100 drabbles of summer - 55, 42, 61, 82, 83, 75, 50, 84, 30, 85...
55 A red Chinese lantern
She had to admit that this planet, she liked. The last few had been sketchy to dull, and the food was even worse. But, this one... everything about it just felt comfortable. The people were nice, the city was beautiful and the people had a deep respect for their past. El'Ari had pitched a fit when they were taken to a small boutique and fitted for new clothes. Royal functions required royal dress and Dree was not one to offend, if she could help it. Naturally, while Dree was being patient with the seamstress, El'Ari found the garments for sleep.
42 Travel Troubles
"It's a dress. I won't wear it." El'Ari crossed her arms and put a on a scowl.
Dree reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, counting to three. "Elly, please. Help me out here."
"Let Trey be Spouse-of-the-Week," El snapped, waving to Trey, who was waiting his turn for a fitting. Straightening, El raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I'll go back up to the ship and hang out with Max. Besides, I'm really not a people person," El added, shaking her head. From his chair, Trey simply shook his head before a short, elderly woman waved him up.
61 Fruit salad
Dree moved down the ship's corridor and fought a yawn. The dinner had been wonderful; she was stuffed full of chicken, rice, noodles and broccoli - thankfully, some of the finer cultural aspects had survived the centuries - but, at the moment, all she wanted to do was get out of her dress and into bed.
Stretching slightly, Dree stopped in front of the door to her quarters and reached up to rub her neck. Moving inside two whole steps, Dree froze at the sight greeting her. On the small bar sat a mixer, some leftover fruit and, everywhere else... pink goo.
82 Author's Choice: Story time
"-and Mel said that you were very really busy and then-" Max continued, finally pausing to take a breath. "And that you will have to relax and not work so hard and I remember that when we was by the water, you said that you can relax 'cause you had the starberry and-" he continued, pointing to the fruit explosion covering the counter, walls and - somehow - the ceiling. "I saw the man make it and I- I just wanted you to be relax and I'm really, really sorry," the three-year-old finished, finally working himself to tears.
Surprisingly, Dree started laughing.
83 Author's Choice: Here to there in less than a heartbeat
Dree sighed heavily as Max bolted for his room. El moved around the bar and held up a hand. "I was only gone for half a second, D. I swear." She huffed and picked up the now-goopy bowl of fruit slices. "We were eating the kiwis and I asked him if I had any seeds in my teeth. He wouldn't say and I- I shouldn't have left him. But, I didn't know your kid would-"
Dree raised an eyebrow. "My kid?"
El nodded. "I'm the cool, spoiling mom. You popped him out," she waved to Dree, "so, yes, your kid."
75 Kid with goggles swimming underwater
Dree moved into Max's room, leaving El to clean up the mess - she'd offered; Dree wouldn't argue it - and dropped onto the bed on her stomach. It was a little harder to shift over the edge wearing the dress, but she managed. Max was under the bed, mostly, and since Rabbit wasn't on the bed, she knew he was down there, too.
"I can see your foot," she said with a smile, knowing Max would pull his leg under the bed. Shifting a bit further, Dree dropped her head down to see Max dancing the stuffed rabbit on his chest.
50 Treasure
Dree held out a hand and waved to Max. "Come on. Out." She pushed back as he rolled sideways and climbed up onto the bed next to her. Dree pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek. "You smell fruity," she told him in a whisper. Max ducked his head even further into her chest and Dree sighed. "I'm not mad, bud, but," Dree ducked her head to catch his eyes, "you know you're not supposed to touch anything on that counter."
"Yes, ma'am," she heard in a tiny mumble.
Dree kissed him again. "Punishment?"
"Clean it all up."
84 Author's Choice: Unshakable
Once Max had been put to bed, Dree pulled El'Ari into their room. "Help me get out of this, Elly," she asked, yawning again and holding her hair up so El'Ari could get to the zipper. She let out a groan and stretched her neck as the fabric loosened. "Free at last," Dree muttered.
"I really am sorry about earlier," El'Ari started, "and yesterday." Dree gave El'Ari a smile and nodded. "And, to make up for yesterday's behavior," she continued, holding up a box, wrapped with a green ribbon. "Screamed your name."
Dree raised an eyebrow and took the box.
30 Stitches
Dree set the box on the bed and slowly untied the ribbon. Setting it aside - she'd find a way to reuse it - Dree lifted the lid on the box and pushed the tissue paper aside. "Wow," she breathed, letting her fingers graze over the pinkish-white silk. As her fingers reached the embroidered dragonfly, Dree felt El's arms wrap around her.
"There are more," El prompted. Dree carefully lifted the dress from the box and raised an eyebrow when she saw where the lower hem was. El gasped. "Someone must've cut the bottom off."
"Funny story," Dree said, blushing slightly.
85 Author's Choice: Exciting times ahead
Dree set the dress back in the box and pulled out of El's hold. Moving over to the closet, she reached up behind a stack of sweaters and pulled out a similar box, only tied with a deep purple ribbon.
Shrugging slightly, Dree held the box up. "Great minds?" Dree moved behind El'Ari and hugged her wife. "I was gonna wait until your birthday, but..." El was a little less careful in untying the bow and pushing away the tissue paper.
