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Post by Celebes on Sept 30, 2018 13:42:04 GMT -5
**Dewbelle had come to the attic looking for a corner she could wedge herself in, and she thought she found just the spot. Across the way from the attic door and beneath a dusty window, a nice little notch was framed by two stacks of crates. It took her a moment to get her tail position right so that it wouldn't continue to sting from its abuse over the past little bit, but eventually she was able to slump to the floor and stretch out her legs so that her footpads touched the other side of the nook. Perfect spot for a good sob.
Tears had been running intermittedly down her face since she had left the dorm, but now they really began to flow. She knew some of the tears were from pain, both self-inflicted and Lily-inflicted. But much of the moisture and the subsequent sobbing came from stress. Dewy hadn't sobbed this much since those first nights at the Abbey, when mother had seemingly abandoned her here. But then she had to contend with not being heard by the other dibbuns in the dorm that night, a surprisingly difficult task with only a pillow. Now she let it out into the musty attic air. She hated Redwall. All its stupid rules, its stupid clothes, its stupid school, its stupid adults, its stupid friendships, its stupid plays that led to stupid fights. And stupid Lily. Why didn't she just have her books up? Then they wouldn't have been ruined! Silly mousemaid. She was probably still bawling down stairs. Hopefully somebeast would find her. Then they would probably kick Dewy out of here, and she could finally have an excuse to go back to the woodlands. Sorry mother, I tried, was all she would need to say. Then life would be back the way it should.
It took a few minutes of self-pitying sulking before the sobs died away into the occasional sniffle. The backs of her paws had grown saturated with tears as she tried to wipe her eyes, and she eventually gave up. Still looking for something to occupy themselves, her paws eventually found their way to her pockets, where they wrapped around a forgotten charcoal stick. She had pocketed it when she had been looking for parchment in the toy chest, and had forgotten all about it. She withdrew it. She still didn't have any parchment to draw on, but the wall next to her was as good as any surface as any. She began to scrabble out a drawing.**
W-what... are you doing here?
YEEP! **Dewbelle squealed at the sound of the voice, completely startled by the sudden appearance of somebeast new. Her paw had jumped along with the rest of her, leaving a strange vertical line on her charcoal wall posey. Turning her shoulders, she saw that it was Lily. She turned back away. Why had she followed her up here? Did she want an apology? Was she going to strangle her for ruining her books? Dewbelle could always go out the window if things got too crazy. The roof wasn't that high, was it?
Dewbelle wasn't ready for contrition. Although she felt guilty about destroying Lily's property, her apologetic mood had passed. It was kind of like how she would resolve to do better and improve her life at the end of a fine and inspiring speech from the Abbot, but when she left the meeting to actually start living better Dewy's motivation was gone. She just wanted Lily to go away. Getting her out of sight and out of mind would be a good bandage over the rotten feelings she had, rather than the more painful cure of just saying sorry. Besides, Lily had done just as much to be a brat, right? The longer she sat here, the more reasons she could figure out why the spar was all Lily's fault.**
Beat it Lilz, I was 'ere first. You cans 'ave the whole dumb dorm ta yourself.
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 3, 2018 16:49:55 GMT -5
Beat it Lilz, I was 'ere first. You cans 'ave the whole dumb dorm ta yourself.
**Lily just sighed. Her limbs were filled with sand and the sweat permeating her fur created an unpleasant sensation. Trudging across the attic, Lily made a lazy gait towards Dewbelle, the mouse's visage a mixture of exhaustion and disregard for the squirrel. Lily was not scared of Dewy. They might fight again, but Lily had the experience and confidence now to know she could hold her own if assaulted—though starting a fight with the state her body was in didn't seem to be in her best interests.**
The dorm smells like s-soup.
