Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #172: Premature Publication (11/4/99)
Prunida zlins a familiar nager as she turns a corner.
Prunida: Riyyh!
Prunida is ~~ surprisingly cheerful ~~
Riyyh straightens suddenly from where he was fastening Vanity's girth, inadvertently giving the horse a brisk corseting.
Riyyh: ~~ startlement ~~
Vanity grunts in protest.
Prunida: Don't tell me that you got an invitation, too?
Riyyh hurriedly loosens the girth again, then turns to face the coming onslaught... that is, his friend Prunida.
Riyyh: Oh... er... Prunida! What a pleasant surprise. [weakly]
Prunida: Have you seen it yet?
Prunida: ~~ eager ~~
Riyyh backs into Vanity's side as Prunida gets nearer.
Riyyh: Seen what?
Riyyh: My dear, whatever are you referring to?
Prunida: Roosle's book, of course. I'm to pick up my copy at the signing.
Prunida: Autographed, of course.
Prunida appears very pleased at the prospect, for someone who has never evidenced much enthusiasm for literature of any type.
Riyyh: He's here?
Riyyh looks appalled, since he and Nick had gone to some effort to put Dr. Roosle behind them.
Prunida appears a bit surprised at the strength of Riyyh's reaction.
Prunida: Of course.
Riyyh's life flashes before his eyes as he realizes Nick's going to momentarily become aware that both Roosle and Prunida are in the town they're supposed to be working in for at least a week.
Prunida: He's invited me to be his special guest at the signing.
Prunida: Because of my great help, he says.
Riyyh boggles at the thought of trying to soothe Nick's feathers after that revelation... it'll be amazing if Nick has any "feathers" left at all.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Prunida: I'm sure he'd be glad to see you, if you dropped by.
Prunida: Surely you want to see what he wrote?
Riyyh: Oh, my, I'll be sure to keep that in mind... oh, I've seen a copy.
Prunida: You have?
Riyyh: We ran into Dr. Roosle quite by accident while on the road several days ago.
Prunida: ~~ greed ~~
Riyyh is a bit taken aback by her sudden projection.
Riyyh: ~ nervous ~
Prunida's tentacles itch to see how it turned out.
Riyyh wonders if he should mention that Nick wasn't very happy about that teenage image of him she'd contributed, or just stay out of that particular crossfire.
Riyyh's native cowardice wars with a channel's desire to protect his Companion.
Prunida: How did it turn out?
Riyyh: Oh, er, well, Dr. Roosle seems very pleased.
Riyyh: It's not nearly as, how shall we say it, intellectual? as I had hoped.
Riyyh: And his editors did seem a bit more interested in scandal than in his theories....
Prunida: Well, I'm sure they know what people want to read.
Riyyh can't really blame them for being somewhat confused by the "scientific" portion of Dr. Roosle's writing, having been there and done that himself.
Prunida: Did they put in any of those pictures we took at Naros?
Riyyh: I just hope it doesn't adversely affect your... why yes, actually, they did.
Riyyh smiles kindly.
Prunida: I do hope they chose the ones that make me look younger.
Riyyh hadn't remembered any like that, but certainly wouldn't dream of saying so.
Riyyh had been pleased enough by the photos of him, but then he's terribly vain and not particularly possessed of shame or bashfulness.
Prunida looks around to make sure that they aren't being overheard.
Prunida: I admit, when they asked for a picture or two of me, I sent them my old album, so that they could find a nice one.
Prunida: You don't think that's terribly vain of me, do you?
Riyyh's eyes widen as he wonders if she "sold" the photo of Nick to them inadvertently.
Prunida: Besides, I never was very good at keeping negatives straight, and there wasn't time to sort them all out.
Prunida: It's so confusing, with everything backwards, as it were.
Prunida is reluctant to admit that her eyesight isn't what it used to be.
Riyyh covers a gasp of dismay with a gesture that displays the same thing visually with so much more eloquence.
Prunida: What's wrong?
Riyyh: I just... realized....
Prunida: Realized what?
Riyyh: Well, Nick is going to be just a teensy bit upset at you for a particular photo which might have come out of that album.
Prunida is starting to get a touch ~ annoyed ~ at Riyyh for failing to share her mood.
Riyyh feels it's his duty to warn her, if she hadn't sold it on purpose.
Prunida: Nick? Why should he object to me having a younger picture in a book?
Riyyh: Perhaps I'd better let the two of you discuss it directly.
Riyyh fears getting caught in the middle on this.
Riyyh: [and with good reason!]
Prunida frowns.
Prunida: It can't be the one of me with the whip and bridle.
Prunida: You say he's upset?
Prunida doesn't think that bodes well for her long-term plans with regards to Nick.
Riyyh can't back up any farther against Vanity, so he turns around instead, busying himself by straightening the saddle blanket and tightening the girth properly.
Riyyh: Oh, dear. [to himself]
Prunida: Which picture upset him so much?
Prunida grabs Riyyh by one arm and shakes him.
Riyyh cringes from the violence.
Riyyh: The-the-the-can-di-di-did shot.
Riyyh: [as he shakes back and forth]
Prunida pauses in her shaking and considers.
Prunida: The one of the two of us together?
Prunida knows that Nick is a bit touchy on the subject of his genetic inheritance.
Riyyh: The picture of him masturbating.
Riyyh tries to push back his hair, which has fallen into his face with the mishandling.
Prunida stiffens in ~~ shock ~~
Prunida: ...that one?
