|
|
From the ground, Clara trudges up the hill towards a massive tree, bits of brightly colored planking visible through the damp foliage, grinning. "A friend of mine made this," she explains. "Wait till you see the inside..."
From the ground, G'ben glances upwards, and stumbles over the next few steps.
"Oh wow... a house /in/ a tree?"
From the ground, Clara puts out a hand to steady the stumbling, grin
brightening several notches. "That's what a treehouse is, yes. You've never
heard of one?"
From the ground, G'ben shakes his head, eyes wide. "Ain't got trees in the
Underground," he notes absently.
From the ground, Clara ahs softly, a flash of almost sadness shadowing her eyes
for a moment as she nods, then brightens again, resting a hand on the ladder.
"Ever climbed a ladder before, then?"
From the ground, G'ben gives an immediate nod. "Ayup. Best way to get on roofs-
climb the fire escapes. They got ladders."
From the ground, Clara sweeps her arm in a panorama up the stairs, gesturing up
with her chin. "Okay, then. Up you go. I'll be right behind you, so no
worries about falling." Of course, if he does, it'll likely break Clara. Then
Niko will laugh.
From the ground, He'll point, that's for sure.
From the ground, G'ben swarms up the ladder with an ease born of much practice.
"I never fall!" he calls down.
From the ground, G'ben climbs the board ladder up to the treehouse.
From the ground, G'ben has left.
G'ben climbs the board ladder up into the treehouse.
G'ben has arrived.
From the ground, Clara climbs the board ladder up to the treehouse.
From the ground, Clara has left.
Clara climbs the board ladder up into the treehouse.
Clara has arrived.
Corian is seated against the paisley wall, with a pair of Sectassian children--obviously siblings. The three year-old, Xalin, is happily ensconced in her lap. The seven year-old, Tirisa, is doing her best to fit into the lap as well. It seems like a story is being told, but the one with which the children are familiar, as they're having quite a lot of fun finishing Corian's sentences when she pauses. Of course, as the story is being told in Sectassian, there's a lot of s's. There's also a lot of giggling--from the children, at least. Corian's too grown-up to giggle. Really.
G'ben stops short with a blink at the top of the stairs. "Doctor Clara? There's
people here..."
Clara scrambles up the ladder just as deftly as G'ben, perhaps as much of a
tomboy as she is a lady, and pausing on the ladder with her top half inside
the house. "You're right," she murmurs back, absolutely sheepish. "Okay,
we'll come back another day," she offers quietly, and starts to back down the
ladder again.
Of course, Tirisa picks that moment to look up. "Hi, Doctor Clara," she calls cheerfully. "Auntie Corian's telling us a story, come hear it!"
And, naturally, that catches Corian's attention. After a murmur in Sectassian to Xalin, Corian calls, "There is certainly plenty of treehouse--and plenty of story as well. There is no need to go back to the rain."
G'ben slowly moves further into the treehouse, giving the kidlings a dubious
look, but he's soon distracted by his surroundings.
Copper curls pause in their decent before rising again to reveal the rest of
the doctor's face, a warm smile on it. "Hello, Tirisa, dear. Hi, Xalin," she
adds, wiggling her fingers at the small boy. "You're sure you don't mind,
Corian? G'ben's never seen a tree house before," she explains, gesturing at
the enthralled older boy.
Corian shakes her head. "Of course I do not mind. After all, Tarrant built this
so that younglings could enjoy it--no matter what their age. And it is nice
to meet you, G'ben," she adds."
Tirisa clambers from her section of the lap, moving over to G'ben's side.
"Isn't it neat?" she gushes. "Uncle Terry built it. It's just like the ones
back home, everybody says so." Never mind that she's never been to Sectas.
And Xalin returns Clara's wave, albeit just a little grouchily. He's not too
keen on sharing.
G'ben stares down at Tirisa. "Yer uncle built this place? Yeah, it's... neat.
It's /more/ 'n neat!"
Clara finishes entering the treehouse, brows scooting up at the greeting before
she winces with a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Corian, this is G'ben, Kyara and
Roland's fosterling and a friend. G'ben?' she calls over to the lad, rather
beaming at his evaluation. "G'ben, this is..." She pauses, uncertain just how
to introduce Corian.
Tirisa nods cheerfully. "He's not -really- my uncle," she confides. "But he's Auntie Corian's husband. Only she's not really my aunt, she's my mama's friend." Xalin pouts--that is, until Corian murmurs something, fingers nudging gently at his ribs, and he giggles, scooting after his sister.
Corian supplies, "Corian Czolgosz--though I do think you can leave off the last
name, it is something of a mouthful." She looks rather pleased with his
evaluation as well, adding, "And I will pass on your words to my husband. He
will be most pleased. He was uncertain of the reception the treehouse would
get."
G'ben looks over his shoulder to Clara, his eyes then flicking curiously to
take in Corian. "Czolgosz," he states precisely. "But Corian's pretty. The
name, I mean. Not th... er, the name's pretty."
Clara reaches out to get in a tickle on the small boy as he passes as well,
snickering cheerfully before leaning back against the paisley wall, grinning
broadly. "Watch it, Corian. He's a mastermind lady's man," she explains with
a teasing wink at G'ben.
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Xalin darts away from being tickled, hiding behind Tirisa. Of course, she tickles him, too. He doesn't stand a chance. Finally, he seeks refuge behind G'ben, a fellow male, who -surely- won't tickle him.
