Yukie's Pub

Cici beamed, examining Itazura's new necklace. "It looks good on you! Much better than it would on me, anyway. She smiled at her before she turned her head to gaze at the other shops. "Besides, I can't wear necklaces because of this collar and chain... It's so bulky..." the half-breed mumbled, coming to a stop in front of a clothing stall. "These dresses look nice~ Mind if I try them on?" Cecilia didn't wait for an answer as she took a few pieces of clothing off the rack and disappeared into the changing curtain.

-----

Dwin mentally frowned. Lorcan somehow lost all his money again and would probably be dining with him tonight. Not like he minded or anything, there was always extra food to be had in a restaurant. Noticing Lorcan's glance, Dwin gave him one of those "looks of disappointment" before reaching into his pocket and sliding two silver coins into his friend's hand. Dwin had plenty of money to spare... He was frugal enough and had a steady stream of income coming from the restaurant he worked in, so a few silver coins lended here and there wouldn't hurt him so bad.

Watching Cecilia run off again and leave the three alone, Dwin sighed. It'd probably be awkward now... Seeing as he never had anything to say in the first place, he stayed silent.

Itazura waited with her back against a wall, waiting for Cici to come out. She laughed slightly at how easy it was to take advantage of Lorcan, she may be able to use that to her advantage sometime. Itazura made a mental note of that, then she looked at the changing room. Itazura was becoming impatient with waiting, and she walked into the room to see what was taking Cici so long.

Cecilia looked between two frilly-looking tops, both of which she thought were adorable, with only some leggings on. Hearing someone entering the room, she looked over he shoulder and turned all the way around when she saw it was only Itazura. "Oh! Hi there~ You startled me for a sec, I thought there was a stranger coming to peek at me~ But if it's you, it's okay~" she said brightly, not bothering to cover her naked upper-half.

"Hey, hey, help me. I like both of these tops, but I can't decide which one~ They're both real cute. Another dilemma... I might just get both~" Cici showed Itazura the two tops briefly before getting an idea. "Ah... Why are you in here? It must be 'cause you wanna buy some clothes, too, yeah?" I bet you'll look really cute with this top! Why don't you try it on?" the girl said cheerfully, pulling at the demon's clothing. "Go ahead and take off those old clothes~"

A bright blush shone on Itazura's face immediatly when she saw Cici half-naked. Itazura covered her face with her hand to try and hide the blush, but it probably didn't do much good. Cici probably saw her blushing, like anyone would have. Itazura was about to say something when Cici asked her for advice for which top would look better for her then immediatly asked her to try on one of the tops.

"Okay, I will." Itazura said and took off her top, "Okay, hand me that top."

Grinning, Cecilia handed over a top for Itazura to try on. "Aw, you're so cute when you blush! But there's no reason to get so flustered. Unless you're a shy type, I guess." she said, not phased at all at Itazura getting undressed. "Aiyah~ Perfect fit!" she exclaimed suddenly, looking down at her new attire. "It's cute~ I like it, I like it! What about you? Got yours on yet? Do you like it?" she asked, her questions all jumbled together again.

And of course Cici saw her blushing, that just made Itazura even more flustered and she took the top. The demon turned away to hide her blushing face and put on the top, looking at herself in the mirror beside Cici. The first thing that came to Itazura's mind was "What the hell? Is this even me?" Itazura never thought that she'd look even near half-decent when dressed in a proper attire, but now she actually looked pretty good.

"It fits well, and I'm okay with it. What do you think? Does it look good on me?" Itazura asked with a quick twirl.

"...Ahh! Yes, you look very charming~" Cecilia exclaimed, looking the girl over. She practically glomped her, but just huggled her. "So cute~! So cute~! You're a doll~" Detaching herself from Itazura, she picked up the rest of her clothes that she was going to buy and walked out of the dressing room. "I'm going to buy these~ You should buy that top, too! You're really cute~" she called when she was outside, paying for her new clothing items. Cecilia's cheeks burned ever-so-slightly with an unnoticeable blush. Who knew Itazura could look so chic with just new clothing?

"I'm done~" she said to Dwin and Lorcan, skipping over to the two. "Walking around and shopping makes me hungry~ Can we go to your restaurant, Dwin? Please please? You make such good food, I remember!" she asked, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"... I guess it's fine... As long as everyone else wants to go..." Dwin replied softly, smiling just a tad. He was always pleased when people complimented him on his cooking; he was quite proud of it and it always made him feel like he had done something good.

"Yaaay~ I can't wait to eat!" Cici exclaimed excitedly, mirroring the actions of a child.

Lorcan had been leaned against a wall whilst the girls were in the dressing room. He had almost been bored to tears until someone mentioned food.
His head came up instantly and a smile appeared on his face. "Yeah of course I want to go Dwin! Have you ever known me to turn down food?" He could feel his stomach grumbling as he thought of succulant pork, juicy chicken, and sauted onions. Lorcan's mouth watered as he imagined the flavors. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday.
Lorcan slapped Dwin on the back in a brother-like manner and looked around. "Where's Itazura? Tell her to hurry up! I'm starved!"

