Utterly Mad

Time:4 years 8 months 2 weeks after the cataclysm
Characters: Alexei, Ms Morgan, Ms Morgan, The Family
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Alexei had cleaned up a bit, washing his hair and beard while replacing his clothes with the button up shirt and suit vest that the sisters had given him along with the black slacks that led down to a pair of sturdy combat boots. Walking out of his quarters he turned down the hall to go about his daily duties. Cleaning the kitchen, some garden work, polishing some of the statues, and maintaining the armory.

This all took up most of his day and he found himself oddly content with it. True he’d probably have prefered to be scavenging and drinking but he’d not touched a bottle since arriving here. Finishing putting an AK together he stood up and started towards the rack of rifles that was attached to a wall. Which was when he heard a pair of voices discussing a party. Walking up the stairs and listening to the pair he quickly realized that they were either inept at planning or had never been to an actual party.

Pulling the two aside he told them he’d organize the party. To which they happily agreed since it was something they didn’t have to do now. Alexei walked away smiling as plans already formed in his head.

5 days later

Alexei ushered the server out of the kitchen with a muttered Russian curse. Then it was a mad dash of checking on the cooks, the bakers, the servers, and the decorators. Bouquets of flowers were being put into vases and positioned in the center of tables as the decorators danced around the room. The cooks swirled frying and sauce pans as some chopped vegetables and sliced meat. The bakers were decorating and layering cakes and arranging cookies in a whirlwind of motion that would make a casual observer dizzy. Each gave him an update as he passed and checked their work.

Wiping sweat from his brow as he grabbed a set of whiskey bottles from a liquor cabinet Alexei shouted a jovial remark that had the kitchen staff chuckling as he passed by again. Each table got a bottle of whiskey and a set of wine bottles. Stopping a server that had just arrived with a wooden box Alexei opened it and inspected the pair of bottles before taking them up to the table. The finest wine he could have gotten his hands on was set at the sister’s table.

The servers were now in a mad dash of setting horderves on the tables with the appropriate plates and cutlery and glasses. As the last setting was placed the doors opened and the guests began to arrive. Alexei and one of the head servers of the Manor were beside the door greeting them as they passed. When the sisters came they stopped to speak with the pair shortly, and as they went towards their table one commented that Alexei’s beard looked better now that he’d gotten it cut and styled.

As he walked back to the kitchen everyone saw the way he beamed at the praise.The rest of the night he was a blur of motion as he helped the wait staff get things out. He was happy, something he’d not felt in a long while.