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Post by Isaiah on Oct 12, 2018 15:23:37 GMT -5
**Lily took a step back as Dewbelle fussed with the chain about her waist. For better or worse, the two were well and truly linked together now; whatever happened to one beast would happen to the other. An odd feeling of calm swept over Lily, the mouse knowing she couldn't even run away now if she wanted to. There was nothing for it now but to give it her all. Dibbuns did stupid things all the time and lived, right?**
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.
**Subconsciously, Lily was aware Dewbelle was just babbling on to reassure herself more than anything—Lily doubted the squirrel had ever done anything similar to this before—but she still took comfort in the words. Finding the perfect perch in a tree—the nook between two branches—to read on a lazy summer afternoon was one of her favorite pastimes. Though she'd never climbed exceptionally high—she was no squirrel—Dewbelle was probably right, it couldn't be that much harder. Buildings were more sturdy than trees too.
Her line of thinking wasn't particularly logical, but it helped stay her breathing as Lily's heart beat increased gradually. It didn't really feel like she was in her body right then—it was as if someone else had taken over—possessed her and forced her to do this ridiculous thing, and now she was just along for the ride.**
Yous 'old this across the window, like a brace, sees? That'a ways, when I falls, yous won't be yanked out the window, yeah?
**Lily nodded, it made sense. Brandishing the mop like a weapon, Lily took it with a spin, holding it cross ways as Dewy had instructed. It seemed sturdy enough, perhaps this would be a safe expedition at all. They were ready, but something tugged at the back of Lily's mind.**
WHEN you fall?
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Post by Celebes on Oct 13, 2018 0:36:41 GMT -5
WHEN you fall?
**Dewbelle ducked her head under the mop, chain tinkling as it brushed along the stone windowsill. It was a bit awkward to get her footpaws up while keeping her head so low, but eventually she stood on the window with one paw on the frame. She chanced a look. It was a long way down.**
Don' worry Lilz, that's why we got this chain, yeah?
**Suddenly Dewbelle felt very grateful for the safety net. Her mother wasn't here climbing below her to catch her should she slip. The only thing between her and a dizzying drop was the mousemaid she had just spent the better part of the morning sparring with. The wind up here was ferocious, and Dewy's tail was tugged fearfully as the dibbun squirrel turned to face the building. She met Lily's eyes one last time before shifting position to plan her route.
The squirrelmaid placed a probing paw on the stone to her left of the window. The sill did not project very far out of the frame, so Dewbelle's torso was pressed against the glass as she leaned out to feel. The stone was as one would expect, hard. Though not as rough as she would have liked. Gusty weather high above may have weathered the stone faster than the blocks at the bottom of the ramparts. That was okay. She could do this. Her pad slid along the surface, feeling for lesions in the brick that she could slip a claw into. Feeling what seemed to be a sizable crack, Dewy jammed a paw's worth of claws in. It was deep enough that she could grab and bring her paw flush. This would be her starting point.**
Kay, Lilz, when yous start off, theres a good seam over 'ere, yeah? I'm goin' to route it out.
**Dewbelle leaned her head out, straining her eyes as she planned out where her other limbs find purchase. She found her marks. Dewbelle breathed in. The gable wasn't that far up. Only two or three lengths. The cracks up here deep, probably widened as winter ice expanded the fall moisture left within. She could do this. All she had to do was keep three points of anchor, and she would be fine. It may have been a bit of bluster when she had first considered this climb to be a mere technical challenge with no courage required. But that was okay. She could be brave. She committed.
Left paw dug deep into the discovered crack, she next attempted to get her left footpaw in place. There was a bit of a hollow between two bricks further down that had not been completely filled with mortar. She aimed for that. Perfect. Right paw was still securely fasted on the side of the window frame. Okay, she had her three points. Now for the right footpaw. It would have to leave the comfort of the window sill. She breathed in. She kicked her threw her paw out into the air, and after an eerie moment in swung into place besides her left footpaw.
She did it. She was on the wall. Hard part was over.
