"What the fuck is this?"

The words seemed to compute a few seconds after Jet had heard them, they formed an image in his head.

-40.

He fought the urge to look down, of course it was coming. He'd actually expected it. He rubbed his hand against his neck and looked more carefully.

Something wasn't adding up, he realized after a short while, it was almost like the Master wasn't actually looking at the sludge in itself.

His perfect eyebrows furrowed as he inspected the plate further. Seriously, he might have freshened up and gotten back under the sheets. Jet for one, knew he looked like crap when he woke up. Seems it didn't apply to everyone.

His fist balled in nervousness and anticipation as he watched the Master pick up the leaves he'd taken his time to select.

"Last time I checked, people didn't eat grass for breakfast," said the Master a little disgustedly.

-50.

Wait, could he not see the food?

One question was answered though, whatever he'd added clearly wasn't edible. Jet still tried to fathom the situation but nothing still made any sense.

The Master seemingly oblivious to everything else, picked up the fork. Not even sparing Jet a glance, he took up a chunk of the food and to Jet's horror, put it into his mouth. And fucking chewed.

Jet's eyes went wide with confusion. Even he wouldn't have eaten whatever that was—he refused to give it a name.

"How... " he started but he couldn't seem to find the words to complete.

The Master swallowed and took another chunk of the 'food'.

Jet took a step forward as if cautious, his arm reaching out a little as if signaling for the Master to stop.

The Master did not even falter, he kept eating in silence. He was the picture of someone having a good meal.

Jet rushed in front of him and tried to stop him. "No," he said. The sight was not right. So much that the word forced itself out.

"You can't seriously—" Jet grabbed the fork from the Master's hand. It was more like instinct than anything else.

The Master looked up at him, eyes looking more blue than grey now, eyebrow cocked in question.

His bed hair should have been hot but Jet was consumed with shock to even notice. Why was he eating it? If he didn't know better, he'd think he was a mad man.

The Master's lips were a little shiny thanks to the grease, only to accentuate their sexiness. He held out his hand. 'Give me the fork' he seemed to say, his eyes shooting directly to Jet's, and pinning them.

Jet shook his head first. His hand tightened on the fork, he wasn't about to let it go. The Master tilted  his head a little with a serious expression and Jet seemed to snap out of it.

Slowly, he reached out and handed it back. The Master took it and continued to eat whatever he had made.

Jet was so convinced he was going to get food poisoning, he stayed rooted right where he was. In shock more than anything else.

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you cared about me," said the Master calmly.

Jet's skin prickled. "Only because I need you alive to pay me," replied Jet.

The Master laughed. "So fierce."

Jet didn't reply. Not with words at least, he crossed his arms at his front and scoffed.

The Master continued to eat. Jet continued to watch. Uncomfortably.

Until the plate was empty and in one go, he drained the cup of its liquid then looked to Jet.

"Thank you," The Master said.

꧁__________꧂

There was no way Jet was going to forget the events of the morning, not especially since the Master was now right before them.

Thank you... The words still sounded fresh in Jet's mind. And they wouldn't leave him alone.

When Jet had first looked at the copy of the rules in his room, he'd quickly written six letters and labeled them month one through to six. Along with the breakfast, Jet had placed the first letter and now he wished he could have snatched it back.

༻༺
____________

Dear whoever reads this,

I̷ d̷o̷n̷'t̷ u̷n̷d̷e̷r̷s̷t̷a̷n̷d̷ w̷h̷y̷ t̷h̷e̷ f̷u̷c̷k̷

This letter was carefully crafted with all the love that oil has for water, only read it as such.

I've never written a letter before, I'm so grateful for your thoughtfulness on this. You know I just love paper and pen. Paper and pen... ugh so good...

Let me just go ahead and fill it with words until it looks like one. And I'm done.

Yours (what a joke)
Jet

______________________
༻༺

He probably should have edited it. Or written another altogether.

"You were asked to vote one person out," the Master said and Jet could have sworn someone swallowed.

Some people tensed on the table, a few might have twiddled thumbs. Almost everyone looked skeptical but the Master looked cool as ever, like he had all the answers.

Of course he did.

"But none of you were careful enough to know, that the answer lay within the instructions of the game."

There was a lot of guilt showcased on everyone's face. Jet found Mason's eyes already looking at him. He held his gaze just to see where all of it was going. Mason only shook his head and turned away.

