to Kenmore.
Ifto: He'll probably want a full report from you.
Ifto: Did you examine Linn afterwards, to determine her exact condition?
Riyyh: Yes, she came by a few minutes ago and appeared to be just fine.
Riyyh: She felt no discomfort whatsoever during the transfer.
Riyyh: She really could serve a Third, I believe, if it was the right Third.
Ifto: Ah, good. Well, Kenmore will no doubt want to examine her himself.
Riyyh really does wonder what business it is of Kenmore's.
Riyyh sighs.
Riyyh: Well, I must finish this paperwork, I am due to leave within hours.
Riyyh: I hope you don't mind me running you off like this?
Ifto: Ah, yes, the pledge ceremony in Bender Cove.
Ifto: ~~ wistful envy ~~
Ifto: I will leave you to your work, then.
Riyyh: ~~apology covering unease~~
Riyyh: Thank you.
Riyyh: Good bye, Ifto.
Riyyh wonders if Ifto could tell he was uneasy.
Ifto: Good-bye.
Ifto thinks the roads aren't that bad, even this time of year, then dismisses Riyyh's concerns.
Notes:
1) She "leafs" because between the "Arugula Test Tubula" line and this one, a whole string of really awful lettuce puns were being shot back and forth behind the scenes. One might hope the puns would have stopped here. No way!! [return]