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Clara has decided that there's other scenery than her office, evidently, and is actually remembering to eat a fair sized breakfast. A stack of budget paperwork is on the table to one side, but for the moment, she's merely reading a novel while working her way through a waffle.
Niko ducks the obligatory missile from the Vendotron as he ambles--no skates,
for a miracle--into the dining facility. He pauses to snag a bowl of oatmeal
and some raisins and cinnamon to put in said oatmeal. Spotting a potential
innocent victim, he ambles over to join you, though he remains standing off
to one side. He doesn't try to read over your shoulder, or even do what his
player's sister did, and pretend to be reading aloud but instead make up some
steamy romance-novel text, but instead just says, "Morning, Clara. Taking a
break?"
See, this is a good thing, because Clara actually is reading a cheesy romance
novel, but at least it's a historical one. She glances up at the greeting, a
smile warming her face as she nods. "Ssshh, don't tell anyone." She gestures
at one of the nearby chairs with her fork before closing the book. "Join me?
How's life this morning?"
Niko folds lightly into the chair. "Not bad, not bad," he replies, scattering raisins and cinnamon into the oatmeal and stirring. "Slow day, relatively, so I figured I'd come eat. Food's good." He grins cheerfully, then adds, "They've got the neatest new toy in the rec hall--have you seen it? The new climbing thing?" From his enthusiasm, he's been playing on said new toy.
"Climbing thing?" Clara blinks at this, snagging a bit of sausage before
continuing. "I don't think so? I've been mostly running or just grabbing
pushups or situps in my office lately. The budget's been awful this year. And
I'm still missing my skeleton," she adds with a sigh, then grins. "Sounds
like you've seen it, though. What is it?"
Niko blinks once or twice. "Missing your skeleton?" he echoes. He leans over to poke lightly at your arm. Assuming he doesn't get smacked, it's also an assumption that the arm doesn't squish. "Uh, Clara, I hate to break this to you--er, bad choice of words, seeing as how we're talking bones--but your skeleton's in there. I'd hate to know how you knew it was missing." He pauses to down some food, offering a wryly sympathetic smile for the budget as he does so. "I've seen it, yeah," he adds, once his mouth is clear. "It's one of those standard walls, y'know, the kind that get tougher as you go higher? Only this has kind of a plus. There are climbing gloves, and they're magnetized--electromagnets, I think. So it'll be possible to climb all the way up and hang upside-down from the ceiling." And it'll really suck when the electricity cuts out, if that storm TP ever happens, won't it?
Clara has to swallow a sip of coffee she was drinking rather rapidly, choking with laughter as she sets the mug down and leans over to poke right back. "McCoy, silly, the skeleton in my office. I've gotten a few ransom notes for him even. I've given them over to Security, but no news yet." She perks up at the description of wall, looking more and more interested. "That sounds like -fun-. I may have to go experiment with that...maybe after breakfast," she muses, giving the budget paperwork a look that says any excuse would be nice.
Niko's expression is just a little too innocent. He needs to spend more time with Corian; she'd be utterly believable. "We've gotten the reports? Huh, maybe I just missed them or something." He grins, then. "Sorry, Clara. The line was just too easy to pass up. And it -is- fun. Though I about gave poor Kayce a coronary when he came in early this morning and saw me upside-down on the ceiling." He looks contrite at this, of course, but still entertained. There's a pause, perhaps from the radio, then he says, "I could show you? Get you started, at least, depends on how a few things go."
Clara rolls her eyes at the questioning of the reports, smirking as she works steadily at finishing her breakfast. Seems she has a reason to actually remember to eat decently. "You're terribly evil, Niko Casymed, and if you weren't one of my best friends, I'd throw scrambled egg at you," she notes amiably, then brightens. "Oh, would you? That would be wonderful!"
"I'm -evil-?" Oh, dear. Niko looks altogether upset by this. He's evil? Sniff. But he -tries- to be nice. He scrapes disconsolately at a glob of oatmeal--of course he's eating, he's always hungry--before looking up with a grin. "Sure I will. Just don't throw the eggs, huh? They'd land in my hair or something, with my luck." And, as he's still in need of a trim, though not so much that Anya's likely to attack him with clippers, that would be festive indeed.
