Fic 2/2: Not Everyone is Small in the Small World
Hah! I lied! Iz a Posting Ninja tonight. Unfortunately, Iz not a Beta Ninja so I apologize for anything misspelled or out of place.
Title: 2/2: Not Everyone is Small in the Small World
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Ronon/Amelia, John/Rodney
Word Count: 2045
Prompt: written for the monthly challenge at octoberwriting
Author’s Note: I visited Disneyland this week. When I mentioned writing about Ronon being at the park, both thebiggest_lie and ru_salki99 thought it would be amusing if he rode It’s a Small World. I thought so, too. The little boy with the blue mouth is a real person who assured his mother, while in line for the train around the park, that the train would come if they were patient. “Remember, Mama?” We all got a good laugh about that.
It was agreed upon that Ronon was only allowed to ride any other ride three times in a row. “They frown on people staying on the rides,” Amelia reminded him. “How much did you have to pay those kids to let you do it as often as you did this morning?”
Ronon had only shrugged, not looking the least bit embarrassed at what he’d done. In his mind, Amelia was sure, he’d made it right when he’d come to terms with them and since none of the workers had seemed willing to tell him no, he’d been in the right with his actions. “Where are we going now?”
“Three times. I’m not letting you go anywhere else until we agree on three times.” She shook his arm as if she might be able to make him mind her. Four-year-old, indeed. At least she was able to scare the average toddler into seeing things her way most of the time.
“Three times. I promise.” His kiss was enough to make her forget the park and head back to the hotel just so she could fall into his kisses without being reminded with every shriek and laugh around them that they were in a crowd and bound to be noticed. “Where do you want to go?”
“He can be polite.” John peered at them over the top of his sunglasses. “I never thought I’d live to see that day when Ronon was finally taught some manners.”
This earned him a toothy grin but Ronon turned back to Amelia right after playfully punching John in the stomach. “So, where to?”
“Let’s go into the main park. We’ll work our way to the back of the park. What do you think, guys? Are you up for a trip on the Matterhorn?”
Rodney groaned, his eyes bulging slightly. “Not the Matterhorn. I got sick on that ride.”
“I thought you liked roller coasters,” John chided. “What are we doing here if you don’t like coasters.”
“I like roller coasters, just not that one. A kid got sick just after he got off it last time I was in line. It… well, I’ve never been able to ride the Matterhorn.”
Amelia couldn’t fault him for a memory like that. It was the same reason she’d never be able to ride the Erasure at the state fair anymore. Not since she rode it with Matt Grayson right after he’d tried to break the record for eating the most blueberry cobbler. She hadn’t looked at blueberries the same after that, either.
“What’s the Matterhorn?” Ronon’s eyes were shining with excitement. It was easy to forget that he hadn’t spent all his life hearing the names of these rides and getting excited at the prospect of getting to ride them for himself. It was a rite of passage to get to ride the Matterhorn. Of course, he’d ridden the best roller coaster at the park first. Odds were he’d think everything else paled in comparison.
“Something you have to see for yourself. Come on, boys. Let’s get going.”
If Ronon had enjoyed California Adventure, he was ecstatic about the main Disney park. Not only did he point out every detail from the flowers hanging from the light poles shaped like Mickey heads to the entertaining tableaus in the windows on Main Street, but he made them stand in line with him so he could meet Mickey, himself. It was funny to see the mouse being picked up by the large man but neither seemed to mind the laughter from everyone else in line.
One of the little boys tugged at Ronon’s shirt after they started walking again. “Hey, mister. Aren’t you the guy who rode California Screamin’?
He sunk down to a crouch that put him eye to eye with the tow-headed tyke. “I did. Did you ride it?”
“Nah. Too scared. Did you ride it a hunnerd times?”
“Something like that. You should give it a try. It’s fun.” He stood back up and let the child’s mother usher him away from the possible threat. “How come mothers don’t like me talking to their kids?”
