A/N: This started out as a sequel to "Room for Improvement", which was chapter 19. But it was funny enough to turn into its own short story, and I decided that it would serve as a sequel to the short "Breaker of Barriers", where Ricochet and Droop-a-Long first became friends. There are a few references to the cartoon and to a few other chapters in Blazin' Trails.
I hope you enjoy!
Title: Firsts
Category: Hanna-Barbera
Series: Blazin' Trails
Genre/Tags: Friendship/Humor/Western
Rating: K
Summary: While having one of their "night owl" evenings, Ricochet and Droop-a-Long recall their first year living and working together under the same roof. A humor-based side story to Blazin' Trails, filled with friendship fluff and chaos.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Ricochet Rabbit and Droop-a-Long. They and any other characters that appear are property of Hanna-Barbera Enterprises. The only characters I own are Denise and Melissa.
Firsts
"If you'd only seen A.T. Sam Jose's face when I told him that he'd been 'railroaded' into prison," Ricochet said, chuckling. "He looked plum ready to rip the bars off!"
"Yeah, that was pretty funny, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said, "'specially since you sent the train he was ridin' on into the prison yard."
Ricochet laughed again, before picking up a carrot cake biscuit. "I do tend to come up with brilliant puns some times," he said.
"It was pretty funny, that is, 'til ya left me behind again," Droop-a-Long pointed out before chewing on a carrot cake biscuit.
"Oh yeah. Reckon I got a lil' too carried away back then, bein' so gung-ho to catch some criminals," Ricochet admitted, smiling sheepishly. He paused, his coffee mug to his lips, and his smile quickly became sly. "O' course, you could call that incident a blessin' in disguise."
Droop-a-Long looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well, if I hadn't left ya behind, you never would've met Denise," Ricochet answered, his smirk widening. "So ya can't be too angry at me, now, can ya?"
Droop-a-Long's face went the color of a stop sign, and he pouted. "Aw, come on, Mr. Ricochet..."
Ricochet couldn't help but laugh. "I'm jus' messin' with ya, Droopy. 'sides, I ain't sayin' that I'm glad I left you. I was right worried when you didn't come back on time," he said. "I'm jus' sayin' that you an' Denise are perfect for each other. You two are gonna be around for a long time."
Droop-a-Long's pout relaxed into a smile. "Thanks, Mr. Ricochet. I reckon I'm doin' good, considerin' that she's my first girlfriend," he said.
"You're doin' more than good, Droop. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised iffin' I heard weddin' bells a few weeks from now."
"M-Mr. Ricochet!"
Ricochet laughed again. It was too fun to tease his deputy about this. Wiping a tear from his eye, he said, "O-Okay, I'll stop, Droop-a-Long, before you end up passin' out from embarrassment." He sighed. "While we're on the subject of firsts, I couldn't help but think of the things from way back then."
"Way back when?"
"You know, Droop-a-Long! Way back when I hired ya to be my deputy," Ricochet asked. "Reckon that first year provided a lot 'o eye-openers for both of us."
"Oh, now I remember," Droop-a-Long said. "I was shocked to learn how different ya were from me. I think it took us another year to get used to each other." He scratched his chin. "You remember the time I first made coffee for ya, Mr. Ricochet?"
Ricochet chuckled. "Oh, I couldn't forget if I tried."
Eight years earlier...
Ricochet yawned, stretching his sore muscles. He climbed out of bed, put on his shirt and then started to combing out his fur, which was sticking out in odd places. Most of it would be covered by his hat, he knew, but he cared about what he looked like, and he wasn't about to look like he'd wrestled with a porcupine. Standing at the mirror, he checked his teeth, and grimaced when he saw the yellowish tint on them. "Better take care of this before breakfast," he said. He started down the stairs with his hat in hand, heading for the bathroom.
As soon as he came downstairs, a noxious odor filled his nostrils. He gagged, quickly covering his nose. "What is that awful smell?" he muttered. He dared another whiff of the air, and his face scrunched up in confusion. "Is that...coffee?" He made his way to the kitchen. "Deputy Droop-a-Long?"
