Bait

[red_branch]

Cu Chulainn wasn't a patrolman, nor did he ever aspire to be one. He was the guardian of his country in the sense that he would respond immediately to dire threats but he had never been the man to watch every village one by one and butt his head into every squabble he saw. Despite that, he had a keen eye for trouble and countless thoughts about what justice was supposed to be--so, he tended to intervene in problems when they presented themselves if only because of the fickle nature of what justice looked like to him.

Two farmers were arguing over a fairy mound, claiming ownership over a magic bow that sprung out of it. It had been hovering in the air, moving around on occasion from their perspective. Cu Chulainn, puzzled, wondered if the two men were fools--as there was clearly a man in white attire holding the damned thing. He stepped down from his horse to approach the two in the middle of their quarrel, watching the bowman, who was ignoring them as he read from a thin piece of paper held up in front of him. The two men didn't notice the bowman at all.

The bowman met eyes with Cu Chulainn, perplexed.

"You can see me?"

"Yeah. You can call me Cu Chulainn and... I'm curious. Never seen an archer carry that kind of bow, before."

Their exchange of words was brief, if not polite on Cu Chulainn's end. The farmers backed off immediately when they saw Cu Chulainn speaking to what they presumed was a demented ghost clutching the bow and ran when the bow lifted and fired, trying to take off Cu Chulainn's head from the neck. The young man let out a terse sigh, unstrapping his spear from his back after avoiding the volley before making a bit more effort to close the gap and stride towards him. The dark-haired archer was stunned that his shot hadn't landed and even more so when the following dozen bolts were parried and redirected just as easily. He jumped up and kicked the bowman square in the chest, dropping him to the ground before there had been a few popping sounds.

Strange. It didn't sound like the sound of bones breaking--he didn't think he kicked hard enough to do that. The bowman stumbled back, coughing and wheezing, his eyes bulging open as he buried his hand in his clothing to pull out a vial. The thing had broken in the center and little white tablets fell to the ground, dissolving. The shocked expression he wore spoke more about what happened than whatever he could pull out with his strange accent.

"I--I can't stay here!"

He threw a capsule to the ground, blinding light shining and catching Cu Chulainn off guard. He stepped back, vanishing into a tear in thin air, just as a few more of the tablets landed on the ground where he had been standing. Cu Chulainn rubbed under his eyes before stepping over to the remaining tablets, picking them up with a scowl.

"What a pain--fairy mounds are just troubling these days. Nothing good comes out of the damned things anymore--"

As if proving him right, a dozen or so howling voices rose up in the woods, the town, and the mountains all at once. Screaming farmers and milling people came shortly after, clearly bothered by the owners of those inhuman howls. His irritated scowl deepened and he ran off, away from the mound and towards the sound of trouble, "Speak of the devil... and he'll come crawling right away, huh?"

Comments

[goneonenight]

"It's up to you," Yoruichi shrugs. "I just didn't want to get there and have everything think you were crazy." Her stomach growls again, and she stops herself from curling an arm around her waist.

"Which way is it?" She manages to speak without blushing; it's not like she doesn't get plenty of food at home, but she rarely has to wait for it once she wants it. Her body is clearly making its objections known to the unusual delay. "And why don't you tell me about your family as we go?"

No sense walking in completely blind. Cu Chulainn may not mind her being there, but that doesn't guarantee his family wil lfeel the same way.

[red_branch]

"Well!"

At least it was a little refreshing to realize that Yoruichi's stomach was impatient for her. When he heard the latest rumble, he couldn't quite hide his smile in time.

If she was getting bored standing around, then she had been all too polite to tell him about it. So, he hopped up on his feet and began walking south--adjusting every few steps as he let his eyes linger on the direction of the sun. It was setting by then and dinner would be served and finished once it was fully down but he doubted they would miss it.

His trotting got faster and faster, pushing into a jog and then into a sprint that would leave most winded--figuring she'd follow easily along.

"Emain Macha is south of here! It's our nation's capital. As for my family... What type of story is your favorite to hear? We've got a bunch but we'll only have time for one if you're as fast as I think you are."

[goneonenight]

Yoruichi doesn't miss his smile, but thankfully he doesn't say anything--embarrassment and hunger might have made her snappish.

Instead, he heads off, gradually increasing his speed until he's running flat out. It's a ground-eating stride that he maintains easily, and it's just as simple for her to keep up, even without shunpo.

