|
|
Niko takes up some completed paperwork, moving to dispose of them in the appropriate manner. No, it doesn't involve matches. That done, he moves to rap on Riley's door. He thinks happy paisley thoughts at the light.
The light by the door turns green, just green. Look, it's not easy being green!
You walk towards the Chief Addison's Office.
Chief Addison's Office
Contents:
Riley
Obvious exits:
Central
You walk here from the Security Central.
Riley is seated behind his desk, large manuals unfolded all over the desk. He's
leaned back in his chair with one such massive tome in his lap, reading
through it. He waves amiably as you enter, carefully marking his place. "Hey
Nick."
Niko strides over to lean against the back of one of the chairs, arms draping loosely over the front. Yeah, he's casual. "Hey, busy day today?"
Riley gestures at the various manuals, "Pretty much, I'm getting ready to do
the annual begging for more money, so I'm working through the various stuff.
It's better than paperwork at least, you?"
Niko tips a hand back and forth. "Same old thing, pretty much." He eyes the
manuals for a moment, then inquires, "Any of that stuff crucial, need to be
done right now, can't get put off a day?"
Riley tilts the book up and onto the desk, "Nah, not really. I'm just getting a
jump on it, this way I get out of doing real work for a few hours. Terrible,
but it's kind of pleasant. Any reason?"
Niko deadpans, "Nah, I was just asking for the fun of it." With a crooked grin,
he adds, "Yeah, there's a reason. Clara asked me to knock off at a decent
time today, and I figured I'd see if I could get you to do the same. You
know, I'll do it if you do, that kind of thing."
Riley stifles a quiet laugh, looking perhaps a bit sheepish for some reason. "What defines a decent hour? If you can do it, I can do it."
Niko ponders that for a moment. "Well, Clara didn't exactly specify that, but I
don't think we should hold that against her." He looks at you now, inquiring,
"When did you get in? It's relative, I'd think."
Riley glances over at a clock, "At eight. She'd mentioned no more than twelve
hours a day last night, and only six days a week. I about panicked, I
mean...six days a week? Somebody'd have me hanged."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Niko gives up and sits in the chair, half a sprawl. "Yeah, but Clara's going to
hang -both- of us, at this rate." With a shake of his head, he adds, "She
talked to me about it this morning. She... uh, well, she's not pleased." Hi,
hello, yes, Niko went to understatement school.
"That would be something of an understatement," Riley returns, mildly amused. "Still, my vote is if -she'll- do it, then we will, eh?"
Niko blinks at that, then grins. "Hey, now -that's- an idea. There are two of
us, after all. I think that'd work. But -you- get to be the one to tell her,
how's that?"
Riley grins at that, looking rather wryly amused. "Fair enough, as long as you'll hold to it. If she'll behave we all have to."
Niko nods agreeably. "Sure. All for one, one for all, that sort of thing." ("Dumbass." "It's pronounced Doo-MAH.") "Or maybe it's a three for one special, I don't know. But... well, did she mention General Conley to you?"
"Something along those lines, yeah," Riley nods, "Rather vague threat to bring
him in if we didn't take to behaving. It was about three in the morning by
then, I honestly don't remember the specifics."
Niko shakes his head. "I swear," he says, expression faintly exasperated. "If
y'all were up til three, no wonder she's worried and about bit my head off."
With another headshake, he adds, "She got a little more specific with me.
After I get back from Hellas--" And, yes, he looks and sounds just a bit
guilty at the mention of this trip, "--we've got two weeks to get some sort
of schedule before she brings in the big guns." Big guns. Maybe she wants to
take a nap.
"Two weeks, huh... It can be done, but if she won't play along, no dice." Riley
shifts another book aside on the desk so he can thump his feet up on it.
"It's just that simple. Fair is fair. After all she's as bad or worse than we
are. She didn't even obey medical leave."
Niko shakes his head to that, with a mumble about doctors being the worst
patients. "Fair's fair," he echoes. He's a good parrot. "You'll let me know
what she says to that, huh? If I'm not there when you tell her and all." Yes,
he's chicken, and proud of it. Aren't his feathers suave? Just don't tell
Islien.
Riley half-grins at that, not blaming you for chickenhood. He's be chicken too
except he's too trusting that Clara won't kick him. Innocent, trusting,
stupid. "Yeah, I'll let you know."
Niko already got smacked by Clara today, though--okay, by a cushion that she
wielded, and he deserved it. "Thanks, 'preciate it. So I guess we just need
to hash out a decent hour."
"Yeah, well she said no more than twelve hours... Eight is more customary,
something in between?" Riley offers thoughtfully.
Niko nods amiably to that. "Ten?" He smiles at that, wryly amused. "I don't
know that Ela would even be -home-, for me. But, hey, it'd be a nice surprise
for when she did get home, even if I might have to get Clara up there to fix
her after the coronary that she'd have."
Riley stifles a quiet laugh, "Ten sounds good to me. Maybe if you put a warning
sign on the door?"
Niko inquires, chuckling as he gets to his feet, "I might do that, actually.
Suitable warning, that sort of thing." After a brief pause, he adds, "You
-will- leave after the ten hours, right? I mean, I don't have to comm Clara
to tell her that you said you would, or comm down here to make sure you left,
right?"
Riley does a brief bit of counting, "Ten hours would mean leaving at six,
right? I'll be out of here, no worries."
Niko nods at that. "Eight plus ten is six, yeah," he quips. "All right. Well, enjoy your evening and all, and don't work too hard." He ducks out the door (quack), apparently wanting to have the last word on that.