Running on Empty [Open]

[Jeremiah "Jer" Webster]

481 Open Very hard. Also feel free to flirt with him. That's where the fun is. *shot*

LET IT BURN SINGING SONGS OF TRUTH AND All that's left is a shade of blue Jeremiah was tired. It was pretty obvious as the man first awoke swaddled in blankets like it was some sort of cocoon, his crimson eyes blinking tiredly before he realized that the music that had awoken him was coming from his alarm, and that was when he fumbled over to the side to turn it off. The shower had revived him slightly, as had a whiff of his brother's coffee as the younger got ready for his own day, and with a hurried ruffle of the other's hair, he had darted out of the door, half of a bagel clutched in his teeth. He ate it hurriedly before he turned his attention towards gathering his hair together for a braid, getting it started as he made his way down into the subway. He settled on a seat, bringing his hair over his shoulder to finish weaving it together, a soothing action that had him slowly waking up under the florescent lights. He had only just snapped the band into place when the doors opened for his stop, and he was up and running again, darting through the crowds to get to his pride and joy, the Story's End restaurant and host club. It was something that he'd dreamed of for quite a long time, and once he'd stepped inside its warmth, he shivered pleasantly, taking off his thick coat and hanging it up on a hook, next removing the black scarf from around his neck and adding it to the rest. His clothes revealed a fair amount of pale skin, soft cream that was absolutely gorgeous, and he'd hardly stepped into his office before he realized there was a problem. They were short-handed today, and from what he could figure out, the majority of those who were able to cover were home sick with the flu. Some employers would have let the employees suffer and refuse to bring anyone else in, but not Jer. He texted a few of his other workers, asking them if they could make it in, and then he quickly splashed water on his face to make sure he was alert enough and looked okay before he picked up a little pad of paper and a pen, biting his lip as he strode out into the bustling main room, picking up one of the untaken tables and settling on the edge of it, only barely keeping a shy blush from his cheeks. "Welcome to Story's End," he greeted, smiling contentedly with a kind of gentleness to his features that proclaimed its genuineness to anyone who looked at it. "My name is Jer and I'll be your host today. Is there anything that I can get you?" It had been a long time since he'd waited on anyone that he didn't know, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Besides, how hard could it be, right?

RICOCHET

[Esmerelda Triane]

Esme looked up, and a smile immediately spread across her lips in response. Her green eyes looked the man before her over with interest before she replied to him. "Two glasses of lime and soda would be wonderful, thank you. I'm Esme, and this-" she gestured at the Coronamon next to her "-is Coro."

Coro tilted her head at him before speaking up. "Esme, is he your boyfriend?"

Esme's cheeks flushed. She found herself distinctly wishing she could have left Coro at home, but after the mess she'd discovered last time it just wasn't possible. At this rate, she was going to have start properly meeting up with her Clan members and introducing them to Coro-though that could be just as disastrous if it wasn't handled right. "I... I'm sorry, she only recently came to me. Coro, please..."

Coro blinked at her. "But Esme, you have no other boyfriends, and it's clear you like him. So why not?"

"Coro, it's... it's more complicated than that..." she glanced up at him, horrified to be having this conversation at such a time. Even worse, for Esme, was that it was a subject often brought up by her people...

[Jeremiah "Jer" Webster]

221 Esmerelda Triane And others Oh hey look. Less than half of what I originally posted. OTL

LET IT BURN SINGING SONGS OF TRUTH AND All that's left is a shade of blue Jeremiah blinked at the question, though he laughed almost immediately afterwards, cheeks bright as he tried to pretend he wasn't embarrassed. "Actually, I don't bat for that team, so it's not really an option," he explained, rubbing the back of his head rather sheepishly. "Girls sort of-" Cue an angry huff and glare from his own Coronamon, which had just come in through the door. "What! Get away from Jer!" Storming over, the over-protective Rookie glared at the girl, the little gem on his forehead lighting up with his emotions. "Jer is gay, so just back up and get your grubby paws off-" The man hurriedly clapped his hand over the Digimon's mouth, wincing. "I'm so sorry about Apollo," he apologized, cheeks bright. "He's just over-protective of me. He doesn't mean anything by it, I promise." The Coronamon huffed, pushing the hand down. "I'm sorry, I suppose," he muttered, crossing his arms over each other sulkily. "But you leave Jer alone. He takes enough crap as it is just being who he is, never mind having people hit on him day in and day out." "Apollo. Drop it." The man's tone broached no arguments, for once, and with a heavy sigh and pointed glare, the Coronamon sat down on the other side of the booth, obviously sulking but obeying his Tamer.

