songerein | go beyond time and dream on

Entry tags:

go beyond time and dream on

Who: Ferris & Marui
Which: closed log!
Where: around town
What: Taste Testing Tricks-related goings-on
Warnings: N/A

[ Boredom (and some measure of hunger) has started to set in, which have led Ferris to seeking out something to do, and the dreamboard is as easy a source if there ever was one. Some tasks are better than others but there are a few she's drawn to in particular. Especially, well... she's been working at wrapping her head around the use of the dreams to create food, given her recent terrible reactions to what she's eaten. And while she's determined to learn how to make it work (her attempts haven't been very successful as of yet), Ferris is still caught up on the "magic-ness" of it.

... It's not really her thing. She has faith that she'll get better with practice, but this isn't the same thing as learning her swordcraft. And it hasn't really occurred to her that maybe she should ask Ryner for tips. (That would be odd.)

Regardless! Ferris is still intent on creating her perfect dream dango. So she may as well get two birds with one stone, and get practice and be rewarded at the same time by completing this task. So in her pursuit of the aforementioned ideal dango, she's in the shopping areas of town, looking for dango flavour inspiration. There are no restrictions on what she could potentially do. ]

If that's the case, what should I try first...

[ She muses quietly, almost under her breath. Her face remains expressionless as she stares at the front window of one of the shops. ]

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[ GUM!

He's finally.

Getting.

Gum!!!!!

It has been an excruciating couple of weeks since the supply Marui arrived with ran out. He doesn't even care that it won't be his favorite brand here; he's just happy he'll have something to chew again. At least, this is his assumption as he makes a beeline from the dreamboard to the trick candy testing. Any place that sells candy will surely sell gum, too. And hey, more candy isn't a bad thing, either. Besides, he's got a great product to give back thanks to one of his own failed experiments to recreate his fixation of choice.

Excited as Marui is to get to the candy store, the figure staring at the window of the next shop over slows him to a stop. Not because she's pretty (though she certainly is), but because compared to everyone else she's very... still. Especially in the face, the way she stares at the window but with no apparent reaction to the products on display. Not yearning, not interest, not disgust, not awe, not disappointment, nothing. Weird. Curious.

Given that it's midday and in the middle of the shopping section of this quaint little towny thing, there are plenty of people about. Most of them, however, are moving.

Well, the candy store isn't about to sprout wings and fly off. Ferris may soon find herself with a redheaded teenager just casually leaning into her field of view and looking into her eyes, as though trying to determine whether there are signs of life there.

Hello? ]

[ It's called focus. Something Ferris has in spades when it comes to the sword, or when she's thinking about... well, what she's thinking about right now. Licorice? Candied apple? Marshmallow? Chocolate? Any of these could revolutionize the world of dango. No wonder she's focused, ignoring the people milling about around her and her gaze intent on the shop window!

However, she would need to be blind not to notice that red hair peeking into the periphery of and then to her vision proper. Though, that said, she ignores him briefly before blinking and letting her eyes focus on him properly instead of beyond him at the contents behind the window glass.

Definitely a sign of life for him to see. ]

While it's natural to be drawn to my beauty, it doesn't excuse how rude it is to stare.

[ She says, the flat look still reflecting in her eyes and on her face. ]

[ Oh! She is responsive. That's good. Marui could care less how she reacts; the maintained stoicism in her face, the assumption he was pulled in by her attractiveness, the callout that he's being rude (it's kind of true, after all), all of that rolls off his back. He straightens, grins, and laces his hands behind his head. ]

Nothing like that. Checking for catatonia. You seem fine, though.

Of course I am.

[ Don't think that grin is going to win him any points. She straightens herself, reflecting his posture change, but her right hand ends up on her hip. ]

But it's a pity that even in a dream world, a woman can't look at a shop window without being accosted by a strange man.

[ If he's the least bothered by her remark, he doesn't show it. ]

Must be pretty rough where you're from.

[ No? No taking the bait? Huh. ]

I'd say that it says more about where we are and less about where I'm from. As well as of my current company.

Do you think so? [ He asks, in a tone that suggests he clearly believes otherwise.

Without dropping his smile or allowing ample pause for reply, however, he continues, pivoting his attention to the store window. ]

Well, you're free to think what you like, of course. Ah, but looking at all of this, you can see exactly how someone could get enthralled! It really looks good.

