Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #174: Underutilized (11/11/99)
Dr Roosle hurries down the street, looking anxiously over his shoulder.
Dr Roosle: ~~ angst ~~
Dr Roosle ducks into an alleyway, breathing hard.
Dr Roosle looks around with an air of desperation, hoping for an ally.
Dr Roosle's eyes widen, and he tries the nearest door.
Dr Roosle is ~~ relieved ~~ as it opens, and ducks through.
Dr Roosle locks the door behind himself and makes his way down a dark hallway.
Dr Roosle stubs his toe on a large, heavy book, and mutters a protective incantation under his breath.
Dr Roosle: ~~ yeow! ~~
Dr Roosle's incantation, alas, doesn't improve his eyesight, clear the hallway of obstructions, or even provide a light.
Dr Roosle makes his way towards a glimmer of light ahead.
Dr Roosle discovers that the light is passing through a partially open door, and peers through cautiously.
Dr Roosle feels a shudder of apprehension at the sight of tall bookcases loaded with formidable volumes.
Dr Roosle never liked big, thick books, and has happily abandoned them since becoming a professor.
Dr Roosle listens cautiously for the sounds of Prunida in a tantrum: screeching howls, breaking furniture, cries of pain, and so forth.
Dr Roosle eventually decides that it is safe to emerge, and steps through the door to examine the books more closely.
Dr Roosle's Simelan isn't what it should be, so he pulls out a large and colorful volume and opens it to check for pictures.
Dr Roosle notes a large diagram of a semi-dissected person, noting lungs, nasal sinuses, and other portions of the respiratory system.
Dr Roosle tries to work his way through the accompanying text, and finds himself unable to translate (probably because he doesn't know the Genlan equivalents).
Dr Roosle: Oh, of course. It must be breathing exercises for a very advanced school.
Dr Roosle wonders if the proper type of breathing would help to hide him from Prunida's locator spells.
Dr Roosle puts the book back on the shelf, closes his eyes, and begins to breathe: IN (shoooosh) and OUT (whooooosh) and IN (shoooosh) and OUT (whoooosh).
Dr Roosle feels himself start to become dizzy.
Dr Roosle views with hope this entering of another state of consciousness.
Podrim: Excuse me! [suddenly, from behind Roosle]
Podrim: Were you here to buy anything, or were you just going to finger everything?
Dr Roosle demonstrates the profoundness of his altered state by levitating six inches straight up.
Dr Roosle: Ooooohh!
Dr Roosle turns around to see who is talking.
Podrim is a renSime of the prim male librarian type.
Podrim: The public library is around the corner.
Podrim should know, he worked there for 20 years before coming here.
Podrim considered it a dramatic increase in social standing and doesn't like for anybody to forget it.
Dr Roosle: I do beg your pardon. I was attempting one of the techniques outlined in your text here.
Dr Roosle is reluctant to admit that he wasn't actually able to read the thing, and is thus shown not to be as advanced a practitioner as he likes to think himself.
Dr Roosle: You are obviously a learned practitioner yourself, to have acquired such a collection.
Dr Roosle does flattery pretty well, when he's trying.
Dr Roosle's talent for it has been trained in the exacting Narosian mode, as well.
Podrim might have been flattered, except for the wording.
Podrim's nostrils flare.
Podrim: You must leave at once. This is for scholars only. Not... [wants to say 'street rabble'] ... browsing.
Podrim sells very very expensive books to young trust fund and scholarship kids who come in with lists of what to buy.
Dr Roosle: Of course, I understand you wish to limit your efforts to serious scholars of the Art.
Dr Roosle: However, I am an initiate myself, if in a different school.
Dr Roosle: Allow me to demonstrate.
Podrim starts pushing Roosle towards the door.
Podrim: I'm afraid not, I have a very busy day today.
Dr Roosle starts unbuttoning his shirt.
Podrim: Good day!
Podrim very firmly does not want to know what's inside Dr. Roosle's shirt.
Dr Roosle: But....
Dr Roosle: Surely you have a duty to a fellow seeker after Truth?
Podrim: Come again. [bell on door jingles as door slams shut again, leaving Dr. Roosle out on steps]
Dr Roosle finds himself with a remarkably close-up view of the door.
Dr Roosle: ~~ shock ~~
Dr Roosle: Dear me.
Dr Roosle: I can't think much of his school, if he'd turn away a Seeker.
Dr Roosle overlooks the technicality that he is busier seeking refuge from Prunida than esoteric training, just at present.
Buggfa sits in a small, flowery cafe reading a comic book.
Buggfa had bought several while perusing a book store earlier, and has been enjoying a very peaceful morning drinking coffee (a terrible habit but he likes it) and reading.
Buggfa: (Well, looking at pictures anyway)
Nick finds himself at loose ends while Riyyh is making himself presentable, and so slips out to the cafe down the street for a bit of Gen-style refreshment.
