A Work of Art

Savants

Eden awoke before the sun fully rose, and certainly long before the others. Truthfully however, it was less "waking up" than "deciding to leave bed". How could anyone get any actual rest after last night? So many questions left unanswered, and now there's a stranger sleeping in their home... they tried to force their mind off the topic as the eggs cooked. Alexandra said everything would be explained soon. They sighed. It better be. Dividing the food into 4 plates, Eden strolled back into their room, taking care not to wake up Reikas. The efforts were in vain as the closet opening stirred their partner awake.

"Ugh... Eden? Why are you up so early?"

Eden rolled their eyes and began getting dressed, throwing on a featureless white t-shirt and boxer briefs. "Did you already forget about Alexandra and yesterday? She said 'early'. It's early. Get up."

With much complaining and groaning, Reikas sat up in bed and stretched. At least it was a nice view, seeing Eden bend over to pick up their favorite pair of black jeans, with obvious stitching to close past tears all over. "You ever think about wearing clothes from this century?" he chuckled.

"Hey, it's all practical." Eden gestured at their planned ensemble. "The shirts's got subtle leather padding for protection. Pants have got deep pockets. The overcoat has some off-brand Kevlar inside. And you know fingerless gloves give good grip."

"Sure, whatever. And the red bandana is definitely a tactical choice and not supposed to bring the whole cowboy look together."

Eden opened their mouth to retort, but turned away with a blush. They began playing with their hair, adjusting the shoulder length dark blonde mess until it parted in the middle, just the way they liked. "Sorry I wanna look good and have practicality, I guess..."

"C'mon, I'm just teasing. You look good. Even if you always wear that look."

"Pot, meet kettle. There's eggs in the kitchen. Scrambled."

Reikas threw on his own trademark outfit, a black hoodie and skinny jeans, before heading to the kitchen. He was greeted by the sight of Seraphim, desperately shoveling her plate of food into her mouth as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. Some unintelligible noise came from her mouth. The only hint that it was a greeting was the wave Seraphim gave with her free hand. Eventually, she put her fork down and leaned back in her chair.

"Mornin', Rei. Sleep good?"

"Ugh, how could I?" answered Reikas as he sat down at his own plate. He poked the eggs with his fork, placing his elbow on the table and resting his head on his hand. "I mean, opportunity is literally knocking. Just nervous, I guess. Eden's taking it super seriously."

"What don't they take seriously?" Seraphim took her plate to the empty sink, haphazardly tossing it in. The crashing noise made Alexandra jump up from the nearby couch, immediately assuming a fighting stance.

"Who's there?"

"Alex. That was me," Seraphim sighed. "Sorry."

Visibly relaxing, Alexandra began removing her nightgown and feeling around for her standard clothes. "Do try to be more careful. You'll wake up the neighborhood with your racket." As she got dressed, Seraphim silently mocked Alexandra's scolding with exaggerated gestures as Reikas suppressed a laugh.

"Oh, we're all awake," Eden remarked, walking out of the room fully dressed. "Miss Erymes, there's breakfast at the table. Should I bring it to you, or..."

Alexandra took hold of her cane and felt the ground in front of her, searching for the table in question. "The hospitality in cooking is appreciated. Offering help is likewise appreciated, but unneeded. Thank you." She found her way to the table, eating her meal in precise, equal bites. Eden took the clean plate to the sink before joining everyone at the kitchen table.