reluctantly , he can admit to her own truths . a lone wolf was helpless . a lone master would not have been enough . she bore the weight of responsibility and he did everything in his power to ease the burden , measly as his abilities were . bottom-barrel phantom , hardly special in the grand scheme of things : if more and more appear , am i going to be forgotten ? am i really still going to have a use ?
at her gratitude , he can only produce a small , meek smile . and then he brushes past it and its discomforts .
‘ i can prepare meat in any way ! ‘ he smiles and laughs . it sounds too loud for how softly they’ve been speaking up until now , but he can only continue . ‘ as long as it’s filling , i don’t care how it’s made ! ooh , but ramen is great , too ! we didn’t have anything like it in my time , but it’s just awesome , ain’t it ? just like with cookin’ meat , you can do all sorts of things with it ! i’ve been tryin’ every kind everywhere we go ! ‘ right , an around-the-world , once-a-day , never-ending ramen-a-thon !
‘ you should join me sometime , master ! ‘specially for any styles that’cha like ! y’know if y’ever crave anything y’can ask me ta make it too , right ? i’d be happy to ! doesn’t matter what it is ! ‘ at barest minimum , he’d keep her fed and eating well , no matter what !
she shakes her head, wrinkling her nose slightly. “not asking how you know how to cook it, silly! i’m asking which one you like to eat the most!” he seems to do this a lot. even deflecting a question of preference.. something as trivial as food? maybe she’ll earn it someday. trust enough for him not to feel as though he can’t tell her such small things. she can be patient! she really can.
his boisterous laugh is a bit unsettling, but who is she to ask him to take down his walls? no, there’s things even mochi hides from her servants. she needs to grant him some privacy, despite her curiosity. she tries to smile, though it might not be quite as wide as it tends to be.
“honestly.. i usually stick to the few brands i know.. and i love to put rice in it after..~ it’s super good! i like lots of other dishes too.. it’s pretty hard to pick a favorite, huh-”
ok. he got her, she does laugh a bit now, reaching up on her toes to pat his head. “it’s ok~ i know how to cook for myself! but, cooking together does sound fun! we could make a big meal for everyone to share!! i usually do desserts.. but a full meal with everyone sounds kinda nice, doesn’t it? a bit.. chaotic, maybe.. but-”