|
|
Editor's note: This log starts with Clara at the Fruvous, chatting with some diplomats. The comments from Security Central are prefaced by SECURITY>. The conversation between Kyara and Riley is in Chief Addison's Office, and prefaced by a single >. From there, the action moves to the Vault. From then on out, hopefully the locations are pretty clear. A long log, but what a fun time! Also, here's high angst and sap warning now. If those bother you, turn back now!
Rian walks here from the Java Quarter.
Clara is seated at the bar, arms folded on the section of it before her and cap pulled down to regulation height over her eyes. A glass half filled with some light brown fluid sits on a small napkin before her, and she seems to be staring at it intently.
Rian comes into the bar, looking around with bright, curious eyes and a cheerful smile.
Clara shakes her head at the bartender as he asks her a quiet question, and the man ambles off after a nod. She reaches for her glass and takes a thoughtful sip, still staring almost blankly at the row of multicolored bottled behind the bar.
Nephire walks here from the Java Quarter.
Nephire glances over at Rian and Clara, "Hello," he says modestly, and walks over the the far stool in a dark corner.
Nephire and sits on it.
Clara is seated at the bar, arms folded on the section of it before her and cap pulled down to regulation height over her eyes. Sipping from a glass half filled with brown liquid, she stares absently at the bottles behind the bar.
Rian heads over to the bar and climbs onto a stool, swinging her feet idly as she orders a drink and looks around at the people sitting in the bar.
Nephire orders a drink in a monotonous tone, glances Clara's way, then looks down at bar almost like he was trying to figure what to say, but is left speechless.
Clara almost doesn't seem to notice the others at the bar, still examining the bottles some distance off with the blank expression of one who plans to be here a while. And while her clothing clearly marks her military, she wears no insignia beyond the gold oak leaf on her cap.
Rian looks at Nephire with interest and smiles cheerfully, nodding.
Nephire looks up at Rian and smiles politely. "Hello there, and you are?"
Rian smiles. "Rian an'Winter. I just arrived on Linnae, so I hope you will pardon me if my manners are less than perfect."
Clara finally glances up at the nearby voices, manages a polite nod at both Rian and Nephire, and returns to her drink.
Nephire nods in accordance, "and so have I. I've only been on Linnae a few days."
Rian tilts her head curiously. "May one ask where you traveled before you came here?"
Nephire notices Clara's quick glance. "Well well, Clara. Thank you for letting us know you're not semi-comatose!"
Nephire lets a wry smile pass.
Clara starts vaguely at hearing her name, eyes widening. "Pardon me?" she asks, obviously not upset, just surprised.
Nephire turns back to Rian. "Well I come from the planet Jusekia. This is the first time I have left my homeworld."
Nephire chuckles. "Clara, I just noted that your quick glance over this way relieved me, because I thought perhaps you may have been semi-comatose..." Nephire smiles.
Clara manages a slightly confused smile at Rian, then peers at Nephire, toying with her glass. "Comatose, no. But how did you know my name?"
Rian laughs softly, her eyes twinkling.
Nephire doesn't look surprised that Clara would ask that question. "I was over at the dining hall when you had that episode with Mr. Riley."
Nephire chuckles. "Remember?"
Clara inhales a deep breath, turning away to take a quick swallow from the glass and reddening significantly. "You have me at a disadvantage sir. I apologize. I was hardly at my best that night." She hesitates and drops her eyes. "I remember it all too well."
Nephire says "Aw, cheer up young lady!"
Rian senses a story but is too polite to pry into others' affairs, though she looks intensely curious.
Clara lifts a brow, amusement creeping in. "You know not what you ask, sir," she replies, then offers and apologetic nod to both. "Please, allow me to introduce myself fully. Clara Aleron, at your service."
Rian smiles. "Rian an'Winter, and it is very nice to make your acquaintance, Ms. Aleron."
Nephire jumps down from his stool in the corner, and walks over to offer his hand in greetings to Clara. "Well met, Nephire Thievious."
Clara accepts the hand in a firm shake, then reclaims her glass and nods pleasantly at Rian. "Indeed. A pleasure to meet you both," she offers formally. "New diplomats to the Complex?"
Nephire slouches. "Diplomat? That's my title... although I have no idea how to be one."
Clara chuckles softly, turning back to her drink. "You will. I'm sure you're not the only diplomat in that position."
SECURITY> Niko has by now shifted so that he's sitting on the floor, Pen sprawled next to him. He's making some vague effort to do the paperwork, but not really making a lot of headway. He looks up with a brief nod and a quiet, "May I help you?"
Nephire nods his head in agreement. "Maybe, but I guess it's a different feeling of helplessness for those who face such a situation."
SECURITY> Kyara ambles in, barely able to peer over or around a pair of large boxes she's carrying. "Er, is he busy, Niko? He said I could leave some stuff with him while I'm gone."
Nephire clambers up on the stool to the left of Clara.
Clara takes a long pull from her glass, thinking this over, then nods. "It's always a helpless feeling to face something you have no clue how to deal with," she says quietly.
SECURITY> Niko lifts one shoulder in a half-shrug. "I'm not sure. It'd be nice if he were asleep, but I'm not going to hold my breath. He hasn't been out, though."
Nephire solemnly agrees, feeling the moment with Clara. "Heck, for me it's being stamped as a diplomat, and my mission is to set out, and acquire help from the Alliance to save my people. Pretty hefty deal for a guy who knows nothing of diplomacy..." Nephire sighs..
Nephire prods the bartender with his crook and orders an old Terran drink... something called a 'Tequila Sunrise.'
SECURITY> Kyara nods, sighing a bit. Juggling the overbalanced boxes for a minute, she finally sets them down at her feet. "Of course not. He wouldn't, not while he's on duty."
Clara's lips quirk in the faintest of smiles. "Keep at it, though. Diplomacy is a...noble profession. You folks do a job us simple soldier-types could never comprehend."
SECURITY> Niko glances down at his chrono, finally setting aside his paperwork so that he may pet Pen, the dog slowly insinuating his head to a range where Niko may do that. "I think he might be off-shift now. I don't know."
Nephire shakes his head. "From what I know, it's basically a game of first-impressions, hidden motivations, and deceit. How noble is that? I think it's pretty simple to understand."
SECURITY> Kyara blinks, drumming her fingers on a box top. Quite courteously, she asks, "Could you find out please?"
