04.07.09 - No Sense of Adventure

Location: Redwall Great Hall, Attic

Characters Involved: Darcy, Bradge, Harper

Darcy steps in from outside, looking kind of tired and disgruntled. What else is new. She knocks some dirt off her boots and heads toward the stairs, tugging a pouch out of a bag she carries, and sniffing at ift with a thoughtful frown.

Bradge comes down the stairs, humming to himself. The evening is winding down for the otter, and he seems happy to see Darcy when he does. "Darce!" He nearly jogs over to her.

Darcy's ears angle upward. "What-ho, Bradge. Been cleaning?"

"Nope. You?" The otter leans against the inside wall of the Hall, smiling rather confidently at the doe.

Darcy gestures at the floor. Clean, see? "A bit. And planning out all the things I'll have you do in your servitude."

"... Servitude?" Harper asks as he comes up behind the pair.

"You'll have plenty of time to think of that while..." He pulls out a roll of parchment from behind his back. "You're busy doin' all of this. Yeah, I made sure to just write down all the cleanin' duties I 'ad for tomorrow." Bradge smiles, spinning on his heel to face Harper. "Oh, 'ey Brother. Darce, care to explain?"

Darcy gets a grin across her muzzle as she makes a quick little turn, beaming up at Harper. "I haven't seen you in.. like two /days/!" Bradge and his - parchment, what parchment? - are ignored.

Harper draws Darcy in for a hug and a kiss, then cranes his head to look past her at Bradge and his list. "Servitude?" he asks again.

Darcy is drawn in without complaint, and leans into the circle of Harper's arms. "We've got a bet going.."

Aha. Harp's ears perk. "What's the bet?" He smiles slightly.

Darcy makes a gesture at Bradge. "He can't clean for a week."

"If I win, she has to bake me an apple pie the size of 'er ego." Bradge is quick to point out.

"If he loses, he's my servant during his free time.. for two weeks," Darcy adds onto this.

"But, part of the bet is she 'as to do any cleaning that I 'ave to do." Bradge grins, waving the parchment. "Which, this is tomorrow's."

Darcy's eyes narrow at the parchment. Grrr. "I /refuse/ anything to do with the latrines..."

Harper looks amused. "... How are you- why would you-" But no. He just can't even conceive of this. He closes his mouth. Nods. "Okay."

"Ha! Well, /too bad!/" Bradge almost could dance right now.

Darcy eyes widen, and she snatches the parchment. /Glares/ at it. "Whhhhaat!! Bradge!"

Harper has taken a step or two back from the pair. Just kind of being quiet - and amused by their antics. He shakes his head.

Darcy half-turns, and flails the parchment at Harper. "Harp! /Do/ something! The /injustice/!"

Bradge looks at Harper with a wiiiiiiide grin. "And she was tryin' to make me squirm by dumpin' out a bucket of dirt and kicking the grit off the bottom of 'er boots right in front of me before."

Darcy turns around /again/ to jab her finger in Bradge's direction. "You /were/ squirming!"

Harper shakes his head again, at Darcy. His smile is a subdued one. "Sorry, love. You got yerself into it." It makes him twitch a little, to think of a bucket of dirt in the Great Hall and he's not even a Novice anymore. "I'm so sorry, Bradge."

Bradge chuckles. "The funniest part is, she 'ad to clean it up, too." The otter novice is quite enjoying this right now. "You can always give up on the bet, Darce."

Darcy looks indignant, and scowls. "/Me/ give up! You're out of your bleedin' mind, Bradge. I am nearly as stubborn as /he/ is!" She jabs her finger in Harper's direction.

"Nearly," Harper is quick to repeat. Another small smile.

Bradge grins. "Then 'ave fun doin' my work for me. For a whole week. Then bakin' me a pie."

"Wait. What happens if she gives up on  the bet?" Harper asks, brows up.

Darcy crumples up the parchment, and lobs it at Bradge's head. "/You/ enjoy /not/--.. uh. I guess I make him a pie?"

"She makes me a pie. A big apple pie. The size of 'er ego." Bradge pockets his paws contently.

Bradge is obviously unphased by the wadded up parchment. >.>

Darcy mutters, "We've determined that my ego would break the Great Hall table..."

"The whole Abbey might cave in," Harper muses with another small grin. His paws dip into the deep pockets of his habit, then. And glances at Darcy. Hm.

"So what were those rose petals all about anyways?" Bradge keeps his paws pocketed, watching the doe curiously.