**Swinging her paws about whimsically, Lily pivoted before she reached Dewbelle's nook, making for her own preferred cozy corner. Strained muscles clung onto wooden crates as the mouse clambered upwards towards the window, all of her focus needed for this practiced maneuver due to her weakened state. Reaching the summit, Lily could look down on Dewy and indeed the entire attic, best of all through the window—though smudged and greased with decades old dust—glimpses of the Abbey grounds could be made out. Sometimes, the tops of trees could be seen over the western wall top, a hint of Mossflower and its beauty.
It was the best reading nook in the Abbey, made perfect in the colder seasons when the rain hit at just the right angle and pitter-patted against the cloudy glass. Lily wished she had a book now, instead, she had a squirrel.**
I... *Lily hesitated, wondering if attempting to be friendly was a fruitless cause.* I really like it here. It's old and dusty and reminds me of books. A-also, in the autumn months you can see some of the more c-colorful trees from up here.
*Lily took the sleeve of her blouse and attempted to wipe away some of the grime accumulated on the window.*
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Post by Celebes on Oct 3, 2018 21:02:55 GMT -5
**Dewbelle listened to the floorboards creak underpaw, muscles tensing as Lily approached from behind her. Her paw was gripped tight around her charcoal stick, causing some of the more brittle sections to flake off on her pad. Dewy was certain that the mousemaid was going to try jumping her after Dewbelle had tried to brush her off, but instead, the pawsteps stalled.**
The dorm smells like s-soup.
**The footpaws began to walk away. When Dewbelle was sure that she would not be seen looking, she glanced over her shoulder to see Lily deftly, if slowly, maneuver onto a stack of crates. Looks like she was here to stay. Dewbelle let out a ragged sigh. It was rather annoying that of all the empty spaces in the Abbey, Lily decided to come forcibly share one that was occupied. Well there wasn't much for it. She decided to turn back to her poseys, trying to figure out how to incorporate the ugly black streak that had been scratched onto the wall when she had been spooked. She decided to turn it into a particularly tall snapdragon.
Partway through filling out the stem, her ears flicked at the sound of Lily hesitantly speaking up.**
I...I really like it here. It's old and dusty and reminds me of books. A-also, in the autumn months you can see some of the more c-colorful trees from up here.
**Dewbelle wasn't in the mood for chatting. If Lily had stopped talking at books, Dewy would have easily ignored her. However, at the mention of the trees the squirrelmaid couldn't help but turn her head towards the window. The window she sat beneath must have been easier to access than the crate-blocked aperture that Lily perched by, for it was much cleaner. Dewbelle could easily see over the walltops to the treetops, with a distant view of the mountaintops beyond. The woodlands were full and green with late summer health, with only the very beginnings of autumn's mottleding on the odd tree. She longed to be in the middle of the growth. There were no real trees in Redwall. The carefully pruned crops they called trees in the orchard were nothing like the untended wilds that she and mother used to climb through.**
It's even betta' when yous be out in it. Its like bein' in the middle of a friendly foire when you climb up in 'em. I've been tryin' ta learn to read right propa' so mother will take me back to live'n 'em.
**It was less a boast than a thought that had managed to worm its way out into the open, but Dewbelle let it hang in the air anyway. There wasn't any use in trying to redact it, and it was opened-ended enough that perhaps Lily would leave it alone and not reply. Forgetting about her drawing of fake flowers, she stared out the window, imagining she'd be able to see the real deal.**
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 4, 2018 18:33:27 GMT -5
**The lavender sleeve came away—much darker and grimier than it had been before—leaving a streak of clear glass through which midday light filtered. Peering downwards, Lily's wistful eyes roamed the Abbey grounds; she spotted a pair of dibbuns with red stained paws running from the orchards, a stern looking mole in tow. Her gaze moved up, landing on two unidentifiable squirrels who walked side by side on the wall top, tails twitching as they talked and laughed together. Then, Lily was staring beyond Redwall; she took in the tree tops reflecting golden-green in the summer sunlight and found her head stuck in the wispy clouds that decorated the edges of the blue sky. Lily had lost herself in Mossflower.**
It's even betta' when yous be out in it. Its like bein' in the middle of a friendly foire when you climb up in 'em. I've been tryin' ta learn to read right propa' so mother will take me back to live'n 'em.
