Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #77: Inn and Out (12/10/98)
Prunida sees a dilapidated inn by the side of the road, just the sort of place that she thinks Snake would choose.
Riyyh squints at the name: "The Y'all Come Back Saloon"
Prunida: We should ask if they stopped here.
Prunida is a bit distressed at the lack of witnesses since that runaway farmboy the night before.
Riyyh at this point will agree to anything that involves himself and Ifto's horse parting company, preferably forever.
Riyyh: ~misery~
Prunida is a bit reassured by the lack of alternative routes.
Riyyh: OK.
Prunida steers the breeding stallion towards the mud puddle which appears to act as a courtyard.
Prunida: Hallo the inn!
Prunida notes that the place is not exactly swarming with customers.
Riyyh notices they have rooms up above and wonders feverishly if Prunida would give him some money to rent a room to clean up.
Riyyh: ~plaintive hope~
Innkeeper sticks his head out of the door.
Innkeeper: Yeah! Whadda ya want.
Prunida: You seen a wild-haired channel and a bearded Gen that looks a bit like him--
Prunida nods towards Riyyh.
Prunida: --come by in the last day or so?
Innkeeper scratches his head, thoughtfully.
Innkeeper: Dunno. A lot of people pass through here, and not everyone stops.
Prunida moves her hand suggestively towards her money bag.
Prunida: The channel was riding a black stallion.
Innkeeper nods.
Prunida: I would be... grateful... for any information you could supply.
Prunida pulls out a coin to demonstrate the size of her gratitude.
Innkeeper: Now that ya mention it, they did pass through about a day back. Didn't seem to be much in a hurry that I could tell.
Riyyh sniffles miserably.
Prunida: Which way were they heading?
Innkeeper: Took the road in that direction.
Innkeeper points.
Riyyh resembles a sodden lump clutching a cloak about itself, with windswept gray hair and a day and a long night's worth of road spatter all over him.
Prunida: Did they say where they were headed?
Riyyh sighs as the Innkeeper points down the same road they'd been travelling on all along.
Innkeeper: Not to me, they didn't.
Prunida adds another coin to the one in her hand.
Innkeeper sizes them up, hoping for some business.
Prunida zlins the hope.
Innkeeper: Looks like you could use some food, and your horses some grain.
Prunida is not particularly hungry this close to need, but is enough of a realist to know that this might be a long-term chase.
Prunida: Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to rest the beasts for a few minutes.
Riyyh goes dizzy with hope and scrambles to get off Ifto's horse.
Prunida nudges the horse out of the worst of the mud and dismounts with surprising spryness for her age.
Innkeeper: Do ya want me to stable them, and git ya a room?
Prunida has recently been doing various limbering-up exercises which have done wonders for her flexibility.
Prunida: Get them a measure of grain and some water, but have them ready to go again in an hour.
Prunida: There isn't enough daylight this time of year to waste it.
Innkeeper nods "And yerselves?"
Prunida: We'll have tea, and soup if you have it.
Riyyh feels ~pathetic gratefulness~
Riyyh: Oh, tea would be wonderful.
Innkeeper: Yeah. Just go in the kitchen and the cook will see to it.
Riyyh doesn't even care if it's crummy tea... anything will do at this point.
Prunida: We'll have some hot water for washing up, as well.
Prunida figures something has to be done to prevent Riyyh from total collapse.
Innkeeper: That can be arranged.
Innkeeper: Tie your horses and come this way.
Prunida passes the two coins to the innkeeper and sweeps grandly inside.
Riyyh ties up their horses and follows.
Innkeeper nods. "Thank you. It's very generous of you." Considering there hasn't been much business of late.
Prunida would prefer to make her grand entrance in a place worthy of it, but beggars can't be choosers.
Innkeeper points to the washroom and to the kitchen.
Prunida: Do you want to wash up first, Riyyh dear, while I order us a meal?
Innkeeper: You can wash up over there. The kitchen is in that direction.
Riyyh scurries into the washroom, requiring no second (or first, for that matter) invitation.
Innkeeper: Meanwhile, I'll take care of your horses.
