Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #54: New Tea (10/14/00)
Nick slogs his way back through the mud to Arat's shack, having somewhat exceeded his allotted break time.
Nick figures that Arat won't make too much of a fuss about that, given the news he is bringing.
Nick had stopped by the Narosian camp, so as to get a better idea of what they were up against, and was a bit alarmed at the identities of some of the... siblings... he met there.
Nick was also able to get his hands on a peace offering, although he expects that even good tea without strange flavorings will do little to soften the blow.
Nick nods absentmindedly to Taskent as he passes through the door, not trying to hide his ~~ concern ~~
Jeniard: There. All finished.
Jeniard replaces the stopper in the bottle of Farris-safe anti-itch cream.
Taskent nods to Nick as he stands what has suddenly become his new semipermanent post inside the office door. He should have known something was up when Brainard practically jumped at the chance to switch shifts. How was he supposed to know that the lucky bastard was rotating out?
Arat readjusts the collar of his uniform to the regulation configuration. Only some of the white dots show above it on his neck.
Arat nods to Nick, frowning at the state of his nager.
Arat: Has something occurred?
Arat has been blissfully ignorant of the arrival of certain persons to date, because he has been inside his insulated office for the last hour. He can zlin things outside the doors, but not a great distance away.
Nick nods.
Nick: The Narosian delegation just got in. And Riyyh's with them.
Jeniard drops the bottle of ointment, flustered.
Arat's expressive Farris features show a remarkable expression partway between a wince, a grimace, surprise, and resignation.
Arat's wince is because it's bad news, the grimace is because he doesn't like Riyyh, the surprise is because he truly hadn't thought Riyyh would actually come here personally, and the resignation is because his life has a way of heaping bad news upon worse, and this is just another thing to endure.
Arat: How can that be?
Nick: My guess is that Anmyn is doing acceptably at managing the harvest.
Nick: Alternatively, he decided that he'd rather not get stuck up here all winter.
Arat: That would make sense. [cautiously]
Arat: A short stay, then...
Jeniard picks up the bottle and goes quietly over to put it away.
Jeniard can't hide his burning red face (or anything else) from Arat, so he acts subdued by way of apology.
Nick: Actually, we might do better if he did stay.
Nick makes his way to his chair.
Arat looks askance at Nick.
Arat: Might we?
Arat's tone invites clarification, but implies it had better be a good explanation.
Nick: I went by their encampment, on the pretext of picking up some tea.
Nick absently pulls a packet out of his sweater: it is wrapped in decorated paper and tied with a colored ribbon in a fancy bow.
Arat stares at the package. He hasn't seen anything that fancy in months.
Nick: I didn't recognize all of the Narosians, but those I did suggest that Riyyh has brought his more troublesome outreach agents.
Arat frowns, tearing his eyes away from the paper and ribbons.
Nick sets the tea package on Arat's desk, so that he can wring his hands.
Arat: Those from the Capitol program.
Arat is sure that the most troublesome ones were posted there.
Taskent grumbles to himself, wondering how to convince the chief to let him go back to his original duty schedule. Outside is so much less interesting. Taskent likes uninteresting.
Nick: And elsewhere.
Nick: I met quite a few of them when Riyyh and I were visiting problem outreach programs last winter.
Arat: I see.
Arat: And you feel his... supervision will be required?
Arat: Or at least advisable?
Nick: It might rein in some of their more controversial ideas.
Arat as 53rd District Controller had often fielded complaints about the Narosian outreach programs, as the most immediate apparent "authority" over Naros outside of its own chain of command.
Arat hadn't failed to notice that the complaints about the Capitol programs dropped off suddenly when Riyyh started spending more time in Capitol.
Arat: I will keep that under consideration.
Nick looks at the packet of tea.
Jeniard offers to take it. There is already hot water, courtesy of the fabulously expensive miniature gas unit here.
Nick hands the tea over.
Nick is too much of a Narosian (about 75% too much, by his calculation) to pass up a cup of good tea.
Jeniard turns back to the tea tray. When he is sure neither of them is paying attention, he sniffs the perfume on the paper.
Taskent hates standing still and every time he forgets and tries to move around the Controller glares at him. Must be awful to be so sensitive.
Arat in fact is beginning to find Taskent's attitude intensely irritating. If the man continues to be this disgruntled, he is going to arrange to have him removed. It should be an honor to serve Arat. There are enough people who would think it an honor that there is no point in employing somebody who loathes it.
Arat doesn't have this kind of luxury with Donors of course, but he is accustomed to it with most other kinds of employees.
Taskent concentrates on listening to the conversation his fellow guards outside the door are having. This is a mistake as Lora has just given the punch line to a rather dirty joke that he knows. Now he has to try not to laugh.
Nick: There's always the chance that they'll decide not to stay when they start to understand the conditions under which they'll have to work.
Nick: Riyyh seemed a bit dismayed when I told him that the only hot showers in the area are in our quarters.
Nick diplomatically leaves out Riyyh's inquiry about borrowing Arat's shower for his own use.
Arat has no idea how narrowly he has just avoided hitting the roof.
Arat nods.
Arat: Yes, conditions here are quite difficult. For one who has some choice in the matter, they could prove a significant deterrent.
Nick: On the other hand, they might prove an inspiration, as well.
Nick: By sparking compassion that the people here must live in such conditions.
Nick knows from personal experience that the Narosian love of luxury is balanced by the sort of compassion that demands personal sacrifice if it is required to help others.
Nick did spend a few years as Snake's Companion, after all.
Arat can only hope that such inspiration can be satisfied vicariously.
