roseembolism (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
roseembolism) wrote2015-09-27 02:23 am
roseembolism) wrote2015-09-27 02:23 am
Entry tags:
Baseball Season
A vignette involvng Jenny and Mars, characters from the "My Life as a Monster" novel I did as part of NanNoWriMo last year. Starting as part of a tossed off story done instead of my IMPORTANT fiction, they have consumed my last year. Help.
This came about simply because of the thought: "Hey, what sort of bat would a super-strong person use?" Which led to my frantically Googling baseball bats, and some math. You'd think Americans of all people would know the average density of a maple baseball bat...
DONK
You know," I say, "It really doesn't have a good sound like a wood bat."
Jenny picks up a ball. "Well it's what, solid steel?"
I swing the bat around, one handed. "Carbon steel. Throw another."
DONK
"It doesn't have the crack a wood bat does. It doesn't even sound like an aluminum bat."
Jenny frowns. "How much does that thing weigh anyway?"
She pitches.
DONK
I consider, do math while somewhere downfield a car alarm goes off. "Lets see...density divided by density..."
"You're holding it." Jenny says impatiently.
"27 pounds? 28 maybe? Pitch."
Jenny ducks.
DONK
"Sorry!" I say.
"It's OK", she says, "Why the hell did she give that to you anyway?"
She pitches.
DONK
"I dunno."
A look.
"OK, OK, she probably wants me to have a weapon. Something that doesn't look like a weapon."
A flat stare.
"It's not like that. She's not...look, it's dangerous out there. it's just...she's a mad scientist. She does this sort of stuff."
Considering.
"So she's still kind of looking out for me. So what? Just throw the damn ball, OK?"
DONK!!!
Jenny whirls around, squints. "I think you broke a window."
"What? Where?
She points. "That skyscraper over there? 9th floor."
"Fuck."
She picks up the basket of balls. "I think we're done for today. That's going to attract the cops."
I gather up my share of the stuff. "It's a gift, OK? She gave it to me for my Waking Day. It was made for me, even if it kind of sucks."
She gives me a sidelong look. "Waking Day? Is that what she calls it?"
"Yeah. Because "Gradual Coming Into Self-Awareness Day" was a bit long. "
Shrug. "Whatever.
We walk to the exit, deliberately not hurrying.
"You know, iron is anathema to certain-"
"No" I say. "I do not know. I have not read ANY of the books that have been left lying out in our apartment over the last six months. I Know nothing about the mythology of cold iron. I am TOTALLY ignorant."
Jenny sighs. "I'm sorry. All I'm saying is, I think it's a message."
I sling over my shoulder. The bat makes a dull clunk in the bag."I hear you. I'm not going to borrow trouble. AND, next time, we're playing handball."
Jenny winces. "I wish she made steel gloves."
This came about simply because of the thought: "Hey, what sort of bat would a super-strong person use?" Which led to my frantically Googling baseball bats, and some math. You'd think Americans of all people would know the average density of a maple baseball bat...
DONK
You know," I say, "It really doesn't have a good sound like a wood bat."
Jenny picks up a ball. "Well it's what, solid steel?"
I swing the bat around, one handed. "Carbon steel. Throw another."
DONK
"It doesn't have the crack a wood bat does. It doesn't even sound like an aluminum bat."
Jenny frowns. "How much does that thing weigh anyway?"
She pitches.
DONK
I consider, do math while somewhere downfield a car alarm goes off. "Lets see...density divided by density..."
"You're holding it." Jenny says impatiently.
"27 pounds? 28 maybe? Pitch."
Jenny ducks.
DONK
"Sorry!" I say.
"It's OK", she says, "Why the hell did she give that to you anyway?"
She pitches.
DONK
"I dunno."
A look.
"OK, OK, she probably wants me to have a weapon. Something that doesn't look like a weapon."
A flat stare.
"It's not like that. She's not...look, it's dangerous out there. it's just...she's a mad scientist. She does this sort of stuff."
Considering.
"So she's still kind of looking out for me. So what? Just throw the damn ball, OK?"
DONK!!!
Jenny whirls around, squints. "I think you broke a window."
"What? Where?
She points. "That skyscraper over there? 9th floor."
"Fuck."
She picks up the basket of balls. "I think we're done for today. That's going to attract the cops."
I gather up my share of the stuff. "It's a gift, OK? She gave it to me for my Waking Day. It was made for me, even if it kind of sucks."
She gives me a sidelong look. "Waking Day? Is that what she calls it?"
"Yeah. Because "Gradual Coming Into Self-Awareness Day" was a bit long. "
Shrug. "Whatever.
We walk to the exit, deliberately not hurrying.
"You know, iron is anathema to certain-"
"No" I say. "I do not know. I have not read ANY of the books that have been left lying out in our apartment over the last six months. I Know nothing about the mythology of cold iron. I am TOTALLY ignorant."
Jenny sighs. "I'm sorry. All I'm saying is, I think it's a message."
I sling over my shoulder. The bat makes a dull clunk in the bag."I hear you. I'm not going to borrow trouble. AND, next time, we're playing handball."
Jenny winces. "I wish she made steel gloves."