Re: Bigger [2/3]
anonymous
April 29 2009, 03:23:44 UTC
The little boy’s eyes went wide when he saw it. The model ship was almost as big as his head and floated in the clear water of the metal bathtub as if spanning a tiny ocean. America’s eyes were wider than England had ever seen them as he leaned over the edge of the tub to peer at it.
“Wow! It’s just like England’s ships!”
Arthur smiled warmly. “Yes, and now it’s all yours. But you must learn how to use it properly, and then you’ll know the right way to take a bath.”
“Okay! I’m ready, England, so teach me already!”
Chuckling, Arthur rolled up his sleeves and hefted the boy into the tub. He couldn’t remember the last time he was able to do that without a struggle. Immediately, the water turned a pale brown shade as mud dissolved from his body.
“Give it a good dunking there, Alfred, there you are,” he approved, as his little colony held his nose and dunked his head underwater, relieving his head from the matted mess into which the mud had transformed his hair. “Now listen closely...”
--
England was half-drenched, but for once, he didn’t care. He and his charge grinned wildly and whooped as their respective ships skimmed the surface of the bath, drawing out invisible battle formations. Alfred had the bigger, more majestic ship, and it plowed through the waters relentlessly like Arthur’s navy--“Searching for wrong-doers!” Alfred shouted enthusiastically, sending up another spray of water. “Fear the wrath of my mighty fleet!”
England laughed at the sound of such words coming from the colony’s tiny mouth, it was so absurd. And he didn’t really understand...but he would.
“Ah, but Captain Alfred, your great navy is being approached by enemy warships!”
Alfred laughed as heartily as he could, which considering his high register, was not all that much. “Who cares, those ships are smaller than me!”
“Ahh,” Arthur nodded sagely, trying not to laugh again. “Bigger is not always better, Captain Alfred. You would do best to learn this now.”
Alfred eyed the nation suspiciously. “That’s silly! Bigger is always better! That’s why I wanna grow up quick and be big and strong like England!”
“Ahah...” Arthur’s face fell for a moment at that thought. “Let’s not be in such a rush. You know, it was with smaller ships that I defeated Spain and his so-called “invincible” Armada.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes!” Arthur grinned, triumphantly. He tightened his grip on the smaller ship in his hand and moved it into position. “Let me show you...”
Re: Bigger [3/3]
anonymous
April 29 2009, 03:24:40 UTC
Alfred’s face registered severe shock. “No way! How come you won?” He lifted the big boat out of the water with both hands and stared at it ruefully. “I had the biggest ship!”
“What did I tell you, Alfred?” Arthur grinned, pushing the smaller boat in front of him towards the colony with the tip of his finger. “Bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes it’s the little ones who can be quick enough to seize victory!”
“But you’re bigger than me and you always win,” pouted America. His wet, recently washed hair dripped into his face and made his eyelashes flutter.
England laughed and leaned forward to kiss his little charge on the forehead. “I’m England, Alfred. That’s just how the world works.”
“Yeah? Well...someday I’m gonna be like England and I’ll make the world work too!”
Arthur chuckled. “Yes, yes. But for now, I think you have a pretty good idea of the proper way to take a bath.”
“...Huh? Oh yeah!” Alfred’s eyes brightened. “That bath was so much better than the other ones!”
Chuckling again, Arthur pulled a clean towel from a rack beside him and helped his colony out of the tub so he could wrap Alfred in its warmth. “I’m glad,” he murmured, pulling America into a hug.
The colony returned it fiercely. “Someday,” he mumbled into Arthur’s shoulder. “Someday I’ll be big too.”
Arthur smiled sadly. Their hug...Alfred fit so nicely in his arms right now, the way he was. So perfectly suited for just this. He hoped that someday was a long way off.
“Wow! It’s just like England’s ships!”
Arthur smiled warmly. “Yes, and now it’s all yours. But you must learn how to use it properly, and then you’ll know the right way to take a bath.”
“Okay! I’m ready, England, so teach me already!”
Chuckling, Arthur rolled up his sleeves and hefted the boy into the tub. He couldn’t remember the last time he was able to do that without a struggle. Immediately, the water turned a pale brown shade as mud dissolved from his body.
“Give it a good dunking there, Alfred, there you are,” he approved, as his little colony held his nose and dunked his head underwater, relieving his head from the matted mess into which the mud had transformed his hair. “Now listen closely...”
--
England was half-drenched, but for once, he didn’t care. He and his charge grinned wildly and whooped as their respective ships skimmed the surface of the bath, drawing out invisible battle formations. Alfred had the bigger, more majestic ship, and it plowed through the waters relentlessly like Arthur’s navy--“Searching for wrong-doers!” Alfred shouted enthusiastically, sending up another spray of water. “Fear the wrath of my mighty fleet!”
England laughed at the sound of such words coming from the colony’s tiny mouth, it was so absurd. And he didn’t really understand...but he would.
“Ah, but Captain Alfred, your great navy is being approached by enemy warships!”
Alfred laughed as heartily as he could, which considering his high register, was not all that much. “Who cares, those ships are smaller than me!”
“Ahh,” Arthur nodded sagely, trying not to laugh again. “Bigger is not always better, Captain Alfred. You would do best to learn this now.”
Alfred eyed the nation suspiciously. “That’s silly! Bigger is always better! That’s why I wanna grow up quick and be big and strong like England!”
“Ahah...” Arthur’s face fell for a moment at that thought. “Let’s not be in such a rush. You know, it was with smaller ships that I defeated Spain and his so-called “invincible” Armada.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes!” Arthur grinned, triumphantly. He tightened his grip on the smaller ship in his hand and moved it into position. “Let me show you...”
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“What did I tell you, Alfred?” Arthur grinned, pushing the smaller boat in front of him towards the colony with the tip of his finger. “Bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes it’s the little ones who can be quick enough to seize victory!”
“But you’re bigger than me and you always win,” pouted America. His wet, recently washed hair dripped into his face and made his eyelashes flutter.
England laughed and leaned forward to kiss his little charge on the forehead. “I’m England, Alfred. That’s just how the world works.”
“Yeah? Well...someday I’m gonna be like England and I’ll make the world work too!”
Arthur chuckled. “Yes, yes. But for now, I think you have a pretty good idea of the proper way to take a bath.”
“...Huh? Oh yeah!” Alfred’s eyes brightened. “That bath was so much better than the other ones!”
Chuckling again, Arthur pulled a clean towel from a rack beside him and helped his colony out of the tub so he could wrap Alfred in its warmth. “I’m glad,” he murmured, pulling America into a hug.
The colony returned it fiercely. “Someday,” he mumbled into Arthur’s shoulder. “Someday I’ll be big too.”
Arthur smiled sadly. Their hug...Alfred fit so nicely in his arms right now, the way he was. So perfectly suited for just this. He hoped that someday was a long way off.
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