Clara peers down at her drink. "And making the laws and policies that keep the Alliance running smoothly and keep us from all out war," she adds softly, as if quoting someone. "Diplomats are people, sir. Don't become discouraged because they're not perfect."
SECURITY> Niko looks for a moment like he's going to refuse, then rolls his eyes, perhaps at that petty impulse, and nods. "One moment."
SECURITY> Kyara smiles, just a little though it's sincere. "Thank you."
Nephire looks up from his slouched position. "Maybe your right... but I sense something deeper is troubling you. Care to share with a stranger?" Nehpire receives his glass and takes a deep haul back.
Clara signals at the bartender for a refill, who tugs a bottle of dark Jamaican rum from under the counter at tops off her glass. She nods appreciatively, then glances sidelong with an amused smile. "Troubling me? Naaah. Life's dandy," she quips.
SECURITY> Niko does not smile, which is also sincere. His head bobs in one short nod, as he keeps up his dog-petting.
Nephire smiles wittingly, "denial... a good personal defense. At least for a while," Nephire swigs another one back and continues, "You see... I don't expect for you to say anything... after all, we just met. I just hope you're not a person that would keep telling themselves that."
SECURITY> Kyara waits quite patiently, leaning forward to rest her forearms on the boxes, humming a merry tune somewhat off-key.
Clara chuckles down at her glass, tracing a finger along its rim before she grins sideways. "Let me better introduce myself, sir. Doctor Clara Aleron, Chief of Complex Medical and staff Counselor."
SECURITY> Niko finally stops whatever conversation he's having. "Go ahead." He pauses a beat, then says quietly, "He's exhausted, from the sounds of it, and said that you shouldn't expect him to make much sense. So don't stay too long, hm? Maybe he'll sleep... or something."
SECURITY> Kyara nods, hoisting the boxes awkwardly. "No problem. I'll try to convince him to sleep, even. Thank you, Niko."
Nephire looks awkwardly surprised. "...so that's what the insignia on your uniform stands for. I thought it was some sort of medical position. Well let me introduce myself better as well. Nephire Thievious, supposed diplomat and bumbling idiot extraordinaire!" Nephire grins.
SECURITY> Kyara walks towards the Chief Addison's Office.
SECURITY> Niko inclines his head. He does not, it may be noted, say 'you're welcome', mainly because Kyara isn't. But she's also gone, and he's just as happy. With a sigh, he gets to his feet. "Ten minutes won't make a difference. C'mon, boy, let's go play catch." He whistles, and Pen, seeing Niko take up the ball, follows hopefully.
>Riley is on the floor, leaning against his desk. He's got his bottle of water and is contemplating it at length.
Nephire asks, "But if your're a medical officer... why do you sit here and drink? You know it's bad for you. Even us Jusseekians know that."
>Kyara drops the boxes carefully beside the desk. "Why are you on the floor?
Clara laughs sincerely now, lifting her glass in resumed greeting. "Hey, it's all right. And again, a pleasure to meet you. Yeah, the caduceus is medical," she agrees, tapping at the embroidered staff and snake on her coat. "You couldn't have known more though, so don't worry."
>"Cause this is where I ended up." Riley answers very quietly, "And I haven't wanted to move yet."
>Kyara nods as if that makes sense. "Why not?" she asks reasonably.
Nephire agrees, "and so I won't!"
>Riley shakes his head, "Too stunned."
Nephire gulps down the half empty glass until it becomes empty.
Clara taps at the brim of her hat before taking another drink, then grins. "Excellent. Now, as to your question, I've been ordered to think. And rum is a wonderful thought inducer, or it was back home."
>Kyara blinks, glancing toward the door. Tentatively, she guesses, "Clara?"
Nephire nods, "I see. Well I out to do some drinking myself then, as to how I'm going to save my people." After finishing his comment, Nephire taps the bartender with his wooden crook and gestures for a refill, which he receives with a smile.
Clara considers this repetition, then asks plainly, "If I may ask...precisely why does your planet need saving? If I might ask, of course."
>Riley drains a measure of the bottled water, "Yeah. Clara. If she ever even speaks to me again..."
>Kyara's eyes widen. "Why wouldn't she?"
Nephire nods. "Oh ask you may, in fact it might be to my advantage to answer. Well I'll put a long story short: My people reproduce quickly, and live long lives. I like to call it 'over-kill evolution'. Because of this and a crude lifestyle that our ancestors were ignorant enough to not to give it up, my homeworld is completely over-populated and pollution is sky high."
>Riley's reply is all but toneless, "I made her angry."
Clara winces, the physician in her screaming internally at the formula for population disaster. "Saints add preservatives to us," she breathes, and takes quick sip from her glass. "That's rough, indeed. And you're here to petition the Council for further planetary space to colonize?"
Nephire looks confused. "I guess so. Whatever that means... it's too long of a story why my people have sent me, who knows nothing of this profession, to do whatever you just said. Well all we need is other planets to colonize and a means to mass evacuate such a large-scale population."
>Kyara shrugs. "I make you angry all the time and you talk to me. You've ticked me off once or twice, and I have a tendency to come around and bug you. Why would that stop her from talking to you?"
"All," Clara repeats, nodding vaguely at her glass. "Not a small request, but certainly a good one to take up with the Alliance Council. I wish you luck, indeed."
>Riley drains more from the bottle, slumping up against the wall heavily. "I think... I think this goes above and beyond ticked. I just...I don't want her to do the wrong thing, if it's wrong, I dunno, I don't know anything anymore." He's so very zoned.
Nephire takes back a quick sip. "Thank-you. I'll need it. So enough about me, what were you 'ordered' to think about, if it is of any matter to share?"
>Kyara nods slowly. "Okay... I'll go talk to her then, find out what's up. For the moment, however, you're going to get up off the floor, onto the couch, and hopefully to sleep."
Ever see a clam shell snap shut? Clara nearly does that with her expression as she wraps both hands firmly about her glass. "I was ordered to consider my own personal position in a matter of private importance," she says quietly. "Commenting further on the matter would be...irresponsible."
>Riley makes a noise that's not unlike an ack, but more strangled. "You don't need to go off harassing the poor woman. I've been awful enough to her." He manages an arm up over the lip of his desk and tries to haul himself to his feet. "Don't think sleep's in the cards..."
Nephire removes his curious gaze away from Clara and places it on his glass. "I see," he nods in respect. He then takes back a good portion from his glass, and rests his vision back upon it.
