It was a simple day for the demoness, walking through the streets and seeing what the land held. Seeing the trees so full of pink blooms, stirring through the gentle breeze as the air grew stiller and stiller as she walked away from the city until there was nothing but the early land around her. A few passerbys here and there, a couple trade caravans dragged by horse. It was certainly a day for clarity and peace.

May that peace be broken, however, than her won stomach, rumbling after the hours trek. With the sun high in the sky, it would certainly be a good sign to eat, but she had grown tired of her rations. That's when her eyes caught the sight of a small, little shack, decorated with writing of the locals (like she could read what it said) and a bench outside facing the blooming trees and an umbrella hovering over top. What caught her ears and nose, though, was the sound of grilling and kneading. A small little food shop on the road for travelers and traders? Perfect business for some nice coin. Would it be worth said coin?

Only one way to find out!

Hopping on over, her eyes darted across the shack, looking for someone to speak to when an elderly woman stuck her head out. "Ah, hello there, dearie," she said, cracked by age, but still full of life. "Are you here for a bit of extra energy for the road?"

"If its no trouble," Aerisith said sheepishly, scratching her head, "but, uh, I don't really know what to eat. First time hear and the language is a bit foreign."

A coy chuckle came from the elderly woman as if she had heard this a million times. "How about I recommend a bit of a sweet treat and some local tea, then? Should give you the pep you need for the road ahead!" While Aerisith preferred spice over sweet, she wouldn't outright deny trying something new, thus gave her a solid nod. "Very well. It will be a few minutes. Feel free to rest your feet as you wait." She then stepped inside to the shack where echos of talk mixed with the food prep. A collection of noise to her ears, but she did as was offered and sat upon the bench, taking shade from the umbrella as she looked upon the land's vast field of pink trees.

"A one, a two, a one-two-three-four!" The quiet serenity of the cherry blossoms was disturbed by raucous music and what sounded like…screaming? Somewhere in the noise there was a person trying to sing as their poor lute was getting a thrashing. Birds scattered as Lanying belted out the lyrics of an old sea shanty atop a rock, her fingers rapidly strumming. It was like she was practicing for the 'fastest fingers' competition for bards–if one even existed. Her instrument was clearly magical, as the strings would be shot otherwise. Once her warm-up practice was over, she set her lute down over her knee as she pulled out a clay jar. Opening the lid, she tipped her head back for a swig. Her eyes glanced around to see if Mingyi was nearby, then she took another gulp. "Ahhh~ That's the stuff. Better hide this before he comes back." If Mingyi was here, he'd start saying how it was too early in the day for alcohol, and try to confiscate it. Then she'd have to sneak it out or wait until he gave it back to her. It was a good jar too, so she didn't get why he thought she'd down it all in one go.

Wiping her mouth and checking her breath to see if it smelled, she moseyed over to where her friend was buying a bite to eat for the road. Nearby Aerisith was a young man with dark hair and an umbrella. Normally men didn't use parasols, so it seemed a bit odd. He was picking up his order of a few specialty dumplings and warm tea. While holding the umbrella did make it harder for him to take the tray, for some reason he was insistent on keeping it in his hand. Walking carefully, he passed by her as he made his way over to the unoccupied part of the bench. "Oh excuse me, I didn't see you there. I nearly bumped into you. Could you keep an eye on this for me? I need to call over a friend who should be nearby. It won't take long." Lanying typically did her practice away from stores due to the noise complaints they'd get. He was going to let her know their food was ready.  

The succubus struggled a tad to keep herself entertained as she waited the few minutes for her snack. She could have stretched her legs with some swift kicks to the air, done some balancing tricks, or maybe even confuse the shop owner with a new face, but instead, she simply kept to swinging her feet lightly up as the minutes ticked by. Outside a sudden flock of birds sprawling from the lower end from what she only assumed to have been a dangerous intruder, it as pretty uneventful.

