Re: My USM One Shot Thread with Independence Day Update
Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:40 am
Part V:
Dave reappeared as Will resumed his seat, and once again everyone set down to eat, though much slower than they had at dinner. Conversation was also much more muted, mostly consisting of Misha and Will trying to weasel the recipe out of Dave, who refused to say anything except to tell off the dogs for once again peering in on the group.
By the time they had finished dessert and cleared the table, the sun had fully set, the stars shining high above while fireflies blinked along the grass. Misha, used to the ambient light of the city after several years in New York, gazed up a the starry sky in awe.
“Just like at Yamaku~…” she mumbled.
Will glanced up, “Yeah, that is one of the nice things about being out here –ambient light can suck a duck.”
Henry nodded, “Worse than the smoke from the mines. Oh, Dave, is it time to blow shit up yet?”
Dave, lighting an already clipped cigar he pulled from his pocket, grinned and nodded, “Hells yes it is! I got enough explosives to flatten an African village!”
Will raised an eyebrow at him, “Oh do you?”
Dave snorted and shoved the cigar between his teeth, “Dude, I got bottle rockets, cluster rockets, homemade rockets, fountains, mortars up the ass, spinners, sharp knives, and big sticks!”
Will smirked and sipped his beer, “Ah, but do you have a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range?”
Dave rolled his eyes, “Dork.”
“Hey you made the first reference.”
“Yeah but I live here. I’ll go grab the booze and the explosives. Henry, could you light the mosquito repelling stuff? I can see them buzzin’ around with the fireflies.”
Henry nodded, “It’ll cost you a cigar.”
“I’ll grab a bucket and some water,” Will added.
“I’ll go pet the dogs,” Misha declared.
“I’ll… check the chairs, I guess,” Lynda concluded.
Everyone left the table to prepare for the night ahead. Misha didn’t have to go far to pet the dogs, as they had kept close to the deck and quickly swarmed her. Taking a step back, she calmed down when Jenny, still in her last position next to the steps, growled the pack into obedience.
Lynda watched the scene from the fire pit, the chairs set up in a row in front of the area prepared ahead for the fireworks. Henry wove around the blinking fireflies to light the candles, lanterns, and coils. Will hefted a mostly full bucket of water next to one of the polls holding a lantern, then took a seat in one of the chairs.
“So Misha,” he called, “You excited for the show?”
Misha, still petting the dogs, nodded, “Uh-huh~! Can’t wait. Hey, I already pet you!”
Henry appeared from the house first, lit cigar in his mouth and holding a milk crate perched on a pack of bottled water. The milk crate held several small mason jars filled with a clear liquid that smelled oddly of turpentine. Dave followed close behind, his back loaded with large rockets tied together, and several large canvas bags held in each hand. When he descended the deck’s stairs he helped scatter the dogs, freeing Misha to follow him and Henry.
Lynda sighed as she watched Dave set the fireworks down a safe distance from the detonation zone and any of the mosquito repelling equipment.
“You better not set your hair on fire again,” she grumbled.
Dave shrugged, clearly willing to except the risk, “Alright folks, this,” he pointed from one pole to the last one in the line, “is the fire zone. It is called that because if you enter it when not setting off fireworks, you will get set on fire. Speaking of which, I bought plenty of sparklers and matches, so go nuts.”
“Ooh!” Misha bounded over to Will, “sparkler duel me! I’ll avenge the chicken’s honor!”
Will grinned, “You’re on. Dave, bring on the sparklers! Henry, moonshine!”
“Yes my liege,” Henry handed everyone except Lynda one of the mason jars, “hopefully this stuff if smoother this time.”
Lynda snorted, “Knowing Jim Bob it’s probably worse.”
“So who wants to drink first?” Dave asked as he took his jar.
Misha raised her hand, “I’ll do it!”
Dave raised his jar in salute, “Have at it.”
Misha carefully opened the jar, bringing it close to her nose and taking a long sniff.
“Ugh,” she grunted, “It smells like Lynda’s paint stripper.”
“No that’s what it tastes like,” Will corrected her.
Misha swallowed, staring the drink down. After a few silent moments except for the bellows of distant frogs, she raised the jar and took a long pull, only stopping to breath and cough.
