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Karoto adored food as much as everyone else on this planet did.
Everything was perfect about it! The flavor, the fulfilling feeling, the choice between warm and cold, soft and hard, juicy or dry-!!!
A choice so wide that one couldn't possibly eat everything, but they could sure try as much as they could!
The carrot loved food for that very reason, especially the warmth that came with it.
If he didn't have any clue what could happen if he ate too much, he would eat gallons upon kilograms of foods everyday, just to get those sweet, sweet flavors.
Those eggs, the flour, sweet flesh, juicy fruit, soft mashed potatoes and so much more would fill his stomach!
Alas.
Something was wrong with him.
Honestly, Karoto had been aware of this problem in some way or form before, even as a little child who didn't know any better.
Being smaller had its pros and cons, which included sneaking away, being faster, being able to escape more-
Yet the body couldn't take as much as it needed. It was weaker, fragile, almost pathetically breakable and being able to turn blue if hurt enough.
This included taking in anything that was food.
Oh, did the bard adore eating a burger on the occasion, a gigantic pomegranate, perhaps even one of those Steak Tartars…
But No, His stomach was stopping such eternal Delights!
STUPID ASS STOMACH CAN GO DIE, LIKE SERIOUSLY.
This became so horribly apparent when he started having proper meals with Wizzro, Nabiu and the other Interns.
Having three meals a day was something that the old Banana man praised over and over, talking about the energy it gives you during the day and how it expands your food options-
Sure, maybe the carrot didn't know anything about the other things, but let him tell you right now, the food itself was NOT the problem.
Wizzo actually knew how to cook for everyone, which he excuses as just needing to motivate the Interns and using the money he has-
Wasn't exactly wrong, though Karoto knew there was a kinder part to it with the Tax-loving M.A.G.E.
The food smelled amazing too, properly prepared, tasting DELICIOUS-!!!
Wizzro truly was something. He wasn't the problem. Never was.
It wasn't the atmosphere of the entire room either, for once in his entire life.
You would think that as a thief, one of the most known ones at that, that the other Interns or even Nabiu would have thoughtfully rejected him by now.
Like he deserved.
Like he needed to be.
….They let him join the table with plenty of chatter anyway, sharing their plates, bickering around, talking about different topics-
It felt just like when he got comfortable with Arti and the others.
It made his stomach hurt in some way. Another feeling made it warm, no matter how much he felt like such wasn’t deserved.
A sense of freedom that made Karoto's eyes sting the first time, just before he sobbed at the actual dish itself.
Hah. Nabiu brought so many tissues that it could have covered his entire plate.
Wizzro told him to take breaks between bites like the worrying human he was.
So, no. That wasn't it either.
Again, the food was amazing! He had cried multiple times over something as simple as a warm handmade meal, always said thank you, always appreciated it like a normal person.
No.
The problem was that stupid small stomach.
Honestly, Karoto had completely ignored the stomach issue when he started to eat with the Interns at first.
Which sounds stupid, ‘Wouldn't you notice if your stomach was acting strange, Karoto?’
Apparently, feeling a little kind and hesitant to eat anything means you only take bits and pieces from everyone else and only properly eating portions of food privately does seem to affect your judgments.
Stealing from the fridge to steal leftovers also seems to affect your stomach differently.
Brocco didn't see shit, who told you that-
Just today, Karoto decided to have his own, perfectly big portion! Beautiful! Delicious! Just about ready to be devoured whole!
Of course, some went through a ritual before starting, some picked at their food-
Why pick at it? Taste it. If you're sure it's not poison, you EAT IT.
But Karoto? Karoto was cutting pieces from it like it was a gourmet, only having been stopped twice to slow down and chew the food.
He was!!! He was chewing the food!!!! CHEWING IT PERFECTLY, MIND YOU, W I Z Z R O.
The flavoring was amazing, the description wasn't even deserved for how juicy this steak was and the soft, perfect, seasoned mushiness of the potatoes!
After exactly 6 bites of food, Karoto wanted to delightfully eat his deserved meal of flesh, potatoes, sauce and peas-
But.
His stomach hurt.
His. Stomach hurt?
Why did his stomach hurt?
It was 6 bites.
Karoto stared down at his food for a moment, having thoroughly chewed it last he checked, which meant that stomach aches shouldn't happen.
His stomach could process it. He could swallow it. Why is it filled. Why is it hurting him.
Just staring at it for some reason gave him a hint of nausea, despite all the explanations how and why it was so amazing and delicious…
Stinging betrayal is what came next in his gut, served with a side of disgust.
“Everything alright, Karo?”
