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Your communit crackles to life and announces "Hey Nick, Clara, it's an obscene hour of an obscene day. Anybody want chili?" in Riley's voice.
You say "Huh? Chili?" Boy, she's sounding swift right about now. "What are you talking about?" into the communit.
Your communit crackles to life and says "Is the Chili obscene too, Chief? Uh, sure, sounds good. I'm off shift in... three minutes." in Niko's voice.
Your communit crackles to life and blares "Food Clara, at my place. I plunked chili in the slowcooker while on the phone with my mother this morning. I have more than enough if y'all want to share. Nope, not obscene Nick. Well, actually it probably is." in Riley's voice.
You say "Ooooh...food. Riley, if you're offering food right now, I'll write next years budget requests without bribes." into the communit.
Your communit crackles to life and blares "But doesn't the food count as bribery?" He snickers. "I think that's a yes from both of us, Chief." in Niko's voice.
Your communit crackles to life and announces "Sounds like a plan," He chuckles, "And wait til -after- you've survived my cooking to suggest it counts as bribery." in Riley's voice.
SECURITY> Riley walks here from the Chief Addison's Office.
Clara smirks vaguely at her comm and leans up against a wall to rub at her eyes.
SECURITY> Niko looks over with a grin, tucking away the last of his paperwork. "Hey, she sounds like any food will do. As long as it's -food-..."
SECURITY> Riley is faster than the speed of sound? He shuffles a pile of paperwork under one arm and muffles a yawn. "Well, it's most assuredly food. -I- think its good, but then there's no telling if y'all'll agree."
SECURITY> Niko gets to his feet, shoulders lifting in a brief shrug. "Well, I guess we'll see," he says, with a grin. "Are you all set?"
SECURITY> Riley nods amiably, snagging the last of the messages and heading for the door, "Ayup. Getting out of here a couple hours is good."
Riley arrives from the Security Central.
Niko arrives from the Security Central.
Clara is leaning against a wall near the elevator and stifling a yawn. She glances up and offers a somewhat vacant grin. "Heya, fellas. Chief, you can't be a worse cook than ours was back on Cannerton."
Niko's brows lift a bit at Clara's manner. "You look tired," he murmurs.
Riley offers an amiable wave, restricted as it is by the fact both hands are encumbered by paperwork. "I don't know, I figure y'all are really trusting to let me feed you when it's known my primary food source is a vending machine." He all but winks, moving to thumb the elevator button, "I promise I won't poison ya' though."
Riley pushes the button.
From the elevator, With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
Riley walks into the elevator.
You walk into the elevator.
From outside the elevator, Niko walks into the elevator.
Riley pushes the button marked 3.
The doors slide shut, soundlessly.
The elevator glides almost imperceptibly upward and goes "ping" as it reaches floor #3.
With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
Riley has left.
Niko has left.
You leave the elevator.
From the elevator, The doors slide shut, soundlessly.
Clara chuckles vaguely, waving a hand dismissively at Niko. "It's just been a long day, is all." She makes a face at Riley, rolling her eyes. "That's what the cook said at the 8023rd. And he never did, amazingly."
Niko nods to Clara, expression lightening a bit. "Not poisoning us would be good," he quips. "If for no other reason than you'd have to -replace- us, and Anya would be annoyed."
Riley juggles various piles of paperwork to rummage for his keys. "I -used- to cook more often. But time's been short for a few years." He snickers, moving to open the door. "Anya would shoot me point blank."
Riley unlocks the door to room I16 and goes inside.
Room I16
While the battered nature of the furnishings shows this room has been occupied for some time, little else distinguishes it from being an un-assigned room. Sunlight is piped in down a reflective tube from the upper levels, and the small patch of resulting light illuminates an un-used desk. From the proximity of the cooking unit the desk presumably also serves as a dining area, but there's little evidence Riley cooks much. Cupboards provide storage space above and at the end of the desk, their doors are kept shut. A small closet is half-open, revealing a closet full of uniforms and the occasional t-shirt. The door to the bathing unit is closed as well. The sleeping unit is stored in one wall. Perhaps the only personalization to this room at all is a battered sofa across from the viewscreen with noveltapes scattered at one end, and a picture on one wall of a small girl standing on a huge beach with a stuffed penguin in her arms.
"Gee, I can't imagine what you've been busy with," Clara quips, grinning. "And besides, Honalee would come hunt you down too, for that matter. Better to just abuse us both non-fatally."
Riley drops the pile of paperwork on the desk, leaning to scoop up the pile of noveltapes. "Have a seat, I shall go poke the slowcooker and shove the bread in." He pulls open a cupboard to stow the tapes. A half dozen penguins peer out of the cupboards depths, "And Honalee'd do worse than killing me, ayup."
Niko sniffs a bit, nodding his approval of the chili aroma that his player assumes is present. He muffles a grin at the penguins, folding himself into a seat. "Oh, yeah, as long as we don't -die-," he murmurs.
Clara shakes her head with amusement, tugging off her lab coat and folding it up to rest on the back of the sofa in one corner, then peers up at the picture. "She's precious, Riley. One of your sisters?"
Riley rummages about on the other side of the room, unlidding the slow cooker. The smell that was present earlier intensifies as he stirs said chili. Oooh, yum. There's more clattering as he puts a length of bread on a cookie sheet and into the broiler, "My little sister Evvy when she was much smaller. Her own little girl's about that big now, I'd guess."
Niko eyes his abdomen as his stomach voices its approval of the intensified aroma. "Quit," he murmurs. He looks up to murmur a sheepish apology, then peers towards the picture in question, a quick grin flickering across his face.
Clara finally turns to lower to one arm of the couch opposite from where Niko's sitting, but glances back up at the picture. "That penguin's nearly as big as she is." She pauses as well at the intensified scent. "Oh, wow. Yeah, next year's letters are free, just for the smell."
