Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #63: The Echo (11/3/00)
Riyyh preens in front of the mirror one last time.
Riyyh is dressed in the finest outfit he brought with him, (not his finest ever, by any means; he knew the construction site would be a mess) and has just finished up dolling himself up for important visiting.
Riyyh is going to pay a visit to Controller Arat and have a chat with him about Gen Army troops with guns, and whether Arat was under the impression they were supposed to, or not supposed to, exist.
Riyyh tells himself that Arat could never yell at, intimidate or otherwise turn to jelly the knees of such a good looking victim.
Elte strolls over towards the Narosian bathhouse construction site.
Riyyh is, truth be told, just a little afraid of Arat.
Riyyh pauses as he notices a... spot!!... on his cheek.
Riyyh: Oh... oh, dear.
Elte has left behind his aide-de-camp, and the big camera; but couldn't resist sticking his special miniature camera into the pocket of his new fleece-lined canvas jacket.
Riyyh sighs, and putters about on the surface of the trunk that is doubling as a vanity in his tent.
Riyyh is going to all the effort more for his benefit than Arat's of course.
Elte restrained himself, with difficulty, from pumping Sectuib Riyyh for information while his feet were toasting and his hair was on fire.
Elte figures by now the Sectuib ought to be ready for a nice interview.
Riyyh finds the correct item, a small bottle of a tan fluid. He uses a tentacle tip to dab a tiny amount on the spot, causing it to disappear.
Riyyh sighs again, this time in relief.
Riyyh: Well.
Riyyh puts down the bottle and examines the mirror again; this time there is no evidence whatsoever of the disaster last night (or the last 20 years of Riyyh's longer-than-he-usually-admits life)
Riyyh smiles, and leaves the tent.
Elte wonders if that spriglet Ali will protect Riyyh as fiercely from a journalist as from a medic.
Elte's eyes light up as he catches sight of said Sectuib, minus his Gen attendant.
Riyyh waves to a couple of people, and then turns to start up the hill.
Riyyh spots Elte before he's taken a step.
Elte targets in on Riyyh with all the intensity of a hunting Sime.
Elte: Riyyh! Sectuib Riyyh!
Riyyh glances over his shoulder, wondering if there is still time to pretend he didn't see Elte and avoid him.
Elte hurries forward.
Riyyh: Ah... [puts on his best apologetic smile] Elte Andover. How nice to see you again.
Elte: If you can spare a few moments....
Riyyh: Well, I was just on my way to... why, to pay a visit actually.
Elte: ~~gloriously happy to capture his quarry so easily~~
Riyyh glances over Elte's shoulder too, but there's no escape in that direction either.
Elte: I'd be glad to walk by your side, if time is short.
Elte: We can chat on the way.
Riyyh hesitates.
Riyyh: Well, to be honest, he doesn't know I'm coming. [admits]
Riyyh: So there is no rush.
Elte: Well, then, he won't know if you're late!
Elte stifles the impulse to clap the Sime on the back, as he has so often done to Sergeant Edka.
Riyyh: No, he won't. [smiles sadly]
Riyyh: Can I offer you anything? A raspberry scone, perhaps?
Elte raises his eyebrows. These Narosians are so well supplied with goodies. Teas and grapes and....
Elte: Do you carry them in your pockets?
Elte: ~~hungry~~
Riyyh: This is my tent. [admits, indicating the tent he is still standing just outside of.]
Riyyh thinks maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let Elte know that, since now he will be coming over at all hours.
Riyyh takes another look at Elte, who is rather handsome, and decides that might not be such a bad thing.
Elte: Well, your House's food is so marvelous. Of course I couldn't resist such an offer.
Riyyh warms up further at the compliment, which partially makes up for Elte not noticing his splendid outfit and grooming.
Riyyh: Well, do come in then. I have some things left over from breakfast.
Elte, of course, has noticed that the channel looks significantly better than the first time they met, let alone last night.
Riyyh holds the tent flap open and ushers Elte into the (relatively luxurious) interior.
Elte: You seem to have recovered quite nicely from all the excitement yesterday.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Riyyh's tent has a nice rug, a luxurious bed, a full tea service for six(!), and a big cloth-walled wardrobe, as well as the vanity.
