[ficlets] Three short ones.
Sorry to post again so soon but I had these ready and well...
Titles: Grilled, Smoked, in Milk Sauce - All the Family's Trees - AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl (-uh)
Author: kainoliero
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: All Nordics, America and a puffin.
Warnings: puffins are food here.
Summary: First ficlet: yes, puffins are food. Second: if you've ever tried to read Icelandic sagas, this is probably where you got a little stuck as well. Third: Iceland has a volcano and he's not afraid to use it.
Notes: just three little ficlets I've written lately while I've been stuck with other writing projects. -.-;
Grilled, Smoked, in Milk Sauce
"I'm plucking. What's it look like?"
After a long, drawn-out moment of silence he looked up. America was still standing beside him, face ashen with shock. Worse, even, his eyes were clearly welling up. It made Iceland almost feel guilty so he tried to explain himself.
"It's only a bird, one bird. I've loads of them."
"But - but - he was always following you around everywhere! I thought he was your friend!"
"Oh... that puffin. Nah, she's probably at sea right now. It's fishing time."
America seemed to sag a little out of relief. Then he straightened up again with a serious face.
"Ok, I guess I´m happy that it wasn't the same puffin but still, how can you eat them? They're too cute for that."
"Cows are cute too and you don´t have any problem eating them."
"I don´t eat cows, I eat hamburgers."
Iceland bit his lip, tugging at the feathers a little harsher than necessary.
"So! What time is she going to be around then?"
"Don´t know. She comes and goes."
"But what if she flew past and saw you now? Don´t you think she´d be upset at seeing you do... that?"
"Nah, she knows she´s food too if she flies too low over the cliffs. She's fairly old now."
"Heh, that´s right. The first time I saw her was well over twenty years ago."
Iceland took a moment to ponder this. The bird in his hand flopped limply against his boot.
"No... that was another one... I think he eventually died of old age."
Then he brightened up.
"However, the one before him, that one I definitely ate!"
All the Family's Trees
It was a quiet morning at Finland's house. Norway paused to admire the shadow of an apple tree against the door before ringing the doorbell again.
He didn't exactly have to, he knew. The house was long and he had already heard the footsteps but ringing made them accelerate. There was a stumbling sound and then Finland opened the door by what seemed a little like colliding into it. Norway almost smiled. Bullying Finland was always entertaining.
He was let in and showed into the kitchen and to the breakfast table without even a question if he wanted something to eat at all. He poured himself a cup of coffee. By the looks of it Finland himself had spent a long while at his breakfast. Norway grimaced at the taste of cold coffee but drank it just the same.
He got up and started to make a new pot when something lying by the edge of the table caught his attention. He picked up the book.
"Fóstbraedra Saga? You're reading this?"
Finland nodded hesitantly.
"How far have you got on it?"
Now Finland took a while before answering.
"...page three."
Suspicion rose in Norway's mind. He turned onto page three and true enough, there it was, the ever compulsory list of forebears of the main characters. It went on through the whole page. Hiding his amusement as well as he could he said in a casual tone:
"Ah yes, these family trees can be confusing. I could draw you a picture if you think it'd clear things up a little?"
"Iceland already did," Finland replied sadly, "It didn't help very much at all."
Norway nodded, knowing already Finland wouldn't take any suggestion of skipping the list. The poor guy always took everything so seriously. Nevertheless he was impressed. Here was Finland, previously illiterate for the most of his existence, now suddenly so studious he couldn't help feeling warm inside just looking at it.
"Oh. Well. In that case. Well... good luck then. But I do know this book quite well, you know." He poured himself a cup of freshly made coffee. "If you need my help for anything I'll be in your garden. Those apples look fine this year."
AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl (-uh)
"Well don't look at me, I did nothing!"
"Yes, let's not try to pass guilt now, right now we need to first figure out -"
"How to get out of this mess? I don't think you all dealt too well with his recent trouble anyway."
"Look who's talking now, you did no more than any of us and you want him to call you his bro!"
"I thought it was you who always wanted every one of us to call you our brother..."
"Hn."
"Stop that please! I meant that we'll need to find out some way to cheer him up, that's all!"
"Too troublesome. He'll stop it if we just ignore him."
"Yeah right, and meanwhile one of my monarchs' b-days is ruined!"
"S'rry t' hear that."
"Yeah you sound fucking sincere now don't you -"
"AAAAAAAAAH- !"
"Sweden, you're scary when you smile. Stop it."
"...ok, ok, ok. So what are we going to do now? Someone come up with something and quickly 'cos I'm stuck with the heads of every single nation and I have to take care of them while they can't travel."
"I said already, pretend you didn't notice anything. He'll come right around if he sees a tantrum doesn't work."
"That's a bit cruel... he's just upset over the financial business and everyone sending him angry notes and such."
"Don't forget he did take their money and then ran. Can't blame them."
"Uh... well... anyway, I could maybe bake him something...?"
"And you call me cruel..."
"You're talking about me behind my back aren't you."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Nonono I mean it wasn't anything bad I mean -"
"FINE, I'LL DO IT AGAIN SHALL I ?!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Wow, now you really did it..."
End notes: I still think Iceland wouldn't have anything against eating puffins, no matter how cute he thinks they are. America used to reside at Iceland's for a long time, he was bound to find out some time.
The Icelandic idea of storytelling always begins with everybody's background. Who's whose son or daughter, why were these forebears important, who they descended from etc. and can take up a whole chapter. In some cases the reader wades through such an endless familytree only to find out that after this random appearance this person is out of the story, the writer just wanted you to know he existed.
The last fic I wrote ages ago, right after the volcano eruption that f.ex. caused reasonable amount of trouble with Denmark's anniversary party.
