Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #142: Educational Harvest (7/26/99)
Riyyh's carriage stops in front of the Department of Education building.
Racknie is dithering inside, as befits a son of Riyyh.
Racknie: ~~ excitement ~~
Riyyh is in Capitol an unprecedented 2nd time in 6 months, and not too pleased about it, although it's difficult to tell since he wouldn't dream of making anybody feel guilty about it.
Riyyh has a talk with the driver, agrees he'll meet her back here in about an hour, and disembarks.
Racknie follows on Riyyh's heels.
Racknie: I'm sure you can make the Superintendent see reason! All this fuss over adding a few extra pumps and drains! It's not as if they don't have to put plumbing in anyway!
Riyyh is dressed in one of his new Imil outfits, and gussied up with various jewelry and emblems to the extent that anybody he might possibly have to visit, up to and including the Mayor, won't feel like he isn't taking them seriously.
Racknie: And who could object to lots of windows in a school?
Riyyh feels like he has a target on his back wearing his Naros cape in public, after all the letters that have been whizzing back and forth in the daily paper.
Riyyh smiles kindly at Racknie.
Riyyh climbs the steps and enters the Department of Education.
Superintendent Jaffy is anxiously awaiting what he hopes will be a sane exchange on the subject of school design.
Superintendent Jaffy has not noted much sanity in the discussion to date.
Riyyh, for some reason, already knows where the Superintendent of Schools' office is.
Superintendent Jaffy looks over the proposed design for the new school and shakes his head.
Riyyh: Here we are. [to Racknie]
Riyyh signals.
Superintendent Jaffy wonders how the architect was bribed to give in to such unreasonable demands, even for a concept.
Racknie has the eagerness of a bird dog spotting a covey of quail.
Racknie's tail is quivering in a similar fashion, too....
Superintendent Jaffy looks up at the signal.
Superintendent Jaffy: Come in!
Riyyh enters.
Superintendent Jaffy looks at Riyyh ~~ hopefully ~~
Riyyh: Superintendent Jaffy... how good to see you.
Superintendent Jaffy: Sectuib Riyyh?
Superintendent Jaffy extends a thick Gen hand to offer a polite fingertip touch.
Riyyh: Yes, and this is Racknie ambrov Naros.
Superintendent Jaffy: We've met.
Superintendent Jaffy doesn't zlin terribly eager to resume the acquaintance.
Racknie sees Jaffy as basically an impediment, not a person.
Racknie tends to see most people as impediments, actually, particularly if they are standing between him and the nearest plant.
Superintendent Jaffy: Please, sit down.
Riyyh notes Jaffy's reaction to Racknie unhappily, but is glad that the Superintendent doesn't feel the same way about him, at least not yet.
Riyyh: Thank you.
Riyyh takes a seat, smoothing back his hair.
Riyyh, fortunately, is as obsessive about people as plants, if not more so.
Superintendent Jaffy: I was hoping that you and I could reach some sort of agreement over the design for the new school, which is to be built on part of the site which has previously been used for your urban farming program.
Superintendent Jaffy: It appears that there is some confusion about what is required for an optimal educational atmosphere.
Superintendent Jaffy pushes the architect's rendering towards Riyyh.
Riyyh: Oh...?
Riyyh leans over to take a look at the drawings.
Riyyh thinks things must be pretty bad if the Superintendent is starting out from the angle of wanting to compromise on the school's design, considering that technically Riyyh has no connection to the project.
Superintendent Jaffy: As you see, the outer walls and most of the ceiling on this drawing is specified to be of greenhouse-quality glass.
Racknie: Children shouldn't be left in a dark, gloomy room!
Riyyh looks at a drawing of an immense, 2-story high block long greenhouse in some dismay.
Riyyh has to admit Racknie has a point about children and gloomy rooms, though.
Riyyh remembers loathing school as a child, even at Naros.
Riyyh: I see.
Superintendent Jaffy: While good plumbing is essential, at least in the bathrooms and kitchen, I hardly think it's necessary to have industrial-scale hookups, individual circulation pumps, and four large drains in each classroom.
Racknie: Do you want the children to be sitting in puddles?
Racknie: ~~ horrified ~~
Racknie has seen enough leaky hydroponics setups to have some idea of the importance of good drains.
Riyyh: Racknie....
Riyyh places a calming hand on Racknie's arm.
