Vinegar 14, Guava 24: Nice Girl
Title: Nice Girl
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Vinegar 14 (remain seated while ride is in motion), guava 24 (just be yourself), malt (Rusty Dragonfly's cookie crumbs: Nice People from the POV of the various people involved.), pocky chain, cookie crumbs.
Word Count: 1200
Rating: PG.
Summary: On the whole, the Warminds approve of Danny.
Notes: Squeaking in under the wire! I hope.
It was all Bernard's fault. That was Elliot's story and he was sticking to it.
Honestly. Everyone knew that Elliot got wound up after a long week of dealing with stocks. Not that it wasn't fun-- it was-- but a guy got the urge for some good old physical activity. And Chrissy should know better than to sit Elliot next to someone who would say something stupid.
All right, the other option had been Elisa, but Elliot wouldn't hit Elisa.
She hit back way too hard.
He saw Danny from the corner of his eye, just before Bernard punched it.
--
Poor Danny looked overwhelmed. Ashley could sympathize. She remembered the first time Mort had brought her home for Christmas.
She'd hardly believed that her quiet Mortimer could come from a family this tumultous. But he dove right in, moving from one world to the other as easily as an otter moves from land to sea, where she, a gawky child just learning to swim, barely dipped her toes in.
She'd spent a lot of time on the couch that Christmas.
She elbowed her way through the crowd and took Danny's arm. "I'm Ashley," she said. "Don't worry, it gets easier."
--
Mort had learned that the best way to survive caroling with his tone-deaf, combative family was simply to sing as loud as he possibly could and try not to hear them.
Since he could make himself heard the last row of the highest balcony in the San Francisco Opera House without a mike, "as loud as possible" was very loud indeed. His siblings had started to give him a wide berth.
He preferred it that way, frankly.
This year, Danny stood next to him, pretending to sing. At last, someone with some sense of music, he thought, and sang louder.
--
Elisa made sure to save Danny a spot at dinner.
It was mostly selfish. She had a Navy movie coming up, and she liked a little realism in her stunts; Danny had shown a willingness to have her brain picked in the past. But there was at least a little mercy in there. The Aunts were eyeing Danny, and the Warmind Aunts rivalled Bertie Wooster's. No one should have to stomach an interrogation over dinner.
Besides, Danny was fun, and she laughed at all Anna's jokes, no matter how weird.
As far as Elisa was concerned, Lars could keep her.
--
Teddy had the children under control, the Aunts had dragooned everyone else into cleanup, and the laundry room was, for once, deserted.
"Thank God," Christine said, and moaned when Alan hit a sensitive spot.
"Pardon?"
"Never mind," she said. "Christ, don't stop, we won't get any time for this for a week."
He laughed, and thrust hard. She squeaked, clutched at his shoulders. "Not planning on stopping."
"Shit!" someone said, and she jumped. "Sorry!" The door slammed.
"Um," Christine said, and giggled hysterically. "Oops."
"Next year," Alan said, "we do Christmas somewhere we don't share a room with the kids."
--
"Uncle Teddy!" Taylor said. "I can't get my coat!"
Theodore, who preferred Theo but got it from no one but his husband, shook his head. "Hold on just a moment, Taylor. I'm helping Britte right now."
"But my coat!" Taylor persisted. "I wanna sled!"
"We'll get there," Theo said, patiently.
"Uncle Teddy!"
Help arrived in the form of a rather shellshocked-looking Danny. Theo beamed at her in relief. "Danny!" he said, and prodded Taylor towards her. "Will you button Taylor's coat, please?"
Taylor held up his arms hopefully.
Danny looked between them for a moment, then buttoned the kid's coat.
--
The Aunts were named, respectively, Irene, Mathilda, Karolina, Martha, Heidi, and Victoria, and they believed wholeheartedly that they knew best. They concentrated their attentions particularly on their brother's poor, motherless children. Poor Thea, they all agreed, had died without doing her duty by her children; it was their duty to take up her slack.
So far, they'd gotten Christine, Theodore, and Mortimer married. If Teddy stubbornly refused to get grandchildren, they could work on that later.
They watched thoughtfully as Danny fled them. "We'll get her yet," Irene said.
The rest of the Aunts nodded, and indulged in some cackling.
--
Annelise was having difficulty with her fingerpainting.
She didn't know what she wanted to paint, really. Everyone else was smearing merrily away, but her papers-- she'd had some false starts-- were multicolored splatters of nothing. She frowned. This was going to be Mama's Christmas present. It had to be just right.
Then Aunt Danny came in, and she brightened. Aunt Danny was smart! Aunt Danny would help.