She would move her right paw first. Yes, get it completely of the window. Not hard. She swung it over, aiming further up the same crack her left paw currently grasped. Purchase.
Alright, left paw. There was a brick further up, a bit far to the left, but possible to grab. Some stone layer had been sloppy with his brickwork, and the edge of the brick jutted out. Dewy moved for it. Purchase.
Footpaws. Footpaws. If she was brave, she could scrunch her body up, and bring her legs into the position her forepaws had just been. Yes, brave. She would abandon her three anchor policy for just a moment. Another breath. She kicked her legs out into space. Pur-no, not yet. A bit of scrabbling, and then...yes. Purchase.
Dewbelle continued a steady pick up the wall. The route was feasible. She had a brief scare at one point when the chain that dangled from her waist snagged her right footpaw. Somehow, the clinking links had somehow gotten wrapped around her ankle. She couldn't release one of her other limbs to try and free the struggling footpaw, and Dewy fought to keep panic from overtaking her. After a seeming eternity of shaking a leg, the chain limply relinquished.
She had covered about two thirds the distance. The rain gutter that wrapped the gable was almost reachable. She could do this. Almost there. Dewy made a tentative look down at the window she had come from to eye her progress, throwing a shaky voice down as she did so.**
It-itsa not too bad, Lilz! A-almost there!
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 17, 2018 17:30:24 GMT -5
Don' worry Lilz, that's why we got this chain, yeah?
**Lily wrinkled her nose. She did not fancy being the safety net between Dewbelle and an unfortunate meeting with the ground—her arms barely thicker than the broom she held. Even so, the mouse readied herself to catch her climbing mate if Dewy were to slip, Lily fervently hoping the broom would not snap under the squirrel's weight. Though she maintained a furrowed brow as Dewbelle clambered out onto the window sill, Lily couldn't help but feel relieved that Dewbelle was going before her. It seemed more manageable this way, if Dewbelle could prove it was all possible.**
Kay, Lilz, when yous start off, theres a good seam over 'ere, yeah? I'm goin' to route it out.
**She nodded in response, more for her own reassurance than anything else. Lily had climbed the odd tree before, they made for excellent reading nooks, but the seemingly smooth stonework of the Abbey had the reputation of being insurmountable. Could a non-squirrel really make the climb?
Lily dared to look down as Dewbelle inched further and further from safety, the dizzying height almost causing the mouse to fall backwards. The chain pulled taut, and Lily steadied herself, not wanting to throw Dewbelle off her balance. The squirrel disappeared from view now, leaving the relative safety of the windowsill. Lily could just make out the edge of a bushy tail as Dewbelle ascended at a worryingly slow pace. With every sound Dewbelle made, every scrape against the red stonework, Lily braced herself for being pulled against the broomstick as her friend plummeted.
An eternity passed. All was fine.
She risked another look downwards, this time focusing on her breathing to avoid her anxieties taking over. The sheer terror of the height hit Lily full force now. This was a terrible idea, of course it was!**
It-itsa not too bad, Lilz! A-almost there!
D-dewy! I'm n-not so sure about this!
**She shouted but felt her words snatched away by the breeze; the mouse did not have very much breath to give.*
Come back down?
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Post by Celebes on Oct 18, 2018 10:44:46 GMT -5
**Dewbelle gripped the wall, arms splayed at an uncomfortable length to the left and right of her as she sought purchase so that she could adjust her footpaws. Her pads were starting to become moist, her paws having already left several chalky marks where they had been slapped against the wall. She would almost be able to plot her exact route, had she been able to look down. **
D-dewy! I'm n-not so sure about this! Come back down?
**Dewbelle's ears could scarcely pick up Lily's words. The mousemaid sounded so distant, even though Dewy had only gone a couple lengths up. The wind was ripping away words before her ears had time to catch them. Still, Dewy thought, or wanted to think, that she had caught the general drift of what Lily had said. She knew how to get down. They would just follow the same route back. Dewy was more worried about finishing the up part before thinking about the down. She finished adjusting her footpaws, and continued upwards.
