xp_logs | Nathan and Medusa, Friday morning

A rather battered Nathan makes a brief stop to drop off Medusa's Christmas present well prior to the ball. She likes the present but is a bit perturbed by his appearance.

Nathan probed at his jaw thoughtfully, wincing a bit, as he made his way towards Medusa's room, a certain something he should have given her several days ago tucked under one arm. She was going to say something about the fact that he looked like he'd had the crap beaten out of him, he just knew it...

Hearing a knock on her door, Medusa rose from her couch, setting down the book she had been reading. The sight of Nathan at her door wasn't all that surprising; him appearing to have been put through a meat grinder was a different story. "Nathan, what a pleasant surprise," she said as she let him into her room. Her gaze continued to scrutinize him, resting the longest on his black eye and split lip. "I did not hear the jet go out last night."

"It didn't," Nathan said, and if there was the faintest trace of a sheepish edge to his tone, only someone who knew him very well would catch it. "Umm... training got a little energetic, last night. Do you have a minute?"

"I see," she said, arching an eyebrow, though she didn't push the topic. She made a mental note to see who else appeared to have had a vigorous night of training. "And yes, of course. I was just working on my Arabic," she said with a gesture at the book on the coffee table. "The dance will not require my attention until much later in the afternoon."

"Interesting that you're working on the Arabic," Nathan said and crouched down, so that he could unroll what had, more or less, turned into her Christmas gift. It was a small Bedouin rug, the diamond patterns in dark orange and red and blue, with the occasional white diamond for contrast. "Merry Christmas," he said with a quick smile, looking up at her to see her reaction.

Bending down, she reached out to caress the rich fabric. Turning a smiling face towards Nathan, her appreciation was clear on her face. "Thank you for thinking of me. It is quite lovely and will be a wonderful addition to my suite." Her hand moved across the colors, pausing on one of the white diamonds. "I had your gift sent to Muir since I knew you would be spending the holiday there."

Nathan's smile grew. "Well, I'll look forward to seeing it." He glanced back down at the rug. He'd picked it very deliberately in the souk that second morning, wanting to give her something to personalize her suite a little more. "We're shutting down the office until after the New Year," he said, "but I should be back well before that."

Medusa arched her eyebrow slightly. "Will we be having to make sure that you do not return to work before your vacation is truly complete?" she teased. Picking up the rug, she looked around the suite until she spotted a place where it would fit well. Wrapping the colorful material in her hair, she extended it and set it down, smoothing the edges out carefully.

"I refuse to answer on the grounds that I might incriminate myself," Nathan said with a deadpan look, rising. "But actually... we'll see. I might take advantage and actually take some real time off."

"I would highly recommend it. Work will keep...enjoy the time with your family whether here or at Muir," Medusa said. "I believe Crystal and I will be spending most of the break with our family in Attilan. It will be nice to be home again."

"Then I'll see you in 2007," Nathan said with a smile, "in case I don't see you again before tomorrow. Have a good time at the ball."