Riley rummages for a bowl and a grater, tugging a cube of cheese from the tiny fridge. Absently he begins shredding said cheese. He glances across the room with a grin, "That's where the whole penguin joke began pretty much. It's also one of the few of those pictures that've survived. Anybody want anything to drink?"
Niko's head bobs in a brief nod. "Sure, Chief. Whatever you've got works." He considers the picture for a moment, clearly on the verge of asking just what the whole penguin joke is, then shakes his head.
Clara thinks the question over seriously for a moment, then stifles a yawn and nods in agreement with Niko. "That's fine with me, too." She leans back against the wall absently. "There's a joke about the penguins? Beyond the kidnapped ones?"
Riley rummages in the small fridge for several canned sodas. Snagging those and the bowl of cheese he heads over to the couch area. Hooking the toe of one boot into a depression in the wall he pulls out a retractable coffee table. Setting the cheese on it he proffers the sodas, "Yeah, when I left home and all for the Navy, Evvy was kinda' unpleased. I was packing for my first ship and she was complaining that I wouldn't get to go on vacation with everybody that year, or see any of the new places they'd be moving. So I rummaged in a pile of stuff that was headed for the attic and pulled out a stuffed penguin. I told her to take it and pretend it was me and that I was getting to go. And that she had best take lots of pictures so I could see all the places I got to go." He looks mildly embarrassed, "She was very young."
Niko takes his soda with a murmured thank you, popping the top. "No, that's great, Chief. Wish I'd thought of something like that for the girls." With a sip of the soda, he inquires, "She's a lot younger than you are, then?"
Clara accepts the can gratefully. Oh, look! It's -red-. This is a goodness. *duck* Cracking it open, she smiles back up at the picture for a moment. "It was a wonderful idea," she adds. "Looks like you got to go the beach," she comments, before taking long drink and listening.
Riley snags a potholder, carefully tugging the bread from the oven, "About eight years, yeah. I enlisted at sixteen, so she's probably around eight in that picture." He snags a wickedly bladed knife and sets about carving the bread into less unwieldy chunks, "I got to go a lot of places. My parents moved a fair bit right before Mom retired." Scooping the bread into a larger bowl he tugs several small bowls from a cabinet.
Niko watches Riley's culinary efforts with a hint of bemusement, though the use of that knife apparently restores some of his faith in the order of the universe. "Need any help, Chief?" he inquires, likely right after everything is done. One learns to time these things correctly, after all. "And eight years... that's about like Losi and me." His lips quirk fractionally. "No stuffed animals, though. Too bad."
"Sixteen?" Clara repeats, nonplussed, and glances over at Niko with a grin at the offer. "Brave man," she notes almost to herself, then seems to change thought track and head elsewhere. "Your father's not military, then?"
And Niko's timing is indeed perfect, as Riley has just managed to collect bowls, spoons, and napkins together. He shakes his head, "I got it Nick." Depositing the cutlery and all on the table as well he returns to pull the ceramic liner from the slow cooker and brings the pot to the table too. Snagging a large serving spoon he offers, "Dig in, folks, eh?" He shakes his head as he pulls the desk chair away to seat himself on it. "No, Dad teaches history. Mom wasn't home much."
Niko flashes a quick grin to Clara. "Had to help out back home. You learn." Like, as was mentioned, when to offer help. He doesn't move to take up the spoon, instead gesturing to Clara. Ladies first, all that. "Smells great," he murmurs, willing his stomach to remain silent.
Clara finally drops down onto the sofa itself from the arm, waiting absently for the men before noting Niko's gesture, then grins and reaches forward forward to snag one of the bowls, nodding affably. "That's military life," she agrees airily, dishing up a bowl.
Riley belatedly realizes there was another question in there as well, "Kashid starts young. But then they kind of have to. They have a policy of not handing out commissions without having run the full scale of enlisted rates." He grins, "I hope it's edible. There's always that trick of people being from so many different cultures and all having varying opinions."
Niko, dishing up his own bowl o' chili, assures Riley, "If it tastes the way it smells, Chief, it'll be grand." He pauses a beat, then inquires, with mock-suspicion, "You didn't put tziziki in it, did you?" His brows lift a bit at Kashid's policy, but he doesn't comment on it.
Clara waves a spoon congenially. "I'm Jamaican. I can eat anything, if it's not poisonous," she replies, stirring the chili slowly. "The whole enlisted ranks...saints above," she murmurs, awed. "I can't imagine being enlisted." She stops stirring at Niko's question, pausing with uncertainty.
Out of the corner of your eye, you see something moving. You get the impression that it's very, very cute.
Riley acquires a bowl of chili as well, snickering quietly. "No Nick, I don't think anybody's grandmother's going to be offended by my chili." To prove it's not deadly he actually eats some of his, obviously far less fearful of his own cooking than y'all are. "Being enlisted's very enlightening I guess, the whole idea's so you know who it is you're commanding later. I was very stunned when I went to AF OCS with folks who'd never served before."
Niko puts a bit of cheese on his chili, flashing a grin towards Riley before digging into his chili. "You'd be surprised what offends my--mm, no, this wouldn't. I think she'd approve of this." His head bobs in a nod at the latter statement. "Must've been interesting," he comments.
Clara mulls this over while sampling her own bowl, then stops mulling long enough to let out a long and appreciative sigh. "Very, very good," she agrees wholeheartedly. "Forget cultural differences, this is wonderful." After a few more bites, the tilts her head. "It's not a bad idea," she says after a moment. "I can see the rational, at least, even for a noncombatant."
Riley's brows lift a bit and his tone is hopeful, "It's edible then?" He scoops more chili into his own spoon, "It seems to work for them. You never have to take orders from somebody who wasn't in your shoes once." He grins, "Although I wouldn't know which is scarier. Being enlisted, or that hell first year at the Academy."
Niko nods an emphatic affirmative to the question, though his enthusiastic eating would likely say the same thing. Fortunately for his already-strained relationship with the folks in Laundry, he manages to keep the chili where it should be, as opposed to letting it fall to his uniform. "More than edible, Chief. Tastes good." He nods as well to Riley's latter statement--that nod of someone who knows of horrors only by reputation.