**Dewbelle's words washed over Lily, the mouse reluctant to tear her eyes away from the view. After a pause, some part of Dewbelle's response wormed its way through Lily's daze, igniting a hidden curiosity. Dewy was a woodlander, that Lily already knew, but the idea of the squirrel living right out there was new to her; Lily returned to her Mossflower fantasy, only this time imagining the squirrel scampering and dancing among the wild tree lines. Lily had talked down to Dewbelle not long ago, but now she was finding herself increasingly jealous. Dewbelle had lived outside the walls, in wild and untamed territory. Was she romanticizing? Perhaps. But even the trees just across the main road seemed fantastical to a mouse who'd lived within the walls all her life.
Suddenly realizing she had yet to acknowledge Dewbelle, Lily swung her legs out over the crates to face her.**
What's it all like? *The words were out faster than Lily had time to hesitate.* L-living out there, I mean... Isn't it...
*Lily considered a variety of words to finish her sentence: wonderful, beautiful, wild, amazing, incredible. Instead, she bit her lip, fearful of choosing the wrong one and offending Dewbelle into not sharing.*
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Post by Celebes on Oct 5, 2018 0:29:41 GMT -5
**As Dewbelle wistfully watched the world outside the window, a paw reached for a corner of the bandana that typically trailed across her collarbone. It was a bad habit, to chew on the end, but for now her habit was stayed, as her paw found no kerchief. A distracted glance at the faint reflection that she could see of herself in the window glass reminded her that she was not wearing her usual accessory. It was lying in the dorm somewhere, likely to be partially soaked in stew. The short fur on the top of her head was matted, as she hadn't bothered to preen it when she rolled out of bed that morning.**
What's it all like? L-living out there, I mean... Isn't it...
**Now that she had the reflection in focus, Dewbelle could more easily see into that strange second realm that was the reflection of a window. She watched the ghostly image of Lily turn towards her, silhouetted by her own window across the attic. Dewy waited for the second question that seemed to be on the mousemaid's lips, but it didn't seem like it was coming. Dewy was starting to warm up to the chat; after all, it was a subject she liked. The squirrelmaid decided to pick up the question despite its incomplete finish.**
Its really good. Like whens we geta day off 'ere, but with bunches more ta do. No chores or silly plays that grownbeasts'd make you do. Stuff yous learn is worth learnin'. Mother'd show me all the best places to climb.
**It wasn't much of a sales pitch, but she hadn't really ever been asked to describe it out loud, besides in passing. Ignorance kept her from acknowledging the harder realities her mother had to experience to keep her offspring fed, warm, and happy, but if Dewbelle had to acknowledge one item on Redwall's good list was its food. It was magnitudes better than whatever supper she could forage.**
Ther'd be foights sometimes to, but onlys with vermin and evil. Not like 'ere.
**The last part slipped out. It seemed like the vengeful part of her mind was trying to remind her tongue that she was chatting with the maid she had been sparring with just minutes before. It was an awkward taint to the budding conversation, leading to Dewbelle offering the first thing that came to her brain to try and cover it up.**
I 'spose you wouldn' want to get a betta' view of it. Yous can see much more from the roof.
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 5, 2018 14:07:02 GMT -5
Its really good. Like whens we geta day off 'ere, but with bunches more ta do. No chores or silly plays that grownbeasts'd make you do. Stuff yous learn is worth learnin'. Mother'd show me all the best places to climb.
**Lily stopped swinging her paws absently as Dewbelle started speaking, the mouse clinging to every word. Her imagination had often run rampant with ideas of what life outside the walls was like—ideas usually accompanied by images of grand adventures and noble heroes—but hearing somebeast talk about it from experience was mesmerizing. Though Lily didn't mind chores—they created an excuse for Lily not to interact with other dibbuns—and she was even a self proclaimed lover of Abbey School, the idea of learning being entirely different outside captured Lily's attention. There was a whole world beyond the walls that Lily had never experienced, at least not really. Short day trips couldn't make up for the experience of living, surviving, and learning out there.
