FANFICTION- Aloha 'Oe
Title: Aloha 'Oe
Author/Artist: Rea, or geogirl15
Character(s) or Pairing(s): America, Hawaii, mentions of other states
Rating: G
Warnings: Real name usage and fluff. Lots of fluff.
Summary: Alfred sings a song for Hawaii.
Notes- A 'plot bunny adoption center' fic from over at raising_states. Short but sweet. :3 Enjoy.
Alfred hadn’t gotten a good night sleep in a few days. Having all the youngest states over for a visit was not a good idea.
Well, it was…but the execution wasn’t the greatest.
He loved having the kids over, he really did. They were his pride and joy, and having them around made him happier than normal, and during this tough economic period, he needed all the happiness he could get.
But he tended to forget about sibling rivalry. And the fact that siblings don’t always get along well.
Arizona and New Mexico were always ganging up on Alaska and Hawaii, who never let Oklahoma plate ‘space pirates’ with them, despite the fact he was older than both of them. And, of course, Utah just ignored them all, mumbling about how immature they all were while occasionally throwing small rocks at Wyoming when he wasn’t looking.
…In short, it was chaos.
But they were all finally in bed, and Alfred could enjoy a brief moment of peace before he nodded off into blissful slumber.
Just as he was nodding off, his sleep was interrupted by a quiet knock on the door.
Alfred sighed as he got up to open the door. This was the fourth night in a row he’d been interrupted. He wondered for a moment which one of the kids it was now. Was it New Mexico, coming in to complain about Wyoming stealing his pillows? Was it Oklahoma, demanding new bedsheets because his were too itchy? Did Utah fall off of the top bunk again?
He was a bit surprised to see little Hawaii standing at the door, sniffling and rubbing one of her eyes.
He couldn’t help but smile a little.
“Lani…what’s wrong? Was one of the boys keeping you up?”
The little girl shook her head sadly.
“Nu…nuh…no…I hadda bad dream…”
She sniffled again and rubbed at her eyes a bit more, a few excess tears leaking out. Alfred sighed and smiled slightly at her as he picked her up, carrying her into his room. When he was little, when he had bad dreams, Iggy would let them sit together in his room, and he’d just let Alfred talk about anything until he felt better and could go back to bed.
“Honey, it’s ok, papa’s here. Wanna tell me what it was about?”
Ahulani, better known as Lani, shook her head again, as Alfred put her down on his bed, sitting next to her.
“Nuh uh…there were monsters…really scary ones…”
“Honey, the monsters aren’t real. They’re not gonna hurt you because they can’t. Do you understand?”
She nodded, and rubbed at her eyes again. Something was still upsetting her.
Alfred gave his daughter a questioning look.
“Lani, is that the only thing that’s wrong? Did the boys do something you’re not telling me about?”
She looked up at him, eyes wide.
“Papa…do I really have to go back home? I like spending time here with you…”
Alfred sighed and looked at the floor. This conversation was one he really didn’t want to have. It happened every time the little states came to visit him. They were capable of taking care of themselves as well as taking care of their home states, even if they weren’t physically old in appearance.
Hawaii and Alaska were the youngest, so they stayed with Alfred more often than the other states did, and they stayed with him for longer, so it was always hard when they had to go back to their home states. Hard for them and him.
“Lani…I know you like staying here, and I love having you here! But you have a home of your own, and people to look after there. And I have people who need me to look after them.”
“But papa, I want you to look after me!! I don’t wanna go home and have to look after things there, I wanna spend time with you!”
“Lani…”
“Please, papa? I miss you when you’re gone…”
Lani had started to cry. Alfred didn’t know when that started. He didn’t know when his eyes started watering a bit too, and he pulled his daughter into a hug.
“It’s ok, Lani…I miss you, and all the other kids when you’re not here…but you know that I’ll see you again, right? I’ll always be here for you, no matter where either of us are.”
“…Papa, will you sing the song for me?”
Alfred nodded, rocking his daughter a bit. He used to sing this to her, when she was little, as a lullabye. Then, as a farewell and a promise as she got older. Her mother sang it to him once, and taught it to him, and now he was proud to teach it to her. It was her culture, after all.
“Of course. Will you help me, Lani?”
Lani nodded and smiled softly as they sang quietly together.
… Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace,
A hoʻi aʻe au
Until we meet again…
Even after they had finished, Alfred gently rocked his daughter until she fell asleep. He smiled and sighed quietly, tucking her into his bed. She could sleep in here with him tonight. He suspected she probably wanted that, but was afraid to ask.
Lani kicked in her sleep and hogged the covers.
It was the best night’s sleep he had in days.
END
NOTES
- Aloha ‘Oe is a song written by Liliʻuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii, written in 1877 and inspired by a tender farewell between Colonel James Boyd and his romantic interest, one of his ranch ladies. It is easily her most famous and easily recognized song. The title of this song translates to ‘Farewell to you’.
- The lyrics included in this fic are the chorus of the song. The song’s lyrics in its entirety, as well as a translation, can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloha_%CA%BBOe
- This fic was requested by linademented, who wanted to see a fic inspired by the following scene from ‘Lilo and Stitch’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WraKfeFtOPs&feature=related
- Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, Wyoming, Utah, and Oklahoma are all boys. Alfred has loots of boys. D:
- Ahulani, the state of Hawaii, returns from my previous fic, Hibiscus, which contains more information about Hawaii and Hawaiian history. Not as much as I’d like, though, due to lack of knowledge. They don’t teach us much on the mainlands…
-Thank you once again for reading!!
