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jokertrap-ran · 3 years

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(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Main Story Chapter 3-5: 海水与火焰 Seawater & Flames Translation

"It is only this sort of unbridled, unbound, soul-freeing freedom that suits me.”

*Light and Night Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Main story tag will be #For Light and Night

Following Osborn down the auditorium, we entered the team's resting area.

Tall glass display cabinets lined the wall, and displayed within were trophies that the race team won and photos of victory. They were all arranged by year. The spotlight shone downwards, making those glorious awards through the years appear even more dazzling. It made strolling down the stretch of display cabinets feel like stepping into an illusion of the past.

A familiar photo caught my attention: Osborn was standing on the podium, his helmet sandwiched between his arm and his side.

MC: This is the picture that An'an showed me back then…

I couldn't help but stand on tippy-toes to get a better look at it.

Osborn: The real deal's right beside you, why are you getting all besotted by a photo?

Although that's what he said, he still opened the glass door of the cabinet and took the photo down for me.

MC: When was this taken?

Osborn: When I first won the R1 championship.

He looked pretty young and inexperienced in the photo, with his head raised and an intent stare at the camera. It was almost as if he was gazing into the distance, at the era that would eventually belong to him.

MC: Osborn? What made you want to become a racer?

Osborn's eyes swept past the glass cabinet before falling back on me.

Osborn: Why do you want to be a fashion designer? My answer's the same as yours.

MC: Same as me? For passion?

Osborn: Every aspect of life requires me to endure and think things through; racing is the only thing that allows me to proceed onwards.

The same sharp glint in the picture that had been in his younger self's eyes was back in full force.

I couldn't help but snap an immediate shot of that.

Osborn: Come on then, let's head outside.

We headed out of the rest area and came to the first row of the auditorium. Coincidentally, another mock race was currently in progress.

❖☆———————————★❖

I didn't quite feel it back when I was still viewing from a distance, but now, standing here, I finally experienced what lightning speed truly felt like.

The wind rushed at us, vehemently blowing against our coats, making it flutter violently in the wind. My hair flew every this way and that from violent gusts, and I suddenly got the illusion that even all my troubles could be blown away...

The scene before me had already long since blurred away. I closed my eyes, embracing the world with my senses. At that moment, I heard the forceful thumping of my heart and the rushing of blood in my veins.

I couldn’t help but stretch out my arms, feeling like I was a bird who’d just escaped from the confines of its cage, or like a Père David's deer who’d broken free of its reins, bounding through the snow. The sheer joy of moving forwards without looking back at all was a marvellous one.

MC: I think I now understand what you were talking about earlier.

The look in his eyes suddenly grew more profound, with the vast blue sky reflected within his orbs.

Osborn: It is only this sort of unbridled, unbound, soul-freeing freedom that suits me.

MC: Freedom...

That’s right. I’d also ran back here from all the way abroad in search of freedom. This was the life I chose of my own accord.

I suddenly recalled the look of yearning that had been on Lin Yao’s face the other day when she mentioned the word “freedom” when she saw the race.

Somewhere in my heart was a little crevice that had been moved by that. Looking at the light reflecting off the race team’s logo, I was suddenly hit by a flash of inspiration.

MC: Osborn! I think I can make a collection of outfits with racing as the main theme!

MC: Representing danger and boundaries, there's a nearly crazed kind of romance in the freedom it brings!

MC: And at the same time, it also represents one moving courageously forwards, pushing through until the very end!

MC: If you're alright with it, I want to go to the rest area for another—

Suddenly, I realized that I'd been going off on my own tangent and had literally info-dumped him with my thoughts. I hurriedly zipped my mouth shut, offering him an apologetic smile.

MC: Sorry. I want to go to the rest area to snap a couple more shots as reference material. Can I?

Osborn nodded with a smile.

Osborn: No problemo.

❖☆———————————★❖

It was already near noon by the time I finished taking all the photos I needed. My original plan was to head home, but Osborn said that he too, had something else on, so he had to leave and could spare me a ride back, asking me to wait for him.

Walking up to the entrance, I suddenly saw a thinly built man standing at a distance not too far away. He wore a hat, and his silhouette was a tad familiar.

MC: I feel like I've seen him somewhere before…

Just as I squinted in an attempt to better make out the identity of the person, a sound suddenly sounded from the grass by my feet.

??: Meow!

MC: !

I took a step back, only to see a small white cat looking up at me with its big round eyes. It immediately started circling my legs the moment I lowered my head, turning my attention to it.

MC: So it was you, little one. You nearly scared me half to death!

I knelt down, picking up a green foxtail to poke fun at it. The cat happily stood up, waving its two small forepaws in the air as it batted at it. Much to my astonishment, I found that it had deep gashes on its paws; and they were still bleeding.

Then, in the next moment, it let out a yowl, nabbing my finger and biting down before it quickly fled into the grass with lightning speed.

MC: Ah!

Small drops of blood beaded from the wound on my fingertips. I quickly took a tissue from my bag and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding.

MC: I'm glad I got that tetanus shot back then…

My heart gave a few uncomfortable lurches. I didn’t understand why the cat had suddenly gone all feral. Then, the sound of heavy and ragged breathing suddenly sounded in the direction that the cat had fled!

A shadow fell upon me, shrouding me within its shadowy cloak as a pair of feet, belonging to a man, entered my field of vision.

MC: !!

I raised my head. It was the man I was scrutinizing earlier! He looked very haggard, with messy hair covering his face and features.

I suddenly realized where I’d seen him beforeー He was the bodyguard who’d walked out of Lin Yao’s dressing room back at the studio the other day and bumped into the set! What’s he doing here?

An inexplicable sense of panic reared its ugly head. I turned around with the intent of fleeing, but the man swiftly reached out and lunged at me!

MC: Hel—

❖☆———————————★❖

My cry for help never left my throat, for he’d already constricted my airway. I struggled vehemently against him, but to no avail. My vision started growing blurry.

The man leaned greedily into my neck as if it was some sort of delectable delicacy.

Man: Finally… Finally, I can live…

In a flash, I suddenly recalled the “vampire attack” incidents that An’an had previously told me about!

My heart suddenly froze in my chest as the chills started to spread. It was getting increasingly harder to breathe, and I was running out of energy to even put up a fight, fast. No… I can’t give up! Never!

However, the terrifying blow of pain that I’d been expecting never came to pass. With a wail of pain, the man let go of me. Gone was the pressure that had been on my airway earlier.

I fell into the warm embrace of a pair of arms.

❖☆———————————★❖

Opening my eyes, my vision was enraptured by a clear blue light that I’d never seen before.

Osborn was hovering protectively about me, his eyes fixated on the back of the figure that made a break for it. Blue flames burned bright within the confines of his palm, flickering and swaying.

Osborn: You good?

I incredulously widened my eyes, thinking that everything I’d just experienced, and everything I was seeing right now, was just part of a dream.

However, the throbbing pain that lingered on my neck and the strange sight before me both told me that: No, this was not a dream. Not in the slightest.

MC: Blue… flames?

Something flashed within Osborn’s eyes. He was seemingly just as surprised by it as well. Then, the blue flames died down, disappearing from his open palm.

Osborn: Are you hurt?

MC: No… Thank you.

I raised my hand to touch my neck; the fear within my heart still lingering.

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Night⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: (Chapter 3-3) | Next Part: (Chapter 3-8)

#光与夜之恋 #Light and Night #Otome #Translations #Tencent #萧逸 #Osborn #齐司礼 #Sariel #陆沉 #Evan #查理苏 #Charlie #夏鸣星 #Jesse #For Light and Night

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etraytin · 3 years

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Quarantine: Vaccination Day (1)

So the daily updates have fallen away, and lately I haven’t even been on Tumblr that much. For some STRANGE REASON, near the end of January, my creative brain started perking up and began poking me. “Let’s play Mutants and Masterminds,” it said. This was kind of amazing, since my creative brain has not wanted to play in a very long time. Awkward, given that I am the co-owner of a very long-running Mutants and Masterminds play by post game, but Husband is much more involved than I am anyway, and he and the ref team were more than good enough to keep things going during my long creative drought. But I went back to the game and I shook the dust off my characters, and I’ve been spending the last month or so getting them back into the shared world they all inhabit. Given that the game moves in real time I have also been having to explain what the hell they’ve been up to for the past couple years, but ah well. I’m having a lot of fun, and writing a lot, and it feels soooo good.

