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Niko drowsed for a little, but spent much of the time watching you sleep. He
eases away from you carefully, and gets slowly to his feet, one eye on
various monitors. He's going to bathroom. He's allowed. And if he takes his
time, it's because he's tired.
Uh-huh, tired. Right. It's because he's rummaging through the cabinets. Elasia snoozes onwards, although she stirs at the nonrightness of the situation.
Niko actually considers the cabinets on his way back from the cream-and-tan bathroom, as there might be food in them. Returning, he considers the bed, with a fond smile for its occupant, but opts for a chair instead.
Eventually the lack of your presence intrudes into Elasia's awareness and she pushes up from the bed, blinking at the empty spot with a look of mild alarm.
Niko is doggedly trying to focus on that King Arthur book--Firelord, most
likely--though he looks up as he sees your movement. "Over here, hon," he
says, with a smile. "I didn't want to wake you."
Elasia tugs her legs out over the side of the bed, looking a fair sight
rumpled, "You okay?"
Niko nods amiably. "Sure, just fine. I figured I'd branch out to amazing new
frontiers... a chair." He grins, adding, "I'll go back to bed if you want,
love, but I'm fine here, really."
Elasia slides out of the bed, gaining her feet. "No, if you're not hurting or anything, I'm not going to begrudge it to you. Anything I can get you? Something to drink? Dinner?" She goes to rummage in a closet.
Niko has, alas, reached that point where he's not yet well enough to go back to his usual activities, but is well enough that he thinks he should be able to do just that. "I'm not hurting," he confirms, getting slowly to his feet so he may trail after you. "And we should both probably eat something, yeah."
Elasia drags fresh clothes from the closet and turns back to look at you. "Not
if you don't go sit back down. Niko, a chair's one thing, wandering around's
another. You sit down, I'll go put on clothes I don't have to work in, and
then I'll toss something on for food, kay?"
Niko pauses for a moment, then sighs very quietly and replaces his steps back to the chair. "Okay," he confirms. "But can I do something to help? I can chop or something while I'm sitting down." He's not got cabin fever at all.
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Elasia snags the clothes and heads towards the bathroom, ducking into it. "Chopping would be very much appreciated, just give me a minute here..." There's various muffled sounds and then Ela returns, dressed in flaid plannel...err no... -plaid flannel-, and jeans. "Chopping's always good."
Niko nods his agreement to that. "And I've got practice at chopping. Hey,
you've still got that shirt. Just let me know where you want me, hon, and
I'll get there."
Elasia pads to the kitchen, rummaging through cabinets. "Kitchen table maybe?
It's got chairs, and you can chop there. Would that be all right?" There's a
brief clatter, "Yeah, it's really comfortable and all, and it survived so
much. It didn't seem right to leave it."
Niko nods amiably and gets to his feet, making his way to the table in
question--though not without a vaguely annoyed look towards the various
monitor- and IV-related stuff trailing behind him. "It suits you," he says,
as he settles into a chair. "Looks nice. And having something comfortable is
good."
Elasia tries to think of something involving a lot of chopping, so as to keep
you occupied a bit. Not to mention something she has the parts for, "Had
Moussaka in a while?" Now -that's- a lot of chopping. "Especially if I'm
going to keep falling asleep in my clothes."
Niko shakes his head. "Haven't had it in ages, no. Not since I was home last,
right after graduation." His grin is a bit sheepish. "I don't often eat stuff
like that unless someone from Hellas makes it. And it's good that you got a
nap," he adds. "You looked like you needed it. And I enjoyed watching you
sleep."
Elasia rummages in a vegetable bin, pulling out several eggplants. These are
delivered unto you along with a knife and a chopping board, "Cut those into
disks could you?" She snags a pan and ground beef, setting them on the
counter. "Well see, I like the excuse to cook stuff from home. A lot of folks
here are too picky and all." She offers you a rueful chuckle, "I was tired,"
she admits. "Schedule's been a bit odd."
Niko nods amiably, starting up the chopping. And, yes, he's not that bad at
chopping, as that and cleanup were the two things he was 'allowed' to do in
his mother's kitchen. "We need to expose Riley to Hellenic cooking at some
point, too," he notes, with a quick grin. "And hopefully your schedule will
be a little better soon, hm? I love having you with me, but if you need to
get stuff done at times when I'm awake, so you don't have to -keep- weird
hours, please."
Elasia sets a bundle of parsley as well as a couple of large onions at your
table as well, presumably to be chopped. Adding butter to the pan, she adds
the ground meat and various spices. "It's okay, things are just a little
re-arranged is all. Nothing too weird." She hmms, "We'd have to ask Clara,
yes? See if she has him on that bland food injunction you were on." She hmms,
"Ooh, an excuse to make roasted lamb and potatoes maybe. Feed you, him, and
Clara to boot."
Niko grins brightly, pausing in his chopping. "I was hoping you'd say something like that. I figured it was either that or give Riley an excuse to make chili again. Whatever works." He turns back to the chopping, though he keeps talking. "I think maybe giving Riley a little more time to get better might be a good idea, though. He got tired pretty quickly when I was there."
