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Post by Celebes on Jul 5, 2018 20:03:38 GMT -5
**Why was it that when she was always the most tired when she had to get up and go, but now that Dewbelle was actually trying to sleep, she couldn't catch a wink? It wasn’t fair. The young squirrelmaid had tried every which way to orientated herself on her bed, with nothing working. It was like trying to fit a Dewbelle-peg in a not-Dewbelle-shaped hole. On her back, her tail would cramp up around her spine. If she switched to her side, the arm she laid on would get all stiff. And her belly, well, she'd just get this weird ringing in her left ear, which was the only side of her face it felt good laying on. Not to mention her eyes refusal to stay closed in the bright room, even beneath her bandana sun screen. Her body had clearly exceeded its sleep quota.
Now oriented in half-sheeted diagonal direction that somehow ended up with her tail under her arm and a pillow on top of her footpaws, Dewy finally relented to the idea of out of bed. She was going to go crazy just laying here. It had to be close to lunch, right? No? How long had it been? She tried to think back.
The first few minutes of her little ruse had been exciting. The thrill of the trick. All she had done was pretend she was still sick from her mild allergies the day before. Not only had she gotten out of yesterday’s practice, but that silly performance tonight as well! Those sniffles got a lot of mileage. The Dibbuns were all supposed to be performing a little play that evening as part of some picnic. Most of the Redwallers were over in the field past the west road setting up for just the thing. But Dewbelle didn’t want to do a silly skit in a dusty ditch. And so she played their game, and acted instead of argued. Stellar performance it must have been. Got her out of acting in front of a bunch of woodland strangers. It was better staying here, alone. Well, almost alone.
Dewbelle had still been asleep that morning when her roommate had had made her own case to stay behind. Apparently, public performance wasn’t high on her list, either. She may have actually been too ill to go along, but Dewy so far had heard little in the way of coughs or sniffles. Maybe, like Dewbelle, she had faked it. Her performance obviously wouldn’t have been on par with Dewy’s, but this Badgermum sister seemed easy enough to fool. Nothing like her mother.
The squirrelmaid began to consider reaching out. It would cut the boredom for a moment. Plus, they would be able to settle the issue of who got the purple-handled spoon when it came time to eat the broth bowls that had been left behind for their meal. Dewy of course. But what if the other dibbun really was sick? What if she figured out that Dewy wasn't really ill, and tattled on her when the Elders got back? That's just the kind a thing they'd tell her mother about when she came by. And that wouldn't do.
Dewbelle’s head rolled over, restlessly staring at her counterpart across the way on her own bunk. Curiosity gnawed at her insides as she wondered if the mousemaid was really asleep under those covers. She had been awfully still over there. She wouldn't really snitch, would she? Dewy decided to probe. In a rather healthy voice, lacking any scratchiness or sliminess, Dewbelle broke the silence with a comment. **
Bein' sick sure is borin', eh Lily?
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Post by Isaiah on Jul 6, 2018 13:59:11 GMT -5
**After a sleepless night of overwrought planning, Lily found herself drifting in and out of a languid haze, unable to properly latch onto either side of consciousness. The plan itself had went off flawlessly, much to Lily's relief. A not-so-mild anxiety attack during yesterday's thespian activities had sent the mousemaid into a spiral of fearful overthinking about the next day's picnic. Confining herself to the dorm seemed much more appealing. Despite Lily's tense and restless night, the morning deception had been unexpectedly simple. Apparently, all it took was Lily's word that she was ill and the adults would believe her without bothering to feel her forehead or ask about her symptoms. There were perks to being "one of the good ones," as the Elders sometimes said.
Instead of reading, sleeping—or at least attempting to sleep—had become Lily's mission for that day. With her purple comforter pulled over her head to block out the sunlight, the mousemaid had formed a cozy nest to nap within. Every now and then, sunbeams would pierce their way through the quilt and bring her back to an awakened if somewhat irritable state. Even so, a lack of sleep made for a better day than the prospect of a performance did. Lily yawned, stretching her limbs out pleasantly.
It was nice to have the whole dorm to herself, a rare occurrence.**
Bein' sick sure is borin', eh Lily?
**Dewbelle's voice cut through the still dorm air violently, jerking Lily awake and causing her to flail around momentarily in delirium. Had she been caught? Was her lie too big? Lily could only imagine the amount of disappointment that would come with discovering that "one of the good ones" also had issues. The anxiety of the previous night came rushing back, her chest tightening as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.
