Thats one bitter.

Characters: Aikuen, Tagger, Chris, Robin

Location: Moledeep; Molehall

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So. Yeah. Its cold. Like. Why, oh why. Cold. So. Do you know what that means? Well duh. It means Aik is indoors... ONCE again! His daughters have gone off to Camp Willow. And Fira is napping or reading in the study. So, Aik putters around the hall by himslef. A samplings of bottles set in a line that have different mixtures of... well. Something in them. Tagg sits in a corner. Or... well. There is a collection of blankets set in the corner. And the little otters words poke out once in awhile, "Box!" as it squirms and giggles. Getting all tangled in the warm blankets. Aik smile at the piles before looking at the bottles once more. Each one labeled '1-9' He hums at them. The elder otter is covered in a thick cotton overcoat. With his silly hat on top.

There's the sound of crying! And then two stoats follow it. "Oh my word, will you knock it off!!?" Robin growls out, paws over his ears. He's being followed by Chris who's just making the sound of a baby crying. "Waaaaaaaa." he's having a hard time not laughing but he does finally stop when he sees Aik. "Hey. I know that thing." Chris grins.

Aikuen is a little concerned at the crying. Tagg? Crying? He hasn't done that in a LONG ole time. Aik glances over with his good ear pointing toward the pile before he picks up the other sound coming from the hall. He blinks and then shakes his head, a small smile creeping on his face, "Sounds like ikkle Chris could use his baabaa." he snorts to himself before leaning on the table, "'Thing'? Is that what im reduced too? 'Thing'? Im a LEAST a 'that'." he snorts once more and nods at Robin, "Hello mate" he grins.

Rob removes his paws from his ears and sighs. "Finally." he then blinks. "Oh, hey Aik." he smiles and Chris just smirks. "I'm trying to get Robin ready to deal with that noise when he's a father." he nods as he sits down at the table with a grin. Rob just frowns. "I'll deal with it then. Right now you're just annoying me."

Tagg is completely oblivious to the whole thing. And continues to giggle random words he knows. To explain his enjoyment in the blankets, "Bow! Pop! Loop! Row!" the little otter giggles. Aikuen's eyes glance over before looking back at the pair, mostly at Chris "You do realize that the more you do it to him. The more he is going to do it to you, when you start to have kids of your own." he winks, "Maybe even doubly so..."

Chris peers over towards the sound of the words before chuckling and looking back to Aik. "Yeah, but I don't see that being for a long time. Besides, Rob will probably be old and grey at that point." he smirks. "But I'll still remember. I have a long memory." the older nods.

Aikuen laughs, "Its true. He will remember. And then he will get you, and get you good!" he snorts, "Sides. Might not be... TOO long from now." he smirks, "I mean. Even the twins are thinking about kids." he hums and then says, "Anywho. What are you young'uns doing eh? Sides... Being terrors!" he laughs.

Chris blinks. "The twins? Thinking about kids?" he starts to laugh. "And they're younger than me." he chuckles a little then shrugs. "Maybe." he just shrugs a bit before Robin smirks. "Us? We're not doing too much. Just being bored. Sy's asleep again, and dad is gone out to get firewood. And...thats it really."

Aikuen sighs with smiles, "That is true. You are older then them. But only a few seasons... They are no longer kids anymore and the thought has crossed their minds at least once or twice." he shakes his head and turns back to the table, "Well. Stop being bored. Being bored is wasting time. And time wasted, is time lost." he hums to himself as he picks up the bottle labeled '4' and swirls it around.

Chris hums. "Thought has crossed my mind as well a few times but it probably wont happen for a while anyways so." he shrugs before tilting his head a little. "What are you doing?" he asks.

Aikuen swirls the bottle around for a little. Before supping a little bit. He makes a bit of a face before nodding and putting the bottle down, "Im tasting the the flavor of immature rums that i made. See which ones i need to scrap. And which ones are ready for the barrel" he nods a little more.

Chris ohs and nods slowly. "I see." he hms a little. "Making rum are you?" the stoat grins. "Looking forward to trying it out when its all done and ready and...stuff." he nods.

Aikuen nods and takes one of the bottles. Its almost clear in color, kinda amber-ish. But mostly clear, "Here. Get your gob around that one. And see what you think of it." Its one of the better ones. Aik knows it. But the problem is. Its one of the bitterest things on the entire planet. But. Aik knows. That will be a fine rum one day.