Riyyh's tent probably took 10 mules all by itself... and only one of those would have been carrying the actual tent.
Riyyh: Here we are. Oh, take a seat anywhere. [meaning take your pick between the bed and the floor]
Elte surveys the room appreciatively. Quite a different style than Arat. Now here's a channel who doesn't martyr himself!
Elte prefers to stand and kind of roam about.
Riyyh sees that Elte is not going to sit, so offers him a raspberry-pattern fine china plate with a perfect scone on it.
Riyyh: We have no butter, I am afraid. [apologizes]
Riyyh: I do have fruit preserves here, but it is probably a bit much with the dried raspberries already in the scone, don't you think?
Elte, now that he has his quarry cornered, has time to appreciate the Riyyh's elaborate Householding regalia, with its gold and silver thread, and the perfectly styled hair.
Riyyh checks if there is still any hot water in the tea pot, then fiddles with the small burner to get it started again.
Elte takes the plate.
Elte: It's perfectly fine.
Riyyh had had to spend extra time with his hair this morning, as many imperfections caused by fire damage had to be covered up, curled away or otherwise hidden.
Riyyh of course considers himself very lucky to not be completely bald - either from fire, or from losing hair worrying over what Racknie will do next.
Riyyh smiles at Elte, then sits down on the bed.
Riyyh: There will be tea, when there is water ready. That is, if you would like some?
Elte: Trin is an acquired taste, which I am definitely acquiring.
Elte: I would love some.
Elte knows that politicians sometimes try to shower him with goodies to curry his good favor. He never lets himself be swayed in his opinions by these bribes, so he can accept them without a qualm.
Elte's strategy is to let them think they have obligated him by giving him things, and so they will let their guard down.
Riyyh of course offers tea and goodies to everybody.
Elte: Your... outfit... is quite remarkable.
Elte: Much more elaborate than what you were wearing when we met.
Elte: Is this type of garb common in a Householding?
Riyyh: Do you like it? [pleased]
Elte: Why, yes. It's very exotic.
Elte is an absolute sucker for uniforms and ballgowns and costumes of all sorts.
Riyyh beams at the praise.
Elte: You know, I tried to snap some pictures of you yesterday, but they didn't come out too well.
Riyyh is very relieved at that.
Elte: But a portrait of you... like this... would be much more flattering.
Riyyh: Why, I would be delighted to accommodate, if you wish one.
Elte sets aside the scone on the floor.
Elte: Yes. Just continue fixing the tea and try not to pay attention to what I'm doing.
Elte: I'll make it painless.
Elte extracts the miniature camera from his jacket pocket.
Riyyh looks up at Elte with perfect innocence as he continues to sit on the bed. He is only waiting for water to boil, of course.
Elte likes the way Riyyh's silver hair shines with the huge wardrobe as a backdrop.
Riyyh automatically becomes cuter and more open-minded looking with the scrutiny.
Elte: What is the significance of the different colors on your cape? And all the metal braid?
Riyyh: Naros' heraldic colors are silver and gold. The white lining shows that I am still Sectuib of my House.
Elte: Heraldry? Are these contemporary symbols, or do they have a history?
Riyyh: Naros originated as an agricultural cooperative. The plow, the sickle and the sheaf of wheat were its symbols upon its founding. Later, when it became a Householding, the joined Sime and Gen hands were added.
Riyyh: That was some two hundred and fifty years ago. [smiles]
Riyyh fingers and tentacles the golden wheat-emblem necklace he wears.
Riyyh's hands and tentacles can be very sexy.
Elte: It's so much more dramatic than the Tecton uniforms.
Elte: But I had read that the Tecton was just an extension of the Households.
Elte: Why is the style so different?
Riyyh smiles.
Riyyh: There was a deliberate effort to simplify and modernize the symbols of the modern Tecton.
Elte wonders if he should have delved further into in-T history to come up with Arat's robe design.
Riyyh: It is closer to the Gen Territory artwork of thirty years ago than to anything which existed in Sime Territory at the time.
Elte grins.
Elte: So you copied styles from over the border? No wonder I find it boring!
Riyyh's smile becomes rather pained. He had nothing to do with it, after all.
