Voice

[audacieux_et_beau]

Hm. What an interesting adventure this ought to be, then. Is this part of my next steps forward, or something entirely new? Suppose I'll find out soon enough.

Comments

[tesla_vampiris]

[By the time she gets back, he's chopping up vegetables for a stir-fry. He's even got an apron on, having carefully hung up his suit jacket. It says 'kiss the cook', appropriately]

Well, I had quiet times, every now and again. Started watching Julia Childs. Loved that woman.

[audacieux_et_beau]

[stifles a laugh at his apron, setting the glasses down and pouring them both glasses of an appropriate vintage]

I can't imagine that, either, but I'll take your word for it since it already smells wonderful.

[offers him a glass with a smile, kissing his cheek, following the rule on his apron appropriate enough]

[tesla_vampiris]

[He got the stir fry rolling, adding in bits of diced chicken. And greatly enjoyed that peck on the cheek, even if she cleverly evaded his attempts to make more of it. He'd tried that trick, alas.]

That it does. And for dessert, we'll have whatever I can scrounge up. Who usually does the cooking around here, anyways?

[audacieux_et_beau]

[leans back against the counter, sipping at her wine and enjoying watching him cook; could probably get used to this]

The big guy. Though normally I don't eat it. I've been so busy I've been neglecting my appetite.

[tesla_vampiris]

[He snags his own wine with a flourish, raising it in salute before sipping]

And you can't do that, you know. You may live forever, but not if you stop eating properly.

[He paused]

Good heavens, I sound like a PSA...

[audacieux_et_beau]

Work comes first, Nikola, as always.

[laughs]

That you do. But you are one PSA I shall actually listen to.

[tesla_vampiris]

As always.

[He stepped to her briefly, cupping her cheek, his look kind but serious]

Try harder. It's one thing for me to starve myself for science, but I don't save the world as often as you do.

[Then he's back over the stove, moving the skillet with an expert hand.]

[audacieux_et_beau]

[blinks, startled by the action a moment, hand half raised to take another swig of wine; looks entirely vulnerable for a moment, then blinks and it's gone]

No more saving the world for me. Just stress-free sanctuary work from here on out. The government can handle the world.

[tesla_vampiris]

[He gave her a look that was, in extensive terms, not buying that at all.]

Right. Also, have I mentioned, I'm planning on being a theater attraction. Working for peanuts, that sort of thing.

[He turned attention back to the food, reaching with one hand to get down plates.]

You can't do that Helen. It isn't in your nature. You can't stand back from helping people and abnormals anymore than I can resist the urge to create.

[audacieux_et_beau]

[she rolls her eyes, crossing her legs at the ankle as she leans against the counter]

A girl can try. I don't intend to be off to China and Egypt and Brazil for a while, at the very least. And I'll only be called in if something horrific is happening and by my hand only will it be stopped. But at least I'm trying to calm down everything. The dust is settling around us still, and I don't intend to stir it back up.

[tesla_vampiris]

[He nodded, spreading food out onto the plates, adding just a taste of sauce, and handing her one]

Good. Can't have you being the busiest girl in the world anymore, not if I'm getting more time around you. Simply wouldn't be fair.

[audacieux_et_beau]

Thank you. [takes the plate and picks up a fork, an amused smile flittering to her face at how domestic this all seems; hides it behind a bite of food]

I'm all yours in the evenings and my days off. Fair enough? And dear lord, Nikola, this is absolutely delicious.

[tesla_vampiris]

[He grinned at the compliment to the food, and nodded]

It's all in the preparation. In this case, half a pound of butter. [And he holds the straight face just long enough.] I can't claim all the credit. Julia taught me well.

[He gestured towards the lounge again, handing her his plate.]

I'll bring the wine.

[audacieux_et_beau]

[tries her hardest not to snort at the compliment] Don't turn into Paula Deen on me, please. And if there is really that much butter in this, then I am casting suspicion at you that you're trying to turn me fat.

[chuckles and nods, taking his plate before moving toward the lounge; claims a seat at the end of the sofa, resting their plates on the coffee table so she can get herself adjusted by kicking off her shoes and tucking her legs beneath her, pulling a pillow into her lap to balance her plate on]

Dinner and a movie, then? [nods toward the television] I bet there's something classic on this late.

