3/25/99

Kyara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Kyara has arrived.

Niko is, of course, working on paperwork. There aren't that many blue cans in the bin, however. He's also wearing the dress uniform, for a change.

Kyara gives a cheerful wave as she weaves through the desks. "Evening, all. Oooh, what's with the spiffiness, Nick?:"

Niko looks up with a vague noise of inquiry. "Oh... hi, Kya. Evening. Had to pretend to be official this morning, and it was simpler just to stay in the obnoxious clothing. Besides, this way Ela will be able to see it." His tone in that last is amused.

Kyara chuckles, sliding into her seat. "It is rather impressive. What required pretended officialdom?"

Niko wrinkles his nose at that. "Makes me feel like the couch in my uncle Nick and aunt Chloe's place. And it was nothing much, just fluffy stuff."

Kyara grins. "It presents a very good image for Security though. You should be proud."

Niko peers down at his uniform for a moment, then over at you. "I guess it depends on how you define 'good image'."

Kyara chuckles. "Well... very smart. Not smart like in brains, but smart like care taken with one's appearance. Not that you look dumb, obviously."

Niko affects a... well, a stupid voice. "Duhhh, thanks, Kya." He snickers quietly. "I'm glad of that, at least."

Kyara grins, starting on a small pile of paperwork. "Maybe some folks'll actually start thinking better of Security seeing you like that."

Niko's brows lift at that. "'Actually'? You make it sound like an unlikely thing."

Kyara shakes her head. "Not at all. Not now, at least, now that things seem to be settling down a bit."

Niko looks somewhat puzzled, but shrugs. "Settling down, yeah." With a bit of paper-shuffling, he adds, "I do have a reason not to wear the uniform, though. A new delegate thought I was one of the vid people, and was afraid to talk to me. Talk about the opposite reaction to what we -should- get."

Kyara rolls her eyes. "Yeah. Did you manage to convinvce 'em you weren't one of the evil ones?"

Niko nods, with a short laugh. "Yeah. My ID helped. And Kayce was there, and vouched for me as well. He looks a lot more dependable than I do, see."

Kyara chuckles. "All in all, then, you'll avoid wearing it as much as possible?"

Niko nods firmly at that. "Very much. It's itchy, obnoxious, -stupid-looking." He loves it, can't you tell?

Kyara grins. "It's /not/ stupid-looking. It's very impressive."

Niko shakes his head, with an amused snort. "Depends on your perspective. Ela likes it, too." His brows quirk. "Though I think she underestimated its effect."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Kyara chuckles quietly. "Of course, you could be dressed in rags and she'd still love your appearance."

Though Niko doesn't say it, his bet is that Ela would most certainly like rags, especially those of the scanty variety. "Well, love is blind," he says philosophically.

Kyara continues looking amused. "No kidding!"

Niko hmphs softly, though it dissolves into a snicker. "Gee, thanks."

Kyara shakes her head with a laugh. "No, I was thinking about those /I/ had fallen for, actually."

Niko ahhs quietly, if a bit absently. "Not quite handsome?"

Kyara shrugs lightly. "Scruffy would be a good term. Half were scruffy, half were fluffy."

Niko intones, "Scruffy and Fluffy." He shakes his head. "Sounds like a kids' show."

Kyara snickers. "Yes, well, I doubt you, Tara, Roland, and Riley would make a very entertaining childrens' show. Educational, perhaps."

Niko blinks. And then he blinks again. He even stops doing paperwork for a moment. "Uh." After a moment, he remembers that, yes, it helps if he -moves- the pencil. "Yeah. Educational."

Kyara was /watching/ for the reaction, and now she giggles. "Good heavens, Nick, you look rather surprised." Well, duh.

Niko replies, with a soft snort, "Well, duh." (Thanks!) He shakes his head, gaze flicking back to the paperwork. "Maybe because I -was- surprised?"

Kyara grins. "Obviously. Why though?"

Niko considers that for a moment. "Guess I don't think I'm your type."

Kyara chuckles. "And what do you think my type is?"

Niko looks a bit baffled for a moment. "I hadn't really considered it. Uh, somebody other than me?"

Kyara laughs quietly. "You underestimate yourself."

