Drabble #86: Unreasonable
Friday, 1 November 2019 00:01![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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labyfic...we had a quieter response to the drabble prompt of Drabble 85, with an entry by me (your intrepid drabble proposer
jalenstrix).For this prompt, we continue with our one-word/phrase drabble roots:
Unreasonable
Who's being unreasonable? About what? Are they really so unreasonable...tell us all about it labyfic-style!
Given our entries from recent months, let's continue with the suggested limit for this month of 500 words. Though remember that shorter pieces are most definitely welcome!
Your entry should take the following format, posted as a comment on this entry:
Word count: # of words
Drabble: $your_beautiful_drabble
I'll aim to get the next drabble challenge out on the first Friday of next month (December 6).
I'm also very happy to take suggestions if something in particular strikes your fancy -- comment on this post or PM me with your suggestions. You can see our current collected suggestions here.
Remember: Feedback is LOVE. So do reply to your fellow labyficcers' drabbles if so inclined. (Though be careful of concrit unless specifically okayed by the author beforehand.)
no subject
2019-11-26 08:33 (UTC)Drabble:
I tapped my fingers slowly together, trying to find the right words. “I know, you’re the Goblin King, you don’t do apologies. But I’m asking you, for me, in the interest of family harmony, to say this simple thing. It’s even true, honey, so it’s not like you’d be compromising your honor. ‘I apologize for hurting you— it wasn’t my intention.’”
Jareth’s eyes could have stopped a rocket barrage dead in the air. “My intention had nothing to do with your stepmother. All she had to do was agree not to interfere with how we will hold our wedding.”
I crossed my arms. “And I can’t imagine she has any intention of doing so. But your message to the entire family instructing everyone not to dare to interfere kind of rubbed her the wrong way.”
“I can’t imagine why it would unless she in fact intended to interfere.”
I closed my eyes briefly. “Because it implies someone would. Which no one wants to do.”
“None of my family had a problem with my message. They all thought it was perfectly appropriate.”
“Yes, well, that’s your family, the Fae royalty whose communication dynamics I’m still learning as a lowly human interloper, which your mother never fails to remind me.”
“My mother—“
I held up a hand. “But I’m telling you that my family works differently, and it would really help me if you would deign to say this simple thing to Karen.”
He drummed his fingers against his knee. “I’ll say that to her if she’ll say she won’t interfere with our wedding plans.” He lifted his chin. “I’ll even go first in this little exchange. Isn’t that generous?”
I shook my head. He was trying at least. But I knew Karen wouldn’t go for it. She wouldn’t understand why he couldn’t just apologize and then they could talk about the wedding business after. I could hear her now. Sarah, your taste in men has always been...difficult. But really. Exert some influence.
Ha! If only she knew.
“Sarah.”
His voice jolted me back. I realized I’d closed my eyes again, and had been shaking my head slowly back and forth. “Yes?”
His hands rubbed slowly down my shoulders, soothing the tension away in long velvety strokes. “Surely you can exert some influence with your stepmother.”
I’m sure he didn’t really understand why I burst out laughing at that comment. But then, I’m fairly sure it didn’t matter. “I love you, you impossible man.”
“As long as I’m your impossible man.”
“That you are.”
“Good, then.”
no subject
2022-12-19 21:15 (UTC)no subject
2022-12-27 14:31 (UTC)Unconscionable
2022-12-19 21:17 (UTC)Drabble:
Sarah headed for the door to demand an explanation from Jareth and was surprised when Bishop caught her by the wrist. “As guardians, we also protect you from yourself.” Sarah looked at her feet in embarrassment. “Sit, please.” With a sigh, she righted her fallen chair and sat back down.
“None of this has anything to do with Jareth.” Sarah felt her anger abating. “How does he treat us?”
Sarah thought of the many diverse species who were citizens of the goblin kingdom and of the staff within the castle. The guardians were on a different plane entirely. “He regards you as family.” She looked at Bishop in wonder as he nodded. “You’re refugees?”
Bishop shook his head. “We’re regarded as livestock and bound to fae families by geas.” Sarah was feeling a sudden urge to get very stabby on his behalf. “We were all recruited by the Labyrinth and willingly bound ourselves to its service. We suspect it’s been interfering in the shapeshifter breeding program for a long time.”
Sarah frowned in concentration. “Your eyes,” she whispered. All of the guardians she’d met had eyes ranging from a lime green that was almost yellow, through to Bishop’s, that were so dark they appeared black. Having green eyes herself, she knew it was a mutation carried by only 2% of the population Above, so it was a statistical anomaly that so many people had the same eye colour. They also all had subtle partial heterochromia in their left eyes. “You were born like that?” She pointed to her left eye.
“It’s congenital, yes.” He looked pleased at her understanding. “A more important peculiarity is that none of us have true names, which means that we can’t be fully bound by family geas. It’s possible that only the Labyrinth itself knows our true names, so we can never be forced to fight against it.” Bishop shrugged elegantly.
“You said that shapeshifters have high fertility, but I’ve never heard any of you mention children.” Sarah hoped she wasn’t stepping on an uncomfortable subject.
“Our fertility is genetically controlled.” Sarah’s eyes widened in shock. “While we can override the enforced imperative, it leaves us with the option of having fully human children who will die long before us or shapeshifters who will be bound the same way we are.”
“That’s terrible, but I don’t understand how that would help if they wanted lots of new soldiers.”
“We would be triggered to enter a breeding frenzy and any of us who were female at the time would shift to male.”
“You can do that?” Sarah gasped.
Bishop nodded as he continued his explanation. “Our pheromones would induce hyper ovulation in nearby females.”
“But that’s…” Sarah openly gaped and waved her hand.
“Yes,” Bishop sighed deeply. “It is, but we wouldn’t be consenting parties either, my dear.”
“And the women?”
“I can’t imagine their prospects would be anything but grim.”
“They really are monsters.” Bishop inclined his head in agreement. “I owe Jareth an apology.”
Re: Unconscionable
2022-12-27 14:33 (UTC)Re: Unconscionable
2022-12-27 19:30 (UTC)