12.12.08 - That's Not How It Works

Location: Redwall Great Hall

Characters Involved: Harper, Tameus, some others

Tameus slinks back down the stairs, now with an infirmary blanket in tow. And a wooden box, which the leveret carries toward the table while the blanket drags behind him.

Sivaine says, "Fair enough. It was a strange request. 'You must promise me not to talk alone with your mother, but only when the others are around to hear.' So one Sunday, off they flew, back to Mossflower. But the place they landed was quite strange - a grand house, but all her brothers and sisters running around outside. 'This is where they live now. Now, don't forget,' the eagle said, and left her. And in she went, and they were all.. mmh. Very happy to see her. They had everything they wished for, now.."

Zen headtilts a little, trying to think what could happen next, "Hmm..." He continues to fidget with his tail, a little more than useual.

Demmer smiles gently.

Sivaine says, "Well. It was very good, she said, living where she did, but I don't think she told them the whole story.. and her mother knew it. Her mother asked if they could talk alone, but 'What we have to talk about we can talk about at any time,' she said, and put her mother off. But mothers.. have ways." Her eyes flick briefly to Tameus, then down into her mug. She frowns and has another sip. "And one way or another, she got to her, and got the full story out of her - how the someone would come every night and sit, and how lonely it was otherwise. So what do you think her mother said to that?"

Zen blinks a little, "I-I... I don't know..." He fidgets with his tail more as the story unwravles..

More or less ignoring the story, Tameus climbs onto a chair. He drags the box up, sets this on the table - then hops down and starts wrestling with the chair. Trying to pick it up.

Sivaine leans in close and whispers, very seriously, "You could very well be being watched by an adder while you dream."

Demmer mmms, "This is so strange... I just don't know. I thought it might have been the mother... But she wouldn't ask to talk to her if she knew..."

Zen ear perks a little, "An adder? Wazzat?" He fidgets with his tail even more and then nodndos at Demmer..

"Ah, well. Adders," Sivaine answers, "are great snakes. Their scales are black as night, and their fangs drip venom to kill you at a touch. And they live-" Her good paw makes a sinuous, snakelike motion, "-in caves and burrows, between rocks and sand."

Zen eeks a little and fidgets with his tail even more!

Tameus pauses. He has the chair hefted up, and eyes Sivaine from across the room before wedging himself under it and pushing upward, then tilting the chair to get it on top of the table. Phew.

Sivaine quirks a brow. "Just the sort of thing you want as a bedtime companion, hm?" she asks wryly. She glances sideways at Tam. Erm.

... to see a certain Brother, approaching from behind Tameus suddenly. Sneak-sneak-sneak... GRAB!

Harper exclaims, "Gotcha!"

"'Well,' her mother said, 'You can't leave a dangerous thing like that alone to terrorize the place. Take this candle stub and this dagger, and hide them in your cloak. Light the stub while it's asleep, but take care not to drop any tallow on him before you stab.'" It's Sivaine who jumps, ears going back. "Aagh."

Zen eeeps too, but he seem wrapped up in the story. He continues to fidget with his tail, "She... she's gotta fight a snake?!?"

Tameus reaches up, about to pull himself onto the table again. His hands touch the edge and then, whoosh, scooped up. All rafter-climbing is forgotten as the leveret gives a cackle of happy laughter.

Demmer chuckles, "Becareful who you stab with a knife.... It might just be someone you care about -- like a Brother."

Sivaine says, "Harper. Erm." Cough. She has another drink of cider and looks back to Zen and Demmer. "Well, I fought an owl. So on her flight back, the eagle asked if things hadn't gone as he'd said, and this she couldn't deny. 'Take care,' he said, 'If you have listened to your mother's advice.'" She pauses her a moment to twitch her whiskers. "So when night came, all was the same, and when she was sure that the thing was sleeping, she lit her Demmer this drink is going to go over your head in a minute."

Sivaine says, "..I mean her candle."

Zen eeeps.

Demmer chuckles.

The dibbun is held about the middle with one arm, danglingly, while the other tickles madly at his sad. Har. "And just /what/ were you doin', m'lad?" Brow-quirkies. He /eventually/ sets Tammy down again. His eyes look to the story time and he looks apologetic. "Oh - sorry for interruptin'."

"Oh. No." Sivaine glances out the windows, then rises. "I think I'll have to finish this another night. It's getting late."

Demmer says, "Awwww...."

