He holds out the glass of water, careful to keep hold until he's sure it won't be dropped. If Elias' hand slips, he'd be able to grab the glass before it hits the floor, but he'd have to refill the water.
"Would you like to be moved somewhere else, while recovering?"
"I can--" Elias stops himself, aware that his tone is far more tense than he'd like. He takes a moment to drink more of the water.
"Once I can walk, I will take myself back to my cabin, yes. Any residual injuries will heal over time, and there's no need for me to be here, taking up the time of the medical team."
He almost adds that he doesn't want to be here, but the compulsion to be truthful, imposed on him by his last warden, seems to have worn off. And isn't that a relief.
As far as he understands it, there aren't physical wounds that need treating, and along with personal preferences, he might want more privacy after having been attacked and tortured.
Which he means much more literally than Elias might assume. He'd already made sure there was soup ready, and Xie Lian can move far faster than an unenhanced human.
Elias in his current state is not going to win any medals for speed.
It takes a minute to get out of the bed and his pace across the room isn't much better, since he pauses when he catches his reflection in a glass panel to make sure he's at least looking presentable.
If he gets as far as the infirmary door he checks to see if anyone is coming before starting towards the elevator, occasionally balancing himself with a hand on the wall.
Xie Lian is standing not quite immediately outside the infirmary door, a carefully sealed container of soup in one hand.
He manages a look of no comment that truly is free from judgement. Though that might owe quite a bit to various, possibly questionable training routines instead of just his habit of not offering judgment.
He can just... casually walk next to Elias, matching his speed. No need to ask whether this was the reasonable response.
"Elevators were new to me, when I arrived here. It's interesting to see how technology might evolve."
Elias' look at seeing Xie Lian so quickly back is almost ready for a fight, expecting confrontation or some other kind of quip. It doesn't come, and he isn't sure what to make of that.
So he just continues walking like he has done nothing wrong and everything is fine.
"They rather changed the world, my world at least. The new, dizzying heights buildings could be built once Otis introduced his new contraption to the world was remarkable." And the fears that came with the new, machine devices and heights and dark corners-- Delightful.
Elias choice to try to make it to his room alone isn't hurting anyone else, so Xie Lian's only concern is that he not end up hurting himself.
"Yes, I imagine that it could. Land can be expensive, for one. Though there are probably a few more steps in between what I'm used to and your world before elevators."
"You aren't from a particularly technologically advanced world, then?"
Making small talk is easy, to the point Elias hardly has to think about it as he focuses both on making sure his legs will support him all the way to his cabin and that he doesn't look like he's trying to focus on that.
"The depends on how you define technologically advanced, doesn't it?"
Small talk provides an easy cover to pretend not to be thinking about anything else. He doesn't feel that it would be useful or polite to start questioning Elias before he can sit down, and it allows him to keep an eye on Elias without seeming like he's hovering.
"It is all somewhat relative, of course. The world I was born into is nothing like the world I lived in two hundred years later, but at the time we were all convinced we had reached the pinnacle of achievement."
Foolish, really. There was always more to learn and discover. Like how well he's keeping to his feet just now. With an audience, he's even more determined not to show that he's all that badly effected by the after-effects of death.
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"That would be very welcome. Thank you."
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"Would you like to be moved somewhere else, while recovering?"
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"Once I can walk, I will take myself back to my cabin, yes. Any residual injuries will heal over time, and there's no need for me to be here, taking up the time of the medical team."
He almost adds that he doesn't want to be here, but the compulsion to be truthful, imposed on him by his last warden, seems to have worn off. And isn't that a relief.
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As far as he understands it, there aren't physical wounds that need treating, and along with personal preferences, he might want more privacy after having been attacked and tortured.
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"Perhaps once my head stops spinning."
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"I would bring food and drink."
It's important to be clear on all of what's been offered, whether it makes it more or less appealing.
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He isn't actually hungry. But Elias assumes going to get food will get Xie Lian out of here, giving him time to get back to his room on his own.
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He just has a few data points. Which still more than he'd prefer to have, but doesn't mean they're not useful.
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Rather, he'd managed to keep food down last time out of sheer force of will.
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Quite a few floors down. It'll be fine.
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"Would you like to rest some more, and perhaps eat, before trying to move?"
He would have no trouble carrying Elias to his cabin. He's pretty sure Elias wouldn't pick that as his first option.
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And Elias has no desire to be reasonable right now.
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Which he means much more literally than Elias might assume. He'd already made sure there was soup ready, and Xie Lian can move far faster than an unenhanced human.
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It takes a minute to get out of the bed and his pace across the room isn't much better, since he pauses when he catches his reflection in a glass panel to make sure he's at least looking presentable.
If he gets as far as the infirmary door he checks to see if anyone is coming before starting towards the elevator, occasionally balancing himself with a hand on the wall.
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He manages a look of no comment that truly is free from judgement. Though that might owe quite a bit to various, possibly questionable training routines instead of just his habit of not offering judgment.
He can just... casually walk next to Elias, matching his speed. No need to ask whether this was the reasonable response.
"Elevators were new to me, when I arrived here. It's interesting to see how technology might evolve."
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So he just continues walking like he has done nothing wrong and everything is fine.
"They rather changed the world, my world at least. The new, dizzying heights buildings could be built once Otis introduced his new contraption to the world was remarkable." And the fears that came with the new, machine devices and heights and dark corners-- Delightful.
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"Yes, I imagine that it could. Land can be expensive, for one. Though there are probably a few more steps in between what I'm used to and your world before elevators."
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Making small talk is easy, to the point Elias hardly has to think about it as he focuses both on making sure his legs will support him all the way to his cabin and that he doesn't look like he's trying to focus on that.
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Small talk provides an easy cover to pretend not to be thinking about anything else. He doesn't feel that it would be useful or polite to start questioning Elias before he can sit down, and it allows him to keep an eye on Elias without seeming like he's hovering.
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Foolish, really. There was always more to learn and discover. Like how well he's keeping to his feet just now. With an audience, he's even more determined not to show that he's all that badly effected by the after-effects of death.
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He shakes his head, thinking of the conversations he's had.
"Though I suspect I don't have to present you with such an argument."