DATE: June 27, 2001 CAST: Basil, Holly and Willow Ant Island Western Residential Wing You come to the western residential wing which is yet another place for colony members to reside. This is as nice as most but not as much as the royal family's and council members living chambers. A few ants can be seen traversing through the residential tunnels, but it doesn't seem to be as busy as it might ordinarily be. One steps slowly out of her new chamber, letting the leaf adorning the entrance slide back with a faint rustle. Gripping her notebook firmly in one hand, Willow glances around, barely frowning as she tries to decide which direction to take. Heading down the tunnel at his normal leisurely pace, Basil heads back toward his chamber from lunch. He's looking forward to a short nap, which he is taking some of this time out from the lunch break, and then perhapse a little socialization with some of the other ants in the colony. He tends to get a little too wrapped up in his work, and wouldn't mind seeing how some of is friends are doing. Willow, for her part, continues to stand in place for awhile, seeming to contemplate the tunnel's very existence. Not much different from home, perhaps, but a drastic change from colors and lights vomited all over cardboard buildings. Eventually she shakes herself out of her blank state, and begins to walk forward abruptly -- and narrowly misses Basil as a result. "Uh, oops! Sorry." Unfortunately, it would seem that Basil is a little on the preoccupied state at the moment, and almost runs head long into Willow coming from her chamber. He obtains a complete stop, hearing her apology, and returns the expression in likewise manner "Oops! I'm sorry, I wasn't watching were I was going and..." At this point he recognized the individual after almost Willow being ransacked, his eyes growing wider. "Oh Willow, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you at first." backing up a little, to give each other some space. Willow instinctively takes a step back as well, adjusting her hold on her leaf notebook, and slipping its green strap over one shoulder. "Well, I guess I haven't been around long enough to be recognizable... plus the mushrooms aren't *that* bright." She aims a quick nod at one of the bioluminescent fungis growing on the wall. "Better than nothing, though..." Basil nods at what Willow is saying to him. "It does take a little getting used to a new colony, doesn't it." He shifts his weight a little as a thought visibly shows on his expression. "In fact, I've been wondering about how you Shine and Tilly have been adjusting to your new place." He then looks instinctivly at the mushrooms she is reffering, and the amount of light they are emitting. "The ones at my colony back home seemed to be a little brighter than here, if memory serves." Willow inclines her head in a faint, assenting nod in response. "We've been doing okay... I'm still settling into my chamber, as I'm sure they are. Fortunately mine's well-lit -- couldn't have at any other way, now." Holding back a shudder, she pauses, then blinks as Basil mentions... another colony? "You're not from here, either?" "Oh, I'm glad to hear the three of you are adjusting. Health and ant services around here is really quite efficient, I would say." Basil smiles at Willow, but then feels a rather painful feeling comes over him, which is then only compounded by her next question. "Oh, um, yeah. I'm, I'm not from around here." He nods slowly. "I'm actually surprised it still effects me as much as it does, being well over a year ago. Willow lifts a hand to scratch behind her neck, nodding vaguely to the first reply. Hand drifting back to her side, she regards Basil with renewed curiosity--sympathy, as well. "It wasn't like our situation, was it?" "Hoo, boy. No, it wasn't," Basil exclaims with a great deal of emotion. "It had to have been one of the weirdest situations I've even been through. Going day by day, you get into the same rut, but to have something like that come along..." Basil gets a little carried away with his train of thought. He has at this point raised a hand to his head to massage his left temple gently. "Oh, I'm getting carried away. It happened like this: A friend of mine, and I had been getting into the same rut, and needed to get some fresh air. So we took lunch outside that day." Willow slowly shifts her weight onto one foot, antennae twitching every so often as Basil explains. Dark blue eyes well reflect her interest in the tale. "Then what happened...?" "Ray and I stopped to have lunch by some rock. He was /going off/ on one of his tangents again, and I quickly fell asleep." Basil pauses to recollect the events in his head, then begins with much more enthusiasm. "The next thing I knew I was awakened by a loud thunderclap overhead, and found that it was night time, and in a completly different location. It was at this point I started to run, sensing that smell of rain in the air, you know the one, hoping to stay out of it." Willow stares, transfixed by it so far. She barely holds back a frown, nodding grimly at the part of 'rain' -- most ants know that smell, and few like it. "Yeah," she agrees, then goes