Clara smiles faintly at her bowl, and merely takes another bite, shrugging vaguely. "First year at the Academy is...interesting," she says mildly, unconsciously stealing Niko's word. "Very...physical." She clears her throat and decides the chili is safer than repeating Academy stories. "You always this good a cook, Chief?"
Niko notes the use of his word, quite obviously. He considers a moment, then nods an apparent agreement of Clara's choice, the briefest of grins crossing his face.
Riley shakes his head lightly as he leans to snag a piece of bread. "Normally my cooking's limited to what comes out of the vending machine. Once in a while I get the urge to do chili or stew or something along those lines. It's been a while. Last time I tried something came up and the spaghetti sauce sat in the cooker for um... Several days. Long enough to become carbon."
"Chocolate and soda. I noticed," Clara agrees, then winces. "Carbon. Okay, now we're ranging into the realm of my cooking," she explains with a grin and a glance over at Niko. "Hence why I haven't offered to try. I frighten children and small animals just by going grocery shopping."
Niko grimaces fractionally at the mention of carbonized sauce, then moreso at the piercing voice. "Hey, -I- can't cook," he protests, grin returning. "I wasn't allowed to -cook-, just chopping, that sort of thing. And frightening kids and small animals is -useful-. I'll have to remember that." His grin turns roguish, and he turns his attention back to his chili, helping himself to a piece of bread as well. The bread, of course, is used for dipping purposes.
Riley continues to poke at the chili with his spoon, "Great, the only one that cooks is the one that thinks chocolate bars are a food group. You do realize if we ever got trapped in the wilds, say away from microwaves, we'd be doomed, eh?"
Clara leans forward to snag a slice of bread, making a rude noise. "I -passed- survival training, thank you very much, mister. It's just a matter of being able to forget about just what you're eating and how it tastes."
Niko casts a brief, speculative look at Clara, then says mildly, "You just have to be hungry enough, I guess."
Riley reaches for his soda, chuckling quietly. "Let's all just be happy that there's vending machines and fast food and all."
Clara nods over a Niko, offering a somewhat sheepish smile. "Really hungry," she affirms, then nods more fervently at Riley. "Very happy indeed. And that Kramer makes a mean ham sandwich. I swear that man needs to canonized."
Niko lifts his soda in salute to vending machines and fast food, downing a gulp with a flourish. "He seems like a good guy," Niko agrees. "Though I've never experienced the sandwiches."
Riley sets his bowl on the table, crossing his arms across his chest lightly. "It's good to have helpful people. Keeps things sane."
Clara covers a yawn with the back of her hand after finishing the last bit of bread, but keeps the bowl in her other hand, likely having forgotten it was still there. "Mm-hmm. Not sure what sane is anymore, but close enough."
Niko, finally polishing off the last of his chili and setting the bowl aside, nods his agreement at the mention of the goodness of helpful people, murmuring something about Anya. Clara gets a mildly concerned look, but he says only, lightly, "Sanity's overrated."
Riley's brows lift slightly at the mention of Anya and he grins rather absently. "Anya's always right. And we'd never get anything done without her. Heck, I'm not sure I managed before she showed up. I think it involved sleeping in my office even more than I do."
Clara ducks her head as she trades bowl for soda can again and idly traces a line around the rim with one finger. She's not going to chastise on sleeping in their office, nope. "Anya's a good person," she simply decides. "I keep meaning to have a chat with her, but things keep coming up."
Niko shakes his head slightly. "Well, that explains that couch." Casting a grin towards Clara, he adds, "Yeah, you've got to see her about looking after Addie."
Riley chuckles ruefully, "Anya imported my couch from some storeroom someplace. It was one of the first things she did, and how I knew she was a genius."
Clara returns the grin and wrinkles her nose at Niko. "During which everything's going to go just fine," she assures, then leans back into the sofa and raises her brows. "You were sleeping in your office without a sofa? Egads. Poor you."
Niko snorts quietly at Clara, murmuring something about confidence, before peering at Riley. "Please, Chief, -tell- me you didn't sleep in those awful chairs."
Riley gestures vaguely, "That was years ago." He grins ruefully at Niko. "I had to use both of them, but I did. I keep them around for diplomats."
Niko snaps his fingers. "Hah. I -knew- it." He stifles his grin, though, with a shake of his head. "That had to hurt, Chief. Those chairs really are terrible."
Clara listens to the banter, drinking quietly at her soda. She's never had the glorious joy of sitting in said chairs. "Not to mention the horrid things it likely did to your back."
Riley edges a notch further down in his current chair, "It wasn't exactly pleasant, but those were a pretty hectic couple years anyhow. That was when we first tried shutting down the Underground and then had to open it up and try and regulate the worst of the chaos."
Niko shakes his head fractionally. "That," he observes, "must've gone beyond interesting." He takes a final pull on his soda, then sets the can aside.
Clara shakes her head with bemusement. "Better the enemy you know...?" she ventures. "Probably the only area of Copper I didn't prowl through when I was younger." She stifles a grin over at Niko. "Far beyond."
Riley shudders slightly at the memory, "It was glorified chaos. My predecessor hadn't done much of a job worth the name, and the Council was in quite the uproar over my upstart decision making. But we managed to get it all headed in the right direction. And once you get everything going the right way, well social inertia tends to keep it on track."
Niko shakes his head slowly back and forth. "Somehow, I'm glad I wasn't here," he says, with a small smile. Of course, we won't discuss how old he was when all this was happening, but the thought is still there. His lips quirk fractionally at the mention of social inertia, headshaking reversing till it's a nod.
Clara opens her mouth to say something to Niko, then closes it and simply smiles at him. "I'm sure there's chaos aplenty in the future," she offers quietly, then tilts her head back to peer at the ceiling for a moment. "What's the right way for the Underground you wanted, though? I mean, it's illicit and shady. Does it -have- a right direction?"
