Dining Facility
Though the tan and white linoleum tiles of the dining hall are rather bland, the brightly-colored walls more than make up for that. The wall nearest the entrance holds vending machines for those on a budget, though the aromas of freshly-prepared food are tempting enough to make one forget finances. Cuisine from many of the Alliance's worlds is available, though some races are likely to find the food choices of their neighbors less than appealing. Plasglass windows in the next wall allow a view of the town beyond the complex, and a hint of the scenery beyond. Though the other two walls hold neither food nor windows, they have been painted with vivid colors, abstract murals that are occasionally interpreted by bored diners. Tables of varying shapes and sizes are found scattered throughout the room, with chairs that provide just enough comfort to allow ease of dining, but not so much that idlers are tempted to linger.
With the range of internal clocks of the complex's inhabitants, people of one form or another are generally found in the dining hall at all hours, though a seat at one of the many tables is usually available.
Contents:
Vendotron 3000
Obvious exits:
Atrium
You arrive from the Central Atrium.
Riley arrives from the Central Atrium.
Riley has arrived.
Tara is at a table in the far corner, concentrating more on watching the people around her than drinking the coffee in her mug.
Riley's communit crackles to life and blares "... time... it." in Kyara's voice.
Riley wanders in with a pile of folders. Ambling amiably to the Vendotron he speaks with it politely and ends up with a red can and an object suspiciously like a Pop Tart. Which of course we would not have, since with my luck the Pop Tart people would sue us. He wends his way through the crowd to a relatively empty table in the back.
Riley says "You gonna' survive?" into his communit.
Riley's communit crackles to life and announces "... and beg... mercy after... shower.... the mess..." in Kyara's voice.
Riley says "As long as you're going to survive..." into his communit.
Tara lets her gaze wander, and suddenly she stiffens, eyes narrowing. One word hisses through her teeth. "Addison..."
Riley's communit crackles to life and announces "... Yeah. I just... enjoy... a... hours." in Kyara's voice.
You know, there's something about people hissing your name as if they'd like to stir fry your giblets to make your ears perk up. Riley is however used to having diplomats sound like that. Pausing in mid munch he tries to review what he's done, and who wants to kill him now. He eventually turns to regard Tara, comprehension not really dawning yet. "Hrmm?"
Tara recovers somewhat, remembering the change in circumstances from when she last saw this man. Pasting a cocky grin on her face, she takes her coffee and ambles toward Riley's table. "My my my, what a /pleasant/ surprise."
Riley peers up at the vituperous individual, dark brows furrowing as memory tries to cough up -something-. Thwack! There's the Clue by four. His brows lift in a rather startled expression, "..." That would be him starting to address Tara by rank and then realizing she hasn't -got- any. "Valentine, good grief, what a small universe."
Tara shrugs slightly, turning the chair opposite Riley backwards, and invites herself to take a seat, straddling it. "Yeah, you're probably the last person I expected to see here. Thought you'd give railroading dirthuggers a try?"
Ouch. Riley does not -quite- wince, although the expression is rather close. He shakes his head slightly, popping open the soda can. "Nope, now I harass diplomats and collect halfblacks. Somebody's got to do it."
Now /that/ elicits a look of pure delight from Tara. "So the rumors were true." Though she keeps her voice low, she's definitely crowing. This opportunity is just too good to miss. "You really couldn't cut it as Captain. Pity they found out just a little too late. And now you're stuck here with a bunch of fluffheads to babysit. Addison, you just made my year."
Aliana arrives from the Central Atrium.
Aliana has arrived.
"Gee, I'm glad I could help." Riley's reply is dry, "Nobody ever suggested I'd cut it as a captain. It was one of those colossal errors."
Aliana slips in, then does a prarie dog pop to see who is there. Relief settles in as she doesn't spot someone and she ducks down to make her way to a seat. Pack sliding to the ground beside her as she digs out yet another packet.
Riley waves warily to Aliana, although the wariness seems to be more a reaction to the person across from him.
Aliana flashes Riley a quick smile, before her eyes dart over the various people in the dining hall. She seems prepared to duck and run at something.
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Tara snorts, losing some of her good humor. "So was flying through a stellar corona and losing half the ship's systems, but you don't see me sitting high and dry, do you?" She glances over her shoulder, her gaze following Riley's, to give the young woman a short nod before turning back to him.
