Oracle

Part 23

"Stop it," Jaspar complained as hands fussed over him. Elison had helped him get him read before taking him downstairs where Leo had started cooing over him and messing about with his clothes to make him look perfect for his meeting with the powerful person.

Someone, properly Justice again, had lent him a suit. It was a more expensive suit than Jaspar had ever worn before, he could tell that much from the material. It felt heavy and stiff. Jaspar was feeling almost strangled by the tie which was around his neck. He wasn't used to wearing them and he felt like it was almost a physical symbol of how things were at the moment. Lord Calder was a big deal and Jaspar couldn't help but feel like a dressed up lamb going to see a lion.

"Your face is starting to go down," mused Leo, a hand gently stroking over the bruises on his cheeks. "You are looking less purple."

"I thought it was going to take weeks," Jasper frowned. He was barely aware of the bruising, having already been given some painkillers that morning.

"Joys of living in the Rook," Leo chuckled. "There are enchantments for keeping the occupants healthy and to help them heal faster. Along with the charm to keep people out who want to remove the occupants or attack them, it's an almost perfect place to stay," he commented with an idealist outlook on the place.

Jaspar shivered slightly before pushing Leo's hand from his neck. "Leo, please stop it," he said sounding lightly ill. "Can I just have something to eat before we have to go?" he pleaded.

"The boy looks a treat, Leo, stop fussing over him," one of the regulars chuckled. "Remember to give him an apron or something to keep that nice suit of clean," he added.

"Good call Donny," Leo mused, before pulling something over Jaspar's head carefully and fastened it around his back. Jaspar let him, mostly because he wanted something to eat. Even with his nerves, his stomach was beginning to ache with hunger. "Here you go. Its sausages sandwiches today," Leo said warmly, a hand patting him on the back while placing a place in front of him.

Jaspar quickly tucked into the sandwiches before they could be taken away, almost melting at the taste. He had smelt that was the meal that morning but it was always good to finally be given the food instead of sitting in the smell waiting for someone to give him one.

"Enjoy them," Donny commented from the side. "We normally have them three times a week," he said almost sarcastically. "And bacon the other three and then on the seventh day we have a full English breakfast just for variety." Several people laughed around them at the comment, a few making suggestions for what else could be put into the breakfast menu.

"If you don't like it, you can go elsewhere," Leo said dryly. "Or talk to Mimi over at the King's Retreat about our food menu, Justice and I just get told to serve it. We get no input ignoring, 'no one liked it', 'everyone liked it'."

"I'll remember to do that," Donny said solidly with a slightly dark tone.

Jaspar was only half listening to the conversation, enjoying the sandwich too much. He found himself ravenous and he quickly consumed the sandwich and found himself licking his fingers after. Leo put tissues in his hands and he obediently cleaned them off as someone laughed.

"Want another?" Someone teased from his other side.

"I'm hungry," Jaspar sniffed. "Other than dinner, I didn't eat yesterday," he defended.

Donny led the laughter after that one, someone slapping his back in a friendly enough way. "Not arguing that you should be hungry pup, but you ate that very fast," someone chuckled, another plate being placed in front of him.

He quickly ate the second one before someone could take it away from him, Leo chuckling himself as well. "We will feed you, you know. You just have to say, we always have something even if it isn't meal time," Leo commented as Jaspar ate the second sandwich slightly more slowly but still fast enough to suggest he was hungry.