Aikuen and Will

Characters: Aikuen, Will, Amy

Location: Moledeep

Moledeep: Cellar

Its another fine, blazing hot summer day. Aikuen has been up and about for a while now. Woke up really late, and had to rush to get some of his chores done. After he does this, he has this ritual that he does every morning with a tree outside in the grounds. So far, no beast has every seen him do this, and its good, because he doesn't like showing it. But due to the major heat out there, even this otter cant stay outside to do it. He enters the cellars and goes over to a back corner, where some of the shelves for the barrels have been removed to create a pole that hangs in the air horizontal. He stretches his arms, and his back, before jumping up, and catching the pole. Hanging there is says, "Hup!" and he starts to do pull ups.

Will had been napping in the cellar out of sight behind some old kegs. He hadn't hardly touched anything in the room and was there more to keep cool than for any other reason. Hearing an odd sound the rat sits up and rubs his face. "Amy?" he asks wondering is she'd come in while he was sleeping, it was her room after all sort of though he'd never given it to her per say. He wasn't sure where she slept when in her room since there wasn't a single bed to be seen in the old cellar. "Is some beast in here?" he asks again, not quite able to see over the kegs behind him and not sure if he should reveal himself without giving a warning first.

Aikuen is on the up part of the pull up, when he hears Will. This startles him, as he lets go of the pole. But he is quick to grab the pole before he plummets back to the ground, he yells as he strains the muscle, "ARGH! ACk... ug... Yeah... Will it's me..." Then grabbing the pole again, he continues on.

"Pa? What are you doing in here?" Will asks confused. The rat makes his way around the kegs back to the front of the room and turns around to see the otter. "... what are you doing?" he asks as puzzled by his father's behavior as his presence in the cellar.

Aikuen grunts as he continues to work out, not stopping even to give Will a clear answer, "Ung... I'm... Keeping myself... Fit... The tree... I usually do... This... on is outside... And is hot... Even for... Me..." He drops to the ground, and sits on the floor. He wipes off sweat, and breaths heavily, trying to get his second wind.

Will looks the otter over as the gears in his head click into place. He chuckles, "you need me t get ya a drink or something?"

Aikuen wipes the sweat on his pants, and stands up beginning to stretch his legs, "Aye matey! Some water... or TEA would be nice!" He laughs, wondering if he will get it or not

Will grins, "You must really need a drink, you're startin' t think this is th Abbey or somethin'." He heads off to the kitchen to fill a pitcher of water and a glass or two, which he carries in on a tray since it's easier and sets it down on top of a wine rack. He looks over the makeshift bar Aikuen had been working out on curious.

Aikuen smiles, "Thanks mate!" He picks up the pitcher, and drains half of it, "Ah! Refreshing!" He chuckles, as he goes back to the bar. He jumps up and hangs there again, getting ready for the next move. He says "Hup!" again, as he lifts his legs over the bar, and lets go with his paws. Upside down he smiles, "Whoh!" as he does mid air crunches. Yes, he does this everyday... but usually every other beast is still asleep when he does it.

Will looks over at the half empty pitcher and then at the upside down otter, "Can I try that next?" he asks standing on tiptoe to get a better look at the otter's antics.

Aikuen stops crunching and looks to the Rattling, scratching his chin, which looks hilarious in his upside down position. He thinks about it for a few moments before saying, "I don't know... This is very difficult to do... Have you ever done this before?" Its more for safety reasons than anything else.

Will chews on his lip thinking this over. True he never done what the otter's doing but he'd been in some tight places that had required him to hang onto the seemingly weak thing and not fall or let go before. So he answers, "Noooo, but I'm good at falling without getting hurt ..... Can I? Pleeease?"

Aikuen drop to the ground in one fluid motion. He sighs, "Ah... Yah sure... why not!" He pops his neck and says, "Alright... want to do these?" He makes a motion of pulling himself up the bar, a pull up "Or these?" He crunches down to the ground. He smiles, The otter will be here watching... and doesn't see anything wrong with him doing it.

Will only knows that what the otter was doing looked fun and the reason he's doing it may have something to do with Fira but he's quite sure how. "Can I try both?" he asks.

Aikuen nods, "Sure! Lets start with the pull ups, its easy... just hold yourself on the bar, and lift yourself up. Then.. you slowly lower yourself down. Simple..." He chuckles as he picks up Will and holds him up so he can reach the bar.

Will nods as he's lifted up and he grabs the bar tightly with both paws, his face is set and determined. "I'm ready, Pa. You can let go now."

Aikuen says, "Okay!" He lets go but continues to hold his paws up, just in case of sudden dropping rattling son, "When your all set, pull yourself up!" he waits and sees what happens.

The rat had been ready for whenever the otter decided to let go and didn't drop down right away as he would have if he hadn't been prepared. He pulls himself up once with some effort, not too bad he's done that much enough times before but now comes the second part which may be a bit trickier. He drops down without letting go. When his paws stay locked on the bar it sends a jolt through him. He grimaces a little as his body jerks not being able to fall. "I did that wrong didn't I?" he asks before pulling himself up again.

Aikuen winces as he sees what happened, "Er... Yah... you dropped down suddenly... The down part is somewhat harder then the up... Until your muscles get used to it... go down slowly... in small short downs" He steps a little bit away, seeing as the rat can do this now without too much trouble.

Will looks a little confused but he does come down slowly the second time. "Why do you do this again?" he asks before pulling himself up once again.

