3/4/99

You say "*quietly* Riley? Are you still awake?" into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and says "Heya' Cori! Yeah, I am. Sitting in my office and reading through some stuff. I was in the dining hall, but I fled." in Riley's voice.

You say "Ah, good! I'm sorry I didn't track you down earlier. Your diplomats can certainly talk--meetings all day. And then... well, I fell asleep." into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and says "*chuckle* They're not -my- diplomats. I most assuredly do not claim them. And sleep's a good thing." Um, hello, irony police? "Especially when trying to get used to the different time schemes." in Riley's voice.

You say "Quite, yes. The planet before Kashid had thirty-three hour days. That was an adventure. But I'm awake now, if you've got a bit of time, and I've a gift for you from Dad--mine, not yours. If you're busy, though, I'm sure I could go back to sleep." into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and announces "Sleep's always a good thing, but I'm by no means busy. Just hiding from my lunatic ward, people antagonizing the soda machines, and folks who aid in dyeing me green." in Riley's voice.

DINING> Roland ahhs. "Sounds fun. For both parties." He makes mental note to go and do that sometime. Watch the gals watch us watch them.

You say "Oh, goodness. That sounds like an adventure, indeed. I could come and find you, if you like. Or you could come here. *amusement* I got tea while I was on Kashid, in fact." into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and blares "Tea? Real tea? Um, whichever you'd like. I can meet you there, would that be more convenient?" in Riley's voice.

You say "Real tea, promise. And it may be easier for you to come up here. That would involve less carrying on my part, you see, and I've become horribly lazy." into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and says "Oh yeah, see I believe that. Lazy, right." There's a low chuckle, "Up there does sound simpler. I'll be there in two shakes." in Riley's voice.

A quiet knock resounds on the door. Riley's not forgotten all of his manners it seems. It's appropriate for a supplicant, if a little informal.

Corian calls, "Come in."

Riley enters from the Elevator Lounge.

Riley has arrived.

Riley pads in, offering you a grinned greeting and proffering a bag. "I come bearing infidel gifts. Fear now while you can."

Corian turns over from the dining unit, from which the spicy aroma of the tea is already wafting. "I quake," she says, with a smile. "Please... sit. This will be ready in a moment." And she pads over in her stocking-feet, a mug in each hand.

Riley is more than willing to sit, and his eyes all but glaze over at the wafting scent of the tea. His secret shame, far preferring tea to coffee. But how does a SecOff admit to -that-? Certainly not in front of the others. He offers the small bag, "I brought Divinty." He pauses, realizing how odd that sounds. "It's a homemade candy. Sweetest stuff in a dozen systems."

Corian, resting the mugs--one quite battered, the other relatively chip-free--onto the table that's there, really, murmurs, "And how sweet of you to bring it." She smiles, then, adding, "Thank you. It really is wonderful to see you, Riley."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Riley offers a rather rueful grin, his expression rather sheepish as he moves to abduct a mug. "I was in the Quarter today looking for sweets, figured I'd share in the bounty. I was willing to chance the fact that you have the same thing with concentrated sugars that I have, considering it's liked to the mixed heritage issue." He can't resist a more honest grin. "It's wonderful to see you as well. It's been ages. And well, having family here is all to the good."

Corian folds herself lightly to a seat, tucking her legs beneath her. "Thing with concentrated sugars?" she repeats, a bit quizzically. "And family is wonderful, yes," she adds, that smile returning. "It's been far too long."

Riley's reply is briefly forestalled at his sip of the tea. His expression is a decided mix of bliss and homesickness all rolled into one. He sighs quietly, obviously pleased. "Amazing substance." He pauses a moment, and then clicks back into the former topic. "Clara was scanning my genetic code. That pointed her at the fact that because of the mix, I process glucose far more quickly than would be expected. Hence a need to eat more concentrated sugars. I was thinking perhaps you had the same difficulty. I decided it to be imprudent to suggest my own solution, it involves chocolate bars."

Corian's expression is fond at your response to the tea, and she sips lightly at her own. That, however, shifts to thoughtfulness, and then finally to amusement at your last statement. "And well for you that you didn't. Chocolate. Horrible stuff, that. That could explain somewhat, though," she decides, finally investigating the divinity. "Riley... what is in this?"

