Memory #22: Who Will Go Into The Stable?
Feb. 9th, 2013 12:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maidmalapertGame: Inn-keeping with Kiriko
Form: a small wooden box in your team color
Uses: 7/7 untaken
Type: Significant Negative
Jill is with Tirian, Jewel, Eustace, Poggin and Farsight the Eagle up on Stable Hill. It's night, and there's a bonfire going, and a huge crowd of Narnian folk who have come to listen to Shift speak. Rishda Tarkan, Shift, and Cucumber the Cat come out into the light. The Tarkan tells the Cat in an aside to play his part well -- the Cat says, "Count on me." Shift is hungover. The whole thing is set up like a theater -- as if those three were on stage, the King's party were in the wings, and the assembly of Talking Beasts were the audience.
At the prompting (also, kicking) of Rishda Tarkan, Shift begins to speak. He says that a wicked thing has been done, and Aslan -- here the Tarkan corrects him to "Tashlan" -- is very angry. He says that a Donkey has dressed himself up in a lion-skin and started to wander around pretending to be Aslan. At first Jill thinks the Ape has gone mad; she wonders if he's going to tell the whole truth. Then she sees Tirian's look of horror and realizes what's happened... and that it's now useless to tell the Talking Beasts the truth about Puzzle, since they're out for his blood.
Jewel whispers to her to go cut the lion-skin off Puzzle's back, so she sneaks behind the stable and does so, kicking it under the heaviest bushes. When she creeps back, Shift is saying that Tashlan is now too angry to come out and see them anymore. Griffle, the chief dwarf, speaks up and says that's because all the Ape ever had was a donkey in a lion-skin and now he's lost that and doesn't know what to do. The other dwarfs start chanting, "Doesn't know what to dooo," in sing-song until the Tarkan yells at them to be silent and listen or he'll put them to the sword.
The Dwarfs keep baiting him, saying that if he wants them to believe in Tashlan, he'll have to show them proof. In the next quiet moment, Shift says that anyone who wants to see Tashlan, can. The Narnians are confused, understandably. Shift clarifies that while Tashlan won't come out, anyone who wants to see him can go into the stable themselves. The Talking Beasts are all very relieved and excited, but then Shift starts to go on about how angry and hungry Tashlan is at the moment, and they all lose their nerve.
Jill whispers to Tirian, wondering what really is in the stable. Tirian doesn't know, but guesses it's two armed Calormenes. Jill is worried that it might be Tash for real -- Tirian says maybe, but tells her to have courage, saying "we are all between the paws of the true Aslan."
After the Narnians are thoroughly intimidated, Cucumber the Cat coolly offers to be the first to go into the stable. It seems clear to the King's party that this is all part of the ruse... but then Cucumber shoots out like a rocket, clearly traumatized and no longer able to speak. At all. The more he tries, the less he looks like a Talking Beast, and soon all the rest of the Narnians are in terror, and beg Shift to intercede with Aslan on their behalf.
Then Emeth, a Calormene officer, comes forward and volunteers to go in. He is pretty obviously going in in good faith; the Tarkan tries to dissuade him, but he won't be gainsaid. He goes in with shining eyes, and Jewel remarks that he deserves a better god than Tash. Eustace says, "I do wish we really knew what was in there." Emeth goes in, and a dead Calormene falls out. The Tarkan, after looking at his face, starts with surprise, but pronounces Emeth dead. Jill can see from where she is that it's another man entirely, but the Narnians can't.
At this point, of course, nobody else wants to go in, and Shift declares that a Boar will be the next since the rest are "shy." The Calormene soldiers start to close in on the Boar, who prepares to fight for his life, at which point Tirian whispers to his companions, "Swords out. Arrow on string. Follow," and bursts out on the villains, declaring himself and denouncing Tash, the Ape, and the present Calormenes in one breath. Jill and the rest leap out with him.
* Jill's Adventures with Propaganda
* Jill's Adventures with Mob Mentality
* Talking animals losing the ability of speech in a clearly magical and horrifying manner?!
* Tash?!?!?!
* This is gross.
* Schemers who use Aslan as part of their scheming schemes are gross.
