Renato woke up in his straw bed. The modest morning light entered his hut through circular windows, touching the clay floor. He sits up and notice that he is erect inside his diaper. He sighs and tries to calm himself down, striving to repress his shameful excitement. When his erection disappears, he gets up and stretches. Unlike the other days, there was a person sleeping beside Renato. A raccoon calmly breathed inside a sleeping bag, with her glasses resting beside her head. She slowly opened her eyes and opened her sleeping bag, sitting up soon after.
    - Good morning, Rosalina - says Renato, looking at her.
    - Good morning, Renato - answered the raccoon.
    Renato tries to not look too much at Rosalina.
    - Remember to take your sleeping bag - says Renato. - It's better to not let it get too dirty with clay, or you might have allergy.
    Rosalina leaves the sleeping bag and rolls it up, then puts it in the supplies bag, which was leaning against the circular wooden wall. When Rosalina went to adjust the bag, Renato couldn't help, but look at her. He admired her hips and legs, but only for a short while. He looked away again, not wanting to give occasion to lust. Rosalina had arrived at his village the day before and, lacking a safe place to sleep, Renato allowed her to sleep with him. But Renato has been chaste since an incident in the previous year. Having an young adult around him, with a body in perfect shape, brought him horrible memories and reminded him of his own affection starvation.
    Renato looked at Rosalina once more and, suddenly, he could no longer take his gaze to another direction. His desire for her kept growing more and more. Rosalina, upon finishing with the supplies bag, walked towards Renato, who noticed that she didn't shower or bathed since she arrived the day before.
    - Would you like to swim in the river, so you can clean yourself? - Renato asked, in a partially self-serving way.
    His consciouness began to hurt. What kind of question was that?
    - Good suggestion - says Rosalina, smiling. - Where can I bath?
    - There's a river nearby, as I said - Renato answered. - We all bath in there, sometimes in group. But, around this time, no one is there. The water might be cold, however...
    - Not a problem; I have blankets and clothing for cold temperature, if I feel bothered after finishing the bath. I really feel dirty. Could you take me there?
    Renato's heart began to race.
    - Of course - he answered, with his face as serious as usual, managing to hide his true emotions.
    Noticing the visitor's breasts, Renato felt an itch somewhere in his mouth, where a new tooth was growing. He put his thumb in his mouth and began to suck on it, while Rosalina walked to the door. When she reached the exit, she looked at Renato, who was still standing in the same place. When Renato's gaze met her's, he promptly took his thumb off his mouth, making a plop noise. Rosalina smiled empathetically and Renato, ashamed, looked at his feet.
    - We are wasting time - says Renato. - Forgive me.
    They left the hut. The village had seven huts, of equal size, built around a communal vegetable garden. At the village's other side, there was a trail through the tall trees, which lead to the river. Soon after leaving the hut, Rosalina puts her glasses on. They got to the trail and follow it, to the river. The river is shallow, very transparent, very broad. It's was meter and a half in depth and fifteen-meters-wide. The water was cold.
    Renato looks at Rosalina and Rosalina looks back at him.
    - I must watch over you - says Renato. - The inhabitants of other villages may want to attack you because you are foreign.
    Rosalina smiles tenderly.
    - Alright - she says. - Don't mind me.
    She started to take off her clothes, soon getting completely naked. Renato forced himself to look away. She started to bathe, talking to Renato, who wouldn't look at her.
    - I had a dream the night before - she says. - In that dream, I caressed a son who looked just like you.
    Renato listened silently.
    - But I - she continued. - had a differnt hair, was older and had very old-styled clothing.
    - Interesting dream - said Renato.
    - Do you believe in reincarnation?
    - I believe that the spirits of the sages who guided my village are now guiding my own decisions as spiritual leader.
    Rosalina was still washing herself, running her paws over her breasts.
    - I believe in past lives and I believe that my dreams are related to them - said Rosalina.
    - I didn't expect researchers to have such beliefs - said Renato, still feeling seriously tempted.
