Author's Note: I had a lot of fun with these prompts! They're a little on the short side, but I hope you enjoy them anyways.
On a side note, I had a reviewer point out that I only write the Reds as young adults and was surprised when I realized they were right! So I played around with their ages in these three little pieces. I thought it was pretty fun... I like writing the Reds in their twenties, but different ages is a blast too. Look forward to more of those in the future! Anyways, let me know what you think! :)
Also, if you get the chance, enter marisa lee's contest! Write up a cute little oneshot over the prompt 'dreams' and you might win one of many fabulous prizes! Plus, aren't contests fun?
Did anyone notice my new image? If you were having a hard time figuring out what it is, I found a picture of strawberry cinnamon shortcake on Google. I thought it was fitting.
Anyhoo, enjoy!
3rd Place: FuschiaFire's prize
...
"And this year's Homecoming Queen... Blossom Utonium!"
Blossom gazed at her energetic subjects as they conquered the dance floor, taking a moment to straighten her sparkling silver tiara, making sure it hadn't disappeared during the evening's excitement. Last night's declaration still warmed her heart, especially since she had never envisioned herself as the queen of anything before. Her heart lurched as she recalled the other half of the announcement.
"And the Homecoming King, none other than Brick Jojo!"
She bit her lip, unsure of how to react to the news. Of course, the entire student body went ecstatic over the two redheads' victory, always rooting for a relationship between two of the most intelligent, charming and accomplished seniors at Townsville High, but Blossom didn't feel the same. Sure, she had had a secret crush on him for her entire high school career, but never once had he shown a hint of reciprocation. She sighed.
"Ready to dance?" a husky voice rumbled from behind her. Blossom frowned as he interrupted her thoughts, and she swiped the hopeful smile from her face to replace it with an icier exterior.
He led her to the emptying dance floor, his warm hands gripping the small of her back (a little too low if you asked her, not that she was complaining). Blossom just rested her hands on his shoulders, biting her lip as she wondered how many seconds were left in the slow song.
"I hate dances," Brick confessed, shaking his head. A boyish grin lit up his features and she couldn't resist smiling as they swayed to the beat.
"I never would have guessed, Homecoming King," she said wryly, raising an eyebrow. More comfortable, Blossom let her hands slide around his neck and she allowed herself to step closer.
"Yeah," Brick chuckled, but then turned serious. For a uncharacteristically soft moment, he whispered, "I'm glad you're the queen, Blossom."
She felt a blush crawl up her neck, "Me too," she murmured. Her gaze flitted down shyly for a second before looking back up at him, "Dances are nice, though. I like them," she stated defiantly, her chin up. She was literally an inch away from his stubbly chin now.
He smirked, "This one's not half bad. Save me another one for tonight?" he asked, looking down at her and bridging the distance between the two.
Blossom let out a small smile as he held onto her even once the song ended, "How about right now?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds perfect to me," he murmured.
2nd place: NAWHdinosaurs' prize
...
"You smell funny," a seven-year old Brick Jojo declared as he crossed his arms.
A seven-year old Blossom gasped, aghast and outraged at his statement, "Brick Jojo, you take that back! Or else... Or else..." She was too angry to complete the thought.
Even at a young age, the other redhead had mastered the art of smirking, "Or else what? We both know you'd never break the rules and fight at school."
The smaller redhead fumed, narrowing her eyes as he provoked her, "You're a big meanie!" she exclaimed, throwing her index finger two inches away from his chest. She hated resorting to puerile tactics, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
"I know," he shrugged. "But that still doesn't change the fact that you smell funny."
"I do not! I smell like freshly picked strawberries and I bathe every day. Unlike some people," she sent him a cutting glare.
"Strawberries," Brick mumbled, his gaze turned away. "That's what it was." He looked back at her and grinned, "Bathing is for sissies."
"It is not!" Blossom exclaimed. Her lips formed a tight frown, "And I smell nice, for your information. You just stink!"
"I don't stink, Pinky," he narrowed his crimson eyes. "This is one-hundred percent man smell. I wouldn't expect a girl to understand," his words dripping with disgust when he mentioned the opposite sex.
"Eww," the pink-eyed girl crinkled her nose. "You're gross. And you smell gross too!"
"Best thing about me, babe," the red-eyed boy grinned.
"I hate you, Brick," Blossom narrowed her eyes, though deep down she knew she didn't mean the words.
"The feeling's mutual," Brick replied, but he didn't either.
1st place: amythist7's prize
...
"Grandpa Brick, tell us a bedtime story!" a little redhead with two scarlet ribbons demanded as she held up a hardbound story book.
"Pwease, gwandpa?" a younger redhead with big crimson orbs added, looking up at her grandfather with wide eyes. She clutched a soft pink teddy bear close to her heart.
"Bedtimes stories are for wimps," the oldest child, a redheaded boy, grumbled as he crossed his arms.
