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RESPITE GENERATOR - EVENING
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Maybelline walks around atop the currently unfilled containment core, having flushed the whole system with a colored solution, she is now testing the seams for leaks... for the fourth time since construction has finished. She wants to be absolutely sure that this time there will be no leaks, no chance of explosion, and no room for error.
Louma is flying back from the bathhouse, taking a relaxed, meandering path as she looks over the streets. She smiles, watching a few folks milling about under a streetlamp, a few houses down from the generator. After a few moments, they start on their way, her eyes lazily tracking ahead of them until she sees the lights on at May's, coming from the skylight over the generator. With a hum, she angles towards the generator building.
Maybelline connects a few tools to one of lines, watching the measurements, then switches to the next line, going through and checking the pressure of each.
Louma lands outside the large bay doors, shaking her wings out and adjusting her plain cotton shirt, knocking twice on the frame of the smaller door, while her other hand shakes her damp towel out.
Maybelline pops her head up at the knock. She takes a moment to reseal the line, making a note, and heading towards the side door. She's dressed in her standard blue work jumpsuit, looking a little tired, but her expression shifts immediately as she opens the door and spots Louma.. "Oh! What's up, love? Is this an official stop-by?"
Louma grins as Maybelline answers the door, straightening up and giving her a salute, the towel in her hand draped over her beak as she responds. "Yes, I regret to inform you that you're being fined a hug and two kisses for being too incredible."
Maybelline blinks at first, then blushes. "Oh, uh, Captain! Well, I try to be an upstanding citizen." She steps up and hugs Louma as best she can. "You're an expert, afterall."
Louma giggles, bending to hug the stoat. She gives Maybelline a peck on the cheek before glancing toward the tools laying about. "Well, I've been studying as best I can. I hope I'm not interrupting, sweets. I was just flying back and saw the lights on."
Maybelline leans up to kiss Louma back. "I'm just running another diagnostic. The fourth diagnostic... I'm just a tiny bit paranoid about magic leakage, you know?" She sighs, rubbing her side.
Louma looks down to Maybelline, letting out a light sigh. "Understandable. How is it looking?"
Maybelline glances back at the generator and smiles. "All signs are good. Optimal pressure, no leaks in the joints. She should be ready to hold whatever gets put in her."
Louma giggles softly to herself, nodding. She sets a gentle hand on May's shoulder, kneading idly as she looks toward the generator. "Oh, well that's good then. I appreciate where your concern comes from, but out of curiosity, how many more tests were you going to run tonight?"
Maybelline lifts up her notes. "...Leaks, pressure are done... so that leaves stress, integrity, and stability. So uh, three more hours of testing?" She gives Louma a haphazard smile as she relaxes at massage upon her shoulder.
Louma hums, glancing over her shoulder at the Western mountains, only the tail end of sunset highlighting their peaks. She looks back toward Maybelline, returning the smile. "Well, if you've got the energy. Do you mind if I come in and keep you company? I promise to be as inconspicuous as possible."
Maybelline giggles, "I don't know... I have an awful hard time keeping my eyes off you. How about a comprise? Come on in, and I'll finish up the next test, and then call it a night?"
Louma feels the blush darkening her bill as she smiles warmly at the engineer, nodding. "That sounds good to me, sweets. I do enjoy watching you work~." She slithers into the workshop, finding a clear spot out of the way near the door to May's house to begin coiling up.
Maybelline grins, running a hand along the top of Louma's scales before climbing back up the generator. She pulls out another of her tools and sets it against one of the panels and begins making adjustments. "I guess it is later then I thought it was..." She blinks, "I didn't forget a date or anything did I? I got a little pulled into my work but I didn't screw up, did I?"
Louma sighs as she settles into her coil, crossing her hands atop her tail as she watches May. "Only my birthday, sweets, it's alright." The teasing lilt in her voice is obvious. "But it is pretty late, I do hope you managed to plan some sleep into that checklist of yours."
Maybelline blinks, then gives a nervous laugh. "I'll sleep. I promise. I'll just sleep a lot more comfortably when this is all charged up and working." She turns back to her equipment and turns up the rate. The generator starts to hum loudly, and you can hear water sloshing loudly through the tubes. "It's... not right? It's not your birthday?"
