Places of Refuge

[Ricky Maze]

Places of Refuge
Spring 50th 514 AV, ???? Bell
Location: ??????????????

The bell had been a late one for Ricky, as it always was when the night filled both rooms in darkness. His son Martin couldn’t really rest easy even with the presence of his father there, not until Ricky had at last comforted Martin enough to where the child found himself capable to sleep once more. Of course that left Ricky to be watchful in his drowsy state, and even when he couldn’t help but smile as he watched the child asleep in his basket with tiny hands clasped around one large index finger, the fisherman too couldn’t help but find himself lulled into sleep as he laid on his bell near the edge of the bed. Martin. What did the child think about? What did he dream about? Ricky could only wonder with yawn as he slipped into sleep, his mind still wrapped on the subject of what the world was like through the eyes of his own child. In turn he felt himself slipping, or rather diving into sleep. It was a good sleep he needed to face the coming tomorrow, yet what he didn’t expect was the dream that was to come upon his dive into the realm of dreams.

First it was dark. Dark because he had his eyes shut, but even then there was a bright sort of light behind his eyelids. He was on his back now, still drowsy but somehow revitalized with what sleep he had. Time sure flew by when one slept through the night, then again he hadn’t thought about how quick sleep was since it came and went so many nights before. He started to move about and stretch with a yawn but the sound of the yawn…. Was a little quieter compared to his regularly loud ones? Upon opening his eyes Ricky could see a bright sort of light about him, he was… smaller? Or was the room larger to him? Where was he anyway? Holy shyke. Where am Oi? This wasn’t the room he fell asleep in, nor was this the same bed he laid in earlier for that matter. He raised his arms out to find that they were smaller than his well built arms, and less hairy too considering… wait… weren’t these the arms that belonged to his son?

"Wawabwa." He tried to speak but the words… they were gibberish to him! No wait… If he wasn’t able to speak normally… had baby Martin arms…. Oh wait… Oh Gods! Was he Martin right now?! De PETCH is goin’ on?! He squirmed about trying to roll over, he had no idea though, and that such an easy thing to do was actually rather difficult in the body of a child. Shyke! Shyke, shyke, shyke!! He tried to figure out what to do, what did Martin normally do when he needed his parents?... Oh yeah, that’s right. He would cry. Yet crying wasn’t Ricky’s style…. Not when it came to being so damn self dependent. Damn t’is shyke is so ‘ard! Oi dunno ‘ow me boy does it so much. He finally turned over to roll on his belly, the soft white blanket loose in the crib he rested in.

Finally, now where am OI? He propped himself up on his hands and knees to elevate his head, curious eyes wandered around the room to see where he was. It was… a cabin of a sort? The breeze that drafted through the open door was great and the sun highlighted what looked to be a beach on the outside, but as far as discovering where this was exactly he hadn’t the slightest idea. This wasn’t Zeltiva, he knew that much. "Bwababa!" He tried to speak out in hopes someone would notice him, hopeful that he wasn’t alone in this serene but unusual place.

[Nilika]

Common | Kontinese

Nilika slumped onto a couch that was in the living room. Slowly her body started to slide down into a laying down position. The air was slightly humid but overall comfortable for the Konti. It felt nice just sitting there in silence. After all, silence is golden was what her mother would say. A sigh left her pink lips as she looked out of the window. Not a cloud in the sky was dampening the sunlight’s entrance. Maybe Ricky would like to go out today. She rolled over onto her back and looked up at the ceiling and tried to organize her thoughts.

She was currently babysitting, but the baby wasn’t even up when she came. The parents had left no longer than a bell ago and the child didn’t make a peep yet. It was getting awfully boring with just sitting there for a long time. The Konti had thought being a babysitter would be fun. Playing a baby or even feeding it. From what others said, feeding a baby would be one of the hardest things to do. It was because they were picky eaters at first and didn’t want to eat everything that they are given. That however didn’t deter her at all.

She put her hands in the air and looked at them. It’s been a long time since she has held a baby before. “I wonder if he’s soft,” she thought aloud. She flipped back onto her side and looked towards the room that held the object of her attention. It was tempting to go in there and see him, but she learned from the parents to let a child sleep as long as they can. It was how they grew. She closed her eyes for a while and just rested, before hearing a noise. Slowly sitting up, Nilika listened to hear what the noise was. Almost five chimes went by before hearing it again. The Konti got onto her feet and made way to the baby’s room. Well it looks like he’s up after all.

As she entered the room, she saw the infant’s blue eyes peeping over the crib. A lopsided smile greeted the child before the teenager went over to see what was wrong with. “Looks like you’re done napping,” she muttered wrapping her hands under his arms. Lucky for her, his play blanket was already out. She laid him on his back gently, making sure to be careful with his head. “Well Ricky mommy and daddy are out today, so it’s just you and me,” she said softly.

[Ricky Maze]

When the sounds of movement became clear in the other room his eyes, the color of his beloved wife, moved over to the doorway as it finally opened. There stood a girl that looked to be a child, covered in scales and a soft luminescent glow from the light of the outside. Of course the effect was no doubt a part of her pale skin with the iridescent scales and highlighted hair, but all the same the face of the young Konti was all the more welcome for Ricky to have seen as he wished to say something in appreciation. Of course... he couldn't. Because he didn't inwardly know how. Or did he? He knew how, just lacked the ability? T'ank de GODS! Oi ain't alone in 'ere den!

