Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #139: The Nick Effect (6/18/99)
Anmyn slips into Riyyh's office.
Anmyn: Riyyh?
Riyyh looks up.
Riyyh: Yes, Anmyn? [kindly]
Riyyh: What is it?
Anmyn: Saig is here, all the way from Capitol.
Anmyn: Is something wrong with the urban farming program?
Riyyh: Not that I know of, but perhaps something has developed?
Riyyh discounts the "usual" problems, such as shortage of funding, excess of bad press, and problems with city officials.
Riyyh: Is Saig coming up?
Anmyn: Yes. He got in just now.
Anmyn: Ah, there he is now.
Riyyh: Hello, Saig. [smiles]
Riyyh: This is a welcome surprise.
Saig: Sectuib! There's trouble.
Saig: ~~ tragic ~~
Riyyh instantly becomes alarmed and sympathetic.
Riyyh: What is wrong? Tell me.
Riyyh: [more sympathetic than alarmed, to tell the truth, but that's just Riyyh]
Saig: Councilwoman Urlay has become ill and decided to resign her post.
Saig: A man named Herlot has been named to her seat--and two days ago, the Mayor forced a vote on the Sycamore Street parcel!
Saig: There wasn't time to get him aside and give him our side of the story. Not properly.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Saig has his own definition of "proper", of course.
Riyyh: How disappointing for you.
Saig: They want to break ground for a building in the fall.
Saig's nager flares ~ distaste ~ at the mention of buildings.
Saig: How can we farm without farmland?
Riyyh: There are other empty lots, though, that could be used?
Riyyh had done a brief tour while in Capitol and found there to be several very poor neighborhoods which had a weedlot or two per block.
Riyyh: I realize you had your heart set on that particular one, but...
Saig: But we've been building the soil on the Sycamore site for years!
Saig wrings his hands in a very Riyyh-like fashion; not surprising, as it turns out that his mother.... But I digress.
Riyyh's tentacles flutter in agitation.
Riyyh: Oh, I know, I do know that. But we must remember they did want to use it for the building, and so there we have a conflict, and it never works out well if there are conflicts, does it?
Saig: Surely they could put a school on one of the smaller lots?
Saig: It doesn't have to be in our gardens, does it?
Riyyh: It's sad, isn't it? Perhaps they will allow us to paint a mural of a garden on the wall of the school?
Riyyh: And teach the children to plant flowers and trin in the yards of the school instead of grass?
Riyyh is going for totally-sympathetic-while-seeming-to-think-nothing-can-be-done-at-this-point.
Riyyh finds this works well except on those people who inexplicably think he is a superman who can convince anybody of anything.
Saig: But the building would take up so much space. Over half the arable land.
Riyyh: How unfortunate.
Saig: There is still time--they won't start on the foundation until fall.
Riyyh: Has any progress been made in getting the city to sign leases for replacement land?
Saig: Surely you could come to Capitol and talk to Herlot for us?
Riyyh winces.
Riyyh: Oh dear. It's been so recently....
Riyyh: I simply don't travel as much as I used to.
Saig: I know, but think of all the children who depend on those gardens for fresh food.
Riyyh hadn't minded the travel, exhausting though it was, but he did mind being portrayed as a monster and bringer of doom in the report Nick had brought him from Capitol's mayor.
Saig: Surely the children are worth a day or two of your time?
Saig: I know the city means well, but they don't understand.
Riyyh nods.
Riyyh is torn between giving in to Saig and doing what Nick says is right.
Saig: What use is a school to a child who goes to bed hungry every day?
Riyyh sighs.
Riyyh: Let us look at the maps.
Riyyh: Maybe we can put together a proposal for several smaller pieces spread out in the same neighborhood.
Riyyh: It wouldn't be quite the same as having one large parcel, but it would be better than nothing.
Riyyh personally has never valued school over agriculture, but this is simply the Narosian way.
Anmyn is already hurrying to fetch the map.
Saig: The large parcel is so important to build community, though.
Saig: ~~ disappointment ~~
Saig: People see their neighbors as they weed and water.
Riyyh: Yes, it is. We'll have to think of a way to help foster the same sense of community on a smaller scale around the smaller plots.
Riyyh: I'm sure you and your team will be able to think of many creative ideas. [smiles]
Saig: Well, perhaps if there was a long-term lease, so that the city wasn't forever trying to take our plots away....
Riyyh: After all, for many years this project was done entirely on small parcels... oh dear, yes, the long term leases help.
Saig: The uncertainty is so disheartening, you know.
Saig: People are reluctant to plant a garden subjected to bulldozing without notice.
Riyyh: You may be able to capitalize somewhat on the disappointment of the loss of the school land, in obtaining leases for the smaller plots.
Riyyh: We will have to make sure none of them are intended for anything first, and then it can be presented as a salvation of land which would have been wasted for decades. [helpfully]
Saig: But what if the parcels we want don't belong to the city itself?
Riyyh: We've had land donated in the past. Perhaps a petition to the landowners?
Riyyh knows Naros is in no position whatsoever to purchase additional land in the city, the taxes on what it already owns are killer.
Riyyh: But if worse comes to worse, it can be farmed by squatters.
Riyyh: We have done that, remember.
Saig: Yes.
Riyyh: What's most important is that the people get their chance to farm, to grow and learn.
Riyyh: Do find out what they'll allow on the property of the school one it's built.
Saig: I will.
Riyyh: Perhaps they will allow you to teach classes on gardening and perhaps even hydroponics, inside the school.
Saig: Hydroponics?
Riyyh may be fantasizing a bit here, but he is trying to get Saig inspired enough to go back and inspire his team.
Saig: Why, that's even more produce-intensive than the methods we've been teaching.
Saig: Particularly if they pay attention to climate control, inside.
Riyyh doesn't think the average government institutional building has enough windows to really do serious hydroponics anything.
Riyyh smiles indulgently at Saig.
Saig: With a little supplemental lighting, the land could be more productive than ever!
Riyyh: Perhaps you could speak to Racknie before leaving. He has been working with some interesting varieties of deep-shade carrots. Children always enjoy carrots.
Saig: Carrots! How appropriate.
Riyyh supposes carrots that will grow in plywood boxes will probably grow anywhere, even in dreary schoolrooms.
Saig: I'll go and talk to him right away.
Riyyh would also like for Racknie to have a little more interpersonal interaction, maybe sharing a passion will help.
Riyyh smiles.
Riyyh: I'm sure he'll enjoy the visit.
Riyyh does, on one level, fear what a combination of these two obsessive personalities could actually bring about, but that's not a part of himself he regularly listens to much.
Saig: Yes. I'll let you know what develops.
Riyyh beams.
Saig hurries off, with visions of a massive hydroponics facility dancing in his head.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Riyyh only then notices Anmyn never returned with the maps and hopes she hasn't encountered any serious difficulties.