Ezra Weasley

(it was getting too sloppy for me)

Ezra smirked at her, his head tilting slightly to the side at her tease, “I try new things,” he offered. “I just like to pair them with the proverbial blanket.” He held up the croissant and shook it at her before taking another bite. He often was just as bad at putting himself in boxes as others were. There were moments when he was certain he was the worst offender of that particular habit but even with Liz’s tease he knew full well there was no malice in it. Mischief certainly, but that was where the line was drawn. 

Liz laughed and leaned forward onto the table. “My sincerest apologies,” She smiled. “I shouldn’t have discounted the importance of a good comfort blanket,” She teased. It was all in jest and the truth of it was that Ezra could have done and eaten the same thing every day if it made him happy, and she would support it without question. The important part for her was that he was happy and comfortable with their existence together. 

Ezra found himself shaking his head at her tease. He didn’t really have anything more to add to explaining his isms and he suspected a secondary tease would follow doing so. So his head simply wagged slowly while a smile crept upon his lips. That was until she paused a little longer than usual to watch him while he ate his comfort food trying not to feel weird that she was observing him. It’s not that he found it weird for his girlfriend to look at him intently, it was more that he prickled anytime he felt eyes on him for longer than the regular tick of a moment passing. 

Liz immediately laughed when she clocked the glitch after her comment. She spoke nothing but the truth; she thought that crooked smile of his was the sexiest thing on the planet. She inwardly melted every time he flashed it, but she also knew that he would balk at the comment all the same. She found that just as endearing. 

Ezra nodded at her words, “We are all a bit odd,” he agreed. Between being what would classically be the theater/band kids had they gone to a muggle school and a fuck ton of trauma dished out because they didn’t attend a muggle school they were all a bit off when it came to a scale of normality. Granted, the older he got the more he realized that it was just people. So much stigma in the world came from a distinct need to keep up the appearance of something that wasn’t real. Which was such an odd social construct to him. If no one was normal, why was that the standard? It made little sense but then again, that also was a people thing. 

"You're in the best company," she smiled as she finished off her coffee and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I like your weird," she said thoughtfully. "You see the world uniquely, always make me laugh, and you're the only person outside family I've trusted to meet the... Other... Me," she shrugged. "You're the best."

He nodded at her assessment of him. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that line of compliment. It seemed when people critiqued him it often fell within the boundaries of he saw the world differently. It was something he never fully understood. He couldn’t help but think everyone only saw the world the way they saw it and that each version would be unique. No one was the same so the idea that perspective would be was an odd thought to him. Though, he did realize, in the same beat, that he caught a lot of things people missed and he really didn’t have a reason for that either. At least not beyond the fact that he paid attention. 

Liz smiled at him and then slowly peered down at her bag that rested in her lap. "I'm not exactly a patient person," she began with a quiet laugh. "And more than a little impulsive." 

She looked up. "You know this better than most. It's both why we started and why we failed the first time around," she said, giving herself a moment to quietly revisit that first Christmas with him... A drunk hookup that she didn't even remotely regret, but admitted should have also happened differently. And then to the disastrous mental spiral of a summer that ended things. She was certain that they were not going to talk again and that family gatherings were going to get very awkward for her... Right up until that first care package arrived... On time like it was every month before it. 

Ezra couldn’t help but smirk at the sudden self aware admission from his partner. Liz was indeed very impulsive which was part of what had always made her the proverbial fire to his moth. He’d been drawn to her from the start and there was no denying that fact. Everyone knew it and though he’d lived in a self induced purgatory of denial and admission for years, eventually that seal broke away…with the mighty kick that she’d provided to it. and then it broke down as doubt ate away at the edges and he’d been unaware. Stiff and unaware of all the signs. 

(it was getting too sloppy for me)

Ezra smirked at her, his head tilting slightly to the side at her tease, “I try new things,” he offered. “I just like to pair them with the proverbial blanket.” He held up the croissant and shook it at her before taking another bite. He often was just as bad at putting himself in boxes as others were. There were moments when he was certain he was the worst offender of that particular habit but even with Liz’s tease he knew full well there was no malice in it. Mischief certainly, but that was where the line was drawn. 

Liz laughed and leaned forward onto the table. “My sincerest apologies,” She smiled. “I shouldn’t have discounted the importance of a good comfort blanket,” She teased. It was all in jest and the truth of it was that Ezra could have done and eaten the same thing every day if it made him happy, and she would support it without question. The important part for her was that he was happy and comfortable with their existence together. 

