To Eat or Not To Eat {Ongoing}

VIII

After heading back to their second underground home Ghoul wiggled out of Akash's arms and took out a bag of fruit she'd brought. After making a ground fire she set out to dry the berries by smushing them flat and spreading them evenly around the fire on the tarps she had laid out the day before.

Toby and Peter had went to go relieve themselves in the buckets on the ground floor while Akash had brought Ghoul back inside of safety. Curious as to why Ghoul was growing fruits and veggies on a roof in her back up home, Akash debated questioning her.

He has been having trouble with adapting his usual dominant, confident and assuring personality to meet Ghoul where she is (and avoid triggering a ghoul's violent tendencies). His interactions with Ghoul have made it difficult to assure his loves they're safe due to what they were taught about the different beasts. Ghoul was growing on his family but he did want to accidentally ruin that by misreading her behavior. He deep down feared getting too comfortable with her, the goal always being to find a permanent home but they never got to stay anywhere too long due to different dangers.

Sensing his internal struggle, Ghoul stopped what she was doing and murmured, annoyed at the gross feeling of self doubt and hesitation oozing from the human male.

"Kaush…speak or leave. No disgusting energy in safety."

*Blink**Blink* Akash froze as he processed what she had said."Disgusting energy?", he thought to himself. Then it clicked. "Uh- *ahem* Sorry about that, forgot you could sense stuff like that. Didn't mean to gross you out with my hesitation and-"

"Speak mind or leave Kaush!"

"Right."

"So what's with all the produce?"

"I dry them."

"I see that, yeah. But, um, why? Do you eat them?"

"Meat is low during frost"

Reading between the lines, he nods his head and says,"So you supplement your diet to get through it. Gotcha."

A small smile appeared on his face. Glad that he asked afterall and that his question was received somewhat well, Akash goes to help Ghoul with preserving food.

*Finally stopped suffocating me with stupid anxiety*

*Now energy too happy…..*

*Ugh*

Hearing steps approaching Ghoul stops for half a second and continues smushing her berries. She sensed it was just the remaining two of her pack back from relieving themselves.
Peter: "Hey, Ghoul?"

"What pup?"

Peter: "It's ok that we left them where they were right? We forgot to ask you if you'd wanted us to-"

"Leave fine."

Toby nudged his arm and chuckled, "Told you". Blushing, he scratches the back of his head and releases a sigh. *Phew* He'd gotten anxious and a tad embarrassed at the idea of Ghoul using the buckets to help grow food. Keeps forgetting she's not human and doesn't have the same qualms or reactions humans would.

"We stay ten nights. Bring dried food back."

Toby:* Why ten?".