Ear twitch. "Rose petals?" Harper queries! Gives Darcy a curious look.

Darcy rolls her eyes, and gives Harper a look. "You.. oh." Distracted. "Right. Those. Here." She digs in her back, and produces one of the potpourri-like pouches. Herbs, including rose petals. "They're supposed to be... soothing. Ward off nightmares... heh." Inadvertent answer for Bradge, there you go.

"...Who's havin' nightmares?" The otter frowns between the two.

Aheh. Harper falls briefly silent, but his eyes glance tellingly to Darcy. Um.

Darcy is not looking at either of them. "Me."

Bradge looks at Darcy, biting at his lip. "...Oh." He doesn't think this is that big of a deal, apparently. "Well, you ain't eatin' too close to bedtime, are ya? That gives me /real/ weird dreams."

Harper actually manages a faint smile. Bradge, cute. "Don't think she is, mate."

"Huh. Well look at what yer doin' right before ya sleep, 'cause maybe it's somethin' weird that'll make you 'ave weird dreams." Bradge shrugs, helpful!

Darcy gives Harper a rather bemused glance. "Occasionally having my head smashed into the floor..."

Harper gives Darcy an amused glance. Squint! "Uh huh." Aaaaand hm. "So when will this... bet. Be over?"

Bradge stares at Darcy. What? "...Uh, in a week...?"

Darcy gives Harper the sweetest little smile. "... I kind of feel like swimming. Bradge? You want to go swimming?"

"...Aye, let's go swimmin'." Bradge just kind of stares at Darcy some more, though. Maybe he misheard her.

"Oh. It's just started." Harper falls silent again. Then pipes up again. "Okay. A week, then." He nods to himself. Smirks a little bit. And, hm? What? He glances at Bradge. "No. No, you don't want t'go swimmin' with her. She'll try t'drown herself."

"I do /not/ try to drown myself," Darcy mutters, with a playful shove against Harper's arm. "For that? You're not coming."

"I'm not? Oh, good." Harper grins.

Darcy scowls. The scowl turns into a pout.

"I say again, Bradge. You will have t'save her from drowning. Consider whether this is a worthy action." He tips him a wink. "She's kind of evil."

Bradge takes a big breath inward, looking between the two and holding that breath. He has no idea.

Serious look. "I like to ask myself, in times like these. What would /Martin/ do?" Straight face.

Darcy gives Harper a look /full/ of grump. Faux grump, but she pulls it off well. "Well I'll go find some other hazardous situation to put myself in, then!" Off she goes toward the stairs.

Bradge watches Darcy go. "...I reckon I missed somethin'."

"If you missed the part where she's insane, then yeah. You missed somethin'." Harper grins and pats him on the back. "S'okay. Easy mistake."

Darcy stops at the foot of the stairs. "Do you /want/ me to throw one of my shoes at you?!" Grr!

"...Alright," Bradge concludes. "I'm kind of... Seein' your point, Brother." He blinks at the doe.

"I think the better question is whether you want to be absent your shoes," Harper says with a cheeky grin.

And to Bradge, he nods. "Exactly."

Darcy seems to consider this. "... well it's either chuck them both, or neither. Do you think getting drunk counts as a hazardous situation..?" Now the pair get a smile again, kind of a scheming one at that.

"Don't forget you'll probably have to end up cleanin' 'em up, too." Bradge just ... Offers this? Trying to make sense of anything?

Harper seems to be considering this. "In yer case? I would say so. Yes."

Darcy steeples her fingers thoughtfully. "We should get drunk," she decides.

Harper shakes his head, amused. "No can do, Darce. Got an infirm shift this evenin'."

Darcy's ears lay back, one more than the other. "You are very adept at ruining my fun. .. want to get drunk with me, Bradge?"

"...I don'know if that's such a good idea, Darce." The otter grins, awkwardly.

Harper is tempted to high five his fellow fun ruiner! As it is, he just grins at the otter. Shakes his head. "... Darce. Darce, why don't you just... sit /down/? For like a minute. I'll even give you a backrub or something."

Darcy shoves her hands in her pockets and grumbles under her breath. "I miss our adventure, Harp." She smiles at him.

Darcy says, "... let's go on another. Maybe?"

Okay. Harper was joking before. About the crazy? But... "You know. You could hit me in the face with a hammer a few times 'n' we could just call it good?"

Harper clearly has no sense of adventure.

"What? No," Bradge doesn't like this. "No, you ain't allowed another adventure. At least for a couple seasons." Head-shake!