"Not to mention time for you to get better," Elasia offers with a grin as she
starts a second pan with butter and milk, "You may be off bland food, but
there is probably an upper limit on evil I can engage in culinarily, and
roasted lamb's probably on the list. It'd be fun though, certainly. They're
nice people it seems."
Niko finishes off with the eggplant and starts on the onion. Chopchop. "Very nice people," he concurs. "I really hope you get a chance to get to know them better. Hopefully the chaos will settle down for a bit." He doesn't mention any needed time for him to get better. If he ignores it, it'll go away.
Elasia scoops up the chopped eggplant, layering the bottom of a casserole dish
with the disks. "From what I've been told, chaos is the norm here. The trick
is just to sneak things in between it. I'm sure we'll learn, other people
seem to have."
Niko nods his agreement, chopping efficiently at the onions and then offering
them. "Here y'go," he says, adding, "And you're right. We'll learn. It's just
an adjustment to make." He rests his chin in a cupped hand, adding softly,
"Like Hellas to Evinast, only more so."
Elasia snags the proffered onions with a beamed grin of thanks. She bends down to kiss you gently before adding them to the pan with the meat. "We had each other to lean on then, we have each other to lean on now. I think we could about take on the universe if we had to." MOre mixing and stirring occurs.
Niko looks decidedly content with the world in general and this room in
particular. "We could," he agrees, with a quick smile. "I don't think that'll
be necessary, but we could do it."
The meat gets dumped in on top of the eggplant, and the rest of the eggplant layered over it. The cream sauce is poured over the whole mass, and then cheese over that. Elasia leans over to tuck the casserole dish in the oven. "Everything will be fine, you just need to get better is all."
Niko makes a rather dismissive gesture. "That's basically already happened, hon. I'm fine. Just need to get used to doing things again. But I won't push it," he says quickly, before you can protest. "I'm still listening to you and Clara, and not thinking about medical stuff--well, not too much."
Elasia gestures with one thumb at the monitors and IV lines, "You're still
wired like plumbing, you're not well." She gathers together dishes, plunking
them in the washer.
Niko casts a look of distaste towards the monitors and IV lines. "If you say so," he murmurs. It's easier than arguing, and he's starting to get tired. He inquires, sitting up a bit more, "Is there anything else I can do?"
Elasia shakes her head, gesturing at the oven, "Nothing left to do but wait. Why don't you go lie down maybe? Or sprawl out on the couch?"
Niko considers that for a moment, then nods. "Good idea," he says, getting
carefully to his feet. He makes his way back to the bed, inquiring rather
wistfully, "Do you have to wait in there?"
Elasia shakes her head, shedding the tennis shoes and following you to the bed. "Not at all." She slides onto the bed after you, attempting to fix the nest of blankets. "I was just in there because you were."
Niko watches the blanket-fixing with a hint of bemusement. "At some point we're
going to have to totally remake the bed. The blankets and such are getting
all kershnoogled."
Elasia reaches over to tousle your hair lightly, "True enough, but they'll do
for now. As long as you're comfortable."
Niko reaches to capture your hand. It's his, now. You can't have it. "I'm comfortable," he agrees, settling against 'his' pillow. "What is it with messing up my hair?" he adds, with a quick grin. "Is it a woman thing?"
Elasia grins at the hand capturing, settling down comfortably. "It's long," she
explains, "and hence fun to muss. Besides, you get the most amusing look when
someone does it."
Niko tugs lightly at a few curls. They sproing back into place as soon as he releases them. "Got to get it cut," he agrees. "It's going to make me look like I've got some sort of cleaning utensil on my head."
Elasia can't help but ruffle your hair once again, "You're starting to look
like your brother," she notes with a grin. Just then the oven chimes. "Just a
sec, I'll bring you something."
Niko gauges the distance to the kitchen table, then decides that bed is, in fact, the place to be. "Thanks, hon. And if I'm looking like Riley, I -definitely- need a haircut," he adds, voice full of humor.
Elasia rummages for bowls, scooping out a chunk of the casserole into each.
"Water or soda?" she questions before chuckling, "It is getting long, but
you're cute either way."
Niko grins rather boyishly. "Thanks. And can I have water, please, hon? Mm.
That really does smell good."
Elasia snags a water bottle for you, and a soda for herself. Juggling drinks,
bowls, and cutlery she brings the lot over to the bed. Offering you your
share she murmurs, "Careful, it's hot."
Niko murmurs another thankyou, carefully balancing the bowl. "Still smells
good," he says, with a grin. "It's been -ages-." He scoops up a bit of
moussaka, blowing lightly on it before tasting. "Mmm. Tastes better than it
smells."
Elasia settles down cross-legged next to you, poking at her own meal. "Same here. I had the eggplant for something else I'd half-intended to make. Like I said, most of the folks I work with have no taste at all. Not too bad a lot though, we're all in the same boat of being at the bottom of the totem pole."
Niko does not poke at his meal, he inhales it. He wasn't hungry at all, nah. He manages to eat neatly, however, which is fortunate for the blankets. "Maybe if you don't tell them what's in the food? That can help, sometimes. And being together on the bottom of the totem pole is good. More shoulders to spread around the weight of the -rest- of the thing."
