Author: Aerisith, Posted: Tue May 4, 2021 9:22 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"Wha… Huh… HEY!" And there they were, off into the sunset, racing to get a room for the night in the next town over for mystical and spiritual shenanigans… AND THEY WERE GOING TO LEAVE HER THERE WITH A FUTURE HANGOVER?! Nu-uh. No way! No how! At this point, it was full blast mode as she just shoved her last skewer into her mouth, powering down the hot tea down her throat, and slamming it down onto the bench next to their remaining plates. "YOU GET BACK HE– Oh, thank you very much. It was delicious," Angry, yes. Rude, no, as their commotion had the shop owners watching the entire time.

Her violet eyes began to burn as demonic energy wisped about her. Her nails grew long and sharp, horns stretched and curled, and, most importantly, the tiny wings that decorated her back glowed violently as they enlarged. Her rouse was already gone, so what was to stop her from holding back anything more? A solid beat of her wings got her airborne before she shot herself into the pair's direction. "YOU CANNOT MAKE SOMEONE DRUNK AND NOT TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITIES!!!"

As for what happens afterwards… Well, wouldn't you like to know?

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Tue May 4, 2021 6:51 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"Mmm, interesting. Guess it's like saying no to marrying first cousins." Lanying thought aloud. By this point the conversation was becoming awkward for Mingyi. While the exorcist wasn't shy about more intimate subjects, the young man certainly was. He cleared his throat as she was delving a little too far into the topic. Getting the hint, Lanying decided to not push the question anymore. "I think I understand now. Hope you didn't mind me asking! Thanks to your help, I've learned a lot today." The woman grinned, getting out of her cross-legged position. Believe it or not, these little chats were very important for the aspiring exorcist. Her approach was unorthodox, preferring to personally get to know spirits and supernatural beings first before sending them to the afterlife. Others in her profession said it was foolish and naive, and she didn't disagree. But to her it was closer to the ideals the art of exorcism was founded on, which was maintaining worldly balance. Aerisith wasn't a bad person even as a succubus. She wasn't happy with the fact she had to feed off of souls to survive. The fact she was trying to fight against fate was admirable in itself–something Lanying never saw as absolute.

"I guess I won't be able to help you out, but I'll always be rooting for you! Demons and spirits live for a long time, I'm sure you'll find the answer someday." Hopping off the bench, she dusted her clothes off and handed her friend his umbrella. "Aw shoot–the sun's goin' down! We'd better get going before it gets too dark. We'll see you around!" She waved at her new friend as Mingyi gave a courteous bow. "Ack, I totally lost track of time. Maybe there'll still be some rooms left for cheap at the inn if they're not full." Lanying started to run, her hand grabbing Mingyi's nearly towing him along. The two left in a cloud of dust, and the dango vendor shrugged as the strange duo ran out of sight. 

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Sun May 2, 2021 7:39 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"Hey!" Aerisith barked at her coy little chuckle, as if being insulted about wanting a true mate instead of just a vessel to extend her line.  Still, her demeanor was clear she meant no ill will and was being more playful on it as she then began to process ideas around the issue, which a very obvious answer came up front. Unfortunately for Lanying, the thought was quick to be shot down with a blunt, "Not happening. In fact, my clan treat it as taboo to date other succubi or incubi, as if seeing your brother or sister while harming each other at the same time. And before you ask, yes, that does mean seeing others from outside our clan, too!"

She sipped her tea as she melded over the thoughts in her head, taking in the hot, bitter taste to fuel her mental process. After all, but only was it taboo, but also just awkward on its own. When it came to them, simply getting the energy was enough to get by, and if they wanted to further their lines, they would just make themselves fertile, have 'dinner,' and just train up the child their own way. Having a family the way humans did was a foreign concept to the demons of lust, and she would find it hard to lie about it not interesting her.

"Its not just about recharging myself!" she felt like she had to insure. "Sure, I tend to eat way more than anyone, and yes, siphoning like that is way easier and faster, but I got a figure to be proud of still and I get to enjoy the cultures of others in my own way! Trust me, if you find an orc chef who cannot cook with spice, then they are not much adapted to their heritage!" She could already find herself drooling a tad, thinking of the kabobs she had last time. The punch to her throat would make anyone choke, but it was actually mixed in with flavor to enjoy once the burn faded. Oh, she would love to find that stand aga– Getting off topic! "A-Anyways, its not about wanting to feed, its just, I cannot stop myself from feeding when I do it. Its not like blowing out a torch to let it get dark. Once it starts going, I feel myself filling up on their essence, but its hard to just stop because the mood has been set and you just lose yourself in it…" Her blush only got redder when she found out she was partly talking about her sex life and there was no way to really turn back without feeling like it would get even worse. "I want to stop the nights where I feel great come morning, but the mate feels ill.."

