Meeting the Otter

Tarka:

Hyperfox looked over to Jitters. "Hey hey, Jitters! You see that place over there?!" Hyperfox pointed into a overgrown field with some kind of stone ruin in the middle. "What what you say we go over there?"

By Twohart

Jitters squinted her eyes and looked bluredly out into the field. "I.. I.. I.. Do.. don't see wh... wh... why not."

Hyperfox grabbed Jitters by the paw and ran over to the place thinking about exploring and treasure. "Oh ho! Oh ho! I bet, I just bet ya that we find a pirate treasure!" They ran between two stones and came to a stop, a soft webbed paw held up to their noses.

A small otter with a wide grin on his face looked around the paw. "Pirate treasure? You want pirate treasure? Oh! Why not! We could do a pirate story today!"

Hyperfox got a good look around the ruin of stone at the people gathered there. "Wow.... didn't know lots of people were here."

The otter grabbed their paws and pumped them up and down before they could even move. "WellIthinkthatIshouldwelcomeyoutoFuzzyYarns! Welcome!" They were off to another part of the ruin in just a moment, fuzzling a coati. Then he talked to them. "Oh, I can't be here today as there is something for my player to do in RL and I need someone to do the story circle today and I just know that you would say yes.. Thank You!" They ran off past Hyperfox and Jitters in a flash, and were gone.

Jitters looked at Hyperfox. "Wh... wh... who was that?"

The coati was rubbing his forhead. "That friends, was Tarka. I don't know if it is just me but I think he might be little on the crazy side." There were sounds of agreement from all around the area from the multiple people gathered there.

Hyperfox perked his ears right up at the word crazy. "Really? Cool! How did you end up knowing them?"

The coati blinked and looked up at Hyperfox and Jitters. "My name is Austin. How I came to know that half-insane ball of fluff is a rather long story. It happened one day a few years back. I was minding my own business when.....

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Austin looked up from his meal of blackberries when a troubled looking otter sat down across the way from him. He put down the meal. "Hello there. My name is Austin. What is yours?"

The otter looked up at Austin. "Floppytail the Magnificent. You can call me Tarka though."

Austin cocked his head, thinking to himself. 'I know otters are strange, but this one seems to be trying to be the strangest.' What he said though was indeed strange. "You seemed troubled, Tarka. Anything I can do for you?"

The otter grinned from ear to ear. "Well... yes, now that you asked."

Austin sighed.

Twohart:

Tarka rubbed his paws together, getting up from the stump, and crossing over to the table where Austin sat. He leaned forward, placing each paw carefully on the table with each point.

"I... would like to build." His nose was level with Austin's, and the coati blinked, leaning back.

"Well, that's no problem, you see, we have plenty of building space, and..." he paused as Tarka's black nose began to twitch over his blackberries.

He carefully moved them back, just as the otter burst out, "No, no, no, I mean a Pirate Ship! Turn the whole muck into one giant ship." Tarka was grinning from ear to ear, and bounced up onto the table, peering into the poor coati's face...

"Turn the WHOLE muck--?" Austin said carefully, not wanting to be rude, even though he thought it utterly ridiculous. That's why this muck population was over 90% coati. It was a good, solid, SANE Muck. "The whole--I'm sure it's a good idea. Why don't you put a post up on the board about it, see what everyone thinks about it?" That ought to..."

Tarka leaned back, brushing back his whiskers. "I'll do just that!" he piped, and began to scamper off...

WalksFar:

Austin watched the otter's tail flop back and forth rapidly, a most decidedly un-otterlike behavior in his mind.

"I will, but I still wanna do it! Think what fun we could have. We could all be pirates and sail through the mucks pillaging and looting. What fun we would have!"

"EEEEEe... yessss . . . ." Austin didn't want to appear a tyrant and quash the otter's enthusiasm. His nose wrinkled as he caught the aroma of drying kelp on a beach. A blast of damp sea air whipped by. "This far inland?"

Austin blinked, The hackles on his neck rose in alarm. "Ack!" He was dressed in a red and white horizontal striped shirt and a black patch covered one eye. The otter was no where to be found.

"Now wait a minute!" Austin took one step and went off balance. The ground beneath him heaved and rocked. "Earthquake? EARTHQUAKE!!" He bolted only to stop abruptly in shock. "Mucks don't have Earthquakes!" The ground beneath him continued to heave and rock. Austin's eyes widened in astonishment. "Oh, SHIT!" It was happening! The whole muck . . . a ship . . he ran as fast as he could. Beneath his feet, soil and grass turned to sea washed planking. Trees rose, merged and became a towering mainmast. Leaves turned white and linked to sails. "No! NO! Noooooooooooo. . . !"

Tarka:

Austin rushed as fast as his little coati feet could take him to room #0 of the MUCK. He just had to see what was going on. He ran past other coatis looking just a confuzzled as himself. When he got there he leaped into the control chair... only to land on something soft and alive that bit him hard on the rump!

"Hey! You could have hurt me!"

Austin rubbed his rump and just stared. That otter was in here. "How did you get in here Tarka?"

