Winter Challenge
*wanders in like the dead*
I'm so sorry that I missed a few days. I've been miserably sick and then my half-sister came into town to visit. But I'm felling a little better and I'm back on track. So sorry for the delay.
December 17
Characters: Yozak, Greta, Wolfram, Yuuri
Rating: G
Yozak was well aware that in the service of his King he sometimes ended up more a babysitter for the young Maou and his fiancé than bodyguard. That was usually more amusing than taxing though. On the best days he could lounge about on some convenient windowsill and watch them bicker for hours as they fought the urge to either hit or kiss each other. All that was missing were some salty snacks and a mug of ale.
But today...
“Yooooozaaak! It’s your turn!”
Yozak sighed and moved the bright colored playing piece a few squares and then handed the little girl back the dice.
Today, he WAS babysitting. He wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but before he could refuse, the King, Wolfram, and Konrad were gone and out the door (something about a last minute gift for Greta?) and Gwendal, Gunter, and Annisina were no where to be found.
So he was suck watching Greta until her ‘parents’ came home.
The child in question looked at him with solemn eyes and then pushed the game aside. “You’re not having fun,” she said softly, and Yozak couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“It’s not that,” he lied and then winced. “But the game is almost over (liar) what do you want to do next?” (Please don’t let it involve something that has hundreds of tiny pieces and has to be put together.)
“Want to draw?” Greta suggested, tilting her head to the side. She rolled over and pulled a leather-bound sketchbook out from under her bed and then a small box of Colors. “Wolfram gave me these,” she told Yozak as she flipped the book open to a place where there were two blank pages side by side. “Wolfram and Yuuri are so nice to me.”
“That’s because they care about you,” Yozak said as he followed Greta’s example and picked up one of the Colors. “Sometimes it seems we forget that you aren’t their real daughter.”
Greta’s eyes sparkled with laughter and a small giggle escaped her as she asked innocently, “Really?”
“Really. Would I lie to you? (Don’t even think of answering that)”
Greta grinned and then pulled one of her dolls over and placed it in Yozak’s hands. “Want to play ‘tea time?’”
When Wolfram and Yuuri got back later that night, they stopped by Greta’s room and beheld a most unusual sight. Oh Greta seemed fine (Wolfram checked on her first) but Yozak was wearing some sort of ridicules floral dress complete with white gloves and a bonnet and makeup that looked like a child had applied it (which she did).
“Looks like they had fun,” Yuuri whispered to Wolfram as he dropped a blanket over the sleeping babysitter. “And you were worried about leaving her with him.”
“He’s never watched a little girl before,” Wolfram said stubbornly. “What is something happened? What if he forgot that she has milk with her dinner? What if she got hurt and started to cry? Would he know what to do then?”
“They were fine,” Yuuri reminded his fiancé with a patient smile. He nudged Yozak with the toe of his shoe and snickered when the man only snored and rolled over. “I think Yozak had a harder time than Greta.”
Wolfram nodded in agreement and pushed away from Greta’s bed, satisfied that she was sleeping peacefully. “Well, now that we know he’s reliable, we may be able to go out more often without worrying about her.”
Yuuri, pleased with the idea (because have you ever tried to take Wolfram ANYWHERE when he wasn’t sure that someone he trusted was looking after Greta?), looked thoughtful for a moment and grinned. “How much to babysitters make now-a-days?”
Author's Note: Is it just me, or did the way Wolfram say his last line make it sound like they were on a date or something?
December 18
Characters: Yuuri, Wolfram
Rating: G
I actually wrote this one first when I was feeling my sickest.
Wolfram was almost kinda cute when he was sick, Yuuri decided. He slept most of the day, watched everything with lipid half-attention, and he said very little. (Yuuri wouldn’t say that that was the best part, cause Wolfram was pretty sweet when he was sleeping)
It was when he moved past that point of being too sick to do much more than sleep and began to feel a little better that things could get ugly.
“Here. Tea, no cream or sugar, one spoon of honey.” Yuuri passed the cup to his fiancé and watched him take a painful swallow. “Your throat still hurt?”
“Yeah,” Wolfram rasped, curling his hands around the warm mug and closing his eyes as the steam wafted up.
“Do you need anything else?” Yuuri asked, trying to mask his exasperation. “More handkerchiefs? Another book? An extra blanket?”
“No, no,” Wolfram said as he waved him away and leaned back against his pillows. “I’m fine.”
“Okay then.” Yuuri took a few steps back towards the door. “Try to rest then and ring if you need anything.”
