Apartment Above Fix And Clean Shop

[alwaysonguard]

It had been a busy day so far for Dwight, though not down in the shop. Instead, he had spent much of the day upstairs in the apartment getting things straightened up and looking a little less 'bachelor-pad' esque. It really was just some straightening and organizing.

And he kept telling himself it was no big deal really.
It was just Amaya.
Coming to the apartment.
For a business meeting.
And dinner... of sorts.

There was no need to go overboard. Yet by the time the afternoon rolled around and the time they had handwavely agreed to arrived, the apartment was looking rather nice.


The floors were clean of the usual clutter- military training would always be in his blood, so a mess was not allowed but clutter had a way of creeping up at times.

The small yet comfortable living room area was arranged nicely. The existing furniture that had come with the apartment, mainly the couch and recliner, had been supplemented with a lot of custom pieces Dwight had made himself- a coffee table and end tables, book shelves, and a few other pieces here and there.

The kitchen was simple but more than enough for his level of cooking skill and the small table had room enough for four chairs if anyone ever did stop by. A few selected plants, not a mushy flower arrangement anywhere to be seen, sat or hung in the large windows along the wall.

Under the stairs leading up to the bedroom loft was a pen area filled with all of Snoopy's favorite toys and his favorite stuffie and pillow- and Snoopy himself of course. On every shelf were crammed books and though there was a TV on the far wall, it was hardly ever used.

And the final touch, hanging on the wall leading to the stairs down into the workshop, were several photos, including one of him and Lizzie, a ridiculous one of him and Miguel from their road trip, one of him and Amaya from the most recent school trip, and a few others documenting his first year in Fandom.

Things were as ready as they could be. All that was left to do was wait for things to finish cooking. And for Amaya to arrive. There was that too...

(post open! Expecting one but others can stop by before in the time line XD )

Comments

[special_rabbit]

Look. Amaya was just here for some wood not dirty question mark?.

And since the exchange of materials was the main goal here (and she really did need to get that project finished here shortly), Amaya let herself into the shop, expecting to find Dwight there. But, seeing as he wasn't, she sighed a little, grumbled something under her breath about so help her if this was a Fandom thing because it was a weekend, and a semester just ended, that was usually how these things liked to go, she set the no-good wood down on the counter, considered the stairs, and just called up, "Oi! Dwight! You up there?"

[alwaysonguard]

Hey, even business meetings needed food and Dwight had decided to make a decent show of it this time so he was minding the food a bit more than be probably needed to. But he wanted it to be perfect.

"Ah, Amaya you made it! Yeah, come on up!" Dwight called down. And there might have been a little clanging and noise as he moved around in the kitchen some as he did.

[special_rabbit]

There was a moment's pause, almost a hesitation, really, as Amaya looked toward the back room where the wood she'd be taking with her was going to be. She'd dedicated herself to coming over and not getting too distracted from the task at hand, but unidentified clanging noises were a bit of a siren's call for her.

First things first.

"Lemme just pop into the back room real quick and see about that wood replacement!" she shouted back. "Then I'll be right up!"

On second thought.

"Or you come on down here, too!" If a shout could manage to be blithe about it, that's what this shout was attempting to do. "Either or!"

[alwaysonguard]

"Sure, you know were everything is in the back room" Dwight called down. "Help yourself!"

There was a moment pause and a little more clanging. "Food is just about done so don't want to let it burn."

So, knock yourself out Amaya, and enjoy those smells wafting down the stairs as Dwight took at peak in the over just then.

[special_rabbit]

Amaya was just now catching a whiff of that delayed aroma, and, zards, she'd almost be willing to put down a few shiny gold coins that those meats she was smelling were on sticks, too, and therein was a pull almost greater even than unidentified clanks and clatters.

But that was enough for Amaya to want to be quick about it, lest her stomach decided to weigh in on her picks. When she said to always trust your gut, she didn't usually mean it in that way.

But, in due time, Amaya came trudging up the stairs with the wood she didn't want and the wood she did both tucked under her arms for approval. How she managed to open the door like that was apparently a mystery for the ages.

"Found something," she announced. "Not that I doubted it, of course, and what are you making?"

Now that there was no longer that protective barrier between herself and tasty meats again not dirty ohgod i swear, it was easily taking precedence in her consciousness.

