Chapter 3 - 003: a plate of appetisers

I let out a noise that was supposed to be a haughty laughter but came out more like a terrified squeak. I glanced to Ani for help instinctually, but based on the smug look on her face she was immensely pleased with my circumstances. “No, she can’t read your mind, it turns out idiots are just predictable” she told me with a passive aggressive wink. “Oh, play nice with the boy would you, it’s nice to see I can still wring that reaction out of a mortal” Ishtar announced with a chuckle. “Well yes speaking of that, I suspect you know why we’re here?” I suggested hastily making a pivot to work related topics. “Oh yes, you must be the poor thing serving his penance, here to pamper his way to a better after life” she suggested shifting her posture a little. Moving her face from her hand to let it rest on her lap. The sight of her palm gently sinking slightly into the softness of her thighs nearly gave me a heart attack.

“So why exactly did you request me?” I asked attempting to keep my game face together. “Well for one thing I figured you deserved at least one goddess who wouldn’t put you through the wringer” she explained with a kind smile which was almost more damaging to my heart than her figure. “But I also wanted to see a man of the modern times so different from the ones in which I had been adored” she elaborated as she wrung her hands a little. The action itself spoke to insecurity, but her gaze never broke from us, and there was no hint of that insecurity on her face. “I fear I might’ve become something of an outdated model” she explained with a theatrical sort of shrug. “Well you look about a thousandth your age” I offered up. Internally I celebrated that I had managed to get a line in.

Ishtar laughed again, that same warm relaxing sound from earlier. “Well I must say mankind has certainly gotten much funnier, if perhaps a little presumptuous, I’ll have you know I’m only around 5000 years old” she shot back making a show of pouting. “And as a goddess of fertility I take a certain pride in having the figure of a fully-grown woman” she said crossing her arms under her chest in a provocative sort of way. The motion nearly providing me with my third Ishtar induced heart attack of our meeting. I couldn’t tell what percentage of her toying with me was intentional, but I was fairly certain it was greater than zero. “In fact, one of the few things I’m prouder of is the harvests that take place in my domain” she explained with a telling glance over to the guards behind us who promptly nodded. “This lecher doesn’t deserve your hospitality” Ani said truthfully. Once more getting a laugh out of the beautiful goddess. “Oh, come now, he’s already amused me enough to earn a meal at least, besides you must let me show off a little” she explained with a wide brimming smile.

I wondered what exactly she meant by “show off”. I began to get a clue as heavy footsteps echoed from the side rooms attached to Ishtar's pavilion. Slowly more women appeared, all wearing exclusively gold, with the same design as the other civilians. They carried pillows, and even a table. I would’ve offered to help with the setup if it weren’t for two very important facts. The first was that it would ruin Ishtars chance to feel proud of her followers. The second was that I’m an unapologetic bastard. Of course, the setup was on point. But her true demonstration didn't come until they started laying out the food. Clay bowls containing every sort of fruit I had ever seen, and a few I hadn’t. Others contained beautiful broths. There were adjoining jugs of what I could only assume was wine, that sloshed delightfully. I smiled and immediately grabbed an apple off the plate. For culinary reasons I should’ve been trying the new stuff. But I also figured that apples from the divine realm, were probably somewhat different to your regular brand Red Delicious.

“Ah, I must apologize for my idiotic charge, he’s still got motion sickness from the trip, I was letting him put up a brave face till now. But I’m sure he couldn’t keep it down” her tone was simple and monotone in its usual fashion. I had met her what felt like only hours ago. But somehow that made her suggestion seem all the more important. “My vision kept blurring, my depth perception was so off, she looked as big as this building” I chuckled to myself putting the apple back down in the bowl I had retrieved it from. “My oh my, I probably should’ve asked” she apologized in what might or might not have been a tone of sincere concern. To my surprise Ishtar leaned over, giving me a downright heart stopping view of her cleavage. Before plucking up the apple and biting into it. Juices gently leaking down onto her almost entirely bare breasts. As she finished it in two bites. “I’m afraid as a harvest goddess I’ll just have to eat your share instead” she said with a slightly bored sounding sigh.