That’s not actually why I hopped on to make a special quarantine journal update, though. I figured I ought to still keep track of important COVID related events, and today I got my first dose of the vaccine! We are still in Phase 1b here, which means it is mostly old people and healthcare workers getting the vaccine, but they’re also getting essential folks in various professions and certain frontline responders. I was hoping to get the shot because I’m a Disaster Action Team member for the Red Cross and I would very much like to be able to respond to fires in person again, but it’s taking them awhile to get off the dime in terms of getting folks vaccinated. Turns out that the people have gotten their ducks in a row are the County Board of Elections, who made arrangements to get the vaccine out to all the chief and assistant chief officers of elections. Being a Procedural Specialist is a kind of assistant chief, enough so that I was offered the shot on that basis. I said yes, of course! Well, actually the first time I was at the island with my parents, podding up just like last spring and in the same house even, but the second time it was available, I jumped on it.

The vaccination clinic was at one of the local universities, in their athletic center. There were signs for where to park, and a temp fence roping off part of the sidewalk to serve as the start of a line. A big sign told me not to get in line more than five minutes before my appointment, so I didn’t even though there was no actual line. At the appointed time I went in, and snaked my way through a very, very long line-holding area, with about seven fences worth of back and forth with six-foot distancing dots spaced all the way through it. Still no line! I got all the way to the front and got sent to a person to verify my appointment, then to another person to verify my address and contact info, then to another person to take my temperature, then through a series of additional people who all directed me where to go. It was a good setup, obviously intended for way more people than were present at the moment. I went during off-hours, 11:30am, so I’m sure there were times of day when it was far busier. I was a little surprised it wasn’t busier when I was there, but it wasn’t as though there were open appointments available. I know lots of people around here want the shot, so it’s not a matter of no demand, just getting supply and demand matched up safely and responsibly. Glad it is not my job!

I eventually got to the table where I would get the vaccine, in a section with seven or eight tables, each with a person to give the shot and a person to fill out the card. The actual shot was very quick and nearly painless. Compared to the tetanus jab I got last year, it was a feather tickle! They gave me my vaccination card and a post-it note with the current time, then sent me to the waiting room. I had to stay there for fifteen minutes before I could go, and in the meantime there were a zillion signs and QR codes about signing up for V-Safe Checker. That is a program where you give your contact info and for two weeks you get a daily check-in to see if you have any vaccine-related symptoms. Seems like a good way to gather data to me! I signed up for it. The whole thing, including the waiting period, took less than half an hour.

It’s hard to say what symptoms I might have had so far. I felt a little off for a little while, kind of tired and blah, but I often feel that way on days when I haven’t slept a lot. I thought I had a fever, but I took my temperature and it was the house temperature that was fluctuating, not me! The only for-sure symptom is my arm, which is very sore now. I can live with that. One month until Shot number 2! I will be very glad to get it.

#quarantine #vaccine #covid vaccine #mutants and masterminds #play by post

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betsyandmaxwellandduchessohmy · 4 years

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can we get headcanons/reactions for a dadsona who's like, The Ernest Whisperer? they get along pretty famously, dadsona is really good at making ernest make better choices without being condescending about it. it's not perfect, but "dude, if you're gonna set fire to that trash can, you need a fuse or you'll blow your eyebrows off" is better than shutting him down or ignoring it altogether. like the mom in mean girls, steerin regina towards the Safer choice.