Clara can't help but snicker at the reaction, reaching over to attempt to ruffle said hair in need of a trim affably. "Awww, not to worry. Riley's evil too, even if he won't admit it." She takes a moment to finish off the last of her waffles, then leans back in her seat and claims her coffee cup with a pleased sigh. "Much better. Eggs in your hair would be a tragedy, yes. Far worse than butterscotch. Which reminds me, how's the kitten?"
Niko grins at the mention of the kitten. "Well, she's full-grown, now, so not
quite a kitten, but she's fine. And of -course- Riley's evil. Older brothers
are required to be evil. It's written down somewhere, I know." Of course,
since he's got four younger sisters, that'd make him evil, too. He just
conveniently ignores that part. "Eggs'd definitely be worse than
butterscotch, yeah," he tacks on in a murmur, a quick grin crossing his face.
Ela probably doesn't like eggs, see--or, at the very least, not as much as
she likes butterscotch.
Clara is thankfully remembering that she's a lady this morning, and doesn't
echo your thoughts aloud, although she's certainly thinking the same thing.
Ela has good taste, though. "I'll have to come pester just to see her, then.
And maybe get another cooking lesson. If I can learn to make something
chocolate, I might just complete Riley's conversion to the dark side," she
explains, taking a long drink from her mug with another sigh of relief. Food
and caffeine, key and vital.
Niko polishes off the last of his cereal, brows quirking. "Cooking lesson from
the cat?" he inquires. ("Fish!" The catch of the day is grouper... ) "Oh...
Ela. Yeah. Get her to teach you how to make brownies," he enthuses. "Her
brownies are the best. Ask anybody in Security. Really amazingly good stuff,
there."
"Niko, -anything- Ela makes, you'd probably say that about," Clara teases with
a wink, gesturing with her mug before draining the last of the coffee from
it. "Although I'd probably have to agree, she is an amazing cook. That recipe
for lemon chicken I got from her really works well." And she doesn't set
anything on fire following it.
Niko ponders that for a moment, then agrees amiably, "That's because anything
Ela makes is amazingly good. I'm just lucky I still fit in my uniforms." Oh,
yes, he's got -such- a serious weight problem. Obviously. "The lemon
chicken's great, yeah--and it's really good for leftovers, too. Handy when
there's not time to cook or something."
"Riiight," Clara agrees facetiously, smirking and shaking her head. "Fool someone other than your doctor, my dear. I happen to know your weight stays stable unless you're busy getting yourself shot." She settles her silverware onto her plate absently, grinning. "It does, at that. Or if you have to freeze it right after cooking and have it later, that works really well too. Still, I have to admit we end up snagging pre-made food a lot."
Niko peers into his bowl just to make sure there's no more cereal, then looks up with a grin. "Yeesh, Clara, you make it sound like I get shot on a regular basis. It's been ages. And, hey, pre-made food isn't so bad, especially at budget time. Though I could probably get Ela to cook for us if I asked her really nicely and you and Riley could find time in your busy schedules." Though, out of kindness to Leila, that's probably not going to happen.
Clara considers this, then shrugs affably and nods. "That might work. Or just
the three of us, you, me and Riley if Ela can't get away. We'll con Riley
into making more chili. For that matter, I need to con him into that. He
makes fantastic chili." She glances at the bowl as well, amusement lighting
her eyes. "More isn't going to magically reappear just by you staring at it,"
she notes with a wink.
"Ooh, that chili, yeah." Niko looks altogether pleased by that prospect, though, of course, it's discussion of food. "Really good stuff." At the cereal-related comment, he sighs, grumbling good-naturedly, "Picked-on, that's me. People making fun of me -all- the time, just because I wanted to make sure I hadn't left something in there." Awwwww.
Clara does melt somewhat at the grumbling. Must...resist...adorable...secoff.
Okay, so she can't resist, and has to lean forward in the attempt at further
curl ruffling, smiling warmly. "You're just so much fun to tease, though.