Partly tangled in her own comforter, Lily twisted herself so she was facing the rest of the room, her eyes blinking to adjust to the light. Dewbelle's curious eyes stared back at her across the dorm, her voice sounding decidedly not sick. Lily's eyes narrowed, somewhat perturbed from having been woken up from her desperately needed nap. She cocked her head to the left, studying the squirrel intently, half wondering if she should just turn back around and ignore her dorm mate. Instead, Lily deigned to respond, her sleep-addled brain stripping away her normal reservations and channeling her anxiety into a slightly more snippy remark than Lily might've normally made.**
You're an awful faker. *Lily breathed in sharply, the edge in her own tone taking her by surprise.* W-what do you want?
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Post by Celebes on Jul 6, 2018 20:08:09 GMT -5
**Dewbelle's eyes widened briefly as she watched Lily imitate a flopping fish. She hadn't expected to startle her. Upon hearing the mousemaid's terse retort, Dewy's arching eyebrows receded back down her face and then some.**
You're an awful faker. W-what do you want?
**Dewbelle was quick to crack out a rebuttal, but ended up fumbling through the figure of speech she had heard Elders use now and then.**
Well lookit the grass callin' the leaves a fib!
**The squirrelmaid paused her defensive defamation. Not out of the realization that she had ruined the turn of phrase, but rather that she wasn't sure if Lily was indeed faking too. It would put her in a bit of a bind if Lily had dirt on her without Dewbelle being able to claim the same. The threatening thought clouded Dewy's mind, obscuring the realization that she hadn't actually answered Lily's question. Perhaps she should not have sang out her initial comment without adding in a token sniffle. Still, Dewbelle knew she was taking a risk by speaking up. She had an entire day with the timid dibbun, surely she could get Lily to not snitch on her.
Leaving her mangled metaphor hanging in the middle of the dorm, Dewy soon joined it as she removed her sheets. It had taken a bit of wrangling, but now that her legs were free from being stitched up in sheets, she indulged her tight muscles with a luxurious stretch. Placing her paws up on the board of the bunk above her own, she planted her footpaws on the rug and bowed her body inward, releasing a satisfied grunt as her spine popped and prickled. She was all limbered up for a day of sitting around.
Not feeling particularly peckish, Dewy did not immediately go for one the bowls of broth left for their rations. Instead, she had it in her mind that she wanted to draw. Now that she was up, the squirrelmaid realized that what had been rather bright light in the room for sleeping now served as rather dim drawing light. It was rotten either way. Dewbelle eyed the cloth curtain, hanging lazily from their runner with a narrow beam of light streaming through. Some thoughtful Elder had clearly left them mostly closed. Well, the thoughtfulness had run its course. Dewy was up now.
Purposefully striding over to the window, she dragged the drapes open with great gusto. Late morning light streamed in, and dancing dust particles could be seen floating about the river of light. Dewbelle inhaled some of those beautiful specks, and began to unceremoniously cough as she spoke up.**
Ach! Hot and dry it looks out...Wheef! You shoulds get up 'afore you...HACK! Catch a real fever in dat smelly old thing...Ach!
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Post by Isaiah on Jul 7, 2018 12:43:29 GMT -5
Well lookit the grass callin' the leaves a fib!
**The mousemaid could not resist rolling her eyes exaggeratedly at Dewbelle's butchering of the turn of the phrase. Not that Lily was quite sure what the correct wording was, but she was pretty sure that wasn't it. Lily bit her tongue before she let a particularly condescending remark loose on the opposing squirrelmaid. It wasn't that Lily thought she was better than other dibbuns, but she did believe she was quite a bit smarter, though her crippling shyness meant she wasn't correcting people as often as she might've liked. Still drowsy, it seemed better to let this one go and try to reclaim some lost sleep instead.
Opting not to extend the conversation any longer, she flopped back down with a drawn out sigh and closed her eyes. The summer heat had begun to warm up the interior of the Abbey, so Lily left her blanket haphazardly wrapped about her legs. Stretching out with the lightest of contented smiles pulling at her face, the mousemaid sunk back into sleep, tuning out the random movements of Dewbelle creeping around the dorm. Lily would mind her own business as long as the squirrel did the same.**
Ach! Hot and dry it looks out...Wheef! You shoulds get up 'afore you...HACK! Catch a real fever in dat smelly old thing...Ach!
