Phenobarbital [NSFW, closed RP, but welcome to readers!]

Hello all! This will be a modern/no-magic Faerun featuring burnt-out ER nurse Boletus and burnt-out ER MD Delton! What could go wrong? TW: medical things in general, will do my best to tag potentially sensitive subjects as they pop up. Also will likely discuss some trauma/PTSD/abuse things. Again, will tag as appropriate. Closed RP, but feel free to read along! ❤️

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As the movers unpack and unload the last of their things, a young tiefling is currently bobbing and weaving through a maze of unpacked boxes in his new little apartment, attempting to simultaneously get dressed while also gathering all of his work essentials. ”I’m not movin’ to fuckin’ Waterdeep, Bo.” ”Dad. We don’t really have a choice. There aren’t any neuro-oncologists in Melvaunt.” ”You don’t get to fuckin’ choose where we live! I’m your godsdamn-“ That was months ago. The man Morelo was back then and the man he is now isn’t all that different, but a lovely combination of sedatives keep him from his more violent outbursts. Currently, he lies asleep in a hospital bed in the master bedroom of a modest 3-bedroom apartment in the middle of Waterdeep’s South Ward. “Sis, you’re good to watch dad, right? I’m going, crap, I’m going to be super late. I left dinner for you guys in the microwave, ok?” he shouts, hopping on one foot as he attempts to get his shoes on as fast as possible. His tail sways haphazardly, attempting to help Boletus keep his balance. It doesn’t do much good, however, as he topples over a rather heavy box of books and falls right onto his face and one of his knees. THUD.

Heavy footsteps burst out from one of the smaller bedrooms, the panic in the pace clearly audible. “Shit, Bo? You ok?” asks a very tall, very muscular half-orc woman, her face and ears covered in a multitude of piercings.

With a groan, Boletus begins to stand, dusting off his freshly pressed scrubs. But when he straightens up fully, there’s an intense burst of pain shooting from the knee he fell on moments earlier. Shit. I don’t have time for this. I’ll get it looked at after my shift. “Y-yes. I’m fine. Look, I can’t stay to talk. I’m seriously going to be late,” the tiefling exclaims, rushing to grab the last of the things he needs. Even in his state of panic, he goes through his very specific mental checklist before heading out of the door. Keys. Phone. Wallet. Water bottle. Watch. But, just to make sure, he does this three more times. Three is the magic number, after all. “Make sure dad takes his meds tonight, ok? If he gives you trouble, just call me.”

The young woman shrugs, waving her hands toward her brother in a shoo-ing type motion. When she sees Boletus in such a panicked state, she finds herself subconsciously posturing as relaxed as she possibly can. Her normally abrasive voice is softer, her stance relaxed as it leans on a wooden doorframe. “Dude, I got it. Chill. Go the fuck to work, ok?” She grins, sharp Orcish teeth and tusks on full display. “And good luck on your first day!” she shouts as Boletus is already halfway out the door. “Or should I say, break a leg? The ER is the perfect place to break a leg, isn’t it? Bahaha!”

As late as he’s running, he spares a moment to roll his eyes directly at Otidea before shutting the door. Dammit all. Being late on my first day? Surely, this must be an omen. His knee hurts like Hells, but he ignores it. It’s probably just a tad sprained. It’s fine. Thankfully, he’s able to catch the bus in time to make it to Silverhand Hospital… after essentially running in front of it to get the bus driver to stop for him.

As he dodges around people in the hospital, offering smiles and 'hellos' to staff and patients, a redheaded half-elf is trying to down enough caffeine to make him feel like a person. He hadn't slept last night - not really - and had already done a pretty brutal workout pre-shift, as was his typical habit. Delton loves his job. He really does. His insomnia, however, does not. When he clocks in, he's a little early. He tries his hardest to keep the ER running as smoothly as possible so, if it means he shows up before to ensure other people get off on-time (ish), he's happy to help. After he's got all of his ducks in a row, he's out to greet the nursing team. They terrify him (in a good way). He knows his own limitations and he would not have made it as a nurse.

A uncommonly large wood-elf walks in soon after, holding two to-go cups. A cappuccino for himself and a dirty chai with three espresso shots for Delton. He scans the room for the other man, looking for the red hair that stands out anywhere. At the nurse station. Of course. He's totally not supposed to be in his the shared office space... "Delton," he smiles and hands the man his tea before slapping him on the back, "You're going to give yourself a heart attack before you turn forty at this rate, my friend." The half-elf was barely thirty-five and on track for something at least.

Delton gratefully takes the beverage but wrinkles his nose at Halsin’s words. "Thank you. For the drink, not the comment to be clear," he says it with a smile, but frustration tinges his voice. He takes a long sip of his second sweet sweet doze of caffeine before saying, "I drink a completely appropriate amount of caffeine for my job." Halsin snorts. He sighs, "Find me insomnia meds that work and we'll talk, darling." He pats the man's chest before heading to the start of his shift.

While the nurses are reporting off, a rather loud and boisterous tiefling is whipping her head around, seemingly looking for something. Or rather, someone. “Huuuh. Wasn’t I supposed to be orienting someone today? Where in the Hells are they?”

It’s as if her words summoned said person, because in comes Boletus, limping on a knee that just seems to hurt more and more with every step. By the time he approaches her, he is panting, hands resting on his knees. He can feel the inflamed tissues through his pants. Oh gods, this thing is getting really swollen. Ignore it. Ignore it! “S-s-so sorry I’m late, m’am! Karlach, right?” Stand up straight, son. Look me in the eyes when you’re talking to me. Do not stutter. And just like that, Boletus blocks out all of his pain and exhaustion and stands up straight. His aura completely changes. “I apologize for being late, m’am. My name is Boletus. Strange name, I know. Bo is fine, too…” He often laments the fact that’s he’s named after a mushroom. “I’m supposed to be orienting with you today.”

The woman just stares at this fellow tiefling, who initially came in limping like an injured dog, now acting like a soldier reporting for duty. It almost makes her want to laugh. “Ok, soldier!” she shouts with a salute. It doesn’t last long before she starts actually laughing. “Haha! Gods, Bo. Relax. And don’t call me m’am, I don’t think I’m that much older than you.” As much as she wants to tease the poor guy, she is really quite concerned with how he started limping in here. Nurse instincts and all that. "Hey, Bo, are y-" Before she can finish her question, the ER doctors begin to approach the nurse’s station "Oop. Hold that thought..."

Delton approaches, Halsin a step behind. He thinks Halsin is lecturing him about something, but he stopped listening in favor of the sweet, sweet caffeine delivered by the man. He probably should be more grateful - the man treated him like a brother - but he's a little too old to be treated with kid gloves. The redhead interrupts Halsin's rant when they come to the nurses station as Delton plasters on his best 'I'm not chronically sleep-deprived smile,' "Hello friends! Halsin and I will be running point for the night. And, I think we have someone new..." He trails off, looking up from his cup to see a young tiefling man standing next to Karlach. He has to crane his neck up to look at both of them - what else is new, in this ER the average height feels like it's six feet tall - but he gives them a much truer smile. "You must be Boletus, yes? I'm Dr. Delton Naïlo, but just Delton is fine. Or, whatever you feel like calling me," he gestures to Karlach, "She calls me Red most of the time, even though she too is red." He shrugs.

Halsin's been talking at Delton for a while. He knows the other man is not listening, but he feels obligated to try anyway. The poor half-elf is going to run himself into the ground. He greets the rest of the nurses before reaching out to shake the new nurse's hand. Delton's clutching onto too many things at once to do so, and one of them must pretend to have manners. "Halsin Silverbough, but you can call me Halsin. You have a good gal to show you the ropes," he nods at Karlach, "Don't worry, you will fit right in." He gives a sincere smile.

Delton nods at Halsin's words. "I'd shake your hand but," he gestures with his full hands, "but please let me know if you need anything at all."

Hands still folded behind his back, he greets the two doctors with a nod and a moment of eye contact. It’s not hard to meet Halsin's eyes, being roughly the same height as himself, but as for the other doctor… His neck turns slightly downward as serious, demonic yellow eyes hidden behind thick glasses meet kind green ones. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both, sirs,” he greets, shaking Halsin’s hand while still looking at Delton. He can’t help but notice that people just seem a little more attractive in Waterdeep than in Melvaunt. Not that looks matter, but he can’t help but appreciate natural beauties when he sees them. Maybe growing up in a beautiful city where the weather is always nice just makes for better-looking people, as opposed to permanently gray smog-filled skies and a harsh cold that never seems to let up.

“Hells yeah! Halsin and Red are a killer combo! Er, not really ‘killer’ as in they’re gonna kill patients, but ‘killer’ as in they’re really fucking good docs to work with.” Gods, if Dr. Baenre were here, she’d eat the new guy alive. Can’t have that happening. In her excitement, she wraps an arm about her fellow tiefling, pulling him close. "You'll find that we're a pretty damn good team here!"

That one sudden movement reminds him all too well that his sprained knee hurts like a bitch. His facade is immediately broken like a sheet of fragile glass, expressionless face now twisted in pain. “Aaaah…” The tuft of hair on the end of his tail frizzes out as if he’s been threatened. “Ow ow ow…” Not now, you stupid knee. Ugh, damn those boxes.

“Oh shit, you alright? Oh, right right right… you sure you ok to be here, mate? You get hurt on your way in or something?” Her tone is jovial, but the look in her eyes is full of concern.

Immediately, Delton puts his stuff down on the counter and goes up to the tiefling. It's like a switch flipped, straight into professional mode. His hand hovers around Boletus' arm, "May I guide you to the chair behind the station? You're clearly injured." He shoots him a small, sincere smile, "I promise I don't bite." He's trying to catalogue exactly where the young nurse is hurt. He guesses it's one of his legs, considering Karlach putting him a bit off balance triggered the reaction. If it was his core or back, he likely wouldn't have been able to put on a brave face for so long.

Dread and shame fill his face instantly. He hasn't even been here for 20 minutes, and he's already making a fool of himself. All because the noise from the movers woke him up too early, so he couldn't get back to sleep until a mere 3 hours before his shift. His alarm didn't wake him up because he was in such a deep sleep. Otidea was listening to music at the time, so she didn't here it until she just happened to take her earbuds out to use the bathroom, after it had already been going off for who knows how long. The half orc had to shake her brother awake, screaming "isn't your shift in an hour?" into his face to get him to arouse him from his coma. From such a sudden awakening, Boletus was understandably drowsy and confused as he ran around the apartment in a tizzy, and just had to trip over a box and land in such a way that overstretched the multitude of ligaments in his knee. And now he's here, being instructed to sit down by a baby-faced doctor that he just met. How old is he, anyways? But then, he notes the slightly pointed ears on the man, and realizes he's probably a half elf. You can never tell with them. I can't go home. I need the money. Shit shit shit... Of course, with multiple eyes on him, Boletus doesn't try to argue. He sits on of the rolling office chairs, wincing even more as the bend of his knee stretches those injured ligaments even more. All he can do is sigh in defeat, tail hanging limply behind him. "You're acting like a little bitch, Bo. Stand up. It's not that serious. Keep up, you're falling behind. Look at Oti! She's a girl, and she's outrunning you by miles. Come on!"

Delton now knows exactly where the other man is injured, seeing the wince when he stretches it. He gets down beside the other man and looks at it, taking in the slight welling of the area. He glances up at Boletus from his crouched position, "May I examine your knee? And can you tell me what happened?" The voice he uses is the one he reserves for patients that are nervous or scared. He's been told it tends to soothe people, at least a little bit. This poor man. First day plus an injury? He's probably feeling so bad right now.

"Yes, yes, do whatever." His tone is harsh, coming from a place of pure frustration with himself. His words leaves a bad taste in his mouth, so he quickly changes his tune. "I'm sorry. You're on the clock, as am I. I hate to take you away from the actual patients here." At lease this isn't one of those asshole doctors. He's worked with enough of those. Delton's tone seems to suit a pediatrician or a palliative doctor more than an ER one. It's strangely soothing to have someone speak to him like this in a place where only chaos exists. "I was... gods, it's embarrassing. It's stupid," he says quietly. "I was running late for work, and I tripped over a box and fell. That's all."

Delton hums a little bit, gently feeling the knee. It's definitely not broken, but seeing the extent of the sprain is essential. "Karlach, darling, can you get a knee immobilizer for me, please? Thank you." He looks back up at the tiefling. "The first time I witnessed a C-section I passed out cold on the floor, earning me the name Sleeping Beauty from my classmates - who always made a point to carry smelling salts around when they worked with me and tell me all about it." He shrugs, "Darling, life is embarrassing. We're people. Accidents happen. Fortunately, this was a rather small one. I do hope you know that you should be staying off it? I can't tell you what to do, but running around on the floor will not help you feel better."

"Got it, Red!" She runs off into the supply room, swiftly returning and handing the item to her colleague. She tries to stay and help watch over her orientee (which she have already adopted in her mind), but a call light from the frequent flyer halfling with CHF that refuses to take his furosemide and follow fluid restrictions is going off again because he can't breathe. Unsurprising, really. Her tail smacks the back of Bo's chair as she leaves.

Being called 'darling' makes his face feel hotter than it normally does. What do they put in the water here...? "I do, sir," he replies with a hint of apprehension. "But I..." How am I supposed to tell him that I'm the sole source of income for my family and my dad has brain cancer? I can't leave. I just can't. "I... I'll rest it. I mean, I know I'm supposed to rest it. I'll... speak with the charge nurse about this."

Delton smiles at him, sliding on the immobilizer. "Just try your hardest, darling. I know I personally am a terrible patient myself because I love my job, but I'd rather that stay a sprain then turn into something worse." The redhead had caught the hesitation. The tiefling probably feels the need to stay here for..some reason. And, sometimes, it's better not to push. He raises up from his crouch and pats Boletus on the shoulder, "Enough of the 'sirs,' Boletus. It makes me feel old and I'm probably not that much older than you." Leaning in conspiratorially, he says, "But feel free with Halsin - the man is *ancient.*" He speaks loud enough for Halsin to hear, who immediately starts protesting as Delton laughs. He sobers up a little and says, "If you can't go home, maybe they can leave you here and you can elevate your leg?"

Back from dealing with a dramatic little halfling, the tiefling is already pushing up another chair so that Boletus can rest his leg on it. "Pssst!" she whispers, completely uneccesary because she's standing right in front of him. "I talked to Lae. Look, I'm gonna just help you go through all the charting shit, and you can go through your education modules, you know, all the stuff like that. I know you're not new at this, yeah?"

"Oh, thank you m'am- Karlach, I mean," he begins. "You're right, I'm not. I've been a nurse for 5 years, and in the ER for 3 of them." Boletus can take care of patients. He knows the standard protocols for a STEMI, sepsis, strokes, and a variety of other medical emergencies. But learning a new charting system and getting to know the quirks of a new unit is always going to be a bit of a learning curve. He looks back to the young-looking doctor and smiles. "Thank you so much, sir, I mean... Dr. Nailo, " he says. "I can be a bit stubborn, so I'm sorry if I came across as rude earlier. I really do appreciate you taking a moment to look at me. I-I mean, my knee..." His tail, which hangs off the back of his seat, starts to wag slowly. What an awful first impression to make. Gods.

Delton can't help but be a little endeared by the other man. He reminds him, just a bit, of Theo. And we're going to squash that thought right there. No time for breakdowns in the Emergency Room. His smile is sincere, "We all can be a little short when we're in pain - especially if we don't want to admit it. No harm done at all. And it's Delton - we're a team here." "Can I get you anything? Since I ordered you to sit, I feel it's only fair to make sure all your needs are met."

"You've done enough, sir. Er, Dr. Nailo. Please, I'm sure there are plenty of others who need your attention." Boletus turns his attention away from the other man and gets right to work on orientation modules, the faint glow of the computer screen reflecting off of his glasses. His tail swings idly behind him, the rhythm slow and lazy.

"Shit!" Karlach yells from one of the patient rooms just across the hall. "Grab the crash cart!" Dinging bells can be heard from the monitor on the wall, along with another even louder alarm playing over the intercom. That halfling from earlier, that frequent flyer in for fluid overload, who called out because he couldn't breathe. Well, he wasn't kidding. That shortness of breath quickly turned into apnea, and that progressed into full on cardiac arrest. "Code blue, room 46. Emergency Department. Code blue, room 46, Emergency Department."

He didn't even have a chance to open up the introduction module before he heard Karlach yelling a phrase that set a flame in his chest immediately. Instinctively, he attempts to get up from his seat, but the throb of pain in his knee reminds him that he is in absolutely *no*shape to help. And it's killing him. His heart is pounding and his breathing quickens as adrenaline flows through his blood. He just has to sit there with it, unable to channel it anywhere. All he can do is watch as several other nurses, a phlebotomist, and a respiratory therapist crowd into the room.

Delton immediately jumps into action, ready to direct the entire procedure. His mind, in this moment, is unbelievably calm. He sees Karlach doing compressions and he can hear the crash cart veering rapidly toward them. He calls out orders like it's second nature, making sure everyone is communicating, and that people are clear when the defibrillator is about to get used. Right now, in the chaos, his mind goes quiet and he feels peaceful. He's helping. This is why he loves his job.

"We have a pulse!" The halfling man, now intubated and hooked to a ventilator, is alive to see another day. "Sinus rhythm in the 70s, oxygen 100% on the vent, co2 40..." she calls out the Delton. "Guess he's earned a ticket to the ICU. Lae's working on getting us a bed."

Boletus doesn't think he's ever seen a smoother code in his entire life. No one was panicking. This hospital actually has a dedicated code team that seemed to teleport out of thin air. Compressions, medications, intubation, nothing was delayed. And the doctor running it was mesmerizing. He wasn't panicking. Far from it. He looked at peace. Boletus swallows the lump forming in his throat, forcing his eyes away from the half elf and going back to his computer screen. He has his training module up, but all he's able to do is stare blankly at the screen.

Delton thanks his team. He knows what it's like to be unappreciated and these lovely people just helped save someone's life. "Let's hope Lae's ability to put the fear of the gods in people works tonight, Karlach." He sighs, the adrenaline starting to wear off slightly now that the patient is stabilized. Now, he was just back to tired. He needs to start making his rounds anyway. But he stops at the nurse's station, "First night and already in the thick of things, I see? I hope it gave you some confidence you are going to be working in a good place," he offers a shy smile.

Boletus is so zoned out, he hardly notices Delton approach him. The sudden voice causes him to jolt, ripping the mouse’s cable right out of them computer. “H-huh?” Realizing what he just did, he scrambles to plug the mouse back in, trying his best to seem like a very normal and put-together individual. And failing. “Y-yes, sir,” he stammers. “I-I mean, Dr. Nailo, sir. I mean! Dr. Nailo.” His long, heavy tail starts to swish about, bumping into the young doctor’s leg. Frustrated, he grabs it with his hands and holds it close to his body. This damn tail! “That was one of the smoothest codes I’ve ever seen, sir. Dr Nailo. You’re…” Incredible. “… very talented. Closed-loop communication, excellent delegation, textbook perfection. I, er, I used to teach ACLS back in Melvaunt, so… I ran a lot of mock codes. Nice to see it done well in practice.” He starts to fiddle with the tuft of fur at the end of his tail, which seems to be fighting the grip he has on the thing. “I’m very excited to get started working with you all. I’m already way more impressed with this facility than I have been anywhere else I’ve worked.”

Delton's eyebrows crease in concern, immediately noticing how distracted the tiefling seems. Maybe that sprain is worse than I thought. Wow, wouldn't that be a good first impression to make as a doctor... He relaxes a little when he realizes that Boletus was probably just thinking about the code and not in more pain than he realized. "I appreciate it, Boletus. But I'm just one member of a team and I couldn't do it without any of them. They make my job easy," he shrugs, "And speaking of being a team, it's alright to just call me Delton. We're on equal footing around here and I'm glad you are joining us." He shoots the nurse another small smile. Humming slightly, he tilts his head a bit and asks, mostly just to soothe his own worries, "You're alright? I mean, your knee isn't bothering you too much? You seem a little...distracted."

"Distracted? N-no. I just... have a lot of my mind. I, uh, I just moved here. A lot of logistics to sort out," he explains. It's not 100% the truth and not 100% a lie, but he's still coming to terms with the fact that he finds the doctor standing just a little too close to him to be extremely attractive. "M-my knee is about as good as it can be. Just a teeny bit sore." He can't lie and say he isn't basking in the attention being paid to him. He almost wants to play it up, pretend he's suffering more than he really is, just to get more of that care that he's not really used to getting. But, that's not Boletus's style. It's a desire that squashed down rather easily. "Orientation modules are just... well, it's just much more exciting to watch you all work. My heart is still pounding." Not a lie: it is still pounding, but it's not just because of a witnessed cardiac arrest.

Delton smiles a bit in relief that the nurse seems alright. "I'm glad to hear that. Please do let me know if that changes." He thinks for a moment. "Do you have anyone helping you with those logistics? I know how hard it can be to move to a new city. I'm sure I might know someone..." Or, more accurately, Mairwen might know someone. "And I get it. But I hope they're helpful at least...working in a new system can be hard." He shoots Boletus a sympathetic smile, "I hope they're not too boring. I know most people in the ER like a little bit of chaos."

He lets the boring little orientation video play, but pays absolutely no attention to it. There’s something much more interesting standing right bedside him. “Ah, well, it’s really just me handling things at home at the moment,” he begins to explain. “My father is sick and my sister is in school. We decided to move here because my hometown… well, it’s not a great place when you need specialized healthcare. I couldn’t afford to keep traveling to Cormyr for my dad’s treatments.” Why are you even telling him this? Truthfully, it’s because Boletus has no one to talk to. His dad has been sick for several years, and he has not told a single soul about it until now. The tiefling is the man of the house. He’s the breadwinner. He wants his sister to focus on school, and therefore, has decided to place the brunt of his father’s care and the work required to move them all to a completely new city so far away from everything they know onto himself. Otidea offers to help, of course, but he insists on handling it alone. Truthfully, he finds her naivety a hindrance. She’s only 19, after all. “Ah, sorry. I did not mean to blab like that,” he admits, blushing a deep orange shade out of embarrassment. Just stop talking, Bo. He doesn’t need to hear your sob story, if it could even be considered one. He clears his throat, ready to change the subject. “These training videos are always the most boring part of a new job. You’re definitely not wrong about the ER attracting a certain kind of person, haha…” After all, it’s the one area of healthcare most similar to a battlefield.

