Log: Monsters - September 25, 2004

Blackberry Gully -- East Side

Dipping well below sea level at its deepest points, this narrow, overgrown gully sums up the best parts of 'localized forest', 'bramble' and 'swamp'. The approach is steep from all sides, although twisting trails have been beaten through the underbrush, some of them braced with homemade steps of logs or bundled branches. Eucalyptus trees make up most of the large foliage, their roots thoroughly obscured by blackberry brambles, weeds and poison oak.

At the bottom of the gully, small streams and pools of brackish water spread under the brush, providing dangerous obstacles to the unwary...but there are also flat banks and large rocks for playing on, and a kid who knows how to avoid the poison oak and berry brambles could find worse places to play. When the weather is good, there are almost always children to be found here, despite the warnings of their parents.

Rachel is sprawled on the big rock, a Harry Potter book open in her hands. She's reading. She can read!

Griffin comes sliding down the side of the gully. This is -not- a dignfied slide. It's more: Holy shit I was running and then there was no ground. Skinned knees and dirt and torn jeans, at the end of which he stands up and dusts himself off.

Rachel looks up, scowling, though her expression lightens when she spots Griffin. "Hey!" Rachel waves. "Griffin!"

Griffin waves back, though he makes a face at the Potter book. "Hi. You're not dreaming up new ones, are you? Because I really don't want any blast-ended Skrewts chasing me again."

Rachel glances down at the book in her hands. "Huh? No. Well, not that I know of. I mean, I once drew mys... nevermind. How're you?" She puts the book face-down on the rock, spine up in the air.

Griffin shrugs. "Sorry. I'm just...jumpy about new monsters, y'know?"

Rachel nods. "Yeah. You're not jumpy 'bout singing, though?"

Griffin shakes his head. "I don't know any 'Merican songs."

"You could sing in, in Chinese or something," Rachel counters.

Emmy comes climbing out of the 'treehouse', dangling for a moment before dropping to the ground, where she stumbles, but doesn't fall.

Griffin scratches his head. "Rather not sing at all. And if I do, it'd probably be, like, a two part duet with a monster, and who needs -that-."

Rachel grins a little. "But maybe with the monkey demon baby! And that wouldn't be so... oh. Hi, Emmy!" Wave wave wave.

Emmy straightens up, turning around, and raises her own hand in a slow, half-timid wave. "Um. Hi, guys."

Griffin waves to Emmy; the knees of his pants are gone, and the knees themselves bloody. "Hey.'

Rachel grins. "How're you doin'?"

Emmy waves a hand in midair, saying, "So-so. Anxious. People keep _singing_."

"Yeah. Drina was really upset an' sad," Rachel replies, cheer fading.

Emmy nods, gravely. "I know. I'm staying off the boat, for now."

Griffin says "Think I've missed it so far. I feel lucky. Too busy monster fighting."

Rachel shakes her head. "I haven't sung, either."

Emmy shakes her head. "Me, neither. M'glad."

"It'd be nice if it was over, though," Rachel notes.

Griffin nods, flopping down on a rock. "Is there someone we can hurt for it?"

Rachel's face wrinkles up. She doesn't answer.

Emmy shakes her head, sighing plaintively as she moves to sit down on a rock. "Not that I know of." Once she's settled, she begins massaging her leg.

Griffin sighs. "It's always easier when there's a monster to beat up, is all."

Rachel shrugs. "Yup. No argument there."

Rachel sighs, kicking her heels against the rock she's sitting on. "It's always easier with a monster to beat up," she repeats. She tilts her head skyward and sings, mournfully,

"Other kids have monsters hiding underneath their beds;
I guess I have a monster too; she's living in my head.
She doesn't leave when the lights come on, she's always by my side.
The scary kind of monsters know the best places to hide."

Griffin looks...irritated, as he starts to sing, rolling his eyes skyward. His tone's a bit angrier than Rachel's mourning, for that matter, the music a little more martial

"Other kids hear 'monster' and they turn and run away;
I guess they think that running means they'll live another day
But if nobody fights them, how are we supposed to win?
The only way to stop them is to never let them in."

Emmy just blinks, looking between them like someone watching a game of tennis.

Rachel turns to look at Griffin, forehead wrinkling. The music continues its martial bent, but she still sounds sad.

"So who decides what 'monster means? Who gets to set the line?
Who says just what's good or bad? It's so hard to define..."

Griffin looks to Rachel; his expression's still irritable, though doesn't seem directed at her, in particular. Probaby the music.