The otter blinked. "You left the door unlocked. Neat Cad system that you have here. See... I redesced the whole muck. I think it would be really easy to do. I will put that report into my post and everything!"

Austin sighed and picked the hyper otter up by the tail and threw him out the door. Then closed and locked it behind him. He sat down and started to work for the night. He had a MUCK to put back together.

-----------------

Austin laughed. "Oh no, Spaceroo. You should have been here a couple days ago. Some crazy otter turned the MUCK into a pirate ship. Took hours to fix the problem."

Someone tapped Austin on the shoulder. He turned his head to look, only to see the otter just mentioned.

"Hey! I got another idea Austin. I want to build a small little place. Nothing like last time. It is called OYPD. Can I?"

Austin eyed the otter. "Well you should remember that this place is PG-13. Other than that everything should be alright."

The otter looked troubled for a moment then grinned... "Everything should be peachy!" He ran off happy and singing to himself about girls.

Twohart:

Austin blinked, drawing his bowl of blackberries. He honestly did NOT want to know what the otter had in mind. Judging from his former experience, it probably would end up with him at the bottom of some pit this time.

Spaceroo grinned, looking over at him, "You know, a pirate ship really would be kinda neat."

Austin groaned and fled. The virus seemed to be spreading. And with that in mind, he didn't entirely trust that Tarka hadn't somehow gotten himself into the #0...this was confirmed as the room around him turned into a deep, dark...

"Welcome to the Otter's Yummy Pancake Development center!... enforcing the rights of pancakes everywhere!" Tarka scrambled up from out of nowhere, knocking the hapless coati right into the wall, which felt mildly ...buttery.

"Uhm... how exactly do you do that?"

Tarka blinked, "Why by eating them, of course!"

"By the millions!" he giggled. covering his muzzle with his rubbery paws, thinking of all the delicious fish-flavored pancakes. "Why, just think of all the money we could make! I bet everyone would be willing to come in and support pancake's rights!"

Austin sighed, "You mean eat them, right?"

Tarka nodded. "We also," he added slyly, "Make blackberry flavored pancakes."

WalksFar:

"Blackberry?"

Tarka nodded rapidly and shoved a stack of bluish pancakes in front of Austin. "Eat away. I have plenty more."

"This is more like it." The coati dug in; blueberry pancakes, butter and blackberry syrup. Then buttermilk pancakes with blackberry syrup, then blackberry juice to wash it all down. In short order, the little coati became rotund, a furry beachball with legs. He managed to get onto his feet and toddle slowly away from the syrup and butter splattered table. The otter had disappeared again into the darkness, no doubt to feast for himself until sated and round.

"Wait a minute . . . " Austin prodded the buttery walls of the room and probed about in the dim light. "Where's . . . " Realization struck like a blow to the head. There was no exit, no door, no egress, no way OUT!

"Tarka?" Silence followed. "Tarka! It has been fun, but I want to leave." Eerie silence closed over him. "TAAAAAAAAARKAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Tarka:

Austin marched down the main path of the MUCK... he was as mad as a round furry beachball with legs could be. It had taken him more than an hour to get out of the Otter's Yummy Pancake Development Center. He spotted Spaceroo. "Spaceroo... where is that otter?!!"

Spaceroo turned around with a very silly look on his face. "You mean Master Tarka? His name is Floppytail the Magnificent. He is over at the new Otter Palace."

Austin sighed and headed for the otter's new hangout. When he got there he marched right up to Tarka. "Ok, otter. That was the last straw!"

Tarka leaped up and kissed Austin on the nose. "You're back! Yippy! You will just love my new plan." Tarka punched a button and a curtain folded back on the side wall. Behind it was a huge looking ray gun. "What you think? I call it the otterizer."

Austin didn't like the sound of this.

Twohart:

Tarka got up, spinning around and around gleefully, and practicially pranced up to the throne. Apparently it'd gotten a little to his head, Austin noticed. He watched on in dismay as a large dragon dragged a smaller version of the throne out, colored brightly with bells and jingles. The dragon sighed, and bowed to him and headed off.

Tarka giggled, "That is Walksfar. He's kind of new here--I invited him over to help with the next phase of my plan. You see..." he leaned close and whispered, "We are going to turn this place into a--" he blinked, noticing the steam rolling in waves out of Austin's ears.

Austin shook his head mutely, and said, ever so slowly, "What new plan? I thought we were to be the OYPD?"

Tarka shaked his head and giggled, his cheerfullness returning, "Oh, that was just too silly! Besides, after last week it got kind of boring, so, you know..." he grinned, "But first, we are going to do something about your attitude."

Austin could barely contain his temper, but burped, and rolled a little over to the side. "My attitude?"

"Yes! You're just a little grouchy."

"Grouchy, me?" Austin blinked.

WalksFar:

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"So that's how you and he became friends?" Hyperfox gestured to Austin.

Austin waved for them to relax. "We come to that now. . . .

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"I'll have you know I am not a grouch! I am responsible and sane which is more . . ." The dragon picked up the fuming coati from behind and placed him into a chair, holding him. "Let go of me you blue behemoth! I'll toad yer ass! Lemme GO!"