Just brightens my day entirely." She glances at her paperwork with a faint
grimace, then asks hopefully, "Although, if you're done, did you want to show
me that climbing wall?"
Oh, sure, like sending his hair into disarray is going to make Niko -less-
cute. "Fun to tease. I should learn to be -less- fun to tease, then maybe
people'll quit teasing me!" He doesn't seem at all bothered, though, and
looks altogether cheerful at the query. "Sure, yeah, I can do that. I'll have
to get back upstairs at some point, but I'm playing message-tag with the
Wihverian Master of Fire, so I want to make sure he's not there." His nose
wrinkles just a bit. "I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but he just makes me
edgy, hitting on me like that."
Clara may not be in the market to do more than look anymore, but looking she
does enjoy, and ruffled hair -is- cute. She grins and wrinkles her nose in
purely innocent sweetness, and climbs to her feet to go dispose of her tray.
"You're fun to tease," she repeats, then glances over her shoulder with a
raised brow. "He's been hitting on you? Brave man...he does know you're
married, right?"
"He knows," Niko says with a sigh as he gets to his feet, disposing of his own
dishes. "He's been doing it literally since my first day of work, here. The
thing that gets -me- is all the tentacles, though. I mean, even if I -did-
like men--which I don't--those tentacles just don't appeal. He knows I'm
married, too," he adds, with a rueful little grin. "Don't think he cares.
Kath says he's just doing this to get to me, but, then, she thinks it's
funny."
Clara is rather unable to hide a faint grin, waggling her brows. "That's
because you're so darned cute, it's all your fault. Seriously, he probably
does it just to see your reaction," she ventures, scooping up her paperwork.
"It's not like there probably aren't female diplomats that do the same," she
adds with a laugh. "Give me a minute to change out of my uniform, and I'll
meet you in the rec hall?"
Niko nods, though he does pause to snag an apple. More food is good food.
"Sure, see you there. And I'm -not- cute," he protests, with a laugh. "Cute
is for little kids and furry animals, and I don't need a haircut -that-
badly."
Clara pauses at the door to peer back with brows lifted in vast amusement. "You're terribly cute," she counters with a grin. "Deal with it, go on, live with it. I'll bet Ela thinks you're cute," she adds. "So -there-. See you in a few," she offers, then vanishes out the door and up the stairs. Really.
Clara heads towards the Central Atrium.
Clara has left.
Niko hmphs as he follows at a more sedate pace. "I'm -not- cute," he informs
the Vendotron as he exits.
You head towards the Central Atrium.
Central Atrium
Contents:
Clara
Obvious exits:
Stairs Elevator Diplomatic Hall Arch Out Rec Hall Dining Meeting Hall
Spaceport
You arrive from the Dining Facility.
You walk towards the Recreational Facility.
Recreational Facility
You walk here from the Central Atrium.
You will no longer hear dining.
You are by the climbing wall.
Clara walks here from the Central Atrium.
Clara has arrived.
Fairly tall for a woman at 5'9", Clara is nonetheless sharply slender, the type
of shape defined as willowy by the kind, or whiplike by the easily
intimidated. Unique coloration adds to the conspicuous form, with almost
untamabley tight curls standing out at angles to her head in a reddish bronze
halo. The face they frame is at odds, pleasantly heart shaped and the color
of java with a fair amount of cream with deep set hazel green eyes under well
manicured brows. A light dusting of freckles crosses a thin nose, above wide
lips flexible in expression. She seems to have about 29 years, although one
can never be too sure.
A pair of formfitting running shorts of some sort of black matte material
clings to her legs all the way down to just above her knees. Over this is a
rather blatantly oversized t-shirt in white. A fairly wicked looking fighter
spacecraft zooms across the back, while the logo on the upper left side of
the chest is a wiley looking furry critter framed by the words 'Foxtrot
Ferrets' above and 'AF Academy' below.
Niko is, yes, by the climbing wall. He's gotten rid of the boots and the
uniform jacket--thus revealing the tie-dye-esque t-shirt beneath--but is
otherwise still be-uniformed. He's pulling on a pair of gloves as you enter,
and turns to offer a second pair, pausing only a moment at the clothing.
