A New Friend
December 21, 2008
A New Friend
Location: Redwall Abbey Garden
Characters: Bottlebrush, Teela
RW Abbey: Garden
This garden is one where dibbuns rarely find themselves. How does one know? Barely any of the plants have been broken. Revelation. A bench of the same red stone that gives this Abbey its name is placed in a little bower made of a trellace with plants trained over the top. The rest of the plants rim the little grove-garden, shading it in the summer, providing for a ghostly look in the winter. A space in the middle is left for any entertainment that might also be placed in this little place of adult solitude.
Snow coats everything like a pristine blanket. And this time, no tiny footpaws or childish scuffles can be seen marring the dampening blanket of white. The trellace and bench have been completely snowed-over, with little icicles hanging from each of the places. Most of the plants have died off -- or at least lost their leaves -- and now leave the garden with a skeletal, rather ghostly air to it. Despite that, the garden remains a tranquil place to escape the pressures and stresses of everyday life.
Exits: Abbey's [Vine]yard, [A]long [S]ide the [I]nfirmary
With:
[IC] Bottlebrush
Bottlebrush pads into the gardens, the snow crunching underpaw while he sings to himself in a quiet voice, "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho."
The hearty singing voice startles Teela out of her meditations. "Oh!" she exclaims as she nearly falls over into the snow. Looking over to see who the beast could be, she smiles a little. "Hello."
Bottlebrush continues to sing, "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We kindle and char, inflame and ignite, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. We burn up the city, we're really a fright, Drink up, me 'earties, yo-" He stops when he hears you, the fox blinking and loosing the pirate accent, "Oh! Hello Miss Teela! I was not aware any other beast would be out here!"
Teela hmm's softly. "Neither was I," she says. "You seem to be in fine spirits today, sir." In fact, the mousemaid does, too.
Bottlebrush rubs the back of his head and chuckles sheepishly, "Ahh..you heard me singing?" His ears fold back a little and he gives you a small grin, "Just enjoying the cold night, Miss Teela. You seem in a good mood, yourself."
Teela smiles. "A good friend of mine has arrived for the Midwinter festival. I haven't seen her in several seasons now," she explains. "And, by the way, you have a pretty good pirate voice."
Bottlebrush ahhs and nods, "Always good to see old friends." The fox then folds his ears back, giving the impression that he is blushing under his mask, "Thank you, Teela. I..ahh..practiced it a lot when I was younger."
"Your practice has paid off, if I am any judge of singing voice," Teela replies with a light laugh. "I'd like to think I know a good singing voice when I hear one." She pulls at her cloak a little, keeping it closed against the light breeze stirring up a little bit of snow.
Bottlebrush gives his fluffy tail a wag and flashes you another grin, "Thank you, Miss Teela. I enjoy singing pirate songs quite a bit." He pulls his robe closed a little tighter and looks around, "If I can ask, what are you doing outside in the cold?"
Teela shrugs a little. "Communing with nature?" she says, although it sounds like a question. "Truth be told, once my friend went to rest after her journey, I needed a bit of alone time. The Abbey is just so /busy/ this time of season." Chuckling, the mousemaid shrugs again. "The quiet of the snow quiets my soul."
Bottlebrush perks his ears back up and starts to...back up, "Should I leave you alone, then? I did not mean to intrude if you wished for quiet."
Teela's brows raise. "Oh, no, I didn't mean that I wished you away!" she tries to reassure him. "You are not intruding in the slightest."
Bottlebrush stops and smiles, the fox adjusting his mask, "Ok. So long as I am not bothering you, Miss Teela." He flicks his tail around to grab it and dust snow off of it while he talks with you, "I have to thank you for the other day. You are one of the few beasts who does not stare at me when I did not have my mask on, when they see me for the first time."
This makes Teela take pause. Truth be told, she hadn't even really noticed it. "I suppose I have learned to look past the outward appearance of any beast." She lays her ears back, seeming a bit embarrassed. "In fact there was a time when I would have been terrified of you...being a fox and all. No offense intended, of course!"
Bottlebrush laughs warmly, the fox taking that comment in two ways since there was a time when he was an evil beast! He dips his head to you and releases his tail so it can wag, "None taken, Miss Teela! I understand many of my kin are indeed bad."
Teela allows a wider smile, relieved her sentiment wasn't taken wrongly. "But also a great many who are kind and decent beasts," she says. "As my father always said, 'Judge a beast by the color of his heart.' I can't say I've tried to live by that my whole life, but it's definitely something I strive for these days."
