Aronpuma: We're back to one of Ari's chapters, though next chapter our characters finally come together so well... be excited that we aren't dragging this out forever.
Anyways, some of you have been asking me about where Ari and I met and got the idea to do this collab. Actually no one has, since this Author's Note is being written about an hour after the first chapter was posted (and I'm not sure why someone would ask such a personal question so realistically by the time anyone sees this no one will have asked that question). But nevertheless, a lot of people have been asking how we met, so I best tell you:
Anime Roleplay! That's right, this authors note is a set up for shameless advertising. But nevertheless anime roleplay is a pretty cool place to have fun with characters and meet other writers and improve your ability and have fun (you'll have so much fun that I found reason to say have fun twice) and you could get a chance to rp with myself or Ari or a bunch of other wonderful people but anyway here is a link:
forum/Anime-Roleplay/135963/
Anyways, on with the story!
Chapter 3: The Fire Within
"RODERICH! I THINK I MAY HAVE SET THE KITCHEN ON FIRE!"
The smell of smoke intermixed with the sound of screams. As soon as the Austrian heard those sounds and the smells, he jumped from his bed and rushed to the kitchen, throwing the door open and looking over to the stove and Marissa, the source of the smoke and screams respectively.
"Mein Gott, Marissa! I can't sleep for long without you doing something wrong!"
Roderich stepped over to the oven and shut it off, the smoke dying out and the air clearing, a burnt pile of... Something, sitting inside the oven, "What, was that supposed to be?!" He yelled, pointing at it.
"Um... How do you pronounce that name again... Oh! Apfelstrudel! I was making it for you, though you can see how that turned out... " Marissa sighed, going to throw the failed dish out. "HOLY COW! THAT BURNS!" She screeched, hands burning as she tossed the burnt dish out. It hit the trash can and fell in. "Okay, stupid move on my part," she mumbled, rubbing her hands against her tank top to sooth the burning pain in them.
"Marissa,"
Roderich facepalmed.
"Really!?"
His eyes slightly narrowed as his head suddenly started hurting, "It's the thought that counts, now let me do it... I don't want you burning down the house." He then went to pull out his first aid kit, getting the burn ointment and handing it to Marissa, "Be more careful next time." He said, grabbing his apron, "Apfelstrudel... That was it, right?"
"Yup, I failed miserably at making them."
Marissa muttered, applying the burn ointment to her hands, "I didn't know you could cook though..." She spoke as she rubbed her hands together, watching him.
"I do cook, who else would? I lived alone before you came along." Roderich smiled, pulling out his apple filling he had in the cabinet, cinnamon, bread crumbs, raisins, and the sugar for later. He then went to get the ingredients for the dough. "It's not hard, cooking is an art... It consists of constantly experimenting with ingredients to create different tasting dishes... I prefer doing it by the book though." He spoke elegantly, placing a bowl on the counter and starting to add everything, stirring it, "The dough is an important part of it, it must be perfect... The filling as well."
"... I feel like I'm watching a cooking show... Hosted by an old grandmother." Marissa laughed, her joke earning a harsh glare from the Austrian, "I was only cracking a joke! Don't be hating!" She exclaimed, waving her arms around.
"Don't. Insult. My. Cooking."
Every word was punctuated, as he smacking her with a wooden spoon, "Every time you insult my cooking, you shall get smacked with the spoon." He chuckled a bit, cracking a sadistic smile.
"Fine, I won't insult your stupid cooking... "
Smack! The sound of the spoon against the back of her head echoed throughout the room, "OWWIE!" She yelped in pain, her hands going to cover the aching spot on her head, "I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" She whimpered, going to hide in her corner.
"That, is what you get when you insult my cooking!" He spoke firmly, crossing his arms and then returning to his cooking. "I personally think it's interesting... Cooking is," He mumbled, more to himself than the girl.
"Whatever..." She mumbled, not listening to him, sitting in her corner and rubbing her head, "I'm surprised it isn't bleeding..." Marissa frowned, snatching a spoon from a nearby drawer.
"... Why would it be bleeding? It was a wooden spoon." Roderich stared at the girl, laughing softly as she whined from the aching mark on her head, "Did I hit you too hard? It looks like I did..." He knelt down next to her, "Tilt your head, let me see it."
"Why? You're not a doctor... "
Marissa sighed, doing as told and tilting her head, letting him see the mark he had left, "It really hurt you know." She muttered, arms crossed, "Like really, in the end... Was it worth it? Hitting me and leaving this bloody mark! It hurts!" She hissed in slight pain as he ran his fingers over the mark.
"That looks like it was painful." Roderich then moved to get her an ice pack, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard." He apologized to the girl, standing up, "But that's what you get for insulting my cooking." He gave a smile, patting her on the head.
"I don't think it was necessary... " She stood up from where she previously sat, "Hitting me with a spoon... What a Jerk move..."
"I think it was completely necessary, since you were insulting me."
