[multipart] Fairy Tale Story Time - 01
Title: Fairy Tale Story Time (or: Greta's "Best Idea Ever" is Still Less Destructive than Anissina's)
Part: Story #1: The Three Kotsuhizoku
Fandom: Kyou Kara Maou!
Characters/Pairings: All/None
Genre: Gen/Humor/Fluff
Words: 1,308
Notes: Written for kkm_challenge round 15 theme "Fairytales". Stories 1 and 2 were written for the challenge, 3-11 are independent of it. I really had fun with these.
The rank and file of Blood Pledge Castle had been charmed when Greta announced her "best idea ever" at breakfast one morning. Having had all of Anissina's novels read to her by her fathers (and anything read by Yuuri got re-read by Wolfram, which always produced a different story), she decided that everyone in her rather large extended family should tell her a bedtime story. Her proposal was greeted with little smiles and endearments, and everyone approved but no one really paid attention.
Until they realized she was serious.
Conrad was, surprisingly, her first victim. He received his hand-written invitation at lunch one day, directing him to come and present his story that evening at eight o'clock sharp. Both Wolfram and Yuuri had trouble accepting the fact that their daughter hadn't wanted either of them first.
When Conrad arrived, storybook in hand, Greta and her fathers were still working out sitting arrangements. Because it was, after all, a bedtime story, Greta had dressed in her pajamas and settled into the middle of Yuuri's bed. This led everyone else to wonder if this was going to happen every night, and Yuuri bemoaned loudly that he was never going to get any sleep. Greta hugged her knitted bearbee plush toy tightly and giggled as the pair bickered. Conrad waited patiently for them to notice him, and Yuuri finally did, looking relieved.
"Conrad, thank God. Come on in."
Conrad closed the door and pulled a chair up to the side of the bed. "Good evening, Your Majesty. Wolfram, Greta."
Greta scooted toward the side closest to Conrad, peering at the book in his hands. "What are you going to read?"
Wolfram blinked. "I recognize that book."
"Our mother read it to Gwendal, then to me," Conrad replied, his tone gentled further by nostalgia. "And then I read it to you, when you were little."
"Really?!" Greta looked between the brothers with delight; Wolfram blushed and made a fuss of getting settled on the bed beside Greta.
Conrad opened the book's time-worn pages very carefully, turning each page with a light touch. "I thought I would read you a story called 'The Three Kotsuhizoku'."
"There are fairytales about the Kohi?"
"Many, Your Majesty."
Squeezing her bearbee tighter, Greta burrowed happily under the covers until everything from the tip of her nose to her toes was covered. She watched Conrad expectantly. He smiled and waited until the other two were also settled in, and began to read.
"Three Kotsuhizoku brothers set out to make their ways in the world. The first Kotsuhizoku built his nest on the side of a cliff. He made it out of bits of grass, hay and straw--"
"That's silly," Greta giggled under the covers. "What if it rains?"
Yuuri waved his hand at her. "Shh, Greta," he admonished. "Let Conrad read."
Conrad tilted his head at Greta and kept his place with one finger. "Actually, that's a very good question," he said. "Maybe the Kotsuhizoku in this story live in a place where it doesn't rain?"
"But, Conrad, it always rains."
"Hmm," came the exaggerated reply. "Maybe this Kotsuhizoku brother didn't think about what would happen if it rained."
"Silly."
"I agree. Let's see what happens," he said as he glanced back down at the book. "The first Kotsuhizoku brother was very happy in his nest, until one day, a dragon came upon his nest. 'Kotsuhizoku,' the dragon said--"
"Dragons talk?"
Greta, Wolfram and Conrad glanced over at Yuuri. He cringed. "Well," he managed. "It's a valid question. Pochi doesn't."
"Lisel," Wolfram corrected. "And she does, you just don't speak Dragon."
"Oh, like you do."
Conrad coughed loudly and Greta giggled. "'Kotsuhizoku,' the dragon said, 'your nest pleases me. If you do not let me have it to lay my egg, I will huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your nest apart.'"
"Ah, the dragon's a she!" Greta murmured happily, then she frowned. "But she's pretty mean."
Yuuri glanced down at her. "Maybe she didn't have time to build her own nest?"
Greta thought about this. "But still... she could at least say 'please'."
"The Kotsuhizoku shook its head and chattered loudly, refusing to let the dragon have his nest. He had worked very hard on it, and he was very tired. Well, his refusal made the dragon very angry. Just as she promised, she huffed and puffed, and blew the nest apart. The first Kotsuhizoku brother tumbled down to the ground, where he broke into pieces."
"Awww, poor Kohi!"
"... tell me you've heard this story before," Wolfram said, eying his fiance.
"Well, not this version!"
