[Day 3, Mid-Evening] An Evening Meal (OPEN)

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

The Dragon woman walked into the Galley, her hair drying from the rain showers up on the deck. Her hair was loose now so it could dry better, though it was in a very basic tie so it wouldn't trail out unnecessarily. She looked around the room and over to the stove, if it could be called such a thing. Diner had been an hour or so earlier was her best guess, but there was still a little food left.

She served herself some of the leftover food and a little of the dried vegetables and fish before she sat down. She The rain pattered on the ship all around as she ate slowly.

[Volsung]

Though Cook looked eager to finish with dinner and be on her way to the promised meeting in the hold that was starting soon, she still had duties to attend to. She had briefly disappeared into the stores to collect some additional supplies for later while the always smiling Happy had dutifully stood watch on the stove to make certain that the fire that was still burning didn't go out of control.

Once the dragon sat down two ferrets immediately moved to investigate. One was white and the other black. The two bounded up to the woman's feet and immediately began sniffing around for scraps that might fall down. People food being best food after all. The duo were careful to avoid directly stepping on the person, but they were certainly doing their best to be cute, lovable, and pathetic. Cute, lovable, and pathetic was always the best way to sucker a meal out of people, they had discovered.

A minute later, Cook appears back in the galley and looks over at the MIrumoto, gasping for a second. "Oh! Mirumoto-sama! No no no. The meal is just finished. Put that away and let me get you something hot for the night ahead, neh?" She smiled as she shuffled towards the woman.

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

The Dragon looked puzzled a moment as Cook made her way out. She had already been a little confused, having never seen a ferret before, let alone two, but she had done her best to ignore the creatures. Very little aboard the boat, or around it, were things that she knew about, and she took the two creatures to be pets or helpers of some sort. The old woman's words however were unavoidable. She stood, picking up the plate of untouched food she'd taken, having just started on the dry fish and vegetables.

"Oh... hai, that would be better, would it not? I am so used to cold meals, I had merely assumed."

[Volsung]

The two ferrets looked incredibly disappointed that Operation: Adorable for Noms had apparently failed, but were not going to give up the fight that easily! They followed after the lady, making the occasional chirping noise, though they spared a glance to Cook to determine if she had any goodies for them.

Cook smiled as she got back into the kitchen. "No reason for cold food when the hot food is just ready, samurai-sama. You caught me in the midst of setting things out. My apologies." She then looked over to Happy.

"Happy! Man that fire boy or do I need to remind you what happens to people who don't tend to a fire carefully on a ship?" She said with a bit of amusement.

The other man gulped and immediately started staring at the fire again as the older woman chuckled and started moving the pots and pans off the stove to ready them for serving.

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

The Dragon woman stood calmly by the kitchen as diner was gotten together for her. She waited with a serene patience, but as the business of getting her food together was done, a very faint smile touched her face, one very few would call anything but absolutely honest. As the food was finally handed to her, she gave a bow of just her head to the older woman. "This would explain the compelling smell that brought me in here in the first place Suifu. Arigato."

She turned to go back to her seat before she paused and turned her head back, a hint of curiosity touching her otherwise even tone. "Suifu, how long have you served on board a ship? It must be... limiting, preparing meals in such an environment."

[Volsung]

Supaisu still had some spices left over from Zenko's donation and they had been splashed conservatively among the food to give it a bit more kick than usual. She smiled to the dragon. "Oh I've been on a boat most likely longer than you've been alive, Mirumoto-sama. Seen more sea than some Mantis. And how I got on board a ship is quite a story." She smiled.

"But you aren't asking about that are you? Well it makes you a better cook I say. Gotta watch more of what you use. Not like they do on land, waste a lot of good materials."

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

The Dragon nods as she sits, though she only places her food down, not starting to eat quite yet. "It is in a way much like the home I come from. While some of Mirumoto lands can support crops, much of the rest of Dragon lands have little to eat. It makes for an existence where supplies are limited and nothing goes to waste."

The Dragon's soft smile returns as she looks wistful. "Though I doubt many Dragon believe that anyone could become tired of fresh fish."

[Volsung]

"Don't think I've ever had the pleasure of being to Dragon lands. Mirumoto-sama. Though I've heard it was all mountains and always wondered how they fed so many people." Cook smiled as she looked down at the big pot of fish. "Well, it can get a bit tiring. But we should get to eat something different tomorrow."

