Redwall MUCK Forum

Redwall MUCK is an interactive, multiplayer text game set in Brian Jacques' Redwall universe.

Visit RWMUCK.ORG for more info!

You are not logged in.

#1 2020-05-26 04:13:18 PM

BlisaMarshmellow
Member
From: The State of Confusion
Registered: 2016-12-14
Posts: 1,380

Angela & Benar finally talk! (IC RWA RP 5.26.2020 Dibbun Slavers TP)

SCENE:
RW Abbey: Attic
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is extremely dark and gloomy in here.  Below your feetpaws, you can feel a shape in the floor; it's roughly rectangular.  Upon closer inspection, you see that it is the trap door.  The dust is thick in here, and your movements disturb it.  The grey stuff rises in clouds.  It makes you sneeze and cough.
Standing still, the dust slowly settles again.  Your eyes become accustomed to the darkness, and you can make out a grey thin light towards your right.  Feeling along the wall, your searching paws feel a gap.  You can probably squeeze through it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exits: (A)bandoned (R)oom, (T)rap (D)oor, (G)ap in (W)all

CHARACTERS:  Benar, a male squirrel.  Angela, a female mouse.

LOG:
Opening the folding stairs to the attich Benar climbs up.   
The abbot pauses to pull the ladder back up after him and set the hatch back in place.   
He then lifts his habit and starts to make his way toward the crack in the wall that leads out into the space above the great hall. After dealing with Krisha he needs some peace and quiet, prferably someplace where no one can find him and he has just the place.

Ah, yes. Peace and quiet. Solitude. Rare things for the Abbot to obtain under normal circumstances. But now, when there is a crisis, he undoubtedly is having an even greater need for it...and an even lesser ability to find it. He probably could use some alone time right now.   
Pity he's not going to get it.   
"I thought this was where ye were hidin', so I made Butterclaw spy around a little and tell me what he found." Angela is leaning on the wall right beside the crack he uses to escape to the rafters. "Did you really think you could hide from me forever?" She looks him directly in the eye, arms folded around her staff.

Benar pauses and then folds his hands into his sleeves and walks toward Angela, "I have been very busy Angela, I don't have time for you to hit me with your stick right now." he shakes his head, "Now please do excuse me, I am going up."   

Angela obstinately blocks his way, shaking her staff at him. "Oh, no, you aren't. Benar,ye can't go slinkin' off by yerself all th' time. You need t' talk t' somebeast." She makes sure to stay very much directly in his way so he can't escape through the wall crack. "Now, I know most Abbey beasts need ye t'be strong an' in control. But I don't, an' I c'n see that you are tired and upset. You don't get to go anywhere until y've talked to me." She has that look she gets when she isn't willing to put up with argument or nonsense.   

Benar sighs and stares at the mosue and squeaks under his breath then sighs and sits down on a chest, "I am tired Angela... but everyone needs me right now... I can't go falling apart for a few days..." he stares at the mouse, "I've mostly been sleeping up in the rafters where I can hide."   

Well, at least he's not trying to get past her. Angela walks over, pulling another chest beside his and sitting down on it so she's facing him. She reaches over and holds his paw. "I don't need you t'be strong, Benar. I don't need you to be anything except my friend, and friends listen to each other." She pushes back his sleeve to reveal the bracelet. "Did I ever tell you about the time I was a slave?" This is a very different Angela from the one everyone is used to and afraid of. She's not even making him start talking right away. This may be unsettling.
   
Benar smiles tiredly at Angela and slumps his shoulders, the tension of holding himself together slipping, "Sorry I have been avoiding you my friend.. .it's just everyone needs me. I just had to go force Lacota on Krisha to make her eat... I just haven't had time to fall apart." he sighs softly, "And no.. I didn't know you where a slave, did you know I was once too?"