Niko shakes his head at that. "It's not a case of underestimating. Just, we're very different people."

Kyara cocks her head. "And you and Ela aren't?"

Niko shakes his head. "Ela and I are different, of course, but she and I are a lot more similar than you and I are. Even though I'm exurb and she's mainurb, we're both from Hellas. We grew up with many of the same experiences, especially after I moved to Hellas City. That sort of thing."

Kyara chuckles softly. "I can't think of anybody on this planet who's as similar to me as you are to Ela."

Niko grins crookedly at that. "Well, no, see, not everybody's as lucky as I am."

Kyara gestures toward the office. "What about Riley and Clara? They don't seem to have all that much in common."

Niko nods his agreement to that. "It depends on what you want, I guess."

Kyara smiles wryly. "I suppose. Wants change, of course."

Niko nods his agreement to that, a hint of wry amusement in his own tone as he says, "They certainly do."

Kyara taps her pen thoughtfully against the desk. "Did you have any loves before... before you came here?"

Niko nods once, pencil poising briefly. "I did," he says quietly.

Kyara tilts her head. "What was she like?"

Niko considers his words for a long moment before he answers. "Beautiful. Quiet. I... I really can't describe her, I guess."

Kyara smiles slightly. "Like Ela, then."

Niko shakes his head. "Mm. Not quite like Ela. Ela's more sensible, and better able to keep me from doing something stupid."

Oh, now that's bound to perk Kya's curiosity. "What'd you do?"

Niko shakes his head. "Nope. Sorry, this is something private, Kya. I've only ever actually spoken of it with one person other than Zinha."

Kyara nods amiably, looking only slightly disappointed. "Understood."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko offers a faint smile. "Thank you."

After a few moments, Kya asks curiously, "Do you know Cori?"

Niko inquires, after a puzzled pause, "My sister? Of course."

Kyara nods. "Whatcha suppose she'd like for her birthday?"

Niko blinks. "Her birthday is soon?" Some brother, huh? "Uh... I don't know. I mean, I know her, but it's more that I know -of- her. We've only chatted a few times. Riley'd likely be the better person to ask."

Kyara mhmmms. "I'll have to do that then, should he get back soon."

Niko peers at his chrono. Maybe he's checking the date, maybe not. At any rate, he acks quietly. After a moment, though, he eyes the stack of paperwork directly in front of him. It's fairly small. "I'm already late," he mutters. "Might as well finish this, be a little later."

Kyara glances over curiously. "Late for what?"

Niko replies, with a faint grimace, "I was supposed to be off-shift... uh, a while ago. Ela knows when I went to work, so she knows when I should be getting back." He pauses a beat, then inquires, "I'm not snapping at anybody, am I? I should be okay, as long as I'm not snapping."

Kyara shakes her head mildly. "No, you're not snapping." A pause. "Can't you tell when you're snapping?"

Niko snickers quietly. "Well, see, I'm usually not paying attention. I don't usually snap -intentionally-."

Kyara nods absently, shuffling papers. "Time and place for everything." She grins faintly. "Nick, if you were in such a mood as to make you snap /un/intentionally, I highly doubt I'd be the one to point it out to you."

Niko grimaces just a bit. "And you'd probably be right to do that, then smack me with a baseball bat or something when I cooled down."

Kyara snickers softly. "Well, now you know what to get /me/ for my birthday then."

Niko snickers softly. "Uh, no. My currently unbreakable self would be no better at remaining unbreakable with baseball bats than it would if it attracted bowling balls."

Kyara laughs, "I had foam in mind. Suppose I could always just report your aberrant behavior to Ela."

Niko ponders that for a moment. "Okay, sure. She said she wouldn't kick me if I got obnoxious, so I guess I'm safe."

Kyara chuckles. "Of course, that doesn't rule out many other consequences. Locking you out in the hallway in your underwear, for example."

Niko's brows lift very slowly. "Ela wouldn't do that." There's a pause. "I don't think she would, at least."

Kyara grins before admitting, "You're right, she probably wouldn't. But if she does, could you let me know so I can bring my camera?"