>Kyara shakes her head. "I won't harass her. I'll just be there for her. What's wrong with that?" A slightly frustrated frown crosses her expression, and she states firmly, "Riley, you've been awake far too long. You /have/ to sleep. I don't want you collapsing again, and you can bet your bottom giro Clara doesn't either."
Clara blushes furiously for a moment, then knocks back another long sip. "I'm sorry," she offers. "It...it's a man," she says generically, then laughs. "But isn't it always? Anyway, just part of life, y'know?"
Nephire giggles... "I can only understand to certain degree, taking into consideration the gender factor, but I guess it is."
>Riley manages his feet, and with something of a lurching step, makes it close enough to fall onto the couch. "M'a little preoccupied at the moment, okay? Most wonderful woman there ever was and she... she says... but Nick..."
>Kyara looks a little heartsick, following slowly to stand over you. "She picked Niko?"
Clara snickers along with that, nudging her glass in a slow circle on the bartop. "Yes, of course." She glances up as the band resumes playing, a ghost of a pained smile flitting across her features. "Best band in the known universe," she says loyally.
>"No," Riley's reply is very ragged indeed, burred with too little sleep and a lot of confusion. "That would've been easy. Kya... she said she loved me. She can't love me. It's not possible."
Nephire looks over at the group of people on the stage that Clara just referred to as a 'band.' "Excuse me Clara, but... what is a band? I just see a group of people on a stage, and hear them making a bunch of noises together... pardon me if I don't understand."
Clara's gaze snaps back to you, surprised before a grin crosses her face. "A band is a group of musicians who produce tones and sounds on various instruments and with their voices. This particular band, to many of us here at Copper Hill, has a particularly pleasing combination of sounds," she explains carefully.
>Kyara blinks, dropping to her knees beside the couch. "I don't see why not. You... you're everything a woman could wish for in a man. Yes, I know, you don't want Niko hurt, but if you're who she wants, and you love her too, I know you do, who are you to deny her her heart's desire?"
Nephire's look of confusion slowly leaves his small facial features. "I think I understand. Many of the other silver-eyes, like myself, were talking about the new generation of youths using such means as a form of rebellion, before I left my homeworld."
>"I told her to think about it," Riley's tone is still quite hollow with shock. He's stunned. The confuse-a-cat people don't need to come in, he's already well and truly confused. "To sleep on it, so see if she was sure that was what she wanted. She left, angry, I didn't want to. I had to say something though, she had to have a chance to realize."
Nephire bobs his head with the beat, "In fact, I think I'm enjoying these various tones and sounds."
"Rebellion?" Clara seems particularly astonished by this concept, then gestures with her drink to a man on the stage standing up and playing the drums. "That one there? I play the same instrument he does, actually. For us, it's not rebellion, but artistry."
Nephire raises an eyebrow. "Artistry?"
Clara considers her glass for a moment, brow ruffling in thought. "Skill at a particular craft? Working to learn to produce the most pleasing combination of sounds on the chosen instrument and with the voice."
Nephire tries to consider. "And that is Artistry?"
>Kyara smacks the heel of her hand against her forehead. "You dolt! She's already thought about it. She's been thinking about it for days, if not weeks. She came to her decision after tearing herself up about it, and you as much as told her to change her mind. /Not/ a good move."
Clara's eyes flicker up at the drummer appreciatively for a moment, a slow grin spreading on her face. "Oh, yeah. That's definitely a case of artistry if there ever was one."
>"Thank you for that snippet of wisdom." Riley's tone is dry, "I would have never noticed." His eyes half sag shut, "Yeah, I told her to change her mind. I want her to be happy."
>Kyara growls. "She'll be happy with /you/. What does somebody have to do to slam that fact into your skull?"
Nephire looks down at his glass, then at a laser-pointer lying on the bar. Nephire picks up the laser pointer and taps it across his glass producing various tones and sounds. He then attempts to sing along with his infernal tapping, only stopping to wave to the stranger and ask Clara, "Am I making Artistry?"
Clara nods absently at the stranger, then grins down at the smaller man. "It's a start? Artistry takes years to achieve. The guys are a sight better at it than I am, but I got to sing here once...years ago. It was fun."
Nephire acknowledges Clara. He then gets up and mimics what the drummer did moments ago that caught Clara's smile. "Is this artistry?"
>"Got a brick?" Riley offers dryly. Dang he's such a rhyming guy. He's also excessively wiped. "Yes, I did something stupid. I...I just wanted to do the right thing."
Clara is a doctor. She's trained not to burst into laughter. Still, it's a definite stretch of the self control, especially after said doctor's had a bit of rum from her hometown. "Aaah," she flicks a gaze up at the drummer, then back again, appearing to speculate. "As I said, it's a start. Although the sounds are really more the focus of skill rather than the movement."
Nephire sits down and places the laser-pointer back in it's original spot. He smiles with content. "Wait until my people hear of this. Artistry is fun, and that's what my people could use!"
>Kyara sighs. There's just no way to stay mad at this guy. "I understand that. But maybe Clara doesn't right now. You need to apologize to her, tell her you once again let your head get in the way of your heart, and offer to cut it off if you do it again."
Nephire gazes at his hands, then looks at Clara. "I am the first Jusseekian to make artistry... " He then sits motionless as if in silent prayer.
Clara folds her hands around her glass, pausing for a moment to sing along with the band in a soft soprano, the sound not carrying more than a small space away in the noisy bar, then lifts a brow at the man, and inclines her head solemnly. "If you believe so. I would recommend studying the works of great musicians in the Research Library? Rachmaninoff. Tschaikovsky. Beethoven. Bach."
>That garners a pause. Riley's actually considering the likelihood of his impending decapitation if saying something stupid is a death sentence. Frighteningly it's all too likely to occur. And you only get to screw up like that once. "Yeah. I need to apologize. If she wants to go in for decapitation, that's her call."
Nephire nods. "Whoever they are, I take it they are the masters of Artistry?"
Clara nods reverently, eyes shining. "Oh, yes. Bach...perhaps -the- master. And Mozart, Gershwin, Copeland...there's an entire wealth of masters, actually. The librarian can point you at the appropriate tapes and information."
Nephire smiles with excitement. "Excellent! To celebrate, let me buy you a drink!"
