Yokohama - Bridge of Operations
From the lift, the main viewscreen dominates the wall seen directly across the way from it. Set above is an enormous observation window, which affords an amazing view of space and the planet below. There are many control consoles and chairs on the deck set before them, as well as a large open area just in front of the viewscreen. Centrally located in this expansive area is the Commanding Officer's chair. Three sets of steps ascend to the platform, which is set several meters above the deck. Other important stations line the upper platform, which extends both the port and starboard, each side ending a few meters short of the viewscreen.
Day two on board the Yokohama, and all is.. well? Or, at least it can't be too bad, considering Ricki isn't a lovely shade of green, nor are her knuckles white from grabbing onto anything, which means she has survived the night and finally gotten at least some what used to being in a giant metal can orbiting way above Pern. Regardless, she has managed to find some peace and quiet away from the other candidates who are having a harder time adjusting, and is currently sprawled shamelessly in the commanding officer's chair, one leg over the side, held tilted back, staring through the observation window, a slight smile on her lips.
Maybe only two days time, but at least five rolls of film have passed for Nikolan, and there's no end in sight as the young man wanders the ship, finding a plethora of picturesque views, from his fellow Candidates in all of their spacesick glory to the endless array of empty passages, gutted quarters, and glimpses of Pern through windows. Like a bee to a garden, however, the techcrafter is endlessly drawn back to the bridge and the viewport where the planet spins placidly in the star-spangled expanse of space. The deck vibrates lightly under the soles of his boots as he steps from the lift, his gaze immediately drawn to the fore of the room. He lets out a heavy sigh - longing? Awe? With Niko, who knows?
The sound of the lift doors draws Ricki's attention away from the view, and towards the sound as she starts to push herself upwards into a more dignified position. However, as her eyes rest on Niko, she relaxes, sliding back down, propping her chin on her hand and sighing. "It took a little getting used to but.." She shrugs, a little peeking back at him. "I feel like a need a Harper, though, to make it sound as pretty as it looks."
"They say a picture is worth a thousand words," Niko remarks absently, swinging around the chair and lifting his camera for a shot of Ricki's profile with the diamonds-on-velvet vista at the back. "Who needs a Harper when you can have your own personal momento?" Dropping the camera and letting it rest against his chest, he steps up the platform, laying his hand on the arm of the chair as he leans lightly against it, gaze drinking in the view. "You know they bring us up here as apprentices? I didn't have a camera at the time, of course, but I've always meant to come back." Storm-grey eyes slide down, study the girl thoughtfully. "Your first time here?"
"Well, I am glad you came along, then, or I'd be without a memento or a thousand words to make up for it." Ricki shifting slightly as he closes the distance, tilting her head to peek up at him instead as he leans into the chair, watching him watch the planet below. "First time here.." She agrees softly, before her eyes drift back to the window. "I was worried, in the cargo hold.. there was one girl who already looked terrified…" A little shrug, and she is turning enough to at least clear the arm rest for him - so nice of her! "It was a little.. overwhelming at first, though."
"Yes," Niko replies in agreement, flashing her a brief smile before turning his gaze back to the lodestone that is that window. "I don't particularly remember embarrassing myself when we came up here before, but I do remember one or two who had to change their pants. I guess it's like how some people get seasick and others are just fine no matter what the water's like." As she moves her arm from the rest where his hand lays, he frowns briefly at it - hand or arm or rest or all three - then pulls away, instead tucking both hands in his pockets. "Sorry, didn't mean to crowd you. I guess I travel so much, I'm a little jaded," he muses, eyes roaming over her face before returning inevitably to Pern. "The view is amazing, but it's all about what I see to me, not where I am." Oddly, he seems a little… sad? about that fact.
"It.. I mean.. it is so different than even being as high as you can go on a dragon. It is so… small." As he pulls his arm away and apologizes, Ricki blinks at him, shaking her head and patting slightly. "You were leaning, wasn't sure if you wanted to sit." She offers, dropping her gaze for a moment, before listening as he continues talking, and she frowns slightly, giving the armrest another pat before reaching hesitantly, perhaps to brush her fingers over his arm. "S'wrong, Niko?" And she at least has the sense to keep her eyes from wandering back to the unbelievable view.
