Logs:Mopping Up
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| RL Date: 25 March, 2011 |
| Who: K'del, Milani |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: K'del and his wingriders make a mess. Milani helps with the cleaning. |
| Where: Nighthearth, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 22, Month 4, Turn 25 (Interval 10) |
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| Nighthearth, High Reaches Weyr With its entrance located between the kitchen and the living cavern, this tiny bubble cavern is cozy, always kept warm and is filled with comfortable chairs and a small round table. At the far end, there's a hearth, outlined in ruddy, aging bricks, where a pot of stew simmers in the evening hours. Generally quiet, the nighthearth is the haunt of insomniacs and those seeking quiet from the bustle of daily Weyr life. It's afternoon, and for all that the caverns staff have been hard at work trying to keep the floors from getting too muddy from the day's rain, it's a losing battle. The group of Avalanche riders lingering about the hearth may even have something to do with it: a number of them look distinctly as though they've been playing in puddles, and their smugness - despite the mess - is hard to miss. "Shells, I'm sorry," K'del says to a young woman with a mop, whose disapproving glower is not tempered by who she's speaking to. "They're frozen through, though, and the damage has been done. Leave us the mop? We'll clean." The sound of footsteps coming up the passage announces Milani, though her gait is a little staggered. "Here I brought another --" she breaks off and eyes the group of riders, a steaming bucket of hot fresh water dangles from one of her hands and her mouth quirks to the side as K'del offers to clean up. "Another bucket so the Weyrleader can mop up," she says teasingly and sets said bucket down. The young woman stares at K'del in disgust, looking genuinely as though she's about to protest. But Milani's words, no matter how teasing, seem to decide her: she thrusts the mop straight at the young Weyrleader, and stalks away, muttering audibly beneath her breath. Presumably, K'del's offer was genuine enough, and yet, he still looks a little leery as he stares at the mop, and then, brows lifted, at Milani. "Oh no, laugh away. Go for it." Milani stands with arms folded, just /grinning/ at K'del, head cocked to one side and eyes dancing merrily. "Don't look so lost, darling, you'll figure it out," she notes cheerily, then turns toward the klah pot. "Did I hear you say that all of these fine riders are frozen?" she inquires. "Hot klah all around?" She hasn't lost the habit of that first instinct to make people comfortable from her days as a headwoman. A cheer goes up from the group of riders, who obviously think klah is an /excellent/ idea - their spirits are obviously high, despite the weather. K'del grins at the lot of them, even if his expression as he glances back at Milani is less certain. "Mopping always seemed like just-- moving dirt around. With water," he tells her, though he dutifully sets mop to water, and then to floor, to do just that. Lining up mugs in a line, Milani smiles over her shoulder again. "It's not just pushing it around if you /don't/ just push it around," she points out and starts filling the mugs one at a time, careful not to spill. She can however, only carry four at a time, two per hand, so it'll take a couple of trips before each of the bone-chilled riders at the hearth as been served. When they each have a mug, she brings one to K'del last and loops an arm up over his shoulder fondly. "I think you can give it a rest long enough to warm up yourself, don't you think, Weyrleader?" While Milani delivers klah, K'del does his best to /not/ just push the water around; still, it's obvious that it's been a long time - if, indeed, ever - since he did anything like this kind of mopping. Accepting his mug, he rests one arm atop the mop, and turns his head to grin at the former Headwoman: "Just don't tell that other woman I'm taking a break? She'd probably glower me to death." Fear of that does not stop him from resting the mop against the wall, so that he can swap his mug to the other hand, and wrap his free arm about Milani's waist. "My lips are sealed," Milani promises solemnly, though her eyes sparkle with good humor. She leans into K'del a little, hand rubbing at his back, presumably for the warming effect. "Were you all up doing drills?" she inquires, though her gaze has shifted to the floor, critically assessing K'del's handiwork. "You'll need to re-do that bit," she advises, pointing out a patch. "Thank you," says K'del, with