"The game was more for me, than it was for you," the Master continued. "It was supposed to make you all uncomfortable. Designed for you to play and fail at the same time."

When Jet had first sat down, he was sure someone was going to leave. This was a turn of events. "Do you know why you failed at it?" The rhetorical question came.

"You failed because you voted. All of you should have, but that's not what happened, all but two of you failed the game. That's never happened before," there was something like awe in the Master's voice.

It didn't make any sense to Jet. Four people had failed the game? Although they were all supposed to? He should have been one of them, but after this, he might not actually be.

"The instructions were clear at the bottom, the rest was just to throw you off. 'That is all you have to do, defy the game'. Two of you did, four of you didn't. And that's all."

___________

It was when everyone started to retire for the night, that the truth of the matter struck Jet the reason why he couldn't stop thinking about it, not even for one second throughout the day.

It was because no one he didn't really know, had ever done such a thing for him. It was why Jet went up to the Master, all by himself, something he'd never think of doing, in fact, something he had no interest in doing at all.

No one had ever shown him such kindness, maybe it wasn't even kindness, but no one was ever grateful when he did basically nothing for them.

To him, the Master was a big mystery, but not one he wanted to get to the bottom of. He was almost always unreadable and Jet wasn't a big fan of that quality.

But when he'd said 'thank you', there was no way Jet could mistake it; the sincerity behind the two words. He was genuinely grateful. Why?

It was so nonsensical it made him uncomfortable.

Jet climbed the stairs heading for the Master the second time that day.

"Why have you come here?" The Master asked. "I didn't call for you."

He had a computer open and had been typing furiously before pausing when his eyes located Jet.

"I know," Jet said and walked into the room.

Jet suddenly remembered the notification he'd gotten right before coming here.

'Congratulations, you defied the game, you risked disqualification.'

Points: 4.

It meant so much to him Jet couldn't stop a smile when he'd read it. In the morning he'd walked in with a negative. Right now he had four. It wasn't much but it was something.

And coming here to ask the Master what he wanted to was going to mean swallowing a lot of pride but he just could not not do it. He felt obligated to ask.

"I want to ask you something," said Jet.

"You obviously didn't come here for nothing so go ahead," the Master said. He paused everything he was doing, giving all of his attention to Jet.

Jet stopped, "How do I ask this?" It was a murmur, more to himself than anyone else.

His fingers traced the tattoo on the back of his right hand. He didn't even notice he was doing it.

"You use your words," the Master got off the bed and approached where Jet's feet were stuck to the ground.

Jet saw him approach then one leg stepped backwards. And then another. He was soon being backed against the wall, so close he could feel the Master's body heat radiating off him.

"Is my little cub tongue tied? That's a bit unusual."

Jet ran out of space and his hands remained by his side. "Get off me," he said. "And don't call me your little cub!"

The Master's lips twitched and broke out into a grin. "I'm not even touching you."

Jet realised that was true, he was just trapped but there was no body contact at all.

"Fine whatever, just let me talk," Jet wiggled uncomfortably.

"Are you saying that I make you speechless?"

"You wish."

The Master held his gaze. "Your eyes are kind of pretty, now that I look more closely."

Jet recoiled as if the Master had touched him, and the memories from the morning resurfaced. "I'd like you to teach me."

He didn't spare two seconds answering. "Of course I'll teach you. I just need to know what."

Jet rolled his eyes a thousand times inside his head. "You just want me to ask you again don't you?"

"No. I want you to say it."

"To um... to cook, teach me how to cook." Jet thought this was the most embarrassing thing he'd ever done. Or asked anyone for that matter.

A look of surprise flashed across the Master's face and disappeared almost as fast as it had come. Turns out he actually didn't see it coming.

Jet thought it couldn't be possible. If he had thought deeper into it, he would have asked himself why, he would have started to think that maybe in it's own way, this meant something of worth to the Master, but he didn't.

It still didn't answer why he ate everything in the morning. "The thing I made you this morning..." Jet started but lost his train of thought.

"Thing?"

"Don't act like you've ever seen such a thing," said Jet.

The Master regarded Jet with an unreadable expression, saying nothing. Just this time, he wouldn't question it further. He'd leave it at that.

"Uh so will you?"

"Like I said little cub, of course," the Master replied, coming towards him once again, Jet watched, still glued to the wall. "Especially since you asked so nicely."

In the next minute, the computer was off the bed and Jet had replaced it. The Master pinning his weight down slowly. "Just, let me treat you first."