Riyyh: Please, go on. [to Jaffy]
Superintendent Jaffy turns to a page which shows the architect's rendering of the detail in a typical classroom.
Superintendent Jaffy: And I hardly see the purpose for these long troughs taking up half of the classroom space!
Racknie: But....
Racknie is finally rendered speechless at this fresh evidence that Jaffy really doesn't know how necessary water circulation is to a good hydroponics setup.
Racknie is sure that Jaffy's education has been sadly neglected, and vows that he won't let the students at the new school suffer likewise.
Riyyh nods sympathetically.
Superintendent Jaffy puts a hand on the plans.
Superintendent Jaffy: This is not a design for a school.
Superintendent Jaffy: And yet, any attempt to modify the design to allow for actual education has been met with vigorous, and organized, resistance.
Riyyh: I see.
Racknie: It's a perfect design for learning what's important in life!
Racknie: "Give me a vegetable, and I eat for a day; teach me to grow a garden, and I eat for a lifetime."
Racknie: Do you want those children to starve?
Superintendent Jaffy looks at Racknie severely.
Superintendent Jaffy: Food belongs in the school cafeteria, not the classrooms.
Superintendent Jaffy imagines what would happen if a student sitting next to a tomato plant got upset at the teacher.
Superintendent Jaffy thinks it would be worse than trying to limit snowball fights on the playground in winter.
Riyyh: I am sure some compromise can be reached. [reassuringly]
Superintendent Jaffy: ~~ hope ~~
Racknie: ~~ protest ~~
Riyyh: Racknie, while hydroponics is indeed an important discipline, surely it should occupy no more space in the school than any other department?
Riyyh: The students still must learn Simelan, history, and other important subjects.
Racknie: Well, I suppose you'd want to give equal space to plant anatomy, plant biochemistry, agronomy, pomology, viticulture, grasslands management, ecology, pest control, and that sort of thing.
Racknie is a bit abashed at having forgotten about them.
Racknie: But they would be best taught by the use of small experimental plots outside.
Riyyh holds up a cautionary hand.
Riyyh: Remember, our agreement with Capitol City says only that we will help the school develop classes and curriculum in agricultural areas, not that the school itself will be devoted to such teaching.
Racknie: But....
Racknie can't imagine any more important subject.
Riyyh: Save your ideas, and we can offer after-school and evening courses for both children and adults.
Riyyh: On the neighborhood plots.
Racknie: But they're not set up for hydroponics!
Riyyh: In the meantime, what the school requires is a simpler setup... perhaps some window-lined hallways, or one or two greenhouse rooms.
Riyyh: For individual classrooms - those whose purpose is relevant to botany, that is - a small rolling setup which can be positioned in front of a reasonable sized window ought to suffice.
Racknie: But you can't feed the students lunch from a small portable setup!
Riyyh is trying to appear as kind and reasonable as possible.
Racknie: ~~~ PROTEST ~~~
Riyyh: Of course not, [soothingly] but fortunately that won't be necessary.
Riyyh: There is already a citywide infrastructure in place for feeding the children.
Superintendent Jaffy: The school district specifically sets aside funds to run the cafeteria.
Superintendent Jaffy: Every child is supplied with a healthy and nutritious lunch.
Superintendent Jaffy is doing his best to be reassuring.
Riyyh, like all other intelligent people who have tasted cafeteria food, is all for school lunch program reforms, but he doesn't feel this is the time and place to get into that.
Racknie: Have you any idea how fast fruit vegetables lose their nutritional value after they've been picked?
Racknie has, of course, studied up on that subject.
Riyyh touches Racknie's wrist.
Riyyh: Yes, very quickly, but let us return to the subject at hand.
Superintendent Jaffy wishes he could shut Racknie up so quickly.
Superintendent Jaffy: I was hoping that we could build a school somewhat more like the one on 3rd Street.
Superintendent Jaffy: Classrooms with lots of space for the students, with a window to let in light, but also walls to provide adequate insulation and allow the building to be properly heated and cooled.
Riyyh: Where are the original plans?
Superintendent Jaffy pulls a set of well-worn blueprints from a drawer.
Superintendent Jaffy: Here. This was my original proposal.
Superintendent Jaffy: Good use of space, easy to maintain....
Racknie: ...and not a plant in sight!
Racknie says this in the horrified tone of a True Believer confronted with blasphemy.
Riyyh manages not to grimace at the look of the school, which rather resembles a Pen.