"I like funny stories, and stories with fighting," she replies, not at all out of breath as they run. "Who will I see besides your uncle and your mother?"

[red_branch]

"Oh, you're liable to see more than you like," There was a derisive laugh at that from Cu Chulainn, though nothing too mean. By his estimate of Yoruichi, he imagined plenty of his cousins would wear her patience thin and even more likely wouldn't work up the nerve to talk to her. It could have been that slight edge to her that kept him excited to keep talking, even if he couldn't quite vocalize it.

"So, I've got one--the story of my king!" The swift run they were in the middle of didn't seem interrupted at all by passersby--as Cu Chulainn made it an issue to take the 'long' way around to work in a longer chat with Yoruichi. She wouldn't notice, he imagined.

"I'll ruin it with my poor story-telling skills but--" He went into some lavish depth on Conchobor's coronation as king: how Cathbad seduced Princess Nessa with the promise that their child would become king and how she raised their child to be royalty until they tricked Fergus into giving up his kingdom for a year. After gaining the favor of the farmers, the smiths, and the warriors--Conchobor built a reputation so everyone wanted him to stay the king even after the agreement was done. Furious, Fergus challenged Conchobor to a duel and lost, giving up his kingdom before retiring to a neighboring country to seduce the Queen and settle down.

"'Course, Uncle Fergus visits on the regular even if he acts frustrated every time he comes around. It's pretty apparent that he doesn't have it in him to really go for Conchobor's neck, anymore."

[goneonenight]

Yoruichi remains alert of her surroundings as they travel, but is still drawn into Cu Chulainn's tale. Fergus seems kind of dumb to have given up his throne for any reason; even if he wound up getting another one, having been ousted with his own unwitting agreement has to still sting.

"He still visits?" Yoruichi blinks, lengthening her stride to jump over a tree root. "Why? I'd think he'd just want to stay away and forget it happened." Most men are so touchy about their pride, after all.

[red_branch]

"Who really knows?"

Honestly, it was a bad idea to let Fergus hang around the way they did. It might have seemed arrogant on Conchobor's part, letting Fergus walk around his fortress as a former rival. Even worse--Cu Chulainn took a vow to surrender any time Fergus presented his weapon in person, so even his kingdom's champion couldn't prevent an attack. Despite all that, it seemed to be working out, though.

"Maybe he's attached to a cook or a lady on our grounds. He's always been the simple sorta guy who's only really cared about food and women."

Gradually, he began slowing down. In the distance, a fortress presented itself--something of a fixture that overtook part of the mountain. It was made of walls of stone and large stone towers that melded into the hills and the walls of a cliff.

"By the way, that's it--my uncle's place. Unfortunately, we've got wards against spirits on the walls, so we gotta go through the front gate."

[goneonenight]

What a strange place. Yoruichi couldn't imagine the same scenario playing out in Seireitei. If anyone had been dumb enough to be tricked into abdicating, they certainly wouldn't keep showing their face after the fact. No sense intentionally subjecting yourself to that sort of ridicule, public or not.

Yoruichi's eyes widen as the castle comes into view. It's not like any building she's ever seen. It's heavy and dark, and it also looks graceless compared to the building style she'd grown up with.

Still, it's impressive. She'd bet it's secure and easy to defend, as well.

"Wow." She makes a note of the wards; it'll be an issue if she ever needs to leave in a hurry, but she can't expect them to adjust their defenses just for one guest. "Is this how most castles look in your country?"

A call goes up from the walls as they approach; by habit, her eyes mark where the sentries stand, as well as the position of any defenses. With any luck, she won't need the information, but old habits die hard.

[red_branch]

"Not really. This is a stronghold fortress, so it's meant to stop armies," He commented offhandedly, giving the front sentries a wave as he walked right by them with Yoruichi. He curled his fingers in the air and removed a few seals on the main gate to keep Yoruichi from getting warded off. Most village seals would have stung her a bit, he imagined--but Emain Macha's seals were meant to stave off things as scary as demons and the fae. She probably wouldn't have liked dealing with it. The sentries didn't pay Cu Chulainn too much mind. They were busy chatting with traders and farmers looking to get into the fortress for work, shelter, and food. A few of the sentries seemed spooked by Yoruichi, even if they most didn't see her.