A shaking paw gripped the gable's gutter, causing the tin fixture to rattle unhelpfully as Dewy tried to steady herself. She had one solid point of contact now. Dewbelle began to carefully turn her torso so that she could approach the gable at the correct angle. An eerie creak cut through the wind. Startled, the dibbun squirrelmaid hurried to shift her weight off the gutter. Paw removed, she was horrified to see the nail, once solidly flush against the roof's trim, now protruding half its length. She had almost ripped the gutter off the gable. Using that as a shortcut up was a no go, unless she wanted an even quicker shortcut down. She stilled her heart, shifted position, and climbed a couple more bricks before slipping onto the window's mini roof.
She had made it. She. had. MADE IT!
The feeling was exhilarating. She lay belly down on the slanted precipice, staring into the shingles. She shook all over, realizing for the first time the strain her arms had been under. Normally when climbing on bark she would be able to sink the claws of her footpaws into the wood to relieve her body weight, here she had been practically gripping on by her pads. That's how Lily would climb it, right? Pads? She didn't have any climbing claws. Well, Dewbelle had just proved it was more than possible.
After a few moments of rest and self-adulation, Dewbelle rose into a crawl. She listened to the tinkling of chain against the gutter as she crawled up the short A-framed precipice, aiming to get to the other side. She was stopped. The chain tugged into her gut as she tried to crest the peak of the gable. She turned around and shook the chain a bit, hoping it was just a snag but knowing deep down it wasn't. She had reached the end of her tether. Dewy had pictured while still safely in the attic that she could be able to climb over onto the reverse slope of the gable and hang on from there, but the chain wasn't long enough to reach past the apex of the small roof. Dewbelle considered. Well, she could probably hold on to the apex, the ridge seemed pretty sturdy. Besides, Lily could easily make the first little climb up that crack in the wall; Dewbelle would just then finish climbing over the roof as the chain shortened up. No problem.
Eager to get her partner up so that they crawl onto the real roof, Dewbelle turned and gave the chain two sharp tugs to signify she was ready. She strained to get her chin over the edge of the roof, again trying to force her voice through the gale.**
Is 'ere, Lilz! C'mon! I'll makes sure yous don't fall!
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 24, 2018 12:44:24 GMT -5
Is 'ere, Lilz! C'mon! I'll makes sure yous don't fall!
**An eternity passed before Dewbelle's voice came sailing through the window, but finally it did, faint and muffled though it was. The squirrel had done it—actually made it—incident free. Lily had known that already, of course, because of the chain linking the two's fates, but the confirmation still came as somewhat of a surprise. She delicately placed the broom back in its original home leaning against the wall; her heart rate rising as the last barrier between herself and the great height was removed.
She looked down, she couldn't help it. The distance was dizzying, yet somehow electrifying. She pushed herself forward, coasting on the high of adrenaline. A gust of wind blew suddenly, ruffling Lily's fur dramatically. She clung to the edge of the opening pitiably, her wiry frame pressed up against the side of the window and one paw tentatively sneaking out onto the window sill. The wind subsided to a breeze, and Lily dared to inch out a little farther, still leaving one paw inside the building for stability.**
On m-my way! **Lily dared to squeak, but who knew if her voice carried far enough.
Where had Dewbelle gone from here? The wall looked smooth and impenetrable, an impossible feat to scale. No, wait... There was crevice between two bricks, a place where enough of the mortar had been worn away that a paw as small as hers could squeeze in comfortably. A deep breath, and the mouse leaned out, hooking her paw into the crevice. There was another similar hold for her footpaw, which Lily took easily enough. Then, her progress halted.
She was stretched out, flat against the wall, not daring to move any further and leave what relative safety she had left on the window sill. She had spotted another hold above, but it meant relying on the tiny wall crevices and her paws which felt increasingly tired with every passing moment. The gable loomed above, tauntingly close if she could only reach.
