Treat for DamnedScientist
A Night at the Fair (G)
Disclaimer: None of it's mine. Not even the prompt!
Lights flashed, bells rang, tinny music chimed out from various rides and booths. Voices cried out with excitement or amusement or some combination of the two. The crisp cool autumn breeze carried the smells of fried and sweet and salty treats of all types.
At one booth stood a man, stony eyed and intensely focused. Three other men were lined up beside him. Each held a gun at the ready. Briefly, the weight of the weapon in his hand reminded John Crichton of his faithful Winona, the pulse pistol that had been his constant companion all those years ago on Moya… But then the carney working the booth stepped forward, and John wiped the thought from his mind. He knew what had to be done….
“Ready, aim, FIRE!” shouted the colorfully dressed state fair employee, and John instantly obeyed. A steady stream of water spurted from his gun and into the clown’s mouth at the back end of the booth. As the water streamed into the hole, the clown’s face rose rapidly up the silver pole it was attached to, and then within a matter of seconds clanged the bell at the very top.
“Gun’s down! Folks, our champion has taken it again! Five times in a row, folks, that’s right! Johnny boy here has won himself one of our top prizes for his little lady here! Yes indeed! Done it in five, and you can do it, too, step right up, step right up, everyone’s a winner here at the straight shooter booth!”
The carney paused his patter briefly and turned to John. “Alright, what’ll it be, ma’am?”
The pretty blond woman who’d been standing behind John stepped forward, and John wrapped an arm affectionately around her shoulders, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. She pointed at one of the large stuffed animals, hanging along the edges of the booth. “I’ll take the drannit please.”
The carney’s face registered incomprehension, but he turned around gamely, as though by surveying the familiar stuffed creatures behind him, he would somehow know what she meant. John took pity. “It’s sort of our family name for unicorns.” Shrugging, the carney complied with her request, and pulled a large purple plush unicorn from the wall. “Here you so, sweetie, enjoy the ‘drannit’. Hey, thanks for the $25 bucks, buddy…” the carney said with a wink at John, as he turned to resume recruiting new shmucks for the overpriced game.
John just smiled and turned away, his arm still around his wife, and they wandered slowly back into the throng. “Gilina, how many times do I have to tell you, no one on Earth knows what a drannit is. Hell, I don’t know what a drannit is!” She laughed, and held up her new acquisition as a prime example. John quirked a smile and shook his head. “No, baby… that… is a unicorn. A beautiful mythical creature, pure and virtuous.”
Gilina laughed. “I’m sorry to tell you this John, but as per usual, you humans are confused. It’s a drannit, I’d stake my life on it. And they are neither mythical nor virtuous. They’re very real, very terrible creatures. Fierce, possessive, aggressive, and just absolutely as rude as a cycle is long!” She smiled, passing the stuffed creature into John’s free arm, and then raising her right hand up to his left, to pull his other arm yet tighter around her shoulders as the cool air drove her closer to his warmth. “Be thankful you never met one when we were on Moya…”
John looked down at her, smiling softly. “Well, if these ‘drannits’ are so terrible - why’d you want one? You coulda just got a nice puppy or something.”
A trace of wistfulness passed across her features. “Reminds me a little of home, I guess. I love it here on Earth, John… I love your family, and your people, and this planet. I’m glad we came, I’m glad we don’t have to run anymore. But sometimes…” her gaze turned up to the few visible stars, “…sometimes I still miss it out there.” John and Gilina slowed to a stop, slightly off to the side of the crowd. John’s gaze followed Gilina’s upwards. He squinted a little, as though if he tried hard enough, he’d see the much loved shape of Moya floating by, see D’argo and Zhaan and Rygel and Chiana and Aeryn, all standing behind the observation window, looking back at him. He sighed a little, then. “Yeah, baby. Me too…”
After another moment’s quiet contemplation, she gently squeezed his hand. “We should find the kids, John. It’s getting late, and we’ve got to be up early tomorrow to get to family breakfast at your dad’s.”
John nodded, and pulled his gaze away from the stars. Just as before, at the game booth, he pressed a kiss against his wife’s temple. They began walking again, John, Gilina, and the Drannit, back towards the hubbub and the noise, and the simple chaos of life on earth.