Buggfa was flabbergasted to see that the entire artist group for his favorite comic book series was replaced with low-salaried substitutes, and as a result can only tell which character is which by the colors of their uniforms.
Nick makes it safely to the cafe without being accosted by fans of Roosle's magical style, who have been proving more abundant than he would have dreamed.
Nick has become rather wary as a result, particularly when Riyyh isn't around to draw the fire.
Buggfa turns a page, and groans when he sees the color registration is off by 1/4".
Buggfa wishes he had ignored the admonishing bookstore clerk and finished flipping all the way through before he bought it.
Nick gets tea and a sweet roll: Since he doesn't have to set an example for a Sime with a sweet tooth, he can indulge his own.
Nick hears a sound of distress, and his Snake-honed reflexes immediately start searching for the cause.
Nick approaches the black-jacketed figure.
Nick: Is anything wr... oh, it's you.
Buggfa looks up at Nick blankly, and then his eyes widen as he sees who it is.
Buggfa looks nervously in both directions.
Nick: I hadn't heard that you had a concert scheduled?
Nick notes the looks.
Nick: It's all right. My grandmother is in hot pursuit of an out-Territory scholar who published a book she didn't like.
Nick rather prefers not to go into the embarrassing details.
Nick can not, however, blame Buggfa for his aversion to Prunida.
Buggfa isn't sure whether this sounds reassuring or not, especially since he doesn't know that Prunida is who Nick is talking about.
Buggfa: Oh... really?
Buggfa wonders how he always manages to attract the crazy types. He'd thought it was because he was a rock star, but he's finding it happens when he's traveling incognito too.
Nick: Yes. She won't try to kidnap you again, I don't think.
Buggfa looks down at his sadly malformed comic book and wonders if the old bat could be sent after the comic book publisher when she gets done with the OT guy.
Buggfa decides, on second thought, nobody deserves that.
Nick notes Buggfa's T-shirt.
Nick: ....Shredded Nager?
Kyreth having some free time, has decided to sketch. She enters the cafe, sketchbook under her arm. She is a much different Kyreth than before... immaculately groomed, the sun shining in her auburn hair.
Kyreth sees the two men at the table, recognizes Nick, and smiles. Sees Buggfa, and a look of mild discomfort flickers over her face, remembering Ched's behavior. She goes to a table, and sits facing the street, opening her took on the table in front of her.
Nick: Aren't they the group that....
Buggfa isn't sure what Nick is talking about.
Nick: Well, have been called the "new TBT"?
Buggfa finally realizes Nick is talking about his shirt, and looks down.
Nick is aware that the comparison came from those responsible for imposing civic order, rather than music buffs.
Buggfa shrugs dismissively.
Buggfa: Kinda.
Nick rather doubts the comparison, himself, having become intimately acquainted with the real thing.
Buggfa: I mean, people call them that, I wouldn't say there's much to it.
Buggfa has noticed Kyreth sitting over by the window and is peering about trying to determine if Ched is there as well.
Buggfa had thought his vacation was going fairly well but this town is turning into a veritable minefield.
Kyreth feels Buggfa's concern. She turns her head and smiles, shaking her head no.
Nick decides that if he is going to write about Buggfa in his next letter to Snake, he'd better get some of the details which might actually interest her.
Nick: Have you been able to make any progress on your donation problem?
Nick: Snake was very concerned about you.
Kyreth: [Nothing in the view from the window inspires Kyreth, so she begins a sketch of Riyyh from memory.]
Buggfa looks about nervously as Nick mentions the "S" word.
Buggfa doesn't like any reminder of his having associated with an actual rogue channel; his publicity is enough of a pain as it is.
Buggfa: Some, a little, you know.
Nick: Really?
Nick had thought Buggfa had only donated under duress.
Nick looks towards Kyreth, and notes with some nervousness the portrait of Riyyh taking shape on the page.
Nick has become a bit paranoid on the subject of pictures since the publication of Roosle's book.
Buggfa: I mean, I've been OT for several months on tour so it hasn't been a majorly big deal or anything.
Kyreth's hand stops in mid-motion. She turns to Nick.
Nick: Well, it must be difficult to find a good channel when traveling out-Territory, but surely since your return....?
Kyreth: Excuse me, do you mind if I sketch your Sectuib? It's just for my own practice. I'll be happy to give it to you when I'm finished, if you like, or you can watch me destroy it, if that would be better. [smiles]
Nick: Riyyh isn't my Sectuib. And I assure you, he would be flattered to think that you were sketching him.
Kyreth: I'm sorry, I misunderstood.
Kyreth pauses a moment, then continues her work. ~~ confused and uncomfortable ~~
Nick turns back to Buggfa.
Nick: Isn't it inconvenient, to be high-field so much of the time?
Buggfa: Not really.
Buggfa: I don't run amok or anything.
Buggfa: You have to have a certain amount of control to perform.