Niko mutters something that could very well be 'over my dead body'. With a shake of his head, he adds, "I think that Security can continue to operate without having a picture of me in my underwear on the board."

Kyara chuckles. "Who said anything about the board? I'd need it for my private collection."

Niko blinks a few times at that. "Collection? Do you have other pictures of men in their underwear? No, wait, no, I -don't- want to know the answer to that."

Kyara laughs merrily. "No, I do not. Just various... candid photos. Not that I'd /mind/ my collection holding pictures of men in their underwear."

Niko passes a hand across his forehead. Then he pauses. "Do you have any candids of me? Or is this something else I don't want to know?"

Kyara hmmms thoughtfully. "Yes, but no embarrassing ones."

Niko's brows lift, but he nods agreeably enough. "Good. I think."

Kyara grins. "You 'think'? Nick, I have one picture of you. It rests on the desk in my quarters along with several others. It's hardly disflattering to you."

Niko casts an amused look towards you, before turning back to his dwindling stack. No, he's not finishing, he's finishing that particular pile of work. There's always more. "Well, then, thank you."

Kyara nods. "You're quite welcome. If I do get any pictures of you that could be considered embarassing, I'd hide 'em, see."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko grins crookedly at that. "I guess that's reassuring. Though I guess it also doesn't really matter, seeing how many embarrassing pictures there are over there." He gestures towards the board.

Kyara glances toward the board. "I believe it's a matter of degree."

Niko, peering towards the board as well, shakes his head. "Well, I don't especially want -anybody- to have worse pictures than those. The one after Addie and I painted Riley's office... I still can't believe most of that was self-inflicted, and intentional."

Kyara chuckles. "You seemed to be in a very good mood though, when you emerged besplattered."

Niko nods his agreement to that, with a broad grin. "Oh, of course. Addie is a great kid. I love spending time with her."

Kyara smiles slightly. "Practice?"

Niko makes a vague noise of confused inquiry, then ahhs quietly as comprehension hits. "Nah. It'll be a while before Ela and I have kids. A long while."

Kyara mhmmms. "Perhaps. Never know what might happen."

Niko shakes his head. "Well, unless our schedules settle down," he amends. "But that's not likely, any time soon."

Kyara nods ruefully. "Do you /want/ offspring?"

Niko nods, after a moment. "Yeah. Eventually, yeah. Carry on the family name, that sort of thing."

Kyara mhmms. "I suppose that would fall to you, being the only son in the family and all."

Niko nods at that. "Dad's got two brothers, though," he says. "And they've got sons. So it's not -all- on me."

Kyara glances over curiously. "So you've cousins as well?"

Niko muffles a snicker. "Uh, yes. You could say that."

Kyara blinks a bit. "Something about cousins is amusing?"

Niko glances over from his paperwork with a grin. "Asking me if I have any is amusing. I've got... thirty-two of them? On Hellas, that is. I'm not sure about Riley's branch of the family tree. I swear, must be a baobab."

Kyara blinks a lot more. "Thirty-two? Your family must be... prolific, to say the least. What's a baobab?"

Niko explains, "Mom's got four siblings, and Dad's got five of them. All but Aunt Thalassa--y'know, the black sheep?--are married with kids. For nine families, thirty-seven isn't that many kids. And the baobab," he says grandly, "Is the upside-down tree." He holds his arm perpendicular to the desk, wiggling his fingers. "Snarly kind of tree, looks like the roots are at the top."

Kyara ahs softly. "I understand. Are you, too, a black sheet then?"

Niko corrects, with a grin that is audible in his voice, "Sheep. Black sheep. Yup, I certainly am, though Ela will help a lot in bleaching my wool."

Kyara ohs quietly. "Sheep then." She sits up a bit straighter, noting, "That sounds painful."

Niko shakes his head. "Nah, it's fairly painless. Just do what they want, all will be well." His tone is amused, but maybe a little ironic as well.

Kyara tilts her head. "Do what who want? Women?"

Niko muffles a snicker. "Basically, yeah. My family. The women in my family, mostly."

Kyara ahhs softly. "I've often found that women are often more intractable than the men."

Niko makes a vague sound of agreement. "They're just kind of matriarchal, that's all. Gigia runs the show."