Louma shakes her head, chuckling. "No, not until mid-winter. Although even if it were, you've already given me so much, there's no reason to mind." She listens as the generator makes it's noises, tilting her head slightly.
Maybelline chuckles, breathing out a sigh, "Good. I mean, sure. But I still want to do something. You're special to me too." She writes something down, then dials up the tension and the water gets louder. She pulls out another tool from her jumpsuit and starts to check several other pieces while the generator runs through its paces.
Louma shrugs, looking toward the generator as it changes volume. "Sure, when it comes around. But we have to do the same for you, then. When should I plan the date for?"
Maybelline looks up at Louma. "Whenever. The only thing that might take a night will be when Elizabeth is finally able to charge this thing up. Other then that... I'm free. I'm just running diagnostics like this to be sure."
Louma giggles, shaking her head. "I meant your birthday, sweets."
Maybelline blushes. "Oh. That. Right. That's not until spring. Pretty early though."
Louma looks to Maybelline with a nod. "Then the closest thing we have to celebrate is your wonderful work coming alive and powering Respite again." Her expression softens as she blushes, watching the stoat work on the machine. "You really are incredible for all of this, you know."
Maybelline blushes further, but nods as she makes a few more adjustments and takes a few notes, then walks back to the open panel. "I... mean. I know. Not to sound all cocky or anything, but... this was always my passion. This is where I always wanted to be. Well, I always wanted to be out in one of the big cities, running the big generators. I didn't imagine 'here' here was where I belonged."
Louma shifts slightly, straightening the towel out and laying it on her tail to let it dry. "And I will forever be grateful that your passion brought you here, though Respite may not be everything you wanted." She sighs slightly, crossing her hands on her tail again. "Getting the generator running would be a welcome happy event, honestly."
Maybelline nods, then pauses and frowns at Louma. "You've had another rough week, I take it?"
Louma frowns slightly, looking a bit aside. "Many others have had more than a rough week, really, but I've been adjacent to too much of it for comfort."
Maybelline nods. "Your job kinda puts you right there in the midst of it all, yeah." She pulls out a wrench and makes a few adjustments, listening to the water noise stop abruptly with a loud 'thoom'. She counts to ten, then shifts things back, letting the water flush through the engine again. "Anything I can do to help?"
Louma offers a bit of a smile, "Just this helps, thank you." She pauses for a bit, looking aside at the generator again. "That kobold inventor, Strix... What's your impression of him? I mean, you spoke with him a few times after he helped with the temporary power, right?"
Maybelline blinks. "My impression of Strix? He's fine. Friendly enough, when you're open-minded with him. I came at him a little aggressively when I was new in town, but as I got to know him... he's been a good friend, when I get to talk to him. His methods are... bizarre... but they work. Somehow. I mean... I understand how they should work? But how they actually work is baffling."
Louma nods, not quite looking at the generator any more as she gets a bit lost in thought. "A good person, who helped the town. Certainly not a thief. I told him Strix wasn't a thief. And he's your friend..."
Maybelline frowns. "Strix... a thief? Oh, defintiely not. If anything, he's concerned with thieves stealing his designs." She sets her tools down, flipping a few switches to shut down the reactor and to let the liquid drain out, waiting for it all to wind down. "Did... something happen to Strix?"
Louma pauses before looking to Maybelline, frowning. "Mistaken identity... Or Sarn researchers trying to hijack his inventions. The bounty hunters in town were apparently after him. Somehow, he managed to convince one that caught him he wasn't the mark."
Maybelline thinks, "Bounties Hunters... from..." Her face drops. "Oh... hells. I thought that wolf seemed strange. Louma... I... I might have been the one who pointed them straight to Strix."
Louma pauses, considering what to tell May. "Gareth? I recall we spoke about that meeting." She sighs, nodding. "Yes, he's the one that caught Strix. I accidentally helped him along those lines, though I did what I could to plead Strix's case." She looks aside shamefully. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but from what I hear, he's off in hiding for now."
Maybelline breathes out a sigh. "In hiding and safe... so the wolf let him go at least? Shit... I... you... Okay. Okay. So Strix is alright. So, what can you do about the bounty hunters then? I mean, now? You couldn't do anything before?"
