//------------------------------// // Summer Vacation Part 2 // Story: Diversity Club // by RayneTheSkunk //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Summer Vacation part 2 A pair of dice rattled in in Gallus’ talons. A cup full of bits and hope lay in front of him. A pride of six griffons formed a ring with him. Each of them far more muted in color than him— white, brown, black, blues as deep as night. Their eyes followed with the shaking of Gallus’ talons. Their ears attuned to the distinct clitter-clatter of dice. The dice leapt from Gallus’ grasp, splashed on the dirt, and tumbled to their ultimate result. “Sixes!” the crowd cried. The griffons breathed their collective sighs, kicked rocks, and beat the dirt. Their curses and insults filled the air as Gallus pocketed every bit for himself. “I swear those dice are loaded!” one brown griffon said, spitting into the alley dirt. “The Canary Crew's taking the pot next time, ya crayon!” another shouted. One by one they dispersed from darkness of the alley. “Good, luck. Paradise will be open all summer.” Gallus smirked, tossing the dice in his talons. Satisfied, he tucked away his dice and rummaged through a pile of hay. Paradise, as indicated by the graffiti on the walls, was a roughly octagonal alley. It was probably more of line at one point but every building that made up its walls was in ruins. What remained of the walls happened to slant, crumble, and lean in a way that made it a surprisingly homey space despite the darkness. Old roof thatching had been repurposed from the ruins though the nest-work was fairly poor. Sunlight poked through wealth of holes in makeshift roof and when it rained it was just barely better than nothing. On the wall behind Gallus was a large artful graffiti work that read ‘The Bird of Paradise’, written in a blue that matched his feathers. It was dark, dusty, dank, but it felt grounded. The grays and browns blended together. A small griffon rolled over in a sleeping bag by wall.“Are you sure you don’t cheat? That’s a pretty big haul.” The young griffon’s face was covered in vibrant purple feathers that darkened around her gold eyes. “I don’t need to cheat. Ya know what they say, the house always wins,” Gallus said pulling out a deck of well loved playing cards from his stash. “They say that?” “I guess it’s a pony thing to say. It’s time for your lessons so get out of that sleeping bag. It was a gift, so make sure not to scratch it,” he said, shooting the deck from one talon to the other. “Ugh. But I don’t even like cards!” she whined. “Aww, a griffon named Gambit doesn’t like cards? You wouldn't fit in with ponies at all,” he snickered. “Besides, if you wanna keep Paradise once I’m gone, you’re gonna have to learn to play. As long as you can gamble you can have enough bits to keep yourself alive.” He shuffled the deck as the little griff wiggled her way out the sleeping bag. She slipped out onto the dirt to find her cards laying face down before her beak. She snatched the two cards and shuffled forward. Two of clubs and an ace of spades. She gave the cards a grim look. “Gruff chose that name. I don’t like it.” Gambit pouted and placed her bet, using rocks in place of coins. “When do I get to hold the bits? I’m tired of playing for rocks.” “You’ll get to use bits when you stand a chance” Gallus revealed the flop. Three of hearts, four of diamonds, and a jack of hearts. “Besides I thought you just said you don’t like cards.” “Yeah. But I do like bits!” Gambit said with a smile creeping on her beak. She slapped down three rocks. “Raise!” “Someone looks happy. That's a mistake. Bet.” “What about it? You’re smiling too.” “I’m always smiling when I play, and you usually look like you’re about to cry,” he says revealing the fourth card. The three of clubs completely shattered Gambits smile. “No I don’t!” She whines. Her newfound glare aimed at the fifth card. “I check” “If you say so. And I raise” Gallus, says maintaining a calm steady grin. A punch-ably confident smile. Gambit squirms as she reluctantly tosses another talon full of rocks into the pot. “bet!” her voice trembled, betraying the confidence she tried to force out her throat. The final card of the river is flipped. The King of Hearts. Gambit took a deep sigh and tapped the ground “Check.” “You look pretty sad over there. Check” Gallus prepares to puts down his hand. The three of diamonds and the seven of clubs. “Three of a kind! You?” “nothing” She said with a sigh as she dropped her cards face up. “Alright, so let's go over today’s lesson,” Gallus grabbed Gambit’s chin, looking her in the eyes. “When you look at this smile do you ever have any idea what I’m thinking?” She shook her head. “Exactly! You have to mask your feelings. Don’t let anygrif know what you feel and what you know. You express to much, so you’ll always lose.” “And are you going to show me how to do that?” She said swatting away his talon. “Nah. What do you think I am? Some sort of teacher? You figure out how to do it on your own. Its gotta be natural.” He chuckled and patted her on the head “You’ll get it kid, just think about it. I’m gonna head out, get us some food and pay Gella.” His tail disappeared behind a corner before he peaked back inside. “Wait. One last thing. We can’t let an old fart like Gruff choose your name. What do you wanna be called?” She took a moment. Her eyes looked down into her talons. She flexed her palms, staring deep into their texture. Without thinking her digits started fiddling with each other. Her mind was lost on a memory for half a minute before she spoke. “I want to have a scary name so no griffon messes with me anymore.” She spoke it quiet. Like she was watching the words spill out of her