If there was anything, it was that she was greeted by a young man, cloaking himself with his own personal parasol before trying to carry what seemed to have been an order of two over to a bench seat next to her. He was certain to ensure the parasol remained above head, which did no good to his balancing act of dumplings and tea and instinctively floated her hands nearby, just in case catastrophe ensued. Luckily, no such danger as it was smoothly set down as he turned his attention to Aerisith, giving an unneeded apology and quick favor. "No problem," she assured him, waving to him to ensure it was safe, with another minute of the fresh dumplings steaming next to her. She could also see how soft the dough would be to bite into, pairing well with the tea resting aside it, a stem floating in one of the cups.

She could feel her fingers inch towards them, thinking, He wouldn't notice just one gone, right? when the woman called out, "Your order is ready!" making her jump in her seat, heart skipping a beat from the shock. Worked well to get her mind back on track as she headed over to the woman who offered her a plate of five sticks, each one rested a different colored ball. "A plate of sanshoku dango and some green tea to go with it. Enjoy." With a simple thanks and payment for the order, she returned to her seat, eyes gazing over the pink, white, and green balls before her, taunting her to take them in all at once!

She wasn't going to brute down such a delicate snack, though, and thus, picked us one of the dango sticks and popped the first ball into her mouth.

Mingyi hurried over to where he saw Lanying head off when she said she was going to do some warm-ups. He didn't need to go far as the exorcist was already heading over, meeting him halfway. There was chatting coming from the cherry trees as the young man returned with a woman with a ponytail and very colorful clothing. There were feather patterns in the iridescent cloth when the light hit the fabric just right. The two joined Aerisith, with Mingyi taking a seat while Lanying preferred to stand. She gulped down some tea first to wash out any lingering smell of wine off her breath then picked up one of the dango skewers to admire the colors. "Wow~ I didn't know you could eat these on skewers! They even have them in different colors too! If you had them all pink they'd look like candied hawthorns, huh?" She then took a big bite, pulling off two of the dumplings in one go. Her mouth was pretty full as she chewed. "Mmm! Thish is good!" Her friend was taking more conservative bites, taking time to alternate with a sip of tea.

"Don't eat so fast, you'll choke." Mingyi said. Lanying quieted down until her mouth was empty, then started to turn one of the dango skewers this way and that. "Hey, do you think they put the dumplings on sticks so it'd be easier to eat? Beats fiddling with a bowl and spoon when you don't have a lot of seating space. What do you think?" She turned to ask the stranger who was enjoying the snacks with them. The girl looked like a traveler just like them. It'd been a few days since they struck up a conversation with someone new. The exorcist sat on the far edge of the bench beside her friend and held the parasol for him so he could have both hands free. He gave her an embarrassed nod in thanks.

The question directed at Aerisith went in one ear and out there other as her face was coated in delight with only one dumpling in her mouth. A subtle sweetness of sugar, but most of it was an infusion of cherry and the blossoms that was used to give the little ball its color. Next up was the white one. Nothing too special, just a simple taste of the rice it was made of and a bit of sweetness, but its main job was to help clean her tongue of any of the excess cherry flavor, all ready for the final one on the stick. The green one had much more of an herbal punch. One that… seemed to have match the scent of her tea? Curiosity roe once more as she set down the cleaned skewer and took a sip of the offered drink, letting that last bit give a final punch, melding with the green tea before fading away, cleansing herself for the next cycle.

"Ah…" escaped her lips, her tail cloaked away swaying happily in content until she felt an unwavering gaze upon her, only now to look at the two people aside her, one being the male with the parasol sitting aside her with a new female playing with a skewer as she processed her thoughts and addressed the succubus.  "Uh… could you repeat that?" She squeaked, scratching the back of her head. When given a second chance, her mind processed the thought quickly before saying, "It saves on dishes?" Bowls were a bit more than plates, cups would be the same, and no silverware to take care of unless they reused the skewers… a thought she hoped that was false unless given a good cleaning. "Its also a small shop, so I would bet they don't have much room for anything too elaborate."