At the very least, Cu Chulainn noticed Yoruichi's wandering eye. Her initial interest had been in the size of the place, he imagined, so it seemed interesting that he caught her glancing at defensive points. That was warlike training that went well beyond what an exorcist should have focused on. Needless to say, he had his already piqued interest in her livened.

"Anyway, the main dining hall is right down this ro--"

He was cut off by a sudden crack of a wooden stave against his nose. There was a crunch as his nose broke and he stumbled back a step. Funny enough, he didn't look surprised. If anything, he looked nonplussed by being bludgeoned in the face.

"Old man," He spoke up, giving a robed, wisened looking old man a dejected look. "What gives at this time of day?"

The 'old man' bore absolutely no presence of power and, by all means, looked like a stiff wind would blow him over. Even so, Cu Chulainn didn't like looking him in the eye.

"Boy, your attitudes been gettin' worse with me. Call me 'Old Man' and I'll send you to the medics for new teeth!" He shifted his gaze to Yoruichi, keeping his eyes on hers. "Explain yourself, boy. Why're you leading a soul reaper into your uncle's home? Is there a problem with your pants? Do we need to sew the blasted things to you?"

[goneonenight]

As she'd thought, most of the sentries didn't seem to see her at all. Which would make this visit awkward if Cu Chulainn hadn't assured her of a way around it. She also notes the attitudes of the soldiers and civilians--they seem healthy and content enough--none of the cringing and sullen fear to be seen with rulers who care more for their purses than their people.

Maybe this place won't be so bad after--

The attack comes from nowhere, from a man who looks like she could snap him over one knee. She can't explain his animosity--towards her or Cu Chulainn. For his part, he looks used to it, not even fazed by the blood pouring from what is almost certainly a broken nose.

Not only can this man see her, but he's none too happy to have her in the house. Her temper, all too easily roused on a good day, snaps quite decisively.

"I am here as a guest," Yoruichi snarls, her hands on her hips. "I don't know what your problem is with shinigami, but my intentions are peaceful." Considering the way she'd bitten out that last word, one might be forgiven for doubting her.

Her voice starts to climb, heedless of whether anyone surrounding them could hear. "And maybe you let people paw all over you just because they invited you to dinner but some of us have standards, you ass." She glares right back at him, refusing to show the usual respect for an elder to someone who would insult her with no reason.

The nerve of this man, assuming just spread her legs for Cu Chulainn just because she'd walked in with him. It's not as though she's never been insulted or condescended to just because she's a woman before, but it still pisses her off every time.

[red_branch]

As Yoruichi and Cathbad squared off, Cu Chulainn pressed both fingers against the bridge of his nose and fixed the broken alignment of it with good practice and discipline. He didn't bother cleaning the blood off of his armor or tunic--he was probably going to get more lumps by the end of the night, regardless of whether or not anyone had strange questions about Yoruichi.

He placed his hands on his hips and watched as Cathbad leaned against his staff, weathering Yoruichi's understandably sharp response to not-so-subtle accusation.

He waited until Yoruichi was done and then--

"Hmmm. Well, been a while since I got chewed out by a Shihouin. Don't you worry about me and my relationship with your kind, missy," He responded with a grin that could only be roughly described as greasy. Cathbad rolled his shoulders and stood up straight, cracking Cu Chulainn in the temple with the butt of it again after giving it a sudden twirl. "Though, it makes sense as to why the boy brought you in. The fact that you didn't start swingin' at me just now means you'll probably make it through the night without a declaration of war! Hahaha!"

Then, Cathbad was gone. There was no puff of smoke or sign of a spell going off. He just wasn't standing there anymore in the middle of what was brief, raucous laughter.

"Sorry about that," Cu Chulainn spoke, his hand planted over his bloodied nose. It sounded muffled and a little strained. He was a little red in the face from embarrassment--most of it coming from the fact that Cathbad made a scene with a guest and half the town square was watching it all, perplexed. A few gossipers had to tell the rest that Cu Chulainn was standing with a spirit. "I thought he'd be drinking and eating in the hall with everyone else. I guess he got tipped off when I broke one of his wards to let you in."

"...But, he's usually much worse than that."

[goneonenight]

Yoruichi is stuck staring at the spot where Cathbad stood, her anger now mingled with shock. Finally she sputters, "Worse than that? He's awful! Who is he?"