Three summons, a pillow, a glass of water, and a bowl of soup that Wolfram didn’t eat later, Yuuri was ready to smash that bell. He felt like a dog answering to the whistle of his master, and it was pissing him off.
“What is it?” Yuuri snapped and his threw open the doors to answer the latest insistent ringing from the fair haired boy. “What can you possible want now, Wolfram?! You still haven’t finished any of the juice I brought you earlier and you didn’t touch the soup. You have plenty of blankets and you are certainly well enough to push one off it you feel too warm. Plus you have more books here within your reach than I rent from the library in a year. So what is it!?”
Wolfram starred at him silently for a second and then rolled over with a ‘humph.’ “Nothing,” he said acidly, his voice rough and scratchy from his sickness. “Forget it. Go away, Yuuri.”
The Maou threw up his hands in frustration and turned on his heel to leave, only to pause halfway across the room when Wolfram started coughing again. Yuuri turned and watched the slender body of his fiancé shudder with each violent cough, and guilt flooded him. Wolfram was sick because Yuuri had kept them out late to watch Greta build a snowman. And this was how he treated him?
Yuuri handed Wolfram the glass of water from the nightstand as his coughing got lighter and then he slipped into the bed beside him, wrapping his arm around Wolfram’s waist to pull him close. It seemed to Yuuri that Wolfram felt thinner than usual and he made a mental note to make sure that he ate something before the day was out, even if it did bother his sore throat.
“What are you doing?” Wolfram asked, his eyes closing as his breathing returned to normal. “I said you could go.”
“I’m sorry,” Yuuri said quietly. “I forgot that you’re not feeling well. I’m sorry that I was impatient with you.” He impulsively hugged the other boy and smiled when he felt Wolfram relax against him, the tension easing out of his body. “Sleep, Wolfram,” Yuuri whispered fondly, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Thank you,” Wolfram murmured, comfortable and already half asleep in his fiancé’s arms.
Everything was quiet for a few moments and then Yuuri remembered something. “Tell me,” he said softly incase Wolfram had already crossed that line between wakefulness and sleep, “What was it that you wanted?”
And it seemed for a moment that Wolfram wasn’t going to answer the question. Then a small smile pulled at his lips and his eyes slit open just a sliver. “Was lonely,” he sighed, exhaustion forcing his honestly. “Missed you.”
Yuuri blinked in surprise a few times, and then a slow smile spread over his face. “I’m here now,” he promised. “Rest. I’m not going to leave you.”
Wolfram hummed a soft agreement and let his eyes drop shut. Yuuri kept watch over him for a few minutes and then yawned himself. Wolfram’s coughing during the night had been keeping him up too, and a short nap sounded kinda good.
And then all that was heard were the muted sounds of the two sleeping boys and the steadily falling snow.
December 19
Characters: Konrad, Yuuri, Wolfram, Greta
Rating: G
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Such a poetic line to begin such a tragic novel. Beautiful in its expressiveness yet hinting at the dark days that existed and were to come. Truly such an idea could not be expressed in any other way than but with that line.
And were these days not the best and worst of times? Possible war always a threat on the horizon and tense relations between the humans and mazoku, yet the capital had not been so happy in a long time. His family had not been so at ease in a long time.
The best of times. Those that Yuuri encountered generally came to trust him and see a flaw in their opinion of their ruling class. The worst of times. There were many who would hate the mazoku and Yuuri with them for their rest of their lives, no matter what Yuuri tried to do for them.
The best of times. They had a Maou who honestly cared about all his subjects and would do his best to serve them. The worst of times. Their Maou was young and unfamiliar with his country and the history of those he would have to govern.
The best of times. His little brother was falling more in love everyday and with that his temper seemed to be gentling. The worst of times. He himself was without the one he loved, and despite the soul which existed within him, Yuuri was not Julia.
The best of times. His family seemed closer than they had been in a long time, united in the task to educate their young Maou and leaning on each other for support. The worst of times. Wolfram’s childish grudge still held in his childish stubbornness. And while he tried not to let it get to him, it hurt to hear his baby brother declare that he hates him.
Best and worst of times. Neither one or the other. Joy and sorrow. Gain and loss. Yet in the midst of the existing opposites, there is hope. And even the worst of times have to end someday. There will be the peaceful times, he knows that deep within his heart.
Yuuri will bring the peaceful times.
“No, Konrad, that’s not his Christmas one. Here it is.”
“Will you read it to us, Konrad? Wolfram! Come sit by me. Sit, Yuuri.”
“Are you ready, Greta?”
