Drabble #90: Simple Things
Friday, 6 March 2020 09:05![[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 89, with an entry by me (your intrepid drabble proposer
jalenstrix).For this prompt, we continue with our one-word/phrase drabble roots:
Simple Things
It’s often the simple things in life that bring us the most joy. What are these simple things? Is it joy they’re bringing, or relief, or something else entirely? 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 (April 3).
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
2020-03-27 03:41 (UTC)Drabble:
“That’s what you want.”
“Absolutely.”
“I can alter time with a flick of my wrist, Sarah.”
“And yet you haven’t. You lost. This is what I want in payment.”
“You’re sure?”
“Stop trying to weasel out of it.”
“I would never...weasel.” Jareth’s eyes glinted.
I recognized that glint. It was the glint of a Faerie bargain and I was having none of it. “You will take the 11pm feeding or I’ll let it be known throughout the land that the Labyrinth’s monarch is a welcher.”
“I love it when you’re feisty.”
“I’ll show you feisty. Just watch what happens if Feanor wakes me up screaming at 1am because he’s hungry and his welcher father didn’t feed him with this nice bottle I’ve prepared right here.” I shook the bottle at Jareth.
“You’re so beautiful when you’re angry.”
“Jareth!”
“What if I alter time so that you can have more than three hours of sleep before 11pm?”
“Should have thought of that before you made our bet. You will give our son his next feeding at his subjective three hour mark from now. However that occurs.”
“Where’s your flexibility? Look at what I’m offering you.”
I resisted the urge to offer him the finger and handed him Feanor. “I’m going to bed. Here is the child. There is the bottle. Fare thee well.” I stomped out of the nursery.
Jareth’s voice drifted through the door behind me. “Your mother gets so grouchy, little one.”
Feanor gurgled.
“So true. You have a fine understanding of things, my lad. I shall try that next time.”
I was not going back in that nursery until I got more than two hours of sleep in a row.
Jareth’s voice was the dulcet murmur of dreams. “I know. Your mother could use that, I’m sure. Such a considerate little fellow, you are.”
I leaned my forehead against the wall. Why me?
“I’ll certainly tell her. Though she’s still right outside the door, so perhaps you’d like to tell her yourself.”
I slowly tapped my head against the wall. “I’m going to bed.”
“Feanor thinks that’s a fine idea. He intends to do the same.”
I cracked an eye. “You’re getting him to fall asleep?”
“See for yourself.”
“No. I’m going to my nice, soft, warm bed. Where I’ll see you shortly.” I turned away from the nursery. “But you’re on babycall till 11pm.”
“A promise is a promise.”
I couldn’t tell if he was talking about the 11pm feeding, or seeing me in bed. “I’ll hold you to it.”
“And I you.”
Definitely the bed. “You do know just the right double entendres to sway a woman. Must be why I married you.”
“Not to mention my magical way with babies.”
Feanor cooed his agreement.
“Mmm. I’m going to bed for real now.”
“Anon, my dear.” His voice slid along my skin with velvet promise.
“For sleeping.”
“Mmhmm. I’ll be there presently.”
Bah, Faerie lords. But at least there were perks.
no subject
2022-10-25 10:10 (UTC)no subject
2022-11-01 18:54 (UTC)Revolve
2022-10-25 10:12 (UTC)Drabble:
Sarah heard the noise long before she saw the cause. It sounded way too close to the cleaners for her liking, but it made no sense for that menace to be loose within the castle. However, when goblins were involved, sense really didn’t apply.
Heading in the direction of the din, she had a feeling that more than one goblin was soon to become more closely acquainted with the bog. They knew they risked Jareth’s wrath if their shenanigans extended too far beyond the throne room.
When the commotion rounded the corner ahead of Sarah, she was uncertain what she was seeing. A rolling, scrambling mass of goblins that looked like an abstract sculpture gone wrong was fast approaching. She pressed herself against the wall to avoid getting flattened as it passed and it was then she smelled it.
To Sarah goblins always smelled similar to barnyard animals, which may have had something to do with their chicken obsession. These goblins smelled like toffee and that would explain why so many appeared to be stuck together and coated in feathers. She had no idea where the toffee came from, but in addition to the goblin ball, there was a trail of goblins trying to lick the toffee flavoured fugitives.
Sarah was usually fairly good at dealing with the goblins and she knew them well enough to know that the lure of sugar would override all threats. They may be tough little guys, but her magic was still unrefined and she feared hurting them if she used it to try to stop them. That left Jareth.
She placed a palm against the wall and felt the gentle background sensation of the Labyrinth increase across her awareness. Closing her eyes, she thought of Jareth and could feel his location in the training room. She thanked the Labyrinth with a fond pat to the wall and followed the trail of destruction while she summoned a crystal to talk to her husband.
“Oh no. No. No. No.” Sarah had just realised that the goblins were heading in the same direction and while she needed to give Jareth a heads up, she preferred to do it beforehand. “Pick up, pick up, pick up.” She giggled nervously at the ridiculousness of using Above terminology with magic as she tried to get the crystal to work while running and trying to avoid bits of goblin detritus.
Bouncing off the wall as she took the last corner too fast, Sarah screamed, “Jareth, incoming.” She saw the mass of goblins disappear through the training room door and was amazed that bouncing off the jamb didn’t seem to slow them down. She was more surprised to see that they’d somehow managed to get airborne on clearing the doorway and while Jareth wasn’t in range, Bishop and Rook had been sparring with quarterstaffs and bore the full brunt of the impact.
“Could somebody give me a hand up?”
Jareth threw a crystal and vanished the goblins. “You aren’t going anywhere, love.”
Re: Revolve
2022-11-01 18:56 (UTC)Re: Revolve
2022-11-01 20:17 (UTC)