**Sunbeams that had previously only occasionally bothered Lily now came streaming in all at once, shining bright golden light all around Lily's bunk. Her eyes shot open as the attacking rays wrenched her away from the brink of sleep, sending unwanted signals of alertness to her brain. Irritation caused the mousemaid to jerk her quilt onto the dorm floor, untangling her legs as the windows drenched her in summer warmth. More irritating was the retching and wheezing coming from Dewbelle, as if everything she was doing had the specific purpose of bothering Lily.
Not only that, but as Lily became wide awake, she realized the squirrel had insulted her favorite purple comforter. Was Dewbelle trying to pick a fight? Sleep deprived rage was beginning to bubble inside of Lily, compounded by the fact she'd now passed the point of no return for reclaiming any shuteye. Now, it seemed she'd be forced to do the one thing she'd been trying to avoid all day anyway, interact with another dibbun.
Stretching her footpaws down to the floor, Lily considered getting up, but settled on glaring passive-aggressively in Dewbelle's direction instead.**
How's the dust taste?
*Lily coughed as the disturbed dust began to travel in her direction. The mousemaid was surprised at how uncharacteristically brazen she felt, perhaps a combination of a very rough night and only one other dibbun to deal with.*
Maybe... y-you should get out before you make my morning any worse.
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Post by Celebes on Jul 7, 2018 19:25:55 GMT -5
**Dewbelle’s momentary wheezing fit began to subside to a mere lingering tickle at the back of her throat, and the squirrelmaid wiped a paw across her face to clear her watery eyes. Those curtains certainly needed to be opened more often if they concealed that much dust in their creases. **
How's the dust taste?
**Dewy looked over at the mousemaid, who seemed to have caught her cough. Normally one to have a ready sour stare tucked away for jibes like that, Dewy was momentarily flat-pawed by the piquey comment. She had been hanging around Lily now and then over the last few weeks, and couldn’t recall the mousemaid ever making a comment in jest. Much less a mean hearted one. Even more off putting was the fact that Dewy didn’t know what had triggered it. She had merely opened the drapes. Surely the mousemaid hadn’t intended on trying to sleep the day away.
The squirrelmaid was debating whether she should issue a “right-back-at-you” style phrase or let it pass when Lily spoke up again. **
Maybe... y-you should get out before you make my morning any worse.
**Now she was just being a brat. It was quite obvious that Dewy couldn’t just up and leave the dorm. Many of the grownbeasts were out of the Abbey that day, sure. But the squirrelmaid was sure there were still a few old fogeys doddering about the building. Jauntily strolling the hallowed halls of Redwall was a fantastic way to have Elder to spot her and call her bluff. Game over. Lily was acting like she’d rather have Dewbelle get in trouble than be forced to share her air. What, was the dorm not big enough for the both of them?
It took a stunned moment for Dewy to respond verbally, although her body language was quick to telegraph her thoughts. Her bushy tail stood erect behind her, paws on hips with frowning lips. **
Yah? You wants me to go an’ do all the duties you’re skippin’ out on too, misses abbess? Jus’ go back to lazin' the day away if yous just gonna grouse.
**It took Dewbelle a moment to remember what she had come over to the window for. Curtains. For…light. Drawing. That was it. The squirrelmaid scanned the room. The toy chest was across the way. She would just have to remember to put everything back how she found it, minus a sheet of parchment and a bit of worn off charcoal. She began to saunter single-mindedly towards the supplies, but not six steps in Dewy’s footpaw caught in the comforter that Lily had accidently thrown to the ground. She stumbled, but no harm was done. Well, besides reminding Dewy of Lily.
Still huffy from their recent bout of friction, Dewy turned to bend down and pick up the scrunched quilt. With a small **
Hmph
**Dewbelle forcefully returned the blanket to its owner. **
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Post by Isaiah on Jul 9, 2018 17:59:36 GMT -5
**Lily immediately felt bad for her spiteful outburst, lowering her head and staring at a fixed point on the floor as Dewbelle prickled with indignation. It was unlike the mousemaid to vocalize such a comment, her shyness keeping any snarky commentary internalized. Dewbelle didn't deserve Lily's crabbiness, and the annoyance the mouse felt was unfairly directed at the squirrelmaid. Lily was irritated by the events that had trapped her in a dorm with little sleep and a less-than-ideal companion, not at Dewy herself.
Keeping her gaze lowered, Lily fervently hoped Dewbelle would drop the conversation and ignore her—and just forget about the snarky remark.**
Yah? You wants me to go an’ do all the duties you’re skippin’ out on too, misses abbess? Jus’ go back to lazin' the day away if yous just gonna grouse.