Riyyh and the rest of Naros had parted ways with the rest of the Tecton soon after it became obvious what the new government was going to be like.
Elte: But you never said how you were feeling . . . after what happened last night.
Elte: You look marvelous. But are your feet still hurting?
Riyyh: No no, I am quite all right. [assures him]
Riyyh: I was not so badly burned as that, and we heal quickly.
Riyyh of course can block his pain as required.
Riyyh being a wimp always blocks pain when it won't interfere with healing.
Elte: So it's true that Simes heal more quickly than Gens do?
Riyyh: The process actually does not go much more quickly than channel's healing of Gens. However, all Simes can self-heal to some extent.
Elte: Ah, yes. I've had the chance to observe your in-Territory medical methods. Quite remarkable.
Elte: But last night-- what made you faint? Was it the heat? Or the dust in the air?
Riyyh: Oh, dear. [somewhat embarrassed]
Riyyh: I'm afraid it was the combination of the heat, simple exhaustion and being confronted by uniformed Gens pointing guns at me.
Riyyh: I haven't seen such a sight since the Unity Wars.
Riyyh has just given up his age - oh well.
Riyyh: Why look, the water is boiling.
Riyyh gets up to make the tea.
Elte sighs.
Elte: Yes, Sergeant Edka is sometimes a bit-- overzealous.
Elte: I'm sorry he disturbed you that badly.
Elte: But surely you could zlin he only meant to be helpful.
Riyyh thinks Edka did not zlin helpful at all; he zlinned angry, demanding and stubborn - as well as charged with adrenaline.
Riyyh tactfully doesn't mention this, however.
Riyyh measures Forget-Me-Not into the two cups, then adds water.
Riyyh: Here we are. One for you - [comes over to offer one of the cups to Elte]
Elte quickly snaps a few pictures as Riyyh moves in the tea ritual.
Riyyh: It will be a few moments before it is ready.
Riyyh manages to look solicitous and long-suffering-but-good-sport for the photos.
Elte snaps a picture of Riyyh's tentacled arm extending the cup of tea in friendship.
Elte sets the camera aside to take possession of the cup.
Elte: Thank you. It smells wonderful.
Elte: And when did you confront armed Gen forces during the Unity Wars?
Riyyh: Well, you see, due to our location we were in the path of most of the north-to-south traffic west of the mountains.
Riyyh: That meant both raiders and the Gen Army.
Riyyh: At one point, our east wall was nearly taken down by Gen cannons... it was a very close thing.
Elte settles cross-legged on the floor, fully enthralled. He loves war stories.
Riyyh: There were other incidences before that. We were on the border, you see. Most of the Householdings were, at one point or another.
Elte: How did you keep from being over-run?
Riyyh: Well, in times of peace our walls were usually sufficient. During the wars, well... [he doesn't like to talk about this]
Riyyh: We did what we had to. We did our best to keep them off the walls, and when they were not near we laid traps outside.
Riyyh: It was an ugly business. I don't like to think on it.
Riyyh: We are a peaceful folk, and if there had been any way to surrender, we would have.
Elte: They didn't understand what Householders were. They would have murdered you all.
Elte: ~~sympathy and understanding~~
Riyyh is glad Elte understands.
Elte: How did you drive the cannons from your walls?
Riyyh: Oh, dear. [to himself]
Riyyh smiles and tells himself that it is all very interesting and un-traumatic for Elte, so the fellow can't possibly know what it is like for a Narosian.
Riyyh's smile is a bit forced, but he's got so much practice that it appears genuine.
Elte's hand absent-mindedly sneaks out and recaptures the raspberry scone.
Riyyh: First we achieved some success by hurling incendiary devices.
Riyyh: However, it was soon discovered that the cannon had better range than the Sime arm.
Elte: Of course.
Elte wonders if they were just Molotov cocktails, or real bombs.
Riyyh: Then we tried suicide riders carrying fertilizer bombs. That worked well, but we only had eight horses and a small amount of kerosene.
Riyyh: We managed to destroy three of the cannon that way, but there were over twenty to begin with.
Riyyh is clearly distressed by this subject matter.
Elte makes a note to put some staffers checking the Gen military side of this story, but records from that period were not kept very accurately.
