What to do with a Weyrleader... (S'rei)

[Rowana]

Hoayamae looked over her purchase with a wry smile. He would do, she had decided. She knew S'rei and she was pretty sure he would be capable of what she had in mind. After all, he had to run a whole Weyr, this wouldn't be all that different. With Nhim bouncing with excitement on her shoulder, Mae led her captive down the halls. It was no surprise where they were going: Mae's domain, the kitchen.

Hands on hips, she surveyed the bustling room full of drudges and helpers. Even with her being gone for a while, preparations were still in full swing for the feast that evening. The room was hot, noisy, and crowded. Mae loved the smell of food being prepared and her hands itched to get back to work. Not tonight though. Now she had other plans.

She put her hands on her hips and looked at S'rei critically. She waved at the kitchen with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Think you can manage this?" she asked with mild amusement.

[Requiem]

Having exchanged the ridiculous toga that he'd worn on the block as a gag for something a good deal more casual, S'rei stalked the halls beside the matronly woman he remembered terrorizing the thieving weyrbrats who stormed the kitchens even when he'd been a 'brat himself. The man was a bit hunched to avoid scraping his head on the lower ceilings, and he could tell by Mae's self-satisfied grin that the woman was cooking up something. No pun intended. Riiiight.

He blinked once at the woman's question, the mere glance given the people slaving over the feast changing to something a bit more attentive. The man snorted softly. "And here I thought you wanted my company. A shame, Mae. I was looking forward to it," he concluded silkily. The Weyrleader began rolling his sleeves up past his elbows, flicking a teasing grin her way. "Go on, woman. You deserve a break. Just don't dance too austentatiously with all the younger men tonight, or you'll break my poor heart." He swatted her lightly on the ass because he could, and strode into the kitchens, voice booming at a decible that could be heard over sleet storms while flying on dragonback. "All right, who has been supervising here?"

The woman who spoke up shifted nervously, everything having gone quiet, and then S'rei broke out into a broad grin. He let the volume of his words dissipate now that he didn't have noise to shout over. "Seems to me you're doing a far better job than I ever could. What do you need me to do? Go easy on me; I don't know much of anything." He shot a pseudo-testy glance at Mae. "What are you still doing in my kitchen?"

[Rowana]

Hoayamae laughed lightly. "Don't you worry yer little head," she scolded playfully. "I'll want a dance from yah yet." It had been so long since she'd had a chance to actually attend such an event, that she wanted time to get ready. Her old dress needed mending, and a bathe wouldn't hurt either. S'rei could keep things going here until the music started. In her experience, men didn't need nearly as much time to get ready and he looked handsome enough as he was.

"Those younger boys will have to work hard to keep up with me!" She swung her hips jokingly, watching him take charge. Look like he had things under control already. She'd made a good choice then. Maybe if this worked out, she could break out of her fear that everything would fall apart without her. Her helpers were right, she needed more time off. She wasn't getting any younger.

"Your kitchen?" she glared in mock horror. "Don't get above yerself now. I expect this place to be in one piece when I get back! No explosions," she warned firmly. She twirled her skirts as she turned to leave, testing some dance moves. She could still keep up, she was sure. This was going to be fun!

[Requiem]

"No doubt they will!" he called back, amusement blatant in his voice. (Apparently he was allowed to be far more cheeky than that firelizard she kept scolding for worming his way into her bosoms. Maybe it was the lack of dragonhide. Hrm.) "And don't worry. If the place explodes we'll be sure not to tell you." He smiled broadly and waved her off to a room full of titters.

Once Mae had gone, he set to stoking a fire (as this apparently was all they were trusting him with at the moment) and leaned over to murmur to one of the drudges, "What do you say we play a little joke on good ol' Mae...?"

---

The kitchen was in an uproar, shouts and laughter ringing down the hall. There was a layer of cloth on the floor, and furniture - not that you could see it for all the mess of flour, batter, fruit spatterings and blood from meat. S'rei had climbed up onto a table, looking like nothing so much as a giant food ghost smeared in vegetable innards and flour. "Don't tell me I'm beating all of y-"

He broke off as cream splattered into his face, the man taking a step back and nearly toppling off the table. More food pelted him, and he leapt down before he could crack his skull on the floor, rubbing the cream from his face and holding up his arms defensively. "Hey! Hey! Where did the rest of my team go?" Only then did he notice everything had gone quiet, the man wiping the rest of the cream from his face with a sleeve.

Upon seeing Mae, he put on his best 'I'm truly innocent, even though you caught me red-handed and I'm covered from head to toe in food' smile. "Hi Mae."

[Rowana]

Hoayamae took a little extra time for a nice, long bath and wash. When she was done, she donned one of her nice dresses that she still kept for special occasions. This one was dark red with creamy white trim and a white sash. Her auburn hair, already going grey in places, was allowed to hang loosely for once in a tumble down her back. She pinned up a few strands to keep it from her face. Around her neck went the bronze dragon pendant her old lover had once gifted her. It seemed a shame she didn't get to wear it more. The dress was a bit wrinkled in places from being in the back of her closet, but all and all, she supposed she looked alright. Time to see how the kitchen was getting on without her. Maybe if this went well, she would take more time off in future.

