Wonderfalls: When the Messiah's Away, the Animals Will Play (Lion/Monkey | K | 691w)
[ Lion/Monkey | K | 691w | 2007-12-24 | Mirror ]
yuletide treat. Brass Monkey and Wax Lion work out their differences. "You have anger issues," Monkey said, out of the blue, tilting his head at Lion.
When the Messiah's Away, the Animals Will Play
“Check,” Monkey said primly, curling his fist back in and resting it on his chest.
“Cheater,” Lion grumbled, shuffling over and moving one of the few pawns he had left. The sound of his plastic base on the board was the only noise in the trailer other than the slight hum of Jaye’s perennially-broken toaster and the wind occasionally throwing bits of debris against the thin walls. The rest of the family was sleeping at various spots throughout, mostly where Jaye had left them, crammed under her bed or into nooks and crannies between her furniture and books.
“I do not cheat.” Monkey sounded offended. “I am not a cheater.”
“Tell that to the six other mooks who lost their turn to speak playing with you.” Lion frowned as he watched Monkey move the black knight.
“Skill.” Monkey gestured expansively at the game. “Checkmate.”
Lion sighed, his shoulders rippling. “‘Give her a reason.’ You’ll be tag-teaming with Kangaroo.”
Monkey stroked his chin. “Very good, thank you.”
“Sure, no problem,” Lion said, laced with sarcasm. “But next time I’m not falling for the ‘my moves are getting rusty’ bit. Innocent little monkey, my ass.” He shuffled off the table and towards the bed, going to wake up Canary for a game of spite and malice that he was reasonably confident he could win.
*
“What do you think they’ll end up doing to her?” Lion asked, watching the evening traffic of the park, people filtering in from various places-work, uniforms still on, or the store, grocery bags in hand.
“What they deem best.” Monkey said, nodding. “We are merely vessels.”
“Kinda irks me, the way they toy with her. She seems like a good kid.”
“All will be revealed.” Monkey flipped a page of his book.
“Do they pay you to be that cryptic, or does it come to you naturally?” Lion shuffled over and craned forward, looking at the book. There were no words written in it.
“Serving is its own reward.” Monkey shut the book, cradling it to his chest protectively.
“I swear I’ve read that on a cracker jack box.” Lion eyed Monkey suspiciously. “Did you come out of one of those?”
“Hmph.” Monkey raised his chin proudly. “Austria.”
“An Austrian cracker jack box?”
Monkey glared, cradled his book closer and squeakily turned his base until he was facing away from Lion.
“Just curious,” Lion said, snickering to himself.
*
“You have anger issues,” Monkey said, out of the blue, tilting his head at Lion.
“Anger issues,” Lion repeated, his voice the equivalent of a verbal eye roll.
“Was your mother unkind to you?” Monkey, to Lion’s confusion, looked genuinely concerned.
“I’m wax. I don’t have a mother. I was created out of a faulty mold for a quarter.”
Monkey tilted his head the other way, chewing that over. “Do you blame the mold for your faults?”
“No, I-” Lion sighed, angling his head to the left. “My face is smashed in. See if you wouldn’t be grouchy if you couldn’t see out of one of your eyes.”
“I see.” Monkey produced a small golden object that looked suspiciously like a pen, opening his blank book and scribbling.
“What are you writing?” Lion shuffled closer, trying to see.
Monkey put the book out of Lion’s line of view. He smiled and spoke in a soothing tone. “Tell me about your father.”
Lion sighed, leaning back, and started talking about the repair man who never managed to get the machine fixed.
*
“We’re the oldest two here.” Lion watched the rest of the family, sleeping; they didn’t have stamina to stay up when they weren’t working like Lion and Monkey did. There were certain perks to being the first ones awakened. “Maybe we should stick together, you know. Make an example.”
“They look up to you.”
“You think?” Lion wrinkled his snout. “I’m not exactly good role model material.”
“You are wrong.” Monkey leaned over, nearly out of his chair, and placed a chaste kiss on Lion’s smooshed right side. “I love you.”
