"YELLOW EYES:
-not enough food
-bad school (children cry)
-food tastes bad
-strawberry fields burned
-no cows (milk and meat)
-bad portions (unfair)
OTHER SIDE:
-no reason to fight
-people got hurt
-hoax (from Crystal Tear)
-rats eating our food? (dangerous)
Is it Crystal Tear's fault? Did she cause this on purpose? Why did she tell people to eat less? Why does she think the supplies are low? Didn't the king look into it and say she was wrong?
He went over the bills proving they did buy everything they need. Rats? Could people really be stealing food from the reserves to put them on their plate?"
Kuba was looking over her list of concerns and arguments the people had when someone knocked on her door. She folded her paper and put it in the little cupboard she had been given, then stood up to open the door.
She came nose-to-nose with the king, who was standing there stupidly, too shocked by his own recklessness to even process what was going on. In his defense, she had let her hair down, and he was dying. At least, Kuba herself wasn't making a much better face. She couldn't lie: she was very glad to see him, too.
And so they stayed there and stared blindly at each other for a while. Kuba didn't want to be disturbed, and so nobody took that path to go downstairs at that moment.
She thought about inviting him in, but a quick glance at the window let her know that it was mealtime already.
"I believe it's mealtime," she finally managed to pronounce, and for some reason, she felt very shy.
"It is," the king added hurriedly, like he was desperate to agree to something she was saying.
They kept staring at each other for a while.
"I suppose you won't be coming along, then," Kuba tried a little sadly.
The king bowed his head, and decided to control himself.
"No, I don't think I will. I thought we could have our meeting shortly after the morning meal," he explained, but as he was saying it, he realised that he was making it obvious that he had been looking forward to it, which was ridiculous and undignified.
Kuba realised that she was busy being sad that he wasn't coming to eat with them, and shook herself.
"Of course. Are you quite sure you won't be coming along?" she asked timidly.
"As pleasant as that would be, I don't think I should," he smiled.
Kuba shuffled from side to side, pleased by his words, but also disappointed.
"I see. Then we'll see each other afterwards. Good morning, my lord," she said, and she bowed.
As she was walking away, the Wolf King sighed. There had been a lot of missed opportunities in this conversation. He remembered his dream for a split-second, and told himself that perhaps it was normal to want to kiss her like he did, then he forgot all about it and was left asking himself what in the world he had just inwardly confessed to. He didn't see that Kuba was hiding behind a wall and sneaking glances at him, shuffling from side to side like a child who had to pee. She really wanted to go back and talk to him. Then she thought about something: who was making the portions?
She went down the stairs, only to bump into Boolo, who was making whining noises at everything. Kuba smiled, because he was absolutely adorable.
"Weeeeeeh," he whined.
"Are you looking for something?" Kuba asked tenderly.
"Weeeeh," Boolo explained. "I'm hungry."
"Aww. Can I pick you up?" Kuba managed to ask, and Boolo made grabby hands at her, so she happily did so.
She melted internally and blessed that power of hers. He was very small and warm and squishy, and she could feel his tiny fat hands on her shoulders.
"Do you want to go eat?" she asked, trying not to cry from baby overload.
"Meeeeh. Meeeeeh! I have to go pee!" Boolo finally admitted unhappily. "But I'm hungry! And I want to go back to the tableeee!"
He hid in her shoulder poutingly.
"It's alright," Kuba soothed. "Here. Why don't we pick up a little snack that you can eat on your way to the restroom?"
"Okay! But I want to stay up here," Boolo frowned.
"Naturally," Kuba nodded, and she went to get him a little loaf of bread with a little cup of butter.
"I love bread," Boolo said. "I also like butter, but not too much. It's like eating a slug. But I can still eat it. Look: omnomnom."
Boolo put his little face in the cup of butter and started to eat it. Kuba was too shocked to react. He turned to grin at her and show her his buttery teeth. He then proceeded to let the butter fall on the loaf, and started to chew on it.
When they found the restroom, Boolo snuggled back up in Kuba's arms. He fell asleep for a little while, and it made her smile. When he woke up, he started to wiggle.
