Ice Fangs, Hot Blood! (Private)

At some point in the process, he had contemplated just talking to her, but he was more interested in watching for as much as he could out of interest. When she finally did turn around, he gave her a smile and a wave. "Hello. Smells really good, what was your inspiration?" He then stared at the meal with hungry eyes.

She continued to stare at him, a steady blush rising to her cheeks as he sat there. "H- how long have you been watching me?" She asked, very slowly placing the dishes on the bench.

"Mmm... For a few minutes I guess? What, don't tell me your cooking is something you'd rather keep secret and hidden too...?" He looked right at her, still smiling, waiting for her to ease up. "I didn't startle you much, did I?"

"N- no... just... I don't like being seen in normal clothes... and you can see my face..." she blushed and covered her face with her hands, stepping back. "And... I was inspired by my parents... it was their old recipes..."

Sugary chuckled a bit, and urged Odette to come closer instead. "Oh, please don't be like that. We're in my new house now, so you won't have to worry about many seeing that lovely face of yours... And come on, you made that meal but aren't gonna touch it? If I close my eyes, will you eat in peace then?" To show he wasn't entirely half-joking, he did in fact close his eyes right there and then for the shy mare.

Odette shuddered and ever so slowly took a step forward, her blush intensifying as she did. "I- I suppose... I will..." she watched him close his eyes and her blush faded a bit. Cautiously, she picked up a spoon and started to chew her meal, eyes closing as she entered a blissful state.

He was left wondering if she would let him open his eyes, but it seemed she took his suggestion very seriously. He chuckled to himself under his breath, and just accepted what he got himself into as he felt out for his plate and utensils. "This ain't so bad, now is it? Mmm~... What is this anyway? It's really good, but I can't quite tell what it is." He'd keep eating slowly, savoring the flavor of the meal.

Odette opened her eyes and studied his face for a monent. "N- no... I suppise you could open your eyes, at least a little..." she coughed and chewed some more before answering his question. "It's curry and rice, but with a secret ingredient..."

He gave it some thought, but decided to leave his eyes closed for the time being. "Actually, I think I'll stay like this for a while. And since I doubt you'll tell me the secret ingredient... What made you wanna cook anyway? You knew we'd be around, so why be so... reserved when I could see you anytime?"

"As you wish..." She sighed and shrugged. "I love cooking... it's one of my favorite activities." She blinked and stared at him. "What do you mean? I... I have to be reserved."

Now he was perplexed, wondering what she meant herself. He stopped eating for a moment and perked his ears to make sure he was listening right. "Pardon? You have to be reserved...? How come? Does it have anything to do with your love of cooking...?"

"Not at all, but I am a guard, am I not? It is not my place to be loud, or boisterous. Indeed, my purpose is to blend into the background, to become a shadow and to only strike when there is a threat." She started eating again, glancing at him to see if he had opened his eyes. Assuming he hadn't, she would return to her meal.

"Oh... I thought you meant something else! But, Garuda, dear... Why do you have to apply it to everything you do then? Is there really a strict discipline for it, or are you just that conservative of your looks? Cause it kinda seems that way... Not that I mean to pry, I'm just curious. Venus certainly doesn't seem like she had much fun being a guard though, even as a Captain..."

"Because... I just have to. I just have to. There is no strict discipline for the guards to follow, but I follow it because if I don't, I doubt anyone will. And my looks... my looks..." she shook her head and sighed. "Venus enjoyed the guard once... but she changed, relaxed... Where I stayed firm."

Once more, Sugary felt Odette was being too hard on herself, but didn't think poorly of her at all. In fact, he smiled for her. "Well... That's not a bad thing, I guess. Quite the admirable conviction, even... I'm sure whomever you do end up with will love that adamant heart of yours lots."

Odette squeaked and dropped her spoon, the clattering of it against the floor filling the silence as she gaped at him, blush returning to full strength. "L- love?" She mumbled, hands shaking gently.

His ears flickered at the sounds he was hearing along with her stuttering. He was becoming quite certain that she was even more chaste than Isabelle ever was if the unicorn's claims of never having a previous partner were true. He lightly shook his head at the thought. "Yes, love... Really now, you were told you'd meet your soulmate eventually, and it ever occurred to you you'd be loved afterwards?"

Odette blushed and coughed, bending over to pick up her spoon. "Well, I mean... no, it didn't really... I'mnot exactly what you would call lovable." She mumbled, placing the spoon in the sink.

By now, Sugary thought Odette was being un-intently adorable. "Oh? I hope you're not expecting a soulmate that won't love you then. I'd like to think you deserve to be treated well at least. Surely I can't be the only one here thinking you're not unlovable, haven't Venus and Isabelle been your friends for a reason?"

Odette sighed and collected a new spoon. "I mean, they're close friends. That doesn't mean they love me, or make me loveable... and I mean... isn't that what I'll get?" She asked softly, lifting the spoon to her mouth.

He frowned slightly at the thought, thinking she was probably hurting herself more than she realized. "You really mean that...? You'd really actually just blindly accept a mate that doesn't love you at all? Somehow, I'd like to think the Oracle meant better for you... Cause if not, I can tell you one thing: I doubt I'd be the only one trying to get you to find someone or some herd that'll really love you, no matter what the Oracle said."

Odette very carefully placed the spoon down and sighed quietly. "Sugary, if I loved the pony, it would not matter to me if they did not love me back. As for the Oracle, who knows what she means for any of us. And is that so? Good to know I guess."

He couldn't take it anymore. Her words were starting to depress him. "Oh, how can one so old not realize the folly of her own words...? Unrequited love is no true love!" For once, he opened his eyes, and looked at her straight in the eyes with a hint of sadness. "Why would you bother going to the Oracle about a soulmate that won't love you back? You want to love, but don't want any of the affection in return? Please, really think through what you're saying... Would it really be so bad that someone wanted to give you their affections, mind, body, and soul?"

She met his gaze, her filled with uncertainty and guilt, her cheeks still flushed red. "Rather unrequited love, then love that dies. Sugary, I'm a soldier... whomever I love, if they love me back and then I die... is not better for them not to love me? And no one has ever offered me mind, body and soul."

He let out a deep sigh, but then smiled as he understood a bit better. "... Being bereft of love is no way to go about love, sweetie... Besides, many have unfortunately lost their lives, leaving loved ones behind to mourn them without ever stepping into the battlefield... But you know what? Yeah, many do feel unsurmountable grief, as there are many who were still happy to have loved the ones lost... But really now, who in love ever thinks about not staying around for others? There are many who'd give anything for a brief time of romance... And of course no one offers you mind, body, and soul! You don't seem to wanna let them!" He chuckled a bit, and continued. "Let's assume you weren't a soldier for a moment. How would you like to be treated then?"