Delton gives him a sympathetic smile, reaching out to pat the other man on the shoulder. "That must be very difficult. I admire the fact that you decided to do right by your family by taking such a risk. I know how hard it is to move, having moved around a lot in my childhood." Now isn't the time to tell him it was from group home to group home, things in garbage bags. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here. I know grief can be difficult to contend with, even if it doesn't come from the usual sources." He laughs a little at that, "They're the absolute worst. And trying to get the new residents to take them at least semi-seriously is a nightmare, Boletus." His smile never leaves his face, honestly only growing.

That touch is all it takes to confirm that he’s screwed. His blush gets deeper, and his tail wags excitedly back and forth. Boletus turns his head down, pretending to focus on the snooze fest that is learning about EMTALA and the hospital’s code of conduct policies. Why am I like this… am I that lonely? He dares not turn to face the kind doctor. Little crushes are easy to squash, he finds, the less you look at the object of your desire. Which will be quite hard since they’ll be working so closely together. “U-um, thank you for the offer… haha… you’re the nicest doctor I think I’ve ever m-met,” he stammers. “You definitely don’t fit the stereotype of an ER doc. N-not that that’s a bad thing. Far from it. I was bracing myself for the typical… well. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.” Horrible bedside manner. Looking down on nurses, cursing them out, ignoring their concerns… Melvaunt had no shortage on doctors like this. I swear I can hear the smile in his voice. Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him.

Delton laughs again, the sound bright. "I really try to not be the stereotype. People come here because they're scared and if I can help just a little bit by being genuinely kind, well, it's my honor to do so. Plus, it's no hardship to be kind." He scans the room. "Halsin’s like that as well, don't worry. But well, Minthara Baenre is wonderful at her job but her manner...leaves a little to be desired. If you have any problems with her, don't be afraid to find Halsin or I." He pauses and adds, "Or Karlach or Lae'zel. We can usually talk some sense into her." "We're a team." He glances down at his watch, "I better get started before Lae has my head. Have a good first day, Boletus."

"A team, huh?" he says with a smile. "The way it should be." He files that laugh away in his memory. Maybe next time, he could find a way to secretly record it with his phone. "Oh god," he mutters to himself as he clicks on yet another training module. They seem endless. The rest of the night passes slowly for him, with nothing to do but monotonous busy work, all while the rest of the staff run around putting out one fire after another. Every once in a while, he spots red hair running to and fro, looking just as calm and graceful as he did during the code. He never stays still long enough for Boletus to get a good look at him. Perhaps that's for the best.

A bit later...

At the end of the shift, Karlach was kind enough to scrounge up some crutches to let Boletus borrow for the time being, allowing him to get home on his own without aggravating his knee further. Thankfully, his next orientation shift wasn’t for another two days. Plenty of time to rest up, right? That doesn’t mean Boletus doesn’t try to get up from his self-imposed bedrest. Multiple times. I need to unpack the kitchen things, first. Then, the bathroom things. And I need to get dinner started… did I remember to do the dishes before work? Oh, I needed to call the landlord about the dishwasher not working... where did I leave their number? His legs are swung over his bed, face only slightly contorted in pain from the movement. Of course, a well-meaning half-orc walks right by his room, looking at him like a disappointed mother.

“Bro, sit the fuck down,” Otidea says plainly, a resignation in her tone that suggests that she’s said it way too many times today.

“This place is a mess, sis. I can’t relax with all these boxes everywhere…” He speaks honestly. He really can't stand a mess. Of course, he knows a fresh move means things will be in a bit of disarray for a while, but that doesn't do anything to soothe the dread in his chest from seeing his living quarters look so... disastrous.

She just rolls her eyes. “Tough shit. Look, I’m gonna unpack some of ‘em once I get done with the laundry,” she says, a big hamper full of dirty clothes already in her arms. “You relax for once. I got this!”

“...Make sure you separate the lights from the darks, please.”

“Dude, I know I was raised in a tribe of orcs, but damn. I know how to do laundry,” she scoffs.

“Uh huh.” I don’t believe you, based on your prior track record. “…How’s dad?”

“Knocked the fuck out, the way he should be,” she says with a hint of venom in her voice. “He was being such an asshole this morning. Had to bust out the ‘van.” Otidea looks incredibly sad all of a sudden. Whatever she wants to say, she keeps to herself. “Um, anyways… just consider your poor widdle knee a good excuse to take a break for once. Why don’t you, I dunno, read a book? Knit something? I’ll grab whatever you need. I don’t have classes till next week, soooo… consider me the nurse for the day, yeah? Bahaha!”

Boletus can’t help but return the laugh, albeit with much less enthusiasm. “Bahaha… you, a nurse? Well, patients would probably like you,” he muses. “Actually, the nurse orienting me reminds me of you, kinda. Maybe you should switch majors and join our ranks?”

The half-orc laughs even louder, almost dropping her giant pile of laundry. “BAHAHA! Fuck off, Bo. I ain’t dealing with that shit. I’m already gonna die young, dude. Don’t need that extra stress.”

“Oti, hey…” But Otidea is already off to get a load of laundry started, and Boletus is left to sit with a multitude of thoughts and feelings that weigh heavily on him. He’s stuck in bed, stuck in one place, stuck with nothing to do. His palms start to feel incredibly itchy. It would be nice, he thinks, if someone like that nice doctor were here to touch his shoulder, to smile at him. “Oh my god…” he groans, holding his face in his hands. “What the hell is wrong with meeeee…” I cannot be crushing on a damn doctor. Holy hell. Boletus eventually finds a documentary on fighter jets to pass the time with, trying his damned best not to remember that bright little laugh the lit up that dark and gloomy nurse’s station.

Across the city, in the Sea Ward.

Content Warning: ||Stalking and harassment|| Delton is not having a good day. When he arrived home from work, at his door, there was a vase of lily of the valleys and red tulips at his door. When he checked, his security cameras had been cut. No footage, whatsoever. Most people might think it's the work of a secret admirer. At one point, that's what Delton thought too. Then, the notes and pictures started coming. ||Him walking down the street with the caption 'You looked so pretty today.' Notes on his car telling him exactly what the bastard wants to do with him. Once, he even got a 'little gift' - a small teddy bear - at his *office.*|| The bastard had ruined teddy bears, for gods' sake. So he had to go to the police and make a report. And send a notice to his neighbors requesting any footage of the incident. At least his neighbors were understanding... But, the Watch is right. The person hasn't done anything to him. Not really. That doesn't mean he isn't worried. (He's scared out of his fucking mind.) So when he goes home to sleep a bit before his night shift, hoping the exhaustion and some melatonin would lull him back to sleep. He can at least cuddle Quothe, if nothing else.

The Rottweiler greets Delton at the door with butt wiggles and a toy in his mouth. His rainbow sheep, an honor only reserved for Delton. He can tell that his person is struggling and wants to be as helpful as possible. So after he is fed and watered and let out back, he immediately hops into bed, whining for Delton to join him.

Delton brushed his teeth, stripped, popped more melatonin than the recommended dose, and curled up with his puppy. Maybe when I wake up, it'll all feel like a dream.

A little bit later, at the hospital...

Unfortunately, waking up from the teeny nap he had did not make it all go away. He drops his baby off at the pet sitters and went on his way, planning to change in the locker rooms to avoid having fur all over his scrubs. He stops and orders a chai with three espresso shots as well as Halsin’s pumpkin latte. A trenta for himself. He'll need it to get through today. Good thing he invested in a gigantic thermos. Halsin gives him a disapproving look when he saw the drink in his hand, but didn't say anything, just taking his latte. They walk in silence for a few minutes, before Halsin speaks.

"You're still getting *gifts*, Delton?" He says the word 'gifts' as if it personally offends him. Because it does. "There has to be something to be done about it! You're shaking all the time and I think your sleep - somehow - had gotten worse." He's frustrated and angry at the system and really wants to do something. But Delton won't accept his help. Not even a shoulder to lean on, beyond the night he got drunk enough on his couch to spill what was happening.

Delton plasters on his best smile, taking a giant sip of his coffee. "I'm fine." Lie. "If the Watch says I'll be fine, it can't be that bad." Another lie. He glances down at his watch. "Oh, look at the time - need to change right now or I'll be late. See you on the floor!" He slides into the locker room, quickly stuffing his things away and changing into clean scrubs. He doesn't dare look at himself in the mirror. He must look like a wreck. Not like the man Theo fell in love with. Gods, I miss him. Theo would've known what to do about this gigantic mess he's in. Instead, he has to go at this alone. He's just so tired.

A few days of rest did wonders for Boletus's little knee sprain. Sure, it was still a tad sore, but nothing a couple of NSAIDs and the knee brace couldn't handle. He's ecstatic to be back to work for real this time. No stupid knee to get in the way. The way he looks during huddle at the nurse's station is much different than the pathetic manchild he feels he must have come across as when he first walked through those doors. He's eager to erase that first impression from his fellow co-worker's minds and show them how he can really be. Of course, there is one co-worker in particular he is hoping to... what, exactly? Impress? Charm? Get to know? He's looking around, scanning the crowd of various staff members as the day shift's charge nurse reports out the unit census and a variety of other tidbits of info to prepare night shift for whatever horrors await them. Bo, stop that. You need to focus. This is your first real day. No distractions.

The other tiefling is looking over the schedule posted on a little piece of paper and smiling. "Hell yeah! Bo, we got the fuckin' A team back on tonight! Got Lae, Halsin, and even Red! Yahoo!" It's always nice when Dr. Baenre isn't there... her shift probably starts next week. Better start praying now.

Red? Oh, right... His tail starts to wag happily, the fluff at the end swaying in the air.

Delton comes around the corner, Halsin on his heels. He looks a little worse for wear, the dark circles under his eyes prominent. His normally bright smile is a little forced and he keeps glancing at the door with something like concern in his eyes. His voice is still chipper when he greets them, however. He's also carrying what looks like an obscenely large thermos. Halsin, on the other hand, is frowning. "Hello friends. Halsin and I will once again be taking point but we all know that Lae is really in charge here. I defer, with appropriate fear of course, to her judgement." He chuckles and smiles, "All jokes aside, let's have a good night shift, yeah?" He hopes the smile he sends to the crowd is appropriately cheerful. (But, compared to his usual sunshine, it's nothing.) When he spots Boletus, he quickly tries to intercept him, gently touching his arm to grab his attention. "How's the knee, Boletus?"

Boletus feels on top of the world right now after his much needed rest, and that touch he already found himself missing just elevates his mood further. “Oh, sir! It’s feeling much better…” Boletus trails off when he finally turns to face the man. His wagging tail stops mid-wag and seems to droop slightly. He seems off, like a light is missing. “Uh, sir…” he begins, staring at elf’s exhausted visage with concern. “Are you… ok? Rough night?”

Delton smiles at the words, a little more genuine than before. "I'm glad to hear that. Sprains are no fun." A brief pause, "and I'd prefer just Delton, really." He seems a little thrown by the question, not used to people showing him concern. Halsin and Mairwen really were the only ones who saw through him - everyone else just doesn't seem to ask questions. "Oh, just a rough day s'all," try a rough few years, "No need to worry about me, but I appreciate it all the same." This man really is a sweetheart, checking in on him like that. He just hopes he sounds convincing enough.

“With all due respect, I don’t believe I’ve earned the right to call you that just yet.” Behind him, his tail swishes quite idly. Whereas before he was leaning against the countertop, he now stands upright. “Dr. Nailo. You have a difficult job…” You took time out of your busy day to attend to a stubborn idiot like me. “…And you do it very well. My use of titles comes from a place of deep respect. Besides, it’s only my second day here. Perhaps after a few weeks, I’ll earn that very elusive first name privilege.” Boletus knows that look in the young man’s eyes. Many a fellow soldier shared that look, eyes reflecting a lifetime’s worth of hardship experienced in just a few short years. Perhaps his eyes would have looked more like that had he finished out the remainder of his service. ”Medically discharged? What kind of bullshit is that? You can walk. You can talk. Explain, Bo.” ”Dad… I-“ ”Speak up, son. Or should I say, little lady?” “Well, sorry to hear you had a rough day. Let’s hope this shift flies right on by then, hmm?” the tiefling says through a warm smile. It’s not his business, Boletus thinks. Everyone has their story, and he’ll learn this man’s soon enough.

Delton can't help but feel a little flattered at the way Boletus speaks to him, about him. His heart flutters a little at that - it's not entirely uncommon for other men to overlook his talents because of his diminutive nature and stature. Plus, there is a certain machismo that many ER doctors - and male nurses - still have. His late husband just added fuel to the fire that he's somehow not as qualified to do his job, even if he could run circles around the other doctors. And he's just a gay man - his female counterparts have it even worse. Waterdeep is by far a generally great place to live as a queer person. He just so happened to land himself in a career full of arrogance and assholes. He's a little shocked for a moment, eyes blinking owlishly - blame the exhaustion - but he quickly collects himself and delivers a shy smile up at Boletus, having to crane his neck slightly now that the other man isn't leaning. "I-I really appreciate it, Boletus. But I don't want you to feel like you have to earn your place here - you already have. And, besides that, I'm not all that special." Just special in a way that attracts unwanted, creepy attention. Beating that thought down, he says, "I hope so. A dragging shift on already long day just makes it longer."

"Nonsense on both accounts," he states plainly. "It's only my second day, well, I'm hoping this counts more as my first real day, if I'm going to be honest. Either way, I have yet to earn my place here. This sort of hospital... it pales in comparison to the rural hospitals I've worked in." Boletus might have spent some time marveling at the fact that this place has a 24 hour cafeteria and doesn't make the nurses mix their own medications. Never again will he have to experience the torture of shaking the hell out of a bag of Zosyn. "And as for the second point..." You seem plenty special to me. I spent 12 hours that night watching you work. It's all I needed to see. He clears his throat out of nervousness before he starts to speak. "Well, you're a breath of fresh air when it comes to an ER doctor." Yeah, that doesn't imply you're crushing just a little, right?

Delton tilts his head. "Having different perspectives and experiences is what makes you an asset to the team, Boletus. These city folk aren't going to think of things like Lyme's or inpotable water because they never encounter it." He gestures at Bo, "You're used to roughing it and finding solutions for things that are outside the box. That's exactly what we need in the ER." His cheeks tint pink at the compliment. "I appreciate it Boletus, but I don't want to give you any undue expectations either. I'm...just trying my best, I suppose." He shrugs a little, smiling shyly.

The tiefling laughs quietly, attempting to stifle it behind a hand over his mouth. "You're too kind," he says with a blush. "Let's hope we don't encounter anything even remotely close to cholera in a place like this. Nasty stuff..." He wrinkles his nose at memories best left unspoken. "And give yourself more credit, sir. You're not just trying your best. You are. I think-" Boletus would have finished his thought, but a fire-red tiefling woman is pulling him away.

"BO! Let's get started! We got a STEMI that just came in. Gotta show you how we page cards..." She rifles through a little piece of laminated paper on her badge, and then scrolls on her work smartphone. "Uuuuugh," she groans. It's hard to tell if it's exaggerated or not. "Dr. Thorm's the cards doc on call. Ugh. Let's get this over with."

"O-oh, right." He glances to Delton, flashing an apologetic smile towards him. "See you around, sir. Er, Dr. Nailo." He turns his attention to Karlach, bombarding her with questions and little statements. "... so, we'll transport him to the cath lab ourselves, yes? The last hospital I worked at didn't even have one. I'm excited to see it... Did we already give the nitro...? I can grab the aspirin if you haven't already..." Their tails smack into each other a few times as they rush off.

Delton blushes even more at the compliment, cursing his complexion for not the first time. He raises his hand in a wave, a little disappointed that their conversation was cut short. "See you later, Boletus..." His heart is fluttering and he has no idea why. But, no matter, he needs to start his own rounds. He's just hoping for no frat boys with ahem vegetable accidents today.

1

Alvilda (Tav: Helaena+)

alvilda_

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"Now this is more like it," he thinks. This is the rhythm of existence that he's used to. Traumas, CVAs, cardiac arrests. Critical patients requiring critical thinking rolled in though the doors with seemingly no end in sight. Of course, there were plenty of "I've had back pain for 10 years and thought coming to the ER at 5am" type patients too, along with the frequent flyers, who Karlach had silly little nicknames for. They came to seek a fix of their favorite pain med and a turkey sandwich before going about their way. Regardless, Boletus treated each and every one of them with the utmost respect. "Alright, sir. Here are your discharge instructions and a taxi voucher. Hope we don't have to see you back, alright? I'd prefer our next meeting to be at the local supermarket," Boletus says to an elf who came in for vague abdominal pain, yet refused all scans. "Mhmm," grunts the elf, yanking the papers angrily from his hand and limping his way out of the door. The behavior doesnt faze him at all. Boletus considers himself lucky that he didn't get cussed out when he had to break it to him that Dr. Silverbough wasn't going to be giving him any morphine without a ct scan first. The entire shift passes by in a flash.

When the clock strikes 7am, Karlach starts to do a little happy dance. "You made it, Bo! Man, you got this shit... maybe we can cut your orientation short? I bet the boss wouldn't mind," she shrugs. Short staffing affect all hospitals, even the well-off ones that can afford to pay their staff (but chose not to).

"O-oh, thanks," he replies, his tail wagging swaying happily behind him. "I honestly wouldn't mind that at all. I can always ask you or Lae'zel questions anyways. As you can see, I'm no stranger to this kind of work flow." The two tieflings discuss how the shift went for awhile as they pack up to go home. Boletus can't deny that he's a bit sad he had very little time to speak with Dr. Nailo. He hangs around the nurse's station a bit, pretending to be straightening up or shooting the shit with the day shift nurses in an attempt to catch him on his way out of the door. What am I doing? I've asked myself this question way too many times lately, I think...

Delton is exhausted. It was a quick shift, fortunately, but that didn't change the fact that he was running on caffeine and spite at this point. His bed was calling him. Hopefully, there won't be any surprises on my doorstep, this time. He decides to stop by the nurses' station to greet the day shift - always good to make sure everyone feels appreciated after all. His heart flutters a little when he sees the tiefling towering over everyone. He tries to tamp it down - *he's one of the nurses, for gods' sake - but the man makes him feel happy. Appreciated. "Hello everyone! Good morning - does anyone need anything before the day shift officially signs on?" Gods, he hopes not. Frankly, he just wants to have a short chat with Boletus, pick up his baby, and then sleep.

Boletus just stares at Delton while the nurses crowd around him, all greeting him and borderline brown-nosing him with their flirty little "hellos" and small talk questions like "how was you shift?" and "how's your dog?" Day shift tended to attract the older staff, and older nurses can't resist a cute, kind doctor like Dr. Nailo. He sips on a cup of water, essentially waiting his turn to greet Mr. Popular. A dog? I wonder what kind of dog he has... He imagines the man with a tiny little Pomeranian, and much like a dog, his own tail starts to wag at the idea of Delton cuddling up with a little ball of fluff.

Delton patiently answers everyone's questions while side-stepping the flirting. About six months after his husband passed, the nurses figured it was an appropriate time to start flirting. Now, he just tries to ignore it as best as he can. Eventually, he manages to get to the person he actually wants to talk to. No offense to the other nurses but, well, he's tired today. He smiles shyly up at Boletus, "How was your first official shift? I hope it went smoothly, Boletus." His heart is fluttering still, despite his best efforts. The tiefling just makes him - happy, he guesses.

The swing of his tail is wider and faster as the young doctor approaches him, shy smile and all. "Oh! Hello, Dr. Nailo!" he greets excitedly. With a clearing of his throat, he wills himself to calm down from just how eager he is to greet the man he's been waiting hours and hours to talk to. He doesn't need that kind of energy right now. "It went about as smoothly as you could expect in a place like this. I'm very impressed with the facilities here, sir. Er, Dr. Nailo." Boletus can sense the tiredness in the doctor's entire demeanor. He doesn't want to straight up blab to him, so he stops himself from gushing about their place of employment. "How was your day?"

Delton laughs a little at Boletus' enthusiasm, a kind laugh that sounds absolutely sincere. "I admire your ability to be this cheery after a twelve-hour shift, Boletus." He takes a sip of his non-caffeinated tea, savoring the taste. "It was quick, which is always good. Most of my cases were quick ins-and-outs fortunately. I'm glad you like it here. It's great to have you." He smiles again, "Karlach has been singing your praises every time she catches me. You should be proud. Oh, speaking of her... she calls you 'Bo' - would you prefer to be called that?" Nevermind that Boletus won't call Delton by his preferred name. It's out of respect, but still disappointing.

Boletus can’t help but let Delton’s praises go to his head. Just a little. “Well, I’m very glad to hear that coming from someone like you. I’d say Karlach seems the type to often exaggerate, but…” If you agree with her, surely it must be true. How silly I was to doubt myself here. It’s where I belong and what I should be doing, after all. In response to the question about his name, he shrugs while wearing a somewhat embarrassed smile on his face. “It’s up to you, really. My name is objectively strange, so at least with ‘Bo’ I can pretend to be sort of normal.” His tail swings at an uneven rhythm. “My father thought because his name sounded somewhat like a certain mushroom, he should name his children after mushrooms, too. Boletus is a genus considering of over 100 different species. A lot of them are edible… silly, isn’t it? If you’re going to name a child after something in nature, most opt for a flower…” He should have left to catch his bus over 20 minutes ago. Yet here he is, explaining the origins of his name to a doctor he’s barely known for a week.

Delton can't help but smile at Boletus - well, just in general. The man is hopelessly endearing and sweet. And a nurse. That you work with on a daily basis. He tells to his traitorous fluttering heart, who can't help but swoop a little at every little praise given to him by this man. What can he say? He's been attracted to a solid one person in his life and he was attracted to Theo's stalwart kindness and competence. Boletus has both those qualities in spades - and he's very very cute. He fell for Theo almost instantly - though his own self-worth made him wait for almost five years before giving it a chance. So, he's not surprised. But, his heart isn't fluttering because Bo's like Theo. In fact, the two men are very different. His husband was headstrong and loud and reckless and Bo couldn't be any more different. Delton, get your head back in the game. He giggles a little at the ramble, "Well, I like it. It's a unique name for a lovely person. I can't say my name is exactly common - I make a bet with my colleagues every time I go to a conference on whether the announcer will call me 'Dalton' at least once. I haven't lost yet." "But I hope you don't mind if I switch between the two when we talk or I refer to you?" He asks, a little hopefully.

"Oh, not at all, sir. I might poke fun at it, but my full name doesn't bother me all that much. At least-" While he speaks, the brain finally processes the entirety of what Delton just said. "Lovely?" Sometimes, Boletus blurts out his thoughts without fully realizing it.

Delton's face falls a bit, worried that he's caused some offense. Please let him not be straight. Or at least straight and not an asshole. "I meant-I meant no offense. I just think you're very lovely, Bo. A great person to be around and very kind and, yeah..." His cheeks are as red as his hair and he can't help but duck his head.