“Yeah, well.” Lion blushed red-orange, his mane rippling. “You’re not so bad, for a monkey.”
yuletide treat. Brass Monkey and Wax Lion work out their differences. "You have anger issues," Monkey said, out of the blue, tilting his head at Lion.
When the Messiah's Away, the Animals Will Play
“Check,” Monkey said primly, curling his fist back in and resting it on his chest.
“Cheater,” Lion grumbled, shuffling over and moving one of the few pawns he had left. The sound of his plastic base on the board was the only noise in the trailer other than the slight hum of Jaye’s perennially-broken toaster and the wind occasionally throwing bits of debris against the thin walls. The rest of the family was sleeping at various spots throughout, mostly where Jaye had left them, crammed under her bed or into nooks and crannies between her furniture and books.
“I do not cheat.” Monkey sounded offended. “I am not a cheater.”
“Tell that to the six other mooks who lost their turn to speak playing with you.” Lion frowned as he watched Monkey move the black knight.
“Skill.” Monkey gestured expansively at the game. “Checkmate.”
Lion sighed, his shoulders rippling. “‘Give her a reason.’ You’ll be tag-teaming with Kangaroo.”
Monkey stroked his chin. “Very good, thank you.”
“Sure, no problem,” Lion said, laced with sarcasm. “But next time I’m not falling for the ‘my moves are getting rusty’ bit. Innocent little monkey, my ass.” He shuffled off the table and towards the bed, going to wake up Canary for a game of spite and malice that he was reasonably confident he could win.
*
“What do you think they’ll end up doing to her?” Lion asked, watching the evening traffic of the park, people filtering in from various places-work, uniforms still on, or the store, grocery bags in hand.
“What they deem best.” Monkey said, nodding. “We are merely vessels.”
“Kinda irks me, the way they toy with her. She seems like a good kid.”
“All will be revealed.” Monkey flipped a page of his book.
“Do they pay you to be that cryptic, or does it come to you naturally?” Lion shuffled over and craned forward, looking at the book. There were no words written in it.
“Serving is its own reward.” Monkey shut the book, cradling it to his chest protectively.
“I swear I’ve read that on a cracker jack box.” Lion eyed Monkey suspiciously. “Did you come out of one of those?”
“Hmph.” Monkey raised his chin proudly. “Austria.”
“An Austrian cracker jack box?”
Monkey glared, cradled his book closer and squeakily turned his base until he was facing away from Lion.
“Just curious,” Lion said, snickering to himself.
*
“You have anger issues,” Monkey said, out of the blue, tilting his head at Lion.
“Anger issues,” Lion repeated, his voice the equivalent of a verbal eye roll.
“Was your mother unkind to you?” Monkey, to Lion’s confusion, looked genuinely concerned.
“I’m wax. I don’t have a mother. I was created out of a faulty mold for a quarter.”
Monkey tilted his head the other way, chewing that over. “Do you blame the mold for your faults?”
“No, I-” Lion sighed, angling his head to the left. “My face is smashed in. See if you wouldn’t be grouchy if you couldn’t see out of one of your eyes.”
“I see.” Monkey produced a small golden object that looked suspiciously like a pen, opening his blank book and scribbling.
“What are you writing?” Lion shuffled closer, trying to see.
Monkey put the book out of Lion’s line of view. He smiled and spoke in a soothing tone. “Tell me about your father.”
Lion sighed, leaning back, and started talking about the repair man who never managed to get the machine fixed.
*
“We’re the oldest two here.” Lion watched the rest of the family, sleeping; they didn’t have stamina to stay up when they weren’t working like Lion and Monkey did. There were certain perks to being the first ones awakened. “Maybe we should stick together, you know. Make an example.”
“They look up to you.”
“You think?” Lion wrinkled his snout. “I’m not exactly good role model material.”
“You are wrong.” Monkey leaned over, nearly out of his chair, and placed a chaste kiss on Lion’s smooshed right side. “I love you.”
“Yeah, well.” Lion blushed red-orange, his mane rippling. “You’re not so bad, for a monkey.”