Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #158: Cheap (9/18/99)
Nick finally meets up with Riyyh, looking somewhat harried but more warmly dressed.
Riyyh smiles brilliantly.
Nick: Sorry for the delay. Arat's administrative assistant caught me.
Nick: Some update that had to be submitted.
Riyyh has had a few minutes... well, nearly 42 minutes actually... to think about Nick's offer and get very excited about it.
Riyyh: I don't mind, Nick. [kindly]
Riyyh: Shall we?
Nick nods, and starts walking, eager to get out of reach of administrators with forms.
Riyyh is glad to be getting out from under the eyes of the security desk officer, who has been watching him suspiciously through the glass of the grand lobby's front doors.
Riyyh suspects the guy was watching him for signs of roguish behavior such as stealing patients... or perhaps seducing Donors.
Nick: So, where is this restaurant?
Nick: I haven't eaten outside of the Sime Center in weeks.
Riyyh: It's the Slotted Spoon, over on Windview Terrace.
Nick hadn't realized how much the culinary monotony had been getting to him.
Nick: I haven't been there.
Riyyh: My choice, actually. The alternative was, well....
Riyyh doesn't think much of Prunida's choice of eating establishments, mainly because she is so amazingly cheap, and not very picky about what she puts in her mouth.
Riyyh: You'll like it. [assures him]
Riyyh: It has a nice view of the yacht harbor as well.
Nick: I've never been on a yacht, although I did work a short stint on a trading boat, once.
Nick: That was not long after I left the Tecton training camp.
Nick had been under the illusion that one ran away to sea; later, he learned that one can hide equally well as an agricultural laborer, and not get seasick.
Prunida is growling under her breath as she sits at a table in the Slotted Spoon.
Prunida: ...add some rabbit stew to the menu if he doesn't show up soon....
Prunida doesn't consider the difficulty in stewing an absent Riyyh.
Prunida is, of course, totally oblivious to the atmosphere, except as it affects the prices on the menu.
Prunida is therefore sipping water while she waits, much to the waiter's disgust.
Riyyh and Nick are still talking about boats when they arrive at the restaurant some time later.
Riyyh is positively glowing with the prospect of both having Nick as a temporary Donor and having pleased Prunida.
Riyyh: [picture sort of a cross between an abjectly loving Golden Retriever and a nose quivering bunny]
Prunida has by this time provided the chefs with detailed instructions for flaying, slicing, and otherwise preparing Riyyh stew, if they had cared to listen.
Prunida breaks off as she zlins the newly arrived pair.
Prunida: It's about time you showed up!
Prunida: ~~ irate ~~
Riyyh leaves Nick and flies over to Prunida, trying to ~~ soothe ~~ her.
Riyyh: There there, dear, see, we are here now, so everything is all right, isn't it?
Prunida: Where have you been? I've been waiting for over an hour!
Riyyh's tentacles flutter as stress shatters his previous mood.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Nick hesitates, having long since learned to judge Prunida's temper at a distance.
Riyyh grovels appeasingly in the hopes that will help.
Nick wonders whether this was such a good idea, after all.
Riyyh: There was a bit of delay at the Sime Center. Nick does have his duties after all, Prunida, be reasonable.
Riyyh's words are admonishing but his manner is more begging.
Prunida finds this argument moderately convincing, and her hackles (and nager) smooth a bit.
Prunida: Well, I suppose it's all right, then.
Prunida: ~~ grudging ~~
Riyyh wishes they had worked out some sort of signal to warn Prunida when she is acting un-friend-like.
Riyyh smiles.
Prunida might be a bit less grudging if Nick weren't working with Snake this month.
Nick decides it is probably safe to come nearer.
Riyyh: You have a table already, then?
Riyyh can't tell because Prunida had been rampaging all over the restaurant by the time they arrived.
Riyyh notices a distinct lack of the regular clientele and hopes it's just a coincidence.
Nick doesn't normally get any closer to Prunida than absolutely necessary, but he is too much of a Donor to let his future channel take the risk unsupported.
Prunida: Yes. Back there.
Prunida nods to an otherwise unoccupied room at the back.
Riyyh smiles again, hoping to smooth things even further.
Nick is somehow not surprised that they didn't offer Prunida one of the tables with a view, even though several are empty.
Riyyh: Very well then.
Riyyh takes Nick's arm protectively.
Riyyh is not unaware of how uncomfortable the scene, and/or Prunida in general, is making Nick... or everybody else within hearing range, for that matter.
Nick pulls himself together and offers ~~ support ~~ that only a Farris would find even marginally lacking.
Riyyh, not being a Farris, finds it very pleasant indeed. Particularly because it nearly makes him forget that he and Nick aren't alone.
Prunida leads the way to their table, perhaps fortunately oblivious to how the staff has snubbed them.
Prunida is starting to remember her lessons, now that she has vented a bit over the delay.
Prunida: So, Nick, I zlin that you haven't eaten. They put a basket of bread on the table--just the thing for a hungry Gen.
Prunida thinks, particularly because it comes free with the table.
Riyyh is encouraged by Prunida's attempts at kindness.
Nick is still trying to figure out what his grandmother is up to.
Nick is cautiously optimistic that food will be at least part of it, however.
Nick is not so optimistic that he fails to grab the seat with his back to the door, however, just to make sure that Prunida won't get between him and an escape route.
Riyyh hesitates as Prunida and Nick grab for their chosen chairs, then sighs and seats himself in one of the left over ones.
Riyyh: A pleasant morning, weather wise. [hopefully]
Nick: It's getting cooler at night. It won't be long before winter's here.
Prunida remembers that talking about weather was supposed to be considered polite.
Prunida doesn't see the point, herself, but gamely tries to join in.
Prunida: Do you think you're likely to get marooned in New Othwol over the winter, Nick?
Nick tries to figure a way to talk around the problem, without admitting that he will probably not be working for the Tecton for at least part of the coming winter.
Riyyh examines a fork.
Nick: I don't anticipate that sort of problem, really.
Nick congratulates himself on rampage-control, and rewards himself with a thick slice of bread with butter.
Riyyh looks up innocently.
Riyyh: You will be home, then, Prunida?
Prunida shoots Riyyh a "don't be even more ridiculous than you are" look.
Prunida: No, I have business to attend to.
Riyyh had rather hoped that being trapped with Snake in that skiing town over the winter would have made Prunida more cautious.
Riyyh sighs to himself.
Prunida is just glad that Arat apparently has sense enough to keep Snake caged, leaving Nick out and available.
Prunida remembers to smile, looking rather like a hungry shark.
Prunida: I should be in town for a while--we'll be able to see each other often, Nick.
Riyyh thinks that Nick will be glad to be traveling with Riyyh, in that case.
Nick gives a sickly smile.
Nick: How nice, Grandmother.
Nick thinks that the option of being locked up in the security wing as a rogue would have unexpected benefits.
Nick is pretty sure, for instance, that he won't be able to hide his not working for the Tecton under the current circumstances.
Riyyh quietly lays a plan to get the Narosian grapevine working for him; if he knows where Prunida is and where she's going at all times, he can arrange his own schedule of visits to various cities around that.
Riyyh thinks it's a pity that he must schedule his visits (except the emergency ones) months in advance, while Prunida seems to be able to change her own plans at the drop of a hat.
Riyyh sometimes wonders if Prunida really does have any business, or if in fact she's changed careers and has devoted herself entirely to squeezing Nick.
Prunida foresees a potentially profitable winter; it's so much easier when her prey has less ability to run.
Riyyh: Oh, dear. [to himself]