[ She blinks. Ferris wonders if she's ever met someone with such a positive looking smile on their face before. Smile, yes. Positive... not so much. And then he tries to, what, chat with her? Ingratiate himself? Well, she'll take it, for now, even if she still has her doubts... ]

They pale in comparison to my true goal, but might be useful in other ways.

[ She certainly was not enthralled. (She was totally enthralled.) ]

[ That sounds like an invitation to engage further. Does she just not know how to be friendly? She sure looks like someone who could have spent her life not getting much practice with everyday people. Princess-like, almost.

Well, whatever the case, he's happy to talk with her for a while. He lifts his brows with interest. ]

Out for something more delicious than candy? You have your work cut out for you. I'm sure it can be done, though. So, what's the true goal?

[ Close enough to princess-like, if most princesses train brutally, but... ]

Dango, of course.

[ Said in a way that implies that this should have been more than obvious. Ferris folds her arms across her abdomen now, taking a step back away from the window. ]

Already more delicious, but I'm looking to make it even more so.

[ Her tone amuses Marui. Of course. He doesn't challenge her, even if he personally disagrees. Dango were pretty great too, after all. And they would definitely be made better with some extra sweetness. ]

Mmh... what about adding maple to walnut paste? Or some caramelized pears...

[ She's not exactly used to people not arguing - or at least, not questioning it, but again, fine, this is fine. It's even more fine when he starts making suggestions for potential flavours! He might be a keeper. ]

Ideas like that are exactly what I've been looking for.

[ Has she ever had caramelized pears? Hmm. ]

The maple would certainly add a good sweetness. And what about chocolate. Hazelnut... roasted chestnut, perhaps?

[ Oh, good! Sounds like they've got some common ground in good taste for desserts. That makes this easy. ]

Chocolate hazelnut is impossible to go wrong with. Chestnut would be good with chocolate, too, though. Oh--! Or maybe with apple?

[ Ugh, talking about all of these wonderful combinations is making him hungry! ]

[ Ferris' sweet tooth usually begins and ends with dango, but there are some lengths one must go to when trying to make the ultimate dango. And she appreciates the feedback here. Giving her ideas is... generally a bad thing, but maybe not at the moment. ]

Apple would do nicely. Though now I wonder...

[ She pauses, tilting her head ever so slightly. ]

Caramel apple dango? Or apple cinnamon, maybe. Either has benefits. I just wonder if perhaps this is more of a revolution than the world of dango can handle.

[ Damn it his mouth is watering now! So many delicious ideas and none of them are here. ]

You won't know unless you try! Well, you can count me in for tasting volunteers either way. Name's Marui.

[ A volunteer? Well, maybe he has some promise after all. Let it be said that few men (or honestly, people in general) impress her. And well, maybe impress is a bit of an overstatement, but... he's made an impression.

Though whether that's a good or bad thing... ]

Very well, you can start immediately, Marui, once I've imagined this sensation into being.

[ Ferris, it's polite to offer your name in return... nah. ]

Ohh? You're gonna dreamotion it into existence right now? Now you're talking.

[ Yes. Please feed him things. It is a nearly foolproof path into his list of people he likes. Not that she's struggling there to begin with.

And name-sharing? That's totally optional. S'all good-- he'll invent a nickname if he really needs to. Of course, no promises it will be a name she likes... ]

When did I say that?

[ Starting immediately, whenever she does it. She didn't specify that she was doing to do it right now. Mostly because she... can't, yet. Her dreamotion skills are still a work in progress. ]

A masterpiece like this takes time.

[ Stalling for time. ]

[ Marui puts his hands in his pockets with a mighty pout across his face. ]

Mmmh... But I'm hungry now.

[ What is that face? Is she expected to... feel bad? ]

Yes, and?

[ Nope, no feeling bad here. At least, not for him being hungry. ]

And that's a problem that needs a solution.

[ Beat. ]

So if you're not gonna make dango, why don't we go inside and taste test some of the candy? Maybe it'll help your invention along.

Sounds like you're paying, so why not?

[ That is an invitation if she's ever heard one. Besides, isn't it the gentlemanly thing to pay? Old fashioned thought, maybe, but who cares? ]

Happy to pay for free samples! [ He quips back without missing a beat, then gestures with his thumb at the entrance as he explains. ]

They're asking for help testing new products. You're welcome to join me-- if you aren't afraid of a little adventure.

[ Oh wow, he didn't even blink at that, something Ferris interesting, suspicious, and pleasing all at the same time and that's a difficult mess to process all at once. Though, it matters less once he offers up that challenge. ]

Afraid of adventure?