"No offense taken, sir!" he shouts. Yes, shouts. His heart is beating a million miles a minute, and his tail is wagging so hard, it causes one of the day shift nurses to trip over it, which in turn, causes that nurse to crash into the dietary aide carrying a breakfast tray. Food goes flying everywhere, mostly landing on said unfortunate day shift nurse. "Oh! I am so sorry!" exclaims the tiefling. He's immediately on the floor helping his coworker up, checking them for injuries because that's what he's been trained to do for most of his adult life. Every other word out of his mouth is just an iteration of the word "sorry". Next, he's frantically cleaning the food mess with some towels from a linen cart. Boletus is quite literally on his hands and knees wiping up the floor as best as he can. Scrambled eggs cling to the knees of his scrub pants. This has to be a bad dream. It has to be. Just wake up, Bo.

Delton blinks, a little shocked at the shouting. And then watches a disaster like it was happening in slow motion. Gods, this poor man. His poor tail seems to have a mind of its own. He checks on both the nurse and dining aid and, they're both alright, just a little surprised. But, honestly, they've all seen much worse. And had much worse things on them. Sending both to go change, Delton gets on his own knees to help Bo clean up a little - it is not right, after all, to make a mess and expect the custodians to just take care of it - but the other man has already gotten most of it. Placing a hand on Bo's shoulder, he gives it a gentle shake, "Bo...Boletus! It's fine. Accidents happen. No one's hurt and nothing broken." He gestures around him, "It's just eggs." "Why don't I guide you to the locker rooms to get changed? Or at least cleaned off a bit?" He shoots Bo his most persuasive smile, the one Theo never quite learned how to say no to.

That touch again. It makes him feel hot all over, and it's just a touch on his shoulder. It brings him back to his unfortunate reality: that he has inconvenienced at least three people because he can't act normally around a cute man that is simply being nice to him. "Oh, oh no, I couldn't ask you to do that. Isn't it ti-" As he turns to look at Delton, ready to insist the exhausted man go home to get some rest, he is staring at quite possibly the most lethal smile he has ever seen. And its for him. "Uh... sure. Thank you, sir." He stands up. He is a mess. He is ready to do whatever Delton tells him to do.

Delton's smile softens a little at the agreement, putting away the smile that seems to make most people melt. He takes Bo's arm to guide him to the locker rooms, assuming the man may have not been there yet or might be a little too flustered to really know the way. It is only his second day after all. They fill the walk with idle chatter. Funny patients they've seen today, what they like about Waterdeep, light stuff. Once they get to the door, Delton stops. "Do you need me to grab your stuff for you? I drive, so I'm not really concerned about the time, don't worry."

For once, Boletus hasn’t concerned himself with what time it was, enjoying the small talk. Until the moment was over, and Delton said the word “time.” “Oh, crap!” he shouts, looking at his watch in abject horror. “It’s another 15 minutes for the next bus to the South Ward…” He takes out his phone and starts to text someone. ”Sis, I’m sorry I’m running late! Some stuff happened at work. Make sure dad takes his phenobarbital and keppra. The keppra is big, so you have to cut it in half and make sure he’s sitting all the way up. He has his other pills too, but those can wait until I get home. He HAS to take those two medications at the very least. See you soon! Love you. Boletus Zales” The instructions were wholly unnecessary. Otidea has been helping with their father’s care ever since he got sick. She knows those two pills are his most important, because they prevent seizures. She knows she has to start with them, because their father will often refuse to take the rest of his medicine out of frustration, wielding a unique brand of anger born from a once proud man succumbing to a terminal illness. Boletus still texted her those instructions, because if he hadn’t, he would have begun to panic, and he can’t do that. Not here. “Sir, thank you so much for your time, but I need to get home. I…” He checks his watch again. 12 minutes until the next bus. It takes him 8 minutes to walk to the bus stop, 5 if he sort of jogs. He can still make it. “I can’t miss my bus, sir. Um, I can grab my stuff! It’ll only take one minute or two,” he states, the rest of his words starting to trail off. “And the that leaves me… 2 minutes of wiggle room… I should be able to make it…”

Delton looks at him with confusion, "Bo, darling, I can give you a lift. It's no problem at all. That way you don't have to give yourself a panic attack." He places his hand on Bo's arm, "Can you take a deep breath for me? I think it would make you feel better." His practitioner voice is pointedly not on. He's here as a coworker and potential friends. Not a doctor. "You live in the city, I'm guessing?"

He looks right into Delton's eyes, his own wide in shock, as if he doesn't believe him. "S-sir, I couldn't ask you to do that!" Panic attack? He glances at his watch again. That's another 30 seconds wasted arguing with someone who is just being nice and generous like he is with everyone else, surely. It's either your pride, or you have to wait another 15 minutes to catch the next bus. Then you'll be home almost an hour later than you're supposed to be. Otidea should be just leaving to meet with her school advisors. That means dad will be home alone for 20 minutes at the very least. He's too weak to be by himself for too long. I can't have that. What if he tries to get up and falls? Boletus wastes another 30 seconds spiraling in his mind. That's one minute wasted. That's only one minute of wiggle room left. That's not nearly enough time, because he still hasn't grabbed his things. Only now does he take a deep breath as Delton instructs. His voice sounds so much different to him now. "Thank you, sir. I... yes. I live in the South Ward. I'm sorry it's a bit far..." It's not like Boletus could have afforded much better. He was lucky to find the property he did, having almost resorted to living in the Field Ward.

Delton smiles at Bo's agreement, happy he didn't have to argue at all. "Delton is fine, really, Bo." "Go grab your things! I live in the North Ward, but I don't mind the drive. My pet sitter lives in the South Ward anyway, so, if you don't mind, I'll pick him up on the way?" He has to like dogs. Please let him like dogs. Brain, shut up! He laughs a little, "Three of my former foster kids live there. So, I'm quite familiar with the ward don't worry." His smile turns secretive, "And the Waterdhavians are very particular in calling it 'the Southern Ward,'" he uses his fingers to make mocking quotation marks, "Calling it the South Ward pins you as a foreigner. Learned that the hard way, myself."

The tiefling just tilts his head at that, the tip of his tail curling upward much like a question mark. "Really? South vs Southern seems... like such a small distinction. What, do the locals make fun of you or something?"" It's not like Boletus has told anyone where he lives besides Delton, so he has yet to have someone call him out for the cultural faux pas. His mouth becomes a straight line as he tries to parse through the logic of such a custom. "I guess I'll try to keep that in mind. And did you say pet sitter? I obviously don't mind stopping by since you were headed that direction anyways, and you're already doing me such a huge favor..." I get to meet the the dog?! His tail wags much like a dog, of course, at the prospect of getting to meet Delton's dog, which is surely a cute little toy breed like Pom or a Papillion...

Delton scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah, the locals can be...a little mean about it. I got called uneducated by an older lady at a party for calling it the South Ward. I thought my, um, late husband was going to pop a vein." His heart pangs at the mention of Theo. As it always does, but he smiles at Bo's tail wagging much like Quothe's does when he's excited. "I'll just probably ask you to get out of the car to introduce yourself, so that he's not too excitable in the car. That way we can get you home as soon as possible." He stops for a second, "And, I'm sorry. My car is rather small - but the front seat is set up for Halsin so you shouldn't have too many issues!" He shoos Bo in the direction of getting cleaned up and picking up his things.

Boletus frowns at the news. What an illogical custom, he thinks. He doesn't get much time to dwell on that, however. Late husband? Oh, god. Poor man. For now, he choses not to address that new piece of information, as it was mentioned in such an offhanded way he would find it weird to say "oh, sorry for your loss!" Well, that means he's interested in men. WAIT. What an awful thought to have! Gods, Bo. Get it together. "Oh, that's not a problem! I love dogs anyways. I'm very excited to meet them!" He's off to clean up and grab his things at Delton's gesturing. Not much later, he's back and wearing a slightly goofy smile on his face that he is unaware of. "Thank you so much again, sir! I hope to not make this a habit..."

Delton casually waits for Bo to get finished and, when he is, he smiles. "Oh it's no problem at all Bo! I'm going that way anyway, so I really don't mind. And, we're off the clock Bo. Delton is fine." He guides them down to the parking garage, smiling and saying hellos to staff they run into, quickly asking after families and pets. Then, they arrive outside. Delton shivers a little against the cold and beeps his alarm, revealing a little hybrid car in the staff parking lot.

He does have a point. We're just two people now that we've clocked out, aren't we? "Delton. Thank you." Boletus stares at the little hybrid car and chuckles silently to himself. Everything about this man is cute, down to the little car he drives. "Adorable car. You said you drive Dr. Silverbough in this? Well, if he can fit in in, then so can I, I suppose." And fit in it he does. He has to slouch just a tad to avoid having the tips of his horns poke the ceiling. He is often quite thankful they are small compared to most tieflings. His tail is tucked neatly between his legs. Being in such close proximity to something Delton owns, something he uses everyday, he can't help but notice how strongly it smells of him. It's a scent he was not even aware that he had already filed away in his memory from the day they first met. Vanilla with some sort of spice. Nutmeg? Cardamom? He wonders if it's his body wash, because the scent is too subtle and slightly feminine to be cologne. He can't get a good read on that second smell. It's too covered up by a couple of other competing scents. If Delton had never told him he had a dog, Boletus would have been able to guess, judging from the faint scent of dog fur coming from the back seat. There's also the unmistakable scent of the hospital-supplied hand sanitizer. It's a strange mix, for sure. But it's so uniquely Delton.

Delton hands Bo his phone to plug his address in, smiling apologetically. "Sorry again for the squeeze. It's just me and Quothe now so I figured I'd get a car to fit us and not, well, anyone else. You can lay your seat down further so you don't have to slouch, darling." Once Bo's address is in and his phone is placed in its holder, Delton starts to back out. Fortunately, the parking lot is pretty empty at this time of day - the day shift having already clocked in - so they get out quickly. "My pet sitters are my former foster kids. Rolan insisted in getting custody of his younger siblings - which we helped do - and we set them up in an apartment in the Southern Ward around other university kids. I texted him to bring Quothe out to the car so we can move quickly." He hummed, "You said your sister's going to university? Where and what for?"

"Oh, it's not a problem. I'm used to squeezing into places," he confesses. "Everyone in my family is big. Haha..." The seats on the public buses are even smaller than the one he's sitting in, after all. Foster kids? He must be older than me, then. You can never tell with half elves, seriously... The tip of his tail swishes in little circles at the mention of his sister. "She is. New Olamn. She looooves music. Spent all of her middle and high school years in band on the drum squad. Oh, that's her area of study. Percussion." Memories of listening to her tapping on practice pads for hours and hours fill his mind. It used to grate his nerves, but it didn't take long for him to get used to it. These days, he finds it strangely relaxing. There's a predicable pattern to a lot of percussion pieces that he finds comforting. "She was pretty sad when we moved here and she had to break up her little band. I'm hoping she can find some new friends and start back up... it's not my kind of music, but it's nice to watch her have fun." Unsurprising that Oti's little garage band in Melvaunt was a screamo one, and that Boletus, with his "old man" taste in music (according to Oti), didn't like it much.

Delton smiles, though Bo likely can't see it with his eyes so tied to the road. He drives carefully and defensively, not bothered at all by early morning commuters and their tendency to cut people off. Very safe. Very secure. "Rolan’s in his last year at Blackstaff studying architecture - he managed to land an internship in the Castle Ward and I'm so proud. Lia is also at New Olamn. Maybe I can introduce them? She's studying languages in hopes of being a translator but I know she's involved in their musicals. Cal doesn't know where he wants to go yet." He shrugs, eyes still on the road, "It's kind of weird, to be their pseudo-parent. I'm not even old enough to be their real parent. But they're good kids and I love them a lot. I miss them being home, to be honest." Especially now with Theo being gone. He laughs a little, "I play piano myself. My mother-in-law got me into it. Never quite got the taste for loud percussion, I will admit. Is...Otidea did you say?,,,is she settling in well?"

"Oh, that'd be great! She's um, very extroverted. I don't think she'll need my help meeting new people, but either way, sounds like a good idea. Oh, and congratulations to Rolan. Architecture is a great field." He steals a brief glance at Delton. Of course, his eyes are glued to the road. His profile is quite nice, he thinks. That brief thought makes him anxiously clear his throat before looking out of the window instead, marveling at a town whose sky isn't constantly covered by smog. Would it be rude to ask how old he is...? But once again, he's distracted by his sister being mentioned. It'll be a question for another time. "Otidea? She's been doing fine. She's adaptable. The kind of person who would be happy no matter where she is, as long as she's not... alone, I guess. Like I said, extrovert." The excitement of being in a new city, one much more cosmopolitan than Melvaunt, is enough of a welcome distraction for her. She is taking her father's illness much harder than Boletus, as he is someone who has become accustomed to sickness and death. He's able to distance himself from it, even when it has to do with his own father. Otidea? Not so much. "You said you play piano? I love classical piano... one of my weaknesses."

Delton smiles softly, "I'm glad to hear that. And hopefully Lia can make the transition even easier for her. But I'm glad to hear she's settling in well." He laughs at the question, "Yes, I'm a pianist. I'm okay, but nothing compared to what my father-in-law was. Nana - my mother-in-law, Mairwen - and I bonded over the piano after he passed..." Theo passed only two years later. Another pang to his heart. Shove it down and ignore it. "I play classical and covers. I have a keyboard in my house but Nana taught me on their grand piano. But, I love to listen to the instrumentals Papa - my father-in-law - recorded on the piano and violin." He reaches over and gently squeezes Bo's knee, keeping the touch quick and eyes on the road. "How about you? How are you settling in, Bo?"

"My favorite composer is Debussy. Satie is a close second..." he states absentmindedly. He's too distracted by his own thoughts to elaborate on a topic he wouldn't normal wax poetic about. He has a deceased husband. He's still close with his in-laws. What am I doing crushing on him like this? He's just a nice guy, that's all. I just like him because he's nice to me. I've seen him work. He's just like this with everyone, even strangers. It's so... unfair. To make matters worse, the simple gesture of Delton touching his knee, asking him if he's doing okay, seals his fate for good. Boletus likes this man a *lot*. His heart is pounding in his chest and the drumming sound of it reverberates in his head. He can tell his body is getting way too hot, too excited, and the first thing he thinks to do is secure his tail underneath his thighs. He can feel the muscles in it tense as it fights against the self-imposed leg prison. The last thing I need this stupid tail to do is kill us. "I-I... I... I'm fine. I'm good. Settled. Fine. Settling fine. Mhmm..."

Delton's eyebrows crease at the lack of reaction, the normally so enthusiastic man suddenly sounding so distant. "Are you alright, Bo? You don't have to tell me of course, but if you're struggling to settle in I'm sure...well I'm sure someone can help." He squeezes Bo's knee again, entirely unaware of the effect it is having. "And I'm always here if you need a listening ear..." They're getting past the bridges to the Southern Ward now. They should be at the Diodan's in no time.

Please stop touching me. Or, never stop touching me? Oh, hells. I don't even know. "I-I'm fine," he reassures, though his stammering is not helping him sounds convincing at all. "I do appreciate it, truly. But I'm doing f-fine with the settling thing. Just fine. I, uh, I'm pretty adaptable too. You know. Military. Me. I was in it. Combat medic. Lots of adapting. So, good at it. Navigating Waterdeep is not so bad. I like the challenge." Bo, shut up! You sound like an idiot. He keeps talking anyways. "I really appreciate this. I'd love to b-buy my own car and all. I had to sell my old one when I moved here. But the pay for n-nurses here is pretty good! I think I could save up, buy myself something decent. Public t-transport is great and all, good for the environment, but I'm a big guy. Those bus seats are way tiny. I'm used to cramming myself into little spaces, but still. Would be nice to have room. Even this little car is better than that bus. Plus, my sister would probably like it. She's so bad about being on time, always missing the bus. Having my own car allows for more wiggle room, time-wise..." Boletus talks a lot when he's panicking about something. It's like he can't stop moving his mouth, no matter how hard he tries. He goes on and on about topics vaguely relating to public transport and his desire for his own car, going into detail about the specific models he likes, their pros and cons. It seems endless.

2

Alvilda (Tav: Helaena+)

alvilda_

Bee (Tav: Delton)

traver1111

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Delton asks some questions here and there to just keep Bo talking. He doesn't mind - he likes to listen. And the information coulld be useful, one day. He does love to learn. Pulling into a modest appartment building, he's stopped at the gate, as usual. He greets the guard by name and asks after the man's family - his wife is pregnant and on bed rest. Delton was the one to recommend they get a second opinion when their first doctor was dismissing their concerns. After being let through, Delton pulls into one of the Diodans' spots, the one that isn't used. "Bo, feel free to get out. Rolan will be down in a minute, don't worry." He had warned Rolan he had company, which his foster son responded to with a rude emoji. He hadn't denigned that with a response.

Rolan came in, Quothe at a heel with his leash in his mouth. He might be a giant dog, but he's a well-behaved one. Once they open the door to the building, however, the way the rottweiler's butt starts to wiggle belies the fact that he knows their Ada's here to pick him up. And, there Delton was, setting up the net to separate the backseat from the front. However, Rolan doesn't really care about what Delton is doing right doing. Ada is not the weird occurrence here. No, the weird occurrence is the giant tiefling who is trying his hardest not to stare at his adopted father's butt - something Rolan didn't need to see, to be honest. Ada doesn't let people meet Quothe for a while usually. Ada never introduces him to people - he didn't meet Halsin until their was an emergency and neither him or Atto could pick them up. And Ada wasn't happy about it. Since, he's met Halsin plenty, but Ada has known Halsin for years. He didn't bring up this Boletus guy until today. He must be something special. Rolan's not impressed. Quothe couldn't help but bark, causing Ada to duck his head back out of the car and the tiefling to stand up straight, looking embarrassed. His father looks like shit. So he tells him as much. "Ada, you look like shit."

❤️

1

Alvilda (Tav: Helaena+)

alvilda_

❤️

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Boletus took the offer to get out of the car with welcome arms, enjoying being able to actually stretch his legs out. He's surprised to see a, frankly, very large Rottie jumping around excitedly at Delton's arrival. He has to resist the urge to get on his knees and coo at him. Not that it was hard to do, not when his eyes are staring blatantly at the doctor's trim figure bending over as he sets up the backseat for his very large dog. He thinks his glasses are hiding the way his eyes dart up and down, alternating between looking at the house and at Delton's backside. His tail swishes nervously back and forth. Loud, deep barking pulls him away from the little battle he's having with his eyes, and his tail stops moving. His first impression of Rolan is that he's a bit of an ass. Delton fostered this guy? Perhaps he just doesn't like strangers, or just has a naturally abrasive personality. He doesn't take it personally.

Delton sighs at Rolan's words, straightening up and brushing his scrubs off. He gets down on his knees to greet Quothe who gives him a hug, before grabbing the Rottie's leash and turning to his son. "Thanks, honey. That's exactly what I wanted to hear at this time in the morning." He leans up to give the young man a hug, the tiefling leaning down to return it. "Bo has to get to his house relatively soon for a personal commitment, so I can't stay long. But everything is good? You don't need anything right?"

Rolan doesn't take his eyes off the giant tiefling who was clearly just ogling his father a few seconds ago, even as he wraps his arms around Delton. But, he eventually closes his eyes to enjoy the closeness with his dad. His voice is much gentler when he replies, "We're *fine*, Ada. More worried about you when you come by looking like you haven't slept in days. You're okay? You promise?"

Delton squeezes Rolan once more before pulling back. "I'm fine, Rolan. And it's not your job to worry about me anyway. Let me be the parent, yeah?" He sees Rolan wrinkle his nose like the tiefling does every time they have this conversation and turns to try and buckle Quothe in to the car. This is always his least favorite process. Quothe is very well-behaved. He doesn't like to be buckled in the car.

Rolan takes the few moments he has to turn to Bo and look him up and down. He reaches a hand out to shake, smile a little forced. "Rolan. Diodan. Delton's my dad. And you are?" And why do you think its appropriate to stare at my dad's ass in front of me?

2

2

Alvilda (Tav: Helaena+)

alvilda_

Ell (Tav: Rosie and Co.)

polarized2023

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Steffi 🍄 [Tavs:Mushroom Mob]

.mushrooming

Ell (Tav: Rosie and Co.)

polarized2023

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He is used to other men sizing him up for one reason of another. In response to the perceived hostility, Boletus stands up stick straight, tail unmoving, his glowing eyes narrowed and looking down at the smaller tiefling. “Boletus, sir,” he responds, voice low and deep. “I work with your father.” He returns the handshake very firmly. “Nice to meet you, Rolan. Your father told me a bit about you on my way over here. Congratulations on your internship, by the way.”

Rolan raises an eyebrow at the honorific. At least the guy's polite, even if he's trying too hard. "Thank you. Will we be seeing more of you?" His Ada is still struggling with Quothe, their dog too excited about the prospect of meeting someone new to cooperate fully.

“I hope not to take too much advantage of your father’s kindness like this, so…” Of course, I’d want to see more of him. You? Well, if I have to. “… perhaps…hopefully again under better circumstances, and when I more time to properly introduce myself.” He glances back at Delton while a small smile. “Did you need help, Delton?”

Delton finally clicks Quothe into place, accepting the kisses to his face with all the grace possible when a Rottweiler licks your face. "No, I've got it!" He pops out of the car, smile on his face and looking a little ruffled. He smiles at Bo before turning to Rolan. "We have to go, little love. Be good and see you at the end of the tenday at Nana's, okay?" Because Rolan is well trained, he leans down to allow Delton to give him a kiss on the forehead. "Call me if you need anything at anytime, yeah? Be good and love you."

Rolan's entire face softens when Delton gets back out of the car. He loves his Ada dearly and only wants the best for him. He and Theo had saved them, after all. "Yes, of course, Ada. Love you too. Stay safe." He opens the door for Delton, watching him get in. He eyes Bo again, sighing and raising his eyebrows. Reaching in for another handshake, he leans in and whispers, "For future reference, ogling someone's dad's ass isn't the best first impression. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, since Ada brought you to meet me in the first place - and he never does that. Hope the second impression is better." He drops the other man's hand, eyebrow raised to see what the bigger tiefling would do.

There is a brief flash of anger in his eyes that looks borderline murderous. But it’s gone by the next time he blinks. “Noted. I do need to get home, though. Until next time, sir,” he states cordially. It was hardly ogling. Whatever. It’s fine. He’s just protective. I get it. I’d be the same way if I perceived someone to be looking at Oti that way. But still! I’m no common pervert. Despite his thoughts, there is now is a seed of doubt that he is not as pure as heart as he believes himself to be. Or am I? Gods.