Tameus hoots with laughter, shaking his head and holding onto the arm that's around his middle. This makes it hard to just set him down, though his giggles die off after a little while - enough to answer, "I was gonn' go up t' th' rafters an' be th' eagle!"

Sivaine says, "Tomorrow. Bother me tomorrow and I'll tell you the rest."

Zen eeeeps and fidgets with his tail, then sighs softly and nods, "Ooook..." He tries to think what could happen, but he seems rather lost.

Demmer says, "Good night, Sivaine. Take care."

Harper gives Tameus an odd look. "... An eagle. An eagle?"

Tameus nods, beaming. "Th' eagle in th' story."

"'Night Demmer. And the rest of you." Sivaine gives Zen's headfur a brief ruffle, throws Harper a little glance and a smile, only faintly amused, and heads for the stairs.

Zen squees softly and hmms..

Zen waves at Sivaine.

Tameus says, "'m gonn' pile chairs up t' th' rafters an' /fly/."

Demmer says, "Well, time for me to get moving too.." Gently he hoists the Zen up and sets him down, offering ample time for dibbun paws to find the floor."

Zen stands on the ground now and then sits down. He smiles a little at Demmer.

Harper says, "You know, I think m'fur's white enough already just durin' the winter. Let's not make that permanent, eh? No flyin'."

Demmer says, "Good night, little Zen." Looking over to Harper, he says, "Isn't that a sign of old age, like being named a Brother?""

Tameus twists to face Harper more, brows lifted. "But 'd be th' firs' /flyin'/ Colonel .. e'er."

Zen nods at Demmer, "Ni night..." He smiles softly and then thinks...

Demmer pads off up the stairs.

Harper grins at Demmer, watching him go.

Harper exclaims, "Night, Dem!"

And to Tameus, "Why don't you work on becomin' Colonel first, then consider the flyin' after." Small grin.

"No reason t' not do more'n one thin' at a time," the leveret retorts.

Zen squeeks softly and curls up, shivering a little.

"The day you wake up with wi- no, he'll strap some paper ones on and go t'sleep with 'em on..." He mutters at himself. Hm. "Okay. Birds fly, bats fly, 'n' some insects fly. We hares don't fly. We fall 'n' we break our tailbones. S'very painful."

Tameus purses his lips a little. "Well then 'll fin' a bird t' be frien's wit' an' have 'um carry me when /they/ fly. S' a'most 's good, righ'?"

Zen looks around and then finds a chair to climb up in.

Harper considers. "Maybe. If it's a strong bird." He glances around the room, spying Zen then. "'Ey lad, how ya feelin'?"

Tameus asks, "An owl?"

Zen squeeks softly, "Well.. it's... kind of cold..."

"No! Not an owl, Tammy. Friendly birds only." His eyes remain on Zen, then. He nods to the roaring fire. "Why don't you warm yerself, there? Blankets, too."

Tameus latches onto this idea. "'m gonn' fin' a /frien'ly/ owl an' have 'um carry me!"

Harper's mouth opens... and then shuts. "Tammy."

Zen nods and scoots out of the chair he's in and sits infront of the fire, holding his paws out.

Tameus imitates this motion, and grins, hands on Harper's cheeks. "'Arper."

Tameus says, "Y' look like a fish when y' do that.."

Harper says, "I guess I probably do."

Tameus says, "But a ver' 'andsome fish."

Harper looks around. Eyes the fire. "Why don't we sit fer a bit? That fire does look awful invitin', after all." He scoops Tam up again, carrying him that way. He leans over the back of an armchair, to deposit Tam in it.

Tameus hugs around the arm that's used to scoop him, then grunts out a soft giggle as he's plopped down.

Zen squees softly and then curls up, folding his arms infront of his chest and remaning upright.

Harper comes 'round, sitting in the opposite chair. "... Tam," he starts. Stops. Does the mouth thing again. "I've been wantin' t'talk to you about somethin'."

Tameus leans back in the chair a little and stretches his legs out - toes up, reaching to curl his hands around them. He angles his head to look at Harper. "What's 't 'bout?"

His nose twitches. "'s not 'bout th' cricket, is 't? 'cause they's mostly dead now an'way..."

"No, no. It's about, well." Harper smiles, a tad wanly. "It's about you 'n' me, Tammy. I wanted t'... ask you somethin'. Explain somethin'? I guess both. Okay?"

Tameus's eyes narrow curiously. "Okay.."

Harper considers a moment. "First off, I want you t'know you c'n say no. You c'n also take some time t'think about it before givin' me an answer. Okay?"

