Cleaning Up

Posted on Sat Feb 5th, 2022 @ 11:58am by Shepherd Harley & Ono Young-Jae
Edited on on Tue Apr 26th, 2022 @ 10:05pm

Mission: The Xiao Jin Chronicles
Location: Xiao Jin kitchen
Timeline: Mission Day 3 at 1900

Ordered to clean. Well, Sula had much worse jobs when she was at the Abbey. Of course, she preferred working in the gardens but that only required basic maintenance, since they were kept immaculately over the years. Her thoughts slid back to those simpler days but having someone else with her and not talking was probably rude. She said, "We have not formally met. I'm Shepherd Harley. Is Young-Jae your last name? Or just Jae and "young" is a pet name from the Captain? I'm afraid that I was just taken on and I am trying to learn quickly who everyone is and what they do."

Young Jae looked up from his scrubbing of the deck. While he wasn't ashamed or afraid of some hard work, his wrist was pleased for the break. Letting up with his rag, he plunged it into the disinfectant cleanser and then rolled his wrist. "Young Jae is my given name," he explained. "But I have heard that asked before." Young Jae rocked back onto his knees in an almost monkly pose. He surveyed the cleaning of the Galley's floorplates. "I did not even speak English before I was ten. I didn't see an Anglo until then either. No reason for them to be in the Caitougong." He smiled pleasantly, filled his chest and rolled his shoulders back, and sighed.

He plunged his hand back into the bucket. "Why did you become a Priest?"

"Not a priest, a shepherd," Sula corrected. "I do not run any religious organization. I am merely here to assist people find their paths and lessen burdens to the extent that I can." Sighing, she continued, "I never intended to become a shepherd, though. It just, well, happened." She shrugged apologetically and turned to get some more plates to bring to the wash area.

When she returned, she asked curiously, "How long have you been on this ship? Or know the Captain?"

Young Jae looked up at her, "Perhaps.... three or four hours longer than you," he said before, with a wet plunk he applied towel and bleach to deck plate. "I do not know him. But I knew Addy-chan." He scrubbed until his sponge towel was drying out. "Where are you going? Boros, or farther?"

"Three or four hours?!" Sula asked, surprise evident in her voice. "He treats you so very differently than I. From what I thought, and the way he complimented your cooking, I would have thought that you had known each other much longer." She paused and let her brain sit still for a moment before continuing, "How did you know Addy?" Purposefully, Sula avoided answering the question as to where she was going, partially because she did not know herself.

If Young Jae picked up on her evasion, he didn't pursue it. "The Baby Bessie. A ship to Persephone from Sweethome." Young Jae shrugged, ultimately. "I don't know why. Perhaps he just likes my food. Or perhaps until now, all he's eaten are blocks of protein supplement." The man plunged his scrub sponge into the bucket again and rocked back onto his knees.

Sula moved to Young Jae's side. "The Captain does seem to be a bit of an enigma. But, I suppose that we are going to have lots of time to get to know each other, right?" She looked at Young Jae hopefully. "So, why don't you tell me about your time with Addy on the Baby Bessie? Was she just as energetic?"

"Most Captains seem to be an enigma," Young Jae commented. "Most of them I have seen anyway." He shrugged good-naturedly. "Perhaps they like it. As for Addy-chan yes, she is a hopeful spirit. I believe this is her first time into space. But the rest, I think, is her tale to tell." Young Jae bowed his head with a smile.

Thoughtfully nodding, Sula answered, "I have not seen many Captains. And, I had never intended on meeting them either. So, I will have to take yer word on it."

Young Jae nodded agreement and again bent to finish his evening task.