Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #89: The Lock-In Room (12/30/98)
Lucia approaches the kitchen at the Ronapl Inn and peeks in cautiously.
Lucia is a female Gen, perhaps 5 or 10 years after changeover, wearing a silver-and-gold Naros cape.
Lucia has brown hair and gray eyes.
Rapol is scraping at a pot with burned food on the bottom.
Lucia sees Rapol and thinks it must be him.
Lucia: Hello?
Rapol is a male Gen with brown hair and a dirty apron.
Rapol looks up at Lucia.
Lucia smiles tentatively.
Rapol smiles at Lucia.
Rapol nods a greeting.
Lucia: Are you... [hesitates, reminding herself it's not embarrassing to ask people who they are outside of Naros] Are you Rapol?
Rapol nods, putting hand on chest. "Rapol."
Lucia, relieved, comes farther into the kitchen.
Lucia: Hi, I'm Lucia ambrov Naros.
Rapol: Hungry?
Rapol looks around to see what is ready now.
Lucia smiles. "A little."
Rapol goes over to the stove, picking up a potholder.
Rapol cracks the oven to peer in.
Lucia: How have you been?
Rapol reaches in and pulls out a sheet of cookies.
Lucia studies Rapol for signs of health, or lack thereof.
Rapol holds it by one end, the other sagging alarmingly as he moves it over to a heavy wood table.
Rapol seems to be in the pink, especially where he is flushed in the face from the hot air from the stove.
Lucia moves over nearer to Rapol and the table.
Lucia: My Sectuib sent me to make sure you were still OK.
Rapol looks up curiously at Lucia "Who?"
Rapol picks a cookie, burning his fingers and dropping it.
Rapol jumps at the pain, but makes no sound.
Lucia: Riyyh, Sectuib in Naros. He asked me to come and make sure you were fine.
Lucia is concerned for Rapol because Riyyh had told her the Donor seemed to have been traumatized at some point in his past.
Rapol sucks on his fingers and furrows his brows as he tries to sort out what she is saying.
Lucia inhales the scent of the cookies and thinks Rapol is a pretty good cook. No, an amazingly good cook.
Rapol: Sime?
Lucia studies Rapol for long moments, then slides over to sit down in a chair near the wood table.
Rapol goes over to pick up a pitcher and two mugs.
Rapol comes back to the table and pours two mugs of milk.
Lucia: He's the channel you had transfer with, last week. [softly] Do you remember?
Rapol gets a far away look. "Channel."
Rapol holds his position pouring into the second mug.
Lucia waits, starting to worry.
Rapol: [milk overflows]
Rapol feels milk spattering down on his foot and comes back to reality.
Lucia: Are you all right? [asks again]
Rapol stops pouring and puts the pitcher down quickly.
Lucia wonders what she should do.
Rapol grabs part of his apron and starts mopping at the spill.
Rapol stops mopping, sits down and looks at her.
Lucia: ~anxious and concerned~
Rapol speaks more definitely. "Channel. Cold."
Lucia moves her chair closer to him, wanting to help him but realizing she's a little out of her depth.
Lucia: Cold?
Rapol nods. "Fire. Need by fire."
Lucia: Do you remember Riyyh? The channel?
Rapol nods.
Rapol: "Gray."
Lucia: He asked me to come here. Make sure you are OK. [trying to make him understand her by sheer sincerity]
Rapol: "OK? Certainly."
Rapol gestures around at the kitchen as if that explains everything.
Lucia: He wanted me to ask you if you'd come back. With me.
Lucia gestures to herself.
Rapol works his way through that.
Rapol's hand absently goes to pick a cookie, now cool enough to handle.
Rapol: Come back?
Rapol: Back where?
Lucia: To Naros. To... to Riyyh. He wants to take care of you, help you.
Rapol: Naros? Never been.
Rapol wonders how he could be expected to go back to a place he's never been.
Lucia isn't exactly having an easy time parsing this conversation either.
Lucia: Well, then... well then you could go there for the first time. [hopefully]
Rapol: Channel? Need?
Lucia: You served him last week. But in three more weeks... yes, he'll be in need.
Rapol munches absently at the cookie.
Lucia: Will you come? [encouraged]
Rapol considers.
Rapol: "Certainly."
Rapol stands up and starts untying his apron.
Rapol tosses it over the chair.
Lucia smiles.
Lucia jumps up.
Lucia: You mean, right now?
Rapol looks puzzled. "Not now?"
Lucia can hardly believe her luck, which had seemed disastrous just minutes before.
Lucia: Oh, right now is perfect. [assures him]
Lucia: Thank you very much.
Lucia: I brought a horse for you to ride. [adds]
Rapol nods.
Rapol: Cold out?
Lucia: Yes, do you have warm clothing?
Rapol nods. "Coat."
Rapol waves for her to come after him.
Rapol leads the way through the common room and down the hall.
Lucia follows, relieved this is going so well.
Rapol opens a small door and stoops to go in.
Rapol: [A candle is burning already, which is unusual, most people wouldn't leave one going while they were out working.]
Lucia wonders about the candle.
Lucia peeks in at the rest of the room.
Rapol: [The room has a pallet with several heavy blankets.]
Rapol: [There are a few heavy boards just sitting next to it, and several bundles of food.]
Rapol: [There are several jugs of water or some other liquid]
Lucia: It looks like you were already planning a trip.
Rapol: "No. Safety."
Lucia looks at Rapol.
Lucia: Because of the storm?
Rapol: "Storm? No."
Rapol: "Lock in."
Lucia looks alarmed.
Lucia: L...???
Lucia looks around, wondering if what he says is the truth and if so, what sort of place this is.
Lucia: Really? [quieter]
Rapol nods. "Safe."
see note 1
Notes:
1) The scene was not finished. [return]