Riley can't quite resist a grin, murmuring, "More chocolate for me then." His brows furrow as he tries to recall the exact contents, "Egg whites and lots and lots and lots of sugar. It's positively decadent. No nutritional value whatsoever. Well, excepting the aforementioned glucose situation. It's lovely stuff."

Corian gets to her feet to rummage in a bag for a moment, emerging with a box that fits easily into one hand. "More for you, yes." She sets the box next to the spot where your mug would be if you put it down, then apparently forgets about it, as she samples the divinity. "Quite good," she decides. "As you say, quite a lot of sugar."

Riley regards the box with brows lifted in a questioning expression. He nods however in regards to the Divinity. "Finding sources of sugar has been one of my quests of late."

Corian folds her legs beneath her once more, absently straightening her skirt as she does so. "And a worthy quest, too," she approves. Catching those questioning brows, she adds, "And inside the box is the gift from Dad. He says it's a little rough, as he hurried to finish it so I could bring it, but I think it's quite good."

Riley takes another careful sip of the tea, unwilling to squander the experience. He sets the mug aside carefully, taking up the box in its place. "He says half of what he does is rough, but it's all amazing to me." He offers a grin, "But then I'm an ill educated goof after all." That has the overtones of a long standing quote.

Corian murmurs, her smile fondly amused, "I do have more tea, Riley, and Honalee promised to send more." The final statement draws a quick chuckle.

The box, when opened, reveals a palm-sized statue of a penguin, carved from dark, rich-grained ironwood. And, despite the words of its maker, it is extremely well-done.

There's a decided pause as Riley regards the tiny statue in co-mingled delight and amusement. "It's perfect." He shifts the tiny sculpture in his hands, running careful fingers across its smooth surface. "Dad's outdone himself as always. I'll have to try and track down time zones and all to call. I've been relying on writing a good bit lately, for various reasons." He takes up his tea again, setting the small carving atop the box, so that it can peer about.

Corian takes up her tea, hands wrapped lightly around the mug, and regards you for a moment. "Possibly because some of the folks at home would mount some sort of crusade if they saw how you looked? I suppose I can understand it--getting shot must be a markedly unpleasant experience--but you do look reasonably horrible." She says this quite candidly, but her concern is obvious.

"That would be the reason, yes." Riley's reply is accompanied by a sheepish chuckle. "It was about as bad as I've ever managed to get damaged. It involved a plasma bolt point blank to the upper chest. It took me a while to get back on my feet again."

Corian's brows migrate steadily upwards, eyes widening as that happens. "Goodness... Riley! No wonder you didn't tell anyone. Are you really all right? And I think, then, that you're justified in looking horrible--for a little longer, at least. So I'll hold off on the comments for a bit."

"Honalee knew," Riley sips further at the mug of tea, both overlarge hands wrapped around the ceramic. "But she said she wouldn't say anything. I knew if folks found out I'd end up with a double handful of well-meaning folks here all trying to check up on me. I didn't think I was ready for that." He nods, "I'm all right now. I just have to gain the weight and the muscle mass back is all."

Corian nods once at the folks-related comment, then idly tucks a lock of hair behind one ear. Can't tuck it behind two ears, after all. Looking decidedly relieved at your final statement, she tsks softly, with a vague murmur about her crazy brother, rushing headlong into danger. Of course, she looks just a bit worried at the nearness of it all, so perhaps that's her way of whistling in the dark.

Riley shakes his head slightly, a hint of amusement in his expression. "I wasn't quite rushing headlong. I was trying to arrest someone. My mistake was trusting too much. We'd worked together for years, and despite him having proven he was a fool once, and willing to do whatever, I still assumed those years entitled me to trusting him."

Corian rests an arm on the back of the couch, pillowing her head on that arm. "That sounds like quite a price to pay for trusting someone," she observes quietly, her gray eyes focused on your face.

Riley sips at the tea again, obviously approving of its flavor. "It's really been my month for paying out on that bill. Shot by one long term associate, and framed for murder by someone I thought was an old friend. Poor Nick had to arrest me. Although it turned out to be a good thing in the long run."

Corian blinks once, then inquires, "This is the Nick that is our breakable brother? And he arrested you for a murder that you didn't commit? And this is a good thing?" She shakes her head very slowly. "Somewhere there is something that I'm missing, that this is good."