Amelia had been ready for this question all day long. Earth was not as pleasant to Ronon as she thought it should be. Even if he didn’t know all the rules right away, he wasn’t exactly going to start kidnapping and hurting children just because he was large and intimidating looking. “For the same reason you shoot Wraith as soon as you see them. You never know what they’re going to do and you know what they’re capable of.”
When he didn’t answer, she tugged at his belt loops so that he was walking closer to her again. “You’re not a threat. The kids know that. Why else do you think they gravitate to you? Mothers are a different breed, though. They’re programmed to make sure that their kids don’t do anything especially stupid that will get them in trouble.”
“Like talking to me.”
This time she stopped him so she could tug him down to look in her eyes. “It’s their job to be scared for their children. Don’t take them too seriously. Most especially, don’t let them ruin your fun.” When she kissed him, he was the one who seemed reluctant to pull away this time.
“Come on, guys. You’re falling behind,” John hollered from up ahead. It was exactly what Ronon needed to pull him out of the funk this interaction had put him in.
He smiled down at her. “We’re falling behind.”
“And that would be bad. How ‘bout we see if we can’t beat them to Small World?” Amelia pulled at his hand. “Come on. Hurry.”
But, as always, John was up for the challenge. It was only because of Amelia’s quick thinking to actually take the longer way through FantasyLand that saved them enough time that they got to the long line just ahead of John and Rodney.
“This line goes on forever. We’re never going to get to ride,” Ronon growled, shifting from foot to foot as he surveyed the hundred or so people in front of them.
The little boy in front of them turned around, his lips and tongue blue from the Ring Pop he was gleefully licking. “You gotta be patient.”
This time Ronon was a little more reluctant to bend down so that he was in the little boy’s line of sight but the mother smiled at him, inviting their group to share in the joke. Amelia tugged at his sleeve, letting him know it would be alright this time.
“Oh yeah? Patient? I’m not very good at being patient.”
“Mama says that we have to be patient. If we are, we’ll get to ride every ride in the entire park.”
Ronon’s face lit up with delight. “Do you think you can do it? Ride every ride?”
“Sure. Well, except the scary ones.”
“Which ones are scary?” he asked as if he was taking a survey of the rides they should stay away from.
The little boy gave it some thought. “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is the scariest. I tried to keep my eyes open but I didn’t. But don’t tell my mama, okay? She thinks I was brave.” Ronon pretended to zip his lips shut, something Amelia had taught him to do. The gesture, used properly, made her giggle. “And Dumbo. It goes really high.”
“How high?”
The exact measurement from the little boy’s flat hand to the ground was probably three feet but Ronon nodded sagely, taking the advice to heart. Considering the ride he’d spent most of the morning on, three feet was nothing to sneeze at.
She tugged him to his feet as the line started to move forward. “See? Patience was all it took. We’re going to be on the ride in no time.”
“How many loops are we going to go around?”
Amelia’s heart sunk down to her stomach. “There are no loops. Not a lot of ups and downs either. There’s a song, though.”
“A song?” He raised an eyebrow at her, but, she was happy to see, it was the right one. If it had been the left, she would have suggested they try another ride.
“It’s very cheerful. You’ll love it.” But she knew the odds that he was going to enjoy this ride weren’t in her favor. That was a pity because she was hoping to at least get a second run-through so she could verify that she’d found all the Hidden Mickeys in case they’d changed them.
She kept up a cheerful monologue until they got into the floating car. The little boy with the blue mouth was in front them, his own chatter silenced as they started moving and his eyes wide with awe. Instead of looking around her as they entered the darkened area, Amelia kept her gaze on Ronon. At first, he looked skeptical and then a bit irritated.
“Mama! Mama!” the little boy exclaimed in front of them, snagging her gaze. “It’s WONDERFUL!”
When she turned around, Ronon was grinning just as broadly as the little boy. “What exactly am I seeing?”