"These should fit," he says smoothly. "The magnet-bits are in them. Sometimes
it takes a little to learn right where the places are, but they're evenly
spread enough that it shouldn't be a problem. And you trigger them on and off
with the bit in the thumb."
Clara takes a moment to dump her bag and tuck in her shirt before accepting the
gloves and tugging them on. She peering up towards the wall, she nods,
evidently impressed. "Right, the bit on the thumb. But most of the way up,
it's like normal rock wall climbing?" she queries, scanning the surface
curiously.
Niko nods an affirmative. "Yeah, but it's better to make sure you know how the
things work -before- you get upside-down, eh? Falling from that high up just
wouldn't be fun. There are harnesses, too, of course." But he's too cool to
use them. He is... hot shit. Wait, how can one be cool and hot at the same
time?
Clara has to grin at that while peering down to test the gloves carefully,
nodding. "Right, harness." Not that she's moving to go get one for herself,
either. "Falling would be entirely not fun, but I'm not going to fall. You're
not going to fall either, right?" she suggests, one brow quirking almost in
challenge but entirely friendly challenge.
Niko lifts his eyes skywards. "Clara, I've been on this thing every day for the
past week. Didn't fall once. I think I'll survive." And, in fact, he starts
up the wall with all apparent ease.
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Clara laughs affably, already testing a section of the wall for grip before
starting up as well. Just not as quickly, as she hasn't done this in likely
years. Still, she does seem to at least know what she's doing. "Awww, you're
no fun at all. If I can't harrass you, who would? You'd be all deprived and
underharassed."
"Ela would," is the prompt reply. The rest of his words hold occasional pauses,
for climbing "And Kath would. And Riley probably feels it's his sworn duty to
harass me every now and again, to make up for all that time he didn't get to
harass me as a kid. So I'm not underharassed or deprived at -all-." He stops,
then, and, for all appearances, hangs from the wall by one hand, fingers not
gripping. "See? The magnet bits work really well. It's just bad when y'forget
to turn them -off-."
Aliana walks here from the Central Atrium.
Aliana has arrived.
Clara pauses from somewhere a few meters below to peer up and gasp reflexively,
then sag into the wall with a relieved laugh. "You're -trying- to give me
more gray hair, aren't you?" she accuses cheerfully, then resumes climbing
slowly but steadily. "And if all those people get the privilege of torturing
you, I certainly want in on the action!" Goodness, what a comment to walk in
on.
Aliana pauses by the doorway as she glances around, pack slung over her
shoulder....and in the true cocktail party effect the most interesting
comment immediately attracts her interest. Ali blinks once before she starts
to pad over, "Is this a private torture..or may anyone join?" She asks as she
gets closer.
Niko hauls himself back to a fully-supported position with an oof. "Sorry,
Clara," he calls, without any contrition at all. He doesn't comment to the
torture-comment, or Clara getting action, but does peer down to grin at
Aliana. "Noooo, no more torturing me. You can torture Clara, though. Just
don't tell Riley I said you could."
Clara and Niko are both making their way up the face of a climbing wall, and
the former peers down at hearing the voice and grins. "Everyone should
torment Niko," she agrees with a wink, then returns to her slow climbing,
pausing to stretch for a handhold. "No torturing the doctor! We have sharp
pointy things to defend ourselves with!"
Aliana grins as she stands back to watch their progress...."Lets see now...I
can't torture Niko...and Clara would torture back.' She notes a bit
unneccessarily with a wrinkled nose, 'Sharp pointy things /hurt/...So who
/can/ I torture?'
Niko pauses for a moment as he reaches for the next handhold. "Uhhh. Torture
the Vendotron. It deserves torture. Just make sure you can duck." Quack? He
scrambles, and manages, finally, to get upside-down. There are places to tuck
feet, so he's not just dangling by his hands. That'd be uncomfortable. "And
this," he calls Clarawards, "Is where I was when Kayce came in the other day.
Poor guy was all set to catch me."
