1/29/99

Niko pokes his head into security, then, comes fully into the room, pushing up the sleeves of his sweatshirt as he pads over to exchange a few words with Denner. (The guard. Not the critter.)

Tara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Tara has arrived.

Niko takes a long, round case from Denner, of an appropriate size for a fishing pole or another creative device for the catching of piscine creatures. As something takes up the attention of every other secoff--don't ask what, Jess is too tired to come up with an explanation--Niko turns towards the newcomer, his voice tiredly polite. "Can I help you, ma'am?"

Tara swaggers in, gaze sharpening a bit as she casts it around the room. Despite a lingering look at the coffee machine, her interest seems to be more on the status of the place. At Niko's words, her eyes light on him for a moment. "Yes, handsome, I think you probably can. You can also point me toward somebody I can trust with this." She dumps a small bulging sack on the reception desk.

Niko's brows arch very slowly. "And what would this be?" he inquires, the faintest of grins crossing his face as he pads over to the reception desk. "Can't tell who could be trusted with it if I don't know what it is, after all."

Tara twitches the bottom of the sack, spilling a dozen wallets, none particularly expensive-looking, to the desktop. "These sort of made their way out of their owners' possession."

Niko squints at the wallets, brows lowering. "Mm. And did they have any assistance in fleeing their owners, do you know?" He takes up the nearest of the wallets, opening it to look for some form of identification.

Everything originally in the wallets still resides there, and ID's show the owners to be mostly Complex workers. Tara shrugs indifferently to the question. "I doubt they walked out on their own," she notes dryly.

Niko says drolly, "You might be surprised, in this place. But how did you manage to get the wallet of... ah, Hafeez Futumbi and his compatriots?" His tone is mildly curious.

Tara leans against the desk, examining her fingernails absently. "A friend of mine was holding them."

Niko puts down the wallet to rub briefly at the back of his neck. "Please," he says lightly, "You're telling me too much. Far, far too much information." Yes, he's being sarcastic, even if his tone is still mildly polite.

Riley walks here from the Chief Addison's Office.

Riley has arrived.

Tara smiles faintly. The expression fails to reach her eyes. "In that case, you won't be needing..." Her eyes shift at the opening of the door, and she gives a short nod to Riley, finishing her sentence, "Any more."

Doobie-doobie-do.. Riley meanders out, a penguin tucked under one arm. He moves to the desk scooping up the messages and give Tara a long rather nonplussed look. He returns the nod, "This is the lot?"

Ryoshia arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Ryoshia has arrived.

Tara coughs, "I wasn't able to get the fluffy ones back. There were only a few though."

Niko lifts the fishing-pole case in greeting to Riley, after a moment's pause. "Hi, Chief." Tara just gets a long look. "Fluffy... wallets?"

"If I see the kid, I have to pick him up and shack him with delinquency you know." Riley's tone is -not- affable." He waves to Niko, a hair pleasanter. "Hey Nick. Yeah, Valentine brought in some brat that went lifting wallets in the dining hall."

Ryoshia walks in with a very lost expression on her face. She walks in time to hear something about lifting wallets. "Funny that," she notes.

Tara nods, not looking particularly happy about that. "You always walk in at the worst times, Addison," she murmurs.

Niko says mildly, with a glance towards Ryoshia, "Funny. Yeah." He starts to gather up the wallets, murmuring something about paperwork to Denner, who lends him a hand.

Ryoshia walks over to the desk, holding out a hand. "Wait, I think mine might be in there."

"That's what they pay me for." Riley nods at Tara's comment. "The laws regarding juvenile crime in Copper Hill aren't exactly light and or kind. The Complex is the worst place for him to be trying that junk, we'll have the security camera footage and scanner readouts of him, he can't shake it if he's being stubborn." He pauses a moment before asking Niko quietly, "Hadn't you taken some time off?"

Tara looks just a tad frustrated, her posture no longer as relaxed. "And if I get 'em back? With contents more-or-less intact? Good grief, Addison, he's just a kid. And I still need to get him up here to the medicos."

Niko's attire, at least, suggests that he's off-duty. His nod to Riley confirms that. "I came down to get this from Denner," he says, lifting the case once more. "Then Miss... Valentine, is it?" He casts a brief glance towards Tara, adding, "I figured, I was here, might as well lend a hand." His tone is still mildly polite. His brows lift fractionally at Tara's comment, and he inquires, despite himself, "How old is he?"

"If I've not got a crime, I've not got a charge..." Riley points out to Tara quietly. He nods to Niko, "Gotcha."

Tara nods, grimacing at the thought of tracking down the kid all night. "A poorly grown nine or ten," she tells Niko, casting a curious look toward Ryoshia.