"I think," Riley says quietly and distinctly, "That depends on how you define 'high and dry'."
Tara reaches out to tweak at Riley's uniform sleeve. "Safe and secure in the arms of the AF."
Aliana adds helpfully, 'He'd only be high and dry if he had been posted to Karistu steading...Copper Hill is rather damp"
Funny, normally Riley's so laid back. That twitch of his sleeve however brings back memories of certain regulations and he pulls the arm back a notch, looking less than thrilled. "Yes, but see my only crime was following orders. Generally they're a bit more forgiving of that than for not bothering to check to see if there's been a navagational chart update."
Roland arrives from the Central Atrium.
Roland has arrived.
Roland strolls casually towards the serviing lines. We're talking casuall. So casuall he has his hands behind his head and appears to be whistling softly. He's that casuall.
Aliana carefully opens her packet and stirs the contents carefully....door is watched carefully from the corner of her eye, perhaps expecting boogeyman? Nope, just Roland and he gets a furtive wave.
Tara snickers at Ali's remark. "Indeed." Riley's reaction brings a smirk to her face, though it loses conviction at his words. "Mistakes happen. I've never forgotten to, ah, check since." She shrugs, taking up her mug again. "Don't let it bother you. You /only/ cost the AF the best they ever had."
"Oh yeah," Riley munched lightly on his toaster pastry, "Best cheat, best maker of sarcastic comment, best at 'conduct unbecoming an officer'." His tone is quiet, "You didn't deserve to be drummed out, but you did have a lot of growing up to do."
Roland grabs a plate of food and a drink and heads over towards Ali's table. "Mind?"
Aliana nods her head, indicating the place opposite, which by mere chance blocks view of Ali from the doorway.
Tara can't suppress a slight wince, right after the 'conduct' comment. The rest of her 'bests' she doesn't bother denying. "Yeah, well, that's a lot easier to do when tossed out on your ass, I suppose." She lifts her cup, breathing a sigh into her coffee. "Dammit, you're not making this half as enjoyable as I'd imagined it'd be, Addison. Like, fly off the handle or something, would you?"
Roland sits down in the offered seat after setting down his glass and food. Getting himself comfortable he grabs the fork and knife and starts eating.
Aliana looks at Roland's food in bemusement, then starts to eat her own. An overheard remark causes her to pause and peer towards Riley's back...then head tilts to peer at where he is sitting...A shrug before she looks back to Roland,'What is that?'
Riley briefly dusts a couple of crumbs from his cuff, offering Tara one of his stock of grins that are not unlike the bearing of fangs. "Sorry to dissapoint, Valentine. If it helps, yes, you're pushing buttons. I'm afraid I've given up flying off the handle for Lent however." Oooh, smell that? That's -sarcasm-. "I've had years to try and make my peace with the things I was forced to do then."
Tara snorts, stung. "Forced, my sweet..." She shakes her head. "You've tried. Succeeded?"
Roland blinks at Ali. "What's what?"
Riley sets the can down with deceptive care, "I never asked to command a cruiser. I fought it tooth and nail every step of the way." The suspiciously poptartish object is polished off. "With some of it, yes."
Aliana points to his food,'That'
Tara's eyebrows lift slightly, though she tries not to let the surprise show. "Some?" Her tone invites expansion on that, as well as expressing doubt that she'll get that expansion.
Well two points for Tara's tone, it's right. Riley just looks discomfited and attempts to conceal that fact. "Some." He affirms.
Roland ohs. "Turkey. Mashed potatos, stuffing. Good ole old fashioned Terran munchies." To emphasize his point he cuts off a peice of the turkey and pops it into his mouth."
Aliana peers a bit closer, 'Turkey is a kind of meat?'
Roland nods absently. "The other white meat," he notes.
Tara chuckles softly, taking a drink from her coffee. "Ah well, we've all got things we'd rather not discuss, neh? So what'd they stick you with down here? Commanding the Wraiths?"
Aliana tilts her head, 'What is the first?'
Roland replies, "Chicken."
Aliana beams, 'Oh! Turkey is another word for chicken?'