Louma crosses her arms over her chest and taps her talons on her forearm in thought. "Well, simply put they have no valid bounty for Strix or anyone else right now." She looks toward May with a bit of coldness in her eyes. "If anyone does find him and tries to take that kobold, they'll have to deal with the guard as kidnappers. As for Gareth and Fiora..? I... Don't think they are bad people... Relatively speaking."
Maybelline steps over to the ladder down, then climbs down and walks up to Louma. "Okay... is there anything I can do to help Strix? He helped me at my worst."
Louma shakes her head slightly. "I don't know, honestly. We have no idea where he's gone, but if he comes forward, you can do whatever you like. He's not a criminal, as far as Respite is concerned. If he does come to you, try to let me know. Even if he doesn't trust the Guard, I will help as well, without the uniform."
Maybelline nods slowly, approaching Louma to settle against her and hug as best she can. "Crap... That's... a lot. Strix gave me a lot of advice when I first got her. I don't know why, but he just said he didn't want to see SadMay anymore." She laughs a little sadly. "Make more MayShinies. Become a HappyMay instead. I really, really hope he's okay, Louma."
Louma bends and hugs Maybelline, closing her eyes. "I do too, May... He didn't deserve to have his life disrupted like this. I... Wish I had done more. That I could have, without causing trouble."
Maybelline frowns. "I mean... that's your job... to stop folks from causing trouble, not starting it yourself." She sighs. "I wish I'd told Strix when someone came asking about him. Could... you have warned him?"
Louma nods slowly. "I could have, but he's hard to find when I actually want to run into him, and the bounty hunters made their move soon after I spoke with Gareth."
Maybelline sighs. "Thought as much. I... sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just worried now."
Louma shakes her head, smiling somewhat sadly. "Don't be sorry, there's nothing wrong with being concerned." She shifts her tail, a spot a couple feet up from the tip nudging gently against the back of May's knees, encouraging her to sit.
Maybelline takes the invitation to climb up on Louma's tail and take a seat. "Guess I can see what you meant about being adjacent to the whole mess. I don't know how you manage it."
Louma lets out a dry chuckle, lifting the stoat up to eye level and kissing her. "Lately, that's how~"
Maybelline braces as Louma lifts her up, though quickly relaxes and kisses back. "I... well. I'm good at stress testing ICEE generators and good at stress relieving beautiful guard captains, I guess."
Louma blushes, getting a bashful expression. "You're a stoat of many talents, it seems." She leans forward and hugs Maybelline against her chest. "I love you, May. Thank you for being here."
Maybelline squeezes tight against Louma. "I love you too. Annd I will always be here for you."
Louma smiles, humming into the hug. "And I for you." She dwells in the hug for a few moments, just enjoying the stoat's warmth. She looks at the generator, nodding slightly. "You said one last test before bed, right?"
Maybelline glances back over her shoulder at the generator. "Yeah... stress test. Ran the generator up to max capacity, sudden shutoff, and sudden start. So... that's all done. And it passed."
Louma giggles, looking to May. "I'm going to sound like a broken record, but of course it did, sweets, you built it. So since you're done stress testing the generator, and your guard captain is destressed, it seems you've completed your duties for the day." She puts on a dramatic voice, "But alas..."
Maybelline tilts her head curiously at Louma, "Alas?"
Louma grins at May. "I have one last duty to fulfill, if you don't mind. I have to drain the excess energy from the local engineer so she can get a restful sleep." She nuzzles her beak against May's neck. "Would it be responsible of me to shirk my duties~?"
Maybelline smirks, "You know she's still got a bit of energy despite working late, hm? No, we can't have you shirking responsibility. Not at all..."
Louma giggles, kissing May again, with perhaps a bit of extra heat behind it. "I'm glad you agree. I do enjoy my work after all~" She begins toward the door dividing the workshop from the living quarters, eyes locked to Maybelline's.
Maybelline clings to Louma as she is carried back towards her quarters, "I'm certainly glad you do~. I love it, and you too, dear."
Louma sighs wistfully, blushing at May's words. "I love you too, sweets~" She flicks off the light switch and pulls the curtains closed to fulfill her desires... Er duties with May.