Riyyh turns a couple of pages, studying the drawings.
Riyyh rather regrets getting Racknie involved with the progressive-use-of-space program.
Riyyh sighs unhappily.
Riyyh closes the drawings.
Riyyh: All we really require are two or three rooms to these specifications. [taps on the newer drawings]
Racknie: What??!! That's not even one setup per grade!
Racknie: Even at one per classroom, as in the drawings, each setup would be shared by around thirty children.
Riyyh: They should be on the West or South side of the building, on the top floor.
Racknie imagines a school full of hydroponics-deprived children and blanches.
Riyyh: These drainage and irrigation systems can be downgraded by about 40% capacity.
Racknie: But....
Riyyh can't blame Racknie for indulging in the fantasies of a long-underfunded scientist, but this situation demands practicality.
Racknie is brought forcefully to mind of the way that Riyyh was left in blissful ignorance when the hydroponics setup in the Naros research lab... but I digress.
Superintendent Jaffy is trying his best to ignore Racknie and deal with Riyyh.
Riyyh: Don't worry, Racknie, small carts and glass window-shelves can still be installed in the other rooms, if we are able to involve the teachers in working agriculture into their coursework.
Superintendent Jaffy: We could manage a pair of rooms up here.
Riyyh beams.
Superintendent Jaffy points to a section of the diagram directly over the first floor toilets.
Superintendent Jaffy: That would make the plumbing easier to install...
Riyyh makes it appear that Superintendent Jaffy has been fantastically generous.
Superintendent Jaffy is wishing that Riyyh had been present from the start, even if the Mayor wouldn't approve.
Superintendent Jaffy: I will have the plans redrawn, then, based on these drawings, but with the two classrooms modified as in the newer sketch.
Superintendent Jaffy checks Riyyh as well as a Gen can, looking for signs of resistance that could foreshadow trouble.
Riyyh looks as if he sincerely feels for Jaffy's troubles and will do anything to be of assistance - anything at all.
Riyyh always looks like that, though.
Riyyh: [with reason!]
Racknie, on the other hand, appears ready to do anything at all to prevent this shameful downsizing of his latest pet project.
Superintendent Jaffy doesn't know Riyyh well enough to understand him, and so takes more comfort from his appearance than perhaps he should.
Riyyh decides Racknie should be given a project all of his own, that can consume all that energy and with any luck, keep him occupied for a while.
Superintendent Jaffy: I am glad that we were able to resolve this. The issue has aroused local passions, as I'm sure you are aware.
Superintendent Jaffy: Such confusion only tends to obscure the issues at hand, and prevent anything from being accomplished.
Riyyh: Our primary interest in this is to retain the use of the school grounds as neighborhood garden plots, and to be able to provide agriculture-related educational opportunities at the school itself.
Riyyh: As a supplement to the school's regular educational programs. [adds meaningfully]
Racknie feels that the issue has been clear enough, and that not much will be accomplished.
Racknie scowls at the stress on "supplement".
Racknie: But our supporters here will be so disappointed!
Racknie: They have been counting on having the new design for the school!
Racknie knows personally of three groups of parents in the neighborhood who have been investigating the possibility of entering the greengrocery business, if a cheap supply of local produce became available.
Riyyh: Let us talk about this privately, Racknie.
Riyyh: I would like to hear your ideas, when we have finished speaking with Superintendent Jaffy. [smiles]
Superintendent Jaffy is grateful for Riyyh's apparent muzzling of Racknie.
Superintendent Jaffy might well be more concerned if he fully understood Riyyh's tendency to sympathize most strongly with the last person to speak with him on an issue.
Superintendent Jaffy: The final plans can be drawn up in a week or so, in time to be approved at the next meeting of the school board.
Riyyh smiles at the Superintendent.
Riyyh: I hope that your revised proposal will meet with their approval.
Superintendent Jaffy isn't worried about the board approving; he's worried about the neighborhood activists that Racknie has stirred up.
Superintendent Jaffy: I hope so, too.
Superintendent Jaffy: Well, I'm sure you're a busy man, Sectuib Riyyh, so I won't keep you longer.
Superintendent Jaffy gives a genuine smile.
Riyyh rises.
Riyyh: Thank you. Racknie?
Racknie rises too, still bursting with objections.
Racknie follows Riyyh out the door.
Racknie barely waits until the door is shut before the dam breaks.