"His Majesty has a very compassionate heart, Wolfram," Conrad said mildly, turning the page. Wolfram 'humphed' and folded his arms against his chest. Conrad shook his head with a little smile and continued: "In the meantime, the second Kotsuhizoku brother had decided to make his nest in a tree, where he would be sheltered and hidden. His nest was made of woven sticks and padded with feathers; he liked it very much.
"But the dragon had still not found a nest, and she came upon the Kotsuhizoku one morning. 'Kotsuhizoku,' she said, 'your nest pleases me. If you do not let me have it to lay my egg, I will huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your nest apart.'"
"You would think that if she had the time to chase down Kotsuhizoku, she'd have time to build her own damn nest," Wolfram grumped.
Conrad gave him an embarrassed little smile, and kept reading. "Like his brother, the Kotsuhizoku refused to give up his nest, and, like before, the dragon blew it apart. The second Kotsuhizoku brother fell from his tree and broke into pieces.
"Now, the third Kotsuhizoku brother, being the oldest, had heard about his two brothers and decided to build his nest in a cave. But before he did, he gathered his brothers and reassembled them, good as new. He told them his plan, and with their help, he was able to build a nest large enough for the three of them in the cave."
Greta nodded her approval. "The oldest Kohi was pretty smart. And a good big brother."
"Yes, he was," Conrad agreed. "Again, just as they had finished the nest, they heard the dragon's wings outside. 'Kotsuhizoku,' she roared, 'your cave pleases me. If you do not let me have it to lay my egg, I will huff and puff and blow it apart. All three brothers refused to leave the cave. So, the dragon huffed and puffed and could not blow the cave apart, for mountain caves are much stronger than dragons."
"Of course they are," Greta announced.
"Of course they are," Conrad echoed. "Suddenly, the dragon gave a great roar as she lay her egg in mid-air. Tired from all her huffing and puffing, she couldn't catch the egg as it fell. But the Kotsuhizoku brothers darted out of the cave and caught the egg, carrying it up to the dragon. She was so grateful they had saved her baby, she never bothered them again." Conrad smiled and closed the book. "The end."
Greta clapped her hands and beamed. "Thank you, Conrad!"
He nodded. "You're welcome. Are you going to sleep now?"
The little girl yawned and nodded. "Mm-hmm." She snuggled up in the bed with her plush and closed her eyes. Yuuri tucked her in and went to get changed for bed himself. Wolfram chewed on his lip and looked up.
"Hey, Conrad."
The middle of Cheri's sons tilted his head to one side. "Yes?"
Wolfram fidgeted. "Can I... borrow that book, sometime?"
Conrad smiled and held it out for him. "Of course."
Next: Story #2: The Little Cinder Boy
Part: Story #1: The Three Kotsuhizoku
Fandom: Kyou Kara Maou!
Characters/Pairings: All/None
Genre: Gen/Humor/Fluff
Words: 1,308
Notes: Written for kkm_challenge round 15 theme "Fairytales". Stories 1 and 2 were written for the challenge, 3-11 are independent of it. I really had fun with these.
The rank and file of Blood Pledge Castle had been charmed when Greta announced her "best idea ever" at breakfast one morning. Having had all of Anissina's novels read to her by her fathers (and anything read by Yuuri got re-read by Wolfram, which always produced a different story), she decided that everyone in her rather large extended family should tell her a bedtime story. Her proposal was greeted with little smiles and endearments, and everyone approved but no one really paid attention.
Until they realized she was serious.
Conrad was, surprisingly, her first victim. He received his hand-written invitation at lunch one day, directing him to come and present his story that evening at eight o'clock sharp. Both Wolfram and Yuuri had trouble accepting the fact that their daughter hadn't wanted either of them first.
When Conrad arrived, storybook in hand, Greta and her fathers were still working out sitting arrangements. Because it was, after all, a bedtime story, Greta had dressed in her pajamas and settled into the middle of Yuuri's bed. This led everyone else to wonder if this was going to happen every night, and Yuuri bemoaned loudly that he was never going to get any sleep. Greta hugged her knitted bearbee plush toy tightly and giggled as the pair bickered. Conrad waited patiently for them to notice him, and Yuuri finally did, looking relieved.
"Conrad, thank God. Come on in."
Conrad closed the door and pulled a chair up to the side of the bed. "Good evening, Your Majesty. Wolfram, Greta."
Greta scooted toward the side closest to Conrad, peering at the book in his hands. "What are you going to read?"
Wolfram blinked. "I recognize that book."
"Our mother read it to Gwendal, then to me," Conrad replied, his tone gentled further by nostalgia. "And then I read it to you, when you were little."
"Really?!" Greta looked between the brothers with delight; Wolfram blushed and made a fuss of getting settled on the bed beside Greta.
Conrad opened the book's time-worn pages very carefully, turning each page with a light touch. "I thought I would read you a story called 'The Three Kotsuhizoku'."
"There are fairytales about the Kohi?"
"Many, Your Majesty."