Innkeeper waits to see if there is any further instructions since the woman is obviously in charge of the situation.
Prunida: You do that.
Innkeeper: Yes M'am.
Prunida pokes her head into the kitchen, thinking that in the better inns, they have a server who takes care of placing the orders.
Riyyh practically cries as he feels hot water for the first time in... well, hours and hours.
Innkeeper heads out to their horses. Turns them out into a small corral, and gives them feed and water.
Prunida zlins the kitchen when she is unable to find the cook visually through the smoke and steam.
Franni hearing someone in her kitchen calls out "can I help you?"
Prunida: We require tea for two, and hot soup, if you have it.
Franni nods.
Franni: Got some good vegetable soup here. Will that do?
Prunida: Good enough. It'll warm us, anyway.
Prunida: Is there any fresh bread and honey to go with it?
Franni: I think I can find some. Take a seat in the outer room and I'll bring it.
Franni has plenty of work to do, but sees no reason not to be civil to strangers.
Prunida selects a table, but refrains from sitting just yet, as she has been sitting in the saddle far longer than a woman of her years should.
Prunida paces up and down the room, working the kinks from her legs.
Prunida starts to wonder why Riyyh hasn't emerged from the washroom yet.
Prunida goes to the washroom and signals at the door.
Prunida: Riyyh? Are you all right?
Franni enters the room with a tray laden with large bowls of soup, a whole loaf of a nutbread, butter, honey, and tea. Though the quality of the tea isn't as good as the food itself. Wonders where the woman went to.
Prunida: Riyyh, answer me!
Prunida: ~~ annoyance ~~
Riyyh: [sounds of water inside]
Franni places the tray on the table and then heads back to her kitchen.
Prunida opens the door and slips through.
Prunida: Riyyh, they're bringing our tea.
Prunida had hoped for a chance to freshen up herself before it came.
Riyyh looks up, dripping.
Riyyh: Oh... thank you. ~timid~
Prunida sighs with what patience she can muster, under the circumstances.
Prunida: Come now, dry yourself off. You'll feel better with some hot tea and soup inside of you.
Riyyh was trying to compress 2 hours of fastidious grooming using all the most exotic tools and substances into 15 minutes with plain water and a bar of soap.
Riyyh: All right.
Riyyh: ~resigned~
Riyyh dries off carefully.
Prunida's attitude is as close to "kindly" as she's capable of, which isn't very.
Prunida: They're bringing our order to the front room.
Prunida efficiently washes the road and horse off of her hands, finishing at about the same time as Riyyh.
Riyyh appreciates Prunida's attempt to be nice.
Prunida leads the way back to the front room.
Riyyh follows.
Prunida: Ah, good, they found some bread and honey in addition to the tea and soup.
Prunida isn't exactly hungry, but she's always had a sweet tooth.
Riyyh smiles somewhat.
Riyyh finds the evidently unexpected generosity touching.
Prunida sits, managing not to wince too obviously as her sore muscles complain.
Prunida: We can't be that far behind them--surely we'll catch up by nightfall.
Riyyh sits also.
Riyyh: Do you think so?
Prunida pours tea for both.
Riyyh: Thank you.
Prunida: They'll be seeking shelter--those clouds mean more snow.
Prunida: And they don't know we're after them.
Prunida: They have no reason to hurry.
Prunida is not well acquainted with the depth of Snake's paranoia.
Franni goes to the open door to the kitchen to see if the visitors require anything else.
Prunida starts on her soup, which at least is hot.
Riyyh sips his tea, clutching the cup in both hands and all tentacles, possibly a sign of feelings of doubt and insecurity.
Franni turns back to her work, since obviously the visitors are self-absorbed.
Prunida breaks off some of the loaf.
Prunida: Do you want some bread and honey, Riyyh?
Riyyh: Yes, thank you.
Riyyh has been well-trained by 40 years of Companions.
Prunida hands the chunk to Riyyh, and pushes the honey pot in his direction as well.
Riyyh takes his time fastidiously honey-ing his bread.
Prunida breaks off another bread chunk for herself.
Prunida sips at the tea as she waits for the honey.