Ezra found himself shaking his head at her tease. He didn’t really have anything more to add to explaining his isms and he suspected a secondary tease would follow doing so. So his head simply wagged slowly while a smile crept upon his lips. That was until she paused a little longer than usual to watch him while he ate his comfort food trying not to feel weird that she was observing him. It’s not that he found it weird for his girlfriend to look at him intently, it was more that he prickled anytime he felt eyes on him for longer than the regular tick of a moment passing. 

Liz immediately laughed when she clocked the glitch after her comment. She spoke nothing but the truth; she thought that crooked smile of his was the sexiest thing on the planet. She inwardly melted every time he flashed it, but she also knew that he would balk at the comment all the same. She found that just as endearing. 

Ezra nodded at her words, “We are all a bit odd,” he agreed. Between being what would classically be the theater/band kids had they gone to a muggle school and a fuck ton of trauma dished out because they didn’t attend a muggle school they were all a bit off when it came to a scale of normality. Granted, the older he got the more he realized that it was just people. So much stigma in the world came from a distinct need to keep up the appearance of something that wasn’t real. Which was such an odd social construct to him. If no one was normal, why was that the standard? It made little sense but then again, that also was a people thing. 

"You're in the best company," she smiled as she finished off her coffee and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I like your weird," she said thoughtfully. "You see the world uniquely, always make me laugh, and you're the only person outside family I've trusted to meet the... Other... Me," she shrugged. "You're the best."

He nodded at her assessment of him. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that line of compliment. It seemed when people critiqued him it often fell within the boundaries of he saw the world differently. It was something he never fully understood. He couldn’t help but think everyone only saw the world the way they saw it and that each version would be unique. No one was the same so the idea that perspective would be was an odd thought to him. Though, he did realize, in the same beat, that he caught a lot of things people missed and he really didn’t have a reason for that either. At least not beyond the fact that he paid attention. 

(it was getting too sloppy for me)

Ezra smirked at her, his head tilting slightly to the side at her tease, “I try new things,” he offered. “I just like to pair them with the proverbial blanket.” He held up the croissant and shook it at her before taking another bite. He often was just as bad at putting himself in boxes as others were. There were moments when he was certain he was the worst offender of that particular habit but even with Liz’s tease he knew full well there was no malice in it. Mischief certainly, but that was where the line was drawn. 

Liz laughed and leaned forward onto the table. “My sincerest apologies,” She smiled. “I shouldn’t have discounted the importance of a good comfort blanket,” She teased. It was all in jest and the truth of it was that Ezra could have done and eaten the same thing every day if it made him happy, and she would support it without question. The important part for her was that he was happy and comfortable with their existence together. 

Ezra found himself shaking his head at her tease. He didn’t really have anything more to add to explaining his isms and he suspected a secondary tease would follow doing so. So his head simply wagged slowly while a smile crept upon his lips. That was until she paused a little longer than usual to watch him while he ate his comfort food trying not to feel weird that she was observing him. It’s not that he found it weird for his girlfriend to look at him intently, it was more that he prickled anytime he felt eyes on him for longer than the regular tick of a moment passing. 

Liz immediately laughed when she clocked the glitch after her comment. She spoke nothing but the truth; she thought that crooked smile of his was the sexiest thing on the planet. She inwardly melted every time he flashed it, but she also knew that he would balk at the comment all the same. She found that just as endearing. 

Ezra nodded at her words, “We are all a bit odd,” he agreed. Between being what would classically be the theater/band kids had they gone to a muggle school and a fuck ton of trauma dished out because they didn’t attend a muggle school they were all a bit off when it came to a scale of normality. Granted, the older he got the more he realized that it was just people. So much stigma in the world came from a distinct need to keep up the appearance of something that wasn’t real. Which was such an odd social construct to him. If no one was normal, why was that the standard? It made little sense but then again, that also was a people thing. 

(it was getting too sloppy for me)

Ezra smirked at her, his head tilting slightly to the side at her tease, “I try new things,” he offered. “I just like to pair them with the proverbial blanket.” He held up the croissant and shook it at her before taking another bite. He often was just as bad at putting himself in boxes as others were. There were moments when he was certain he was the worst offender of that particular habit but even with Liz’s tease he knew full well there was no malice in it. Mischief certainly, but that was where the line was drawn. 

Liz laughed and leaned forward onto the table. “My sincerest apologies,” She smiled. “I shouldn’t have discounted the importance of a good comfort blanket,” She teased. It was all in jest and the truth of it was that Ezra could have done and eaten the same thing every day if it made him happy, and she would support it without question. The important part for her was that he was happy and comfortable with their existence together. 