The idea of it all was tantalizing. It was romantic and liberating. Lily had never spent more than a few hours at a time outside of Redwall, and the mouse doubted she had what it took to ever truly leave the Abbey. It wasn't as if Lily had anything against her home, but she could not help her mind wandering to beyond the sandstone parapets on occasion, wondering what she was missing. It was something Dewbelle had that Lily didn't.
The mouse said nothing, hoping Dewbelle would feel compelled to fill the silence and ramble on a little longer.**
Ther'd be foights sometimes to, but onlys with vermin and evil. Not like 'ere.
**An eye roll. For some reason Lily doubted the squirrel in front of her had ever fought with vermin.**
I 'spose you wouldn' want to get a betta' view of it. Yous can see much more from the roof.
**Lily froze. Part of her loved the idea. A much larger part of her wanted to run and hide and stay as close to the ground as possible. Was Dewbelle really so fearless? What if they were caught? Lily focused on her breathing, trying to remain calm; she could not let Dewbelle one up her again, could she?**
How w-would we even get up there? I-I can't climb as well as you. *Lily looked at her definitively non-squirrel paws in a gesture of defeat.*
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Post by Celebes on Oct 5, 2018 19:10:03 GMT -5
**Dewbelle was facing Lily now, the stiff half-turn she had previously been assuming to avoid eye-contact seemed to no longer be needed.**
How w-would we even get up there? I-I can't climb as well as you.
**Dewbelle gave an open-mouthed grin, revealing her prominent front teeth. She was more than a little surprised that Lily didn't shoot down the suggestion right away. Even if the mousemaid was just stalling for time while she worked up the courage to say "no", Dewy enjoyed the chance to explain her idea. Of course the young squirrelmaid hadn't been to the roof herself before, but she had thought about more than once how to do it. The precipitious climb wasn't a matter of bravery for Dewbelle, she almost had an indifference to heights. Rather, it was a technical challenge. Bringing up a companion was just another piece of the puzzle.**
Well, wes most of the way up, anyways. We're lookin' at the bottom side of the roof right now, roight? **Dewbelle started, gesturing upwards.**
Der's a gable over these windows, 'ere, and they connects to the roof. If wes can get on tops of one of 'em, we can just walk ups the slope! Not a bit more steep than walkin' up from a stream bank, eh?
**Dewbelle was standing now, continuing to diagram their journey with her paws. It was a bit irresponsible to let her passion start getting out of paw, especially with Lily, but she was on a roll now. The hardest part would be actually getting up the exterior wall to the gable above the window, but that was a pretty short climb. Even if it was on stone. She reached behind her tail to give the window a little jostle to see how loose it was.**
If yous go stand on the winow sill, I can find a string or somethin' in 'ere to pull yous up!
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 6, 2018 3:17:49 GMT -5
Well, wes most of the way up, anyways. We're lookin' at the bottom side of the roof right now, roight?
**Lily nodded along dumbly. Their proximity to the roof wasn't what she had questioned. Regardless of how close they were, some amount of climbing would be needed, and Lily worried that Dewbelle severely overestimated the mouse's climbing skills. Dewy's conjecture did little to comfort Lily, especially as it failed to satisfy her hope that Dewbelle knew of some reasonable way to reach the roof—like a ladder or flight of particularly sturdy stairs.**
Der's a gable over these windows, 'ere, and they connects to the roof. If wes can get on tops of one of 'em, we can just walk ups the slope! Not a bit more steep than walkin' up from a stream bank, eh?
**Again, Dewbelle skipped over the part Lily was most fixated on. The squirrel made it sound as if getting on top of the gable would be the easiest part, but every image Lily had of climbing up there filled her with a sense of dread. She pictured dangling higher than even the tops of some Mossflower trees and her stomach dropped. Lily glanced nervously towards the window, wondering how she was going to back out. Would Dewbelle think her a coward?
