thecapitol | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who| Dan and Nikola
What| Dan promised Nikola time in the lab he has under his house.
Where| Dan's family home.
When| This afternoon
Warnings/Notes| None yet!

Dan's lab had been created shortly after his mother's death. He had built it to help him make gadgets for his team as he was back in the city to deal with her burial. In the end, it had mostly been a way to deal with being alone. Once he was back in the Districts the place had fallen to misuse. With the spur of the moment invitation he had given Tesla he found himself in it again, cleaning and getting it ready. By the time he had made arrangements for the Tribute's transportation to his home, everything was back in working order.

He was out of uniform when we went to great Nikola, but he wasn't entirely comfortable in his clothes. He wore something that was close enough to his uniform to pass him off as an off-duty Peacekeeper. He wasn't sure it would have been appropriate for him to see a Tribute while wearing one of his comfortable sweaters.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Does it bother you at all?"

"Not at all. Why should it?"

"I suppose that depends on how attached you were to the image you had."

"I'm attached to who I am, not who people think I am."

Dan smiles a bit at that, impressed. "How would you describe yourself, then?"

"Genius," Nikola says with a smirk. "Innovator. What else does there need to be?"

"I was expecting those two things," Dan points out with. "I suppose what is left would be the personality and charisma that comes with them."

"And that's what surprises you, hm? I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted."

Dan is thoughtful for a moment. "I hope I'm not insulting you," he says. "I'd hate to give you that impression."

"In that case, I'll take it as a compliment."

He smiles and turns back to his work, saying after a moment, "I don't suppose you have any wine?"

"A couple bottles that were gifted to me when I came back to the Capitol. Would you like me to open one?" They had been given to him by a couple of board members from his family's company. It had been a perfect example of a 'we're acknowledging you're back but don't want anything to do with you' gift.

"Is it any good?" Nikola asks. He knows nothing about the wine here, which vintages are good and which are not.

"It's expensive," Dan says. "I'm afraid I don't much about wine. It's not something we can get a lot of in the Districts, unless it's made locally."

"Do you spend a lot of time in the Districts?"

"Yes. Most of the time Peacekeepers have a set tour, but I signed up for it willingly so I might be in the job a little longer," he offered. "Did you want to head to the kitchen to get the wine?"

He glances down at his work, supposing he shouldn't risk spilling wine on it.

"Yes, all right."

Dan nods. He turns to lead Nikola upstairs. The house is still pretty impressive, but there are hints here and there of Dan's eccentricities. The book cases have little figures of birds and there are pictures of them along the walls every now and again. He hasn't lived alone in the house long enough for them to completely take over, but they're peeking through the perfection.

The kitchen is shiny and was state of the art when his mother was alive. It still looks pretty impressive. He moves to where he had stored the wine and set out the different bottles for Nikola to choose from.

Nikola lets his fingers trail over various objects as they go, pausing at the pieces that don't quite fit. When Dan pulls out the wines, he examines each bottle before choosing one.

Dan doesn't comment about Nikola's pausing, though when Tesla does touch something he finds himself watching his hands. After the selection is made he gets out a wine opener and two glasses.

He pours only a little for himself and then gives Nikola a pretty generous amount. "I hope it's to your liking. Wine should be wine, no matter where it is made."

"I'm sure it's the same process, but there's good wine and there's swill," Nikola says, lifting the glass to sniff it slightly.

Thankfully, this turns out to be pretty good wine. Mostly because the board members try to outdo each other in their gift giving. Dan watches him before lifting the glass to take a sip.

Nikola eventually takes a sip as well, making a noise of appreciation.

"Not bad," he says, looking impressed.

"I'm glad," Dan says with a small smile. "It came from one of the people on the board of my family's banking firm."

"You're a banker as well as a soldier?" Nikola asks, smirking.

"My father was," Dan corrects. "I still technically own most of the company but I don't run it."