as of late, otter could oft be found by the creek. near narwhal's respite, a bed of large stones and shallow water made for an easy crossing — but she had other ideas. she'd been spending the past ten minutes skipping from stone to stone, a good ol' fashioned game of "floor is lava". her giggles likely could've been heard (or felt, rather) by her grandmother through the treeline.
when she sees the approaching familiar face, she stops in her tracks, nearly mid-leap. her forefeet slip off of their slimy perch into the shallow, and she lets out a loud whoop of surprise as she whips her head around.
oh, hi nana, she blinks, lips bashfully curling into a welcoming smile. what's up?

otter burst out into a laugh. ever mischievous, she decides to double down. whatever you say, nana, her cheeky grin stretches further up her face as she makes a leap toward the next closest stone, successfully landing her jump this time. it could be worse, i could've called ya meemaw or summat.
still rather clueless to the semi-serious conversation her grandmother wanted to have with her, she hums a little tune to herself as she plans her route over a gap in the rocks — a gap which led to an unfortunate crevice where a foot could easily get stuck if she wasn't careful.
she tunes back in just in time. trip? oh, yeah, right, one ear twitches idly in thought. did she want to go with them? she'd never left the copse, but she'd also never really been without her parents. i dunno.

alright, alright, otter relents, scoffing as she pulls herself up onto the bank of the creek. she shakes off her feet one by one before settling on the ground, shuddering beneath the breeze which clings to her wet forelimbs.
i mean, i dunno, i like the copse, she shrugs, ears flattening. i don't wanna leave. 'least not for too long.