[ She's not usually one to take bait like that, but when it comes to food, even if it isn't dango, she can't say no. Even if she should, because she knows what food does here. Though none of it here has ever poisoned her (yet)... ]

Hardly. Lead the way.

That's the spirit. Let's go.

[ The unpredictable side effects that food here could have were the reason Marui qualified it as an adventure. That might go double for prank candy! But hey, he warned her fairly enough, right?

He leads inside, holding it open until she's through as well, then greets the clerk to introduce them as volunteers for testing the new candy. The clerk, who seems incredibly enthusiastic about this news, scurries away to assemble a testing tray for them.

Marui seems amused and comments after the clerk disappears. ]

Aren't they energetic.

[ Is that a good sign or a bad sign for them? ]

Aren't they ever.

[ There's a bit of caution to her tone as if she's suspecting something - this could be very good or very bad. Either way, hopefully very tasty and inspiring... Ferris reminds herself that some things must be endured for the sake of dango perfection. ]

It begs the question: if they're looking for volunteers, how good could this be?

[ Wouldn't they be selling it already if it was worth it... ]

You never know. [ He counters. ] Maybe it depends on your expectations.

[ Would it be kind to tell her? Probably. Would it be fun to watch her find out through experience? Definitely.

It's a dangerous move, perhaps. She doesn't strike him as the type to be a big fan of pranks. How bad could it be, though? It's all in good fun. And he's sent her more than one verbal hint. ]

[ she's only a fan of pranks when she's the one pulling them... but the idea that this is a prank really doesn't occur to her. This is a place of business, so... they wouldn't do that sort of thing, right?

The idea that the taste could possibly depend on one's expectations though? Hmm. ]

I still have my doubts. But we'll know in a moment, won't we.

[ The attendant seems to be on his way back with a tray of treats. ]

[ Well, if she's expecting it to be awful, at least she can't be disappointed? ]

Seems we will.

[ The clerk presents an assortment of snacks and treats that look perfectly normal: taffy, rock candy, mints, mochi, chocolates, and some red candy pieces that look like they might be hot cinnamon flavor.

Marui looks at the array with excitement. ]

Oh, looks tasty! Which one should I try first...?

[ Oh, the mochi looks good, but as with everything (including her, sometimes), looks can be deceiving... Though honestly, all of the candy looks good, which is... conflicting. Why can't they look bad. That would make this much easier.

But for the sake of dango experimentation, one must make a choice. ]

I might start with this.

[ She still sounds more unsure than she'd like, reaching out to pick up a piece of taffy, examining it between her fingers before actually going to eat it. ]

[ Marui considers from the remaining pieces and picks up a piece of the rock candy, but before trying it, he watches to see what happens with the taffy.

Ferris will find that at first, it looks, tastes, and behaves just like normal taffy. As she chews, however, the toughness and stickiness increases dramatically, until her mouth is sealed shut. ]

[ The taffy is extremely rude.

It had started off well enough, the taste good, interest showing in her eyes... She is pleasantly surprised! Perhaps she deserves to give the food here the benefit of the doubt.

But that good thought quickly disappears as she keeps chewing, and things take a turn for the worse, leaving her teeth effectively stuck together. Any interest that had shone in her eyes is gone, her gaze flattening. ]

Mmm.

[ not the tasty! kind of "Mmm" either, more like the only noise she can make at this time. Maybe if she stops chewing, it'll start to soften up... who knows. She does honour Marui with a look that sort of says, "maybe you should not." But she doesn't make any particularly overt gestures to that end, either. ]

[ Oh, that prank is kind of great! Marui definitely knows a someone or two he'd enjoy seeing mouth-sealing taffy pulled on. Of course, having the luxury of knowing this candy is meant to do things like that, the look he receives prompts him to chuckle. ]

Well, it's all in the name of advancing good candy and fun. So, let's see what this one does...!

[ He tests the stick of rock candy, a rainbow of crystals with red at the top and purple at the bottom. Aside from his hair seeming to become a bit more vibrant in color as he works on the top of the stick, there are no apparent side effects-- for now.

He grins. ]

Pretty good. Trying another one? [ He asks her. ]

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go beyond time and dream on

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sorry for the wait!

oh no you're fired

holy shit I didn't get this notif at all I'm extra fired (and extra sorry)

gdi dreamwidth!! (no worries!)

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Sorry! covid booster Friday night knocked me out all weekend x_x

no worries!

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this is late and I am bad

I am worse