Conserve
Sarah lay back on the lawn of the small courtyard garden. She closed her eyes and listened to the gentle breeze as it rustled the foliage around her. She’d had a day of back to back meetings, followed by lessons in dance, fencing and magic.
“When they say to touch grass, I don’t think they mean with your whole body.”
Her lips quirked a half smile at Bishop’s comment. “I didn’t set anyone on fire today and felt the need to ground myself.” She happily wiggled her toes.
“My point stands, but if you have to deal with that lot from this morning again, I recommend against restraining yourself. They could do with a good immolation.”
Sarah shuddered, but smiled inwardly at the thought that her team would have cheerfully consigned any future requests for an audience to bureaucratic purgatory.
“I finally caught up with Irene last night.” Sarah had been playing phone tag with her stepmother for a couple of weeks as their busy schedules clashed.
“Wasn’t Jareth helping her with a baklava recipe?” Bishop pulled Sarah to her feet and ushered her to a bench seat. “Sorry, honey squares.”
With a laugh, Sarah shook her head at Irene needing to hide her dabbling in foreign recipes under an innocuous title to slide it below the radar of entrenched isolationism. “That was the last I’d heard, but it sounds like her life is almost as dramatic as ours.”
“What has she gotten herself involved with now?”
“One of the ladies in her book club lives in a neighbouring town and has a house lumbered with an HOA.”
Bishop cocked his head to the side. “I take it that’s a bad thing.”
“Not always, but over time they tend to be a magnet for petty tyrants and bullies, as seems to be the case for Irene’s friend.”
“I take it she rectified the situation?” Bishop asked.
“You could say that,” Sarah laughed. “She roofied the board.”
Bishop turned on the bench to look at Sarah fully. “I’m going to need more details than that.”
Sarah explained that the head of the HOA had a sweet tooth and demanded snacks be provided at all meetings, so Irene had baked a series of honey based treats, including the baklava she’d been perfecting.
“This is where Jareth’s assistance came in because he provided her with lavender honey.”
Bishop barked out a laugh. “I assume you don’t mean honey made by bees pollinating lavender flowers.” Sarah shook her head, biting her lip to hold back a giggle. “He gave Irene hallucinogenic honey?” It was named for the slight colour tinge.
“Between Irene’s honey treats and her friend’s pot brownies, the board was easily convinced to disband the HOA.” To complete her public downfall, the president had managed to wander outside and was arrested for public intoxication after attempting to lick a policeman.
“I don’t know whether Irene is a menace or a genius.”
“Or a queen who knows how to work her skill set.”
labyfic — drabble #248: slice
Part of the Balance!verse
“When they say to touch grass, I don’t think they mean with your whole body.”
Her lips quirked a half smile at Bishop’s comment. “I didn’t set anyone on fire today and felt the need to ground myself.” She happily wiggled her toes.
“My point stands, but if you have to deal with that lot from this morning again, I recommend against restraining yourself. They could do with a good immolation.”
Sarah shuddered, but smiled inwardly at the thought that her team would have cheerfully consigned any future requests for an audience to bureaucratic purgatory.
“I finally caught up with Irene last night.” Sarah had been playing phone tag with her stepmother for a couple of weeks as their busy schedules clashed.
“Wasn’t Jareth helping her with a baklava recipe?” Bishop pulled Sarah to her feet and ushered her to a bench seat. “Sorry, honey squares.”
With a laugh, Sarah shook her head at Irene needing to hide her dabbling in foreign recipes under an innocuous title to slide it below the radar of entrenched isolationism. “That was the last I’d heard, but it sounds like her life is almost as dramatic as ours.”
“What has she gotten herself involved with now?”
“One of the ladies in her book club lives in a neighbouring town and has a house lumbered with an HOA.”
Bishop cocked his head to the side. “I take it that’s a bad thing.”
“Not always, but over time they tend to be a magnet for petty tyrants and bullies, as seems to be the case for Irene’s friend.”
“I take it she rectified the situation?” Bishop asked.
“You could say that,” Sarah laughed. “She roofied the board.”
Bishop turned on the bench to look at Sarah fully. “I’m going to need more details than that.”
Sarah explained that the head of the HOA had a sweet tooth and demanded snacks be provided at all meetings, so Irene had baked a series of honey based treats, including the baklava she’d been perfecting.
“This is where Jareth’s assistance came in because he provided her with lavender honey.”
Bishop barked out a laugh. “I assume you don’t mean honey made by bees pollinating lavender flowers.” Sarah shook her head, biting her lip to hold back a giggle. “He gave Irene hallucinogenic honey?” It was named for the slight colour tinge.
“Between Irene’s honey treats and her friend’s pot brownies, the board was easily convinced to disband the HOA.” To complete her public downfall, the president had managed to wander outside and was arrested for public intoxication after attempting to lick a policeman.
“I don’t know whether Irene is a menace or a genius.”
“Or a queen who knows how to work her skill set.”
labyfic — drabble #248: slicePart of the Balance!verse