(Untitled)

[walk_ins]

Call him a romantic -- he certainly calls himself one, if he thinks it'll help with the ladies -- but Edward Chao likes Ehrmann Square at dusk. That's when they put the colored lights in the fountains.

The Kelowna has put in for a week's worth of routine repairs; that's a week's leave on Osiris, and Diwali's going on, and the lights in the Square

Comments

[simon_doctor]

The apology overlaps with his protest: "Sorry, I'm --"

"..."

[walk_ins]

"...much prettier in the publicity shots? Yeah, we've been over that." Beat. "You did get Uncle Andy's present, right?"

Well. This evening just got a hell of a lot more interesting.

[simon_doctor]

That's one word for it.

"I did, yes." Just a little sardonic, but more wry than actually annoyed. "That was very thoughtful."

[walk_ins]

"That's me. I think of everything." Beat. "But you knew that. Don't you wish they covered this kind of situation in charm school?"

Another beat.

"I was the valedictorian of my class. As I bet you could guess."

[simon_doctor]

Simon studies him briefly.

"You really are like this," he says after a moment. "I'd wondered if it might not be some obscure interrogation technique."

[walk_ins]

"Just because I'm like this doesn't mean it's not an interrogation technique," Chao says, peacefully. "Annoy them into breaking. That's what I do."

"Except that it's not what I do. I'm just a guard. Interrogation is for the guys who watched too many vids and didn't get hugged enough as kids."

[simon_doctor]

"That reminds me."

It's Chao's manner more than anything else that reminds him, a little poignant in its similarity to someone else.

"I hadn't realized Andronicus Crowley was your uncle. I have regards from a distant cousin of yours."

[walk_ins]

"Not by blood or anything." Chao slides his hands in his pockets. "He's just...Uncle Andy." Half a shrug. "And I guess that's how he knows you, huh."

[simon_doctor]

"You could say that."

Simon glances around the square, briefly.

"I take it you're off duty?"

[walk_ins]

"We got a week of shore leave. Nonessential personnel, anyway." Chao rubs at the back of his neck. "The...lights." He jerks a head at the fountain. "Happy Diwali. Or something. They're gonna be lighting stuff on fire later."

[simon_doctor]

...Simon finds himself utterly unable to suppress a grin.

Bernard would be so proud.

[walk_ins]

"...god, don't tell me you're a firebug."

[simon_doctor]

"No, just ... you remind me of someone, is all."

[walk_ins]

"I'm fearing this more than I should. And that means alcohol should come along with it." Chao toes the ground for a second. "So we'd kind of established that this is a really gorram awkward thing going on, what with the whole Me Jailer, You Wronged Prisoner Person dynamic, but, uh -- "

"Buy you a drink?" Beat. "I don't poison people when I'm on shore leave. I swear."

[simon_doctor]

There's a pause. And then a small wry smile.

"If you hadn't asked that, I think I probably would have had to."

Simon glances briefly at his watch. "I'm expected somewhere else, though ... do you mind if I send a wave first?"

[walk_ins]

"Hey, you're clearing a spot on your social calendar for yours truly, I'm honored." Chao puts a hand over his heart and half-bows.

Not smirking at all.

But then: "I walked past a public box a couple of blocks back -- you know the area at all?"