Before I could get a word in edge wise, she reached across the table and scooped up the food items from my corner of the table and dragged them across to her own. Effectively doubling the amount of food slated for her own enjoyment. A gesture which I found a little baffling. “I’m from an era unknown to the excess of your modern day, in Babylon nothing can be wasted” she explained in a suitably goddess like tone. The effect of which was slight ruined by the fact her mouth was full of bread at the time of her giving it. I managed to contain myself from laughing at the fact I was being given the “don’t waste food” spiel from a goddess of motherhood. But it wasn’t long before my amusement was overtaken by fascination. She ate with a sort of homely dignity. Eating food without greed, but demonstrating at least some small level of enjoyment. Occasionally flashing a contented smile as she ate. It gave her a warm sort of aura even as she was polishing off a comparatively tremendous amount of food.

In contrast Ani was her usual cold uninterested self when it came to food. She chewed and swallowed it down without even the slightest change in expression. Like it was something of a chore to make herself chew. I was fairly certain she was only eating out of politeness. Or perhaps to avoid the godess eating down a whole feast to herself. I hadn’t exactly tasted the food, in fact I had been explicitly told not to. But from Ishtars eating habits, the juiciness of the ingredients and what looked to be excellent preparation there was no reason for it be anything other than delicious. It was entirely possible she was just a picky eater, but she had been equally bored by the candy she was carrying around. Yet even as she showed no clear pleasure in doing so, I noticed her overeating. Plucking up larger forkfuls of her food items of choice, taking long gulps of wine. Yet again she was proving to be something of an enigma.

As distinct as their appetites and tastes seemed to be, there was one thing the two divine beings shared in their eating styles. Volume. In spite of the sheer amount I had foisted on her Ishtar was seemingly quite content to polish off both our plates. More and more food disappeared down her gullet as she ate. Food items disappearing from the table and filling what I noticed was beginning to be a bloated middle. Ani was the same albeit to a lesser extent. She was pulling less from the table by far but I could see her kill count racking up. Rather than eating dishes all at once, she’d pluck one thing from a bowl and then something from another. But as time waned on and I noticed her tight midriff begin to round out from the scale of the calories consumed it became clear that she was having more than her fair share. The duo was clearing out what I had presumed to be a small feast like it was a casual undertaking. Occasionally making idle small talk about the quality of the food even as they ate enough of it to mark themselves as gluttons.

Finally, Ishtar let out a soft belch, muffled by her palm. Waving it dismissively at her guards who soon approached again to clear the table of the now empty bowls and jugs. There was quite a bit to gather after all. Ani was leaning back a little on her cushion, her belly bloated out an inch or two beyond her loin cloth. It’s pale color ever so slightly pink with agitation. Her face was inexpressive. The only indication she had even eaten recently, was a small juice stain on her lower lip, which she promptly wiped away with her thin wrist. She had a solid poker face, but with such a revealing outfit there was no hiding it. She was absolutely stuffed to the gills. Though she had nothing on the actual goddess in the room. Ishtar was still sat on her throne. But in contrast to how we had entered her thick thighs were spread wide. Comfortably snuggling an overfull gut that was now squeezed between them. The product of two people's worth of servings at the feast of a generous goddess. It was a perfectly tanned round dome protruding from her middle. The bloated milf couldn’t keep from rubbing at its sides awkwardly. Her lips were curled in their usual mature smile, but her soft cheeks bore a certain shade of pink they hadn’t when we entered. Clearly, she had overdone it. “You’ll excuse my children, they were obviously quite excited to have guests for the first time in eons” she apologized covering her mouth as she let out a slightly pained sounding belch. I was about to reassure her that it was important I get a feel for her appetite but she promptly cut me off. “For now, I’ll retire for the evening, I’d suggest you take this time to familiarize yourself with your living quarters” she explained the blush on her cheeks a little brighter. In comparison to the casual and almost smug entrance we had received. We were hurried out the door awkwardly and amusingly.