Prunida: Hmm, this isn't half as tasty as the stuff you grow.
Riyyh: Why, thank you!
Riyyh is startled, and pleased, by her comment.
Prunida: Still, it's good enough to thaw tentacles.
Prunida demonstrates.
Riyyh pushes the honey back in Prunida's direction, hoping she isn't going to stick her tentacles in that also.
Prunida refrains, merely slathering it liberally on the bread.
Riyyh: Prunida, must we follow them further? [asks after a few minutes]
Riyyh: I must confess I don't know that Nick is going to be particularly receptive, and as for Wise Snake....
Prunida feels a ~~ clenching anxiety ~~ where her vriamic node would be, if she were a channel.
Prunida: Riyyh, he's my grandson.
Prunida: I can't abandon him.
Prunida: We'll catch up before too long, I'm sure.
Prunida's ~~ ironclad determination ~~ has not faded one iota.
Riyyh's energy levels, willpower and good looks have faded considerably.
Riyyh sighs.
Riyyh: I do hope so, then.
Prunida: Finish up your meal, Riyyh, while I wash up a bit more.
Prunida pops a last bit of bread in her mouth, washes it down with the last of the tea, heads briskly for the washroom.
Prunida takes care of her business, then pokes her head into the kitchen.
Franni spots the visitor.
Franni: Yes?
Riyyh sips his tea and concentrates on some channelling exercises to avert entran and soothe his abused muscles.
Riyyh: [in so far as such things are really possible]
Prunida: I was wondering if you saw a wild-haired channel and a bearded Gen go by earlier today.
Franni: They didn't stop inside the inn, if in fact they did pass this way. I saw no one by that description.
Prunida: ~~ disappointment ~~
Prunida starts thinking forward to what's likely to happen when Nick is found.
Franni: Was your meal sufficient?
Prunida: I don't suppose it would be possible to get a loaf or two of that bread to take with us? And some blankets, as well?
Riyyh wonders at what point he should turn back toward Naros regardless of what Prunida says.
Prunida's hand moves towards her purse again.
Prunida: Very.
Riyyh quells a stab of ~nervousness~ and concentrates on being calm and dutiful.
Franni: I can supply you with the bread, surely. But you'll have to ask Griffen, our Innkeeper, for the blankets.
Prunida: Very well. If you would wrap it in a cloth and bring it out front? We really should start moving.
Franni: Give me a couple of minutes.
Prunida nods, and passes over a small coin to pay for the bread and Franni's trouble.
Prunida then searches for the innkeeper.
Franni: Thank you very much.
Franni prepares the bread and a bit more of honey in a small pot. She places it on the table where they were sitting.
Griffen (the innkeeper) has their horses all groomed and ready tied to the hitching post in front of the inn.
Prunida: Ah, good. We'll be leaving in a few minutes.
Prunida: Would it be possible to get a few blankets to take with us?
Griffen: Yeah, I guess so. But they're nothin too fancy.
Griffen walks back into the inn, and searches a small store room.
Griffen comes up with four worn and well patched blankets, offering them to the woman.
Prunida sniff at the patches, but accepts them.
Prunida: Put them in the saddle bags.
Riyyh sips the remainder of his tea and tries to imagine that he isn't about to go back out into the blustery cold and sit on Ifto's horse again.
Griffen grumbles something intelligible about wealthy people wanting things handed to them, but does as he was asked.
Riyyh starts shivering just at the memory of shivering.
Prunida returns to the front room.
Riyyh: ~unhappy~
Prunida: Finish up your tea; it's time to get moving again.
Riyyh: Yes, Prunida.
Riyyh puts down the cup and rises.
Griffen waits by their horses.
Prunida picks up the bread and honey, and moves briskly for the door.
Riyyh starts to bundle up in his cloak and then realizes he's already bundled up in his cloak and this is the warmest he's likely to be in a long time.
Riyyh: [unless he augments, which he has the feeling would be a really bad idea, since he has no idea if he'll stay kidnapped beyond his due date]
Riyyh: Oh dear. [to himself]
Prunida puts the bread in a saddle bag, looks her horse over critically, and nods in approval at Griffen.