"Oh," El growled as she held up a purple version of the same night dress, "I'm gonna look good."
She had to admit that this planet, she liked. The last few had been sketchy to dull, and the food was even worse. But, this one... everything about it just felt comfortable. The people were nice, the city was beautiful and the people had a deep respect for their past. El'Ari had pitched a fit when they were taken to a small boutique and fitted for new clothes. Royal functions required royal dress and Dree was not one to offend, if she could help it. Naturally, while Dree was being patient with the seamstress, El'Ari found the garments for sleep.
42 Travel Troubles
"It's a dress. I won't wear it." El'Ari crossed her arms and put a on a scowl.
Dree reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, counting to three. "Elly, please. Help me out here."
"Let Trey be Spouse-of-the-Week," El snapped, waving to Trey, who was waiting his turn for a fitting. Straightening, El raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I'll go back up to the ship and hang out with Max. Besides, I'm really not a people person," El added, shaking her head. From his chair, Trey simply shook his head before a short, elderly woman waved him up.
61 Fruit salad
Dree moved down the ship's corridor and fought a yawn. The dinner had been wonderful; she was stuffed full of chicken, rice, noodles and broccoli - thankfully, some of the finer cultural aspects had survived the centuries - but, at the moment, all she wanted to do was get out of her dress and into bed.
Stretching slightly, Dree stopped in front of the door to her quarters and reached up to rub her neck. Moving inside two whole steps, Dree froze at the sight greeting her. On the small bar sat a mixer, some leftover fruit and, everywhere else... pink goo.
82 Author's Choice: Story time
"-and Mel said that you were very really busy and then-" Max continued, finally pausing to take a breath. "And that you will have to relax and not work so hard and I remember that when we was by the water, you said that you can relax 'cause you had the starberry and-" he continued, pointing to the fruit explosion covering the counter, walls and - somehow - the ceiling. "I saw the man make it and I- I just wanted you to be relax and I'm really, really sorry," the three-year-old finished, finally working himself to tears.
Surprisingly, Dree started laughing.
83 Author's Choice: Here to there in less than a heartbeat
Dree sighed heavily as Max bolted for his room. El moved around the bar and held up a hand. "I was only gone for half a second, D. I swear." She huffed and picked up the now-goopy bowl of fruit slices. "We were eating the kiwis and I asked him if I had any seeds in my teeth. He wouldn't say and I- I shouldn't have left him. But, I didn't know your kid would-"
Dree raised an eyebrow. "My kid?"
El nodded. "I'm the cool, spoiling mom. You popped him out," she waved to Dree, "so, yes, your kid."
75 Kid with goggles swimming underwater
Dree moved into Max's room, leaving El to clean up the mess - she'd offered; Dree wouldn't argue it - and dropped onto the bed on her stomach. It was a little harder to shift over the edge wearing the dress, but she managed. Max was under the bed, mostly, and since Rabbit wasn't on the bed, she knew he was down there, too.
"I can see your foot," she said with a smile, knowing Max would pull his leg under the bed. Shifting a bit further, Dree dropped her head down to see Max dancing the stuffed rabbit on his chest.
50 Treasure
Dree held out a hand and waved to Max. "Come on. Out." She pushed back as he rolled sideways and climbed up onto the bed next to her. Dree pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek. "You smell fruity," she told him in a whisper. Max ducked his head even further into her chest and Dree sighed. "I'm not mad, bud, but," Dree ducked her head to catch his eyes, "you know you're not supposed to touch anything on that counter."
"Yes, ma'am," she heard in a tiny mumble.
Dree kissed him again. "Punishment?"
"Clean it all up."
84 Author's Choice: Unshakable
Once Max had been put to bed, Dree pulled El'Ari into their room. "Help me get out of this, Elly," she asked, yawning again and holding her hair up so El'Ari could get to the zipper. She let out a groan and stretched her neck as the fabric loosened. "Free at last," Dree muttered.
"I really am sorry about earlier," El'Ari started, "and yesterday." Dree gave El'Ari a smile and nodded. "And, to make up for yesterday's behavior," she continued, holding up a box, wrapped with a green ribbon. "Screamed your name."
Dree raised an eyebrow and took the box.
30 Stitches
Dree set the box on the bed and slowly untied the ribbon. Setting it aside - she'd find a way to reuse it - Dree lifted the lid on the box and pushed the tissue paper aside. "Wow," she breathed, letting her fingers graze over the pinkish-white silk. As her fingers reached the embroidered dragonfly, Dree felt El's arms wrap around her.
"There are more," El prompted. Dree carefully lifted the dress from the box and raised an eyebrow when she saw where the lower hem was. El gasped. "Someone must've cut the bottom off."
"Funny story," Dree said, blushing slightly.
85 Author's Choice: Exciting times ahead
Dree set the dress back in the box and pulled out of El's hold. Moving over to the closet, she reached up behind a stack of sweaters and pulled out a similar box, only tied with a deep purple ribbon.
Shrugging slightly, Dree held the box up. "Great minds?" Dree moved behind El'Ari and hugged her wife. "I was gonna wait until your birthday, but..." El was a little less careful in untying the bow and pushing away the tissue paper.
"Oh," El growled as she held up a purple version of the same night dress, "I'm gonna look good."
