nikopark

[nikopark]

Darren Barnet & Kennedy McMann

#friendship ;; niko & nancy

[nikopark]

cordibeckett​:

Cordi eyes his breakfast curiously, leaning against one of the kitchen counters and looking back at him. ‘‘Sure- and what? Get their carefully manufactured responses? Might as well go ask Amazon about their staff treatment.’‘ The mere idea earns a scoff as she pulls herself up on the kitchen counter, smiling at him because in the end- Cordi knew she was invading his space.

She just didn’t really care whatsoever.  ‘‘I wanted to ask you. Nobody else, just you.’‘ Because Niko was down-to-earth, because in the end if Niko had decided to join Vanguard despite everything- despite his own friends in large turning on him. Then Cordi wanted to know why, what was worth that?

‘‘I’m not looking for some statement about the reborn, I just want to genuinely know what was offered that was so good you decided to go through with applying for a position.’‘ Cordelia doesn’t buy Niko’s loyalty to Vanguard for shit. Not a chance in hell.

Obstinance must run in the family, Niko decides as he watches her continue to saunter so boldly through his space. It made him itch. If only there were a way to harness the audacity the Becketts seemed to exude where they weren’t welcome...

One could certainly make a fortune.

“And why, exactly, am I your--your go-to on this subject?” Niko asked, glaring at her pointedly. “We’re barely acquaintances. And if water cooler gossip holds any weight, you already have a rather intimate connection to Vanguard you could be asking this of.”

He dared to move closer, standing on the other side of the counter and pulling his plate of breakfast towards himself. Hopefully far enough out of her reach that at least some semblance of his routine might be spared. 

“The position Vanguard provided an opportunity to jumpstart my career in an area that made use of and helped me further develop my specialized skills. It was an easy decision.” Glancing down at his waffles, he speared the biggest strawberry off the top and took a bite. It wasn’t a total lie, he thought as he chewed. “There was nothing to ‘go through with’ when you know what you’re signing up for.”

#convo #convo ;; niko & cordelia #c02 ;; niko & cordelia

[nikopark]

location: downtown Northpass tag: @mclvin​

“You’ll have about five actors in your quadrant to dress and design looks for. Grant will send you their measurements, thank you, sweetheart.” Niko released a long-suffering sigh as the voice memo faded out. 

With his own mother volunteering herself to Vanguard’s haunted house endeavor, and dangling a hefty allowance (read: bribe) at his own participation in helping with the festivities, it seemed like Niko had little choice in the matter. A text message came through not long after from Grant; the measurements, as promised. 

Niko considered them for a moment. Helpful as they were, he wanted a model or a mannequin at the very least to really see the costumes come to life. At that exact moment, he caught sight of a familiar permed mop of hair ambling down the sidewalk--with a body that, at a glance, was very close to the numbers Grant sent. He allowed himself precisely one second to contemplate before pulling over and rolling down his window.

“Hey!” He called out. “Mel, right? You busy?”

#convo #convo ;; niko & mel #c01 ;; niko & mel #event: halloween haunts

[nikopark]

#MOOD

#about ;; niko

[nikopark]

cordibeckett​:

She should for sure not feel as smug as she does, awe quickly switching into something far more comfortable than she should feel around Niko.  ‘‘You’re not like, super hard to find dude. Vanguard isn’t exactly that secretive.’‘ Except they were, Cordelia just didn’t want to admit that she had a tendency to look at public records for fun.

Cordelia pushes past him before he can register, curiously eyeing the duplex. She’d been a bit unsure about how she’d even get to Niko, this place did have security that she knew could probably throw her out a window with their pinkies. But she also knew of the guy well enough to know he’d probably amuse her for a little bit.

‘‘I wanted to talk to you and this is the only way of doing so without Beck finding out and having his tiny little head explode from betrayal, or whatever.’‘ Cordi with her lack of shame finds no issue navigating herself to the kitchen as she talks, hiding her nerves by tapping the nearest counter. ‘‘I wanted to ask you about Vanguard.’‘

“Perhaps not, but they’re still a private company, and I a private citizen.” It was enough to make Niko doubt, even though he himself was one partially responsible for what information was seen by eyes outside the company. If Vanguard did have his address listed anywhere the public could see, they were about to have another fucking problem on their hands. 