Author/Artist: Rea, or geogirl15
Character(s) or Pairing(s): America, Hawaii, mentions of other states
Rating: G
Warnings: Real name usage and fluff. Lots of fluff.
Summary: Alfred sings a song for Hawaii.
Notes- A 'plot bunny adoption center' fic from over at raising_states. Short but sweet. :3 Enjoy.
Alfred hadn’t gotten a good night sleep in a few days. Having all the youngest states over for a visit was not a good idea.
Well, it was…but the execution wasn’t the greatest.
He loved having the kids over, he really did. They were his pride and joy, and having them around made him happier than normal, and during this tough economic period, he needed all the happiness he could get.
But he tended to forget about sibling rivalry. And the fact that siblings don’t always get along well.
Arizona and New Mexico were always ganging up on Alaska and Hawaii, who never let Oklahoma plate ‘space pirates’ with them, despite the fact he was older than both of them. And, of course, Utah just ignored them all, mumbling about how immature they all were while occasionally throwing small rocks at Wyoming when he wasn’t looking.
…In short, it was chaos.
But they were all finally in bed, and Alfred could enjoy a brief moment of peace before he nodded off into blissful slumber.
Just as he was nodding off, his sleep was interrupted by a quiet knock on the door.
Alfred sighed as he got up to open the door. This was the fourth night in a row he’d been interrupted. He wondered for a moment which one of the kids it was now. Was it New Mexico, coming in to complain about Wyoming stealing his pillows? Was it Oklahoma, demanding new bedsheets because his were too itchy? Did Utah fall off of the top bunk again?
He was a bit surprised to see little Hawaii standing at the door, sniffling and rubbing one of her eyes.
He couldn’t help but smile a little.
“Lani…what’s wrong? Was one of the boys keeping you up?”
The little girl shook her head sadly.
“Nu…nuh…no…I hadda bad dream…”
She sniffled again and rubbed at her eyes a bit more, a few excess tears leaking out. Alfred sighed and smiled slightly at her as he picked her up, carrying her into his room. When he was little, when he had bad dreams, Iggy would let them sit together in his room, and he’d just let Alfred talk about anything until he felt better and could go back to bed.
“Honey, it’s ok, papa’s here. Wanna tell me what it was about?”
Ahulani, better known as Lani, shook her head again, as Alfred put her down on his bed, sitting next to her.
“Nuh uh…there were monsters…really scary ones…”
“Honey, the monsters aren’t real. They’re not gonna hurt you because they can’t. Do you understand?”
She nodded, and rubbed at her eyes again. Something was still upsetting her.
Alfred gave his daughter a questioning look.
“Lani, is that the only thing that’s wrong? Did the boys do something you’re not telling me about?”
She looked up at him, eyes wide.
“Papa…do I really have to go back home? I like spending time here with you…”
Alfred sighed and looked at the floor. This conversation was one he really didn’t want to have. It happened every time the little states came to visit him. They were capable of taking care of themselves as well as taking care of their home states, even if they weren’t physically old in appearance.
Hawaii and Alaska were the youngest, so they stayed with Alfred more often than the other states did, and they stayed with him for longer, so it was always hard when they had to go back to their home states. Hard for them and him.
“Lani…I know you like staying here, and I love having you here! But you have a home of your own, and people to look after there. And I have people who need me to look after them.”
“But papa, I want you to look after me!! I don’t wanna go home and have to look after things there, I wanna spend time with you!”
“Lani…”
“Please, papa? I miss you when you’re gone…”
Lani had started to cry. Alfred didn’t know when that started. He didn’t know when his eyes started watering a bit too, and he pulled his daughter into a hug.
“It’s ok, Lani…I miss you, and all the other kids when you’re not here…but you know that I’ll see you again, right? I’ll always be here for you, no matter where either of us are.”
“…Papa, will you sing the song for me?”
Alfred nodded, rocking his daughter a bit. He used to sing this to her, when she was little, as a lullabye. Then, as a farewell and a promise as she got older. Her mother sang it to him once, and taught it to him, and now he was proud to teach it to her. It was her culture, after all.
“Of course. Will you help me, Lani?”
Lani nodded and smiled softly as they sang quietly together.
… Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace,
A hoʻi aʻe au
Until we meet again…
Even after they had finished, Alfred gently rocked his daughter until she fell asleep. He smiled and sighed quietly, tucking her into his bed. She could sleep in here with him tonight. He suspected she probably wanted that, but was afraid to ask.
Lani kicked in her sleep and hogged the covers.
It was the best night’s sleep he had in days.
END
NOTES
- Aloha ‘Oe is a song written by Liliʻuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii, written in 1877 and inspired by a tender farewell between Colonel James Boyd and his romantic interest, one of his ranch ladies. It is easily her most famous and easily recognized song. The title of this song translates to ‘Farewell to you’.
- The lyrics included in this fic are the chorus of the song. The song’s lyrics in its entirety, as well as a translation, can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloha_%CA%BBOe
- This fic was requested by linademented, who wanted to see a fic inspired by the following scene from ‘Lilo and Stitch’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WraKfeFtOPs&feature=related
- Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, Wyoming, Utah, and Oklahoma are all boys. Alfred has loots of boys. D:
- Ahulani, the state of Hawaii, returns from my previous fic, Hibiscus, which contains more information about Hawaii and Hawaiian history. Not as much as I’d like, though, due to lack of knowledge. They don’t teach us much on the mainlands…
-Thank you once again for reading!!