Tameus looks simply bewildered as he nods.

Harper speaks very carefully, slowly, his tongue darting out to lick his suddenly dry lips. "... We're both kind of without our families here, aren't we, Tam?"

The leveret's head tilts a little to the side. ".. 'm waitin' f' m' brother," is all he says, muzzle a little scrunched up along the top.

Harper nods. "Right. Well... While you're waitin'," Harper kind of stumbles over his words a little bit. "While yer waitin', um. I was wonderin' if, um. If you'd like t'be part of my family?"

Tameus just.. looks at Harper.

Harper swallows past a sudden lump in his throat. And just waits.

Tameus blinks a little. He simply .. doesn't understand the question. "... what?"

"Sometimes, Tammy, folks adopt dibbuns that aren't their own, when those dibbuns don't have family t'take care of 'em." Harper's speaking very, very slowly, as if that will help Tam understand.

Tameus has an odd expression on his face. "That .. that doesn'..."

Harper just plunges ahead. "Tammy, I'd like t'be yer Da', if you'll let me." Pause. "I already love ya, kiddo. It doesn't really make much difference, but I guess I just wanted you t'know."

Harper says, "It's up to you."

Now he frowns. Tam leans back and his brows furrow. "... but 'm da's dead," is all he says, stiffly.

"I know that, 'n' he'll /always/ be yer Da', but..." Harper really seems to struggling. He's actually trembling a little bit. "Sometimes you c'n have more'n one. Sometimes you c'n love someone even though they're not yer blood. Sometimes things just get mixed up when they're sortin' out who's part o' who's family, 'n' a couple get lost in the mix."

Tameus stares at Harper, hard. His eyes squeeze shut and he shakes his head. ".. no. /No/. That's not 'ow 't works," he mutters, and pushes his hands up. The heels press against his shut eyes and he shakes his head again. "He sai'.. /he/ /sai'/.. 'y'r /my/ son, Tam. Y'r /mine/ an' no'n else's..'"

Kolya comes in from outside with a yawn and a shiver. The Stoat slowly heads towards the fire and Sits, giving Harper a nod, ignoring the others. "Novi..." he pauses. "Oh...Brother" he gives a smile and a nod..seems Harp was promoted since he left and came back. "Congratulations...belated that is" He chuckles. "Not interrupting anything am I?"

Harper slides from his chair, going to kneel before Tam's. He rests his paw on the leveret's shoulder. "Tam. Tam," he murmers. "It's okay." His ears flick and he looks around. "Oh. Oh, hello Kolya... Um." He colors slightly. "Just give us a moment."

Tameus flinches back a little and keeps his hands against his eyes. Tears slide down from under them, though, slicing silvery paths to either side of his muzzle. "Can't .. /have/ .. more'n one," he mutters, shaking his head again.

Kolya nods and falls quiet, glancing over once or twice, but doing nothing as not to disturb them.

"Did yer Da' tell you this?" Harper asks quietly, carefully.

Tameus nods unhappily. His hands lower. "'e sai' 't. An' 'e said .. there ain' n' fam'ly b-but th' one y' start out wit'."

Harper asks, "How do you feel about me, Tammy?"

Tameus sniffs. "Y'r m' bes' frien'..."

Harper pauses. Considers. Tries a different tactic. "You know, Tammy, folks make their own families. When you find a mate, when you have children. That's makin' a family. That's makin' a mom 'n' a da'. That's not just the family you're born with. It's a whole /new/ family." Pause. "And sometimes, when someone in yer family dies or isn't around, you make new family, too. My Da' wasn't around when I was little, so my mum fell in love with someone else 'n' /he/ became my Da."

Tameus swallows and shakes his head. "No, that.. no. 's not like that."

Harper says, "But it is like that 'n' if it /does/ happen like that, Tammy. All the time. Creatures die 'n'... dibbuns, they still need someone t'love them. T'tuck them in, t'make sure they're safe, t'laugh at their jokes 'n' tickle them 'n' swing them up high in the air. All those things."

"No," Tam responds. Hard, blunt. He stares at Harper, eyelashes spiked with moisture. "... s' not. Like. That."

Harper looks very closely at Tam, uncertain how to proceed. In the end, he decides to push on. Frontal attack! "Tammy. I love you."

"Y' don't," the leveret nearly hisses, tense up and the tears still coming. "Y' can't. Y' can't.. /say/.. /things/.. ... that ain' true, 'Arper. 's called lyin'."