After a moment of silence, Niko pulls his hand from his pocket and rests it once more on the armrest, leaning his hip against the back of her chair. "I think you have the monopoly on the seat, and that's perfectly okay. I'm content to just lean here." His absent smile in her direction holds something of melancholy and quickly slides away as his gaze continues locked on the window dominating the far wall. "It's humbling," he finally sighs. "You travel the world, Weyr to Hold to Hall - every day it's a new place, new faces. It seems so grand and endless - even when you're in the same area as you were last week, there's something new, different. Then, you look at it from up here, and you realize how tiny it is, and how vast and unreachable the universe, and…" He trails off, shoulders twitching in a shrug. "Sometimes I wonder what all of those other places the ancients speak of are like, compared to our world."
"It makes me feel important." The admittance is barely audible as it escapes her lips, the young woman taking advantage of him moving around to potentially cover up the words. As he explains, she seems to hold her breath, tilting her head to peek up at Pern, nodding slowly. As he finishes, the silence drags on for a long moment before her mouth draws to one side. "They left those places though, they chose to leave them, hundreds and hundreds of turns ago.. and come here. I know things are not exactly perfect but.. I can't imagine what they left behind." Ricki blushes, glancing away then, sitting up a bit straighter, and running her fingers over the edge of the small console next to her.
The only answer Niko has to that statement is a confused glance, as though he isn't quite certain he understands the sentiment, or her reasons for it. "But that's just it. We can't imagine it. We have no idea what those places looked like or what the Ancients left behind when they came to Pern. Look at this place, Ricki," he says, oddly passionate. "The technology and engineering used to create this - to create Landing - is leaps and bounds above anything else on Pern. Imagine what the worlds they left behind must be like, without hundreds of turns of backsliding or stagnation to hold them back." He abruptly laughs, running his fingers through his curly hair as he reaches out with his other hand to touch her arm in apology. "Sorry. Sometimes I wonder what we're missing out on. We know so much, but it's only a fraction of what the Ancients knew."
"If they still are even there.. If they didn't… Technology themselves into… well, nothing. We know they were leaving.. fighting or whatever.. who knows how bad it could have turned out." Ricki, glass half-full, at least on the subject of how 'good' it is to be on Pern. Absently reaching to pat his hand, she smiles at him, giving him a little shrug. "It is, but we also have -dragons-." And there it is, the punctuation on why Ricki thinks everything is ok. "Though, I won't complain about them having left us this view."
"Fair enough," Niko replies easily, turning his hand over to grab her patting hand and squeeze it slightly before releasing it. "Having dragons makes everything worth it. They're so handy, and kind of nifty, in their own, very loud way. Did you ever get out to the dragon washing when the Monaco Weyrlings brought their dragons? That one queen of theirs - man, and I thought one Leirith was bad. Maybe it's a gold thing. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here, on Pern anyway, in the long run. Too many great things," *squeeze*, "but it would be… interesting… to see how other people live."
"There are -2- of her?" Ricki basically squeaks, a look of.. not quite horror but not far off.. appearing on her face, as she shakes her head. "Shards.. maybe the ones on the Sands will be, uhm… milder than she is. Though, no matter how much I'm suppose to 'get used to them', I'm not sure they are getting any better." Hand lingers lightly holding to his, as she chews her lip and glances back at him. "I will leave that to you, I think. I'll settle for watching how like, the miners live. They are sort of weird, you know."
"Well, to be fair, the Monaco gold seemed more - ah… eloquent? And very vain. Leirith isn't really vain, she's just… exciteable." That's probably the most mild description of the Xanadu queen possible. "But yeah," Niko continues, somehow managing to tear his gaze from Pern to grin down at Ricki, "she was very loud. Her rider just seemed kind of… resigned… to it. I wonder, if Leirith clutches a queen, think it'll be the same way?" He leans towards her and down, to nudge his shoulder against hers as he smirks at her. "You could Impress yourself a loudmouth of your very own."
"Why are they all so.. loud. In -everything-." Don't think that Ricki isn't now terrified by future Leirith flights. "Shards, don't say that, you're going to make it come true, and then I'll never get a moment of quiet again." Ricki shudders and shakes her head, wrinkling her nose at him, and leaning into that shoulder nudge. "It is already weird, trying to imagine what is like to have, well, someone else in your head. Allllll the time." And a little shiver shakes her form at the thought.
