It had been raining for the best part of an hour. The soft patter of boiling drops on the segmented amber windows created a dull, comforting noise. The standard creaks and groans of the walls complemented it well, a lullaby of ambient sounds.
Eda and Luz had been out when it struck, leaving them stranded in town. This was no problem, however, as they each had prior obligations that would keep them busy for days if needed. Luz was spending time with her friends from school; the scary plant girl, the little one that was also quite intimidating, and that other girl that King swore was trying to rob Luz's affection from him. Eda was most likely stealing or swindling, a slight bit of purloining if the stars aligned.
"So Francois, we've got the house to ourselves. What do you want to do today?" King lay on his stomach, sprawled out on the mint carpet, kicking his little feet in the air. It was rare that King had the luxury of ruling the roost, and he intended to make full use of it.
Outside, a thump on the window paired with a glare that could break glass, coming from a creature whose voice could do the same, reminded the boneheaded biped that he was not alone. Although even if Hooty had managed to find a way in today, King would do his best to return to solitude, accompanied only by his second in command.
Unfortunately, sometimes Hooty didn't recognise his own strength. Despite the foundation of the house being solid to the best of the residents' knowledge, whenever he made himself known a shockwave usually followed. Nothing large, but enough to knock Francois over, which pointed him now in the direction of the front door.
"Sorry buddy, but we can't go outside, the rain would melt us. Even though that could be fun, Hooty is still out there." Conversation with the bird tube was seemingly more torturous than being boiled alive. A shiver at the thought of it was confirmation enough. "Let's try this again. What do you want to do today, inside the house?"
Propping the small brown stuffed rabbit upright once more, King made sure to lean the toy slightly towards the kitchen before placing him down. This time when Francois fell it was in a more favourable direction, the choice possibly influenced by the very visible hand of a master persuader.
"What was that? Do you want to eat snacks and sleep? Great!" With a more befitting answer having been provided, King rose to his feet and scampered towards the drawer where he knew Eda kept the best stuff, huffed breaths forced out as he went. There had to be some Boo-berry Eyes Cream left, they had stocked up just last week.
A tornado through the kitchen would have left less destruction, and probably taken less snacks. Several loud crashes and thuds later, and a mess that was a problem for future King behind him, the now highly decorated King of Treats took a cautious, wobbly step back towards the bunny, unable to see due to the excessive pile of goodies blocking his vision. With every small shuffle forwards, he lost his balance and took several wobbled steps to one side, before he regained his composure and proceeded to do the exact same thing in the opposite direction.
By some miracle, or perhaps divine intervention, King found his way back to the middle of the front room where his closest ally remained, still as stone, right where he left him. "Here Francois, only the best of the best for my best of the best." The chips offered were met with indifference, but a tight hug from the compact overlord was braved with little objection.
With his compatriot in hand, King waddled over to the couch, which towered as tall as the demon himself. Throwing Francois up, he jumped, both front paws and most of his torso succeeded in getting over the lip of the seat, both legs kicking at the air below him, one practised shuffle later and the two had reunited.
King sat Francois next to him, making sure to give him the best spot. Right in the middle where the cushions met so that he could sit up straight and protect his lord from his enemies while he slept. Popping open a bag of ghoul pepper bites, the starving child engulfed half the bag in a matter of seconds, with complete disregard for his innards.
"Can't have my protection going hungry," A flake-covered paw slid back into the bag and retrieved a single chip, which was soon smashed into Francois' face, covering the poor plushie in grease and crumbs. Unsatisfied that he was adequately nourished, the process repeated what must have been four or five times. "You're with me, and that means you eat like a King!" The two shared a one-sided embrace, as King gestured with a sweeping arm at the sky, the world ready for the taking if they wanted it.
What couldn't have been less than thirty minutes and fifteen bags of snacks later, a yawn began to creep up King's throat, the little demon having not slept in almost four hours. He laid on his back, one paw on his stomach and the other behind his head, covered from head to toe in various flavours and seasonings. "Francois, you always have the best ideas..." The yawn broke free once given the chance, and King recognised the sign to sleep. With considerable effort he rolled over and climbed to his feet, giving the small stuffed toy a light kiss on the head. Several struts in tight circles later, the bleary monarch found a spot worth to sleep in and lay down. His tail now doubled as a blanket and a pillow.
The force of his collapse knocked over Francois one last time, he now rested up against the diminutive demon, the hug from earlier now paid back in full.
King yawned once more, the pitter-patter of the rain soothing him to sleep in the late afternoon.