Ezra found himself shaking his head at her tease. He didn’t really have anything more to add to explaining his isms and he suspected a secondary tease would follow doing so. So his head simply wagged slowly while a smile crept upon his lips. That was until she paused a little longer than usual to watch him while he ate his comfort food trying not to feel weird that she was observing him. It’s not that he found it weird for his girlfriend to look at him intently, it was more that he prickled anytime he felt eyes on him for longer than the regular tick of a moment passing. 

The warm water felt nice as it cascaded over his head and onto the floor. He’d woken up too early and hadn’t been able to fall back asleep. This wasn’t an unusual position to find himself in. He was prone to odd hours of wake versus asleep times and had been his whole life. The issue of odd sleep patterns was, in this case, perpetuated by the fact that he was several hours off of his well curated schedule of predictable beats meant his body refused to believe that he should actually be sleeping. 

Liz woke to the muffled sound of the shower through the adjoining door. She listened, eyes closed and curled comfortably on her side beneath the weight of the hotel blankets with her arms tucked against her chest. There was no use trying to will herself back to sleep; she never slept well away from the comforts of home and her body always eventually registered the absence of the body next to her. 

She hardly ever rose before him despite going to bed before him nearly every night. Sometimes she’d will herself to try and stay up with him, but it always ended with her falling asleep on the couch beside him. She didn’t mind, there was a comfort in being near him. One she was always painfully aware of when it was absent for too long. 

“Morning,” he quietly returned. His eyes focused on her messy hair and sleepy eyes. He wondered if he’d woken her with his habits or not but he didn’t bother to inquire further. Instead, he moved to the bed and sat down next to her leaning in to give her a kiss on her temple. 

Liz let her legs slide into a crossed position as he walked over to the bed; her hands found and fidgeted with the hem of her sleep shirt as she felt his lips lightly press against her temple. Such a simple act of affection that left her smiling as he sat down in front of her. She watched him for a moment, forever thrown by how much she adored him. She’d packed up her life and followed him across an ocean, twice; and she knew she’d do it again and again without a moment of hesitation because he was her home. He always had been, the place she felt safest and most loved. 

Her smile widen as she reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “So long as that expedition starts with coffee and breakfast,” she said, glancing back over at him as her hands dropped back into her lap. “I’m in.”

He fell silent again while he observed her, waiting her out a little because there wasn’t a rush. They could get ready now or later, he wasn’t in a rush. She took note of her own delay which coaxed a gentle chuckle out of him, “That is an option you could choose, yes.” He confirmed the amusement ringing in the gentle words. 

He watched her shimmy away from him, sorting out the hem of her oversized night shirt, “Make sure you dress like it’s gonna be butts hot, ok? We aren’t going to be back to the hotel till much later.” 

Lizbeth and food. An amused smile crept across his face as he pondered where she kept it all. Hollowed out a taco leg or something. Ezra looked down and shook his head at his own thoughts before zeroing back in on her, “Oh, trust me there will be food. Lots and lots of food… but of course we can start with breakfast. I saw a little cafe nearby on the way in that looked like the pastries are something to behold. Coffee doesn’t sound like a bad call either.” 

Liz glanced back over her shoulder and cocked a brow at him in response to them not being back until much later. “Noted,” She said with a bright smile before she once again went back to gathering the last bit of items she needed to get ready before bouncing off into the bathroom with all of her things. 

She considered a shower, but decided on a cool splash of water from the sink before continuing on with getting ready. She’d opted for a yellow spaghetti strapped sundress after Ezra’s warning. The fabric was light and breezy, perfect for any outdoor adventure. She pulled her hair up into a twisted ponytail to get it up off her neck. Her hair wasn’t terribly long yet, but if they were going to be out as long as it seemed they were, she would be glad of the choice later. 

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, turning her head side to side to make sure her hair was sufficiently in place before she finished putting in her contacts and applying a light natural makeup. She gave herself another once over, knowing full well that she’d taken twice as long as Ezra to get ready despite forgoing the shower. There was a time and a place to be a swamp monster, and today did not feel like the day. 

Ezra watched her scamper off collecting clothing in her arms before she headed off to the bathroom to do the magic he didn’t really understand and she didn’t really need. Barefaced or enhanced with product, Lizbeth was the height of beauty in his book. He wasn’t arrogant enough to suggest that his opinion mattered very much on that front, at the end of the day it was about how she felt about herself, but he found her perfect regardless of the effort put in. 