quiet, letting Basil continue. Basil pauses to catch his breath. He looks quite winded from telling Willow about this traumatic event in his life. "Soon it occured to me that I was in a river bed. I came to the edge, and the wall was much too tall and steep to climb, so I ran the other way as quickly as possible. But before I could get more than half way, I saw the water coming in front of me, cutting my way off!" The poor guy now looks like he's reliving the events all over again. "Then if that wasn't enough, I tripped and fell! I was in such a panic, I thought my life was over!" Willow cringes a bit, both from what the experience must have been like, and from the fact that the guy seems to be getting carried away with retelling it. Unsure of what to say, and not wanting to interrupt either, she otherwise remains quiet. "Somehow I managed to get to my feet and run again." He points into no direction in particular, and continues. "I managed to catch a glimpse of an outcropping to the north." Basil exhales a bit, and resumes more calmly. "I was able to get to the sandy beaches, and the rocks, but was so panicked, I kept going until I reached the top of this hill. I turned round, saw that the water was well out of reach, but I was still in a run, and didn't expect the ground to open below me. I fell a good distance, and began blacking out from hitting my head upon impact. As I did, I saw two ants come toward me. Then I awoke in the infirmary, here." Willow nods slowly, glancing down and rubbing her shoulder briefly. "That sounds pretty awful," she says, looking up again. "Sounds like the headache alone you would have gotten from all that would have lasted awhile." "Yeah, it did." Basil repies while letting out a hyperventilated sigh. "Yeah, to this day, I have no idea what happened, though some thought it might have been a bird." He looks away for a second, all caught up in his emotions. "Despite all the physical pain I went through, the idea of never seeing my family again, well..." He trails off not being able to speak any more. Basil keeps his head down and low, not wanting Willow see him show these emotions. Basil looks back at Willow, and sighs heavily. "It still hurts so much, Willow!" looks back down again, hands held out in a pleading gesture. "It still feels like it just happened, yesterday. I miss them." Basil lips tremble a little, and his eyes emit a little moistue. "Oh, but telling you this must bring back alot of emotions for you too." He gasps outwardly. "I'm sorry if I'm calling up painful feelings for you as well. Willow fixes an intent gaze on Basil, much of his words going straight to her heart and, indeed, bringing to mind her own family, who might well be dead for all she knows. Looking down and biting at the inside of her cheek to keep her own emotions in check, she shakes her head. "N-no, it's all right." ... "I'm sorry for your loss. I just hope... your family's okay." Basil indeed notices Willow's emotions, but only feels compassion. His thoughts go back to his mom and sisters, upon hearing her comment. "Yeah, as far as I can tell. At least I have that knowledge." Basil still can't utter much more than that, feeling compassion for the young ant before him as well as his own calamity. Willow nods slowly, taking a deep breath. She opens her mouth to perhaps add something more, but either forgets what it was she wanted to say, or changes her mind. She lapses back into awkward silence. Walking along the tunnel in the opposite direction, a young adult female ant makes her way steadily. She's humming some soft pretty tune, but soon comes upon Basil and Willow, seeing how they are looking very unhappy. Holly quickly discontinues her humming and comes to a complete stop. "Hey guys, are you two feeling all right?" She inqures with a genuine sound of concern in her voice. Willow, momentarily startled out of her melancholic trance, swiftly lifts her eyes up to regard the newcomer. "Uh," is her first intelligent response, followed by silence on her part as she tries to think of a more articulate response. Basil looks up quickly at the sound of the familiar voice. "Oh, Holly, I, I didn't know you were standing there." He looks away for a second, and wipes his eyes with his hand. "I'm sorry, you kinda of caught me, er um, us at a bad time." He sniffles a couple of times, then remebers his manners. "Oh, Holly, in case you havn't met, this is Willow." Basil introducesHolly to the newcomer. "Please excuse her if she seems a little less than talkative. She, we were talking about, well, home." "Oh, oh, that's right." Holly begins much more sofly. "I guess I should have known. Willow, you have my deepest sympathy," she offers her hand in friendship and compassion. "Basil has told me about you and your situation, and please don't be angry with him, he wanted to be sure I knew the facts from you, rather than learn them by way of the colony." Willow automatically accepts Holly's proferred hand in her own, issuing what seems to be the globally understood handshake. Otherwise, though, not much of her senses have apparently returned. "Ah... right," she murmurs, aiming a side-glance at Basil. "I guess most colonies