The best and worst of times. And God bless us, every one.
I'm so sorry that I missed a few days. I've been miserably sick and then my half-sister came into town to visit. But I'm felling a little better and I'm back on track. So sorry for the delay.
December 17
Characters: Yozak, Greta, Wolfram, Yuuri
Rating: G
Yozak was well aware that in the service of his King he sometimes ended up more a babysitter for the young Maou and his fiancé than bodyguard. That was usually more amusing than taxing though. On the best days he could lounge about on some convenient windowsill and watch them bicker for hours as they fought the urge to either hit or kiss each other. All that was missing were some salty snacks and a mug of ale.
But today...
“Yooooozaaak! It’s your turn!”
Yozak sighed and moved the bright colored playing piece a few squares and then handed the little girl back the dice.
Today, he WAS babysitting. He wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but before he could refuse, the King, Wolfram, and Konrad were gone and out the door (something about a last minute gift for Greta?) and Gwendal, Gunter, and Annisina were no where to be found.
So he was suck watching Greta until her ‘parents’ came home.
The child in question looked at him with solemn eyes and then pushed the game aside. “You’re not having fun,” she said softly, and Yozak couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“It’s not that,” he lied and then winced. “But the game is almost over (liar) what do you want to do next?” (Please don’t let it involve something that has hundreds of tiny pieces and has to be put together.)
“Want to draw?” Greta suggested, tilting her head to the side. She rolled over and pulled a leather-bound sketchbook out from under her bed and then a small box of Colors. “Wolfram gave me these,” she told Yozak as she flipped the book open to a place where there were two blank pages side by side. “Wolfram and Yuuri are so nice to me.”
“That’s because they care about you,” Yozak said as he followed Greta’s example and picked up one of the Colors. “Sometimes it seems we forget that you aren’t their real daughter.”
Greta’s eyes sparkled with laughter and a small giggle escaped her as she asked innocently, “Really?”
“Really. Would I lie to you? (Don’t even think of answering that)”
Greta grinned and then pulled one of her dolls over and placed it in Yozak’s hands. “Want to play ‘tea time?’”
When Wolfram and Yuuri got back later that night, they stopped by Greta’s room and beheld a most unusual sight. Oh Greta seemed fine (Wolfram checked on her first) but Yozak was wearing some sort of ridicules floral dress complete with white gloves and a bonnet and makeup that looked like a child had applied it (which she did).
“Looks like they had fun,” Yuuri whispered to Wolfram as he dropped a blanket over the sleeping babysitter. “And you were worried about leaving her with him.”
“He’s never watched a little girl before,” Wolfram said stubbornly. “What is something happened? What if he forgot that she has milk with her dinner? What if she got hurt and started to cry? Would he know what to do then?”
“They were fine,” Yuuri reminded his fiancé with a patient smile. He nudged Yozak with the toe of his shoe and snickered when the man only snored and rolled over. “I think Yozak had a harder time than Greta.”
Wolfram nodded in agreement and pushed away from Greta’s bed, satisfied that she was sleeping peacefully. “Well, now that we know he’s reliable, we may be able to go out more often without worrying about her.”
Yuuri, pleased with the idea (because have you ever tried to take Wolfram ANYWHERE when he wasn’t sure that someone he trusted was looking after Greta?), looked thoughtful for a moment and grinned. “How much to babysitters make now-a-days?”
Author's Note: Is it just me, or did the way Wolfram say his last line make it sound like they were on a date or something?
December 18
Characters: Yuuri, Wolfram
Rating: G
I actually wrote this one first when I was feeling my sickest.
Wolfram was almost kinda cute when he was sick, Yuuri decided. He slept most of the day, watched everything with lipid half-attention, and he said very little. (Yuuri wouldn’t say that that was the best part, cause Wolfram was pretty sweet when he was sleeping)
It was when he moved past that point of being too sick to do much more than sleep and began to feel a little better that things could get ugly.
“Here. Tea, no cream or sugar, one spoon of honey.” Yuuri passed the cup to his fiancé and watched him take a painful swallow. “Your throat still hurt?”
“Yeah,” Wolfram rasped, curling his hands around the warm mug and closing his eyes as the steam wafted up.
“Do you need anything else?” Yuuri asked, trying to mask his exasperation. “More handkerchiefs? Another book? An extra blanket?”
“No, no,” Wolfram said as he waved him away and leaned back against his pillows. “I’m fine.”
“Okay then.” Yuuri took a few steps back towards the door. “Try to rest then and ring if you need anything.”