It took most of the ride to fully explain the idea behind all the singing and dancing little dolls who were dwarfed by the large man staring at them in fascination. On the second trip through, he was singing along and encouraging everyone in the car to join in with him. Surprisingly, they did. That was the sort of thing that happened when a large man clapped a person on the shoulder and told them to sing along because it was fun.
After four trips through It’s a Small World, she reminded him of their deal. This time they paused in the little store that was at the exit to the ride. “What’s all this?”
Amelia shrugged. She’d never been one for knicknacks. “Crap that they want you to buy. Come on. I think John and Rodney are in TomorrowLand.”
But he was hooked. They didn’t leave until he’d picked out one of every little It’s a Small World doll and a few of the princess figurines, as well. As they stood in line to pay, she tugged at his sleeve. “What are you going to do with these? It’s not like you have a lot of space in your room and… hello, dolls?”
He shook his head, trying to silence her but she persisted. The key to making Ronon talk when he didn’t want to was a variety of nagging and charm. She was getting good at using both.
“You’ll see,” was all he said.
It took awhile for her to fully understand what he was doing. They walked into the crowds of parents and children that nearly overwhelmed FantasyLand. Whenever they came across a small child who didn’t look terrified at Ronon’s size, he asked them if they’d been to It’s a Small World. If they hadn’t, he told him about how much fun he’d had and offered them on of the toys in his bag. If they had, he asked them what their favorite part had been. After their discussion, he opened up his bag of toys and let them pick one. “To remember your time here by,” he told each and every one of them.
Amelia had tears in her eyes by the time he held up an empty sack. “You really are wonderful. You know that, right?”
He didn’t answer but she saw how happy the good deeds had made him. If Disney had any sense, they would have hired him on the spot. Instead, they went off to enjoy the rest of the park like the adults they were. At the end of the day, when Rodney asked him what his favorite ride was, Ronon just shrugged. “I rode all of them except for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. It’s hard to pick a favorite.”
John laughed. “You didn’t ride Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride?”
“I have it on good authority that it’s scary.”
The men laughed but Amelia just put her arm around him and hugged him tight. She had it on good authority that she’d picked the perfect man. It had taken a trip to Disneyland for her to verify it all over again.
Title: 2/2: Not Everyone is Small in the Small World
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Ronon/Amelia, John/Rodney
Word Count: 2045
Prompt: written for the monthly challenge at octoberwriting
Author’s Note: I visited Disneyland this week. When I mentioned writing about Ronon being at the park, both thebiggest_lie and ru_salki99 thought it would be amusing if he rode It’s a Small World. I thought so, too. The little boy with the blue mouth is a real person who assured his mother, while in line for the train around the park, that the train would come if they were patient. “Remember, Mama?” We all got a good laugh about that.
It was agreed upon that Ronon was only allowed to ride any other ride three times in a row. “They frown on people staying on the rides,” Amelia reminded him. “How much did you have to pay those kids to let you do it as often as you did this morning?”
Ronon had only shrugged, not looking the least bit embarrassed at what he’d done. In his mind, Amelia was sure, he’d made it right when he’d come to terms with them and since none of the workers had seemed willing to tell him no, he’d been in the right with his actions. “Where are we going now?”
“Three times. I’m not letting you go anywhere else until we agree on three times.” She shook his arm as if she might be able to make him mind her. Four-year-old, indeed. At least she was able to scare the average toddler into seeing things her way most of the time.
“Three times. I promise.” His kiss was enough to make her forget the park and head back to the hotel just so she could fall into his kisses without being reminded with every shriek and laugh around them that they were in a crowd and bound to be noticed. “Where do you want to go?”
“He can be polite.” John peered at them over the top of his sunglasses. “I never thought I’d live to see that day when Ronon was finally taught some manners.”
This earned him a toothy grin but Ronon turned back to Amelia right after playfully punching John in the stomach. “So, where to?”
“Let’s go into the main park. We’ll work our way to the back of the park. What do you think, guys? Are you up for a trip on the Matterhorn?”
Rodney groaned, his eyes bulging slightly. “Not the Matterhorn. I got sick on that ride.”