The little Blueberry perking up nearly made him flinch out of his skin, but luckily, his facade still wasn't too bad!
Probably.
Straightening himself up, he immediately smirked, waving his hand frantically before pointing at himself and leaning his other arm on the table.
Gracefully trying to not hit the other Intern, as much as they weren't that special in his opinion.
“Pfff, Of course! You're looking at Mister Devourer over here, Nabs!”
Nabiu snickered softly as she leaned over, her meal almost finished just beside his rather filled portion of the meal, almost looking untouched.
His smirk nearly faltered with a little clench of his pointed hand.
Showoff.
“I was just wondering! You looked like you didn't like the meal-”
“NONSENSE-!!!!”
Karoto innerly cursed himself for letting out a quick, nervous laugh as a stutter, looking like he was faking it by default like the dumbass he is.
SO MUCH FOR A F A C A D E.
No worries. He can pick up the stupid pieces of his severely damaged mask and flick it back a hundred times over if necessary.
It's just that simple! Truly simple!
So, instead of trying to show everything by words, he instead took his fork and decided to let actions talk.
Just like everyone expected him too.
“Wizzro's food is delicious! I'm just not used to eating big portions, that's all.”
Hearing that appreciative chuckle from the old man was almost something that made Karoto completely ignore the feeling he got when he swallowed that food down.
Every bite felt like a little task, chewing it, feeling it on his tongue, wanting to see if it'll get better.
That usually soft, comforting feeling of nourishment going down his throat, feeding him and giving him finally som-
GRRRMMMPFH.
THATHURTS. ITSFINE. HARRGH-
The thief truly was faced with challenges everyday, like eating a delicious meal that was making him want to THROW UP LIKE HURRGH-
There was only a hope that it wasn't visible as he forced down bite after bite of food, hearing the chatter only faintly due to the pain starting to form in his stomach.
Contributing to the conversation was…an attempt at least. Surely muffled ‘Mhms’ and 'Nuh-uh's’ were enough for today, Nabiu would understand!
But dear NANTES, his stomach was truly just screeching to him at this point and his taste buds promptly abandoned him for trash.
This Delicious, filling meal he proved Wizzro for-
Why did it make him so ill? So utterly disgusted as he shoved down the food?
He could barely swallow it. He was trying so hard not to gag. He was tearing up in pain. His throat tasted like-
Oh.
It
Karoto nearly fell out of the chair as he forced himself to stand up, ignored the ringing, promptly mumbled out a toilet excuse and sped away from the table.
No, the confused calls didn't matter, what mattered was-
ARGH-
HIS STOMACH WAS HURTING, HE COULD FEEL THE BILE GOING UP HIS THROAT AND HE RAN, THREW THE DOOR OPEN AND-
“HURRGHHHH-”
The acid
Going up his throat, forcing its way up as he vomited whatever remained of the meals he ate into the toilet.
The gagging was Horrible and disgusting, the pain lurching everywhere as the taste of dinner made its way up his tastebuds.
It's disgusting
It's so fucking disgusting
Who cared if someone entered right after the carrot it didn't matter they didn't FUCKING MATTER-
Those stupid tears stinging his eyes was all he could focus on beside all the bile going into the poor toilet
Poor toilet
Hah
An object can't feel.
“----”
Shut up Shut up you all disgust muuURGRG-
HURTS- Huurts….
Barely any bile. Just acid. Acid and forced wrenching that never resulted in anything, making him grip that toilet bowl as if that would solve anything at all.
There was
A hand on his back that he couldn't register before
One on his hand, holding back his hair. His scarf too.
….
Fine
He'll forcefully appreciate the gesture to whatever useless piece of fruit decided to help him
There was disgusting spit in his mouth. Too much of it actually.
He hated how the bile went down his chin.
He hated how empty his stomach felt.
He hated the smell and taste and all the loss it meant to his progress.
….
Karoto finally forced himself to properly lean against the bowl, coughing silently with the same pain as during the horrid retching process.
Did he mention before that his entire throat hurt and felt like a dry dessert?
Yeah, doubling down on that-
There was a certain silence that would usually make him uncomfortable when someone else was in the room.
When he was already crying, in pain, probably vulnerable to any kind of laughter and judging.
“...W…What-? Hnnrgrh-...Fucking Laugh if you don’t have any-...don’t got better thhhhingss to do..”
“Why would I do that?”
Ah.
That makes things worse actually.
Had Karoto been any more delusional due to his pains, maybe he could have ignored the obvious pitch into the little voice!!!
That tone. That tone that he very much just cursed at-
“N…Nabs-?”
“There you are! I was worried… People usually vomit out more than just one meal and usually it's not mixed with red and blood, so I was even MORE worried-!”