"Hm, good point." Skewers were more convenient for sure. Less spilling, accidents, and broken dishes. No need for seating either–since you didn't expect big crowds in a small stall like this. "So–where're ya from?" Lanying asked before taking another mouthful of dango, again biting a bit more off than she should. These snacks were really good, and she didn't mind having another five…or ten. At best they could afford another set before it was time to go. They needed to save some for room and board in the next town they stopped at. "Hey Mingyi, do they sell anything we can take for the road? It's maybe less than a day's walk now until we find a town or village, but it can't hurt to have something in case we run into a detour." The exorcist downed the rest of her tea and set the empty cup on her cleared plate. "I'll go have a look." Mingyi said, standing up and taking his umbrella back. She made a good argument, it never hurt to have more supplies. Lanying watched as her friend went to speak with the owner of the stall, then turned to the other woman sitting on the bench.

"The name's Lanying!" She grinned as she pulled out a small clay jar with a lid. There was mischief in her eyes as she cracked it open and took a gulp. "It's licorice wine–want some?" The smell of anise and other spices mingled with the strong scent of liquor that wafted out. The exorcist didn't mind sharing a few gulps with a stranger. Sharing was caring, after all. Living as a street urchin taught her to appreciate the little things and small acts of kindness from others. While her upbringing could have shaped her into a miser, instead she had learned the joys of generosity. And wine was something best shared with others than drinking it by yourself. A lot more fun, for sure. If Aerisith accepted, Lanying would pour a few mouthfuls into her tea cup before Mingyi came back. Diluted wine wasn't bad either, with how strong the infused flavors were. 

Where… was she from? Her brain kind of halted as it had to break away from the ease of the sweet snack. Kind of hard to tell humans she came from one of the layers of hell, so often made sure to set up a location in the back of her mind with what face she chose to roam the realm in. Problem: She got so distracted that her mind sort of forgot the backstory of this appearance. "O-Oh, I am nothing more than a traveler. No real place I call home yet," she chuckled, praying to Lady Serafina it would pass off without much trouble.

Oh, if only that was her only worry.

With the male gone, she made a quick introduction, with the succubus replying, "I'm Aerith," before being offered a bit of wine.=, leaving her at a difficult impasse. She knew full well how terrible she was with liquor and the price of what that meant, but at the same time, it was being generously offered. No real malice was being her words and she took some herself, so she swallowed her pride (along with some tea) before giving her a nod. Instead of just giving the jug straight, though, it was poured into her tea glass, mixing together with what remains of the green tea she had, giving that a sip.

Mingling in with the earthy herb of the tea's base with a lingering sweetness, all helping to dealing with the typical burn of alcohol as it went through her system. Aerisith sat there, humming over its taste when Lanying would notice strange things happening to the small female before her. Her hair would find itself brightening. Skin deepening its hue as if on its own. Most importantly, though, was the look of a strange haze around her back and head as her tail, wings, and horns were struggling to stay within the other plane as she took another cycle of dango and tea-wine. "It is quite rich," she stated, her eyes leaning to a more abnormal violet.

"I totally understand! I'm the same. Dunno where I was born, but I used to live in Jayou a while back. Now I sorta just go wherever I want." Carefree as ever, Lanying didn't press her for more details. She eagerly watched as Aerith sampled the wine, watching to see her reaction. Some people didn't like alcohol when it had spices, especially medicinal ones. This was a present from a place she and Mingyi had helped out in solving the noises in the walls. It had been an infestation of rats actually, but the brewer was glad they found the root of the problem before their customers did. Once word got out they'd have to close down. It was a common problem actually, since grain was the main ingredient for making liquor where grapes didn't grow. And the licorice wine was poured into the jar from the original bottle. 