Droop-a-Long was at the stove, adding a little water to the pot. He turned around, a smile on his face. "Oh, good mornin', Mr. Ricochet. Reckon you might want some coffee to drink since you stayed up so late last night," he said.
"Uh...what kind of brew do you use, Droop-a-Long?" Ricochet asked.
"Oh, the one that's already up in the cabinet, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long answered casually.
Ricochet stared at his deputy in utter shock. "Wha...how...what in the world did you do, Droop-a-Long?!" he sputtered. "That smells nothin' like California Rain! It smells like someone burnin' an old boot!"
"Aw, come on, Mr. Ricochet. It's not that bad," Droop-a-Long said.
"Droop-a-Long, I gagged on the smell of it," Ricochet retorted, frowning. "An' my sense of smell's as sharp as yours."
"I've never gotten complaints about my coffee before, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long answered. "Once ya have a cup, you'll like it."
Ricochet had a few theories as to why people hadn't complained, but he didn't want to upset Droop-a-Long. "Well, if ya say so, Droop-a-Long. I'd like mine with two shots of cream an' two teaspoons of sugar," he said.
"Right, Mr. Ricochet." Droop-a-Long pulled out a coffee cup and filled it to the top.
Ricochet's eyes went wider than dinner plates. Rather than overflowing and spilling on the table, the coffee actually turned solid, and a small cylinder rested above the rim of the cup. "U-Uh...Droop-a-Long?" he squeaked out. He'd never seen coffee do that. Coffee wasn't supposed to do that. "What-"
Droop-a-Long groaned. "Guess my hunch 'bout the water 'round here was right," he said. He turned to Ricochet. "Uh, ya got a hatchet or somethin' sharp I can use?"
"A-A hatchet?!" Ricochet all but screamed the word.
"An axe'll do if you don't have one of those," Droop-a-Long answered casually, barely reacting to Ricochet's shout.
"W-W-W-What do you need a hatchet for?" Ricochet asked.
Droop-a-Long looked at Ricochet as though he'd sprouted an extra ear. "To make the coffee a lil' less strong," he said. "Granted, the coffee's gonna have ta be served on a plate, but at least it's still-"
"Droop-a-Long Coyote, that is not how you make coffee!" Ricochet shouted. "How in the world am I supposed to drink pieces of coffee?! It's...it's impossible!"
Droop-a-Long stared at Ricochet for a moment and then his mouth curled into a frown. "Well, then, iffin' there's a certain way ya like yer coffee, you make it yourself!" he said. "Then we'll see who makes the better coffee!"
"Oh, please. I could make better coffee than you in my sleep," Ricochet huffed, folding his arms.
"Sure. Right," Droop-a-Long said. "You could...iffin' you actually knew how ta make it."
Ricochet glared at Droop-a-Long. "What are you sayin'? I can make coffee perfectly fine!" he retorted.
"You said mine smells like a burnin' boot? Yours smells like someone burnin' a pile of rubber!" Droop-a-Long shot back. "I went out ta get some fresh air the first time you made coffee, an' everyone in town asked if you were makin' coffee again!"
Ricochet's face went beet red with both anger and embarrassment. "Ya know what, I'm gonna drink my coffee from the diner instead!" he said, and turned on his heel to head out of the office. "There is no way I'm drinkin' that!"
"Well, it's certainly better than the hot tar that you made last week!" Droop-a-Long said. "You might as well admit that you can't make coffee!"
"Oh, hush up, Droop-a-Long!"
This time, Ricochet was the one who had a small pout on his face, and Droop-a-Long couldn't help but chuckle. "You jus' had to go an' bring that up, didn't ya?" he asked.
"Guess there are some things the great Ricochet Rabbit can't do, huh?" Droop-a-Long teased.
"Very funny, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet replied coolly. "Jus' for your information, I have been learnin' to make coffee, an' I'm gettin' quite good at it, too."
"Yeah. Mostly 'cause of Miss Melissa," Droop-a-Long continued, a teasing smirk on his face.