"I have to peee! But I have to say it like this: I have to use the pee-room. It's like "restroom", but funny. Can I use the restroom now?" Boolo asked.
"Of course you can. Do you need any help?" Kuba smiled as she put him back on his feet.
Boolo was shy, so he shook his head. He hastily waddled into the room, only to stare at the toilet, which was much too big for him.
"Oh nooo!" he squeaked, and it made Kuba laugh.
The Wolf King appeared out of nowhere.
"What's wrong?" he fretted.
"Weeeeeh," Boolo whimpered, and he kept wiggling unhappily in front of the gigantic bowl.
"Stay clothed. Let me sit you there. I'll even close the door for you," he suggested helpfully.
"But no!" Boolo protested, but his face was grimacing now. "Maybe."
"Come on. It's an emergency. I'll even close my eyes, okay?" the king promised gently.
"Okay," Boolo agreed, and so the king took him by the armpits and plopped him on the toilet.
He closed the door on the little boy, and opened his eyes again to look at Kuba.
"That poor boy," he commented with a wince. "I would certainly be shy, too, if people who weren't my mother had to help me out in there. I hope it wasn't too embarrassing."
"I think it's incredible to witness the change: there's an age where we need to learn things we take for granted. How to tie our shoes, how to brush our teeth, how to do our business -- how to talk, walk, and even eat. Isn't it wonderful? It makes me appreciate life more," Kuba replied.
"Do you think we should have gone to get his mother?" the king worried.
"He came to me about it, so I suppose not. Still, I'm glad you came along. I would have been very confused," Kuba laughed.
"I'm sorry. This is a strange topic," the king apologized with a little bow.
"Weh," Boolo chimed. "Weeeeh."
"Are you singing a song?" Kuba cooed.
"I don't know," Boolo replied after a second. "I'm bored."
"Are you all done? Do you need to wash your hands?" Kuba tried.
"Yes," Boolo answered thoughtfully. "But I don't want to. It's nice in here. It's quiet, and Peebo can't eat my food. Now I'm sleepy."
"You can't sleep on the toilet, honey!" Kuba protested laughingly.
"Why not?" Boolo protested.
"You'll keep it occupied, and other people might want to use it," she explained.
"Then I want bread!" Boolo decided.
The king decided to go away, because he was increasingly embarrassed. Kuba stared after him regretfully.
Boolo started to shuffle.
"What if I fall into the toilet?" he asked.
"Can I open the door?" Kuba tried.
"Yes," Boolo grinned, and so she entered the room and found him sitting on the toilet and wiggling his feet.
"Are you stuck?" she asked.
"Yes. But it's okay!" Boolo affirmed as she picked him up to help him reach the sink.
He was happy now. He washed his little fat hands as she explained to him that if he fell in the toilet, it would be like sitting in a bowl of water, except dirty. The hole at the bottom was too small for him to pass through. He would need a good bath, and that would be it.
"Perhaps your foot could fit in the hole," Kuba added thoughtfully, and Boolo flexed his toes (also thoughtfully).
"I want to touch poop with my feet. Then it'll be like this: mwaaaawawawa. And then I'll eat it," he explained, and before she could protest, he went on. "Lady Kuba? Am I strange? People say that I'm strange. But maybe I'm not. And Peebo eats all my soup."
"Does she now?"
"Yes. She's also round and squishy like me, so when we bump our cheeks together, it's like this: bweeeeh. And also -- I forgot. No! I don't want to forget, because then I can't say it if I forget. When I come back to the table, she's going to jump up and down and say "Boolooooooooooo!", but she's going to be a little unhappy, because I left for so long. But then, she's going to eat all my soup. But then she'll give me crackers, so it's okay. She gives me crackers, but we share cookies. And my hair smells like strawberries. Do you want to smell it?"
He pulled on a little fistful of hair she had no choice but to sniff.
"It rather does!" she answered.
"My hands also smell like strawberries now. Look!" Boolo added, and he shoved his hands in her face, but his little eyes were closing on their own. "I'm also sleepy now."
"It's alright. We'll get you back to your table now."
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