Riley shifts his chair back so that it is balanced on the two back legs. His grin is wry, "We keep the worst of the violent types out. The Underground mostly polices itself. As for the rest, well, orders is orders, eh? The Council wants it, we're duty bound to try and protect them from it. The Underground and I have something of an understanding. I could destroy the place, shut it down for good. I'd get cashiered, but I could do it. So they don't press the issue too much."
Niko returns Clara's smile, perhaps a bit quizzically, but the expression fades as Riley speaks, to be replaced with thoughtfulness and the furrowed brow that hints at the issues he still has with the Underground's continuing existence. He doesn't comment, however--like the folks in the Underground, he's not pressing the issue, though he likely wouldn't appreciate the comparison.
Clara is also thoughtful, but perhaps for a different reason as she takes a long draught from her can. "That's a lot of responsibility," she decides seriously. "Still, there's just some things that can't happen in the gilded halls of the Council."
Riley continues edging the chair back until it leans against the wall. "It's not a bad symbol for the Alliance. Down there nobody cares who you are, what you are, where you're from, or what you did. There it only matters if you've got giros or any of various valuable commodities. Most of them aren't even criminals, they're just poor. I learned a lot when I first started heading down there without the uniform."
"Isn't that dangerous, though?" Clara pipes up, then shakes her head just as quickly, crossing her legs comfortably. "Never mind. I'll ask that of some other man who isn't as big as an Edreeni and carries a tangler." She looks from one man to the other and shakes her head again, this time with amusement. "Both of you."
Niko just shifts in his chair, perhaps looking a bit uncomfortable, then reaches for his soda once more. A few swallows of the beverage from the evil red can seem to restore him, though. "That's not something I've done," he says lightly, looking as if he agrees with Clara's assessment of the danger.
Riley chuckles softly, grinning. "It probably would be dangerous if the dangerous ones realized who I was. But that kind doesn't live Underground. So if they see me without the uniform they don't so much as look twice. It's only the harmless ones, the ones that live there, who've been around long enough to think to look past the uniform to figure out who security are."
"Harmless?" Clara repeats dubiously, then shrugs in disagreement. "I don't know how far I'd go with that, but then you've been here a whole heck of a lot longer, so I won't argue." She hesitates, then blushes slightly. "What's it like down there?"
Niko has apparently gone back to his former phase of not commenting, gaze flickering between the others. Setting aside the soda, a slight shake of his head is his only other movement.
"It's kind of a sad place." Riley pauses to consider his words, "There's a quote, "Where do the forgotten people go? The people who've seen Hope bleed to death at their feet? Where do they go to be forgotten?" I think the best answer I've ever seen to that question is Underground. Linnae is scrubbed, clean, the center of the Alliance's Glory. Unless you've money or a position or some such you're simply not welcome. So a lot of folks with no money, no hope, no way off this world end up downstairs. They're the prey for the predators the Council deals with."
Clara sets her can down as well, folding her arms as she leans back with an odd look, staring at the can for a long moment. "I don't think that's something I can imagine," she finally admits, faintly embarrassed. She glances over at Niko curiously. "Have you been there yet?"
Niko's head bobs in a short nod. "Second day I was here," he replies quietly. "Part of the Chief's tour." He hesitates fractionally, then adds, "In uniform."
Riley nods, trying to school his expression from vagueness. "The Underground's safe if you keep your head about you. And in uniform, well nobody's going to mess with Security most of the time. Their business depends on staying away from our attention."
Clara steeples her fingers thoughtfully. "What kind of medical care is available there?" she asks. "Is there a similar reaction to all AF uniforms?" She glances sidelong at Niko with a faintly concerned look, but doesn't comment.
"There's a couple of free care clinics," Riley answers, "Underfunded and undermanned of course. Any uniform, Peesh, any clothing that's not obviously Underground gear is likely to get suspicious looks. One item of note though, if you ever do get up the desire to go down there and get grungies to wear... Skip getting junk shoes. Running can be a life saving science downstairs."
An eerie chittering echoes behind you, "To loh kaaa!"
Niko doesn't catch the look from Clara, though he's clearly paying attention to the conversation. It says something that he doesn't glare in the general direction of the chittering, though his gaze does shift towards the Denner. At Riley's last statement, he smiles thinly, in agreement with that, at least.
Clara nods seriously. "Got it. Actually, I don't own any civvies beyond that dress, and it's not made much for running. I'll need to get something if I'm going to check out the healthcare facilities. Maybe there's grant funding that Kramer and I can pull off." Frighteningly, she's really considering this. At the sound of the chittering, she leans across the couch and taps Niko's arm, grinning. "Want my scanner to throw at it?"
Riley's brows furrow Dennerwards. Instead of going for his tangler he just yells, "Go away! We gave at the office!"
Niko regards Clara for a moment at her talk of going Underground, his expression a little too bland. "That's okay," he says lightly. "It's gone now, anyway. Will the two of you excuse me, please? I've got to take care of some things yet tonight."
Clara snaps out of the remains of the reverie, eyes widening. "You're leaving?" slips out before she can tuck it back in, and starts to climb to her feet as well. "Oh, things. Yes. Goodnight?"
Riley's brows lift in a questioning fashion, but taking a cue from Niko, he doesn't press the issue. "Night Nick, thanks for coming by. I really appreciate it." He hmms, "Heading out as well, Clara?"
Niko offers a smile to Clara. "Letters home won't write themselves, and I'm woefully behind on news. Somehow, I don't think that this is the place to write them--you two are good enough company that you'd distract me. Can't have that." Nodding towards Riley, he says, "Thanks for the invitation, Chief. And the chili. Beats the heck out of machine food."
Clara's expression softens into a near blush at the comment. "Oh. Of course." She turns a briefly uncertain look from one man to the other and clears her throat. "Aaah, it is late," she offers. "I'm sure you need to get some sleep, Chief," she adds.