Chris takes the bottle and gives it a sniff before he tips it back and drinks it before he pulls off this face, drinking it down a bit before he puts the bottle on the table. "Oh...oy thats bitter." he shudders a bit.

Aikuen cant help but chuckle, "Awful isn't? This will be my pride batch when it fermets correctly" he chuckles a little bit, "Some of the tricks of the trade, i guess you could call it." he nods a little bit before saying, "So. Have any plans tonight? Anything?"

Chris nods. "Bad. But I'm sure it will be better." he nods then shakes his head. "Not really. Being bored as usual." the stoat hums a little. "I really need friends." he sighs.

Aikuen hums and nods a little bit, "I see. Well. You could do what my daughters did. They spend most of their time at camp willow. They love it there. And its just an hour walk from here..." then it dawns on him, "Oh... Right... Well... Ummm... Guess you could spend more time at the abbey? Maybe?" he hums a little bit. Wiping his hands on a nearby towel.

Chris shrugs. "I don't want to go to the abbey." he says. "I don't want mice friends...not that I have anything against it, its just...there aren't many stoats around." he nods.

Aikuen hums, "Well. They have other beasts sides mice. And i know. But that comes with being... Who we are in all. Im sorry to say." he hums, "I was just throwing out ideas matey" he chuckles, "Im a little old to be friends with young'uns. Though im happy to be your elder!" he chuckles and coughs a little. Then smiling, "Sorry..."

Chris smirks a little. "You know what I mean." he nods slowly. "Anyways. I'd rather go to bed without dinner than have you as my elder!" he laughs a little then leans back in his chair.

Aikuen chuckles lightly, "Oh... You. Too late. Im your elder wether you like it or not." he nods and grins before saying, "Until Ole Kenty gets of that age too. I will be for a LONG ole time!" he grins evilly.

Chris blinks and mutters to himself. "I wonder if I'm allowed to poison his rum..." he hums a little then shrugs.

Aikuen chuckles a little bit, "Maybe. Not very sporting. I might add." he chuckles and shrugs, "Well. If push comes to shove. You can always help me with... MANUAL LABOR!" he chuckles evilly.

Chris blinks. He didn't realize he was that loud. "Well...its uh...a last resort. Yeah, thats it." he nods then throws up his paws. "Noo....not manual labor! Someone help me!" he chuckles.

Aikuen winks. Its mostly lip reading, "Hey... I didn't hear anything." he winks once more, "Yup! Get to help me move some VERY LARGE kegs around. Sounds like fun? Eh?" he chuckles to himself.

Christopher laughs. "You know what I mean." he says before humming a little. "Nope. Its not fun. You can do it all yourself." he nods.

Aikuen grins and leans a little in the chair, "Well. If your sure. Have to go cellar hunting anyway. Relight some the lanterns that never been lit before. We might discover something... cRaZy!" he chuckles and nods, "If your sure. I mean"

The stoat laughs. "We already found you, didn't we? I think thats crazy enough."

Aikuen laughs a little as he stands up, "Aye. I guess your right. Well. This will keep me busy for the winter anyway." he chuckles. Tagg has gotten slightly bored of the blankets... At least. Being in one place. One of the blankets gets pushed around. And the little otter mumbles in baby, "Grrr... Wagon... go go go!" and the only thing that can be seen is the little ones long rudder poking from underneath.

Chris looks towards the little otter and grins. He stands up quietly and motions for the others to be quiet as he starts crawling over on all fours before pouncing on top of that rudder. "Gotchya!"

Aikuen chuckles a little as Chris goes to attack his son, "Id be careful" he mutters. Tagg just grrs and pushes along. Totally unaware of anything. Until his tail is nabbed, "Nooooooooooooooooooooooes!" he draws out as he rolls on his back, "Taggs tailsss....." he tries to pull it from the stoat, and under the blanket. Where, of course, its safe.

Chris grins and falls off with an oof as the otter's tail is pulled under the blankets. He chuckles a little then pokes quickly at the lump. "GASP! Who took my tail!?" he grins.

Tagger erfs at the poke, and makes loud growling sounds, "Roar! Tagg tail! Rawr rawr rawr. My tails!" This of course. All under the blanket. And the lump moves around away from the poking. Still making the gurgling sounds of his name.