"Like I said, you need an attitude adjustment." Tarka's whiskers buzzed on either side of his nose. He darted behind the giant ray-gun device and aimed at Austin. "One adjustment coming up!"

"Wait! WAIT! WAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!" Austin held his hands before himself protectively, as if that would help. He saw the crazy otter grin and press the big red button. "CLICK!"

***FOOMPF!!***

He slipped from the dragons's grip and fell to the floor with a THUD, scrambled to his feet, eyes ablaze, shaking his finger at the otter who stood wide eyed behind the ray gun, mouth agape with surprise. "You little menace! I've had it with your pancakes, pirate ships and palaces and whatever else you have planned. This is an order. . . ." Something was wrong. His body didn't fit him quite right like an oversized suit. He saw his hands. "EEEP!" He looked down. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. . . ." The whiskers on either side of his nose quivered with rage. "You CRACKPOT OTTER! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" He shook his finger, started to yell, but stopped. There were no words strong enough. . . . Austin sputtered. Smoke rose from his ears, while he held his arms stiffly to his otterine sides and made fists with webbed hands. "That's IT! That's IT! SPACE-ROO!! SPACE-ROO!"

A large otter with big feet hopped into the room. "What is it?"

Austin's mouth hung open. He pointed weakly. "You, too?"

"Me what? Who the hell are you?"

Austin choked on his own words. "My muck! My beautiful muck! Where is my muck?" He gazed at Tarka briefly. "All of them?"

Tarka put his hand to his mouth. "Oops!"

Austin turned away. Around him the mucks inhabitants filtered into the great hall where Tarka and the Dragon held court. They blinked big dark eyes and wriggled long whiskers on either side of black otter noses.

Austin sank on the floor. "All otters? What did I do to deserve this?" He gazed upward. "I try to be good, to do the right thing and I am in hell. Otters . . . otters. . . . My wonderful coatis, all gone . . . changed to otters. . . ."

Tarka:

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Hyperfox was holding his sides laughing... "oh ohohoh! That is just too good! He turned everytone into otters? Really?"

The coati nodded. "Yes. I can't even really blame the poor sot. I really think he didn't know it would do that. Lets get on with the story though.

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Austin was being hugged and he looked around... Tarka was grinning from ear to ear. "Oh wow! This is wonderful isn't it Austin! Now I will have a lot of friends to play with! You do like fish don't you?"

Austin was just stunned. His mind numb from all that had happened. This one deranged otter managed to mess the whole muck over without hardly even trying. "I guess that I should get used to them."

Tarka rubbed his paw over his face. "Ah... it will not last.. is only temporary... really. Anyways... You will love my new idea!"

Austin grabbed the otter before he could turn away.... "Oh no you don't! I have other plans for you!"

Twohart:

Tarka blinked, looking almost eager. His black otter eyes seemed to glow with this new prospect. What would the coati come up with?

Austin looked over at him over his black twitchy otter nose, and said rather wryly, "Alright...I give in...but you..." he marched over, leaning his nose into Tarka's, "Mr. Floppytail, will start using your creative talent for a new purpose. Somewhere and somehow it can't cause this much..." he waved his paws about the air hopelessly, "...CHAOS!!!"

======================

"So you just gave up?" Hyperfox interjected.

"Yes, but be patient." the coati stressed the last word, and Hyper began to squirm. "I had thought at this point," the voice was wry, "If you can't beat them, join them. After that... all that was left was to find some area Tarka couldn't mess up. At first,..."

======================

The other otter-denizens blinked their eyes looking at Austin. Mutters began to arise, about electing him head-wizard, which was otterly riciculous, Austin thought. He scowled, looking at Tarka, who just blinked back.

"So what do you want me to do?" Tarka chirped.

Tarka:

Austin talked with Tarka all night long. Sometime in the night everyone turned back to what they used to be. "You will be secret agent otter. You will work behind the scenes where people can't see what you are doing. Upholding tranquility and happiness... quietly. Do you think you can do this, secret agent otter?"

Austin hoped this would keep the otter out of trouble for at least a day.

Tarka nodded. "Sure thing, boss! It sounds fun!"

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Hyperfox jumped up and down... "What what what!? Tarka is a secret agent for the MUCK?"

Austin looked painned. "I don't really know anymore, Hyperfox. I have not asked him about that in a long time." Austin got a worried look on his face. "You know. I have not even thought about that till just now."

Hyperfox looked at Austin. "Really? What does Tarka do here? I don't see people turning into otters anymore."

Austin waved around. "He tells stories now. Sometimes they are a bit wild." :)

Right at that moment, Tarka came running back into the room. "Hello everyone! Did ya miss me?"

Jitters backed away from Tarka. "Austin was telling us how he came to meet you."

Tarka giggles.. "Really? Cool!"

Austin frowned and looked at Tarka. "Tarka. Whatever happened to that secret agent stuff that I told you about?"

Tarka blinked and cocked his head... "Oh... not really that much Austin." He got out a pair of dark glasses. "It turned into something rather big really. Can't really tell you about it." He put the dark glasses on. "I know. Can you look into this," Tarka held up a little silver canister with a red port on it. It flashed, Austin, Hyper, and Jitters all forgot the story that day.

The End