Before Lily could talk herself out of it, she'd released her grip on the window, swinging upwards for the next purchase. In a terrifying moment, she scrabbled empty-pawed, before it sank into the crevice safely. She dared not look down anymore, not without the window to fall back on. Instead, she kept her gaze focused upwards.**
D-dewbelle?! **Lily gulped. She didn't see where her next pawhold was. All of a sudden, she felt very very stuck.**
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Post by Celebes on Oct 25, 2018 11:28:19 GMT -5
**Dewbelle gripped the apex of the gable, the rough wooden shingles threatening to splinter as her paws rubbed against the surface. The squirrelmaid had heard Lily call out at the start, and the chain pulled perceptably against her waist. Lily was actually doing it. Dewbelle grinned into the wind. They were going to make it onto the roof after all.
Dewy squeezed her eyes shut as she strained to take up the slack in the chain. Lily had moved, but not enough for Dewbelle to really advance down the backside of the gable. If she really tried, she could get her elbows hooked over the top of the ridge, but Dewbelle doubted that that would be very secure if her precious cargo below decided to slip. She would stick to digging in her claws.**
D-dewbelle?!
**A panicked cry hit her ears. Dewbelle immediately seized the shingles with all her dibbun might, waiting for the chain to suddenly gain its weight several times over. But it didn't. Lily didn't fall. But the chain didn't suddenly become lighter either. Lily wasn't moving. Had she been spooked?
The squirrelmaid was facing the wrong way to call down any advice, much less actually see what was going on. She wasn't anywhere near strong enough to pull Lily up by herself. If Lily was going to move, it would have to be by Lily moving. Dewbelle stayed still for a moment more. Still no rattling on the chain. Noting the strain that was still present in her own arms, Dewy began to worry that if Lily didn't keep moving, the mousemaid's paws would start to give out. And there was no telling how far away from the window Lily was. Dewbelle had to know what was going on.
With all her focus on keeping the chain taunt, Dewy slowly extracted her claws from the roof, and pulled them back to grab the chain. If she could get herself turned around, she could cinch her way along the chain back down the slope of the roof. Dewbelle timidly spun around, ears pressed flat against her head by the breeze and nerves. The slope of the gable seemed steeper going down than when she had been going up, but the dibbun managed to belly crawl down the shingles until she could poke her chin over the side of the good-for-nothing gutter. There was Lily, frozen to the wall. Dewbelle struggled with her depth perception as she tried to call out encouragement, it being difficult to gauge how far Lily was from pawholds while her eyes were squinting in the wind.**
'ey Lilz! Yous doin' great, yeah! Jus' keep movin' up an' keep three limbs on the wall! There's a block with a corner stickin' outs 'bove your left paw, grab dat one!
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Post by Isaiah on Oct 29, 2018 20:36:57 GMT -5
**Lily's eyes struggled to focus. The sandy wall she clung to grew brighter as the sun emerged from behind a cloud, the strong reflected light bringing tears to the mouse's eyes. Her paws dug in tighter as she was forced to close her eyes and blink away the moisture. This was a dream, it had to be, or maybe a nightmare; Lily would never consciously choose to do this in the waking world. Unfortunately, that assertion did nothing to shake Lily from this waking nightmare, and she couldn't exactly pinch herself. The mouse eyed the window beside her, trying to calculate whether leaping for it would be a viable plan of action.**
'ey Lilz! Yous doin' great, yeah! Jus' keep movin' up an' keep three limbs on the wall! There's a block with a corner stickin' outs 'bove your left paw, grab dat one!
**Squinting against the sun, Lily's gaze was drawn upwards to the face of Dewbelle, whose red outline seemed like an extension of the Abbey wall. She wanted to be angry at Dewbelle for getting her into this mess, for somehow manipulating Lily against her better judgement, but the encouragement had a begrudgingly uplifting effect. She had made it all the way out here, and with Dewbelle guiding her pawhold by pawhold, it all seemed very safe.