Darcy looks disappointed. "What about one... here? We can go.. explore the attic or something?"

"AYE! An adventure 'ere," Bradge nods. "Inside the Abbey where you can't... Get hurt."

"'Here, have a backrub.' 'Oh, nonono, I'd much rather explore the /attic/, you see..." Harper is talking to himelf. Rubbing a paw down over his face.

Darcy starts to get a smile when Bradge joins in. "Yeah! See - it'd still be something /fun/ to do.." And then Harper and his mutterings. She shuts her eyes briefly. "... guess I'll just. Help you with your infirmary shift, then."

"...'ey, now. C'mon, let's go explorin'. You never know what interestin' stuff's lyin' there unused in the Abbey." Bradge steps between Harper and Darcy, looking back and forth to either. "Whaddya say?"

Harper's face says he'd rather not, but! With an inward sigh he relents, and nods. "All righ'. Sure. Let's go explorin'."

Darcy eyes the buck with a frown. "Do you know your way around up there?"

"Me? Do /I/ know my way around up there?" Harper blinks. "Nnn- yes. Yes, I do a bit. I had t'help with spring cleanin' one time."

Darcy grins. "See. Figured. Hey!" She heads toward the stairs. "Maybe we can find the Delilah dress!"

"The Delilah dress? Why would it be 'idden?" Bradge grins. "No, that's in somebeast's wardrobe, probably."

"I thought it was dug up from the attic somewhere? Buried with the Cap'n Kessy hat?" Darcy asks.

".. or was that the. Nerdez hat?"

Harper smirks. "Don't ask me. I was half-dead at the time."

"Sure, it was dug up from the attic somewhere, but one of the beasts 'ere liked it so much she asked if she could wear it." Bradge chuckles. "Funny, ain't it?"

Darcy says, "Oh, well it's good /someone/ liked it..."

Harper snorts at this little exchange, following Darce up the stairs. "You were the prettiest novice I've ever seen, Bradge." He grins.

"Ehehe." Bradge cringes, shrugging. "I'm real glad you got to see that Brother, I really am!"

Darcy stops at the first landing, glancing back at the other two. "It really was the cutest thing ever."

Harper slips past Darcy at the first landing, to lead the way. "Bradge? D'you know the attics at all?"

"Not 'ardly," Bradge follows with a shake of his head. "Don't spend a lot of time up there. Never thought I 'ad much of a reason ta."

Darcy grabs ahold of the back of Harper's habit in a brief tug. "Is there a way up to the roof or would I have to.. make friends with an owl?"

"I am not answering that question," Harper says with a glance back over his shoulder! "Because either way, you talking about the roof. It's just. Bad."

"C'/mon./" Bradge is getting impatient with Darcy. She is holding things up! He dashes up the stairs past the two, turning around three or so steps past Harper.

"Hey," Darcy quips, "you had the choice to swim! Or get drunk!" She lets go of Harper and follows Bradge, kind of skipping on her way up the stairs.

Harper takes up the rear, again? He lets them lead the way, paws finding his pockets. Crazy kids! Or something.

"...So what about you? Have /you/ ever been up there?" Bradge asks Darcy as they make their way up.

Darcy glances around the unused upper dorm with a shake of her head. "Not since the plague, and this was part of the infirmary extension... and I've never been to the attic."

Aren't they lucky? Harper gets to lead. The buck seems oddly uneasy up here, at that. "All righ', so. Up we go, then?" He grabs a chair that is leaning against the wall, and stands on it, to pull the door string. The door opens down. He glances back at them.

Bradge grins, all twitchy with excitement. "Well? I'll go first if you don't wanna!"

Darcy pokes her foot against a creaky floorboard. "In a minute... What're those other rooms?"

Harper glances briefly towards said rooms, shakes his head, and steps forward to start up into the attic. Determined! "Just a coupla rooms, Darce. C'mon, Bradge." Get thee kid up there with him. She'll follow!

Darcy is curious, though. She wanders toward one of the other rooms, peeking in past the doorway, one hand on the frame. "What were they for?"

Bradge nods, stepping up and starting to follow Harper into the attic, looking down to Darcy, then up at Harper for his answer.

Harper is up there. His head pokes back down through the hole in the ceiling, looking at Darcy upside down. He looks off-put. "They used t'have marriages up here, 'n' that's... some old office."

"They did?" Now Bradge is interested. "...Well why'd they stop?"

Darcy doesn't notice the off-put-ness because she's wandering into the marriage room. "Maybe there's some interesting stuff in here.."