Liz smiled before she slipped on her sandals, grabbed her canvas bag and slung it over her shoulders, and turned back to ward Ezra as she pulled her sunglasses from inside the bag. “Right on,” She smiled up at him as she passed through the door and waited to follow him wherever he lead. “Let the adventuring begin.” 

Upon stepping foot onto the street, Liz glanced up at the bright blue sky and squinted at the sun that beat down on them. The air hung around her, thick and heavy. She didn’t mind the heat, but she found the humidity considerably less favorable. You could combat heat with cool beverages, the shade, less clothing, and a dip in the water if necessary. But humidity? She shook her head, immediately thankful that she’d opted to put her hair up. She’d get used to it the longer they traveled with Nikolas, but she couldn’t help but think just how much cooler home was. 

Liz glanced back down, her attention returning to Ezra and their day of adventuring. She quickened her pace to catch up with him as they moved down the street. She tried to be mindful to stay close, but every so often something caught her attention and her steps slowed as she took it in. 

Ezra slowed his pace the first time Lizzie paused to look at something that caught her eye. As much as he was a target and go type of person she was far better at going with the flow which included actually pausing to itch the curiosity of exploring what was around them more than just sight seeing. He tried to be better about that but when he zeroed in on a task it was easy for him to fall into point a to point b logic and miss the inbetweens all together. He doubted she noticed the fact his pace slowed or that he also paused to really look at all the little things that caught her eye. Her curiosity was adorable and though he had a touch of it himself, it often fell in the category of philosophy more than active tactile exploration. 

The bakery itself made itself a sensory delight. The blend of butter and flour baking mixed with spices that weren’t the typical french delights made his stomach groan with delight. He glanced ahead at the displays and was pleased to see that the offerings were gigantic and had the crunchy glossy glaze that automatically suggested they were in for a treat. 

Ezra listened as Liz went into foodie mode. He smirked as she listed local treats. He nodded in agreement, “Those do look quite delectable.”  Her next question prompted his smile to dim mildly to a shy smirk as he prepared to yet again outing himself as a comfort junkie, “The croissants.” He looked at her, “but we will get the naan to share because that does look quite good, and then whatever you want to try for you. We can sample and share, if you will.”

Liz couldn’t help but smile at his confession. She wasn’t the least bit surprised, but she also couldn’t judge a good comfort food. Croissants are splendid in any form and a personal favorite breakfast go to for her back home. However, being in a new place made her want to try something new. 

“That sounds like a fabulous idea,” she agreed as she scanned over some remaining options and followed Ezra forward to order. Her head popped up when Ezra finished his half of the order. “Oh, em… I will get an order of that Bombay Toast and a Latte as well. Thank you," She smiled.

The line whittled down to them quite quickly. Lines had a way of putting humans on edge and he was not an exception to the line ride getting on his nerves so when the ride was incredibly efficient it pleased him greatly. He greeted the cashier and placed his order pointing to the croissant that appeared to be topped with a toffee of some sort allowing for a little indulgent exploration rather than going with what was an impressively large plain jane counterpart. He assumed if the base looked that good the variation would be worth the risk. He threw in a strong coffee and turned to Liz smirking while she stated her order. He handed over the cash with a soft, “dhanyavaad” for the worker before shuffling off with the receipt that denoted their order. 

Liz turned her head back to him and furrowed her brow at the unusual word that left his lips. She could deduct that he’d probably said thank you or something similar, but she’d found it curious that he knew how to say it in the first place. Though, she supposed that it probably shouldn’t have surprised her. He’d been to a great many more places in the world than she; something that she’d been somewhat bitter about when they were younger. Granted, that stemmed more from the fact that she was often barred from joining the boys on summer tours when they got to go fun places. So there John was, going all the places she dreamed to see herself while she was often stuck at home. Too much distraction to keep track of that many kids at a time. That wasn’t to say she never got to join them on tour; she just wasn’t allowed to spend her entire summer with them and was typically narrowed down to joining near home or in the US. 

“So, where did you learn Hindi?” She asked as she followed him out onto the patio. “At least, I assume that’s what that was and you weren’t suffering from a stroke or something,” She teased. 

She happily took the seat he pulled out for her; trying to quickly adjust herself so she was comfortable, but found that the only way she could do that was to pull her legs up into the chair and sit with them crossed in front of her so she could sit with her back against the back of the chair without having her feet dangling just above the ground. 