His face started to brighten up some as though he were happy to see the girl, Nilika being somebody he couldn't help but feel overjoyed to be held by. The way she'd cradled him in her arms was soft and... serene sort of. For some reason he just couldn't help but feel at ease, feel a strong innate sense of safety and security within the gentle grasp she held him in. When he was placed on his blanket he watched her with big curious eyes, his legs brought up to where he could grasp at his feet and try to suck on his toes for fun and entertainment. Yea it can be ye and me all ye like, Oi just wanna know what de petch is goin' on is all. Oi'm hungry f'r one! What's a babe suppose t' eat anyway?! He pondered for a moment before he realized that he hadn't really ate in a while. Did he eat in a while? It felt as though he hadn't...

How was he suppose to eat for one? It wasn't like Nilika herself could produce milk... or could she? She wasn't a mother, as far as he was aware of, so the odds weren't in his favor. Damn. What to do for food? What else could he do? He was hungry, and needed something soon. He no longer sucked at his toes as they didn't give any nourishment, instead he held his arms out as though he were wanting something from Nilika, and then started to cry seeing as how he was utterly helpless in this case.

[Nilika]

Common | Kontinese

A single digit slid down the baby’s stomach. He was soft to the touch. Blue eyes gazed over every inch of the infant. He was a cute child, after all look at his parents. They’re both beautiful for human standards. It was the first time that she actually held him. She had been over time to time, but never really held him like this. His parents usually held him while the Konti played with him. Nilika started to play with hands a little bit before seeing him whimper.

She let go of his hands and put one hand under his head. The other one was on his mid back and pulled him near her chest after he started to cry. She sat down in the rocker that was in corner and rocked him in her arms. What am I supposed to do? Did I hurt him? That couldn’t be right she made sure not to moves her hands on him roughly, scared that her scales could scrape him.

Maybe he needed to be changed. Nilika brought his bottom to her nose and sniffed him and felt his diaper. No he didn’t need to be changed. A line of thoughts went through her head trying to figure out why he was crying. She bounced him a little. That didn’t work. A pained groan came from as she was starting to panic. He’s hungry.

One blink, two blinks, then a sigh. It was so simple. She stood from the rocker and went into the kitchen. Balancing him in one hand, Nilika went to the bag that was on the wooden table. Inside it was a glass bottle full of milk with a nipple sucker for the baby. She sat down in a chair and sucker to the infant’s mouth waiting to see if was hungry.

OOCI have no idea what the sucker on a bottle is called. As for what type of milk it's up to you.

[Ricky Maze]

As he tried to find an effective way to communicate he only found it all the more complicated and hopeless, his crying hinted he had something wrong sure but all the same poor Nili had to first discover just what it was that was wrong. No! No lass! Food! Oi need food dammit!! He thought desperately as she checked his diaper. Believe me if Oi shyked me diaper ye'd know already! He cried further as he tried to find some way to express that he was hungry, only the motions of hands opening and closing seemed to be all he was capable of unfortunately. Just how the hell did babies communicate anyway? This was definitely far more harder than he thought about.

Sure enough though Nili seemed to have reached the conclusion, and in turn found that movement led her to the kitchen area with Ricky in hand. Not but a chimes worth later she managed to grab him a bottle of milk, the sudden presentation of a nipple present before him resulted in the baby finally grappling the bottle as he sucked on it to the best of his abilities. T'ank de damn Gods! Dis be some good shyke! He thought with a big grin on his face as he indulged in the contents of the bottle further, he never thought the taste of milk could actually be so sweet in his life. Then again... how often did Ricky ever drink milk to begin with? Oh who gives a damn! It's just milk anyway, good milk all the same and that's what mattered!

Ricky leaned back to relax into Nili as he continued to drink the milk from the bottle, his tears no longer in need of use as he finally started to feel the inside of his belly fill from the deliciously nutritious drink left for him. It wouldn't be long until he was finally full and the sucking came to a stop, as he would toy around with the bottle as Nili bounced him a little. He was done. My how tiresome that was! It was no wonder Martin took so many naps in one day. Yet Ricky didn't feel sleepy just yet, instead he actually felt curious now. He wanted to explore and see where he was, and the first thing that led him to be curious was Nili herself. He looked up to the girl and starred with the deepest lightly colored blue eyes, the same exact color which belonged to his son, and watched her in hopes that she would take him somewhere. Unless she had other plans of course, then again she was the babysitter here and she was in control of what they were going to do.

"Dah!" He managed to say as he raised the bottle to Nili's mother, of course that was only due to the fact he hadn't the ability to speak the same way as older people did. My how strange it was to be in the body of a child! Ricky couldn't remember when he was a child other than the times he spent fishing, any younger was but a blur and then finally a total blank like the white pages they were. Seeing things the way he did now though, he could only wonder just what exactly was his early childhood years like to begin with. But of course Ricky didn't have time to dwell on that, he had to interact and play with Nili after all!