mouth in into her talons. Words that only she was supposed to have. She took a deep breath and looked Gallus in the eyes and shouted “I want to be Grimheld!” Gallus smirked “Then that's your name, Grimheld. If ol’ grandpa gruff has a problem with him just tell him stuff it.” On the way out he tossed a five bits to Gella, a burly snowy coloured griffon perched outside. Griffon Stone’s looked a bit better than Gallus had remembered before leaving for school thanks to Gabby’s one griff rebuilding project. It was still mostly ruins that every griff decides to just walk past everyday, but for every ten or so crumbled piles of bricks there was one fresh new building. It made his stomach turn even more than the old griffonstone. He imagined how much further rebuild would be along if even one griff could get over themselves to help. A Griffonstone with parks, a functioning library, an actual hospital. Instead griffs made clans and gangs and fought for who had the most of nothing. Griffonstone has no leaders and of the leaders it doesn’t have none are worth the space they take up. I ignore everygriff and everygriff ignores me. Just as it should be. Should be? He lifted his eyesfrom the dirt. No griff looked back at him that's for sure. Those who did scoffed returned their attention to whatever object they were using to ignore everyone else. Any griffon who was in a group started mumbling amongst themselves. They were talking about him. Everygriff talks about the blue kid. Yep they’re all the same as always. But your not the same? You shouldn’t be. You didn't ignore grimheld and she’s nice, and fun, and makes at least one griffon who thinks a single thought about you. Of course you didn't she’s just like you. Its easy easy when they’re the same isn’t it? You think your some better griffon? You go to friendship school and get to look down on everyone else? Oh wait you already thought that didn’t you? Prove it. Talk to them If you think griffonstone is so awful. Unless you’re just as worthless as you think every other griffon is. He looked to the other side of the street. More griffons going out of their way to ignore him. Their eyes all say it ‘Don’t you dare talk to me.’ Gallus struggled not to look away. His legs said to just keep walking. This is a mistake. They hate you. They all hate you. They’re all terrible anyway. Griffons are equally worthless. So you’re just gonna call them terrible and then be the same? “Uh hey there I’m Gallus,” he blurted out the words before he even realised he was saying anything. He was so lost in his head that he hadn’t even realised who he walked up to. His talon extended and trembling like a leaf. He didn’t remember offering his talon, but it was out now. “Whaddya want from me?” A griffon far, far older than Galllus turned down his newspaper and gave the coldest look ever seen. The look made him feel like vapor. A gaze so uncaring it might actually be able to will him out of this world. Gallus’ eyes glanced to the paper in some desperate act of self defense. A whole year out of date. “Nothing I just thought. Uh, you looked like you could use someone to talk to?” “Oh and what made me look like that?” The old griffon’s eyes narrowed and Gallus couldn’t feel his tail anymore. I’m trying to be nice you old fart. Just play it cool. Keep your smile. Look like your fine. Don’t stammer. “Well you’re by yourself and all. Maybe you’d like somegriff to talk to.” “And what do you think I want to talk about” Gallus put on his most winning smile. “Well what do you like?” Professor Pinkie always said the best way to get someone to talk is to get them to talk about what something they’re interested in. Gallus never actually tried it on purpose but if there was a time to apply lessons it was now. “Being left alone. Flock off!” A swift kick to the chest sent Gallus rolling into the street. Normally he would have braced himself. He wouldn’t let a griffon surprise him like that. Well, that's not right. Normally he would have never talked to the old geezer. Normally no griffon would have the chance. Normally he and the old man would have gave each other one look in the eye from halfway across Griffonstone and their mutual disdain would be understood. “Nice talking to you” He said waving his claw from the ground before slumping into the dirt. Now that was restraint. He wanted to spit on him. Fight back. The guys probably fifty he could take him. What would twilight think if he did that? She’d have some sort of lecture for sure about being the better creature or something. Professor Rainbow dash? Heck she might have encouraged him. She’d scrap! Gallus punched the dirt, he was going to make at least one of his professors proud today. He picked himself off the ground with a fire in his eyes, and a whole other griffon in front of his face. “Gallus, what in the world was that. Are you turning into Gabby? I don’t think I can take two of you.” The other griffon grabbed him by his shoulders and dusted him off. “Gilda? You saw all that?” Gallus between a rough chest wrenching cough. That kick really left a sting. “Yep. I’ve seen Gabby try it hundreds of times but she never got hit for it. Anyway when did your blue butt come back here?” “I’ve been back for like two weeks,” He grumbled. How could anygriff manage to not notice brightest bird in griffonstone. “My summer vacation plans didn’t work out. So I’m back to running paradise for the summer. Training a uh protege I think it's called.” “You got that back from the canary crew? Did ya cheat?” She said leaning in, Gallus blew a proud huff out his chest despite the pain.