Ffffffiidddlesticks.
Just for your information, he's not refusing to swear because Nabiu is that innocent, but because the last time he properly swore, she lectured him why he shouldn't and in which situations it was correct to swear for 5 minutes.
That's equally as bad.
Ignoring the sensation of his stomach being horribly empty, he noted that he didn't get the treatment of a lecture this time.
Pity.
It's all Pity, their pitying you-
“Are you alright? At least somewhat-?”
Karoto silently contemplated if he should just complain, push her away, tell her he could handle it because he's literally the adult in this situation and-
“...I guess.”
Of course, be more pathetic, WHO CARES-
He muttered despite it all, forcing himself to leave the bowl and push his fragile back against the nearest wall, trying not to gag and die due to the smell of bile.
He was already missing the sweet tasting mashed potatoes. He was missing the taste of steak.
Fiddling with his gloves, the little blueberry seemed to magically appear in his vision, almost as an act of mercy for the carrot.
Not one the bard deserved, but might as well take what was someone else's.
Honestly, it was hard to even force his head up for the first few seconds. The only reason he actually attempted to was due to Nabiu’s face.
A bit confused. Concerned. Empathetic. Pitying. Perhaps even trying to figure out what he was feeling.
Karoto sighed very quietly, turning his attention to the faucet and trying to ignore the constant gurgling in his stomach.
Had the M.A.G.E not grabbed his leg, he might have gotten a sweet trickle of water into his mouth.
“Ey- I just wanna drink- drink- get some water.”
His sad look didn't convince Nabiu at all, getting gently guided back to the floor as she pointed at a faucet like it was a danger.
Usually, People point at him like that.
“Nuh-uh. Your stomach needs to rest. Ingesting water now could make you vomit again, especially if it has only been a few minutes.”
Too many complicated words that could just be dumbed down to ‘You cannot drink the water, STUPID.’
Alas, his little friend was not the type to explain something so easily, instead leaving him to miserably lay on the floor, wallowing in his own misery.
At least, he was offered paper towels to clean himself up, which he did immediately.
Gagging and dry heaving truly was a tradition when you're used to eating rotten food.
The sight of vomit never got easier either.
….
Now that the Silence returned once more, Karoto let his stomach actually calm down for a minute, leaving it there to focus on other things.
The faucet was dripping. The floors of the bathroom were warmed up due to him sitting there. It was…
Comforting, in one way or another.
Perhaps, that was also due to Nabiu moving to sit right beside him.
Just staring at the floor, probably not quite knowing what to say either.
Not like Karoto did either.
…
Part of him felt guilty that Nabiu was his friend.
What is he? 23? Putting all his worries on a 15 year old?
Pathetic. Fucking Pathetic.
She had better things to do. She should be doing better things. He already hurt her enough.
Not like Wizzro should be helping him.
Or Brocco.
Or literally anyone in his entire life who he ruined by being alive.
“Can you and Wizzro go to a doctor later?”
Karoto blinked.
The
Doctor?
A doctor? Those with the syringes? With the medical equipment? That forces you into SLEEP?
NO. NUH-UH, HE DENIES, HE SHALL SAY NO, NUUUHUHHH-
“what”
Yeah, sure. Perfect response why not he hates his life.
“Vomiting blood isn't…normal, Karo. It could mean there's something wrong with your stomach, and it's already dangerously small!”
Maybe repeated blinking was the most logical response to anything in his life, cause he sure loved doing it a lot.
Not like she's lying or anything, it was small. But it wasn't THAT obvious, was it?
It's moderate! Moderate small, which means that it's why are you touching my chest and stomach Nabiu huh what
Nabiu was- touching his stomach? Why was she touching his stomach and feeling around it? Boundaries much? Hello???
“Nabs, some space please-?”
Nabiu flinched, immediately retracting her hands, never losing through concerned expression, looking at her own hands so sadly.
That gaze was shifted onto him, pitying him once more.
“...I can feel your stomach.”
“Yes-? You just touched it, I mean-”
“I mean the ORGAN.”
Oh.
…
Oooohhhh that's not good. That's not good at all, is it.
Not with that stare. That horrified stare that seemed so terrified by what she felt.
Diffuse this, COME ON!!!
“Ah- well-! I…uhh…”
Karoto successfully didn't diffuse that claim by wildly flailing his hands around, barely forcing a shaky smile as his hands closed into fists.
Whatever sentence should have left his mouth, it was promptly shut up with an averted gaze and a wobbly smile that he couldn't fix.
And the blueberry still looked concerned by something she shouldn't have to deal with.