Buggfa thinks you also have to be a certain amount high field to perform well.
Nick: How does that burn scar affect your control?
Buggfa: Not much, it has more to do with making myself feel the right way.
Buggfa: I don't do much with the shiltpron or it might be worse.
Buggfa's nageric "performance" consists mainly of not messing it up for his shiltpron players and zlinning well during public appearances.
Nick has found that Riyyh doesn't care to spend lots of time discussing functionals and other channel business, and has found that he misses technical discussions more than he would have thought.
Buggfa, who was a star long before he Established, learned how to put on the face and personality his record label wanted during interviews, and it was a natural progression to do the same with his emotions when the time came.
Buggfa has never really been in charge of anything in his life, which is why his vacations (all two of them) have been relatively uneventful in terms of his own planned activities.
Nick: Did you notice a difference in how people respond to your music, when you were lowfield?
Buggfa: Well I tend to kind of disappear on stage if we're playing to renSimes.
Buggfa: It doesn't zlin good.
Buggfa is repeating the sentiments of the tour's Ambient Designer.
Nick: Really? It shouldn't be a problem, if your shiltpron players know what they're doing.
Kyreth finishes the portrait, carefully removes it from the book, and lays it beside her, face down. then thinks, turns it back over, signs and dates it. Then puts it back.
Kyreth decides she will offer to Nick on his way out. She begins a self-portrait.
Nick contemplates the problem, with the sort of thoroughness that only a Gen who has been trained by a paranoid, rogue Farris channel can display.
Buggfa has heard so many people claim they know more about the business and/or art of rock n' roll than he and/or his backup crew do, that it hardly raises his ire.
Buggfa: Is that so. [clearly not interested in hearing more, but somewhat resigned to it if he must]
Buggfa already goes through ten kinds of contortions to get the effect they want on stage.
Nick: There should be a balance point, the sort a lowfield Donor uses when working with channels.
Buggfa thinks, 'ohgod, he's going to tell me'.
Buggfa nods.
Buggfa: Oh yeah?
Buggfa: Balance point... oh?
Nick: Yes. It's very different from working highfield, though.
Nick: And I don't know how it would work musically, of course.
Nick: It might be an interesting challenge, actually.
Nick then remembers that he's traveling with Riyyh, not Snake.
Buggfa: Challenge...?
Buggfa hopes that doesn't mean Nick is going to try to follow him back home.
Buggfa really, really wouldn't want that.
Nick: To make it work out properly, no matter how strong or weak your field was.
Buggfa: Oh... yeah.
Nick: And then you could work on healing that scarring. At least as well as it can be healed.
Buggfa wonders what that has to do with anything.
Kyreth closes her book and signals for coffee. She gazes up at the window, hoping Ched will take Riyyh up on his offer--and hoping she can find a commission for her sculpture.
Buggfa: Hey, where is that other lady you were with before?
Buggfa: The channel.
Nick: Snake?
Nick droops.
Nick: She's back in Capitol.
Buggfa: Oh, good. [sincere relief]
Buggfa: I don't need no more channel trouble, man, if you know what I mean.
Buggfa: No offense, but publicity is publicity.
Nick: Your managers didn't like your donating to Snake?
Buggfa: I shouldn'ta been caught dead within miles of someone like her.
Buggfa: We already take enough heat from the parent groups.
Buggfa's band's output is carefully regulated to offend the more self-righteous parent groups while falling within the 'oh dear... well, they're only young once' range for average parents.
Nick: Buggfa, believe me, if Snake was so interested in the challenge you presented that she was willing to pay you for your donation, that drunkard the Tecton had posted in town would have been a disaster for you.
Nick: Bad publicity might be an inconvenience, but getting reburned would have been a disaster.
Buggfa grimaces.
Buggfa doesn't like it when people use "disaster" in the same sentence with anything to do with donating.
Buggfa: Well, that was a bad situation all in all.
Buggfa hadn't exactly planned on getting snowed in to a town with only 2 available channels (one a drunken incompetent and one a rogue), forced to land a day job and then required to donate by his boss.
Nick: Yes, the Tecton really should have someone competent up there, since it's cut off every winter.
Buggfa in fact would have been out of town ahead of the snowstorm except that Prunida (apparently, Nick's grandmother) had more or less kidnapped him.
Nick: They can't count on having volunteer talent show up every year.
Nick: Much less talent capable of handling the work.
Nick: And a problem like yours--you should be working only with high Firsts, at least at first.
Nick speaks with the unconscious arrogance of a high First, albeit of the Donor variety.
Kyreth hunts in her purse, finds a piece of paper and writes a note to Riyyh, saying, "Please accept this as a token of my pleasure at meeting you."
Kyreth realizes that most people find her shy and awkward, and too formal, but doesn't much care. She leaves, dropping the note and portrait on Nick's table on her way out.
Nick looks at the portrait, thinking that it's not a bad likeness.