Riley grins thoughtfully, finishing off his tea. "Our breakable brother, yes. At that time though, it was not known that I had not commited the crime. Or at least there was no way to prove it. Gun in hand, that sort of thing. But the nerve gas like chemical that was used on me to keep me from understanding what was going on turned out to be usable later. We gassed the fourth fleet with it when they took half the diplomats hostage." He pauses a moment, "You know, I was afraid you might find it dull here, compared to travelling. But dragged out like this, it suddenly seems that's unlikely."

Corian, however, is still back on, "Nerve gas? Riley Gregor Addison..." Her tone is one of mild exasperation, and she can't continue for a moment. "Shot, framed, gassed, couped..." She shakes her head, trying to find the words, then gives that up as a lost cause. "No," she says finally, "I don't think I'll be bored. Has anything else horrible happened to you? You might as well tell it all, so I can get all the worrying out of my system at once."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Riley looks rather chagrined although he gives it honest consideration, "Lately?" He runs a hand through close cropped curls, giving this thought. He ends up ticking things off on his fingers, "Bomb in the pudding, being shot by Guido, nerve gas, passing out that time, Denner framing me for murder, being attacked by small furry critters with sadistic tendencies, my ward's a lunatic, crazy woman turning off my hot water, fifteen halfblacks... No I think I've already handed over the highlights."

Corian rests her forehead in one delicate hand, slowly shaking her head back and forth. "And I thought you were a terror when we were children," she murmurs, peeking between two fingers. "How in the world does all this happen to you?" She's beyond asking for details.

Riley just shakes his head. He wouldn't know the answer to that if it were a sane hour, and it most assuredly isn't, making it trickier. "If I knew, I would change whatever it was. Still, the luck has not entirely deserted me. For all the bad things, there've been a host of wonderful ones. Clara, finding out Nick was a brother, you showing up..."

Corian lowers her hand, with a deceptively serene smile. "Clara," she murmurs. "I really like her, Riley. She seems good for you. It's about time you found someone." Again, she ignores her rather potlike appearance. She's good at that.

Riley can't stifle a rather sickeningly sappy smile at that. "I'm glad you approve. That means a good deal to me. Clara's... Clara. I do not think I have ever known anyone like her."

Corian intones, "We are all individuals, no matter how similar some of us may seem." With a quiet laugh, she adds, "That's good, I think. I'll have to have a talk with her at some point, though," she adds thoughtfully. "Or perhaps several talks."

Riley's brows arch at that, looking both amused and fearful. He drops into that swirl of Edreeni and Standard that is Kashidian. "You wouldn't be thinking of inflicting embarrassing stories now would you? I am certain that I would find much to fear if you chose to do so."

Corian answers in the same vernacular. "My beloved brother, why would I share such stories?" Of course, that gleam of mirth in her gray eyes is not what one would call reassuring, even if her words are. "You treasure Clara, so I wish to know her. And I will be here for some time, it seems. What better friend to have than the beloved of my brother?"

Riley cannot resist a delighted chuckle at that. Although part of that is no doubt based on the fact it's been a long time he's had the chance to talk to someone else in his milk tongue. "You cause me fear, but that is as it should be. I was well schooled in the evils allowed to younger sisters." He looks a bit sheepish, "Although I must offer my profound apologies and quit your residence for the moment. My shift begins all too shortly, two hours if precision is sought."

Corian's reply is patient, though there's a bit of chiding about her expression. "Of course. With so little time to sleep, we should not have spent such time talking, though I cherished the time. You need to remember such things, that you may recover your strength." She gets lightly to her feet, apparently to see you to the door. "Rest well, brother. My door is always open to you."

Riley clambers to his feet, scooping up the small box and the carved penguin. The small carving gets another grin. He nods, ambling alongside to the door. Pausing before it he offers a bow. Far deeper than the peons downstairs get, this acknowledges both the bonds of family and of affection. I need more Liaden novels, this is fun. "You might wish to seek rest as well, as morning comes all too soon, and the calls of the diplomats are many and insistant." There's yet another grin, he's full of them this evening. "It's really good to see you again Cori. I wish I had the words for how much your presence is appreciated."

Corian returns the bow in kind, a slow smile lighting her face. "Those words suffice. Of course, it is the same for me. And I will sleep, of course. There are those who know better than to go too long without rest," she adds, her tone decidedly innocent.

Riley looks rather sheepish, but simply offers a very human wave to the end of the Edreeni courtesies. Murmuring a quiet farewell, he lets himself out the door.

Riley leave the room.

Riley has left.


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