Aliana tilts her head as she watches..then tilts it all the way over so that
Niko is right side up, "Is it budget time already?"
"The Vendotron is indeed in need of torture," Clara agrees absently, working
her way ceilingwards as well, but pausing just short of it to peer back at
Niko and catch her breath at the same time. "I'd panic too, and I'd probably
even try to catch you, although -that- would be an amusing sight. Splat." She
peers down at Ali and nods with a sigh. "Mmm. More than a little. Hopefully
it'll all be done soon."
Niko agrees, with a grin, "Splat. But the gloves keep you from falling, see?" Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can... Niko carefully starts reversing his progress, apparently the better to leave the wall. "Budgets are evil," he adds. "Kath said the other day that we should just get Ela to make a lot of brownies and set up a booth in the atrium."
Clara doesn't seem inclined to move up onto the ceiling, but starts down as
well, slowly. No use rapelling down when one isn't harnessed in and hasn't a
rope to swing down on. "An old fashioned bake sale? I'll bet I could get
Niles to send extra fudge for it. He sends Riley a tin of it about once a
month."
Aliana tries to picture Clara catching Niko..then winces, "That would not be
amusing...just painful. I don't think Riley would appreciate you getting
broken, Clara." A pause at the bake sale, 'I could send some cookies...and
were Rhys back, he could make lasgna.'
Niko watches Clara for a moment once he's gotten to the bit of the wall
perpendicular to the floor. "If you push the thumb thing kind of halfway, you
can... well, let me show you." He... slides down the wall? That's what it
looks like, though it seems controlled, as he stops a few meters from the
floor. "And fudge and cookies and lasagna... forget selling it, I'd take it
off your hands for you."
"Depends on if he's tried to shave today or not," Clara mutters to herself, smirking. "I think a bake sale would just be fun," she decides, then yelps as Niko goes shooting by. "I'm going to break you myself if you keep scaring me like that," she threatens him, obviously joking because she's laughing. "That looked -neat-," she adds, and after a moment of fiddling, replicates the move.
Aliana tilts her head as she watches carefully...obviously thinking to try this
when she can. A slight nod before she asks, 'Do you like to climb walls
outside? Like mountain walls?'
Niko grins innocently to Clara before he drops to the ground, ending with a
niftily-executed commando roll. Kaycen's lessons must have worked. "What
about Riley shaving? He want a beard or something? And climbing mountains is
fun, but jumping off them is better. I'm going to have to see about that, if
Ela won't have ducks."
"I've only done mountain climbing in training in school," Clara admits, finally
dropping to the ground and tugging off a glove before wiping her forehead
with the back of one hand. "But back home there's cliffs, and I did a lot on
those as a kid." She peers at the commando roll, then whistles and applauds,
grinning. "Very nice! Jumping off perfectly good mountains is bad." At the
mention of shaving, she merely smiles with extremely sweet innocence,
fluttering her lashes.
Aliana claps at the roll, "That was just like I saw in the vids...very nicely done.' She nods to Clara, 'Lots of nice mountains to climb in the monoliths"
Niko bows in response to the applause, looking altogether pleased, then starts
to set his uniform to rights. "Thank you, thank you. And jumping off
mountains is -fun-, Clara. Don't knock it til you've tried it, eh? I've got
to get back upstairs, though--the Master of Fire is gone, so it'll be a while
before he comes back. Enjoy the afternoon, eh?"
Aliana nods her head, 'Take care, Niko...and give Ela my best?'
Clara waves affably while crouching down by her bag for a towel, snickering.
"Have you ever seen me in a skimmer? And you expect me to jump of a mountain?
Hah," she comments. "Have fun, Niko. Don't be too traumatized if he calls and
asks you out for coffee though," she teases with a wink. "I'll call Ela later
to see if she'll teach me about brownies. And don't forget about my
skeleton!" she adds in parting.
Niko lifts a hand as he starts for the door. "Greetings to Ela, no coffee,
looking for the skeleton, check." With a grin and a shake of his head, he
leaves, looking kind of entertained.
You walk towards the Central Atrium.