Riley glances at the chrono, not quite grinning, "I probably do. But I also need to start playing phone tag with Admiral Lowenthal's office." He settles the chair on all four, climbing to his feet. "Thank you both for coming then. I appreciated the company."
Niko eyes his own chrono, as the bell chimes. How Pavlovian--though the response is likely in part elicited by Riley's similar gesture. "You're welcome, and thank you," he says, as he heads for the exit. "I'd offer to host another get-together, but, well, you heard about my cooking skills. That'd just be scary." He grins rather boyishly, adding a "Goodnight" before heading through the door.
Niko leave the room.
Clara snags up her lab coat and shakes it out, draping it over her shoulder rather than putting it back on, and casts a vaguely indefinable look as the door hisses shut. "Thanks for dinner, seriously. It really was fantastic. Sleep well, boss," she offers, then turns to head out the door as well.
Riley shakes his head slightly as Niko leaves, "Night Clara, I really am glad y'all came by. It's nice to get to see folks when nothing chaotic's going on. It's abnormal and all." He moves to follow you out the door.
You leave the room, pulling the door shut behind you.
Riley leaves Room I16.
Riley pushes the button.
From the elevator, With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
Riley walks into the elevator.
You unlock the door and go into room F20.
[After a while...]
You leave the room, pulling the door shut behind you.
You push the button.
Clara paces back and forth while waiting, arms folded in distraction.
From the elevator, With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
You push the button marked 1.
The elevator direction light changes to DOWN with a ping.
The doors slide shut, soundlessly.
The elevator glides downward and goes "ping" as it reaches floor #2.
The elevator glides downward and goes "ping" as it reaches floor #1.
With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
You leave the elevator.
Central Atrium
You head towards the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
Riley arrives from the Central Atrium.
Riley comes ambling out of the main arch, looking around for a familiar individual in the crowd.
Clara is about a dozen yards away from the entrance, obnoxiously noticeable jacket and cap in place, and hands stuffed in her pockets as she wanders slowly past shop fronts closed for the night.
Riley ducks past a couple of diplomats making his way to your side. Looming quietly up behind he questions quietly, "Couldn't sleep?"
Aliana arrives from the Bonded Guild Courtyard.
Garrand arrives from the Central Atrium.
Clara glances up from under her cap in surprise at the voice, brows lifting. "Riley? Ah, no. No, I guess not. I thought you had calls to make?"
Aliana saunters in nonchalantly, whistling softly to herself.
Garrand takes in a deep breath.
Riley chuckles quietly, "I was headed that way, your code clicked up on the departing board. Call me curious." Spotting a couple of other familiar faces in the thinning nighttime crowd he waves amiably to Aliana and Garrand.
Garrand nods to Riley. "So how is the security buisness, Mr. Riley?
Clara glances at the wave and nods as well in somewhat distracted greeting for all that's she's not near as tall to be seen through the milling folk. "Okay. Curious. You can tell when we're leaving?" she asks, faintly surprised, and actually looking grateful for something random to discuss.
Aliana waves back equally amiably as she hops onto a cart and munches on an apply.
Kyara arrives from the Central Atrium.
Riley tucks his hands in his pockets, grinning professionally at Garrand. "Not bad, the same old chaos as always. This and that, here and there. Some gun runners this morning, a minor riot this afternoon..." He nods to Clara, gesturing to the arch. "It registers folks entering and leaving. Sends all the info upstairs."
Garrand smiles. "Ah, the wonder of a world with grass.
Kyara blinks as she passes through said arch, glancing up at it. "It does?"
Clara nods in absent affirmation, then fades back towards one of the vendor's stalls as more folk draw near, a shadow all but hiding the yellow of her coat as she turns to peruse some of the barred goods.
Riley flashes another of those professional grins at Kyara, "Yeah, no secret there. It's in the public files even. Has to be so we don't get harassed about it I guess. That's why there's that odd sensation when you cross under it." A couple of casual steps keep him within Clara-range.
Aliana peers at the arch, a rather wary expression coming to her face..."And just what causes that odd sensation?'
Kyara ohs! "I see. The precaution seems logical."
Clara doesn't appear to notice being kept within range, but does drift around to the other side of the cart, not leaving, but not speaking up either. Actually, she tugs her cap around backwards to better be able to see one of the displays.
"Scanners, Ali. Things to compare scans of you with scans on file." Riley's ambling seems relatively aimless, "We keep files on the comings and goings of everybody. We oughta answer the comm, "Hello, Paranoia Central.""
Kyara chuckles. "I believe paranoia is a job requirement in Security, is it not? Nought else could be expected."
Aliana hops off her perch to consider the archway closely.
Clara crosses a few steps away towards the next closed and locked display, casting vague glances every now and then towards the java quarter.
Riley chuckles quietly, still trailing a few paces behind Clara. "Even paranoids have enemies. Yes, we're professionally paranoid. Council rules say the building must be free and open, so we just monitor rather than restrict."
Kyara smiles slight, giving Riley a brief puzzled look. "And why do the Council rules say that anyhow? Why not just issue engraved invitations to assassins and terrorists?"
Aliana reaches up to run her hand along the archway...eyes narrowing in thought.
Clara is neither surprised nor dismayed at the topic of discussion, and may not even be paying attention. She stops walking for a moment to consider the next street over, hands stuffed in her pockets.
Garrand says "Well, since several governments represented by the council have 'certain contacts' so they appreciate a non-meddling atmosphere."
Riley lifts his shoulders slightly, a hint of a shrug. "Freedom, access, various laudable reasons of allowing people access to their government. I understand the reasons, it just makes my life difficult." Another seemingly casual step, he's still within Clararange.
Roland arrives from the Central Atrium.
Kyara nods slowly. "One would think the media would be enough access."
Roland saunters out of the complex, always one to be attracted to crowds.
Garrand waves friendly-like to Roland.
Aliana is carefully examining the archway...frowning thoughtfully at it.