Rolan suddenly gets an uncomfortable feeling, but he doesn't know why. He tries to shake it off, "Next time," he echoes with a nod.

Delton pops his head out the window, gesturing for Bo to get back in the car. "Bo, I want to get you home in a timely manner. Get in!" He says it with a laugh, smiling brightly and waving at his son.

"Right, coming." Squishing himself back in the car, he dares not look at Delton. At least, he doesn't let his eyes wander too long on his form. The passenger side window is a welcome distraction. As is the very cute Rottweiler in the backseat. "A Rottweiler. Not the dog I was expecting, he says fondly. "They're beautiful." "Ada, you look like shit." "...when you come home looking like you haven't slept in days." It's not like Boletus hasn't noticed it too. The next time he looks at Delton, he focuses on his eyes. They're attentive, looking straight at the road, sure. But they sag and look a bit dim. He wonders how much prettier they might be if the man actually slept. "You said Quothe was their name?"

Delton laughs again at that, voice sounding like bells. "You know, I get that a lot. What were you expecting, Bo?" The smile stays on his face, "Yes, his name is Quothe. Like the poem? It's the name he had when I adopted him and I like Poe so I kept it. Rolan was volunteering there and called me and said he found my dog - a little puppy that was found alone and cold. That was about a year ago, and now he's a big boy," his voice takes on the silly tone many people use for dogs. Quothe is wagging his tail so hard that the thumbing against the seat echoes. "And sorry for Rolan. He's a bit abrasive and protective, so he can be quite the ass sometimes," He sounds truly applogetic, "I've been his parent since he was sixteen and...it wasn't easy for him, let's say. I was a foster kid too, but I didn't have to worry about getting split up from my siblings." "They're a package deal, the trio. They're the best thing that ever happened to me," his voice is absolutely sincere.

Something cute and small, like you. "Ah, well. Not a giant Rottweiler, that's for sure," he chuckles. "I love big dogs though. If I wasn't so busy, I'd love to adopt one of my own. Perhaps later on down the like once I've really settled." His tail starts to mirror Quothe's, whacking the floor of the car in a similar rhythm. It slows to a halt once Rolan is mentioned. "No need to apologize. I'm no stranger to 'abrasive men'," he explains. "I was in the military. No one is nice to you there. Plus, I know the foster system is rough. We're all just a product of our experiences. I truly took no offense. You're a good man for having given him and his siblings a home." Plus, he wasn't completely wrong about me. I need to squash whatever part of me thinks it's appropriate to be looking at a coworker that way. But how can he? Every single thing he is learning about Delton is checking all of his boxes. It's so unfair. This handsome, young doctor, so nice to everyone, has this beautiful dog he apparently doesn't take a lot of people to meet, and he's a family man?! I just have to try harder to push those feelings down. I don't deserve someone like this.

Delton reaches over and squeezes Bo's knee again, eyes staying on the road. Gods, could you be any more obvious? Tactile you are, but you wouldn't do that with anyone else. "Still, if he was being rude, I can talk to him. He's still just a kid, really. And, well, he doesn't really like men who are strangers..." Near me or the kids... He doesn't say. He tries not to think about the kids shitty foster dad and then his shitty ex who made Rolan like that. Not that Rolan knows the whole story, but... He's a smart kid after all. He beats back his melancholy as best he can but still laughs a little self-deprecatingly, "And I'm not all that special Bo. I just did what I wished someone did for me." He purses his lips, "And I do hope you are exagarating when it comes to no one being nice to you in the military. No one deserves that, especially a lovely person like you Bo."

Just as he vowed to push those pesky little emotions down, Delton pulls them right back up with that touch on his knee. He's a touchy guy, That's all. Otidea is like that, too. It doesn't mean a thing. "You really don't have to worry about it, Delton. It's fine." Stop calling me lovely. I'm going to believe it. "And maybe I'm exaggerating a little. I made some good friends..." But they're gone now. "You should really give yourself more credit, though. Fostering children is not an easy thing to do. Not at all. And your motivations make it even more special, in my opinion."

Delton shrugs, his cheeks going red. "I appreciate it, but I really don't think I deserve that much credit. I'm just trying to do right by my kids which is what every parent should do." And many parents fail to do. Mine included. They're getting close to Bo's apartment building, so Delton slows down to make sure that he doesn't miss a turn. Quothe's tail is thumping in the backseat still, his head peaking over the net that keeps him from trying to climb into the front seat. "You can pet him, if you want. He's very friendly." And if you are good with dogs I might just combust.

"Well, how can I say no to an offer like that?" He turns his body slightly to pet very excited dog. He scritches the very top of Quothe's head, the dog's tongue lolling out of its mouth happily. "Hey, little guy. Aren't you precious? And beautiful, too." He laughs a bit at what he just said. "Little guy was the wrong thing to call you. Big boy, is more appropriate, hmm?"

Quothe's body is shaking with the force of his tail wags, nuzzling his head into the pets. His Ada's new friend has much bigger hands - like the giant elf - but they are gentle. He likes this new man.

Delton laughs a little at that, cheeks still crimson. "He likes you, considering the thumping to my back seat. I'm always afraid he's going to sprain his tail from wagging it so aggressively." He pulls into the parking lot that the GPS directs him to, parking and then turning to look at Bo. "I hope you have a good day. It was wonderful to talk to you and get to know you better. You're a lovely person to be around, Bo."

Again with the sweet words. How am I supposed to resist this? "Well," he begins, deep orange blush on his cheeks to match Delton, "You are too. Thank you for the lift. I'll have to repay the favor next time I see you." He thinks about the drink Delton had in his hands, and then the way his car smelled. Ah, it was chai I smelled. That must be it, then. Boletus keeps this tidbit of knowledge to himself for the time being as he exits the car.

Delton can't help but duck his head at the praise, a sheepish smile on his face. "No need for any repayment, Bo. I do it gladly." He sits and watches Bo get into his building, making sure he gets in okay, before turning to the back. "Quothe, baby, your Ada's so screwed."

Boletus arrives much earlier for his next shift holding a rather large cup of chai. He waits by the doctor dictation room, tail swishing nervously. He had originally ordered the drink in some strange state of euphoria at his anticipation of how happy Delton would be to receive it, but now that he waits, he realizes there are a lot of ways one can customize a drink, and it's not like he had any idea of how Delton likes his own chai specifically. Ack! What do I do? Still give it to him? Dammit, he probably ordered his own anyways. Would he still want this one? I mean, I did get a dirty one, because I think I'm the only freak in that works in healthcare and doesn't drink caffeine, but I have no idea how many shots of espresso he puts in his. Oh, and he's so damn nice that I bet if he did take the drink, he wouldn't tell me I got his order completely wrong. Maybe I should have asked him first. No, no... he probably would tell me not to bother and refuse to tell me his usual order. Ugh, I should have thought of something better to repay him with, but there is still so much I don't know about him. I want to know more about him... Boletus is completely silent with the warm drink in hand, but his tail is swinging wildly back and forth.

Delton has yet to put on his scrubs, dressed in the sweater and button-up he put on to visit universities with Cal. Sometimes the people in those officers were a little too friendly in his opinion. But, he'd rather clean scrubs than dog fur covered ones, so he's going to head to change. But, he always likes to pop his head into the dictation room so that people know he's here. Even though he's early. He just likes to be cautious about his time. That's all. But, interestingly, Boletus is standing outside the room, tail swishing nervously. It's a surprise, but a pleasant one. His heart can't help but flutter at the sight of the tiefling, cheeks going a tad bit pink. Delton, please start thinking with your head and not that thing in your chest. He's a nurse who won't even call you by your first name on duty. You need to pull yourself together. He shoots Bo a bright smile. He didn't sleep much, but he got some quality time with his youngest today, so he's very happy. "Bo! How are you?"

Tail thumping against the wall, he squeaks out a response. "Ah! Hello, De- Dr. Nailo!" he replies. "Um, I got you a dirty chai. For, er... for giving me a ride home the other day. I really appreciated it." Though he says he got the chai for him, he's not making much of an effort to physically hand it over. "Oh, I, uh, I don't really know how to take them... just that you get the biggest size. And I wasn't sure how many shots of espresso you get, or what kind of dairy you get, um..." Gods, this is awful. I should have just pretended this was for me. Little does he realize, but the scent of the chai is already one he strongly associates with Delton. He might not be able to ever drink one without thinking about him.

Karlach arrives for her shift just a bit later, looking around for Bo as it's almost time for huddle. Seeing the way the way her fellow tiefling is slightly hunched over, tail swinging so awkwardly as he talks to Delton, she just smirks and watches them from a distance. That was fast.

Delton smiles a bit bashfully at Bo. "Oh, Bo, you didn't need to repay me. I did it gladly. And really, it's Delton. You've met my dog and one of my sons." It's Halsin's turn to bring the coffee anyway, and he is coming in late. So Delton is without a chai anyway. "And, I'm not picky. I'm just surprised you noticed it was chai - I don't really like the taste of coffee much," he wrinkles his nose. He reaches out to take the cup, "Thank you very much. I appreciate it a lot." He thinks for a moment, "Would you like to join me for your lunch? As a proper thank you, I can guide you through what's gross, good, and great at the cafeteria." He brings his own lunch most days, but he's worked here for years. He knows what's horrendous and what makes him take the plunge and buy when it's available.

The slight brush of Delton's fingers brushing against his and feels his heart skip a beat. Hopefully that's just a mental thing and not a sign of some sort of heart block. At least he's in the right place to have one of those. "Y-you're so welcome, Dr... Delton," he manages to sputter out. He neglects to inform Delton that he knew it was chai based on how he smells. That is information that he would rather take to his own grave. Boletus is still not used to a 24-hour cafeteria. He had brought his own lunch, of course, but he'd eat two lunches (because he isn't going to throw it away or save it for later, come on now) if it meant he got to spend more time with Delton. The cafeteria in the middle of the night should be plenty empty, too. Perhaps not the most romantic setting... wait. Why would that matter? "Oh, um, that sounds lovely! I would really enjoy that. I mean, enjoy learning... what food is good and what food isn't." Annoyed by how his tail continues to thump against the wall, he grabs it out of frustration, which just draws more attention to it.

Delton tries to bite back his smile at Bo's clear frustration at his tail, but fails miserably. He finds it cute. Sue him. "I'm glad to hear that, Bo. I have to go change into my scrubs but see you later?" His smile turns shy.

“Right, see you later, Dr. Nailo.” ———————————— Finally at a good stopping point, he reports off to the relief nurse and immediately finds his way back to the doctor’s dictation room. The man he’s looking for has his back turned to him, typing up some sort of note. Since the door is open, Boletus just knocks on the doorframe. “Dr, Nailo, sir. Still up for lunch?” he asks hopefully, tail swinging happily in the air.

Delton startles a little, not expecting anyone to address him at that exact moment. A mix of exhaustion and being intent on his work. "Oh, hello Bo. Sorry, I was off in my own little world. Yes, I'm up for lunch." He starts gathering his things - specifically his wallet - before nodding at Bo. "Ready whenever you are, darling."

He looks so tired. "Great!" he responds energetically. Unlike Delton, Boletus doesn't look tired at all. It's like working just gives him energy rather than taking it away. His tail wags happily to match its owner's mood. Boletus doesn't think it's strange at all, how tired Delton always looks. A night shift ER doctor with foster kids going through college? There no way he wouldn't be perpetually tired. Everyone on night shift is tired. That's just how it is. But for some reason, he feels worried for him. Concerned. However, Boletus is a watch and wait kind of man. So that's what he will do. Just watch, wait for, and observe the man that is Delton Nailo. --------------------------- The two walk together to the mostly empty cafeteria. Half of the place is shut down in the middle of the night, the food choices being mostly limited to pre packaged things and whatever the two chefs behind the grill to can make from their limited menu. It might not seem like much to those who have worked here for a while, but this is all super impressive to someone like Boletus. "So, what kind of things do you like to eat, sir?" he asks, tail continuing to sway happily. He's starving. Good thing he'll get two lunches tonight!

Delton shoots the other man a smile. "We're on lunch, Bo. Delton is just fine." He knows it's a losing battle, but he's going to fight as hard as he can. "I'm pretty okay with anything, really. Except for super spicy - I was never quite able to increase my tolerance." He hums slightly and waves at the two chefs, but he's not here for real food. He has a lunch packed after all. He's here for the sweets bar. "Though I must admit, I have a debilitating weakness for sweets," He eyes the assortment, eyes lighting up when he sees the cinnamon brownies they sometimes carry. He picks one up, "These are my favorite sweets they have when the sweets station isn't open. When it is, they make a phenomenal cinnamon bun." He likes cinnamon. Sue him. He looks at the limited menu options and smiles, "All of their soups are very good - though I'm partial to the vegetable stew myself. Vegetarian and all. And I've heard their chicken and dumplings are good - both of which happen to be on the menu today." Soups are easy, after all. All you have to.do after they cook is keep them warm. He goes to get a small cup of the vegetable stew and heads over to pay. "What do you like, Bo?"

"Oh, chicken and dumplings sound great! I, uh, I assume you're ok with me eating meat around you then? I, uh... you know. I'm a tiefling. I like all sorts of meat... the more raw, the better," he confesses, feeling immediately guilty when he assumes he's just committed some sort of social faux pas. Wow, what a great thing to say to a vegetarian. "Er, I like sweets too, though! You said the buns are good? We could stop by in the morning when they open up..." Perhaps it's subconscious, the way Boletus is looking for any excuse he can to spend time with Delton. He's a welcome respite from his home life, dealing with his ailing father and stressing over his sister.

Delton blinks a little at the question, but smiles, a little flattered at the concern. "Thank you for asking, but I don't care. I wouldn't expect anyone to eat a certain way because of me. Plus, I feed Quothe fresh food based on his vet's plan which involves me cooking meat - I'd give him raw, but I'm worried about potential pathogens." "Also, I wouldn't tell you about a food I didn't want you to try." He tilts his head, cheeks getting a little pink at the idea that Bo wants to spend more time with him. "I'd like that - and I could take you to a coffee shop close by on a shift you don't have to head straight home." Realizing that probably sounds a little too forward, he quickly adds, a little nervously, "Only if you want, of course. No pressure at all..."

He might be wearing a neutral expression, but his tail just wags and wags with boundless energy. "Well, I wouldn't say no to that. Not at all, Delton... sir," he admits. "I would like to get acclimated with the town too, sometime. I bet a place like this has tons of good restaurants, bars... I'd love to try anything I can." But between work and his home life, he wonders if he'd ever have time to truly enjoy all of the wonderful things this city has to offer. There had to be a reason it's called the "City of Splendors", right? Extra servings of chicken and dumplings in hand, along with a little brownie, he choses a seat by a large arrangement of various low light plants. "Mmf! Feese are beautfoo pofos..." he says, mouth full of food. A swallow. "Sorry, sorry. That was rude of me. What I meant to say was that these are beautiful pothos," he repeats. "Excellent low light plants. And they even have Jessenia pothos... do you think the hospital would mind if I took a cutting...?" His tail flickers behind his head as he continues to speak about his favorite houseplants... while eating at the same time.

Delton smiles at him, "Bo we're really equals here. You don't need to 'sir' me as if I'm above you in the hierarchy." He thinks, "I will admit I'm not the most...interesting person but I do have some favorite places that I can show you. As nerdy as it is, I have quite a few museums that I have season passes to to go take a breather in." Not that I tend to go out alone anymore. "You're also a plant person? My husband..." a pregnant pause and a flash of pain across Delton’s face, "converted the back porch and sun room of our house into my personal greenhouse. I grew up in the woods, essentially, so it's nice to have that." Taking slow bites of his meal, he swallows and says, "And the City of the Dead is beautiful. It's just as much a park as a memorial to our loved ones. But, um, I fear I'm not the best company when I go there to visit...but Halsin knows some of the arborists and botanists there, so I'll ask if he has any connections."

"It's not that you're above me, si... Delton. It's just a habit..." But it's not like Delton is wrong. He didn't call his fellow equal-rank soldiers "sir" back when he was in the military. "I would also respectfully disagree," he confesses. "I find you plenty interesting." As Delton mentions his late husband again, Boletus can't help look away with guilt in his eyes, chosing to look at the plants instead. You cannot be interested in him. He's probably not even looking for anyone like that. "I, uh... my mother loved plants, too," he blurts out. "Melvaunt isn't a great place to grow a lot of things, but she was stubborn. She planted a beautiful garden outside of my childhood home. When she passed, I, uh... I felt obligated to learn how to take care of them. To keep her memory alive, I guess." This is too heavy a topic. I should just stop talking... So he does, stuffing his face while making a mental note about the City to the Dead. I would rather go somewhere like that with someone like you, though. Another stray thought he throws away.

Delton laughs a little, waving him off, "You're just saying that to be kind, I'm sure. I'm really a huge bore." When Bo shares the anecdote about his mother, he places his spoon down and reaches out to place his hand on Bo's. His hands look tiny in comparison to the tiefling's. "That's a wonderful thing to do, Bo. A section of my greenhouse is dedicated to my husband's and my kids' parents' favorite flowers. Calibrachoas, dahlias, and lavender surrounded by forget-me-nots," he tilts his head with a sheepish smile, "I thought it was appropriate." "It...It must have been hard to leave your childhood home and your mother's garden. To be so far away from that...Would you like to tell me about her?" Hurriedly, he adds a little breathlessly, "No pressure, of course, but I figured you might want to..."

If only you knew how much my own father has called me boring. Amongst other things. The hand on his own makes him jump a bit, briefly pulling back before stopping himself. He hopes his glasses hide the flash of fear he always feels with sudden physical contact. "Haha, sorry. I'm a little jumpy..." he begins to explain, forcing himself to keep his hand on the table. "Those are all lovely flowers. I've always been a fan of dahlias especially." His tail flickers a few times at the mention of his childhood home. He hasn't had any time to process that by moving, he had to leave that garden behind. He's barely been able to spare a thought towards his mother, too. What a terrible son I am. "It was hard... but I had to do what was right for my father. Her garden is surely to be enjoyed by the man who bought our house..." Or left to die, just like she was. "Um... maybe I... hmm. I think I'd rather talk about something else. I, uh... your greenhouse! I'd love to see it. It sounds spectacular." That has got to be way too forward. But... friends can visit a friend's house, right?

Delton's eyes flash with confusion for a second before he swiftly starts to apologize, "Oh, Bo, I'm so sorry! I forgot that - as a military man - you probably don't like touch from near-strangers. I'll try my hardest to remember - I'm just a very tactile person." He sounds sincerely apologetic. "And, I'm sure it was hard. But you're trying to do right by your family, which is the important thing. I'll give you some cuttings from my dahlias and maybe you can plant them in your window boxes." And he lights up at the mention of his greenhouse. "I'd love for you to see it! I love showing off my plant babies to the world. If it was up to me, I'd live much farther in the countryside." But that's way too far from the kids. And he doesn't want to risk something happening to them and he's not there. A traitorous thought barges in, And if you have neighbors, maybe the bastard won't escalate.

“Please, no apologies needed. I really…” … like when you touch me. The way I jump… I wish so badly that I wasn’t like this. “… it’s fine! It’s been years since I served. You’d think I’d be over things like that by now.” There’s that shame again, starting in the pit of his stomach and traveling upwards into his throat. His mind races to latch onto something else. He breaths a sigh of relief when Delton starts to speak again. “Then, I’ll come over!” he exclaims with all the excitement of an oversized puppy. Not only is he truly happy to see an actual *garden*, he is happy to not dwell on the way his mind is irreparably broken from doing only what he thought was his duty to do. And maybe he’s a little happy for yet another excuse to hang out with a man whom he perceives to be wholly unavailable romantically. “Erm, if that’s ok. Some cuttings would also be extremely welcome,” he admits with a blush.

Delton sighs a little at that, "There's no timetable to get better. Things like that-they don't get better." He still flinches as raised voices when he doesn't have his 'doctor mask' on, after all. "No shame in having boundaries, Bo. And I would love to have you over to see my garden. Cuttings too of course." He resists the urge to reach out and touch Bo again, shooting him a shy smile instead. Gods, he's so obvious...

"Really?" he blurts out mere milliseconds after Delton finishes his sentence. "When are you off next?!" Boletus has to swallow his excitement down, lest he start getting bruises on his tail from how hard it starts to wag. "Sorry. I'm being a bit loud for the caf in the middle of the night. I just... well. It would be nice... to see you, I mean, your garden. You know? Beats a hospital. Even one this nice. Yup..." He stares into his glass of water and wishes he was small enough to drown himself in it.

Delton blinks slightly and tries to control his flinch at the loudness of Bo's voice. At the same time, his cheeks flush because it sounds like Bo wants to see him, not just his garden. Please, gods, don't let that be wishful thinking. He checks his phone schedule, "I'm off two nights from now and the night after as well, if either of those days work?" He asks hesitantly. Cal fortunately doesn't have anymore college visits planned for the next tenday. Rolan is settling well into his internship and Lia's already gushing about the new organizations she's joined. Deciding to take a little risk, he flashes a shy smile at Bo and says, "I'd love to see you outside of work too. You're great to be around, darling."

His breath gets caught in his throat. Did his heart just skip a beat? Is this just another case of 2nd-degree heart block? "R-really?" he asks, leaning forward just a tad. He doesn't realize that he's gripping his glass of water quite tightly. He's just being nice. It doesn't mean anything. But god, I can't take it when he calls me darling like that. "I'm off, let's see..." His tail wags and wags as he looks at his schedule. Two nights from now and the next night...? Oh, no. Boletus is off those two days, but the first day is blocked out in his calendar for his father's multiple doctor's appointment. His primary, his oncologist, his cardiologist. It'll inevitably drain him, the way he has to pull teeth to even get his father out of bed, to get him to behave in public. He's not sure how much of his behavior is from the tumor, or how much of it is from just how angry he is to be ill. The second day, well, he was going to drive to the Gate for a concert. It was definitely going to take all day, because it's quite a long drive. He bought tickets 6 months in advance. "That second day works perfectly for me," he replies with no hesitation. "I, uh... would love to see you outside of work, too. I'll be free all day, so I'm flexible. Very flexible." He clears his throat to stop himself from rambling further. Was that too forward?

Delton smiles again, sweet and delighted. "Sounds like a plan! I'm free all day so I can maybe take you out to see one of the museums, lunch, and then my garden?" That's way too forward, Delton. Might as well lay down and make a lewd Titanic reference. To try and cushion it, he adds a little breathlessly, "I promised to show you around Waterdeep, didn't I? There's a couple museums we can choose from and, since I asked, I can cover your ticket." Great, now you sound forward and desperate. Phenomenal job, Delton.

