Last Night in the Infirmary

From Redwall MUCK Wiki


Characters: Will, Aikuen

Location: Moledeep

Moledeep: Infirmary

William walks into the infirmary where the otters are still staying. He wonders if they'll ever move back to their room as he plops down on the bed near his sisters and scoops up Venei for something to do. "Hello. Are you bitey today?" he asks the littest otter as he gets her situated in his arms.

Aikuen smiles, "What? Don't even say hello to your parents anymore?" he chuckles and looks to Fira, "What manners have we been teaching him!" Fira snorts in her sleep, and rolls on her side, laying on her paws. Aik grins, "Exactly! Venei doesn't bite much anyway... Ella has been a little pike today!" Ella looks up at her father and grrs, and giggles. Venei chuckles and reaches for the bed, that she was on before giggling and hmming in his arms.

Will smiles a little, "Hello, Pa." He moves one of Venei's paws at he says it to wave at the old otter. "When are they gonna be big enough t stay with you an Mum in your room?" he asks letting go of Venei's paw since she doesn't like being used as a puppet

William nods, "Even if you didn't 'let' her Mum'd still do what she wants."

Aikuen grins, "I am letting her. I just haven't told her that I've notice her sneaking out!" he chuckles.

William grins and bounces Venei gently. "Oh, of course you are," Will says not quite believing the otter really knew /all/ the time. "What were you saying th other day about th twins an swiming or something? Some otter thing you wanted do with them or to them," the rat asks.

Aikuen tilts his head, and nods after a bit, "OH! that. See when an otter is born. Its tradition for them to have running water touch their backs. Its something that has been done for generations of otters. My father did it. His father. And i did it to my first daughter. Its really simple and only takes a few minutes... Makes them the 'Waterdog' that we have come to be know by..." he smiles and nods

William frown a little, "But isn't that an insult, to be called a waterdog?"

Aikuen shrugs and nods, "It is an insult. Very much so. But its much more than that, this tradition. I'm a river otter... i was wet in a river for the first time... Fira is a lake otter... Though she tells me she didn't go with the same tradition. But her first wet was in a lake. So there yah go!" he chuckles, "And it will be the same with These little beauties!" he snuggles with Ella, who grrs and hmms

William ahs, "So th twins'll be river otters or maybe pond otters? .... Hmm, guess I'd be a sea otter if I was one."

Aikuen nods, and glances to Fira, who he hasn't fully told yet, "Well yes... they are going to be River otters... I'm... We... are going to the River moss... in the shallow area. And wet them there... make a day of it... you know..." she still thinks its the pond, "The water has to flow to the ocean... somehow... so... the pond wouldn't work..." he sighs.

William nods, "Ok. One of us'll be holding em th whole time right? They can't swim yet."

Aikuen hrms, "Well... The very last part of the ceremony is where we hold them just under the water, and let go... just for a second. Let them feel the water. All to themselves. That's the last part... But we will be holding them for the rest of everything... And they can swim, they just don't know it yet!" he laughs.

William says, "Hope they don't swim away."

Aikuen shakes his head, "We'll be in the shallows. Where the slow moving water is. And we will keep a sharp eye on them... Plus me and Fira, are fast swimmers... But i don't think so. Fira would probably only let them go for a split second. Which is all that's needed..." he chuckles.

"Ah, well I'm sure Ella'd try t go as far as she could in that split second," the rat chuckles. Venei pulls on his sleave to see if it's edible but it looks like she's trying to get his attention since she keep loosing her grip just before it gets to her mouth and has to grab at it again since it just a little too far for the sleave to streach. He looks down at her and grins, "And Venei too. Is that what your saying? You can swim as good as Ella and you want to eat my shirt. My shirt, like myself, is not for eating. Why don't you chew on your footpaws or something instead. I'm sure they taste much better," he says teasingly to the least otter.

Aikuen says, "Heh... Yah she would... but hopefully some of the fight well get out of her before then..." he chuckles and Venei, "Haha! But she likes Will for lunch... better then otter!" he laughs, and puts Ella on the bed. She grrs and props herself up, sticking her rudder straight up in the air like a signal. Venei continues to reach for the shirt, but after a bit, grabs for any fur that she can grab. Giggling up a storm of course.

Venei was giggling until she is moved away. She reaches out and tries to grab for anything near his body, not seeing his wrist or anything. After a bit, she pulls her paws close and grrs loudly. Ella blinks and makes a noise, almost like a short screech at Will. Before continuing to grr quietly. Aik tilts his head, and chuckles, "She found that out last night..." he rubs his ear, "Loud aint it..." he laughs, and yawns.

William's ears go back at the almost screech. "You want her?" he asks Ella, "Here you go," he lays Venei down next to Aik. "They're already teaming up against me," he grumbles.

Ella blinks and giggles falling on her stomach and reaching out for Venei. Aik chuckles and pulls Ella closer so that they can reach each other. They both giggle loudly and looks like holding paws. Before curling up and pulling their rudders to their mouths. Aik grins, "Aww... Nuts, that is too darn cute!" he chuckles and rubs both of their heads, "I think they were thinking that you were making them mad... so yes... they are teaming against you!" he chuckles and leans against the headboard nudging Fira, "Oi..." she blinks and smiles at him. She gets up and picks up Venei before heading off toward the sleeping hall.

William sighs, "Well this season'll be over before too long and by Winter they'll be able t do more and maybe talk some instead of screaming."

Aikuen stands up out of the bed, and stretches a little bit, "Yah... maybe... But as they get the ability to move... you're gonna find out things might be a little different... and that wasn't screaming. It was more of a screech. They scream when they are crying..." he rubs his claw in his ear again, "I love them to death... but... owie!" he laughs and picks up Ella. Grring can be heard deep within Aiks arms, "Well... I'm going to put my darlings to sleep in their new crib... See yah Will!" he smiles, before heading off to the sleeping hall.