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Sep. 11th, 2010 12:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pullsneedles"Who wants a story before bedtime?" Grandpa Alec asks.
"Grandpa, aren't we getting kinda old for that?" Claus replies. "I mean, we're ten now."
"But I like Grandpa's stories," Lucas says, helping to dry the dishes as Hinawa washed them.
"Besides," Hinawa pipes up. "If you listen to Grandpa's story, you'll get to stay up late for it."
That was enough to convince both boys and, when the chores were done, they sat down to listen to their grandfather.
"Now, have I ever told you boys about my Magypsy friends?"
"Magypsy friends?" Lucas asks, lying down on his stomach and propping his head on his hands.
"Oh yes. They've been around for a long, long time, even longer than I've been around. They look like people but they're neither male nor female."
"How do you know?" Claus snickers.
"Claus, shush," Lucas says.
Claus just rolls his eyes and snickers for a little longer before Grandpa Alec clears his throat.
"Anyway, the Magypsies know the secrets of the Nowhere Islands. They know what lies beneath our home, sleeping for years and years. They know amazing powers and how to awaken those powers in others. They are kind but you shouldn't cross them. Magypsies have lived so long that they don't always have patience for our fumbling ways."
"What do they do all day?" Lucas asks.
"They have parties. And they care for animals and, should they happen upon them, people who need help."
"Is that all?" Claus asks.
"Of course not. There are seven Magypsies and they've all been granted a specific task. They each have a place to watch and they make their homes in great seashells there."
"Seashells?" Lucas asks, laughing.
"Yes. Great big seashells, big as a house. And that's where they live, where they have their parties and care for their animals."
"Are there seashells that big?" Claus asks this time.
"Of course there are. At least, there's seven of them. And they're set up on seven different spots here on the Nowhere Islands. One of them, Aeolia's house, is nearby. That's why I know about the Magypsies. Aeolia invites me to the Magypsy parties."
"What do they look like if they're not boys or girls?" Lucas asks.
"I told you, like people."
"Then what's Aeolia look like?" Lucas tries again.
"Well, Aeolia has red, curly hair. And Aeolia likes wearing the color red, too, and usually sits in her favorite chair during her parties. She likes hosting them, I think. All the other Magypsies except one are always over for her parties."
"Who's missing?" asks Claus.
Grandpa Alec thinks for a moment.
"That's actually a really good question. Who is missing?"
He starts counting on his fingers.
"I know there's only seven of them. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out who doesn't show up."
Unfortunately, before Grandpa Alec could figure it out, Hinawa says, "Okay, boys, you'll have to hear the rest of the story later."
"Awww, Moooom!" the boys chorus in unison, which amuses their mother.
"Come on, it's time for bed, dears. Now scoot upstairs."
The boys take turns hugging Grandpa Alec and Hinawa before climbing up the stairs to bed.
"So, you'll all be heading home tomorrow?" Alec asks his daughter.
She nods and says, "Flint's probably starting to get lonely, though he likely wouldn't admit it."
"Doesn't matter. He loves you and he takes care of you and the boys. That's good enough for me."
"He would have liked to visit but we didn't feel like imposing on our neighbors to watch the sheep."
"I understand. A man has to work, after all."
"Yes. But I think the next time we come to visit, I'll ask him to have a neighbor watch them. It would be good for him to get away, too. No sense in the family having such a lovely time if the whole family can't be there."
"This is why we boys love you, you know, Hinawa?" Alec says as he gets up out of his chair. "You're always thinking of us. Even now I know your thoughts are at home to Flint and upstairs to Claus and Lucas."
"And right here for you, too, Dad," Hinawa says, going over to give him a kiss on his whiskery cheek.
"You see? How could we not love you?" he says with a soft chuckle. "Now, you've taken care of my house plenty and should go and get some sleep yourself."
"But Dad, what about-?"
"No buts, young lady. Whatever it is, it can wait until morning. Besides, we should go see if those boys are down yet. From the racket they're making, I'm guessing they're not."
And, in fact, Claus and Lucas were in the middle of a most epic pillow fight when their mother and grandfather came into the room. Fortunately for the adults, that did a good job expending the rest of their remaining energy and they went to bed good and tuckered out.