Stupid. Stupid, STUPID—
“Sorry-”
“No- Don't apologize, I just…”
Did someone ever tell you that the quiet could be the most awkward and scary ordeal on earth?
No matter how long it lasted, it was always something that…
Could decide a situation, if one could say that.
Nabiu's emotions seemed to have turned from horror into that same…pity? It must be pity.
You know better.
It is not.
It's-
Karoto gulped silently as Nabiu spoke.
“Please. Let's go to a doctor with Wizzro. I can come with if your scared-”
Again with the taking responsibility stuff, she already has enough on her plate!
Immediately, the Wildcard shook his head, moving his hands frantically back and forth in an X and back out, no matter how nauseous it made him.
“No. Nononono-! Your a kid first off-”
Nabiu gasped horribly and maybe, Karoto worried that he said something wrong even though he was totally correct.
Was he? No, maybe he wasn't. Or. He- He didn't know, OKAY?!?!
Of course, the M.A.G.E protested, for she was much smarter than your usual child, which still doesn't stop her from being a child
Amidst all this, perhaps there's a hint of hypocrisy to be found in his childhood-
Maybe.
“And-?! I dealt with far worse than this!”
Karoto mentally hit himself on the forehead.
I'm aware. I'm aware and I hate that I'm part of why that statement exists.
“Already horrible but okay-”
Nabiu glared for a straight second despite her empathetic self.
This…is not gonna work out.
She's correct. She is correct in the fact that he did just vomit out blood into the toilet, which he mentally has to remind himself that he didn't flush the toilet yet.
She's also correct that that's unhealthy. He's not that stupid. He would like to be, but he isn't.
Despite all the logic in his head, that still didn't mean that his silver tongue would always be of assistance.
So, the brain was allowed to plan for once.
“Look. I get why this freaks you out.”
Karoto started more silently, moving his hands up to his arms and rubbing them, trying to focus on Nabiu's face but averting from it multiple times.
“How about we go out of the bathroom and, uhm…”
He quietly looked around while the little blueberry tilted her head.
It's.
Dear Nantes. He needs to stop being a coward.
Finally, he properly stared at Nabiu while the smell of bile started to get less and less.
“Let's…talk to Wizzro. I'll talk to him, okay? Would that make you happy?”
A quick nod and a quiver of her lip.
“Please.”
Karoto.
Nodded silently. Without truly knowing his own expression.
“Okay. Wizzro then.”
- - - - - - -
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[LOADING HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM] . . .
[Tip: Overloading on health is a possibility, but it can risk poisoning. So, it's a risk to overload on healing items and go over the may of your health. ]
- - -
– - - - -
-- -
Karoto regretted saying that the moment Wizzro actually insisted that they would go to a Doctor.
No, being shaky on his feet and needing a child to help him go ask another adult for help wasn't embarrassing enough apparently-
It was the part where he nearly keeled over when trying to drink a glass of water before going to the Doctor.
You're sad. Just pitifully sad.
And now, the sickly carrot was sitting in a waiting room with many other silent yet surprisingly noisy people, waiting for someone to come invite them in.
Wizzro wasn't even speaking that much, rubbing his shoulder and letting the bard lean against him as if this entire visit wasn't humiliating enough.
“I Promise it won't be that bad, my boy. I know this Doctor and she's quite the nice Seagull!”
Sureeeee, Sure she is.
Trying to distract himself from all the stupid talk and the constant taste of bile that he still couldn't wash down, he looked around the room.
It was…simple enough.
Something that Wizzro once talked to him about was color theory, which was something he only faintly listened to while devouring a chocolate egg.
The walls were a soft blues, which he said was comforting to most people because it reflected the sky and didn't hurt the eyes as much.
Maybe, the Bard could agree as he tried his best to relax and maybe nap the waiting time off.
There were a bunch of vegetables in the room, different species, one smaller bird that he didn't know the specific species of but was white…
The lights on the ceiling were a warm orange, shaped like a Lantern and actually having particles around it.
Wasn't that a safety violation? Wouldn't something turn on fire?
…Eh.
Not his problem.
A quiet yawn left his throat as some person got called out and left the room, leaving him to stare into a specific child corner.
There was a small dragon moving a ball around and Peach…cat? In the corner? Must be from the purple cat sitting there looking through the book.
Looked like a piece of candy. Even had saltshaker tails or something.
Some part of him that didn't doze off found that there was a lot more fairness in this land then he truly wanted to admit.
Fair rules now that the guards were getting back in order, fair prizes, everyone was allowed in, there were no weird ‘better species’ or stupid rules…
The Queen and King of the Broccoli Kingdom didn't seem like the worst people.
