ZakuConvoy's Uncreatively Named Drabbles

[ZakuConvoy]

This was originally something I was writing for the “Picture Prompt Fic Meme” thread, but…I waited too long and someone else posted a fic first.  So…in here it goes.

Also, believe it or not, I came up with the name “Vanya” before I saw Normandy’s fic (who stars a girl named Tanya).   I picked it because it’s an Indian name and the girl in the picture looks vaguely Indian and it means “Gracious Gift of God” which I thought was a cute name for a star of a fic set during Christmas.

Anyway, onward with the actual drabble:         

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Photo: https://salveopharma.hr/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Dollarphotoclub_96928395.jpg

“Huh’chew!  Huh’Chew!  Huh’CHEW!”

Vanya ignored her friend’s sneezing fit.  “So, you ARE still coming to the Christmas party, tonight right?”  Vanya used her best doe-eyes on her friend. 

Vanya loved Christmas.  She loved to decorate.  She loved wrapping presents for her friends and family.  She was one of those people who started to listen to Christmas music in October, she got so excited for the holiday.  It would almost be obnoxious, if she wasn’t so dratted adorable.  This year, she had volunteered to set up for the annual company Christmas party and was in charge of the Secret Santa exchange.  She had spent all last night setting up the tree and decorating the room they were going to use.  She had even requested the meeting room with the sliding glass doors leading outside, because it had a picturesque view of the snow covered backyard, perfect for the holiday.

Unfortunately, it looked like it might all be for naught.  A cold had been sweeping through the office for the last week, right before the two days they all got off for the holiday.  Even now, there were sounds of people sneezing and blowing their noses in the background.  A lot of people already went home early. 

But Vanya really wanted at least Beth to come to the party.  They had been work buddies since they started working at the company together.  They had trained together, ended up working in the same department, and even ate lunch together to gossip with each other about all the important little rumors floating around.  Vanya was Beth’s best friend and it just wouldn’t be the same if they weren’t together.

“Well…” Beth considered as she wiped her nose. “I subbose I cad sday bor a liddle bid…I’chiew! I’chiew! HI’CHIEW!…if anyboddy else wands me dere…”

Vanya clapped her hands.  “Yay!  I’ll see you in there!  Still have some last minute organizing to do!”  Vanya practically skipped down the hall to the meeting room. 

Beth shook her head.  How that girl had managed to avoid getting this plague while signing everyone up for Secret Santa and keeping tabs on their gifts was a mystery to her.   

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Beth had managed to shuffle herself into the meeting at the proper time.  Looking around, it was a pretty sad sight.  She didn’t see a single person there not either sniffling,  or rubbing their nose, or in the middle of a sneezing fit.  And these were the people who hadn’t either gone or stayed home!  Of their office of twenty, they only had eight people showing up so far.  And the few who stayed were already eyeing the presents under the tree, obviously hoping to leave for home soon.  Vanya was going to be so disappointed…

“Hey, Beth!”  If Vanya was disappointed, her bubbly attitude covered it well…

“Here’s your goodie bag.” Vanya handed her a festive bag.  “Consider it my present to all of you!  It looks like we’ll have a light crowd, so if you want, you can take an extra.” Vanya pointed to a table with goodie bags arranged in neat little rows.  “I’ll make sure everyone else gets one after they come back.”

“Oh, thag you…”  Beth hadn’t expected goodie bags.  She took a look inside.  There were candy canes, of course.  But also a bag of lozenges, a bag of Vanya’s homemade turtle candy, a juice box, and a small packet of tissues.  Looking around again, it looks like a few of the other people were already dipping into the tissues.  Beth shook her head.  Vanya always was prepared.

Feeling a sneeze coming on, Beth opened her own tissues.

“Heh…Heh…CHIEW!  CHIEW!  CHIEW!”  As she wiped her nose, she began thinking she ought to take a COUPLE of those goodie bags home over Christmas.

“Okay, everyone!”  Vanya was standing at the back of the room trying to get people’s attention. “Let’s start the Secret Santa exchange!”

Vanya handed out everyone’s presents one by one.    

“HUG’CYIEEW”

And getting sneezed on by that jerk, Susan for her trouble.