She glanced down to make sure that her dress sufficiently covered her knees and kept her decent, and then swung her canvas bag around her body so it rested comfortably in her lap. “Do I get to know what the vague plan is, or do I just have permission to disrupt it if something catches my eye?” She asked with a smile. It wasn’t exactly important and she didn’t even remotely mind following him on a mysterious adventure. She found the idea quite thrilling, actually; but she was curious to see all the same. 

Ezra laughed, “I’d hardly say I learned hindi. There is a very real possibility I butchered that entirely.” He shook his head, and looked down at her with a lopsided smile, “The short answer is researching Pune and India in general for this, but Nik also prompted the reminder to be polite and learn some little phrases for gratitude and asking for assistance if we need it.” His head did a little bob as he thought further, “also there’s a book I’ve had since I was like twelve that is a short dive into how to comport oneself in countries that are not your own.” He ended the statement with a little shrug as though it was merely the logical thing to do.

When their food arrived, Liz leaned forward to tuck into the Bombay Toast that was laid before them, and listened to Ezra talk. She couldn’t help but smile as he recounted how he’d learned the Hindi and why. It made all the sense in the world; and for a moment she felt somewhat embarrassed that she hadn’t considered it herself. She generally thought of herself as quite considerate, and yet had he not mentioned it, she wasn’t sure she would have thought of it. “That makes a lot of sense,” She assured him between bites of food. “And it’s very considerate,” She added with a smile. 

She carefully brought her coffee to her lips and took a sip before carefully placing it back on the table. She had a bad habit of spilling her coffee in just about every occasion; and it always landed over her clothes and everything else, leaving her feeling painfully stupid, wet, and smelling of roasted beans. 

Liz glanced back over to him, a smile that glinted in her eyes as he talked about his plans. “I haven’t been to a proper site since I left Italy,” She said thoughtfully. She’d dropped her job to cross the ocean to be with him in New York, and though she didn’t regret it for a second; her job at the Met had been less exciting. Her job now was a lot more exciting and she got to work on a much larger variety of items which she found endlessly thrilling. However, the idea of getting to see a site in person; even at a distance as a tourist, was mighty compelling. 

He smiled at her and picked up the croissant and bit into it. It flaked off as they were apt to do and left a bit of a mess on his shirt in spite of his best efforts to keep the mess on the plate. It was a perfect example of its kind but he set it down and after initial taste subsided he proceeded to tear off a piece of naan and dip it into what looked like a chutney and gave that a go. Again, he was quite happy with the dancing flavors upon his tongue and then pointed at it, “Ok, that’s good,” and then went back for the croissant in delight. For as much as he could tease Liz for being a foodie, he was about as bad, he just hid it better and required comfort foods to have as a personal touch stone. 

Ezra camped out on one of the lobby seats of the hotel. People came and went but for a large hotel the space was more empty than he would expect it to be. He found his eyes grazed over his surroundings taking in the wood panelling that held English influences in spite of this being a modern building overall. It was an odd combination of that contemporary design that had character but lacked feeling and a nod to the Colonialism that influenced, if not shaped the country. It was one of the things about travel he enjoyed, seeing how history found its way in the foundations of everything even if it was a history some would rather walk away from. Yet, forgetting the past one doesn’t like often leads to a lack of accountability and further problems the longer you walk the road away from it. It was an interesting place humanity found itself in perpetually, no matter where one or one's ancestors came from, and something Ezra pondered more than most people, he was certain of that. 

Step one: lose the tail. A relatively easy task that required only a small amount of begging and a playful reminder that he was the boss and despite what it looked like, he was fully capable of defending himself were the need to arise. Mike met his request with a dramatic silence that fell into a huffed retreat. All for show. It’d been that way between them for as long as Nik could remember Mike being in his life. It’s precisely why the man was paid the big bucks for having to deal with his defiant ass; it was no easy task. 

Nikolas flashed him a winning grin and disappeared before Mike could take it back. Tour was a different beast, and he was rarely afforded the opportunity to venture anywhere without a shadow… or two. It certainly made him long for home when the only person he had to answer to was Sara.

His focus had shifted to the people around him. It was a thing he felt most people sitting did. It was a natural curiosity that was rooted in every one to people watch. Some found it boring, or rude, but to suggest one never partook in the past-time would be a lie. People were an oddity, every one was so unique and yet so the same. As it were he’d half zeroed in on the staff behind the counter one dealing with a customer that he couldn’t decipher if they were upset or just had a large request as they were calm but the guest services person was showing signs of stress. Beside them the other two were having a casual conversation in a language he didn’t know that looked as though they were enjoying it. There was a divide there but it wasn’t unusual for the biome they were in. 