Lily's paws were beginning to ache, in a way that made the mouse doubt how long she could continue hanging on. She had to move. With a bit of effort, Lily extricated her left paw from its crevice, stretching upwards to the pawhold Dewbelle was pointing at. She made purchase. Her confidence was growing now, the smiling silhouette of Dewbelle egging her on from above. She advanced her right paw next. Then her footpaws one by one. The intense level at which she had to focus distracted Lily from the pain in her paws, and as she ascended the mental challenge behind it all was getting easier.
Just below the gable, Lily had run out of pawholds. The gutter was tantalizingly close—as was Dewbelle—but stretching upwards Lily found it to be just a paws-length away from a safe purchase. She grimaced as she was forced to hang still, her previous momentum grinding to a halt. A dull aching returned to her paws and Lily was terrified she was about to lose all feeling in them.**
W-what now? D-dewbelle, help! Help!
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Post by Celebes on Nov 1, 2018 11:24:21 GMT -5
**Dewbelle watched Lily gradually ascend, feelings of excitement alternating with feelings of dread as Lily made and loss progress. But for every step back the white mouse had to take, she seemed to take another two steps forward. Lily was almost close enough to touch now, and Dewbelle began to debate over whether it would be smart to extend a paw. She didn't want to get ripped off the roof if Lily was heavier than she looked. But then Lily stopped. She had become caught, moments away from the finish line.**
W-what now? D-dewbelle, help! Help!
**The panic in Lily's voice was contagious, and Dewy struggled to not try something brash as she searched for potential pawholds for Lily. But upon reviewing the mousemaid's work, Dewy realized that Lily had indeed appraised the situation correctly. There were no good more good pawholds. Dewbelle must have taken a few subtly different choices on the way up the wall to have landed her on a more feasible route than Lily had been boxed into.
The chain had plenty of slack by now owing to Lily's progress, and Dewbelle nervously clinked the links in her paws as she tried to figure out how to save her companion. Reaching down from the gable would leave her just out of reach. She could maybe do it if she stuck one paw in the gutter and leaned down, but that rusty tin rut had almost detached from the building the last time Dewy had put any weight on it. The squirrel considered, realizing her time for consideration was short. Her pads were began to sweat, moistening the chains links that she ran through her paws. Her ears flicked uncomfortably, pressed down on her head instead of their usual perky and straight standing. Her tail swished behind her anxiously, ruffling against the rough shingles. Her tail. She could use that. Lily could grab her brushy tail for the needed pawhold to get on the roof. It would hurt, no doubt. Like placing a pad on a hot stove. But if she lowered that down she could keep her other four sets of claws firmly grabbing the gable.**
Don' scare yourselfs, yeah!? Just grabs my tail and den ascrabble yous other paws onta the roof!
**Hastily conceived plan delivered, Dewbelle wheeled herself around and dug her claws into the shingles, lowering her beautiful tail into space.**
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Post by Isaiah on Nov 2, 2018 13:47:49 GMT -5
**How had she ever gotten herself into this predicament? Possession, Lily decided. She'd been possessed by the ghost of some spiteful dibbun from ages past, who'd decided to take his revenge on a timid unsuspecting mousemaid. It was this the mouse focused on as her muscles weakened against the stonework, waiting for her savior Dewbelle to come up with some miraculous plan. Lily felt completely helpless, and she hated it. If she fell, could Dewbelle really hold her weight and pull her back up? The squirrel may have been bigger than her, but they were still relatively the same size—and Lily doubted whether climbing skills translated to the ability to lift weights.**
Don' scare yourselfs, yeah!? Just grabs my tail and den ascrabble yous other paws onta the roof!
**Of all the plans Lily had imagined Dewbelle to come up with, this was the strangest. Unfortunately, she didn't quite have the luxury to be snarky. Her left footpaw slipped out of its hold suddenly, sending a jerk through her entire body. Paws tightening, Lily scraped against the sandstone for a few heart pounding moments before settling into her previous groove again. Sweat permeated her fur. Lily wasn't sure if that was good or bad for climbing—probably bad.