It wasn't fair. Squirrels had it easy with heights.**
If yous go stand on the winow sill, I can find a string or somethin' in 'ere to pull yous up!
**Lily's jaw dropped. Dewbelle's plan was even scarier than the initial image of climbing up freepaw. True, the mousemaid weighed almost nothing, but even she doubted a string would be strong enough to hold her—or that Dewbelle had the body strength necessary. Rapidly, fervently, urgently Lily began shaking her head; there were not enough ways to express her disapproval for this idea. She might have run away right then in any other scenario, but Lily wasn't about to showcase her cowardice in front of Dewbelle of all dibbuns.**
I-I really d-don't think a string will work... I b-bet you're a great climber but you probably can't take me up there on your own.
**The mouse's tail twitched over her lap as paws ran over it continuously. She hoped the compliment would satisfy Dewbelle enough to drop the subject. She'd see the ridiculousness of it, right? When it came down to it, Lily was terrified that she didn't have a reliable way of chickening out—and Lily was sick of running away.**
Maybe if I were a squirrel...
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Post by Celebes on Oct 6, 2018 12:18:48 GMT -5
I-I really d-don't think a string will work... I b-bet you're a great climber but you probably can't take me up there on your own.
**Dewbelle's amber eyes focused on Lily, darting across the mousemaid as she tried to pick up on her un-verbal cues. It didn't take a social butterfly to know that she was nervous. Dewbelle did not go out of her way to make other beasts uncomfortable, even if it was Lily. She knew that she certainly hated it when the other dibbuns tried to get her to go down in the cellar. But going down in the cellars didn't have any reward in itself. Any sweet drink down there could simply be brought back up. But a view of Mossflower from the roof couldn't be brought back down. The reward had to outweigh the overcoming of the fear.
Besides, Lily had practically challenged her when she mentioned that Dewy couldn't get her up on the roof. And getting Lily up there to see the breathtaking landscape would be more than enough payment for Dewbelle ruining her books. In fact, Lily might even owe her afterwards.**
Maybe if I were a squirrel...
**Well, she wasn't. And it would take more paste and glue strip that then they had available to change that anytime soon. Dewbelle tried to think of more practical ways to approach the problem. They weren't tall enough together to have Lily stand on her shoulders, and throwing her certainly wouldn't work. If they had a couple more of Dewy's maybe. Too bad Barkfur, and that whatsisname...Burfle? They weren't here. As her mind wandered, her eyes followed. Crates of junk and piles of discarded treasures were spilled all over the attic, with only the occasional shiny thing giving Dewbelle's scan a brief pause. One particular sparkle was more notable than the others. It was close enough that the squirrelmaid could examine it further. It was an old chandelier, still on its chain. **
Wait Lilz! Whats if I put this 'round my middle, and you wrap it around yours?! Then I could climb up onta the window roof, an' jus' pull you up by walkin' down the down slope on the other side? I is a'least two claws taller than yous, I could jus' fall backwards an' you'd fall upwards! We'd both get ta see the woods!
**Dewbelle was breathing fast by the end of her admittedly incoherent explanation, and her paws were flailing wildly as she tried to demonstrate the motion with the chandelier's chain.**
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 6, 2018 16:56:23 GMT -5
**Perched on top of the crates, Lily found herself inching sideways bit by bit, trying to reach a position where she could leap off and make a break for the door. This was as far off the ground as the mouse was willing to jump from, and the prospect of a beautiful view didn't change that. The idea was nice in theory—and so was the sense of freedom Lily imagined would come with surveying Mossflower from the roof—but Lily didn't see a realistic way of getting up there without one or both of the dibbuns falling to great injury or death.
Lily glanced towards the door. It was still partially open; if she needed to, an escape could be made.**
Wait Lilz!
**Her muscles remained tense, ready to make a run for it, but the mouse stayed in her perch above Dewbelle. What if the squirrel actually knew of a good way up there?**
Whats if I put this 'round my middle, and you wrap it around yours?! Then I could climb up onta the window roof, an' jus' pull you up by walkin' down the down slope on the other side? I is a'least two claws taller than yous, I could jus' fall backwards an' you'd fall upwards! We'd both get ta see the woods!