* Something deeper and more horrible is also clearly at work.
* Just... this is all wrong.
Form: a small wooden box in your team color
Uses: 7/7 untaken
Type: Significant Negative
Jill is with Tirian, Jewel, Eustace, Poggin and Farsight the Eagle up on Stable Hill. It's night, and there's a bonfire going, and a huge crowd of Narnian folk who have come to listen to Shift speak. Rishda Tarkan, Shift, and Cucumber the Cat come out into the light. The Tarkan tells the Cat in an aside to play his part well -- the Cat says, "Count on me." Shift is hungover. The whole thing is set up like a theater -- as if those three were on stage, the King's party were in the wings, and the assembly of Talking Beasts were the audience.
At the prompting (also, kicking) of Rishda Tarkan, Shift begins to speak. He says that a wicked thing has been done, and Aslan -- here the Tarkan corrects him to "Tashlan" -- is very angry. He says that a Donkey has dressed himself up in a lion-skin and started to wander around pretending to be Aslan. At first Jill thinks the Ape has gone mad; she wonders if he's going to tell the whole truth. Then she sees Tirian's look of horror and realizes what's happened... and that it's now useless to tell the Talking Beasts the truth about Puzzle, since they're out for his blood.
Jewel whispers to her to go cut the lion-skin off Puzzle's back, so she sneaks behind the stable and does so, kicking it under the heaviest bushes. When she creeps back, Shift is saying that Tashlan is now too angry to come out and see them anymore. Griffle, the chief dwarf, speaks up and says that's because all the Ape ever had was a donkey in a lion-skin and now he's lost that and doesn't know what to do. The other dwarfs start chanting, "Doesn't know what to dooo," in sing-song until the Tarkan yells at them to be silent and listen or he'll put them to the sword.
The Dwarfs keep baiting him, saying that if he wants them to believe in Tashlan, he'll have to show them proof. In the next quiet moment, Shift says that anyone who wants to see Tashlan, can. The Narnians are confused, understandably. Shift clarifies that while Tashlan won't come out, anyone who wants to see him can go into the stable themselves. The Talking Beasts are all very relieved and excited, but then Shift starts to go on about how angry and hungry Tashlan is at the moment, and they all lose their nerve.
Jill whispers to Tirian, wondering what really is in the stable. Tirian doesn't know, but guesses it's two armed Calormenes. Jill is worried that it might be Tash for real -- Tirian says maybe, but tells her to have courage, saying "we are all between the paws of the true Aslan."
After the Narnians are thoroughly intimidated, Cucumber the Cat coolly offers to be the first to go into the stable. It seems clear to the King's party that this is all part of the ruse... but then Cucumber shoots out like a rocket, clearly traumatized and no longer able to speak. At all. The more he tries, the less he looks like a Talking Beast, and soon all the rest of the Narnians are in terror, and beg Shift to intercede with Aslan on their behalf.
Then Emeth, a Calormene officer, comes forward and volunteers to go in. He is pretty obviously going in in good faith; the Tarkan tries to dissuade him, but he won't be gainsaid. He goes in with shining eyes, and Jewel remarks that he deserves a better god than Tash. Eustace says, "I do wish we really knew what was in there." Emeth goes in, and a dead Calormene falls out. The Tarkan, after looking at his face, starts with surprise, but pronounces Emeth dead. Jill can see from where she is that it's another man entirely, but the Narnians can't.
At this point, of course, nobody else wants to go in, and Shift declares that a Boar will be the next since the rest are "shy." The Calormene soldiers start to close in on the Boar, who prepares to fight for his life, at which point Tirian whispers to his companions, "Swords out. Arrow on string. Follow," and bursts out on the villains, declaring himself and denouncing Tash, the Ape, and the present Calormenes in one breath. Jill and the rest leap out with him.
* Jill's Adventures with Propaganda
* Jill's Adventures with Mob Mentality
* Talking animals losing the ability of speech in a clearly magical and horrifying manner?!
* Tash?!?!?!
* This is gross.
* Schemers who use Aslan as part of their scheming schemes are gross.
* Something deeper and more horrible is also clearly at work.
* Just... this is all wrong.