At first, all he can do is blink rapidly, rubbing his eyes to make sure he isn’t in some sort of dream where everything seems to be going right. “Um.” Sharp teeth dig into the inside of his cheek. The pain is instantaneous. Ok. I’m not dreaming. He’s asking me out… sort of. But, it’s something! “Y-yes!” he chokes out in reply. “That awesome! I mean, nice. Very nice. Sounds like the perfect dat- day. Day.” He chugs his water down to cool off just how hot his face feels. Damn tiefling genes. “But my ticket? Uh… I can treat us. I insist, actually.” For a moment, he feels ashamed. It hasn’t been cheap caring for his father and helping his sister out while she’s unemployed and about to start school. Perhaps he can afford museum tickets and lunch if he just puts off paying his next internet bill? His next loan payment? His tails flickers as he mentally recalculates his very specific budgeting plan for the month.

> Reply to: @Boletus Zales, RN (@Steffi 🍄 [Tavs:Mushroom Mob]) > At first, all he can do is blink rapidly, rubbing his eyes to make sure he isn’t in some sort of dream where everything seems to... Delton smiles at his excitement, but can tell Bo seems a little nervous about something, specifically his offer to pay. He carefully and obviously choreographs his intent to pat Bo on the hand, squeezing it softly, "Bo, I insist on paying. I already have season passes for the museum for myself and I'm the one inviting you out." Shooting him his most convincing smile - it seemed to work last time, after all - he continues, "You're new here. Let me do this for you?" His cheeks are a little flushed when he says, "I appreciate you trying to be a gentleman about it though, darling."

Well, then I'd only need to buy one ticket, then. But Delton is smiling at him again, and Boletus doesn't know what to do to fight back. His tail droops a bit and sways very weakly along the cafeteria floor. Wait. Compromise. One museum ticket is cheaper than two lunches. "Fine. You can pay for my museum ticket, and then lunch will be on me," he replies. He looks weirdly triumphant with a gentle smile combined with a slightly furrowed brow.

Delton bites his lip at that, considering. "How about you pay for the ticket and I pay for lunch? I know a place that serves great food and drinks." He squeezes Bo's hand again. "Come on Bo. I'm inviting you out. Let me treat you." His fatally sweet smile returns, trying to be as convincing as possible. "I can pick you up - no need to worry about the bus being late or anything - and I'll drop off Quothe with the kids."

Picking me up? Paying for my lunch? We're both men, but still... Boletus rationalizes away just how inadequate he feels with the simple fact that he did just move here. Move of his savings were either spent on his father or his moving expenses. He had to sell his car to afford what his savings couldn't cover, which is why Delton has to pick him up in his tiny, adorable car that smells like chai, dog, and hand sanitizer. I can make it up to him. Next time. "Ok. You've worn me down," he jests. "I should count myself lucky, anyways, to have someone so..." Should I flirt here? I'm not reading him wrong, am I? This is a date? Kind of? Wait, no. We're at work. Rein it in, Bo. "... someone so nice to offer to show me around town. I'm really looking forward to this, Delton... sir." His returns Delton's smile with his own, which isn't nearly as fatal. In fact, it's mostly just awkward. His tail is lifted high, the fluffy end of it wagging back and forth behind his head.

Delton deflates at that, suddenly feeling like he is a bit o a terrible person to be so openly hitting on his uninterested coworker. Maybe he's straight? Maybe I am being the worst stereotype of a gay man possible? He did avoid saying date earlier - maybe he specifically stopped to try and give me a kind clue? He's never let dejection or rejection get him down however. He's just as happy to have friends. "Delton, Bo," His smile is sweet, but less fatal, "Text me a good time to pick you up, yeah?" It's getting to the end of their break. Delton has managed the cup of soup, which feels like a victory. Ever since he's started getting strange notes and packages, he doesn't have much of an appetite. He stores the sweet in his lunch and gets ready to throw his trash away.

"Will do!" he replies. Of course, his entire tray has been picked clean. He's already thinking of the buns they'll be putting out in the morning, like Delton had mentioned. "Back to work then, right? Thank for eating lunch with me," he says to Delton with a slight bow of his head. His glasses slide off the bridge of his nose slightly. "Looking forward to meeting up with you." As he walks away, he can't even hear his own footsteps. His heart is beating way too loud, and it reverberates in his ears.

Back at work…

“Bo, come here!” Karlach shouts from one of the empty rooms. “I need your help with this monitor! I can’t get the pulse ox to show up…”

In response, Boletus jumps up from his computer where he was charting, eager as always to help out. He’s not ever really thinking about how odd it is for Karlach to ask someone like Bo, who is still new to this hospital and its much fancier equipment, for help with the monitor. “Have you tried taking the cable out and plugging it in again?” he asks with 100% seriousness, arms folded behind his back like always.

The tiefling just smirks, teeth not showing just yet. “So, when were you gonna tell me you and Red are already hitting it off like that?”

“W-What?” That serious expression just melts away. Now, the look on Bo’s face is more like a kid that got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. “Karlach, seriously. What are you talking about?” Oh no. Was I too obvious? Oh my gods, this is so inappropriate. She’s not going to report me, is she?!

She takes the oxygen sensor cable from the machine and starts twirling it around. “I heard him ask you out in the caf, you know,” she teases, smirking even harder now. “I’ve never really seen Red be so forward with someone before!”

“A-asking out? Oh, nonono…” says Boletus, hands waving in front of his face in time with the shake of his head. “H-he’s just being nice, is all. You know I just moved here, right? He’s just going to be showing me around town!" Though it's exactly what he wanted to hear, he is still trying to deny the possibility of this being an actual date in his head.

“You’re not wrong,” she begins. “He’s an incredibly sweet guy. But listen to me, Bo.” Her hands are now squarely on his shoulders. They’re almost the same height, so Karlach has no problem looking right into his eyes as she speaks. “I’ve been working with him for *years*, man. I’m serious when I say he’s totally into you. But he’s not the kinda guy that’s gonna just say it. He’s gonna throw a million hints at you and expect you to take the bait, you get it?”

“Are you saying,” he begins, speaking very slowly so that his own brain can process what he’s about to say, “that I need to simply ask him out? I can’t just do that!” Well, Boletus is no longer denying that he’s interested, at least. His tail begins to sway back and forth very quickly, producing a soft “woosh” sound. Then, he breaks free of Karlach’s grasp and starts to pace back and forth in the very limited space of the room. “He’s my coworker. He has *foster children*. He’s a doctor, and a busy one at that.” He has a dead husband. I don’t even know if he’s ready to move romantically. That's a very big deal. Sure, doctors and nurses are supposed to be equals, but Boletus can’t help that he came from a work culture where doctors essentially reigned supreme. That’s the real reason he tends to opt for “sir” whenever he speaks with Delton at work: he sees Delton as above himself. And he just can’t help it. “Karlach, you’re insane. I cannot! Seriously!”

“Sure ya can!” she says, moving to stand right in front of the pacing tiefling so she can block him with her body. “Red never invites coworkers one-on-one like that. This is totally your chance! Seriously. If I were you, I’d take it.” Plus, you always seem so wound up. Red too. Gods, I hope they don’t just wind each other up even more… “I’m just sayin’…”

He was so lost in thought, he just bumps right into Karlach, making a little “oof” sound when he does. Boletus does not like taking risks. Much like medicine, he operates on a risk vs benefits system. Do the benefits outweigh the risks here? Benefits: He might say yes, and then you’d have a boyfriend. A very handsome boyfriend who is also a doctor and has a big dog and loves gardening and his family. Risks: He might say no. Work will forever be an awkward place because you will have to constantly be around someone who rejected you. Plus, he has a dead husband. He could get offended. And he’s so nice, he’d probably hide that from you. But the anxiety is very real. What if he started to hate me? Boletus has never really had a serious relationship before. Sure, he’s been on dates. He’s had feelings for people. But his lifestyle, up until now, has never allowed him to really date anyone. What if this is it? What if this is his chance to start trying? Even with all of the risk involved, the benefits are just too tempting to him. “Ok,” he finally says, after staring at the floor for who knows how long. “I’ll ask him out during our… I guess it’s a date? Yes. Yes. That would be an appropriate time to ask, I think. Right?” His question is more meant for himself rather than Karlach.

She finally show her teeth in a huge victory grin. “That’s the spirit!” Karlach gives him a few friendly shoulder pats that are very reminiscent of his sister. Of course, if Otidea were here, she would have pat his shoulder 100 times harder, and not have been nearly as nice or quiet. No, every other word would have been "fuck" and the volue of her voice would have made his head hurt. “Lemme know how it goes! Ooooh, I’m so stoked!” Her tail swishes back and forth as she leaves, a happy little swagger in her step.

The day goes relatively smoothly, considering it is an ER. There was a code but it was handled and everyone ended up safe, thanks to his wonderful team. He's dead on his feet, however, when the clock strikes 7. Maybe today he'll luck out and get some precious sleep before starting all over again. But, he made a promise to Bo to show him the good cinnomon buns. The other man might not be interested, but that doesn't mean he can't be his friend. So, after he changes out of his scrubs and into a sweater and slacks, he heads over to the nurse's station, looking for one giant tiefling.

Said giant tiefling sits toward the back of the nurse's station, finishing up some charting before heading home. His tails swishes back and forth as he clicks and types... "Ok... that's it, I think. I hope. If not? Oh, well..." He spins around in his chair, about ready to stand up. That's when his eyes lock onto vibrant red hair, and his tail starts to swish even faster. Bo offers a shy little wave.

Delton's heart flutters a little at that little wave. Gods, get ahold of yourself, Delton. He heads over to Bo, smiling all the while, He might be tired, but Bo makes him happy. "Hey, you still ready to get some great cinnomon buns?"

He hops up right out of his chair, once again weirdly energized despite it being the end of his shift. "Ready!" For a tiefling, he's got a bit of a sweet tooth, enjoying all sorts of bad-for-you pastries just as much as barely-cooked meat. He looks handsome in his street clothes. I wonder what he'll wear on our sort-of date? After gathering his things and changing, he makes his way to the cafeteria with his very adorable coworker. Boletus can't help but start talking the entire walk there. "You know, some people like to drink after a shift. Me? Well, it's probably not any better, but baked goods... what a weakness I have for them. I taught myself how to bake because of it. I think my favorite desserts have to be eclairs. Or tiramisu. Or coffee cake. Or..." He lists about 5 other desserts he likes, his tail hanging high while he speaks.

Delton smiles at the other man, letting Bo fill up the silence as they walk and humming and nodding at the appropriate places. He's honestly happy to be around someone just...happy to be alive. It's terribly endearing. When Bo finishes, he adds, "Well, besides my crippling dirty chai addiction, I quite like sweets as well. I actually prefer to bake them more than eat them, though." He hums thoughtfully, "My favorite is anything with cinnamon- big surprise there, right? - but I think I enjoy making cream puffs the most. I like being able to knead dough and do some piping." "Do you have anything you can't eat? So I can pick a good restaurant for us..."

"Oh, no. I haven't met a food that doesn't like me yet," he jests with a low chuckle under his breath. "Your diet is a lot more limited than mine, so you're free to pick whichever place is your favorite." Of course, talking about their kind-of date is just making Boletus all the more nervous about the promise he made to Karlach. It's fine. Everything will be fine. The worst he can say is no, right? If things get awkward between us, I could always transfer to another department. Maybe ICU. Maybe a free-standing ER. See? I have a contingency plan. His tail is starts to flicker erratically while he's in thought. He could really use those cinnamon buns right about now...

Delton's laughs a little at the joke, deciding what would be appropriate for lunch. No red sauce or wings on a first date...but it's not a first date...maybe just in case... "I know a great noodle place in the South Ward. It's more for uni students, but I think we'll fit in." His eyebrows crease when he notices Bo's tail moving erratically. He's not quite an expert on tiefling tail movements, but he knows anxiety when he sees it. "Bo, if there's anything wrong, you can tell me." He shoots a soothing smile up at Bo, having to crane his neck a little, "No pressure at all, but I'd love to help if I can." They're getting close to the station, the smells of fresh bread and pastries wafting into their noses.

"W-wrong? No, nothing is wrong," he replies. His smile and voice are as calm as he can manage. But his tail is a different story. It's still flailing about, and he decides he's had enough. With an angry fist, he grabs the very end of it and tucks it under his arm with a quiet little huff. I don't think I can take this. "I think the only thing that'll help me right now are those hyped up pastries," he says with a completely serious tone. I just need something. Something to stop me from making a complete fool of myself.

Delton's eyebrows only furrow more at Bo's reaction. He gently reaches up his hand to touch Bo's elbow, choreographing his movements to not surprise him, and says, "You ought to be nicer to your tail. It's a part of you, sweetheart. I-" Don't want to see you in pain. He trails off for a moment, "It wouldn't do for you to hurt yourself." They step into the café and it's nearly empty. It's early still, after all. There's a short line to the counter but it will be just a short wait.

Sweetheart. Is he trying to kill me? “It’s a very annoying part of me,” he mutters. “I swear it has a mind of its own.” The smell of freshly made breakfast wafting in the air is enough to calm this bundle of nerves shaped like a sturdy tiefling. As he waits in line, he loosens his grip on his tail, and he is happy to find that it just hangs neutrally behind him. Maybe it’s learned its lesson. Would it be weird if I bought 4 of these? Two for him, two for Otidea? Or maybe all four of them for him, depending on how he feels when he gets home. Especially after doing what he thinks is a rather risky move. “After this… may I walk you to your car?” he asks.

Delton gets the not liking parts of yourself thing. Believe him, he's got some scars to prove it. But that doesn't mean he has to like Bo manhandling himself. "It's still a part of you..." he sighs, but follows Bo into line. He's exhausted. Halsin and Rolan both yell at him that he works too much, but he likes his job. Likes the feeling of control. Likes feeling like he's useful. At Bo's question, he perks up, "Oh sure!" It's really not necessary, but I'd love to spend more time with you. "I'm not putting you out, am I? I know how busy you are..."

He chooses not to pursue this conversation further. What would he know, anyways? Half elves are everywhere these days and don't need to deal with insane tails, horns that get in the way when you try to sleep, a body temperature that gets too hot sometimes... Maybe I need 5 of these. "Me? Busy? No, not really," he says with a shrug, picking up 5 of the buns at first, but then putting one back. He feels as if that 5th one just makes him look just a little insane. "Besides, it only takes a minute. I should still have time to make my bus." Even if I don't, I need to do this.

Delton cocks his head, getting four himself. One for him and each of his kids. "If you need, I can drive you home again. I don't mind - I like the company, honestly." Though he'd need to stop and get a 'heart-stopping chai' as Halsin calls them.

"Really?" That would solve the little dilemma he created by offering to walk Delton to his car. The physician's parking garage and the bus stop are approximately a 10 minute walk apart. 8 if he runs. "I couldn't ask you to do that for me again," he says. "But..." He likes "the" company, not "my" company. Or am I reading too into that? "I guess I just feel like I'm taking advantage of your kindness at this point. Aren't you the one who's always busy?"

Delton shrugs, "I like being around you Bo. I won't force you, but believe me when I tell you I don't mind." He smiles at the other man, "My plans for today are to hug my kids, pick up my dog, and sleep," no need to tell him that the sleeping thing probably won't happen, "I'd love for you to come." "Plus, you've already mentioned how uncomfortable the bus is for you. I don't want you to be in pain if I can help it."

With those words from Delton, his mind is set. “If you say so, then sure. I’d be happy to go home with y- I mean! Um. Y-you know. I’ll uh, uh. Sorry for being a bother. Thank you.” There goes his tail, of course. It wags and wags as the two walk away with their very important dessert purchases. I need to start figuring out a budget for a new car immediately. I can’t have someone like him driving me around…

Delton can't help but furrow his eyebrows at Bo, gently reaching out to touch his arm, careful to be clear about his intentions to touch Bo. "You're not a bother at all, Bo. I hope I haven't given you any indication that you are. I lo-" he clears his throat, "really enjoy your company." He shoots the tiefling a bright smile, "Anything I can do to help, yeah?" His tail is adorable. I wish he didn't treat it with such disdain... "I'll probably stop to get a hot chocolate, just for a little caffeine for the ride. Is that alright?"

Every time Delton touches him, he feels a crack in the wall he has erected to stop himself from diving headfirst into something he has been desperately wanting. How am I not supposed to fall for him? “Oh, that’s more than alright. Maybe I’ll get something too.” A decaf coffee for his cinnamon bun, perhaps? Oh, and maybe Otidea would want a caramel macchiato… “Thank you so much again. Really. For everything.” The closer they get to the parking garage, the harder his tail wags. Boletus does his damnedest to ignore it, walking slightly behind Delton so that it doesn’t accidentally hit him. That’s the last thing he needs right now.

Delton feels ecstatic that he could at least provide a little comfort to Bo - he really doesn't like that he has to squish himself on the bus. "I promise Bo. I do it gladly." Really, you'd think we'd have better options, considering how many races there are that are bigger. He chatters a bit about nothing - specifically Rolan's updates on his internship and Cal's decision that he's going to do something in the life sciences. They eventually arrive at his car, Delton hurrying over to the passenger seat to set it all the way back and lean it a little. "The last person in my car was Cal and he's tall, but not quite as tall as you. I don't want you to be squished."

“Ah, well… I appreciate s- Delton.” Once in the car, he is hit by that overwhelmingly wonderful scent again. It’s objectively strange, but the fact that he finds it so enticing just confirms that he cannot continue holding back like he has been. He waits to speak until they are fully out of the hospital’s parking garage. Neither of them are in uniform. His badge, stethoscope, and a variety of other small nursing tools are in his bag that has been tossed into the backseat. Right now, he is just Boletus, and the man driving the car is just Delton. “Delton. Can I ask you something?” If he wasn’t sitting on his tail, it might have broken the glass of the window with how hard it would be swinging right now.

Delton is happy to see that Bo is comfortable enough in his car to throw his things in the backseat. He'd worried that he kind of bullied the other man into spending time with him, considering how hesitant he was. He decides to go to a local drive-through - a cheap one because he can't be bothered to spend decent money on hot chocolate when he can make better ones at home. They still have good coffee and drinks - just not nearly as overpriced. He smiles, his eyes still facing the road. He's always been a cautious driver. "Yes, Bo. You don't need to ask."

Deep breath in, deep breath out. "We're going to a museum and getting lunch together in a few days, right?" He waits for Delton's answer. It seems like a silly question, but Boletus often questions the validity of his own memory sometimes.

Delton furrows his eyebrows in contusion at that. They'd made the plans only a few hours earlier... But Delton knows what it's like not to trust his own memory. Being cross-examined on the stand when he was a child was just the tip of that iceberg. "Yeah, we are. Though we haven't made exact plans for when I'm picking you up..."

His hands are folded neatly on his lap as he focuses on his breathing. His overactive tail is pinned firmly underneath his legs. "Good. Then can I consider this a date?" he asks plainly. He can't bear to look at Delton. Instead, he stares out of the window. "I'll text you when's a good time to pick me up."

Delton blinks once, twice, then a stupid, goofy smile spreads across his face Before the silence can feel like rejection, he rushes out, "*Yes!*" He clears his throat to sound like a more normal person, "...I would really like that, Bo. I, um, that was what I was, um, trying to do earlier...and I-I guess I failed spectacularly at conveying my intentions..."

Still staring out of the window, he can't help but smile. "You did," he says with a small chuckle. "I'm not good at picking up on things like that. I can notice literally anything else about a person... except for when they are flirting with me, apparently.." One honest thought seems to turn into a deluge of honest thoughts. "Growing up, I was... a nerd. That might be the best word to describe me. I was shy, quiet, always reading. Then, my dad encouraged me to join the Melvauntian army. I served from ages 18 to 22..." He doesn't need to know why I left. "And then... I enrolled in an accelerated nursing program and graduated at 25. I got my first nursing job shortly after that." His hands are still clasped together, and he rubs his thumb in circles on the palm of his other hand. "Then, my dad got sick. I had to work a lot of overtime to afford his medical bills. I had to travel to places like Cormyr just to get a specialist to see him. It ate up of a lot of my time." "My point is... is that I've never seriously dated anyone before. 30 years old, and I've never dated. Never had the time. It's rather pathetic. That's why..." He swallows down the inevitable shame he knew he would feel after admitting this. It tastes bitter, almost like bile. "... why I'm not good at things like this. Noticing when people like me that way. Knowing what to do. It's new for me. I just never had time to learn. But... I would like to learn with someone like you, if that's alright." The streets of Waterdeep are beautiful, he thinks.

Delton clutches a little tighter at the steering wheel, moved by the honesty Bo is showing. Pure sincerety, in a way that many people refuse to show. Gods, how could I not fall for him? He sighs, brushing his hair out of his face and then returning his hands to the wheel. "I'm...I'm not good at this either. I was removed from my bio relatives at thirteen and spent the next five years in foster care." "I was a traumatized little kid with...few, if any, friends. But I worked my ass off and got a full ride to school. I met Theo in undergrad and he was...so bright in a way that I'm just *not.*" Chuckling a little at himself, he says, "It took him a year to convince me I wasn't somehow too broken for a relationship..." He might have been wrong. Or just a saint. Ambrose did always say that someone needs to be a saint to deal with me. "We got married when I was twenty-two, right out of university. He took a job at the local fire department in management - but also in the field. He *loved it.*" Blinking back tears, he continues, "We took in the kids when I was twenty-eight and adopted them soon after. Rolan has some...issues about permancy. That's why they don't live with me. They almost moved back after...after the explosion that killed Theo. But I didn't want to uproot their lives again. I already try to do everything I can so they never have to worry about anything again..." "I married my first love, Bo. And when I tried dating again it was a *disaster.*" Most disasterous relationships end in tears and ice cream. His ended in a trip to his own workplace. "So I'm not good at this. I'm not good with people. I tend to be a lot and most people can't deal with that. But I'd-I'd like to try..."

This time, he looks at Delton while he speaks, face remaining neutral the entire time. To him, he isn’t sure why Delton would bother with him after going through all of that. His first love dying a traumatic death. The first person he tried to date after that putting him in the hospital. If it were him, he would have sworn off dating altogether. Oh, no. What have I done? It’s a lot of pressure, entering someone’s life when they’d already been through so much tragedy. He likes Delton. He really, really likes Delton. But a very small part of him thinks he just made the world’s biggest mistake. Thankfully, the part of him that yearns to shield and protect someone who seems to have been hurt time and time again wins over. If he believed in the gods, he might think them meeting was fate, and would wax poetic about it. Of course, Boletus is far too rational a person to think this way. Maybe he’s just had some good luck in life for once. “I’m sorry all of that had to happen to you, Delton. You are…” …An incredible person to have survived all of that. “… You are the one person I would love to try this whole dating thing out with. So. Glad we got that out of that way, haha…” He can feel his tail wriggling around underneath him. He weathers the discomfort in order to spare poor Delton’s car.