>Kyara chuckles slightly, sitting back to hug her knees to her chest. "It's a metaphor, though putting it that way might get her to laugh a little. Go... no, I'll bring her here... and you swear your undying love to her and beg her to allow you the privilege of being with her. And when I say 'swear', I mean it. You take oaths seriously- give her one. And not /one/ word about Niko."
Clara grins affably, and holds up her still half-full glass with an apologetic smile. "I do appreciate the offer, indeed. But this will be all I drink, tonight. Last thing I need is to be zinged for public intoxication. My CO would have my head."
Nephire understands, but decides to order himself a jug.
>Okay, that's a fair amount for Riley to swallow, and in his currently excessively gezonggerd state, it takes him a while to process. "I don't think you should bring her here. Isn't that... wrong somehow? I'm supposed to go find her."
>Kyara nods hesitantly. "Yeah, but you could barely get to the couch, much less to wherever she is right now," she points out.
Clara eyes the jug with academic interest. "If it's not rude of me to ask...is a high alcoholic capacity a trait for your race? I ask only because my specialty is xenobiology, and I'm afraid yours is a race I have yet to study."
>Okay, Kyara has a really good point there. Riley is way past the ODd on no sleep stage. He, like his player, is probably incapable from moving off of this couch. Well, at least not and get very far. He shoves an elbow under himself, starting to force himself upright. "I can sure as heck give it a try. I don't.... I don't want to make her any angrier than she is. Being summarily 'fetched' is probably a big no-no."
Nephire smiles. "High-alcoholic capacity a trait? Well no. Just try drinking the water from my planet. I bet you couldn't take a sip without getting high, if not unconscious. I guess we have a natural resistance to toxification."
Clara chuckles at the comparison, and lifts her glass in a casual toast. "Here's to potent water, then. I'd likely not need much, you're right. For a human woman, I may be tall, but the weight ratio's all wrong in addition to my metabolism."
>Kyara gets up on her knees to gently push at your shoulders, trying to push you back down. This is a ludicrous notion, of course, if one considers relative strength, but it's supposed to be symbolic or something. "And if I let you drag yourself out there, she'll be a lot angrier at you and me both. As it is, she's probably going to give me hell for not letting her know immediately that you're in this state." She pauses before noting, "But I do have a couple of ideas."
Nephire raises his jug to the occasion. "Then to potent water it is!" Nephire laughs.
>Except it's that last featherlight straw that breaks the camel's back. Riley is whether through symbolism or actual effort, pushed down onto the couch again. Flat on his chest, he regards you rather askance, despite the glassed over look to his eyes. "What're you gonna' do, Kya?"
Nephire gently clinks his glass with Clara's in toast.
Clara laughs as well. "Hear, hear!" she agrees heartily, and easily tosses back the rest of the rum, obviously a drink she's well used to. She shakes her head amiably at the bartender who holds up the bottle in question. "Mr. Thievious, I have to thank you, sir. You've been most congenial company this evening."
>Kyara blinks a little in surprise, but answers quickly. "Either slam some coffee and chocolate down your throat or... please don't get angry at me for suggesting this. Desperate times call for desperate measures... I still have the stuff Dabiar gave me. Including the truth serum he wanted me to give you. It's also one hell of a stimulant."
>"You know," Riley mutters to the couch, "I should learn when -not- to ask."
Nephire takes a rather large sip from his jug. "And to you, Ms. Aleron. Thank you for the company. Being new here, I think you're the first person to actually have a conversation with that didn't totally revolve around my people and history!" Nephire chuckles, "Tis been a wonderful evening, and must ask if you are leaving."
>Kyara lifts her hands helplessly. "I'm sorry. But those are the only solutions I can think of besides summoning her."
Clara chuckles and nods affably. "I'm afraid I am, sir. I'd best be back up to Medbay to finish off some paperwork and check on a few patients. I do appreciate the company again, though." She slips off her stool and drops a few giros on the counter to pay for her drinks. "Enjoy your evening, sir."
Nephire smiles as the beautiful doctor Aleron walks by. "Again, thank you. Maybe we'll be seeing each other around?"
Nephire tops off his jug.
>Riley begins to snicker helplessly, the absurdity of the situation altogether too much. "Kya, have I ever mentioned just how hysterical you are." He continues shaking with soft snickers, "Only person I ever met who'd've suggested truth serum as a solution to being tired."
Clara taps her brow under her cap in a casual salute and grins, then about faces and heads for the door, singing along softly with the band.
You walk towards the Java Quarter.
>Kyara blushes hard, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Yes, well, most persons probably have never been in a situation like this with limited options."
[After Clara goes home and changes to civvies...]
You head towards the Dark Alley.
>Riley gets that elbow under himself again, forcing himself upright. "Think I'll be fine without injecting any drugs that could potentially cause this entire situation to become faaaar too scary." He starts to lever himself off the couch, "Although it'd prove I was bein' honest I s'pose."
>Kyara hastily gets to her feet, taking a few steps back lest the human oak tree start to fall in her direction. "Well, yes, but she already knows you're honest with her. Do you wish coffee then?" She gestures toward the boxes. "I even brought you your very own coffee maker."
>Riley stumbles over to the desk, rummaging in a drawer. Snagging a couple of neon yellow pills he downs them with the help of the water. "One better." He manages after swallowing, "Caffeine pills. Every college student's friend, eh?" He continues to lean on the desk, straight-arming it for support. "Just have to give em a moment to kick in."
>Kyara ahs, smiling tremulously. "Go easy on those, will you, please?"
>After a few moments Riley manages to straighten up without the help of the desk. "Yeah, don't worry. As awful as they are after the first buzz wears off, there's no worry that I'm going to take more than I need." He goes to poke in the closet, then stumbling into the small back room. "Change, not doing this in the uniform. Don't... she'll call me boss and I'll lose it..."
You walk towards the The Vault.
>Kyara nods her approval, setting about unpacking the small coffee maker from its box. A box filled with dozens of commercial size coffee packets. She even sets a pot to brewing, an odd grin on her face. The other box, from which the rich smell of chocolate rises, is shoved discreetly under the desk.
>Riley makes his way back out, shrugging on his worn old flannel shirt. He's stumbling less, and looks almost coherent. Well, at least if you ignore the fact that his eyes are dilated rather excessively. "Oh my, that just smells...like heaven Kya."
>Kyara chuckles quietly, pouring a cup and handing it over. "And it's all yours, the whole kit and kaboodle. I've got no use for gourmet coffee in boot camp."