**That was unfair! Lily was not the sort of dibbun to skirt responsibilities out of laziness, and she believed that evident enough for Dewbelle's barb to pack an extra punch. Fright was the real reason Lily had orchestrated her staying in the dorm that day; it was doubtful Dewbelle had reasons better than that for her fake illness, which added to the unfairness of her jibe. The attached sarcastic name-calling did nothing to lighten Lily's mood, further souring her attitude towards Dewbelle.
The mousemaid refused to meet Dewbelle's eyes, keeping her head lowered and regretting her role in starting this skirmish. The squirrel just didn't understand, nor did she have the courtesy to let Lily have her much needed sleep. Lily could be the bigger mouse, or at the very least the bigger dibbun, and drop the conversation. With such a bad start to their interactions, it seemed best for both of them if they went on their separate ways. Lily was content pouting on her own as long as it meant she didn't have to talk to Dewbelle any longer.
A sigh of relief as Dewbelle sauntered away from her, followed by a sharp intake of breath as the squirrel stumbled upon Lily's blanket.**
Hmph
**In the next instant Lily's vision was obscured by a purple haze, as both she and her pride was assaulted by a lavender comforter. Lily felt her jaw clench as she tried to keep from screaming in a sudden spike of irritation. The childish need to 'get even' was rearing its ugly head, and Lily didn't really care how immature she looked while doing it. She tore the blanket off her head, revealing ruffled fur and a very bitter expression.
Blinking twice, Lily focused on Dewbelle, her eyes narrowing. Then, without giving herself any more time to rationalize or talk herself out of it, Lily grabbed the pillow next to her and spun it towards Dewbelle's standing form.
Without even waiting to see if it hit, Lily prepped her face with a sickly sweet smile.**
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Post by Celebes on Jul 10, 2018 0:32:02 GMT -5
**Dewy had messed up. She hadn't meant for the wad of purple quilt to rap Lily in the face. But she would have hit the mousemaid's lap if Lily had not been hanging her head so low! For a second the squirrelmaid stood stock still. Dewy wasn't sure how hard she had hit her, but it had been forceful enough to stick. Regret filtered through her mind, animating various dire consequences of her clumsy comforter return. Any moment now, Dewbelle expected a sob to come from within the wrinkles of the blanket mask. She was going to have to make an awkward go at saying that she was sorry. The only question was whether Lily was going to keep the cover on her face to soak up her tears, or she was going to peel it off to wail.
Neither of those, as it turned out.
Apology already beginning to play on her lips, the sudden meeting of Lily's hateful and frazzled glance caught the rest of her atonement in her throat. The contrast between expectation and reality took a couple of moments to process. But as it turned out, it only takes one moment to get blindsided by a pillow. **
AFF!
**The cushion whumped into Dewbelle's side, with the follow-through briefly pinning her arm to her chest. Surprised, Dewbelle immediately backed up, putting a bit of range between her and a second swing. Massaging her matted arm with the opposite paw, she looked seriously at the slighted spot before she reconnected with Lily's gaze. Her expression had shifted again, to an…unnatural smile? It didn't match the look in her eyes. She...was…proud of herself? Perhaps? For what, standing up to being hit in the face?
Dewbelle was willing to take the blow if it meant she didn't have to apologize. Getting titted for her tatting was preferable to having to admit a mistake. She saw swallowing the hit as the preferable payment. Barely. Let Lily stew! It certainly beat having her sobbing all the way into some grownbeast's apron. Then they were both done for. Dewbelle gritted her teeth. Maybe now that this silly Lily had gotten this whole strange morning routine out of herself, she would settle down and read one of her boring books. Dewy could just ignore her until lunch time. Maybe by then they'd be fine passing each other napkins. Maybe.
The squirrelmaid finished brushing off her arm with a final flick, maintaining eye contact with Lily as she did so. Unconsciously she felt that her bottom lip was jutting out, with her tail slowly swishing behind her. Finally satisfied that the mousemaid wasn’t going to come in for round two at the moment, Dewbelle turned to strut over to the toy chest. They were even. Though, on her mental scoreboard, Dewy only kept track of reciprocal physical violence. As such, a poorly thought-out parting jibe was fair game to let slip. **
Foine. I’ll go over heres. You wonts hafta stutta' mean stuff at me, an' I can draw without chew.