Squeezing her bearbee tighter, Greta burrowed happily under the covers until everything from the tip of her nose to her toes was covered. She watched Conrad expectantly. He smiled and waited until the other two were also settled in, and began to read.
"Three Kotsuhizoku brothers set out to make their ways in the world. The first Kotsuhizoku built his nest on the side of a cliff. He made it out of bits of grass, hay and straw--"
"That's silly," Greta giggled under the covers. "What if it rains?"
Yuuri waved his hand at her. "Shh, Greta," he admonished. "Let Conrad read."
Conrad tilted his head at Greta and kept his place with one finger. "Actually, that's a very good question," he said. "Maybe the Kotsuhizoku in this story live in a place where it doesn't rain?"
"But, Conrad, it always rains."
"Hmm," came the exaggerated reply. "Maybe this Kotsuhizoku brother didn't think about what would happen if it rained."
"Silly."
"I agree. Let's see what happens," he said as he glanced back down at the book. "The first Kotsuhizoku brother was very happy in his nest, until one day, a dragon came upon his nest. 'Kotsuhizoku,' the dragon said--"
"Dragons talk?"
Greta, Wolfram and Conrad glanced over at Yuuri. He cringed. "Well," he managed. "It's a valid question. Pochi doesn't."
"Lisel," Wolfram corrected. "And she does, you just don't speak Dragon."
"Oh, like you do."
Conrad coughed loudly and Greta giggled. "'Kotsuhizoku,' the dragon said, 'your nest pleases me. If you do not let me have it to lay my egg, I will huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your nest apart.'"
"Ah, the dragon's a she!" Greta murmured happily, then she frowned. "But she's pretty mean."
Yuuri glanced down at her. "Maybe she didn't have time to build her own nest?"
Greta thought about this. "But still... she could at least say 'please'."
"The Kotsuhizoku shook its head and chattered loudly, refusing to let the dragon have his nest. He had worked very hard on it, and he was very tired. Well, his refusal made the dragon very angry. Just as she promised, she huffed and puffed, and blew the nest apart. The first Kotsuhizoku brother tumbled down to the ground, where he broke into pieces."
"Awww, poor Kohi!"
"... tell me you've heard this story before," Wolfram said, eying his fiance.
"Well, not this version!"
"His Majesty has a very compassionate heart, Wolfram," Conrad said mildly, turning the page. Wolfram 'humphed' and folded his arms against his chest. Conrad shook his head with a little smile and continued: "In the meantime, the second Kotsuhizoku brother had decided to make his nest in a tree, where he would be sheltered and hidden. His nest was made of woven sticks and padded with feathers; he liked it very much.
"But the dragon had still not found a nest, and she came upon the Kotsuhizoku one morning. 'Kotsuhizoku,' she said, 'your nest pleases me. If you do not let me have it to lay my egg, I will huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your nest apart.'"
"You would think that if she had the time to chase down Kotsuhizoku, she'd have time to build her own damn nest," Wolfram grumped.
Conrad gave him an embarrassed little smile, and kept reading. "Like his brother, the Kotsuhizoku refused to give up his nest, and, like before, the dragon blew it apart. The second Kotsuhizoku brother fell from his tree and broke into pieces.
"Now, the third Kotsuhizoku brother, being the oldest, had heard about his two brothers and decided to build his nest in a cave. But before he did, he gathered his brothers and reassembled them, good as new. He told them his plan, and with their help, he was able to build a nest large enough for the three of them in the cave."
Greta nodded her approval. "The oldest Kohi was pretty smart. And a good big brother."
"Yes, he was," Conrad agreed. "Again, just as they had finished the nest, they heard the dragon's wings outside. 'Kotsuhizoku,' she roared, 'your cave pleases me. If you do not let me have it to lay my egg, I will huff and puff and blow it apart. All three brothers refused to leave the cave. So, the dragon huffed and puffed and could not blow the cave apart, for mountain caves are much stronger than dragons."
"Of course they are," Greta announced.
"Of course they are," Conrad echoed. "Suddenly, the dragon gave a great roar as she lay her egg in mid-air. Tired from all her huffing and puffing, she couldn't catch the egg as it fell. But the Kotsuhizoku brothers darted out of the cave and caught the egg, carrying it up to the dragon. She was so grateful they had saved her baby, she never bothered them again." Conrad smiled and closed the book. "The end."
Greta clapped her hands and beamed. "Thank you, Conrad!"
He nodded. "You're welcome. Are you going to sleep now?"
The little girl yawned and nodded. "Mm-hmm." She snuggled up in the bed with her plush and closed her eyes. Yuuri tucked her in and went to get changed for bed himself. Wolfram chewed on his lip and looked up.
"Hey, Conrad."
The middle of Cheri's sons tilted his head to one side. "Yes?"
Wolfram fidgeted. "Can I... borrow that book, sometime?"
Conrad smiled and held it out for him. "Of course."
Next: Story #2: The Little Cinder Boy