((I feel like I should say right off the bat; this is not part of the Lemon Boy continuity. There's two more parts to that but this isn't one of them. So Ernest is getting a bunch of love and I adore it. Honestly, Ernest is gonna be doing stupid, dangerous shit anyway, we might as well make sure he’s at least being safe about it. Also I love Ernest channeling his angst through artistic pursuits, so I’m adding it here.))

~~~

Summer had arrived. Amanda had graduated, and the kids of the cul-de-sac were free to their adventures. Which, of course, meant the troublemakers were free to their trouble.

You’d become something of an expert at dealing with the troublemakers, seeing as your daughter could be considered such by certain people, and you yourself had been considered such in your younger years by other certain people who were… probably dead by now, honestly.

You’d gotten to know all the neighborhood kids pretty well since moving in, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have favorites. All the kids seemed to like you well enough - Craig’s girls invited you to their games from time to time, Joseph’s oldest seemed to have taken an interest in your garden for some reason, and Daisy and Carmensita might favor Amanda over you on any given day, but they were polite and sweet and complimented your cooking, so you weren’t too sore about it. But hands down, you got on with Ernest and Lucien the best. You remembered what it was like to be that age, and you were proud to say you’d managed to get through where others said was impassable. You could tell the boys liked you, even if they refused to admit it. Maybe they could tell that you’d been like them, once upon a time. Trouble begets trouble, after all. It felt like they’d made an unspoken bet to see who could push you further. Who could get you to agree to or help with the most outlandish thing.

Lucien made you tag along while he did graffiti on the underside of the bridge by the dam. You lent him your spare respirator mask and kept an eye out for police and neighborhood watch.

Ernest found an abandoned factory a little ways from the cul-de-sac, and insisted on going there to fuck around. You managed to casually ask Hugo if Ernest was up to date on his tetanus shots and managed to convince Ernest not to swing from rafters or mess around with any old blades.

Lucien convinced you to give him and his friends a ride to a concert in the next city over. You paid for a last minute ticket and tagged along to make sure they’d be okay, and even managed to get a guy kicked out when you saw him slip something in one of Lucien’s friend’s drinks.

Ernest roped you into a paintball war in the more wooded area of the park. You supplied face shields and forced disposable rain ponchos over his and his friend’s heads. They didn’t help very much or last very long, but there was slightly less paint on them than there would have been, so it was a win. As was getting the paint stains out of Ernest’s favorite hoodie.

But beyond that - beyond the bet and the games and the stupid dangerous shit you tried to buffer them from, you knew that they trusted you. By this point, Hugo and Damien knew that their kids saw you as someone safe to lean on, and while Damien was simply glad, Hugo was more than a little baffled. You offered him what advice you could, but you knew that sometimes, your dad just felt too close. Hugo was getting the hang of it, but it was easier for you.

When Damien went out of town for the weekend, it was you that Lucien called when he started feeling unsafe at the house party he’d gone to.

When Ernest’s friends ditched him when they ran from the cops, he called you to come get him from the alley he’d hidden himself in.

Every time, you made sure they weren’t hurt. You made sure they weren’t scared. You promised not to tell their dads. You took them out for ice cream or greasy all-night diner food. And you brought them home.

You were accustomed to the boys deciding that doing stupid shit sounded like the best idea in the world. So when you saw Ernest and a few of his friends bumming around the orange-clad kid’s driveway, you kept an eye on them while you went about your business. Stores had been stocking up on firecrackers since April, so you wouldn’t be surprised if the rapscallions had managed to get their hands on a few here and there. You hesitated briefly before turning your back, brushing the last few flecks into place before straightening up again, smiling down at the beautiful thing you’d made. A frown tugged at your face, though, when you went for your pocket and found you’d misplaced your lighter. Poking around the garage for a moment, you spotted it on the little table you’d set up beside the garage door. Reaching for it, you paused, poking your head out into the summer air.

Ernest and his friends had migrated to Joseph’s trash cans. There was laughter - always a good sign - and they were pressed close together to block your view of what they were doing to the poor bin, but you had the feeling it wasn't going to be good.

When you saw one of the boys pull a lighter from his pocket you turned on a dime, marching over and plucking the large cylinder off the top of the trash bags, holding it up over your head and out of reach of any of the little monsters.

“Just what in the Styx do you boys think you’re doing?” you asked. Before anyone could answer, the figures immediately scattered, like the rats in ratatouille. They all ran in different directions, seeming to think that you couldn’t catch all of them. They were right, but you only really needed to catch Ernest, who had stumbled back from the can and was looking up at you with what could only be described as a pout. Slowly lowering the bundle, you gave it a glance.

Sparklers.

Well, at least it wasn’t bottle rockets or something.

"I- I feel like I should ask what your thought process was here?" you confessed, looking at the bundle of unlit sparklers. There must have been well over five hundred there, how did they get a hold of that many sparklers??

"Logan saw a video of a guy lighting ten thousand sparklers on fire. They wouldn't sell us that many, but I still think it was pretty impressive."

"What's impressive is that you guys were going to stand here, a foot away from a trashcan filled with sparklers, and expected not to wind up with your faces melted off,” you laughed softly in disbelief. “You’ve lit enough stuff on fire by this point that I feel like you, of all people, should know to use a fuse, if nothing else. Where's your dad, anyway?"

"The school," Ernest grunted, kicking at a loose pebble on the pavement. "Had some stuff to finish before he's done for summer."

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. You felt for the poor guy - reigning in reckless teens as a single parent was hard enough working from home, you couldn't imagine the position Hugo was in.

“Listen, I get the interest in firepower better than most - a little destructive force is cool and fun and all, I’m just staying there’s safer ways to go about it,” you insisted, sighing and running a hand over your face. Ernest, for his part, had the decency to look at least a little ashamed. A smile tugged at your lips as you looked back up at the garage. There was a thought... “Hey. If you’re still in the mood for some fire, I’ve got something you might like,” you offered. Ernest’s brows furrowed in confusion, and you nodded toward your garage, your smile growing just slightly when he fell into step beside you. “Y’know, my dad doesn’t really like me going into shady guy’s garages,” Ernest hummed, stepping past the garage door as if to make a point. “Sound advice. Good thing I’m not that shady,” you chuckled, mimicking Ernest’s skeptical look and throwing it back at him. “We’re neighbors with Robert, arguably the shadiest dude around. I’m comparatively way less shady. No offense to Robert. Now come check this out.” Ernest rolled his eyes, but did as instructed, stepping up to the large slice of walnut set up on sawhorses. The round of wood still had its bark attached to its edges, and black flecks were spread across the piece, shading in the image of a pair of crows perched on a gnarled branch, almost lifelike in their detail. “O… kay. What am I looking at?” he asked, arching a brow. “Like, not that it’s not cool, but… um?” You couldn’t keep the chuckle back, setting the sparkler bomb on your workbench and you pulling your lighter from your pocket. “What you’re looking at, Ernest, is best known as gunpowder painting,” you hummed, tossing up the lighter and catching it in your hand. Ernest’s expression changed from confused boredom to a level of fascination in a flash, his gaze darting up to your face. Tossing up the lighter once more, you caught it and held it out to the kid. “Care to do the honors?”

Ernest took the lighter, looking at the black flecks, and glancing warily back up at you before flicking the little device. Reaching out with a steady hand, he lit the end of the branch, watching with unbridled delight as the image went up in flames, each fleck of powder burning a small mark into the wood before going out quickly. You silently guided him back a step as the flames got higher, and for half a second, Ernest feared that the two of you might burn your garage down, until he noticed the sheet of metal you’d strung up from the garage rafters, protecting the wood. The kid laughed a little at the sight, and you couldn’t help but ruffle his hair. You knew Hugo had a fair bit of trouble with him, but he really was a good kid. He just needed a guiding hand.

Seconds later, the flames died, and the crows were burnt into the wood, beautiful and visually interesting. “That was so cool!” Ernest grinned brightly, reaching out to run his fingers over the burn marks. “Mind it- it’s still a little hot,” you warned, smiling as you moved to retrieve a container of walnut oil. “It’s a little more precise than a wood burning tool. Unlit gunpowder’s a bit more forgiving.” “Can we do another??” he asked, though his smile dimmed a bit when he saw the apologetic look you wore. “Sorry, kiddo. You’ll have to give me a while - I’m out of powder. But I’ll tell you what - once I get this bad boy to Damien, I’ll get some more powder and a few pieces of wood, and you can make your own piece, how’s that sound?”

“Seriously?”

"Hey, have I ever gone back on my word?" You asked, looking out at the cul-de-sac. The sun had begun it’s descent to the western horizon, and soon the neighborhood would be lit up and golden. “How about we have a fire? Then I can keep an eye on you till your dad gets back, and you can burn some stuff.” “I don’t need a babysitter.” Ernest rolled his eyes, but he didn’t snap the words at you, so you didn’t think he was annoyed enough to stomp off. “But you do like burning things,” you shrugged, moving toward the old fridge you’d pushed up beside the door leading into the house. “You’re welcome to a soda, if you want one.” Plucking up a small plastic cooler, you grabbed a container of kerosine, intending to squirt a little on your fire pit to get it started. When you reached for your lighter, and found it missing, it appeared instead by your face, held out by a kid who looked to be trying desperately to appear as if he wasn’t interested. A smile tugged at your lips, and you took the offered lighter. “Thanks, kiddo.” Ernest shrugged, sitting in one of the lawn chairs before standing and scooting it closer to the fire pit. You noticed a can in his hand and your grin widened. Once the fire was lit, you pulled out a can for yourself and sat in the other chair, sighing softly as you relaxed.