“It does taste like paint stripper!” she groaned, “Also why am I cross-eyed?”
“Blink a few times,” Dave said, “anyway, I’m gonna set up the first salvo, everyone settle in and enjoy the night.”
While Misha recovered from the moonshine, Will grabbed a box of sparklers and a matchbox. After pulling out two of the sparklers, he walked over to Misha, holding out one for her to take.
“Let’s do this,” he said.
Misha, after shaking her head like a wet dog to clear her vision, grabbed the sparkler with her free hand, “Light me.”
Will grinned as he placed the sparkler between his teeth so he could light a match, “I’ll warn you now: I’ve been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku.”
Misha grinned and readied her sparkler, “Really~? I trained the man who killed him.”
Will blinked, “You read the book?”
Misha nodded.
Dave sighed and muttered under his breath, “I forgot what a bunch of nerds you guys were.”
Lynda, after making sure the two didn’t set each other on fire, grabbed a box of sparklers for herself, Henry doing the same. While Misha and Will dueled to the emptiness of the box, Henry and Lynda settled for swirling their sparklers around to make various patterns, entering an unspoken contest as Lynda formed various Cyrillic letters and Henry every Kanji he could remember.
Will and Misha’s duel ended a few moments before Dave finished setting up the first round of fireworks. Before the two could start another match, he shouted to get their attention.
“Attention nerds!” he barked from the fire zone, “The first show of the night is ready! Prepare yourselves!”
The four quickly took their seats to watch the show, the fire zone now loaded with variously sized rockets, mortar launchers, and fountains. At the sight of the fountains Lynda raised her hand.
“You didn’t get any screamers did you?”
“Nope!” Dave replied, “Thanks for the heads-up about her inner-ear. The rockets might be a bit loud, though.”
“I’ll be fine!” Misha, declared, downing the rest of her moonshine.
Lynda sighed, “Oh dear.”
“She’ll be fine,” Will said, “Probably.”
Lynda sighed again.
“Everyone ready?” Dave asked.
“Light ‘em up!” Henry called.
Dave grinned and readied a match, “Fire in the hole, bitches!”
Dave reappeared as Will resumed his seat, and once again everyone set down to eat, though much slower than they had at dinner. Conversation was also much more muted, mostly consisting of Misha and Will trying to weasel the recipe out of Dave, who refused to say anything except to tell off the dogs for once again peering in on the group.
By the time they had finished dessert and cleared the table, the sun had fully set, the stars shining high above while fireflies blinked along the grass. Misha, used to the ambient light of the city after several years in New York, gazed up a the starry sky in awe.
“Just like at Yamaku~…” she mumbled.
Will glanced up, “Yeah, that is one of the nice things about being out here –ambient light can suck a duck.”
Henry nodded, “Worse than the smoke from the mines. Oh, Dave, is it time to blow shit up yet?”
Dave, lighting an already clipped cigar he pulled from his pocket, grinned and nodded, “Hells yes it is! I got enough explosives to flatten an African village!”
Will raised an eyebrow at him, “Oh do you?”
Dave snorted and shoved the cigar between his teeth, “Dude, I got bottle rockets, cluster rockets, homemade rockets, fountains, mortars up the ass, spinners, sharp knives, and big sticks!”
Will smirked and sipped his beer, “Ah, but do you have a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range?”
Dave rolled his eyes, “Dork.”
“Hey you made the first reference.”
“Yeah but I live here. I’ll go grab the booze and the explosives. Henry, could you light the mosquito repelling stuff? I can see them buzzin’ around with the fireflies.”
Henry nodded, “It’ll cost you a cigar.”
“I’ll grab a bucket and some water,” Will added.
“I’ll go pet the dogs,” Misha declared.
“I’ll… check the chairs, I guess,” Lynda concluded.
Everyone left the table to prepare for the night ahead. Misha didn’t have to go far to pet the dogs, as they had kept close to the deck and quickly swarmed her. Taking a step back, she calmed down when Jenny, still in her last position next to the steps, growled the pack into obedience.
