Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #175: Earful (6/3/01)
see note 1
Sedel: We're all pretty proud of our Houses.
Sedel: It's family you know.
Methylda grins.
Methylda: It sure is.
Sedel feels a definitive pop as Methylda gets that kink to let him go.
Sedel: Mmmmm. Thank you! I've been living with that for over a week now.
Methylda wouldn't be able to zlin through Sedel if he was trying to hide something, but when he is open to zlinning she can zlin his muscles' condition with perfect clarity. His nager is big.
Methylda: Tsk... you know we have regular massage services here. It's not really that much more than the private bath.
Methylda: You could come in every day if you wanted to.
Methylda: And trust me, there are some here who are better at this than I am!
Sedel: I find that hard to believe.
Sedel smiles contentedly. He almost forgets his reason for waylaying Methylda. It is so wonderful to have a Sime's attention on him. (The itch is back with a vengeance.)
Methylda beams at the praise.
Methylda is as much a sucker for flattery as any other Narosian.
Methylda is a much of a sucker for Gen "deen" as any other Sime, too.
Sedel: So, I guess you folks wouldn't see much of Snake. But how about the Controller? He doesn't seem to be averse to bathing.
Methylda: Oh, he has his own little shower up in his house.
Methylda: He wouldn't be caught dead down here!
Sedel: Showers are okay. I mean we have a shower in our quarters -- barracks, but nothing beats being surrounded by water all over at the same time. Good hot water. [sinks all the way under for a moment then slides slowly back up] Can't beat that with a stick!
Methylda laughs
Methylda: I'm with you.
Sedel: But I bet he did come down here to meet with Sectuib Riyyh on a regular basis though.
Methylda giggles.
Methylda: No, he has stayed away.
Methylda: There were a couple of times Riyyh went to talk to him, but that was up there.
Sedel: Oh, I thought I had heard that they've known each other for years. While Arat wouldn't socialize with a peon like me, I would have thought he would consider a Sectuib his equal in social rank.
Sedel: There isn't something, er, unfriendly between them is there?
Methylda: You don't know?
Sedel looks innocent.
Methylda isn't even counting gossip points anymore. It isn't fair; Sedel is a babe in the woods when it comes to the gossip game.
Sedel: No, what am I missing?
Methylda: Welllllll... you do know about Arat and Jeniard don't you?
Methylda thinks it could be difficult to quantify just how much Sedel is missing, but she'll try.
Sedel: They are roommates along with Nick. Right?
Methylda thinks, hoo boy! This is going to take a while.
Methylda: It's a bit closer than that, my dear.
Methylda: They've been roommates ever since First Year School.
Methylda: The first week of First Year School.
Methylda: [adds meaningfully]
Sedel's ears perk up. She can't possibly mean....
Methylda: Now you've got it.
Methylda pats Sedel's shoulder.
Sedel: But, but, but, channels can't do that. Can they?
Methylda: Who am I to say? I'm not even a channel.
Methylda: But that is what is said.
Methylda: Anyway, as the story goes, Arat fell wildly in love with Riyyh when he was practically a kid... three or four months old or so.
Methylda: Now whether that is true or not, nobody can say now.
Methylda: Try to get either one of them to talk about it!
Sedel is willing to believe all manner of thing about Arat but, but, but... He is having a bit of trouble wrapping his mind around that particular concept.
Methylda zlins Sedel's disbelief. Well, it is kind of a wild story.
Methylda: But if it did happen, it was totally one-sided.
Sedel: O... K. But how does Jeniard get into it?
Methylda: Well, Jeniard is um, the replacement.
Methylda: And they say Arat has never forgiven Riyyh for oh, I don't know, existing.
Methylda: Well, and being the way he is.
Methylda means, radiating intense seduction that appears deep and meaningful but is actually temporary and shallow.
Sedel finds this even harder to believe of Jeniard. The man may have the personality of a brick but he had never projected anything but straight laced Tecton channel.
Sedel: The way he is?
Methylda: You know, how he makes you his whole world when he's with you.
Methylda: And so nice all the time. What a blessing to be around!
Methylda and the other Narosians have had a lot more work around the Bathhouse dealing with disgruntled customers and the like because Riyyh had always handled them before.
Sedel wishes he had taken the time to introduce himself to Riyyh. He would love to have known what was so engrossing about the man that he got Arat all hot and bothered.
Sedel: Well, I am sorry I never met him. But I think Sylma may have.
Sedel is going to ask his sister about that meeting if it ever happened.
Sedel now wonders if anything more... intimate transpired during the may-or-may-not-have-happened meeting.
Sedel: Well, what about Nick? Is he...?
Sedel hadn't gotten that impression from the Donor but then he hadn't gotten it from Arat or Jeniard either!
Methylda: Oh, no.
Methylda smiles.
Methylda: But he is cute though, don't you think?
Sedel: Er, uh, well... I don't usually notice males or Gens much for that matter.
Methylda: Oh, yes. [chuckles]
Sedel smiles weakly.
Sedel: I've heard that Narosians are pretty tight as a family. I know what it's like with Syl and me too. How about Snake and Arat? Are they close?
