[galacta]

Hopefully, that was the only danger! Osomatsu wasn't sure yet, but he was hopeful. He finally drew back and his tail started wagging again, this time, more enthusiastically. Anytime someone mentioned food, Osomatsu got excited.

"Yeah!" he... barked? Well, it was kind of like a bark, a quick snap of his jaw with a loud sound. And were those sharp teeth in his mouth? It was funny, he and Franciscus really were opposites, though they had a lot of similarities, too.

[The Cottage - 8]

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus smiled at Osomatsu's enthusiasm, taking his arm and heading in the direction of the kitchen. His own tails flicked back and forth slightly, though certainly not as fast as Osomatsu's, as he peered into the kitchen doorway. Well, that pot of stew was pretty obvious, at least. Though despite the delicious scent, he still found himself frowning a bit.

"Did someone leave the stove and oven on?"

[The Kitchen - 9]

[galacta]

That was what Franciscus was so worried about? Osomatsu did not even seem to care in the slightest, walking over to the oven and nearly pressing his face against the door. He didn't, but he almost did.

"Man! It looks so good!" he commented, his tail wagging again. He clapped his hands together, looking at Franciscus like an excited, hungry puppy. "Hey, hey! Think we can eat some of it?"

It was like he wasn't even worried about the effect the food might have on him. Did he not remember what Deerington used to do? Where did all that paranoia go? He was too relaxed!

[The Kitchen - 9]

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus' ears twitched as he remembered the type of thing that food in Deerington tended to do. Even the relatively safe place that had soup ended up having the soup share memories he would rather have kept private. Still...the smell was very tempting.

"...I suppose it couldn't hurt to try some." He retrieved a pair of bowls and a ladle, spooning out some stew. "It'll probably taste best if we get bread to go along with it."

[The Kitchen - 10]

[galacta]

Osomatsu rose to his feet and then began looking for some hot pads, so that he could take out the bread from the oven. He only took out one loaf, not bothering with the rest. They would be all right in the oven, wouldn't they? It wasn't like anything was burning.

The stew looked divine, but so did the bread. It was as though everything was cooked to perfection. He found a large serrated knife that was conveniently left nearby and cut into the bread. He made a few slices, enough for them to each have three pieces with their stew.

[The Kitchen - 10]

[GrayGriffin]

That was definitely odd, but Franciscus figured he could look into it more after they actually tasted the bread. He was already placing the bowls down on the table, arranging the place settings as neatly as he could and bringing out some plates to place the slices of bread down on.

With a smile, he pulled out a chair for Osomatsu before sitting down himself. "Ah, that really does look good," he murmured. "Crisp on the outside, and warm and soft within."

[The Kitchen - 11]

[galacta]

Osomatsu brought over the bread he sliced and set them onto the waiting plates, then he took a seat in one of the chairs. He was ready to eat! He nodded in response to Franciscus' comment, holding himself back from digging in. He would at least wait for his boyfriend.

"You know," he said, once they had started their meal. "This still doesn't tell us where we are."

[The Kitchen - 11]

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus poked slightly at his stew when Osomatsu mentioned that, turning it over with a spoon several times. "The meat doesn't look particularly unfamiliar, but a lot of meat looks the same cooked. I suppose after we've warmed up sufficiently we should go looking for more signs of habitation. The ingredients for this had to come from somewhere after all. And that cat looked quite fed, so there's likely to be someone taking care of all this."

[The Kitchen - 12]

[galacta]

Hmm! Osomatsu ate more of the stew, trying to see if it tasted familiar. He couldn't place it, but it didn't seem weird. It tasted really good! It made him happy, but not in a way where he felt like he was drugged.

"I just hope whoever it is isn't a witch that's tryin' to fatten us up..." He was joking... well, half-joking.

[The Kitchen - 12]

[GrayGriffin]

"Well...if that's the case, it's a very irresponsible witch," noted Franciscus, joking back. "Aren't they supposed to appear the instant you take a bite? And this certainly doesn't seem to have been laced with sleep drugs or anything similar." If anything, the food was giving him way more energy, maybe enough to make the trek through the snow later on.

[galacta]

The more they ate, the more relaxed Osomatsu seemed to become. He was joking and laughing, not even giving a second thought about where they might be, or what could happen to them. He was just happy to be with Franciscus. Maybe Jyushimatsu got to this wonderful place, as well. He could hope.

When they had filled their bellies, Osomatsu wondered about their dishes. He looked around for a dishwasher. They probably should not leave too much of a mess for someone else to clean up, right? His tail swayed as he took his dishes to the sink.

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus was feeling more relaxed as well, the stew and bread definitely serve to help fill him up. He smiled at Osomatsu as he carried his own dishes to the sink, squeezing in beside him to give his boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.

"...it appears their cleaning materials are a little old-fashioned," he mentioned, picking up the thick bar of soap that had been left out instead of any dishwashing liquid.

[galacta]

Oh. Well, at least they had cleaning materials. Osomatsu just shrugged, a smile on his face as he got to work. Pretty soon, their dishes were clean, and the mess was put away. It still smelled heavenly in the kitchen, and the whole cottage was warm. He didn't really want to leave, even though he knew there was a lot more to explore in this place.

Once they were finished, he pulled on his coat again, bundling up. "Well, should we see what more this place has to offer?"

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus did check on the oven and stove again after they were done with the dishes, though he couldn't figure out any way to turn them off. And they didn't seem to be burning either.

"Mmm, that sounds like a fine idea," murmured Franciscus, reaching out to hold Osomatsu's hand as they continued exploring further. It was reassuring, after all, and they were apparently the only ones in here. The door opposite the kitchen attracted him next, and he pushed it open cautiously, before blinking at the even wider selection of food.

"Well. Now I find myself wishing I hadn't had so much of that bread."

[galacta]

He thought they were leaving... But Franciscus found more food, and Osomatsu's eyes lit up when he gazed upon it. Ah, it looked so good! There were savory foods, as well as desserts. "If you want, we can stick around here a while longer," he suggested, ready to eat more. He was already creeping towards the table. "It's nice and cozy!" And there was food.

But didn't they want to figure out where they were? Staying in the cottage longer wouldn't help them at all!