'"I'm /fine/." An obvious and total lie.' - LP 12/26/19

Ol'random · 2019-12-29 12:58:34 AM

IC'ly the following log took place on 12/26/19
Sergeants Felicity and Terrence, hares.

Immediately following Dom's outburst upon finding Blorg's remains...

Felicity ran away. She never runs away! That's one of the qualities of herself she most admires -- she always faces her fears head on. But everything became far too much, and she ran. She's laying beside the underground pool in the deep caverns on Salamandastron, weeping as flashbacks from her time with the toads brings back memories of other fights and battles she's been in, and everything just combines into a weight too much to handle. She hopes nobody followed her or finds her down here. She'll come out when she's composed herself again.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, perhaps), some hare has followed her. Terrence, though letting out a sigh of relief once he could no longer hear Dom's counting, had been doing his best to follow were Felicity disappeared to out of worry for her and not because of the simi-feral hare's threats - and doing his best not to get lost while he's at it. Soon, he comes to the lighted passages once again and begins his search. Since Dom's yell of anger it seems the lower level of Salamandastron is all but deserted, and room after room that the sergeant pokes his head into prove this; until he comes to the underground spring. With brows furrowed and slowly making his way to sit by the pool's edge, Terrence whispers gently, "Felicity?"

"Go 'way," Felicity manages to say, despite the fact that she still can't stop crying. "I.....don't....wanna....talk....'bout it." She doesn't look at him, doesn't sit up, doesn't move, except to hide her face more. She's ashamed of herself for crying, but she can't stop. She's been trying this whole time. Somewhere deep inside her, though, she is happy that Dominik didn't murder Terrence. At least that's going for her.

There's a brief moment that Terrence almost does simply leave, but the hare remains seated. He peers at her over his spectacles, a sullen look in his eyes. "Felicity," he repeats, before continuing, "I daresay being down in the dark by yourself won't do you any better. I'm not quite sure what it is that you don't want to talk 'bout, but I don't need to know, I suppose..." A half-truth: he could guess from what she said to Dom earlier and, though difficult and shameful to admit to himself, his own curiosity does burn to try to understand. Turning his gaze down towards the water, he sighs. "Not the most cheery of places, these caverns..."

Felicity has finally managed to get her crying under control. She peers out at the other hare and glares murderously at him. "Oh, whotevah. I'm down 'ere by meself a lot. I'm fine." An obvious and total lie, but she doesn't feel like talking to anyone about it. Sniffling, she mutters, "They're nice if y'fam'ly's down 'ere..."

Terrence is used to such glares, and this isn't even the first one he's got from Felicity! Besides, he's still focused on the dark water so most of the glare's effect is lost on him. "Perhaps you are fine..." It is clear form his voice he sees through her lie, but he doesn't press the issue. Instead he leans back on his paws to stretch out his legs in front of him, almost seeming relaxed. "At least half my family's down here. But I'd argue the dead aren't the best to spend most of one's time with, even if..." He closes his eyes, letting out another sigh. "...Even if we miss them, or whatevah."

Felicity sits up, wiping her cheeks on her sleeves. "At least th'dead don't mock me f'r tryna raise m'sistah properly." She pulls out a handkerchief and wipes her nose, sniffling still as a tear trickles down her cheek. "Would y'believe this wasn't th'first time I was captured? 'Tis embarrassin'." At least she's talking now, right?

"Would you rathah have died?" Terrence replies, pointedly. "Because that's the only othah outcome I can see - with the amount of toad there were, and with how few of our hares were actually armed, it's a bloody miracle so few were captured, and that most escaped." His voice softens, and he starts again in a gentler tone, "I'm sorry, but from were I stand, you managed to escape with two recruits and only a couple rocks and sticks between the lot of you! If that's something to be embarrassed about, Felicity, I daresay I've nevah done anything in my life worth mentioning without blushing! Which is mostly true." He adds, with a rueful look. "Those hares who mock you fo'h you'h sistah are a pack of fools, wot. Though I daresay in more ways than that..."

Felicity shudders. "I almost died," she whispers. She pulls her knees up to her chest and stares at the water, that unfocused look coming back. "The toads 'ad m'uncle Flint as a slave f'r seasons. I look very much like m'mothah, 'is sistah, an' those stupid toads some'ow recognized me." She shudders again, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks. "I thought they were gonna kill me f'r that. No idea why they spared me. May'ap they wanted t'pitch me against Dom, who knows." She ignores everything else the buck said. But at least she's talking now instead of hiding.