Fire was coursing through her veins now, threatening to burn her paws and encroach on her dizzying vision. Dewbelle's tail lowered above her, Lily unsure whether her deliriousness was tinting the fur more red than it usually was. Dewbelle—with all her false bravado—hadn't exactly sold her on this tail plan, but Lily was sure if she clung to the wall a second longer her limbs would fall off. In one quick movement, Lily reached up and clamped both paws around Dewbelle's fluffy red tail.
Using the tail as a rope, Lily hoisted herself up and flailed one paw towards the gable where she might find a safer purchase. Her paw struck something, hard, but she grabbed on anyway. As soon as she could Lily released Dewbelle, lacking the awareness to even see whether the squirrel was still in a safe position. Lily got both paws under her, and breathed a little easier, she was almost there, just needed to—**
Eep!
**The ledge Lily was holding onto shifted. It was the gutter, and it was slowly peeling away from the Abbey. In a panic, Lily reached for Dewbelle again—her tail, her paw, her face, anything. She grasped something, and pulled.**
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Post by Celebes on Nov 2, 2018 23:01:19 GMT -5
The sudden addition of weight, roughly a Lilys worth, on Dewbelle's tail was not as painful as the squirrelmaid would have imagined. Well, it still did hurt, like the dickens, but it was in a different way. She expected it to sting around the part of her tail that Lily would be clamping on with an iron grip, but it was rather more uncomfortable up in the haunches. The joints of her legs strained to keep bent naturally, as all the force on her rump made them want to bend over backwards, taking Dewbelle head over tail. Eventually, after what seemed to be an hour of Lily swinging like a pendulum on her brush, the weight was off. Lily was up.
Dewbelle, her claws having turned the shingles to splinters, quickly made a move to turn around as soon as Lily let up. Now she could pull Lily up properly by the paws. But she hadn't even made a proper half-turn when Dewy felt claws, sharper than she had ever supposed a mousemaid could possess, dig into the fleshy part of her side. Dewy squealed. The squeal turned into a proper shriek when the full weight of Lily pulled an unanchored Dewbelle off balance and over the edge of the roof.
Dewbelle tumbled into space. Whatever sound of panic Dewy had been making while on firm footing had been sucked from her lungs as she whipped through the air. This was it. She was falling.
Before her mind even had time to transition into the self-pitying thought of "why did I think this silly idea would work" and its like, a sudden punch to her gut ripped all the wind out of her system. She heaved, eyes forced open. She was spinning, all was a blur. Greens, blues, reds. She was suddenly struck with a face full of purple. She was knocked backwards, and, upwards? The upwards motion didn't last for long, for soon she was swinging back down, but not all the way down. She was moving back and forth and all around...but not down. Gah, her gut hurt. Why...? The chain!
The flying squirrel tried to focus through the tears swelling in her eyes. With the wind no longer rushing by her ears, she could hear her own sobs. There was Lily, hanging from a taunt chain, roughly at her level. Dewbelle looked upwards, sun dazzling her vision. The chain had caught on something, and they were hanging from the gable like a pair of cherries on a stem.
Dewy screamed.
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Post by Isaiah on Nov 11, 2018 16:09:03 GMT -5
**Dewy screamed. Lily screamed too. Then, some bit of clarity piercing through the panic, she clamped a paw over her mouth—the other paw going to shush Dewbelle in the same way. They were not dead yet, somehow. Though Lily did not dare to look up and see how precarious their position was, the last thing she wanted was a screaming Abbey beast from below that would inevitably promise an eternity of chores in recompense for this idiotic adventure. Strung out on the upper wall, the dibbuns stood out, Lily with her silver fur contrasting even more than Dewbelle against the red sandstone, presumably.