"Aunt Danny!" she said, and grabbed her trousers. "We're fingerpainting. Wanna paint too?"
Aunt Danny did, and Annelise produced quite a satisfactory boat on an ocean.
She'd made a pretty good handprint, too.
--
The human had food. Yap was convinced of this.
Growly, Stinky and Brainless agreed with Yap, or else why would they be sitting with Yap at her feet? Brainless was giving her adoring eyes, but Brainless adored everyone. Stinky had flopped on her feet to share his stink. Even Growly was being nice and not drooling too much.
Yap was refraining from yapping. He thought that was nice enough.
The human was saying things, holding her mug. Good! That must mean she would give them the food soon.
Yap settled down for a wait. For food he would wait forever.
--
Generally Henrik approved of his children's mates, and Danny was no exception. She was nice and she could take care of herself, and while she didn't look like she would give him grandchildren, Chrissy was having enough by herself that he could forgive her that.
But there was one thing he had to make very clear.
He followed her onto the porch, made some inane talk, and then got down to business. "Hurt my son and I will take you apart," he said, and then added, for politeness's sake, "No offense."
To his surprised approval, Danny only said, "None taken."
--
Anna really, really hated Christmas lights right now.
"It's not that one," she said, and hauled another section towards her. At least Danny was helping her out, unlike her lazy-ass brother, lounging on the couch and laughing.
"Why can't they make these things so one blown bulb doesn't kill the whole thing?" Danny asked.
"Too logical," Anna said, then grinned. "Aha! I think I've got it!"
"Finally."
Anna replaced the bulb, praying. The lights went on-- then something popped, and off they went.
"Missed one," Elliot said, helpfully.
Anna would have thrown something if Danny hadn't beaten her to it.
--
Lars had to look everywhere, but he found Danny finally, sitting on the couch and watching the tree.
"Hey," he said, sat down beside her, and kissed her nose.
"Hey." She kissed him back, and waved at the tree. "This is really pretty."
It always was. "Yeah. It's nice just watching it."
"Peaceful," she said. "Good cure for family. I was really pissed off five minutes ago, and now I'm feeling all calm."
Lars snorted, thinking of Christmas morning. "Just wait until presents tomorrow. I guarantee you'll lose the calm."
"If you say so," she said, but she was smiling.
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Vinegar 14 (remain seated while ride is in motion), guava 24 (just be yourself), malt (Rusty Dragonfly's cookie crumbs: Nice People from the POV of the various people involved.), pocky chain, cookie crumbs.
Word Count: 1200
Rating: PG.
Summary: On the whole, the Warminds approve of Danny.
Notes: Squeaking in under the wire! I hope.
It was all Bernard's fault. That was Elliot's story and he was sticking to it.
Honestly. Everyone knew that Elliot got wound up after a long week of dealing with stocks. Not that it wasn't fun-- it was-- but a guy got the urge for some good old physical activity. And Chrissy should know better than to sit Elliot next to someone who would say something stupid.
All right, the other option had been Elisa, but Elliot wouldn't hit Elisa.
She hit back way too hard.
He saw Danny from the corner of his eye, just before Bernard punched it.
--
Poor Danny looked overwhelmed. Ashley could sympathize. She remembered the first time Mort had brought her home for Christmas.
She'd hardly believed that her quiet Mortimer could come from a family this tumultous. But he dove right in, moving from one world to the other as easily as an otter moves from land to sea, where she, a gawky child just learning to swim, barely dipped her toes in.
She'd spent a lot of time on the couch that Christmas.
She elbowed her way through the crowd and took Danny's arm. "I'm Ashley," she said. "Don't worry, it gets easier."
--
Mort had learned that the best way to survive caroling with his tone-deaf, combative family was simply to sing as loud as he possibly could and try not to hear them.
Since he could make himself heard the last row of the highest balcony in the San Francisco Opera House without a mike, "as loud as possible" was very loud indeed. His siblings had started to give him a wide berth.
He preferred it that way, frankly.
This year, Danny stood next to him, pretending to sing. At last, someone with some sense of music, he thought, and sang louder.
--
Elisa made sure to save Danny a spot at dinner.
It was mostly selfish. She had a Navy movie coming up, and she liked a little realism in her stunts; Danny had shown a willingness to have her brain picked in the past. But there was at least a little mercy in there. The Aunts were eyeing Danny, and the Warmind Aunts rivalled Bertie Wooster's. No one should have to stomach an interrogation over dinner.
Besides, Danny was fun, and she laughed at all Anna's jokes, no matter how weird.
