Building Bridges

I’m feeling pretty good today. Getting that giant towel to those wolves will likely improve the relations between us, and I bet they’re comfy wherever they are.

But now I face a new problem: Chamomile has only been getting more and more hungry as time goes on, and cloudberries have been getting more and more scarce. I’m getting worried I won’t be able to feed her soon.

“Poco, let’s go see if we can find some berries for Chamomile here, okay?” Poco bounces onto my head as I say this, and we go out to forage through the trees.

Tree after tree is climbed, but I manage to find only a handful of berries.

“There’s no way this’ll fill her,” I look at the seven berries in my hand. Maybe Poco and I should pay a visit to the Big Slime in the cave and see if he would know anything about how to make berries grow?

I shudder at the thought of entering a cave. Poco perks up and bounces off towards the cave of slimes. I think they’ve been learning how to read minds?

“Poco wait! We should at least feed these to Chamomile first,” I call out.

Poco pauses a moment, then turns towards the direction the cottage is in. I follow after the small slime, I mustn’t leave the child alone.

We make it back to the cabin fairly quickly, Poco bouncing inside. I follow after and see that Chamomile is very blue. I dump the berries I foraged into her tank, and sigh. She's still really blue looking. 

“I’m sorry Chamomile, you deserve better,” I mutter to myself.

She’s grown a lot, now having near full fledged arms and legs. It’s concerning honestly, I fear she won’t fit in the tank the house supplied much longer. There’s also the fact that I have no idea what she’s going to be when she's grown.

Looking towards the door, I see Poco bouncing themselves on it aggressively.

“No Poco you’ll hurt yourself!” I run over to the slime and pick them up.

“I’m sorry, we can go see the big slime now. I just got lost in thought. . .”

Poco wriggles in my hands, bouncing out as soon as I open the door. We rush towards that wretched cave that happens to house adorable creatures, and go to meet the big slime.

Making our way into the cave's throne room, we sight the big slime with ease. He’s still as gelatinous and clear as the last time I saw him. A slime should be gelatinous anyways though, so that could've gone with out saying.

“Ah, Poco and Rain! What brings you to my abode?” The big slime questions.

I realize I never learned what the big slime wants to be called by me.

“Actually before the main thing I have a side question of sorts,”

“And what would that be?”

“What should I call you? What’s your name I mean,”

“Ah, I forgot to introduce myself in our last meeting! My apologies Rain, you may call me Kevin,”

I barely manage to contain my laughter. Kevin? Kevin the Slime? That’s amazing. But at the same time my humor is probably broken.

“Oh Kevin! That’s a nice name,” I say.

“Thank you child, it actually comes from an ancient slime language and means ‘the kingly one’. My parents thought it to be the perfect name for me. But tell me, what concerns you enough to enter the cave which you do so loathe?”

“Well my fish, Chamomile is what's concerning me. You see I’m really struggling to find the berries she needs to eat as of late. I’m worried that she’s going to starve but it also looks like I’ve been over-harvesting the berries. It’s like I’m failing in two ways at once,”

“Child, have you not spoken with the wolves? Their leader Berry possesses near mastery over the trees, and the cloudberries grow much quicker when he beckons them to. He just doesn’t really do it because he and his pack-mates can’t climb,”

“So they like the berries?”

“Despite them mostly being carnivorous, they consider the berries to be a great delicacy. A symphony for the taste buds,”

“Hm, could you watch Poco while I go try talking to them then? I know you guys don’t really mix,” I request.

“Of course! I will gladly watch them while you discuss things with the wolves,” I wave goodbye, and Poco bounces in response.

Kevin teleports me away to the mouth of the cave, and I happily dash away towards where I met the wolves last.

Maybe we could have a sort of comradery by the end of this. The wolves swiftly advance unto me, so I take the chance to climb one of the surrounding trees.

“Why did it look like you were about to attack me?” I ask

“We were, come back down,”

“No?????????”

“Child abandonment is punishable by mauling,”

“Wha- oh my gosh I didn’t abandon Poco! They’re with the big slime probably having tea or something,”

“Oh. They’re with Kevin?”

“Yes,”

“Sorry we’ll leave you alone then,” the wolves begin walking away.

“A- wait!”

The wolf sighs and turns around with his pack, speaking up again.

“What?”

“I have a deal-”

“No”

“Cloudberries,”

Every tail in the pack begins wagging. It’s honestly kind of amazing to behold so much wagging. The wolf who I just remembered is named Berry makes eye contact with me.

“Yes?”

“I can grab them for you if you summon them for me AND let me take them for my fish,”

“Deal,” as Berry says this, I notice a large glow emanating from the tree I’m on. Turning around, I see the biggest cloudberries I’ve beheld since I got on the island.

Making good on the deal, I pluck some off and throw them off to the wolves. Hopping from tree to tree, I pluck down more of the giant berries and throw and throw and throw.

After a lot of time, the wolves look content. I think we’re definitely probably friends now.

“Alright! I’m gonna head back to my cottage!” I shout down to them.

 Jamming my pack full of as many berries as it can carry, I head back and realize the door won’t open.

Oh yeah, why would I be able to get into the slime house without a slime? I should go and get Poco before feeding Chamomile, duh. 

____________________________________________________________

With Poco & Kevin

In the throne room a tea table seems to have magically appeared. It’s filled with cookies and scones, but for some reason there’s no tea.

“Oh ho ho Poco, it’s been much too long since I’ve had tea with you! Now tell me, why were you a butt the other day? That has been truly boggling my mind”

Poco stares at Kevin, wiggling vigorously.

“Erm. Is there something wrong Poco?”

Poco stops wiggling, and just stares at Kevin.

“Oh my! I completely forgot about the tea, my apologies Poco,” two tea cups materialize, one much larger than the other normal sized tea cup.

The two slimes carefully get into their cups.

“Ah, nothing like a nice tea soak. Wouldn’t you agree Poco?”

Poco wiggles happily.

“I see you agree my young compatriot, but now I simply must know why you held the shape of a butt?”

Poco bounces around decisively, then jumps twice, creating two small splashes.

“They called you a butt for leading them into a cave so you thought you’d become one? Yes, this does seem like you,” Kevin says with a chuckle. The sound of footsteps interrupts the tea party.

“Oh, it seems Rain has arrived back for you. Let us tidy ourselves,” The two eject the tea that soaked into them, rocketing themselves up away from the cups.

Before they come back down, all the scones, cookies, and dishes vanish off somewhere. They bounce a few times on the ground before settling, and almost as if on cue Rain walks in.

“Hey I’m back, let’s get ourselves home Poco,” A seemingly rejuvenated Poco bounces towards me joyfully, hopping into my arms.

“Thank you for taking care of them Kevin!”

“Of course, I’d be happy to take care of them again in the future. Farewell my friends!” Kevin teleports me and Poco out of the cave.

Turning away, I begin walking back to the house as Poco rests in my arms. Soon we arrive, and the door opens as if beckoning us in.

“There, let’s feed madam fishy now,” I place two of the large cloudberries I gathered in her tank, and she quickly gobbles both of them up. She’s black as coal now, I haven’t seen her like that in a few days. It's nice seeing her in a healthy color. Humming in contentment, I decide it’s finally time to rest.

“Goodnight Chamomile and Poco, I hope you have wonderful dreams,”