“Man, you’re so much cooler than Hugo,” Ernest groaned, leaning back on his chair. You winced in sympathy for your neighbor, carding a hand through your hair. “Hey, your dad is very cool,” you insisted, earning a look that clearly asked if you were serious. “I mean it! Just because he’s more reserved and cautious than I am, doesn’t mean that he’s not cool. He’s just… Hugo is more or less the Jamie to my Adam.” Ernest looked at you blankly and you sighed, shaking your head. “Look. Hugo’s your dad. I’m not. Hugo’s the one who has to be responsible for you - It’s not any more fun being the parent that has to be responsible all the time than it is being the kid being told what to do. Your dads have been divorced how long now?”

“... year and a half,” Ernest muttered, looking uncomfortably into his soda can.

“Exactly. That’s not a lot of time to find a proper balance between Fun Supportive Dad and Authoritarian Dad. My spouse died when Amanda was still a kid, so I’ve had most of her life to figure it out and get it right, and I still don’t get it right all the time.

“Your dad doesn’t like to do anything hastily, and I like to do everything incredibly hastily. So therein you have the dichotomy of our patterns,” you hummed, picking up your soda and taking a swig. “There’s a difference between being a good dad and a good parent. They’re not mutually exclusive, but it’s hard to strike a balance. Good parents make sure you’re eating healthy and getting good grades and learning the right lessons. Good dads… hm. Good dads…"

You trailed off, seeing out of the corner of your eye how Ernest was looking at you. Nervous, but thoughtful. Pensive. You shook your head, deciding to try another explanation.

"Okay, stop me if I start to sound patronizing."

"Kay," he agreed, seeming to brace himself. You took a deep breath, hoping beyond hope that you could word this right.

"Hugo is a single parent now. He's so emotionally invested in, and drained by, raising you right, that he doesn't have the energy to do the fun stuff that you get to do with your other dad.

"Your other dad? He's probably more like me. But he gets to see you on the weekends. Hugo has you all week during the school year. He's the one who has to… to make sure you get up on time, to make sure you get your homework done. And because Hugo does that, your other dad doesn't have to worry about it, so he can focus on taking you fun places and doing cool stuff with you, the way I do. There's no doubt in my mind that Hugo would love to encourage a safe level of pyromania, or go to events with you, but he's busy making sure you have the capacity to be a functional adult when the time comes.”

"Okay, I… I see your point. But it's not like I'm asking him to spend time with me and my friends, or- or go to a concert with me,” he didn’t emphasize the point, but you still caught the jab. You hadn’t been able to convince Hugo to let him come to that concert with you and Lucien, and you had been worried that he was a little bitter about it. “I mean - that stuff might be nice if he wasn’t so lame. I just want him to let me do stuff with my friends. Like, trust me once in a while, y’know?” “Okay. I know how this is gonna sound, but… you gotta prove he can trust you. Kiddo, you’re a pyro in the making, and that can be scary for a parent. You gotta show him that you’re smart enough to be trusted with safety stuff. Same with school stuff, same with friend stuff. The more good decisions you make, the more he’ll trust you to make more good decisions.” Ernest sighed. Not exactly exasperated, but not exactly resigned either. “I know it’s not easy, but you don’t have to get it right away,” you assured gently, taking another swig of your soda. “And you can still do stupid dangerous shit sometimes, because stupid dangerous shit is fun and ridiculous and I know you’re never gonna fully stop.”

Your talk with Ernest lasted a lot longer than you expected, the western sky had dulled from cool blue to a soft violet once the sun sank below the horizon, and stars began to fleck the sky. You weren’t sure when the kid dozed off, but when you looked over at him, his face had gone slack and peaceful. You silently thanked the powers that be that he’d put his can in the cupholder. A flash of movement caught your eye, and you craned your neck to the side of the house, spotting a familiar figure poking his head around the corner.

“Hugo, hey,” you greeted, waving him over. The teacher tentatively made his way across the lawn, standing just behind your chair to the side opposite Ernest. “I was just coming by to ask if you’d seen him,” he confessed awkwardly, looking at his son. “He’s been here since about noon, when I stopped him from blowing up Joseph’s bins,” you grinned. Hugo gave a soft groan, rubbing his face in exasperation. “MC, I’m so sorry-” “No, don’t be! We had a great time,” you assured, giving him a grin. “I showed him my new piece, and we had a chat.” Hugo frowned curiously, but nodded, and ran a hand through his hair. You offered him a soda and he took it, seemingly without thinking “Once I get the supplies, I told him we could do some gunpowder painting. You should join us.” Hugo very nearly choked on his soda.

“Relax, it’s all very safe,” you promised, laughing softly as he recovered. “I showed him the piece I was making for Damien and he seemed interested. Might be a good outlet for the firestarter tendency.” “I see. I don’t know if I…” “Just give it a shot? It might be something fun for you guys to do together.”

Hugo gave pause, looking between you two, and you smiled when he nodded after a moment’s hesitation. “I’ll… I'll think about it,” he agreed. Smiling, you leaned over, gently shaking Ernest’s arm. “Kiddo. C’mon, time for you to head home.” Ernest grunted, half asleep even as he pushed out of his chair. Hugo moved to place a hand on his back, and either from sheer tiredness or some shade of incredible wakefulness, he didn’t push out of Hugo’s grip. “Thank you, MC.” “Anytime. I’ll let you know when I get more powder, kay, Ernest?”

The teen nodded, allowing Hugo to guide him back out of the yard. You really hoped you hadn’t gone too far today. You wanted good things for your neighbors, and you wanted to help them however you could. Hopefully you could do that without overstepping. You sighed softly, looking up at the stars spattered across the night sky and the cinders that rose from the fire. Hopefully you could help without anyone getting burned.

#Here Come the Dads #Right at the end there #Hugo #Ernest #ddadds #Dream Daddy #dream daddy a dad dating simulator #Ernest ddadds #ddadds ernest #ddadds imagines #hugo ddadds #ddadds hugo

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artificialqueens · 4 years

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Lemon's Misadventures in Dating, Chapter 6 (Lemon x Everyone) - Mermelada

A/N: Hi everyone! Here’s chapter 6, as seen on Ao3! I found out that Lemon’s irl mum is Scottish, so naturally, I had to include her as a character and base her on my own! More is coming soon, so watch this space! :D I love you all!!

[07:24] HEY GIRL!

[07:24] I’m so sorry but I ate your sister for breakfast

[07:24] She was a grapefruit lololololol

[07:24] I’m sorry please don’t hate me

[07:24] But she was delicious

[07:25] So what’s the tea on Little Miss Lemon? I want to know everything! What’s your favourite type of pasta?

Lemon read the messages again as she sat at the kitchen island, sipping her coffee. She couldn’t help but smile. That was not what she was expecting at all from Priyanka, she looked so poised and regal in all her photos, yet in reality she was coming across as a complete goofball. Although it had been three hours now, and she was still awaiting a reply.

[09:58] Umm how fucking dare you?

[09:58] Don’t even expect me to respond to that until I get a full apology, you murderer.

Was the joke not obvious? Fuck, what if she thinks I’m serious? But then she started it…

“What’s got you smiling, princess?”

She jumped with shock as her mum walked through the door, placing her handbag on the counter and opening the fridge door. She knew her mum only worked a half-day on Thursdays, but her sudden appearance was a surprise nonetheless. Lemon felt like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t be.

“Oh, nothing,” she sang, quickly locking her phone and putting it back in her pocket, away from prying eyes, “how was work?”

“Well you’re not acting like it was nothing,” teased her mum, moving around the kitchen in a blur as she prepared her lunch. “Is it a girl?”

Lemon failed to hide the blush rising on her face, she knew her mum meant no harm, but she was not prepared to get into a conversation about dating and hookups with her so early in the day, and with so little alcohol to hand. “Muuuuuuuuum” she groaned, hoping that the coolness of her hands would remove the redness as she placed her chin in her palms.

“I’m just glad you’re happy, darling, you deserve it after the summer you’ve had!” Lemon couldn’t deny that her mum had been an absolute angel these last few months. She listened to Lemon way back when she had first admitted that things weren’t working like they should be, and never once offered any judgement or tried to convince her to stay. She had even helped Lemon move her things out of her old apartment as quickly as was humanly possible for the pair of them, while she was at work. “Are you up to date with your tetanus shots though, because you’ll need one if she’s doing that to you!”

Just when Lemon felt she couldn’t get any redder, her mum’s finger was poking the mottled bruise peeking out from under the loose collar of her t-shirt, her whole body burning as her mind flashed back to the moment it had been placed there… the body above her trembling, grabbing a handful of platinum hair as they grinded against each other’s thighs, the muffled cries in French… “Oh my god, mum, please stop!”

“What?! You can’t just disappear for two nights in a row and not expect me to be curious! What’s her name?”

She audibly groaned at her mother’s prying tone, laying her head on the cold marble countertop. “Mum, I love you, but I am not having this conversation with you right now!”

Fucking Rita, I’m sure she’ll find this funny at least, Lemon made a mental note to text the other woman later, wondering if she’s had any similar happenings with her work colleagues, or if she had enough experience - and common sense - to hide the evidence of her Tinder trysts better. At least she had put on leggings after waking up today, as shorts would have only showcased an even more incriminating patchwork of colourful marks across her inner thighs.