"Who decides what 'monster' means? Who gets to make the call?
If everyone's a monster, then who's left to take the fall?"

Rachel flops onto her back on the rock, looking skyward again and singing,

"Other girls get fairy tales and pretty songs to sing;
They're pretty pretty princesses whose boyfriends will be kings.
I get the dust I get the cobwebs and I get the swamps and stones.
Can somebody please tell me who decides what darkness owns?"

Griffin shakes his head again, and stands up to pace over to a tree, leaning up against it.

"Other boys tell stories, saying that they're brave and bold
But nobody believes the stories, after they've been told.
I get to fight the monsters, and then say that they're not there.
Can someone please tell me who decided this was fair?"

Rachel closes her eyes and sings,

"So the monsters love their killers, even when it isn't wise --"

Griffin shakes his head, eyes narrowed.

"The storytellers tell the truth, then claim that it's all lies--"

Rachel sing-sighs,

"We wear our masks and try to say the dark is in disguise,"

Griffin adds, softly,

"Pretend we'll know the monsters by the shadows in their eyes,"

Rachel opens her eyes and turns her head toward Griffin, joining with him to sing,

"But we'll all be hunting monsters 'til the day the last one dies.
Who says what makes a monster? Is it knowing how to kill?
Is it standing to defend what's yours? Because I know I will.
Who says what makes a monster? Who decides and who denies?
I think the only monsters are the ones who never try."

Griffin closes his eyes as the music fades, and turns to punch the tree he was leaning against. Hard. "Okay, this sucks."

Rachel grimaces. "At least we didn't say anything... y'know. Huge."

Emmy asks, somewhat timidly, "'re you done now?"

Griffin nods, expression dour. "Yeah."

Rachel nods. "Think so." She sits up, rubbing her back. "Sorry."

Emmy shakes her head. "Not _your_ fault."

Griffin shakes his head. "At least it didn't happen at school. I don't remember if I'm suspended this week or not."

Rachel giggles a little. "Never a good sign."

Emmy wrinkles her nose. "M'glad I don't go to school here."

Emmy hugs her knees to her chest, and asks Griffin, "Where've you been?"

Griffin shrugs. "Me? All over. Messages, monster-fights. Busy, busy."

Rachel rummages in her pockets and produces a granola bar, which she proceeds to eat.

Emmy nods. "Cool."

Griffin yawns. "Speaking of...I should run home."

"Already?" Rachel asks.

Griffin yawns again. "Yeah. I need...new pants. And some band-aids."

Emmy waves. "Sleep good, Griffin, okay?"

Griffin nods. "Okay." And he starts to clamber out of the gully.

Rachel nods. "'Kay. Um... see you later."

"Later!", he calls back, and is then gone.

Emmy watches Griffin go, and remains seated on her rock.

Rachel mumbles, "He can never stay long."

Emmy shakes her head. "Nope."

Rachel's nose wrinkles. "Well, he should. Stay longer."

Emmy asks, "Why?"

"Because. He's fun to spend time around and stuff," Rachel says, frowning a bit.

Emmy shrugs. "But he's doing what he wants to do."

"I guess," Rachel says, but that just seems to make her grumpier.

Emmy frowns. "S'wrong?"

"Nothing," Rachel says immediately.

Emmy shrugs. "Suit yourself."

Rachel sighs. "Does that mean we're not fun to be around?"

Emmy blinks. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't want to spend time around us and stuff," Rachel explains, though not terribly well. "Why not?"

Emmy shrugs. "I think he _wants_ to. It's just that he can't always."

"Because of the messenger stuff?" Rachel inquires. "Hey, you want a granola bar?"

Emmy shakes her head. "S'okay. Not hungry."

Rachel nods, finishing off the one in her hand and unwrapping a second. "Don't you miss the ship?

Emmy pauses, then shakes her head. "Not really."

"Oh," Rachel says after a time. "I don't know when you'll be able to go back."

Emmy sighs. "I never really go back anywhere."

"Not even home? I know you can't go home-home, but... like a temporary home?" Rachel asks.

Emmy tilts her head. "What's 'home', Rachel? It's where you go to be you, and loved for being you. I haven't been there in...a long time."

Rachel frowns, concerned. "I thought the ship was home."

Emmy shrugs. "It's close enough."

Rachel nods thoughtfully. "Can I hug you?"

Emmy blinks, then nods. "Yeah. If you wanna."

Rachel leans over and hugs Emmy for a minute or so, then pulls back, grabs her book, and scrambles down off the rock. "I gotta go now. I'll see you later."