He let out a tense exhale as Cordi let herself in and made herself at home--very much like her brother once had. Beck, at least, had been invited over. And speak of the devil, his name soon fell out of Cordi’s mouth.

Hot pin pricks of an emotion Niko couldn’t name crept along the inside of his ribcage. He crossed his arms to try smothering it as he followed her into his own damn kitchen. Best case scenario, this conversation would leave him with a semi-permanent migraine... but it felt like a trap, or a fishing expedition at the very least. What exactly did she want to ask him about Vanguard? 

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m not a spokesperson nor a hiring rep. If you’re looking for some kind of statement about all the stuff going on, contact our Public Relations office.”

#convo #convo ;; niko & cordelia #c01 ;; niko & cordelia

[nikopark]

augustslippdaway​:

location: niko’s duplex tag: @nikomura​

Her dads just weren’t listening to her and what she wanted and this time she had enough, packing a bag and not telling them where she was going. She knew that was petty and she knew why they were concerned considering they had lost her once, but right now, she felt drastic actions were the only way she was going to make them listen to her. She didn’t want to pretend like everything was normal and she needed some time to breath, so she sought the company of one from her group of friends. Although, she probably would’ve moved onto the next if he had said no. 

Of all of their friends, Nancy didn’t know why she had texted Niko or perhaps she knew exactly why, but she just didn’t want to acknowledge it inside or outside of her head. It didn’t stop her heart from racing as she stood in front of his door. She couldn’t quite bring herself to knock or pull out her phone and text him. The redhead was half tempted to turn around and just sleep in her car or something, but she took a deep breath and knocked on his door. “Hey, it’s me. Sorry, I kind of sprung this whole can I sleepover on you,” she called out as she waited for him to open the door. Why was it easier to talk through the door or through text than it was in person? 

Niko’s mind was a blur of racing thoughts and insults directed at both himself and the idiot repairman. Seriously, how difficult was it to show up at a scheduled time? (And how difficult was it to stay away from the one person that could unravel years worth of work?)

At the very least, his side of the house was presentable and ready for his visitors to track a fresh round of dirt in on the floors. White floors, no less--those were getting replaced, in both units, one of his speeding thoughts decided. He moved to add that to the wipe board list on the refrigerator when the knock at the door stalled his progress. 

Marker in hand, he crossed through the kitchen, through the modest foyer, and finally the front door. He’d left it unlocked, just for her, but shouting It’s open! always struck him as barbaric and... Beck-like.

Opening the door, he greeted his guest with a polite smile and stepped aside to let her in. “It’s alright. My door is always open.” For you, though that went unsaid. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

#convo #convo ;; niko & nancy #c02 ;; niko & nancy

[nikopark]

augustslippdaway​:

Honestly, the reason she hadn’t reached out to Niko was because it was a lot harder for her find the words to say to him than it was for Beck. Nearly an entire month had passed and she still couldn’t figure out what to say and she didn’t think she’d ever find the right words, especially not now that she was face to face with him and the moment he spoke it felt like all of the air had been knocked out of her lungs.

She couldn’t admit it out loud but she could feel the way her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults as she stared into those brown eyes. Nancy didn’t like to “stalk” online, but there were some sleepless nights that she had found herself scrolling through his socials and then dreaming about those eyes. There was something about him that made her weak and it was hard for her to deal with things (like feelings) she couldn’t rationalize. She didn’t know what to do because she was afraid if she hugged him, she might collapse into him and never let go.

All she knew was that she was glad that he hadn’t been in the car with her, she was glad she had spared him of everything she was going through now that she was alive again. It seemed they were both speechless though as she watched his mouth open and it seemed to take the words a minute to catch up. “Hm, I think I might’ve seen someone like that looking a little lost in this crowd. She might’ve been trying to head somewhere quieter like the bonfires.” Oh, it was so easy to play this game, to pretend she was an imaginary figment of a person instead.

Niko knew he should move. He should leave. He should do—anything to remove himself from her presence. When the dead began to rise, this was a risk he never finished calculating. Or rather, never wanted to finish. A part of his old self knew that if anyone could compromise him… it would’ve been Nancy. Even now, he could barely look at her, but every second that passed without incident served as a testament to the inner strength and blackened heart he’d worked to cultivate over the years.