Titles: Grilled, Smoked, in Milk Sauce - All the Family's Trees - AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl (-uh)
Author: kainoliero
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: All Nordics, America and a puffin.
Warnings: puffins are food here.
Summary: First ficlet: yes, puffins are food. Second: if you've ever tried to read Icelandic sagas, this is probably where you got a little stuck as well. Third: Iceland has a volcano and he's not afraid to use it.
Notes: just three little ficlets I've written lately while I've been stuck with other writing projects. -.-;
Grilled, Smoked, in Milk Sauce
"I'm plucking. What's it look like?"
After a long, drawn-out moment of silence he looked up. America was still standing beside him, face ashen with shock. Worse, even, his eyes were clearly welling up. It made Iceland almost feel guilty so he tried to explain himself.
"It's only a bird, one bird. I've loads of them."
"But - but - he was always following you around everywhere! I thought he was your friend!"
"Oh... that puffin. Nah, she's probably at sea right now. It's fishing time."
America seemed to sag a little out of relief. Then he straightened up again with a serious face.
"Ok, I guess I´m happy that it wasn't the same puffin but still, how can you eat them? They're too cute for that."
"Cows are cute too and you don´t have any problem eating them."
"I don´t eat cows, I eat hamburgers."
Iceland bit his lip, tugging at the feathers a little harsher than necessary.
"So! What time is she going to be around then?"
"Don´t know. She comes and goes."
"But what if she flew past and saw you now? Don´t you think she´d be upset at seeing you do... that?"
"Nah, she knows she´s food too if she flies too low over the cliffs. She's fairly old now."
"Heh, that´s right. The first time I saw her was well over twenty years ago."
Iceland took a moment to ponder this. The bird in his hand flopped limply against his boot.
"No... that was another one... I think he eventually died of old age."
Then he brightened up.
"However, the one before him, that one I definitely ate!"
All the Family's Trees
It was a quiet morning at Finland's house. Norway paused to admire the shadow of an apple tree against the door before ringing the doorbell again.
He didn't exactly have to, he knew. The house was long and he had already heard the footsteps but ringing made them accelerate. There was a stumbling sound and then Finland opened the door by what seemed a little like colliding into it. Norway almost smiled. Bullying Finland was always entertaining.
He was let in and showed into the kitchen and to the breakfast table without even a question if he wanted something to eat at all. He poured himself a cup of coffee. By the looks of it Finland himself had spent a long while at his breakfast. Norway grimaced at the taste of cold coffee but drank it just the same.
He got up and started to make a new pot when something lying by the edge of the table caught his attention. He picked up the book.
"Fóstbraedra Saga? You're reading this?"
Finland nodded hesitantly.
"How far have you got on it?"
Now Finland took a while before answering.
"...page three."
Suspicion rose in Norway's mind. He turned onto page three and true enough, there it was, the ever compulsory list of forebears of the main characters. It went on through the whole page. Hiding his amusement as well as he could he said in a casual tone:
"Ah yes, these family trees can be confusing. I could draw you a picture if you think it'd clear things up a little?"
"Iceland already did," Finland replied sadly, "It didn't help very much at all."
Norway nodded, knowing already Finland wouldn't take any suggestion of skipping the list. The poor guy always took everything so seriously. Nevertheless he was impressed. Here was Finland, previously illiterate for the most of his existence, now suddenly so studious he couldn't help feeling warm inside just looking at it.
"Oh. Well. In that case. Well... good luck then. But I do know this book quite well, you know." He poured himself a cup of freshly made coffee. "If you need my help for anything I'll be in your garden. Those apples look fine this year."
AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl (-uh)
"Well don't look at me, I did nothing!"
"Yes, let's not try to pass guilt now, right now we need to first figure out -"
"How to get out of this mess? I don't think you all dealt too well with his recent trouble anyway."
"Look who's talking now, you did no more than any of us and you want him to call you his bro!"
"I thought it was you who always wanted every one of us to call you our brother..."
"Hn."
"Stop that please! I meant that we'll need to find out some way to cheer him up, that's all!"
"Too troublesome. He'll stop it if we just ignore him."
"Yeah right, and meanwhile one of my monarchs' b-days is ruined!"
"S'rry t' hear that."
"Yeah you sound fucking sincere now don't you -"
"AAAAAAAAAH- !"
"Sweden, you're scary when you smile. Stop it."
"...ok, ok, ok. So what are we going to do now? Someone come up with something and quickly 'cos I'm stuck with the heads of every single nation and I have to take care of them while they can't travel."
"I said already, pretend you didn't notice anything. He'll come right around if he sees a tantrum doesn't work."
"That's a bit cruel... he's just upset over the financial business and everyone sending him angry notes and such."
"Don't forget he did take their money and then ran. Can't blame them."
"Uh... well... anyway, I could maybe bake him something...?"
"And you call me cruel..."
"You're talking about me behind my back aren't you."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Nonono I mean it wasn't anything bad I mean -"
"FINE, I'LL DO IT AGAIN SHALL I ?!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Wow, now you really did it..."
End notes: I still think Iceland wouldn't have anything against eating puffins, no matter how cute he thinks they are. America used to reside at Iceland's for a long time, he was bound to find out some time.
The Icelandic idea of storytelling always begins with everybody's background. Who's whose son or daughter, why were these forebears important, who they descended from etc. and can take up a whole chapter. In some cases the reader wades through such an endless familytree only to find out that after this random appearance this person is out of the story, the writer just wanted you to know he existed.
The last fic I wrote ages ago, right after the volcano eruption that f.ex. caused reasonable amount of trouble with Denmark's anniversary party.