He went back to his cooking, ignoring the pained whines of the girl behind him, "And stop acting like a child, it shouldn't hurt as bad now." He muttered, sighing at the childish teenager.
"But it still hurts..."
Marissa whined again, giving the Austrian a death glare, "Really Roderich, I would appreciate if you didn't do that again." She mumbles, coming over and flicking his curl, making Roderich shudder once more, "Revenge." She smirked, arms crossed underneath her chest.
"... Do you want another smack from my spoon..?"
Roderich asked, spoon raised slightly to frighten the girl, she only glared at the man, "...You didn't even flinch..."
"Because, I've seen scarier things than you... Bears aren't that scary to me, and I have ran across a lot of them... Not scared of snakes or- WAH! SPIDER!"
The girl that had once looked brave was now cowering in the corner, a small spider lowering itself from its web on the roof, Roderich laughed, it was his turn to smirk. "You're not scared of bears or snakes... But a tiny spider sends you into a state of fear." He said, opening the oven and putting the Apfelstrudel into it, closing it shortly after, he then dealt with the spider with a quick smack from his spoon.
"It was a big spider."
The American pouted, hands on her hips, "I am sick of being treated like a child."
"You act like a child, therefore I treat you like one... Act your age and I shall treat you as such." Roderich spoke smartly, staring at her, hands going and straightening his apron, "I act my age, I cannot afford to act childish and avoid work like you do." He signed, headache causing him more pain than it did, he placed his hand on his forehead. Marissa spotted that,
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to give you a headache... I'm really sorry... "
She hugged Roderich, sniffling a bit, "I know how your headaches are... They hurt like hell..." She snuggled her head into his chest, truly acting like a child.
"... It's alright Marissa."
He hugged back, resting his arms on her upper back, "I truly think you like acting as if you're my daughter." He smiles softly, playing with the girl's cap.
"Because-"
Marissa peeked up at him, "-You're like my father... You know I never really had a father... And mother died five years after I was born, I never got to enjoy the gift of parents..." She said, a sad smile on her face as she stared up at the Austrian.
"Well, now you have a fatherly figure. I happily accept you as my daughter, you already live here... And I do get things for you... A lot."
He returned the smile, planting a kiss on the spot he smacked earlier, "Fatherly love for the girl starved of it." He whispered softly, letting her go.
"Dude, you either need some friends... Or need to run across that guy you liked way back when." She swayed as she hummed quietly, "According to what you've said, he sounds pretty hot." She grinned as she spoke, spinning around gracefully.
Roderich blushed darkly, "S-Shut up." He cleared his throat. "He was... But he isn't like other guys... He loved logic, as well as dabbled in music... That's how I met him, Orchestra... I played violin back then too... Played it since I was a child." He walked back over to the oven, pulling his beautifully made Apfelstrudel from it, "Now that, is a proper Apfelstrudel."
"Can't wait to eat it." Marissa drooled as she watched Roderich cut through it, getting her a plate, "Ya know I love ya, right?"
"Of course I know, we may get on each other's nerves at times but we still have that father-daughter type love."
Roderich smiled at her, handing her the plate and patting her head, "Be careful with it." He said, turning around and going to leave the kitchen...
But... Three people busted through his kitchen door: Ludwig, Gilbert, and Erika... "Mister Edelstein!" Erika exclaimed, hugging his arm.
"Roderich! We need to talk!" Ludwig glared at the Austrian, trying to scare him.
Gilbert wasn't there for Roderich though... He was currently flirting with Marissa, the girl who challenged his awesomeness.
"Ugh... You all are giving me a headache... "
"Because we're supposed to give you a headache." Erika, Ludwig, and Gilbert said in unison, "We have to remind you that you only have today to practice for your performance tonight!" Erika said, walking over with a clipboard, "Do try to get that practicing done." Ludwig sighed shortly afterwards, "That is true... I'm not very worried about you, Roderich... I'm more worried about that prodigy of yours."
"Stop calling me his prodigy! Start using my name Potato Bastard!"
Marissa said frowning until she said the last part, her face lighting up with a grin, Ludwig then looked to her with wide eyes, as if asking how she knew that nickname, "I know people who know you, Ludwig!"
"Heh, children please." Gilbert stood in between Ludwig and Marissa, "West, of course she would know that nickname because Ahem.." He cleared his throat, "Piano Bastard told her and then she met the bastard himself." He kinda grinned.
"Piano bastard?!"
Roderich looked with wide eyes, "How did you know that nickname?!" He ran over, lightly shaking Gilbert.
"Alright! Hush up! Get the hell out so me and Roderich can practice!"
Marissa shooed the three off, and they recommenced their practice, one final time before their concert…
Hello, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, unless you just came here for the end note. In which case, welcome to another installment of, "With All of Your Faults" end message. Where in addition to telling you to review, favorite, follow, whatever- we rip off Crack's endplate joke. So um… thank you, and tune in next week for another edition of: "With All of Your Faults" end message.