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G'ben zips into the library, a large book clutched to himself, and dodges around library-goers to approach the biology section of the place. Standing on tiptoe, he tries his best to slip the book- a volume on aquatic creatures- back into the space left by its withdrawal, but he's not /quite/ tall enough to reach.
The flicker of something not quite usually seen in the library pulls Clara's attention for a moment from her studies, and she does a quick double take before grinning and snapping off the datareader and pulling the headphones from her ears. She rises from the chair and drifts silently over behind G'ben, pushing the book into place behind him. "That's what the stepstools are for," she murmurs.
G'ben starts, looking up to break out into a grin. "Gotta reach for what ya want. Ali said bring the book back when I was done with it, and I /did/." He's quite proud of himself for this.
"Which is precisely as you should have done," Clara agrees approvingly, grinning, then rubs her eyes before gesturing at the book. "Was it good?"
G'ben considers that for a moment. "It was... in/form/ative. Now I knows how fishes work. And frogs too."
Clara gives the row of books a thoughtful look, then grins down again before starting to drift back to her cubicle. "And how do fishes work? They're not like people, are they?"
G'ben shakes his head, trailing along unconsciously. "Fishes got gills and people don't. Gills take the o... oxo... /oxygen/ outa the water and it goes in 'en by osmosias. People got osmosias too, but they ain't got gills." At least, not last time he checked.
Clara nods again, obviously approving, and slides into her seat upon reaching the cubicle. "Pull up a chair, dear. Now, some people have gills. But humans, don't, that's right. Did your book tell you about creatures that live in the water that don't have gills?"
G'ben settles himself into a chair, cocking his head like a wise little eleven-year-old sage. "Uh huh. Some fishes ain't fishes. They're mammaries. And frogs and stuff live in the water /and/ on the ground."
"Mammals," Clara corrects with a gentle smile, reaching over to close a massive text that is sitting at her workstation. "Like dolphins and whales. And frogs live in both, that's right. They're called amphibians."
G'ben glances toward the returned book, nodding in confirmation. "That's right," he approves. "What kindsa people got gills?"
Clara shuts off the datareader and a small electronic dictionary as well, grinning. "The Bongorians, actually. Their home world is almost entirely water, and the sapient species there is picean, which means they have gills and live in the water. They even have to wear a sort of pressure suit filled with water when they deal with air-breathers."
G'ben 's eyes widen. "Oh, that'd be neat! You could go swimmin' all the time!"
Clara taps at her temple. "Aaah, but think about it. You'd never get to run anywhere, or smell flowers, or be able to work with anything electric.
Electricity and water...baaad mix. Now us Terran-stock folk, we can breathe air, -and- we can swim whenever we want. We just have to stay where we can breathe often, or take air with us."
G'ben frowns slightly. "Couldn't work on engines then, could they?"
Clara shakes her head slowly, turning in her seat to face the boy. "Not a bit, no. Their entire industry is plasticene or water turbine based. Can you swim?"
G'ben hesitates. "Sorta. Tara said I had to learn how and she tossed me in the pool."
Clara blinks for a moment, somewhat taken aback by that. "That's -one- way to learn," she allows hesitantly, then seems to think a moment. "You know, I don't remember how I learned to swim? I grew up on an island, so I guess I learned when I was really little."
G'ben looks up, pondering that. "Must been long time ago."
Clara laughs at that, considering that with her hair down and next to no makeup, she could easily pass for ten years younger. "Ages ago. Maybe even twenty-five years ago."
G'ben looks a bit surprised at that. "I thought you was older 'n Tara. She's thirty, y'know."
Clara is thankfully pretty blase about her age, and looks amused as she shakes her head. "Close, dear. Very close. I'm actually just turned twenty-eight about two months ago. Valentine is older than me."
G'ben cocks his head. "Huh." He thinks about that for a minute, and decides, "You /act/ older."
"Sometimes," Clara agrees affably, toying absently at the oversized text unconsciously. "Sometimes I have to act like the perfect grownup...and then sometimes I get to goof off and be young. Just depends on the circumstances." She gesturs towards Medbay. "See, that's the key to being a good person. Knowing when to take responsibility, and then when to have fun."
G'ben glances toward the lobby, thinking that over. "Kids got 'sponsibility?"
Clara's brows lift as she nods. "Sure. Everyone's got responsibility. You just gotta figure out what it is. Now, when you're a kid, your responsibility is to try to grow up to be a good grown up. Learn all you can, have as much fun as you can. Do what grown ups tell you, but think for yourself too." She leans across to squeeze your shoulder, smiling. "I think you already think for yourself, though. Don'cha?"
