HOME | DD

Description
Have some barely edited chicken scratch of a short story-

I just couldn't get the idea out of my head, even after I drew it. Skip the italics if you just want to get to the description

---

"Another fire? Why didn't you tell me!?" Singewoman yelled out over her com at her boyfriend, running through the firehouse as she tried to get to their universal telepad. She could almost visibly see Smolderman flinching on the other end of the line at her harsh tone, but she couldn't help it. This was her fourth fire in a row, and that was exasperating, even for her.

The slightly hurt tone in her fellow firefighter's voice when he responded confirmed her suspicions. Singe even found herself slowing down out of a strange sense of guilt as the Nyos Bot replied. "I thought you were still in Frostburg at the brush fire. It's been burning for around half an hour now. Apartment fire: pretty sure it's a dryer filter that sparked it. We're trying to get people out, and we need some help.... If you aren't too busy."

Singe sighed softly, consciously trying to calm herself down as she stopped in front of the metal disc that made up the telepad. Her metal fingers rapped on the control panel anxiously as she waited for it to turn on, struggling to hold her frustration at bay. "No, I just got back a minute ago. I grabbed an E-Tank: I'm good to go."

Worry was prevalent in Smolder's voice as he questioned her again. "Are you sure you don't need a break for repairs-"

"I said I'm good to go, Smolder." In all honestly, the heat-resistant covering on the bottoms of her boots was starting to wear, and she was running low on nitrogen, as well as water. The latter two were the only ones important in Singe's eyes at that moment, though, and they were simple enough, only taking a second to fix. The female robot master quickly realized how harsh she had just sounded, adding gently, "Just trust me on this, please. We both need to do our jobs. We can rest later."

Her comrade's sigh rang over their connection. "Alright. See you in a minute, Singe." The line crackled dead.

---

Within the minute, Singe found herself on the scene of the newest fire, Smolder's squadron already busy at work trying to get the fire under control. The robot master darted towards the human firefighter chief, Frederick Sanders, skidding to a stop next to the stout leader. She looked down, having to tilt her head to look the human in the eye: especially compared to him, she was really tall. "What do you need me to do, Cheif?"

The gruff older man looked at her from where he was unwinding a hose from a support truck that had just arrived, huffing as he saw who it was and turning back to his work. "Well, I need you to take a break for once. You're a robot, but you're not indestructible. While you're here though, you might as well help on EMT duty: the paramedics and EMTs available already have their hands full, and I'm pretty sure Smolder has the firefighting business handled." Singe rolled her eyes slightly at the man's first comment: it was her function to attend fires like this. She wasn't going to take a break until the humans did: it would be unfair if she left them to their own devices. This line of work was the only one the female firefighter could thing of that humans and robots worked so closely in harmony. She would upset the balance by slacking off.

Singe still listened to the second half of the firefighter chief's advice though, although that part was more like an order. The robot made her way over to the mini medical center that had been set up for burn victims and those that had inhaled too much smoke. Thankfully, none of her fellow firefighters were there for those reasons: those certified to be doing so were manning medical stations, trying to sort out who needed the most treatment. She gave them a small wave before starting to move towards the mass, stopped by a familiar voice calling her name. "Singe!"

At her name being called, she turned around, being met with Smolderman running towards her, a young child cradled in his arms. She was obviously upset and crying, leaving wet trails down her soot-stained face as she struggled against the robot holding her, whimpering and calling out "Mama!! M-mommy...!"

Immediately, Singe's motherly instincts kicked in, running to met him. It had become an almost unspoken code of the firehouse: upset kid, go get Singe. She could usually calm them down within a few minutes, then they'd go on their way with fighting the fire. Almost as soon as she had the little girl in her grasp, though, the Khone Number could tell that that wouldn't be the case. This child, who couldn't have been older than seven, was doing just about everything to escape the firefighters arms and run back to the blaze where, undoubtably, her mother was still inside.

Quickly, Singe carried the human girl to one of the fire trucks, sitting on the step-up with her long legs awkwardly stretched in front of her. Setting the little girl gently on her knees, the robot whispered softly to her, trying to calm her down and get her to look the firefighter in the eye. She was having none of it, doing nothing but struggling in Singe's strong arms.

Nothing I'm trying is working, she though desperately to herself, racking her circuits for another way to calm the child. Her memory boards threw her back to when she had first been built, listening to her older brother Echoman's tunes as her and Dr. Khone tried to sing along. Of course! Taking a breath, Singe quietly started humming a soft melody, starting to sing as she reached where the lyrics kicked in. It was a song Echo had showed her one time after a particularly bad first week of work. The firefighter's weren't yet used to having a robot on the squad, and didn't treat her like a human being: it had gotten on her nerves so much that her unhardened self had even started to tear up. Hoping the song would have the same calming effect on the young child, she started to sing.

"Just when you think hope is lost, and giving up is all you got, blue turns black. You're confidence is cracked. There seems no turning back from here." It was working. The child was at least looking at her now, drawn in by her voice. For a robot, at least, Singe was a rather talented singer: she enjoyed it, too. She just didn't like to do it in front of people very often. It was one of her stress relievers: singing songs like this one. In fact, as she sung on, Singe could even feel her own tension melt away.