Delton shrugs, a little embarrassed to be the center of attention, "I just...I just wanted to warn you. Before you agree to do...whatever this is." His laugh sounds a little self-deprecating, "But I do mean it when I say that I want to try. I like you Bo. I want to get to know you better." He almost misses the turn into the little drive-through, but he manages. Thankfully, he hasn't started crying. That'd be both dangerous and pathetic. Shakily, he says, "So coffee?"

"Warn me? How very doctor-like of you. Perhaps I should sign a consent form, too?" He laughs warmly at his own joke, the weight of his feelings having been lifted off of his shoulders by being honest for once. Its easier to laugh when there isn't an elephant sitting on your chest, he thinks. "Coffee would be wonderful. Are we just getting it to-go?"

Delton laughs - a little weakly - at Bo's joke. It was a good one, after all. His shoulders relax a little, just a little relieved to have moved on from the topic. "Whatever you prefer, Bo. My kids will be ecstatic to have Quothe for a little longer, so I'm fine either way." Plus it is...nice to be out again. To not be so worried about who's lurking just around the corner. Much like Halsin - maybe even more so than Halsin, if he's being honest - Bo makes him feel safe.

“Well, it would be nice to sit inside, but…” He doesn’t know how big the cafe is, or how many people will be inside. What if it’s too much? He can’t ruin this before it’s even started. “Aren’t you tired? I don’t want to keep you from your bed longer than necessary. You need the rest.” Sure, it’s an excuse meant to walk back on what he said earlier. But Boletus knows tired when he sees it, so it’s not like he’s wrong about Delton.

Delton takes a moment and really thinks. He's exhausted. It feels like he hasn't really slept in days. And his bed is so comfortable. Bo's convinced him. Well, he didn't need much convincing, but he would've sucked it up for Bo. "Yeah...the drive-through is better," he suppresses a yawn, but Bo probably still sees it, "I'll drop you off first because I might take a nap at the kids'..." Their guest bedroom is very comfortable, after all. He would know, having furnished it.

“Drive-through it is.” That yawn put’s Boletus on alert. His eyes linger on Delton now, though his head faces forward. He keeps the half elf in his periphery, watching for any sign that might indicate that it he starting to drift off while at the wheel. There are an estimated 6400 deaths a year associated with falling asleep while driving. Now, he has another reason to want to ride home with him. “Oh, I’ll be getting a decaf black coffee. Could you get a caramel macchiato for my sister, too? I can pay for it. Your drink, too. I insist for the ride home again.”

Delton's pulls them into line at the drive-through, the morning rush making the line decently long. His foot is carefully on the brake, the car at a complete stop. "Bo, you don't need to be keeping score - especially if we pursue this," he gestures between the two of them, "seriously." He shoots Bo a smile, "I do it gladly. You don't need to repay me for anything. You don't owe me anything, Bo."

“It’s not keeping score,” he retorts. “It’s just fair. We work to earn money as a society, right? Well, I repay acts of service with what I can. It’s me showing gratitude.” Arguments already? Off to a great start. But to him, he doesn’t need another reminder that his financial situation is a lot worse than Delton’s. He can already hear his father’s voice chiding him, relying on someone else for this and that? ||”Pussy” behavior.|| His wallet is already on his lap, and his debit card is already in his hand.

Delton creases his eyebrows, shooting Bo a confused look. That felt...a little pointed, to be honest. "Alright...I just don't need you to do anything for me Bo. You're enough for me, as is..." They're creeping up to the order window, slowly but surely. He decides to change the subject, "So I have season tickets to an art museum, one on natural history which has some great rotating exhibits, and one to a science museum that is always changing to be more and more interactive. Which would you like to go to?"

“Hmm… they all sound great. Maybe the natural history one to start?” He always fancied himself a bit of a history buff. Another thing about Waterdeep that drew him was its numerous museums. The tip of his tail flickers about in interest as Bo is already planning to look the place up so he can make an itinerary. “The science one would be my second pick. Perhaps a next date idea?” Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I?

Delton grins at Bo's choice. He kind of pinned the other man as a history buff. Then, he brings up the prospect of another date and he can't help but blush at the idea. "I'd-I'd like that. Um, both going to the history museum and the science museum at a second date...if you'd want to do that with me..." He orders at the window and pulls up, a few cars between them and their drinks. Putting the car in park, he unbuckles his seat belt, leans up - having to almost stand up from his seat - and presses a kiss to Bo's cheek. When he settles back into his seat, buckling his seat belt and shooting Bo a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I've wanted to do that since you, well, asked me out..."

“Of course I would want to,” he replies plainly. As the line slowly inches forward, he stares off at the car front of him, trying to decide if he would want a similar model. Lots of research to do… But he’s pulled out of his car-related thoughts when, all of a sudden, he feels something on his cheek. It felt like a kiss. His head jerks towards Delton’s, his glasses sliding down his nose from the sudden motion. “Ah.” He tries to say more, but the words get stuck in his throat. All he can do is just touch his cheek. It might have just been a peck, but he swears he can still feel the weight of his lips there. “D-do not need to apologize,” he finally says. “It’s fine. Very good and very fine.” What am I, a caveman?

Bo's reaction was worth the risk. He looked adorably flustered at such a simple thing, unable to do much but utter a few words and press his fingers to his cheek. That just makes Delton more dedicated to doing it over and over again. But those are goals for a different time. They pull up to pay - with Bo's card, due to his insistence - and get their order. It's not long before they're back on the road, beverages carefully secured in the cup holders in the front and back. "So you say you're a history buff?" He asks. Honestly, he just wants to hear Bo talk. He can talk. He does it all the time. But he does appreciate being around people more talkative than him.

“Oh, yes. I, uh, I’m very into Netherese history especially,” he confirms, staring back out of the window again. “It’s incredible to me that such a place used to exist. Imagine: a floating city? Mages? I have always wondered what it was like to live in a Faerun that still had magic…” At some point, his tail had escaped confinement. It thumps excitedly against the inside of the passenger side car door. Thump, thump, thump… “They’re finding out more and more each day. I actually keep up with a blog written by one of the archaeologists that digging up the ruins of Asram. Just the other day, they found one a treasure trove on monster-baiting outfits. Have you heard of such a practice? Apparently, people would dress up in bright, colorful outfits to attract monsters out in the open, so that mages could kill them from afar…” Talking about Asram leads him to talk about the other two cities that were spared from Netheril’s destruction, which leads him to talk about the events that led up to said destruction. So on and so forth.

Delton smiles as Bo talks, responding when appropriate but mostly just listening. He appreciates how passionate Bo is about this. And he thinks the tiefling's tail thumping is adorable. They drive along like this for a while, hitting the gate of the South Ward soon enough.

Bo swears they got to his apartment way too fast. Did Delton take a shortcut? “Ah, there’s my place.” He feels the slightest bit like a contortionist as he climbs out of Delton’s car, heavy tail bumping against the doorframe as he exits. After gathering his things from the backseat, he stands in front of the open passenger side door and bows slightly towards the other man, glasses sliding down his nose just a bit as he does. “Thank you so much, Delton. I enjoyed our time together. I hope you’re able to get some rest today.” Up to 6400 annual deaths. “And text me when you get home?”

Delton winces a little at the way Bo has to contort himself to get out of his car. "Sorry again, for the squeeze. And I really enjoyed our time together too." He has this itch to get out and kiss Bo's cheek again, but he controls himself. Just barely. He shoots the other man a smile, "I'll do that. You'll text a time that works for me to pick you up?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm used to it," he reassures. "And same here. I'm looking forward to our date." Our date. He repeats that little phrase over and over again in his head, his tail hung low, but wagging quickly. With how long is it, it sweeps across Delton's driveway like a little broom. He wants to return that peck on his cheek so badly, but that's a little too much too soon, isn't it? In response to Delton's smile, he flashes his own. "Once you text me that you're home ok, then I'll text you a time. Sounds fair, doesn't I?" He laughs quietly at himself. "I'm joking, by the way. I'll text you regardless."

Delton laughs a little and says, "I look forward to it." He watches Bo disappear into the apartment complex, shooting Rolan a quick text saying he's going to crash at theirs for a nap at least. His son's concern could be heard through the responding message. The drive was uneventful, playing music loud enough to keep him awake and probably disturb the whole neighborhood. He parks in his spot before deciding to text Bo right now. That way he doesn't forget. Bo had looked...concerned, when he dropped him off. He doesn't want to make him worry. Make anyone worry.

Text to: Bo Hey - I'm at the kids. Going to crash here for a while before I go home Looking forward to our date \:)

After agonizing over whether to put an exclamation mark or not like a teenage girl, he grabs his things, locks his door, and heads to his kids' apartment. Rolan greets him at the door.

The look of concern on Rolan's face is impossible to hide, but he still manages to bite out an acerbic, "Somehow you look even worse than the last time I saw you." He pulls his Ada into the apartment, locking the door, before checking his father over for something, anything to explain his lack of sleep. Quothe is nosing at their Ada already, tail wiggling excessively. "Do you need to switch to dayshift Ada? I'm sure if you ask, they'll let you. I'm-We're worried about you." He wraps his arms around his dad - the only parent he has left - and just hugs him.

Delton sighs, letting himself be wrapped by his son and hugging him back. The other kids will still be asleep, after all. "I'm fine, Rol. Just a rough few weeks, s'all. Don't worry about me, little love." Rolan doesn't look like he's convinced, but he lets it go. They hug for a few more moments, before Rolan shoos Delton off to bed. He quickly undresses and hops into bed, Quothe following. He wraps his arms around the Rottie, imagining for a second how a pair of strong arms would feel wrapped around him, pulling him into a strong embrace. Almost enveloped by the other man. Maybe it's exhaustion or maybe it's that lovely image that allows him to drift off easily for once.

He watches Delton drive away, praying to no one in particular that he makes it home safe. Boletus has no idea that he has a goofy ass grin plastered onto his face, until he almost runs into a slightly taller-than-him half orc woman. The drinks in his hands slosh around from the way he jumps slightly. “A-ah! O-Oti! Don’t scare me like that!” he exclaims, tail thumping against the pavement in annoyance.

She stands there, unfazed by her brother’s jumpiness. “Who was that?” she asks, shit-eating grin on her face.

“W-who was who? And were you standing out here the entire time?”

“Maybe,” she replies with a shrug. “I saw a car I didn’t recognize outside, but when I saw it was you, I decided to come out to say hi. But you were wagging your tail around like an excited little puppy dog, so I just waited. Didn’t wanna interrupt your flirting.” She starts tapping her foot on the ground. “Soooo. Spill. What the fuck was that?”

"J-just a coworker," he demurs. His tail is wagging happily at the mere thought of Delton's smile. Cleary not "just a coworker," then.

"Uh huh." She's about to interrogate him more, but all of a sudden, a convertible pulls up into their driveway. The person driving it is a young-looking redheaded half-elf woman covered in freckles. "Oops! There's my ride! See ya, bro. Oh, and I gave dad his morning meds, so don't worry about him."

"Wait, who is that?" But Otidea has already hopped into the car, kissing the girl on the cheek before she drives away. "Of course..." Making his way inside, he peaks into his father's room. He's awake and mindlessly watching TV, and doesn't even acknowledge Boletus's presence. Well, at least his isn't throwing things, or yelling, or trying to get out of bed. Maybe this is one of the rare good days for him. Exhaustion hits him as soon as he walks into his bedroom. But no matter how tired he is, he has to follow his routine, or sleep won't bother to grace him with its presence. He eats a small breakfast (dinner technically, but calling it dinner when its almost 9 am seems strange), changes into pajamas, brushes his teeth, washes his face, so on and so forth... When he's finally ready to lie down, he gets a text from Delton. "Oh, good. He's safe." Boletus really worries about how tired he looks, but after Delton told him about his prior relationships, he wonders if it has anything to do with that. However, he hates to pry. Maybe it'll be something they can discuss later on. After all, they've only just met. Before closing his eyes, he sends Delton a text as promised.

Text to: Delton Delton, I hope you're asleep right now. You need the rest. I'm in bed right now myself. As for our date, would noon be a good time? I know it's tough to adjust your sleep after night shift, so I'm ok if you need to push the time back more. I'm looking forward to it as well. I'll see you then. -Boletus Zales

When Delton wakes up around noon, he's almost astonished at how well he slept. It's likely the presence of other people that helps, but he's not bringing his kids into this mess. Not if he can help it. He can hear Quothe playing with one of his loud squeaky toys in the other room. So he decides to try and get his bearings. Rolan was kind enough to plug in his phone, texting where all the kids would be and until what time. And that he should stay for dinner. He's not one to refuse his kids reasonable requests - especially not for family time, but it does set his teeth on edge. The longer he's away from the house, the more likely the bastard is to go looking for where he went. And he doesn't want that. Not at all. The text from Bo makes him smile. He texts as if he is writing a letter, which is adorable. The smile stays on his face as he writes his response.

Text to: Bo Noon works great for me! We can grab lunch and then head to the museum \:)

The only thing that stopped him from having a full on meltdown yesterday was the anticipation of his date with Delton. As expected, getting his father to cooperate with him was a Herculean task. From getting him out of bed and showered, to getting him to take him medicine, to getting him to eat, to getting him in a rideshare car, to getting him to behave during his doctor’s appointments, to getting him to calm down after being put on yet another chemo drug. Otidea had offered to help, willing to cancel her date with whoever that girl was that picked her up the other day (he thinks her name was Rue, but he was only half paying attention during her nightly yap session over dinner), but Boletus couldn’t bear to do that to her. She is so young and full of life, he dares not let their father ruin the youth she ought to be enjoying. Plus, he is the older brother. The first son. This is his responsibility, and his alone. So alone he was, bearing the brunt of every nasty word that left his father’s mouth, and every weak and sickly punch he tried to throw. But, today is a new day. He managed to resell his ticket to that concert for a pretty penny, the extra spending money filling him with the confidence to try to convince Delton to let him pay for their lunch. He is so sweet and kind, and clearly overworked himself. All Boletus wants to do is take all that worry away and see him relax. Right now, it’s 10am. Otidea is in class, and his father is asleep after a very-much-needed lorazepam. A nurse aide will be in later to help feed him his lunch and make sure he is ok while Boletus is out. So, plenty of time to get ready, he thinks.

Delton wakes up early - unfortunately, though he's gotten a big better sleep the last few days. He takes Quothe out for a long run after they both have breakfast - an apology for going to be gone most of the day - and half-hour fetch session. When they get home, Quothe drinks his water, eats a snack, and curls up on the couch to sleep, so he figures it was a success. Hopping in the shower, he tries to fight off the pre-date nerves - and some not-so-great thoughts about the last time he tried dating. Bo's not like that. The egg incident shows how much he cares about people. He leaves his hair down, the length past his ears and slightly curling at the ends. It's unusual for him, as he generally pulls it back for his job. It isn't really cold in Waterdeep yet but one of the many gifts from his parents was nerve damage that makes him much more sensitive to the cold. He dresses in layers - a dress shirt and a sweater - and he hopes that will be enough. He tries not to look in the mirror too much, not wanting to see his eye bags or his mother's face and father's eyes. And then, it's 10am and it's the Waiting Game. He's never done well with just waiting. He's an ER doctor for a reason. He thrives in movement and chaos, not waiting. Setting a timer on his phone, he reads a medical journal a colleague sent, but can't help glancing at the clock. After a while, he gives up and scrolls through his phone. His alarm goes off at nearly the same time his pet sitter knocks on the door. The kids are at school, so his neighbor - a nice older woman who invites everyone for tea but gods help you if you piss her off - comes over to watch Quothe. She has a cute little beagle who Quothe is friends with, so no worries there at least. He sits in the car, lint rolling the dog fur off, before heading to the Southern Ward. He hopes Bo is as excited as he is. Maybe that's a little desperate of him to think.

Text to: Bo I'm here! But don't rush - take your time \:)

Despite the words “don’t rush,” Boletus essentially runs to his door. The cold metal of the doorknob in his hand makes him pause, wagging tail stilling. Be cool. Outside and walking towards Delton’s car, he is so focused on maintaining a stoic sort of demeanor, he completely forgets to lock up. It’s only when he’s about to open the passenger side door that he remembers. He mouths the words “excuse me,” and calmly walks back to his door. His large frame hides the fact that his hands tremble while he locks up, giddy with the excitement of actually going on a date. Not a hookup. Not a desperate sexual act done out of sheer necessity. The only things he’s ever had time for. A date where he can take his time, get to know someone, and form a bond. At the end of the day, that’s all he really wants. Unfortunately, his trembling isn’t only manifesting in his hands. His tail swings back and forth so hard, it almost looks perpendicular to his body on the upswing. It’s probably not surprising that Boletus, with his landlord’s permission, installed extra locks. They normally give him peace of mind, but right now, they’re just frustrating him. “Damn… it. Hands. Work.” He eventually gets them to cooperate with him. Then he’s back to gracefully approaching Delton’s car, opening the door with a gentle smile. “Hello, Delton. Sorry about the wait. You look great.”

Delton perks up a little when he sees Bo come out of the apartment. He looks handsome, his clothing accentuating his defined musculsturr. The man knew how to dress. And, well, Delton can't help but feel a little insecure. He verges on what some might call "too skinny," something not helped by his love for running and small appetite. He's not what most people would desire. Not compared to someone like Bo. When Bo has to go back to his door to lock up, he can't help but feel a little delighted, color raising into his cheeks. Bo's excited to see him. That must me something. Before he left, he had made sure to push the seat all the way back and lean it back just enough so Bo should be comfortable in his tiny car. "Hi Bo," he shoots the other man a bright smile, "you look lovely as well. And it's no problem at all - we're in no rush." When Bo sits down, he leans over to press a kiss to the other man's cheek.

Another cheek kiss? Boletus feels like the luckiest man in the world. He responds with a smile, tucking some of that fire-red hair behind his ear. “I still don’t like to keep a man waiting. But that’s beside the point. How are you? Did you get some rest last night?” If it weren’t for the size of his tail and the size of the car, the too-honest appendage would have already found its way into Delton’s lap. Instead, it is stuck, pinned between Bo’s body and the passenger side door.

At Bo's kind gesture, his pale cheeks flush pink. It's not the first time Delton has cursed his complexion, and it probably won't be the last. "I'm well. I slept enough," no less than usual, "And you? You are well?" He tilts his head curiously, sending Bo a sweet smile. He's a tactile person. He wants to reach out and do something. But he doesn't know what he's allowed to do so the smile and brief cheek kiss will have to do. Bo doesn't seem to be complaining after all.

“Ah, I had a tough day yesterday,” he admits. “I’m much better today, especially now that you’re here.” It’s obviously the truth. It’s a welcome escape from the being a caregiver at work and a caregiver at home. It only makes him feel the teeniest bit guilty. Worried he may have come on too strong, he changes the subject. “You know, I had a very light breakfast, so I’m excited to go eat.” Of course he decides to talk about food...

He can't help but duck his head at the praise, his cheeks feeling even warmer. After watching Bo buckle in, he starts the car, quietly saying, "...You make my days better too..." He uses backing out as an excuse to not look at Bo's reaction. But, he can't help but laugh a little at Bo's words. "I promise you it's good. My kids swear that the meat and fish dishes are divine and their vegetarian dishes are very good. I'll probably get dumplings or Ramen myself."

Of course, such a heartfelt sentiment results in Boletus's typically orange-tinted cheeks to blush a deep red. No one has ever said things like that so casually to him before. "You make my days better." It would be way too easy to get used to this. "Well, I had no doubts that you would take me to somewhere good. I tried to do some research on Waterdeep's food scene before I moved, but frankly, I was very overwhelmed with the sheer amount of options. I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I'm a lover of food." All of the physical labor he's been enduring with the move, along with his regular workouts, combined with a high protein diet... Well, a white sweater that he hasn't worn in a while might be a tad tight on certain areas of his body that might have grown from these set of circumstances.

Delton can't help but smile, "Yeah, when I moved here, I was overwhelmed myself. There's just so many options - almost to a ridiculous extent." He starts to chatter about restaurants from all different cultures and his habits of where to eat out with kids as well as Halsin, Karlach, and Lae'zel. He's in the middle of a funny story where Karlach was trying to crack a lobster during dinner and sent a claw flying, almost landing on a neighboring table when they pull into the restaurant.

His laugh is deep and joyful, head thrown back against the car seat as imagines the scene Delton describes. "Bahaha! Oh, my goodness," he begins with a wide grin, trying to catch his breath after such a hearty laugh. "I can totally see her doing something like that. I swear she doesn't know her own strength sometimes. You know, the other day, she somehow ripped the bedrail off one of the stretchers! It got stuck, and I think it pissed her off enough to channel some sort of like... barbarian rage. You know?" Looking out of the window, he realizes that they've arrived. Seeing the building and smelling the scent of cooked food just activates his rather large appetite almost immediately, mouth watering and stomach growling loudly. "Oops, ignore that. My breakfast this morning really was not enough..."

Delton laughs at that, "I believe it. She's a bit of a bull in a porcelain shop sometimes, but her strength does come in handy. Especially for compressions." He's starting to get out but stops a bit, "Don't apologize. I'm glad you're hungry. Now I have an excuse to order more food - they have delicious buns and edamame. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you." The smile he gives Bo is like sunshine. He can't help it. Bo makes him happy.

"I know. The other day, she pushed me out of the way during that code on bed 38. And I was doing just fine..." Stepping out of the car, he starts to drool just a little more. He attempts to discreetly wipe the corners of his mouth of his sleeve. But his eyes meet Delton's... while he's in the middle of wiping drool off of his face. The half elf is just smiling at him like he's someone he downright ecstatic to see. I am falling so hard for him. Oh, no. His unabashed smiles, the way he seems to want to touch him in little ways, just encourages Bo just to be a little more courageous. So, he offers up his hand to hold. "Let's go. You already know how starving I am!"

Laughing a little, Delton responds, "She does that. Don't take it personal." He's been knocked out of the way enough times by Karlach himself. He thinks it's cute that Bo is so excited for food. He misses having that excitement. But, those are thoughts for another time. He blinks a little when Bo holds out his hand before taking it and squeezing it gently. Bo's hands absolutely dwarf his own, wrapping around it securely. And that's giving him thoughts inappropriate for a first date. Let's move on. He tugs Bo toward the door - knowing that if Bo doesn't want to move, he won't - and says "Let's get a booth. Near the back if we can? It'll be a little quieter that way."