Probably better than whatever broccoli king died all those years ago who was apparently racist and started a war.
Honestly, even he wasn't as pathetic.
….Hmm…probably.
…..
“Mister Ornitharius?”
“Ah, right here-! Come on, my boy.”
“Huh-...Uhm. C’ming…”
Karoto didn't even notice the time pass, letting his eyes flutter open and rubbing them clean of any salt with his gloved hands.
Tired murmurs left him as he stretched his arms, letting his limbs crack with the first steps taken towards the room.
The feeling of paranoia didn't quite leave, but the sleepiness mixed in with the strange safety that Wizzro provided was…
“Comforting”, as one would say.
And the old M.A.G.E had not been lying either. Standing on his right was a Seagull wearing a white coat, holding a little board and giving a smile with her beak.
Hmm. Hmmmm…
Seemed fine.
“Good to see you again, Mister Ornitharius. And Miss, Mister, Mx…?”
The Seagull looked up silently, almost too patient for her own good, nearly making him grimace had he not been tired.
“Karoto. Just…Just Karoto.”
A quick nod, just while Wizzro gently led him over to the long bed with a white paper sheet over it, making him raise a brow.
He got on it anyway, sitting down silently.
“It is very nice to meet you, Karoto. I am Miss Ownes and your Doctor for today. While I did hear a bit from the receptionist, I prefer hearing the issues from the patient themself.”
Wizzro stood patiently back as Miss Ownes spoke, holding her feathered hands over her board and sitting down in the Spinning chair.
The Seagull looked at him expectantly and it took a few seconds for him to clock in that he had to respond.
Annoying. Urgh. But whatever. Guess they can't help him else…
“I, uhm….v…vomited.”
He silently spoke, putting his gloved hands on his knees with tired eyes, quietly licking his lips.
Does it matter if he lies or not? He actually didn't know for once.
Might as well.
“An hour or so ago. I was eating food, took a few bites and…vomited. Some blood too.”
Karoto nearly expected her to jump up in worry, to accuse a hundred things and act like she was superior to everyone like EVERYONE does-
But…
“That is concerning. If I may ask your…?”
She waved her arm around in circles, gesturing silently to Wizzro and getting him to perk up with a soft chuckle, putting his arms behind his back.
“I am the one in charge of his community work, but I prefer calling myself a sort of Caretaker.”
Ew.
Don't remind him.
That words disgusting by the way, ew ew ew ewwwww. Ew.
“Caretaker then. Mister Ornitharius, was there anything in the food that could have caused such reaction?”
While the Seagull turned to him with that chair and leaned her feather against the table, Wizzro lightly shook his head.
He was the one who prepared the meal, so-”
“Not at all! I made the meal myself and if something had gone bad, it probably would have afflicted the other Interns…i even checked all the meals for safety.”
Another silent nod and a jot down at the Clipboard.
Karoto would lie if he said he wasn't nervous, especially with the silent gurgling of his stomach that made him cross his legs.
Miss Ownes slowly turned to him with that same, comforting smile that he was getting uncomfortable with.
“Karoto, does vomiting like this happen often or has such a thing happened before?”
Well, that's a…good question, honestly.
It wasn't something that had never happened before, but it was also not something really frequent.
Well, maybe he should say that to the doctor and not the internal dialogue he got used to-
“...Rarely, somewhat? It's, uhm. Not exactly, uh. Non-existent either, I would say.”
“So, it does happen sometimes?”
“I can remember. Times. They are far away, but it, uhm. Happened- it happened before, yeah.”
Another few nods, finally standing up on her bird feet and going towards a little cabinet, looking through a few things.
She seemed to stop, contemplate…and then pull out a bottle of water and a bowl, approaching Karoto with a calm gaze.
Why are you calm? There is literally nothing to be calm about.
“Karoto, would you say that you can currently swallow water? In sips, i mean.”
Last time he wanted to drink water, someone told him that would make him vomit, but some time passed since that happened.
So, probably? Probably, yeah.
If he vomits again, he's just gonna cry or something. The usual.
“Iii guessss?”
Taking the water bottle with shaky hands, the bowl was put neatly into his lap, probably there for when his stomach decides to be a bitch again.
Well, here goes nothing-!
Taking soft sips, Karoto tried to not spiral vomit onto the floor, taking soft breaks in between and holding onto the bottle for safety.
Urgrhrhrhrhhhrhrh. Horrible. Who thought creating vomit was a good idea.
While this stupid recovery process was happening, Wizzro had gotten a tiny bit closer to pat his shoulder and the Seagull had sat down beside him on the bed.
