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[In the research library.]
Clara is on one of the couches, legs curled up beneath her as she frowns at a book, lips moving slightly. She's a slow reader? Well, yes, when the text is in Kashidian, she is. One hand comes up to rake a mass of loose copper curls back as she utters a quiet, resigned sigh, then shakes her head and tries to mouth a word again, obviously struggling with pronunciation.
Niko is a little rumpled, as might be expected at the end of a long day. He's
still in uniform, though the collar's unbuttoned. Hey, his boots are still
shiny, though; he's careful of the boots. Expression one of vague
concentration, as if he's trying to remember something, he ambles over to one
of the cases, squinting at it. He shakes his head after a moment, then
apparently spots you. He move to peer over your shoulder. It's rude, but he
looks tired, so it's probably excusable. Unfortunately, because it's Niko, he
can't spout phrases from a romance novel. Instead, he inquires, "Light
reading?"
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Clara starts slightly and starts to respond, unfortunately in Kashidian. She even makes it through a sentence or two before pausing and looking relatively sheepish. "Um, sorry...hi there. Nope, major braintwisting reading, actually. It's a Kashidian history book." She reaches a hand up to tweak the uniform sleeve sympathetically. "They're just now letting you escape?"
Niko just nods gravely in response to the Kashidian, looking like he's paying attention and utterly comprehending. Yes, he's locked briefly into "listening to a diplomat" mode. He shakes that after a moment, though, looking rather sheepish. "Yeah, my hours are skewed this week, 'cause of Tim's vacation. It's not a big deal, though. I just don't feel like sleeping just yet."
Clara reaches up to rub at the back of her neck for a moment, stretching her
head forward and stifling a snicker. "You look like you've been pretending to
pay attention most of the day," she points out, then pats at the seat beside
her. "Take a load off, Niko, relax. I know the feeling, actually. I sn't
quite ready to collapse yet either, so I figured I'd try to twist my brain
into a pretzel. How's your better half?"
Niko rubs at his eyes for a moment as he folds into a seat, stretching his legs
out before him, though out of the way of any passers-by. "Bread products for
brains," he murmurs. "I know the feeling." No, that wasn't about Ela. Good
thing, too. It'd get him poked. "And, yeah, I got cornered by some
long-winded Edreeni right as I came on shift. Guh. The guy should learn
brevity or something." There's a brief stretch of his own, and then he adds,
"Ela's fine. Wonderful. Haven't seen her much lately with this weird shift,
but that'll change soon enough. And maybe she'll be able to sneak away for
lunch tomorrow or something. That'd be nice."
"Don't forget the salt," Clara agrees with somewhat hazy amusement, obviously a little too far out of it to make much sense, and not too worried about it. "Egads, long winded Edreeni. I can count the number of those I know on...a computer," she decides with a faint grin. "Humans too, though. Must be an inherent thing for everyone." Her head falls to one side with a sympathetic nod. "Know the feeling," she murmurs. "What about you? Keeping up okay? I'll bet you're not even broken," she adds, quietly teasing.
Niko extends his hands to peer at them, turning them over and then back again.
"Not even a finger," he confirms. "Haven't even done anything that -should-
get me broken lately. I've even flown my hoverboard at a sane and reasonable
speed. Kath," he adds, with a hint of amusement, "Said I should come see you,
because obviously I was ill." He shakes his head, then. "Three years here,"
he says, out of the blue. "Sometimes it seems like forever, sometimes only
yesterday." There's another headshake, and then he rakes his fingers through
his beard.
Clara leans over slightly to regard said fingers with clinical interest, then
nods in agreement and settles back against the couch again with a laugh.
"Kath probably has a betting pool going on when you'll finally get broken
again, though," she suggests, then ducks her head slightly with a slightly
wistful smile. "Sometimes forever, sometimes a day...and some days it feels
like both. A lot's happened these last few years."