>Riley accepts the cup of coffee with a look of exceptional relief, "M'not gonna drink all your coffee. This pot though, sorry, you made it. It's doomed." Draining off half the cup, despite the fact that he's already probably had more caffeine than any human being needs already. "N'it's good too. Now just to find Clara." He goes to punch lightly at the terminal, "Hells."
>Kyara chuckles slightly. "I very much doubt you'll get very far into that box. The stuff is very rich." Horns tilt forward. "What now?"
>Riley lifts his shoulders slightly, "She's out of the building. Makes it harder to go about finding her, eh?" He drains more of the coffee. "Gotta comm her I guess."
>Kyara tilts her head. "I can comm her, ask her... I don't know, if she needs company or something."
>Riley shakes his head slightly, eyes widening a hair further. "Nah, I better try it."
Your communit crackles to life and says "Hey, Clara? Mind company?" in Riley's voice.
>All that's audible from Clara's comm are the staticy sounds of some argument and the clatter of a bar. In the background, someone yells, "Hey, good one Dimitri!" before static overtakes the channel again.
>Kyara nods, watching you carefully.
>Riley groans softly, grabbing his formerly abandoned gun and sliding it into the holster beneath his felt shirt, "At this hour...hells." He pelts for the door, caffeine and adrenaline having him on a relatively even keel.
>Kyara blinks, startled, but there's no way she's going to miss this, and she runs after. No way to keep up, but a 6'8" human's not hard to track.
>Riley walks towards the Security Central.
>Kyara walks towards the Security Central.
Riley walks here from the Underground Causeway.
Kyara walks here from the Underground Causeway.
Clara is at the far end of the bar, a small glass filled with dark liquid before her. Even visible in the poor lighting, she's grimacing up at some greasy character and shaking her head at him as he leans down to mutter something at her with a leer and attempts to drape an arm about her shoulders. An elbow goes into his ribs, bringing a scowl and a sharp comment starting from him down at her.
Hands come down on the greasy fellow's shoulders and scoop up a handful of jacket in each. With little ceremony he is hefted off the stool and set neatly aside. Riley being a lot bigger, and at this moment a fair bit wild-eyed, the fellow doesn't push the issue and the security chief slides onto the vacated stool.
Kyara trails in behind just in time to see that, and a snicker escapes her. Trying to remain somewhat inconspicuous, she chooses a seat a little further down the bar, but well within earshot of the AF officers.
Clara just stares up at the rescue in astonishment as several patrons abruptly look in the opposite direction, then snaps her gaze down to her drink and wraps her hands about it. "Thank you," she finally says after a moment, tone almost grudging. "What do you want?"
"You asked me that earlier." Riley's reply is very soft, and he lowers head and shoulders to try and catch your eye. Thankfully the dark of the bar masks the drug's effects on his pupils. "I want the same thing I wanted then." He reaches a hesitant hand out, resting it on your arm, "You."
Rather avoiding catching Riley's eyes, Clara instead transfers a barely controlled gaze at the hand on her arm. "That's not what you wanted," she protests quietly, hands gripping the glass all the tighter, a small splash of the rum escaping over the lip. "You want me to be with Niko. And you told me to go think. I'm thinking, as ordered, sir," she adds, obviously hurt.
Ow, she used the 'sir' word. You can almost -hear- the board hitting the back of Riley's head. "Clara, please, don't..." The hurt in his tone is obvious before he manages to find a mental track. "I was stupid. I was being terribly dumb. I was so shocked. I couldn't believe...the one thing. The one thing I wanted more than anything I have -ever- wanted before, and instead of having it held at arms length, it was mine to have. I didn't know what to do. I don't want you to be with Nick. I wanted you to be happy. There's a world of difference, eh? I love you more than life itself and I always will, Clara."
Rather than abuse anymore of the alcohol by letting it spill on the bartop from shaking hands, Clara pushes the glass to the side, letting her head drop slightly as she listens, fingers lacing together tightly as she inhales a sharp breath. "I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life, telling you what I did. I knew better than to...I always have." She finally looks up sideways, no longer bothering with keeping the faint fear tinged with hope off her face. "I know the difference. And I feel the same way."
That hand's still hesitant, but Riley doesn't move it, instead bringing the other up to the bar, obviously wanting to encircle Clara in his arms but not quite daring enough. "Please then, can we work it out? I..." He pauses, "Kya gave me instructions on things to say, but I must confess I forgot the lot. I know it involved you getting to decapitate me, and I'm fairly certain there was a great deal of mention of my stupidity..."
"Oh, don't lose your head," slips out of Clara's mouth without thinking before she herself winces and looks up apologetically. "We can work on it, yes..." she agrees after a moment of hesitation. She moves her free hand to cover yours on her arm, shaking her head slightly. "You're not stupid, Riley. Do you want me to list all the positive things about you? We'll be here awhile..."
Riley can't help it. He groans and stifles a pained snicker. "Clara, that was -awful-." He pauses again, as the brief brain melt caused by horrible puns passes. "If this... If this is what you really want Clara, I... I have to thank you."
Clara snickers as well, leaning in to nudge with her shoulder briefly in a moment of comfort echoing a few nights ago. "Hey, I do my best," she supplies quietly. At the final comment, she peers up curiously. "You have to thank me? But...why?"
Riley can't quite restrain a smile at the shoulder, not that he bothers to try mind, but if he'd wanted to he couldn't have. "For being you. For being you and for giving me the one thing I never thought I could have."
"I can't really be anyone else," Clara replies with a hint of fond asperity. "I'm a doctor, not an actor." No, she doesn't call him Jim. "But I haven't given you anything," she counters gently, searching the tall man's eyes. "Hells, I've yelled at you, hurt your feelings, forced you into compromising situations...the list goes on."
Aliana walks here from the Underground Causeway.
Aliana slips in quietly...scooting into one of the dark booths before taking stock of who is there.
Riley's hand on the bar moves up to brush gently at Clara's cheek before pulling hesitantly back. "Clara, you've given me one perfect evening. The single most glorious moment of my entire life. No, I think that's not entirely true. It was all but topped when you said you loved me. It was reprehensible of me to react the way I did."
Aliana hears a familiar voice...but not the words. She gulps and scoots down in her booth. Stay really really quiet and no one will see you, right?
Kyara is so focused on pretending not to listen in on Riley and Clara she probably wouldn't notice if the place was on fire right now.