RICOCHET

[Esmerelda Triane]

Coro tilted her head, opening her mouth to say something, only to have Esme quickly cover it with her hand just as quickly. "Ask me when we get home, sweetie. I'll explain then." She smiled at the Digimon before turning to the other one sat directly opposite her, her spare hand releasing its slight grip on one of her hidden knives.

"And-Apollo, right? I'm sorry. Coro has only been with me for a week, so she's still learning a lot of things." She relaxed, trying to lessen the tension surrounding the booth. "You can be sure I won't try anything, now-I wouldn't do things like try to force someone into being what they're not."

It was something she hated when it happened to her, so she avoided doing it to others wherever possible-especially in situations like this. Her only hope now was that Coro didn't come out with anything else that would be embarrassing...

"Yay! You're a Coronamon, too!" Coro was now practically bouncing on the seat in excitement, and Esme just suppressed a groan as her hand found the top of her Digimon's head and firmly made her sit down, preventing her from bouncing any higher on the seat.

"Coro... how could you have only just noticed that...?"

"But Esme, your hand was over my mouth before so I couldn't say it." Coro blinked up at her, all innocence and sweetness as Esme sighed.

"Usually, Coro, you say things like that in the instant you first meet someone-not several minutes after..." She gave up. There was no way Coro would ever say something that wasn't going to be embarrassing at this point. Maybe she should start making her wear a mask that hid a gag under it...

[Jeremiah "Jer" Webster]

352 Esmerelda Triane And others Little better on the word count *fist pump*

LET IT BURN SINGING SONGS OF TRUTH AND All that's left is a shade of blue Jeremiah crossed one of his thighs over the other, his posture actually quite confined, much like his polite demeanor as he quietly commanded Apollo to apologize. Of course, the Coronamon wasn't going to do anything like that, instead tightening his arms where they were crossed over each other. "So? I knew better by the time I found Jer," he grumbled before wincing as his Tamer lightly bonked him on the head. "Apollo, stop it," the man stated. "She said she's sorry, and I accept the apology, so that's the end of it. If you can't behave, you can go to the kitchens and help out there." The Rookie considered the options for a long moment before uncrossing his arms, sitting down in the booth. "Yeah, I'm a Coronamon. I've not met a whole lot of other Digimon though. A few of the other staff members have some, but I mostly hang out in the office with Jer while he does paperwork." "Ah!" the man cried, shooting up out of his seat. "I almost forgot, your drink order!" He bustled off in a flurry of black hair, braid flying behind him, and he returned a few moments later with a couple glasses of lime and soda, as well as a can of Sprite and a glass of water. He served the guests first, setting down Esme's and Coro's with a flourish before he handed Apollo the can of Sprite. "Remember, open it slowly, I don't want to get covered in soda again," he warned. The Rookie rolled his eyes. "Hey, I've not done it since that time!" he protested, pouting a little even if he was slow to open the can, sipping at it. "Uh huh, sure, and I'm sure the large stain on the couch appeared overnight," Jer chortled good-naturedly, grinning as he plopped himself back down on the cushion, rolling his eyes with a chuckle. "Coronamon, what are you gonna do with them?" he asked Esme, laughing slightly in amusement, not bothered by the glare - and the punch to the arm - that his comment earned him from his Digimon.

RICOCHET

[Esmerelda Triane]

Esme smiled as she watched them. "Not much that can be done, unfortunately, other than try to keep them busy so they don't cause trouble." Taking a sip from her glass, she closed her eyes briefly in relief before setting it down again. Coro watched her carefully, head tilted to one side, until Esme looked down at her, confused. "Something wrong, Coro?"

Coro, who looked a little worried, looked away. "Um... Esme, do I do things like spilling soda...?"

Raising an eyebrow, Esme thought about the question a moment before replying. "No, but I think I do remember one of the foster kittens being painted purple while I was in a meeting the other day. That wouldn't have anything to do with you, would it, Coro...?"

The young Rookie didn't reply-she had grabbed her glass and sunk down into her seat, avoiding Esme's knowing gaze as she drank the liquid inside. Esme smiled at her, then looked up at Jer and Apollo. "It was just the kitten's tail, thankfully, but it still took an hour to get it all out of the poor thing's fur. I haven't let her near them since."

