get your words out { 2018 } gywo yahtzee

[iluvroadrunner6]

Round 1 (8/8) | Round 2 (0/8) | Round 3 (2/8)
Running Score: 320
Word Count: 49,233

<b>Title:</b> <b>Fandom/Original:</b> <b>Prompt:</b> <b>Rating:</b> <b>Word or Line count:</b> <b>Summary:</b> <b>Warnings/Notes:</b>

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too much food on my plate | original (paladinverse) | 1,021 | round 1, set 5

[iluvroadrunner6]

“If you’re going to be a human, you’re going to have to eat human food, prepared human ways.”

The Leviathan, now newly christened “Ryan Metlars,” makes a face at him as Aaron places the cooked meat down in front of him. The former sea beast had been an omnivore, prepared to eat everything and anything in sight, exactly how it’s delivered to him, but a human digestive system is not nearly so forgiving. Or flexible. He’s easing him into things with a rare steak so its still a little bloody, but still safe for his digestive system.

Metlars leans forward, sniffing at the meat for a moment, before glancing back to Aaron. “What is it?”

“Cow,” Aaron sighs. “It’s just grilled.”

“Did you put anything on it like you did the chicken?”

“No, I learned from that mistake.” He watches as Metlars considers it for a moment before reaching forward with his hand to touch the meat and Aaron catches his wrist before he can get too far. “Eat like a human, remember? Use the knife and fork.”

Metlars grumbles, before doing as he’s told. Aaron can tell just by the way he’s holding them that the metal feels foreign in his hands, but he’s making an effort. That’s all Aaron can really ask for. He then moves to sit across from him to dig into his own steak.

“I know this is a lot, man. But you’ll get the hang of it. And we can prove that we can teach an ancient sea monster new tricks.”

He isn’t aware enough of human culture to get the joke. Instead, there’s simply a curious eyebrow raise before he watches Aaron’s hands, the way he uses the fork to hold the steak and the knife to saw through it. He then looks at the utensils in his hand, studying them for a moment then doing the same. “Why did you place the meat on the fire?”

“Kills the bacteria and other things that the human body can’t handle. And it makes it taste pretty damn good.”

“Do you have to do the same with fish?” Metlars manages to saw off a piece and place it in his mouth, chewing for a moment, before his eyes widen with a pleased expression, before going to dig in for another bite.

Aaron nods. “Most meats need to be cooked before humans can eat them. And humans also can’t live on meat alone – in fact, it’s not always good for you either. You need to supplement your diet with other things.”

Metlars pauses for a moment, before making a less pleased face. “I’m going to have to eat plants, aren’t i?”

Aaron smirks. “Don’t worry. I know ways to make them taste pretty good. We’ll ease you into things.”

Metlars sighs in return, before holding up the knife and fork. “Why these things? Why are they necessary?”

“It makes the food more manageable to eat. And is generally considered more polite.”

“Polite?”

“Nice to do. People don’t generally enjoy looking at other people chewing and tearing into their food like an animal.”

“Oh.” He tries again, sawing off another piece of steak before taking a bite, chewing and swallowing before he speaks. “I suppose it makes up for the lack of claws and fangs.”

“That it does.”

The two men lapse into silence with their food for a moment, Aaron making his way through the meat much more quickly, given that he doesn’t have to learn finesse with the tools in his hands. Eventually he’ll introduce him to sandwiches and things that can be eaten with his hands, but he still needed to learn how to use a knife, fork and spoon. After Metlars makes it half way through his steak, he looks up with a small frown.

“Do you regret it? Binding me, I mean.”

Aaron pauses for a moment, his eyebrows going up curiously. “Why?”

The other man gives a small shrug. While the finer areas of humanity were still escaping him, nonverbal communication seems to be something he’s picked up fairly well. “I have become a … responsibility. That wasn’t my intention. In some ways, it likely would have been simpler to kill me.”

“I didn’t bind you because it was the easiest way to get rid of you,” Aaron points out as he places his knife and fork down over his plate. “And I’m not afraid of responsibility. I did what I did because it was the most humane way to deal with the situation.”

Metlars head tips to the side for a moment, eyes blank with curiosity. “I don’t understand.”

Aaron pauses for a moment, before giving a small shrug. “Sometimes I get tired of killing things being the solution to everything. Even if I understand why it’s necessary, that doesn’t mean I enjoy it. And I would rather put in the work and help you adapt then put unnecessary blood on my hands.”

There’s another small moment of silence as Metlars swallows. “And what if I hadn’t been able to … adapt.”

“Then we would have crossed that bridge when we came to it. But we didn’t. You’re doing well.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Aaron tips his head to the side, before offering a small smile. “Tell you what. Finish your dinner, and I’ll introduce you to a food you’re probably not ready for, but would enjoy anyway.”

Metlars nods for a moment, before going to finish up the meat in front of him. “What kind of food is that?”

“Ice cream.”

“Bess mentioned ice cream. She also said I would enjoy it.” He places the utensils down on the plate the same way Aaron had, before he nods. “What is so special about it?”

Aaron smirks as he goes to gather the dishes. “Let’s just say we’re going to figure out how well you can handle sugar.”

“That sounds ominous.”

Aaron laughs, before cleaning up and taking them off to the ice cream parlor. He’s fairly certain that Metlars’ first sugar high is going to be an adventure, but it’s an adventure he’s more than ready to have.