Angela nods slowly. "Aye, I did know, an' I think that is part of why ye're takin' this whole thing so 'ard." Her face hardens as she remembers and retells her story, but she keeps hold of his paw and avoids eye contact.   
"I left 'ome when my daughter was pregnant with DoraRose. I wandered around f'r seasons. One night when I was sleepin', this band o' villains ambushed me an' took me captive. I was forced t' travel with 'em f'r a few seasons, tendin' to 'em as their 'Ealer and cook. They 'ad other slaves, too. We went to the Northlands on a raiding expedition, and I slipped poison into their food. As they were dyin', I helped loose the other slaves, and we made our escape.   
"When I came t' the Abbey, I found out that not only had my daughter had DoraRose, she had also had Emyuil and their sister, LilyMoore. And that LilyMoore 'ad been murdered." Her grip and face both tighten. "I told meself that if I 'ad been there, hand't left 'ome, 'adn't been taken captive, my youngest granddaughter would still be alive. 'Twasn't 'til I was talkin' to Emyuil 'bout it during the war with Ormaz that...well, Emyuil made me realize it was nobeast's fault except for her murderer's."   
She finally looks up at the squirrel's face. "Everybeast may think they need you, but they will be fine without you for a little bit. Y'need to talk to yer friends. And know...'tisn't your fault the Dibbuns were taken. 'Tis naught but the fault o' th' villains who took 'em." She thinks for a moment. "...did y'tell Krisha that? I'm not sure she'd take it well from me."

Benar looks at Angela, "I took Krisha to see Germaine's tomb," he says softly, "I used the lesson of the demise of Loamhedge to show that sometimes you just cannot stop or prevent what has happened. But you need to move forward, prepare for the next step in life." He reaches out a paw and takes her hand, "Like you I have had my moments in life, had to deal with things going wrong and blaming myself. I know I couldn't stop those vermin, they had been planning this for weeks clearly, but I am the Abbot, a little part of me can't help but believe I should have stopped it."   
He sighs and closes his eyes, breathing slowly, "Probably a lesson I should take to heart as well, but Angela... I can't leave them, not right now... Matilda is out there hunting the children, Martin's attention is on her not here... and... squirrelbabe of all creatures..."   
Sitting up he meets Angela's gaze, "Thank you though, for forcing me to stop and talk... to take a little time for myself. It feels better then just hiding in the rafters again... though I hope you where not too harsh on Butterclaw."

Angela keeps hold of his paw to keep him from standing up. "O' course, Benar. I know I'm a bit 'arsh at times," (more like ALL THE TIME, but whatever) "but I do care. But next time, please don't 'ide from me. It was exhausting tryin' t'catch you." She smiles a little. "I'm not sayin' leave 'em forever, Benar. I'm sayin' take some time t'chat with a friend instead o' hidin' away by yerself. The Infirmary's always open f'r you to stop an' have a cup 'o tea with me. An' I promise I won't give ye medicine, either," she adds with a slightly bigger smile. She avoids mentioning how harsh she was with poor Butterclaw. That sparrow is having the worst past few weeks...   

Benar smiles, "I do not believe you not to sneak me one of your herbal medicinal teas to help me relax." he shakes his head, "But I can hardly go sit in the infirmary for an afternoon, you know what the rumour mill is like. It'll go from the Abbot is having tea to the abbot is in the infirmary panic in a matter of minutes." He pauses and considers, "But the weather is nice, how about I order tea to the Rose Garden?"   
   
Angela snorts. "True. Never seen so many creatures so eager t' spread a false story..." she mutters. But at his suggestion, she nods. "Aye. An' if anybeast tries t' eavesdrop, I'll make sure they regret it." She stands slowly, grimacing and leaning heavily on her staff. "You young whipersnapper...'ow /did/ y'manage t'come up here every single day?"   

Benar smiles and stands up, "I am about ten seasons younger then you and I didn't come up here... come see.." he takes her hand and leads her out through the gap in the wall, keeping her behind him so he can point up, "I went up there... every day... it's my exercise routine, keeps me fit."   

Hobbling a bit, Angela snorts. "You don't know how old I am, sonny." Peering upwards, she stares for a minute at the ascent he had to have taken. "Butterclaw told me y'were up in th' rafters, but he didn't tell me how y'got up there. I thought y'd rigged up a ladder or somethin'." She looks him up and down and goes to poke his upper arm. "So tha's why your muscles are still so healthy." Because the Healer hadn't bothered to ask what his exercise routine is...   

Benar grins at Angela and offers her his arm to head back to the stairs, "I take staying healthy seriously, I am surprised you never checked what my exercise routine was. So shall we retire to the rose garden and have that tea? It would be nice to talk more and if I am lucky I'll escape without being hit with the stick."   

Angela smiles and accepts his arm. "'Tis enough of a chore gettin' ye in the Infirm in the first place!" She lets him lead her down the stairs. "Tea sounds lovely, my friend. And mayhap I'll leave the stick out of the conversation..."

~*END*~

Thanks for reading!

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB