Between the candle and the star

"Sea plants," he confirmed. "And animals. They are much thicker than land sauces," he added, realizing some of her natural confusion. "Though the water dilutes them quickly." Necessitating eating certain foods without delay, and applying said sauces - kept in special containers - only right before eating. It was a particular interest of his since he had taken up cooking, though he'd had little time to devote to his restaurant while ruling alone. Now that Harper was sharing the duty, however, he was looking forward to spending more time there.

Ah, but while food was always a welcome topic, the chance to initiate a visitor to the Ahi Coast into one of its quainter customs was worth the change and he watched with hidden good humor as Soleil coaxed the bird onto her shoulder and promptly floated to the surface. "Only while alive," he agreed, unbothered by her morbidity. Certainly stranger questions had been asked. "And only as long as you keep their interest." Easy enough with food. Far more difficult without such a lure.

The mermanta began to swim along the canal at a leisurely pace, inviting his human companion to try walking on water. "They do not taste as good as ningo. Few here are desperate enough to eat hel." An unpleasantly gamy, oily, and stringy little bird, from what he'd been told.