Racknie: How could you!
Racknie: ~~ betrayed ~~
Riyyh: Racknie, Racknie. [gently, but somewhat tiredly]
Riyyh: Allow me to explain.
Riyyh walks down the hallway toward the front of the building.
Racknie follows, perforce.
Riyyh: Your idea is wonderful, it just isn't what we'd agreed to do here.
Riyyh: If we don't stick to our side of the agreement, they'll think we're unreasonable.
Racknie: It's a logical outgrowth--how can we teach people to grow food without facilities?
Riyyh: Of course. [soothing] You're right.
Riyyh: Perhaps what is required is a special school, a private school dedicated to agriculture in the City?
Racknie: A school of agriculture?
Racknie is, as usual, easily distracted by a new idea.
Racknie: Do you really mean it?
Riyyh: It would have to be small to begin with. [cautiously]
Riyyh: And it would have to be nearly self-sufficient; the parents would have to take turns assisting in the teaching, for example.
Riyyh: And in the summers, it might have to be held outdoors....
Racknie imagines a modest cluster of five or six large buildings, with accompanying greenhouses and fields.
Racknie: Well, of course. Actual field experience is critical.
Racknie's area of interest is almost unique in defining "field experience" as just that.
Racknie follows Riyyh out of the building, his alleged mind preoccupied with ever-more-elaborate visions of founding a grand university which will put the proper emphasis on plants.
see note 1
Pylor follows Darrel into a rather nice restaurant.
Darrel zlins around anxiously for their host.
Riyyh has finally managed to drop Racknie off at the action headquarters, and then had the carriage bring him to the restaurant where he is scheduled to meet Darrel for lunch.
Riyyh therefore is already seated, and waves to Darrel with a smile.
Darrel smiles back.
Darrel: There he is.
Darrel leads Pylor towards Riyyh's table.
Riyyh smoothes back his hair again, though he'd just spent about 20 minutes making sure his look had survived Jaffy and Racknie intact.
Darrel: Sectuib Riyyh, I've brought my Donor, Pylor. Pylor, this is Riyyh.
Pylor: Pleased to meet you, Sectuib Naros.
Riyyh: Sosu Pylor. [smiles in genuine pleasure]
Pylor looks at Riyyh curiously, as he has only glimpsed him at an event or two, and never spoken to him.
Riyyh: Please, be seated, both of you.
Darrel sits down.
Darrel: Sosu Pylor has been a great help to me.
Darrel has become a Pylor-convert since their assignment.
Riyyh is an aging, but still disturbingly good-looking First Order channel wearing expensive clothing and jewelry, and with an impeccable set of long silver curls.
Riyyh: I have read about you.
Riyyh: [to Pylor]
Pylor is not nearly as enthusiastic about being assigned to Darrel, but letting Darrel zlin that isn't part of his job.
Pylor's mouth twists at this polite reference to the gossip columnists' recent purple prose.
Riyyh intends this as flattery; therefore he doesn't mention that it was in tabloids, as well as Hero, Nick and Tiarala's gossipy letters.
Pylor: And I about you.
Pylor thinks that two can play the tabloid game.
Riyyh: You zlin well, Darrel.
Darrel smiles broadly.
Darrel: I'm feeling so much more relaxed, these days.
Riyyh: That you were assigned a First, and are doing so well, suggests that you will be fine in the future. [smiles]
Riyyh is impressed by Darrel's progress, and doesn't try to hide it.
Darrel has, indeed, lost much of his nervous-breakdown-waiting-to-happen appearance, although his inherent timidity remains.
Riyyh doesn't actually notice the timidity, since he is so used to seeing it in the mirror every day.
Darrel feels a surge of unwonted self-confidence at this praise.
Darrel: Hajene Arat is a generous Controller. Did you know that Pylor was supposed to be his Donor, but the Controller gave him up so that he could help me get over my problems?
Riyyh: Is that so? [kindly]
Riyyh wouldn't have thought that was the reason, but he is more than willing to appear to take Darrel's word for it.
Pylor is glad that Darrel, at least, has swallowed his carefully constructed coverup, but suspects that Neptude will be much harder to convince.
Darrel: I was a bit afraid of Arat at first....
Darrel still is, on occasion... like every time he is actually in Arat's presence.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Darrel: ... but he's really a very good Controller.
Riyyh nods encouragingly.
Riyyh himself is, of course, perfectly terrified of Arat.
