Hmm?"
A delicious smell brings the middle-aged man back to reality as he sits at his kitchen table, lost in thought. The appetizing smell makes Jeremy jump out of his seat.
"What, what is it?"
"Well, food to fill you up."
The Jackal deftly shovels the frying pan into a bowl. He even has a jet-black tentacle extending from his hand, picking up utensils from the side. Strangely competent, he soon sets down plate after plate of food on the table.
"You made this from what's in the fridge?"
"No problem, though I did use some of my powers."
Asterios hands Jeremy the utensils in a tone that suggests he shouldn't be surprised. But Jeremy hesitates to take them.
'No, no. I don't want to get a stomachache.'
Jeremy isn't sure if he can actually eat it or if, like some legend, eating it would cause irreparable damage.
Seeing that the human only stares at the food with suspicion, the jackal nods and gestures, "Go ahead, eat."
"It's not poisoned or anything, so eat as much as you want."
"Oh no, I didn't think it was poisoned, wait, have you been eavesdropping on my thoughts again?"
"By eavesdropping, you mean you thought I could hear you, because I don't like you talking so loud."
"I'm not being loud! Ugh...okay, okay, I'll eat."
Jeremy nods a little shakily, then carefully picks up his utensils. The plates and utensils are all from his kitchen, so it is far from formal, but the food on the plates all look luxurious, which makes him feel incongruous.
"..."
The more Jeremy looks at it, the more he realizes that something is wrong. Sure, the food on the table is excellent. Thick soups, fatty hunks of meat cooked to a crisp as if they had been smoked, a variety of salads, and some sort of steamed dish... The problem is that he really has no idea what they are made of.
The ingredients may have been whatever was in the fridge, but the way they were cooked and the way the finished dish looks is typical of the monsters. It becomes clearer when Jeremy picks up a piece of meat with a fork and puts it in his mouth. It tastes good, but it's not the kind of taste he's ever had in his life.
"Do you like it?"
"Uh...yeah. It's good. You're a good cook."
Jeremy, now dipping his bread into the soup, rolls his eyes and looks awkwardly at the jackal. The monster doesn't bother to eat with him, just watches Jeremy eat, like an animal watching an animal. It makes Jeremy uncomfortable to see him not moving, and even though he is looking forward to the delicious food, his stomach is also uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, Jeremy cannot stop eating. The hunger, the need to live, overpowers the discomfort. And soon his plate is cleared.
The Authority is somewhat pleased that the human seems to like the food. Good thing Thelma's food is so tasty. Jeremy even gulps down some water when a cup of water is pushed in front of him, as he seems to be eating too much.
Despite his tantrums, this human is a good eater.
That's a good thing. It is important to manage the human's stress before the festival. Besides, Asterios hopes that if the human is happy with the food he made, his complaints will subside.
"I can even have you eat this every day if you want."
"Uh... every day would be too much. Once in a while... Once in a while wouldn't be bad, but for breakfast I'd say it's a bit much."
Swallowing hard, Jeremy shakes his head to say that's not necessary. Deep down, he feels that if he says yes to this food, he'll be stuck on this island forever. Even if he eats the True Sacrament three times a day, being stuck on this island alone is ridiculous.
"..."
The jackal's eyes narrowed and his ears flicked again, reading the human's thoughts. A small disgust bubbles up inside him at the realization that the human is thinking of leaving after all this hospitality.
How dare he. Asterios even lets him get away with his lack of table manners.
He thought it was cute how the human was taking it in stride, but then he cancels it. The way Jeremy moves his utensils is clumsy, and the fact that he eats while spilling breadcrumbs all over the place makes Asterios frown. Especially those! Those big, plump, swollen breasts that look like they're about to leak milk when he pokes them. And, of course, eating naked.
"I can't."
A long, graceful black hand touches Jeremy's shoulder. Jeremy yelps in surprise.
"AH...!"
Then, another elongated, jet-black hand grabs an apron from somewhere. Slithering under the table and give the fabric to Jeremy.
"You scared me...! What do you want me to do with the apron all of a sudden?"
"Put it on."
"What?"
The jackal merely shoves the apron at him, even as Jeremy asks in a tone that suggested he doesn't quite follow.
"I said put it on, because I can't look at you."
The Jackal, who sits at the head of the table and watches Jeremy, speaks in a rather high voice. He's been kind enough to serve the human a meal, but he's only tolerated it because he knows the human will give him a pitiful look. No matter how kind he is, Asterios is still an authority figure. When it comes to dealing with things that go against his wishes, he can be very stern and intimidating.
"..."
For a moment, Jeremy sees the black hand holding the apron wriggle and change shape. Another hand slips from the shadows. The jet-black creature's hand grabs a napkin from the table and roughly rubs Jeremy's chin and chest.
"Mmgh, ugh... Ah, that hurts. Gently, please..."
"Be quiet."
Jeremy struggles against the grip on his chin, but then a stinging pain follows as Asterios' grabs the stuff on his chest.
"Keep your head down."
Grimacing and pulling his torso back, Jeremy stiffens at the jackal's words. His voice is a bit of a growl, and he instinctively feels that he shouldn't protest or argue any further.
As the hand that has been wiping Jeremy's face and body pulls back, the hand holding an apron reaches forward. It is humiliating, but there is nothing Jeremy can do about it. He can only bite his lip and instead of protesting, he bows his head slightly.
"That's the way it has to be..."
Asterios, his eyes still on Jeremy, moves his hand to the apron. Like a bridle, he slips it over Jeremy's head and pulls the straps tightly behind his back. Jeremy is light-skinned, so the dark apron looks good on him.
A hand reaches out from the floor and pulls at the ends of the apron, smoothing it. Because Jeremy is so tall, the upper half of his thighs are barely covered. The authority figure doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he seems to like it. It's not meant to be a s*xual joke, but Jeremy Rogers looks pretty colorful in just an apron.
With that in mind, Asterios' cracks open his jet-black hand to reveal a golden eye identical to its master's. The eyed hands begin to examine every inch of Jeremy's body.
Only his front is covered, Jeremy's back is still bare. He has smooth, firm buttocks with handprints clearly visible, and a well defined, muscular back.
Not only is Jeremy's back in great shape, but so are his sides. The black apron is a little disappointing in covering the human's swollen nipples, but since he has a large chest, the fabric that falls below the breasts makes room. The sight of his rippling abs almost touching the apron makes Asterios feel like he is truly alive.
"Ugh, nngh..."
Jeremy, on the other hand, is quickly turning pale. The jackal's writhing hands are disgusting. He even chokes when the jackal pulls so hard on the straps. But he doesn't dare untie the apron strings for fear of getting on the jackal's nerves.
'Fvcking perverted dog... No, stop it! Don't think!'
Reminded that the creature able to read thoughts, the middle-aged man quickly tries to censor his thoughts. Causing him to feel like there is a lump forming in his chest.
Asterios, instead of rebuking him, commands in a calmer voice.
"Finish your meal."