G'ben jumps at the touch, but doesn't seem to object. "Course I do. Doublethink. Nobody gonna do it fer me."
Clara nods in firm approval, withdrawing her hand. "Thought you did. And there's nothing wrong with that, lad. Nothing. Now...it looks like you've discovered the library. Read anything else yet?"
G'ben nods, slipping down from the chair, and moves a few feet away toward the engineering section. "Aaaaaaall this." He indicates the lowest four shelves, looking up to contemplate the fifth.
Clara's eyes widen at the indicated section as she rises easily and comes over to stand behind and peer. "Oh, -wow-," she breathes. "G'ben, that's fantastic! Wow, I'd bet you'd be wanting to bend the ear of a real live engineer by this point."
G'ben blinks. That apparently hadn't occurred to him. "Ooooh. Gotta /find/ one."
Clara turns to slip back into her seat, eyes bright above a grin. "What would you say if I told you I knew one really well."
Clara turns to slip back into her seat, eyes bright above a grin. "What would you say if I told you I knew one really well?"
G'ben follows, excitement in his eyes. "Really?" Okay, we're talking awe here.
Clara leans an elbow on the desk and nods, eyes dancing. "Mm-hmm. But you're going to have to be brave. I know you are though, right?"
G'ben blinks, his expression turning wary. "Yeah, I'm brave. Why I gotta be brave?"
Clara lifts her brows significantly. "Because this engineer happens to be my lifemate. Chief Addison. He was an engineer for a long time before he became a commanding officer."
The /second/ the name Addison is mentioned, G'ben's expression turns fearful, and he skitters back a bit, blurting, "He'll beat me up!"
Clara extends a hand, palm up, in what is unintentionally a very maternal and comforting gesture. "Oh, G'ben, dear...he'd -never- do such a thing. Why would you think so?"
G'ben shakes his head, trembling slightly. "He beat up Tara. They told me he did." After a moment, his small hand creeps toward yours.
Clara closes her fingers warmly about yours, practically radiating comforting goodwill. "Who told you that, dear? When did he beat up Tara?"
G'ben gestures gestures vaguely downward. "Senna told me. He saw the whole thing. He said they hunted 'er down, and Maddison grabbed 'er, and beat 'er up, and took her away from me..."
Clara closes her eyes for a moment and exhales a long sigh. "I'll tell you what...I'll ask him about it? I can promise you that Riley...Chief Addison, that is...would never lie to me. What I'm going to bet happened is that he had to hold her down to keep her from running. Does that make sense?"
G'ben considers that reluctantly. "S'pose so... Maybe."
Smoothing a wrinkle in her skirt, Clara tilts her head apologetically. "I hope so. I'd really be sad if two of my friends couldn't be friends with each other. But when you meet him, I promise, G'ben. Riley wouldn't hit you. He would never hurt anyone unless he had to."
G'ben appears slightly less dubious. This is Clara telling him this, after all. "And he's a engineer?"
Clara quirks a faint grin and nods. "That he is. He even grew up on a high-tech planet."
G'ben weighs considerations for a moment, then he notes solemnly, "I can be brave. Long as 'e tells me 'bout engines..."
Clara climbs to her feet, returning the nod just as seriously. "I'll ask him to especially, as soon as I get home tonight." She starts down one aisle, asking, "But would you do me a favor? Read a book just for me?"
G'ben makes like a puppy, following along. "Sure," he says brightly. "What book?"
Clara draws one hand along a shelf until her face lights and she pulls down a somewhat large book of Greek mythology before kneeling to offer it. "This. It's not engineering, but it's -fascinating-. I loved these stories when I was young. They made me feel brave. They even taught me some lessons. And they were fun!"
G'ben raises an eyebrow to peer at the tome. "It's big," he notes with surprise, then looks up at you, stating stoutly, "I can read big books. Day, maybe two."
Clara continues to hold forth the book, grinning as she nods. "I know you can. And the wonderful thing about this is...if you want to read one of the stories a second time, you might just find something you didn't see before. Will you read it?" she asks, voice softening.
G'ben lifts questioning eyes to you. "If'n you say it's good, it's good. I'll read it." He reaches for the book. "How ya do that check out thing?"
Clara reaches out to squeeze a shoulder again gently and rises. "Let me scoop up my own stuff and I'll show you," she offers, heading back to her cubicle and starting to settles dictionary and datareader in her bag before hefting the massive reference book in both arms.