Nikolas crossed his right leg over his left and leaned ever so slightly closer to his friend as Ezra contemplated the question he'd just posed. It wasn't a typical activity and Nik, himself, couldn't fully remember the last time he'd done it. Though that wasn't saying much, his memory wasn't the most reliable. He could remember hundreds of songs and how to play them, but forgot conversations he had yesterday.

"Brilliant!" Nik said, tapping Ezra's knee as he stood up in one quick fluid motion. "We should absolutely head out before Mike changes his mind and decides I truly do need watching," he added, glancing over his shoulder toward the other side of the lobby. So far, still in the clear.

In a few long strides, Nikolas lead Ezra out of the hotel and toward the busy streets to catch a hail a taxi. It wasn't long before a yellow cloth topped green vehicle that more closely resembled a life sized kids toy pulled up. An Autorickshaw. Nik eyed the the cramped seating behind the driver warily. "It's days like today that really make me wish I was shorter," he groaned to himself as he crouched over and slid himself through the open paneling and onto to the seat; not nearly as gracefully as he hoped. His knees were pressed up against his chest to accommodate the spare wheels and he had no choice but to hunch forward to keep his head from brushing against the underside of the cloth topped roof.

@nikolascblack

His glance followed the direction of his friends. The lack of security being noted by him fully for the first time. Ezra supposed that was probably odd that he didn’t notice until Nik pointed it out. He usually was quick to observe pretty much everything. In this case, though, he supposed it was that it was a combination of they were always around mixing harmoniously with the fact that they were very good at their jobs which was essentially being there but not all at once. It was understood there was a person to watch and keep them safe but that person was an accessory unless invited into the shenanigans directly. Which did happen sometimes but more often than not he was a shadow they ignored. Them being good at their job, did make Nik’s point valid. They should leave before the but you pay me for this and I can’t risk it, outweighed the effectiveness of Nik’s puppy eyes and playful teases. 

Nikolas glared over at Ezra as the autorickshaw jerked forward and began to move down the busy street. “Technically that honour goes to Lizzy,” Nik shot back. “She could sit on your lap and not only would her feet not touched the floor; her head wouldn’t touch the roof,” He added as his gaze drifted over the street; curiously taking in all of the people and vehicles. “Dating her does not make her any less part of the original crew... and she is, by far, the scariest,” He concluded with a smirk. Lizzy was the very definition of small, but mighty; and even know his wife technically also fell into that category… Lizbeth Lupin was still scarier. His wife, on the other hand, took the crown for most intimidating when one fucked up. 

The rickshaw came to a slow halt as the street congested. Nikolas lowered his head and once against glanced over the passersby. A few people near some shops to his left had stopped and met his eye. Whether they knew him or not, Nikolas found himself politely waving as the autorickshaw started to move forward again. 

“So we have a few options once we get there,” Nikolas began thoughtfully before he peered back at his friend. “We can duel… you versus me; first person to ten shots on the other wins. Game over. We can free for all - every man for himself with a bunch of strangers. Or, we can play teams… you and me versus at least two other teams of two. 

He knew the counter the moment his statement narrowed their friend group down to the guys only. Ezra also couldn’t disagree with Nik’s assessment of Liz’s scariness though he countered, “Her stature also makes her surprisingly agile. The amount of times I’ve found her monkey climbing counters to get to the top shelves is impressive.” He chuckled while his mind conjured the look she makes when he caught her in those situations. The way it clearly emoted: you see nothing and I’ve got this all at once. 

Nikolas laughed at the image of Lizzy climbing up onto the countertops to reach the cupboards and shelves over her head; which he supposed was probably all of them. He smirked; he knew he should give her more credit than that, but given that she called him a giraffe at every chance she got; he was going to mock her for her diminutive stature whenever he got the chance. “I suppose when you’re the size of an 8 year old; you have to get creative,” He shrugged and smirked at Ezra. 

Once more, Nik peered out of the auto-rickshaw as they turned into a lot that surrounded a surprising modern looking giant cement building with random over hangs protruding high above the walkways, entire walls of glass, and one side of the massive structure blended seamlessly into a curved oval domed roof as though some giant hand had rolled the building like a croissant. In a few random places, the cement was painted a variety of bright colours; pinks and yellows. It was an interesting site to be sure. 

He didn’t know what he’d expected of the mall when he’d landed on laser tag as the activity of the day, but he was certain it wasn’t this. This giant building looked more like it should have been a modern art museum than a mall in a city in India. “Hmm,” he breathed as the auto-rickshaw pulled to a stop. "And yes, teams is good," He added. Nikolas gave Ezra a quick, but light shove to gesture him to exit. He slid toward the middle, pulled out his wallet, and reached over to pay their driver. 