Harper watches Darcy go. He doesn't come back down. He glances at Bradge. "After the quake, this whole floor was damaged. They made other arrangements 'n' just never went back t'usin' this area."

It's kind of /dark/. Darcy bumps into something, grunts. "Ow.."

"...Huh," is Bradge's answer. Put that in the back of his mind, annnd stored. "Whose office was it?"

"No one's," is Harper's short answer. "Hey so are we going up here or should I just get ont' the infirmary?"

Darcy doesn't appear to hear their little conversation, she's poking around in the marriage room. She calls back, "This is so.. /quaint/!"

"...'arper." Bradge frowns, crawling down and on to the chair. "If'n you don't wanna, you don't hafta be up 'ere with us. Me an' Darcy can do all this ourselves." Though Bradge sounds like he would be VERY disappointed. O_O

Ugh. Ugh, Darcy. UGH. Harper groans quietly and then crawls down, hopping down off the chair. He gives the /office/ a wide birth and approaches the door to the marriage room. He peers inside, squinting. "What?"

Darcy glances back, and makes a gesture at the rows of benches. "See! Quaint. I had no idea this was /here/..." She heads toward the pulpit.

Bradge hops down off the chair, wandering towards the marriage room, peeking in.

Harper glances to the side at Bradge. He leans against the doorframe, peering in. "It's nice." He takes a couple of steps inside.

"I mean.. I can totally imagine two grayish old orderbeasts saying their vows here. It's kind of adorable." Darcy leans into the pulpit. "Dusty, though. Feel like cleaning, anyone?"

"We oughta ask Nicodemus if he was married here," Harper muses, starting to venture further into the room. He brushes a finger pad over the back of a pew. Duust.

Bradge steps into the place, too, glancing around and... Sneezing at the dust. He's just kind of grinning away, enjoying this little adventure.

Harper glances at Darcy with a smirk. No dice, the bait was ignored.

"Bradge? Clean? You know you want too..." Darcy grins, swiping her hand across dust on the pulpit, and moving toward Harper. That hand lifts and she blows it off into his face, grinning.

Harper has learned to expect this sort of thing from Darcy, though. He was ON ALERT the very second she swiped her paw in the dust and started walking towards him. He turns his face away when she goes to blow the dust at him, then /scowls/ at her! He is scary, okay?

"Nuh-uh. I don't even wanna start." Bradge crosses his arms, giggling at Darcy as she blows the dust in Harper's face... Not so much when he sees the scowl. Man, what is up with Harper?

Darcy's grin is wide enough to negate the scowl. "You are just endlessly cranky aren't you?" Bradge gets a glance, then her eyes are back on Harper's face. "You /can/ leave if you want to so badly.."

Harper glances between the two of them... He looks like he's considering it. But then he glances at the door and, no. He shakes his head. "No. Okay. I'm fine. Sorry. Bradge! You should fix up some of these pews..."

"I /should./ Fix 'em an' maybe remake a couple of 'em to make this place look nice." Bradge inspects the walls and any leftover decorations there might be, looking for other projects.

Darcy dusts her hands off. "So what's that other room? Old Recorder office or something?"

Harper approaches the old windows, which are boarded up. "Someone ought t'replace these, nice stained glass..." He totally didn't hear Darcy, right?

"Wonder 'ow ya make stained glass," Bradge comments to himself. He pockets his paws, exploring around the room.

No answer? Okaaay. Darcy wanders out of that room, and into the other one.

But Harper only sees her walk out! He turns, though, and she's gone. His ears twitch back and he glances to Bradge. "... Where'd she go?" Out the window, Harp. Clearly. He walks to the door and peers out. No Darcy. "... Darce?" he murmurs quietly.

"She went outside," Bradge answers, distractedly. He walks behind the altar, just... Having a good look-see.

Harper knows where she went. Of course he does. He hesitates on leaving the wedding room, but with a little shake he steps out into the hall and towards the old office. He... pushes the door open. It is partially open. "Darce?"

Darcy is by this time on her knees on the floor, which is coated thickly with dust. She's peering at something but lifts her head when Harper speaks up. "Yeah? Hey why's there no furniture in here.."

Harper stays at the threshold, standing just beyond it. "Because it's not used, Darce."

"Neither is that other room," Darcy points out. Her hand rubs against a spot on the floor, where the leg of a desk, probably, once was, and the wood is slightly indented from it. "Anyway there was furniture here at some point..."

"... Okay. Well, I'm going t'go back into the other room, now. You comin'..?" Harper shifts his weight, uneasily.