    She left the river and got a towel that she had brought with her, drying herself and then getting dressed. Renato ventured a look.
    - Are you done? - he asked.
    - Yes - she said, getting close to Renato and hugging him. - Thank you for watching over me.
    Renato blushed and didn't know if he was supposed to hug back or not. Later that day, Renato walks around the village, observing the other villagers, to see if they need anything. Most villagers who built that place were seeking refuge for crimes comitted in their hometowns. There, under Renato's guidance, they could heal from their past deeds and become good people again. The only exception was Marcus, a cockatrice, who was admitted in the village after getting lost from his parents. Marcus was taking care of the garden, wearing nothing but his diaper. Renato approached and asked:
    - Need help there?
    Marcus looked at Renato and smiled at him. Then he said:
    - I can deal with this alright. But I really am hungry.
    Renato then remembered that he was supposed to look for fruit. He was in charge of providing the villagers with the first meal. There were grains in his house, but fruit had to be picked daily. He nodded and walked towards his house to get a bag, then towards the forest, to look for fruit. In doing so, his thoughts kept shifting to Rosalina. He could barely focus... When he went back to the village, carrying the fruit in the bag, the other animals greeted him. He waved his paw at them and called some females to help him with the food. The went into the hut and started to prepare food in clay pots. The first meal of the day consisted in rice, beans and fruit.
    While preparing the food with the females, Renato was thinking about Rosalina.  Even if he acknowledged that he has a physical attraction to her, he felt that he wasn't supposed to act on it. That was because he had a very bad experience with another adult female, in another village. He never overcame that trauma... Because his feelings went out of hand, he neglected his duties as spiritual guide. And the female who attracted Renato back then was sent by someone in another village, which was struggling for territory. Upon distracting Renato from his duties as local sage, they took advantage of a temporary dissension in the army to attack and take the village. Renato was blamed and exiled. He felt that his longing for a female replacement for his deceased mother and it's accompaining erotic charge were a threat to someone in such a high status. He didn't want to cause problems to his new people. When he was admitted in the village he currently lives, he quickly showed that he was capable of presiding it and was ascended to the status of spiritual guide. Some villagers felt that it was a problem, because, before Renato was nominated the local sage, everyone was equal and decisions were taken collectively. Despite the tense climate, they accepted Renato's guidance. Renato, however, still felt bad for what happened and decided to legislate against a possible surge of desire, not only in himself, but in everyone else. His first law was a sexual regulation. Those who felt like it was a bad idea to put a single person in control of the village quickly lost their temper. They argued that a policy like that wasn't needed and that the fact that it was Renato's first law really showed what kind of ruler he was. Noticing that he made a bad move, Renato abandoned the law. Nonetheless, several villagers left the place that night. Renato realized that imposing his own fear upon the people as a law was a bad idea, so he decided to push it in another way: being a role model. He felt that a good leader had to act as if everyone would imitate him. He concluded that maybe taking a chaste life would encourage villagers to do the same, even in the absence of a law. That's how his sexual repression truly began and his battle was already difficult before Rosalina came by. Rosalina was lost, after her caravan was attacked. She was supposed to attend to a psychology symposium in another city, but she had to cross the forest first. After the attack, Rosalina walked aimlessly through the woods, until she found the village where Renato resided. And now Renato was feeling like there was a decent amount of risk of repeating past mistakes.
	When the food was ready, Renato went outside. The grains and fruit were placed in dishes made of clay as well. It exhaled an odd scent... At first, the villagers, who were sitting on the very ground, close to the garden, in circle around the pots, were shy about eating, but they trust Renato. All of them ate, despite the strange smell and taste. Renato also ate. It didn't take long until Renato noticed that he was só distracted by his thoughts on Rosalina that he picked poisonous fruit, as all villagers, later that day, had diarrhea. Renato as well. That afternoon, no animal could work the garden or at the bridge that was being built to cross the other river, nor could guard the fountains. All animals were busy behind the bushes. Renato had to at least guard the fountains himself, withstanding the urge to relieve himself.