Clara, completely oblivious to the rest of the bar at this point, fire or no, closes her eyes at the touch to her face for a moment, then reopens them to shake her head vehemently. "You just spoke your mind," she protests. "Please promise me you'll keep doing that? I may yell and storm out, but tell me the truth. Always?"
Riley pauses a beat, before nodding. "When it comes to what I feel, if that's what you want... You have my word." Ooh, the words. Big scary burn in sex kinds of hell if he goes back on them words, no wonder he added a rider to it. He's a navy officer after all, his word is his bond. He can't help but snicker slightly, "And if you ever doubt it, talk to Kya. She suggested doping me with truth serum."
>>OOC: Clara is not laughing. No. Definitely not. No Fruedian slip, nope.
>>OOC: Kyara does more than a double take at that second line... *laugh*
>>OOC: Riley has to re-read and -dies- laughing. All I can say is I have not slept in -days-!
Kyara turns a little red. It's from the scarlet drink she's consuming, really.
Aliana take advantage of the fact she is in black and a little person as she scoots just a wee bit closer...just to catch the waiter attention, of course.
"Truth serum?" Clara repeats dubiously. "Sodium pentathol?" She shakes her head abruptly, hauling herself back to the conversational tract by the mental scruff of the neck. "Never mind, I don't think I want to know. But I believe you," she decides, instantly solemn. "So...now what?"
Roland walks here from the Underground Causeway.
Roland walks into the bar, heading over to the bar and ordering a drink.
Kyara is at the bar, but totally oblivious to anything but Clara and Riley being mushy at each other.
Aliana is hidden in one of the booths...not close enough to be obvious, but kinda close to pick up a word here and there.
Riley shakes his head slightly, the grin still tracing its way across his face. "No, I think from the sound of it she had something else in mind. I used caffeine instead." He takes a long breath. "I don't really know. We go on with life? Figure things out one step at a time? Catch a movie sometime?"
Roland of course realizes no one he knows is in here, and after picking up his dark drink, heads over to where everyone's friend, Aaron Dimitri, is sitting at.
Clara rolls her eyes, smirking vaguely. "Again, I don't want to know. Wicked woman that she is," she mutters, obviously clueless that said wicked woman is only a few barstools away. At the suggestion, she dissolves into light laughter, nudging again affably and reaching for her drink, then setting it back down untouched. "No more," she mutters. "Yeah, a movie sounds good. Do they let you out of your cage?"
Aliana watches Roland take a seat...she would wave, but then that would kinda draw attention to herself.
A potato chip flips toward Clara's hair from Kyara's general direction.
Riley finally lets the hand drop back down off the arm, resting his hands on the bar. "If I growl enough and give the keepers peeved looks. Well... now to be entirely fair that doesn't always work. Sometimes they just throw food in the door and slam it. Usually though, if I intone the magical phrases, 'Anya is always right, Anya is God', and grovel excessively, she'll unlock the bars and let me out."
Roland strikes up a quite conversation with Dimitri. Oh look, Riley's just a few feet away. Is that why Dimitri appears to be sweating a bit? Nah. Roland still doesn't know he's there. Ignorance truly is bliss.
Riley isn't in uniform. Dimitri probably hasn't a clue either.
"Well, we'll just have to distract the keepers and break you out, now, won't we?" Clara decides with a grin. "Chocolate tameth the savage secur-...hey!" Her eyes cross to look upwards as she lifts a hand to pull the chip from her hair. "What the..." She looks around and spots the possible culprit, then leans in to prison whisper to Riley, "Think we oughta scat before a full scale food war ensues?"
Maybe he had the chili then?
Kyara looks innocent. She's good at maintaining that look. She does, however, sit up straight now with a slight frown, sending a silent shake of her head in Clara's direction.
"With Anya, raspberries work better. We could leave a little trail leading into the Brig and then run really fast." At the whisper he looks around, as if sizing up the others, "But boss..." He drawls in a cheesy mobster accent, "We could takes em'." He grins brightly and nods however, "Probably best, there are better places to be at 2 AM with an only half-charged tangler."
Aliana looks around as well...she sees nothing really frightening there, but then who would hurt her?
Clara snaps her fingers imperiously and drops her lack of accent to head back into native. "Not a chance, my good man," she decides, then grins up wistfully. "What you're doing down here at this time is beyond me, but I'd love to do bloodwork on you right now and see just how much of you's caffeine and how much is plasma." She slips off the barstool and tugs a few giros from her pocket to drop on the bar before holding out a hand. "Besides, I don't even have that. Just a few hypos."
Kyara slides off her chair, taking her drink with her as she moves farther into the crowd. She does pause once. She mutters to Clara, "... exhausted,... slept in... least... barely... caffeine... take care of..." She doesn't wait for an answer before drifting away.
You sense Kyara slides off her chair, taking her drink with her as she moves farther into the crowd. She does pause once. "He's exhausted, hasn't slept in at least two days. He barely even made it off the couch. After that caffeine wears off, take care of him, okay?" She doesn't wait for an answer before drifting away.
Riley slides off the stool, taking the proffered hand in his much larger one. "I came down here because it's where you were. So that's where I had to be. Simple." He lifts his brows as Kyara meanders by, looking a bit startled. Startled enough that he doesn't continue speaking.
Aliana just listens carefully then begins softly muttering to herself...pausing as if listening to an unseen companion.
Clara blinks down at Kyara's proclamation, starting to reply before realizing the smaller woman's gone again already. She snaps a worried gaze upwards, then simply starts to bull her way through the crowd, attempting to pull Riley along with her.
Riley is tugged along after, looking a fair sight bewildered. With his size, it would perhaps make more sense for him to be in front doing the bulling, but he doesn't question it.
You walk towards the Underground Causeway.
Riley walks here from the The Vault.
You climb a long set of dingy stairs, taking you well up into the Complex.
Riley comes up the dingy stairs.
You walk towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Riley comes in from a hallway.
Clara pulls up short in the lobby finally, instantly heading for the elevator button. "How long has it been since you've slept?" she implores. Never mind when she did last. That's that thing with a long nose and big ears. Dat's irrelevent. "How long ago did you take caffeine?"
<OOC> Jess -groans-.
<OOC> Leila awwwwggghhhssss.
<OOC> Clara snickers. Thank you, thank you. :) Can't take credit, though.
<OOC> Roland says "What?"