Lightly squeezing her hand against that shiver, Niko rocks towards her, shoulder to shoulder in a pseudo comfort-hug. "I don't know as much about dragons as you, as you're all weyrbratty and stuff, but I'm pretty sure that either the riders can turn them off, or you get really used to it really fast. 'Cause there's a couple thousand dragons out there and almost no insane dragonriders. Or maybe a couple thousand insane dragonriders, but stands to reason that if we Impress and go insane, we'll be really happy about it all the way down." Yeah, he's really helping, isn't he?
"I guess, I mean, it obviously works out but.. What if you had someone like Leirith in your head. How do you even keep a secret? Some things -are meant to be secret-." Ricki says in a firm tone, wrinkling up her nose and sighing slightly. "I guess the only plus would be if everyone else has all their secrets spilled, too." Head tilts towards him slightly in thanks, even as she is glancing back through the window. "I guess it won't be too much longer before we find out, its not really as if we can do anything.." Besides run away scared.
"Aww, who doesn't want their secrets spilled to the world? Although, to be fair, I've never heard it said that Leirith is a gossip, only that she likes to talk to everyone and anyone. She's never said anything to me about Risali's personal life." Everyone else has an opinion, but not the dragon. Niko lets out his breath on a huff and rests his cheek briefly against the top of her head as she looks away from him. "We shouldn't borrow trouble. I think no matter what kind of dragons we end up with," because, natch, they'll both Impress and be happy Weyrlings together, "we won't regret Impressing."
"-Now- she isn't a gossip, but I mean.. toddler children are bad.. I can't imagine toddler dragons can be much better. And they can talk to ~everyone~." But she seems to be soothed some, a soft sigh as she leans into the contact. "I don't think you can regret it. I just…" Pause and she is turning to peek up at him, color brushing her cheeks. "I just really, really hope that if I do, you are there with me for it." Biting her lip and dropping her gazes, Ricki hesitates for a moment before adding. "You're such an amazing friend, Niko, thank you."
"Amazing is a strong word," Niko replies dryly, squeezing her hand one more time before straightening up, resting his hip against the chair and his fingers lightly against her own, but otherwise breaking contact. "You've caught me at a good time, when I'm able to be pinned down for more than a day at a time. I spend a lot of time on the move and I'm not always around when I'm needed." His words peter out towards the end, voice growing taut before he lapses into silence. Then, "But hey, you have a firelizard, don't you? So, we'll make sure it can always find me, and I'll be there if you need me. Of course," he adds, "If I do Impress with you, you'll never be rid of me. You know that, right?"
"Amazing may be subjective, but you've been the friend I -needed-, how about that?" She counters, freezing a little as he pulls away, listening to his explanation. "Even if its only because you've been stuck here, its been.. nice." A pause, and then she is clamoring on awkwardly. "I mean, the others have been nice too, but Vale keeps the -weirdest- hours, and I just.." A shrug. At the mention of the firelizard, she groans softly and nods. "That means that he grows up to have any sense at all.. And I'm not so sure of that. Besides, I know you'll Impress and you'll be stuck here with me anyway."
Long, lean fingers play with Ricki's wrist, the light touches absent, more to maintain contact than any ulterior motive. "Fair's fair, I'd be a hell of a lot more miserable being stuck here without you, too, you know. I'm not used to being in one place for longer than it takes to snap a few photos and make a few contacts. You've made it more than bearable, and I probably don't tell you how much I appreciate you." Niko's tone is neither mocking nor saccharine, but rather matter-of-fact. "I'd like to Impress," he admits. "Part of it is just that bone-deep desire of any Pernese child to ride a dragon. Part of it is how much easier it will make my crafting when I don't have to depend on my friends to fly me around." And another part of it? Unspoken, it yet hovers in the suddenly silent air.
"You mean, I made it better than… whoever else it is you spend your evenings with?" While her tone is teasing, perhaps it is a bit forced, and her smirk is a bit stretched as she peeks at him, though she does at least stop smirking as he mentions the reasons he wants to Impress. "And.. the rest of it?" She finally asks as the silence drags on, as she suddenly finds one of those screens somewhere over there interesting, even in its blank state.
