Ring

[redwolf]

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

Ring

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

Liquorice

[redwolf]

Word count: 500

Sarah smiled broadly as Bishop walked through the door. He strode past her to hand a pastry box to Jareth and Rook before returning to drop into a chair at her side. “How was your trip Above?”

“It was just handling queries, nothing major.” Bishop shrugged, offering Sarah a paper bag.

“What is it?” She screwed her nose up at what looked like chocolate covered worms. Taking one out of the bag didn’t dissuade her from that assumption.

“Chocolate coated orange peel.” Bishop popped one in his mouth and chewed in evident delight.

“That does not sound appealing.” Sarah reluctantly took a piece and glared at it in suspicion before taking a tentative nibble, grinning as she tasted a sharp tang of orange balanced by dark chocolate. “It’s really good. What else have you got?”

“Chocolate ginger and salted liquorice, amongst other things.” He dropped a bag full of small, unmarked paper bags on the table.

Sarah eyed the bag as if she’d just been introduced to candy roulette. “I’ll take your word on the ginger and I like liquorice, but why would you salt it?”

“It’s a Dutch thing.” Bishop helped himself to another piece of chocolate peel. “If you like liquorice, it’s still something of an acquired taste. I suggest you start on the mild form and work your way up to the saltier types.”

Sarah wasn’t certain if Bishop was being serious and was about to ask when her train of thought was derailed by giggling. She turned to see Jareth with a pastry in one hand and a sheaf of brightly coloured paper in the other hand.

“Look at the gold.” Jareth snorted in amusement and passed the papers to Rook. “It’s all the same colour regardless of purity.”

Rook leaned over and pointed at something. “The stones are all a uniform colour, but why have they made the sapphires black?”

Jareth rifled through the papers and found what he was looking for. “They have aquamarine looking gems with a pretentious name that likely indicates they’re altered from their natural state that are using the blue overlay.”

“Well, obviously, two blue gems would just be confusing.” Rook and Jareth dissolved into laughter.

Sarah was certain she could hear the eye roll that Rook made. “What did you give them?” She asked Bishop in confusion.

“Marketing brochures for the jewellery chain stores that infest shopping malls.” Sarah nodded, recalling the junk mail that was unavoidable Above, but still not seeing the humor. “They’re entertained by the terrible print design.”

Sarah looked at her husband fondly as he playfully nudged Rook’s shoulder to point out another design gaffe with a laugh. “This is an artist thing, isn’t it?” Bishop nodded.

Sarah sighed, realising that while she loved Jareth to bits, he could be a total weirdo at times. Turning back to Bishop, she raised an eyebrow and grinned as she poked at the bag of candy. “You’ve thrown down the challenge, my friend, let’s try this salted liquorice.”