Riyyh smiles nervously, but kindly, at Griffen.
Prunida takes the girth up one more hole, then mounts.
Griffen smiles at both of the travellers.
Riyyh mounts Ifto's horse, stiffly.
Riyyh pats the horse's neck, wondering if its back is sore.
Griffen: I hope you will return in your travels.
Prunida: We just might, innkeeper.
Riyyh: ~heartfelt hope~
Griffen: Thank you. I hope you found the service to your liking.
Griffen sure hopes they will be back. He can use the business.
Riyyh sure hopes they will be back, since the thought of being gone forever is unthinkable.
Prunida: With any luck, though, we'll have a sadder-but-wiser Gen with us.
Riyyh thinks he'll be back alone, if nothing else.
Griffen nods.
Prunida nudges her horse to a jog.
Riyyh has been thinking if there is no way to convince Prunida to return, then he really should return alone, since Prunida, Snake and Nick then might never be seen again at Naros.
Griffen watches them leave, and then returns inside.
Riyyh holds his horse back, wondering if he has the nerve to stand up to Prunida for an important enough cause.
Prunida: Come along, Riyyh. Don't dawdle, or we'll never catch them.
Prunida: ~~ determined ~~
Riyyh: I really think....
Riyyh slows his horse further.
Riyyh: ~fear~
Prunida: Riyyh!
Prunida: ~~ annoyance ~~
Riyyh finally manages to bring his horse to a stop.
Prunida turns her mount and backtracks a few steps.
Prunida: What is the matter with you?
Riyyh: ~rabbitlike terror of Prunida not-well-hidden under appeasing attempt to be reasonable~
Riyyh: Prunida, I'm not cut out for this. I'll only slow you down. [pleading]
Riyyh: Let me go back.
Prunida snorts.
Prunida: Your presence is required to talk some sense into our grandson.
Riyyh: But he has never listened to me, Prunida, any more than... well, he hasn't.
Prunida grabs the reins of Ifto's horse and gets them both moving in the direction Nick and Snake are alleged to have gone.
Prunida: There's a first time for everything.
Riyyh: But Prunida. [whines]
Prunida: Come, Riyyh. It'll be good for your character to take responsibility for your grandson.
Riyyh: But I am responsible for my Householding! They don't even know where I went. [protests]
Prunida: They can do without you for a day or two, while you take care of family responsibilities.
Prunida has not considered that given the current situation, just about any Naros business is family business for Riyyh.
Riyyh: And this... all of this cold, and mud, and, and physical carrying on over horses and roads and so forth just isn't my area, Prunida, is isn't what I do.
Prunida: What would your ancestors say if they heard you complaining like that? The ones who built Naros originally?
Prunida: I'm sure they wouldn't have been ready to give up just because of a little mud.
Riyyh: But Prunida, ~hurt~ that was three hundred years ago.
Prunida doesn't let the argument prevent her from keeping up a brisk pace.
Riyyh: Granted, I am not one of Naros' founders, but certainly I cannot be blamed for simply being who I am?
Riyyh clings to Ifto's horse's saddle horn, since Prunida seems to be in charge of the reins.
Prunida: If you're worried about Naros, you can write a message and send it back with a traveller--I'm sure there'll be one before too long.
Prunida is ~~ satisfied ~~ with this solution.
Riyyh is not sure if the correct response at this point is to start crying, or marshall his thoughts and come back with a firm argument in favor of his opinion.
Riyyh being a week from hard need, has to settle for numb misery and inability to concentrate on difficult subjects.
Prunida keeps a sharp eye out for approaching travellers.
Riyyh: Er... Prunida, [begins again, after a short time]
Prunida: Yes, Riyyh?
Riyyh: [timidly]
Riyyh: Have you given any thought to how you will approach Wise Snake about Nick?
Riyyh is of course fully aware of who one talks to when the both of them are in the room.
Riyyh doesn't think Prunida's other talk with Snake worked out too well.
Prunida: After being dragged halfway across the Territory, in icy weather, I'm hoping the boy will be willing to listen to someone besides that street girl.