Riyyh: In the end, we were saved when a large band of raiders was spotted to the south. The Army was more intent on stopping them from entering Gen Territory than in breaching Naros, of course.
Riyyh: They pulled out, and did not return. I do not know precisely what became of them, or of the raiders.
Elte: [dreamily] Fertilizer bombs. Very ingenious.
Elte: For peaceful agriculturalists.
Riyyh: You must understand, we were fighting for our lives.
Riyyh: And we do have a library. We were not without guidance from the past.
Elte: Of course. And Sergeant Edka reminded you of this terrible period in your history.
Riyyh: He certainly did.
Riyyh does not, however, elaborate upon his continued outrage that such a sight could be viewed in Sime Territory at all today.
Riyyh knows there are proper channels for that sort of complaint, at least until and unless things get really out of hand.
Elte: Did Naros suffer many casualties?
Riyyh: Yes, of course. Everybody did.
Riyyh: We lost nearly all of our people who were not home at the time war broke out - those working in the outreach programs, and those travelling to other Householdings.
Riyyh: And of course, there were problems at home too, as I described. That was not the only incident. There were raider attacks as well.
Riyyh: Injuries due to fire -- they try to burn you out, you know -- and shrapnel, accidental kills, and illnesses for which no medicines could be obtained.
Elte: And was it during this period... when commerce outside the Household was cut off by Gen troops and Freeband Raiders... that you started incestuous breeding to rebuild the community?
Riyyh looks puzzled.
Riyyh: No...?
Riyyh: No.
Elte: Ah, when was it, then?
Riyyh had been heavily into incestuous breeding from the moment he was initiated at the tender age of... well, some time in Year 12 BU.
Elte nibbles his scone, without dividing his attention in the slightest.
Riyyh: Naros has always been very insular, very close-knit.
Elte: So you had cousins mating with cousins, brothers with sisters, fathers with daughters, in the centuries before the War?
Riyyh: Many Householdings did. [gently]
Elte: So this pattern of incestual sex is not unique to Naros, but part of the Householding culture?
Riyyh: It was most common in the earliest days of the Householdings.
Riyyh means, some 400 years before Naros' founding.
Riyyh: It was necessary to develop strong channel bloodlines.
Elte nods.
Elte: I have read that the Farrises, for instance, were bred almost like racehorses for their abilities.
Riyyh: Why, they were. They still are, if truth be told.
Elte: Gens are outraged by the way Simes used them as breeding stock in the Pens.
Elte: But why would Simes subject themselves to that same sub-human treatment?
Riyyh: Farrises are renowned for their attention to duty.
Riyyh: Why, even Arat has done his duty in that regard.
Riyyh: And he doesn't even like women.
Elte's eyebrows raise in surprise.
Riyyh sips his tea innocently.
Riyyh hopes he has succeeded in changing the subject this time.
Elte: Certainly he is a man who puts duty before anything else.
Elte: But you are saying he doesn't love his wife?
Riyyh: Arat is not married.
Riyyh wonders where Elte had heard that.
Elte frowns. He thought he had read about a marriage. He will have to review his in-T idioms.
Elte: But he has several children he acknowledges.
Elte: Are you saying he was put to stud to produce them?
Riyyh: Yes. It's quite common with Farrises, you know.
Riyyh: Of course, the average Farris has an easier time finding friends who wish the honor.
Riyyh thinks that didn't come out quite the way he meant.
Elte can see he will have to reinterview Arat on this subject.
Riyyh: That is, all Farrises are propositioned many times, and most are more willing to accept now and then.
Riyyh thinks that is closer to what he intended.
Elte: But you were implying that their partners were chosen for them on the basis of their breeding.
Elte: That's quite different than sowing a lot of wild oats in different plots.
Riyyh looks exceptionally innocent and unaware of any implications Elte might be making.
Riyyh sips his tea again.
Elte sips his own tea. The matter of Arat can wait until later. Riyyh is the "bird in hand"....
Elte: Now I understand that you personally have sowed most of the... uh, fertile fields, in Naros.
Riyyh thinks Elte's diffidence is quite charming, if a bit misplaced in a journalist of his reputation.
Riyyh smiles at Elte.
Riyyh: Yes. I have.
Elte: And that you are parent or grandparent to virtually the entire generation born after the war.