“I thought you liked roller coasters,” John chided. “What are we doing here if you don’t like coasters.”
“I like roller coasters, just not that one. A kid got sick just after he got off it last time I was in line. It… well, I’ve never been able to ride the Matterhorn.”
Amelia couldn’t fault him for a memory like that. It was the same reason she’d never be able to ride the Erasure at the state fair anymore. Not since she rode it with Matt Grayson right after he’d tried to break the record for eating the most blueberry cobbler. She hadn’t looked at blueberries the same after that, either.
“What’s the Matterhorn?” Ronon’s eyes were shining with excitement. It was easy to forget that he hadn’t spent all his life hearing the names of these rides and getting excited at the prospect of getting to ride them for himself. It was a rite of passage to get to ride the Matterhorn. Of course, he’d ridden the best roller coaster at the park first. Odds were he’d think everything else paled in comparison.
“Something you have to see for yourself. Come on, boys. Let’s get going.”
If Ronon had enjoyed California Adventure, he was ecstatic about the main Disney park. Not only did he point out every detail from the flowers hanging from the light poles shaped like Mickey heads to the entertaining tableaus in the windows on Main Street, but he made them stand in line with him so he could meet Mickey, himself. It was funny to see the mouse being picked up by the large man but neither seemed to mind the laughter from everyone else in line.
One of the little boys tugged at Ronon’s shirt after they started walking again. “Hey, mister. Aren’t you the guy who rode California Screamin’?
He sunk down to a crouch that put him eye to eye with the tow-headed tyke. “I did. Did you ride it?”
“Nah. Too scared. Did you ride it a hunnerd times?”
“Something like that. You should give it a try. It’s fun.” He stood back up and let the child’s mother usher him away from the possible threat. “How come mothers don’t like me talking to their kids?”
Amelia had been ready for this question all day long. Earth was not as pleasant to Ronon as she thought it should be. Even if he didn’t know all the rules right away, he wasn’t exactly going to start kidnapping and hurting children just because he was large and intimidating looking. “For the same reason you shoot Wraith as soon as you see them. You never know what they’re going to do and you know what they’re capable of.”
When he didn’t answer, she tugged at his belt loops so that he was walking closer to her again. “You’re not a threat. The kids know that. Why else do you think they gravitate to you? Mothers are a different breed, though. They’re programmed to make sure that their kids don’t do anything especially stupid that will get them in trouble.”
“Like talking to me.”
This time she stopped him so she could tug him down to look in her eyes. “It’s their job to be scared for their children. Don’t take them too seriously. Most especially, don’t let them ruin your fun.” When she kissed him, he was the one who seemed reluctant to pull away this time.
“Come on, guys. You’re falling behind,” John hollered from up ahead. It was exactly what Ronon needed to pull him out of the funk this interaction had put him in.
He smiled down at her. “We’re falling behind.”
“And that would be bad. How ‘bout we see if we can’t beat them to Small World?” Amelia pulled at his hand. “Come on. Hurry.”
But, as always, John was up for the challenge. It was only because of Amelia’s quick thinking to actually take the longer way through FantasyLand that saved them enough time that they got to the long line just ahead of John and Rodney.
“This line goes on forever. We’re never going to get to ride,” Ronon growled, shifting from foot to foot as he surveyed the hundred or so people in front of them.
The little boy in front of them turned around, his lips and tongue blue from the Ring Pop he was gleefully licking. “You gotta be patient.”
This time Ronon was a little more reluctant to bend down so that he was in the little boy’s line of sight but the mother smiled at him, inviting their group to share in the joke. Amelia tugged at his sleeve, letting him know it would be alright this time.
“Oh yeah? Patient? I’m not very good at being patient.”
“Mama says that we have to be patient. If we are, we’ll get to ride every ride in the entire park.”
Ronon’s face lit up with delight. “Do you think you can do it? Ride every ride?”
“Sure. Well, except the scary ones.”