Riyyh had held some illusions about patching up their relationship at one point, until he found himself face to face with the man and discovered the intimidation factor was insurmountable.
Darrel: His Center always runs very smoothly. People are where they are supposed to be--even the patients are normal.
Pylor mutters something, of which only the words "bloody Farris perfectionist" are audible.
Riyyh: That must be pleasant, [agrees, remembering that Darrel had been at Bender Cove before]
Pylor is, however, careful to keep his opinion of Arat to himself.
Pylor: (nagerically speaking)
Riyyh zlins Pylor curiously, but doesn't comment on the comment.
Pylor is by this point more interested in salvaging his career than in making converts to Arat-hatred, and has pegged Darrel as the closest he's likely to get to an advocate with Arat's ear.
Riyyh: And how long have you been at that Sime Center, Sosu Pylor? [making polite conversation]
Pylor: I've been on a regular rotation between three Centers in the general area.
Pylor takes care not to mention that he has been taken off of this rotation for the time being.
Riyyh: Do you happen to know what is intended regarding Nick Reckage?
Pylor: The rogue Donor?
Riyyh had discovered through previous correspondence that Darrel was not privy to such information, although he was able to provide several interesting rumors.
Pylor's face contorts in a grimace of distaste.
Riyyh is taken aback by the change in Pylor's expression and nager.
Riyyh: Why, yes, er....
Pylor: I suppose he'll do fine, at least as long as he's the darling poster boy for half the Controllers in Capitol.
Riyyh: He is?
Riyyh looks hopeful.
Riyyh: So he is doing well, then?
Pylor: If he keeps his nose clean, he might even last for a while, after they lose interest.
Riyyh looks worried at that last statement.
Riyyh: I do try to get him to write more often, and he is supposed to come home on his way back to Capitol from New Othwol, but....
Pylor: Still, he seems to be pressing the limits. I'm told he hasn't pledged yet, and it's been two months since he was captured.
Riyyh looks thoughtful.
Riyyh: Perhaps if Wise Snake....
Riyyh can't quite picture Snake pledging to the Tecton, even though she is technically pledged to it already.
Riyyh: ... well.
Pylor: She belongs in prison! Or locked up with the criminally insane.
Pylor's nager betrays a touch of fear, although well controlled enough not to disturb Darrel particularly.
Riyyh studies Pylor curiously; he'd have thought someone in Pylor's position would have a more clinical attitude about Snake than that.
Riyyh himself, of course, plans to stay far away from Snake, having been nearly murdered by her once already.
Pylor: But Arat's too blind to zlin what's biting him on the neck.
Riyyh: You have worked with her, then? While assigned to Arat?
Pylor: A little bit.
Pylor: She's insane.
Riyyh: Has she shown any progress at all?
Pylor shudders.
Pylor: Not that I've noticed.
Riyyh frets.
Riyyh: My son should be there.
Riyyh: Perhaps in another month, things will be better.
Riyyh can't imagine trying to rehabilitate Snake without Nick involved somehow.
Pylor: Controller Arat's got her working with patients. He says his supervision is enough to protect them, but really! He can't protect himself against her.
Riyyh's eyes widen.
Riyyh: Have there been any incidents?
Pylor: Well, not as such.
Pylor: ~~ grudging admission ~~
Riyyh: ~~ relief ~~
Pylor: But only because she was locked up, in the maximum security cell.
Pylor: Now that she's allowed out, even on a limited basis....
Riyyh: We had so much difficulty with her while she was our guest. I do hope you all will be able to help her.
Pylor: Well, anything could happen.
Riyyh nods.
Riyyh turns back to Darrel.
Pylor wouldn't actually object to Snake making a run for it, if it got her out of Tecton custody.
Pylor would be even happier if Snake took Nick with her.
Riyyh: Do you plan on staying on, then? Have you been happy enough?
Riyyh makes it sound as if a Tecton channel has much say in where he ends up.
Darrel considers.
Darrel: It's been well enough.
Darrel isn't made out for the life of a rogue, after all.
Darrel is unaware of how much of this tolerance was simply due to Arat, Snake, and Nick providing a more entertaining source of gossip.
Riyyh: I'm pleased for you. [genuine]
Riyyh: Ah, here's the waiter.
Riyyh looks forward to a pleasant lunch and chat with the two.
Notes:
1) Some time passes between these two scenes. [return]