[Jeremiah "Jer" Webster]

326 Esmerelda Triane And others Whoot I think that's me all caught up on threads for once *cheers*

LET IT BURN SINGING SONGS OF TRUTH AND All that's left is a shade of blue Jeremiah hadn't exactly intended on getting a response to his question, but when he did, he blinked. "Well, ah... I guess," he replied a little awkwardly before shrugging. Apollo was glaring at him from the side, but he smiled softly, the man unable to help himself. "But then, I think Apollo gets into a different kind of trouble than Coro does. If I'm in a rough spot, I know he'd be able to take care of himself." He smiled sheepishly. "After all, if you can make it on the street as a Digimon, you can make it anywhere, right?" "Yep!" Apollo chirped, only to blink. "Well... I mean, if you have the right paint, it could probably work. Jer's brother owns a circus and they paint the animals sometimes, so there has to be some kind of paint that's safe." At the nod of agreement from his Tamer, the Coronamon went on. "And besides, if Coro knows that it's wrong now, it's just holding it against her to keep her away from them now. I've raided Jer's fridge and hidden food before, and he still lets me have free roam of the apartment." The man colored, coughing self-consciously. "I just... thought it was... Yeah, I'm not even going to try," he replied, cheeks pink and darkening towards the shade of his carmine eyes. He was just going to quit while he was behind. "Anyway, if you think you know what you'd like to order, I'm more than happy to drop off the request to the kitchens and come back. That way you won't have to wait on anything to cook after we run out of things to say." Not that he was trying to ditch her, far from it. But it was a restaurant and that meant food, and he would rather not keep someone hungry because they were too polite to tell him to stop chatting and go place the order with the kitchen staff.

RICOCHET

[Esmerelda Triane]

Esme smiled at that, her eyes shining with amusement. They'd both been caught out by their Digimon, and were certainly paying the price for it now. Still, the conversation itself was also suffering a little, so she nodded her agreement and glanced back at the menu before looking at Coro. "Coro, have you seen something you'd like?"

Setting her glass down, Coro was instantly there, examining the menu now that the conversation had turned from her misdemeanors. She blinked at the menu, and then pointed at one of the pictures. "What's this one, Esme?"

"A chicken salad. It comes with lettuce, Coro-you don't normally eat it, though..."

"I don't?"

"No. I tried to give it to you the other night, remember?" Esme smiled at her, feeling one of those exasperating moments where the Digimon was going to contradict herself coming on.

"Oh. But it looks really nice. Your lettuce just looked like a pile of leaves, Esme."

That made Esme raise an eyebrow, but she still sighed and gave in. "That settles it, I guess. Two chicken salads, please, Jer. And Coro's right-they do look nice."

[Jeremiah "Jer" Webster]

334 Esmerelda Triane And others *rolls off for food now like a ninja*

LET IT BURN SINGING SONGS OF TRUTH AND All that's left is a shade of blue Jeremiah watched the two interact, a polite hand hiding a smile behind it. He was familiar with that same type of questioning, though not through Apollo. The Coronamon wasn't very picky about when it came to what was put on a plate in front of him, but that didn't mean that the man's little brother hadn't been. He loved the other to death, but even he remembered the look of exasperation that their mother had often wore when the younger Webster had declared that the food he had ordered wasn't something that he would eat. "All right, two chicken salads, avoid the pile of leaves," he stated with a chuckle, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen to quickly write down the order. "Leaves aren't that bad to eat though," Apollo mumbled, cocking his head to the side. "They're a lot easier to eat than bark." Jer paused in where he was in the middle of getting up. "Please tell me you didn't eat both back when you were on the streets," he muttered, but the silence he received in return was reply enough for him. He groaned, rubbing his temples. "Apollo, you are going to be the death of me one day," he mumbled before shaking his head and darting off to the kitchen to drop in the order. He chatted to the cook for a moment, exchanging a few words about things before he laughed and trotted back to the table, sitting down again with a smile on his face. “It should be ready in a few minutes, ladies,” he declared with a grin and a playful bow. Usually he was actually quite shy, but it was easier to act so carefree when he was at Story’s End, his home and his brainchild. Of course, that was also entirely because no one had flirted with him. He tended to clam up when that happened, and when he retreated behind himself shyly, usually there wasn’t much hope for him at all.

RICOCHET

[Esmerelda Triane]

Esme smiled back at him happily, glad she'd come here for her meal instead of simply ordering takeout. "I'm looking forward to it. But..." Her gaze went back to Apollo, and her smile slipped a little as she watched him. "I have to say that I agree with Apollo on the taste of leaves and bark. I know I don't look like the sort of person who would go camping, but there's a history of being close to nature in my famil-"

"But Esme, you're a ninja, not a hiker!" Coro's voice cut in on her words, and Esme turned bright red instantaneously as she briefly considered several numerous ways to torment the Digimon when they got back home.

"Coro, I am not a ninja. Why do you insist on thinking I am one...?"

Coro smiled up at her, not realizing the danger she was in at that moment. "Well, there's your sword, and there's the fact that you're always meeting with people you don't want me to talk to, and-"

"They're my employees, Coro. Not other ninjas." Esme sighed, hoping that the food would arrive soon so she could hopefully avoid further embarrassment.

"But... but when I found you in the woods, you were training, weren't you...?"

