28. Business as usual

Olaf understood what Tzol wanted them to do, but Tzol could not comprehend that Olaf was telling him the truth when he told him repeatedly "We. Already. Did. It."

In the end, he gave up on Tzol and decided to go directly to the top dog. Tzol followed him though, warning him against disturbing king and his priest without prior notice.

"He said himself that he ain't no king no more." Olaf grumbled while climbing.

"General. Freaking. Cleaning. My. Ass." Did they think he hibernated for past 10 cycles? He was not the one making holy potions and chanting Kum ba yah all night.

He stopped and turned to Tzol "If you can find any unsecured mobile objects anywhere at lower or middle levels, I am personally going to secure them by tying them to my balls". He huffed and continued climbing.

Tzol shivered at the image that invoked. What's wrong with this crew? Everyone went bonkers while he didn't pay attention.

Still fuming, Olaf arrived to Xul's quarters and barged through the door. There was no one in the front room, so he continued directly to the back.

He slammed the doors open "What do you mean by sending Tzol to.." he stopped mid sentence and admired the scene.

Brazenly entering and standing akimbo, he then proceeded "See Xul, that's what you should care about. Not my cleaning schedule. What did you do to this poor excuse of a priest?"

Ah Kin was laid belly down on a day bed, his back, buttocks and part of his legs practically glowing. His skin was even blistering on some places.

"It was not so bad at first, then it started to itch, and now.." Ah Kin felt like crying real tears this time.

"I never saw a sunburn before." Tzol decided right then and there that he was never going to step one foot outside. "I told you sun was dangerous around noon." he added.

Olaf just shook his head "What's that grease you are smearing on him?"

"Oh, Hama made this to help his skin recover," Xul was applying healing balm at all visibly burned parts of skin. "It just can't be used on blistering parts." And all this while Jone was away.

He saw Olaf leaning in to take a better look of burned buttocks, and frowned. "You are ogling my husbands derrière. Want me to chop your head off?"

Olaf straightened up and snickered "Like I would be interested in old prune. Anyway, no need to fret like this, it's just skin." It should regenerate itself fully within 12 hours or less. Even their bones only took around 24 hours to fully heal, including compound fractures.

Now Xul started to feel his forehead veins popping out. "What do you need anyway? Barging in my inner area like this." He had quite a nice private moment here, massaging Ah Kin and gently listing all the things he is banned from until his skin recovers not only from this burns, but long term epidermis damage that he got due his daily sunbathing.

He used thin gauze to cover Ah Kin and kissed his neck "Don't move until I return."

Ah Kin could not move even if he wanted. Skin of his back burned due sun damage, and his face burned due being called 'husband' just like that.

Xul dragged Olaf and Tzol to outer room and closed the doors. "Explain yourself."

Olaf almost sneered "Just came to report that the task is done. Lower and middle levels are packed and secured. Except areas in current use, and that's only Tzol's apartment and part of the greenhouse."

"So fast?" Xul was a bit confused as he just gave that instruction today.

Olaf rolled his eyes "We were doing it continuously since the beginning." He turned and ploped into a chair.

"Ever since population of naturals started going down, we were clearing and securing areas as they emptied out." It was rather a depressing job, so many personal items were found in those empty halls. His crew picked them all up, sorted into containers and moved to storage area. There is nothing left, unless it was build into walls or screwed for the floor.

"Since my three little darlings arrived 5 cycles ago, we swept through everything once more. Whatever could be boxed, was in fact - boxed. Ler has most of it in his warehouses." He stretched his long legs in front of him, and casually waved his hand. "We even helped those guys who left today to clear and secure their rooms before they left, as it will be unoccupied from now on."

Really, that huge area down below looked eerie, all empty like that. How long was it since Xul even went down there? Only reason he took his cleaning crew to the basement was to make sure Blaze and Mani were fine down there. Otherwise, they just maintained middle levels.

Tzol was kinda baffled "So I am already only one left at middle level?"

"Well, I can get my boys and we can move you up tomorrow, so you would not die by your lonesome down there." Olaf gave him his most charming smile.

"Right, thanks." He thought for a bit "Can I get a room as far as possible from Dagda?"

Olaf pondered for a bit "There is a whole apartment near Geb, but that's also close to kitchens, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Tzol was rather satisfied with such location "let's go sort it out right away." He felt rather enthusiastic about moving now, kitchens had sweets!

Xul watched them leave, unsure if he should laugh or be angry. Why exactly did those two came to him? Just to interrupt them?

He walked back, and found Ah Kin just as he left him. Despite being stubborn, he always obeyed direct instructions. It was only when left on his own that he would do irrational things. Well, it must have had some sense in his mind.

He sat on the edge of day bed, and gently rubbed side of Ah Kin's face. "What's on your mind?"

He felt like Ah Kin was pouting, but could not figure why.

"It's not like we are married," he heard Ah Kin say "so you should not call me that."

We are not? Xul tried to remember "Did we not get married? You wore that yellow robe, about the time when Dagda and them arrived?"

"That was like, what, 35 cycles ago." Ah Kin gave him a side glance "Which robe?" He had tons of those back in the day.

"You know, the one with pearls." He remembered watching Ah Kin leading ceremonies in that robe. Pearls swaying from the edges, separating at his thighs every time he made a step. "That one made you look so sexy that it was hard to bear it."

"Oh, what that has with our supposed marriage?"

"Well, let me tell you all about it, as you forgot such an important day." Xul leaned down and nibbled Ah Kin's ear.

In the meantime, Olaf and Tzol walked side by side towards his future rooms to check them out before moving.

"So those two are still at it." Olaf said noncommittally.

"Yup," Tzol confirmed "those burns are because they were doing it on the rooftop at noon." Idiots.

Olaf chuckled "Good to know, their commitment gives me a warm feeling that there is some hope for rest of us as well."

"Well, if you are lucky to find a willing partner." Tzol had no such hopes any more.

Olaf looked at him quizzically "What, you don't know?" With a huge smile he took opportunity to brag "I did found me a little darling."

"What? No, I did not know." Tzol was really surprised, he heard no such rumours from Jone.

"Mmm." Olaf felt mighty proud "Utu, my little sunshine that will never give me burns."

Tzol stopped in his tracks. "He is one of the three stoo.." he stopped himself in time "He is only 5 cycles old, that's baby snatching!"

"Well, I count on us being together for the next 40 cycles at minimum," Olaf explained "and by that time our age difference will hardly be noticeable." Plainly said, he was happy and did not sweat the details.

"Beside, it was not me pursuing him." Olaf's face looked like it would split in half due to his toothy grin. "He chased me full four cycles. I was playing hard to get." Hearing a grown man giggle was odd, but it did fit Olaf's character.

Now Tzol felt more than ever that not only it is good to move closer to the kitchens, he might directly move to kitchens itself. He needs something sweet in his life as well. And cakes will do just fine.

Next day, as he packed his things, sorting out what to keep and what to recycle, he observed those three helpers of dubious abilities that Olaf liked so much.

Sure, it was partly due to his infatuation with Utu, but Pwyll and Q'uq also basked in his benevolent attitude. Who really gave them those names. Tzol wondered while actually starting to understand their unique charm.

Neither of them had any stiffness normal for young replicants. They did still look like teenagers, yet they moved graciously without any awkwardness typically seen in such youths.

And they actually handled things quickly and orderly. Was it due Olaf taking time to teach them?

Still, Tzol did not find them attractive. Young and perky was not his thing, apparently.