**Lily studied the chain Dewbelle was enthusiastically showcasing, trying to discern it's length and relative strength. It certainly looked long enough to support an assortment of crazy ideas, and the metal was surprisingly rust free. Lily didn't want to admit it—the idea still sounded utterly ridiculous—but it was a plan that could reasonably work with a little luck.
Looking back through her window, Lily imagined what it would be like to see more than just a sliver of the forest, and without the lens of grimy glass to look through. Her breath caught in her throat. It was something she wanted. Was this something Lily could go through with?
The mouse still had doubts, but now she was looking for reasons to do it instead of reasons to bail.**
Y-you sure you can make it up there? Have you done it before? *Lily didn't want to make it sound like she doubted Dewbelle's climbing skills, but she wasn't sure what the limits of squirrels really were.* D-don't you need... like, supplies for this sort of thing?
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Post by Celebes on Oct 7, 2018 0:23:19 GMT -5
Y-you sure you can make it up there? Have you done it before? **The question cut through Dewbelle's cloud of hype, if only a little. Lily had asked the same question in different forms several time already, but that had still been in the conjecture phase of the plan. Now it seemed like they were actually going to do it. Could she do it? Of course she could. Stone was much different than bark, of course, but she was sure she could pull it off. The trick with masonry was that you could not make your own clawhold like you could with softer bark. You had to work with the cracks you already had. She had discovered that when she had tried climbing the red brick walls exterior walls. She had gotten several lengths off the ground when she realized the there were no new pawholds above her, and she had to turn back. That wouldn't be a problem here, the gable was only a couple lengths up. **
D-don't you need... like, supplies for this sort of thing?
**Dewbelle was in the middle of a confident nod in the affirmative at Lily's first question when the second one hit. As a matter of fact, she did, and she had been saving it. **
Well, mother always climbed with chalk for higher climbs, she gaves me a piece when I came here. We dust our paws up with that an we can grip anythin'!
**She rubbed her paws together in demonstration, looking up at the mousemaid still perched on the crate. Dewbelle knew that Lily was reasonably strong, her pillow swings had shown that. As long as the mousemaid could at least hold her own weight, Dewbelle imagined everything would turn out fine. It had to. Though she wasn't too worried about the obvious risks, she wasn't in such an excited haze that she didn't recognize there were some there. But she wanted to do this. And apparently, Lily had an inkling of a desire too.
Dewy made an abrupt turn for the door, stopping short of the portal and making an about face. **
I'll go get the lump, if yous get the chain off an' window open. Be right back!
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 8, 2018 0:49:13 GMT -5
Well, mother always climbed with chalk for higher climbs, she gaves me a piece when I came here. We dust our paws up with that an we can grip anythin'!
**Lily's left eyebrow arched high, retaining a degree of skepticism for their roof-bound journey. Still, the mouse was being swept along by Dewbelle's contagious enthusiasm, so much so that she was even forgetting about the stomach-churning drop that awaited her. It was very rare that Lily didn't hesitate to do something, make a decision, choose her outfit. Something about the adrenaline filled spar of that day had made Lily sick of that timid apprehension; she wanted to go on an adventure.**
I'll go get the lump, if yous get the chain off an' window open. Be right back!
W-wait, I-
**But the squirrel had already left, and Lily's question about how they were going to get off the roof trailed off into dusty silence. It wouldn't be a problem. Climbing down was a lot easier than climbing up, wasn't it? Lily made a mental note to ask when Dewbelle came back in the room.
Sighing, Lily slid herself off the wooden crates, landing on the floorboards with a stumble. The chain drew her eye, glinting bright in the noonday light. The chandelier had a similar shine, and was in a nice enough condition that it caused Lily to wonder what caused it to have been put away in the first place. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no easy mechanism for releasing the chain. Lily frowned. It wasn't an elegant solution, but after a minute of searching the mouse came up with a rusted hammer. Three strikes—each more violent than the last—and the chain was separated from the top of the chandelier, a feat that surprised Lily, who was impressed with her own strength.