“dhanyavaad aapaka din shubh ho,” He said as he scooted the rest of the way out of the rickshaw. Once standing, he stretched and tilted his head from side to side. He glanced over at his friend and added, “I like to learn some useful phrases when I travel. The very least I can do as a guest in their country,” He shrugged. “There’s also a trampoline park somewhere in here,” He said, waving his hand in the general direction of the building as he stepped toward his friend. 

In spite of himself, he laughed. His face reddened slightly at the realization that maybe he should defend Liz’s honor but at the same time he couldn’t deny the truth in it. Instead, he shook his head and offered, “I suppose that means you don’t find your wife in independent squirrel mode on the regular.” His hand went to his mouth to semi cover his own amusement. 

Nikolas pondered the question, and then shrugged. “Independent, yes. Monkey like, nah. Sara’s more likely to throw something at a shelf in an effort to knock it down within her grasp or just use… you know,” He swished his hand. “To move it than she is to climb up onto the counter, I think,” He finished thoughtfully. As he pondered on it a little more, he considered the possibility that she might have not done it out of respect for him in the beginning, but even then that didn’t seem quite right. He was the one more likely to climb up on things than she was. 

Ezra nodded as he pictured Sara simply reaching for her wand to solve her problems like a typical magical folk. It certainly made the most sense and while he noted she didn’t use magic around Nik at all really, he also thought of the times he’d seen her in the garden using it as a tool along with the trowels and other gardening supplies one would expect. It supported his claim. Liz for whatever reason always chose monkey mode, which was endearing to him so he never really commented on the behavior unless it was a playful tease. 

Ezra camped out on one of the lobby seats of the hotel. People came and went but for a large hotel the space was more empty than he would expect it to be. He found his eyes grazed over his surroundings taking in the wood panelling that held English influences in spite of this being a modern building overall. It was an odd combination of that contemporary design that had character but lacked feeling and a nod to the Colonialism that influenced, if not shaped the country. It was one of the things about travel he enjoyed, seeing how history found its way in the foundations of everything even if it was a history some would rather walk away from. Yet, forgetting the past one doesn’t like often leads to a lack of accountability and further problems the longer you walk the road away from it. It was an interesting place humanity found itself in perpetually, no matter where one or one's ancestors came from, and something Ezra pondered more than most people, he was certain of that. 

Step one: lose the tail. A relatively easy task that required only a small amount of begging and a playful reminder that he was the boss and despite what it looked like, he was fully capable of defending himself were the need to arise. Mike met his request with a dramatic silence that fell into a huffed retreat. All for show. It’d been that way between them for as long as Nik could remember Mike being in his life. It’s precisely why the man was paid the big bucks for having to deal with his defiant ass; it was no easy task. 

Nikolas flashed him a winning grin and disappeared before Mike could take it back. Tour was a different beast, and he was rarely afforded the opportunity to venture anywhere without a shadow… or two. It certainly made him long for home when the only person he had to answer to was Sara.

His focus had shifted to the people around him. It was a thing he felt most people sitting did. It was a natural curiosity that was rooted in every one to people watch. Some found it boring, or rude, but to suggest one never partook in the past-time would be a lie. People were an oddity, every one was so unique and yet so the same. As it were he’d half zeroed in on the staff behind the counter one dealing with a customer that he couldn’t decipher if they were upset or just had a large request as they were calm but the guest services person was showing signs of stress. Beside them the other two were having a casual conversation in a language he didn’t know that looked as though they were enjoying it. There was a divide there but it wasn’t unusual for the biome they were in. 

Nikolas crossed his right leg over his left and leaned ever so slightly closer to his friend as Ezra contemplated the question he'd just posed. It wasn't a typical activity and Nik, himself, couldn't fully remember the last time he'd done it. Though that wasn't saying much, his memory wasn't the most reliable. He could remember hundreds of songs and how to play them, but forgot conversations he had yesterday.

"Brilliant!" Nik said, tapping Ezra's knee as he stood up in one quick fluid motion. "We should absolutely head out before Mike changes his mind and decides I truly do need watching," he added, glancing over his shoulder toward the other side of the lobby. So far, still in the clear.