Ricochet's face colored in embarrassment. "Wha...why-t-that's not true, Droop-a-Long! I-It's high time I learned how to make my own coffee! I can't have you doin' it for me all the time," he huffed.
"Or Miss Melissa, either. She ain't always around here to eat breakfast with us, you know," Droop-a-Long said, chuckling. "'sides, you did say once that you wanted to show her your cookin' skills."
Ricochet's face reddened even more, if that was possible. "Oh, hush, you," he muttered, and quickly took a sip of his drink to cool down his burning face. He gave his deputy a mock glare. "You did that in revenge, didn't ya?"
"Why, I have no idea what you're talkin' about, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long replied, trying not to laugh.
"Very clever, Droop-a-Long. But I'll get even with ya soon enough," Ricochet said, a small smile on his face. "An' regardin' my cookin' skills, I've gotten better over the years."
"Yeah, mostly 'cause I taught ya how," Droop-a-Long said. "Before, you wouldn't hear a complaint about your cookin' from nobody."
"I think what got me to change my mind was that time I made my Southwestern vegetarian chili. You said that I almost killed ya!"
"I'm shocked that you didn't add ghost pepper in it, Mr. Ricochet, to make it even spicier," Droop-a-Long said.
"Are ya kiddin'? I like spicy food, but I ain't that crazy," Ricochet said. "You remember how I was always makin' the food, right, Droop-a-Long?"
"Yeah. I also remember the first time I offered to cook dinner, too," Droop-a-Long said. He chuckled. "You found every excuse to stay outta the office."
"Well, can ya blame me? After the coffee you made, I was worried about what you were gonna do to the food!" Ricochet protested.
"An' then I finally did get ya to try it," Droop-a-Long said. "I still can't help but laugh at your reaction, though..."
Eight years earlier...
"Alright, dinner's jus' about done, Mr. Ricochet!" Droop-a-Long announced.
Ricochet sighed in resignation and dread. "A-Alright, Droop. Let me wash up an' get ready," he said. In truth, he didn't really need to do much-he'd just come back from a grueling case outside of town, and washed himself off in the bathroom after falling into a pile of mud-but he needed to prepare himself for a case of indigestion.
He walked into the bathroom, washed his hands and made his way into the kitchen, where Droop-a-Long was already setting the plates on the table. Everything that had been on it was now organized and set on the other side of the room, leaving a space on the table where they could actually eat.
Droop-a-Long poured the glasses of water, and it was then that he noticed how apprehensive Ricochet looked. "What's wrong, Mr. Ricochet?"
"I-It's nothin', Droop-a-Long," he said, sliding into his chair.
"You look like you're starin' death in the face," Droop-a-Long said.
That wasn't an inaccurate description. "Well, let me put it this way, Droop-a-Long: wouldn't you be a little apprehensive 'bout tryin' something from the same person who uses a hatchet to make coffee?"
"You're still on that?"
"How can I not be on that? I don't wanna eat this an' then get indigestion!" Ricochet said.
"Mr. Ricochet, it ain't bad at all. You'd even like it, if ya gave it a chance," Droop-a-Long replied. "It's jus' vegetable stew an' rice. The stew's even made with my own special sauce."
"Yeah, I wonder what makes it so special."
Droop-a-Long sighed. "Well, I'll leave it on the stove in case you want it later," he said. He picked up the plate and made his way over to the stove. "Shame, though. If ya leave it in for too long, the vegetables start to dissolve, an' then you won't be able to taste the broth much 'cause of the seasonin's that are absorbed in it."
Ricochet's stomach let out a loud growl at that. He groaned. "Alright, alright. I-I'll try a little bit of it," he said.
"You will?" Droop-a-Long asked.
"Well, when you said that, I don't want your hard work to go to waste," Ricochet said. His stomach growled again, louder this time, and he sighed. "Plus, I'm very hungry..."
"Well, alrighty, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long answered. He came back with Ricochet's plate and set it in front of the hungry sheriff. "Eat to yer heart's content."
