Drabble #104: Delay
Friday, 7 May 2021 05:30![[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 103, with an entry by me (your intrepid drabble proposer
jalenstrix).For this prompt, we continue with our one-word/phrase drabble roots:
Delay
Who or what's delayed? Is it unavoidable, premeditated, or just by chance? Why exactly are they delayed anyway? How are they being delayed, and by who? Tell us all about it. Labyfic-style, of course.
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 (June 4).
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
2021-05-30 13:06 (UTC)Drabble:
It was a truly epic moment -- Jareth and his mother were poised on opposite sides of the rather expansive field where the Bog used to be, arms raised, posture regal, auras glittering with barely-contained magic of world-shattering proportions, and faces set in identical expressions of conviction that guaranteed mutually-assured destruction.
I watched it all in a crystal with Feanor, bundled down safe in our usual refurbished oubliette, and sighed as I imagined the magical hazmat cleanup this familial dustup was likely to cause.
It looked like Jareth’s mother was going to throw the first magical punch this time, with Jareth’s counterpunch a breath behind.
But then...nothing happened.
Oh, Jareth’s mother expelled what should have been enough magic to leave a crater the size of the castle where Jareth was standing, and Jareth threw out enough magic to deflect it back at her, both of their bodies rocking with the aftermath.
But literally nothing happened.
They both straightened up, looked briefly down at their hands with identical expressions of suspicious confusion, and then back up at each other, eyes narrowed.
Glittery script appeared in the air between them, one delicate ethereal letter at a time. Your magic has experienced an unexpected delay. Please know that we are actively working to resolve your issue.
Jareth’s mother recovered her composure first. “Delay?! And, who may I ask, is we?”
Jareth crossed his arms, his mouth compressed. “Trust me, mother, I intend to find out.”
And then they both stalked off the field, radiating identical outraged dignity.
It was honestly hilarious how similar they were. If only they wouldn’t butt heads so much about Feanor’s upbringing. I kissed the top of Feanor’s head. “Now we have to figure out why Daddy and Granny’s magic wasn’t working, sweetie.”
“Why?”
“Well, we need to know if the Labyrinth is magically unprotected.”
“It’s fine!”
I turned him to face me. “How do you know?”
“The Labyrinth told me so.”
“Mmhmm.” I sent out a mental ping to Labyrinth. Really?
I just got tired of all their bickering. The magical hazmat really irritates my constitution. So I called in a favor.
From who?
There was a sheepish pause. A friend.
You called Mordor, didn’t you?
Maybe.
You know that place doesn’t have our best interests at heart.
It just gave me a little tutoring about influencing magic in my own boundaries, that’s all.
So the magic delay is just for the latest epic firestorm?
Yes. Everything else is normal.
You’re sure?
Perfectly.
I crossed my arms. Well, I hope you’re right. What was with the delay message anyway? It sounded like an auto-response from some IT division.
Diversionary tactics.
My lips twitched up despite themselves. Cute. Well, we all better enjoy this period of quiet before the storm.
Storm?
Jareth and his mother aren’t going to be pleased when they figure out it was you. Expect tantrums. No one likes to be thwarted.
The Labyrinth sniffed. Then they’d better find a different way to settle their disagreements.
no subject
2022-07-19 10:00 (UTC)no subject
2022-08-01 22:37 (UTC)no subject
2021-06-03 10:26 (UTC)Drabble:
Jareth gazed into the crystal where Sarah and her friends were celebrating his "defeat". It pleased him to see her happy. A knock on the door signaled the arrival of his seneschal whom he bade enter. With a twist of his fingers, the crystal disappeared.
"Your Highness, I have the reports on the status of the Maze and your Kingdom. The Captain of the Royal Guard says that there are no injuries due to the Runner's actions. Repairs are being made to the Castle and the Kingdom. In a few weeks time, we will be ready for another Runner."
Jareth listened without interruption until the last sentence. He brought his hand up to halt the seneschal's speech.
"There will be no need for that, Hoggle. We have our Champion. Athough Sarah has not deigned to be here with us at the present time, she has defeated the Maze and is due her reward. Do not fret, I am strong enough to guard our lands and my power has not diminished. We will wait for her. This is but a temporary delay to her ascension as Champion of the Labyrinth and Queen of the Goblins."
no subject
2021-06-03 23:09 (UTC)no subject
2022-07-19 10:01 (UTC)Administer
2022-07-19 10:01 (UTC)Drabble:
Sarah was not surprised to learn that Jareth had not only discovered but devoured all of her recent purchases. It was the same after every market and she’d given up trying to hide them in the expectation of ever eating them herself and leant into the game. As did several of their staff who had a betting pool going on the length of his hunt.
Disciplining Jareth for his indiscretion was a fair trade, even if he did seem to get the better end of the bargain by enjoying both the crime and the punishment, if his boneless sprawl across their bed was any indication.
Sarah stood and stretched her arms over her head, smiling as Jareth’s eyes slowly tracked up her body. Slipping on a robe she stepped out onto the balcony, sighing softly as she felt the Labyrinth that spread out before her. She watched as sections moved and rearranged themselves, sensing there was a pattern to the movements that was just out of her grasp.
She leaned on the balustrade enjoying the view, not at all surprised when Jareth wrapped his arms around her.
“What has dragged you away from my presence, precious?” Jareth pulled the edge of her robe aside, kissing his way from her shoulder and up her neck, to nose into her hair, inhaling deeply.
Sarah gasped as Jareth eased up the back of her robe to reveal that he hadn’t bothered with such niceties himself. She groaned as she felt his warmth press against her rear and was about to turn when something in the gardens caught her eye. It was a couple wrapped in a tight embrace and even from her vantage point, it did not appear to be a romantic entanglement. They were so still that she probably wouldn’t have noticed them if it wasn’t for their bright, jewel coloured hair.
“Do you know who they are?” Sarah indicated the couple below them.
Dropping his forehead to Sarah’s shoulder with a sigh, Jareth hugged her tightly. “I assume there was a disturbance at the market.”
“Yeah, a troll was starting to get a little confrontational with a stallholder. Rook stepped in to break it up.”
“And this incident wouldn’t happen to have occurred at the stall with the clockwork toys, would it?” Sarah nodded. “Bugger.”
“What is it?”
Jareth sighed and pressed a kiss into her hair. “I need to have a word with my guardsman.”
“Is there anything we should be concerned about?”
“No, love. Everything appears to have been settled.” Jareth gave her a final squeeze before loosening his embrace. “But I do think I will be spending a quiet night in the library.”
“Go and take care of things, my love.” Sarah turned in his arms and kissed Jareth fondly. “I have some reading to catch up on, so I’ll grab a bite from the kitchen and join you later.” It seemed their brief respite from duty was over and it was time to get back to work.
Re: Administer
2022-08-01 22:39 (UTC)Re: Administer
2022-08-01 22:54 (UTC)