Her brow furrows. "And how did he know my name?" How did he know enough of Seireitei to recognize her as a Shihouin? It's not uncommon for her to be recognized at home, even by people who have never met her. But here? It's annoying that she won't be able to dismiss that old man out of hand--now she's curious about what he knows.

She turns back to Cu Chulainn, wincing at his injuries. "I can fix that, if you want." She notes the crowd peering at them both--or the space where she would be, for those who can't see spirits--and lets out an annoyed huff.

"Maybe somewhere else." She's had enough of gawking, and they've barely arrived.

[red_branch]

Cu Chulainn settled for pinching his nose and keeping his head elevated. Enough broken noses taught him what he had to do to avoid choking on blood.

"That's Cathbad--the Arch-Druid of the kingdom. He's the father of the king and his advisor," All of it was said with a muffled hum in his mouth. Cu Chulainn had long since grown out of being embarrassed when he had to nurse a broken nose. Better to bear with it than make a mess. Still-- "Sorry you had to deal with it. Usually, he's less... himself when he's around his wife. She'll reign him in during dinner."

He caught himself, finishing his thought, "And, don't worry about the weird shit he says. I don't understand most of it."

With a huff, Cu Chulainn began walking down the road to the hall. People began going back to their business, even if the handful that could see Yoruichi were watching her more out of curiosity than amusement. Aside from her outfit, she was clearly not a local villager given her attire. Most assumed she was probably a foreign general given her demeanor and presence.

"It'll be fine by the time we get back. I just gotta find a basin to wash my face. Consider it punishment for me not thinking to catch the old man sooner."

[goneonenight]

For whatever reason, Cu Chulainn refuses her help, instead leading her towards the dining hall with his head tilted back and his hand covering his nose. It seems silly when she can just heal it in a few minutes, but if he wants to walk around with blood all over him, she's not going to push.

"He's the king's father?" Well, that could have gone worse. For all his amusement, she very well could have started a diplomatic incident yelling back at him like that. Not that she regrets it, but if the rest of the family is like that, she's going to have a hell of a time reining in her temper.

"Wait--was that your grandfather?" She knows the king is his uncle, so she assumes the king's father is also related to him. As harsh as her own family can be, no one's ever broken her nose in front of a guest before. She's starting to wonder if dinner could possibly be worth dealing with these people.

[red_branch]

"Yup," He responded, his eyes distant and deadened. It was the kind of reaction one would come to expect from someone who held regrets about being related to a crazy person. Though, Cu Chulainn had little room to talk when it came to discussing the downsides of mental illnesses. "That's my grandfather."

As they passed the threshold into the castle, Cu Chulainn released his nose. He slipped over to an open basin of water, splashed some in his face and blew his nose into it before pouring it out a window. Clearly, the next person coming was going to have to look for another basin to use. After he did all that, he looked to Yoruichi--suddenly coming to a realization.

"Ah, I see. He wanted to make a fool of me coming into the hall. Now, I get it."

He lacked a towel and a new tunic but neither seemed to matter when it would be worse to show up late and make everyone wait when Cathbad would obviously be talking up Yoruichi and Setanta by the time they even got there. So, Cu Chulainn shoved both hands against the main doorway leading to the hall and pushed it open for Yoruichi. Despite knowing he looked like a mess, he knew it would be disrespectful to delay and make everyone wait when he was likely expected.

What came next was an overwhelming smell of food and the sweet aroma of flowers and honey. Despite the reputation the Ulster clan earned for sweaty warriors in baked leather armor--they possessed an uncanny self-awareness of smell and happily layered everything as cleanly as possible, especially for guests. Setanta looked like a bedraggled mess compared to every man, woman and child in colorful, pressed attire getting food and eating it with family. They all turned to stare at the returning prince, somewhat surprised by his state. A thick-armed man in his crown stood up suddenly at the throne at the end of the hall and bellowed the moment Cu Chulainn stepped in. He was tall, with thick red hair and a leather eyepatch tucked under his crown and through tussles of hair.

"Cu Chulainn! Young man, look at the state of you in my dining hall. I thought the Queen of Shadows taught you manners in her court! And, to think, you're embarrassing the guest you've brought here with that poor appearance--come on, introduce us!"

The young man rounded the table, urging Yoruichi to follow him. He stepped along the edge of the room, ignoring prying eyes as he arrived at the throne, dipping his head in a slight way as a bow. Cathbad sat next to the king, giving Yoruichi and Cu Chulainn a wave and a smile before dipping his head to give his wife a kiss. Nessa ignored his flirting to give Yoruichi and Cu Chulainn a curious look and then reached down to grip Cathbad by the beard and yank his ear close to her mouth so she could speak into it. Unlike her husband, she had plenty of red in her hair still and age made her look sharper and sterner than she actually might have been.