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sun May 2, 2021 6:51 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

Aerisith's goals came as a surprise, but not a very big one. Having grown up on romantic tales of the forbidden love between spirits and humans, Lanying didn't find it strange at all. Putting a hand to her chin, she grinned with amusement. "Ooh~ Not what I was expecting! You're just an ordinary girl after all." She had heard of beings similar to what the other girl described–sirens who were either demons or beast-like creatures who lived off the spirits of their prey. Tragic stories of men and nonhuman lovers were common as a warning from parents to their sons for rejecting arranged marriages. While the exorcist didn't have any issues with interracial relationships, the fact the soul-siphoning was something that couldn't be avoided was quite the pickle. "I see, I see…" Lanying said with a thoughtful look. "Have you thought about dating incubi? I dunno if two of the same type cancel each other out or not." If incubi siphoned from women and succubi siphoned from men, then theoretically the two might be able to siphon off of each other without resulting in death?

"Or maybe…there's a way to sate that need using an alternative energy source? Take my friend for example, he's a spirit but he can keep his form as long as he has a talisman with him. Looking like a human takes a lot of effort, so it's like a power source so he doesn't tire himself out." Lanying wondered if she could reverse engineer a magic charm to act as an essence pool as a workaround to Aerisith's problem. Eating food probably wasn't helping her much, which was why she constantly had to eat. Finding a way to refill the essence pool would be another thing she'd have to work out as well. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared off into the distance, thinking hard. "Hmm. I guess I'll have to study up on it. I might swing by a place I know to ask an expert. Even though I say I'm an exorcist, in some places I'm still an apprentice. Ha ha…" She gave a sheepish laugh. Sitting still for hours reading scrolls wasn't something she liked doing. 

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:37 AM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

Oh, the girl's imagination with living in a tree was certainly something else, completing ignoring the detail it was to avoid natural predators! Then again, it was also a part of land that encouraged being come with nature over the industrialization and security of other lands. Still, it was a cozy little place, but not much room to really delve into that, as Lanying was all eyes and ears on her goals, so much so that she was sitting around for story time.

"I, uh, well…" A bit of a blush came from her tanned skin, and not just from the ale that was still in her system. "I want to look for a proper mate." It felt like forever after the words left her air that was the air was still of something so simple. "I mean, you sad you were exorcists, right?! Dealing with ghosts, spirits, and maybe the occasional demon? I bet you have heard plenty of stories about what my kind do!" Through seduction, they drained the life force of their victims, often turning their bed mates for those nights into a bit of a doll for a couple days if they were lucky. "I can't turn that off if I want to have genuine kids or simply enjoy a night with someone I wish to call a mate! I scar their souls, devour their essence, and turn that into power. That's why I eat so much actual food to make up power missing from that act! And… And… I fear finding someone I would want to settle with, but waking up to nothing more than a husk."

She popped another skewer of dango into her mouth, chewing away before taking another sip to clean her palette. "I will always say its for the sake of testing my strengths or looking for exotic foods but really, I want something that is often an impossibility. Souls are not exactly an easy thing to heal."

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:48 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"Tree-houses! Ooh, that sounds fun! I bet it'd be pretty convenient to live in a giant hundred-year old peach tree." Lanying was imagining something else entirely, not that she'd know if peach trees even grew to such a size. Knowledge of myths and folklore didn't always translate into real-world common sense. "We should totally visit that place sometime, Mingyi!" She said, giving her companion a playful ribbing. She wanted to let him see the whole wide world that he'd never be able to experience if he had stayed with his family. Before they met, his family had been his entire world. Living with her meant he had lost all of that, so she wanted to give him something else to hold onto. Perhaps the two didn't fully understand, but they were often on the same page for different reasons. Aerisith was a traveler like them; going here and there–wherever caught her fancy. "Oh–careful!" The exorcist said as the succubus choked on drinking the hot tea too early. 

When Aerisith said her goals would be too weird for her, Lanying took that as a challenge. "Well try me, I'm all ears! Y'know being an exorcist means I get a front-row seat of the action when it comes to the strange and unexpected. Though normally that's because I'm usually in the thick of it, but anyway~" She crossed her legs into a lotus position while sitting on the bench, propping her head up with her hand. "Gimme your best shot." She grinned, eager to listen to what her fresh-faced acquaintance had on her mind. "I'll tell you one of mine if you tell me one of yours–deal? Or maybe Mingyi can give one of his." That cheeky remark earned her a shove from her friend. "Hey! Don't drag me into this!" Lanying was laughing while the young man fussed and fumed, more annoyed at being put on the spot than anything. "I was just kidding~ I wouldn't force you to do that." The two were very close despite being as different as night and day.

"I'll start. I'm looking to build myself a reputation as an exorcist. It's kind of a big deal in my line of work, like getting more jobs and recommendations. Personally I don't mind if there's no pay as long as I can help somebody. I'm not picky with clients either." An exorcist chatting with a succubus–fate truly worked in mysterious ways. 

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Wed Apr 7, 2021 5:05 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"Yeah, I really should have refused," Aerisith tried to laugh off, scratching the back of her head, "but you were too pure with the offer, and even if you had some darker alternative for the drink… Well, let's just say my powers are not gone even if drunk." All it would have really inhibit, as seen by them, was her ability to hold her disguise. Actually, with the disguise off, she could technically be more free with her actions and resolve to deal with such threats.

Still, knowing it was safe to pour out her cup, whether it be because of the mix or not, was okay did make her feel a bit better to push herself back up to her feet to pour at the base of the nearby tree. Her walk was still a bit wishy-washy, but the wings and tail did a good job with affecting her weight so she didn't face-plant on the trip to and from. Once back, it was another stick of dango to let the rice help deal with the taste of things in her mouth.

"I didn't really have that much of a destination. I just got back from over that way with a dryad village. The humans and elves that lived there pretty much all lived in tree houses because the nightly predators would freely walk through the land. It was interesting!" The piping hot tea was a nice distraction before she just went off on a complete tangent. "But yeah, no real goals in mind per say. Well, not destination-wise, at least. I do got some personal goals, but I am sure they would sound strange, ridiculous, or awkward to someone like you." She stared into the steamed-top of the glass before taking a large gulp of that, once again seemingly punishing herself as now she was coughing from taking such a large intake of a hot liquid. "But yeah, no real plans outside where the road takes me!"

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Wed Apr 7, 2021 2:22 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

The two waited until Aerisith sobered up, Mingyi half-scolding Lanying for carelessly giving people alcohol. The exorcist apologized, though she didn't seem too bothered by it. Noticing that the succubus had quieted down, she waved at her friend to go get some more tea. "Heeey you're awake! Welcome back to the land of the living! Sorry for being a little too pushy with the wine. If you didn't want it, you coulda just said so." She understood if it was hard to refuse. Sometimes it was hard to say no, and people caved in to temptation every once in a while. Lanying wasn't bothered by Aerisith's true appearance at all. Being an exorcist meant you saw a lot of weird things, and she herself wasn't an exception. Glancing over to the stall, she pointed her thumb. "Good thing you only had two cups. Mingyi's getting a teapot so you can wash it out of your system. It'll make the hangover less of a headache. You can just pour your cup out if you want." In some places ignoring sacred hospitality was taboo, so she wanted to make it clear that she wouldn't mind if Aerisith didn't finish the rest.

Come to think of it, she should probably have some of that tea too. Since they'd be back on the road soon, it was best to drink your fill and keep your canteens full. "So where you headed? You're not in a hurry to get somewhere are you? Being drunk'll take a lotta walking hours out of you." Mingyi returned with the tea, and Lanying helped herself to a rather full cup. It was still warm, with gentle wisps of steam rising from the spout. As for the exorcist and her friend, they didn't have anywhere to be at the moment so they could afford some downtime. If they were all heading in the same direction, even better! 

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Tue Apr 6, 2021 4:19 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"HEY!" Aerisith screamed back at the very upset Mingyi, though for probably for a reason he didn't expect. "Don't just call me a demon like I am some generic entity! I am a succubus! Sat it with me. Su… Cu… Bus! What if I just called you someone super generic like.. like.. uh… humanoid?!" Clearly, her insult game was not exactly being the best under such an influence, but it seemed Mingyi had some other concerns, like the fact that she was drunk in the first place. Clearly, the talk showed that it was much stronger than what was normally at taverns, which didn't really help with the succubus' weakness.

Still, from the man-handling of the demoness (with minor lashings on Mingyi's leg from her spade tail), she was rested back onto the bench, where she popped another dango dumpling, letting the skewer dangle in her mouth as she tries to get her focus back. "I knew it was a bad idea to accept it," she muttered, "I know I am a complete light weight, and that it often gets me so drunk I lose my focus on my illusion, but I cannot just deny such an innocent gesture, can I?!" She reached for her cup again, ready to take a another drink to help wash out the feeling of her mouth, but stopped as it touched her lips, looking back down at the cup. Right… That was where she had her first drink, and it was kind of impossible to wash down alcohol with more alcohol…

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Mon Apr 5, 2021 6:33 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

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.

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Sat Apr 3, 2021 8:56 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

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?"

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sat Apr 3, 2021 8:36 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"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.

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Sat Apr 3, 2021 6:52 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

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.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sat Apr 3, 2021 5:46 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"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. 

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Fri Apr 2, 2021 10:04 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

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."

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Fri Apr 2, 2021 9:02 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

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.

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Thu Apr 1, 2021 10:18 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

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.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Thu Apr 1, 2021 8:46 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

"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.  

Author: Aerisith, Posted: Thu Apr 1, 2021 7:50 PM, Post Subject: A Sweet Road Treat [O; L3]

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.