Squirrel Campfire -- Monday Night

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

Gwynn was sitting at the campfire for the Squirrel cabin and was using a stick to both poke at the fire and draw symbols in the dirt around her. Her first workshop of the summer and her subsequent talk with Pip had given her a lot to think about.

Look how bright and inviting the campfire is.

Comments

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras returned from her chat at the Puffin campfire.

She plunked down next to Gwynn.

"Hey you. Had a nice day?"

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

Gwynn smiled at Seras, glad to see her.

"Today was very confusing," she admitted. "How was your workshop?"

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"I made a jail cell for bugs and mice," said Seras, holding out the glitter encrusted popsicle stick structure, "And, I got started on a scrapbook."

She turned and looked at Gwynn.

"What has you confused?"

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

"That's beautiful," Gwynn said, enjoying the glitter. "What's a scrapbook?"

She was silent for a moment and then met Seras' eyes.

"We looked at shiny books in our workshop today. My clothing is not ideal according to those shiny books. This makes me confused and I've been thinking about what men like women to wear. I asked Pip."

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh this otta be good." Pippi said coming out the cabin with a bag of marshmallows, some graham crackers, and a few chocolate bars. "Evening ladies."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras waved hello to Pippi.

"Eh...Gwynn, you shouldn't pay attention to what those shiny books have to say. Most of it's just bollocks. They're trying to sell you clothes. That's why they make you feel like what you're wearing's not right."

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Pippi."

She looked at Seras. "Do men like that girls wear things like that?"

She might be concerned about that.

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras wrinkled her nose.

She really didn't have much experience in this arena.

"It depends on the man, I suppose. But, d'you really want a man who's only interested in the way you look?"

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi nodded her agreement with Seras and set about cleaning up the sticks from the night before.

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

She thought about that. "Back home, my clothing is just fine. They care about my actions, not what I wear. I mean, maybe I should buy some clothing that makes me fit in here a little better, but why should I let myseld be judged by my garments?"

Gwynn sighed.

"Raiding the Tower of London to free prisoners was less difficult than this."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras nodded.

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with buying some more modern clothes. You'd probably have to replace what you've brought with you eventually. Just...make sure it's stuff that you feel comfortable in. Wear what *you* like. Not what some magazine tells you."

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Magazines? Oh! The shiny books?"

Gwynn thought about this.

"Your words are wise, Seras. Would you be willing to help me fiind the appropriate clothing? I like my leathers, but other clothes might be nice... for going out to dinner..."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras nodded.

"Sure. Just let me know when you're free and we'll plan something," said Seras moving over to give Pippi a hand cleaning the marshmallow skewers.

"How's your day been?" she asked the other girl.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Pretty lazy." she answered. "Which is nice. How about yours?"

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"Not too bad. I made a jail cell out of popsicle sticks and glitter," she said, pointing to where she'd left it, "And then we did some scrapbooking."

She held up a stick to see if it was clean enough.

"I talked to Mr. Tick. Apparently, he's not running courses in criminal justice this fall, but he said he'd think of an independent study I could do."

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh that's good! Everybody I knew who took Justice last semester liked it a lot... Okay, that was just two people but they both really liked it. That'll look great on your thingy when you go to be a police officer."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras grinned.

"That's the idea."

She decided that the stick was clean enough, after all.

"I deduce from the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate that we're going to have a s'more feast?"

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"That's the idea." she grinned back.

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"Excellent."

Seras hadn't had s'mores since the fourth floor slumber party, but she'd acquired a taste for them.

And, yes, she'd had marshmallows with Al and Edward earlier.

But, marshmallows were mostly made of air, anyhow. Air and sweet, sweet puffy goodness.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Everybody knows it totally doesn't count when you're eating them outside by a campfire anyway.

"I like your jail cell. It's very glamorous. But are there criminals so small do you think?"

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"Thank you."

Seras thought a moment and then replied.

"This cell will hold any mice, bugs, or other vermin who try to make off with our marshmallows," said Seras, "Justice looks sternly upon forest creatures who take advantage of innocent, law-abiding campers."

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Wphew! It's good to know our s'mores are safe being protected by such a capable... Okay... So I know guy polices officers in England are called 'Bobby'... What to they call the ladies?"

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras smiled.

"They're bobbies, too. Or coppers. Or 'Old Bill'," she cleared her throat. "Another slangish term is 'the Filth'."

Seras broke off a piece of chocolate and set it on top of a graham cracker.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Filth?" Pippi said... "That doesn't seem to be very flattering."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras shrugged.

"The people who use it aren't generally fond of the police," she said, beginning to toast her s'more.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"... It's not very... Imaginative... As far as epithets go..."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"Something doesn't need to be imaginative to convey meaning," said Seras.

She shrugged.

"What epithet would you have used?"

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"I suppose not." Pippi said... "But I should think one would want to put some thought into it... I mean, anything worth doing is worth doing well don't you think?"

Pippi gave it some thought...

"I'd have to get back to you on that."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras shrugged.

"I suppose that depends on what your definition of 'doing well' is," replied Seras, "I mean, if the reason you're using the word is to convey disgust or hatred or whatever, then the most effective ones have always been short and to the point..."

Seras closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm sorry Pippi. This is a really crap campfire conversation," she passed over the s'more she'd been toasting.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Are you kidding me?" Pippi said blowing out a flaming marshmallow.

"This one time, we were marooned on Moni Akaya Island for three days... Fredolf, that's my Papa's First Mate, all he could talk about were his bunions and how that if you looked at them juuuuuust right... It looked like the coast of Madagascar... Three days... Bunions... Madagascar... Even taking into account how much fun it is to say Mad-a-gas-car... Now that's a crap sort of campfire conversation..."

She took a bite of her s'more and finished her thought with her mouthfull.

"But it ya'd ruther talk about something else that's good too..."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Mad-a-gas-car

Seras laughed for a bit then nodded.

"Yeah. I would, thanks...So, you've been all over the world with your dad? Where was the best place you visited?"

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh yes I believe so." Pippi said, "Travel is the spice in the recipe of life. Hmmm, best place... Well, there's Madagascar of course..." she grinned.

"The Orient is pretty amazing I must say. It's so different from every other place and yet there something about that's strangely universal."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras grinned back and laughed.

"What's the food like? And what was your favourite place to visit in the Orient?"

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"There's a place in Japan called Shirahama. Which is a great place to swim in the ocean... They eat a lot of sea food there... In China there's Hong Kong, being from England I should think you've heard of it. They have a festival that I think is going on right now there... It's all about buns... As in bread... But they're not like any kind of rolls you find anywhere else. They're white and they hang on a tower for three days and people climb the towers and throw the buns at you. And you grab as many as you can and take them home where you eat them as they are or float them in soup."