Methylda: Oh come on!
Methylda refuses to believe even Sedel would not know that.
Methylda: You're toying with me now.
Sedel remembers that he is supposed to be bathing and soaps up his chest and arms.
Sedel: No, really. I just got introduced to the whole concept of gossip. Never had much time for it before. I think I like it!
Sedel really is enjoying sneaking up on information this way.
Methylda laughs.
Sedel might have gotten introduced earlier if he didn't spend as much time as he does working out during his off hours.
Sedel grimaces. Of course now all he has is off hours.
Methylda: Well, Arat and Snake didn't know each other existed two years ago.
Methylda: As far as Snake is concerned, Arat is the absent father who left her mom pregnant and penniless to die in childbirth and left Snake to be raised on the street by thieves and vagabonds, to eventually claw her way upward until she could work as a legitimate channel.
Methylda: And as far as Arat is concerned, Snake is a colossal embarrassment, a thorn in his side, and a dire responsibility.
Methylda: So if you are still wondering, no I don't think they are close.
Methylda winks with her voice, since Sedel can't see her eyes.
Sedel: Ow!
Methylda: Now to be fair to Arat, he really wouldn't have let that happen if he'd known. But he didn't know, so it happened.
Methylda: And he did try to reach out to her, but she has some... er... issues.
Methylda doesn't have quite Riyyh's knack for understatement, but she manages.
Sedel: I see. Makes you wonder though....
Sedel: If she isn't the apple of her father's eye, then why is it that he lets her get away with so much?
Sedel has no ability of understatement or self-censorship.
Methylda: Like what?
Methylda wouldn't ordinarily ask for information so openly, but it would take her a year to catch up to Sedel in terms of gossip points lost.
Methylda is, like most Narosians, most familiar with Snake before the Arat/Snake relationship became known.
Sedel: Well, for instance, she can wander in and demand Nick's services anytime she chooses. Doesn't Nick talk to you about this stuff?
Methylda: Well, he's usually pretty discreet when it comes to his channels.
Sedel: Oh.
Methylda: The most I hear is that he didn't get to do this or that because he was working with this or that channel... usually Arat or Snake.
Methylda: Now if you want to get him to talk, ask him about pants sometime.
Sedel: Pants?
Methylda: Trust me.
Sedel: Okay....
Methylda: Ask him how he feels about the Tecton uniform pants.
Methylda: You will get at least an hour of information out of him.
Methylda: If he starts to run down, ask him about the pants that went missing out of his dorm room in Capitol.
Sedel laughs at this.
Methylda grins.
Sedel has never been much of a clothes horse so the Tecton Uniform has never been an issue for him. But Nick and pants... hmmmm?
Sedel: I will keep that in mind.
Sedel: I do wonder what hold she has over him though. I mean their relationship is common knowledge so what else could there be?
Methylda doesn't want to admit she doesn't know.
Methylda considers making something up.
Methylda: Well, I heard a rumor... but I don't know if I should tell it to you or not.
Sedel hopes to put a bug Methylda's ear. Or maybe a burr under her gossip saddle.
Methylda tries to think of something suitably scandalous.
Sedel: Please do tell.
Sedel: ~~rampant curiosity~~
Methylda: I heard that she has a secret long distance romance with um, the son of an important diplomat in Cago.
Methylda: You know, our ambassador, what's his name?
Methylda: But the son is, you know, also the son of his maid, so it's totally hush hush.
Methylda: Anyway, Arat doesn't dare do anything she doesn't like, or she'll write to Percy or... was it Poncy? And have him get his daddy to pull strings for her.
Methylda: Anyway, I wouldn't believe that if I were you.
Sedel stares for a moment amazed at the spiel. He then has a good belly laugh!
Methylda smiles innocently.
Sedel: Given Snake's current hygiene habits, a long distance relationship is probably best. ~~shimmering humor~~
Sedel: Then there's the illegal donation thing. Haven't heard of any disciplinary action. Have you?
Sedel hopes that maybe since he is out of the loop maybe something was done that he doesn't know about.
Methylda: That? [laughs]
Sedel: Well, yes.
Methylda: Well, I've certainly never seen such a big deal made out of it.
Methylda: You should have seen how many people she did that to while she was staying in Naros.
Sedel frowns.
Methylda: Why, in the little town just down the hill, nobody had a paper cut last the night for the entire time she was there.
Methylda: I'm sure she's done it to dozens, if not hundreds of others, here.
Methylda: Just think of all those Gens in Salmonton who won't donate.
Methylda: And then there are the ones who refuse to be seen donating, but probably would look the other way if it just sort of... happened....
Sedel: So this sort of thing is normal behavior for her. Sounds a bit roguish to me.
Methylda: Well, free thinking has ever been underappreciated.
Methylda like most Narosians -- particularly most Narosians who have been encouraged to participate in the outreach programs -- admires free thinking and radical action toward the greater good.
Sedel: But a Tecton martinet like Arat can't possibly sanction something like that. Death knows if anyone else were even suspected of it he would have them strung up by their laterals.
Methylda: I suspect you're right.
Methylda: But Arat can't control everything everybody does. He's only one man.