Bradge ducks down behind the altar, looking at the decoration on the wood closely. It's kinda dark up here...

"Uh.. yeah. Yeah, in a bit," Darcy says, eyes narrowing at the buck. "You okay..?"

Harper's ears twitch back. He nods, paw resting on the door frame. "... I'm fine." He backs a step up, half-turning to head towards the other room. "Coming?"

And then the otter turns around, looking at the backdrop of the little chapel, still crouched down as he looks at the parts nearer to the floor.

"I said 'yeah, in a bit'," Darcy repeats, looking at him a little strangely.

Right, well. "... Okay." He gives her and the room one last look and then he's heading back over to the other one. He glances back inside. "Hey Bradge, all righ'?"

"Aye. Think I'd like ta come up 'ere again with some light sometime." Bradge stands up, brushing himself free of dust. "Ready to go upstairs now?"

Darcy is still poking around in the office-thing.

Harper shrugs noncommittally. "You'd have t'ask Darce that." He glances around the room again. "Bet you could fix this place up righ' well. T'would be quite the service t'the Abbey."

"I reckon so, aye." Bradge heads towards the exit of the chapel, peeking out of it. "Darce! Ya wanna go up now?"

Harper follows behind him, pausing long enough to rub a paw over his face. Nngh. And okay! He's good. "C'mon, Darce," he calls.

Darcy emerges from the office finally, dusting herself off, then sneezing. "Heh. Yeah, let's go. But I think I want to ask the Abbot about that room there... see if I can make it into some kind of .. useable. Thing."

Bradge hops up on the chair, and starts climbing up to the attic, leading the way!

Harper's ears twitch back at Darcy's words, but he doesn't say anything. He follows Bradge up! "You ought t'ask him about the /marriage/ room. I bet he got married there." Because he's old. So clearly, it follows.

"The marriage room isn't quite so.. intriguing, you know? So hundreds of couples kisses there and cried and threw bouquets and whatever. I /know/ that," Darcy chuckles, as she ascends last. "I'm interested in what I /don't/ know."

Bradge climbs up, shifting off to the side so the two hares can get up. Bradge is... Quiet for right now. "...It's dark up 'ere."

Harper looks around - as much as he /can/ look around. He kind of. Hunches his shoulders. If they could see him, his eyes are very wide right now. Darting about. "... We had lamps. Last time I was up 'ere," Harp mutters.

"That's part of the fun of it, though," Darcy points out, moving forward, hands a little out in front of her. She bumps into something - a small table. It wobbles and she snatches blindly for it to keep it from falling over. "Heh."

"Ha," is Harper's muttered triumph at the sounds from Darcy's neck of the woods.

"...Over there," Bradge's eyes narrow and he starts crawling towards the apparent hole in the wall.

"... that's going to bruise, oh yes it is," comes Darcy's voice.

Harper doesn't really want to move. Or go through any holes in walls. Harper is such a chicken. He makes a grimacing face in the dark and starts after Bradge. "Over there what? And serves you righ', Darce."

Bradge peeks through the hole in the wall, smiling excitedly. And then he goes on through.

"You know what? I may just push you out a window," Darcy mutters, ears tilted upward. "What'd you find, Bradge? Bradge? .. did he just pass through the wall?" She sounds a little alarmed, moving that way. The doe trips over a crate in her path and falls on her hands and knees. Hrk.

Harper smirks. "Good luck findin' a window up here." And then he crawls after Bradge! Bravely. So bravely.

"... and now /he/ goes through a wall. I'm in love with a ghost. That makes /perfect/ sense.." There's some more movement from Darcy, and something falls over. On top of her. She's doing so well.

"W-whoa..." Bradge blinks at what he's found. "...Cool..."

Darcy does not, does not expect a ledge to be here. After slipping through the gap she brightly squeezes her eyes shut against the light, which is at least more than inside the attic. And she just.. walks forward.

Uh. Wait. Harper is already through, of course, and his eyes have had more time to adjust. He reaches out, to snag Darcy and block her, um. Death!

Darcy is snagged, and kind of wobbles. Her head ducks, and she looks at where her next foot was about to go. "... where's the floor."

Good thing, 'cause the otter's busy peeking over the edge. "I didn't know this was even up 'ere...!"

"The floor's, um... down there," is Harper's answer. Heh. Harper tugs her back to saaafety, and actually hooks an arm around her waist. No goin'.