Inspecting him in some way, she gently gestured to a lower part of him, getting a specifically mean side-eye that was meant for her.
“May I touch your stomach?”
Why did everyone want to touch his stomach today?
Karoto nodded silently, because this day can't get any worse at this point.
The carrot was surprisingly not used to feeling feathers on his stomach, lifting his arms just so she could get it over with quicker.
At least the wings were rather soft and comfortable.
Even if they were quickly retracted, replaced by another few pen noises, making him just a tiny bit curious on the case.
Was she trying to get secret info on him?
He sneaked a peak towards her board.
….
Hm.
Hmmmm.
Hmmmmmm-
He doesn't understand half the words on the board, if he was gonna be completely honest.
SCREW THAT FANCY DOCTORATE WRITING, WHO THOUGHT OF THAT????
Finally taking a break from sipping three gallons of water, the Bird seemed to be finished, settling down on the ground again.
Looking at him expectantly, ready to give her stupid little analysis of what was wrong with him today.
Like everyone else did.
“Uhm, Bring- Give it to me, Doctor. What's the, uh. the problem?”
Karoto couldn't help but rub his feet against the bed, using anything to calm his unfortunate nerves.
Why must these things always be so S T R E S S F U L - ???
“Well, I can only give theories based on your statements due to not using complicated machinery or other devices.”
If the carrot wasn't currently trying to be patient for the M.A.G.E in the room, he probably would have thrown a hissy fit already.
Or maybe called the bird some names that they probably wouldn't have liked.
BOTH SEEMED PLAUSIBLE RIGHT NOW-
Biting the inside of his lip, the seagull took a few more notes before finally seeming to settle on a proper answer.
Pointing her stupid pen at him, speaking with that dumb beck-
“But, a solid theory I can give is that you suffer from malnutrition and have a bit of acid reflux.”
What.
“What.”
That. Sounded very complicated and NOT GOOD???
Malnutrition? Acid reflux? Isn't acid the thing that literally DISSOLVES things??? AND HE HAS IT???
“Oh, That's…That somehow makes sense.”
NO IT DOESN'T???
Karoto looked frantically between the two smarties between him, raising a brow so high it might have been able to reach a skyscraper.
Trying not to sputter out a reply, he gripped the bed with his hands, leaning forward and moving his eyes all but to the doctor.
“What- Wait, what does any of that mean?”
Apparently, the Doctor already expected such a response with the face of a knowitall.
Good for her.
“Well, malnutrition is when your body doesn't have enough nutrients, causing your fat to lower to unhealthy lows.”
Alright, sooooo…simplified version for himself, he has a teensy tiny stomach and that sucks a whole lot.
Understood that part, but that wasn't anything that he didn't know-
“As of your previous statement, you barely ate a few bites before you had to vomit, but had confirmation that the food itself wasn't the problem.”
Also…true.
Wizzro made the food himself. He was probably one of the rare people he trusted to give and make him good altogether without forcefully hurting him.
Usually, the Thief would have to be afraid of potential poisoning.
Surprisingly, not because he used to be a gigantic thief.
Not like people knew that part. They just thought he was a normal one.
“But if you want more confirmation, may I question if you eat a lot of food generally?”
Karoto silently averted his eyes, considering the question for a moment.
Yesssntt? He ate everything nobody cared about anymore or left discarded, which he wouldn't call a lot.
It's scraps. Leftovers. Rotten food he had to clean off and cold things that nobody wanted anymore.
Like him.
He shook his head.
“...I…don't. I eat leftovers or smaller portions. On my own, i mean.”
Miss Ownes nodded, settling back against her chair and putting one leg over the other as she poked with her pen at the board.
“That may be why you didn't notice earlier. And just now, I noticed that you seem to have a more visible ribcage. I can feel things I shouldn't.”
Ah.
Thats.
….
The carrot quietly gulped, putting a gloved hand to his scarf and squeezing it silently.
Moving on-
“....And- And what about the acid reflux?”
That one honestly concerned him, as he mentioned before.
It's acid. Acid.
Acid could dissolve his legs! His arms! HIS S C A R F.
“Stomach acid that comes up into your throat. This can be caused due to stress, anxiety, fatty or generally unhealthy foods and a lot of other factors.”
Alright, that checked out in some ways?
He didn't mind eating literally anything that came to the table, especially food that tasted really good to his abandoned taste buds!
Did that mean Wizzro made something bad? Was he actually not a five star cook like he suspected him to be?
WAS HE ACTUALLY POISONING HIM???
“Usual symptoms are Heartburn or a sour taste in your mouth…in your case, I'm theorising it might be so due to the fact you vomited a bit of blood.”