Lily dared to look up, craning her neck as the metal chain dug painfully into her stomach. What she saw did not give her much hope. The chain had caught on a riveted section of the aged rain-trough that coupled with the gable, the same gutter that had buckled under Lily's light weight moments before. Now, the deterioration seemed to have halted at the segment the chain had fortunately looped about, a few old bolts apparently still with life left in them. She jerked her head upwards, indicating to Dewbelle where she should look. Lily frowned. Climbing back up would require teamwork, and Lily wasn't sure they could risk a slip up that put more strain than necessary on the part of the gutter that currently prevented them from plummeting.**
Can you... ah... **Lily gulped. She would have liked to wake up now.** Ah... Push me? I-if I can swing over to the wall I can hang on while you climb up the chain.
**She used her head to gesture again, not wanting to flail about too wildly and risk unnecessary strain on the structure above them. There was a crack in the bricks to her left, in the wall placed just an arms length away. Lily could cling to the sandstone again, that much she was confident in, but she needed a little boost to get there.**
Dewbelle?
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Post by Celebes on Nov 12, 2018 9:07:41 GMT -5
**An odd sensation occurred when Lily’s short claws hit her front teeth, and the subdued clack reverberated throughout her jaw. The unexpectedness of it likely stopped the squirrel from reflexively biting down on the stifling pad that followed. Dewy was utterly terrified. It was as if all of her suppressed fears from the climb had suddenly became manifested in the fall. Her mind could not create a rational thought. All thoughts were focused on the inevitable resumption of her plunge to the ground.**
Can you... ah...Ah... Push me? I-if I can swing over to the wall I can hang on while you climb up the chain.
**Dewbelle had been so focused on their express return trip that she hadn’t noticed Lily attempting to direct their collective gaze skyward. Groundward was where her amber eyes had been glued. Dewbelle hung dumbfounded. She had to replay the already slow interrogative of the mousemaid over in her head twice more, as whatever part of her consciousness that wasn’t focused on generating pure fright was attempting to solve why Lily wasn’t behaving nearly as ballistic as the situation called for.**
Dewbelle?
**The squirrel’s eyes fixed upon her partner-in-climb. Lily wanted her to climb this chain? That was all Dewy had comprehended. Dewbelle almost resumed her tireless howling at the very thought. She wanted to have absolutely nothing to do with disturbing their lifeline. And with the squirrelmaid’s paws locked like skittish vices around the links in front of her, they probably would have prevented an ascent even if she had the desire. Dewbelle had no idea what the chain was hooked to, and had no wish to dispel that ignorance. Somehow, Dewy had begun to believe that if she looked up, she would see that the chain was attached to nothing. And then like a cartoon they would resume their fall. But if she didn’t see the problem, it wasn’t there, yeah? But it was there. And she was here. A million ana’ half lengths off the ground.
Dewy ratcheted open her jaw to respond.
** **
But nothing came out. Frightened to the point of muteness, all a shivering Dewy as able to do was mouth the trembling rejoinder, I can’t.**
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Post by Isaiah on Nov 18, 2018 1:34:10 GMT -5
**Oddly enough, Lily felt calmer suspended in open air several meters above the ground than she ever had before starting this venture. Dewbelle's shutdown only emphasized Lily's need to regain control of the situation. The desperate voice within the mouse said if that if she too started losing it, there would be no hope for either of them. One of the pair had keep their head on straight in this dire situation, Lily only wished it didn't have to be her. Best not to dwell on it too much, she could scream her heart out once a solid surface was back beneath her paws. Painful metal dug into her midriff, reminding Lily that quick thinking was paramount. Unfortunately, Dewbelle's seeming uselessness made the appointed task all the harder.**
I'm going try something... Just don't lose it, o-okay?
**Without checking to see if Dewbelle was registering what she had said, Lily lunged her body forward towards the wall, causing the metal above to creak painfully. The momentum brought her back, and she was swinging—slowly and without much momentum but swinging all the same. The groaning from the gutter above caused Lily to wince, but she couldn't stop. If she could just get a paw hold on the wall, everything would be okay. Oh why oh why hadn't it been the certified and naturally born climber who'd been the one to stay sane in this insane situation?
Lily decided Dewbelle would definitely owe her something big later, a champion tree climber medal or something. That was if they survived, of course. Probably wasn't best to think that way.**
Uuhf.