	The fountains were at west. They were five wells, from where you could pull water. Renato was sitting there while looking at them, feeling his bowels roar in frustration, while he cursed himself for letting Rosalina fill his thoughts while he performed important tasks. Suddenly, he heard steps coming from the trail between the fountains and the village. It was Rosalina, who was feeling very good, due to having eaten from her own provisions.
	- I'm sorry for what happened – she said.
	Renato tried to not look at her for a long time, in order to not let his lust get the best of him. Rosalina sat beside Renato, on the leaf-covered ground.
	- Don't worry – said Renato. - We will soon feel better.
	- You took the responsibilities of all people for today – said Rosalina. - Wouldn't you want help?
	Renato rubbed his painful belly.
	- Ow, ow... - he sighed.
	Rosalina quickly figured what was going one, but made no comments abou tit. She was quiet, waiting for Renato to say something.
	- I need to suffer the consequences of my mistakes – said Renato. - I caused it, now I pay the price.
	- You are too harsh on yourself – said Rosalina. -, but your moral strength is admirable.
	She got up.
	- I'll wait for you in the hut – she said.
	With that, Rosalina left. Renato got up little after and went to the trees, where he found a fallen tree branch. It was thick and long enough to be made into a staff. He got a rock and began to shape it accordingly while looking after the fountains.
	The sun was almost set and Renato's belly felt extremely full. He was sitting on a rock, rubbing it to soothe, but it was painful to hold and he was sent to shivers. His newly made staff was resting beside the rock. He heard footsteps again and looked at the trail, to see Rosalina yet again.
	- The sun is almost set and the villagers need you for the nighttime prayer - she said.
	Only then Renato noticed that the night was coming. He couldn't do the prayer with such clogged bowels, specially considering that he felt like he was nearing accident point. Rosalina sat beside him.
	- You know you can use a bush, right? - she finally mentioned.
	- This is self-punishment - Renato replied.
	Rosalina chuckled. Even if Renato looked pretty manly for his age, she couldn't help, but think that his excessive severity with himself was kind of cute.
	- Can I ask you exactly what is wrong? - she asked. - I noticed that people here highly regard you and they keep talking about your wisdom and your ability to understand the Earth. I don't see much of that.
	- Sincerely... - Renato looked at Rosalina and hesitated.
	He sighed deeply, still rubbing his belly.
	- Sincerely, you kind of distract me - he finally confessed.
	Rosalina was caught off guard. She blinked twice and asked:
	- How?
	Renato looked at his feet. He began to feel really nervous about going on.
	- I'll tell you when I'm ready - he said, feeling like hiding it would do him no good.
	Rosalina figured that Renato, having no mother and being still very young, probably had mixed feelings about her. "Probably", she thought, "he wants to be closer to me, but doesn't want to appear to be weak." Rosalina got up and decided to walk away.
	That night, after the prayer, Renato went to the hut and sat on his bed, holding his full belly. He had not gone since the morning and he knew that his diaper already was a little messy. His face showed great discomfort. Rosalina entered soon after and saw Renato's distress. She approached and sat in front of him. The embarrassed skunk looked away.
	- You are going to hurt yourself - said Rosalina, looking at him.
	Renato didn't answer, he just continued to look away. His belly groaned loudly and he made a face of pain, gritting his teeth. He was sweaty and shaky. Rosalina knew about Reanto's high status, but she reached towards the cub's cute face and caressed the cheek. Renato felt relaxed, but only from waist up.
	- Your sweat is cold - she pointed out, worried. - Please, don't continue with that. It's not proportional.
	Marcus was walking by and noticed the foreigner caressing Renato's face. He watched through the window. Renato was so close to her... Renato blushed and felt all of his feelings acting up. He began to feel like he was going to cry.
	- Alright... - he said. - I'll relieve myself... but I need to talk to you afterwards...
