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Returning to the office, Ronaldo set his hat on the Thing That Shoots Beams from its Eye. He turned around and smiled when he saw that the room was occupied, and not occupied by Draluc.
But by John.
“Hey, John!”
“Nu nu nu!”
Ronaldo moved over to where John was sitting on the couch, only to see a little red book on the cushion beside the armadillo.
“What’s this?” Ronaldo asked as he picked up the book. It looked like a small photo album; the kind that only held one picture per page. Which wasn't very space efficient, but was probably a lot easier for someone John’s size to hold.
“Nu nu nu nu nu!” John explained cheerfully, waving his little paws in the air. Ronaldo had recently learned to understand John better, but when John spoke too quickly or too excitedly, it still only sounded like a bunch of ‘nu’. John didn’t seem to mind that he was holding the book though, so he couldn’t have been telling Ronaldo to put it down. Which was good, because Ronaldo was curious and a little nosey, and he was always eager to share little moments with John.
Little moments that he could lord over Lord Draluc.
Taking the seat beside the little armadillo, Ronaldo opened the book to a page near the middle, only to frown at the first picture he saw.
“Uh, John?”
“Nu?”
“What’s the story behind this photo?”
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Today, they were going to make melon pan. John had never had it, but Draluc insisted it was delicious. He also said that John would like it because of the way it looked, though he didn’t explain what he meant by that. But he had laughed, which was enough for John. If Draluc was excited about making a treat, then he was too. He loved everything they did together.
He especially loved baking.
Making the bread was easy enough. As was making the cookie dough that was spread over the top of it. Or at least, it looked easy. John could only watch in amazement as Draluc’s deft hands made all of it. He hoped he’d learn to bake like that someday, that he’d be able to make Draluc sweets as well. But for today, he helped as much as he could; mostly by keeping anything overly sharp or dangerous away from Draluc. And then keeping Draluc’s ashes away from the batter and dough whenever he didn’t succeed. He was successful in that at least.
This time.
Once the bread was finished baking and laid out in a basket on the table, John understood why Draluc had said he would like the way it looked. Every bun was the exact size, shape, and texture of John himself.
Well, without the fur.
“Nu nu!” John said excitedly, climbing over to the basket and turning his back on Draluc, showing off his shell that matched the tops of the bread buns.
“Of course, John,” Draluc said, petting him affectionately on said shell. “They look just like you! Now wait here a moment. Let me go find my camera.”
“Nu, nu, nu,” John said as he climbed further into the basket, sniffing enthusiastically. Not only did the bread look fun, but it also smelled delicious. Maybe even more delicious than the pancakes Draluc made him in the mornings. Was everything with the word ‘pan’ in it delicious? Was that the secret? What other tasty foods had the word pan in them?
“Oh? What’s this now?”John heard from outside the pile. He was about to turn and greet whoever had come in the room when a large hand wrapped around his torso and lifted him into the air. John peeked up and saw that Draluc’s grandfather was the one holding him. He lifted a paw to greet him, only for the older vampire to bring John up higher.
To lift him closer to his face.
Which wasn’t out of the ordinary. A lot of Draluc’s family, and Draluc himself, lifted John up to better speak to him. And in the case of Draluc’s father, he lifted him up to rub his face in his fur. Draluc’s grandfather had never done that before though, and he certainly had never done what he did next.
“Looks delicious,” the elderly vampire said with a chuckle, and before John could stop him, he brought John up to his mouth and bit his shell, making John squeak in fright.
“Nu nu!”
But it was only in fright, because the vampire was barely even nibbling on him, not even coming close to breaking through John’s shell. It didn’t hurt, just tickled, and the way Draluc’s grandfather was chuckling made the fur on his belly tickle as well. “Nu nu nu!” John protested, squirming away from the sensation, but he was held fast, even though Draluc’s grandfather wasn’t doing anything except putting on a show. A show for no one except John.
“Suna!”
Oh.
“Nu nu nu!” John shouted and finally managed to jump out of the vampire’s grip. He landed on the table and knocked over the basket of freshly baked bread, sending them toppling to the floor. John followed them, jumping down and scurrying over to Draluc’s pile of ashes.
“Nu nu nu!”
Draluc didn’t respond, his ashes continuing to slide down into a flatter and flatter pile on the floor. John moved to push them together, to try and get Draluc back on his feet faster, when his left paw brushed against something.
One of the fallen melon pan.
John might not be able to make food for Draluc yet, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t give it to him.
“Nu nu,” John muttered, thinking on his paws as he turned to the bread and began tearing off chunks of it. It still smelled so good, even after being on the floor, but he didn’t allow himself to take a bite. Instead, he pressed the little piece into the pile of ashes, and when nothing happened, he did it again.
And again.
And again.
Reaching down, Draluc’s grandfather grabbed the camera next to the pile of ashes. John ignored him and continued to press torn up pieces of bread into the pile, hoping they’d make Draluc recover faster. That they’d make his best friend return to his feet. And it seemed to be working, the ashes solidifying around the bread, forming Draluc once more.
Until the camera’s flash went off with a loud click, a flash of bright light, and another cry of “Suna!”
“Nu nu nu nu!”
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“I see,” Ronaldo said, trying his best to keep from laughing. It was a ridiculous story, but it was obviously a memory that John treasured, even if it didn’t sound like he’d enjoyed it in the moment. Ronaldo couldn’t make fun of John for that. But since it was such a treasured memory, Ronaldo wondered just how willing John would be to reenact it.
And if he had enough time to run to the bakery across the street before Draluc woke up.