Unnatural History, "Accidental Tourists" genfic
Fandom: Unnatural History
Title: Accidental Tourists
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG
Word Count: 614
Genre: General/Humor
Notes: Written for the fic fest at un_history on Livejournal. Prompt: “They're in Henry's world now. Since going with Henry, Maggie and Jasper have to get used to being the ones that don't fit in, while Henry does.”
Summary: Jasper and Maggie have to depend on Henry when they get lost.
Maggie looked down at her plate of food and wrinkled her nose. “Henry, my food is moving,” she complained, and she turned to Henry who wasn’t even paying attention. He was arguing with one of the owners in Mandarin. She was about to be impressed that he actually knew the language, but she was too busy being freaked out by her food. She turned to Jasper.
His face was white as a sheet. With wide eyes he shook his head at her vigorously. He leaned closer and whispered, “Best not to complain. I think the cook will actually kill us if we don’t eat his food.”
“I thought you were starving,” Henry chimed in, and Maggie was thankful he was paying attention to them again.
“I am, but...not for food like this,” Maggie said. “I think I’d rather starve.” Henry cocked his head at her.
“I know it’s not like American food, but we were lost-”
“Your fault, not ours,” Jasper butted in.
“Anyway, we were lost and Ying and Huojin were kind enough to spare us some food. Without money,” Henry said. “Now look, I made a deal with them that we could even get this food.”
Maggie poked at the food around the moving cabbage with her chopsticks and inhaled a brave breath. Jasper watched her with wonder, anxious to see if she was actually going to do it. She took a bite, winced at the strange crunch between her teeth, and she quickly swallowed, trying to bypass her taste buds as much as she could.
Jasper sighed in relief, as if he was experienced every horror with her. “So,” he said in a chipper voice, clicking his chopsticks. He didn’t even look at the pile of food he was picking up before he put it in his mouth. (Maggie wondered if ignorance really was bliss in this case.) “What kind of deal did you make with the host and hostess?”
Jasper grinned brightly, but Maggie could sense his dread. They were in Henry’s world now - lost in a foreign country that they did not know - and though Henry was in his element, they started to feel like fish out of water. Maggie started to miss Washington D.C. right now and the whole food stores she had frequented.
At least the food didn’t crawl over her plate, and she had the blissful choice not to eat anything animal-related (or even insect-related in this case).
“Well, just a few chores really,” Henry said, and Maggie could sense he was holding back. She glared at him pointedly, and he continued. “I also have to collect money from a bad patron down the street in this village.” He forced a smile. “How bad could it be?”
Jasper was white again. Maggie was ready to scream, but she turned to Jasper as he exhaled a heavily and watched the chopsticks in his hand shake with fear.
“You guys don’t have to come with me,” Henry said to them. “You can stay here and wash dishes or help with prepping food. I’ll take care of the collection business.”
“You know we can’t let you do that!” Maggie protested, but Henry shook his head.
“Be glad it isn’t worse,” Henry said encouragingly.
Jasper’s voice squeaked when he laughed. “Yeah, glad...” Jasper turned to him and hissed angrily, “I’m glad they didn’t kill us or sell us into slavery!”
“Now, now, it’s not that bad here,” Henry said, and Jasper and Maggie looked over at the owner staring at them in the corner.
When he cracked his knuckles and growled at them, Jasper dropped his chopsticks. Maggie opened her arms, catching him when he fainted.
END
Title: Accidental Tourists
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG
Word Count: 614
Genre: General/Humor
Notes: Written for the fic fest at un_history on Livejournal. Prompt: “They're in Henry's world now. Since going with Henry, Maggie and Jasper have to get used to being the ones that don't fit in, while Henry does.”
Summary: Jasper and Maggie have to depend on Henry when they get lost.
Maggie looked down at her plate of food and wrinkled her nose. “Henry, my food is moving,” she complained, and she turned to Henry who wasn’t even paying attention. He was arguing with one of the owners in Mandarin. She was about to be impressed that he actually knew the language, but she was too busy being freaked out by her food. She turned to Jasper.
His face was white as a sheet. With wide eyes he shook his head at her vigorously. He leaned closer and whispered, “Best not to complain. I think the cook will actually kill us if we don’t eat his food.”
“I thought you were starving,” Henry chimed in, and Maggie was thankful he was paying attention to them again.
“I am, but...not for food like this,” Maggie said. “I think I’d rather starve.” Henry cocked his head at her.
“I know it’s not like American food, but we were lost-”
“Your fault, not ours,” Jasper butted in.
“Anyway, we were lost and Ying and Huojin were kind enough to spare us some food. Without money,” Henry said. “Now look, I made a deal with them that we could even get this food.”
Maggie poked at the food around the moving cabbage with her chopsticks and inhaled a brave breath. Jasper watched her with wonder, anxious to see if she was actually going to do it. She took a bite, winced at the strange crunch between her teeth, and she quickly swallowed, trying to bypass her taste buds as much as she could.
Jasper sighed in relief, as if he was experienced every horror with her. “So,” he said in a chipper voice, clicking his chopsticks. He didn’t even look at the pile of food he was picking up before he put it in his mouth. (Maggie wondered if ignorance really was bliss in this case.) “What kind of deal did you make with the host and hostess?”
Jasper grinned brightly, but Maggie could sense his dread. They were in Henry’s world now - lost in a foreign country that they did not know - and though Henry was in his element, they started to feel like fish out of water. Maggie started to miss Washington D.C. right now and the whole food stores she had frequented.
At least the food didn’t crawl over her plate, and she had the blissful choice not to eat anything animal-related (or even insect-related in this case).
“Well, just a few chores really,” Henry said, and Maggie could sense he was holding back. She glared at him pointedly, and he continued. “I also have to collect money from a bad patron down the street in this village.” He forced a smile. “How bad could it be?”
Jasper was white again. Maggie was ready to scream, but she turned to Jasper as he exhaled a heavily and watched the chopsticks in his hand shake with fear.
“You guys don’t have to come with me,” Henry said to them. “You can stay here and wash dishes or help with prepping food. I’ll take care of the collection business.”
“You know we can’t let you do that!” Maggie protested, but Henry shook his head.
“Be glad it isn’t worse,” Henry said encouragingly.
Jasper’s voice squeaked when he laughed. “Yeah, glad...” Jasper turned to him and hissed angrily, “I’m glad they didn’t kill us or sell us into slavery!”
“Now, now, it’s not that bad here,” Henry said, and Jasper and Maggie looked over at the owner staring at them in the corner.
When he cracked his knuckles and growled at them, Jasper dropped his chopsticks. Maggie opened her arms, catching him when he fainted.
END