Almost forgot that part.
Sour taste was sometimes present, he guessed? Well, not entirely. Not every time he vomited, that's for sure.
“Though, again, I can only theorise on that part. These could also be other issues like gastritis, stomach ulcers or simply damage to the food pipe…which might be a bigger contender due to your small stomach.”
Wonderful, half of those words he didn't even understand and now his organs might be damaged, great.
Truly fucking Fantastic.
Nonetheless, the Seagull looked up with that same, pathetically calm expression.
“Especially because malnutrition can affect wound healing.”
Karoto stared silently, grimacing at those words that seemed all too familiar.
Well, that sounded like it was a massive problem to his parade full of food and delights.
Not to mention the whole talk about acid damaging his body or his stomach being too small wasn't…
The most pleasant thing.
A singular glance was given to Wizzro, who only seemed to gently nudge him towards answering for himself.
Traitor.
….
Well. Nothing better to do now than ask, he supposed.
Despite himself, he nearly hesitated to even speak about it, but soon looked up to meet the bird's gaze.
“What, uhm…I….what can we do? I don't- I prefer not vomiting blood. Or vomiting in general.”
The Seagull, quietly having noted down one more thing to add to his problem list, simply turned over and typed something on her computer.
“Well, your main goal here should be increasing your stomach size- this can be done by snacking, smaller portions.”
Well, that's plausible.
More eating yummy stuff means getting a bit more weight on his weak, weak body that keeps getting slammed against concrete.
That just means-
“It's better to refrain from eating bigger meals till-”
What.
Eat
Eat less?
“But I want to eat more.”
Karoto spoke immediately, hoping that point was incredibly clear to that bird.
Unaware of his own expression, the carrot’s eyes pinpricked near immediately, staring into Miss Ownes Soul.
If she had one, because which sane person made such a statement?
“Oh, I understand that completely. But it is currently risky due to your recent vomiting.”
Risky.
Risky?
RISKY?
RISKY IS HIS MIDDLE NAME!
The Wildcard clenched his fingers harder into the bed, uncaring for any of the danger that came with it.
How dare she.
How DARE she suddenly deny him that right? He WORKED to actually be happy in this stuff world and now it's denied?
Who does she think she is?!
“But- You- You can't just deny me this! Do you know how LONG I waited to eat proper meals like this-?!”
Karoto spat out, throwing his arms up in the air and exclaiming them everywhere, not caring anymore if he stuttered due to his own anger.
HOW DARE SHE??? WHO CARES IF SHE HAD A DOCTORATE, HE HAD A PRIVILEGE-
“Karoto-”
Not you too.
The carrot turned so sharply towards the human that the cracking might as well have been heard outside.
“Nonono- You CANNOT just deny me to eat things! I WANT TO EAT PROPER FOOD!”
He deserved to be angry, if you asked him about all this.
It didn't matter if he shut Wizzro or the doctor up, they couldn't just- THEY COULDN'T JUST DENY HIM! THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT!
They are just like those stupid broccoli knights, URGH-
“I've scrapped the bottom of dumpsters, the rest of everyone's else's garbage to get to this point, and you want to deny me food-?”
The stupid Seagull didn't even have the strength to change her expression into anything else than slight surprise.
No anger, no distress, not even a hint of disappointment, just that STUPID, CALM EXPRESSION-
SHE’S MOCKING HIM, SHE HAS TO BE, THAT STUPID WITCH-
“What PRIVILEGE does your stupid Job give you to deny me-?! I WILL DO WHAT I WANT AND-”
“Karoto.”
The shaky breathing stayed despite the firm tone.
It was just now that he had noticed the tears horribly stinging his eyes, as if he was some sort of small child who couldn't control his emotions.
Actively shaking too, gripping his fists so hard against the bed it might as well break.
It wasn't fair.
It wasn't.
…Some part however, forced itself to listen with soft sniffles and an angry stare, even if he hated that understanding look.
“My intentions are not to harm you. Actually, this plan might actually be to your liking.”
Pity. She's pitying you, just like Nabiu.
Like everyone.
“...How. HOW can this stupid restriction plan benefit me-?”
There can't be a way for it to work, there shouldn't be a force that made this work-!
How can restriction help make him happier if it took everything away that he worked for? That he adored? That he loved?
But the Seagull seemed to try and take it easy, sitting down beside him again while he keot his eyes to the ground.
The floors were orange, something of a sunrise color.
“You said it yourself. You want to eat bigger meals and generally more portions.”
True.
It…is true.
Karoto wanted to eat so much that he had heard about.