Her mum simply smiled and wrapped an arm around her from behind the high kitchen chair, planting an affectionate kiss on her daughter’s temple. “Well, you know what I always say, pumpkin, as long as you’re happy and safe, go out there and have fun! Are dental dams still a thing? Do you need some?”

Lemon could only muster a grunt in response, her head making an audible bang as she threw it onto the counter, deeply wishing that the conversation was over. Right on cue, she felt the phone in her pocket buzz with a new notification. She practically leapt off her seat, ready to run to the safety of her bedroom. “Well, on that note, I’m going to remove myself from this deeply uncomfortable situation. Thank you, mother!”

“Ooh is that her texting you? When are you seeing her next?” The enthusiastic questions fell - as her mum expected - on deaf ears, Lemon gulping down the remainder of her cold coffee and placing the empty mug in the sink.

When she finally reached her safe haven, she pushed the door closed and jumped back on the bed. Despite knowing her parents wouldn’t mind at all, she still wasn’t ready to admit she was trying to move on, let alone with an assortment of random ladies from the Greater Toronto Area. She grabbed at her phone excitedly, her eyes lighting up when she saw that Priyanka had finally answered.

[13:35] My dearest Lemon, I must beg for your forgiveness, for I have sinned gravely. Upon awakening from my slumber and entering my cooking chamber, my stomach began to sing a dreadful tune. In the search for something to quell its anger, I encountered a grapefruit, as cute as your face and as juicy as your ass probably is. With no other option, I slaughtered it, dressed it with some sugar, and devoured its flesh. Would you please accept my most sincere apology in the form of a drink sometime?

This crazy bitch. No other interaction on the app had left Lemon feeling so giddy, her heart had sped up and her stomach was doing somersaults. Yes yes yes yes oh my god of course! Luckily her common sense kicked in, and she realised she should probably act a bit less… desperate.

[13:40] Let me think about it

[13:41] Loljk of course!

[13:41] Any day/time work best for you? I’m afraid I’m fully booked this weekend

[13:41] Mourning my sister and all

[13:41] (I mean the grapefruit btw sorry that could have been weird)

Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long for a response.

[13:42] LOL I’m glad it didn’t turn dark

[13:42] Any night that’s not a school day is best for me!

[13:43] Speaking of which I better get back and entertain some little people, ttyl xo

[13:43] KIDS, btw, just in case xx

Lemon shook her head as she smiled, Priyanka was certainly something else. Cute, funny, sexy… hopefully she didn’t ruin it by having bad breath or murderous tendencies. She couldn’t explain it, she already felt something special about the girl, something she hadn’t felt since- no. Let’s not ruin a good thing by thinking about her. But the more she looked at Priyanka’s profile, the more memories of Juice kept flooding her mind. Taking a moment, she sat on the floor, stretching her legs out in front of her and breathing deeply and rhythmically, a makeshift meditation to nip any panic in the bud.

Is it still too soon? Maybe I’m not ready to be moving on if I still think about her so much, and if I still get so emotional doing so. Images of the former couple danced around her head; walking hand in hand, snuggling on the couch under blankets, even just helping each other cook, or drinking coffee in bed on a rainy morning. I thought it was what I wanted, but maybe I was wrong. She sat silently for a few minutes, trying her best to think of nothing but a dark sky filled with distant, twinkling stars, but even that took her mind back to the nights they’d spend wandering around their neighbourhood, talking about their hopes and dreams, where they’d live once they got married, how many cats and dogs it was acceptable to have. It seemed like the natural course for them, but not everything can work out the way people want it to.

She didn’t know whether it was the buzz of her phone on the bed behind her, or Gus’s gentle panting as he pushed through the door which awoke her from her semi-trance, but she took the opportunity to stand up and shake the stiffness out of her body. It was a natural impulse to bring her hands to her eyes to wipe away her tears, but she was pleasantly surprised to not find any there today. Maybe things were getting better after all.

She and Gus both slid onto her bed, the dog circling three times before plopping himself down in the crook of Lemon’s elbow, which she rewarded with a firm scratch under his chin. Picking up her phone, it buzzed again in her hand with messages from Rita.

Dr Rita <3 [14:02] shared a link

Dr Rita <3 [14:05] Bonjour! How are you today, mon citron? I had a nap after work and I am now ready for the gym :-O Last night a colleague told me about this dance school where his daughters go, a teacher is pregnant and will need someone to cover the classes when she is off. I thought of you :-) I hope you slept better than a baby! X

Dr Rita <3 [14:06] Also I found a bruise on my ass yesterday, I was in pain every time I was sitting down, thank you very much…

Lemon had always believed in fate to some degree, and upon seeing the link Rita had sent, she had no doubt that destiny had been on her side during the events of the last few days. She stared at the familiar tan bricks of her old dance school, the smiling face of her old principal teacher finally giving her the push she needed to get back in the saddle. She threw on a pair of jeans and a woolen cardigan, replying to Rita with one hand as she pulled on her ankle boots with the other.

[14:10] Merci merci, I’ll check it out!! Have fun at the gym, you crazy pomme! How was sexy kidney lady?

[14:11] And de rien 😘 my mum saw the one on my neck today, she thinks I’m being bullied 😞

Jumping down the stairs two at a time and shouting a quick goodbye to her mum - closing the door before she could hear the inevitable embarrassing reply - she walked as quickly as her legs could possibly take her to the dance school, a path she had already walked hundreds of times throughout her childhood. Even if they said no, she would sign up to classes or find some auditions, how could this not be a sign from the universe to start dancing again? As she reached the heavy iron door, she checked her phone one last time.

Dr Rita <3 [14:14] Courage, ma belle! They would be idiots to not want you! Well, she made me my favourite tea and told me she liked my lipstick, so I think we are married now?

Dr Rita <3 [14:16] And I am so sorry! :-( Do you have arnica cream? I hope your mother knows it was at your request? ;-)

She had really lucked out with Rita, she needed a good friend like her in her corner right now. And as she stepped inside, navigating the bright corridors to the principal’s office, she was really glad she’d downloaded Tinder.

#rpdr fanfiction #drcan #mermelada #lemon #priyanka #rita baga #kyne #kiara #juice boxx #submission #lmid #can1

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doomlover21 · 5 years

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Widojest Week Day 3

Well originally I had no ideas for this until a certain Full Metal Alchemist episode popped into my head. The rest of the story kinda wrote itself. Enjoy Kissing the Shots Away!

Caleb Widogast had always hated needles at the best of times, and having one of those needles inside his own body was certainly one of those times. Beauregard knew first hand what it had been like when he had to go and get his most recent flu shot for his new job, and she would often regale their mutual friends of the tale at every opportunity. And Caleb would always sit there, face flushed in embarrassment, as she would tell of how she had had to wrestle him and hold him down. She would oftentimes embellish the story to make him seem more squeamish than he really was, but Nott and him would always be there to correct him. It was thereafter decided that any time he had to have a shot or a needle poking him, that Beau or her new girlfriend, Yasha, would be there to hold him in place.

While working his new job in the antique shop, a particularly old table had caught the tail end of his long coat and tripped him up. In the effort of freeing himself, he had scrapped his leg against the side where an old rusty nail was sticking out. The nail tore into his flesh leaving a nasty gash that left his already filthy and hole-ridden pants covered in blood.

Caduceus, the kindly old shopkeeper, had heard him cry out and immediately rushed over to help. He was gentle as he poked and prodded at the wound.

“Let’s get you all cleaned up. That could get nasty if we don’t,” he told his employee. Caleb simply nodded. The gash wasn’t that deep, but the pain from it still left him speechless. Caduceus led him to the small bathroom in the back and fished in the cupboard for the first aid kit.

“Ah…here it is,” he announced when he finally found it. He laid it out on the sink and gestured for his charge to sit on the toilet lid. He looked at the wound just above his left knee.

“Hmm…you’re gonna have to remove these,” he said as he poked at his pants. A deep red graced the red-headed man’s face.

“Is zat really necessary, Mr. Clay?” he asked.

“I’m afraid so, Mr. Caleb. I can’t properly treat this without getting a better angle at it,” he said softly. Caleb nodded and reluctantly removed his pants. It didn’t take very long for the much taller man to clean and bandage his cut, and Caleb is relieved when Caduceus finally left him to put his pants back on.

As he left the bathroom, he told him in no uncertain terms that the injured man was to take the rest of the day off to rest his leg. Caleb protested, but the pink haired hippie was very persistent. Finally Caleb relented.

“Okay, but I vill be here tomorrow. I promise you zis.” Caduceus waved him off.

“Just do us both a favor, preferably before you come back to work, make sure you get yourself a tetanus shot.” And with that Caduceus was gone. The man may as well have told Caleb that he had cancer and only had a few days left to live. His normally pale complexion became ghostly, his palms were suddenly fountains of sweat, and his hands were shaking so badly he wasn’t sure if he’d even be able to get himself home. With some extreme mental effort and several minutes of floundering, he finally managed to find and dial Beauregard’s work number from his cell.

“This had better be good, Widogast! I’m not so trusting of our other instructor, Old man river,” she warned. He snickered. Old man river was the name she had adopted for the latest instructor at the dojo/fitness place she worked at. He was apparently very good at what he did, but Beau had never been very good with authority figures or people showing her up. Both of which this man had seemed to do from day one.