Niko is quiet for a moment, expression reflective, and then he nods. "Yeah," he
agrees. "A lot's changed." He grins, then, briefly. "Kath probably does. Did
you hear what she helped Anya and Tony do to that Edreeni guy? Yeesh. Well,
now he knows not to cross Anya. And I heard Addie singing that song, and I
can't say as I sympathize with him all that much. It was warped." His grin
returns, though, again, briefly. "Just the sort of thing a little kid would
like."
And, yes, maybe not just little kids.
Clara reaches a hand over to attempt to squeeze one uniformed forearm lightly
with an answering expression that holds a hint of smile before having to
choke back laughter. "Heard about it? I had to cut the poor man out of his
clothing. I'm sure that got all -sorts- of amusing comments from the images
on the monitor. Poor guy is practically a kid magnet though. I'm sure the
song really did Addie no harm."
Niko's brows quirk at that. "Helping gentlemen out of their clothing, eh?" he
teases gently. "I'm surprised Kath didn't tell me about -that-. She's usually
so quick to announce any possible innuendo." There's a brief nod, then.
"Yeah, last time I saw him, he was being swarmed by about half the Sectassian
horde. And his hair was -yellow-. Neon yellow. Bet it glows in the dark."
Niko shakes his head, obviously amused. "Wonder what Ela would say if I came
home with yellow hair."
"Mmmm, with a laser scalpel, no less. Just a step above ripping the clothing of random men. Shamelessly shocking, I know," Clara agrees with a quiet laugh, tired enough to neither blush nor be embarrassed at the teasing. "At least his coat and his shoes." She glances sidelong with a lifted brow and a grin. "Yellow? Last I saw him, it was green. Yellow is good too, though. Ela would probably hurt herself laughing if you did that, though."
Niko shakes his head, with a sigh whose regret is utterly, obviously feigned.
No, Niko would not like yellow hair. "I guess I can't do it, then. Wouldn't
want to hurt her." He manages to refrain from comment on whether or not a
laser scalpel is considered sexy, instead nodding. "Speaking of hurting
oneself laughing, my sister saw the beard." He rolls his eyes briefly. "She's
sending a picture home, too. Evil woman."
"Now maybe you could pull off purple hair," Clara suggests thoughtfully, trying
not to snicker out loud at the idea. She can't dye her own hair, so she'll
corrupt other people into it? Not reallly, she's just teasing. "You sister
laughed? Shame on her," she enunciates with a roll of her eyes and a smile.
"I think you look dashing, to be honest. I guess sister's are supposed to
poke fun, though. Isn't that a law or something?"
Niko's head rises and falls in a brief nod. "The law of evil sisters, yup. And
it's got a hundred and two amendments, detailing ways in which brothers are
supposed to be tortured. And she's sending the picture to the others,
too--well, the other younger sisters, at least." He rubs lightly at the
beard. "And thank you. I think I'll keep it, at least a little while longer.
It's easier than shaving. Though Kath's still talking about shaving patterns
into it while I'm asleep."
"A hundred and two? I need brothers," Clara decides firmly, shaking her head in
mock rue. "I need someone to torment. Maybe I'll hunt down your brother
sometime this week and throw a penguin or two at him, get out the tormenting
urges," she muses, then nods approvingly before the action is interrupted by
a quiet ack. "Patterns? Oh, my no. Besides, Ela would probably not be pleased
to find a woman on your bed wielding an electric razor. Or she'd help...I'm
not sure which."
Niko does not mention the word "brother-in-law," though he's not that. Maybe brother-in-trezla? And he doesn't comment on having two women in his bed, either. He probably thinks it, though. He's male. In any event, there's a brief grin, and a headshake. "I don't think we'll find out, because Kath'd never really do that, and I'm not going to ask Ela what her reaction'd be."
Clara is a psychologist and would not be shocked at said thought, although you
can bet she'd blush all sorts of fun colors. Instead, she tilts her head
thoughtfully, doing her best to look innocent, and pulling it off fairly
well. "I suppose I could ask Ela what she'd think, if you don't get around to
it," she offers oh, so generously. I wouldn't trust Kath not to do that
though. Are you sure she won't?"