Niko nods slightly to Tara, spreading out the wallets that Ryoshia may see them. "What about his parents?"

Tara shrugs. "What about 'em? They're not around."

Niko isn't idealistic at all, nah, no way. Despite the fact that his expression speaks volumes, all he says is, "They should be keeping an eye on him. Several eyes, from the sounds of it."

"The kid probably doesn't even know who his parents are, Nick." Riley offers quietly.

Tara peers at Niko for a moment before Riley rescues her with that interjection. "What he said."

Niko blinks, perhaps a bit nonplussed by that, then shakes his head. "What a world," he murmurs.

Riley just shakes his head a bit, sliding into a chair in front of Anya's desk. "At nine or ten that kid's probably seen more than you or I have Nick. It's a sad place, but that kind of thing can't be given countenance in the building. If I'm forced to officially notice it, the kid's screwed."

Tara nods her wry agreement with Niko. "Yeah, but at least it means there's always room for improvement. I'll see what I can do about that, Addison." It's either that or disguise the kid as a pet next time she drags him in.

Niko shakes his head very slowly, rubbing lightly at his nose. "Improvement would be nice, but you'll pardon me if I don't hold my breath." He leans lightly on a conveniently-placed chair.

Riley rummages through his handful of messages, "I tried with the Underground, I really did. But all planets have to have something like it."

Tara gives Niko a sympathetic smile. "Give me a call sometime. I'll show ya it's not all that bad down there." She casts a frown over at Riley. "You didn't try to clean it up, did you?"

"Tried," Riley murmurs, "Had the whole Council come down on me like a ton of bricks."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko's brows twitch rather sardonically at Riley's words. He nods to Tara, with a half-shrug, and, exchanging a final few quiet words with Denner, heads towards the exit. "Have a nice evening."

Tara snorts, folding her arms. "You should've known better." She turns her head to give Niko a pleasant nod. "You too, handsome."

That sparks a decided hint of steel from Riley, "Valentine, you so much as -think- about harassing any of my people you'll find yourself in the brig faster than you can say, "But that's what the navigation chart said -earlier-.'"

Niko pauses at the door, though it isn't clear whether this is because of Tara's comment or Riley's response. He turns to regard the pair, brows lifted in surprise, but doesn't speak.

Tara arches an eyebrow, and offers Riley a disarming grin despite a slight gritting of teeth. "I wouldn't dream of it," she responds smoothly. "Harrassment's really beneath me."

"Uh-huh," Riley all but snarls, "I remember what happened to the -last- guy you went around calling handsome. Touch my people and you deal with me."

Niko, still hovering by the door, looks decidedly curious and confused and generally uncertain as to what the heck is happening. He mutters to himself, "... take it... know... other."

Tara sighs dramatically, rolling her eyes, though a flash of uneasiness crosses her expression at Riley's last sentence. "I'm just being friendly, Riley. Honestly. I call all the guys that."

Riley just reiterates his last sentence, although he's a bit less snarly. "Touch my people and you deal with me."

Tara shrugs. "I'll cross their names out of my prospective dating pool then. Pity though." Her eyes drift to Niko.

Niko asks slowly, tone rather confused, "I'm missing something in this whole conversation, aren't I?"

Riley's brows knits together as he briefly conteplates offering Denner to Tara as a sacrifice. He eventually decides that

Riley's brows knit together as he briefly contemplates offering Denner to Tara as a sacrifice. He eventually decides that's bad. "Valentine used to serve on the same ship I did."

Tara goes back to examining her fingernails. "Didn't last long," she comments.

Niko purses his lips as he jumps to a conclusion or two, casting a speculative look between the pair. "Ah," he murmurs. "Well. Have a nice evening. Again." And with that, he finally does leave.

[Travelspam deleted. Time passes, somewhat.]

You walk towards the Lakeside.

Lakeside

Blue, blue, as far as the eye can see is blue. Well, there's some sandy-brown, too, at the far edge of the blue, but there's lots of blue. That would be because the lake is pretty big. At the near edge of the lake, the sand is relatively rock-free, and decidedly kind to bare feet, with a weathered wooden dock. Beyond the sand, trees grow gradually closer together, providing welcome shade and the occasional fruit, should one be able to climb high enough to reach the fruits.

Contents:

Samich

Rian

Obvious exits:

Path Out

You walk here from the Outside Copper Hill.

Samich says "it is"

Niko, hands thrust lightly in his pockets, pads through the trees. He pauses a beat as he sees--gasp--other people, but doesn't retreat, instead making his way to the edge of the water. "Evening," he offers.

Rian is sitting on a rock beside the lake, her feet in the water. She turns her cheerful smile on Niko and waves a little hand. "Hello!"