Riley tugs lightly on the uniform sleeve, "Security. I'm a jack booted goon now. You know, shooting first, asking questions later. Barking, 'Who goes there, friend or foe', that kind of thing. What about you?"
Roland uhs, "No. Turkey is a different kind of bird than chicken."
Aliana ohhs softly, then seems to be listening to something, head tilted slightly, 'Do you think they have more?'
Tara's eyes widen over her mug as she pauses mid-sip. "Security? Oh Lord..." She shakes her head with a snicker. "I'm in shipping. Thinking about opening a branch here." She waves slightly, indicating the many-specied crowd. "Lots of opportunity."
"Opening a branch?" Riley questions, "You're your own boss then? That really solves that whole insubordination thing neatly. Congratulations." His grin is almost teasing rather than snide. "Opportunity comes for those who seek it certainly, I hope you have luck."
Roland shrugs. "Only one way to find out, go and check. Better hurry before I get seconds, I might decide to take the alst of it."
Aliana errs softly, "She prefers her meat raw.'
Roland blinks blankly, oops, there goes his cool. "She?"
Tara smiles slightly, ignoring the heat that rises to her face. "Customers are worse than Captains and regs. There are some days I wish I'd just gotten myself a nice cozy cell in the brig," she replies smoothly. Somewhere deep in her eyes a flash of amusement lurks. "I'll take that hope, with thanks."
Aliana nods quickly, 'Islien...She wants to try that other white meat...Does it taste like chicken?'
Roland uhms... "Why don't you find out for yourself?"
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Aliana blinks, "You mean...I should try it?'
Riley finishes off the soda, spreading the folders before him on the table. "If you're sincere on that, I can always offer to help. But I give fair warning, the brig's a bit infested at the moment."
Roland nods his head.
Tara rolls her eyes, snickering. "Oh, I wouldn't make you go to all that trouble. I'll keep it in mind though, should I be plagued by ticked off customers."
Riley nods pleasantly, tugging a pen down from behind one ear. It had been lurking in his mass of chocolate-brown curls and getting annoyed. He flips open a file folder and sets to work. "Anything I can do to be of service."
Tara can think of half a dozen things Riley could do that would make her very happy indeed, but she sure as heck isn't about to voice them. There is one thing though... "Actually, if you could direct me toward a medical type, I'd be willing to forgive you for shutting down that little gambling ring I was running."
Riley's brows lift questioningly, "Medical type? Everything alright?"
Tara nods, turning her head to search the crowd... there he is. She points toward a scruffy urchin making his way through the crowd smoothly lifting wallets. "Found him out there in the Steading. He's got a cut turning gangrenous and the clinic said they don't have the medicine to treat it. I was hoping to beg some from the medicos here."
Aliana ohhs as she gives the food line a decidedly wary look,'Alright' She reluctantly agrees and sneaks towards the food line..once again, looking as tho she was expecting some sort of bogeyman to appear right before her.
Riley says, with a hint of steel in his tone, "Second floor, to the far right. And if I have to upend the both of you over a bucket and knock out folks belongings, I will. Fluffies are fluffies, but a lot of the folks here work way too many hours for not enough money, eh?"
Tara sighs, nodding slightly. "Sorry. I told him to behave in here, but..." She shrugs. "You know how kids are. I'll, um, dump the stuff at Security, neh? No need to start a bunch of yelling in here."
Aliana returns to the table with her plate of turkey slices.
Roland nods at Ali. "That wasn't too hard, was it?"
Aliana just peers at Roland as she takes a small bite, then hmmms, 'Not to bad'
Roland nods and peers. "Did you get the gravy?"
Riley mmhmms quietly, nodding. "That sounds prudent, thank you."
Tara snickers, finishing her coffee. "Shhh, don't say that so loud! You'll ruin my rep."
Riley smiles almost honestly at that, nodding. "Have fun."
Aliana blinks, 'Gravy?'
Tara does not, however, move just yet. She just folds her arms on the back of the chair, resting her chin there, and watches Riley intently.
Riley's brows lift in some measure of confusion, "Am I supposed to do a song and dance routine now?"
Tara snickers. "Can you? That'd be entertaining as hell." She grins, shaking her head. "Nope, just trying to figure out how far down they busted you."
Roland nods and points to the brown goop on his plate. "It's made from mixing the juices from the turkey as it's cooked and flour, add some spices, and wallah. Just the stuff they server now has no fat or anything in it. I bet they sythetically make it here."