The window was easy enough to open, a rusted latch that took minimal effort to force apart. The resulting breeze almost knocked Lily off her feet; all of the sudden she felt very overwhelmed and vulnerable. Open air and sunlight called to her and equal amounts terrified her. What if they were caught? What if she slipped and fell through the now massive opening in the wall? She retreated back to the chain, instinctively tying a tight knot about her waist—making her feel safer despite the other end being loose. It seemed that book on useful knots had come in, well, use after all.
Twitching nervously, Lily leaned back up against the crates, waiting for Dewbelle's return.**
I'm completely insane.
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Post by Celebes on Oct 8, 2018 16:18:03 GMT -5
**Dewbelle's footpaws squeaked down the wooden stairs to the ground floor. The squirrelmaid was much more conscious of the creaks and groans coming out of the ancient flight than she had been going up the first time, crying as she was. She paused at the landing, looking up and down the hallways before continuing. While she was still safe from being caught by some random group of dibbuns leaping about the Abbey, there was still the odd grownbeast kicking around indoors. Now was not the time to get caught. Not when she had the chance of the season to get onto the roof. With a mostly willing partner to boot.
At the doorway of the dorm, Dewy gratefully noted that Lily had closed it before leaving herself. Nobeast probably knew they were missing then. Dewy slipped in past the door, the distinct smell of stew hitting her before she had fully entered the room. Everything was still a mess from the spar, but Dewbelle figured that that could get cleaned up later. Reaching her bed, the squirrelmaid went down on all fours before turning over onto her back. Grabbing the runner, she pulled herself under the bunk bed, and stuffed a paw between the mattress slats and the mattress itself to scrounge around for what she was looking for. It was where she stashed her more personal things, out of sight and out of reach of uninvited paws. In a matter of a moment, her paw found the shape it was looking for. Chalk. Wasn't too hard, it was the only lumpy thing behind that slat.**
Oh heavens above, what happened here?
**A surprisingly high-pitched male voice chirped in from the hallway. Dewbelle's stomach dropped, and she quickly pulled her aching tail in under the bed to join the rest of her body. Dewy had left the door somewhat ajar so that she...she - well, fine - she left it open in a silly mistake. Now it was quickly swung open. The speaker did not completely enter the room, and because of the angle of the door all Dewy could see were sandals beneath the crack of the door. The stranger seemed unsure of what to do. The sandals rocked slightly back in forth in place, but otherwise this didn't seem to be a grownbeast who normally liked to talk to himself. A pity.
Suddenly, with an air of decision, the sandals spun on their heels and marched out. Dewbelle waited until they had echoed some way down the hallway before scrambling out from under the bed. She was certain that if she stuck around hiding here, she'd be caught. Besides, she had an even better place to hide. Picking up her bandana from where it had been discarded on the floor earlier, Dewy wrapped it around her wedge of chalk before fleeing the dorm.
After the briefest of stops at the kitchen, Dewbelle raced back up to the attic, closing the door as hard as she softly could. She saw Lily by the crates she had been sitting on, chain successfully prepped and looking a bit apprehensive. Dewy for her part didn't know what she looked like, but worried that she looked worried. She took a moment to get ahold of her breathing, and decided to push forward with the plan. She removed the chalk from the kerchief bundle she kept in her other paw, and began to rub the chunk between the pads of her paws. She nodded at Lily's chain approvingly before passing her the white wedge.**
Nice goin', Lilz. Now rub this 'ere between your paws until they fill good an' dry, like bone, yeah? It'll give yous extra stick on brick. Yous probably goin' to 'ave to take offs your sandals, too.