fervency enough to suggest he's entirely serious-- except that his eyes show distinct amusement. Holding his mug close to his mouth, he confirms, "We were. And things-- devolved a bit." Mud can do that. Even to fully grown and usually professional riders. Gaze following the patch pointed out, he nods, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "Guess I will. Shells. Probably ought to have had everyone strip before they came this far in." "Devolved ... as in you guys got into it with the mud?" Milani asks with laughter in her voice. Her brows waggle a bit as he mentions stripping. "Yes, I think that some of us, could definitely have gotten behind /that/ idea," she adds and gives K'del a little squeeze. "I can help with the floor," she offers next, generously. "Other than the mud, good practice?" The innocence in K'del's expression is completely undone by his laughing admission of, "Wellll-- a little? It was accidental at first, but it moved on from there, I guess." He takes a longer sip from his mug, then, giving MIlani a squeeze in return. "Right. Next time, it'll be parade of naked Avalanche riders in the caverns. Just for you. But," shaking his head, "No, it's fine. I said I'd clean it, and I will. Pretty sure I can manage that much." "Ha! Grown riders slinging mud at each other, for shame," she teases, though clearly Milani doesn't think it's shameful at all. "Just for me? K'del, you're the best," Milani adds with exaggerated gratitude and excitement, then she breaks down and starts laughing. "You know, I think this is a much better end to a day full of raw chill and mud than I'd expected." Cheerfully; "It's a good thing none of the Holders were around to see us. And yes, of course: just for you. How else'm I going to show my love?" Beat. "Don't think we won't, either. If it'll save us all of this." Milani's laughter makes K'del grin enthusiastically, despite the fact that he - obviously reluctantly - needs to draw away from her to reach for the mop again. "Then I'm delighted to have been of service, m'dear. Just wish we'd start getting the warm, sunny kind of spring weather one of these days, soon." In that beat, Milani leans in to murmur into K'del's ear, another suggestion for proving his love and affection, then draws back as he moves to take up the mop again. "I'll hold your klah for you?" she suggests then lets out a long sigh. "Oh me too. I'm dying to go to a gather, get out, dance, shake my hair down. It seems like winter's dragged on forever ... though that could just be from ... spending so much time at Cove." That hesitation might betray that she almost didn't say that at all. A distinct, and very smug, kind of smile curves about K'del's expression upon receipt of that suggestion; his little half-bow seems to suggest that he's taking the idea on board. He offers the mug to Milani, then dunks his mop back into the bucket of water. If he stills, at mention of Cove, it's only for a moment. Then, quietly, "It won't be long, now. And if you want to-- head south for a little while..." His head bobs. "And it /will/ be gather season soon. A few more sevens, and I guess they'll start up, I should think." Milani accompanies K'del to just within the cleaning zone, steering clear of both mud and the patch of floor he's currently cleaning. "I'm fine, Kas," she says as quietly. "But maybe we could take a few days together?" she counter proposes with a little smile. "With or without the kids." For all his diligence with the mop - and he is, obviously, trying to do his best - K'del keeps a careful eye on Milani. He nods at her reassurance, but there's still something in his expression that falls just short of concern. "I'd like that," he says, genuinely. "Reckon I can probably manage to get away for a bit. There's nothing going on, this time of turn, that /especially/ needs my immediate attention. Things've been--" Quiet. But he doesn't go so far as to actually say that. "We could go someplace new maybe? That we haven't been to before, explore a little," Milani suggests and steals a sip from his mug, smiling at him over its rim. "At least escape the mud for a little." K'del saw that! And pauses in his efforts to waggle his finger-- though his grin makes it far from effective as a deterrent. "Reckon that sounds nice," he confirms. "Let me ask around, see if anyone can recommend somewhere nice. Or," he adds, sounding thoughtful. "Could just see what we find. Come prepared." "Let's just see what we find?" Milani says with a bright, eager grin. "We haven't done something like that in /so/ long," she adds and folds one arm across her mid-section, providing a place to balance his mug. Leaning