She knew she should have eaten something before coming over.

[alwaysonguard]

"Good, good. Glad you found something that would work" Dwight said glancing over as she came in. "Feel free to set that down, we can take care of business in a bit" he said with a nod towards the table by the stairs.

"As far as food, you have perfect timing because they are ready to go now" Dwight said with a somewhat proud grin. "We have meats on sticks! Specifically meat and veggies on sticks."

Dwight pulled the first of three pans out of the oven and set them on the counter

"We have chicken and pineapple. Beef tips and roasted potatoes. And shrimp with red peppers. Little bit of air, turf, and surf."

[special_rabbit]

"Now why," said Amaya, after glancing around enough to find a surface on which to unceremoniouly dump the loads of wood before letting her stomach lead her closer "would you go do a thing like ruin couple of perfeclty good meats on sticks by adding vegetables?"

The literal fridge full of fresh produce, mostly from her own greenhouse, in her own apartment would like to point out that this was very clearly a joke.

[alwaysonguard]

"Oh, I am sure you will live" Dwight said teasingly. "Though, if it that much of a turn off for you..." he said slyly, glancing over at Amaya. "I could always just keep them for myself..."

Carful there buddy, that was a good way to loose a few fingers, getting between Amaya and meats on sticks, even with veggies included!

[special_rabbit]

"Well, I already came all this way," Amaya reasoned, oh-so-rationally, although this next part went along with a bit of a quirked eyebrow for the variety of the options, "and you clearly went through all that trouble..."

Which she was just going to assume was entirely a matter of just easily getting swept up in something once you got started.

"I think I can manage."

It was about then that Amaya realized her attention had been pretty narrowed in on the food.

"They do look pretty good."

[alwaysonguard]

"Thanks. They did turn out pretty good if I do say so myself" Dwight said, allowing himself the closest he would get to preening a little as he smiled.

"So, they are ready to dig in whenever. Want the table or lounge it up in the living room?" he asked with a nod towards the couch and the coffee table.

[special_rabbit]

Amaya shrugged as if she didn't immediately know the right answer to a question like that.

"Or we could just stand right here the whole time."

Those other options definitely sounded like traps.

[alwaysonguard]

"Riiight" Dwight said giving her a bit of a look. "Sure, we can just stand here at the counter and eat" he said with a shrug of his own.

"I did put out the good drink coasters though" he added with a laugh, clearly indicating he was somewhat joking. He HAD done a fair bit of cleaning and preparing though...

[special_rabbit]

Hey, now, it wasn't Amaya's fault if Dwight made poor decisions on how to manage his time.

"What qualifications does a coaster have to make to be considered one of the good coasters, anyway?" she found herself asking, from an almost sort of professional curiosity.

In part.

She was maybe going to move in for one of those skewers, though, now that just standing there in the kitchen was officially an established (and preferred) option.

[alwaysonguard]

"Eh, they're just some nice looking ones I don't use except when having friends, and business partners over for a visit."

And with the first move made, Dwight was going to grab a steak skewer for himself and start in.

"So, sounds like you could use some recommendations for wood suppliers."

See? Totally innocent, simple business meeting. No dirty jokes there at all!

[special_rabbit]

"Well, I don't know if I'd go that far," Amaya noted, half-way through a bit of chicken before she swallowed it down. "I'm hoping it was just a fluke. I've never had any complaints about the quality of the wood I've received before."

Nope. Nothing to see here.

[alwaysonguard]

"Well, I can still give you a few names as backups in case this happens again. And of course you are always welcome to come here for any wood you need."

Look at them, just plowing right through these wood jokes today aren't they?

"Most of the furniture in here has been made with what I get from my suppliers" Dwight said with a general wave around the apartment. "The dinning set, the tables and shelves in the living room, and pretty much everything in the bedroom up in the loft."

There was a slight pause but not long enough to truly weigh the many ways this next bit could be taken.

"Could give ya a quick tour after we're done" he added casually as he finished the first skewer and reached for a second.

[special_rabbit]

Funny how, with all that talk of wood being shoved down everyone's throats, it was a different word entirely that seemed to trigger something just then, as Amaya had incredibly poor timing in swallowing that next bite of meat and had to cough.

