Hartford Manor, San Angeles, CA, December 30
It was a staring contest. It was totally a staring contest. Whoever caved first would lose. Sure, it wasn't his usual type of battle, but Mackenzie Hartford, Red Overdrive Ranger, was up to the challenge.
Of course, not needing to blink helped . . .
"Baa-a-a-a."
Mack threw both hands in the air. "I win!"
The fluffy white lamb blinked at him.
"Congratulations, Mack." It was pretty obvious to everyone -- except Mack -- that Will was desperately trying not to laugh, and that was saying something for a guy who prided himself on his cool, unflappable reputation. "You won a staring contest with a sheep."
"A sheep that has a red bow around its neck," Mack pointed out. "Why does it have a ribbon?"
"Uh, well, see, that's the thing." Dax rubbed at the back of his head and glanced at the others, none of whom seemed particularly eager to take up the thread of conversation from him. "See . . . she's supposed to be yours."
"Merry Christmas?" Tyzonn offered.
Rose nodded her agreement, quickly. "Well, we were in New Zealand, and New Zealand is known for sheep, you know," she pointed out. Leave it to the career overachieving academic to point that out. Naturally. "Think of it as a souvenir?"
Ronny had been fidgeting, the expression on her face increasingly sheepish as the conversation had gone on, and finally she burst out, "Well, I couldn't just leave her there, could I? I mean, it's kind of our fault the DriveMax Megazord made that huge hole in the ground and the rest of the herd fell into it!"
Mack stared at her in open horror. "Veronica Robinson!" he exclaimed, knowing very well that she hated the use of her full name. "You guys Megazorded a herd of sheep into oblivion?!?"
"You know how she gets carried away with all that engine power sometimes," Rose muttered to him out of the corner of her mouth.
Mack snickered. "All flushed and breathing heavy and that I'll-be-in-my-bunk look on her face . . ." Another plaintive bleat drew his attention away for a moment, and he found himself staring at a very cute, very oddly persuasive lamb. "Could you make it stop looking at me?"
Will shrugged broadly. "No."
"Her name's Delores, by the way," Dax put in helpfully. "Rose named her after her grandmother."
Mack really had no idea what to say to that, but luckily Spencer came out onto the porch right about then, packed luggage in tow. "Are you ready for your trip back to school, Master Mack?"
"S.H.A.R.C. time! I'm driving!" Ronny whooped, and she was off like a shot -- literally a yellow blur as she kicked in her super-speed on the way to the Zord launch bay, the rest of the Rangers hard put to follow.
"Heaven preserve us all," Spencer said dryly. "Luckily I've made space in the S.H.A.R.C. for Delores. I'll go stow your bags now."
"Great." A few stunned moments, and Mack was left sitting on the front steps holding a tether line attached to a very cute -- he had to admit -- fluffy lamb. He sighed and got up to meet up with the others in the launch bay. "Let's go, Delores."
[OOC: NFB/NFI due to distance, of course. This complete and total bit of crack brought to you by Little Mosque on the Prairie's "Eid's a Wonderful Life" episode, and a friend of mine who enabled this idea far too much.]
Of course, not needing to blink helped . . .
"Baa-a-a-a."
Mack threw both hands in the air. "I win!"
The fluffy white lamb blinked at him.
"Congratulations, Mack." It was pretty obvious to everyone -- except Mack -- that Will was desperately trying not to laugh, and that was saying something for a guy who prided himself on his cool, unflappable reputation. "You won a staring contest with a sheep."
"A sheep that has a red bow around its neck," Mack pointed out. "Why does it have a ribbon?"
"Uh, well, see, that's the thing." Dax rubbed at the back of his head and glanced at the others, none of whom seemed particularly eager to take up the thread of conversation from him. "See . . . she's supposed to be yours."
"Merry Christmas?" Tyzonn offered.
Rose nodded her agreement, quickly. "Well, we were in New Zealand, and New Zealand is known for sheep, you know," she pointed out. Leave it to the career overachieving academic to point that out. Naturally. "Think of it as a souvenir?"
Ronny had been fidgeting, the expression on her face increasingly sheepish as the conversation had gone on, and finally she burst out, "Well, I couldn't just leave her there, could I? I mean, it's kind of our fault the DriveMax Megazord made that huge hole in the ground and the rest of the herd fell into it!"
Mack stared at her in open horror. "Veronica Robinson!" he exclaimed, knowing very well that she hated the use of her full name. "You guys Megazorded a herd of sheep into oblivion?!?"
"You know how she gets carried away with all that engine power sometimes," Rose muttered to him out of the corner of her mouth.
Mack snickered. "All flushed and breathing heavy and that I'll-be-in-my-bunk look on her face . . ." Another plaintive bleat drew his attention away for a moment, and he found himself staring at a very cute, very oddly persuasive lamb. "Could you make it stop looking at me?"
Will shrugged broadly. "No."
"Her name's Delores, by the way," Dax put in helpfully. "Rose named her after her grandmother."
Mack really had no idea what to say to that, but luckily Spencer came out onto the porch right about then, packed luggage in tow. "Are you ready for your trip back to school, Master Mack?"
"S.H.A.R.C. time! I'm driving!" Ronny whooped, and she was off like a shot -- literally a yellow blur as she kicked in her super-speed on the way to the Zord launch bay, the rest of the Rangers hard put to follow.
"Heaven preserve us all," Spencer said dryly. "Luckily I've made space in the S.H.A.R.C. for Delores. I'll go stow your bags now."
"Great." A few stunned moments, and Mack was left sitting on the front steps holding a tether line attached to a very cute -- he had to admit -- fluffy lamb. He sighed and got up to meet up with the others in the launch bay. "Let's go, Delores."
[OOC: NFB/NFI due to distance, of course. This complete and total bit of crack brought to you by Little Mosque on the Prairie's "Eid's a Wonderful Life" episode, and a friend of mine who enabled this idea far too much.]