Brick had to chuckle at their remarkable likeness. The three children were the splitting image of their grandmother Blossom, with milky skin, bright eyes and light auburn locks. The only trait they seemed to inherit from him was their striking scarlet eye color. They looked nothing like their mother, Brick's daughter-in-law, he noted wryly.
"Be nice to your sisters, kid," he gave a stern look at the boy who looked just like him fifty years ago. But then he smirked.
With that smirk, along with crimson eyes that still sparkled with mischief, a robust physique and copper hair only twinged with gray, he hardly looked the part of the doting grandfather, but he played it well.
"Just one story, alright?" he raised an eyebrow before plopping down on a bright pink bed. His three grandchildren scrambled beside him (one, albeit reluctantly) as he reached for the book. "Which one, kiddos?" he asked, flipping through its contents.
"This one!" the older girl proudly exclaimed, pointing to the first page of Hansel and Gretel.
Brick quickly scanned its contents and grinned, "Easy enough. And I don't even need the book," he tossed it aside and began his narration.
...
A long, long time ago -no really, this took place forever ago. They didn't even have cellphones or the internet back when this happened-, there were two friends named Bricksel and Blostel. Since those names are super weird, they just went by Brick and Blossom. They both had red hair and unusually colored eyes, but they weren't brother and sister or anything. That'd be weird. They were just friends. And they argued a lot.
One day, they decided to go on a walk through the forest for some reason. And for some reason, they had a piece of bread.
"We should leave a trail of crumbs so we find our way back," Blossom suggested.
"Or we could just eat the bread instead of leaving it for the dumb forest animals to have," Brick countered.
"And what if we get lost?" Blossom asked archly, placing a hand on her hip.
"It's better than being lost and hungry, which we will be if we give it to the animals," Brick replied, irritated.
They ended up arguing for a long time until some obnoxious white dog with a black nose and tail walked by and took it straight from them. The two friends were too shocked to react and the dumb dog walked away with the bread.
"That's not how it goes, Grandpa!"
Hey, I'm telling the story. And this version is way better than the one in your book.
"Ooh, yay! Keep going, gwandpa!"
If you insist. Alright, where was I? Oh right. They kept walking and walking and walking until they stumbled upon this gingerbread house. It was huge, and made of every type of candy you could ever imagine. The two were really hungry, so they ran to the house and started eating the gumdrop windowsill when-
"Did they bwush theiw teeth after they ate all that candy?"
Of course they did, kid. You know how important dental hygeine is. As I was saying, the owner of the house was not very happy to see their home being eaten by a bunch of strange redheads. He was about to report the two trespassers when a terrible idea came to his mind. He grinned.
"Oh, children?" a high, mellifluous voice called out. Brick and Blossom immediately turned to the door and-
"What the hell does mellifluous mean?"
Hey now, watch your language, kid. There's ladies around here. And it means sweet-sounding. Good SAT word to know. Back to the story.
"Why don't you darlings come inside?" the red witch with fluffy sleeves on his cloak suggested. "I was just about to make dinner," he said, his voice taking a more ominous turn.
Brick and Blossom were too hungry to notice the subtle change in the witch's demeanor, so they happily stepped inside without an argument. For once.
"What's your name?" Blossom asked as she looked around the cozy abode. There was a couch, a stove, and a... cage? She was confused.
"I'm HIM!" he chirped in response. But then his eyes grew dark and smiled sinisterly, "Your worst nightmare," he cackled.
"You don't look very scary," Brick commented.
HIM glowered, "Well, I am. And just to show you how terrible I am, I'm going to throw you into this cage and fatten you up!"
"It'll never work! I can never be anything but perfectly chiseled and in shape!" Brick cried from behind the bars.
Blossom looked at HIM, masking her fear.
"And then I'm going to cook you and eat you for dinner! Mwa ha ha!" he cackled.
"Let him go HIM," she demanded.
"Not by the hairs of my chinny chin chin!" he replied perkily as he flipped on the stove and began chopping onions.
"Wrong story, grandpa. There's no big bad wolf in here!"
Oh, right. My bad. Anyways. Brick, who was trapped inside the cage, had found the lock and started to pick it. And Blossom, who was standing beside the evil witch, was trying to formulate a plan.
She always tried to be nice to people and teach the bad guys their lessons, but that day, she decided to mean. She pushed HIM onto the burning stove and he cried as the onions in his broth splashed up and got into his eyes, temporarily blinding him. At that moment, Brick finally broke the lock and the two ran out of the delicious, but dangerous, gingerbread house.
And then they all lived hap-
...
He paused when he realized each of the young redheads had succumbed to sleep.
"Well, looks like you enjoyed the story," Grandpa Brick murmured as he gingerly untangling himself from his three sleeping grandchildren.
He carefully tucked them in and giving each on a kiss on the brow, he wished them a good night.
He flicked the lights off, but before he softly shut the door, he whispered, "I love you kids."
I hope you liked those, winners and readers! :)