**The last bit was somewhat personal preference, but any advice given probably helped Dewy sound more like she knew what she was doing. She knew her mother wrapped a bit of cloth along the sole of her paw to protect it against rougher surfaces while still keeping her claws free, but Dewbelle hadn't remembered to grab any rags.**
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 10, 2018 16:02:13 GMT -5
Nice goin', Lilz. Now rub this 'ere between your paws until they fill good an' dry, like bone, yeah? It'll give yous extra stick on brick. Yous probably goin' to 'ave to take offs your sandals, too.
**Lily took the chalk, avoiding Dewbelle's gaze for fear she might telepathically know the mouse had been considering vanishing just before the squirrel returned. The stick was dry and a bit crumbly, a texture she didn't particularly like, but used it as instructed anyway. It rubbed off easily on her paws. In no time at all, Lily's soft pads shared the same off-white colour as the rest of her fur—furthering her image as a ghostly figure.
After handing back the chalk before she went overboard, Lily picked up the other end of the chain she'd tied about her waist, eyeing Dewbelle awkwardly.**
Ah... I'll just-
**Lily just shut up; talking was not her strong suit. The chain was looped and slipped around Dewy's waist, resting just above her bushy tail. Shaking, nervous paws made arranging the chain a struggle, and Lily hoped Dewbelle couldn't hear the seemingly incessant clinking of the metal. Finally, Lily drew the chain tight, satisfied with her handiwork.**
Does that hurt? *To be honest, Lily would rather bruise either of them than have the chain too loose.* And-ah... Y-you're going first, yes?
**The window was open, the chain had been secured, and their paws were chalked up. There was no more preparation to do, yet Lily wanted nothing more than to keep babbling and asking questions of her partner-in-climb. They just had to be careful, right? Being tied together, as long as one of the pair was always in a safe position there would be no danger at all. It didn't sound very convincing to Lily, but the tremor in her paws wasn't exactly confidence boosting.**
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Post by Celebes on Oct 11, 2018 12:05:40 GMT -5
**Dewbelle was surprised by Lily's lassoing of her waist, but by the time she saw her handiwork with the knot, she was impressed. Never particularly good at tying rope, she was sure that her attempt at chain-knotting would have fashioned something that was little more than an ugly bow.**
Does that hurt? And-ah... Y-you're going first, yes?
**Dewbelle tugged down the bottom of her front, freeing the fabric from scrunching up. It was a little tight, but as long as she could have easy mastery of her arms and legs, she would be fine. The only thing that concerned her was the added weight, but she was sure that it wouldn't be much more difficult than climbing with a loaded satchel. As she replied, she returned the chalk to her bandana bundle and tied the pouch around the chain at her side.**
Its foine, I say. I'll find us a good route up, yous jus' pay attention and do what I do, yeah? Its not much different than climbin' a tree a lil' higher off the ground.
**Dewy walked backwards from Lily, testing the length of the chain. It was a few paces long, which seemed like it would be enough. Then again, distance always seemed different when oriented vertically. Walking a league across the fields was much different than being a league off the ground. Dewbelle went over to the open window. She leaned out, checking the grounds to the left and right to ensure that nobeast was watching. The yards on this side of the building were surprisingly deserted, though if she had stopped to think about it longer the phenomena was likely due to them being the cold shady side of the Abbey on a crisp autumn day.
Dewbelle was hit in the face by a gust of wind. It almost knocked her back a step, and she realized for the first time how windy it was up here. She put out a paw to steady herself on the window frame, but missed, knocking over a wooden pole. Breaking her gaze away from her task, she saw that the pole belonged to a mop. A rather old mop that was so decrepit looking that Dewy guessed that any floor it "cleaned" would end up dirtier. Probably why it was retired. She picked up the pole, an idea forming. It would give her a bit more peace to her admittedly growing apprehension, though she could pass the process off as a way to comfort Lily.**
Yous 'old this across the window, like a brace, sees?** Dewbelle demonstrated, holding the mop crossways so that it hit either side of the window frame before handing the handle to Lily. **That'a ways, when I falls, yous won't be yanked out the window, yeah?
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