[Closed] Come over, we're having a tea party

[mybadhabit]

Who: Jae-Ha razzledazzles and Speed of Sound Sonic mybadhabit
What: A casual date at the mall to introduce the dragon to bubble tea
When: April 25, 7 PM
Where: A mall on the Near Shore
Warnings: Jae-Ha, but mostly casual flirting

[Sonic finished touching up his eyeliner as Ino headbutted his ankle, the little piglet fussy because he'd been ignored for so long while Sonic prepared for his date with Jae-Ha. He wasn't dressing too fancy since they were just going to the mall - he was just wearing some black and purple striped skinny jeans, a pair of sturdy black boots with buckles up the side, and a baseball tee - but he still wanted to look like he made an effort. Then it was merely as case of putting on his standard accessories, a studded belt with his sword hanging off the back of his hip, a necklace or two, jelly bracelets, then he was out the door.]

[But not without giving Ino an apple or two to distract him while Sonic slipped away.]

[He arrived at the mall ten minutes early and leaned against the wall, pulling out his phone to play Candy Crush while he waited for Jae-Ha to arrive.]

Comments

[razzledazzles]

[Jae-Ha, meanwhile, does nothing out of the ordinary. He's always at his most beautiful, and he just thinks he's going to get some tea, so where's the need? What he does do is drop out of the sky at the mall and head to find this stranger at their designated meeting place.

He can only assume it's the only person not moving around looking busy, so he approaches with a raised hand.]

Hello there!

[mybadhabit]

[If Jae-Ha truly believes he's always at his most beautiful, he clearly hasn't been introduced to make-up, and the way it can enhance even the most sculpted of features. Anyway, there's nothing wrong with wanting to impress.]

[Sonic looks up as he's addressed, then tucks his phone away and pushes away from the wall. If someone is going out of their way to speak to him, they must be from the Far Shore]

You must be Jae-Ha. [He inclines his head towards Jae-Ha slightly, cocking his hips to the side] How are you this evening? Are you ready to try bubble tea?

[razzledazzles]

[Someone who responds to him, great! That means he guessed right. Well, that settles a lot of searching, and so he can lower his arm and glance around.]

I'm just fine. Bubble tea is such a cute name that it must also be beautiful, right? I can't wait to see it.

[Lead him to this mystical beverage.] You were... Hermes, isn't that right? Is that your real name?

[mybadhabit]

I think cute is a more appropriate descriptor than beautiful, but I'll allow you to be the judge. [With his hands shoved into his pockets, he turns on his heel and heads inside the mall, moving towards the vendor called "Pop!Stars Bubble Tea." The lighted sign has a cute star mascot floating among a small swarm of pink bubbles. There's a bit of a line, but it gives them both a chance to go over the choices.] Speed of Sound Sonic is my "real" name, but people seem to find Hermes easier to accept. The downside is that some people think I'm taking the whole "god" thing too seriously.

[he shrugs] I consider it a job like any other, and I don't see why my title shouldn't match.

[razzledazzles]

Really? Even when it's a title you didn't accept yourself? Though, your original name is a little long...

[They'll stand here and wait in line for this tea, he doesn't mind. So long as no one comes up behind them and stands in their space because they can't see them. For now, he looks over the menu after being thoroughly distracted by all of the pink bubbles. Flavors, flavors...]

[mybadhabit]

[He shrugs] Names work differently in my village. Speed of Sound Sonic is as much of a title as it is a name, and it refers to my abilities as a fighter. Being known as Hermes has the same sort of meaning, only people know my responsibilities rather than my abilities just from the name. I don't really mind either way. Most people who prefer to use my original name simply call me Sonic, however.

[razzledazzles]

If Hermes is what you introduce yourself, I don't mind calling you that.

[Hermes or Sonic. He'll still remember both, just in case! For now, though, with introductions aside, he can stare at the menu.]

Would you explain this tea to me again? What flavor should I get?

[mybadhabit]

It's a cold tea served with tapioca or fruit jelly pearls. [He points up at the menu] You start by picking what kind of tea you get, then you can add in various fruit flavors and pearls. There's also milk tea, if you prefer. Last time I came, I got a green tea with strawberry flavor and lychee pearls. [He pauses, looking over the menu one more time] I think this time, I might do a green tea with honey flavoring and passion fruit pearls.