Clara starts meandering again, although in a lazily casual way, perhaps a few steps closer to the java quarter, or rather to another display as she frees one hand from a pocket to run her fingers over the wooden case.
Roland wanders past random people, spotting Ali by the archway and meanders over, sideling up next to her, following her gaze with his own silently.
"You would think." Riley's tone is agreeable, even as he ambles vaguely Java-Quarter-ward himself, every line of his posture excessively relaxed. "But then my opinions are pretty colored, a lot of folks feel it's important. It's what makes the Alliance superior to various other governments supposedly."
Aliana says quietly to Roland, 'Did ya know there's a scanner in here...and 'they' keep track of people's comings and goings?'
Garrand signs entertainedly.
Roland mms and nods. "Sounds pretty Security-esque," he says not so quiet.
Aliana raises her voice as she addresses Riley, 'Are all doors in and out of the complex scanned?'
Kyara frowns slightly, but nods, unconsciously trailing after Clara and Riley. "I suppose that's a matter of opinion."
Clara edges around another display, this time vanishing behind it entirely, although that's not surprising. It's a tall display.
Amble this way, amble that way, Riley is the very picture of relaxed and unworried. Moving as if to get quickly out of the way of a passing cart he heads on the blind side of the tall display. "More or less." He offers by way of explanation to Aliana.
Aliana nods thoughtfully...finger tapping on her lip thoughtfully.
Roland nods. "Make sense if you don't want anything "uncool" entering the Complex. It -is- the major delegation center after all." He glances around casually, his unshaded eyes soaking in surroundings.
Kyara shakes her head to Roland. "Anything... uncool... would still enter. Hopefully Security would have reason to detain such a... thing."
Clara reemerges on the other side of the display, still watching the java quarter with increasing glances...so much so that she does a quick skip back to avoid a passing display being wheeled away. And then it's back to examining the next closed cart in line.
Garrand somehow maneuvers in a way that blocks Clara's path towards the Java Quarter.
Continuing his permiter of the square, Riley pauses to consider one of the massive columns. "That's why we've a security station just in the atrium and all."
Roland chuckles as he glances Kyara-ward. "Denners are one of those uncool things I guess you could say. Trifle difficult to get those critters under control though." He watches a display cart pass by the gate. "Why are all these displays on the move, by the way?" he inquires of anyone within ear-shot.
"It's night. They usually pack up for the night," Riley still regards the column and dome.
Clara turns to take another few steps, pulling up short to find a Garrand in her way. Blinking up at him for a moment, utterly nonplussed, she manages a polite greeting and ducks around him and continues on her slow path.
Kyara's mouth quirks. "Yes, but if I'm not mistaken, they were created within the Complex itself. Either way..." Her gaze turns to Riley inquisitively, "Do the scanners pick up mere animals?"
Roland ohs. "Makes sense sorta." He watches another cart pass, then looks at Ali. "Still trying to find the scanner?"
Aliana blinks up at Roland...then nods slightly.
Riley mmhmms pleasantly, "They pick up pretty much everything." He pauses, for one minute the resignedly relaxed position shattering as he tries unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. Crossing to a side street he considers it a moment.
Garrand has disconnected.
Kyara grins. "Allow me to rephrase. "What will the scanners /fail/ to pick up?"
Riley flashes a grin over his shoulder briefly, "Allow me -some- trade secrets, eh?"
Roland nods his head, totally ignoring the cutesy voices. "I would imagine... my imagination seems to be at full drive tonight, that the whole entire arch is a scanner. Able to poke and peer without touching anything that passes through it. An invisible wall of security. Trifle difficult to get past without finding some way around."
Kyara suppresses a sigh. "As if I've been able to unearth /any/."
Clara finally stops meandering slowly and eyeing the various closed down display and starts a beeline path towards the java quarter, still almost unaware of the crowd.
Riley offering a polite wave, Riley turns to amble after Clara. His path is not so straight, but his longer legs afford some advantage.
You head towards the Java Quarter.
Riley arrives from the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
Away from the main of the crowd, Riley no longer bothers to make any bones of the fact that he's following. Taking a few jogging steps to catch up with Clara he looms up behind her shoulder.
Clara still seems unaware of being followed at first, striding down the street at an increasing pace as she examines the various coffee shops, and not stopping until she pulls up in front of the window of a music shop. "Why are you following me, Riley?" she finally asks, not looking up.
Riley ambles along behind, as mild mannered as he can be. "Because you seemed troubled, and I didn't exactly want to bug you about it in a crowd. I did however wanna make sure you were okay."
Kyara arrives from the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
Clara inhales a long sigh and shrugs vaguely. "Yeah. Well, I'm fine...really." She stares at a violin in the window fixedly, then glances up with a faint smile. "Sorry...didn't mean to snap. Thanks for not saying anything with all those people around."
Kyara pauses in a shadow to listen, but speaks up anyway. "Clara?"
Riley lifts his shoulders, backing off a hair. "Just uh... yeah." Pausing, he makes as if to speak again but trails off as Kyara speaks.
Clara starts slightly, more freezing than anything at the sound of her name. "Who's there?" she calls guardedly, tugging her jacket closer about herself and casting a puzzled look up at Riley.
Kyara takes a few steps forward, enough to be recognizable. "It's just me."
Riley just resumes his 'professional' stature, leaning in apparent idleness against an aged building.
Moodiness melting away like ice in the sun, Clara manages a bright smile for the Stilvani woman, pleasantly noting, "Why, Kyara...where in the world did you come from? What a pleasant surprise."
Kyara blinks at that response. "Clara, I've been in your general vicinity for a good twenty minutes. I must say, you don't /seem/ 'fine'." She glances toward Riley. "Oh, knock it off."
Clara manages a half step back, laughing lightly. "I am, though. Goodness, a woman can't even take a walk at night? Knock what off?"
Riley pauses a beat at Kyara's admonition, but he can't help but snicker. Agreeably he straightens up, shifting from eternally relaxed security chief to excessively tired vaguely insecure AF officer. "This better?"