"Sometimes there isn't an obvious explanation. Why the holiest hearts can feel the strongest palpitations." This was the line Singe didn't quite get. The idea of a God seemed absurd to her, as a robot, but she would respect human thoughts as long as they respected her thoughts and rights. It was a pretty song, anyway, and fit well with her voice.

"That's when you can build a bridge of light. That's what turns the wrongs alright. That's why you can't give up the fight." Singe moved her hand, tilting the child's chin up a bit and gently rubbing away her tears with a silver thumb. The girl blinked away some of her tears as the robot master continued. "That's when love turns nighttime into day. That's when loneliness goes away. That's why you gotta be strong tonight."

"Only love can build us a bridge of light." Singe ran her fingers through the little girl's matted hair as she finished the part of the song she knew, happy to see the child sniffling, wiping away her own tears as she stayed perched on the robot's knees of her own free will. She sighed softly in relief, setting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Now that she was listening, Singe could talk.

"I know that you're scared. Your mom is in there. That's what the other firefighters and I are here for. We'll find her, alright? For now, you can stay with me. Does that sound good to you?" Singe looked right into the young child's eyes as she spoke, soft orange meeting tear-filled blue. A few blinks later, the girl nodded, gulping down more tears and hugging the firefighter. Singe smiled slightly, hugging her back before noticing something... off. He glanced over, noticing Smolder still standing there, staring at her, blush spreading across her face once she realized he had seen the whole thing. Well, there goes that secret.

Oh well. It was worth it.

---

After Som3bode 's last post of Singe and Smolder, I was tempted to draw how Smolder found out about Singe's hobby: she sings, and really well. Of course, I couldn't figure out how to fit him into the picture, soooooo that story happened. I'm a mess, I know, but this is actually the first finished decent writing piece I've done since joining DeviantArt that wasn't a poem, partially stemming from this idea, the fact that for once my writing idea wouldn't spiral into a whole story, and the fact that I wanted to write yet at the time had no data or wifi available to respond to my roleplays ^^ (ahhh I'm really sorry-)

Smolderman is Som3bode's (I'm sorry if I got his personality wrong)
Singewoman is mine, as well as the impromptu fire chief
Echoman (mentioned) is both mine and frank4476 's
Dr. Khone is mine, frank's and my other friend fulmoonwulf on tumblr's
The song is Bridge of Light by P!nk

Description
Have some barely edited chicken scratch of a short story-

I just couldn't get the idea out of my head, even after I drew it. Skip the italics if you just want to get to the description

---

"Another fire? Why didn't you tell me!?" Singewoman yelled out over her com at her boyfriend, running through the firehouse as she tried to get to their universal telepad. She could almost visibly see Smolderman flinching on the other end of the line at her harsh tone, but she couldn't help it. This was her fourth fire in a row, and that was exasperating, even for her.

The slightly hurt tone in her fellow firefighter's voice when he responded confirmed her suspicions. Singe even found herself slowing down out of a strange sense of guilt as the Nyos Bot replied. "I thought you were still in Frostburg at the brush fire. It's been burning for around half an hour now. Apartment fire: pretty sure it's a dryer filter that sparked it. We're trying to get people out, and we need some help.... If you aren't too busy."

Singe sighed softly, consciously trying to calm herself down as she stopped in front of the metal disc that made up the telepad. Her metal fingers rapped on the control panel anxiously as she waited for it to turn on, struggling to hold her frustration at bay. "No, I just got back a minute ago. I grabbed an E-Tank: I'm good to go."

Worry was prevalent in Smolder's voice as he questioned her again. "Are you sure you don't need a break for repairs-"

"I said I'm good to go, Smolder." In all honestly, the heat-resistant covering on the bottoms of her boots was starting to wear, and she was running low on nitrogen, as well as water. The latter two were the only ones important in Singe's eyes at that moment, though, and they were simple enough, only taking a second to fix. The female robot master quickly realized how harsh she had just sounded, adding gently, "Just trust me on this, please. We both need to do our jobs. We can rest later."

Her comrade's sigh rang over their connection. "Alright. See you in a minute, Singe." The line crackled dead.

---

Within the minute, Singe found herself on the scene of the newest fire, Smolder's squadron already busy at work trying to get the fire under control. The robot master darted towards the human firefighter chief, Frederick Sanders, skidding to a stop next to the stout leader. She looked down, having to tilt her head to look the human in the eye: especially compared to him, she was really tall. "What do you need me to do, Cheif?"

The gruff older man looked at her from where he was unwinding a hose from a support truck that had just arrived, huffing as he saw who it was and turning back to his work. "Well, I need you to take a break for once. You're a robot, but you're not indestructible. While you're here though, you might as well help on EMT duty: the paramedics and EMTs available already have their hands full, and I'm pretty sure Smolder has the firefighting business handled." Singe rolled her eyes slightly at the man's first comment: it was her function to attend fires like this. She wasn't going to take a break until the humans did: it would be unfair if she left them to their own devices. This line of work was the only one the female firefighter could thing of that humans and robots worked so closely in harmony. She would upset the balance by slacking off.

