3/19/99

Niko comes into the room on rollerskates, looking generally pleased with himself despite the scrape on his forearm. (It's about as bad as your average small child would get while playing a little too vigorously, no big deal.) "Hiya, hon. Sorry I'm late getting in. I found the chess games, see--those guys are great!"

Elasia is sprawled on the couch with the kitten, reading something. Ela is, not the kitten. She grins over at you, "Sounds like you had fun." Noting the scrape she questions with a snicker, "Game get a little wild?"

Niko nods as he glides over to the couch and perches on one arm to take off the skates. "Oh, yeah," he deadpans. "Y'know those chess sharks. They can get kinda upset if you don't let 'em win."

Elasia seems to find that vastly amusing, tabbing off the bookreader and setting it aside. "As long as they don't start circling and trying to munch off arms or anything I suppose you'll be all right."

Niko rubs absently at the scrape. "They tried. They missed." Reaching down to take off the other skate, he offers a grin. "Actually, I just hit a wet patch coming back--no big deal, though. Startled me more than anything else. How was your evening, though?" He gets up to stash the skates in the closet.

"I can offer to kiss and make it better?" Elasia suggests with a wink and a grin. "It was fine, thanks. I got through with all the lunacy work wanted, and came up here to read and torment Scutter." Oh yeah, the kitten looks miserable too, really.

Niko settles on the couch with a grin. "Not going to say no to a kiss, no way." He leans over to claim said kiss. Funny, he didn't bump his lips, but they must need to be made better, too. And, of course, Scutter gets a greetingful pet or two.

Elasia is more than willing to accept the bumpedness state of lips. "How was the rest of your day, work sane and all?"

Niko nods amiably. "Yup, work was sane, Riley was chipper, Kya was nice, the puppy was petted..." He rattles off a few more facts, the comes up short. "Oh. I didn't tell you." Helpful guy that he is, he doesn't -continue- and let you know what you weren't told, but instead takes a moment to reflect on its untoldness.

"Sane is good, chipper is good, nice is good, puppy-petting is vital..." Elasia pauses and looks puzzled. "Didn't tell me?"

Niko rubs one finger along the kitten's back. "Terrence is coming here," he says slowly. Looking up with a wry smile, he clarifies, "Terrence Veruzac." He bonked a lot of women...

See, unlike Kyara, -Ela- knows who that is. Yep, Kya would have been so -right- for Niko. "Here?" That's almost a squeak, "Oh -my-, that should be...odd."

Niko scoops up the kitten, apparently focusing on petting her for a moment. "Odd," he agrees. "Yeah. He's here to serve as some sort of liason--dealing with the temple and all. I don't think I'm going to go out of my way to meet him."

Elasia edges up close to you. She and the cat are a lot alike. "I don't see any reason you should, certainly. He doesn't seem to be a particularly decent sort."

Niko is not going to pet you, but he does slide an arm around you. "He doesn't, does he?" He offers you a faint smile. "Let's talk about something else, huh? What'd you do today, other than read and torment the kitten?"

Elasia shifts in comfortably under the arm. "Mostly ran errands getting things set up with the new Chairman. He really seems to be going out of his way to help people out, all new heights of popularity. If he keeps this up, your brother won't have to stand through any more elections for quite a while."

Niko has a beautiful woman and a cat. Life doesn't get much better than this. "Good. Avoiding elections is -very- good, seeing as how he's not likely to get an XO any time soon, and so -would- have to stand through the thing again. Nice to see that there's a helpful guy as Chairman now, though. Talk about a switch from Lexington."

"Yeah, a whole world apart," Elasia agrees, her tone one of quiet content. "It's a nice change, and it's almost as if he were trying to court the personel here. Championing budget add-ons and the like."

Niko blinks at that, looking mildly surprised. "Really? Huh. Maybe we could get some more people. That'd be nice. Or more toys," he adds, looking decidedly thoughtful and pleased and generally chipper. "Toys would be good."

Elasia glances up at you, dark eyes wide with innocence. "Frisbees? A giant hamster ball to put Shan in? Maybe some little belled collars for you all?"

Niko prods gently at a tickle-spot or two. "Actually," he says, with a grin, "A frisbee's not a bad idea. Pen would like that. I think I can pass on the rest, though, thanks."

Elasia squirms away from the tickling fingers, laughing, "Awww, but Shan would so -enjoy- a giant hamster ball I'm sure."

Niko's grin is decidedly amused. "That'd definitely be a sight, that's for sure. Maybe I'll suggest that." There's a pause. "Maybe when Kathlyn's in the room."

"And some Secur-i-trail, like Habitrail?" Elasia's tone is still innocent, "It would really liven up the place."

Niko pauses a beat, then dissolves into quiet snickering. "Get a track set up around the room... oh, that's great, hon, but why does Shan need to be the small animal?"

"Because he's the only one I know who'd do it," Elasia says with a snicker, "If Kath asked him to at least..."