Disclaimer: None of it's mine. Not even the prompt!
Lights flashed, bells rang, tinny music chimed out from various rides and booths. Voices cried out with excitement or amusement or some combination of the two. The crisp cool autumn breeze carried the smells of fried and sweet and salty treats of all types.
At one booth stood a man, stony eyed and intensely focused. Three other men were lined up beside him. Each held a gun at the ready. Briefly, the weight of the weapon in his hand reminded John Crichton of his faithful Winona, the pulse pistol that had been his constant companion all those years ago on Moya… But then the carney working the booth stepped forward, and John wiped the thought from his mind. He knew what had to be done….
“Ready, aim, FIRE!” shouted the colorfully dressed state fair employee, and John instantly obeyed. A steady stream of water spurted from his gun and into the clown’s mouth at the back end of the booth. As the water streamed into the hole, the clown’s face rose rapidly up the silver pole it was attached to, and then within a matter of seconds clanged the bell at the very top.
“Gun’s down! Folks, our champion has taken it again! Five times in a row, folks, that’s right! Johnny boy here has won himself one of our top prizes for his little lady here! Yes indeed! Done it in five, and you can do it, too, step right up, step right up, everyone’s a winner here at the straight shooter booth!”
The carney paused his patter briefly and turned to John. “Alright, what’ll it be, ma’am?”
The pretty blond woman who’d been standing behind John stepped forward, and John wrapped an arm affectionately around her shoulders, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. She pointed at one of the large stuffed animals, hanging along the edges of the booth. “I’ll take the drannit please.”
The carney’s face registered incomprehension, but he turned around gamely, as though by surveying the familiar stuffed creatures behind him, he would somehow know what she meant. John took pity. “It’s sort of our family name for unicorns.” Shrugging, the carney complied with her request, and pulled a large purple plush unicorn from the wall. “Here you so, sweetie, enjoy the ‘drannit’. Hey, thanks for the $25 bucks, buddy…” the carney said with a wink at John, as he turned to resume recruiting new shmucks for the overpriced game.
John just smiled and turned away, his arm still around his wife, and they wandered slowly back into the throng. “Gilina, how many times do I have to tell you, no one on Earth knows what a drannit is. Hell, I don’t know what a drannit is!” She laughed, and held up her new acquisition as a prime example. John quirked a smile and shook his head. “No, baby… that… is a unicorn. A beautiful mythical creature, pure and virtuous.”
Gilina laughed. “I’m sorry to tell you this John, but as per usual, you humans are confused. It’s a drannit, I’d stake my life on it. And they are neither mythical nor virtuous. They’re very real, very terrible creatures. Fierce, possessive, aggressive, and just absolutely as rude as a cycle is long!” She smiled, passing the stuffed creature into John’s free arm, and then raising her right hand up to his left, to pull his other arm yet tighter around her shoulders as the cool air drove her closer to his warmth. “Be thankful you never met one when we were on Moya…”
John looked down at her, smiling softly. “Well, if these ‘drannits’ are so terrible - why’d you want one? You coulda just got a nice puppy or something.”
A trace of wistfulness passed across her features. “Reminds me a little of home, I guess. I love it here on Earth, John… I love your family, and your people, and this planet. I’m glad we came, I’m glad we don’t have to run anymore. But sometimes…” her gaze turned up to the few visible stars, “…sometimes I still miss it out there.” John and Gilina slowed to a stop, slightly off to the side of the crowd. John’s gaze followed Gilina’s upwards. He squinted a little, as though if he tried hard enough, he’d see the much loved shape of Moya floating by, see D’argo and Zhaan and Rygel and Chiana and Aeryn, all standing behind the observation window, looking back at him. He sighed a little, then. “Yeah, baby. Me too…”
After another moment’s quiet contemplation, she gently squeezed his hand. “We should find the kids, John. It’s getting late, and we’ve got to be up early tomorrow to get to family breakfast at your dad’s.”
John nodded, and pulled his gaze away from the stars. Just as before, at the game booth, he pressed a kiss against his wife’s temple. They began walking again, John, Gilina, and the Drannit, back towards the hubbub and the noise, and the simple chaos of life on earth.