[D3, Eve, ASK] A Date Known

"Good." She giggles, so very pleased by this. "I was worried."

Hisui plucks one of the mutton ones for herself.

"You can have more of the fish, if you want to take it easy on your palate."

No scandalous licking of the chopsticks this time. The occasional teasing was fine, but to spend the entire dinner doing that just felt wrong. Too much of something was a bad thing. Besides, she wanted to actually focus on her food at some point. If she spent the entire evening teasing Fuyuko or straddling the line between flirting and scandal, she'd never actually enjoy the meal.

"Are you sure?" she asks. "If you are, I'm glad. If not, you don't need to force yourself on my account."

Hisui leaves it at that, knowing that there is a mutual respect between them. Neither would ask anything of the other without permission to do so. It was a small thing, but it was an element of a romantic relationship that had been missing in her previous liaisons. Just one of the many ways Fuyuko was different from her past, building a gap that Hisui felt could one day help her truly let go of the pain of her past.

She is silent as she eats. Her focus is more on the food, but stealing brief glances at the company. Sometimes, she drinks some of the salty milky tea. The Unicorn is definitely more accustomed to it, or perhaps seeking the comfort of home.

"Hmm? Is there something on my face?" she asks when she finally, finally notices she was being observed.

"Good thing I didn't order too much, then. We can take anything that's left home, warm it up. It'd be a waste if we can't finish it all."

At the appetite comment, on being watched as she eats, there is a temptation to take offense. Even at her age, she took a certain a pride in having a figure that could put most younger women would kill to have. However, she realizes slowly what the little Crane meant. It wasn't an attempt to call her out on her weight and appetite. The words were meant to be taken as they were said. Fuyuko was happy to see Hisui happy.

The blush is redder than the mutton.

"You say the sweetest things."

Before anything else can be said, the waiter serves the final dish Hisui ordered. A metal container is placed at the center of the table. He opens it to reveal barbecued lamb, delicately spiced and accompanied by carrots, cabbage, and potatoes. The meat has been cut into pieces small enough for a chopstick. There's also a platter of steamed vegetables go with it.

Once the man leaves, Hisui grabs the first bite.

"Khorkhog. A Moto dish, and something you'll only rarely see in a restaurant, even among the Moto provinces," she explains, her smile wistful and soft. "It's a lamb dish, and usually cooked outdoors. My father used to cook it over stones in the garden. I figured you weren't a big eater, but after a workout in the dojo and the weight room earlier today, not to mention giving away half my lunch, I am famished."

There is a child-like joy to be found on Hisui's face as Fuyuko samples and then likes the dish. The meal was one of the few great comforts of her childhood. One of the few things that made life in a household that tended to forget her existence to be bearable. The music from that old music box began to play in her mind again, as whole and lovely as the day she first opened it. She'd never thought that simple khorkhog could bring so much joy back into her life.

She grabs another piece, mulling over meat and memories alike, before she speaks up.

"Yes, this definitely hits the spot. Not quite as spiced as my father used to make, but still very good," she says. "As for how they make it this good, I can't say. If I knew the secrets of making this, I would have prepared it for you by the lake. I want my old favorite audience to meet my new favorite audience."

She smiles in silence after. Eating, yes. But also taking moments of time to watch Fuyuko eat. Whatever it is the Crane decides to sample or dig into, Hisui doesn't mind. She just loves watching Fuyuko indulge herself, enjoy herself. Playfully, she grabs a bit of potato and offers it up to the Crane.

"Now, tell me about your day. What did you do after I left?" she asks. "Was...was Mako-chan alright?"