one arm on his mop, K'del uses the other to snap a jaunty salute in Milani's direction. By this point, the riders are beginning to dissipate, most of their mud dried enough that it isn't making /quite/ so much of a mess - for now. He waits until a group pass, some of them smirking cheerfully at him, before he says, "We haven't, either. Definitely about time for it. I'll make arrangements, then. Should be fun." Some of those smirks earn big wide eyes from Milani which might make some of the riders laugh. She waits until that last group passes then closes the distance between herself and K'del. "As for tonight ... how would you feel about letting Nik stay in the nursery?" And that little headtilt of hers ought to speak volumes. There is definite laughter. There are even a few chortles and knowing glances-- over the past (nearly) six turns, it's safe to say that K'del has earned respect from a reasonable number of his wingmates. Finally. Milani's approach puts halt to K'del's work yet again; his eyes positively gleam at the suggestion, for all that he keeps his voice restrained as he says, carefully, "Reckon it would be good for his-- uh, socialisation. Couldn't hurt, at least. Important. For-- him." Yes, indeed. That gleam in K'del's eyes and his rationale crack Milani up, they do. Her chin drops and she laughs helplessly though she's mindful enough not to spill his drink. When she can breathe normally again: "Yes Weyrleader, absolutely, we have to keep our son's social skills amply in mind." K'del is already holding back laughter by the time he's finished speaking, and /Milani's/ laughter makes that impossible to continue: he joins her in it, a gleeful shared joke that has his eyes watering before he's done. "Thought you'd agree with that," he manages, then, grinning. "Couldn't let him suffer." "Never, no suffering for our little boy," Milani says gamely though she's clearly holding back more laughter. Her fingers touch gently at his sleeve though and she offers him his mug. "Here. Let me finish the floor? You've worked hard enough." K'del can only grin-- though he's hesitant as he's offered the mug. "When plenty of folk in the caverns wash floors day in and day out? I-- feel bad." Despite that moment of hesitation, the obvious reluctance, he does accept his mug back, offer over the mop: he's not as selfless as all that, apparently. "Thank you." "Don't," Milani says with a smile. "I can teach you how to clean better another time and well, there's a reason why there's all this staff," she points out pragmatically. "So that the Weyrleaders and riders don't have to worry about this stuff." Milani takes the mop and sets to with brisk efficiency. Apparently there's a trick to how one moves the mop to keep the dirty water from backwashing and shortly she's got the whole space pretty well cleaned. "There. That should do it." K'del and his klah (or rather, what's left of it - not much, at this point) sit back to watch the proceedings; by the end of it, he looks terribly impressed. "Still feels like something I ought to be better at. Guess I didn't spend enough time as not-Weyrleader; cleaning wasn't my strong point back then, either." No. It certainly was not. He glances down at his mug, sniffs at the remainders, then sets it down. "Appreciate it, though. Loads." Twirling the mop a little, Milani drops a little half curtsey. "Lots of practice here," she says with a little laugh. "Between chores when I was a kid and then being an assistant. There's always something to clean," Millie notes with a little shrug and drops the dirty mop into the bucket. "You're welcome," she says sincerly and steps over to run a fond hand through his hair. "I'll take this off to get emptied. Should I catch up with you here, or back home?" "Big place to clean, a Weyr," agrees K'del, lightly. He leans in to plant a kiss on her forehead, smiling down at her. "Still. Reckon we'd better meet at home: I need a bath. I'd forgotten how awful dried mud can feel on the skin. See you there, okay?" "Very big," Milani agrees solemnly. "And stores some of the biggest parts to clean!" Her former specialty. Milani smiles as that kiss lands and presses one to his chin in turn. "I'll catch up with you soon and bring the bubble bath," Millie jokes, then she turns to pick up the bucket and slips out to deal with that and catch up with Kas at home. Choking back laughter, K'del enthuses, "Bubble bath!" He gives Milani a teasing wink, then, gathering up his things, heads for home. Where, indeed, there is a /bath/, at least-- and later, some very good company. And bubbles! /Lots/ of bubbles. |
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