Samich says "hello" with a confused look

Niko starts to bend down to test the water's temperature, then pauses. "Am I interrupting something?" he inquires, peering between the pair.

Samich wonders why Niko seems nervous

Samich says "no"

Rian shakes her head with a happy chuckle. "Oh, of course not. Samich just arrived a moment before you did. The more the merrier in a conversation, I always think."

Niko completes the gesture to hunker by the water's edge, then, fingers lightly flicking a bit of the liquid. He pushes up one sleeve, the better to dip his hand into it. "See any fish?" he inquires. "I've heard there are supposed to be some in here, was thinking about fishing tomorrow."

Samich says "I don't know I just got here"

Samich says "Niko are you ok you look a little on edge"

Rian shakes her head, giving a dramatic shiver. "I haven't seen any, but I was told the fish are shy creatures here, which is a pleasant relief."

Niko's brows lift a little. "Well, it's been an... interesting month, especially these last few days, but I guess I'm okay, yeah." He squints at Samich, adding, "Have we met? I'm sorry--as I said, this past month's been interesting." With a faint, flickered grin to Rian, he quips, "Not if I'm wanting to catch them."

Samich says "why is it a relief?"

Samich says "yes you did"

Rian laughs and holds out her little hand. "I am Rian an'Winter. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Samich says "several weeks ago I asked you about security"

Niko murmurs an apology to Samich. "It must have slipped my mind. There's been a lot on it of late, and some of the earlier bits may have been squished out by mistake." Straightening once more at Rian's offer, he wipes his hand on his sweatshirt. His hand is not tiny, and likely dwarfs hers. "Niko Casymed. Or Nick, if you prefer. If neither of those suit," he adds, with a faint grin, "I've lots more nicknames."

Rian giggles. "I think we all acquire a few. I'll call you Niko, if that suits you. I like the sound of it."

Niko nods affably. "Niko suits just fine, sure. It's what folks back home call me, after all."

Rian nods, sweeping back some of the dark hair that always slides into her face. "Then I shall do so. May ask if you are native to Linnae? I travel a lot, and this is my first time here, and I'm finding it very interesting."

Samich says "I didn't know we had a lake until now, now I can go fly fishing"

Niko flashes a quick grin to Samich. "Fly-fishing is good," he approves. To Rian, he shakes his head. "I've only been here a few months, actually. I'm from Hellas. Get to the back of beyond, then turn left," he adds, with a smile, "And you'll be there."

Rian giggles, irrepressibly cheerful. "And if you turn right, there you find Destiny, though personally I think that if the first settlers had realized what they were getting into, they would have kept going past the turn."

Niko bends down to the water once more. "Oh, so we're neighbors," he murmurs, with a flicker of humor. "Can't say as I've heard of Destiny, but my geography--on any scale--is awful."

Samich says "you and Rian or you and me"

Rian grins, swishing her foot back and forth in the water. "I'd be surprised if you had. It's not on any major trade routes, and they definitely don't encourage immigration."

Niko gestures towards Rian in answer to Samich's question. "Since she turns right where I turn left," he clarifies. Settling back to a seat on the sand, he nods towards Rian. "That does sound a bit like Hellas, yes."

Samich says "you live on the 3rd floor of the complex???"

Rian gestures at herself vaguely. "Well, four centuries of environmental adaptation give natives a rather distinctive appearance. Anyone who doesn't have the same characteristics would be very unwelcome. Even traders don't stay very long."

Niko peers curiously at Samich. "You, who?" No, he's not discussing chocolate drinks. He flickers a brief smile towards Rian. "If everybody's like you, I can see how someone like, say, me would stand out a lot, yes."

Samich says "I'm gonna wonder a bit more"

Samich says "I'll be seeing you two"

Niko lifts a hand in farewell. "Enjoy your walk."

Samich walks towards the Outside Copper Hill.

Samich has left.

Niko peers after Samich, then admits, expressive eyebrows twitching, "I have no living idea who that is."

Samich walks here from the Outside Copper Hill.

Samich has arrived.

Samich walks towards the Outside Copper Hill.

Samich has left.

Rian waves after Samich and grins up at you, her eyes twinkling. "Actually, I'm much, much smaller than average. I was always a disappointment to my family, in more ways than that." Her eyes twinkle. You're about the same size as my sisters, actually. You're just a very strange color."

Samich walks here from the Outside Copper Hill.

Samich has arrived.

Samich says "well not other new places to go"

Niko peers at his hands. "See, just about -everybody- is like this on Hellas, so I guess the strangeness is a relative thing." He trails his fingers in the sand, making his very own little mini Zen garden.