Taskent thinks things could be worse; he could be a Donor. After watching Nick, who is a pretty all-right guy in his book, dealing with the always-ailing channel he knows that he made the right decision. Besides, Third order Donors don't get paid half as well as he does.
Nick thinks over what he knows about Narosian outreach programs, and the particular members who have just arrived.
Nick: If we could convince Riyyh that the Tecton has the situation in hand, and that therefore Naros's services aren't required after all....
Jeniard comes over to Arat with a steaming cup of expensive, but very traditional, trin tea.
Arat: That would be difficult, if not impossible. [admits]
Nick's voice trails off as he realizes just how ludicrous that idea is.
Nick is grateful that Arat and Jeniard refrained from laughing out loud.
Arat knows that the situation in the camps is terrible, and that the Tecton cannot provide everything the people require. He is not actually against a Narosian outreach program at all. There are plenty of different aid societies and programs cropping up. It's the presence of Riyyh he could do without.
Nick: At least the selyn shortage is easing, and many of the unemployed have been leaving before they are trapped here by snow.
Taskent goes back to planning his retirement, which if he survives will be in five years. This makes him very happy indeed. Retired rich and still very young.
Nick, in contrast, objects much more to the presence of his siblings (to various degrees) than to his father. Or grandfather, if you prefer to look at it that way.
Taskent thinks okay, maybe not rich but very comfortable.
Arat accepts the tea cup, and Jeniard returns carrying his own and bringing one for Nick as well. (Lilac Passion)
Nick nods thanks and blissfully sips at the cup.
Nick doesn't share Arat's distaste for flavor additives in his tea; it must be a genetic thing, as he certainly had no exposure to good tea of any kind before his first visit to Naros.
Nick certainly didn't get it from his grandmother!
Taskent can see the hundred acre farm he has been buying slowly a few acres at the time. It is way south of here and will make a great place for breeding horses. That is the one thing he is grateful to his family for: he grew up with horses.
Arat nods.
Arat doesn't agree with Nick's definition of "many" in the matter of people leaving, but this may be his Farris perfectionism showing.
Arat: It is true that the selyn situation is improved, and that will help in other areas to some extent. RenSimes will be more likely to help themselves without that concern.
Nick: I don't think Riyyh has decided yet exactly what form this latest outreach program will take.
Nick: He was taking a tour of the construction camp when we met, trying to decide what the most urgent requirements are.
Nick: Of course, the people he brought with him might form their own priorities.
Nick expects that they will, which is one reason he hopes that Riyyh will stay long enough to blunt their more extreme enthusiasms.
Arat wonders if he should meet with Riyyh in an attempt to have some control over the situation. He doesn't really like the idea, but he does have a pretty well developed sense of duty.
Arat decides (with some relief) that it is really not his responsibility, at least until trouble occurs that affects the selyn distribution system.
Arat: There are many areas in which such a program could be helpful.
Nick: I know. I just wish I had more confidence that Riyyh's people will choose to address one of them.
Arat frowns, somewhat dismayed by Nick's lack of respect for Riyyh's abilities to direct and shape his members' efforts.
Arat had been hoping that this would be one area he would not have to worry about, but Nick does know Riyyh better than he does, at least in most areas.
Nick: Well, we should have some breathing room while Riyyh is actually here.
Nick's opinions of unsupervised Narosian outreach programs are perhaps somewhat biased by the tour Riyyh and he made of the most problematic examples.
Arat's frown deepens. He really wouldn't want to find out what kind of havoc would be wreaked by a long-term Riyyh stay.
Arat doesn't mean havoc among the masses in this case, but havoc among the "upper class" such as it is in the Dam site. Riyyh gravitates towards those circles.
Arat really is fortunate that he does not yet know about the shower thing.
Nick has the advantage of knowing that a long-term exposure to Riyyh can't really do more to him than was already done at his conception.
Arat: Very well. We shall have to monitor the situation carefully and be prepared to take action if any seems appropriate.
Arat knows that Nick will be best at doing the monitoring, as he can't stop Nick from spending time with Riyyh and he certainly wouldn't want to send any of his other people in to do it.
Nick curbs a ridiculous urge to apologize for Riyyh's presence: it's not as if he has any control over his sire's actions. Or his grandsire's, come to think of it.
Nick tries for some consolation.
Nick: At least we'll have good tea for the duration.
Nick is perhaps more concerned about this than either Arat or Jeniard.
Arat sips his tea, which is much better than either the funny Tecton #3 or the nasty lemon and cinnamon varieties that were the dregs of Nick's previous stash.
Arat prefers his tea to have some sophistication if he is going to drink tea for pleasure.
Taskent has just sent the money to his agent for the last 30 acre parcel that completes his hundred. He had considered buying more but he has to start building soon. His dream is to say goodbye to his boss on Friday and walk into his fully complete ranch house on Monday.
Taskent smiles to himself. Yes, that is the plan. But between now and then he has to have said ranch house, stables, barns and other out buildings constructed. That will take more money than buying the land.
Nick has the cash in his bank account to fulfil Taskent's dream immediately; the trouble is, that sort of retirement doesn't come with a First Order channel.
Jeniard: I... must go check on the accounting staff.
Jeniard turns beet red again as Arat fixes him with a stare, but he isn't lying... not really.
Jeniard isn't going to go look for Riyyh, he is just hoping that the study of the camp sites will bring him there a little later.
Nick notes Jeniard's reaction with interest.
Arat looks disgusted as Jeniard turns and creeps from the office.
Nick wisely forbears from comment, contenting himself with another sip of tea.
Go on to Episode #55: Infestation
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