Opkepa Rattop Hedplei

Chapter 81

Teik in

The anxiety that had plagued Zaera during most of that past week seemed to all but melt away in those giggle-filled hours playing with the goufa. This is exactly why Ulivia never so much as considers asking Zaera to help her prepare dinner for everyone. She had more than enough hands to help her now that everyone had arrived anyway. Even though she adamantly encouraged all of them to go rest after traveling all day. None of them listened to this advice, of course. Not even Gianna, she finally felt well enough to do something OTHER than rest and she for one was planning to take advantage of it. Ulivia had already been working on much of the dinner plans that night. Since there were so many more people, she planned for a wide variety of things to eat, being unsure what everyone liked. Especially with an extra child added in now. The result is plenty of things for everyone to help out with. Gianna and Mayve are kneading, mixing, and baking loaves of bread. Rosha and Catlea are chopping and mixing a fresh salad. Briya is elbows deep making a delicious-looking casserole with a couple of others from the kru. A couple of skaigonakru and Kohnor are roasting several fresh kills outside on a spit. Indra had sent them with a couple of trikru gonas after overhearing the extra people now added to Heda's party. The gonas even skinned them before heading back home. Making it much faster for Kohnor and the skaigonakru to jump right in to prepare and cook the meat. Leaving Ulivia and Lexa to gather ingredients from the garden and storerooms together. But no matter WHERE they are while they help make dinner, squeals of laughter can be heard echoing down from upstairs. Sounding off at random and causing smirks from everyone in its wake.

"I am unsure who needed this more." Lexa chuckles knowingly to Ulivia at the next sound of laughter. Gently placing a couple of tomatoes in Ulivia's basket. Then turning to gather a couple of cucumbers like Rosha requested.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Ulivia smirks in agreement. Neither even bothered to interrupt the play session once. Though they do peek inside the playroom a couple of times in passing. Each time the room gets messier and messier. Madi's dollhouse eventually gets pulled out and effectively strewn over most of the floor. Next, comes the blocks and a couple of other toys. One time they look in and catch Clarke with a blanket over her head growling like a monster and chasing the goufa around the room. Explaining what on earth the kids are laughing and screaming so loudly at. Happily relaying their findings downstairs amid chuckles at the discovery. Provoking chuckles and snorts of amusement from everyone in hearing distance. Eventually, kids start shooting out of random holes in the tree again. Lexa takes this as a sign the tubes must have finally aerated. Therefore she starts to encourage the goufa to start throwing down shoes and socks toward the living room as they find them playing up there. Offering drinks or nibbles of what they are making to whichever goufa happened to fly by to visit them before leaping back in a tube to play again. A few times Lexa gets a nod or a sly grin in response to her request which has to count for something at least. Walking to the window to check on the guys outside grilling the meat for them. It is ONLY when Lexa does this that it occurs to her HOW much there actually is. Not to mention the wide variety of kills to go along with it.

"Wow, Did Zaera kill all of those too?" Lexa asks curiously, sorta impressed.

"Oh no, Indra sent those over." Ulivia hums casually. The brown head wheels around with HUGE green eyes.

"You told Indra?" Lexa hisses in panic accusingly as Ulivia frowns at her old friend.

"What do you mean, 'I told Indra.' She is the joken CHIEF woman. That is survival!" Ulivia retorts back hotly dripping from where she is stirring the pot over the fire. Lacing so much attitude with every word spoken it has Rosha cackling loudly.

"Well at least SOMEONE finally learned." A VERY familiar voice calls haughtily from the door that has Lexa spinning around. Only to groan dramatically and toss those iconic brown curls back in frustration seeing none other than Indra and Octavia standing there.