G'ben makes like a puppy again, showing remarkable patience as he watches the gathering. "What /you/ readin'?"
Clara glances down at the text with fond wistfulness as she heads for another high shelf lined with identical seeming books and reshelves it. "It's a section of something called 'the Code' from a planet called Kashid. I'm trying to learn the language they speak there."
G'ben ohs, turning his head to watch you. "How come?"
"Because," Clara begins, slinging her bag over one shoulder and heading towards the checkout, "Kashid is where Chief Addison is from, and since he already speaks both of my native languages, I'm trying to learn his."
G'ben trots along behind you. "Good idea. Then he can't talk about ya without ya knowin' what he's sayin'. Both? You gots two languages?"
Clara snickers cheerfully, shaking her head. "That's not why, dear. I'm learning it because there's ideas in his language that he can't translate to mine." She pauses at the end of one aisle, pulling down a book briefly and grinning at it before tucking it under an arm. "Two, yes. Three, actually. I grew up speaking both Standard and French, and then another language that's a dialect of Standard called Patois."
G'ben blinks. "Patois? French I hearda. I know Standard," he says proudly. "Know it good."
Clara grins and utters a string in Patois, only a few words making it understandable as something to do with it being a nice day, the Jamaican accent all but obscuring the words. "That's Patois. It's only spoken on the island I grew up on, though. And you do speak standard well. You do better everytime I meet up with you."
Clara ers softly, sheepish. "That is, you're doing better by every time I see you. Not that I'm helping. Sorry."
G'ben blinks a few times. "Sounds pretty, Patois does." He grins and giggles. "Gotta talk so Complex people c'n understand." He shakes his head, saying defiantly, "Nothin' to be sorry for."
Clara inclines her head smoothly, offering a warm smile. "Why, thank you sir. I think it is, too. Here we are, though," she adds, coming up to the counter. "Now, set your book up here, and press your hand to the pressure plate," she explains, demonstrating with her own book. "Then the computer registers who you are and what book you've got. That's it."
G'ben eyes the computer warily, but once again that blind trust comes through and he places book and hand in the proper place. "It ain't gonna tell nobody, is it?"
Clara's eyes meet the librarian's, both women amused as the doctor shrugs. "It tells the librarian, there. But that's about all...why?"
G'ben shakes his head uneasily as he retrieves the book, mumbling a "Thanks, lady" to the librarian. "Tara said never let a computer know ya. Makes it easier to find ya."
"What's so bad about that?" Clara asks, honestly baffled. "If you're not breaking the law, no harm done. But you know what?" she adds, leaning against the counter to slip her book into her bag as well. "Even me, being AF and all, if I leave the Complex, Chief Addison has to comm me to find me...and he's Chief of Security and my commanding officer."
G'ben shrugs uneasily. "Ain't broke the law. Not on purpose." He cocks his head to look up at you. "But Maddison knows /everything/."
Clara reslings the bag over one shoulder, laughing. "Addison, dear, Addison. And yeah, he does. He's got a lot of good resources. But he also takes responsibility for what he knows, and uses it only very carefully."
G'ben frowns, saying slowly, "Aaaaaddison." Nodding to himself with satisfaction, he gives you a very slightly dubious look. "We'll see."
Clara flashes down a grin as she starts to make her way towards the door slowly. "Would it make you feel better if I told you it took some time before he and I were friends too? And I even work for him."
G'ben puppys. "Ain't supposed to be friends with the boss. Not most times."
"Not most times, you're right," Clara agrees emphatically, moving at no more than a mosey. "I guess something just sort of...clicked." She grins down. "It'll make more sense when you're older and start to like girls."
G'ben makes the predictable grimace. "Like some girls. I like you, and Tara. Rest of 'em are weird."
Clara laughs easily, not really ruffling your hair, but patting a bit of it down gently. "Well, grownup men and women, sometimes when they find the right person, it doesn't matter if that other person is the boss or not. Not if you're -really- careful. You end up being partnered. Maybe someday some girl'll come along and your heart'll go flip, and that's it, buddy. She's got you knocked for a loop," she explains, obviously teasing.
G'ben snickers, rolling his eyes. "Women're expensive. Best just ta stay away from 'em."
Clara cracks up laughing at that. "Amen to that, m'lad. Expensive, we are. Betcha Riley could tell you all about -that- too. Poor man," she decides, vastly amused and she finally reaches the door.
G'ben cocks his head. "Poor? He went and spent all his money on ya, didn't he?" The boy seems amused. His mental "Suckeeeerrrrrr" can almost be heard.