“Ja, ja…don’t vorry. It is a good vone,” he assured her. He took a deep breath. He never did like getting on his roommates bad side and this was definitely going to get on her bad side.

“I need a ride home,” he continued. He pulled the phone from his ear just in time to avoid blowing his eardrums out from the sound of her scream.

“WHAT?! THE FUCK’D YA DO?! DON’T TELL ME THAT OLD PIECE OF SHIT YOU DRIVE FINALLY DIED ON YOU? I TOLD YOU TO GET RID OF THAT OLD THING!”

“It is not zat, Beauregard. I am simply…I..uh..don’t know if I vill be capable of drivink myself home,” he said in a low tone. His face became flushed again.

“Huh?” she asked in confusion. It didn’t take her very long to reign in that confusion and just go with it. It never did with her.

“So what gives? Deucy decide to give his resident bookworm a fucking break for once?”

“Ah, nein. I..uh,” he trailed off. Now that he had to tell her why he needed to leave made him feel small and weak again. Not that his friends and roommates didn’t already know that, but he certainly didn’t need anything else for them to tease him about.

“Just promise you won’t..um..it’s kind of embarssink, Beauregard,” he whispered into the phone. He could practically hear her smirk over the phone.

“Oooooo…..embarrassing…huh? What’d ya do? Stub your toe on an old chair? Get dust in your eye from a moth ridden book? Trip over a dirty old rug?” she teased.

“See, zis ist vhy I don’t like tellink you eferysink zat goes on. You alvays turn it into a joke,” he groans.

“Ah, come on, Widogast. I was just teasin’ ya. Relax.” He clears his throat.

“To answer your question, sough, I..um..cut myself on an old table. Caduceus vants me to go home and rest,” he explained. The only reply he got was raucous laugher. He groaned again. Maybe calling her was a bad idea.

“Beau,” he growled. Her laughter slowly died down and he could hear her gasping for breath for a few minutes.

“Okay…okay. So let me get this straight. You cut yourself on a table, which not gonna go into any details sounds deeply fucked up, Caleb.” He rolled his eyes at the phone.

“And then Deucy tells you hey, Mr. Weak Knees, I’m sending you home to rest, and now you’re calling me to come and pick your sorry ass up because you’re afraid to drive?” He nodded.

“Ja. Zat about sums it up,” he confirmed. She sighed.

“Fine. But you owe me for this.”

“Ja, ja. I know.”

“Alright, fine. I’ll be there in ten.”

“Alright. Oh and Beauregard?”

“Yeah?”

“Danke.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see ya soon, Pansy.” They both hung up then, and Caleb walked out to go and wait. Knowing how his roommate drove it really wouldn’t take ten minutes. It would be closer to five, but he wasn’t about to argue with one of the girls he knew could easily kick his ass.

Sure enough, the deep blue jeep of his roommate arrived five minutes after she said she would and the surly woman stomped into Caddy’s Curiosities. She greeted the pink haired proprietor with a wave and he pointed her towards the Zemnian sitting in a plush armchair.

“What the fuck am I gonna do with you?” she asked. He shrugged.

“So let me see the big bad boo boo,” she teased him. He scowled at her.

“It is a cut, Beauregard and nosink more zan zat,” he insisted.

“Ah…Miss Beau,” Caduceus called out. They both turned to look at him. He was holding a teacup in his hand and smiling warmly like he always did.

“Yeah?”

“You really should take him to get a tetanus shot. That nail was pretty old,” he told her. She nodded and rolled her eyes. A violent sigh erupted from her as she pulled her Zemnian roommate to his feet and out the door. Admittedly she was a bit rougher than she should have been, but right now she didn’t care. She was pissed. She really hated taking the stubborn scaredy-cat for shots, and she especially hated how she always had to hold him down for them.

“Come on, Widogast! You’re more trouble than you’re worth sometimes,” she huffed in exasperation. The pair climbed into her car, her closing the door with far more force than was really necessary, and she drove off.

It didn’t take long for Caleb to realize that they were going the wrong way. It was one of the things that drove her crazy about him. The man was a walking encyclopedia, and he would spout off trivia and various other facts or just go on and on about some new thing he learned for hours. Frantically, he looked around.

“Vhere are you takink me?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“Gods, you are such a pussy, Caleb. And you have the immune system of a fucking twig. There’s no way that I’m about to let you just go home and risk getting a fucking infection or gods know what the fuck else just because you’re a wuss,” she ground out. If he had been frightened before, he was terrified now. So terrified in fact that she was glad that her car’s passenger side door lock was busted. If it hadn’t have been, she doubted that he’d have been in the car for much longer, despite the fact that she was making a new land speed record to the urgent care.

It was certainly a sight to behold watching the pair of them entering the pristine white building. It was more like he was a reluctant pet being dragged to the vet’s rather than a tall skinny man being taken to the doctor’s. The receptionist greets them with a snort and barely contained chuckles as Beau wrestles a flailing Caleb inside. All the while he curses and begs and pleads in several different languages, all but one she was familiar with.

“Will you just sit the fuck down and be quiet, ya big baby?” It wasn’t long before a nurse came bouncing out into the waiting room. She was unlike any other nurse that either of them had ever seen. Her shrubs had all manner of unicorns and sparkles on them. Two bright rainbow lollipop earrings dangled from her ears, and her short chin-length hair was a deep blue color. She didn’t even bother looking at the patient folders before approaching them.

“Hi, I’m Jester,” she introduced.

“And you must be Cayleb,” she said to the still shaking man.

“Come with me, Cayleb. I have something I have to give you.” She didn’t wait for a reply. She just skipped off.

“But wait…hold on..” Beau protested, but the nurse wasn’t listening. She dragged Caleb to his feet and continued dragging him the whole way to the small room Jester led them too, once again cursing and flailing the whole time. Jester smiled at them as they came in and gestured for him to take a seat.

“I’ve just gotta warn ya that he can be a bit of a pain in the fucking ass to give you know what’s to,” Beau whispered conspiratorially.

“Don’t worry. I have a secret weapon against that,” Jester whispered back.

“You know I can still hear you,” Caleb said but neither woman paid him any mind.

“Now you just sit here, Cayleb. I have something very special to give to you,” she told him. He shook his head furiously.

“I know vhy I am here. You can’t fool me like I am some sort of child,” he insisted.

“Oh really?! So you’re like a smart guy, huh?” Jester asked. Neither Caleb nor Beau could tell if she was being serious or not.

“Uh…..” he trailed off. Beau giggled. It wasn’t often that the Zemnian was at a loss for words. Gods was she gonna treasure every moment of this. Jester giggled at him, and it was such a delightful sound to his ears. It sounded like sweet music or even like water flowing down a river. She winked at him, and a deep flush came to his cheeks. It wasn’t often that he found himself this flustered, and especially not by someone he had only just met. But flustered he was.

She approached him slowly and gently placed a well manicured hand on his arm. The nails weren’t very long, he noted, but they were a very pretty pink color that contrasted quite nicely with her blue hair. She ran her fingers up and down his arms, and against his better judgement he actually began relaxing. She leaned in and gently placed a kiss on his lips. It was his first kiss in nearly twenty years.

He had never seen her pull out the needle, nor did he see her put it in his arm, hell he didn’t even feel it when it went in. All he was focused on was this strange nurse in front of him and her lips on his. All too soon she broke away. A bright mischievous smile was on her face.

“All done! Now see that wasn’t so hard was it?” she asked. He looked down then. Down at the arm she had touched with her hand. It now had a bandaid with multi-colored unicorns on it. He was angry and more than a little shocked that this strange woman was not only able to pull one over on him, but that she was also able to put him in such a stupor in the first place.

“Wow! I’ll admit it! You’ve got skill, Girl,” Beau said. Caleb recognized the tone. It was her I’m horny tone. Her I want to bed this woman tone. He rolled his eyes. Jester simply laughed that sweet laugh again, and he nearly swooned. He shook his head to clear the thoughts away. There was no way that he was going to allow himself to fall for another woman. Not after his last relationship had ended so disastrously.

“So can I like call you sometime?” Beau was asking. Caleb didn’t hear Jester’s reply as he was too focused on her placing something in his hand.

“If you ever need me to kiss away your bad shots away again, just give me a call. Or you could just call me, and we could like totally hang out and stuff….Well, I mean we would technically have to hang out when I’m not at work and stuff technically but…” she was ranting but Caleb simply nodded curtly.

“Ja. I…uh..I vould like zat….uh..…Jester,” he stuttered. It was the first actual words he had spoken to her and she shrieked with delight. Her bright and cheery smile shocked a small shy smile out of him. It was his first real smile since….well he didn’t want to think about anything that came before. That was in his past and it was a painful past at that. All he wanted to think about was this moment. Oh and maybe the future, so long as Jester was a part of it.

“Okay so it’s settled….Oh we are gonna be like the best of friends, you guys!” she gushed. She flashed him another smile as she lead them back out to the waiting room. The normally hyperaware Zemnian couldn’t tell you what happen after or when they got home or how long they were there. He was lost in his thoughts. Beau and Nott knew better than to disturb him when he got like this. It often ended badly when you did.

It wasn’t long after that Jester Lavorre became another one of their friends. Her joyful pranks and easy smiles became the delight of all their friends. And it was said that from that fateful day on, Caleb Widogast was no longer afraid to get any shots, at least as long as Jester was around to give them to him.

#widojestweek #widojest #caleb widogast #jester lavorre #critical role #critrole #caduceus clay #beauregard #fanfic

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cybird-fairy-tales · 6 years

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Kennyo x MC - Wildflower

“Don’t worry Hideyoshi,” I called over my shoulder, “I’ll be back before dark- I promise! I’m just going to visit some shops in town!”