Itazura was about to walk out of the changing room before she noticed a few shiny things on the ground. She kneeled down and picked up the objects, inspecting them a bit. She brushed the dust and dirt off of the objects, which turned out to be coins. No doubt someone dropped them when they were changing, and Itazura walked out with her 'own' money, using that to pay for the top Cici picked out for her. Pocketing the extra change, she walked to the others and sighed when Lorcan displayed how little patience he had.

"I'm right here." Itazura said, "And I suppose I'll accompany you guys."

Dwin nodded slowly, turning to lead the way. "My restaurant. It's this way."

Cici followed behind the quiet fellow, humming happily. She'd be even more joyful when she got some food into her stomach. It was already getting late in the day and she had skipped breakfast. Not a good idea, since a little busybody like her was always on the move, and therefore needed all the energy she could get.

"What should I eat~? What should I eat~? Tender meats and al dente pasta~ Ooh, I'm making myself even more hungry~" she cried after her stomach produced a low growl. She put a hand over her belly as if to quiet it.



When they had finally gotten to the small restraint, it was quite empty. Actually, it was completely empty. Dwin had closed it down for the day, seeing as he was out of ingredients he needed to cook. "...We're here. Go 'head and sit." he mumbled, disappearing inside the kitchen with his sack of groceries, only to come out with an apron in hand.
"...'Cause I know you all, this meal is free of charge. I'll cook ya whatever ya want." Dwin tied his apron on tightly and put his hands in his pockets. "Whad'ya like?"

"Ooh, ooh~" Cecilia scanned the menu with careful eyes, thinking over what sounded the tastiest. "I'll haaaave... Some salmon with some sake to drink, please?" she said finally, grinning. She was glad Dwin was paying for it, otherwise Cici wouldn't have been able to afford the salmon. So expensive!

Lorcan debated inside his mind what he should have... "hmm. I'm not sure Dwin. I think I'll go with the chicken and vegetable shish kabobs." Lorcan paused, then went on, "Can I have a turkey leg too? With ale to drink, preferably in a tankard."
He felt bad about asking for so much free food, but there was no way he could only ask for a little. He was starving after all. Lorcan was sure Dwin would understand this, seeming how he'd know Lorcan for so long. His stomach let out quite a loud grumble; Lorcan hoped the food would be ready soon.

Itazura remained emotionless and silent as everyone ordered their food. Itazura herself did not have to eat anything at all, being a physical manifestation of emotions, but she decided to put up a front for the others, just in case they might get any ideas of her being stranger than they already thought she was.

"I guess I'll have the same thing Cici ordered, sake as well." Itazura said.

Dwin gave a mental note on what everyone's orders were and nodded. "...'Aight. I'll 'ave it all done sometime soon. It'll be good." he said quietly before disappearing into the kitchen again.


Meanwhile, as everyone waited for their food, Cecilia was happy to break any kinds of silence by talking. "Lorcan~ Are you still that big drinker that I always knew? You can still drink lots, right? I'm surprised you haven't gotten poisoned yet or something." she said, laughing. "Hey, how about we have a contest while we wait for the food. It's the... 'whoever can drink 5 shots of sake the fastest' game~ I don't think I need to explain how to play it do it? So, are you playing or are you playing?" Cici asked, resting her propped up head on her hand as she grinned.

Lorcan's stomach was already grumbling at the thought of food as Dwin went to prepare their dinner. He hoped it wouldn't take too long; Lorcan knew how Dwin could sometimes be a perfectionist when it came to how he prepared food.

He realized that during his fantasies of food, Cici had said something about a drinkning contest. He looked over at her with a frivolous glimmer in his eye and said with a hint of arrogance, "I haven't changed a bit" Lorcan winked as a thought came to him, "How about we raise the contest? I bet I can drink 10 shots faster than you, and still be able to walk a straight line afterwards." He smiled with extreme confidence and without a shadow of a doubt that he would win this game. "And the loser.... they have to buy a round of ale for us all." Ok, he might be pushing it there... seeming how he didn't have that much money if by some unforseen cicumstances where he lost... Oh well, there's no way I'll lose anyhow.

Itazura was amused at the fact that Cici wanted to have a drinking contest, in truth she could drink more than any human, demon, or half-breed in this world. After all, Itazura's body can become anything she wishes to be, and it's very easy to abuse that ability for practical purposes. She could turn her insides into a bottomless pit leading to a void of malice and hatred if she wanted.

"I guess I'll join in as well." Itazura said, "Lorcan, you can't win against me, I know that much."