Riyyh: Halfw... ~aghast~
Riyyh: Surely you're not willing to....
Riyyh's mind reels.
Prunida: He's my grandson, Riyyh. And this is no weather for a Gen to be out.
Prunida believes in protecting her 40-year investment.
Riyyh wonders why the man who fathered two of her children, including the aforementioned Gen, doesn't rate the same consideration.
Riyyh sighs unhappily.
Riyyh brushes a couple of snowflakes off his cloak.
Riyyh: Could I hold the reins, please?
Prunida shakes her head.
Prunida: There's no reason to get your fingers cold.
Prunida has no intention of being deserted on the road, or of being forced to choose between pursuit of Nick and pursuit of Riyyh.
Riyyh: Where are we going to sleep tonight?
Riyyh places his hands in his armpits.
Prunida: With any luck, we'll find wherever Nick has holed up to wait out the storm.
Prunida: I don't suppose you can zlin them yet?
Riyyh holds out his hands, extends his laterals to zlin, and immediately wishes he hadn't.
Prunida's sensitivity has never been great, even when she's approaching need.
Riyyh: No.
Riyyh hastily withdraws his arms again.
Riyyh: They must be hours ahead of us.
Riyyh: I doubt I could zlin them unless they have stopped and we're catching up to them.
Riyyh imagines that Snake would be even more sadistic a slavedriver than Prunida, and Nick a more willing slave.
Prunida: I expect they'll stop before too long.
Zoobellya erupts out of a bush under the nose of Prunida and Riyyh's horses.
Zoobellya: Heeeeeeeyyahhahhaha!!!!!! [waving a bright red blanket]
Riyyh nearly has heart failure, since he hadn't zlinned the renSime when he'd been zlinning just a moment ago.
Prunida curbs her horse as it attempts to leap out of its hide.
Prunida: Just what do you think you're doing??!!
Zoobellya thinks that wasn't as much panic as he'd intended, so he jumps at Prunida's horse, waving the red blanket in its face.
Zoobellya: Aarrrghh!!! Boo!! Eeeeyyyy!!!!!
Zoobellya thinks the quality of rich road traveller has really gone down since the Tecton moved in.
Prunida reaches forward with augmented speed and snatches the blanket from Zoobellya.
Zoobellya remembers the days when you could scare the shen out of a merchant and make off with 2 or 3 Gens, a fortune in gold, and a bag of yummy vittles without hardly breaking a sweat.
Zoobellya lets her have the blanket.
Zoobellya throws up his hands in disgust.
Zoobellya: Shendoni! The buggered travellers are stealing from me now! I ought to retire. What is the world coming to?
Prunida: You won't be around to find out if you keep on spooking horses like that.
Prunida: Have you been here long?
Zoobellya: Excuse me?
Zoobellya: [disbelief]
Riyyh looks on in apprehension.
Riyyh has only barely caught on that somebody just tried to rob them, but didn't succeed... or something.
Prunida: Have you seen a wild-haired channel on a black horse, accompanied by a bearded Gen, pass by on this road?
Riyyh: Prunida, do you think it's such a good idea to....
Riyyh: [diffidently]
Zoobellya's eyes narrow, then he pulls himself up to his full height.
Zoobellya: Well... what's it worth to you?
Prunida considers.
Prunida: Well, I'd be willing to consider not trampling you into the road. I'll even give you the blanket back. You'll require it, with the storm coming.
Zoobellya: Oo. With such tempting offerings I feel an irresistible urge to tell all. [sarcastic]
Prunida knees her nervously stamping horse closer to Zoobellya.
Zoobellya: No deal, lady.
Zoobellya moves back easily.
Prunida shrugs.
Prunida: You'd rather freeze to death?
Prunida: Or can you afford to augment enough to stay warm?
Prunida zlins Zoobellya to determine where in his cycle he is.
Zoobellya: Madam, I am not limited in my possessions to a single blanket, [frostily] although if you are, in this case, limited to the possession of my blanket, you are of course welcome to keep it.
Zoobellya is slightly pre-turnover.