At least nearly choking made for a pretty good excuse for any redness that might have found its way onto her face. The chicken was no longer lodged in there, but she cleared her throat a little more, one hand to it while the other made a sort of gesture at Dwight for something to drink.

[alwaysonguard]

Dwight was to the fridge and back before Amaya had gotten much into that silent call. "Need the Heimlich or anything?" He asked as he handed her some water and after watching carefully to make sure she WAS indeed ok and still breathing, he shook his head.

"If they are that bad you can just say" he said with a dry laugh and a grin, though he still was watching Amaya, an obvious look of worry still evident.

[special_rabbit]

Oh, what, like he'd never choked on a piece of food at an ill-timed phrase for comedic effect before? Still, Amaya took a moment to sort herself out again, chicken properly chewed and swallowed and followed by about half that glass, which she was drinking even as she waved a hand dismissively at any further need for any action on Dwight's part.

"Just trying to slip down the wrong pipe, I guess," she finally managed. Food down the wrong way, brain definitely careening in the wrong direction. "Believe me, if you'd managed to mess up meats on a stick, you'd hear all about it."

[alwaysonguard]

"Well, glad to hear you're gonna live" Dwight said with a smirk, though still a hint of concern on his face. Because really Amaya. He liked you- though that might not be so obvious to miss stubborn over there- but he didn't want you hanging around as a ghost haunting his apartment and shop all the time.

"While you finish that off" he said nodding to the glass, "can I get you something else? Got the basic tea and water, but also got some apple cider, beer, and got some mulled wine I've had going most of the afternoon so it should be good and ready by now."

[special_rabbit]

Amaya Blackstone would make for a particularly obnoxious ghost, it was true, but at least if she died here, she could probably still hang out with Diaz pretty often, too.

"Beer," she said, without hesitation and, in fact, a little before Dwight had completely finished. "Beer's good."

Maybe help take her mind off of things like...tours.

And the potential sturdiness of hand-crafted furniture.

[alwaysonguard]

Obnoxious maybe, at times, But still better than most of the ghosts and similar things Dwight had encountered back home so.... wouldn't be too terrible of a haunting to be cursed with. But yes, dying was not good. No dying today.

"Beer it is then," Dwight said coming back a moment later with several chilled bottles, handing one to Amaya and cracking open one for himself.

Beer might be a good distraction. Or a good motivation. Could go either way really when you think about it. It WAS very durable and also comfortable furniture! Dwight was quite proud of it.

[special_rabbit]

"Thanks," Amaya nodded as she took the bottle from Dwight and made pretty quick work of about half of it before she seemed ready to move on to attempting a little bit more of that skewer.

Hopefully without the choking this time.

A task that apparently required enough concentation all of a sudden that she couldn't really think of anything else to say just then.

[alwaysonguard]

Dwight too was silent for a moment as he worked on his own skewer, chewing thoughtfully and finishing the full thing before venturing to speak again.

"So, what did you choose from the stock pile downstairs?" asked casually nodding towards the pile of wood. "I know there was a good amount of oak and pine down there along with some cedar, and even a few bits of mahogany if I remember right among others."

He chanced a glance towards Amaya as he took another long, almost thoughtful drink from his own bottle. It was almost as if he was weighing the risk and rewards of what he was about to ask, determining if it was worth it or not. Making his decision he added with as casual a tone and expression as he could.

"Could shift over to the couch, be a bit more comfortable and you can tell me all about this project of yours and what Blackstone touches you are going to be adding to it."

There were going to be spike right? Tell him there were going to be spikes involved!

[special_rabbit]

"It's the mahogany," Amaya confirmed with a nod, more than happy to latch onto something she could easily talk about and distract herself with and did, in fact, involve spikes. The whole thing, really, was spikes. Fancy spikes! "You can never go wrong with mahogany. And it isn't much, the project, just a nice set of...fittingly," here, she lifted up what remained of her current meat-on-stick pursuit, "skewers, a bit like the set I did for Dr. Lecter a while back, just a bit more....twistier, I suppose, and we wanted to do some nice polished wood handles on the one end. Got all the twisty metal parts and finer details all set...alls that's left is the handles."

And if any cause to weigh in on the potential of a relocation happened to have been lost in the shuffle of the explanation, well, then, so be it.