A good way to narrow down your choices is to figure out what kind of beverage you'd like. I wanted something light and refreshing, so I went with lighter flavors, but if you want something sweet, something with a lot of fruit would be ideal.

[razzledazzles]

There are so many options. Light or sweet... I wonder.

[He hums about this for the rest of the time they stand in line, but when it comes to be his turn, he orders... a tea entirely of green ingredients. Green tea, kiwi flavor, that sort of set up. He seems very excited by the idea, and he'll even pick a green straw.]

[mybadhabit]

[Well that sure is one way to do it. Sonic snickers a bit as Jae-Ha orders, covering his mouth with one hand to mask his amusement. Along with his tea, Sonic orders a cheese danish.]

Do you want a snack too? [The vendor also has a small selection of pastries and light Japanese snacks to chose from] Go ahead and pick anything you want, it's my treat since I asked you out.

[razzledazzles]

You'd offer to pay for an acquaintance you've just met? How kind. Everyone else I've gone out with has only requested me to pay.

[Ha ha... He steps closer to the glass, pointing out a pastry that is surprisingly not green. It's a bear claw.] This would be nice.

[mybadhabit]

Perhaps I've worked in politics too long, but I've found that spending a little money and doing small favors is the best way to ingratiate yourself to another person. [he shrugs, handing a card to cashier and passing Jae-Ha his drink and bear claw as they're placed on the counter] Besides, I'm quite financially stable, so asking someone else to pay for me seems pointless.

[Once he gets his card back, he tucks it away and takes his food, tilting his head to the side] There's a fountain near the center of the mall where we can sit if you like, it's quite scenic. The seating is much nicer than the metal chairs they have here in the food court, too.

[razzledazzles]

[Well, Jae-Ha is saving up for an erhu, so he doesn't mind this at all. What's a little friendliness between acquaintances? Besides, now he has this adorable green tea-with-bubbles, and a snack to go with it.]

If you say it's scenic, then we'll have to go there. This is the first mall I've been to. I hadn't thought they were worth much time, so I've never gone inside. Do you like to spend time here?

[mybadhabit]

It's right this way. But just a word of advice, don't make eye contact with the people at the stalls and kiosks, especially the beauty ones. They'll try to sell you their products, and they can be quite aggressive about it. [Sonic leads the way towards the center of the mall, past all the brightly lit shops and pointedly ignoring the people at the kiosks]

Malls are a good place to go if you want to spend money, or people watch. [he shrugs one shoulder, taking a sip of his tea as he walks] I've only been here for about a month, so I haven't spent a lot of time at this particular mall, but I've been to a fair few back home. Most malls have a specialty store or two that cater to my sense of fashion, so I stop by whenever I need new clothes.

[razzledazzles]

I see. That makes sense... There are only a handful of stores that I've seen hold clothing quite as loud as yours.

[He smiles from over the tea that he tries a sip of before one of the little tapioca balls comes up the straw and surprises him. He doesn't exclaim aloud or anything, but he does blink down at the thing as he chews. How strange.]

These are so unique! I should take my god here, as well. I'd love to see his face at trying it for the first time.

[mybadhabit]

Loud? [Sonic glances down at his outfit and arches an eyebrow, then shrugs it off.] I suppose the pants are a little much, they're hardly neon. Besides, I don't think there's anything wrong wanting to attract a little bit of attention. I'm worth taking the time to admire.

[For emphasis, he walks the rest of the distance to the fountain with a swing to his hips, holding himself up straight and proud. When he reaches the padded benches in front of the fountain, he tosses his head and shoots a smirk over, then sits down, crossing one leg primly over his knee]

[Speed of Sound Sonic? A show-off? Just a little bit]

It's interesting how many of you haven't experienced modern society. It reminds me a bit of when I left my village and experienced the big city for the first time. Even still, there are a few things I have yet to experience.

[razzledazzles]

[Was Sonic... showing off... at him? Jae-Ha stares, pointedly sipping at his tea as he takes a seat on the opposite side of the bench, thoughtfully considering all of those words at once. It's not that he minds confidence, having plenty himself, but he gets distinctly uncomfortable when it feels like someone else might be "chasing" him in any way. So, showing off like that makes him wonder.

It must be his imagination, right?] Well, there's nothing wrong with thinking like that. It's good to express your freedom however you'd like. [Loud pants or not!]

To be honest, I don't know how modern it really was when I was alive, thanks to my lack of memories. But I do know that I hardly recognize anything.