Elasia blinks a few times at the food inhalation, "Want some more? There's
plenty in there." She shakes her head, "They just prefer other stuff, so I
cook other stuff. Keeps me sane." She nods emphaticly, "Yeah. And it's folks
to yammer with by the photostat machine."
Niko offers you a quick smile, tied in a neat little bow. "Sane is good. And I
can get more. If I can walk to the bathroom and back, I can go into the
kitchen for food." Putting words to actions, he gets to his feet. "Want
anything, while I'm up?"
Elasia reaches up to catch at you, her tone pleading, "Lie back down Niko, I'll get it. Please, I'm supposed to be taking care of you."
Niko sits back on the bed, biting back a sigh. "Hon, I really -can- handle going into the kitchen. But if it'd make you feel better..."
Elasia climbs from the bed, leaving her own bowl on the table and taking your
to the kitchen. "It would, it really would. I don't want your overdoing it
and getting sick again. Clara'd like as not abduct you back if that
happened." She adds more casserole to the dish returning and offering it to
you.
Niko settles more comfortably against the pillows, murmuring his thanks as he
takes the bowl. "She likely would," he agrees, with a grimace. "And I really
-don't- want to end up back there. I just really feel better. Maybe it's the
change in drugs, I don't know." He starts to eat, though more slowly this
time. "I'll try to take it easy."
Elasia slides back into her place, poking at her food some more. "Taking it
easy's best. Too much too soon is only begging trouble, and you've enough of
that as it is, love. It's not to long as all that left." She finally spears
up a bite, "Want me to snag something from the library for you maybe?
Something to have to do with your time?"
Niko shakes his head, gesturing towards the King Arthur book he's been attempting. "Nah, thanks. Kaycen stopped by earlier, and brought that." He munches for a moment longer, then adds, "He said that Guido's in the brig. They caught him down in the Java Quarter the other day."
Elasia glances towards the book, ahhing quietly. There's another pause at the
mention of Guido. Something passes over her expression at the mention of said
individual, and it's -not- a pleasant something. This is not a good woman to
cross. "Good," and that single word is nearly a dangerous purr. "I'm sure
Anya will know what to do with his like."
Niko nods his agreement, still methodically munching on the casserole. "I'm sure she will," he agrees quietly. "Almost makes me feel sorry for the guy." With a shake of his head, he adds, "He's not AF any more. Riley took care of that the other day." There's an obvious note of relief to his voice.
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Elasia sets her bowl aside on one of the bedside tables, nodding. "It all works out then. Likely they'll extradite him and the trial won't even be here."
Niko peers at the bowl, gesturing with a fork as he inquires, "You didn't like it?" With a nod, he adds, "It'll still be... interesting to see what happens. Maybe I should see if Kaycen knows about this," he muses.
"Know about what?" Elasia questions, mildly confused. "It was fine, I just
wasn't really hungry."
Niko polishes off the last of his casserole, with a short nod. "It's not
important, hon. I'll figure it out." He puts the bowl on the table, guessing
that he's not going to be allowed to do dishes, and smiles. "That was good.
Thank you."
Elasia looks more than a bit confused, but scoops up the dishes, padding into the kitchen slowly. Tucking them, and the leftovers, away, she turns to head back. "Not a problem." Maybe it's a Security thing, and she doesn't get told. Shrugging slightly she returns to the bed. "Depends on where he's from."
Niko now takes his own turn to look confused. "What depends on where who's
from?"
"Guido's extradition," Elasia eases down to the bed carefully. "Depends on if his home planet has an extradition treaty, and if they choose to apply it."
Niko ahs very quietly. "He's from... Vespugia, I think. Not sure. I don't know
what the laws are like, wherever it is." He rubs lightly at his eyes with the
thumb and first finger of one hand, saying vaguely, "It'll be bettter now
that he's not AF any more."
Elasia tugs at the blankets, pulling them over you. "Getting tired?" She nods
slightly, not simple since she's lying down. "Much better. Much easier on
y'all."
Niko holds his fingers about half an inch apart. "A little tired," he murmurs. "I've been mostly awake all day. What a weird experience." He offers a crooked grin, adding, "And it'll be easier, yes. For us. And for Guido, for that matter. I'm just not sure how much of a stink he's going to make."
Elasia adjusts the blankets further and then murmurs a command to dim the lights. "Get some sleep then, you could use some sleep. Sleep's good. Very good indeed." She mmhmms softly, "Not worth worrying about yet."
Niko murmurs 'sleep' a few times, just because it seems the right thing to do. Peering at you as he gets himself situated in the adjusted blanketage, he says softly, "You really are wonderful. You know that, right?"
Elasia manages to pull her eyes back open to regard you with amusement, "Must
be the drugs.." She murmurs, eyes closing again.
Niko cuddles closer to you, with a soft laugh. "I'll still think so when I'm off the drugs," he murmurs. "Sleep well, hon. Love you."
"And I love you too, Niko. Very much, so very much..." Elasia's voice trails
off further, sounding a bit zoned.
Niko drifts off to sleep quite easily, likely the effect of the moving around
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