"Up a few skips," Riley murmurs quietly, "M'an Admiral these days."
Aliana ohs as she sneaks back to the food line,once again looking as tho she is ready to bolt for some reason.
Tara blinks. "You're... you've gotta be joking. Halfblack Addison is an /Admiral/?"
Roland hmms to himself as he stands and and heads over to the food line discreately. He cqarefully makes his way towards Ali.
Aliana points to one of the thingies, 'Is that gravy?'
Roland blinks. "What?"
Aliana points to a vat of greyish-brown stuff, 'Is that gravy? For my turkey?'
Riley looks excessively chagrined, "You don't have to say it so -loudly-. Yes, an Admiral. I did my shot at Admirality House, and we decided neither of us agreed with the other. So I ended up here."
Roland uhs, "No, I don't know what that stuff is. This is the gravy." He points to a vat of dark brownish stuff. If he got thrown off by her seeing him, he doesn't show it.
Aliana is a wee bit jumpy...and very observant indeed. She beams as she drowns her piece of turkey in gravy, 'Like that, she asks?'
Tara laughs quietly, shaking her head. "Sorry, it's just... a little hard to believe." She glances around, admitting, "I can't disagree that this is probably better than Admiralty House. Just from what I hear."
Roland nods. "That'll work nicely."
Aliana grins,'Shall we go back to our table?' He'll make a nice shield from whomever Ali is hiding from.
Roland uhs. "Sure."
"It is hard to believe," Riley agrees, "And it's...problematic." He turns over several pages, "This is a good place. It's been better than half a dozen years now, I've grown attached."
Aliana grins as she heads that way...keeping Roland between her and the door.
Tara's eyebrows arch. "Is that so?" she murmurs thoughtfully.
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Riley appears a bit confused by that tone, but nods after a brief pause. "Yes. It's a good place, something meaningful, and nobody requires me to be some kind of evil deity handing out punishment from on high."
Aliana settles donw in her spot...then waist for Roland to return, see? SHe does have some manners after all.
Tara's mouth quirks. "Funny, I always thought of you as the devil, not a god. Course, that might've been half my problem right there. Still, sounds like you've got a good thing going here."
Roland sits back down at the table and gets comfortable again as he eats thoughtfully.
Riley mutters a rather quiet agreement, still discomfited rather obviously.
Aliana takes a very small taste of the gravy then smiles, 'Not bad...not bad at all'
Tara may have come more or less to terms with long ago events, but she still can't help but enjoy that discomfiture, just a little. Still, she changes the subject. "So have you settled down with a wife and kiddies yet? I seem to recall you were quite the dashing figure aboard ship."
Wince, ooh, wince again. Riley does not look pleased by that question. "Considering," he says at length, "I never heard a single word on that ship that wasn't official business or preceded and followed by the word 'sir', that would seem a bit off. But no, I am neither married nor have I children."
Tara's eyebrows rise slowly. "Even the Captain's entitled to..." She shakes her head. "Never mind. Another point of disagreement between me and the AF. If it helps, there were plenty in the crew who wouldn't have minded getting to know you better." She nods at the answer to her question. "I'm not sure if that surprises me or not."
"Tara, it's a hanging offence to so much as touch the Captain." Riley notes dryly, "Generally was a major conversational dampener."
Aliana pauses mid-bite as she hears something, eyewidening as she interrupts, obviously not one to hide her eavesdropping, "Would the Captain break?"
Tara laughs quietly. "You remember Lieutenant Skinner? She'd have chanced it." She starts to reply to the last comment, and breaks into snickers at Ali's comment.
Riley lifts his brows in wry amusement at Aliana's question. "Rather the other way round actually." Okay, that was vague. "It's a very ridiculous and stupid old regulation. I don't think they've ever actually hanged anybody for going up to a Captain on a ship under weigh and poking him're her on the nose say."
Tara chuckles. "Dang, if I'd known that back then..." She grins merrily, obviously joking. Probably. She glances over at Ali. "Among a lot of other very ridiculous and stupid old regulations."