Ricochet took a look at the plate in front of him. He had to admit that the dish did look rather appetizing, but he wasn't about to go off of looks alone; he'd made that mistake with the coffee. Mentally crossing his fingers, he picked up his fork, got a forkful of both the stew and rice, and took a bite.
His eyes widened in surprise as he chewed it. The vegetables were soft, but not mushy, and the rice was well done, and not overcooked. He tasted some adobo seasoning, a hint of herbs, and cayenne pepper. The broth had a beefy, salty flavor to it, and he couldn't help but let out a low "Mmmm" in response to this.
"Uh, Mr. Ricochet? Are ya gonna sit there with that fork in your mouth all day?" Droop-a-Long asked, his fork a few inches away from his lips.
Swallowing the bite at last, Ricochet replied, "Of course I ain't gonna sit back with it in my mouth all day! I was jus'..."
"Stunned? By what, the fact that I can cook?" Droop-a-Long said.
"Well, after what happened with the coffee this mornin', I figured..."
"I tend ta get that reaction a lot." Droop-a-Long gave a small smile upon seeing Ricochet's surprised face. "Mostly after people tried my coffee."
"I can kinda see that happenin'." Ricochet looked at Droop-a-Long's plate, which was still piled high with food. "You gonna eat that?"
"Of course I am, Mr. Ricochet. Why'd you want my plate when ya haven't eaten yours?"
"I'm hungry, Droop-a-Long! I didn't really eat much since lunch," Ricochet said. He started to eat more of his food, this time taking huge spoonfuls of the stew and rice.
A small smile came on Droop-a-Long's face. "In other words, you like it," he said, chuckling.
"Like it? I don't like it, Droop-I love it! This here's the best veggie stew I've ever eaten," Ricochet said, still shoveling food in his mouth. He looked down at his plate, which was nearly cleared, and smiled up at Droop-a-Long sheepishly. "Uh...you wouldn't happen ta have enough for seconds?"
"I made enough ta last three days, Mr. Ricochet."
"Three days? Well, shoot, reckon I'm gonna get me three helpin's of this!" Ricochet jumped eagerly out of his chair, taking his plate with him.
Droop-a-Long couldn't help but smile. "Well, enjoy yer fill, Mr. Ricochet."
"I think I overdid it with that second helpin', though," Ricochet said. "I got so full I couldn't hardly move when it came time to solve another case."
"Come to think of it, that was when I caught my first crook, Mr. Ricochet. Thankfully, he didn't get that far outta town," Droop-a-Long noted. "I was so proud of myself that day; I wasn't even deputy of this town for that long an' I'd caught my first real crook."
Ricochet smiled. "I couldn't forget that, either, mostly 'cause you were really excited. It's hard ta get you enthusiastic about anythin'," he said. "But I was quite proud of ya, too, Droop."
"Aw, thanks. An' regardin' how happy I was...well, all the jumpin' up an' down is kinda your thing, Mr. Ricochet, but I couldn't help it when I captured 'im," he said. "I stopped only 'cause the townsfolk were lookin' at me funny."
"Well, ya gotta admit, Droop, you an' excitable don' go in the same sentence," Ricochet pointed out.
"But you an' excitable go together like butter n' biscuits," Droop-a-Long said. "Sometimes, you get so energetic, you scare me."
Ricochet stared at him quizzically. "Whaddya mean by that, Droop?"
"Remember that time you took up judo as a hobby to ease your restlessness?" Droop-a-Long asked.
Ricochet's eyes widened and he facepalmed, groaning. "That's one of the things I'd rather forget..."
"I wish I could, too, but that's right hard to when I remembered how scared half the town was."
Eight years earlier...
Droop-a-Long sighed contentedly as he buried his head in his soft, fluffy pillow. He'd woken up an hour ago to go to the bathroom, and it had taken him a little while to fall asleep. He had a little time before it was time for him to head downstairs, so he allowed his eyes to droop closed...
KABLAM!
Droop-a-Long jumped out of bed with a shriek, his heart going fifty miles an hour and his eyes wide with fear. He hit the ground with a thump, and he groaned, rubbing his rear. He looked up to see what the commotion was, and his eyes widened even more, if that was possible.