Turning my head to avoid seeing the growing stress lines on Hideyoshi’s forehead, I carried on out the door- not even pausing to listen for his reply. He worried too much about everything anyway.

And I had lied.

Instead of going straight on the road to town, I turned down a path that led to the forest.

Making my way quickly so as not to be caught by Azuchi’s All-Knowing Kitsune, Mitsuhide, I ducked through a hole in the barrier. Ironically, it was barely large enough for a fox. I crawled through to freedom.

Even in mid-morning the day was already growing warm; sweat beaded at my temples and ran down the back of my neck. I pulled up my hair and wrapped it tightly in a knot. Upon entering the forest, I breathed a sigh of relief as the canopy of leaves above me provided a shelter from the harsh sunlight. It was much cooler here.

The woods were full of life; vivacious plants, creatures skittering around in all directions, and birds flying from branch to branch, seemingly singing a chorus for my ears only. Wandering around, I picked a few berries that were edible and popped them into my mouth, savoring the sour then sweet taste - better than Nobunaga’s konpeito in my opinion.

The bitterness of the snack made my mouth parched, so I decided to find the fountainhead of a nearby stream.

From a previous trip with Nobunaga, I knew the origin wasn’t far, but as I climbed, underbrush thickened and rocks became more prominent, making it a difficult trek. I hiked cautiously as stones poked out of the ground, some with sharp edges and others dawning slippery moss.

“Ahh!” I shrieked as caution wasn’t enough and my foot slid out from under me, sending me to me knees. I sat up, and pulled up the hem of my torn kimono, I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle another cry in pain.

My right knee was busted open. Not terrible, but it was probably going to need stitches. A bright red stream of blood seeped from the laceration. It brought stinging tears to my eyes.

“Ah, shoot.” I further ripped the kimono until there was a piece large enough to fit the around the wound. This will have to do for now. Geez, I hope Hideyoshi doesn’t notice.

The last leg of the hike was short, but I stumbled around with my injury affecting my movement. I could hear the spring rushing just on the other side of a thick brush.

“----!” My mouth went dry as I caught sight of a man kneeling at mouth of the spring. Curious, I watched him.

Even in the dark forest he was illuminated like some divine being, mesmerizing me into a trance. His worn garment had slipped from broad shoulders as he splashed water on his face and neck. A prayer staff rested on the ground beside him.

He’s a monk. Or is he? My heart pulsated as the rest of me was frozen in place.

He stopped for a moment, still as a mouse before turning his head in my direction.

Wide-eyed, I swallowed thickly.

Piercing eyes found my gaze.

Run! Run! RUN!

My mind raced, but my feet were heavy as lead.

Stumbling backwards, my bad knee gave out and my body landed with a thud on the forest floor. I scrambled in the dirt and leaves, adrenaline pounding as everything above began to spin.

I’d never feared for my life as much as that moment.

A heavy hand grasped the collar of my kimono, pulling me to my feet with one yank as a callous palm covered my mouth.

“Cry out and I’ll slit your throat.” A husky voice whispered in my ear. The scent of sweat and ash wafted into my nostrils.

I didn’t even attempt to struggle as I felt the muscular form of the man’s chest against my back and he trapped my arms down. He was much taller and more powerful than he looked a few moments before.

I nodded.

“Are Nobunaga and his men nearby?”

I shook my head.

His fingers spread slightly to let me speak. “Where are they? What are you doing here?”

“I just came by myself,” I squeaked. “They're all back at Azuchi. It’s just me. I just came to be alone, maybe search for some wild berries.” Was that a bad thing to say? Should I have said Nobunaga and fifty men were close? I wondered if he could feel my heart pounding with anxiety. He clearly wasn’t messing around.

His grip loosened. “You’re Nobunaga’s little treasure- aren’t you? Don’t think I won’t kill you in an instant and send your body back to Azuchi.”

I turned around slowly. As menacing as he was with a strong physique and angry scar across his face, there was so much sadness in his eyes it hurt to look at them.

“Kennyo.” I whispered.

“I’m just a demon that lives in the woods.” He spat.

“I- ok...” I took a step back to gain distance between us, lifting my kimono incase I needed to move quickly.

As his eyes shifted, angry features softened and he reached out - ever so gently catching my wrist.

“You're hurt.” He said.

Between the commotion and pulsing adrenaline, I had forgotten my busted knee - but the moment he mentioned it- it all came back. A sharp pain and the warm trickle of blood running down my leg, now pooling around my foot.

“I did it earlier,” I started to pull away, “It’s fine, I’ll fix it up when I get back to Azuchi.” I took a lame step back.

He held fast to my arm with a strong grip. “Let me help you,” His once hard eyes were now pleading. “It’s the least I could do for scaring you so badly.”

Sitting on a mossy rock, I slowly pulled up the ripped hem of my kimono as Kennyo knelt down in front of me. He wiped sweat from his brow as his eyes followed the trail of blood to my knee.

I sucked in a breath through my teeth a the sight.

The makeshift bandage had dried to it, then it opened again when I fell a second time, and now everything was soaked. The edges of the wound were red and swollen, and fresh blood continued to ooze out. I was suddenly glad I’d had a tetanus shot just before falling through that wormhole.

Retrieving a water canister from his robe Kennyo flushed the wound and began wiping away dirt and blood. His hands were thick skinned and rough, but deft and ever so gentle. He seemed so skilled. I wondered how many times he’d done this for others.

“I don’t have anything to sew it up,” he said in a low voice, “but this should help.” He took the hem of his robe and ripped a long thin piece off.

I flinched a couple times as he carefully wrapped and tied the new bandage. He glanced up at me once. I had to look away.

“What were you doing here?” He stood up, now towering over me. “It’s dangerous.”

Somehow this felt like a lecture from Hideyoshi.

“I told you. I came to be alone. I like to get away from the commotion.”

“You looked like you were spying on me.” He replied.

“I-I got thirsty.” I said. “I was going to get a drink.”

He retrieved the canister once again and held it out. “It’s from the spring. You look like you need more than a drink. Probably a good bath.”

I wrinkled my nose at his comment. “Well, I wasn’t expecting to be chased in the woods by a demon.”

“Hmph.” He seemed pleased at my reference. “Consider yourself fortunate; I’m going to let you return to Azuchi- mostly unharmed,” he tapped my bandaged knee lightly. “But Nobunaga can’t blame that one on me.”

Leaning over me, Kennyo opened his mouth to say more, but closed it. Instead he silently brushed a few strands of stray hair out of my face, tucking them behind my ear.

“You’re like a wildflower; pretty... free... fierce. Come on, I’ll help you to the edge of the woods.”

With his prayer staff in one hand, and the other arm wrapped my shoulders; Kennyo helped me down the mountain. I stumbled around over rocks and branches, he steadied me, sometimes holding so tight I was pressed up against his chest and could feel the thump of his heart. It seemed faster than what it should.

“Whoaaa!” My sandal caught a root and I fell smack into Kennyo.

He dropped the staff and caught me around the waist with both arms. I clung to his shoulders.

I looked up to see two dark eyes gazing back at me. Our faces just inches apart.

Neither of us broke eye contact.

Too much had happened today to think straight. My heart thudded. My mouth went dry. All I could do was stare back at him.

“I like looking at you,” he whispered. “It makes me forget things.”

“Uhhh...” My mind was spinning.

We broke apart and I stood on my own accord, creating distance between us. Kennyo’s gaze fell away, and he was clearly flushed.

“S-sorry!” I smoothed my kimono.

“We’re here anyway,” he said. “It’s not far to town from this point.”

“Right.” I nodded. “Thank you, Kennyo.”

He avoided eye contact again, busying himself with fetching his staff. “Next time we meet again, the circumstances could be very different.”

My heart sank. In the two short times I’d spent with Kennyo he’d managed to pull my heart strings. He and Nobunaga both had their reasons to fight. I just wished they weren't fighting each other.

“Goodbye, Kennyo.”

He disappeared into the forest.

A week later I was sitting with Hideyoshi and Mitsunari for lunch. After my outing to the woods and returning bloody and battered, Hideyoshi barely let me out of his sight. I even heard him slide the door to my room open in the middle of the night sometimes, just to make sure I hadn’t sneaked out.

My mind was still on Kennyo though. I wondered what he was up to, I hoped he was staying safe... I’d kept my encounter with him secret, but part of me wondered if I was betraying Nobunaga and the rest of Azuchi. I told myself I didn’t know anything that Mitsuhide hadn’t already shared with the group.

“I’ll be right back,” Hideyoshi said as he stood, “I need to talk to these soldiers.”

Something caught my eye. A tall, broad shouldered frame moving through the crowd carrying a prayer staff. A hood hid the monk’s face in shadow. I was seeing things for sure.

“Did you see someone?” Mitsunari asked before placing a dumpling in his mouth. His eyes searched in the direction I was looking.

“Huh?” I mumbled, turning my attention back to lunch. “Ah, nope.”

“Oh, oops...” Mitsunari had dropped a dumpling on himself. “I’ll be right back, I want to rinse this sauce off.”

For the first time in a week I was alone. Granted, alone in a crowd, but for once I didn’t have my warlord babysitter’s breathing down my neck.

I looked up just in time to see a dark figure stop before me, it was the one I’d seen just moments ago. With a hood pulled down over his head it was hard to tell exactly who it was, but he held out a rough skinned hand, placing a bouquet of wildflowers in front of me.

I gasped and turned to see if Mitsunari or Hideyoshi was near. I didn’t dare say the name in my head. I turned back and he was gone, I couldn’t even find him in the crowd.

Snatching up the flowers I stuffed them away in my satchel. Mitsunari probably wouldn’t even notice, but I didn’t need pointless questions from Hideyoshi. My heart was suddenly thudding.

Later that evening, in my room - I retrieved the bouquet from it’s hiding place, holding it to my nose and inhaling the scent. So many questions raced through my mind.

What did this mean?

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen #ikesen fanfic #ikesen kennyo

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star-trekkin-across-theuniverse · 7 years