“A booth in the back? Sure. That would be nice.” He says that, but he panics just for a moment. Boletus doesn’t like to feel trapped in public spaces, to be too far from a door or other type of exit. Thankfully, the booth the hostess seats them at has a patio door a mere 20 feet away, the kind that leads to outdoor seating. The area is surrounded by a fence that has an open gate. It’s an easy escape if he feels like the restaurant will be too much. His eyes glance at the emergency exit off to the side as well. The main entrance, while far away, is something he can still see, even if it is blocked off a bit by a partition. This is a good spot. Now, he can relax. His tail rests comfortably on the boot, the tip of his thumping up and down softly as he eyes the menu. “You said the edamame is good? And the buns? You know, I’m obligated to eat whatever you recommend.”

Delton sees Bo scan the restaurant for exits for a few moments and feels like a proper idiot. Of course he'd prefer to be near exits Delton. Fortunately, the hostess puts them near the back exit - Delton would have made an excuse if she didn't to get her to move them. He just wants Bo to be comfortable. He just wants this date to go well. "Yeah, we can share the edamame. My kids swear by their pork buns, but I've only ever tried their tofu version." He's going to get ramen, he's decided. It's non-traditional when completely vegetarian, but he likes it. Also, soup is just great. "Feel free to order what you want, Bo. It's my treat - and I can assure you you can't out-eat three growing tieflings." He gives a lopsided grin at that, "What looks good to you?"

"That sounds like a challenge..." He eyes the sushi menu with keen interest, tail starting to smack into the backrest of the booth. "Delton, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm ordering a lot of food. I actually came into some extra cash, so I can treat myself." He isn't kidding. With the provided pencil, he circles sushi roll, after sushi roll, after sushi roll... until he has finally circled 7 full rolls in total. "Oh, and I'll get two orders of those pork buns, too." ...which are 2 rolls per order. 4 pork buns, 7 rolls of sushi. Edamame to share. Don't ask Boletus about his grocery bill. His sister's appetite is similar, if not worse.

2

Alvilda (Tav: Helaena+)

alvilda_

Bee (Tav: Delton)

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Delton blinks a little, but smiles at the consideration. "Well, sure, if you insist..." Edamame and ramen is it for him, personally. He's never had a big appetite and withe stress of the unwanted 'gifts,' well, even that has plummeted. He's fine though. Probably. "I'm glad I brought you somewhere where you like the food," his smile is sincere, resting his head on his hand. "So, how are you liking Waterdeep thus far? I'm sure I can give you some recommendations of place we can explore...not to be too forward, that is." His smile turns a bit sheepish at that.

“Oh, well I appreciate you for taking me here,” he grins. The waiter seems nonplussed as he takes an order that’s big enough for 4 people. “Anyways… I’m really enjoying Waterdeep. There’s so much… color here.” A strangely poetic statement from someone as “facts and logic” as Boletus, but it’s just the first thing that came to mind. “Melvaunt, where I’m from, is a very industrial town. It’s full of factories. Steel production. Things like that. So the sky is perpetually gray from all the smog… it’s quite bleak.” His tail stills, resting limply on the booth seat next to him. “I’d love some recommendations. This city seems to be teeming with culture. I like that. I like the arts. I’m no good at doing anything even remotely artistic, but I like to enjoy a good play or concert.” Boletus is deciding to not go into his flower arranging hobby, or his current attempts at learning how to knit. They are no hobbies a man like him ought to indulge in, anyways. “I’m hoping I earn the right to explore more places with you. I’m not the most interesting man to spend time with, though.” The way Delton smiles at him goes right to his chest. When is this going to fall apart? He shoos the thought away. When things go south for Boletus, they typically do so later on. He knows this by now. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Delton reaches over and covers Bo's hand with his own, careful to choreograph the movement so it's not too sudden. He squeezes the hand. "You don't have to earn the right to explore this city with me, Bo," he gives him a shy small, "I'm offering. And there's plenty of culture and arts here. I can definitely take you around New Olamn. An entire street nearby is covered in different art. The city creates the space to give young artists a chance to breathe and reduce vandalism. It seems to have worked, at least a little." He can't help but tilt his head, "Bo, I find you plenty interesting. I'm worried I'm boring you. All I seem to talk about are my kids and my dog." That's what his life revolves around, now. "New Olamn often has exhibitions of the arts - your sister might be part of it, later in the semester. Right now, most of the exhibitions are from older students. They typically have a few scenes from plays that they perform, usually revolving around a theme."

He, unfortunately, sees a lot of the world as a series of transactions. Why spend time with Boletus if you can't get anything out of it? But Delton's constant touch is reassuring. No one that touched someone like this so often could ever lie to him, he thinks. "Learning more about your life could never bore me," he replies fondly. "I can tell you love your kids and dog very dearly. Lucky for you... I'm a 'kids and dogs' kind of guy." He awkwardly throws a finger gun, along with similarly awkward wink, towards Delton. Why did I do that? He clears his throat a bit nervously. "Anyways... New Olamn. Right... I visited the actual college with my sister once, but I didn't have the luxury of hanging around and enjoying the sights much. It would be nice to take a leisurely stroll, take in the views..." A normal date with a normal person. A dream come true.

He squeezes Bo's hand again after the adorably awkward finger gun and wink. Everything about this man is adorable, really. Gods, this man is just so endearing. "What type of dog would you get, if you had the chance? I know you mentioned you were thinking about adopting one after you're more settled in." Delton laughs a little, "The area around New Olamn is one of my favorites in Waterdeep. It's clearly a college town, specifically an artist college town. I'd love to go with you sometime - they often have free performances in the park, even. Maybe we could catch one of those?"

Without skipping a beat, he speaks straight from the heart. “I have a fondness for larger dogs. I’ll admit that I’m very enamored with Quothe, of dogs that size, or even bigger. Newfies, St. Bernards, dogs like that.” Of course, his own tail wags as if he were one of those giant dogs he just listed. And it wags even harder when the edamame and buns are brought out. The thumping against the booth earns him a few odd looks, but Boletus is in too good of a mood to care. He’s on a date with a handsome doctor after a 5 year (or more? He isn’t keeping track) dry spell. He’s doing something selfish for once. Happiness is addicting. It’s as addicting as the too-hot (to a non-hotblooded tiefling) pork bun in his mouth, which he attempts to swallow whole before realizing even he can’t fit the entire thing in his mouth, and resolves to bite into it like a normal person. “Mmmf. Yef. Would luff to go. Mhhmm.” And he just keeps eating.

Delton can't help but giggle at Bo's enthusiasm, even if it's a little rude. He'd rather people be enthusiastic than not. "I didn't have any pets until Theo and I got married. We adopted a senior cat named Balto when we got married. Gave us a good few years - we adopted her at twelve and she lived until nineteen." "Quothe fell into my lap because of Rolan. It's nice to not be alone. My house...isn't meant for one person, unfortunately." He gives a bittersweet smile, "How's Oti? Everything good at home?"

Every tidbit Delton shares about himself is like a treasure, gems to be stored inside a a little box in his head. He could truly listen to Delton talk for as long as he wanted. He seems to have lived so much life, even if a lot of that life was full of twists and turns, happiness and pain. To have come from it all that much stronger? It’s inspiring. … Of course, it’s only polite that he would want to ask about Boletus in turn. Checking in. That’s normal. Well, couldn’t stay too happy for too long. It’s a nice reality check for someone who has the propensity to be swept away during a fresh romance. His demeanor softens considerably, energy brought back down to a level more appropriate for someone like him. “Oti is fine,” he replies. “She’s always been adaptable. Has a new girlfriend already, even!” It’s pretty hard to ignore the booming voice from her room as she spends hours on the phone with who he assume is said girlfriend. She is so carefree and loves life with infectious optimism. He has always been jealous of that aspect of her. But she’s really only able to be that way because Boletus does not allow her the share his burdens, taking it upon himself to shoulder all financial responsibility, all of his father’s medical care, and all of the logistics of moving to a new place. He’s the older brother, after all. “Otherwise…? Well… things could be worse,” he states cryptically, sitting up a bit straighter now. He eats his food with a dopey smile, because good food does that to him. Even if now all he can hear is his father screaming expletives at him nonstop when all he does is try to help. “Are there any good dog parks around here?” he asks, seemingly out of the blue.

Delton nods, smiling happily. "Maybe her and Lia have already crossed paths? I know they don't really study the same things..." But he's trained to long in the ER, spent too much time as a doctor on the Moonsea where it went from peace to a massacre to not notice that shift. He deals in details and asking about Bo's homelife just made the exuberant tiefling turn into a shell, a caricature of something he's supposed to be rather than what he is. Delton doesn't like that. He quite likes the Bo who coos over his dog and gets excited about food and has his heart on his sleeve. "Bo...I know we don't know each other that well, but if you ever need to talk to me about anything, you can." He rubs his thumb across the broad flat of the back of Bo's hand, "I might not understand what you are going through, nor could I hope to perfectly relate, but I care about you. Regardless if this goes further or not. I really want it to, but I'm not the only party in that decision." He shoots Bo a shy smile, his face slightly pink from the honest vulnerability. He tries to maintain eye contact, trying to convey sincerity with his entire body. "I'm a good listener, or so I've been told." He tucks a stray strand of hair behind his ear, "And, yes. There are a few. I'm sure Quothe would love to have you join us."

"Honestly? They probably have," he replies with a chuckle. "She makes it a personal goal of hers to say hi to anyone she meets." Would that be weird? His sister being friends with his boyfriend's foster daughter? Wait, he's getting ahead of himself. They're just on a date. Testing the waters. Don't count your chickens before they hatch, right? Boletus fairly observant, but most of the time he is quite ignorant of how he comes off towards others. His energy shift was painfully obvious to everyone but himself. He tilts his head to the side, confused. "Um, thank you for the offer. You're very kind." What I'm going through? Ah. It's nothing worth talking about. It won't make him feel better. It's not a very significant problem to someone who has been through so much. No one likes to listen to a man complain. "You are a good listener. All the patients that walk through our ER are lucky to meet such a compassionate face during what is usually the worst day of their lives." No matter how chaotic, how stressful, how catastrophic work is, Delton's voice remains calm and quiet. Soothing. Boletus would love nothing more than to just listen to him read a book. It could be a damn phone book, even. His tail starts to wag, the other man's touch starting to affect him a little too positively. Thankfully, their entrees come out, forcing the two to pull their hands apart. That's good. Boletus was coming dangerously close to letting his heart get ahead of his mind. "Is it weird that I'm going to use this future dog park date to scope out potential future dogs?" he asks rhetorically, popping a piece of sushi into his mouth.

"Lia's also a social butterfly, so they might be chumming it up under their noses." He chews his cheek at Bo's reaction. The other man is clearly struggling, but he doesn't feel like pushing is going to help with that. "It's an open offer, sweetheart, if you need it. I know moving can be very difficult, plus being a medical caretaker is difficult - regardless of being in the field yourself." It might be even harder. Because you have nowhere to go to decompress. Ducking his head shyly, he squeezes Bo's hand, "I just try to be what I've needed in the past, s'all." He gives Bo's hand one last squeeze when their food comes, picking up his chopsticks. The food smells divine. "Ehh, every time I see a golden I get the urge to adopt another dog, so I understand. I can arrange you a visit with the shelter Rolan volunteers at. They let potential adopters visit the dogs and even walk them - socializes the dogs and gives you a better idea of what you can handle, personally." He tries to not slurp his noodles too much, but he's hungry for the first time in a while. Eating while talking helps.

The open offer to talk is noted. Perhaps, one day, he’ll take it. Because he has always responded poorly to people pushing him. This, right now, the opportunity to forget, is his idea of decompression. “I think I’m going to have to get my journal out if you keep suggest hang-out ideas,” he replies, popping piece after piece of sushi into his mouth. He wasn’t kidding. He takes out a small, leather bound journal and a fancy little pen and starts writing things down. City of the Dead visit, Delton’s garden, New Olamn walk, dog park, animal shelter. “Wait, you said Rolan volunteers there?” I hope he isn’t there when I visit. “Ah, never mind. Anyways, this sushi is great! Back home, we had some decent seafood, but Kara-Tur cuisine was pretty much nonexistent. Not a lot of people emigrate to Melvaunt if they’re going to be moving to Faerun, because why would they?” His tail thumps softly against the booth. It’s a wonder how the thing doesn’t have any bruises on it. “Do you cook?” A question asked with little thought behind it The man just likes food.

Gods, this man is going to kill me. "You're adorable, you know?" He chuckles, chopsticks quickly stealing a vegetarian piece of sushi from one of the plates, "It makes me feel...special, to think that you want to make sure you keep track of future date ideas." But, he shrugs at that, "I'd hope the seafood is good, considering the wharf is right there. But...well, I wouldn't know. I don't think I've had meat since I was a child?" His family had been survivalists intent on living off the land. He knows hoe to butcher almost any animal available in the Neverwinter Woods. But, he'd rather not think about that. About how he learned. About what happened when he made mistakes. His smile dims a little at the thought but he tries to shake it off. It's been over twenty years, after all. "I'm an okay cook. Theo was way better but I can definitely make a decent meal for myself and host. But I'm no chef - i prefer to bake." Baking is math. He likes math.

The orange-tinted skin of his cheeks turns a deep shade of red. How is he supposed to take an adorable man calling him adorable? This is totally not fair. It catches him off guard, causing him to almost choke on a piece of sushi. He coughs a few times before answering. “D-Delton, seriously. Me? You’re the adorable one…” Trim figure, cheeks full of freckles, beautiful face… he’s exactly his type in a man. “I just don’t want to forget. Every time you speak there’s just more I want to do with you. It beats exploring this giant city alone… not to say that’s the only reason I want to spend time with you.” Truthfully, his anxiety has been awful lately. It’s partly why he overslept before his very first shift. The move was more stressful than he cares to admit. A perfect time for your anxiolytic prescription to run out of refills, right? ”Poppin’ another pill, Bo? Don’t pretend you didn’t.” So busy establishing care for his father in a new town, he has had no time to get his own. His military benefits from Melvaunt weren’t going to transfer over to Waterdeep. But maybe this is a good thing, he thinks. It’s been years. Surely he’s fine? Or, he can at least wait a while before going to get his own checkup, wait a bit his own prescriptions refilled. Maybe he doesn’t need them anymore. It’s been years since he was medically discharged. Delton is right in front of him. He brings Bo a sense of peace he has not known in quite a while. But is it healthy to replace a drug with a person? “I cook all the time,” he says, tone only a little boastful. “I have to, because my sister is… not very patient in the kitchen. But baking? My gods, I didn’t think you could tick any more of my boxes! What are your favorite things to bake? I think I already told you my favorite things to *eat*, which was a pretty extensive list, I will admit…” He laughs a bit sheepishly at that.

"No, really! Adorable and sweet, darling," he tilts his head, "We can be adorable together, I suppose." His face flushes a deep red at that, ducking his head a bit at that. "I'd love to show you around Waterdeep, Bo. This is my home and I love it a lot." It's much better than the Neverwinter Forest. He fell in love with life in Waterdeep. He hopes the magic of this city might brush off on Bo - help him like it had helped Delton over two decades ago. He laughs at that, "Theo was the cook between the two of us," he can't help but sound a little wistful, "The kids take after him, not me." "Oh, I'll bake just about anything. But my favorites are creme puffs. I like being able to make a fluffy dough and take my frustrations out through kneading, but also do delicate piping work." He's a nerd, alright? He paid for cake decorating classes in college because he needed a hobby. "But I do love the simpleness of cakes and cupcakes and how we can elevate them so much with different flavors."

Boletus has finished five out of the seven rolls of sushi he ordered at this point, and it doesn't seem like he's slowing down at all. "Oh, hold on. I have something to add to the list, then," he says while chewing on a piece of sushi. He has been talking while crewing his food for most of the date. That's because the happier he is, the less he tries to pretend to be something he's not. The laces loosen, just a tad. Eating and enjoying food has a particular way of breaking his walls down. When he takes out his journal, he writes one more thing on his list: cook something for Delton. "I'll cook for you sometime. It'll be fun to do it for someone that probably has a way more refined palate than my sister. Seriously, I can't get any form of constructive feedback from her. No matter what I make, she just says, 'Yup! That's good!' and nothing else." But he would have to make something vegetarian... well, that's not a problem for Boletus. Unlike a lot of tieflings, he actually enjoys a wide variety of foods that aren't meat, but he still prefers it at the end of the day. What kind of things did Theo cook for you? "You have to give me a list of your favorite dishes sometime. I can't say it'll be amazing, because like I said, I have no one with substantial commentary to critique me, but I'll try me best either way." "And in return," he begins in jest, "you bake me something. That's not something I do often, and I'd love to maybe learn a few things myself. I love to learn, you know?"

Delton steals another piece of sushi that is vegetarian and pops it into his mouth, just happy that Bo seems to be enjoying himself. As a professional high-strung, neurotic, he's glad that Bo seems to be letting loose and relaxing a little. The tiefling is far too young to be as worried as he is. That might be the pot calling the kettle black, but that's something to talk to his therapist about. "Oh, I'm not really picky. But I do really like curries and stews. They're..." How does one delicately say that 'I have issues eating sometimes' without drawing pity or concern? "...soothing, I suppose." Easy to eat is what he means. "I can make Neverwintan hot chocolate cupcakes. It's the only thing from Neverwinter that I say beats out everything from Waterdeep." He doesn't talk about his life in Neverwinter. His life is easily split into the before and after. The 'before' is best forgotten.

"Soothing?" That's a strange way to describe your favorite food, he thinks. Soothing as in it elicits a good memory? Memories related to his late husband? Or, is that just a roundabout way to say that kind of food is "safe?" Delton is rather thin. Boletus figures part of that comes from being a vegetarian, but it wouldn't surprise him if the other part of that comes from him doing things like forgetting to eat, or just not wanting to. Or being too busy. He can understand all of that. It's all speculation, of course. He is eating just fine in the restaurant with him. It's not like he expects Delton to eat as much and as fast as he can. "Well, you're in luck," he boasts lightheartedly. "I can make a pretty decent curry. I'll just leave out the beef! No problem. It'll be faster to make without it, anyways. Are you a wine drinker? I have a Riesling I like that pairs pretty well." He's almost done with his sixth roll, which is the roll Delton has been sharing with him since it's a simple cucumber maki roll. There is one piece left. "Oh! Do you want this last piece?" he asks, tail thumping against the booth softly.

"Oh, sure I'll drink that," he doesn't really drink much. Not because of any reason besides he doesn't like to alone. It feels too sad, "Thank you, Bo. And you can make just a little bit vegetarian for me. That's okay." He hums a bit and spoons a bit of broth into his mouth. He's made a...decent effort on his food. It's easier to eat with people but it only goes so far. He's only had two pieces of the sushi roll which is more than enough. "Oh, oh no, you can finish it! I'm good," he smiles and gestures with his chopsticks. "What type of food do you like to cook best?"

He stares at Delton for a moment before coming to the conclusion that he truly does not want his graciously offered, very sacred last piece of sushi. Down the hatch it goes with a smile. "Well, sadly, it's mostly meat dishes," he laments. Between his tiefling heritage, a father who hunted for a living, and a sister that came from a tribe of orcs? Meat is just the basis of a lot of his meals, especially since he was the only one who ever cooked. "Lobster mac and cheese is a big favorite of my sister's, my aforementioned beef curry, chicken picatta..." Well, at least the things I do tend to gravitate towards can be easily modified. One last roll to go. "And don't worry! I can survive a vegetarian curry. Survive is a strong word, anyways. If it's no good, that's just on my cooking skills and not on meat being absent or anything. I just want to make something for you. That's all." He adjust his glasses a bit before digging into his last roll with the same fervor as he did with his other rolls. Where does it all go? "How's your food? That ramen looks delicious! I'd order some, but I don't want to keep us here all day. We've got a museum to see! Much more interesting than watching me eat like a madman."

Delton shakes his head, "You shouldn't feel bad for your preferences Bo. You like meat and it sounds like your family does too - why wouldn't your favorite dishes have meat in them?" He shrugs, "I appreciate it, Bo. But I raised three tieflings - I don't mind only making a small portion vegetarian for me." He's spooning broth into his mouth, it warming him from the inside out. It is good. There's a reason he takes the kids here. And Bo looks very fit. Add that to the fact that he's a big guy, he can't blame him for being hungry. "It's very good. This is my favorite dish to eat here," so it's safe, "And I hope you enjoy the museum. I've, um, been really excited to go with you." His cheeks have been stained pink for most of this date. It feels like the early days with Theo - and white that makes his heart clench, he doesn't feel guilty. Theo would've wanted him to be happy.

"I'm happy to hear... all of that. Really." It's what got me thought my day from the Hells yesterday. This date. You. While he finishes up his last roll, he steal a few glances at the man across from him. There's really no mistaking the way he looks at him. His skin is so pale, every blush just seems to show up that much better on him. How did I get so lucky? When he was younger, he was no stranger to looks like that in his direction. It used to make him uneasy. But Delton doesn't look at him like someone that just wants a man to rough him up for a night and then leave. He took the time to plan this date. He wants to show him around the town he loves so much. And Bo is so, so weak to someone that is sweet to him, because he is not someone people tend to be sweet towards. "I'm guaranteed to like it," he replies. "The museum. History buff, remember? I probably would have eventually visited myself, but... it's always nice to have company. Especially when the company is as handsome as, I don't know... you." It's been so long since I've flirted. Hope that wasn't too much.

Delton can feel the stupid smile on his as he watches Bo eat, the heat of his face fading to the background the longer it lasts. He's not used to this. Feeling happy and safe in public. Not since the packages started showing up at his house. But Bo makes him feel safe. Like he doesn't have to be constantly looking over his shoulder, worrying about who's in the room with him. It's barely been a few tendays, but he trusts Bo. He opens his mouth to respond, but his mouth clicks shut in surprise, cheeks flushing even further. In general, he doesn't think that he's that attractive. He's too...frail-looking. Not what people want in a man, generally. Ambrose used to joke that he was afraid to break him. He didn't really care if he did in the end though. "Oh, um, thank you. You-you are quite handsome as well. I'm...a little surprised you were interested in me at all, honestly." Not just because there was a few moments he thought the tiefling was straight, either.

“Surprised? What’s there to be surprised about?” he asks innocently, currently chewing on a piece of sushi. “You’re my type.” Then he swallows his food and tries to flash his most reassuring smile. “Hope that isn’t too forward. Like I said, this is all mostly new for me.” People calling him handsome isn’t new, but he would largely just ignore it. His buddies back in the army always told him he was a fool for rejecting the multitude of advances many would throw his way. But he’s just never been interested in casual sex like that (he doesn’t count whatever horny men stuck on base do as anything significant- that’s just taking care of a physiological need). It’s much better, he thinks, to get to know someone before jumping into all of that. Eating with someone, going on a date… this is what he’s always wanted. Sex? That’s just a bonus. Why is he even thinking about that now, anyways? It’s no guarantee that this date will be successful. It would be nice if it was, though. Four meat buns and seven rolls of sushi are now finished, put away into the pocket dimension that is Bo’s stomach. He could eat even more, but he’d rather get started with the second part of their date. The museum probably has a cafeteria, anyways.