Samich frowns

Rian has disconnected.

Samich approaches nick from behind "are you ok"

Niko blinks once or twice, looking over from the water. "Sure," he says lightly.

Samich says "maybe you should go talk to Clara in medical you seem a little stressed"

Niko blinks several times, with an odd sound that just might be a laugh. "Uh, no. Somehow, I don't think that would be a very good idea."

Samich says "why is that?"

Niko lifts his right shoulder in an odd half-shrug. "I, uh, wouldn't be comfortable with it."

Samich says "well ok just don't wig out"

Niko says, rather dryly, "I'll try to manage that."

Niko gets to his feet, brushing the sand from his pants. "Excuse me."

[Travelspam deleted.]

You walk towards The Vault.

The Vault

Hints of former splendor are visible here and there in this seedy dive of a place. While the majority of the structure was demolished to construct the Complex, the basement and vault complex remain of this old Linnaen bank. The floor may once have been black and white tile, but now so much dirt and discarded refuse is littered along it, only hints of its glory can be seen. The bar itself is a massive length corrugated plas-steel set up in front of the old vault. The vault's door is mostly closed, and occasionally people slip back into it. Rickety tables are set up at various intervals, although most folks ignore them in favor of rather dark, rank booths set up along the walls. The lighting is flickering at best, and coupled with the thick smoke, visual acuity is hard to come by in this place. This is where the folks who make the Underground their home do their business, and it's not exactly a friendly welcoming place.

Contents:

Tara

Aaron Dimitri

Obvious exits:

Causeway

You walk here from the Underground Causeway.

Niko pauses a moment in the doorway, gaze flickering across the crowd, then picks his way to a booth near the far end of the bar, sliding lightly onto the seat.

Were Niko to look behind him, he might spot Tara in a shadowy- well, shadowyer- corner, discussing something quietly but vehemently with a mousy little man. But when she spots Niko she breaks off the conversation with a hurried agreement and sends her customer off. After a moment or two, she sidles up to the bar, ostensibly for a refill. As she waits, she turns to give Niko a pleasant smile. "Didn't expect to see you here."

Niko, claiming his drink, casts a brief look at Tara. "Didn't you? Huh. Well, no, I guess not." With one of those half-shrugs, he adds, "I don't often come here. Figured tonight, though... might as well."

Tara chuckles, taking her refreshed drink, and ambles over to occupy the other half of Niko's booth. "Might as well, huh? How come?"

Niko swirls the liquid in his glass, then takes a sip. "Nothing better to do," he says mildly.

Tara snorts lightly, disbelief in her expression. "Let's see," she keeps her voice low. "You could be having fun at Zimmies. Or sitting a boring post. Or going out dancing as well as drinking, or dire dealings, or calisthenics, or target practice, or any number of things. You could even be sent here by Addison to make sure I'm not causing trouble."

Niko ticks off his responses, his own voice low. "I just got back from a month of training along those lines, so shooting at people doesn't appeal to me just now. I've got time off, so I'm not doing a post. I'm a lousy dancer. Dire dealings aren't my style. Calisthenics is too much like working off demerits. Target practice--see the bit about training. And as for that last..." He snorts softly. "If the Chief wanted someone to keep an eye on you down -here-, he certainly wouldn't choose me."

Tara chuckles softly, studying you over her drink as she takes a swig. "Well said... Nick? Is that what Addison called you? I'm Tara, by the way. Tara Valentine."

Niko inclines his head. "Nice to meet you, Tara Valentine. Nick works, though it's mostly people from work who call me that. If that doesn't suit, I've plenty of other nicknames."

Tara grins. "Whatever you want to be called will work best." She turns and scoots back so she can lean back against the wall, her legs stretched out on the seat. "You take an awfully big chance by coming down here, y'know."

Niko's left eyebrow arches. It's what Mr. Spock would look like, if someone had tossed Miracle-Gro on his brows. "Chance?" he inquires, a subtle tension working its way into his posture. "And go with Niko, then, please. It's what most folks call me."

Tara nods, gesturing to indicate the bar. "You don't fit in here very well, Niko." She slips easily into using that name. "You're the type that gets mugged, or worse."

Niko's lips quirk, though the expression is not a smile. "I don't have much to be mugged for. And I can take care of myself." His tone is one of quiet confidence, however misplaced that confidence may be.

Tara grins. "I just bet you can," she notes softly. "Still, I'd avoid any dark alleys if I were you. Hell, /I/ avoid the dark alleys."

Niko inclines his head. "I'll try to do that, sure." His gaze flicks past the booth, as someone passes relatively closely. As the person moves out of visual range, he adds, his segue abrupt, "Seems like there's some sort of history between you and the Chief."