Hearty meat, delicioue Pizzas, strawberry delights, fruity sundeas, Warm homemade soup, concoctions that might not even work, Sushi, Curry, Sandwiches, EVERYTHING!
All those meals that he couldn't afford before despite stealing from the Castles.
“If we heal your stomach issue, you can eat more portions. In fact, you can even eat more flavors, fatty meals and more if we get the vomiting issue in check.”
….The Thief forced himself to look up, taking a glance at the concerned M.A.G.E before settling his tired and puffy eyes towards the kind bird.
He didn't know if kind was the right word, but it could have been a much worse person.
Probably.
“While yes, it requires restrictions on portions and some dieting, but in the end, it'll be better for you and give you more opportunities.”
A wing was carefully lifted up, her eyes constantly on him as if to guide his gaze to where her wing would be.
For once, he didn't flinch as much as he watched it settle onto his shaky shoulder.
“Would you like to eat more, Karoto?”
….
Yes.
Yes, he wanted to eat everything.
Dear Nantes, did he want such a thing.
“...Yes. Yes, I do.”
Of course, she nodded. Of course the person who only wanted to help him and was accepting the whole time was nodding.
A part of him wanted to call her out for being manipulative, for being purposefully kind to lower his guard-
Though, he knew it wasn't that.
Pushing the blame onto everyone else was apparently something bad that came from mental illness.
He could thank Nabiu for that revelation, Urgrhhdh-
“Then this is something that's necessary for your own health and wants in the end. So-”
One final look came up into her eyes, a smile on her lips that only a few specific people gave him and he allowed in a manner.
“Would you want to accept others' help to achieve this?”
….
…….
Well.
It's…
Usually, it is not fine. Usually, this ends up being a horrible, horrible thing he regrets and hates and despises and throws away later.
Trusting other people usually didn’t go that well and most of the time, the carrot was at fault.
….
Urgh.
Urrrrrghhhh.
URURRRRRGRGRGRGGGHHHHHHH FINNNNEEEEEE BUT HE’S GONNA COMPLAIN THE WHOLE TIME, YOU HEAR HIM??????
“...Fine. Okay, fine-! I'll accept your stupid help! Happy?”
Karoto finally got out in a louder, exasperated tone, waving his arms around and shooing the wing on his shoulder away.
Yes, he grumbled and rolled his eyes the entire time and crossed his arms, what are you gonna do about it?
PUSSY.
“Indeed.”
Stupid Seagull and her stupid therapeutic words that he hates, especially by the fact that everyone is giving him that dumb advice-
“Good Jo-”
Karoto shot an immediate glare towards the poor human that didn't do anything wrong.
“Don't infantilaze- whatever that word is. Wizzro.”
Not a kid.
Not anymore.
Just want to get this over with-
“Alright, Alright. What- How do we do this?”
Finally getting those words out, Miss Ownes gave an encouraging nod, walking over with her board and showing the notes.
“Well….”
Apparently, dieting was a whole structure that needed to explained.
How much to eat of something, portion sizes, what can affect your stomach, what you definitely shouldn't eat, how fucked up POMEGRANATES specifically are…
It was all subjects that he didn't enjoy listening too, yet had to listen to for at least an hour before he was able to leave.
The basics seemed to be-
Don’t eat too much fast food
Don't eat too much of anything actually.
Eat veggies apparently.
Snack between meals, snack a whole lot, like a gazillion.
If you vomit, let your stomach rest or if you feel sick, stop eating and take a break.
Basic enough, which was something that didn't stop the carrot from being bothered all day about it, especially with all the comforting Wizzro was doing.
And-
“So, your Stomach IS too small!”
“Uh-huh, don't need to rub it in or anything.”
Eating a pudding peacefully in rational portions whole his companion was sitting right beside him sure was something.
Apparently, Vomiting blood makes people worried about you.
What else is new?
“Soooo, no more big portions?”
“Not until my stupid stomach is fixed up, which I DON’T LIKE EITHER, JUST SO YOU KNOW!”
Nabiu nodded intently, watching him eat his chocolate pudding that was all his and was barely shared with the blueberry.
Who was
Looking quite intensely at
….
Urrrrrrghhhhhhh
“....Want some, Blueberry Pie?”
He said with absolutely no restraint and pissy tone, which he by the way was not doing at all, what are you talking about?
YOU A COP??!!? HUH??!
“Awe, yeah!”
Nabiu ate some scoops of the pudding, which Karoto had to watch dissappear into her mouth with that same happiness as always.
…
Hm.
Perhaps it wasn't so bad to share.
Still, he was gonna complain the entire recovery through.
Though.
Maybe it'll be tolerable with some others.
Maybe.
…Yeah.
Maybe.