Riyyh winces as her grip tightens.
Riyyh: I'm afraid so.
Riyyh: He was extremely unhappy.
Riyyh has, in fact, been apologizing for it hourly ever since then, despite having nothing whatsoever to do with its creation or publication.
Prunida: Those lying, cheating, low-down lorshes! How dare they?
Riyyh cringes more.
Prunida: I was making such progress with Nick, and now they go and....
Prunida: He blames me, doesn't he?
Riyyh: Yes, I think that, well, he doesn't know how it happened, of course, but....
Prunida: He was never supposed to see that one at all.
Prunida: It was for my neighbor, you see.
Riyyh thinks that's not what Nick said, but he's certainly not about to say so.
Riyyh: It was?
Prunida has the grace to look, well, not ashamed exactly, but aware that others might not approve of her actions, in this instance.
Riyyh sneaks a hand up to Prunida's to see if she's distracted enough that he could pry himself a little circulation room.
Riyyh naturally feels sympathetic for her discomfort.
Prunida: Yes. She had a Gen niece about Nick's age.
Prunida: I thought they might make a suitable match, if the Tecton rejected Nick for Donor training.
Prunida: But Mirra wouldn't hear of it without proof that he was capable.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Riyyh: I wouldn't tell Nick that part, if I were you. [kindly]
Prunida: I know he's a bit touchy on the subject.
Prunida: Still, we weren't able to carry through with the idea, since Nick never came home after he left the training camp.
Prunida sighs at the missed opportunity.
Riyyh manages to reclaim his arm, and massages his bruised biceps tenderly.
Riyyh: Try not to be too hard on Dr. Roosle, it seems that his publisher had a good deal more to do with the book's packaging than he did.
Prunida's tentacles start to lash at this reminder that the book's ostensible author is within reach of her revenge.
Prunida: He let them put his name on it.
Riyyh cautiously turns away from her to untie Vanity's reins.
Nick comes out of the tailor's, where he has been suffering through measurements and alterations in hopes of acquiring an outfit that won't cause Riyyh to wince on sight.
Nick is bored, pin-pricked, and very glad to be outside.
Nick: Riyyh! Are you ready to....
Nick gets far enough around Vanity to recognize Riyyh's company.
Nick: You!
Nick: ~~ fury controlled to the precise degree necessary to avoid slamming a Farris channel ~~
Nick has not fully adjusted to working with Riyyh, yet.
Riyyh turns pale.
Prunida takes a step to one side, placing Riyyh's nager between Nick and herself.
Riyyh looks pleadingly at Nick.
Riyyh: Nick... now, don't do anything rash....
Nick catches Riyyh's appeal, and snaps down ~~ tight control ~~
Nick does not stop glaring at Prunida, however.
Nick: How could even you do a thing like that?
Riyyh pats Vanity's nose and tries to pretend he's not there.
Riyyh would much prefer to flee, but that is a bit difficult when sandwiched between two angry people related to Prunida.
Prunida's tentacles wave, as if seeking an acceptable excuse, or a club, or something.
Prunida: I didn't know! Tell him, Riyyh!
Prunida plucks insistently at Riyyh's cape.
Prunida knows quite well that there is a credibility gap where she is concerned, in Nick's opinion.
Riyyh: Well... I.... ~ fearful ~
Nick looks at Riyyh.
Riyyh looks like a rabbit frozen between the forepaws of two snarling Rottweilers.
Riyyh: She says that she didn't know they had that picture. [timidly]
Nick: Didn't know?
Prunida: They asked for some different pictures of me. I didn't know that picture was in the album.
Prunida is aware that she doesn't sound very plausible, even though she is telling the complete truth.
Riyyh finds it very difficult to imagine a Prunida so dazzled by the glamour of the publishing industry that she'd trustingly send all of her lifelong photo collection to complete strangers, which is part of why he's having trouble just believing her.
Prunida had, after all, forgotten that she had hidden the candid shot of Nick in with the baby pictures of his mother.
Prunida had had babies on her mind at the time, for some reason.
Prunida: They seemed like such nice people.
Nick looks at Riyyh for confirmation of this rather outlandish story.
Riyyh looks helplessly back at Nick.
Riyyh: She zlins as if she's telling the truth. [uncertainly]
Nick had not wanted to hear this, as it renders immediate revenge problematic.
Nick: Are you sure?
Riyyh of course is mainly interested in not getting caught in the middle of a screaming match, and therefore inclined to de-escalate.
Riyyh looks apologetic and worried.
Prunida is pretty good at not letting her nager show what she doesn't want it to, for a renSime, but at the moment, she's desperately hoping that Riyyh will read her nager clearly.
Riyyh: I think I must go lie down.
Riyyh: I'm not feeling very well.
Nick recalls himself to duty sharply.
Nick manages to quell his quite natural feelings towards Prunida in favor of offering ~~ support ~~
Nick: What's the matter?
Nick: ~~ concern ~~
Riyyh steps closer to Nick in ~ relief ~.
Riyyh: Oh, dear, I'm not used to all of this excitement.
Riyyh: I'm sorry, perhaps we could discuss this somewhere more restful?
Riyyh: Over tea, perhaps? And in private?
Nick's stomach growls at the mention of tea, which in the better restaurants frequently comes accompanied by edibles.
Prunida: Tea sounds lovely. It's been a shock for us all.
Prunida is remembering Riyyh's lectures about the importance of stating one's sympathy for a would-be friend's feelings.