Tara glances up from her drink, a tight smile on her lips. "You could say that. It's his fault I was cashiered. No, I take that back- it's my fault, but he could've prevented it."

Niko blinks a few times, a mildly surprised expression on his face. He mutters to himself, "That... not what... was thinking." With a slight shake of his head, he ventures, "I'm sorry?"

Tara's fingers flick in quick gesture upward. "You know he commanded a cruiser for a short time, right? Well, just my luck, that's where I was assigned when I got out of the Academy. He, um, disapproved of some of the things I did. In the end, I had a pair of halfblacks and a dishonorable discharge."

Niko grimaces markedly at the dreaded h-word, washing away the expression with a swallow or two of his drink. "I'd heard something about the cruiser, yes. Not many details, just that it happened." He rubs lightly at the bridge of his nose, and looks for a moment like he's going to add something else, then swallows another mouthful of his drink, instead.

Tara nods hesitantly, then shrugs. "He ran a tight ship, I'll give him credit for that. And I was young, arrogant, and stupid. But it could've happened differently."

Niko's lips quirk into that not-smile once more. He mutters to himself, "Two out of three isn't bad." Glancing up from his drink once more, he asks, "You think he was too hard on you?"

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Tara arches a questioning eyebrow at the first comment. "Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. I made a few mistakes. Nobody died. No major catastrophes. Well, okay, there was just that one. But for a kid just out of the Academy, he could've had a little more patience." Of course, she doesn't mention the long list of minor infractions scattered through her short service record.

Niko rests his chin in a cupped hand, dragging a finger of the other hand through the ring of condensation left by his glass. "Well," he says slowly, "If it's any consolation, I'm thinking that he's changed for the better, in the patience department. He's been great to me, at least."

Tara nods, acknowledging that, though she comments before taking a drink, "You don't seem the type that would earn any superior's wrath."

Niko chuckles very quietly. "Things are not always what they seem," he murmurs, picking up his drink once more. He glances up with a faint grin. "I'm sorry. That statement was rather cryptic."

Tara grins, eyes twinkling at you over her raised glass. "Oh? And what dastardly deeds have you laid at Addison's doorstep?"

Niko rubs at the back of his neck, looking perhaps a bit uncomfortable. "Well, I didn't say it was -here-..." He pauses, then, with a 'what the hell' variety of shrug, adds, "Ever hear of Denners? The critters, not the guy currently upstairs in Security."

Tara shakes her head, curiosity in her eyes. "Carnivores?"

Niko chokes on a laugh at that. "Uh, no. Hardly. Cute. Fluffy." He pauses a beat. "Y'know, I don't know what they eat. Or if they eat. Well, other than the Chief," he adds, definitely abashed.

Tara's eyes widen. She can't help but to laugh at that scenario. "They found him tasty? Oh my, I wish I'd seen that. So anyways, what's that got to do with your dastardly deeds?"

Niko shakes his head. "I... brought one into the Complex. Thought it was a toy, see--I was going to send it to my niece and nephew. It got out of my room, and... well, they multiply very rapidly when they get wet, and it got wet. We were hunting Denners for far longer than I'd like to remember."

Tara tries to stifle the snicker, she really does. "Infestation of the station?" she grins.

Niko nods slowly, his own humor at the situation markedly absent. "They were -everywhere-."

Tara manages to get the humor down to a controllable level, though a grin keeps tugging at the corners of her mouth, threatening to bloom. "Okay, so there were a bunch of unwanted critters running around... Ah, I see. Addison didn't ream you for it?"

Niko shakes his head, a faint, reflective smile crossing his face. "Matter of fact, the only thing he gave me a hard time about was blaming myself for the situation."

Tara shakes her head, a bit rueful. "That's not the Addison I know... knew... not at all. Course, y'all aren't serving on a cruiser either. Ye gods, that's a bit of a shock to think he might not really be an ass after all."

Niko says lightly, "We're a little more laid-back here than folks are on a cruiser, though. Actually... make that a lot more laid back. And I can vouch for the fact that he's not an ass. He's not even close to asshood." A hood you wear on your ass?

Tara hmphs softly, not so willing to let go of her fantasy. "Maybe. Maybe not. He did not, however, have to jump all over me like that tonight."

Niko pushes his glass between his hands, rather like he's playing catch with himself, except that the bottom of the glass never actually leaves the table. "I'm sure he had his reasons for that," he says lightly.

Tara nods, her expression mild. "Yes, and he was kind enough to spell them out for me too. /He/ was reacting to the way I was seven, eight years ago. Oh, I suppose I can't blame him too much, 'specially since I was pushing his buttons. But he did overreact. And threatening to arrest poor G'ben, now that was a bit much."