"Uncle, this is Yoruichi. She's a noble spirit who helped purge monsters from one of our farming villages in the north."

Conchobor, who had taken a seat again, gestured for Yoruichi to come over to him. He beckoned for her to come close before leaning in to whisper--

"Don't mind my father, young lady. He's bloody nuts. We can chat later after you've had some dinner and--you have my thanks for your aid."

Without missing a beat, Conchobor gave his nephew another harsh look before slapping him on his shoulder.

"Anyway, get yourself cleaned up and come back for dinner. You won't shrivel up if you have a cold meal once in awhile."

[goneonenight]

The dining hall is a wash of color and sound, much more raucous than meals at the Shihouin manor. It looks as though everyone in the castle is in attendance, other than those on duty. Children dart between the tables, corralled by long-suffering mothers who place them firmly in their seats.

Every eye is on Cu Chulainn, but those few who can see her are wary, looking towards the head table to gauge how to react. When the king himself calls Yoruichi over, they relax, turning back to their meals. Conchobor is a large man, with bushy red hair and beard. She slips behind Cu Chulainn on her way to the throne, careful to dodge those who don't know to stay out of her way. To her surprise, the king leans in to speak to her, displaying a casualness that relaxes her a bit. She's still going to be on edge here, but it's nice that her presence doesn't seem to be a problem.

"Thank you, your majesty." She inwardly kicks herself for not asking how she should address the king, so she falls back on her own customs. With one hand on the hilt of her zanpaktou, she bows low enough to show politeness to a ruling monarch. It's not as low as she would bow to her own king, or as low as one of her vassals would bow to her; her own position means she doesn't need to be too deferential.

Despite herself, she feels a little bereft when Cu Chulainn is sent off to change; he's her only bit of familiarity here. Even if his grandfather does know her family, she's not in any hurry to speak to him, even if she knows she'll need to. Weird old man.

In no time, a servant has shown her to a seat at the head table. The food smells delicious even if it's unfamiliar, but the utensils are completely alien to her. Under the guise of idle curiosity, she scans the hall, looking to see how other people are eating. The spoon is easy enough and the knife she can figure out, but this other thing looks like a weapon; she doesn't want to do anything stupid while all these people are staring at her.

[red_branch]

Conchobor, smiling from ear to ear, waved a servant out to serve Yoruichi. It was clear he was happy to have her without knowing her if only because it was obviously a novelty to have dinner with a spirit. There was also the matter of her upbringing, which was alluded to him by his father. Cathbad began to behave in Nessa's presence, mollified by the warm but stern reigning she impressed by little jabs from the handle of her sword. She learned over time that she couldn't get his attention without wood or iron.

While the family itself had been eager to eat and chat about small things, the rest of the room was clueless about who Yoruichi was and had their doubts that she really was a spirit. Most people dining there were warriors. Men and women looked at her, unashamed to stare since they were speaking amongst themselves, asking one another if they had any trouble seeing her. There were the occasional squints and leans to make certain the edges of her weren't blurry and only a few people couldn't quite make out her shape. Eventually, the novelty died down and everyone went back to their meals--but no one actually approached Yoruichi to speak with her, leaving an open seat which Cu Chulainn took after awhile. His face was pink and red from a hot shower and he was wearing bright blue and orange robes, layered with the same sort of perfume that rolled off of everyone else. He didn't call for a servant to bring him anything--one of them just set a plate down in front of them and he gave the young woman a wink and a smile that rolled off of her entirely from past experience.

He turned to look to Yoruichi, tugging at his robes a little. Given how red he was--it was clearly a really, really hot bath that he dove into.

Glancing at her plate, he gave her a curious look, "Any good?"

The usual feast would never get old for him but he did wonder if Yoruichi would like it. He heard people from foreign lands ate weird creatures, so he imagined their mundane choices probably wouldn't be all that appealing. Still, what had him shift his gaze a bit was the strange way Yoruichi seemed to be avoiding her fork. Handling the whole meal with just a knife seemed a bit too difficult.