"Yes, I was training, but that was more for fitness than anything else." Esme smiled at her Digimon, regaining her composure and finally stifling the urge to strangle her. Looking up at Jer, she smiled ruefully. "She's right about the sword, though... I only carry it for self-protection because my company has a few enemies that I need to be careful of..."

[Jeremiah "Jer" Webster]

385 Esmerelda Triane And others My Microsoft Word is broken on my computer, you have got to be fucking kidding me. Bl I am not an amused Kuro right now.

LET IT BURN SINGING SONGS OF TRUTH AND All that's left is a shade of blue Apollo perked up a little at the mention of being right, though it wasn't immediately obvious to anyone that he was less than his grumpy over-protective self. In fact, had it not been for the slight loosening of his posture, Jeremiah wouldn't have noticed at all that he had opened up slightly at the topic. "Leaves actually aren't a bad substitute, if there aren't any nuts and berries to be found. But bark is more filling in the long run, even if it does usually taste worse." The Coronamon nodded at his own words, agreeing with them, before pausing, listening intently. Jer tried to cut off the train of thought in both of the Rookies before it could go any further. "I imagine a sword probably does more damage to a Digimon than anything else does," he mused, blinking. "After all, Digimon are rather dangerous. And big. I imagine a bullet wouldn't be too much more than a prick to most of them." He shrugged. "Not that I would know. Apollo and I try to keep our heads down as much as we can." He chuckled. "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Esme. It's none of my business to judge you based on your work or what you do in your free time." "Jer, I want to fight them," Apollo stated. "I want to learn to get stronger so that I can protect you better. They train. We don't. So I want to either train with them or fight them." The man blinked and frowned. "Apollo... we can't," he sighed. "You know we can't. We have my little brother at home, about to bring back Dad's circus. We can't just risk it all to start a fight or prove something to someone." "I know," the Rookie stated earnestly, "but don't you want to make the world a better place?" Jer sighed again, rubbing his temples, feeling a vein throbbing. "It doesn't matter what I want, Apollo. What matters is that we do what's right by others, not by ourselves. We're not going to make a difference doing that, so we should stay out of the way so we don't cause trouble for others."

RICOCHET

[Esmerelda Triane]

Esme smiled. She knew that way of thinking-it was one she faced herself every day. Despite the fact that she kept herself-and Coro-ready for battle at all times, her Clan members were very reluctant to let her anywhere near the battle field, insisting that she was better use to them behind the scenes, keeping an eye on everything at once.

"Sometimes, Apollo, it really is the best thing you can do-maybe not for yourself, but certainly for those you care for. Yes, Coro and I train, but... We don't fight. And if we ever do, it will be because there is no other choice but to do so." She lifted a hand, fiddling with one of the longer stands of her fringe-an old habit that mostly showed up in situations where she had to calm someone down or convince them not to do something.

"So, I find other ways of helping. You protect your trainer, which is one way of helping, but I take in orphaned and injured animals and care for them until they're old enough to go to a new home or can be released again. It's why I was annoyed with Coro for painting the kitten, as it was barely even two weeks old."

Perhaps not the best of examples, but it was better than none, that was for sure. She noticed Coro look up at her, flash a quick smile, and pick up her glass again, clearly deciding not to say anything that could dig herself into even worse trouble.

[Jeremiah "Jer" Webster]

-- Esmerelda Triane And others I am so sorry about how long it took me to do this, final projects have been kicking my butt..

LET IT BURN SINGING SONGS OF TRUTH AND All that's left is a shade of blue Apollo huffed. "I'm not looking for fights," he protested, crossing his arms and bristling a little, the flame jewel on his head gleaming with his emotions. "But since Jer and I found each other, we've not been doing much of anything, and while it was nice to not have to fight for a while, now I want to go and make a difference! I can feel my fighting skills leaving, and I don't want to put anyone at risk because I can't defend them!" His blue eyes narrowed. "I want to be able to help people, and I'm strong enough to do it! I proved that when I was on the streets, and doing nothing when the world needs us... it's like cowardice, only a little more palatable." Jeremiah flinched at the speech, feeling a little guilty, but he just closed his crimson eyes, taking deep breaths and letting them back out again. "Apollo, we have something to live for. We can't just throw our lives away. If you want, we can go to some fighting dojo or something so you can practice, but... but I've heard horrible things about some of the fighting rings, about how they don't stop until they've dominated everything and seriously injured their opponents. And I don't think I could sit by and watch that happen to you." A lot of the tension seeped out of the Coronamon at the statement, and he sighed. "I know, Jer. You're just trying to make sure that I stay safe. But surely it wouldn't be bad if we just had a friendly spar or something? Anything to keep from this endless waiting."

RICOCHET