Aikuen rubs the back of his head, never really thought about it "Um... not quite sure anymore... ive done this everyday... since... well I was about your age." He goes next to the bar, too a free space. and jumps up, and hangs there with one arm, "I guess, to keep myself young... as you know... I'm getting old..." He uses the other paws and rubs the grey streak in his headfur, "Just a habit I guess..."

Will chews on his lip and is mostly quiet as he does around a dozen more chin ups, remembering to let himself down slowly. At last he just hangs there and asks, "Do you like doing it?"

Aikuen watches him doing them, but he still just hangs there, switching paws every so often, "I... guess... Never really thought about it that much... Just something I had to do to keep ahead of the game..." He places both paws back on the bar, and puts his legs over it, going to hang upside down again, "I guess now... I do it... to keep up..." he stops and crosses his arms. He knows why he does it.. but he never thought of himself of doing this... for her...

"Step-mum already likes you ya know. Though don't think she'd mind too much," the rat says releasing the bar and letting himself drop to the floor. He lands in a crouch and looks up at the otter with a smile, "Told ya I can fall without getting hurt."

Aikuen looks up, in his position to look into Wills eyes, quite surprised, "How did... How did you know?... er... Never mind... but yah... I never saw myself doing this... for that reason... but now that I think about it... hmmm." He rubs the back of his head, "Aye I guess you can! But when you're doing, what I'm doing... make sure you don't land on yer head... That hurts like heck!" He laughs as he continues to watch Will, like a bat in a cave.

Will grins, "And then some. My head doesn't like being landed on, so I try not to land on it." He sits down to rest a little.

Aikuen chuckles, "Good advice!" he reaches for the ground, and starts doing crunches with his paws outstretched, for maximum effect, "So Will... How are you?... Besides it being... being hot out..." Yes, he is asking this question. Its straight and to the point.

Will watches the otter, "Right now? Tired. How are you?"

Aikuen stops for a minute to say, "I'm great! Can't wait till next week!" and then he falls to the floor, with a thump. He accidentally slipped on the bar, and he wasn't paying attention... mind on next week... He has learned to protect his head when this happens, good thing too. He gets up slowly, and says, "Ow... that was painful..." and rubs the feeling back in his arms.

One second the otter's upside down *blink* and he's on the floor. Will asks, "You ok? If you're not careful you may be getting married in th infirm instead of th rose garden next week.

Aikuen looks to Will as he pulls out a random splinter from his arm. Good thing it wasn't something bigger, "I'm fine... not the first time that's happened... ung... sneaky little devil..." as he tosses another splinter away. He rubs his eyes and says, "That would... not be good... she doesn't like it when i'm in the infirm... and to be in there on our day... oh gezze!" he chuckles as he stands up, dusting himself off a little bit

Will shakes his head, "No, she wouldn't like that at all. We'll just have to be careful I guess."

Aikuen sighs, "Yep, though at least for a little bit..." He laughs, "Well anyway... i'm through for the day... at least i am now..." He takes the pitcher and pours a glass for Will, before taking the pitcher for himself, "Did I ever thank you?" then takes a long draft of water.

"For the water? Yeah," Will takes the glass and downs it in a few gulps.

Aikuen snorts in the pitcher, "No... No... not that!" he laughs a little bit and sets the pitcher down, "For introducing us... Without you... I might never have meet her... thank you so much!" He ruffs the rats head fur.

Will shrugs, "She's my friend and she said she never went anywhere so I asked if she'd like to come with us." He laughs as his head fur is ruffled, "Yeah I'm /sooo/ wonderful. If it weren't for me you'd be at Redwall right now ... maybe drunk or something instead of being here and sober and annoying me an Amy all th time." No malice is meant by it but now that he thinks about it. "... I guess we're all very lucky to have found one another, huh Pa?" The dibbun smiles up at his father happily though hoping his words didn't upset the otter any.

Aikuen sticks his tongues out at him, "If it weren't for you, I would probably be dead somewhere, not at Redwall because they would have kicked me out by then... AND I try not to annoy you two, but its fun... And I'm trying not to annoy Amy... but you!" He laughs, "Eh... sorry... And yes... The world somehow mashed us all up together, to make the oddest family ever created! And I wouldn't change it for anything!" he smiles back at Will, and gives a wink, "Anyway... thanks all the same... I needed her... I really did..." He goes to lean against one of the empty barrels.

Will grins a little, "Nah, you're too stubborn t' die, remember. Congratulations you've annoyed me a lot over th last few days, now what ya gonna do? Sides th obvious. And anyway if Fira hadn't come with us an met you she still be out in th woods and I'd pass her every few days til forever or trip over her maybe ... She's easy t sneak up on, even if ya aren't tryin' too. ... I like our family too and any beast that doesn't, well just too bad for them then."

Aikuen goes off walking down the isle, tapping the odd barrel as he goes "Our family may be odd, but I enjoy it very much... Even Fira says she doesn't mind... which is good!" He grins, "...She is just perfect..." He does the tapping for a bit before saying, "Hey Will! I have a question.. its a little odd... but I wanted to ask you first... but I better ask you now... How do you feel if me and Fira... had a kid of our own?" He looks back to the rattling and snorts, as the rat has fallen asleep. He stifles a laugh as he continues on, being quiet now, "I'll ask you later... maybe when the time comes..." he sighs as he continues on, thinking about the future... and the oddness to come.