Aliana considers this rather thoughtfully, yet another tidbit is filled away under the fun facts to know and tell category. Attention goes back to Roland as she beams, 'Hey...this gravy stuff is quite good...We call it soup on Linnae'
Riley murmurs quietly, "Which is why most folks don't bother to point out it's archaic. Keeps captains from getting clocked."
Aliana does finish her bite before asking,"Clocked?....and being made into a timepiece?'
Tara grins over at Ali, amused. "She's a trip, Addison," she notes, then swears, getting to her feet. "Bloody hell, that little son-of-a..." The urchin's disappeared. "I've gotta find that kid before he steals from the wrong person. If you'll excuse me, sir." A definite clue her mind is elsewhere.
There's a flashed grin at the 'sir' as Riley tries to restrain a snicker. He nods to Tara and then shakes his head at Aliana, "Decked? Punched? Caused to fall over in an unconscious state?"
Roland shakes his head. "Gravy is gravy, soup is soup. Clam chowder for instance, is a soup."
Tara blinks at Riley, and rolls her eyes at the mental playback. "Take it easy, Addison." She heads for the door at a swift walk.
You head towards the Central Atrium.
Ryoshia is sitting on a bench, reading, minding her own beeswax.
Tara pauses to glance around and finally finds her target, who's fleeing with the goods. Muttering to herself, she follows the urchin outside.
You head towards the Massive Open Air Pavilion.
***** That night... *****
You head towards the Security Central.
Security Central
Unlike most of the rest of the complex, the security offices are designed for ease of use rather than aesthetics. Wood paneled walls and marble floors are not to be found here. Brushed steel and plate flooring take their place. The acoustics in this room are designed to muffle sound, so despite the metal flooring and the constant coming and going of security personnel, the area does not quite achieve a cacophonous state. A large bank of monitors takes up the bulk of the east wall. On each is displayed video from various security cameras as well as information garnered from customs and immigration. It is from here that security can keep an eye on most everything that happens in the Complex. There are always at least two uniformed guards on duty with nothing to do except watch the monitors. A broad desk is located near the entrance, with an officer present to handle queries.
Three arched doors lead from this area. One to the brig, one to private offices, and the third to the elevator lobby.
Contents:
Niko
Tally Board
Obvious exits:
Chief's Office Brig Elevator Lounge
You arrive from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Niko takes a long, round case from Denner, of an appropriate size for a fishing pole or another creative device for the catching of piscine creatures. As something takes up the attention of every other secoff--don't ask what, Jess is too tired to come up with an explanation--Niko turns towards the newcomer, his voice tiredly polite. "Can I help you, ma'am?"
Tara swaggers in, gaze sharpening a bit as she casts it around the room. Despite a lingering look at the coffee machine, her interest seems to be more on the status of the place. At Niko's words, her eyes light on him for a moment. "Yes, handsome, I think you probably can. You can also point me toward somebody I can trust with this." She dumps a small bulging sack on the reception desk.
Niko's brows arch very slowly. "And what would this be?" he inquires, the faintest of grins crossing his face as he pads over to the reception desk. "Can't tell who could be trusted with it if I don't know what it is, after all."
Tara twitches the bottom of the sack, spilling a dozen wallets, none particularly expensive-looking, to the desktop. "These sort of made their way out of their owners' possession."
Niko squints at the wallets, brows lowering. "Mm. And did they have any assistance in fleeing their owners, do you know?" He takes up the nearest of the wallets, opening it to look for some form of identification.
Everything originally in the wallets still resides there, and ID's show the owners to be mostly Complex workers. Tara shrugs indifferently to the question. "I doubt they walked out on their own," she notes dryly.
Niko says drolly, "You might be surprised, in this place. But how did you manage to get the wallet of... ah, Hafeez Futumbi and his compatriots?" His tone is mildly curious.
Tara leans against the desk, examining her fingernails absently. "A friend of mine was holding them."
Niko puts down the wallet to rub briefly at the back of his neck. "Please," he says lightly, "You're telling me too much. Far, far too much information." Yes, he's being sarcastic, even if his tone is still mildly polite.
Riley walks here from the Chief Addison's Office.
Tara smiles faintly. The expression fails to reach her eyes. "In that case, you won't be needing..." Her eyes shift at the opening of the door, and she gives a short nod to Riley, finishing her sentence, "Any more."
