Chef in the Apocalypse

Jayce set up his cooking equipment in the fields, trying to ignore the bearded man who was watching him intently. Tony was so close to him that he could clearly see bits of food that was leftover in his dark black beard.

A small smirk appeared on his face as he sent a burst of fire mana into the fire pit, ensuring to "Accidentally" singe the annoying fly.

"Ah!" Tony cried out, his luscious beard was now on fire after getting too close.

He quickly ran around, using his hands and shirt to try and put out the fire that was rapidly consuming his pride and joy. Only after around half a minute did he finally breathe out a sigh of relief, having quashed the flame.

Tony returned to the others and sat down a bit further away than last time, having learned his lesson. However, he was puzzled after hearing muffled giggles from the two girls.

He turned to Jayce with a questioning look, only to receive a deadpan expression in return. Seeing the lack of reaction, Tony merely shrugged and continued watching the master in front of him. Even if he could not become Jayce’s Sous Chef, he wanted to learn at least something.

Jayce on the other hand was currently doing his best to keep his poker face from crumbling. Seeing the earnest look on Tony who was now missing his eyebrows and the front of his long beard had almost tipped him over the edge.

The man in front of them now looked like one of the Amish who had been attacked by a pair of shears. He felt a little bad, yet the incessant giggling from the two behind him was not helping his cause.

He decided to focus on making breakfast, cooking had always helped him clear his mind, or so it did until today. This time he kept on seeing the ridiculous face of Tony who seemed to be mesmerized by his cooking.

Every chop of a vegetable, every stroke of his knife, Tony’s face was there as if he was trying to burn the process into his mind.

Jayce felt like he was at the zoo, yet he was the one in the cage and the ridiculous looking monkey was staring at him curiously. His hand that was finely slicing some monster meat suddenly slipped, almost causing him to lose a finger.

His eyebrow twitched, feeling an intense irritation threaten to overcome his good mood.

"Can I f*cking help you?" Jayce blurted out. To him, Tony’s face no longer looked amusing, it was now an eyesore that was messing with his relaxing cooking time.

Tony almost tripped backwards, not expecting the sudden outburst. "I-I-I was just curious about your cooking techniques" he stammered.

His face contorted, trying to look like a sad puppy who had been denied a treat. However, thanks to his half-singed beard and no eyebrows he looked more like an unstable chimpanzee that had lost a fight with fire.

Lianna and Leah who had been giggling at the spectacle earlier, suddenly felt a little awkward.

Leah stood up and spoke up trying to ease the tension. From what she heard from her sister last night, Jayce seemed to be a reasonable person.

"I’m sorry for my Uncle, Jayce. You see, he was a food critic and restaurateur before everything happened. I’m sure he is just curious about your cooking process."

Jayce suddenly felt a little guilty, however he was still annoyed. He wouldn’t mind sharing some of his recipe’s with the other man, if it weren’t for his stupid face distracting him all the time.

He once more looked at the pitiful man, before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, come this side. I’ll talk through the dish."

Tony looked like he had hit the jackpot, pumping his fists in elation. "Thank you Chef! I’ll be in your care!" he bounced around the makeshift kitchen and stood next to Jayce expectantly.

Letting out another long sigh, Jayce finally continued what he was doing. Yet this time he was carefully explaining his process and naming the ingredients.

While it was a little weird at first, he eventually got into the flow. He was passionate about cooking and preparing food, so to see someone so interested in what he was doing actually made the process quite fun.

Now that he wasn’t poking his ugly head in front of him the whole time. Tony was just as excited as Jayce, relishing in the teachings of a true Master Chef. He had been in many kitchens before, yet he had felt nothing like what he was experiencing at this moment.

The duo continued preparing the food, one talking and one listening intently until it was finally prepared. Jayce wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow with the tea towel at his waist.

"Breakfast is served." He said with a smile.

The two ladies each came and grabbed a plate, smelling the fresh aroma of ginger and garlic. Leah looked down and suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia. She had been in the states for many years now, yet she still missed the cooking from back home.

"What is this dish?" Leah asked, seemingly holding back tears.

"It’s basically Mongolian Beef, but the meat is from a Draconic Panther." Jayce answered simply.

The Panther meat was rich with flavor, as many monsters meat was. It was a much better ingredient to cook with than just regular beef, giving the dish a better texture and experience overall.

Leah gulped softly, feeling her mouth water. Jayce handed her a pair of chopsticks and smiled, "Don’t stand on ceremony, dig in."

"Mmm." Leah nodded, grabbing a bit of rice and a piece of the juicy Panther meat. She gently lifted it to her mouth and blew softly before placing it on her tongue.

The moment the meat touched her tongue, it was as if a flavor bomb had been set off in her mouth. She subconsciously began to chew, releasing the rich juices that had been absorbed by the tender meat.

Before she knew it, she was reaching for another bite. Tears began to stream down her face as the taste she had been longing for for so long had finally appeared in front of her.

’It tastes like home’