Dibbun Troubles

RW Abbey: Great Hall

The Great Hall of Redwall Abbey. Countless paw falls have echoed from these stones, and untold numbers of feasts and merry gatherings have been held here. A table, not nearly so grand or large as its predecessors, but quite functional for mealtimes, rests near the center of the hall. Chairs exist here aplenty, and they are all of a matching set. High above, the stain glass windows give the Great Hall a beautiful appearance. The glasswork is exceptionally done, crafted by a skilled artist. The floor is clean and swept. A fire is kept burning in the fireplace at almost all times of the day and night, and there are several more comfortable chairs and cushions set up here, of varying sizes. One looks large enough to easily accommodate a badger.

The Tapestry hangs proud and tall, and while the rest of Redwall may still bear the scars of natural disaster, this most famous of Redwall's relics remains unharmed by beast, time, or the elements. The figure of Martin the Warrior seems to be watching over his own with an unchanging, kindly gaze.

Soft light is slowly beginning to filter in through the stained glass windows high above your head.

Exits: Abbey's [Li]brary, [K]itchen, [C]avern [H]ole, [B]reezeway, [En]try, [Stairs]

Contents:

a message (board) with notes tacked to it

There has been an utter disaster in the Great Hall; over being told 'no' to getting a sixth candied nut, Sina has thrown a tantrum. In the course of her toddler's rampage she has smeared cheese across two of the chairs and tossed blackberry cordial all over a third. She's currently hiding from an exasperated Sister Riley behind the drink-soiled chair. "No' gonna come owt!"

Oz steps into the room from the steps and tilts his head at the sound of arguing and the dibbun voice as well. He clears his throat "What is going on in here today?" He asks as he steps the rest of the way into the room slowly.

"She's gotten food and drink everywhere sir. She's absolutely ruined those chairs!" Sister Riley exclaims and throws her paws in the air. "I simply cannot deal anymore with this unruly child today!" "Y'r a mean stinkytailface!" Comes the response from behind the sticky chair.

Oz nods "Well, I am sure the chairs are fixable, it cannot be....too bad of a mess can it?" He makes out where the dibbun is and walks a little ways over to them, "So what is going on young one?"

"Oh you deal with her! It's a terrible mess and it will take me ages to clean it up!" Sister Riley huffs and stomps off to the kitchen for cleaning equipment. Sina blows a raspberry at the mouse maid as she leaves. She peeks out from behind the chair up at the badger. "Sissa Wiley's a mean stinkytailface!" She tells Oz very seriously.

Oz listens as the Sister heads off and chuckles some, "Well, all stories have 2 sides to it after all, whats your side to it young one? I am Oz or Papa Oz to the dibbuns here." He kneels down so he is more on her level and stays close to where she is.

Sina regards the badger with suspicion then shakes her head vehemently. "No' done nuffin! Sissa Wiley say no more candies! 'S no' fair! Wanna haff more candies!" Her voice is a plaintive whine upon the last word.

Oz nods "Well, I can see the problem, see if you ate them all no one else could have any, we must share and they will last us for the fall and winter seasons. Sharing is important young one and so all gets a limited amount of candy nuts, even the grown-ups"

Sina immediately shakes her head as though she absolutely positively does not agree. "Sha-win' mean gettin' less candies! 'S no' fair cuz, cuz Sina weally wants more candies! Don' wanna sha'e!"

Oz tilts his head and frowns, he then talks again "But sharing helps us all and it’s nice. It is important to learn so we all can be happy in life. I am sure you would be sad if no one shared with you or if the candy was gone before spring."

Sina frowns right back at Oz. Her face contorts into a tiny scowl with each line he says. "Gwown ups are meany stinky tails! Jus' wanna eat candy! Sina don' wanna sha'e! Jus' wan' candy! CANDY CANDY CANDY!" Her tail flicks and she stomps a tiny foot.

Oz clears his throat" Do...stop that this instant young lady" Not loud but he is being stern, he cannot see her expression but he can tell in her voice and stomping, "Breath in and out and relax, one must also have heathy food to grow up and one day be strong and who knows what else one can be once out of the dibbun seasons"

The stern voice doesn't seem to placate the tiny squirrel and the reasonable things he's saying are entirely ignored or willfully misunderstood. With a dramatic huff the little beast turns to the already soiled chair and rips a cushion from it, hurling it to the ground like some tiny King Kong terrorizes a miniature city. "CANDY CANDY CANDY!"

Oz tenses up, the dibbun is loud but he has dealed with loud dibbuns before, “Enough" He says sternly again, not loud but sternly, "You need to calm down and sit down and stop throwing objects." Well least he knows it’s a soft object or least sounded like one.

The door to the kitchen opens. Sister Riley sees the tantrum has escalated. The door to the kitchen closes with no mouse maid passing through it. Sina seems to take Oz's reprimand as a grievous insult and shouts back at him. "NO! SINA WANNA CANDY! NO' GONNA!" She stomps toward another chair planning on throwing more cushions just to make her point.