“I’b so sorry, here led me…” Susan tried to wipe of her spray with her obviously shredded, soggy tissue.  She was obviously trying to get Vanya sick.  Vanya was too nice to DO anything about it, though.  Beth made a mental note to put something nasty in her coffee later on.  It was Beth’s turn to get her present next

“Here you go!  I think you’ll really like it!”

“…So, you’re by Segret Santa, thed?”  Vanya was such an easy read.

“NO!”  Vanya’s eyes darted to the side.  She totally was.

Beth tucked her soggy tissue into her jacket and opened the small box.  It was a signed CD from her favorite band.

“How’d you ged dis?!  Thang you, Vanya!”

“I said it wasn’t me!” Vanya still smiled and enveloped Beth in a big hug.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

After Secret Santa, some of their coworkers made some light attempt at small talk, but most made an excuse to leave fairly quickly.  After an hour, the only two left were Beth and Vanya.

“*sniff* Well, guess I should clean upd.”  Vanya stretched and went over to take the goodie bags off of their table.  There were only five left, since a few people took two.  Beth saw that Susan had taken four for herself.  She made a mental note to steal Susan fancy yogurt out of the fridge after the holidays.

“I’ll help”  Beth offered.

“I’ll be fide. You’re sick.”  Vanya rubbed her nose on the sleeve of her sweater.

Beth noticed that “fide”.  “Sounds ligg you might be cobing down with a liddle someding yourself, Ya-Ya…”

Vanya reached into one of her goodie bags and pulled out the tissues.  “*sniff* Yeah….may’be”  She gave a wet, gurgly blow into a tissue.

Beth sighed.  “I guess you…HECHIEEW!  HEEECHIEW!  HICHIEEEW!...really wanded your presend, huh?”

“…I couldn’d get a present.  I’m the organizer.  It would be wrong for the person in charge of Secret Santa to get presends herself.  *sniff*  Conflicd of Interest”  Vanya nodded assuredly.

Beth couldn’t believe Vanya.  There’s a limit to being so good natured.  Shaking her head, Beth headed towards the Christmas tree to put it back in it’s box.  Then she noticed a light blue box peeking out behind this tree. She pulled it out and it had “VANYA” on a mistletoe tag.

“Well, loogs ligke somebone was thinging of you” as she handed Vanya the box.

Vanya frowned as she opened the package.  She was sure that she hadn’t missed any presents when she was handing them out.  Inside was a small crystal…thing.

Beth peered at the present.  “Whad is id?”

“*sniff* Id kinda looks like a whale?”  Vanya tilted her head to the side, seeing if a new angle would help.

“Why does id have dadt hole in the middle of id?”

Vanya thought for a moment.  “Mebbe id’s…a tissue holder?”  She placed her pack of tissues into the crystal whale thing.  “Id IS preddy…whatever it is…” Vanya smiled.

Beth smiled at Vanya.  She was glad Vanya got SOMETHING for all her hard work.  Even if she had no idea what that thing actually was.

“HEEECHIEW!  EEE’CHIEW!  EQ’IK!”  Vanya sneezed.  She almost looked pleased that she got to use her new gift.

“Combe on.  Led’s get you hobe.”  Beth motioned towards the door.  “Cleanding up the resd of id can waid undil you’re bedder.”

Vanya nodded.  She picked up her gift, smiling as she did so.  Turned off the lights and headed home.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Commentary: Seriously, if anyone can tell me what that tissue holder IS in that picture, please do.  It’s driving me a little crazy.  I just can’t QUITE make out what it is and I can’t find anything similar online.

[ZakuConvoy]

 

And another one from the Picture Post Meme thread I never got around to finishing in time.

…I am NOT a fast writer. >_>

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The picture: https://stock.adobe.com/images/sick-young-woman-in-warm-clothes-sitting-on-messy-couch-and-sneezing-with-paper-napkins-at-home/230644076

She was surrounded.  The littered, pale bodies of the fallen lie crumpled around Her.  And yet, She was still not satisfied.  Luckily, more stood ready to face Her.  She reached down to pluck another for Her use.  There was no fighting it.  The helpless form swayed limply in Her hand, prepared for fate.  She brought the thin, feeble thing up to Her mouth…

“Heb-CHOO!”