Niko purses his lips. "G'ben?" he inquires, perhaps a bit warily.

Tara holds out her hand parallel to the floor, measuring a height of four feet or so. "The kid who stole the wallets."

Niko ahhs, his expression clearing. Foolish man, he believes in the innate goodness of children. "Poor kid," he murmurs, with a shake of his head.

Tara nods her agreement. "G'ben's not really a bad kid. Matter of fact, he's a ba... a load of laughs. He's just a very competent thief who finds it as much a joke as a way of getting credits in his hands. Speaking of which," she reaches beneath her vest to pull out a trio of expensive wallets, which she tosses to the table. "That's the rest of 'em."

Niko bites back on a curse, tucking the wallets into a pocket. "I'll take them back to Security on my way up. Thanks."

Tara nods, chuckling despite the hint of relief in her eyes. "Personally I thought the kid should keep 'em for all his hard work... not to mention the nerve it took to do that in the middle of the Complex... but I'm not quite willing yet to find out if Addison's bluffing or no."

Niko shakes his head firmly at the suggestion of the kid keeping the wallets. "Don't push him. You want to have it on -your- conscience that a kid got in that kind of trouble, where you could prevent it?"

Tara shakes her head, swishing the liquid around in her glass. "Nope. That's why I didn't push it."

Niko says quietly, "Good." He shakes his head, adding, "I've got a sister not much older than... G'ben, is it? She's twelve." He casts a look about the room, clearly imagining his kid sister there, then shakes his head again, more firmly. "This -isn't- a place for kids."

Tara shrugs slightly. "I'm not disagreeing with you, but there's little that can be done about it. Just try to help when ya can."

Niko suggests, with a faint smile, "Like returning what they steal, to keep folks like me from having to deal with them?" He shakes his head, then. "I'm really glad I've not had to notice anything like that. It would be... interesting."

Tara chuckles quietly. "That too. I wouldn't've even had to do that, but Addison saw him doing it. The resulting threat to both G'ben and myself was... unpleasant to contemplate. Actually I meant more like the reason I hauled G'ben into the Complex in the first place- for some decent medical treatment." She cocks her head, smiling. "Interesting? You'd have a hard time arresting some poor waif who's only trying to survive the best way he can?"

Niko considers that for a long moment, then nods. "Very likely, yes. I'd do it," he adds, with a grimace. "I'd just hate myself for it."

Tara nods understandingly. "I hate to say it, but I doubt Addison would get any joy out of doing it either. Otherwise he wouldn't have given me not one, but two chances to get the stuff returned." Her smile widens somewhat. "That's good to hear though. There's lots of security types who're so hardened they just don't care anymore."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko polishes off the last of his drink, and sets the glass aside. Hearing the chime, he reflexively glances at his chrono, then, nose wrinkling, taps his wristunit for a moment. Glancing back up, he says, "I've not been at it long enough to be hardened, I suppose."

Tara hesitates for a second before leaning forward, reaching out to tap your arm. "It's not inevitable. You're aware of the possibility- always try to keep that part of what you are /now/, no matter what happens."

Niko says quietly, with a faint smile and a glance about the room, "I don't think that will be difficult."

Tara smiles sadly, sitting back against the wall again. "I hope you're right. I've seen too many people hardened by an environment like this that never thought it would happen. That's not meant to sound discouraging, just precautionary. It happened to me," she admits, "But that was before I grew up." Never, ever will she admit (without purposely sounding sarcastic) to Addison that he was right on that particular point.

Niko's response is not without a note of dry humor. "Well, I suppose we'll have to wait and see what happens when -I- grow up." With a shake of his head, he adds, "I'm aware of the possibility. Knowledge is power."

Tara chuckles, blushing slightly as she shakes her head. "Sorry, didn't mean to imply that. As you are now, you're more mature than I've ever been, probably." She gives a firm nod. "Good. You've got a good head on your shoulders."

Niko brushes away the apology with a flick of his fingers. "Don't worry about it. One of those countless nicknames I've managed to accumulate is 'Junior', so I'm used to it." Lips curving, he adds, "And thank you. Two complements at once."

Tara chuckles. "Except for rare instances, I try to give credit where credit's due. It's not meant as a compliment- it's simply the truth. And I am more or less a truthful person."

Niko inclines his head, but he says thoughtfully, "Well, whether it's a compliment depends on how you see it -and- on how I see it. Since I see it as such..." He shakes his head. "It's late. I ramble sometimes when it's late. My apologies."

Tara smiles, taking an absent sip from her drink. "Don't apologize. Rambling's not a bad thing, as long as you're careful what you ramble about and who you ramble it to."

