Isn't It

The problems of communication.

Mairi comes around the corner of the corridor and sees Yul, knees pulled into her chest, streaks running down her face, crying. She inquires. Yul speaks between sniffles. Something to do with Rog.

Scene moves to the bar with Rog, Von and Trev. Rog and Von are talking. Trev listens and watches but doesn't speak. Rog is hunched over his shot of snoot like a dog over a bone.

Von: Wanna talk?

Rog: Nope.

Von: Wanna talk anyway?

Rog: Nothing I ain't already said.

Von: Well, not like I have anywhere else to be. Humor me.

Rog: I'm frustrated. That's all.

Von: (raises his eyebrows)

Rog: Look, if I thought you could help, I'd waste your time but it'd just get in the way of a good shot of snoot.

Von: How many have you had?

Rog: Shots?

Von: Yeah.

Rog: Not enough.

Scene shifts back to Mairi and Yul

Mairi: What did he say?

Yul: He yelled at me.

Mairi: About what?

Yul: Said something about the kinds of questions I was asking.

Mairi: That's odd. What were you asking him?

Yul: Nothing. I was just trying to get him to talk.

Mairi: What did you say?

Yul: All I said was I thought the ship seemed awful quiet.

Mairi: That's it?

Yul: Yeah. That's it.

Back to Rog, Von and Trev

Von: Let me guess. Yul?

Rog: I don't even want to talk about it.

Von: What did she do this time?

Rog: I've told her a bazillion times I don't like statements that end in a question. Just pisses me off to no frailing end. And you know what? No matter how many times I tell her, she still needles the shiott of of me.

Von: Give me an example.

Rog: Okay. Try this on. She says, 'ship is awful quiet.'

Von: That's not a question.

Rog: Right. But then she adds, 'isn't it?'

Von: Okay.

Rog: What?

Von: I just said okay.

Rog: You think I'm an idiot.

Von: No. I'm just not sure I follow.

Scene flips back to Mairi and Yul

Mairi: Why would that upset him?

Yul: Because he's a Yakmuk's arse.

Mairi: Yeah, well, besides that.

Yul: You're asking the wrong person. I was just trying to make conversation. And he attacked me.

Mairi: Did he say anything else?

Yul: Like what?

Mairi: Anything.

Back to Rog, Von and Trev

Rog: Look, if a person wants to say something, fine. Just say it. But damn, don't end every statement with an "isn't it" or "don't you agree" or, frail, just pisses me off.

Von: I can see.

Rog: Why can't she see? I've told her a thousand times I hate that crap. "The ship is awful quiet, isn't it." Isn't it. Isn't it. If I hear that question one more time . . .

Back to Mairi and Yul

Yul: Get this. He accused me of trying to delibrately piss him off?

Mairi: How?

Yul: By asking him a question.

Mairi: What did you ask him?

Yul: Just asked him if he thought the ship seemed awful quiet.

Mairi: Why would he think that question was you trying to aggravate him?

Yul: Frail if I know. You see the shiott I have to put up with.

Back to Rog, Von and Trev

Von: Your permission to ask a question?

Rog: Don't frail with me.

Von: Besides Yul and her way of asking questions is there anything else on your mind?

Rog: Well, now that you ask, actually there is.

Scene fades back to Mairi and Yul

Mairi: Are you sure their wasn't something else he seemed upset with?

Yul: No. Not really.

Mairi: You sure?

Yul: Yeah.

Mairi: Yul.

Yul: What?

Mairi: Trust me.

Yul: Alright. Damn you.

Back to the boys

Von: Anytime you ready.

Rog: (slams back another shot) Tell me why the frail we're just sitting here?

Von: What do you mean?

Rog: Kyra! John tells us he saw Kieran and we are just gonna sit here and do nothing? Is that what we are going to do. Nothing. Look at me Von. Nothing?

Back to the girls

Yul: He mentioned Kyra.

Mairi: How so?

Yul: Same old shiott.

Mairi: Enlighten me.

Yul: (her face starts to tremble as she searches Mairi's face) He wants to go rescue her. (the tears cascade)

Mairi: Oh baby. (opens her arms)

Yul: (through tears she manages to say) What do I have to do? Tell me, what do I have to do?


Next thing we hear is tocins sounding and lights blinking and Arn's voice: "We have an unexplained Pod launch."

Rog: (to Arn) Where is John?

Arn: (no answer)

Rog: Arn?

Arn: On the Pod.

Reviews

[AutumnStorm]

Belly-aching giggles. :-)
When Yul says; 'Because he's a Yakmuk's arse' in response to Mairi's question, I practically doubled over. Excellent stream and shift of scenes, steady and tight fitting perfectly together end to end like the teeth of a zip. As funny as it is, and there are many more utterances that bring about a grin, it becomes so not only due to the way each of them communicates their grievances, but because of the underlying causes, the first being lack of direct communication, avoidance and misinterpretation and the second the reason why they are avoiding in the first place (that 'same old shiott'). A familiar scene, one conversation and two interpretations of it, reasoning unknown to the other and were it only imparted, the outcome would be very different. In place of anger and hurt, understanding, but sometimes it seems easier to hide behind something else. Wonderful articulation of how easily this is done. Immensely wonderful piece of writing all round. Thoroughly enjoyable. :-)