"I'm not lyin'," Harper says very clearly. His paws give a gentle squeeze to Tam's shoulders. "You c'n hit me, you c'n yell at me, you c'n do whatever you want. Doesn't change anything."

Tameus stares hard at Harper. "Y' /can't/," he says again, voice wavery. "Y' can't love an'one but fam'ly. That's jus'.. that. ... that's 'ow 't /is/."

The leveret draws a breath. "'s like .. 'ow I can't fly, 'cause I don' got wings."

"You don't love me?" Harper asks very quietly.

Tameus whispers, "Y'r m' bes' frien'..."

Harper says, "That's not what I asked."

Tameus suddenly starts crying harder. He shakes his head. "Y' can't.. y' can't get mad! Y' can't get mad at me f' somethin' I.. I.. /can't/..!"

Harper shakes his head very firmly. Another gentle paw squeeze. "I'm /not/ mad, Tammy... I'm not. Why can't you?"

"'cause," Tam repeats, shoulders hitching and shuddering. "'cause .. y'r not m' fam'ly. An' y'r not .. someone I'm gonn' marry. Y'r m' frien', an'.. an'... y'r jus' m' /bes'/ /frien'/, 'Arper..."

"I was adopted. /I/ could. Why can't you?" Harper persists.

"'s jus' not.. no. 's not 'ow 't is," Tameus whispers, eyes shut, his muzzle ducked down - not looking at Harper. "M' dad sai'.. he... tol' me that."

"Sometimes Da's c'n be wrong," Harper attempts.

"Nn-nn," Tameus mumbles, pulling his knees up against his chest and hunching - arms around them.

"I'm a Da'. Sometimes I'm wrong." Harper points out.

Tameus grunts. "Y'r a da a'ready..."

The doors to the Great Hall swing open slightly, a dark figure appearing briefly silouetted by the cascade of snow falling outside. A few moments later and the figure has slipped inside, joining the shadows near the entrance away from the fireplace. Raijin-shi brushes the remnants of white from her shoulders, her gaze drifting slowly and unblinkingly amongst the few creatures still awake in the Hall. She steps forward a few steps, stopping short of the middle of the room, her eyes finally locking on Harper (who seems to be the oldest). "...My appologies for the interruption. I can see you involved in conversation of the... utmost importance. If I could steal but a minute of your time, the guards implored me to find a Brother of the Abbey who could assist in lending me shelter for the night. They were hesitant at first to allow me entrance, but I assure you now as I assured them... I am not a danger to you. I merely seek refuge from the storm." The squirrel bows her head politely, her voice oddly monotone.

Harper is about to respond to Tameus. He blinks, ears perking as he looks around. He releases Tammy, straightening. "You're of course welcome here, as the guards know. Sleepin' quarters are just up the stairs, food," and he points, "just through there, in the kitchen. You are welcome t'both." He looks distractedly back to Tameus.

Tameus stays hunched over, not even acknowledging the new arrival. His hands move up to his face again and he scrubs at it.

Harper kneels again, to be on eye level with Tameus. "Tam?" he murmurs.

Tameus cracks open his eyes a little.

Harper says, "I think I'm gonna let you think about this fer a while. Okay?"

Tameus tilts his muzzle up and down in the tiniest of nods.

Harper opens his arms up, should Tam want a hug.

"My thanks to you, good sir. It has been a long while since I have been through Mossflower. It is pleasing to note Redwall has not changed. The spirit, at least." The squirrel notes, eyes running again over the beautifuly rebuilt Abbey. "... I shall leave your food stores in tact. I do not wish to be too much of a bother. My thanks again." Raijin heads for the stairs, stopping once to regard the young Hare peripherally. Her eyebrow raises slightly, but she remarks not once more before she dissapears silently up the steps.

Tameus just looks at the older buck for a moment.

Harper starts to withdraw the offer, though slowly. "... Okay, Tam."

Tameus ducks his head. Now he just looks at his toes.

"Well, Tam. It's time fer bed. Why don't we go on up, all right?" Harper stands, holding a paw out to the leveret.

Tameus scoots to the edge of the chair and climbs off it, head down. He doesn't look at Harper or take the offered hand.

Well, this is an improvement! Now Tam can avoid both Siv AND Harper! He can't but smile, though there's nothing humorous in it. He shakes his head ever so slightly, starting slowly towards the stairs. To see if Tam's going to follow.

Tameus hangs back by the chair for a moment, but he does follow. The leveret is quiet, his gait slow and shuffling, eyes on the floor and arms curled around himself.