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Post by Isaiah on Jul 11, 2018 12:44:00 GMT -5
**The thud of Lily's pillow striking true was immensely satisfying. She had expected to feel guilty, remorseful even, but the look of shock and confusion on Dewbelle's face was too rewarding. Having never purposefully hit somebeast before, Lily was unsure of what would happen next. Would Dewbelle seek physical violence in return? Was Lily of all dibbuns about to make another beast cry? A creeping sense of dread entered Lily's mind, undermining her catharsis as she considered Dewbelle ratting her out to Elders. Lily studied Dewy's face for signs of a reaction, but couldn't glean anything beyond fading confusion and anger. It occurred to Lily she might have just picked a fight.
Instead, the squirrelmaid quite literally brushed off the blow and strutted away. Lily's composure cracked, letting herself sink back into her bed with a sigh somewhere between relief and exasperation. She had to find a book. A good book would make her day better. At the very least, her confrontation with Dewbelle was at an end.
Or, that's what she thought.**
Foine. I’ll go over heres. You wonts hafta stutta' mean stuff at me, an' I can draw without chew.
Huh.
**Lily hadn't expected any further retorts, so the offending remark caught her by surprise. Just as the mousemaid had been about to forget about her unusual violent outburst, she felt prompted to lash out again. There were certain things one didn't make fun of, Lily believed. Her parents had always said never to make fun of somebeast for the way they looked or sounded, or anything else that was out of their control. Anything else was fair game, though Lily tended to keep her snarky remarks buried beneath several layers of anxiety. Now, Lily was feeling tempted to break her parent's rule.
On any other day, Dewbelle's jab at her stuttering would've sent the mousemaid scurrying off to the attic, where she could hide her face and sob in peace. Today was different. Lily was on edge. While she didn't quite feel aggressive enough to physically confront Dewy again, she wasn't about to let that comment slide. The mouse was making a stand. Though, it wasn't like she had anywhere to run anyway.
Lily muttered a response halfway into her pillow, just audible enough to carry across the room, but quiet enough that Dewbelle might think she wasn't meant to hear it.**
A-at least I can say words properly. I can... can talk b-better than you even with a stupid stutter.
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Post by Celebes on Jul 12, 2018 20:09:09 GMT -5
**Looking down at the chest that held most of the dorm's games and toys, Dewbelle noticed that the lid was flush with the trunk. Wow. That must have taken some doing, as usually the chest was crammed so full of things that the lid was almost permanently ajar. Did some dibbun finally organize the contents? Dewy slipped her claws under the lid and took a peek. No, tragically. Indeed, the answer was much more mundane. The chest was empty.
Dewbelle let the lid creak and slam shut as she released it. It dawned on her that she knew exactly where the toys were, indeed she had helped move them before her trumped-up sneezing fit the day before. They were being used as props for tonight's production. Some silly, "toys coming to life” scene, if she remembered right. How could she have forgotten that? A quick inspection of the drawers tucked underneath the chest revealed that their normal contents of parchment had been raided as well. Probably for signage. All that was left were two broken charcoal sticks that rolled around as she slid the drawer in and out. Dewy idly grabbed one.
Her plans were foiled. But before Dewbelle could properly target her simmering frustration at this new situation, the supposedly shy source of her old ire reared her ruffled head. **
A-at least I can say words properly. I can... can talk b-better than you even with a stupid stutter.
**Dewbelle whirled around, her tail painfully slamming into the empty chest with a hollow thunk. The comment, mildly muffled and almost casual, had pierced through the haze of frustrated thoughts. Lily, stuttering Lily, thought she spoke improperly? False. Dewbelle spoke perfectly properly. Just like mother. In fact, mother’s voice had been all she had known for most of her life. The squirrelmaid had worked hard to cultivate a proper imitation of it, even if she occasionally misused a big word here and there. And got a bit sloppy with word endings. It had been a bit of a paradigm shift to come to Redwall, sure. Beyond all the different dialects of dibbunsqueak, the grownbeasts all seemed to speak with the same general cadence. Especially those in the Abbey’s school. And well, good for them. Dewy insisted on keeping her woodland brogue. This arrangement was temporary, was it not? Mother needed to still recognize her voice when she came to visit. **
Yeah? Well, no, you can’t! Anythin’ you can say I can say betta’! Where’s one’a your dumb books? I bet I cans say any sentence in der betta’ than yous!