<OOC> Kris finally gets it, and groans too. ;)
<OOC> Aliana is slow and finally gets it...2nd floor elevator lobby, Roland.
<OOC> Clara grins. A pun, Roland. With full honors and accolades to Spider Robinson, wonderful man.
"A while," Riley admits, "But then when'd you last sleep? Or Kya? Or Nick?" He continues to be led along, "Bout fifteen, maybe twenty minutes before I got to the Vault."
"Irrelevant," Clara snaps obligingly. "Come on, you need to be upstairs before you collapse." She peers up with an unwavering stare. "Don't even -think- of going back to your office. Don't even suggest it, Addison. Not a word."
You push the button.
You walk into the elevator.
From outside the elevator, Riley walks into the elevator.
You push the button marked 3.
The elevator direction light changes to UP with a ping.
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.
From outside the elevator, Riley has arrived.
You leave the elevator.
"I don't think it's irrelevant," Riley says softly. He doesn't argue the point however, he just keeps his eyes down and away from the all too bright lighting.
Clara pauses now in the better lighting to step in and tuck a hand under your chin, peering at the state of dilation in the eyes before grimacing and shaking her head, and turning down to tug towards the proper room. "If you collapse again, I swear I'm tossing you off duty for a week."
Riley winces at the up-tilting of the chin, and hence the blinding flash of light. "I'm still on my feet. No worries."
Clara mutters something incomprehensible, then pulls up short outside the proper door, a hint of hesitation flashing through her irritation. "You're home," she notes needlessly. "You need to get in there and sleep," she adds quietly.
Riley stops at the door, his back resting against it and letting said door take his weight. Lifting both hands he rests them on your shoulders, peering down at you thoughtfully. "Thank you, Clara."
Clara seems taken aback by the statement, then shakes her head up at you solemnly. "Thank you," she corrects quietly. "For so much...including dragging the creep off," she adds with a hint of wistful amusement.
Blink. Blink, Blink. The caffeine pills are starting to wear off, as Riley's pupils and the sudden whitening of his complexion attest to. He pauses a long moment, "I love you. I wish somehow I could say that enough, as if by sheer repetition I could make those simple words express what I want them to."
A flash of panic crossing her face, Clara lifts a hand to your cheek. "Good lord, Riley...please don't...not here. Do you need help getting in there? I can-..." She stops nattering suddenly. "And I love you," she finally repeats, sounding a little stunned.
Riley reaches up to catch at your wrist, "I am fine. No worries." He does however fumble for his keys. Those last words garner a delighted smile entirely at odds with the rest of the dazed expression he's wearing.
Clara lets her wrist be caught...it's fairly passive. No natural enemies in the wild. "Maybe no worries for you," she returns with a rueful smile, then glances down at the keys and lifts a brow. "Can you even remember which key it is?"
Riley has to bring his hand back down to sort through the keys, squinting down at the shapes. "Not the blue one..." He mutters, at last choosing and picking out a hard plastic key.
Clara folds her arms and watches with wry amusement, shaking her head faintly. "Are you sure I can't help?" she offers yet again with a small smile. "Despite the fact that you make m'poor heart go flip, I really can help, honest. I even went to school for it."
Riley's smile quirks a hair broader, "If you want to help, I'm not about to complain any. It'll be a cold day in a warm place before I turn you down again. One decapitation worthy offense a lifetime, it's all I got in quota.
"Lets send the devil earmuffs just in case," Clara quips, rolling her eyes over a smirk as she reaches out to attempt to tug the keys away from you. "Come on, Addison. Let's get you in there and unconscious in the proper place for once, yeah?"
Niko leaves Room N13.
Elasia leaves Room N13.
Niko, the Lieutenant Commander Canine preceding him, heads rather waveringly towards the elevator. Left foot, right foot, left fo--people. There are people here. He remembers to put down his foot, which is very likely a good thing. "I should have gotten shorter," he murmurs to his companion, adding something in Hellenic.
Riley peers down at his now empty hand a moment and then at the keys now in Clara's hands. "Yeah, sounds like a plan. As compared to the hallway." He blinks up at Niko, not really focusing enough to process who's involved yet.
"I told you so." Elasia offers quietly, although her eyes widen at the added phrase in Hellenic. She waves politely.
Clara pauses in the midst of unlocking the door to glance down the hall at the familiar voice and nearly sinks into the woodwork, eyes widening significantly until she sees the female with Niko. Jaw drop. Jaw hauled back up. She returns the nod politely, a hint of smile appearing before she goes back to focusing on the lock. Nice lock. Good lock. "Damn...which key is it?" she hisses up at Riley.
Riley carefully reaches to take the keys back, although he's making a bad attempt of it indeed. "Gray one. S'got the number on it." Slump, the door jamb is doing the most of holding him up at this point. Niko and Elasia get a few more blinks and then a rather guilty look. "'Lo Nick."
Niko looks just about as floored by the sight of Clara with Riley's keys, once he realizes that, yes, that's what's happening. "I guess I was right," he murmurs to Elasia, before starting his careful progress to the elevator once more. He adds, voice lifting to more audible levels, "Hi, Riley. Clara. Have, uh, a good time." And why those words don't stick in his throat is a mystery to him. He pauses, then, and adds, "Clara, Riley, Ela. We went to school together." Okay, so it's a lousy introduction, but under the circumstances...
Elasia crosses her arms lightly behind her back, giving Riley and Clara a polite nod. Niko gets a murmur in Hellenic.
Clara slips the appropriate key between her fingers before nudging her hands behind her back and nodding again, eyes on Niko for a long moment. "Niko," she greets, not even attempting to fumble at an explanation before turning up a smile for the woman. "A pleasure to meet you."
Elasia offers Clara a smile to echo her own. She looks perhaps a bit discomfited, but considering the situation... "A pleasure to meet you as well."
Niko shakes his head to Elasia, answering her in kind. He doesn't meet Clara's gaze, cause, gosh darnitt, walking is enough of an adventure without dealing with anything else. "We'd, uh, better get the Lieutenant Commander back to his post." He adds a mumble about gray envelopes for abduction of a superior officer, but it comes off rather flatly.
Niko's reply just seems to confuse Elasia further. Not to mention, "Lieutenant Commander?"
Clara inhales a long breath and calls over, "Goodnight," quietly before turning back to manage getting the door open with the appropriate key and push it the rest of the way open before holding the keys out to Riley. "It's open," she notes. She's observant. And a little floored right now.
