(Untitled)

[agentlemantrue]

There's a Charles, sitting in his favourite armchair, reading a book. Pages turn as a clawed finger very carefully moves them.

Comments

[i_scare_monstrs]

Boo is a sneaky ninja. Everyone already knows this. Which is why no explanation is necessary for why there is a small toddler in Charles' immediate proximity.

She is currently Being Sneaky, though, which is why he probably doesn't hear her. She's sneeeeeeaking up on him. And then pops out from behind the armchair. "Boo!"

[agentlemantrue]

True, Charles would normally hear her. He normally hears many things.

But, as has been proven, Boo is a Sneaky Ninja. Even monsters can't hear her coming.

Which is why he DOESN'T hear her, and thus stiffens a little when she pops up.

My, what big teeth you have.

"Hello, little one."

And what a scary VOICE you have.

[i_scare_monstrs]

Aww, no flailing?

Ah well.

She climbs up into his lap and points at the book.

"Ook!"

Which is also the way that Boo says Look. And other things. But in this case it is most certainly BOOOK!
Which also translates to Read To Meeeeee.

[agentlemantrue]

Once-royalty (and possibly still?) do not flail. (Okay, maybe there was inner flailing when the transformation happened.)

"Yes, it is a book. Please be careful with it."

It is a lovely old book. Thin pages and a thick binding with scrollwork on title pages of chapters.

[i_scare_monstrs]

Boo frowns. No reading?

Attempt number two.

She points to the book, a bit more urgently this time.
"OOOK!"

[agentlemantrue]

Had he eyebrows, he would raise them.

"What... Ah. Do you really want to hear the traditional founding stories of Hinduism? It's very boring."

[i_scare_monstrs]

She's not sure what he said. She pushes at the pages. Where are the pretty pictures?

"Ook?"

[agentlemantrue]

"Very well."

He turns to the beginning of a chapter. The picture was an elephant-headed god with four arms.

"Prince Ram Finds a Wife."

Oi. A radio voice, that is not. Don't quit your day job, Charles.

"King Janak of Mithila had a fair and beautiful daughter who was the apple of his eye. She was no ordinary princess. Her life had an unusual beginning. One year, the kingdom of Mithila was facing a terrible famine. Times were so bad that the king himself had to work in the fields."

[i_scare_monstrs]

Okay, well at least there is a picture.
A strange picture.
But a picture!

She points to it.
"E'fant!"

Boo Knows Things.

[agentlemantrue]

"Actually, his name is Ganesh, and he is one of the gods of the Hindu religion. See? He has hands like you do." Albeit four of them. "And legs and feet."

[i_scare_monstrs]

She studies her hands, then looks at the picture and studies her hands again.

"E'fant?"

[agentlemantrue]

Gently, he corrects her. "Ganesh."

[i_scare_monstrs]

"Nesssh?" She looks up at him.

[agentlemantrue]

"Correct. Shall I continue reading?"

Crinkly eyes! It's a smile! Kind of.

[i_scare_monstrs]

"Ook." She looks at the book expectantly.

[agentlemantrue]

"On one such day, when King Janak was ploughing a field, he found a baby girl swaddled in cloth in a furrow in the field. King Janak took this as a sign that the child was a gift from Mother Earth and named her Sita after the furrow in which she was found."

Would those be delicious little cookies with raspberry jam in the middle on the side-table? I think those might be.