Standing in the doorway of her kitchen, Mae's eyes burned with fire at what she saw. Serves me right for thinking a man could do this job! Nhim scurried behind her hair, scared of her angry face. Mae crossed her arms, glaring at S'rei like he was one of the candidates, not the Weyrleader. "Don't 'hi' me!" She bellowed in fury. "Maybe I should just serve you at the feast instead!" She reached for her favorite spoon, the long wooden one she used to stir soup, and waved it menacingly at S'rei. "What do you have to say for yourself, eh?"

[Requiem]

Hoayamae was looking very nice, S'rei noted, if you didn't happen to focus too much on the fact that she'd gone nearly as red as the dress she was wearing. He lifted his hands in front of his chest in what was clearly a 'calm down' sort of gesture, backing up until the table he'd been standing on just a moment ago nudged up against the back of his thighs. Reaching up to scoop some of the cream onto his fingers, he popped them into his mouth and made a yummy sound. "I love the taste of your cream?" Then his sense of self preservation must have kicked in, because he suddenly scurried around the table yelling, "CODE RED!"

Those drudges who had preferred not to get covered from head to toe in food stuffs immediately began rolling up the fabric amidst laughter as the culprits beat a hasty retreat out the back door and to the ledge without, diving off the stone in what was clearly a pre-meditated plan of escape. (It also happened to be a very effective way to clear the food from their clothes.) The old cloth used to protect the kitchens was removed and quickly borne to where all the waste was dumped, and Mae was left with an empty kitchen, all the food for the feast either covered in warmers or being chilled, but not out on the counters. It looked for all the world like nothing at all had been done - other than the food fight - during the time she was gone.

S'rei walked back into the kitchens, shirtless and toweling off his hair, his sodden trousers leaving a small trail of water behind him. "I don't think I'm a very good kitchen master," he commented sulkily, unable to mask the twinkle in his eyes.

[Rowana]

Hoayamae raised the spoon even higher. She was clearly ready to whack some manners into S'rei cream and all. He avoided the danger just in time, surprising her with the shout. In a fluster she spun around, trying to see all the activity going on at once. She didn't think she'd ever seen her staff move quite so fast before. In a flash, the mess was gone, and so was her staff! New bubbles of anger started to grow as S'rei came back. She eyed him suspiciously. He was up to something, this was all too well planned for her liking. Serves her right for trying to take an afternoon off. He was handsome without a shirt though, she'd give him that.

"Aye," she answered slowly. She crossed her arms, spoon resting on one elbow. She tapped her food impatiently, but her eyes betrayed that at least she wasn't completely mad anymore. It had been some time since anyone had dared play a prank of such size on her. "One might wonder how a man of yer poor talents ever manages a weyr as big as this," she chided. "If'n yah can't even manage mah little kitchen."

[Requiem]

He chuckled softly and, instead of answering, turned to one of the ovens left at low heat, opening it just enough for Hoayamae to see the stack of food and baked items being kept warm. The oven was closed immediately to prevent too much heat from escaping. "I think I did okay for my first time," he concluded with amusement. "Are you saying I do a good job running the Weyr? That's very sweet of you, Mae." S'rei flashed her his most charming smile (to keep her from whacking him upside the head with that spoon, no doubt). "On a more serious note, you've got a good staff here, Mae, and really don't need to be working your fingers to the bone day in and day out. My kids and I would love to have you over sometimes in the evenings. You should consider it."

Then he extended his arms out, wrists held together, and gave her a suitably demure look that managed to seem more mischievous than anythging else on his features. "If you must punish someone, please spare the good drudges. They were misled by a particularly roguish knave, to hear it told." He stepped toward her and threaded his arm through hers, leaning down to murmur in her ear, "What would you have of your slave, Mistress Mae?" The Weyrleader, being flirtatious? No. Never. Salenth's amusement was palpable as, on his ledge, he ducked his head behind his wing in an exaggerated display of embarrassment.

[Rowana]

Hoayamae sighed deeply, half in relief that the day wasn't completely ruined and half in annoyance at silly men. At least the food was prepared and ready. She was impressed, really. S'rei had managed to keep everyone on task, even with his foolish prank. She waggled the spoon in his face, but without the menace of before. "Don't yeh try tah sweet talk me," she chided, a twinkle in her eye.

She set the spoon back on the rack. Half turning, she regarded him in consideration. Maybe she was being too controlling, being here all the time. With her own son gone, she hadn't seen anything else to do. She did like children, though the loss of her own still hurt. Facing S'rei, she batted his hands aside. "I mah take yah up on that," she returned, in a look that said he might regret the offer someday. She let him take her arm and pretended to be embarrassed at his flirting. She might be old, but she still enjoyed the game. "Why, I think yah better take me to the feast," she suggested smoothly. "Unless yah need to pretty yerself first."