Niko casts a brief, penetrating glance at you. "Good point. This doesn't seem like the best place to be rambling. As you said, I don't exactly fit in here."

Tara nods her agreement. "Oh, you're safe enough for the moment. Everybody in here probably thinks you came... well, never mind about that. Yeesh, I need a dose of my own advice. In any case," she glances over at you. "You have a better place to ramble?"

Niko's brows lift, but he doesn't push for information. "Not really," he says, voice light. "I could go back up to Security, but I believe--" He peers at his watch. "Yes, Guido's on shift, now, so I'd rather avoid that place just now."

Tara's eyebrows arch slightly. "Guido?" She gestures toward the door. "There's a cleaner place we could go, closer to the Complex. They serve great French fries, even this late if you bribe the right person."

Niko makes another vaguely dismissive gesture. "A co-worker. An obnoxious one." He peers towards the door, inquiring, "Which place is that?"

Tara grimaces cheerfully. "You would ask me that. The Futon? Frubar? Something like that."

Niko supplies, with a shake of his head, "The Fruvous. The regular band there is great. But no, thanks. If you'd like to go, though," he adds, ever polite, "Please don't let me keep you here."

Tara chuckles. "The only reason I'd go there is for some more decent conversation with you. I don't often get a chance to relax like this."

Niko's brows lift at that. "You don't? For that matter... this is relaxing?" His surroundings, after all, keep a bit of tension in him.

Tara grins, crossing her ankles. "You gotta remember, I run my entire business alone. Inventory, pick-ups, delivery, the whole shmear. It keeps me rather busy at times." She glances around. "Well, no, I wasn't in here to relax."

Niko's expression suggests that he's not going to question you too closely about your business, or your reason for being in here. "Well, then," he says, gaze flicking across the crowd, "I'm glad I could help provide a little pleasant conversation, then."

Tara smiles slightly. "And what can I do for you in return?"

Niko blinks, his expression mildly surprised as he turns back to you. "That's not why I'm talking with you."

Tara nods amiably, taking a pull from her drink. "I know. But one good turn does deserve another, neh?"

Niko shakes his head, with a faint smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm not one to keep track or anything, not unless I'm the one owing the good turns."

Tara chuckles, shaking her head a bit. "So far you've shown yourself to be intelligent, loyal, fairly sensible, fair, and sensitive to topics of conversation. Don't you have any faults?" she teases.

Niko considers that for a long moment, expression thoughtful. Finally he decides, a glint of humor in his eyes, "No. I don't." He snorts very quietly, obviously not serious about that. "Of course I do. Everybody's got faults."

Tara grins crookedly. "So what kind of faults do you have, Niko?"

Niko says seriously, "Really, really bad ones." He shrugs, then. "Are you that curious?"

Tara nods, her gaze intent. "I'll even trade you. Let's see... I'm nosy. Big fault on my part."

Niko shifts his position in his chair, perhaps not all that comfortable with this conversation. After a moment, he says, "I suppose I can be rather naive. Comes with the sheltered upbringing and all." He does not, of course, meet your intent gaze, instead making what looks like a concerted effort to decipher the graffiti on the table.

Tara arches an eyebrow. "Sheltered? How so?"

Niko shifts his gaze to look out about the room. "There's nothing like this where I grew up," he says, his voice quiet and holding an element of sadness. "People take care of each other."

Tara ahs softly, and says in a gentle tone, "People here help each other out more often than it's obvious. That's not, of course, counting the folks who take advantage of the others. Like me taking G'ben in for better medicine."

Niko's brows lift at that. "And who's taking advantage of whom, there?"

Tara blinks, then shakes her head. "Sorry, I'm being confusing. I mean that's an example of us helping each other out down here."

Niko ahs, his expression clearing. "Good," he says briefly. He hesitates a moment, then says, choosing his phrasing carefully, "The Chief Medic is... receptive to the problems down here."

Tara nods. "Yeah, I've heard about her. See, first I took G'ben to the local clinic. They couldn't do anything for him but recommend I take him in to see her pronto."

Niko, brows lowering in concern, asks, "What's the matter with him?"

Tara draws a finger along her arm to demonstrate. "He got cut on something or other. Somebody stitched it up, but apparently they didn't clean it out well enough, if at all. It's infected so bad it's starting to smell a bit."

Niko winces visibly. "Clara would help with that, I'd think. Must hurt him quite a bit, poor kid."

Tara yeahs. "He's a brave kid though. Tries not to show it hurts. He's even perfected his methods so he can steal despite it."

Niko blinks at that. "Just how long has he been injured?"

Tara shakes her head. "I've no idea. He was bragging to me about it." She grins tolerantly.