will do that -- skew stories, I mean." Basil nods to the affirmative, then addresses Holly. "Yes, we were just talking about that the other day, when Willow and I first met." Suddenly a thought pervades his mind. "Willow, Holly has also had her own share of pain and anguish from the slavers." Basil sends a nod to Holly who then replies in like manner. Willow's eyes widen slightly, whipping her attention back on Holly again. Well! "You have?" she asks, her tone almost bordering on disbelief. Holly quickly grows feelings of anger and hatred. "Yes, I have indeed!" Her anger swelling. "They were so brutal to us, we all begged and pleaded for mercy, but to no avail." "My family was beaten horribly for resisting them. I offered myself, which of course they gladly accepted, but no matter how much begging and pleading, they wouldn't stop!" Holly quickly heads over to the wall, considering punching it, but decides different. She now starts to cry a little. Willow tenses and takes a step back, in some way mildly alarmed by Holly's outburst. Inwardly she chastises herself for the knee-jerk reaction. Hasn't she herself gone into similar tirades about the injustices of the world, particularly those named Mazin? Awkwardly adjusting the strap on her shoulder, she sighs. "I'm... really sorry," she says at length. "That's horrible." Basil looks over at Willow and Holly. He suddenly feels a lot less anguished than before. "Yeah, Holly was lucky to escape with her life. She is a refugee, like you too. Perhapse the two of you can help each other out, seeing how she is a newcomer as well, and has had this happen recently. Basil looks over to Holly intending on her as a comfort for Willow. Holly comes back over from the wall by this time and first looks at Willow and smiles at her thoughtfulness. "Thanks Willow, I could use a little sympathy right about now." She then looks over to Basil, and upon listening to his suggestion, replies "Yeah, as much as it hurts, I think we could be of help for one another. I too would like to help if I can." Giving Willow another nod, and folds her arms. "Oh, Basil, I don't think you should cut yourself out too quickly. In a sense, you are a refugee as well, or at least you can understand what we are going throught." Willow absently fingers the edge of her notebook at her side, but keeps the majority of her attention on Holly and Basil. At his suggestion and Holly's response, she smiles ruefully and shakes her head. "Well, it's what they say... misery loves company," she says in agreement. "The more, the -- well, you know what I mean," she concludes. 'The more, the merrier' somehow doesn't seem to apply on this basis. Basil clears his throat, and listend attentively two the two gals by him. "Yeah, well, thanks, Holly." He then smiles to her and gives her a warm expression. "I do meant that too." Turning to Willow, he speaks once more. "Willow, I think you are right. But yeah, if you were going to say 'merrier' I wouldn't use it either." He pauses for a moment. "I just want you to know how much Holly has helped me, and been here for me. In fact, she's an artist. She created a painting for me of 'West River Colony' So I wouldn't feel so homesick. It's been a real help." "Thanks Basil, you are too kind. Yeah, Basil tends to exaggerate a little, but the painting of his home was also a way of dealing with my stress as well. I don't know how, but I guess the sympathy helped me to feel better about what I was going through." Her countenance has changed, such as it is for Holly, managing to buoy herself at times of sorrow. "Willow, I don't wish to sound too forward, but if you would like one I would love to paint a picture of your home as well. Assuming that isn't too forward." she offers gracefully. Willow listens to the exchange with interest, eyes focusing on Basil, then Holly as each one speaks. She blinks in surprise at her offer. "You would? Really? Well, that... that would be great. Especially since I can't paint much of anything." She pauses. "Aheh. It's funny... my grandmother used to paint. I got her name, but not her artistic ability." Basil looks over this sad little scene, upon thinking of it farther, comes up with a possible solution to the immediate problem. "Ahem. Uh, you, you know what? I've kinda had this desire to get out and go for a walk the last few days." He suggests as he thumbpoints toward the entrance of the tunnel. "That way we can get some of this pent up emtions out and we can deal with them better. "Does that sound good to you two? Holly, Willow?" Considering the wisdom of the suggestion, Holly quickly nods to the affirmative. "Yeah, I think that would be just the thing we could use. I havn't seen the sunshine, in a couple of days, that with tunnling going on." After a second's worth of thought, Willow also seems to agree. "Yeah." For a split second, a dismayed expression comes over her. She puts a hand to her forehead. "Shoot, I forgot! I should've been outside over five minutes ago. My new work shift starts. I'm really sorry, but I gotta go." [End Log] Next Log: Misery Loves Company part II Return to: Muted Identity logs.

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