#490 words

[reallygroovyninja]

The town of Arkadia was awash in hues of amber, scarlet, and gold, signaling the advent of the most heartwarming season of the year – fall. For Lexa and Clarke, this season was about to become even more memorable, for it marked their daughter Madi's first visit to the annual fall festival.

Madi's enthusiasm was palpable from the moment they set foot in the festival grounds. The bustling ambiance, the sweet aroma of freshly baked apple pies and the joyous laughter echoing around brought a nostalgic warmth to Lexa and Clarke's hearts. But for Madi, it was a new world waiting to be explored.

Holding onto Clarke's finger, Madi's tiny feet took her first towards the grand pumpkin patch. Rows upon rows of pumpkins lay there, each with its unique shade and shape. With the glee of a child witnessing magic, Madi dashed from one pumpkin to another, finally settling on a petite pumpkin with a naturally carved smiley face. "This one, Mama!" she exclaimed, her choice bringing a proud smile to both her parents' faces.

Nearby, Lexa spotted a scarecrow-making workshop. With straw hats, old flannel shirts, and plenty of hay at their disposal, the family got to work. While Clarke amused Madi with stories of scarecrows guarding the fields at night, Lexa expertly crafted a scarecrow that bore an uncanny resemblance to Clarke, much to the latter's feigned annoyance.

The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg led them to the next attraction – a stall selling spiced apple cider. As Lexa and Clarke reminisced about their own fall festival memories over steaming mugs of cider, Madi took a tentative sip from her cup. Her eyes widened in delight, and she declared, "It's like drinking a warm apple pie!"

The highlight of the day, however, was the hayride. As the wooden cart trundled through the picturesque countryside, Madi nestled between her parents, listening intently to Lexa's tales of past autumnal celebrations and Clarke's soft lullabies. The setting sun cast a golden sheen over the landscape, turning the moment into something ethereal.

As evening descended and the festival grounds started to shimmer under the canopy of fairy lights, the family found a cozy spot by the bonfire. Surrounded by the gentle strumming of guitars and the soft hum of folk songs, they roasted marshmallows and made s'mores, the sweetness of the treats rivaled only by the sweetness of the moment.

By the end of the day, Madi's eyelids grew heavy with exhaustion, but her heart was light with joy. She dozed off in Clarke's arms, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the fire, a contented smile on her lips.

Lexa wrapped an arm around Clarke, pulling them close. As they gazed at their daughter, they silently acknowledged the beauty of the moment. The fall festival was not just a celebration of the season but also of love, family, and the treasured memories they would carry with them for a lifetime.

[asheewrites]

Dragon and Princess - and Cook Pt 12

Freezing the whole way back, I was glad to find Sir Israfil in the kitchen.

At least the kitchen – and my room, too, actually, there was warmth coming from the floor! - the fire heated everything up. They burned very hot, always blue at the centre.

But... yes, the knight stood there and held a book in his hands. Of all things!

It was nicely bound and looked well-read.

He looked at me now, smiling gently: “I suppose the princess wishes to speak to me...”

“Err... yes, yes, she does. But... you know. She is in terrible shape! She needs a bath! And she needs clothing! She's wearing a nightshirt! Did you ever give her a change of clothes? I had to give her my coat so she's even covered properly! This is terrible! Even if she... does take all this remarkably well, I didn't.. expect that,” really. She hadn't actually been afraid.

“It might be because she does not know the dragon is still here...”

“Wait. What?,” that... didn't sound right?!

“Ah... well... see... I am the only knight the dragon allowed in. And I... am basically in charge of taking care of the princess now. I found her in a very sorry state. And put her in the room you saw. I didn't think it would be good for her healing process to tell her she was still very much a captured princess,” his voice said he was being perfectly reasonable. But...

“So you... just gave up the saving of the princess, put her in this room and... that's it?”

“I thought it would be best to make sure there actually is a princess to safe, yes. And... you wanted to talk to the dragon as well, didn't you?,” still very gentle and calm...

“... yes,” hmph.

“So,” he held the book out towards me, “This is a book about herbs. And spices. So... write down which ones you need? Or want? I think I can grow a lot of them in the Greenhouse. Also any other plants. Write them down and I'll see what I can do. And... well, I think I should see the princess, now? Maybe tell her about the situation now,” he smiled some more.

“Aaah, wait. Clothing. She needs clothing. Is there any?,” because... I was glad for the book, certainly, but lets not forget this huge problem.

“Ah... I... suppose not...”

“Well, I have some fabric in my bag... you could probably pick up a seamstress?”

He stared at me for a moment, then... scratched the back of his neck: “... I... will think about it. For now... please make a list, there's an empty sheet inside the book, a coal-piece next to the stove... I'll see what the princess says,” he shrugged and waved while he left.

This knight was kind of on the odd side, was he not?

[reflectionoftheeluvian]

4 + 1 Flavors

Another November Drabble!  Inspired by some asshole that snuck into my heart when I wasn’t paying attention and my favorite headcanon for them. 

The blackout caught Neopolitan off-guard.

At request, she had been standing on-stage during his little speech to the lesser members of the White Fang, instead of off to the side as she preferred. The speech was fine, she assumed; Roman Torchwick paced around, made meaningless gestures, the giant robot was revealed, no one from the crowd leapt onto the stage to attack him… He tossed his cigar away, but that was nothing new.

And then everything went black.

Neo froze. Remember your training, a voice inside her instructed as she struggled against panic. Activate your Aura. Feel instead of see.

Two people panicked as they jumped. They stood out most among the sea of confusion the other crowd members were feeling. She tried to pick out Roman, his familiar anger hampered and… above her? Is he in the…

The floor vibrated slightly, offering the only warning before light seeped back into the warehouse. From a giant hole in the wall. Left by the Atlas robot.

Goddamnit Roman.

She sought out her favorite guard (well, the only one willing to work with her) and told him to get a helicopter ready. They couldn’t afford to be in public for too long. After a quick tracking activation on her hijacked scroll, Neopolitan bounded off after her employer. Heels made the chase difficult, and even with her Semblance she didn’t catch up to him until the robot’s arms were destroyed. The strange fog made it difficult to see clearly, but with her Aura still active, the four girls fighting him shone like beacons. Did she interfere now… or wait a little bit and see what happened? The one with the flaming aura was interesting. And strong: one punch and the top-of-the-line defense robot fell apart, leaving Roman Torchwick very, very vulnerable.

Well, good a time as any.

Neopolitan dropped down, using her parasol to deflect the yellow-haired girl’s bullet and smirking at them as she did so. Gotta do better than that, Blondie. It was a struggle not to roll her eyes when Roman tapped her parasol; for some reason he insisted on not talking to her properly in front of others. Something to do with “keeping an appearance”. I can perform too. Neopolitan bowed goodbye to the four girls, noticing that the Faunus one had been at the White Fang meeting earlier. So black cats ARE bad luck. The thought of taunting the infiltrator broke when Blondie launched forward. A straight-forward punch might work against a robot, but against her? Please. She waited until the last second to sweep forward her parasol, using the impact’s energy to send both her and Roman into the waiting helicopter. I wonder if we’ll see them again…

She hit Roman’s shoulder before he could get away. <That woman is going to kill you for destroying a robot.>

<Relax,> Roman signed, <There’s plenty more where that came from. And what she doesn’t know can’t make her hurt us.>

[[Note: I am not deaf or hard of hearing, and my knowledge of the Deaf community is from the introductory ASL class I took four years ago, so if something is wrong or needs correction on that account, please let me know.]]