Clara snickers, leaning against the wall for a moment and shaking her head. "Honestly? Nope. Sorry. I have my own money, actually. He even made my birthday present." She reaches into her bag and tugs out a small, articulated rabbit made from hundreds and hundreds of tiny metal links. "Isn't is amazing?"
G'ben 's eyes widen. Little fingers twitch. "Oh, that's neat! How'd he make that?"
Clara crouches down, holding it out to be touched, really in just as much wonder. "Isn't it? I don't know, really. It's one of those engineering things. He made it to work in a null-gravity environment, since I got sent to one for a while, and was supposed to be there for three years."
G'ben does indeed reach out to touch it carefully, absolutely fascinated. "Maybe he'll show me how," he mumbles, mostly to himself, then looks up at you with a slight frown. "That was when you was gone?"
Clara keeps her eyes on the toy, reaching up to adjust an ear with one fingertip. "Mm-hmm. When they sent me away. You knew about that?"
G'ben nods, eyes widening slightly, and, looking up at you, very carefully manipulates a rabbit arm. "Yeah. Mad... Addison told Tara after they got out of the temple. She was pissed."
Clara meets the look, obviously surprised. "Tara was angry? That I'd been transferred? But...-why-?" Hello, shock.
G'ben nods, his mind more on the rabbit as he tries to figure out its manufacture. "Cause you bein' gone made Addison cry."
Clara's eyes drop from the rabbit as she places it in your hands for closer examination for a moment, exhaling a long sigh. "It made us both very sad, yes," she agrees quietly. "I did not realize it that Valentine would be concerned for Addison's...feelings."
G'ben speaks absently, turning the rabbit over in his hands, and shrugs. "She started actin' funny about him after they got outa the temple."
Clara turns this over mentally, lips thinning slightly. "Ah. Interesting. Well, that's all in the past now. All we can do is live for today in trying to make sure tomorrow is better." She glances at her comm and gasps faintly. "Good heavens...G'ben, hon, it's -late-. Why don't you walk me upstairs and then go on home and grab a little shuteye, hmm?"
That should be interesting, considering Kya's unclothed state at the moment. *grin* G'ben offers the rabbit back politely. "Okie dokie," he says brightly.
Hey, not Clara's fault if Kya's rambunctious at odd hours of the night. She takes the rabbit back and slips him into her bag, then heads out the door. "You usually stay up this late?" she asks blandly.
You head towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
G'ben nods blithely. "Course I do. Best stuff happens at night."
[travel spam to 3rd floor snipped, dialogue left in]
Clara chuckles, reaching out to punch the call button on the elevator. "Well, I can't deny that. I'll bet my roommate's out like a light though. At least, I sure hope he is."
G'ben looks up at you with surprise. "You hope he is? How come?"
Clara's brows quirk as she grins. "Why? It's late, and he's probably had a long day. He likely needs his sleep."
G'ben lets out an "Ohhhh. Kya says he needs to take more vacations."
Clara's eyes go fondly distant as she exhales a rather sappy sigh. "Oh, yes. Vacations are -wonderful-," she agrees. Yeah, she's got it bad.
G'ben looks up at you and giggles. "Addison and Clara, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."
Clara blushes, as is expected, but does laugh, nodding affably. "Well, maybe not in a tree, but the first part's kind of fun. Don't be looking for baby carriages, though," she teases with a wink.
G'ben snickers. "Good. Babies bawl a lot."
Clara wrinkles her nose and nods. "That's not all they do. The other end's even messier," she explains. "Marriage is pretty much out, too, but kissing. That's fun. Unless the other person has cooties, I suppose."
G'ben eeewwws! But he looks surprised at the marriage comment. "Kissing? Fun?" You have /got/ to be kidding, his expression shouts. "Girls got cooties. Women don't."
Clara chuckles and nods. "This is probably true. I think I had cooties right up till I was about twenty. Now scoot, scamp. It's late as can be, and all that's happening at this time of night is sleeping." According to the World of Clara, at least. "I'll talk to Riley in the morning. G'night, dear."
G'ben giggles, throwing his arms around your waist for a brief, impulsive hug, and runs off down the hall. "Tell 'im I'll be brave! And I won't call 'im Maddison! Night Clara!"
G'ben unlocks the door to room N10 and goes inside.
Clara watches after the pelting form before it vanishes into a room, a fond, slightly wistful smile on her face reminiscent of things that could have been. She shakes her head with amusement then, and turns to head down a different hallway to her own quarters.