In a few long strides, Nikolas lead Ezra out of the hotel and toward the busy streets to catch a hail a taxi. It wasn't long before a yellow cloth topped green vehicle that more closely resembled a life sized kids toy pulled up. An Autorickshaw. Nik eyed the the cramped seating behind the driver warily. "It's days like today that really make me wish I was shorter," he groaned to himself as he crouched over and slid himself through the open paneling and onto to the seat; not nearly as gracefully as he hoped. His knees were pressed up against his chest to accommodate the spare wheels and he had no choice but to hunch forward to keep his head from brushing against the underside of the cloth topped roof.

@nikolascblack

His glance followed the direction of his friends. The lack of security being noted by him fully for the first time. Ezra supposed that was probably odd that he didn’t notice until Nik pointed it out. He usually was quick to observe pretty much everything. In this case, though, he supposed it was that it was a combination of they were always around mixing harmoniously with the fact that they were very good at their jobs which was essentially being there but not all at once. It was understood there was a person to watch and keep them safe but that person was an accessory unless invited into the shenanigans directly. Which did happen sometimes but more often than not he was a shadow they ignored. Them being good at their job, did make Nik’s point valid. They should leave before the but you pay me for this and I can’t risk it, outweighed the effectiveness of Nik’s puppy eyes and playful teases. 

Nikolas glared over at Ezra as the autorickshaw jerked forward and began to move down the busy street. “Technically that honour goes to Lizzy,” Nik shot back. “She could sit on your lap and not only would her feet not touched the floor; her head wouldn’t touch the roof,” He added as his gaze drifted over the street; curiously taking in all of the people and vehicles. “Dating her does not make her any less part of the original crew... and she is, by far, the scariest,” He concluded with a smirk. Lizzy was the very definition of small, but mighty; and even know his wife technically also fell into that category… Lizbeth Lupin was still scarier. His wife, on the other hand, took the crown for most intimidating when one fucked up. 

The rickshaw came to a slow halt as the street congested. Nikolas lowered his head and once against glanced over the passersby. A few people near some shops to his left had stopped and met his eye. Whether they knew him or not, Nikolas found himself politely waving as the autorickshaw started to move forward again. 

“So we have a few options once we get there,” Nikolas began thoughtfully before he peered back at his friend. “We can duel… you versus me; first person to ten shots on the other wins. Game over. We can free for all - every man for himself with a bunch of strangers. Or, we can play teams… you and me versus at least two other teams of two. 

He knew the counter the moment his statement narrowed their friend group down to the guys only. Ezra also couldn’t disagree with Nik’s assessment of Liz’s scariness though he countered, “Her stature also makes her surprisingly agile. The amount of times I’ve found her monkey climbing counters to get to the top shelves is impressive.” He chuckled while his mind conjured the look she makes when he caught her in those situations. The way it clearly emoted: you see nothing and I’ve got this all at once. 

Nikolas laughed at the image of Lizzy climbing up onto the countertops to reach the cupboards and shelves over her head; which he supposed was probably all of them. He smirked; he knew he should give her more credit than that, but given that she called him a giraffe at every chance she got; he was going to mock her for her diminutive stature whenever he got the chance. “I suppose when you’re the size of an 8 year old; you have to get creative,” He shrugged and smirked at Ezra. 

Once more, Nik peered out of the auto-rickshaw as they turned into a lot that surrounded a surprising modern looking giant cement building with random over hangs protruding high above the walkways, entire walls of glass, and one side of the massive structure blended seamlessly into a curved oval domed roof as though some giant hand had rolled the building like a croissant. In a few random places, the cement was painted a variety of bright colours; pinks and yellows. It was an interesting site to be sure. 

He didn’t know what he’d expected of the mall when he’d landed on laser tag as the activity of the day, but he was certain it wasn’t this. This giant building looked more like it should have been a modern art museum than a mall in a city in India. “Hmm,” he breathed as the auto-rickshaw pulled to a stop. "And yes, teams is good," He added. Nikolas gave Ezra a quick, but light shove to gesture him to exit. He slid toward the middle, pulled out his wallet, and reached over to pay their driver. 

“dhanyavaad aapaka din shubh ho,” He said as he scooted the rest of the way out of the rickshaw. Once standing, he stretched and tilted his head from side to side. He glanced over at his friend and added, “I like to learn some useful phrases when I travel. The very least I can do as a guest in their country,” He shrugged. “There’s also a trampoline park somewhere in here,” He said, waving his hand in the general direction of the building as he stepped toward his friend. 

In spite of himself, he laughed. His face reddened slightly at the realization that maybe he should defend Liz’s honor but at the same time he couldn’t deny the truth in it. Instead, he shook his head and offered, “I suppose that means you don’t find your wife in independent squirrel mode on the regular.” His hand went to his mouth to semi cover his own amusement.