The cat’s eyes shut into happy little crescents as he was scolded, and like a cheshire, he appeared to smile. There was no mistaking that he was proud of himself, and knew perfectly well that his cuteness could not be ignored or resisted. He gave a last few rubs, then, with his tail straight up in the air, he pranced over to the bucket, joyfully following the order to eat.
Hooking his front paws over the rim, Mao stuffed his face down into the bucket to pick out some choice morsels. He couldn’t eat as much in this form, but he’d do his best to satisfy those demonic urges to hopefully keep from needing to resort to breaking into hospitals again for a couple of weeks. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he was beginning to get kind of nervous about how often and how strongly the need to eat human flesh was coming upon him. His demon side was like a fire, the more he turned to it, the more he became something other, the more he needed fuel to keep it going. And like a fire, he was sure that it had burned away the human part of him, and if he let it go out, there would be nothing left of him but a charred husk. There was no going back.
An arrangement. The cat lifted his head from his meal with a very human expression of surprise on his face. Ho-ly Shit. Without even needing to ask or beg, he was being told that this guy would actually get him stuff to eat on a regular basis if need be.
Mao liked to give the impression of being a hard hearted loner, and he kind of was. Or rather, he was used to living like one. It wasn’t often he was touched by a display a kindness. Maybe it was because he was a cat and so it was less embarrassing to show gratitude, but he found himself bounding back to the man.
A graceful leap and he was on the man’s lap. One more, and he had climbed to his shoulders and he proceeded to drape himself across them like a mink stole, his tail curling up to tickle under his chin. His purring was back, loud and constant as he bonked his forehead against the man’s jaw. Suffice to say, he agreed to whatever arrangements the man was willing to make and was saying THANKS in capital letters.