**Dewy dived into her spontaneous idea with both paws. She’d show that smarty mousemaid and her…her…elder mimicking accent! To demonstrate her resolve, Dewbelle again crossed the Rubicon back to Lily’s bedside, and plopped her rump down on the foot of the mattress impatiently. **
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Post by Isaiah on Jul 14, 2018 15:10:38 GMT -5
Yeah? Well, no, you can’t! Anythin’ you can say I can say betta’! Where’s one’a your dumb books? I bet I cans say any sentence in der betta’ than yous!
**Dewbelle's reaction was immediate, and accompanied with such a painful sounding slam of tail against wood that Lily winced, cringing into her pillow. Lily bit her lip. There had been a chance to ignore Dewbelle and return to sleep at some point in there. That opportunity was long gone now, and Lily blamed Dewy for her lowbrow insults. It was liberating, to be able to retort freely and not feel the pressure of a dozen eyes turning to her, questioning and judging. It was unfair to let dibbuns get away with insulting her when all she could do was shrink away. The mousemaid was fed up with getting the short end of the stick. An eye for an eye. She was going to make life fair.
Lily placed a defensive pillow between herself and the squirrel as her opponent sat down on the opposite end of the bunk. It took a few moments, but Lily finally registered Dewbelle's response as a challenge. Her dumb books? Her books were exactly why she wasn't dumb, as Dewbelle was about to find out. Other beasts were the ones who were dumb. Books make for far better company.
Scrambling off the bed, Lily reached beneath her suspended mattress, where she kept her personal library safe from the chaotic nature of the dibbun dorm. Her paw closed around the first book she brushed against, and pulled it out. The tome was thicker than Lily's wrist, with a dusty red cover and plain gold lettering. The Incomplete History of Redwall Abbey it read. A smile touched on Lily's features, as it often did when she was left alone with a book. This one had been pilfered from the gatehouse last autumn, no one had come looking for it, not even Brother Rufus. Though a bit dry to read through, there was the occasional unusual or enchanting bit of information tucked away between its pages that Lily craved. The mouse had passed many an afternoon since she'd acquired the book skimming its pages with a keen eye.
Turning back to Dewbelle, Lily put on her sweet smile again, reclaiming her seat on the bunk.**
R-really? Any sentence? **The book was flipped open, and Lily set about finding a particularly difficult passage, her paw tracing the well worn ink. Ah, there. The slaves who were freed from the evil of Malkariss have all settled here. Hm, there was a word even Lily didn't know, written down by some Recorder of Redwall past. It didn't matter, Lily was confident in her basic phonetic abilities.**
Okay... H-how about this sentence? You can go first!
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Post by Celebes on Jul 14, 2018 21:22:38 GMT -5
**Dewbelle observed with mild interest as Lily retrieved one of her books. The squirrelmaid had wondered where Lily had hidden her cache of literature. Dewy fixed her gaze on the volume that had been selected before it disappeared into Lily's lap behind the pillow barrier. It had certainly looked like a hefty looking volume, and she was glad that the challenge had been a matter of quality, not quantity. Dewbelle couldn't imagine how tedious it would be trying to read the same tome faster than Lily. What would happen if they finished a page at different speeds? Well, perhaps that would actually be proof enough.**
Okay... H-how about this sentence? You can go first!
**Not quite able to see around Lily's self-imposed fluffy dividing wall, Dewbelle opted to brush the pillow off the bed and scoot over so that she could read the indicated sentence, wincing slightly as her throbbing tail brushed the back wall. Grabbing the cover of the work that was closest to her, Dewy moved the book so that the spine sat between their laps. Lily's paw seemed to be pointing towards a dozen sentences with how packed the words were together, but after a moment's deduction she figured it was the last phrase on the paragraph. Dewy's eyes scanned the sentence. Then she rescanned it. The rhythm of her eyes gliding over the page ran into the same roadbump each time. Was that...even a word? Malkariss. And...slaves and evil? Why did Lily read such dark books? Perhaps that why she was so timid?. Dewbelle placed a claw underneath the sentence so that she wouldn't lose track of it before she began.**
Thee uh, thee slaves who were freed from the eevul of Mel-kera-less...'ave all settled...here. There! Why'd ya pick sucha scary sentence, Lilz? No wonda' yous always 'iden scared.