"Do you know the difference between a friend and a companion, Ricki?" Niko replies after a long moment of silence, his voice oddly subdued. "A companion might be there when you want them, but a friend will be there when you need them. Those whom I share my evenings with are companions. They want something of me, I want something of them - there's no commitments or strings." He abruptly pulls away from the chair, then goes down on one knee, turning to face her fully as he rests one hand over her wrist, the other on the arm of the chair. "You're my friend. Yes, you make it a hundred times better than all of the casual companions in the world because I know that I can count on you to be there when it matters most, when I'm feeling trapped, or unwa - ah, uncomfortable, you ease the frustration, just by being there." Yeah, he's totally ignoring that last question.
"I was jus-" Ricki starts, moving to apologize, to explain she was just teasing him, but then he is explaining further and pulling away, a hand stretched out after him. As he doesn't go far though, she freeze, lifting her gaze to meet his, giving him a hesitate smile. And then, she is slipping forward to the edge of the chair, and moving to try and throw her arms around his neck in a hug, words tumbling forth as she does. "I really was just teasing, Niko, I mean.. You do what makes you happy. But, thank you."
The freeze as Ricki hugs him is slight, and thaws before Niko can take two breaths. He leaves one hand on the arm of the chair, the other moving to gently rub her back as he not only allows, but leans into the hug, content to receive it. "I know it makes you uncomfortable," he murmurs after a moment, palm pressing light circles against her shoulderblade. "I've seen it in your face when it's been brought up." He gently pulls back, just far enough so that he can look her in the face. "I admit to surprise - thought Weyrs were more open about that kind of thing, but as you say, you be you." He gives a lopsided smile. "I admit, I'm usually a bit more discreet - but then, I usually don't have to share bedquarters with a couple dozen other people."
"I.. I don't know if uncomfortable is the right word.." She counters, slowly, making a face at him as he pulls away to see her face. "And, I mean.. It's fine. With flights and this and that and whatever.." A shrug and she shifts a little, not actively pulling away, but seeming to be willing to give him an out. "Just not sure it has affected me so.. directly before." She whispers, blushing darkly and looking anywhere but at him. And then she is pushing on, voice a little wobbly. "But you'll have some great stories to tell them, when we get back, espeically if they've never been up here themselves."
There is a suggestion in Niko's expression that maybe he's not so unaware of her… feelings… as he may outwardly appear, but neither does he comment, even given the rather blantant opportunity to. "Well, discomfort or whatever you call it, I'm not trying to upset you. And," he adds, lightening his tone, "I'm sleeping all on my lonesome of late. Something about being trapped in space with only my best friend - and a bunch of nutso Candidates - for company…" He chuckles, likely an attempt to break the tension, and his hand firms slightly on her back before easing back into the absent circling. "Can't say I'm terribly put out, either," he muses. "Rather be making stories with you… all," nice catch, "than simply telling them. I delight in doing."
Ricki has learned by now that Niko is confusing, dammit, and that reading into, well, anything, just leads to headaches and sneaking beverages that she isn't technically allowed as a candidate. "Some of them are more nuts than others.." Ricki agrees with so soft laugh, trying to push the conversation onwards, possibly a bit selfishly. "Well, you may have more stories than you know what to do with, soon. Hopefully. I can't wait to see these photos though…" A pause, and she makes a face. "I still don't know if you've managed to get a -good- one where I'm not making a face." Though probably in her opinion, there is no such thing.
It's an even bet that Niko probably has no idea what he's saying half the time. Then again, talking in circles can be an excellent defense mechanism. Pulling back, his fingers whisper over her shoulder before he rests both hands upon the arm rest, tilting his head back to regard her with a slightly sardonic smile. "You'll forgive me if I hope for no particularly exciting stories, such as Vale turning off the gravity, or Jaune breaking a window. I'd be content to say, 'I was here, it was beautiful, the company was divine' or some combination thereof." His expression lightens slightly, and he reaches up to tap his fingertip against her nose. "You'd be amazed at how many great pictures I have of you. Some quite silly, yes, but still great."
"If Vale turns off the gravity, he can be sure I'll never save him from another chore incident ever again." That is one thing that Ricki absolutely positively can say without even a microsecond of hesitation. "Though, probably a good point. We've made it past the halfway point, though, hopefully everyone will just be happy to get back to solid ground." Nose wrinkles at the tap and she is reflexively pulling away from him just a bit. "If you say so.. I probably look ridiculous.." An easier smile settles on her face, "I hope your dragon is photogenic. It would be sort of mean, if it wasn't."