Kyara nods to Riley with a smile. "Much. I understand why you do it, but it's a bit wearying at times." She turns her gaze on Clara for a moment before gesturing to the Security Chief. "That stance of his."
Clara peers back up and smirks, shaking her head and muttering something about drill and instruction. "Hey, folks gotta relax sometime," she decides brightly, resting her fingers on the glass of the shop window as she peers in at a snare drum.
Riley grins at Kyara rather wryly, shaking his head. "I learned that one early. Most folks never so much as give it a second look." He follows the glance to the drum, "Neat set of double springs on that one."
Kyara mhmmms. "I'm not used to such a... shall we say, formal, posture during friendly conversation."
Clara nods distractedly, half-smiling. "Mm-hmm. Niko suggested putting a message through to the drummer from the Fruvous and seeing if he gave lessons. It's been years since I've had a professional lesson." She stifles a small snicker. "Standing at parade rest's fun?"
Riley leans back against the building, this time simply leaning, not doing any of his usual shtick. "Standing at parade rest's not -too- bad. It's having to hold attention and recite regs for three hours in the cold that's no fun."
Kyara shudders. "It's also excessive."
Clara makes a face, but doesn't seem more than mildly frustrated at that. "Or standing in the sun for the same thing in full dress. Or worse, just listening for three hours. I hated inspection. It's easier now, for all that I have more to do."
Riley grins ruefully, scuffing at the ground with one booted foot. "Or the full regs and rules of the navy charter while doing pushups on the wardroom floor. I'm enormously glad I'm too old to haze."
Kyara shakes her head slowly. "Surely these are mere tales to frighten the uninitiated..."
"I can try, if it'll make you feel at home?" Clara offers helpfully, grin giving away the fact that she's not serious, then blinks at Kyara. "Why would they be?" she asks, honestly puzzled.
Riley tilts his head up to grin at Kyara, "There're gators in the sewers." He chuckles at Clara, "No, but it's a kind offer, no really."
Kyara chuckles slightly at Riley. "One of these days I will understand that phrase." She cocks her head, looking at Clara. "Because surely nobody who wishes their troops to keep up morale would inflict such cruelties on them."
Clara smothers a small laugh, shaking her head and murmuring, "United we stand, together we push. Pushups are a fun and joyous thing. I think I repeated that to myself about twenty times a day." She shakes her head again, amused. "That's not cruel."
Riley doesn't quite stifle a laugh, "Kya, ain't none of that diddly c'mpared to getting the barrel. And that's standard for Middies in the Navy. Let alone anything that happens if you actually foul something serious up."
Kyara frowns slightly. "The barrel?"
Clara stays quiet at this, seemingly absorbed in examining a trumpet in the window.
Riley pauses a beat, and then another, and then his brows lower. "Um, yeah, the barrel. It's a form of corporal punishment. It's mostly a cruiser thing. Cruisers are really strict. Though I didn't really understand that for years."
Kyara nods slowly. "But what /is/ it?"
Clara continues to examine the trumpet, although her jaw does clench slightly. Still no comment.
Riley shrugs, if Kya -really- wants to know, who is he to keep from educating her. He shifts away from the wall to make a gesture indicating size. "A barrel to get pressed over for flogging with a short length of cane. It's a lot less severe than taking lashes, but it surely doesn't make sitting a joy for a while."
Kyara ahhhs, giving Clara a curious glance. She doesn't seem to be bothered by the description. "That would seem to be adequate discouragement from further infractions in most cases."
Clara straightens slightly, smile faded like a reverse Chessire cat. "Usually," is her only comment to that.
Riley resumes leaning against the wall, "It's humiliating enough, yeah. Still, some folks end up over the barrel more than others. It only takes ten demerits to earn a trip. A Captain on a ship under weigh is God and can order you over that barrel as often as it pleases him."
Kyara blinks. "Hopefully your Captains are not often vindictive."
Clara glances mildly up at Riley, but doesn't comment other than to shrug at Kyara. "Discipline has to be maintained at a level appropriate with the surroundings. All military doctors are fully trained to deal with treating the results of discipline."
There's another half-shrug. Riley comments lightly, "Being Captain means being a mean-ass SOB. Cruiser discipline is harsh, swift, and effective. Combat ships are wholly different than places like this." He tugs at a sleeve, "And there are certainly many worse things they can do. The Navy's based on camaraderie under adversity after all."
Kyara's eyes narrow at Clara's comment. "Indeed," she notes softly. "Worse? Obviously."
Clara nods in quiet agreement. "Frontline ground forces work in a similar pattern, even if it's a little easier to AWOL," she offers absently, returning to her examination of the snare again.
Riley offers Kyara a rueful wink, "If you ever get a hankering to join the AF I'll tell you the whole horror story, eh?"
Kyara pulls a small double take. "Do not tempt me, Riley." Clara's comment earns her a look of surprise.
Clara leans a bit closer to Kyara, stage-whispering audibly, "Hey, go ground forces, and then I can give you all the dirt instead," she offers, flashing a quick grin at Riley.
Riley hmphs in quiet amusement, "Hey, my punishment record's hardly a possible security breach. If you'll bring the chips and dip and don't mind being bored out of your skull I can recite it in oh...a couple hours probably." He grins at Clara's comment, "Dirthuggers." His tone is fond, even if the word is disparaging.
Kyara hmmms. "Yet you seemed reluctant to be more than a little vague the day you begged your admiral for freedom from the valkyrie." She chuckles softly at Clara. "That would not be my style."
Clara smiles amiably up at the security chief, fluttering her lashes patently. "Spaceminnows," she replies sweetly, stifling a snicker, her own tone just as congenial before she covers her hand to smother a laugh. "Good lord, is everyone calling her that now?"
Riley hmphs softly at Kyara, grin dimming a notch. He proffers amiably, "No dip see. I require suitable bribes after all." He snickers quietly, "It was a very apt term..."