The exorcist was watching the entire time as the woman's appearance had subtle changes. She didn't bat an eye at them, but instead kept grinning when 'Aerith' said the drink was good. "Not bad, eh? It packs a bigger punch when you have it straight. Some people don't like the smell or taste the spices give. You might not like it at first, but it grows on you." Her eyes threw a glance towards the stall where her friend was still occupied. It looked like he was purchasing another order, so that gave them some more time alone. "Want another sip before he comes back?" Lanying winked. The way she was being all sneaky-like meant she knew she was doing something that her friend wouldn't approve of. "One more wouldn't hurt." They'd likely go their separate ways after the food was ready, so it was her last chance to offer. Traveling in a pair meant less of the fun antics you'd have in a bigger group, but it was easier to arrange. Tempting as it was, she wasn't taking another sip lest she get caught sneaking it during daylight hours.

It honestly did not take much to convince Aerisith at that point to try it, especially with a single word to further peak her interest. With the jar on offer, she took it in hand and raised it high, taking in three large gulps of the content over the "offered sip," feeling the raw content burn her throat as it went down before ending with an exhaled gasp. Her face was already looking quite plastered with such a quick drink of strong content, which did nothing to aid her in hiding herself anymore. Her mental focus was now obliterated as her deep skin color was full blast, dark brown horns curved forward from her forehead from her screaming pink hair. Small, lithe bat wings decorated her back now with fabric now showing where the holes resided for them to break through, with the same said for her pants and the slim tail that shot out, the tip decorated with a sharp spade.

"Sweets are nice and all," the succubus stated, her voice uneven as her violet eyes just stared forward, "but I love myself a good spice. Heat that just wants to demolish your mouth on first bite, challenging the strong to handle it. I will say, get your self an orc kabob sometimes, and you will know what I mea–" She was stirring in her seat as she spoke, which lead to her falling off of the bench. "I'm okay," she said, though the way her body laid wouldn't be okay for most people. Still, she pulled herself up and tried to get onto the bench… only to sit on air and fall back onto the dirt pathway. "Where–Where are my dango?"

Lanying was more amused watching Aerith drinking the wine more than anything. She was looking kind of wobbly after the second round, but the first didn't really count since it was partially water. As the woman's appearance underwent a drastic change, the exorcist merely raised her eyebrows with a grin as she saw it all happen. "There we go… Huh, didn't expect that to happen." In just less than two full drinks, the woman was totally plastered. Lanying winced as Aerisith staggered around, acting like how she was after an entire night of drinking in a cheap tavern. Mingyi arrived just in time to see the aftermath. He had just left to buy food for five minutes when he came back to seeing Lanying with a stranger that didn't look human and was clearly drunk. His companion slightly panicked as she had a sheepish smile. "Uh Mingyi, I can explain–" Now she'd done it. "Lanying, what is going on here?! WHY IS THERE A DEMON?!" The questions didn't stop as she had gotten herself into trouble. "This is Aerith, the nice girl who was sitting here a few minutes ago. People are full of surprises aren't they?" She said trying to redirect his attention.

"And why is she drunk?!" Mingyi demanded, glaring. Avoiding eye contact she started to explain. "Soo…I started chatting with her and shared a little of that licorice wine I had in the jar. I didn't think she'd get this drunk without an empty stomach." The young man let out an exasperated sigh as Aerisith was still struggling to get up. "Lanying, please–don't give strangers alcohol! That wasn't just ordinary wine, that was infused liquor!" "Right…Oops." Being partly to blame for the succubus' situation, Lanying took the bundled purchases off of her friend's hands and shoved it into a sack, then knelt down to hoist Aerisith up by the arms. "Mingyi, give me a hand and help me lift her! You get the feet while I take the arms. I dunno how long she's going to be like this, but we'd better get her more tea to wash it out of her system." Mingyi groaned as he folded up his umbrella and went for Aerisith's ankles. "Ow! What the?!" With the succubus as drunk as a skunk, involuntary movements were going slightly haywire. "Upsy-daisy! Right onto the bench~" The exorcist muttered as she and Mingyi tried to haul her up.