Text

Vital Signs, Part 5

Word Count: 2099 Tags: @to-pick-ourselves-up-7 and @outside-the-government, @jimfromsales, @donnaintx

I woke up to my pager and was momentarily disoriented. I lifted my head from the textbook I’d dozed off into, wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth and checked the message. As usual, I was wanted in the ER.

After returning to finish my residency at Midtown General, it became apparent very quickly that SHIELD, and in particular Director Fury, had made it clear to my residency program that I was to be accelerated through to finish as soon as possible, and that I needed my focus to be trauma. As a result, I always kept a clean set of clothes in my locker, and I hadn’t seen my apartment in about 6 days. TV shows might lead you to believe that a lot of naughty happens in the on-call rooms, but I would have killed anyone who came near me looking for blow off steam. I was too tired and too worried about my boards.

I ran down to the ER to find out what was happening. I checked in with the triage nurse.

“Hey, thanks for answering my page. There’s a really hot guy here with a deep laceration on his arm, and he said he knows you and only wants you to treat him. Curtain two.” She handed me the chart. I flipped it open as I opened the curtain and couldn’t help but smile when I looked up.

“Captain Rogers! It’s been too long,” I said warmly. He smiled back and then directed his gaze to his arm. He pulled back the makeshift dressing he was holding on it. I dropped the chart.

“Holy shit, Steve. What the hell?” The gash in his forearm was about 3 inches long and oozing blood. I grabbed a pair of gloves and started poking at it.

“Would you believe this is a gym injury?” He blushed.

“Really? The equipment is fighting back?” I pulled a dressing cart behind the curtain and set about cleaning it up. It was a clean tear, but it was deep.

“Actually, yeah. It’s a long story, but part of a press machine popped apart.”

“At least I know your tetanus shot is up to date,” I laughed, “but you’re going to have to help me out. I know your healing is accelerated, but is it enhanced too? If you were a normal guy I would put a couple of internal stitches in and then stitch up the laceration, but I don’t know if that’s appropriate here? You must have been hurt at some point during the war, right? What did the docs do then?” I was trying to keep quiet. Most people had no idea that Captain America had been found, and thawed back into life. It was probably why he sought me out for treatment.

“I’m not magical, Lex. If you would put stitches in a normal guy, then I need them too. I’ll just need them out sooner than the average guy,” he chuckled. I shot him a look and opened the dressing cart to dig for sutures. I stitched his wound closed and put a dressing on it.

“I’m going to guess you’re still susceptible to infection as well, so I’m going to give you a shot of penicillin too. But otherwise, you are all fixed up. I can take those out in a few days for you, pretty much as soon as they start to itch.” I wrote the penicillin order in his chart and dropped it back in the chart rack so the nurse could get the med ready. I returned to his bedside to clean up.

“You didn’t mention you were a doctor when we spoke.”

“Because I wasn’t, Steve.”

“But your name tag says Doctor now, Lex. I might have been asleep for a while, but I know med school takes longer than a few weeks.”

“It’s a long story.” I gestured to the busy ER.

“Meet me for dinner sometime and tell me about it,” he shrugged, and stood up.

“Why, Captain Rogers, are you asking me on a date?” I couldn’t help but smile. He was very hot. And he seemed really nice, so far. And he was Captain Fucking America, which was kind of cool, and seemed to suggest he was probably a pretty decent guy.

“I don’t know. Am I?” He seemed surprised, and looked down at his feet before looking back up at me. “Listen, I’ve been told that I can use my phone to send letters, if I have your phone number. Is that true?” He dug into his pocket for his phone.

“It is. Do you want me to put my number in there for you?”

“Yeah, I’m still figuring it out. I feel pretty stupid sometimes.” He handed it to me. I added my number, and sent myself a text from his phone so I had his as well before handing it back.

“There, now I have your number too. I’m supposed to have tomorrow and Thursday off, but I’ve been up for about 36 hours, so I am not going to be great company tomorrow. Let me know if Thursday works for you.”

“Sure. Thanks Lex. I don’t know a lot of people, and Fury has asked me to keep a low profile,” he blushed. I had to wonder exactly how awkward he’d been before he got the super serum that turned him into a hero. He seemed awfully shy.

“You don’t need to apologize for wanting to be friends, Steve. I’m lonely too.”

“Thursday then,” he said and shook my hand, which was a little weird. I nodded and excused myself. I checked in with the head nurse to make sure he got his antibiotic shot, and went back to the on-call room to keep studying. If I was going to take an evening off to hang out, I needed to redouble my study efforts. The boards were in just a few weeks.

I was jogging through Central Park when my text alert chirped in my ear. I stopped running and pulled my phone out of the running sleeve to check the message and immediately cracked up.

“Dear Alexandra,

I hope you are well and got some sleep last night. The weather has been great the last couple of days, it would be a shame for you to miss out on enjoying it. Further to our conversation on Tuesday at the hospital, I wanted to make sure you were still available for dinner tonight. If you are, I would like to meet you at the hospital at 1800, and from there we can continue out for the evening. I am looking forward to seeing you, and hope you enjoy the plans I’ve made. Please let me know if you received this letter. It seems very strange to be sending you a letter through this tiny phone.

Sincerely,

Captain Steve Rogers”

I was laughing so hard I started to cough and had to sit down on a bench. I quickly typed a response, careful to make sure it would make sense and not seem short with him and continued on with my run. I received another text back from him as I was running up the stairs to my apartment.

“Lex,

Thank you for writing back so quickly. I had no idea the letter would reach you as fast as it did. I’m glad we can still get together. And thank you, I will remind you to show me how to make text messaging easier. I would appreciate it. I’m having a hard time with how much technology has changed.

Steve”

He was so naïve it hurt. And I was really looking forward to our ‘date’.

True to his word, at six p.m., Steve was waiting outside the doors of the ER. Even better, he was holding out a Starbucks cup.

“The clerk said I should try a caramel macchiato, but I like mine black. I hope you do too,” he smiled. I was totally taken in by his offer, and accepted the coffee while giving him a quick appraisal. Yep, lots had changed since the 1940s. He was wearing a button down shirt, open at the collar, and I could see he had a white t-shirt underneath it. It was paired with khaki Dockers that were belted appropriately at his waist, and not hanging down showing the top of his underpants off. He looked old-fashioned and at the same time, so incredibly hot.

“You look great, Steve,” I offered.

“Thanks, you look fantastic. I had no idea your hair was so long. Or so red,” he said. And then blushed.

I’d been careful in picking out what to wear. So far, he’d only actually seen me in scrubs or my archery whites, and he’d been back long enough that I didn’t think the pants on women would be really shocking anymore, but I opted to wear a wrap dress anyhow. And to be honest, it was the only dress I had. I was wearing a heeled boot that brought my height to just above his shoulder, which was nice. I usually wore flats around guys just because anything more than 2 inches and I wound up six feet tall. It’s unnerving to be that tall. Steve was tall enough that I didn’t look like a giant. I linked my arm in his and smiled at him.

“Where to, Cap?”

“I hope this isn’t too forward, but I was hoping we could go to my apartment. I’ve discovered that I really like cooking since I’ve been… back.” He waited for my response.

“I love a man who can cook.” We walked off the same direction I’d come from and when he stopped in front of my building I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You live here?” I asked. He nodded. I held my door key up.

“It must be SHIELD building,” he laughed.

He definitely had the better apartment. I had a bachelor suite, no bedroom, tiny kitchen, miniature bathroom. He had a separate bedroom, and a decent sized kitchen that opened into a living room that was roomy enough to accommodate a big TV. I was jealous. The aroma in the apartment was amazing. He’d obviously figured out enough about the 21st century to realize that I was not going to have a problem having dinner at his place, as he’d already set something in the oven. Whatever it was, it was mouth watering. I sat down on a bar stool across the counter from where he was working and watched him. He immediately set about making a salad, obviously not used to company, as he was humming tunelessly. To say I was smitten would be an understatement. He probably drank a gallon of milk every day and cared for orphans too.

“What’s that you’re humming?” I couldn’t resist asking. He turned bright red.

“Oh, uh. It’s old. You probably wouldn’t know it. Glenn Miller.”

“Love Glenn Miller. I just didn’t recognize the tune.” My grandfather had been in a band in the 40s, and his love of playing had been one of the highlights of my childhood. The thought gave me pause. Steve was probably born around the same time.

“Yeah, the serum didn’t cure me of being tone deaf,” he laughed, “Oh, I’m a terrible host. Can I offer you a drink? I have Coca-Cola or milk. Or water, I guess.” I bit the inside of my cheek. He did drink milk.

“Still working on my coffee, but thanks.” We sat in an amiable silence for a while as he continued to prepare dinner.

“It smells amazing,” I offered when he pulled the pan out of the oven. He dished up and came and sat on the bar stool beside me to eat. But first he said grace. I wasn’t sure who was suffering worse culture shock, him or me. Alone in his apartment we were equally odd to one another. I could understand wanting to spend the evening together here. After dinner, he invited me to stay for a movie. I decided I probably could stay, as I just needed to go down a single flight of stairs to get home. I got comfortable on the couch while he made popcorn and chatted excitedly about how much he was enjoying catching up on the movies he’d messed.

I woke up to my phone ringing, stretched out on the couch under a blanket, with the sun shining brightly into my eyes.

“Yeah?” I answered.

“Dr. Richmond. You are late for rounds.” It was the chief attending at the hospital.

#avengers fanfic #Steve Rogers x OFC

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