Testing his own mettle, Niko tilted his head up in acknowledgement of their continued… talking around the conversation. He still didn��t trust himself to look at her quite yet, but he did surrender to a small, rueful smile curling the corner of his mouth. 

“Hmm. What an incredible coincidence. You seem to know her quite well.” He said simply, turning to glance in the direction of the bonfires. In the back of his mind he wondered if the ex he saw earlier still lingered there, otherwise they might be able to venture that way.

It was another risk, as he very much doubted he was the only one Vanguard sent out to perform observations at the event, but it was a risk he had to take. He owed it to himself to be a little, genuinely selfish; and it would look more suspect if he ignored his recently Reborn—…best friend.

“Shall we take a look by the bonfires?” Niko proposed, finding himself drawn back to her clever eyes. “See if we find her over there?"

#convo #convo ;; niko & nancy #c01 ;; niko & nancy

[nikopark]

cammyxclark​:

status: closed ( @nikomura​​ ) location: starlite diner

Seeing Niko sat at a booth in the corner of the diner was like seeing… well, she’d need a new expression seeing as with the reborn, she had grown accustomed to seeing ghosts. They weren’t really ghosts, but in the sense that she had gone through all the grief and pain that came with loss, only to see those same people once again. The sight of Niko had been uncommon since he decided to work for Vanguard. Beck hadn’t said more than two words to him since it happened, and she didn’t blame him for that. But, with some crippling fear of losing loved ones hovering over her at all times, Cam didn’t quite have the heart to do the same. Some days, she wishes she could. It would make moments like this easier. But, her brain and emotions simply don’t allow it.

It would be easy enough to pretend that she hadn’t seen him, but they were dead as a doornail with the kitchen closing only a few minutes after a plate of food was left in front of him. So, Cam is presented with two options: Approach him or ignore him. And, she knows that ignoring him will only push him further from their group and closer to the slimy clutches of Vanguard. 

With Converse hanging from her fingers, she makes her way back to the corner booth, and sits across from him, working to unlace the roller skates, and free her feet from the rolling white death traps. “Hey,” She greets, glancing over her shoulder to see the last customers heading out for the evening. “Hang with me while I close, yeah? I don’t like walking to my car alone, and the kitchen guys have already taken off.” She parks within spitting distance of the Diner,  it’s hardly a treacherous walk. But, she doesn’t know if Niko will stay of his own accord. Maybe the incentive of not letting her walk alone will be more motivation for him to stick around without her having to beg.

Niko had done an excellent job of avoiding the diner since the accident. Between the excellent cooking of Vanguard’s private chefs, his own expanding repertoire of culinary capabilities, and, well, any other restaurant in town, he’d kept himself fed. And free of the guilt that came with seeing Cameron Clark in person, but here he was. Craving greasy diner food at an abnormally late hour.

When Niko finally made the move cut himself out of the remnants of the Scooby Gang, Beck made it easy. Predictably, there’d been dumbstruck disbelief, angry shouting, angrier tears, and promises to never speak to Niko again. Precisely the response Niko hoped for, even as his heart shattered in real time. Despite similar efforts, Cam wouldn’t give up on him—and still hadn’t, it seemed, as she settled in across from him in the booth and asked him to stay. 

It felt like a punch in the gut.

Niko felt his face soften from stony to stoic at her request, and nodded carefully. He wouldn’t deny her, but he couldn’t bring himself to vocalize a yes, either. Considering it was also closing time and she hadn’t moved to kick him out yet, the hint of obligation hung in the air. 

“They always make you close down by yourself? Doesn’t seem very safe.” He picked up a fry and jabbed vaguely toward the skates she pulled off. “Especially if you’re still geared up. That’s an accident waiting to happen.”

#convo #convo ;; niko & cameron #c01 ;; niko & cameron

[nikopark]

cordibeckett​:

when: earlymorning where: niko’s duplex who: @nikomura​

Cordi couldn’t quite remember the last time she’d seen Niko. It had been a bit blurry, it wasn’t her friend that went and worked for ‘the enemy’ and she’d be the first to admit that she had never quite understood the dramatics about the whole thing. Yeah, Vanguard were horrible and arguably the most corrupt thing in town since whoever ran that lunchable black market in pre-school. But that wasn’t Niko’s fault. She’d never blame a dude who just wanted to pay rent or believed he could change the devil- or whatever he had said to accept the job.