Chris smirks a little and then just stops poking for a moment. He then attacks the lump again, poking more. "My tail, my tail my tail!" he laughs a little before going to pick up the big ball of blankets + otter.

Tagg giggles a little as he gets poked once or twice more. Before the poking stops. He then stops moving around and blinks as he waits, "Tails?" he mutters before he gets hauled up. Blanket an all. Up in the stoats arms, "Ahhh! Fy-wings!" he arghs. As that what it feels like to him.

The stoat starts to run carefully around the room. "Oh my! Flying pile of blankets! Gasp! What ever shall we do." Chris smiles, seeming to be very good with kids. At least, ones that are not twins.

Tagg giggles as he is moved around. The sensation alone to send him in a short tizzy. He giggles up a storm as he 'flys' around the room, "Gogogo!" he giggles and laughs. Aik smiles and stands up from the chair. Readjusting his back he watches them go.

Christopher stops suddenly and then tosses the otter lightly into the air, catching him before doing it again. "Heheh...having fun, Tagger?" he asks with grin.

Tagg giggles and yelps out, "Wheeeeeee!" as he is flung into the air. Landing with a cushioned thumb back in the stoats arms. Tagg then starts to squirm, "Ready. Me. Go..." Aik chuckles at that.

"Ready? One..." he lowers the otter, raising him up again, doing it each time he counts. "Two...threeeeee" he tosses Tagg into the air again but this time, drops to his knees quickly, letting him fall just a little further, catching him again with a smirk.

Tagg Wheee's each time that he is tossed into the air. Its the final one that slightly scares him. Getting used to the same amount of drop everytime. He though he must have dropped them. His Whee quickly turns into an Ahhh, as he falls. And as soon as he is caught he says quietly, "Scared..." he mutters.

The stoat chuckles a little. "I think thats enough for now." he says before gently setting Tagger on the ground, going to pull the blankets away. Chris smiles. "You okay?"

Tagg does nothing until the blankets are pulled off him. But when he is seen. He is nibbling on the end of his rudder slightly curled up. He looks right at Chris with his big green eyes, "Hi..." he mutters before going back to nibbling. Aikuen nods at Chris, "Aye. Dont wannt ruff him up too much... not yet at least." he chuckles.

Chris ruffles the otter's head before standing up. "I wouldn't ever drop you..." he smiles softly. "Just remember that, okay?" he nods before turning to sit with Aik again.

Tagg grrs slightly at the bigger beast before rolling all back in the blankets. ITS COLD OUT FOO! Aik chuckles as he walks around the room a little bit, "He thanks you. By the way. He just hasnt leanred that word yet. We are working on it." he chuckles as he starts to recork some of the bottles, "Better get this cleaned up soon. Fi might yell at me." he chuckles.

Chris nods and chuckles. "You should. And she might. I know Syla would..." he looks around about to tell Rob to go check on her but he's already gone. "Darn stoat, took my idea." he nods.

Aikuen chuckles, as he knew the other stoat left, "Must be some sort... of mind reader or other." he grins as he places the bottles on a carton to take back to the cellar. The blanket ball has slid under the table.

Chris nods and starts to help out with clearing everything away. "So." he says with a bit of a hum. "How long will it take for the rum to be drinkable?" he asks.

Aikuen puts it all away and hums right back at the stoat, "Oh... A few months until it becomes drinkable. Maybe a few more for it to taste alright. And probably a year for it to taste amazing." he chuckles and nods, "But there is a few of the pre stuff that's... alright. It distilled weirdly." he giggles and points at bottle number nine. It has a nice amber color. And fruity aroma, if one was to open it.

"Well. You'll have to let me know when it will be really good." The stoat grins. "I'm looking forward to it!" he then hears a loud 'Christopher, come hereeee please!' from Garnet. "Boo. I gotta go." he stands.

Aikuen nods, "I will..." he then hears... somewhat the yelling, "Looks like you are wanted mate. See yah ole chum, ill be in the cellar if yah need me." he grins and winks before taking the carton. He then knocks the blanket ball around, like a ball toward the cellar, "Come on, ole son of mine. Time to get... crackin..." he chuckles slightly as the blanket keeps going, oof oof. Every time its hit.

Groups:

• Moledeep