Lynda watched the scene from the fire pit, the chairs set up in a row in front of the area prepared ahead for the fireworks. Henry wove around the blinking fireflies to light the candles, lanterns, and coils. Will hefted a mostly full bucket of water next to one of the polls holding a lantern, then took a seat in one of the chairs.
“So Misha,” he called, “You excited for the show?”
Misha, still petting the dogs, nodded, “Uh-huh~! Can’t wait. Hey, I already pet you!”
Henry appeared from the house first, lit cigar in his mouth and holding a milk crate perched on a pack of bottled water. The milk crate held several small mason jars filled with a clear liquid that smelled oddly of turpentine. Dave followed close behind, his back loaded with large rockets tied together, and several large canvas bags held in each hand. When he descended the deck’s stairs he helped scatter the dogs, freeing Misha to follow him and Henry.
Lynda sighed as she watched Dave set the fireworks down a safe distance from the detonation zone and any of the mosquito repelling equipment.
“You better not set your hair on fire again,” she grumbled.
Dave shrugged, clearly willing to except the risk, “Alright folks, this,” he pointed from one pole to the last one in the line, “is the fire zone. It is called that because if you enter it when not setting off fireworks, you will get set on fire. Speaking of which, I bought plenty of sparklers and matches, so go nuts.”
“Ooh!” Misha bounded over to Will, “sparkler duel me! I’ll avenge the chicken’s honor!”
Will grinned, “You’re on. Dave, bring on the sparklers! Henry, moonshine!”
“Yes my liege,” Henry handed everyone except Lynda one of the mason jars, “hopefully this stuff if smoother this time.”
Lynda snorted, “Knowing Jim Bob it’s probably worse.”
“So who wants to drink first?” Dave asked as he took his jar.
Misha raised her hand, “I’ll do it!”
Dave raised his jar in salute, “Have at it.”
Misha carefully opened the jar, bringing it close to her nose and taking a long sniff.
“Ugh,” she grunted, “It smells like Lynda’s paint stripper.”
“No that’s what it tastes like,” Will corrected her.
Misha swallowed, staring the drink down. After a few silent moments except for the bellows of distant frogs, she raised the jar and took a long pull, only stopping to breath and cough.
“It does taste like paint stripper!” she groaned, “Also why am I cross-eyed?”
“Blink a few times,” Dave said, “anyway, I’m gonna set up the first salvo, everyone settle in and enjoy the night.”
While Misha recovered from the moonshine, Will grabbed a box of sparklers and a matchbox. After pulling out two of the sparklers, he walked over to Misha, holding out one for her to take.
“Let’s do this,” he said.
Misha, after shaking her head like a wet dog to clear her vision, grabbed the sparkler with her free hand, “Light me.”
Will grinned as he placed the sparkler between his teeth so he could light a match, “I’ll warn you now: I’ve been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku.”
Misha grinned and readied her sparkler, “Really~? I trained the man who killed him.”
Will blinked, “You read the book?”
Misha nodded.
Dave sighed and muttered under his breath, “I forgot what a bunch of nerds you guys were.”
Lynda, after making sure the two didn’t set each other on fire, grabbed a box of sparklers for herself, Henry doing the same. While Misha and Will dueled to the emptiness of the box, Henry and Lynda settled for swirling their sparklers around to make various patterns, entering an unspoken contest as Lynda formed various Cyrillic letters and Henry every Kanji he could remember.
Will and Misha’s duel ended a few moments before Dave finished setting up the first round of fireworks. Before the two could start another match, he shouted to get their attention.
“Attention nerds!” he barked from the fire zone, “The first show of the night is ready! Prepare yourselves!”
The four quickly took their seats to watch the show, the fire zone now loaded with variously sized rockets, mortar launchers, and fountains. At the sight of the fountains Lynda raised her hand.
“You didn’t get any screamers did you?”
“Nope!” Dave replied, “Thanks for the heads-up about her inner-ear. The rockets might be a bit loud, though.”
“I’ll be fine!” Misha, declared, downing the rest of her moonshine.
Lynda sighed, “Oh dear.”
“She’ll be fine,” Will said, “Probably.”
Lynda sighed again.
“Everyone ready?” Dave asked.
“Light ‘em up!” Henry called.
Dave grinned and readied a match, “Fire in the hole, bitches!”