Which is probably why she has no issues going behind Beck and the others back like this, curiously taking in the front door as if it could talk to her. Sadly, she couldn’t get her answers from the dead piece of wood, so she knocks on Niko’s door with no hesitation. If anything she is kind of excited to see him again, even if she was sure her brother could practically sense that she was doing something she shouldn’t. Which is why she had turned her phone off. And then the door actually opens and she is a bit speechless.

‘‘Oh, You were actually home. Holy shit.” Is the first words that fall out of her mouth, hand reaching up to nervously pushing her fingers through her hair. ‘‘Holy shit, again. Hi- oh, are you eating breakfast?’‘

There were many, many things Niko would’ve imagined on the other side of his front door at 9am on a weekend morning. An Amazon delivery, a sad Strip-O-Gram, last night’s hook up coming back for seconds, overeager apartment hunters wanting to see the open unit, a traveling vacuum salesman...

But Cordelia goddamn Beckett staring at him with wide-eyed wonder wouldn’t have even cracked the top ten. Niko blinked. Nope, she was still there. Wringing her hands and playing with her hair like she couldn’t believe she was really here, either. 

“I was,” Niko grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. He fixed her with as... neutral of a stare as he could muster this early in the morning, on a day he’d had no intention of interacting with other people. “Now, I’m wondering what exactly Beck’s little sister is doing on my doorstep and, more importantly, how she found my doorstep.”

#convo #convo ;; niko & cordelia #c02 ;; niko & cordelia

[nikopark]

augustslippdaway​:

location: vanguard offices tag: @nikomura

Emma had been staring at her computer screen for too long and she had completely lost track of time. The only way she knew it was around lunch time was because of her stomach growling. Her head tilted to the side of her computer and her blue eyes peered across the way at Niko. He seemed to be engrossed in coding too, so it was up to her to make sure they both ate. “Hey, geek,” she called out, tossing one of her numerous pens at his desk.“Do you want to come to the cafeteria with me? It’s orange chicken today or something, I think.” The HR department usually sent out a monthly lunch calendar but she liked to be surprised. 

Niko’s eyes hurt; he tried not to think about when he last blinked. Distantly he heard the gurgle of an empty stomach, and Emma saying--something, probably nothing of import. Then a pen clattered against the monitor. Sighing, he grabbed the neon eyesore of a writing utensil and deposited it in the top drawer to join the others. “Again? Thought we just had that on Wednesday,” He observed, ignoring the geek comment. He was hungry though... “Let’s go. But if they’re serving us leftovers, there will be a problem. Might have to take a byte or two out of their servers.”

#convo #convo ;; niko & emma #c01 ;; niko & emma

[nikopark]

DARREN BARNET as PAXTON HALL-YOSHIDA in NEVER HAVE I EVER 3x05 | “…Been Ghosted” 

(requested by anonymous) 

“Paxton, hey, how’d your first community service go? Hopefully, it won’t be your last, right?” “No, it won’t be my last. I actually liked helping out.”

#mirror ;; niko

[nikopark]

imessage 📲 niko

Niko: Cross that bridge when we get to it, at the very least they could waive the labor fees...

Niko: I'll be here. We can look at some listings

Nancy: I'm sure we can talk them into it

Nancy: I appreciate it

Niko: No problem, see you in a bit

#text #text ;; niko & nancy #//cue the frantic last-minute cleaning spree lol

[nikopark]

imessage 📲 niko

Nancy: you would and this could be dangerous. what if they start to think we want a threesome or something? thanks, i appreciate it. i'll be there soon and i think i need to find my own place asap

Niko: Cross that bridge when we get to it, at the very least they could waive the labor fees...

Niko: I'll be here. We can look at some listings

#text #text ;; niko & nancy

[nikopark]

NIKO NAKAMURA + PERSONALITY

Capricorn | Rooster | Neutral Evil | ISTJ | Birch | Type 5 | Choleric | The Warrior

gifs by @stewys

#about ;; niko

[nikopark]

#friendship ;; niko & rosemary

[nikopark]

#about ;; niko

[nikopark]

First evidence that you’re a bad person: state that you are not a bad person

#about ;; niko