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

Itusho gave a soft sigh. "One thankful thing is that there are not a lot of Dragon, compared to the Crane or Crab, or Lion of course. Still... food can be a constant struggle, especially with the winters up north."

She shook her head softly at the comment on the fish. "Truth told I am not ever going to complain about food. Especially not when it is quite good."

[Volsung]

"True enough I suppose. I don't envy any man that has to feed a Lion or a Crab army. Let alone with heavy snows and mountains to make things tougher. Still, I remember hearing something about Mountain tuna. I reckon that is pretty good."

The cook grins at the praise thrown her way. "Hearing complaints it the only way I can get better, Mirumoto-sama. And I've heard enough that I know you've gotta change the menu occasionally or your customers are gonna get sick of even the best of food."

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

"I am just content to have whatever I can, Suifu. I don't need a lot, and nothing fancy, just enough to replenish when I lose energy training." She gave a wisp of a smirk. "That, and anything beats mountain tuna."

[Volsung]

The ferrets were getting rather bored with all of this not feeding them that was happening and decided it was time to play again and they would try to steal some food later. Still at the feet of Itsuho, the duo of white and black begin pouncing at each other and rough housing.

Cook furrowed her brow a bit at that statement and openly frowned. "Now that's no way to treat food, samurai-sama. Food's got a heart and a great deal of meaning. A good meal can liven spirits, bolster courage. A bad meal can make you feel weak, or worse, sick. What you put in your body is very important, I think."

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

The Dragon woman gave a bow of her head. "Sumimasen, I did not mean to imply as such Suifu. It is unfortunately true that at times, one must make due though, even with bad food. The Dragon Clan has, many a time, over many lives. I would much rather have a good meal than a bad one, most certainly. However, I would be the last to complain should a good meal not be possible."

As if just renoticing the two rambunctious ferrets, Itsuho took a few bits of her meal and palmed them. Then, without looking down, she dropped a few morsels onto the floor.

[Volsung]

Cook sighed. "True enough. I know it better then most. One time we got stuck at sea with no wind for two whole weeks. Had to ration the food so badly some of the men went near mad. Never good to have no food." She slowly shook her head slightly.

The two ferrets however didn't seem to notice the morsels at first, but then suddenly Salt stopped romping and stared at the morsel for a half second. Pepper stopped soon after and like lightning strikes they were off, gulping down the food quickly and then wrapping their long bodies around the kind, generous, and most beautiful Dragon-person ever in hopes that their affection would lead to more scrumptious food.

Cook chuckled. "Gluttons."

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

Itsuho was not really an animal lover, but she was a kind person, and not a very hungry one more of the time at that. She dropped a few more pieces of food for the two playful creatures, slowly, rationing them. "I have only seen the ocean for the first time when I came to the Half Moon, so I must confess I do not know a lot about sea life. Are there not always fish around to be had?"

[Volsung]

The two ferrets struggled with each other for each piece as it was dropped, with Pepper managing to win the lion's share of the dropped food.

Cook frowned. "Fishing is easier said than done out in the deep sea. Not much of the life comes to the surface to be caught. It stays down too far for any sailor to catch it. Can go weeks without seeing another sign of life when you're in the deep sea."

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

Itsuho never specifically paid attention to the two ferret's, but it seemed she was keeping an eye on them. When one would get most of the food she would use a leg to keep them back so the other could keep up, then reverse the rolls. Her face stayed contemplative. "So even in such open space as the water, there are places that are like the desert or mountains of land, hai? I had never thought of the ocean as having areas without many fish."

[Volsung]

As the ferrets were kept from their food each got more and more creative in ways to get at the food they so craved. But the Mirumoto was doing a decent job of keeping one or the other at bay.

Cook shook her head. "No. Whole sea is like that, Mirumoto-sama. We think there's fish down there, but we don't have much proof of it either way."

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

The Dragon finally ran out of food to drop down. No matter how much the two ferret's might beg, she would not drop one more bite.

"Ah, I see. I am not truly familiar with anywhere on land where the animals are easy to find and plentiful, so I can image the feeling well enough. Still... the ocean is quite deep, and it's darkest depths are surely harder to reach than the peak of even the highest mountain."

[Volsung]

And beg they did, trying to make it seem as though they were going to keel over at any moment from starvation. But eventually it became clear they weren't going to get anymore and the duo scampered off into the kitchen to do who knows what mischief.

"Hai. Precisely. We do not know what is down there. Though I heard once that it is covered almost completely by the cities of the Ningyo."