But this humiliation was still not complete.  She brought it closer to her face and gave a mighty blow.  All manner of fluids rushed out onto the form, drenching it’s every pore.  With her reddened nose finally content for the time being, she crushed the it in her hand and flung it to the side to join it’s fallen brethren.  Yet it would not be long aft this was repeated.  The Thing  inside her compelled her, controlled her, and none would be spared. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Blanca pulled her jacket closer around her.  It didn’t help much, but it was all she could think to do.  She was already wearing her stockingcap, sweater, jacket, and her thickest winter socks.  All in her signature color, white.  Blanca loved the color white.  The purity, the cleanness of it.  She even loved winter with the snow and the ice covering everything in it’s pristine beauty…

“Hei…hei…Hei’cheww!”

She could live without the winter colds, though.  Not that it was the snow’s fault this time. 

Just as she was thinking about heading to her bedroom to grab the thick, warm, blanket off her bed to wrap up in it on the couch, she heard the click of the door in the entranceway.  Whitney must have finally come back.

“So?  *sniff* Whad’d dey say?”

Whitney was carrying a few bags in her hand.  She sat them down on the table and rubbed her hands together for warmth.  

“They said they might not make it out here until tomorrow.   Sounds like we’ll have one more night in our little winter wonderland here.”

“Ugh…”  Blanca held a tissue up to her nose and laid back to stem the flow for a bit.  Their house’s heater had conked out the night before.  Right when Jack Frost’s chill had started to nose in…and Blanca’s nose had started to fill with chills, itself.  Their house was still only nippy right now, but Blanca shuddered to think how cold it would get by tonight.

“We’ll survive, Blanca”  Whitney said from the kitchen as she put away the groceries.  “I got some soup from that place you like.  Some tea and honey for your throat.*sniff* And a casserole for the oven.  Keeping the oven on should help warm this place up a LITTLE, anyway.”

“Hub’choo!” was Blanca’s only response.

“Oh, and I got some medicine for that cold of yours, too.”

“*sniff* Thag you…”

Whitney looked at the scene in the living room.  “First we’re going to have to clean up your *sniff* little explosion here, before we eat.” Whitney gestured at the used tissues lying in a circle around Blanca.

“Don’d magke fud of be…I’b sigg.  And besides *sniff* id sounds ligke id’s YOUR cold now, doo”

“Don’t be silly, *sniff* it was just cold outside.”  Whitney waved her off as she started picking up Blanca’s used tissues. 

“Oh, Su…su…su…Seu’hitchiew! *sniff* Sure.” Blanca looked pretty smug for someone looking so pathetic trying to wipe her nose.

“*sniff* You know I never get si…”  Whitney froze.  Her nose started twitching.  Her hands started waving.  Her eyes fluttered.

“Here id cobes…”  Blanca smiled.

“SI’TISSSYOU” Whitney sneezed as her whole body rocked forth.

Blanca took a tissue out of it’s box and held it out for her.  “Dissue?”

Whitney reluctantly took the tissue and blew her nose.  “Would you like some dea before or after the soup?”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

After soup and tea, they both took turns sneezing, wiping their noses, and generally being sick while cuddling on the couch watching TV.  Whitney’s cold had only gotten worse as the night wore on.

“Hi’CHESS” sneezed Whitney.  She crumpled her tissue up and picked up a new one.

“Hub’CHOO” Blanca sneezed into a soggy tissue she kept held in her hand, as she leaned against Whitney.  Blanca nodded.   “Dis could be worse.”

“Yeah.  *sniff*  And I guess donighd we cad snuggle dogedder for warmth.”

Blanca nodded again.  “Dhank goodness for broken headders.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Commentary: I basically had two ideas for this one.  The more silly “sick girl as a giant monster to personified tissues” one and the more conventional “couple” one…so I just made one a prologue and did both.  I don’t think it quite gels, but…eh *shrugs*

[normandy]

I love both of these! The spellings, the plots...too good! Glad I could be a source of inspiration on the first one

[Likesn]

I liked these two drabble a lot. Looking forward to more. As the one who provided the picture which inspired one of the drabbles, and the one who "robbed" you of the chance to write about the picture that inspired the other one, I have to say that I'll be glad to see more of your work, whether it's here, in the picture prompt thread, or elsewhere.

[ZakuConvoy]

Aw, thanks Normandy and Likesn!  I'm glad you liked them.  And you didn't "rob" me of anything Likesn, your version of the story was probably better than mine.

I have ideas for more stories, but...who knows when I'll ever get to it.  My schedule this time of year can be...erratic.