Dropping his hand away, Niko eases back as she draws away, surreptitiously giving her more space. "I wouldn't tell you if you looked ridiculous," he replies mildly, "but I certainly wouldn't lie to you and tell you that you look good. I'd simply avoid telling you anything at all," hasn't he proven this yet? "I can't do anything about how you see yourself," he sighs, storm-cloud eyes more blue than grey as he regards her somberly, "but for myself, I have been nothing but pleased with the pictures I have of you." His lips curve, although the smile seems slightly out of place against his oddly direct gaze. "As long my dragon likes to travel, I'll be content. But, yes," he adds lightly, "it would benefit me much to have a dragon who does well on film."
"I suppose that's fair.. At least you are nice like that." As he watches her, Ricki freezes for a moment, biting her lip as she listens to him. "I'm glad.. when we get back.. can we go through some of them?" And then, as he smiles, she leans to tap her finger on his lips briefly. "You would be a good photo, when you smile." She offers almost absently, leaning a bit to peer at him, and line him up with the window behind. "Have you gotten one of you, with the window behind you? As.. a keepsake?"
"Was I smiling? Hope I'm not coming down with something," Niko replies, lips curving down in a fearsome - and mocking - scowl. He can't hold the expression long, although the resulting smile holds the familiar self-mockery often found in the young man's expression. His eyes follow her movements, blue-grey and intense on her face as she leans closer, lining up her mental snapshot. "You know the answer to that. Who else would I dare allow to handle my most precious posession?"
His question prompts her to hold out her hands with a crooked grin. "Give it here, and go back like, Maybe a few steps. Let me get on the floor, too.." If nothing else, it seems Ricki has picked up a few things from her photographer bff. "I promise I'll be careful.. And you'll hate yourself if you don't do it." Shameless - but at least she is now distracted at not nearly so serious and borderline sad.
"But we're in public!" Niko replies, shock writ large across his features before he breaks into a wicked grin and tugs the strap of the camera over his neck. He turns the device over in his lean hands, studying it intently, then presses it gently into hers. "Just so you know, I will be the one developing all of these. Keep that in mind." Obedient to her instructions, he plants himself before the observation screen, striking a casual, careless pose with his feet loosely spread, hands shoved in his pockets and a vulpine grin just speaking of the mischief that constantly brews in his breast.
"Not sure that would stop you.." Ricki counters, slipping the strap around her neck and holding it carefully. As he moves into the 'right' spot she settles down, leaning back a bit and taking a photo. "If you're developing them, what does it matter what I do?" She counters, pursing her lips and pondering him, scooting around on the floor and checking through the viewfinder now and then, without taking a second picture just yet. "Come on, give me something good.." She teases, peeking from behind the camera at him once she seems to have found the 'right' angle, at least in Ricki's mind. Who knows how it will actually turn out.
As Niko obediently adjusts his position - gun show! - he smirks at his fellow Candidate. "It probably would," he admits, "if only because I like being a Candidate. Maybe after the hatching." *Flex* "And it probably doesn't matter, I'm just letting you know that you'll not get any good blackmail on me using my own camera." Lowering his arms, he tucks his hands in his pockets again, rocking back on his heels while leaning forward, his expression wolfishly cheerful. Pursing his lips, he makes kissy faces at Ricki, eyes twinkling with amusement… and something… deeper.
Oh yeah, work it! Ducking back to line up the shot, she holds her breath as she squeezes the shutter, only after that does she speak. "Blackmail? Who do you think I am?" She gasps a little, peeking back at him and.. is that a pout? "I would never in a thousand tur-" And then he is leaning and making that face, and Ricki's eye widen, blushing a little before she's hiding behind the camera again.. Snap!
Catching sight of that blush, Niko barely catches a faint curse behind his teeth, self-irritation flaring over his thoughtlessness. "I think you're my best friend," he replies lightly, dropping bonelessly to sit cross-legged before the observation window, his arms ranged along his thighs, hands dangling from his knees as he peers up at her, lips cocked in a faint smile. "That's what best friends do. They talk each other into compromising situations and make sure they have plenty of evidence for later down the line." He waggles his eyebrows, as though implying he has just such evidence on her.
"Best friends would *never ever* do something like that. Ever." And excuse the little coughing fit Ricki has as she manages to get those words out without laughing, but only barely. Taking a moment to recover, she snaps one more picture before scooting across the floor to sit opposite him, gingerly handing back the camera. "Well, I'll just have to hope that if I Impress, my lifemate will enjoy eating random evidence." My dragon ate your blackmail? That sounds about right.