Three summons, a pillow, a glass of water, and a bowl of soup that Wolfram didn’t eat later, Yuuri was ready to smash that bell. He felt like a dog answering to the whistle of his master, and it was pissing him off.
“What is it?” Yuuri snapped and his threw open the doors to answer the latest insistent ringing from the fair haired boy. “What can you possible want now, Wolfram?! You still haven’t finished any of the juice I brought you earlier and you didn’t touch the soup. You have plenty of blankets and you are certainly well enough to push one off it you feel too warm. Plus you have more books here within your reach than I rent from the library in a year. So what is it!?”
Wolfram starred at him silently for a second and then rolled over with a ‘humph.’ “Nothing,” he said acidly, his voice rough and scratchy from his sickness. “Forget it. Go away, Yuuri.”
The Maou threw up his hands in frustration and turned on his heel to leave, only to pause halfway across the room when Wolfram started coughing again. Yuuri turned and watched the slender body of his fiancé shudder with each violent cough, and guilt flooded him. Wolfram was sick because Yuuri had kept them out late to watch Greta build a snowman. And this was how he treated him?
Yuuri handed Wolfram the glass of water from the nightstand as his coughing got lighter and then he slipped into the bed beside him, wrapping his arm around Wolfram’s waist to pull him close. It seemed to Yuuri that Wolfram felt thinner than usual and he made a mental note to make sure that he ate something before the day was out, even if it did bother his sore throat.
“What are you doing?” Wolfram asked, his eyes closing as his breathing returned to normal. “I said you could go.”
“I’m sorry,” Yuuri said quietly. “I forgot that you’re not feeling well. I’m sorry that I was impatient with you.” He impulsively hugged the other boy and smiled when he felt Wolfram relax against him, the tension easing out of his body. “Sleep, Wolfram,” Yuuri whispered fondly, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Thank you,” Wolfram murmured, comfortable and already half asleep in his fiancé’s arms.
Everything was quiet for a few moments and then Yuuri remembered something. “Tell me,” he said softly incase Wolfram had already crossed that line between wakefulness and sleep, “What was it that you wanted?”
And it seemed for a moment that Wolfram wasn’t going to answer the question. Then a small smile pulled at his lips and his eyes slit open just a sliver. “Was lonely,” he sighed, exhaustion forcing his honestly. “Missed you.”
Yuuri blinked in surprise a few times, and then a slow smile spread over his face. “I’m here now,” he promised. “Rest. I’m not going to leave you.”
Wolfram hummed a soft agreement and let his eyes drop shut. Yuuri kept watch over him for a few minutes and then yawned himself. Wolfram’s coughing during the night had been keeping him up too, and a short nap sounded kinda good.
And then all that was heard were the muted sounds of the two sleeping boys and the steadily falling snow.
December 19
Characters: Konrad, Yuuri, Wolfram, Greta
Rating: G
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Such a poetic line to begin such a tragic novel. Beautiful in its expressiveness yet hinting at the dark days that existed and were to come. Truly such an idea could not be expressed in any other way than but with that line.
And were these days not the best and worst of times? Possible war always a threat on the horizon and tense relations between the humans and mazoku, yet the capital had not been so happy in a long time. His family had not been so at ease in a long time.
The best of times. Those that Yuuri encountered generally came to trust him and see a flaw in their opinion of their ruling class. The worst of times. There were many who would hate the mazoku and Yuuri with them for their rest of their lives, no matter what Yuuri tried to do for them.
The best of times. They had a Maou who honestly cared about all his subjects and would do his best to serve them. The worst of times. Their Maou was young and unfamiliar with his country and the history of those he would have to govern.
The best of times. His little brother was falling more in love everyday and with that his temper seemed to be gentling. The worst of times. He himself was without the one he loved, and despite the soul which existed within him, Yuuri was not Julia.
The best of times. His family seemed closer than they had been in a long time, united in the task to educate their young Maou and leaning on each other for support. The worst of times. Wolfram’s childish grudge still held in his childish stubbornness. And while he tried not to let it get to him, it hurt to hear his baby brother declare that he hates him.
Best and worst of times. Neither one or the other. Joy and sorrow. Gain and loss. Yet in the midst of the existing opposites, there is hope. And even the worst of times have to end someday. There will be the peaceful times, he knows that deep within his heart.
Yuuri will bring the peaceful times.
“No, Konrad, that’s not his Christmas one. Here it is.”
“Will you read it to us, Konrad? Wolfram! Come sit by me. Sit, Yuuri.”
“Are you ready, Greta?”
The best and worst of times. And God bless us, every one.