**Dewy glanced up at this last bit of conjecture, before returning her eyes to the page. The squirrelmaid was pretty confident in her performance. She had powered through that cheat of a word, and did it in a single breath at that. She doubted the mousemaid could do any better, and immediately began to search for her own sentence as she anticipated Lily's own performance with the difficult sentence. If Lily was going play using made-up word, Dewy figured that she should find a real whopper. Clearly, the word that had the most letters in it would be the biggest doozy. The two largest blotches of ink featured the gems of Loamhedge and Mattimeo. Two good contenders for a proper word salad.**
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Post by Isaiah on Jul 18, 2018 19:29:47 GMT -5
**Dewbelle brushed Lily's favorite pillow off the bed and Lily winced, though too preoccupied with making sure the squirrelmaid didn't ruffle the pages of her book to speak up. As Dewbelle began to speak, Lily was barely listening, already trying to sound out the sentence she'd chosen in her head. The mouse was vaguely aware of Dewy stumbling through the sentence, but Lily had been captured by the rest of the paragraph. Eyes skimming upwards, Lily's features crinkled as she tried to make sense of the story. She hadn't encountered this particular entry in her previous explorations of the book. Something about it was enticing. Mysterious, dark yes, but enticing.**
...sucha scary sentence, Lilz? No wonda' yous always 'iden scared.
**Tearing her eyes away from the page, Lily looked to Dewbelle, who was now uncomfortably close and encroaching on her personal space. Not-too-subtly, the mousemaid inched away from her companion, leaving the book largely in the squirrelmaid's possession. Returning her gaze to the book, Lily located the sentence. She swallowed. This would be the perfect time for her nerves to seize up and cause her to be unable to speak, Lily thought. Her mouth opened and she began to make her way through the selected sentence, focusing on keeping her stutters to a minimum. Wait, had Dewbelle just called her 'Lilz?'**
The... The s-slaves who were freed from the evil of... M-malk-arees? h-have all... *Lily cleared her throat.* What did you just call me?
**Lily reached for the book, aiming to slam it shut. Though she knew she'd woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, something about Dewbelle's attitude rubbed her very wrong. They weren't friends. They hardly knew each other. In fact, the only things Dewbelle seemed to know about Lily she made fun of the mouse for. Lilz? Not only was it a nickname Lily hated, but the two were nowhere near close enough to warrant it. Perhaps on another morning, Lily would've nodded her head and taken it. Today, Lily decided she'd had enough teasing.
Though Lily still wanted to prove her superiority over Dewbelle, she wasn't sure reading sentences was going to accomplish much. This whole incident was giving Lily a much needed reminder of why being so introverted wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She didn't get along with other beasts.**
M-maybe we should just keep to ourselves... Dewz.
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Post by Celebes on Jul 19, 2018 20:43:46 GMT -5
What did you just call me?
**Before Dewbelle could answer the rather obvious question, Lily's overzealous efforts to slam the book shut caused Dewy's paw to become smashed between the pages. Well, perhaps smashed was too strong of a word, the squirrelmaid's paw was close enough to the spine that the open cover did not have far to go before it was impeded. In either case, she recoiled, dragging the book back with her. Dewbelle was more than miffed that Lily was ending their little game before she had had a turn to pick a sentence. After she had been so cocky about her speaking skills, too! Dewbelle was sure that the one with that "Guosim” word in it was going to be a tongue twister. As she was about to contest the injustice, Dewy instead held her tongue until Lily finished interjecting a follow-up suggestion.**
M-maybe we should just keep to ourselves... Dewz.
**By the fur. Lily had all but pulled her tail this trying to get attention this morning, and now that Dewbelle had actually sat down with her she was trying to brush her off! First Lily accused her of lying that morning when she was guilty of doing just the same, then she had groused about not being able to sleep-in until half past noon, only then to go on and insult Dewy’s speaking abilities. Not to mention the direct assault on her side and the indirect hurt to her tail Lily was responsible for. Ah, and now add to all that catalogue of grievances the impertinence of garbling her perfectly good name. Dewbelle. No name produced a sweeter sound. At least that was what mother had told her.**
Well foine, if you're giving up so easily. And it's Dewbelle. I ain't like the drops unders a morning leaf, yeah?
**Dewbelle retrieved her not-so-smashed paw from the ancient text that had remained on her lap, opening the book as she did so. She slowly closed the volume with her other paw, watching the pages slowly slide neatly into place. Lines of text flowed by with illegible rapidity, only interrupted by the occasional illumination until she reached the end. Wait a moment. Had those been blank pages at the end? She hastily flipped back through the pile of musty page. Indeed there was. Blank parchment. Hadn’t she just been looking for that?