	Renato really wanted to ask Rosalina to take care of him, to be his mother and to stay close. He really missed his mom... Renato got up, but, in doing so, a rush of poop managed to escape, right in front of Rosalina. Renato held his bottom and looked at her with an expression of shock. Rosalina wasted no time in picking Renato up and carrying the cub outside. Marcus quickly left the window. Upon reaching the bushes, Renato hurriedly undid the knot that kept his diaper tied up. The shame over the whole ordeal kept him from forming an erection after being held like a baby. Naked, he squat down. Rosalina turned around and looked away. Finally, Renato let nature take it's course...
	While relieving himself, Renato felt an urge to suck on his thumb. He clenched his paw into a fist and resisted the temptation. When he was done, he got up.
	- I better to wash myself - he says.
	- The river? - asks Rosalina.
	- Yes... I'll be back later...
	Renato leaves, still anguished. He enters the river, washes himself and his diaper, then goes back to the hut, wearing nothing. The diaper was put to dry by the river. Even if Renato was very tight about his sexual desires, he wasn't as constricted with his nudity, which he felt was natural. When he entered, he found Rosalina sitting on her sleeping bag, waiting for Renato.
	- Will you tell me what is bothering you now? - she asks.
	Renato sat on the straw bed and spilled his heart to her, about his past, about the feelings he had towards her, all without looking at her, but only at the floor. Rosalina listened carefully to everything. After Renato was done, there was a long-lasting silence. Then Rosalina said:
	- The fact that it happened once doesn't mean that it will happen all the time. You have no reason to be scared of your feelings. They aren't inherently bad.
	- I feel like I'm using those women to replace my mother - says Renato. - In the end, I can't say that I love them. I love my mom. I want her back.
	- You know she won't come back. And your physical attraction seems legit. If it was just an indirect nod to the love you felt for your mother... which I suspect, was also incestuous... you would not feel so bad about it, because the memory of your mother would suffice. Others could feel physical attraction towards you too, maybe without love. But if the feeling is mutual, I think you are worrying far too much, specially in a place where all law is up to you to write.
	Renato was following.
	- I think you are trying to find moral excuses to not accept the feelings you are scared of - says Rosalina -, but can you really point why are you scared of your feelings towards women in general or me in particular?
	- Before we continue, I want to stress that I'm not scared of females - says Renato. - It's just how I react to them.
	- That part I understood already.
	- I'm scared of being manipulated - Renato said, in a sigh. - or being alienated from my responsibilities.
	Rosalina nodded. That was understandable. Renato had little experience with those feelings that he had. It was all the result of a terrible trap in the guise of a first relationship. "He was exploited", Rosalina thought. Renato felt his heart race and he looked at Rosalina with a pleading face of preemptive regret. Rosalina looked at Renato and saw his weakest side through his blue eyes. Renato wanted to ask something, but the words wouldn't come out. He teared up. Instinctively, Rosalina pulled Renato to her lap. The skunk tried to fight, but he couldn't fight as hard as he wished, for fear of hurting her. Before he could tell, he was hugged. Slowly, he calmed down, crying softly on her shoulder. While being hugged, Renato had to repress another forming erection. Once the hug was over, he goes, half-erect, to the door of his hut, using his tail to cover himself. Rosalina was left alone in the center of the hut, worried about Renato's emotional state. Meanwhile, Renato was actually reevaluating if he should give in and let her be his replacement mother.
	Rosalina was worried and a little shy. She then wanted to ask:
	- Would you at least... - but she hesitated.
	Renato looked back at her, curious and still wiht a troubled gaze.
	- Nevermind, you would not – she said.
	- What? - Renato asked.
	- Masturbate.
	Renato looked at the door again.
	- No – he answered. -, I would never do something só dirty. I'm not giving it any chances.
	It wasn't the right time to argue about that. Rosalina figured that was also self-punishment. His sex negativity was a huge act of self-punishment.