Methylda has watched her Sectuib outwit Tecton officials -- including Arat -- for years.
Sedel: So, we're right back to why he lets Snake get away with it. And how much doctoring has to be done to the books to hide the extra selyn.
Methylda: Well, who knows? Maybe he has some arrangement with Birch, you know FluCon is desperate for more work selyn and can never get enough.
Methylda: Or maybe Arat knows nothing of it and Snake sells to Birch directly.
Methylda will be glad to help Sedel's feverish brain go wild with conspiracy theories.
Sedel: That would still be rogue activity.
Methylda: True, but who ever said Snake wasn't a rogue?
Sedel: And it brings me back to wondering how she could hide it from Arat or whether he knows and can't take action. The question still remains what has she got on him?
Methylda: Well, she can't be replaced and he can't do without her. Isn't that enough?
Methylda would be glad to invent some other reasons if it isn't.
Methylda's imagination can be pretty colorful once she gets going. It's a fun exercise.
Sedel: Not when he is willing to bench me in the middle of a Donor crunch.
Methylda waves that off.
Methylda: That's different. It was for your own good.
Methylda inadvertently lets slip that she knows all about Sedel's situation.
Sedel: Was it really? Or was something being covered up?
Methylda: Like what?
Sedel: I wonder even more now. Arat almost had me convinced of his good motives, but....
Methylda: You know, Riyyh told me a few things about dealing with Arat, before he left. Maybe you'd find them interesting.
Sedel looks backward up at Methylda and smiles.
Sedel: What?
Methylda rubs Sedel's head, since his shoulders are as relaxed as they're going to get.
Methylda: Well, he's known Arat for a long time, and he says that you can always count on Arat to be just, fair, and evenhanded.
Methylda: He'll also stick to the spirit and letter of the law like a cougar sticks to a deer.
Methylda leaves out the bit about getting around Arat by treating those traits as a weakness.
Sedel gets very distracted as a tentacle caresses his ear. (Concentrate on what she's saying!)
Methylda: I don't think he'd do anything to harm your career just to cover up something that didn't have to do with you.
Methylda: And if there is stuff going on he hasn't done anything about, it's most likely someone's found a way to block him from doing so, at least temporarily.
Methylda: It can be done, believe me.
Methylda chuckles at the thought of Snake using the same methods Riyyh did... not likely.
Methylda: Uhh... but anyway.... [puts that thought away; she is getting distracted by the effect her tentacle had on Sedel's nager]
Methylda: But he's probably trying to find a way to break it and get through, and being very persistent about it.
Sedel: Sounds like he has you firmly in his corner.
Methylda giggles.
Sedel smiles.
Sedel: Ah, well, I'm just learning to wonder about things. Maybe I'm way off base.
Sedel doesn't believe that for a moment.
Methylda: I mean, I'm sure Dar doesn't do everything by the books, and gets away with it for the most part. Naros too.
Methylda: Arat is sort of our arch-nemesis.
Methylda: When Arat became Controller of the 53rd District, including Naros, he did his best to whip us into shape.
Methylda: Selyn reports, status reports, personnel contributions, you name it.
Sedel: I've seen it!
Methylda: He really, genuinely cares about everybody doing their share and everybody doing things the way it's supposed to be.
Methylda: And he can be an absolute bastard about it, he really can.
Methylda: That's why Riyyh left specific instructions.
Sedel: Instructions about...?
Methylda: How to handle him.
Methylda: This program... all of this... [indicates the bathhouse and other Narosian services surrounding them] ... lies within his jurisdiction as Controller here.
Sedel: Yes that's true. But I'd appreciate any pointers you could give me.
Methylda's eyebrows rise in surprise.
Methylda: Pointers on how to handle Arat??
Methylda thinks that goes rather beyond her experience. Sedel is a Tecton employee.
Sedel: Yes. I've obviously not done very well on that score.
Methylda considers whether she'd be willing to go so far as to make up something along those lines.
Methylda: Welll.......
Methylda decides she'd better stick to kindergarten level stuff.
Methylda: Well, always be respectful, honest and give complete answers.
Methylda: Don't question his orders, and don't give him any reason to pay special attention to you.
Methylda: If there's something you do that you're sure he won't like, well, make sure it doesn't come to his attention.
Methylda: Since you're already in the doghouse, I guess you'll want to make him think you're doing your best to please him.
Methylda: But don't butt kiss too much... that won't look right either.
Methylda: Just by the letter.
Methylda: Uh, did I leave anything out?
Methylda has not had many jobs with real employers, and Riyyh is hardly an ordinary authority figure.
Sedel: I don't think so! ~~amusement~~
Methylda grins.
Sedel: You've been very informative. Maybe I can return the favor sometime.
Sedel: I certainly owe you for removing the kink in my shoulder.
Sedel smiles. He just realized who Methylda reminds him of. She probably wouldn't appreciate that it's his favorite Great aunt. After all she isn't anywhere near 83.
Methylda: Sure!
Methylda: It was my pleasure.
Notes:
1) This scene is continued from the previous episode. [return]
Go on to Episode #176: No Way to Run a Show
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