There was a large hole in his bedroom door; a large portion of the door was in pieces on the floor. Standing behind the ruined door was Ricochet, who was dressed in a black tank top and red shorts. He grinned widely as he surveyed the damage.
"Whoo! That was awesome!" he said. He looked at Droop-a-Long, who was staring at him in shock. "Hey, Droop! Did ya see what I did thar?"
Droop-a-Long gulped before answering. "I-It was kinda hard to miss, Mr. Ricochet..."
"I'm gettin' way better at this judo stuff than I thought! The first time I tried it, I was barely makin' a dent in anythin'. Now I'm able to do stuff like this!" He swung his hand out and chopped off another section of the door, almost sending it crashing into Droop-a-Long's face. Droop-a-Long ducked to avoid the flying wood, and it crashed into the wall behind him, breaking through the window. Ricochet sent a proud smile towards Droop-a-Long. "Ain't that somethin', Droop-a-Long?"
Droop-a-Long looked at his friend from his perch on the floor. "U-Uh...don't ya think you should take a break from your judo exercises, Mr. Ricochet?" he asked worriedly. "Y-You could exhaust yourself-"
"Take a break? Are ya kiddin'? I ain't takin' a break! Besides, I've got so much energy from this stuff, I don't feel exhausted at all!" Ricochet interrupted, babbling excitedly. "I don't even feel like sleepin'! Why, I can't remember the last time I slept!"
"C-Come again?"
"No time to explain, Droop! I'm gonna go out an' practice some more. Reckon I could find someone who'd like to spar with me," Ricochet said. He then ran out of the room before Droop-a-Long could stop him.
Droop-a-Long cringed as another loud crash filled the air, signaling that the front door had been broken down. "Oh no...I shoulda never shown him that list of 'alternative sports'!" he said, getting up from the floor and running downstairs.
He got through the front door, and saw to his horror that Ricochet was about to enter another shop. He covered his eyes as Ricochet once again chopped that door in half, bringing screams from the inside. Droop-a-Long quickly followed Ricochet, his face set into a worried glance.
"Alright, who wants to go toe-to-toe with me in a judo match, huh?" Ricochet asked eagerly. He pointed at the person in front of him. "You thar! You look big n' strong. How's about we have a sparrin' competition?"
The man in question, a muscular hunk with a beard, turned around and jumped out the window, screaming with terror. Droop-a-Long would have found that amusing if it weren't for the fact that Ricochet was scaring everyone in the room.
"Aw, come on! Don't any of ya wanna spar with me?" Ricochet asked.
I can't believe I'm gonna do this, but there's no other choice, Droop-a-Long thought. Gathering up his resolve, he said, "I-I'll spar with ya, Mr. Ricochet."
Everyone gasped in horror, while Ricochet turned towards him with a half-crazed grin. "Ya will, Droop-a-Long? Great!" he said. He raced over, seized Droop-a-Long by the wrist, and ran out, dragging a half-dazed, half-scared coyote with him. "I have so many new moves to show ya!"
Droop-a-Long looked back at the townspeople, who stared at him with awe and fear, and he gulped. I'm a goner...
"I don't remember quite how I got outta that phase, but one minute I was runnin' around, the next minute, the townsfolk told me someone hit me over the head with a baseball bat to make me stop," Ricochet recalled. He rubbed the back of his head. "That would explain that terrible lump I had on my head when I came to..."
"Well, I didn't know what else to do!" Droop-a-Long blurted.
"You were the one who hit me over the head with a bat?!"
"I had no other choice! Nothin' else was makin' ya calm down, an' you almost sent half of the people runnin' for the hills," Droop-a-Long explained hurriedly. "I-It was pretty much a split decision..."
"I should be angry...but at the same time, I'm kinda relieved. I would've probably sent more people to the doctor's office with how hyperactive I was."
"I didn't think you could even get that energetic, Mr. Ricochet," he said. "Most people would clock out after three days of workin' out nonstop."
"Well...that right thar was hyperactivity at its absolute worst, Droop-a-Long. I've always had bouts like that sometimes, even as a kid," Ricochet said.