**The wall came rushing up with just a bit too much momentum, but somehow, she'd managed to find purchase. Her front paws dug themselves into crevices two bricks apart, while her footpaws scrabbled loosely against the wall below before settling against the grain. Thankfully, the gutter had stopped grunting. How was Dewbelle doing? Lily risked a glance back, even as the familiar ache returned to her paws from tightening around the rough stonework.**
Dewbelle? I really need your help here. **Lily was getting desperate. She'd barely managed to climb up the wall with Dewy guiding her every step of the way, what on earth was she supposed to do now?**
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Post by Celebes on Nov 27, 2018 20:43:18 GMT -5
I'm going try something... Just don't lose it, o-okay?
**Dewbelle gave no sign of acknowledgement, only squeezing her eyes shut in hope that Lily's violent swings would dislodge whatever perilous perch the chain had become lodged in. Connected as they were Lily's movements naturally swayed Dewy's end back and forth, and more than once the mousemaid physically brushed against her. She whimpered openly as the chain creaked above.**
Uuhf.
**Dewbelle chanced a peek when she head the impact. Lily had made it to the wall. Dewy wished she was there, not hanging in thin air. But her paws were so tired from gripping masonry, shingle, and chain, that she wondered if she would even be able to grip it. She quickly sought to prevent her mind from lingering on that thought by finally taking a glance upward to dispel the mystery of what the chain had caught on. Of course. That stupid, wonderful gutter. The little slot that had barely held a half of her was now the lifeline for keeping the two of them up. Dewbelle shivered.
She had to do something. She knew that if this chain was presented to her at a different time or place, she would be able to scale it with only moderate difficulty. The links were looped just large enough for her claws to slip in, and the old age of the chandelier chain led to a certain worn roughness. The chain was conquerable. But her nerves? Not so much. Mother was not here to give that gentle bump on the rump or tug on the tail to reassure Dewy that the young squirrel wouldn't fall far.**
Dewbelle? I really need your help here.
**Lily was looking at her. Dewbelle looked back. She stuck a quivering paw skyward, grabbing higher up on the chain. Dewy knew that she could do it. She knew she could. She could conquer this chain and climb to safety. Her mind was set. But her nerves still needed more help than mere logic.**
Cans...can you tells me I can do it...please?
**It was such a spiritless request, she would have felt abashed of making it in saner times. But without mother around, some part of her soul longed for somebeast who could confirm that her task was conquerable.**
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Post by Isaiah on Dec 2, 2018 19:33:34 GMT -5
**Much to Lily's relief, Dewbelle had opened her eyes and seemed to be at least vaguely cognizant. The squirrel's panicked shivering did nothing to release the cramping pain Lily felt growing in her paws, however. It was funny how clinging in one place to a wall was so much harder than actively climbing, Lily had assumed the opposite. Then again, she'd never experienced climbing of this intensity before. Likely, her paws would hurt no matter what activity she tried at this point.**
Cans...can you tells me I can do it...please?
**Lily's back paws slipped, losing their tentative hold in the bricks and scraping painfully against the rough sandstone as she scrabbled to regain the crevice. A few moments of heart pounding flailing passed and Lily found her paws settling back where they'd been lodged in before. It was an uneasy pawhold, however, and Lily knew it wouldn't be long before she slipped again. Worse still, it wouldn't be long before Lily's front paws got so numb she would no longer be able to properly grasp the wall at all.
Dewbelle's request just now registered in Lily's mind, the squirrel's words carrying delicately over the sharp wind. It didn't take much deduction to see the state Dewbelle was in. Lily grimaced. The wide-eyed neediness she glimpsed off Dewbelle reminded Lily too much—far too much—of herself. That was her every single day. Somehow, the incredibility and sheer pressure of the situation had forced some confidence into her, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect on her climbing mate.
Lily felt her paws slowly slipping once again.**
D-dewbelle! You can do this... **Lily gulped. She'd only ever been the one in need of such encouragement, not the provider.** Y-you're a squirrel, Dewy! You were born to do this.
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