Drabble #186: Fat

[redwolf]

...we had a nice response to the drabble prompt of Drabble 185, with entries by apachefirecat and redwolf

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

Fat

Tell us all about it. Labyfic-style, of course.

Given our entries from recent months, let's continue with the suggested limit 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
$your_beautiful_drabble

I'll be running weekly challenges in the space around jalenstrix's monthly challenges.

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

Pastry

[redwolf]

Word count: 500

“Oh come off it!” Sarah grumbled as she looked over her agenda. She startled when Jareth responded, not realizing he’d joined her.

“What’s upsetting you, my love?” He walked across their bedroom, shedding clothes as he headed for the bathroom.

Sarah crossed out an item and scrawled a note to follow up on the morrow. “The chubby gnome with the goat problem,” she raised her voice so Jareth could hear her.

“The goats that are the wrong colour?”

He stepped back into the room and Sarah was appreciative of the distraction that a naked Goblin King could provide. She nodded, her eyes dilating as he approached her and plucked the parchment from her hand.

“You’re right to cancel, but I wouldn’t bother looking any further into the matter.” Sarah frowned. “He’s renowned for producing quality milk and cheese, but a dispute with his brother saw his goats cursed to be colours that goats typically aren’t, his market dwindled.” Sarah raised an eyebrow. “The goblins don’t like the look of his livestock.”

“He wants the curse broken?” Sarah guessed.

Jareth shook his head, leaning down to run a finger along Sarah’s collarbone. “Possibly at one time, but he seems to have found his own solution. He bribes someone in the castle to get an audience, that bribe of dairy produce makes its way to our kitchens, the appointment is cancelled and the process repeats.”

“But he doesn’t get a meeting or payment. How is he surviving?”

“I have ensured that he is being compensated fairly, and he seems happy with the arrangement. I suspect it’s a form of performance art in retaliation for his brother’s actions.” Jareth buried his nose in the crook of Sarah’s neck and inhaled deeply. “Sugar…” He licked a stripe up to her ear. “Cinnamon…” His fingers carded through her hair as he lifted it to his nose. “Ginger… What have you been up to?”

Sarah turned slightly and was unprepared to receive a lapful of Jareth who curled into her as he inspected her interesting new scent. “While you were listening to goblin recitals, I decided to help the pastry chef with some new recipes.”

Jareth pulled back to look her in the eye and she had to grab him before he could overbalance and topple them both to the floor. “What did he make?”

Sarah gestured to the cloche on the desk. “Look for yourself.”

Reaching out to lift the cover to reveal an array of small pastries, Jareth groaned in a manner that did not make Sarah think of food at all.

With a lot of unnecessary wriggling, she extracted herself from beneath Jareth. “I need to get some sleep, I’ll leave you to it.” She grinned as Jareth looked physically pained at having to decide and took mercy on him. “You can have one now.”

Jareth popped a piece of baklava into his mouth and stalked towards Sarah as he licked the honey from his fingers. “What do you have in mind now?”

Re: Pastry

[apachefirecat]

Ah, yes, baklava is hard to beat even for the King! :)

Re: Pastry

[redwolf]

Baklava is tempting indeed 🦊🧡

Prince

[apachefirecat]

Word Count: 500



Hoggle's eyes grew wide, his bushy brows shooting up together like two fuzzy caterpillars bunching together, as he stared at Sarah's belly. "You're getting fat," he commented with a grunt.

"Hoggle!" Sarah complained. Then, even more to his growing surprise, she laughed. "I'm not fat, silly! I'm pregnant!" It was only then, as she beamed before him, that he realized that she was glowing. His dearest friend, perhaps his only friend, was ecstatically happy.

But he knew what continuing the lineage would bring. He knew what babies always meant here in the Labyrinth. In this particular case, a new Prince would eventually demand the stepping down of the King. His eyes darted to Jareth, who stood behind his wife.

To his amazement, Jareth met his eyes, but there was no anger in his eyes. Sarah was too preoccupied with the younger Goblins who were bringing her presents, things they had found out strewn throughout the Labyrinth's many, diverse grounds from cobwebs sparkling with dewdrops to leaves they had, for whatever reason, particularly found pretty, to notice. Hoggle scrunched his brows together and looked closer at Jareth.

Jareth was perhaps the coolest he had ever seen. He did not appear angry in the least. Hoggle knew all too well that very often, the King's calm demeanor was a prelude to the most ferocious storm anyone in the Labyrinth could imagine. But when his knees began to shake, Jareth passed a hand through the air as though to tell him to calm as well.

Sarah looked back up as her husband touched her shoulder. She leaned back into his gentle touch. He came closer behind her until she could lean against him. With one hand on her shoulder, he rubbed the small of her back with his other hand.

"Surely you have not come just to gawk with your Dwarf manners at my ravishing wife? I should hang you in the Bog for your insolence!"

"No, no, I just -- I just hadn't heard, Your Majesties!"

"Come now, Jareth, we know he's been away, dealing on missions for you."

Jareth pursed his lips together at the irrefutable fact. "Then away with you, Hedgewort, and return when you have a gift worthy of your Queen and your new King to be."

The color drained from Hoggle's face. He stared at Jareth from where he'd already fallen to his knees. "Then -- Then you're happy, Your Liege?"

"Of course I'm happy!"

Sarah stroked her husband's hand and looked up into his beautiful eyes. "Although I do not know why you call him King already."

"He will take over for me," Jareth said simply.

"Yes, but not for many, many years -- "

Oddly, Jareth pressed his lips together in that expression that reminded her so much of his beak in owl form. Hoggle squeaked, bringing Sarah's gaze back to him. "Of course," Jareth spoke again at length. "But it shall happen." All too soon. "Now away, Hogwart, until you have something for the Prince."

Hoggle scampered.



The End

Re: Prince

[redwolf]

That's all a little ominous. I suspect Sarah is missing a part of the puzzle. 🦊🧡