There's a pause as Terrence digests the information. "Well, you didn't die." he finally says, "And I don't think anyone can really answer why they spared you. To be frank," at this point, the buck pulls his own legs up and turns to face Felicity fully, "I'd say it is a good thing that they did, no mattah the reason o'h you'h feahs, Lissie. Even if it was just dumb luck, it's ovah and you're here now, and safe." He reaches out his paw to set it down in front of her, as if offering it for comfort. His gaze is on her now, trying to meet her eyes. "And that, that is a good thing."

Felicity glances at him. "But I can't stop rememb'rin'. An' th'nightmares..." He keeps speaking, and she gazes at his paw, not meeting his eyes. She doesn't know how much is her refusing to look at him, and how much is that she can't. There's a pause after he finishes speaking, then: "Everythin' is 'appenin' so fast. I didn't want t'get promoted, y'know. 'Tis just all so 'ard." She continues to just look at his paw, or, if he pulls it back, the spot where it was.

The paw is left were it is, though Terrence does shift a bit - clearly ever so slightly uncomfortable. But he puts it out of mind for now. "The nightmares..." He begins, cautiously, still seeking her gaze, "I, I want to help you. You don't need them, what with all the othah stuff you deal with..." There's a shakiness to his voice as he continues, "But I can't. Leastways not in anyway I know..." He swallows, shaking his head. "And being sergeant certainly is hard, but I think you're a better fit fo'h it than myself. Most hares undah you like and respect you, and you have a way of getting things done." He leaves whatever he was going to say about his troubles unsaid. "Of course it's hard! It's the blinking Long Patrol, not some acting trope. Being promoted because you'h competent is a good thing, and it's needed, whethah you like it o'h not."

Felicity finally looks into his eyes, studying his face for a few moments. Then she nods, wiping her tears away. "Yeah....I...okay." She doesn't say anything else, but she does take his paw in hers, returning her gaze out to the water. "...I didn't put some o' that in m'report," she confesses after a few minutes. "I mean, I said I was captured by the toads and that they almost killed me, but I didn't add the paht 'bout them recognizin' me or whatevah."

"Ah, well, eh," Terrence coughs, turning his face away for a moment or so, but keeps his paw were it is. "Well, that might have been partially my fault. It is very true that had you not done what you did when the toads first attacked, I think all of us would have been captured, o'h... killed." He mutters, embarrassed, but he does force himself to look her in the eye. "I told that to you'h majah, and he seems to like me..." He shrugs, "Of course, that's just speculation on my part, but if you want to blame me fo'h you'h sergeant troubles, you can." He says, with a half smile.

Felicity smiles just a tiny bit, then releases his paw and goes to slap him on the arm. It should sting, maybe knock him off balance, but it won't bruise. "Thehre. Now we're even. I'll totally blame ye f'r me gettin' promoted." She then sits up a little straighter. "I was just doin' whot I needed to t'try an' get the 'ares undah m'command t'safety. I wasn't gonna run away an' let those Recruits get mobbed! Yeesh."

The slap causes him to sway ever so slightly, and it does sting. But Terrence ignores that for now, opting to smile more broadly. "Indeed you were." His expression darkens soon after, however. "While I was off lagging behind and being too lazy. If you weren't there they'd have all been carted off by the bloody toads and I'd be none the wisah, till I got impatient waiting fo'h them outside the woods. Even if you did what any decent hare would do, you did it relatively successfully, which is hardah to say fo'h most hares."

Felicity blushes slightly. "Well...we were s'possed t'be leadin' them an' keepin' 'em safe! Whot else was I s'possed t'do?" She's smiling a bit more now, though she still sighs. "I wish I knew whot t'do when somebeast mentions toads an' I get bombarded by all these blasted memories. But, yeah.....we didn't lose any 'ares, right?" She didn't really get much information about what happened between the time she was knocked out and captured and when they were rescued.

While Terrence is glad to get a smile out of her, the question gives him pause. Not because he doesn't know, though. "Felicity," he gives a sigh of his own, taking off his spectacles to pinch the bridge of his snout, as if still debating to speak. "We lost three hares." He puts his glasses back to watch her reaction, hoping the news won't drag her down again. "And before you ask, there's nothing eithah of us could have done..."