Oz stands and folds his arms over his chest “Maybe you need a time out, and no desert after dinner. I can also look into an extra chore for you to do. One does not yell in this abbey"

Sina narrows her eyes at Oz and flings the cushions to the floor. "NO TIME OWT! Gonna yell an' yell an' yell! Stinky badjah butt no' gonna catch Sina! No' gonna do a chorwe! 'S NO' FAIR!"

Oz rarely gets to the point where he has to pick up a screaming dibbun, but he does at times and this is one of them, he goes to pick up her and if he is able to do that he will proceed to place her in a chair, “It is when one misbehaves like you are right now."

The squirrel shrieks as Oz picks her up. She tried to dart through his legs but found herself being held instead. She tries to kick the badger right up until he puts her in the chair. Immediately she's trying to get down again. "NO! NO NO NO! Gewoff Sina!"

Oz feels the kicks but they don't seem to bother him as he sits her in the chair, "Now..calm down please, you do need to learn you don't always get what you want in life." He thinks "Martin for example did not always get what he wanted in life either. When you’re older you will understand. Sometimes when a dibbun is good, now sometimes not always, they do get tweets but only when good"

"Don' care 'bowt Marnin! Marnin's a butt-tail!" Sina retorts with a huff and a very firm folding of her arms- which really only makes her sleeves more ridiculous and impractical. "Lemme down! Wanna candy an' wanna go down!"

Oz speaks as he has placed her in the chair, "You can leave the chair when you calm down and tell the abbey Sister sorry, also too much of one thing causes belly aches and they are not fun for anyone, trust me on that. Also sharing helps things, like candy, last longer and you can have it more often that way instead of eating a lot now and having to wait for days or maybe weeks for more, and sharing helps you gain friends as well"

"Don' wanna say sowwy! Sissa's a butt-tail too! Y'r a butt-tail! Wanna have candy! Don' wanna sha'e! Don' wan' fwiends! Wanna have CANDY!" Sina wriggles and once again tries to get out of the chair. "You be sowwy!" Her fur is all stuck up and there are definitely tears.

Oz tilts his head "And why will I be sorry for young one?" His voice is calm as he speaks to her, he goes to reach out and gently wipe her tears away, "Friends are important to all, they help us and keep us company. And friends in dibbun hood are even better." He is in fact fairly calm, yes he hears the name calling but he also understands the dibbun is all worked up, "Maybe even a nap will help you out young one. Have you had friends before you came here as I know your new, I do not know  your voice or footsteps yet, but I will learn them and we can be friends."

"Don' wanna fwiends! Don' wanna sha'e!" The crying squirrel insists and huffs, her breath hitching with a sob. "Gonna be sowwy 'f don' lemme down! Sina gonna bite mean ba-jah!"

Oz asks, "I am not a mean badger and why don't you want friends young lady?" He has back up slightly, just slightly. “Are your parents here?"

Sina wriggles and tries to get down from the chair. "NO NO NO!" It isn't clear whether that's an answer to anything but it probably isn't.

Oz sighs, he tries talking again "Why are you upset? I am guessing whoever cared for you before gave you all and everything you wanted, that’s not always possible in life, also yelling too much may make your throat sore..Also not a fun thing"

Sina hitches her breath and seems to have stopped crying. She is still pouting however and suddenly she's grabbed hold of one of the cushions on the chair and is swinging it at Oz's nose.

Oz can't hear everything and the cushion being grabbed is one of them, he is sit square on the snout and takes a dep calming breath as he straightens up and rubs his snout, “Well it seems you need to stay seated for a while longer. I am sorry you are having a bad day and I am trying to help you."

When it doesn't have the desired effect, Sina swings the cushion again as hard as she can (admittedly that is't very hard). "NO! Lemme down!"

Oz has back up as he was expecting the cushion to be swung again, he feels the breeze it makes in fact, "And if you get down where would you go?"

Sina actually doesn't have an answer for that right away and her little brow knits with anger at being caught with a question she wasn't expecting from the adult. "OUT GONNA GO 'WAY!" She seems to have hit upon the brilliant idea of telling him she'd run away.

Oz is relaxed, he knows the guards won't let her out of the abbey as the guards would stop her, “Well, how about you sit here a while and try to relax, I will be sitting in my own chair..ok? I am sure someone would be sad if you left..wouldn't they? And you would not be able to have any candy if you left." He calmly goes to sit in his own chair, it’s somewhat close by and he can still hear the dibbun.

Sina frowns. "No!" She shakes her head but as soon as Oz has moved from the chair to his own chair she's climbing down to the floor, falling most of the way to land with flump on her bottom. "Wanna make 'm all sad! Gonna go 'way!" And then they'll be ever so glad when she comes back they'll just give her the candy; what a foolproof plan, no? Unaware that she'll be stopped by the guards or of how unrealistic her plan really is, Sina toddles toward the door.

Oz listens as the dibbun walks off and he frowns, he will have to talk to her more tomorrow...time...time is all that’s needed for this.