Kyara produces a handful of chocolate bars, spread like cards in her hand, amusement in her eyes. "I've a box of these in my room, Riley..."
Clara eyes the spread of chocolate and abruptly coughs into her hand. "Oh, goodness. Pardon me," she exclaims, edging around the Chief to peer into a bookstore window a few feet down. "Fascinating."
Riley's brows raise in amusement, "Suitable bribe certainly. I think however, it's too late for me to start my story, eh? It's quite late."
Kyara nods amiably, passing chocolate bars around. "Good enough. I'll take that as a promise."
Riley accepts a proffered candy bar with an amiable nod, "My office sometime? Goodness knows I could use a couple of hours off."
Clara continues to peer into the window of the bookstore, not listening with an effort, then resettling her cap forwards as she steps out into the street and starts back towards the Complex at a mosey.
Shifting away from the wall again, Riley trails after Clara.
Kyara chuckles, following. "That would be wise. No need to proclaim your exploits within earshot of your underlings."
Clara glances over her shoulder briefly, by now looking completely amused and well aware that she's being followed. Doesn't stop her though.
Riley hmphs quietly, mildy amused. "I dunno, most of them probably know half of it. I don't hide my halfblacks or anything." He's making no secret of following Clara, instead walking precisely the three steps back and one pace to the right of an honor guard.
Kyara blinks! "You can't?"
You head towards the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
Riley arrives from the Java Quarter.
Aliana blinks as she sees the Doctor..then grins at Roland, 'Well, well, well'
Clara passes through a bit more quickly this time, cap pulled down over her eyes and hands back in her pockets, although she slows a step to even up with Riley rather than walk in front of him, and shrugs. "Don't ask me," she mutters sidelong.
Kyara arrives from the Java Quarter.
Riley looks decidedly puzzled, still maintaining his exact distance. "I can't what?"
Riley grins at Clara, brightening as he catches up to her. He offers a wave to Aliana and Roland.
Aliana turns to watch the trio...making sure not to come within scanning range though.
Kyara gestures vaguely, shaking her head. "Sorry, not can't. Won't."
Clara glances up from under the brim of her cap to offer a smile at pair and continues on towards the arch, not dismayed by the scanner in the slightest.
You head towards the Central Atrium.
Riley arrives from the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
Kyara arrives from the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
Kyara looks completely confused. "But why, Riley?"
Clara keeps an even pace with Riley, freeing a hand to nudge the bill of her cap up slightly once back within the confines of the Complex, but doesn't add to the conversation.
Riley glances around the brightly lit atrium. He murmurs to Clara, He mutters to Clara, "... that. I'm... a crowd.... folks'd..." He hmms at Kyara, "Why bother?"
You sense Riley glances around the brightly lit atrium. He murmurs to Clara, "Sorry about all that. I'm just worried boutcha' s'all. Not my place to tag along after and bring a crowd. I didn't think folks'd follow." He hmms at Kyara, "Why bother?"
Clara glances up briefly at the Chief, a small smile forming as she shakes her head slightly. She mutters to Riley, "... I... be worried,... I..." She glances at Kyara with a faint grin. "You think the rest of us have perfectly clean records?"
Riley senses "Clara glances up briefly at the Chief, a small smile forming as she shakes her head slightly. "Not your fault. I can't imagine why you'd be worried, but I appreciate the effort." She glances at Kyara with a faint grin. "You think the rest of us have perfectly clean records?""
Roland arrives from the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
Aliana arrives from the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
Roland saunters in looking much like he just won a decisive battle against something.
Aliana walks in...chin up, shoulders squared...a brief pause as she sneaks a peek over her shoulder at the archway.
Riley gives Clara a worried look, He mutters to Clara, "Cause... on... acting... something's..." He shakes his head, "I don't maintain discipline. My men maintain themselves. I don't treat them as children, they don't act like it. I just let folks know what I expect and I find I get it nine times out of ten."
You sense Riley gives Clara a worried look, "Cause you're way short on sleep, acting abnormally, something's up. Gimme a little credit, eh?" He shakes his head, "I don't maintain discipline. My men maintain themselves. I don't treat them as children, they don't act like it. I just let folks know what I expect and I find I get it nine times out of ten."
Clara doesn't quite wait to hear the answer as more people funnel into the area, but heads for the elevators silently, faltering slightly as she does indeed hear the answer...and not one that surprises her. "I'm fine," she murmurs stubbornly, punching at the button.
You push the button.
From the elevator, With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
You walk into the elevator.
From outside the elevator, Riley walks into the elevator.
The doors slide shut, soundlessly.
You push the button marked 3.
The elevator direction light changes to UP with a ping.
Riley is very obviously worried, "Come on Clara, -please-... I want to help."
The elevator glides almost imperceptibly upward and goes "ping" as it reaches floor #2.
The elevator glides almost imperceptibly upward and goes "ping" as it reaches floor #3.
With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
You leave the elevator.
Clara tugs off her cap with a sigh, shaking her head. "Like you said...short on sleep, I guess. The brain kicks into overdrive when I do that." She stuffs the cap in her pocket absently. "I'm sorry? I didn't mean to be such awful company."
Riley hangs back outside the elevator doors, he's not going to chase the poor woman down any further. "Clara, I'm the one that trailed along after you most assuredly uninvited. Get some sleep, eh? And if I can help...lemme know? Please?" Throw the ball? The frisbee? Anything?
From the elevator, With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
Kyara has arrived.
From the elevator, The doors slide shut, soundlessly.
Clara pauses and starts to turn around to reply, then sighs as the elevators open again and pulls up another smile. "Sure thing, boss. I'll catch you in the morning," she replies. "Night folks," she adds and turns to head off down the hall.
You unlock the door and go into room F20.
3FLOOR> Riley does not -quite- say something rude, but it's a near thing. He turns back to press the button.
3FLOOR> Riley pushes the button.
3FLOOR> From the elevator, With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
3FLOOR> Riley walks into the elevator.