Drabble #127: Explosion

[jalenstrix]

...we had a bit livelier response to the drabble prompt of Drabble 126, with entries by redwolf and me (your intrepid drabble proposer jalenstrix), and comments by us both as well. Once again, special labyfic love to redwolf for adding entries and comments for many previous drabble prompts. Huzzah!





For this prompt, we continue with our one-word/phrase drabble roots:

Explosion

What exploded? (Or who?) How? Why? Is this a physical explosion, metaphysical, emotional, or something else entirely? 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 Monday of next month (June 5).

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. Authors generally write for love.)

Comments

Popcorn

[redwolf]

Word count: 500
Drabble:

Goblins were curious creatures, everyone assumed them to be foolish and bumbling and, while at first glance that did appear to be their default setting, they had their own genius that was overlooked because it rarely aligned with the expectations of others.

Sarah wouldn’t have minded the popcorn if the process of making it had stayed in the kitchen, but goblins being goblins, they took production in a completely different direction and weaponised it.

Fortunately, she’d managed to keep most of it out of the castle and any stray popcorn that made it to the throne room was quickly dispatched by either the goblins themselves or their chickens.

Walking through Goblin City was another matter. If she was being generous, Sarah supposed that the goblins never intended to weaponise the popcorn, they just experimented with every manner of popping it they could come up with, up to and including firing it from cannons.

The explosions during the day were usually muffled by the general city hubbub when you were in the castle, but during the night the sound echoed up the castle walls and Jareth had ended up putting a noise filter on the windows and balconies of the castle’s sleeping chambers.

Sarah was wondering if the weekly markets would need to be called off and was consulting several of the local shopkeepers who ran stalls. As she walked from shop to shop she was constantly startled by booms that reverberated off the surrounding buildings, but that was a minor annoyance. Every nearby bang resulted in a shower of popcorn and, while it was easy enough to shake off, it was the following flurry of chickens that descended on the bounty that was less fun.

The only good thing that came from being in the unexpected eye of a chicken storm was her latent magic kicking in to create a shield and, as the showers of popcorn continued throughout her morning discussions, she had managed to fine tune the response until she was easily able to control her defensive barrier. The chickens who had been forcefully repelled by her first unconscious shield, may not have been quite as impressed at her feat.

Sarah was starting to view Jareth’s threat of sending the goblins to the Bog of Eternal Stench as a viable option for dealing with the problem. However, the first person on her list was whoever had introduced the populace to popcorn.

In the end the only thing that had saved a large number of the city's inhabitants from a bogging was Sarah’s description of a commercial popcorn maker that not only made large quantities of the treat, but also contained it. Fortunately for the goblins, they saw the value of getting hold of lots of popcorn at once over their current scrabbling for individual kernels in competition with the chickens.

Sarah’s clever redirection of goblin desires ensured that the markets would continue uninterrupted and whichever goblin first managed to construct a viable popcorn machine would make a killing.

Re: Popcorn

[jalenstrix]

Oh my! I just love the visual of the descending chickens amidst the incessant booms and showers of popcorn.

But major kudos to Sarah for clever redirection indeed!

Re: Popcorn

[redwolf]

Thanks! The whole suddenly chickens would get old fast 🦊🧡

[jalenstrix]

Word count: 250

I blinked in the aftermath. I honestly hadn’t known I had it in me. On the other hand, Jareth’s mother was known for inspiring greatness. It just so happened that this greatness was a magical tsunami fueled by pent-up rage.

In the midst of the smoking, burnt rubble, her lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. “Most impressive, my dear. You aren’t nearly as hopeless as you look.”

Figured. She was taking credit. That was royal Faerie in-laws for you. I felt another surge boiling in my chest.

Jareth’s hands were suddenly on my shoulders, a steadying thrum of the familiar. “Breathe, darling. It will pass.”

“Can it pass after I burn that damned smile off her face?” I muttered.

His voice was whispered heat just below my ear. “I’d recommend before. You’ve seen us have magical altercations. You’re not ready yet.”

“One day…” I muttered.

“Oh yes, my love. One day. But not today.”

I looked up at his mother. There was definitely a smirk on her face now. “It’s always best to listen to your betters, dear.”

I closed my eyes and breathed slowly, imagining smacking her upside the head. Multiple times. I felt my own lips curve up after the fourth imagined smack.

“Why, whatever are you thinking about?” There was the barest hint of unease in her voice.

Ha! One point for the mortal girl. I opened my eyes, and added a dash of sweet menace to my smile. “The future.”

[redwolf]

Fun! Smacking the mother in law upside the head is for beginners. If you really want to get your opponent worried, go to that happy place where you picture yourself removing their body parts slowly, which instruments would be required for each task and just how rusty and dull those implements would be. 🦊🧡

[jalenstrix]

Sarah has so much to learn, no? ;)