Doobie-doobie-do.. Riley meanders out, a penguin tucked under one arm. He moves to the desk scooping up the messages and give Tara a long rather nonplussed look. He returns the nod, "This is the lot?"
Ryoshia arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Tara coughs, "I wasn't able to get the fluffy ones back. There were only a few though."
Niko lifts the fishing-pole case in greeting to Riley, after a moment's pause. "Hi, Chief." Tara just gets a long look. "Fluffy... wallets?"
"If I see the kid, I have to pick him up and shack him with delinquency you know." Riley's tone is -not- affable." He waves to Niko, a hair pleasanter. "Hey Nick. Yeah, Valentine brought in some brat that went lifting wallets in the dining hall."
Ryoshia walks in with a very lost expression on her face. She walks in time to hear something about lifting wallets. "Funny that," she notes.
Tara nods, not looking particularly happy about that. "You always walk in at the worst times, Addison," she murmurs.
Niko says mildly, with a glance towards Ryoshia, "Funny. Yeah." He starts to gather up the wallets, murmuring something about paperwork to Denner, who lends him a hand.
Ryoshia walks over to the desk, holding out a hand. "Wait, I think mine might be in there."
"That's what they pay me for." Riley nods at Tara's comment. "The laws regarding juvenile crime in Copper Hill aren't exactly light and or kind. The Complex is the worst place for him to be trying that junk, we'll have the security camera footage and scanner readouts of him, he can't shake it if he's being stubborn." He pauses a moment before asking Niko quietly, "Hadn't you taken some time off?"
Tara looks just a tad frustrated, her posture no longer as relaxed. "And if I get 'em back? With contents more-or-less intact? Good grief, Addison, he's just a kid. And I still need to get him up here to the medicos."
Niko's attire, at least, suggests that he's off-duty. His nod to Riley confirms that. "I came down to get this from Denner," he says, lifting the case once more. "Then Miss... Valentine, is it?" He casts a brief glance towards Tara, adding, "I figured, I was here, might as well lend a hand." His tone is still mildly polite. His brows lift fractionally at Tara's comment, and he inquires, despite himself, "How old is he?"
"If I've not got a crime, I've not got a charge..." Riley points out to Tara quietly. He nods to Niko, "Gotcha."
Tara nods, grimacing at the thought of tracking down the kid all night. "A poorly grown nine or ten," she tells Niko, casting a curious look toward Ryoshia.
Niko nods slightly to Tara, spreading out the wallets that Ryoshia may see them. "What about his parents?"
Tara shrugs. "What about 'em? They're not around."
Niko isn't idealistic at all, nah, no way. Despite the fact that his expression speaks volumes, all he says is, "They should be keeping an eye on him. Several eyes, from the sounds of it."
"The kid probably doesn't even know who his parents are, Nick." Riley offers quietly.
Tara peers at Niko for a moment before Riley rescues her with that interjection. "What he said."
Niko blinks, perhaps a bit nonplussed by that, then shakes his head. "What a world," he murmurs.
Riley just shakes his head a bit, sliding into a chair in front of Anya's desk. "At nine or ten that kid's probably seen more than you or I have Nick. It's a sad place, but that kind of thing can't be given countenance in the building. If I'm forced to officially notice it, the kid's screwed."
Tara nods her wry agreement with Niko. "Yeah, but at least it means there's always room for improvement. I'll see what I can do about that, Addison." It's either that or disguise the kid as a pet next time she drags him in.
Niko shakes his head very slowly, rubbing lightly at his nose. "Improvement would be nice, but you'll pardon me if I don't hold my breath." He leans lightly on a conveniently-placed chair.
Riley rummages through his handful of messages, "I tried with the Underground, I really did. But all planets have to have something like it."
Tara gives Niko a sympathetic smile. "Give me a call sometime. I'll show ya it's not all that bad down there." She casts a frown over at Riley. "You didn't try to clean it up, did you?"
"Tried," Riley murmurs, "Had the whole Council come down on me like a ton of bricks."
Niko's brows twitch rather sardonically at Riley's words. He nods to Tara, with a half-shrug, and, exchanging a final few quiet words with Denner, heads towards the exit. "Have a nice evening."
Tara snorts, folding her arms. "You should've known better." She turns her head to give Niko a pleasant nod. "You too, handsome."
