( 52 ) [voice / action]

[filial_guardian]

Snow, snow, and more snow. I would prefer the rain from last year. At least parts of the lakes weren't freezing then.

At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if someone's roof gave way. It's not as if the snow is given time to melt. In fact, it might be compressing and freezing...

[...]

[action]

[...Sometime after his voiced entry

Comments

[action. o walter.]

[prayingone]

[Because it's been so cold today, Shirley thought it might be nice to have a nice chowder for supper. So she's in the kitchen, not paying attention to the journals, carefully peeling some potatoes at the sink in preparation, when she hears the conspicuously loud thump of something landing on the roof.

At first, she doesn't really think much of it. Houses make weird noises, sometimes. ... but it's becoming pretty obvious that something (or someone) is tromping around on the roof, and she can't help but wonder what's going on.]

[action. stay inside, merines!]

[filial_guardian]

[Okay, so it's not the most inconspicuous of chores. But it's for the safety of the Merines household! Sometimes peace and quiet needs to be disturbed for the greater good.

...There's a pretty muffled thump as a pile of snow drops right in front of the kitchen window.]

[action. but she has to investigate your shenanigans.]

[prayingone]

[......

Somehow, without even knowing the particulars ... she gets the feeling that this is a Walter Production. With a little sigh, Shirley puts the knife she was using to peel the potatoes down on the counter. Time to go get her coat and see why he's pushing snow off of the roof.]

[action. but he's a -professional.-]

[filial_guardian]

[Clearly, Walter got a bright idea at some point between his journal entry and climbing up on the roof, because he brought a broom up onto the roof with him. ...It's a lot of snow though, so it's taking awhile to knock it down.]

[action. professional failure, maybe.]

[prayingone]

[Walter's going to regret not using his teriques to get up there, because now Shirley is going to be climbing up that ladder. At least she's wearing a pair of normal boots instead of her usual ridiculous shoes because of the ice, so there's ... less of a chance of her slipping and falling?]

[action. he's the best damn failure ever. ...wait.]

[filial_guardian]

[Walter is carefully stepping through loosely-packed bits of snow; as he'd suspected, there is ice forming underneath the snow, so this is fairly treacherous.

He looks up when hears the creaking of the ladder.] Who's there?

[action. we wouldn't have him any other way.]

[prayingone]

[By the time Walter calls out to her, she's almost to the top; when he turns around, he should at least see the tell-tale pink flower headband.]

It's just me, Walter...

[action]

[filial_guardian]

[He starts when he sees who it is on the ladder.]

Merines, you shouldn't be up here. It's dangerous.

[action]

[prayingone]

[Do you really want her to try and hold a conversation with her while she's on a ladder? That's just asking for trouble. When she finishes climbing up, her balance is a little awkward from the angle of the roof, but she seems balanced enough... as long as she doesn't move too much.]

I'm sorry... I heard you inside, and was wondering what was going on... [She looks curiously at his cleared area.] Are you clearing the snow off the roof?

[action]

[filial_guardian]

[He stands warily on the other side of the roof, watching Shirley. Did she really have to climb the roof? ...Couldn't she have stayed on the ground?]

Yes. Yes, I am. It seemed like the prudent thing to do with all the heavy snowfall.

[action]

[prayingone]

[Hey. It's difficult to investigate things from the ground!]

Ah, I suppose so... [... she can't exactly offer to help. Knowing Walter, he probably wants to shoo her off the roof as soon as possible.] It looks like it will be hard with just a broom ... is there anything I could get for you that would help?

[action]

[filial_guardian]

[He shakes his head, dusting some of the snow off of his hair.] I can't think of anything else that would work well; the shovel might damage the roof, the rake goes right through all of the snow...

[action]

[prayingone]

Maybe... [Her words trail off as she tries to think of something that could actually, physically help... and comes up with nothing; all of her experience with snow comes from Luceti. Shirley sighs a little, and looks a bit disappointed with herself.] ... never mind.

[The time has come for an awkward silence.]

[action]

[filial_guardian]

[If he could shrug from this distance and make it obvious, he would.] You should get back inside before you catch cold, Merines.