Niko shakes his head quickly. "S'okay, asking Ela is not at all necessary. And Kath won't," he adds, with a grin. She likes all the talk, but I don't know that she'd ever do most of these things that she's talking about. She knows I'd be pretty annoyed if she did that to me, after all."
"There's probably a reg somewhere about shaving patterns into a senior officer's beard too," Clara agrees with a sleepy quirk of grin. "Kath's a lot of fun to listen to, but I swear she shows up just at the right time to hear something and take it wrong. She probably just enjoys watching the expressions you make when she talks about that kind of thing. At least the only thing Kramer ever threatens me with is a frontal lobotomy."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Niko snaps his fingers, a thought apparently filtering its way into his consciousness. "Did you hear about her and Shan?" His grin is broad, and holds just a hint of mischief. "Gossip about Kath for a change. This is choice. And, yeah, her timing's impeccable--or horrible, depending."
Niko, of course, also kind of shrugs off the superior officer thing.
"Kath and...-Shan-? Oh, please tell me something finally happened? I swear I
was tempted to sneak a dose of pheremones into Shan's food or something,"
Clara exclaims hopefully with a slightly devious grin. "Spill the gossip,
mister, or I threaten you with an annual," she teases with a wink. "What's
up?"
Niko lifts his eyes briefly skywards. "My annual isn't for another two and a
half months." Yes, he's keeping track. "And you're going to threaten me with
one anyway." He grins, then. "Yes, something's finally happened. And--get
this--Shan was the one that made the move. She finally got him down to the
rec hall for some 'unarmed combat practice'--like Kath needs that. From what
I heard, he pinned her, and then he kissed her. And -she'd- been planning to
do that."
"You bet your boots I'd threaten with it," Clara agrees cheerfully, not at all repentant. "I wouldn't make you come in for it early, but I'll threaten, at least." She tilts her head to listen to the bit of gossip, then leans back with a decidedly pleased, if sap-driven sigh. "Oh, how romantic," she murmurs in delight. "Good for Shan, then. It's about time, certainly."
Niko can't help but snicker. "-I'm- just surprised that he pinned her," he
says. "Bet she let him do it. But, yeah, definitely about time, as long as
those two have been dancing around each other. Neither of them would give any
more details, though. It's a shame. -Kath's- usually the one who pries that
sort of thing out of people."
"I can't tell you how terribly tempted I am to go tease her about all this,"
Clara admits with a rather impish grin. "But I'll admit she's always been
nice about not cracking jokes about Riley and myself...at least not where I
could hear." She shakes her head with an approving smile. "It's one thing to
pry information out about others, quite another to volunteer the details of
one's own love life."
Niko offers, with a decidedly wry grin, "She doesn't have any such hesitation
about Ela and me. I swear, I got back fifteen minutes late from having lunch
with Ela a few weeks ago, and I got all -kinds- of comments. Going to see
Butch was a relief." He shakes his head, then. "Yeah, I can't say as I blame
her. I just hope it works out for them."
"I can just imagine what kinds of comments, too," Clara allows with a quiet laugh as she absently closes her book. "Although I'll have to bet that Kath's slightly easier on the eyes than Butch is, as nice as Butch is. At least, she's nice to me, the few times I run into her." Her brows quirk then, almost in surprise. "Do you think there's a chance it won't?"
Niko bites back a bit of laughter, with an apologetic look at someone nearby who's actually trying--wow, what a concept--to get work done in the library. "Just -slightly- easier on the eyes, yeah." There's a bit of a shrug, then. "I've never been good at guessing if a relationship's going to work, so I generally just think good thoughts for any of my friends when they find someone who makes 'em happy. Kath and Shan are... very different, though."
"Sometimes...sometimes opposites really do attract," Clara muses thoughtfully,
a faint smile in place. "The strengths of one complement the strengths of the
other. I'll think good thoughts for them too, though. They're both good
people, and I'd like to see them happy as well." She rubs at her face then
for a moment, then sighs quietly. "Speaking of making people happy, if I
don't get some sleep, my 0600 patients are not going to be happy with a
half-awake doctor. I should probably get upstairs and catch a few hours
sleep."