That sparks a decided hint of steel from Riley, "Valentine, you so much as -think- about harassing any of my people you'll find yourself in the brig faster than you can say, "But that's what the navigation chart said -earlier-.'"
Niko pauses at the door, though it isn't clear whether this is because of Tara's comment or Riley's response. He turns to regard the pair, brows lifted in surprise, but doesn't speak.
Tara arches an eyebrow, and offers Riley a disarming grin despite a slight gritting of teeth. "I wouldn't dream of it," she responds smoothly. "Harassment's really beneath me."
"Uh-huh," Riley all but snarls, "I remember what happened to the -last- guy you went around calling handsome. Touch my people and you deal with me."
Niko, still hovering by the door, looks decidedly curious and confused and generally uncertain as to what the heck is happening. He mutters to himself, "... take it... know... other."
Tara sighs dramatically, rolling her eyes, though a flash of uneasiness crosses her expression at Riley's last sentence. "I'm just being friendly, Riley. Honestly. I call all the guys that."
Riley just reiterates his last sentence, although he's a bit less snarly. "Touch my people and you deal with me."
Tara shrugs. "I'll cross their names out of my prospective dating pool then. Pity though." Her eyes drift to Niko.
Niko asks slowly, tone rather confused, "I'm missing something in this whole conversation, aren't I?"
Riley's brows knit together as he briefly contemplates offering Denner to Tara as a sacrifice. He eventually decides that's bad. "Valentine used to serve on the same ship I did."
Tara goes back to examining her fingernails. "Didn't last long," she comments.
Niko purses his lips as he jumps to a conclusion or two, casting a speculative look between the pair. "Ah," he murmurs. "Well. Have a nice evening. Again." And with that, he finally does leave.
Niko heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Ryoshia is quietly searching through the small collection of wallets.
Riley sighs softly as Niko leaves, gathering up his messages.
Tara rounds on Riley. "Dammit, Addison, do you always interfere with folks' private lives?"
Riley straightens up to his full height, peering down at Tara. "I do when people I know are trouble so much as look the wrong way at people I respect, yes."
Tara takes an instinctive step back. "Get out of the past, you idiot. That was eight years ago. Things have changed. If somebody- and that includes your people- rouses my interest, you've nothing to worry about."
Riley tucks his hands into his pockets, the very picture suddenly of relaxed security goon. "If that's the case, I apologize. But you've show no sign that you hold anything but contempt for me still, pardon if I'm a bit edgy in regards to what you might pull."
Tara ain't buying the relaxed image. Her tone is low and even. "For one thing, if that's what you truly think about me, you can go take a flying leap into a reactor. And for the other, I wouldn't use somebody else to get back at you."
Toe tap, toe tap. "As I said, if I'm off the mark I profoundly apologize." Riley's reply is even.
Tara stares up at him for a moment before nodding dubiously. Mouth quirking as humor returns to her expression, she notes, "I'll leave 'em alone. Don't blame me if they wander around off-duty and out of uniform and I pick 'em up though." She glances toward the door. "He /is/ rather cute, y'know."
>>OOC: A voice from the peanut gallery cheers Tara's opinion.
Riley shakes his head slightly, "If you're not going to make their lives miserable, date whom you will. Just don't let me catch you up to any of your old tricks."
Tara chuckles. "Kind of hard to have fun with 'em if I'm making them miserable. You gotta be /logical/, Addison. Relax. I'm not looking for trouble."
"If you say so," Riley's tone is -almost- affable.
Tara nods, rather amused. "Give it a few months, you'll see." She gestures toward the wallets. "Not proof, but it'll do for starters. Besides, I've no desire to tangle with you. Bad for business."
Riley nods affably enough, still sorting through messages. "You're intending to stay a while then?"
Tara grins. "As amusing as you're proving to be? Yeah, I think I'll make this home base for a while."
Riley does not groan. Really. He has to work very hard on it though. "Uh, great." He finds a particular message and looks excessively pleased. "If you'll pardon me?"
Tara nods affably. "Sure. I've gotta start hunting down G'ben anyhow." She turns to head out. "Be seeing you around, Addison."
You head towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Q-HTML V2.1 (evaluation copy) by Craig Cockburn created this page on 01-Feb-1999 at 11:21:25