The squirrelmaid considered the blank canvas. On more than one occasion she had seen the codices used in Abbey School enhanced with many a dibbun doodle made in the margins. Here was a whole page of margin. It was an empty space. Why not fill it? It only made sense. Clearly the writers of Lily’s borrowed book hadn't planned on using it. She could doodle her own depictions of “Guosim”, and “Loamhedge”, and “M-malk-arees.” Of course, Dewbelle’s enhancements would no doubt irritate the literature loving Lily. But so did breathing the mousemaid’s air. If everything she did was going to annoy Lily, Dewy should at least choose the most enjoyable annoying activity.
Dewbelle briefly considered compromising and just tearing the requisite page out of the book so that Lily could keep the rest, but she would probably get in trouble with more than just Lily for that. So Dewbelle instead merely slid off the mattress, and tucked the weighty book under her arm furthest from Lily.**
I’ll take this one, an’ you can read yours, an’ we cans both stay on our own beds.
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Post by Isaiah on Jul 21, 2018 19:41:45 GMT -5
Well foine, if you're giving up so easily. And it's Dewbelle. I ain't like the drops unders a morning leaf, yeah?
F-fine... Dewz.
**Unable to resist getting the last word in, Lily muttered those final words under her breath, content in knowing that she had been the bookend to that conversation. The mousemaid was less content to see Dewbelle wrest away the tome from her grasp and start flipping through it. Who did the squirrel think she was pawing through other beast's property? Watching as her current rival skimmed the book with a modicum of disinterest, Lily didn't know whether to be indignant or try and appear casual.
Dewbelle was aware the book was hers didn't she?**
I’ll take this one, an’ you can read yours, an’ we cans both stay on our own beds.
**Of course she did, this was an intentional move. Lily reached out her paws, to snatch the book back, to grab onto Dewbelle, to do something—but found herself clutching only air. Leaping off the bed, Lily stood with a pillow in the tightened grasp of her left paw. Angry tears sprung to her eyes that she blinked back rapidly. This day was not going how she'd envisioned it. Lily had had enough of Dewbelle infringing on her personal space and property. As her grip tightened, Lily realized with a certain horror that there was very little stopping her from launching an all out assault of her frustrations on the squirrel.
Breathing slowly, Lily bit her lip, bottling up her sleep-deprived frustrations and anxieties before she exploded.**
T-that's mine. *Lily sighed. Weak. That would never work.* Give. Me. My. Book. Back.
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Post by Celebes on Jul 22, 2018 13:50:42 GMT -5
**Dewbelle hadn’t made it a pace before Lily was out of bed and after her. The squirrelmaid turned around the moment after she had heard her rival’s footpaws hit the floor. Lily’s eyes were moist, her expression beyond indignant. It was hard to miss the pillow that the mousemaid gripped conspicuously in her paw. Dewy braced for the imminent assault, increasingly aware that this wasn’t going to be the one-time body blow she had received the first time Lily threw a tantrum. Lily was out for fur.
But then, like a gust of wind that comes suddenly, shakes violently, and carries away just as quick, Lily’s features hardened. Emotion no longer ran plainly. She was visibly trying to get ahold of herself. Then she spoke.**
T-that’s mine.
**It was. Dewbelle was just borrowing it. Surely Lily would have borrowed a book before herself, given how much literature she consumed. Dewy despised the double standard, save for when she used it.**
Give. Me. My. Book. Back.
**Well then. Lily’s ultimatum was clear, and so was the threat. If Dewbelle didn’t hand over her precious book, there would be war. Dewbelle bristled at being ordered, curling her lip in disgust as she exposed her tiny teeth. The squirrelmaid refused to back down. And the reason, the reason for most of Dewy’s behavior that morning, was purely selfish. Dewbelle knew what she wanted, and Lily was going to have to live with that. She usually lived with everything else she didn’t like, didn’t she? Underscoring Dewbelle’s resolve was an undercurrent of cockiness. She knew that Lily would probably back down. Just minutes ago her opponent had vented her anger not with violence, but by sobbing snide remarks into her pillow. And as long as Dewy got her way and stayed out of earshot, Lily could do that all she wanted.
So after taking a step backwards to balance her weight, Dewbelle dug in her heels. She didn’t have any other weapon within reach besides the old book, so she brandished that aggressively. However, as her objective was more to intimidate than have a legitimate counterstrike prepared, the book was held somewhat showily over her head as if she was about to hurl it at Lily. She shot back icily, her threating pose causing her response to suggest a double meaning**
Yeah? ‘ow hard yous wannit back?
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