Singe still listened to the second half of the firefighter chief's advice though, although that part was more like an order. The robot made her way over to the mini medical center that had been set up for burn victims and those that had inhaled too much smoke. Thankfully, none of her fellow firefighters were there for those reasons: those certified to be doing so were manning medical stations, trying to sort out who needed the most treatment. She gave them a small wave before starting to move towards the mass, stopped by a familiar voice calling her name. "Singe!"

At her name being called, she turned around, being met with Smolderman running towards her, a young child cradled in his arms. She was obviously upset and crying, leaving wet trails down her soot-stained face as she struggled against the robot holding her, whimpering and calling out "Mama!! M-mommy...!"

Immediately, Singe's motherly instincts kicked in, running to met him. It had become an almost unspoken code of the firehouse: upset kid, go get Singe. She could usually calm them down within a few minutes, then they'd go on their way with fighting the fire. Almost as soon as she had the little girl in her grasp, though, the Khone Number could tell that that wouldn't be the case. This child, who couldn't have been older than seven, was doing just about everything to escape the firefighters arms and run back to the blaze where, undoubtably, her mother was still inside.

Quickly, Singe carried the human girl to one of the fire trucks, sitting on the step-up with her long legs awkwardly stretched in front of her. Setting the little girl gently on her knees, the robot whispered softly to her, trying to calm her down and get her to look the firefighter in the eye. She was having none of it, doing nothing but struggling in Singe's strong arms.

Nothing I'm trying is working, she though desperately to herself, racking her circuits for another way to calm the child. Her memory boards threw her back to when she had first been built, listening to her older brother Echoman's tunes as her and Dr. Khone tried to sing along. Of course! Taking a breath, Singe quietly started humming a soft melody, starting to sing as she reached where the lyrics kicked in. It was a song Echo had showed her one time after a particularly bad first week of work. The firefighter's weren't yet used to having a robot on the squad, and didn't treat her like a human being: it had gotten on her nerves so much that her unhardened self had even started to tear up. Hoping the song would have the same calming effect on the young child, she started to sing.

"Just when you think hope is lost, and giving up is all you got, blue turns black. You're confidence is cracked. There seems no turning back from here." It was working. The child was at least looking at her now, drawn in by her voice. For a robot, at least, Singe was a rather talented singer: she enjoyed it, too. She just didn't like to do it in front of people very often. It was one of her stress relievers: singing songs like this one. In fact, as she sung on, Singe could even feel her own tension melt away.

"Sometimes there isn't an obvious explanation. Why the holiest hearts can feel the strongest palpitations." This was the line Singe didn't quite get. The idea of a God seemed absurd to her, as a robot, but she would respect human thoughts as long as they respected her thoughts and rights. It was a pretty song, anyway, and fit well with her voice.

"That's when you can build a bridge of light. That's what turns the wrongs alright. That's why you can't give up the fight." Singe moved her hand, tilting the child's chin up a bit and gently rubbing away her tears with a silver thumb. The girl blinked away some of her tears as the robot master continued. "That's when love turns nighttime into day. That's when loneliness goes away. That's why you gotta be strong tonight."

"Only love can build us a bridge of light." Singe ran her fingers through the little girl's matted hair as she finished the part of the song she knew, happy to see the child sniffling, wiping away her own tears as she stayed perched on the robot's knees of her own free will. She sighed softly in relief, setting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Now that she was listening, Singe could talk.

"I know that you're scared. Your mom is in there. That's what the other firefighters and I are here for. We'll find her, alright? For now, you can stay with me. Does that sound good to you?" Singe looked right into the young child's eyes as she spoke, soft orange meeting tear-filled blue. A few blinks later, the girl nodded, gulping down more tears and hugging the firefighter. Singe smiled slightly, hugging her back before noticing something... off. He glanced over, noticing Smolder still standing there, staring at her, blush spreading across her face once she realized he had seen the whole thing. Well, there goes that secret.

Oh well. It was worth it.

---

After Som3bode 's last post of Singe and Smolder, I was tempted to draw how Smolder found out about Singe's hobby: she sings, and really well. Of course, I couldn't figure out how to fit him into the picture, soooooo that story happened. I'm a mess, I know, but this is actually the first finished decent writing piece I've done since joining DeviantArt that wasn't a poem, partially stemming from this idea, the fact that for once my writing idea wouldn't spiral into a whole story, and the fact that I wanted to write yet at the time had no data or wifi available to respond to my roleplays ^^ (ahhh I'm really sorry-)

Smolderman is Som3bode's (I'm sorry if I got his personality wrong)
Singewoman is mine, as well as the impromptu fire chief
Echoman (mentioned) is both mine and frank4476 's
Dr. Khone is mine, frank's and my other friend fulmoonwulf on tumblr's
The song is Bridge of Light by P!nk