Corian looks rather pleased by the compliment, though she flickers a quick
smile to Clara at the doctor's words. "I will be careful," she assures Clara,
before smiling pleasantly at G'ben. "Thank you, chernubia. It is sweet of you
to say so."
G'ben doesn't tickle, nope, though he gives the boy a wary look. "Chernubia?"
He pauses, frowning slightly. "Like a cherub?" The boy adds in a mutter to
Clara, "Am /not/."
Clara winks over at Tirisa as she folds her legs to drop to sit tailor fashion on the flooring, vastly amused by all of this. "Okay, Tirisa can be a cherub. You can be a little Navy devil," she offers to G'ben.
Xalin waves, and offers a comment in Sectassian. Tirisa pipes up, "He says hi.
He doesn't like talking Standard. Mama says it's a phase." She grins brightly
at Clara. "Can I have wings, and something to shoot at people?" Oh, dear. Her
mother's going to be thrilled.
Corian shakes her head to G'ben, with a quick smile. "It is not quite like
cherub, no. Chernubia--it is literally a confection, but in this case it is
an endearment. Though I suppose it would be an appropriate thing to -call- a
cherub."
G'ben blinks at Terisa- his head's on a swivel today. "Uh, hi back. Chernubia.
They got that at the bakery?" The question is directed both toward Corian and
Clara.
"Oh, sure," Clara offers to the girl, nodding amiably. "We'll fix you up with some wings from cotton batting or something. Just -don't- try to fly with them," she emphasizes with a grin. "Don't look at me," she adds to G'ben with a grin. "You'd have to ask either Corian or the Admiral."
Tirisa looks just a little disappointed. Apparently, flying was what she had in
mind. "And Xalin can be a cherub, too. Only we won't throw him out of the
tree."
Corian looks just a bit disturbed that Tirisa has to make such a clarification, but shakes her head to G'ben. "I am afraid they do not, no. It is possible to have some sent, though, if you would like to try it. My great-grandmother," she adds, with a hint of humor, "Is very good at speedy shipping."
G'ben 's eyes sparkle. He's always up for new kinds of sweets. "That would be
very nice, thank you," he says politely, then snickers, grinning up at Clara.
"Navy devils get all the best treats."
Clara would likely have turned terribly red had any male -but- G'ben said that,
but instead nods affably. "Isn't it unfair? I mean, the Admiral gets fudge
from my family, even." She casts a briefly amused look at Corian, eyes
dancing. "Xalin can be a cherub too, but throwing your brother out of a tree
is right out, my dear," she adds to Tirisa.
Corian nods her agreement to the Navy devil related words, innocent enough that
she doesn't catch said double entendre. "Are you going to be in the Navy when
you get a bit older, G'ben?" she inquires. "It would certainly be a laudable
goal." She eyes Tirisa for a moment, murmuring something that definitely has
the word 'mother' in there.
Tirisa sighs. She's so abused. "-I'm- not the one who was playing catch with
him. At least it was in the swimming pool."
G'ben pulls himself up to his full height. "I'm gonna be a Navy engineer!
Almost sorta like Chief Addison!" Dang, he's proud of that. "Ohhhh. So that's
where he got the fudge. It's /good/ fudge."
Clara makes a soft acking sound, shaking her head, the bill of her cap almost
blurring in her vehemence. "Playing catch with baby brother's is a bad thing,
yes." She leans back against the wall to regard the various kidlets with
delight, nodding. "Mm-hmm. Maybe I'm biased, but I think Addison's a pretty
good role model, don't you, Corian?"
Tirisa shakes her head. "The baby's not born yet," she explains patiently.
"Doctor Clara, you should know -that-. Mama would have a lap if the baby had
been born." Xalin sneaks back to Corian's lap, apparently aware that
Xalin-tossing is being discussed.
Corian kisses the top of the small boy's head, murmuring something, then smiles
cheerfully at G'ben. "Certainly laudable, yes." She chuckles very quietly. "I
think my brother is an excellent role model--or he would be if he worked a
bit less--but I am hardly any less biased."
G'ben casts a glance toward the children, his eyes following Xalin. "Easy catch," he murmurs, then raises his chin. "Role model?"
Clara thunks the side of her head with the heel of her hand at Tirisa's
reminder. "Aaah, of course. How silly of me. Be a little difficult to play
catch with that particular baby, yes. Never fear, dear. Your mama will have a
lap soon enough." She nods to G'ben affably. "Of course, dear. Someone you
want to be like someday. Well, somewhat. It's never good to be -just- like
someone."
Corian nods her agreement to Clara's words. She starts to say something, but her comm beeps at her, and a delighted smile crosses her face. Actually, 'delighted' is an understatement. She gets to her feet, scooping up Xalin as she does so, and setting him on his feet. "Come on, children, time to go." She adds, with a glance towards Clara, "He's -home-."
Clara's gaze lifts to the Edreeni woman, eyes lighting up with cheer. "Oh,
Corian, that's -wonderful-," she offers warmly. Do give him my greetings,
will you? Children, have a good evening," she offers to the Sectassian
kidlets.
G'ben ohhhhs. "Can't be just like him," he notes, then blinks at Corian. "Have
a good day?"
Corian casts a dazzlingly happy smile towards G'ben as she herds the children towards the ladder. "I am certain that I will, dear. And it was nice to meet you." She nods to Clara, looking, well, thrilled. "I will certainly do so."
You climb down the board ladder to the ground.