Niko shakes his head, leaning forward and resting part of his weight on his arms, braced against the table. "What a world," he murmurs, apparently a frequent refrain when he discusses such topics. "I can't imagine why Clara wouldn't help him."

Tara nods, cradling her glass in her lap. "Me neither. Right now he's ticked at me and ran off, and I gotta hunt him down again. Also I sincerely doubt that Dr. Aleron... Clara?... being awakened in the middle of the night to treat a street urchin will endear me to her comrades in arms."

Niko's brows--which are, by the way, trying to take over the world--lower in thought. Not once, but twice, he starts to say something, then censors himself. Finally, he settles on, "Perhaps if you find him in the morning..."

Tara nods her agreement. "That's the plan, yup." She grins faintly. "C'mon, Niko, gimme a break. Have you ever tried to find a sneaky kid on his home ground in the middle of the night? I don't know the area that well yet. It'd be a fool's mission."

Niko's lips quirk. "Actually, I have, but I knew the area better than she did, and she didn't really want to be hidden -that- badly. I do take your point, though; the searching would be easier, and likely more fruitful, when there's light and all."

Tara yups, chuckling. "Spoken like a true veteran of search-and-capture missions."

Niko shakes his head fractionally. "Spoken like an older brother with an obnoxious kid sister who enjoyed tormenting her parents. She's outgrown that, at least."

Tara grins. "What's her name? I can sympathize with her already." Not that /she's/ outgrown it.

Niko chuckles very quietly. "Aspasia," he says, his smile turning fond. "She's seventeen, now. Studying politics, the poor, midguided kid."

Tara shudders. "Oh Lord... Don't get me wrong- if she likes that sort of thing, I'm behind her all the way. But politics is a /nasty/ business to be in."

Niko nods an emphatic agreement. "Yes. Yes, it is. I'm hoping she ends up teaching political science somewhere. She'd be a great teacher, and I think she'd be -happier- that way."

Tara chuckles. "Well, keep your fingers crossed. If she's smart- and if she's anything like you I'm guessing she is- she might figure things out before it's too late."

Niko lifts a hand, showing his crossed fingers, with a murmured thankyou for the compliment. "I'm hoping she will. Maybe if Ela writes to her about what it's like here," he muses, mostly to himself. "She'd listen to Ela."

Tara smiles slightly, sipping at the remains of her drink. "And Ela is...?"

Niko's smile is immediate. "One of the diplomats from my homeworld. We went to school together--eight years of it, I think? Something like that. She was the last person I expected to see here," he adds, smile turning reflective, "And I daresay she'd say the same of me."

Tara's mouth quirks. "As Addison noted when I descended upon him this afternoon, it's a small universe."

Niko's head bobs in a quick agreement. "Tiny. I'm not complaining, though. Not in this case. It was..." He pauses a moment. "Very, very good to see her again."

Tara chuckles softly. "You sound like you're tumblin' for this lady."

Tara chuckles softly. "You sound like you're tumblin' for this lady."

Tara nods affably. "What's so good about this time as compared to any other?"

Niko considers how to answer that for a long moment, finally deciding on, "This was when I needed someone." His voice is quiet, gaze distant.

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Tara arches an eyebrow. "Nosy I am," she ventures, "And I wouldn't want to pry, but may I ask...?" She's not quite sure how to finish that sentence, which is why it took her typist so long to enter it.

Niko's gaze flicks back to you. "You can ask," he says, tone amiable once more, "But I'm afraid I can't tell. The tale's not just mine, after all." And, from the determined nature of his smile, it may perhaps still be a sensitive subject, whatever 'it' is.

Tara nods amiably. "Fair enough. I hope Ela's as good in politics as she is in her timing then."

Niko shakes his head. "That I don't know, though she made top marks in school." He glances at his chrono, a delayed Pavlovian reaction, perhaps, and grimaces. "And it's far later than I wanted to be awake--but at least I didn't drink too much, this time. Likely because the company was distracting." And from his charming grin, that's a compliment. "Thank you."

Tara returns the grin warmly. "Thank you as well. It's been quite a long time since I've had such a pleasant evening."

Niko gets to his feet, head inclining in acknowledgement of your thanks. "You're welcome." He heads over to settle up his tab, adding over one shoulder, "Good luck finding G'ben."

Tara nods, calling, "Thanks! I'll need it!"

Niko, bill paid, shoves his hands in his pockets and ambles for the exit, extracting a hand to lift it in farewell.

You walk towards the Underground Causeway.

Your communit crackles to life and announces "Oh yeah... if you happen to mention to Addison that you saw me when you turn those wallets in, do please tell him I didn't *snicker* harass you." in Tara's voice.


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