Kyara hmmms? "Gigia?"

Niko supplies, "My grandmother. 'Gigia' is the Hellenic term."

Kyara ohs! "That I can understand. Grandparents are very important in Stilvani culture as well."

Niko suggests, working his way through the stack, "There's a similarity."

Kyara mhmmms. "Respect for elders, and all that."

Niko nods absently, reaching for the book o'query rates with a sigh. "Respect your elders," he intones, "Lest they make sure that you do so."

Kyara chuckles quietly. "Now /that/ I never had to deal with."

Niko mumbles something vague about jealousy, with a shake of his head. "Good for you," he adds.

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Kyara chuckles. "All a matter of culture, I think. Free thinking is good... as long as you obey the proper people right sharp."

Niko mmhmms at that, head bent over his paperwork. "Never did much studying of other cultures in school. I guess being here will do that for me."

Kyara smiles. "This would be the ideal place to do it, I would think."

Niko nods his agreement to that. "Yeah. I hear there's somebody here to write a thesis on it--how the different cultures interact, all that."

Kyara ooohs, "I'd love to get my hands on that."

Niko nods agreeably. "I think she said something about sticking a copy in the library. 'course, it needs to be written, first."

Kyara chuckles. "That would certainly help, yes. Do you remember who it was?"

Niko squints towards the ceiling for a moment. You know, just in case he wrote the answer up there. "Nope, sorry. I could hunt it up, if you like. Actually, you could hunt it up, if you like. She filed a report this time last week, something about a missing item. Kayce took it down."

Kyara's mouth quirks. "Among the hundred other missing item reports?" she chuckles. "I'll check."

Niko looks a bit sheepish, but he says, "Hey, you've got a date, you know who filed it. That's better than nothing, at least."

Kyara grins. "I'll take a look when I'm done with all this. And you know I love hunts."

Niko's head bobs in a brief nod. "Yup. That's why I so kindly offered to let you do it." He chuckles.

Kyara snickers softly. "So very kind of you indeed, to provide such entertainment."

Niko mock-bows, then tosses the final piece of paper onto the completed pile. "Whew. Okay. Done as much as I'm doing today."

Kyara looks over with a smile. "Say hi to Ela for me."

Niko gets to his feet with a stretch and a small wince. "Will do, sure," he agrees. "I'd invite you up again, but I'm going to be lousy company as soon as I hit a couch or a bed or something." Ambling doorwards, he adds, "Have a nice night."

Kyara shakes her head. "I would not impose again so soon, though I thank you for the thought. You too, Nick."

Niko calls over his shoulder, though his words are muffled by a yawn, "S'not an imposition. It was fun."

[Travelspam deleted.]

You unlock the door and go into room E16.

Room E16

Contents:

Elasia

Obvious exits:

Out

You come in from the Elevator Lounge.

Elasia is sprawled on the couch with a kitten and a really scarily official looking datapad. She glances up from it as you enter, offering a smiled welcome.

Niko yawns as he comes into the room. "I late, I know, hon. Sorry. But I didn't overwork. No snapping." Sprawling on the floor next to the couch, he adds, "That datapad is scarily official-looking."

"It's okay hon, I can't pick on you without being the proverbial pot. I'm afraid I didn't have a chance to cook." Elasia nods, one hand seeking your curls. "It is scary, and official, my first real report to give in the morning. Scary trade embargo garbage, but full of pitfalls. And I have to deal with some of the sneakier folks on the first floor to get it past. If I do, I'm set, if I don't... Well, it wouldn't get a favorable reaction from the boss."

Niko ducks the curl-tousling, but just long enough that he can lean and stretch and generally shift enough to kiss you. "You'll be fine," he says, moving his head back to curl-tousling level once more. "You'll be brilliant. D'you need me to leave you alone? I can, s'okay. I understand about work, too. Long's you get enough sleep that you're rested for the presentation."

Elasia returns the kiss, and isn't so much wanting to tousle, as run her fingers through said curls. "I'm all right love, but you sound beat. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Niko admits, "I'm a little tired, yeah. But I can stay awake for a little, if you want to take a break or something. Didn't get much of a chance to see you, and then Kya was up last night and all."