“Gilda please. I run an entirely legit operation. I won that place back fair and square.” Gallus checked who was around before whispering “And I may have cheated once or twice to make a point, but I didn’t have to.” Gilda chortled. “Nice, I hate those guys. Bunch of thieving losers. Anyway I’m off. Don’t go acting like Gabby or I’ll have to start feeling bad for ya.” “Wait. Did you only come to say something cause I reminded you of her.” “Don’t make me answer that. If you’re trying to talk about feelings go talk to her yourself. She’s at the tavern taking a break from her little construction project.” Gillda took off before Gallus could try to get another word in. A thick cloud of dust was all that remained Gallus crossed his forelegs. “Ugh. I don’t need some griff to talk to I just want to be a good student. Why would I even talk to gabby?” “Sooo Gabby. Gabriela. Gab the mail griffon. How ya doin?” Gallus said with a smile as he gulped down a glass of water. Anything else would have cost half his bits and that money certainly wouldn’t be going to renovating this rundown hunk of wood. Most of Gabby was covered in a dark smokey blue with a bit brighter shade around the face, and wings that were nearly black. The griffon herself was one of the only shining things in this whole dump of a town. The only friendly griffon in the world for all he knew. Trying to talk nice to her now felt slimy. Gallus thought back on trying to talk back to that older griffon. Gabby had tried to connect with him like that so many times even though no creature ever sent him mail. He hated it. He’d yell, make up excuses, tell her to go away and now he sat here wondering why in the world he was ever like that to her at all. As he looked over her colours one thought stood out in his mind. Their shades should be switched. Gabby jolted up straight.“I’m sorry are you… actually talking to me?” “Yeah. Is that a mistake?” “Oh of course not. Its just no griff ever wants to talk to me. Gilda doesn’t even want to talk to me. The family who’s house a rebuilt didn’t want to talk to me. Not even my boss wants to talk to me.” “You have a boss? We don’t even have a post office.” “Well no, everygriff sticks all their mail in a box and I just take it all and deliver it. But I like to think Gretchen is my boss. She works for the pony postal service and she brings all the mail from the train up the mountain and then sticks it in the box. Then I get it from the box. So its almost like a boss. She’s super cool… and doesn’t talk to me.” “Oh. Wait you don’t actually have an employer? You just deliver everygriff’s mail and you don’t see a paycheck?” “Do paychecks exist here?” She let out a loud ha. “If I wanted a paycheck I’d have gotten a job in equestria years ago. I do this cause I want to help everygriff. They wouldn’t get the mail themselves. Plus the mailbox is all the way at the bottom of town. Think of all the old griffs that live near the top. It’d be awful.” She took a sip of a brown drink. Gallus had no idea what it was but couldn’t imagine that cheery Gabby was a drinker so he decided to just consider it ‘brown drink’. “Anyway some griffs actually give me tips. I think its cause they don’t want hand outs. Although I think some of them do it to make me go away.” She took another sip of her drink “So are you meeting someone too?” “Huh? No I’m here to talk to you I guess.” “Yeeeee!” She squealed, “Two creatures want to talk to me today what a great day for Gabby!” Before he knew it Gabby was in his face. A wide smile and eyes that sparkled with glee. “So whatcha wanna talk about!” “Uh, well. I don’t know. I guess I was curious what you thought about Griffonstone. Like The town and everyone in it.” “Oh that's simple,”Gabby chriped “A bunch of mean ol’ griffs sitting on a crummy mountain.” Gallus froze for a moment. He had to process that she said something even slightly mean. “But I love them! There's so much in everygriff waiting to come out I just know it. I mean you decided to talk to me today so I must be right! I was sure you hated me.” It felt like a rock plummeted in Gallus’ gut. “I don’t know what's wrong with us, or if there's something that's wrong with me but as long as I’m here I want to make everygriff happy. Griffonstone was great once and it can be great again, even if nogriff wants my help. If griffons are supposed to take gold and whatever they want by force. I’ll make the world I want by doing good indignantly. I think. I think it's what everygriff deserves.” “I guess growing up in a place where everygriff clearly needs help would do that to you.” “Nah.” Gabby’s blunt rejection caught Gallus off guard. “If that was the case we’d all be helping each other. Sometimes I’m convinced I don’t really have a griffon’s brain, or maybe I’m just loopy. But I love it. Being me is great. Wanting to help is great, and I know if I keep doing whatever I think will help everygriff will want to be my friend someday. Or at least they’ll finally be happy.” She has it. She has that thing Twilight has. What all the professors have. Whatever it is. Gabby is it. I wonder if other griffons feel so bad when they hear her talk or if it's just me. “So what do you think of griffonstone?” “Me?” Gallus said. Gabby nodded fervently. “Well uh.” he paused to think of what to say. “ I think you’re right.” He didn’t look her in the eyes and took a sip long his water. “Just a couple of optimists the two of us.” He leapt out his chair. His talons snapping away from the counter like he needed to be anywhere else. “I’ll see you around” If she said by he blocked it out. He rushed for the door and didn’t look at anything. He rushed through the door bumping to someone purple on his way out. “Sorry!” he shouted before taking off for the sky. “Ms. Gabriella. I’m glad you received my letter. I have an opportunity I think you’d really love.”