Droop-a-Long shuddered. "Oh, boy..."
"Yeah, my parents used to have that sort of reaction, too," Ricochet said, an embarrassed smile on his face. "It takes me a while to burn through energy. An' more often than not, physical activity only makes me even more energetic."
"An' we learned that the hard way," Droop-a-Long said. "Remind me to never suggest an alternative sport to you again."
"I wholeheartedly agree with that, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet said, taking another sip of his coffee. "Reckon it wouldn't do much good to cause another incident like that."
The two sat in silence for a while, finishing off their coffees. Setting his glass down, Ricochet looked at Droop-a-Long. "Can I say somethin', Droop?"
"What is it, Mr. Ricochet?" Droop-a-Long inquired.
"Durin' that first year we were workin' together, I nearly fired ya."
Droop-a-Long almost dropped his coffee mug. "Y-You did?"
"That I almost did," Ricochet replied. "I figured that me an' you operated differently...but it was only when we started workin' together an' livin' under the same roof that I realized how different we were. An' for a while, I thought that havin' a polar opposite of me workin' alongside me wasn't gonna work out. But whenever I thought that, I realized somethin' else."
"What's that?"
He smirked. "I realized that if I had someone jus' like me as my deputy, I'd probably go crazy," he said.
Droop-a-Long cocked his head quizzically. "But why would ya say that, Mr. Ricochet? I mean, the best person to have as a deputy would probably be you," he answered.
"I'm flattered, Droop, but that ain't what I meant. Sure, skill-wise, I could use someone who could keep up with me," Ricochet said. "But personality-wise...well, I know I ain't the best. I can be prideful an' hotheaded, as well as impulsive. If I had a deputy who had the same flaws as me, I know me an' him wouldn't get off at all."
"Mr. Ricochet, I know you've made a few mistakes in your career," Droop-a-Long said. "But I've made a lot of mistakes, some that should've kicked me off the force years ago."
"That's true," Ricochet said.
"So...why do ya keep me around? Why, after all these years, do ya still have me as your deputy even though..." Droop-a-Long paused.
"Even though what, Droop?"
"Even though I'm technically the worst deputy you've ever hired," Droop-a-Long finished. He looked at Ricochet, who stared at him in shock. "I read through some of your files, an' I...I did see that you had a couple of deputies before me. I don't know much about 'em...but I know that they have better records catchin' criminals than me."
"They do have stellar records, Droop-a-Long. They've caught a lot of crooks during their short terms," Ricochet remarked.
Droop-a-Long nodded, feeling his spirits sink even lower.
"But Droop-a-Long, if you think that I'm keepin' you around just to show off how bad of a deputy you are, then I'm gonna have to tell you you're wrong," he said. "Even though you've made mistakes, you learn from them an' you work hard to get 'em next time. You're not a quitter. An' I happen to like people who aren't quitters."
Droop-a-Long started to say something, but Ricochet beat him to it. "Plus...even though I can get another deputy who's faster, stronger an' smarter than you, I wouldn't want anybody for the job other than you, Droop. You have all the qualities of a good deputy: you're kind to everyone you meet, loyal, brave an' firm when the chips are down," he said. "You have the patience to put up with my antics...an' you often rein me in when I do somethin' foolish. An' even when I don't ask for it, or think I don't need it, you're there to help me. You showed me that years ago, Droop, back when we first met each other. You offered me help when I thought I could handle it on my own. You were nice to me even when I was rude to you. An' when you looked after me after I got hurt, I knew then that I didn't have to look far to find my new deputy."
"Mr. Ricochet..."
"I knew that it'd take a while to adjust to ya; I had to do it three times with my other deputies. An' sometimes, I used to get so frustrated I did think of gettin' rid of you," Ricochet said. "But I never went through with it, 'cause it's right hard to stay angry at you. An' the longer we worked together, the more I got used to you."
"I can say the same," Droop-a-Long said. "I was right scared of ya at first, an' sometimes I lost my temper with ya, too. But I got used to ya about a year or two of workin' as your deputy."