Elasia tabs the datapad off, dropping her hands to your shoulders to rub them gently. "I'll be here in the morning too, and the next day, you can sleep, it's okay, promise."

Niko muffles a yawn. "Mmm. If you're going to do -that-, I'd rather stay awake. That's good, that's very good. Or I could return the favor?"

Elasia continues rubbing, moving down overtight muscles. "That's okay love, I know you're tired, but if I could have a raincheck, I'd appreciate it. After all this is over I'll be in need of a backrub I think. There's a lot on the line."

Niko casts a smile over his shoulder. "I'll definitely give you a backrub, then, sure." After a pause, he muffles a snicker. "Or we could take Kya's suggestion, though it should likely wait til we're both well-rested--butterscotch massage."

Elasia laughs at that, although her inherant nervousness causes it to fall a bit flat. The amusement in her tone is genuine however as she replies, "I do not think we'd get very -far- at that either, well rested or not."

Niko nods to that, a broad grin briefly crossing his face. He clambers to his feet, with a muffled oof, then joins you on the couch. "Can't say as that'd be a bad thing, though, love."

Elasia shifts the datapad to the other side and then scootches up close to you, "Well -no-," she agrees with a short snicker. "But laundry hates us enough -already-..."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko wraps his arms gently around you, kissing your temple. "Got a nasty note at work today, even. Basically said, 'You didn't do anything, but we're sending you this just on general principle, because we know you'll do something soon'. It's almost a challenge."

Elasia's eyes close a moment at the kiss, relaxing just a hint. They open again to give you an amused look. "Well hey, if there's a -challenge-..."

Niko's brows twitch, a decidedly pleased look crossing his face. "Hey, it's making life interesting for the folks down there. It's a public service. I wouldn't want them to be -bored-, after all."

Elasia laughs freely at that, "Oh no, that would be a fate worse than death after all. We shall have to see what can be done to enliven their lives at some point then, when we are better rested."

Niko inquires, with a hint of tired concern, "Are you going to be able to get to sleep soon, love? Not to make creative stuff for laundry, of course, though that's definitely temping. You just need your rest and all."

Elasia glances at the datapad, looking rather torn, "I probably ought to go through the figures again, but I am awfully tired..."

[Simple ate a pose. Niko said something like, 'Get up early tomorrow to do it and sleep now.'}

Elasia glances at her comm unit, tapping at it a few times, setting an alarm. "That sounds like a good idea. Sleep's helpful stuff."

Niko gets to his feet, then. "Sleep is wonderful, yup. Gotta love sleeping, especially if it involves being in the bed with you. That's very much a good thing. Beats the hell out of card games." He pads over to change out of the itchy scratchy uniform, doing so with marked relief. "Evil," he adds.

Okay. This is how tired Ela is. She just now -notices- the uniform. A tired whistle of appreciation is offered as she moves to change into sleeing clothes. "You clean up nice."

Niko grins as he sprawls on the bed. "And nobody even tried to tear it off me. Got mistaken for a movie person, though. Thanks, hon."

Elasia sprawls into the bed with you, nervousness and sleepiness combining into an odd mix. She curls close to you. "Movie person? Oh dear.. Fate worse than death, although you are cute enough for it."

Niko slips his arms around you and holds you close, trying somehow to make the nervousness go away. "Speaking of cute," he mumbles, "Kya told me today that she used to have a thing for me. Didn't use that phrase, of course. Isn't that the weirdest thing?"

"I can see it," Elasia murmurs, reaching up a hand to brush fingertips at your jaw. "You're easy to fall in love with."

Niko grins at that, turning his head so that he can kiss the jaw-brushing fingertips. "I think you might be a little biased, hon, but thanks."

"Hey, if your fiancee can't be biased, who can be?" Elasia's tone is warm, but tinged with the haltingness of pending sleep. "I get to be even more biased when I'm your wife."

Niko leans closer to kiss you. "I'll bug Riley about that when he gets back. Sleep well, hon. Love you."

"Night love," And at that Elasia drifts to sleep, or as close enough as makes no odds.

Niko, with a muffled yawn, watches you for a moment before he drifts off to sleep as well.

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