[tesla_vampiris]

[He looked at her quizzically as she led the way.]

Who's Paula Deen? And I'll take you at any size, so...

[He sat next to her with a pleased sigh, crossing his legs and balancing the plate precariously on his lap. At her suggestion he grinned, and nodded]

It sounds like you're reading my mind tonight.

[audacieux_et_beau]

Nevermind. [chuckles, taking another bite before snatching up the remote and flicking through movie channels]

Well, we always were close. But I can't tell what movie you actually do want to watch. You pick.

[tesla_vampiris]

[He thought for a moment then leaned his head back, a smile on his face]

Bogart and Bacall, that one. [He pointed at the screen as she flicked the channels.] I miss their films. You remember when we sneaked off to see Big Sleep when it first came out? Because the war was over and we had the time to not be involved in national security?

[audacieux_et_beau]

[nods and turns to that channel, setting the remote aside as the movie plays on]

Oh, I remember very well. [laughs, continuing to eat] Those were good times. Right after the wars when we felt just as invincible as we did at Oxford. We did silly things in those times, didn't we? I still remember that boating trip on the Thames - and how the lot of you ended flipping us with your games.

[tesla_vampiris]

[He put down his fork as she mentioned that, laughing at the image. Laughing outright, something he hadn't done in a while]

James running for shore like a scalded cat, you just floating there like a mermaid, scowling at me and Nigel...turned out the boat had three people wanting to be Captain, didn't it?

[audacieux_et_beau]

[giggles, trying to stifle it as best as she can]

Oh, Gods, if we hadn't laughed so hard about it afterward I would have been just as furious as my father was when I came home sopping wet. I think I vowed never to get on any watercraft with any of you again because you would all try to Captain and we'd just end up a drowned mess.

[pauses, then laughs outright]

And look! There were two of us on the Titanic! And look what happened!

[tesla_vampiris]

[He kept laughing as she remembered more of it, nodding.]

I swear, half of it was James nearly walking on water to get out of the river. Never saw him move that fast in my life. Nigel teased him for days, asked him if he was planning on performing more miracles!

[He shook his head at the second part]

Obviously, we're just not meant for water. We get out there in vessels, things just go badly wrong. You remember that captured U-boat, 1919? The government let us look at it, and here's me trying to flirt with you and accidentally turning the dive controls. Took us an hour to get her back up again, and half the navy brass were standing there, hot under the collar. What was it you said? Something about testing her out?

[audacieux_et_beau]

[has to set her plate aside a moment to keep from spilling it in mirth]

Oh, Gods that was brilliant! I thought James had really turned holy for a moment in order to get out of there. [more giggles]

Oh no. That was embarrassing, Nikola, and not even funny! I think half the time I was yelling at you while the pair of us were pushing every single button that blasted thing had to get it to go up. I thought the navy was going to ban us from the country, for God's sake. [shakes her head, trying to stop laughing] Yes, something along those lines. As far as I can remember, they didn't take too kindly to that either.

[tesla_vampiris]

And then he just looked at us all in the water like we were all quite mad. Of course, you made us avert your eyes when you got out of the water, too, just that added little grace note. I remember saying something about Aphrodite rising from the waves and you hit me with your hat.

[He laughs, shaking a finger at her]

And it wasn't funny then - but neither of us had ever seen half the German terms and heaven knew those weren't intuitive controls. And you got so frustrated you kicked me in the shin.

[He tried to eat a bite, then put the plate back down, still smiling and laughing too much] At least we brought her up in one piece and didn't accidentally scuttle her.

[audacieux_et_beau]

Ah, yes. I believe I distinctly told you that if I caught you staring at me again I'd drown you in the river. [smiles innocently, managing another few bites of food]

Well you weren't bloody helping with your lewd remarks, you know. I had every right to kick you in the shin. And had we scuttled that thing, I have no doubt they would have tied us to the top and made it go under again. We were lucky to escape from them with nothing more but bruised egos.

[tesla_vampiris]

Well, I thought we might be under for a while. It was a rare opportunity. [He favoured her with an impish grin]

At any rate, we've learned to stay away from being on boats and ships, at any rate - things tend to go badly awry, don't they?

[He smiled, taking a bite of his food.]

One of oh so many reasons you'll never find me taking a cruise.