Bottlebrush chuckles warmly, "I am not sure what color my heart is and I ratehr hope I don't find out soon." He winks playfully with his comment, "The hard part is that many beasts that are bad pretend to be good."
Teela nods in agreement. "It is sad, but true," she admits. "Which is why you should never judge a beast too soon, whether seemingly good /or/ bad."
Bottlebrush nods, "Aye. Some beasts who seem bad may actually be good and some who seem good may actually be bad." He sounds almost like he knows this personally. He is still unsure if, while he was speaking with Dmitri yesterday, you returned in time to hear him admit his past.
Teela sighs, brushing a bit of snow off the shoulders of her cloak. "I could have been perceived as bad before I ended up here at the Abbey," the mousemaid says, eyeing the fox carefully. "I did my share of killing and hating..." Perhaps this says she /did/ hear some of it...or maybe not.
Bottlebrush looks towards you and then up at the sky, "I guess it all depends on what you kill for, really. Hating is never good but many vermin have died when beasts protect this abbey or when someone protects his family or friends. I can't find that bad."
"I killed out of hatred..." Teela admits softly. It's something she has not told a great many beasts. "For revenge. ...and I was proud of it."
Bottlebrush looks back at you and slowly nods, "Killing in anger is never a good thing. You only feel empty after it is over. Then you try to keep he anger going, as you can't live without anymore, so you pick another target. Then another after that, yes?"
Teela nods, her eyes falling to stare at the toes of her boots. "Indeed, that was how it went." The mousemaid sighs. "I am relieved to say I no longer feel the anger or hatred, yet I am still haunted by those times."
Bottlebrush gives you a warm smile and there is the sound of crunching snow before a paw rests on your shoulder, "But they made you wiser, did they not. Many beasts don't leave the cycle but you had the strength too."
Teela looks up at the tod as the paw is placed on her shoulder. Her eyes are dark with regret. "It was not my own strength. I leaned on many beasts for help. But that is the wonder of this Abbey. Doesn't matter who you are...the Abbeybeasts are willing to help."
Bottlebrush looks into your eyes and then nods again, "Aye. I hope they can help me with mine...Many have." He looks back up at the sky and finally admits, "I was, apparently, the leader of thirty vermin. We murdered and stole on the seas untill I lost my memory. Now they are looking for me and I don't want to go back." He looks back down at you, his ears folded back, "They called me DeadEye and apparently at least one Long Patrol Hare here had fought me back then and I left him to drown while my vermin killed his friends.."
Teela does not draw back or show any sign of fear. Instead, she nods, ears laying back a little. "I commend you for not wanting to go back..." she says softly. She draws breath as if to say more, but she stays silent.
Bottlebrush smiles softly, "Thank you. What worries me is that one day, I might want too. The only reason I changed is when I got struck and lost my memory. I never had any urge to stop being evil."
Bottlebrush says, "That I can recall."
"But you don't know for sure...?" Half statement-half question. Teela reaches her paw to the opposite shoulder to pat the tod's paw. "You don't know that you didn't or wouldn't." She smiles a little. "If or when you get your memories back, it seems to me you will see the error of your ways and continue on in this current peaceful life. I must admit, your past may haunt you if you remember...but it will hopefully be a haunting to keep you on the 'right' path."
Bottlebrush smiles a little more, "This is the way I should be, juding from my memories as a pup..My parents trainign me to be kind and heal sick or injured beasts..I guess I lost track of it somewhere.." He then nods, "I want to learn for it would be a dishonor to all those I killed if I just shrugged and stayed ignorant of what I did. I will atone for what I can by saving lives here and making pretty mousemaids like you smile and laugh."
Teela's ears and face pink a little at that. "There was hope for me, even if I didn't believe it...and there is hope for you." The mousemaid moves to take the tod's paw in her own two. "Your skills in the art of healing is a large contribution to all beasts," she says, giving the paw a gentle squeeze. "And I'm sure it makes your parents proud."
Bottlebrush bows his head and then bows deeply and kisses the back of your right paw with a smile, "Thank you, Miss Teela. So long as one beast believes in me, I know I will have the strength to stay a good beast, no matter what. For now, I must sleep. Just in case I am needed early for any healing."
"Sleep well, sir Bottlebrush," Teela replies. "And if you need anything, even an understanding ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on...I am here, and I would very much like to help if I am needed." She gives a soft, genuine smile.
Bottlebrush nods again, "I will remember that, Teela, and you remember that I will be the same for you, my friend." With that, teh fox turns and walks off, his fluffy tail wagging.
