"A toy story" for The Short Affair challenge

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Challenge: The Short Affair

-Prompt Word #2 – Dance

-Prompt Colour – Blue

Author: mrua7

Title: A Toy story

Word count: Approximately 1000

It was an evening not fraught with perils for Solo and Kuryakin, instead it was one filled laughter and relaxation.

Along with a number of agents from headquarters in New York, they were in the ‘Oasis Cafe’ located across the corridor from the ‘Lounge Restaurant’ in the Peacock Alley lounge and cafe region o of the Waldorf-Astoria.

The cafe had been rented out for the evening and was hosting a small soiree in honor of the birthday of Leo Grattan Waverly, the grandson of Alexander and Estelle Waverly.

Leo was turning thirteen, which was a momentous age in a child’s life. That age in many cultures meant he was no longer a child, but not a man yet. Young Leo was quite tall for his age, and bright beyond his years. Many of his grandfather’s agents were known to him because of their escort and guard duty.

Though there were plenty of youngsters present in Leo’s life, he seemed to be quite comfortable with adults. They boy was very interested in the sciences and for that reason he took a shine to Illya Kuryakin.

The Russian, with the permission of his superior and the boy’s grandfather, he’d answer Leo's questions and periodically the boy would be permitted to enter the belly of the beast, the labs at UNCLE headquarters.

Granted what he was only permitted to observe nothing dangerous, but anything and everything fascinated the boy.

Waverly liked that his grandson looked up to his Russian agent, especially due to the fact that they lived in the United States, a country currently engaged in the ‘Cold War’ with the Soviet Union.  There were no prejudices involved on the boy’s part; he simply saw an intelligent man in Kuryakin, and perhaps a friend as well.

Though it was a birthday party for young Leo, the adults present needed to be entertained as well.

The Oasis provided a tastefully done buffet, and birthday cake and after the singing of the traditional birthday song, the children amused themselves while their parents and the other guests would dance to music played on a stereo system. The place simply wasn’t large enough for a band, nor was one really appropriate.

Illya was seated over at a back table with Leo and together they were perusing the contents of one of the boy’s birthday gifts.

It was a no. 10064 erector set for building a conveyer belt and was sold through the Montgomery Ward mail order catalogue. A gift as it was said for the scientifically minded, packaged in a bright red and blue box.

“Wow Illya this is really groovy,” Leo started taking out the pieces.

“Groovy Leo? Could you not come up with a more sophisticated word to describe your grandfather’s gift? Groovy is not exactly a word that one who is scientifically minded might use.”

“What would you call it then?” The boy asked.

The Russian canted his head to one side in thought…“Cool?”

“Yeah I like that better Illya. Cool. This is a really cool gift!”

“Hey you two,” Napoleon stepped over to them.”I hate to tell you but this is not the time nor the place to start assembling that thing. Leo, you need to pack up your presents and head home. It’s getting a little late.”

“Aw gee Napoleon do I have to?”

“Yes must he?” Illya chimed in.

Solo tried not to laugh.”Sorry Leo that is per your parents and your grandparents....specifcally your grandmother, and we know you don't want to cross her, do you?"

"No sir!" Is it time for all kids to head home?"

"That's correct."

Leo was ferried off by his parents, his birthday gifts stacked and balanced in their hands. A security team escorted the Waverly's out as well."

As everything was winding down, Kuryakin stepped up to the bar, ordering himself a vodka martini for a change and a scotch on the rocks for his partner.

“Leo's a good kid,” Napoleon said as he and Illya clicked their glasses together.

“Yes he has a good mind. He is bright and inquisitive and has the support of a loving family who encourages him to grow.”

“So tovarisch, now I know what to get you for your birthday,” Napoleon smiled.

“What?”

“An erector set. Would you like the conveyor belt one?”

“Actually if I had to choose, I would prefer the one with the space rockets, but you really do not have to do that you know, I can build anything I want in the R&D labs.”

“I get that, but I have the feeling you’d enjoy an erector set just the same.”

The Russian’s blue eyes twinkled as he mused. “I wish I had such toys when I was a child; the things I could have built. Tsk. Carved wooden horses and bears sufficed, and the rest was left up to my imagination.”

“Well I think you turned out pretty well all things considered. Another toast then, here’s to erector sets, tinker toys and Lincoln logs.”

“What are tinker toys and Lincoln logs?” Illya asked.

Napoleon realized he might have just opened up a whole other can of worms, but figured what the heck. He could explain while having another drink, one for the road.

“Tinker toys are wooden sticks and spools out of which you can build things, same thing with Lincoln logs which I guess were inspired by the logs used to build the log cabin that President Lincoln lived in at one time. They've been around since the early 1900’s.”

“Yes I have read of your Abraham Lincoln, he was an interesting man and ahead of his time.”

An hour later, as well as quite a few rounds, Illya was fascinated with the stories Napoleon told about toys available for children over the years.

He countered with a story of his own, about the one time he was inside Detsky Mir, known as  Children's World, in Moskva. He couldn’t believe the beautiful toys there for the children of privileged party officials. This did not sit well with him his government continued to say that all would be shared by the masses.  It seemed that the proletariat were still suffering, having little and toiling longer while those who controlled the party lived well. It seemed that many things had really changed in spite of the great socialist uprising.

“When I was a child I made due with little wooden carvings, or brightly painted Dymkovo toy figurines and whistles made of clay. That was until I was orphaned and ended up in a State school in Moskva. There my toy was a switchblade.” Illya swallowed the last of his vodka.

Napoleon had no response to that. He know his partner had a rough life back home. "Okay then my Russian friend, we’ll be be hitting FAO Schwarz tomorrow. It’s the oldest toy store in the U.S. and was actually opened during the Civil War period. It’s known for its unusual high-end toys, life-sized stuffed animals and games...you name it.”

The Russian smiled, almost childlike.” I would enjoying seeing that.”

"And yes, I'll buy you a toy," Napoleon winked.

Comments

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

I can almost see the look of wonder on Illya's face when he visits the toy store. I really like the way you've touched on is past without making it maudlin. Well Done, cuz!

I also love the name you gave Waverly's grandson ;-)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I visit Illya sad past in my stories so much that I've decided it's time to do it less of it. Really glad you liked the story. As I was writing it yesterday I had no idea where it was going, but then it made sense that having had a rough childhood, Illya would have been fascinated by the erector set.

I never knew that Leo G. Carroll's middle name was Grattan until recently, just never paid attention. It sounded perfect for the grandson's name!