Riyyh: I am.
Elte: Why was that necessary?
Elte: What characteristics were you breeding for?
Riyyh smiles again, this time even more gently. It is obvious that Elte is desperate to find some meaning or purpose to this. Everybody displays their discomfort with it in their own way.
Riyyh: It was not necessary. It was not even planned, to be honest.
Elte: So you chose to bed every woman in your community?
Riyyh: By invitation, yes.
Riyyh: You must realize, we are a very tight-knit community. It is not so surprising that I have bedded all of them; the only odd thing is how come more children weren't sired by other men.
Elte: And it wasn't a channel-breeding program. You weren't pressured into stud service like a Pen Gen?
Riyyh: Oh, no, nothing like that.
Riyyh thinks it's more like he was guilt-tripped and/or coaxed into service by many needy women, and of course not very difficult to handle when it comes down to it.
Elte: Now Nick says his mother was simply a friend of yours. Not even a member of the Householding.
Riyyh: Nick said that?
Elte: Yes.
Riyyh is puzzled. He is unaware that Nick is so embarrassed by his ancestry that he tends to omit things like "daughter" from these sorts of descriptions.
Riyyh smiles apologetically.
Riyyh: Sometimes it is a surprise to hear these things from another's perspective. [explains]
Riyyh: But it is true, she was not raised at Naros.
Elte: What do you find surprising about it?
Riyyh: Well, she is my daughter.
Riyyh: Nick is my grandson.
Riyyh: As well as my son.
Elte's eyebrows raise higher.
Elte tries to take another sip of tea to cover his reaction, but it goes down funny.
Elte coughs.
Riyyh pushes back his hair, then puts down his tea so that he can unclasp his cloak. It's a bit warm in the tent.
Riyyh doesn't know if it's because of the subject matter or the weather.
Elte: And what did her mother think about that?
Riyyh: I am afraid it was her idea.
Riyyh: I was quite against the idea, as I recall.
Riyyh: But Prunida is terribly difficult to say no to.
Riyyh: I'm sure Nick could tell you she has made his life quite miserable.
Elte: So clearly incest is a hallowed tradition within the Household.
Riyyh: No, not hallowed, no.
Riyyh: Truly, I don't think anybody was aware to what extent it was occurring.
Riyyh thinks except for him, and then only when he paused to consider what was really quite an unthinkable situation.
Elte: And not just within the Household... I hear some women have filed a paternity suit--
Riyyh: Ah, yes. Quite puzzling.
Riyyh: I was not even aware of their situation until now. I wonder why they did not write?
Elte: I understand it is a whole group filing a kind of-- class action?
Riyyh: Why yes, as I understand it.
Riyyh has not yet received the papers of the actual lawsuit, as the lawyer and his client withdrew to change their story after hearing some of Riyyh's.
Elte: Sectuib Riyyh, just how many children do you have?
Riyyh: Why, I'm quite sure I don't know.
Riyyh: Very nearly two hundred fifty, I'd imagine.
Riyyh seems calm enough about it. He's had many years to comprehend the scope of the problem, after all.
Elte splutters, choking on the tea again.
Riyyh: It's really quite statistically unlikely, when you think about it.
Elte catches his breath.
Riyyh places a hand on Elte's.
Riyyh: Are you all right? [sincerely]
Elte glances up, his eyes (and nager) gleaming with a kind of fevered excitement.
Elte: Yes, yes, of course.
Elte: I understand that... this sort of thing... may be considered fairly ordinary aspect of the Householding legacy.
Elte: Out-Territory, the culture is more sexually repressive.
Elte: People would be... interested... in this difference between our ways of life.
Riyyh: Of course, our situation is no longer as common as it was before Unity. Well before Unity.
Riyyh wouldn't want Elte to think all of Sime Territory is riddled with Narosian style genetics disasters.
Riyyh: You will find that when the full extent of our... situation... became public about two years ago, there was quite a scandal.
Riyyh: Of course, it has since died down.
Elte: But the story wasn't followed across the border.
Elte: And I think what would interest folks the most -- what interests me the most--
Elte: Riyyh, how do you get 250 women to say "yes!"
Go on to Episode #64: Gun Gen Pen
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