Niko gestures vaguely to Pen in a silent answer to Elasia's question, then finally manages to reach the evil button of doom.
Niko pushes the button.
Okay, the keys disappeared entirely now. Riley's starting to get more and more befuzzed. He slumps a bit farther forward, a bare half inch at a time before he manages to steady himself all the way. Oooh, the keys are back. Taking them he sort of nods. "Thanks."
From the elevator, With a ping, the doors slide smoothly open.
Niko walks into the elevator.
Elasia walks into the elevator.
From the elevator, Niko pushes the button marked 2.
"Oh, not again, you're not!" Clara snaps, losing track of the other pair and dragging Riley towards his room. "Come on...this is -not- happening again," she repeats, pleading.
Riley unlocks the door to room I16 and goes inside.
You unlock the door and go into room I16.
Riley stumbles to the couch, he doesn't drop onto it, but leans against it long enough to regain something of his balance. "Sorry. Just a little zoned... Who was Nick with?"
Clara continues to pull, letting go as you find a place for balance as she nods sharply and heads over to coax the sleeping unit out of the wall. "I don't know," she replies, bemused. "She was pretty though," she adds, a faint amount of hope in her voice.
Riley peers at the coaxing of the sleeping unit, "Thanks for the help... I.. didn' mean." He pauses, "Was she? Thass good. Ver'good."
Clara glances back, almost businesslike as she finishes lowering it, then steps back and folds her arms, brows lifting. "Didn't mean what?" she asks simply, then nods vaguely, eyes drifting to the door. "I hope..." She cuts her words off and shakes her head. "Never mind. Okay, you...bed. I need to check your stats before I leave."
Riley staggers to the bed, slumping onto it with a very relieved sigh. "T'fall apart like this. N'more f'that stuff. Feel like I juss ran a marathon."
Clara makes an exasperated sigh and moves to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching up to the artery in the neck to take the pulse rate. "Your pulse is skyrockted," she agrees with worry, peering down at you with eyes dark with concern. "Why? Why did you take that stuff?"
Riley shifts one arm with effort, resting the hand on your leg. "Had to see you. Couldn't hardly walk. But -had- to find you."
Clara slips the hand at your neck up to your face, searching for something and know quite knowing what. "Riley...I would have come to you," she assures gently. "How could I not?"
"Wouldn't've been right." Riley's eyes sink shut, relaxing at the physical contact. "I screwed up, I had to fix it."
Clara's expression softens significantly, and all she can think of to reply is, "Hush...sleep now. Everything's going to be okay." I hope. But she doesn't verbally tack that on. "Just rest."
Riley shoves himself upright with one arm. Awkwardly he attempts to wrap the other around you in a clumsy, but well-intentioned, hug.
Clara gasps softly in surprise, not quite certain how to respond before her arms awkwardly raise to return the embrace. "It's okay," she murmurs. "It is..."
Riley is very gentle, but he encompasses you rather entirely in the hug for a silent moment before sinking back to the bed. "Been wanting to do that for ages."
Clara raises a hand again, smoothing back your hair and smiling vaguely, for some reason the troubling thoughts of moments ago gone for the nonce. "The other night," she agrees softly. "When you picked me up."
Riley curls up on one side, his eyes shut entirely now. "Wonnerful night. Perfect night. Even with the bad stuff, better night'n the other."
Clara's smile widens a bit as she nods slowly, even if you can't see it. "Yeah...yeah it is," she agrees softly. She does one final smooth, then glances at the door. "I'll let you sleep," she offers gently, starting to rise.
Riley's eyes flicker open at that, and although he's too tired to do more than half reach his fingertips towards you, he does murmur. "Parting is all we know of heaven, and all we need of hell."
Clara pauses in her rising, slipping her fingers up through yours and squeezing gently. "What does that mean?" Her words are quiet, uncertain, and with the weariness of two glasses of rum and no sleep behind them.
Riley returns the squeeze with a gentle squeeze of his own. "Just that watching you leave's ... not easy. Will'I wake up'n find this was nothing more'n a wishful dream?"
Clara can't help but smile fondly at that, shaking her head. "No, love..." She pauses for a moment to simply ponder on having said that, then adds, "It's all real, and I'm here for you. If this were a dream, well...it's not."
"F'it's," Riley half murmurs, "Never want to wake up." He pauses again, looking you over as best he can from this angle, "Y'look beat."
Clara chuckles softly at that, lifting her free hand to resume putting chocolate colored curls back into place. "I am that, yes. It's been a long, hard day, not enough sleep and too much to drink."
"Why doncha' get some sleep, eh?" Riley suggests quietly, although he doesn't look like he wants to let go of that hand.
Clara glances down at her still captive hand, then back up with raised brows, far too tired and emotionally scavenged to be circumspect. "Is that a loaded question?" she asks gently, half smiling ruefully.
Riley's expression is pretty danged confused for a moment before he gets a cluebrick of his very own. "It wasn'... B'it can be if y'wan't. No use in unloaded questions or...um...guns? Guns. S'plenty of room."
Clara shakes her head quickly, eyes kind as she rests a finger on your lips to quell the stream of words. "No...it's up to you. You're the patient. But if I stay, the gun has to go. At least until morning."
Riley can't help but begin to snicker at that. Shifting slightly to one side he uses his unoccupied hand to drag the tangler from its holster. Absently checking the safety with a fumbling finger he drops it over the side of the bed.
Clara is polite. She at least kicks off her boots which would likely produce nasty shin damage given the hard leather they're made from and the height differential. Shaking her head as she reaches down to retrieve the tangler and set it on the couch before returning and sitting back on the bed, a hint of uncertainty creeps back into her posture.
Riley's not wearing boots, and tennis shoes are a lot less likely to do any real damage. He's also too tired to realize. He offers up quietly, "Y'don't hafta' f'you don't wan. Just wan you t'know you're welcome t'stay."
Clara shakes her head rapidly and scoots down onto her side facing you, head pillowed on her arm folded upwards. "I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be," she replies quietly.
Riley shifts his arm up an over you, a half reminder of the earlier hug. "Never wan' wake up. Ever. Ever. This's'perfe..." The theory is he was going to say perfect, but he's lost it and is out cold.
"Perfect," Clara finishes for you in the merest hint of a whisper, relaxing into the half embrace and letting her own eyes sag shut, easily overcome by the day's mass efforts as well.
back