“Which ones are scary?” he asked as if he was taking a survey of the rides they should stay away from.
The little boy gave it some thought. “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is the scariest. I tried to keep my eyes open but I didn’t. But don’t tell my mama, okay? She thinks I was brave.” Ronon pretended to zip his lips shut, something Amelia had taught him to do. The gesture, used properly, made her giggle. “And Dumbo. It goes really high.”
“How high?”
The exact measurement from the little boy’s flat hand to the ground was probably three feet but Ronon nodded sagely, taking the advice to heart. Considering the ride he’d spent most of the morning on, three feet was nothing to sneeze at.
She tugged him to his feet as the line started to move forward. “See? Patience was all it took. We’re going to be on the ride in no time.”
“How many loops are we going to go around?”
Amelia’s heart sunk down to her stomach. “There are no loops. Not a lot of ups and downs either. There’s a song, though.”
“A song?” He raised an eyebrow at her, but, she was happy to see, it was the right one. If it had been the left, she would have suggested they try another ride.
“It’s very cheerful. You’ll love it.” But she knew the odds that he was going to enjoy this ride weren’t in her favor. That was a pity because she was hoping to at least get a second run-through so she could verify that she’d found all the Hidden Mickeys in case they’d changed them.
She kept up a cheerful monologue until they got into the floating car. The little boy with the blue mouth was in front them, his own chatter silenced as they started moving and his eyes wide with awe. Instead of looking around her as they entered the darkened area, Amelia kept her gaze on Ronon. At first, he looked skeptical and then a bit irritated.
“Mama! Mama!” the little boy exclaimed in front of them, snagging her gaze. “It’s WONDERFUL!”
When she turned around, Ronon was grinning just as broadly as the little boy. “What exactly am I seeing?”
It took most of the ride to fully explain the idea behind all the singing and dancing little dolls who were dwarfed by the large man staring at them in fascination. On the second trip through, he was singing along and encouraging everyone in the car to join in with him. Surprisingly, they did. That was the sort of thing that happened when a large man clapped a person on the shoulder and told them to sing along because it was fun.
After four trips through It’s a Small World, she reminded him of their deal. This time they paused in the little store that was at the exit to the ride. “What’s all this?”
Amelia shrugged. She’d never been one for knicknacks. “Crap that they want you to buy. Come on. I think John and Rodney are in TomorrowLand.”
But he was hooked. They didn’t leave until he’d picked out one of every little It’s a Small World doll and a few of the princess figurines, as well. As they stood in line to pay, she tugged at his sleeve. “What are you going to do with these? It’s not like you have a lot of space in your room and… hello, dolls?”
He shook his head, trying to silence her but she persisted. The key to making Ronon talk when he didn’t want to was a variety of nagging and charm. She was getting good at using both.
“You’ll see,” was all he said.
It took awhile for her to fully understand what he was doing. They walked into the crowds of parents and children that nearly overwhelmed FantasyLand. Whenever they came across a small child who didn’t look terrified at Ronon’s size, he asked them if they’d been to It’s a Small World. If they hadn’t, he told him about how much fun he’d had and offered them on of the toys in his bag. If they had, he asked them what their favorite part had been. After their discussion, he opened up his bag of toys and let them pick one. “To remember your time here by,” he told each and every one of them.
Amelia had tears in her eyes by the time he held up an empty sack. “You really are wonderful. You know that, right?”
He didn’t answer but she saw how happy the good deeds had made him. If Disney had any sense, they would have hired him on the spot. Instead, they went off to enjoy the rest of the park like the adults they were. At the end of the day, when Rodney asked him what his favorite ride was, Ronon just shrugged. “I rode all of them except for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. It’s hard to pick a favorite.”
John laughed. “You didn’t ride Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride?”
“I have it on good authority that it’s scary.”
The men laughed but Amelia just put her arm around him and hugged him tight. She had it on good authority that she’d picked the perfect man. It had taken a trip to Disneyland for her to verify it all over again.