[goneonenight]

It takes a while to get her bearings--people are busier looking at her and talking among themselves than they are eating, and she can't observe the people at the king's table without giving herself away. By the time Cu Chulainn returns, she thinks she has the idea, but pauses to reply to him.

"It is, I just need to figure out how to use this thing." She picks up the fork, spearing a slice of meat before cutting it with her knife. Her brows furrows in faint concentration as she brings the fork to her lips. It's roast pork, and while the seasoning is different from what she's used to, it's still tasty.

She looks more closely at Cu Chulainn, her brows raising at his appearance. Between his pink and red face and his colorful robes, he's a far cry from the warrior she'd first seen. "What, did they boil you?"

He's pretty red, and giving that he's in good enough shape to run to the castle, she doubts it's from exertion. The hot springs here must be insanely hot.

[red_branch]

"Well, I tend to have hot baths one way or another..."

There was the matter of being embarrassed by his uncle and grandfather. Boiling over with irritation was easy for him when he wasn't careful and the busy morning he had before meeting Yoruichi brought on a bit of stress. An otherwise ice-cold bath turned to a bubbling, boiling froth quicker than he expected. Inwardly, Cu Chulainn reminded himself to mind his temper and shifted his hands to his plate--cutting up a few pieces of pork and greens with an absent-minded, placid smile.

He could stomach being embarrassed.

"Ah--you know, I think you're getting the hang of it," He commented, pausing after chewing a few bites to look over Yoruichi's grip. She wasn't holding it backward, at least. Maybe she took the time to watch people eat before she settled down to do it herself. Yoruichi didn't seem remotely the type to ask if watching would have gotten her the same information.

"Though, what do you normally use? I know of some northerners who refuse to use anything to eat but their knives. It was some sort of insult to them, using something that looked like a farming tool--as if they were treating themselves like cattle having hay shoveled in their mouths."

It was said with some good humor, Cu Chulainn letting his fork prongs hang off his lip for a moment. The redness in him was fading rapidly, though he was definitely still a little pink about the ears after he put down the fork--and a tankard of ale while he was at it. He made a concerted effort to keep any foam from spilling, taking much more care for his clothes than the other warriors in the hall. Notably, no one else in the hall was dressed nearly as garishly as he was--even if some of them wore fairly bright colors.

[goneonenight]

"We use chopsticks. And spoons for soup." Now that she's getting the hang of the fork, Yoruichi's food is disappearing at an alarming rate. She hadn't planned to be gone from home so long, much less to fight an entire group of Hollows.

They've got a lot of food here--they won't mind if she eats her fill, right?

The last bite of greens disappear, and she looks forlornly at her empty plate. To her delight, the servant from earlier reappears, refilling her plate with more unfamiliar, but lovely smelling food.

"I mean, it does kind of look like a pitchfork, but--" she shrugs, clear unconcerned. It's easy enough once you get the hang of it, and as hungry as she is, she couldn't care less what the utensil looks like.

She picks up her own mug of ale, and the first sip makes her eyes water. Coughing quietly, she sets it back down. It's even worse than sake, with a raw, bitter taste that's going to take some doing to get out of her mouth.

[red_branch]

Spoons, he knew. 'Chopsticks' sounded like something much sharper in his head than they were. Utensils that were too thin tended to break with the materials the locals liked to build with, though. They still preferred stonework when it came to smithing homes and goods--iron and bronze were things for war. Setanta took the time to eat and mull it over while Yoruichi did the same. Outpacing him, Yoruichi carried onto another meal as the servant from before decided the guest needed more to eat than the nuisance prince. That kind of thing flew over his head.

Cu Chulainn turned slightly to glance at Yoruichi's plate, almost wondering what she preferred to eat until he realized she was stowing it all away with a voracity that showed either a total lack of bias or an appreciation for everything that graced the pewter in front of her. In a way, that was probably more of a relief to him. He had trouble with picky-eaters.

Slowly he opened his mouth to compliment her fortitude on the meal when Yoruichi looked like she was having a rough time with the ale. He shifted his eyes to look back for the same servant from before but she was already there by the time he was ready to ask. She took Yoruichi's ale and set it in front of Setanta, replacing it with a deep, red wine.

"Good thinking," He complimented her as she set off, hustling with the energy necessary to deal with dozens of warriors and royal family members at dinner. Back to Yoruichi, Cu Chulainn registered no surprise at all. It wasn't an issue of local color--some people just plain disliked ale. "I don't know what you like to drink but that's a whole lot sweeter. Maybe it'll sit easier?"