Felicity's smile vanishes, and she curses. "O' course." She sighs, rubbing her forehead. "Were they highah rank than Recruit, by any chance? Y'know whot, nevah mind. I'll look it up latah." She sighs, then curses the toads. At least she's not weeping anymore.

Terrence is thankful he doesn't have to answer. "It's sad indeed." He says, softly, before falling quiet and turning to look back at the dark water. "Everything surrounding that training was a disastah - none of us could have predicted the enemy would be up and about like they were, and we certainly weren't ready fo'h a fight."

Felicity snorts. "I'm always ready f'r a fight. Aftah seasons o' solitary patrols, I've leahrned it kind o' comes wi' th'territory." A thoughtful look crosses her face, and the maiden taps her fingers on the floor rhythmically. "I do wondah why they were up an' about, though. 'Twas pretty cold..." She's trying to figure it out, put the pieces of the puzzle together, find a solution.

"There's only so much one hare can do." Terrence sighs, shifting to sit more comfortably nearby. "Just because you were ready doesn't mean the rest of us were. To be frank I wasn't, and that was one of the first true fights I've evah been in." He bows his head, trying to hide his embarrassment at this, but he's glad the mystery of the toads can distract from it. "Maybe they were hungry and the food was scarce in the seasons before? Zolomon did say they tried to toss him in a storage hole of sorts..."

Felicity nods. "Aye, I was in there, too, aftah...." she doesn't finish that sentence. "But then why were they makin' Dom fight? 'E was obviously th'biggest threat, so why not just kill 'im an' eat 'im?" Then she laughs humorlessly. "Ohr may'ap we're givin' toads too much credit at bein' logical an' the're all just freaks." That seems to satisfy her for the moment, and she slumps slightly. "'Tis alright if y' 'aven't seen much action. Th'Mountain needs beasts who don't fight, too."

"I suppose, but I am fighter class, o'h whatevah its called." Terrence mutters, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "And considering that now we have less than a hundred hares fit fo'h duty, it'd be no good for me to continue on - but I can fight, o'h I've just been lucky the past few times." He laughs, shaking his head. "The mountain needs many beasts, Felicity, and I feel that everyone's in short supply. Good strategists, logicians, tacticians, fightahs, runnahs, commandahs, they're all too rare..." He lets out another, more half-hearted chuckle. "I'm just rambling now."

Felicity smiles. "Then per'aps I oculd 'elp y'wi' your fightin', an' y'can study battle tactics an' such so we don't 'ave t'worry as much when in battle 'bout whot t'do." She shrugs. "May'ap that recruitin' mission 'as found loads o' 'ares an' when they get back, they'll 'ave loads o' new Recruits who are already battle 'ardened."

"Mayhaps." Terrence echos, before standing and brushing himself off. "Anyway, I promised I'd help double check one of the recruits homework today." He offers a paw to help Felicity up as well. "Thank you fo'h the offah, but," a cheeky grin spreads across his face, "Now that Adrian left on the recruitment trip, I was left the best fenceh in the mountain! Not that that has any baring on combat, but still."

Felicity lets him help her up, then stands there awkwardly, still holding his paw. "Well, fencin' is good an' all, but I'm more of an up close an' in the enemy's face kinda girl." She smiles. "I'll go ahead an' 'elp y'wi' m'short sword." She releases his paw after a couple more moments, hoping he can't see her blush in the crappy light. "An' y'c'n 'elp me get bettah with m'uncle's sabre. Although I know I could run circle 'round ya. Zolomon an' I are the fastest 'ares in the Patrol."

With a snort, Terrence replies, "Of course you are!" The smile grows on his face, though once his paw is release he still keeps it. "And I don't doubt you could run circles 'round me. Of course," He adds, with a wink, "All I'd have to do is stick my rapiah out at the right angle to catch you, methinks!" He turns towards the door, waving as he does so for her to follow her. "Come on then, let's leave this dark place be, eh?"

Felicity nods, smiling in return. "Oh, we'll see 'bout that! I could just jump o'er or duck undah y'rapiah, laddie." She follows him out. "Aye, fah too many ghosts f'r m'likin'..." She glances back at the pool one last time, then disappears into the light.

Redwall MUCK Forum

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

Visit RWMUCK.ORG for more info!

#1 2019-12-29 12:58:34 AM

'"I'm /fine/." An obvious and total lie.' - LP 12/26/19

Board footer