Zoobellya takes a closer zlin of the two of them.
Zoobellya does a double take, zlins Riyyh again, and realizes he erred in not trying to spook Riyyh's horse instead of Prunida's.
Riyyh nervously looks to Prunida to find out what she will do next.
Prunida's aggravation softens, revealing her ~~ desperate worry ~~
Prunida: Look, the Gen is my grandson. He's been dragged off by that rogue channel, and they didn't take much in the way of supplies with them.
Prunida: He could be frozen and half starved by now--this is no season for a Gen to travel.
Prunida: Please, could you tell us if we're on the right track?
Prunida's pleading, though unaccustomed, is sincere nonetheless.
Zoobellya looks cynical as Prunida's Attitude takes a U-turn.
Zoobellya: Oh, is that how it is?
Prunida: Yes.
Prunida: ~~ complete honesty ~~
Zoobellya: Well, OK, but it'll still cost you.
Zoobellya: Ten.
Prunida nods ~~ grudging agreement ~~
Prunida: Only if your information is useful.
Zoobellya: Ten and my blanket back, before I say a word.
Zoobellya grins.
Prunida shakes her head.
Prunida: Blanket now, and ten if your information is useful.
Riyyh's sense of danger and urgency is beginning to fade in favor of much shivering and feeling sorry for himself.
Riyyh augments just a teensy bit to make himself feel better.
Zoobellya holds out his hand.
Zoobellya: [for the blanket]
Prunida passes it to him.
Zoobellya takes it and stands back several feet.
Zoobellya: Well then, now that I think of it, I do not believe that 10-after is such a good deal.
Zoobellya: How about 10 before?
Prunida: No.
Zoobellya shrugs.
Zoobellya: Very well.
Prunida: ~~ firm ~~
Zoobellya turns and starts crunching off through a thin layer of snow, away from the road.
Riyyh puts his hands back in his armpits.
Prunida starts her horse moving again.
Prunida: Cheer up, Riyyh. At least now we'll be able to see their tracks.
Riyyh: Unless we're so far behind that their tracks are filled again before we pass the same place.
Riyyh: Or if there are many other people on the road between....
Riyyh: What if they went off-road?
Riyyh: Or.. what if they stopped somewhere back there, and we have passed them?
Riyyh: ~forlornly~
Riyyh: What if they got aboard a train?
Riyyh: What if they sold the black horse and....
Prunida: There isn't a train station for miles, Riyyh. Do be sensible.
Riyyh: But Prunida. [tired cold pouting difficult Riyyh voice]
Prunida: They had the horse when they passed the inn. Don't borrow trouble.
Riyyh thinks he hardly has to borrow trouble when people keep dragging him bodily into it.
Riyyh sighs.
Prunida: They're about as conspicuous a pair as it's possible to find.
Riyyh: Perhaps we should stop at the next inn. The snow is falling harder.
Riyyh: What if we get caught in a blizzard?
Riyyh: Wouldn't you like to be in a nice, warm room? With a fireplace?
Prunida: With this snow, they'll be forced to take shelter, at least if that Snake actually wants Nick healthy.
Prunida: We'll be able to make up some of the distance.
Riyyh: We could relax, and maybe I could give you a nice foot massage, and... what? ~dismayed~
Riyyh: You mean to travel right through it?
Prunida: Oh, Riyyh, of course I'd rather be warm, next to the fire, with you.
Riyyh: ~hope~
Prunida: We'll do that just as soon as we've found Nick.
Riyyh: ~hope dies~
Riyyh: But, what if I get sick?
Prunida zlins Riyyh.
Prunida: You seem healthy enough to me, but if you get sick, I'm sure Nick and Snake will be able to help you.
Prunida knows that she herself is unable to provide anything much in the way of healing.
Riyyh thinks this seems to be an argument Prunida does not intend to lose, regardless of the consequences to others, most notably himself.
Riyyh: Oh dear. That is most... well, reassuring, I suppose, but....
Prunida: But we'll never catch up unless we keep moving.
Prunida urges her mount to a bit faster pace.
Riyyh gives up again, for now.