[ When Malon saw the posting on the dream board about orphaned baby animals in need of care, of course she immediately volunteered to help. How could she possibly ignore something like this? She's been taking care of baby animals all her life!
Except this time, she might've bitten off more than she can chew, so to speak. Normally on the ranch, there would only be a couple of orphaned babies in a season. Now she has six: two kittens, two piglets, a lamb, and a very squirmy foal.
Fortunately, Malon also has wonderful friends she can pressgang ask for help. Which is how Link has ended up here today, sitting in a barn with Malon and her collection of baby animals and learning how to hold and swaddle them. She has already sewn cashmere blankets in the appropriate size for each baby, so now it's just a matter of calming each fussy creature until it falls asleep-- easier said than done when it only takes one crying baby to wake up the others.
Since she figures that Link has probably never taken care of a baby animal before, Malon has made sure to take on the most challenging babies herself. Namely the foal, which is constantly trying to squirm away from her. She's at least managed to coax it to lay its head in her lap so she can stroke its nose and neck in soothing motions. It gives her a chance to look up and see how Link is doing. ]
[She is correct--Link has never actually taken care of any baby animals in a serious capacity, though he's seen a few before, namely chickens and horses and a few puppies.]
Kind of...they're so small.
[Well, the kittens are, anyway. He hasn't seen very many sheep or pigs to judge their size relative to the babies. The kittens are also the loudest, one of them mewing indignantly at him as he tries to carefully detach it from his tunic and keep it from waking the piglet asleep beside him.]
And sharp. [And to the kitten:] I'm trying to help you, cut it out.
[ Haha yeah remember that time when you were ten and some weird girl gave you a chicken egg and it started hatching in your pocket? Malon remembers that (and she doesn't really feel any remorse for her actions).
She laughs as she watches Link try to unhook the determined kitten from his tunic. This is hands-down one of the cutest things she's ever seen. ]
Yeah, these little guys might be too young to retract their claws yet. It kind of makes you feel like a pin cushion when they start making biscuits.
[ Malon uses her hands to mimic the kneading motion the kitten has probably tried to against Link's tunic. ]
[She should, because that was not only one of the most traumatizing things he'd ever experienced but also was the reason he got caught sneaking into the castle the first time he made an actual effort to.
Not really, but he chooses to believe it was part of the reason.]
Making biscuits? [There's no bread involved here, so he's a bit confused, and only slightly less when she does the motions.] Oh...I feel a bit like that right now. Do you think it will quiet down if I let it climb the rest of the way up?
[He can deal with a shoulder kitten, so long as it doesn't yell directly in his ear. Besides that, it's harder than he thought to get rid of claws; every time he frees more than one foot, any previous feet reattach themselves.]
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timeasmymeasure
action
Date: 2024-03-20 05:49 pm (UTC)Except this time, she might've bitten off more than she can chew, so to speak. Normally on the ranch, there would only be a couple of orphaned babies in a season. Now she has six: two kittens, two piglets, a lamb, and a very squirmy foal.
Fortunately, Malon also has wonderful friends she can
pressgangask for help. Which is how Link has ended up here today, sitting in a barn with Malon and her collection of baby animals and learning how to hold and swaddle them. She has already sewn cashmere blankets in the appropriate size for each baby, so now it's just a matter of calming each fussy creature until it falls asleep-- easier said than done when it only takes one crying baby to wake up the others.Since she figures that Link has probably never taken care of a baby animal before, Malon has made sure to take on the most challenging babies herself. Namely the foal, which is constantly trying to squirm away from her. She's at least managed to coax it to lay its head in her lap so she can stroke its nose and neck in soothing motions. It gives her a chance to look up and see how Link is doing. ]
Think you're getting the hang of it?
Re: action
Date: 2024-03-21 05:44 am (UTC)Kind of...they're so small.
[Well, the kittens are, anyway. He hasn't seen very many sheep or pigs to judge their size relative to the babies. The kittens are also the loudest, one of them mewing indignantly at him as he tries to carefully detach it from his tunic and keep it from waking the piglet asleep beside him.]
And sharp. [And to the kitten:] I'm trying to help you, cut it out.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-21 03:23 pm (UTC)She laughs as she watches Link try to unhook the determined kitten from his tunic. This is hands-down one of the cutest things she's ever seen. ]
Yeah, these little guys might be too young to retract their claws yet. It kind of makes you feel like a pin cushion when they start making biscuits.
[ Malon uses her hands to mimic the kneading motion the kitten has probably tried to against Link's tunic. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-30 05:22 am (UTC)Not really, but he chooses to believe it was part of the reason.]
Making biscuits? [There's no bread involved here, so he's a bit confused, and only slightly less when she does the motions.] Oh...I feel a bit like that right now. Do you think it will quiet down if I let it climb the rest of the way up?
[He can deal with a shoulder kitten, so long as it doesn't yell directly in his ear.
Besides that, it's harder than he thought to get rid of claws; every time he frees more than one foot, any previous feet reattach themselves.]
no subject
Date: 2024-04-04 05:27 pm (UTC)[ Not that there really seems to be much risk of that. That kitten is dead set on scaling the front of Link's tunic whether he wants it to or not. ]
Maybe he's hungry. Kittens this little are supposed to eat every few hours. Wanna try feeding him?