"Then I'll just find - or take - new evidence," Nikolan replies serenely as he takes back the camera, raising it and snapping a picture of her with one easy gesture. "Come over here," he invites, patting the ground next to him, scooting over slightly so that the pair of them will be centered against the backdrop of the window. "If nothing else, I'll keep your dragon in snacks - but I'm told that film and photo paper don't taste very good, so she may not thank me for it."
"I'll take your word for it - I hope -I- don't find out how it tastes." And she is scooting to sit next to him, leaning her shoulder against his briefly as she turns to peer out the window behind them. "But you are probably right.. just will have to figure out another way to save myself from any incriminating photos." But based on the smile that is on her lips as she turns back to peek at the camera, she is apparently not too worried about the whole thing.
Leaning in, Nikolan whispers in her ear, "You'll never save yourself from me," and, holding the camera to face the two of them, snaps the picture. Look ma, he's invented the selfie! It's possible he's screwed it all up - but probably not, because that wouldn't fit the narrative. "Now that," he murmurs, smugly satisfied, "is exactly the souvenier I want from this place." Lowering the camera, he turns to grin at her, nudging his shoulder against hers. "When we Impress, we're gonna have to come back up here once we can between. Annual pilgrimmage."
Hopefully, Niko was fast enough to snap the picture and get it in before Ricki ruined it by turning to stare at him, eyes wide, mouth open. Hopefully, because otherwise, what a wasted opportunity. As he murmurs, she relaxes, leaning into his shoulder, and laughing softly under her breath, before she sees to agree. "Deal. And if its only one or the other of us.. I will make a point of hunting you down so we can still come."
Because it suits the narrative, Niko was - and because of his attention on the camera, he missed that little shocked 'o' face of Ricki's. Lowering the camera again, he studies it thoughtfully for a moment, then leans in and rests his cheek against the top of her head, closing his eyes. "All I have to say is if I Impress, you better Impress. I don't want to be stuck in one place for that long without my friend at my side." He chuckles softly. "And if it is you and not me, I promise you won't have to hunt very hard. You'll never have to hunt hard to find me."
A hand lifts to rest lightly on his arm, a soft, contented sigh escaping her as she just sits, quiet, fingers gently squeezing. "I know it'll all work out.. it has to, right?" She doesn't twitch though, instead staying leaning into him, rather than seeking his gaze. "Promise though? If either of us Impress, we come back here, after Graduation?" Ricki's attention shifts to the camera, moving her hand from his arm and re-angling it without much of Niko's grace, pondering it for just a moment before hitting the shutter.
Eyes still closed, cheek still pressed into her hair, Niko sighs as he hears the shutter click, lean frame tensing briefly against her before he gently disengages himself, pulling away. He rises to his feet with a curiously boneless grace, tucking the neck strap over his head before holding out a hand to help her to her feet. Stormy eyes, more grey than blue at the moment, watch her almost warily. "I promise," comes his grave reply. "Even if neither of us Impresses, we'll come back up here. A turn from now, or as soon as we can between, whichever comes first."
Niko's extraction of himself has Ricki awkwardly shuffling enough to give him space, the young woman glancing up at him as he offers her a hand, before biting her lip and shaking her head a bit. "I.. I think I'm going to look out the window a little longer." She finally offers, shifting to turn towards the window, legs pulled to her chest and arms wrapped around them. "Thank you, Niko.." She offers, a bit distantly perhaps, as she keeps her eyes on the planet below.
Jaw tightening slightly, Niko looks down at Ricki, a protest hovering on the tip of his tongue. Biting it back, along with some other words best unsaid, instead the young man regards his friend for a long, silent moment, then sighs. Shoulders slumping slightly, he touches the camera at his chest - his touchstone - and replies rather gruffly, "Nothing to thank me for. I'll be… around… Just find me when you're ready." Hopefully not before he's ready. Reaching out, he almost touches her, then withdraws his hand and turns on heel, striding quickly for the lift.
"I will…" She offers without glancing back, as his footsteps move away, she exhales softly, leaning forward to rest her forehead on her knees. It is only once she hears the sound of the lift doors that she moves, leaning back to sprawl out on the floor, one arm over her face, talking to herself. "Why do you have to be so -stupid-, Ricki.." And its likely that it it there she remains until the word comes that their ride home has arrived.