Darcy leans a little back away from the edge, her eyes kind of wide. "I would've loved some sort of.. warning."

"I think the lack of a floor, that's the warnin'," Harper answers. Heh.

"... I mean from /you/," Darcy mutters.

"Stopping you isn't bettah than a warning?" Harper asks with a quirked brow.

Bradge stands up, gazing over the environs. "...What're these spikes for?"

Bradge walks over to them, inspecting them, and looking up.

Darcy lifts her brows right back at Harper. "You wouldn't've had to stop me if you'd told me first." Point for the doe. She looks over at the spikes, and up. "Ladder-thing?"

Harper glances at them, as well. And can guess what the next thing said will be! He keeps his peace.

Bradge doesn't say anything, though. He just starts climbing.

Darcy leans up to whisper something to Harper, smirking, then letting go. She takes a few steps toward the 'ladder' to follow Bradge once he's partway up. "Don't fall, I'd get your arse in my face, Bradge.."

But Harper looks up and. No. He's not budging. "I'll stay 'ere. Pick up yer pieces afterward."

Bradge looks down, stopping his progress up. "...You sure, Brother?"

Darcy pauses on the rungs, glancing at Harper. "You're such a wuss, mister."

Harper crosses his arms over his chest. "A wuss in one piece." To Bradge he nods. "M'sure. Thanks, Bradge. Be careful. Both o' you."

"...C'mooon." He looks backwards, then up. "Alright, but yer missin' out." Bradge climbs upwards and onwards!

Darcy's mouth forms a little disapproving pout. "Please Harp?"

Harper chuckles. He shakes his head. "I've got t'get t'my shift, anyway."

Long gone already is Bradge.

Darcy's ears angle backward, disappointment showing. "You're not like.. afraid of heights, are you..?"

Harper grins, a rare moment of humor from him today. "... Not the heights, just the falling from."

Darcy says, "Would it help if I asked really nicely..?"

Harper shakes his head. "Pretty sure not, love." And then he gestures up. "Go on, keep an eye on Bradge. he thinks he's a squirrel."

Darcy looks kind of like all the fun of this has left. She looks at Harper, then upward - and keeps climbing, until she's out of sight.

"Darcy..." Bradge grabs at the spikes tightly, though his body hugs the surface that he's climbing just as tight. "...Darce?!" He almost shouts, nervously.

Darcy pauses her ascent; she's not much lower than Bradge, peering up. "Bradge? What, keep /going/.."

"Darcy..." The otter just stops, closing his eyes and shuddering. "We're... Real high up..."

"Aw, come on, keep going," Darcy encourages her friend. "I want to see where it leads!"

"Darce, please... Can we go down now?" Bradge's voice gets quieter as time goes on.

Darcy considers Bradge's tail and feet. It's all she can see. "... okay. But I'm going back up after you're down again."

"No! Darce, I don't want you to fall!" Bradge's voice sounds... Legitimately scared. Frightened. He probably looked down.

Darcy's ears twitch. "Bradge? I won't fall. Promise. But I want to /see/ what's up there..."

Bradge's paws still haven't moved. "...I can't..." Mutter.

"You can't what? .. climb down?" This could be problematic.

"No, I can't climb down, I'm..." The otter tries lowering just one of his feet, but when it reaches down a certain distance and doesn't touch anything, he pulls it back up. "Darcy... I'm scared..."

Darcy draws a breath, and lets it out. "Hey. You'll be fine. It's just a ladder, it's the same as anything else. Put one foot down. Can you do that for me?"

Bradge wordlessly tries reaching a foot down, slowly, slowly inching it... Downward... It touches the spike beneath it, and he sighs out, shuddering.

Darcy moves a little downward, with greater ease than the otter. "Okay. Now the other foot."

Bradge mimics the action with his other foot, having a slightly easier time. "Darcy, don't... Don't leave me up 'ere!"

Darcy says, "I'm not leaving you, Bradge." It's a firm, calm tone to help him stay relaxed. "I'm right here."

Bradge is maybe sobbing? It's hard to tell from Darcy's vantage point, but he starts lowering himself one more step down.

Darcy moves down again. "You're doing okay.. you're doing /great/ Bradge..."

Bradge lowers once more, gripping white-knuckle at the rungs of the makeshift ladder. "I'm sorry... I shouldn'ta been up 'ere..." He sounds like he is indeed sobbing as he climbs down, slowly.

"No, no, Bradge, shh-shh, it's okay... you're almost there..." Over and over, words of reassurance and encouragement from the doe as they both climb dowb.