As far as Elisa was concerned, Lars could keep her.
--
Teddy had the children under control, the Aunts had dragooned everyone else into cleanup, and the laundry room was, for once, deserted.
"Thank God," Christine said, and moaned when Alan hit a sensitive spot.
"Pardon?"
"Never mind," she said. "Christ, don't stop, we won't get any time for this for a week."
He laughed, and thrust hard. She squeaked, clutched at his shoulders. "Not planning on stopping."
"Shit!" someone said, and she jumped. "Sorry!" The door slammed.
"Um," Christine said, and giggled hysterically. "Oops."
"Next year," Alan said, "we do Christmas somewhere we don't share a room with the kids."
--
"Uncle Teddy!" Taylor said. "I can't get my coat!"
Theodore, who preferred Theo but got it from no one but his husband, shook his head. "Hold on just a moment, Taylor. I'm helping Britte right now."
"But my coat!" Taylor persisted. "I wanna sled!"
"We'll get there," Theo said, patiently.
"Uncle Teddy!"
Help arrived in the form of a rather shellshocked-looking Danny. Theo beamed at her in relief. "Danny!" he said, and prodded Taylor towards her. "Will you button Taylor's coat, please?"
Taylor held up his arms hopefully.
Danny looked between them for a moment, then buttoned the kid's coat.
--
The Aunts were named, respectively, Irene, Mathilda, Karolina, Martha, Heidi, and Victoria, and they believed wholeheartedly that they knew best. They concentrated their attentions particularly on their brother's poor, motherless children. Poor Thea, they all agreed, had died without doing her duty by her children; it was their duty to take up her slack.
So far, they'd gotten Christine, Theodore, and Mortimer married. If Teddy stubbornly refused to get grandchildren, they could work on that later.
They watched thoughtfully as Danny fled them. "We'll get her yet," Irene said.
The rest of the Aunts nodded, and indulged in some cackling.
--
Annelise was having difficulty with her fingerpainting.
She didn't know what she wanted to paint, really. Everyone else was smearing merrily away, but her papers-- she'd had some false starts-- were multicolored splatters of nothing. She frowned. This was going to be Mama's Christmas present. It had to be just right.
Then Aunt Danny came in, and she brightened. Aunt Danny was smart! Aunt Danny would help.
"Aunt Danny!" she said, and grabbed her trousers. "We're fingerpainting. Wanna paint too?"
Aunt Danny did, and Annelise produced quite a satisfactory boat on an ocean.
She'd made a pretty good handprint, too.
--
The human had food. Yap was convinced of this.
Growly, Stinky and Brainless agreed with Yap, or else why would they be sitting with Yap at her feet? Brainless was giving her adoring eyes, but Brainless adored everyone. Stinky had flopped on her feet to share his stink. Even Growly was being nice and not drooling too much.
Yap was refraining from yapping. He thought that was nice enough.
The human was saying things, holding her mug. Good! That must mean she would give them the food soon.
Yap settled down for a wait. For food he would wait forever.
--
Generally Henrik approved of his children's mates, and Danny was no exception. She was nice and she could take care of herself, and while she didn't look like she would give him grandchildren, Chrissy was having enough by herself that he could forgive her that.
But there was one thing he had to make very clear.
He followed her onto the porch, made some inane talk, and then got down to business. "Hurt my son and I will take you apart," he said, and then added, for politeness's sake, "No offense."
To his surprised approval, Danny only said, "None taken."
--
Anna really, really hated Christmas lights right now.
"It's not that one," she said, and hauled another section towards her. At least Danny was helping her out, unlike her lazy-ass brother, lounging on the couch and laughing.
"Why can't they make these things so one blown bulb doesn't kill the whole thing?" Danny asked.
"Too logical," Anna said, then grinned. "Aha! I think I've got it!"
"Finally."
Anna replaced the bulb, praying. The lights went on-- then something popped, and off they went.
"Missed one," Elliot said, helpfully.
Anna would have thrown something if Danny hadn't beaten her to it.
--
Lars had to look everywhere, but he found Danny finally, sitting on the couch and watching the tree.
"Hey," he said, sat down beside her, and kissed her nose.
"Hey." She kissed him back, and waved at the tree. "This is really pretty."
It always was. "Yeah. It's nice just watching it."
"Peaceful," she said. "Good cure for family. I was really pissed off five minutes ago, and now I'm feeling all calm."
Lars snorted, thinking of Christmas morning. "Just wait until presents tomorrow. I guarantee you'll lose the calm."
"If you say so," she said, but she was smiling.