"Even so, I wouldn't replace ya," Ricochet said. "Even if my old ones came back, I wouldn't kick you out. As good as they were at catchin' crooks, they'll never replace my favorite deputy."
Droop-a-Long stared at him in surprise. Then, a warm, touched smile came on his face. "Aw...thanks, Mr. Ricochet," he answered finally.
"No problem, Droop." He then took a look at the clock, and his eyes widened. "Geez, have we really been up this late?"
Droop-a-Long looked at the clock as well, noticing that the hour hand was going on five. "I thought it was still three somethin'..."
Ricochet sighed. "Well, I say we go on an' try to get some sleep, Droop," he said. "I have a feelin' that today's probably gonna be one of those long days with no time to relax. An' if we don't get much sleep, we're gonna need a lot of coffee to get goin'."
"Aw, but I don't feel tired at all, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said. "I reckon that coffee you made is workin' a little too well."
"To tell you the truth, I feel the same way, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet agreed. "I guess we'll have to wait until the caffeine wears off." His stomach growled loudly, and then he offered a small, sheepish smile towards Droop-a-Long. "Uh...I suppose an early mornin' snack is order, eh?"
"Ain't you supposed to be on another diet, Mr. Ricochet?"
"Um...it's one of those diets where you're allowed to break from it every once in a while...?" Ricochet ventured.
Droop-a-Long folded his arms. He'd heard this excuse before. "Mr. Ricochet..."
"I can't help havin' a very high metabolism, Droop!" Ricochet argued. "I've gotta eat somethin' if I wanna keep up my energy!"
Droop-a-Long sighed with resgination. "Alright, but no sweets until this afternoon, Mr. Ricochet," he clarified, getting up from the chair. "This town doesn't need to see a hyperactive Ricochet again."
Ricochet crossed his arms, frowning. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are ya?"
"Hmm...probably not," Droop-a-Long replied, smirking mischievously as he walked into the kitchen. Ricochet grumbled, and Droop-a-Long couldn't help but chuckle.
As he was getting some vegetables out of the fridge, Ricochet started with, "So...no carrot-cake flavored coffee cake?"
"Nope."
"Apple cinnamon breakfast crunch cake?"
"Nuh-uh."
"Not even a rutabaga pastry? That at least has some vegetables in it!"
"No sweets, Mr. Ricochet."
"Aw, you're killin' me here, Droop-a-Long!"
The End
Move along, folks, you've had your fill of fluffiness for one day. :D
Anyway, I did my best to blend humor and friendship fluff in this short story. I think I did a pretty good job of it. I enjoyed writing some of the chaotic parts, especially where Ricochet's hyperactivity was concerned. A hyperactive Ricochet is bad news for everyone involved. That's going to be made into a short of its own, so of course, this was just a teaser to what really happens XD
For me, the main highlights were the good-natured banters between the two as well as the scene where Ricochet tells Droop-a-Long that he has no intention of firing him as his deputy, because despite his mistakes and his shortcomings, Droop-a-Long's the only one who actually works with him the best, personal and professional-this, along with the fact that Droop never gives up and is willing to learn from his mistakes, is why he has earned the spot of Ricochet's favorite deputy. If that didn't warm your heart, you have a heart of stone. :D
Speaking of Ric, he actually turned out kinda adorable in this story, though Droop-a-Long wasn't about to be outdone. My favorite moments with Ricochet always have something to do with food, or teasing Droop-a-Long about Denise; my original favorite was the coffee scene (which was inspired by the first episode of Ricochet Rabbit, "Atchinson, Topeka and Sam Jose"), but it got changed to the scene at the end. He just can't stick to a diet, can he?
Oh, and regarding Melissa, timewise, this short story takes place a few months after one of my other shorts, "Wingman", in which she actually appears. That story has yet to be posted, though, but I just wanted to put that out there so that you guys won't be confused.
I'm not sure what my next short story will be, but I think I'll probably update "Blazin' Trails" itself after this, since I'm nearly done with one of the ideas I already have.
Constructive criticism is, as always, greatly appreciated!
God bless, iheartgod175