[goneonenight]

Yoruichi barely has time to thank the woman before she's off again, clearly having seen someone else needing her attention. The best household servants have the observation skills of seasoned warriors, and nothing gets past their notice.

"I don't usually drink alcohol," she says, picking up the wine. "I never had a taste for most of it." Plum wine is good, and she likes peach wine as well. She's not sure what fruit this is, but it smells more promising than the ale. Another careful sip and she blinks, tilting her head in thought. It's good, if different than what she's had before.

"That's a lot better," she sighs, a pleased look settling on her face. She's hardly going to allow herself to get drunk in a strange place, but at least she's not unintentionally insulting her hosts by refusing to drink at all.

Her second plate of food is almost gone, and she's wondering how rude it would be to ask for more. To distract herself, she changes the subject.

"Is there anything I should know before I talk to your uncle? He said wanted to talk after dinner." They don't seem much for ceremony so far, but she'd hate to accidentally insult the king after he'd been kind enough to welcome her into his home.

[red_branch]

Cu Chulainn couldn't quite muster up the willpower to leave the second tankard alone. Once his first was finished--he immediately slid his hand around the handle of the ale set aside from Yoruichi and brought it to his lips. There was a certain sort of training one went through that brought them to appreciate bitter things, he thought. Maybe it was a metaphor for adulthood but then--even his uncle tended to prefer sweet things. Maybe ale-drinkers just disliked themselves.

"Really? Well, we've got milk and juice by the barrel during a season like this. Don't hesitate to ask," Said offhandedly and politely, Cu Chulainn leaned over to place one elbow on the table and watch Yoruichi a little more closely. There was a little hint of something in her eyes he couldn't place. Some mysterious thing that he imagined was on her mind--though certainly not more thoughts of dinner hiding beneath the surface, he imagined.

"You're worried about that?" He teased, his cheeks creased into a grin. "Just don't ask him questions you don't want answered. He can see the future, so he's full of irritating answers."

[goneonenight]

"There's milk?" Her entire face lights up. Yoruichi would never pass up milk, and would certainly prefer it over all the wine in the world. The apparently psychic servant shows up just in time to hear this, and signals one of the servings girls across the hall for a pitcher of milk.

And unlike Cu Chulainn, she correctly interprets Yoruichi's politely forlorn look at her empty plate and makes sure it gets filled once again. If for nothing else, Yoruichi would appreciate her for the fact that she doesn't bat an eye at how much Yoruichi t is eating; she simply seems determined to carry out her duty of making sure an honored guest is fed to her heart's content.

She bristled a bit when he leans in to look at her, feeling self-conscious by the attention. "Yeah, right," she says, assuming he's just teasing her for whatever reason. "Maybe you're just predictable." She drains her mug of milk, making a happy noise in the back of her throat. It's cold and sweet and rich, and better than what she gets at home.

[red_branch]

"Oh? Maybe I am," There was a flurry of activity around Yoruichi from the servants and Cu Chulainn was slowly beginning to realize that they seemed to be chatting with one another about how they could get a good rapport with her. It wasn't blatantly obvious but he could tell that they were sneaking glances at Yoruichi and sorting through things they could bring over on a whim.

He considered asking for a cup of milk for himself but the thought made his stomach twist. Ale and milk--he'd probably turn his stomach over if he mixed too much of both.

"I'll let Daire know you like it," Cu Chulainn leaned back in his own chair, taking another long gulp of ale. "Seems like everyone's excited to have a foreign guest about. I imagine they're trying their best to be polite and not ask you for stories."

[goneonenight]

She had noticed the servants in a little knot by the head table, but'd assumed the king would get a lot of visitors. They probably weren't spirits though, so she guesses it makes sense that they'd be more curious than usual.

She chuckles. "I could manage some stories. Maybe after dinner." She'd never stood on ceremony with servants, often asking after their families and treating them as part of her own. "Is that the woman's name who was helping us? Daire? She seems like she's been with your family a long time."

It's clear Yoruichi is no stranger to being waited on. There are numerous servants at the Shihouin manor, many of them having been sworn to Yoruichi's family for generations. They take pride in their service to one of the Great Noble Houses, and it's clear that's the same here. It's not hard to believe Cu Chulainn's story of the people preferring to keep his uncle as king from what she's seen so far.