Niko eyes his chrono, then makes a noise not unlike an ack. "Uh, yeah," he
says, starting to get to his feet. "Bed's a good idea. Lots to do tomorrow.
Got to see if I can manage some sort of hide-and-seek with that Edreeni," he
adds, with a grin. "I hide, he doesn't seek."
Clara climbs to her feet and moves to tuck the book back onto a shelf, lips quirking faintly at the reactionary noise. "Ollie ollie oxen free? I promise not to tell him wherever you're hiding," she offers, turning to head towards the door and gesturing lightly. "C'mon, walk me as far as the third floor? I need someone to keep away all the muggers and bandits, you know."
Niko takes a moment to check the charge of his tangler, movement half in jest but automatic for all that. Yes, things certainly -have- changed in three years. "Can do," he says amiably, falling into step behind you after he gets to his feet. "See, I'm taller than you, so I can loom and look imposing and such should we encounter any random muggers in the stairwell."
"Seven point one inches taller, to be precise," Clara agrees with a grin at the
checking gesture and a slight headshake. "And goodness knows I run into all
sorts of depraved types on the trip home every night," she adds with
amusement, heading for the stairs.
[Travelspam to the stairs deleted.]
Niko just shakes his head, with a brief smile. "I'm sure you do, yeah. We caught the Sectassian ambassador picking pockets just the other day." Too bad Niko couldn't make a reference to the handiness of having all those kids, and that said ambassador could be Fagin. "And here we are. Today must be a good day. No random scary people." Of course, a purple creature takes that moment to pass. Once it's out of earshot, Niko murmurs, "I stand corrected." He grins, though, and looks as if he's going to see you to your door.
"You're kidding, right? The Sectassian ambassador?" Clara all but gasps,
obviously shocked but also trying not to laugh. "Oh, good heavens." She
pauses at the landing and starts to reply, then puts on a mild face until the
purple (people eater?) person passes. "See what I mean?" she murmurs back,
then lifts her brows but doesn't argue, and continues on towards the third
floor hallways.
Clara walks towards the Third Floor Elevator Lounge.
Clara has left.
You walk towards the Third Floor Elevator Lounge.
Niko nods, looking amused. "I'm kidding. It'd be choice if it were true,
though. I'd really love an excuse to get rid of him." And the Sectassian
ambassador's spies probably heard that. Or, at least, that's what Niko would
think, were he paranoid. "And here we go, home sweet home, and no mugging or
anything else disturbing. Handy."
"Awww, and get rid of all those precious children? You'd break half the Edreeni delegation's hearts, not to mention Corian's," Clara protests with a wink, then pauses by her door as well with a smile up. "Home indeed, and safe. See? I need a Secoff walking me home every night, just in case," she teases. "Seriously, thanks Niko. Give Ela my best, will you?"
Niko lets out a quiet snort at the mention of the precious children. "In a
heartbeat," he murmurs. He pauses, then. "Wait, no, Corian does like them."
There's a sigh, amused exasperation. "Y'know, women keep me from doing
-anything- fun." Okay, that's a cue, but Kathlyn's not present. "I might as
well be on Hellas." There's a quiet chuckle, then. "Any time you might want
an escort, Clara, I'm sure anybody in Security'd be glad to oblige. It's no
problem. And I'll tell her, sure--but tomorrow. She's probably very asleep
right now."
Clara doesn't make the comment, as she's not Kathlyn, but she does raise a
rather amused brow, the thought very apparently occuring to her. "Anything,"
is all she murmurs with a slight headshake and grin, then nods affably. "I
was just kidding, really. But the company was certainly welcome. And very
asleep is what both you and I should be at the moment," she decides tugging
her keys from her pocket to click open the door. "Goodnight, Niko. Do sleep
well," she suggests with a warm smile.
Niko blinks as the raised brow gets his thoughts clicking, and he coughs. Apparently, he decides not to go there, instead turning back towards the stairs. "G'night, Clara," he replies amiably. "Sleep well, yeah, you, too." With that, and a lifted hand, he heads for the stairwell.
You walk towards the Spiraling Stairway.