"Grandpa, aren't we getting kinda old for that?" Claus replies. "I mean, we're ten now."
"But I like Grandpa's stories," Lucas says, helping to dry the dishes as Hinawa washed them.
"Besides," Hinawa pipes up. "If you listen to Grandpa's story, you'll get to stay up late for it."
That was enough to convince both boys and, when the chores were done, they sat down to listen to their grandfather.
"Now, have I ever told you boys about my Magypsy friends?"
"Magypsy friends?" Lucas asks, lying down on his stomach and propping his head on his hands.
"Oh yes. They've been around for a long, long time, even longer than I've been around. They look like people but they're neither male nor female."
"How do you know?" Claus snickers.
"Claus, shush," Lucas says.
Claus just rolls his eyes and snickers for a little longer before Grandpa Alec clears his throat.
"Anyway, the Magypsies know the secrets of the Nowhere Islands. They know what lies beneath our home, sleeping for years and years. They know amazing powers and how to awaken those powers in others. They are kind but you shouldn't cross them. Magypsies have lived so long that they don't always have patience for our fumbling ways."
"What do they do all day?" Lucas asks.
"They have parties. And they care for animals and, should they happen upon them, people who need help."
"Is that all?" Claus asks.
"Of course not. There are seven Magypsies and they've all been granted a specific task. They each have a place to watch and they make their homes in great seashells there."
"Seashells?" Lucas asks, laughing.
"Yes. Great big seashells, big as a house. And that's where they live, where they have their parties and care for their animals."
"Are there seashells that big?" Claus asks this time.
"Of course there are. At least, there's seven of them. And they're set up on seven different spots here on the Nowhere Islands. One of them, Aeolia's house, is nearby. That's why I know about the Magypsies. Aeolia invites me to the Magypsy parties."
"What do they look like if they're not boys or girls?" Lucas asks.
"I told you, like people."
"Then what's Aeolia look like?" Lucas tries again.
"Well, Aeolia has red, curly hair. And Aeolia likes wearing the color red, too, and usually sits in her favorite chair during her parties. She likes hosting them, I think. All the other Magypsies except one are always over for her parties."
"Who's missing?" asks Claus.
Grandpa Alec thinks for a moment.
"That's actually a really good question. Who is missing?"
He starts counting on his fingers.
"I know there's only seven of them. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out who doesn't show up."
Unfortunately, before Grandpa Alec could figure it out, Hinawa says, "Okay, boys, you'll have to hear the rest of the story later."
"Awww, Moooom!" the boys chorus in unison, which amuses their mother.
"Come on, it's time for bed, dears. Now scoot upstairs."
The boys take turns hugging Grandpa Alec and Hinawa before climbing up the stairs to bed.
"So, you'll all be heading home tomorrow?" Alec asks his daughter.
She nods and says, "Flint's probably starting to get lonely, though he likely wouldn't admit it."
"Doesn't matter. He loves you and he takes care of you and the boys. That's good enough for me."
"He would have liked to visit but we didn't feel like imposing on our neighbors to watch the sheep."
"I understand. A man has to work, after all."
"Yes. But I think the next time we come to visit, I'll ask him to have a neighbor watch them. It would be good for him to get away, too. No sense in the family having such a lovely time if the whole family can't be there."
"This is why we boys love you, you know, Hinawa?" Alec says as he gets up out of his chair. "You're always thinking of us. Even now I know your thoughts are at home to Flint and upstairs to Claus and Lucas."
"And right here for you, too, Dad," Hinawa says, going over to give him a kiss on his whiskery cheek.
"You see? How could we not love you?" he says with a soft chuckle. "Now, you've taken care of my house plenty and should go and get some sleep yourself."
"But Dad, what about-?"
"No buts, young lady. Whatever it is, it can wait until morning. Besides, we should go see if those boys are down yet. From the racket they're making, I'm guessing they're not."
And, in fact, Claus and Lucas were in the middle of a most epic pillow fight when their mother and grandfather came into the room. Fortunately for the adults, that did a good job expending the rest of their remaining energy and they went to bed good and tuckered out.