Delton ducks his head, playing with the spoon in his bowl. He managed to get most of it down, which is a victory for him. "Um, most people find me...a little too fragile-looking, I guess. And I don't tend to attract people who look for a particularly...masculine figure. My, um, ex implied that I just wasn't very desirable..." As did his family, when he still spoke to them. And it's not like people were throwing themselves at his feet. He looks up and smiles a little sheepishly, "I don't mind forward. I, um, appreciate the honesty. I'm not really good at reading people?" Outside of medicine, that is. He can catalog pain and body language just fine in a clinical setting. Few people know how to hide pain well. But faces and body language in day to day life? It's like a dead language to him, absolutely unreadable. So he defaults, sometimes, to assuming the worst. That people are upset with him. It kept him...sort of safe, in the past. "Oh, but don't worry about me. Are you ready for me to ask for the check, Bo?" He's nervously twisting a piece of hair at his nape.

One could likely make some sort of commentary as to why Boletus’s type in partners would be people who could be described as “fragile.” He, unfortunately, will not be gleaming any sort of insight here. So he simply frowns, his face a look of utter disappointment, when Delton confesses his ex had such a low opinion of someone he finds rather attractive. “Sounds like there’s a good reason they are your ex, then,” he bites back. “Some people are just objectively wrong.” He drinks the rest of his water down (it was his fifth refill) while Delton continues to speak. More words to remember. More tendencies of his to take note of. He has been hurt by someone before me. It makes him unsure and unconfident, as amazing a person as he is. I intend to remedy that the best I can. Be open. Be kind. Be reassuring. These are things Boletus can be, because these are qualities of himself that he inherently has. ‘Don’t worry about me’ to his ears means the exact opposite. “Oh, I’m ready whenever you are,” he replies happily, tail thumping against the seat to reflecting its owner’s mood.

He smiles weakly at Bo calling Ambrose 'objectively wrong.' He's not sure that Bo's right, but it's sweet all the same. And the dick deserves to be called out, even if Ambrose is not here to hear it. Delton's able to get the attention of the waiter rather quickly, asking for the check. They manage to sort it out rather quickly and Delton is sure to leave a big tip. When they make it to the car, he casually hops in, sure to watch Bo buckle his seat belt before starting the car. "You can choose the music, if you want? I'm not picky - just no screamo or rap please."

He scoffs without really meaning to as he buckles up. “Are you sure? I have, er… what does my sister call it. Old man taste?” He laughs, warm and loud, a fist in front of his mouth to cover up his wide grin. “Seriously. It’s either dad rock, jazz standards, or classical music.”

A laugh rings out, bright as sunshine. "I quite like 'dad rock,' don't worry," he shoots Bo a bright smile, "The museum isn't far. You mentioned you had a little, how did you say, itinerary?" One of Delton’s favorite things is to see things through another person's eyes. Taking his nieces and nephews to the amusement park and getting to experience the magic of childhood. Seeing Cal's excitement at a new wild plant or bug on their hikes, Lia's love for old folktales, how Rolan's eyes will get wide and voice shush with awe when they go into a historical structure. He gets to experience the world in a brand new way, that way. "I figured we could do a little self-guided tour based on your plan, darling."

“Well, if you say so…” He has his phone hooked up to Delton’s speakers, searching through his music library until he lands upon good ol’ reliable: Led Zeppelin. He has his journal out with his itinerary written out, looking it over while mumbling along. “Wanna whole lot of love…” This sort of music doesn’t suit his smooth, calming, baritone voice when it comes to singing, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. https://youtu.be/oaSk5vnAVJ8?si=pfzVRGTTZVN_plTW

He starts to sing along. His voice is more suited to soft melodies than hard rock, but he doesn't mind. Maybe he lives up to the 'dad' stereotype because he listens to this type of music with his kids. The drive is short - he would've walked if it wouldn't have inconvienced other patrons at the noodle place. But he pulls in and manages to snag street parking, easily sliding into a sport between two cars. "Here we are!" His voice kind of comes out in a singsong, "It's your first trip here so lead the way."

“Right,” he says, proud and confident and in his element. He switches his glasses out to a pair that look the same, but are actually just readers. (He hasn’t had the chance to get bifocals yet, he’s been busy.) You know, since he will need them to read all of that tiny print. After grabbing his tickets, he takes Delton by the hand to the main rotating exhibit: a large scale recreation of Aelinthaldar. Boletus stares at it with childlike wonder, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. “I wonder how they knew what it looked like…?” he mutters to himself. “I thought most of it was destroyed.” His questions are easily answered through the long, detailed placards placed in certain areas. They tell of how a lot of the information was gleamed from Elven scholars, passed down in books through illustrations and oral traditions. Plus, the more recent exploration of the Pantheon Temple of the Seldarine underneath Waterdeep gave the researchers who created the exhibit a decent enough idea of what such ancient Elven architecture would even look like. His tail wags in interests as he squints through his glasses, taking in each word in earnest. “This is already exceeding my expectations,” he muses, standing in a recreation of what would be some type of forum or central gathering place. “Delton, this is really amazing!”

He can't help but dmile at Bo switching his glasses, clearly to readers. But he'll probably ask him if it would be a good idea for him to get bifocals or contacts - the last thing he wants is Bo getting hurt because he can't see. The hospital's benefits package is phenomenal, in part because of the unions for staff, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem he hopes. Delton's cheeks go bright red when Bo grabs his hand and the college student staffing the desk smirks knowingly at him. Bo doesn't seem to notice. His hand is so small in Bo's, but it's not a crushing presence. Not entitled or pressuring, just affectionate. He laces their fingers together to make it easier. Not that he's complaining about that. Bo is delighted to see the recreation and his joy is positively infectious. He's the same type - to read every plaque start to finish - but he's been here before. He can just watch Bo. "Rolan told me that Blackstaff's history, anthropology, engineering, and architecture departments all got to work a little on this. Really interdisciplinary stuff and great experience for the kids. I'll see if he can send any of the models he worked on." Bo stands under an archway and the light hits him just right and Delton immediately has to take a picture with his phone. "Smile!"

1

Steffi 🍄 [Tavs:Mushroom Mob]

.mushrooming

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“Oh, really? That’s amazing! I knew Blackstaff was a large university doing some amazing research, but it’s really something else to see the fruits of their labor in person like this.” To know that this grand Elven civilization once stood where his own two feet are? His heart races with awe. He’s walking through the exhibit focused on taking in all that he can, until Delton’s voice catches his attention. “Hmm?” So he turns around to see the half elf pointing his phone at him. “Oh!” The way he poses is as relaxed as possible, one arm bent slightly as his thumb rests in his pocket. While he means for his smile to be small and more unassuming, it just ends up as a big, goofy grin. He does his best to still his tail, which he successfully manages to do for the most part. Bo doesn’t mind having his photo taken at all, especially not when he’s this happy.

Delton can't help his own smitten smile atthe giant one Bo gives. People being enthusiastically happy makes him happy. "Sorry, the dad tendencies are coming out. Gotta take pictures!" He shows Bo the photo that he took, pretty proud of it. "You look really good! I'll be sure to send it to you." He's content to be dragged around, taking pictures. After all, he's spending time with someone he likes. And if he bought into love languages, he'd say quality time was his.

He judges the photo with all of the intensity of someone with similar dad energy would do, except he is not a dad at all. I'm centered nicely, the lightning is good, and my pose doesn't look too stiff. Am I really this big, though? Have I bulked up without realizing it? Maybe it's all of those protein shakes combined with moving box after box after box... or maybe it's just because I'm wearing a lighter colored top. "I deem this a satisfactory picture," he expresses happily, grin and all. "Now..." He takes out his little notebook, going "aha!" once he reaches the page that his itinerary is on. "Next stop..." Pulling Delton gently by his hand, he leads the half elf to an exhibit on The Moonstars: the defunct Waterdhavian offshoot of the Harpers. Of course someone like Boletus has an interest in what is a essentially an old spy organization. It activates the more childlike parts of his brain, just like ancient magical civilizations do. The exhibit is full of old artifacts belonging to some of the more historical members of the group: Janzan Dhoran's sword, correspondence between Laerel Silverhand and Kelbhan, a restored map of their true headquarters: Silver Safehold. Bo takes out his phone and starts taking pictures of the displays. "You know, they say they let vampires into his this organization," he says with wonder, "but that can't possibly be true, right? Vampirism was never proven to actually exist Oh, but how I wish it was... I find their mythos very fascinating!" Vampires, of course, did used to exist in Faerun, and still do. Perhaps they're just very good at hiding in the modern age.

The phrasing makes Delton giggle a little. Bo tends to be very formal and he can't help but find it endearing. He's loving watching Bo experience this museum, the childlike joy emanating off the tiefling absolutely infectious. He'd be content to listen to Bo talk for hours, their hands linked and gently swinging between them. Delton shrugs, "Stranger things have been proven to exist than vampires. And, in our line of work, I wouldn't be surprised to encounter them. They'd be very interesting patients..." He hums a bit, thinking about how not producing your own supply of blood might completely change what they would have to do to serve a patient.

Boletus gasps at the possibility. “They would make interesting patients,” he agrees. “No heart beat, which means no blood pressure. Medications wouldn’t even work on them since they wouldn’t really have the blood flow to move the drug to where it needs to go, right? Huh…” His tail wags excitedly as he contemplates this interesting train of thought Delton has presented him with. Next stop is an exhibit displaying a the skeleton of a wooly mammoth found in the Icewind Dales. Boletus’s tail starts to wag even harder at the sight of it. “Beautiful…” he mutters, focusing most of his attention on the large tusks. He lets go of Delton’s hand to take a photo of the bones with his phone and immediately sends it to his sister. Found you at the museum, he texts her, photo attached to the message. Amused with himself, he laughs. It’s a bit reserved, but full of sincerity.

When Bo releases his hand, he goes over to look at the pictures and models of what they think the mammoths would have looked like. Since he was in school, their ideas of what these creatures look like have completely changed, having fat and lose skin like most animals rather than skin pulled tightly over the animal's body. "I've heart Chult has dinosaurs still - well the closest relatives to dinosaurs. I wonder if they have anything resembling mammoths." He hums consideringly, shaking hair away from his face. "You having fun, sweetheart?"

“It does, but I hear their numbers decrease dramatically every year. I don’t think evolution ever meant for them to survive, what with their very low birth rates with high mortality rates… plus, humans have been pushing them out of their natural habitats…” A shame, he thinks. What was once a sparsely populated tropical island has since become somewhat of a tourist destination, at least in the coastal areas. “Maybe they had a less… furry version of this over there? I imagine the weather in Chult is quite hot…” He resists the urge to Google it, turning to face Delton with a blush deepening the shade of his already orange cheeks. Pet names are his weakness, and Delton uses them so casually it makes his head spin in the most positive way. “A blast. Seriously! Thank you for taking me here!” The more he holds his hand, the more right this feels. While his mind is typically wired towards logic, romance always had a way of shutting that part of his brain off. It just feels top good to spend time with someone like this. His reserved persona, the kind that wouldn’t even want to hold hands in public, is completely gone.

He nods at Bo's words, own mood dampened by that. Delton loves animals and then environment - turning a jungle into a tourist attraction with little regulation hurts his heart. But he smiles at Bo's assurance that he's having fun, squeezing his hand. "I'm so glad, darling." But the redhead can feel Bo's mood shift at their descent into the Avernus exhibit. And it seems like Bo has the opinion of so many tieflings that he's 'tainted' somehow. It isn't exactly the same, but he knows what being seen as a half breed, lessor being is like. He squeezes Bo's hand again, "Whoever it was, they helped to snowball the events that made a lovely, handsome man take me on a date. So I suppose I would have to thank them, even if I'm not fond of thanking devils." "Would doing research help? I know certain tieflings react differently to different stimuli so it might be helpful to know what sub-species you are..." He's spent more of his life denying his wood-elf heritage than not at this point.

If you keep saying sweet things like that to me, I’m going to fall in love with you. An illogical thought best kept to himself. “W-well…” he stutters, clearing his throat. “Lucky you, then…” He seriously considers Delton’s question. He wasn’t aware of a way to actually be able to know. While the scene in front of him is fascinating, simply because of its novelty, it seems like an awful place to live. Fire everywhere? An oppressive caste system? Devils? His hometown is a miserable place. His lineage can be traced back to an even more miserable place. No wonder moments of happiness are few and far between for him, he thinks. “Maybe it would? It’ll be something to discuss later, I think,” he responds as if it were an afterthought. He reads through the rest of the plaques with a somber sort of silence, though there is still that twinkle in his eye. New knowledge is so enticing to him regardless of how that knowledge might apply to himself. “I think that’s everything!” he announces, after he’s read through all of the information. “Would you believe I’m hungry again? I’ll grab something to-go from the cafeteria, if you don’t mind.” Taking Delton by the hand once again, he pauses once he approaches the gift shop. He sees something inside that makes his tail start to wag just as happily as it did before the Hells exhibit. “Oh, hold on. I might grab something from here, too. Sorry.” Boletus reluctantly lets go of the half-elf’s hand, and walks right up to a giant stuffed wooly mammoth plushie. He just stares at it, seemingly lost in thought.

"We can talk about it later," Delton says, smiling and squeezing Bo's hand. He's raising three tieflings. It's important to know this stuff - and frustrating that most tieflings aren't taught it. He can't help but release a delighted, kind laugh at Bo's assertion that he's hungry again. He lets Bo drag him along before they stop at the gift shop. His hand feels cold, now that Bo's not holding it. He watches Bo stare at the wooly mammoth plushie, giving him a few minutes. When he remains silent, Delton pipes up, "It looks rather soft. If a little ridiculously big." He gives Bo a toothy smile.

“Isn’t it? It’s almost as big as Quothe, haha!” His laugh is warm and deep, evoking the persistent embers of a dying fire. He finally decides to pick it up, making it look a lot smaller now that he’s the one holding it. “I’m going to buy this for Oti,” he declares. “She’s going to scream about it. She loves plushies.” Which he does. A 30 year old, rather buff tiefling goes right up to the college-aged cashier and buys it. “Sorry that took a while. I was trying to gauge if it was worth my money. I decided that it was.” But now, he realizes he wanted a snack from the cafeteria. He definitely cannot bring this giant stuffed toy there… “Delton, do you mind holding this while I get something to-go real quick? I promise I won’t be long.” His tail hasn’t stopped wagging his tail this entire time.

Bo's laugh brings out a besotted grin from Delton, the noise making him feel warm and fuzzy inside. He watches the tiefling take the plushie to the register, somehow making a stuffie that's nearly as big as his Rottweiler seem small. "I'm sure Oti will be thrilled. And sure! I'll just hang around here," he winks and adds, "Don't keep me waiting too long. We've got a garden to see." His smile hasn't lost its besotted edge whatsoever.

He has to bite his lip to keep it from quivering. He is this close to buying another for Delton to keep. The man just looks too adorable holding a giant plushie. Off in line, a dozen dinosaur-shaped cookies packed into a box in his hand, he keeps stealing glances at Delton as he stands and waits by the gift shop. He hopes he is being stealthy when he snaps a photo of him from the distance. Candids are always better than staged photos, he thinks. A while later, his cookies are paid and, and he runs right back up to his date. “Thank you for waiting! I had a lot of fun, which I’m sure I’ve said about a dozen times already. Now, you said we had garden to get to? Better head over before they close…” Boletus does a silly little wink. The more comfortable he is, the more dad jokes slip out of him.

Delton just waits, smiling at a little boy who's clearly fascinated by the giant plushie. "I'm glad you had fun and I'm happy to hear that over and over," he smiles brightly at Bo before laughing at his wink. "Yes, let's get going before they close up shop," he jokes, handing Bo the plushie and grabbing his hand. They chatter about everything and nothing on their way out to the front of the parking lot.

Of course, the plushie is far too large to keep in his lap. So, the gift is placed in the backseat, Bo fastening a seatbelt over it and everything. “So it doesn’t move around,” he says somewhat seriously. “Not that the streets here are wild or anything. They’re much straighter and more well-kept here than they are in Melvaunt.” He happily snacks on some cookies shaped like T-rexes while humming one of the random songs that was playing in the museum… https://youtu.be/m8OlDPqYBLw?si=f6gDukp8ZRoQH9ct

Delton has to bite his lip to stop himself from smiling like a fool. Bo is just so very endearing. From the fact that he bought the plushie for his sister to making sure that it would be okay on the drive over. "Did you have a favorite part of the exhibition, Bo? I always like to see the depictions of extinct or nearly extinct creatures personally." He manages to smoothly take them out of the parking lot, ready to take Bo to see his garden. He hopes Bo will like it and that they can get cuttings for his apartment. Delton feels a little sad that Bo had to leave his mother's garden behind. It would be difficult to leave this greenhouse behind, he knows. Theo made it for him, after all.

“The very first one,” he proclaims. “Nothing tickles my brain quite like ancient civilizations. My mind just buzzes with images of what life must have been like so long ago…” He might have already looked up a documentary on Aelinthaldaar while he was scrolling on his phone in the car. That’s his idea of a fun night activity. “The animals would be second, much for the same reason. Plus, there is something pleasing about seeing an animal skeleton pieced together so perfectly. I’m a bit strange, aren’t I?”

Delton smiles at Bo's excitement. "I love history. Most people's ideas of a date night movie are a horror or romcom. I'd much prefer a documentary. Especially ones that set up an interesting puzzle." He can't help his laugh at that, "Bo, I literally went to medical school. And a lot of that was being interested in how bodies work - I think I'd be quite the hypocrite for calling you weird for that. Besides, I imagine you were in good company in nursing school for people interested in things fitting together perfectly."

He stares off a bit as he contemplates if he just heard Delton correctly. “Incredible. Are you secretly a mind reader?” he asks in jest. “Or a clairvoyant? How did you know what my plans were for tonight?” Bo laughs softly to himself for a bit, his tail swishing slowly by his feet. “Perhaps that’s true,” he concedes to the second point. “I didn’t really get to know anyone in my class. Actually, I really wish I could have taken my time in school. It was an accelerated program, so two years worth of content in one.” He clasps his hands together as he looks out of the window. “I, uh, hope to go back to school someday. I just don’t have to time right now, unfortunately.” He suppresses a forlorn sigh. “But I’m happy I could make time to spend the day with you, at least”

Delton laughs and then says, a little shy, "No, I just figured if we were to ever have a movie date I'd like to make my preferences clear..." He reaches over to squeeze Bo's knee supportively. "I'm so impressed that you managed to do that. During my MD - which took the normal amount of time, by the way - there were days where Theo had to literally pick me up and carry me to bed." He didn't sleep much for a long while there. Even after they found the anxiety cocktail that helped him sleep. "And I think it's admirable that you want to go back. If I can do anything to support you - as a colleague or as...this...please let me know." He smiles brightly at that, "I'm so glad that you made time to do this. I'm having a great time...I'd like to do it again, if you'd want..."

“I don’t doubt that at all,” he replies, daring to place his hand right on top of Delton’s. If he’s going to be so casual about touch, Bo will just have to start evening the playing field. “I felt for every single resident I’ve encountered during my career. I know you’ve all worked very hard to get where you are. A lot of sleepless nights.” It’s still odd for him to be this open around someone. Is it his smile, his touch, his kind words? Or am I just lonely? Delton’s offer to support him through a dream he’s never told anything else about? It seems too good to be true. Why am I worrying now? I was so happy. I always do this. “I would love to do this again sometime. Gladly,” he says fondly. Words said aloud can push his doubts aside. “I must be doing something right, since you’re already offering up a second date before the first one is even over.” ”This”. Bo prefers for things in his life to have clear labels. Hopefully, a “this” can turn into a boyfriend.

Delton flips his hand over to lace their fingers together, bringing them to rest closer to the console so that he has less room to travel if he needs to put both hands on the wheel. "Yeah, it was hard. I was fortunate to have someone to support me during that time, even if our one and only major fight came during that time." It was about Delton not caring for himself. And, boy, was Theo right, even if Delton was too stubborn to see it. But, it's what got him with a good therapist and helped him unpack a lot of things that were long dormant. "You've been lovely. I would be silly to not want a second date." And a third and a fourth and so on. "How are your cookies? I always worry that food in places like that is worse because you don't have a ton of other options.

“I’ll be honest and say they’re definitely not the best cookies I’ve had,” he begins, wondering if he wants to continue his thought. “I just… wanted them because they’re shaped like dinosaurs.” Plus, Oti would like these too. I just need to not eat the entire box before I get home. He subconsciously squeezes Delton’s hand just a little tighter. “Silly, I know.”

Delton giggles a little at that. "I love sugar cookies because they're so fun to decorate. I made little graduation caps for their parties when Rolan and Lia graduated." He hums a little, "It's not silly. It brought you joy, and that's what matters." He squeezes his hand back fondly, "We're almost there. Quothe is on a playdate so you don't have to worry about letting him out accidently." Quothe is a good boy who doesn't typically run out. But things still happen and Delton likes to be careful.

Try telling that to my dad. There are a lot of objectively ridiculous things his own father would not let him indulge him growing up. His outlook on the world and the concept of masculinity is a narrow one indeed. Desserts, as odd as it sounds, were one of those things. Brightly decorated sugar cookies? “Those are for ||pussies||,” he might say. Bo is happy he is an adult with adult money who is free to buy dinosaur cookies, but he still internalizes a lot of his father’s slur-heavy insults, which manifests as embarrassment over things that are normal to enjoy. “Oh, is he? That’s so… adorable. A dog play date…” He might be having some cuteness aggression about it, only manifesting that feeling through the haywire motion of the very tip of his tail.

Delton finds it a little odd that Bo thinks buying sugar cookies of all things is odd, but he doesn't press. He knows what might be usual to him might be very unusual to Bo. "Yes, my neighbor has a beagle who he's best friends with. He loves going over to her house or them coming over to ours." He hums happily, "I'm glad to have such good neighbors. They really look out for each other and care, which is nice." The neighborhood watch is very much aware of his unwanted visitor. They're trying their best, but the guy - person, he supposes - is good. "Maybe the next time Evelyn needs me to watch Abby, we can take them to the dog park?" He asks, a little hesitantly.

Continued here https://discord.com/channels/1151902831310274651/1332121059285012510