Oh, great. Instead of channeling her inner Yaomomo, she accidentally channeled Bakugou instead--the worst possible person she could channel in any situation that requires decent human interaction. Brilliant start, Ochako.
"I m-mean, I didn't mean to--" she starts to stammer, and great now it's her inner Deku fighting to the surface. There's no hope to this situation, this silly dinner that Princess Fuyumi tried to arrange out of the goodness of her heart is all for nothing...
"Stupid Prince, she says." Yet there's a gleam in Prince Shouto's human eye. "That's better."
Calling him Stupid Prince worked? Ochako looks on dumbly as Prince Shouto bows.
"I apologize for my hostility, your highness. Being cursed and locked up in that tower has not been good for my mood or my manners, but that's no excuse. In hindsight, I could have requested you to act as yourself in a better way."
"Act as myself," Ochako repeats, stunned.
"Yes," For once not appearing irritated, he looks onto her with amusement in his eyes. "I don't deal well with people being obviously dishonest in front of me. I understand that's the way people must act in the court, but we aren't in the court. I won't stop you from speaking your mind candidly, but I will not tolerate it if you pretend to be someone else."
Speaking her mind? Being herself? In front of a person much more powerful than she is? Those are exactly the opposite things Ochako has been taught as a princess. "I'm not sure if I can--"
Prince Shouto's ear twitches in interest. "Of course you can. You were honest in front of the King, weren't you?"
She knows she should maintain her composure but she figured that she's past the point of no return anyway. She puffs her cheeks in offense. "W... well, if someone tells someone with a sword to kill you, I mean, you'd be pretty honest too, wouldn't you?"
The Prince nods. "I'd be that and more, considering it's the King." He holds his human arm out for Ochako to hold, gesturing to the garden in front of them. "Shall we, your highness?"
She moves to take his arm as a polite princess would, but she freezes as the cold from within it emanates from underneath his coat--the claw that hurt her is on the other side of him, not escaping her view. She knows that the right side can heal burns, but what else can it do?
As if reading her mind, Prince Shouto takes his arm back without much preamble. "You don't have to hold on to me if you don't want to," he tells her, instead gesturing to the garden in front of them. "After you, Princess."
She nods, stunned once again about how odd this Prince is. He's been cold and mean since they met but then he becomes warm and understanding in a flash. At least she's never met someone of royal descent who gave her the option of not doing something if she doesn't want to, even if it's just as simple as holding on to an arm.
In the garden is a table full of all sorts of Western-style food that would have made the Ochako of the past squeal in joy--ham and steak and other things swimming in rich sauce at one end, and piles and piles of colorful sweets on the other end. The sight is enough to make her mouth water, but the scent of the food as she came closer made her stomach audibly growl so loud that the cat in Yoarashi's arm startles.
She flushes a deep scarlet as she clutches her traitorous stomach in embarrassment. Her mother would have told her off if this had happened in front of Prince Neito. "S-sorry, this is so unbecoming--" she stammers.
When Ochako continues to blush about it, Shouto places another slice of ham on her plate instead. And an entire potato. And a cruller.
"People get hungry. You shouldn't be embarrassed of something natural," is all he says when she stares at him incredulously.