Niko nods his agreement to that, dark eyes glinting with humor. "Maybe I -shouldn't- mention that when she's around, then," he muses. "She might take a liking to the idea, and -then- where would we be?"

"With a giant plastic ball in Security," Elasia answers, snickering. "A tremendous PR move."

Niko snickers a bit more, then swallows his laughter. "Ack, but that'd get all the Sectasslets in there to see. Unless we could stuff -them- in the ball..."

"If you could get the Sectasslets in the ball, you could charge admission to let folks come see. You'd be able to sponsor a whole budget yourselves," Elasia points out teasingly.

Niko seems to consider this seriously for a moment, then shakes his head. "Nah," he murmurs, with a grin. "Then we'd also have to find homes for all the farm animals that their parents would spawn when they heard about it. And the Complex does -not- need more Sectas-spawn, even if they're farm animals."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Elasia sighs as if in great dismay, "Aww, and I was so looking forward to it. Ah well, somethings are not meant to be." She snickers quietly, "Still, it's a lovely mental picture."

Niko nods his agreement, with a few more muffled snickers. "Yeah. Their little faces, squished up against the side of the ball..." He shakes his head, then, rubbing one finger along Scutter's paw. "I guess having a bake sale wouldn't work, though."

Elasia smothers another laugh, "I don't know, but it would be a sight to see. You could set up a table in the atrium. It would garner plenty of attention..."

Niko snaps his fingers. "The poor sap who draws guarding grass could man the table. Hon, you're brilliant." So brilliant, in fact, as to merit another kiss, though Niko's amusement is visible in his eyes.

Elasia is willing to accept her own brilliance if this is the result. "It would certainly point out to the Council that y'all are underfunded. And besides, it would give you all an excuse to be in the proximity of sugared substances. I can make cookies?"

Niko suggests, with a sudden grin, "You can make cookies any time you like, love. They'd definitely be better than the donuts that folks bring sometimes. I mean... we can -eat- them instead of selling them to buy toys, I think that'd be a fair deal."

Elasia stifles a snicker, rolling her eyes. "You would, now doesn't that defeat the purpose though?"

Niko shakes his head. "Of course not," he says staunchly. "It'd help morale, having good, sweet stuff to eat. Donuts," he adds sepulchrally, "Are bad for morale."

Elasia gives you an amused look that clearly states she's not buying that. "Uh-huh, bad for morale, yeah, that's why y'all go through so many."

Niko heaves a rather martyred sigh, though the twitching of his lips gives him away. "Well, yes. -Someone- has to eat the donuts, and Security goons are just the types to shoulder such responsibility. Otherwise the donuts feel inferior, y'know. Very sensitive, especially the chocolate ones."

Elasia breaks into outright laughter at that, "Oh, I see, just doing your duty then. I'll have to see what I can do about providing better fare then. Although, won't the doughnuts be offended?"

Niko pauses a beat. Trapped. "Uh... we'll give them to the Sectassians. Those kids really need more sugar, after all." He beams. There. All fixed.

Elasia makes a decided ack noise, "How about if I make y'all brownies if you promise -not- to give sugar to the Sectasslets."

Niko considers that for all of half a second, then nods. "Sounds like a very good deal. Brownies are much better for morale than donuts. That'd be perfect, love." He snitches a brief hug, though he has to lift a hand to cover a yawn.

Elasia shakes her head in amusement, "The things I do to avoid sugar-dosed Sectasslets." Noting the yawn she questions, "Sleepy oh love of my life?"

Niko's head bobs in a brief nod. "Yeah, between the getting up early and the chess this evening--I'm not used to that much thinking." He starts to get to his feet, pausing to deposit Scutter in your lap. "I think it's bedtime."

Elasia accepts Scutter, but gets up to follow, the kitten cradled in her arms. Scutter looks un-phazed. This cat is going to grow up exceedingly laid back in self defense. "I'd have to agree. It's late."

Niko looks decidedly more chipper, if not especially awake. "You're coming to bed, too? Good, better, best, then I can have my Ela with me." He pauses to change into bed-appropriate clothing, biting back another yawn.

Elasia deposits the kitten on the bed, changing into the scary pajamas with ducks before following you into bed. "What, and miss an opportunity to curl up with my Niko? As if..."

Niko has the wisdom to cuddle up to you -before- a certain kitten can get in the way. "Good," he repeats, sounding sleepily content. "This really is much better than the couch. Love you, hon."

And you're barely in time, Scutter does however curl into the warmth someplace as Elasia snuggles in. "Much better than the couch, yup. And I love you too. Sleep well, oh goof mine."

Niko mumbles drowsily, "Goof mine. Digging for goofs? Maybe goof ore." Oh, yeah, he's going to have some weird dreams tonight. With a comment about pickaxes that is fortunately not quite coherent enough to understand, he drifts sleepwards.

Elasia chokes back a snicker, "My goof," she clarifies, settling in to seeks sleep as well.


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