Oh great, the demon girl wanted to join in the contest too. Lorcan was pretty sure he could beat Cici, but this Itazura... she unnerved him... alot. There was just that air about her... the one that made you feel as if she wanted to kill you for no other reason than just to watch you die.

Lorcan gave his most charming smile, "Well, we'll see about that, love. But I've been known to suprise people now and again." On the outside, he was the picture of confidence, but on the inside... Lorcan was pretty sure that Itazura would win. As long as I beat Cici, I won't have to buy that round of ale...

The half-breed narrowed her eyes at the cocky man. She widended them again when he doubled up the challenge. "...T-ten shots? Sure, no problem. I'm totally coordinated, even after drinking!" Cecilia lied. She could be quite clumsy at times, but she was sure she could hold her own at drinking. Those lazy days drinking liquor at bars had granted her a somewhat effective iron liver, but she wasn't sure if she could win, especially against Itazura. "Oh, so you're playing too, Itazura? I'll... have to work even harder, I guess..." she mumbled to herself, scratching her head in thought.

Dwin, who had seemingly come out of nowhere, frowned and shook his head as he served everyone their drinks. ...You know, sake can get 'spensive, ya know? I'm not gonna dish out all'ov 'hat alcohol and 'ave ya be so drunk ya can't even finish ya food." he said in his dead-pan way of speaking, his accent lightly affecting his voice. "Food 'ill be done soon, so don'cha be gettin' drunk 'till then." Dwin said, walking back into the kitchen.

Cecilia waited until Dwin had completely disappeared back into the kitchen, breathing in the lovely smell of cooking food. She smiled and poured herself sake in a small shot glass. "So," she said, lifting up the glass. "Who wants to go first?"

Lorcan watched Dwin walk back into the kitchen and felt a twinge of guilt. He knew that Dwin was right; sake got mighty expensive, and 30 shots would cost a lot of money. He remembered the silvers Dwin had slipped to him earlier in the market. I guess I can give these back to him to cover the cost of this...

Lorcan propped his head up on his hand and regarded Cici with a cool gaze. "Well, bein' a good and kindly man, I'll let one of you ladies go first." Lorcan flashed a grin and slid the pitcher of sake in Cici's direction. He let some of his arrogance shine through as he raised an eyebrow, as if saying "There's no way you can win, Cici, but go ahead and try" He mentally chuckled evilly as he leaned his chair back against the wall and propped his feet up on the table.

Cecilia gave her friend a sweet smile as she allowed the sake pitcher to slide into her hand. "Oh... well, thank you oh so very much for allowing me to go first, Mister Lorcan." she said with a sugary sweetness, even though her words were a bit sarcastic. The half-breed poured the sake in the small shot glass with trained ease, then, swirling it around for a moment, she gulped the whole thing down in one go. "Ooh..." she growled softly, putting down her empty glass. "That's some stuff...!" She shook her head and slowly inched the sake pitcher over towards Itazura, waiting for her to take a drink.

Itazura took the pitcher and poured sake into her glass, staring at the sake for a while then shifting her gaze from Cici to Lorcan, her expression emotionless. But that changed when she took a slight sip of sake, it was horrible. Itazura wondered how these mortals could stand the taste of this, and how they could ever like to drink it. Forcing herself to swallow her sake and trying to remain emotionless, Itazura passed the pitcher to Lorcan.

"Other than the fact that it tastes horrible, it's not that bad." Itazura said with a sigh, "Lorcan, your turn."

Lorcan inwardly chuckled at Itazura's obvious disgust. He took the pitcher and quickly filled his glass, then downed it all promptly. Lorcan sighed with satisfaction and patted his stomach. "Good stuff, good stuff," he stated with a charming grin. Lorcan stretched his arms over his head and yawned slightly; appearing as if bored by this whole thing. But, contrary to his leisurely appearance, Lorcan's mind was whirring with anticipation, and there was a twinkle of rollick in his eyes.

He slid the pitcher across the table, "Your turn again, Cici..."

((Kudos to you and your use of the Thesaurus, Funky. n_n)b ))

Watching Itazura's slightly-changing expression, Cecila giggled. "Itazura, you're so cute~ Have you never drank sake before?" she said, shifting her eyes over towards the passed pitcher. "Oh! It's my turn already? Wow, you two are fast~!" she again poured herself another shot and quickly drank it without a word of protest. You could tell she was no neophyte at drinking. "There we go~ Your turn, Itazura." She handed the demon the alcohol once again.

Itazura's face turned a bit red when Cici told her she was cute, the other two are probably thinking it was because she was getting drunk. After all this is the first time she drank any alcoholic beverage so she probably won't last long, or so they think. But then they'll be oh so very wrong, and they'll find out when the demon girl beats these two.

"No, this is the first time I've ever even tasted alcohol..." Itazura said as she poured the sake into her glass and drank it then passing the bottle to Lorcan, "Although I think I'm getting used to the taste..."

((Thanks for noticing my thesaurus skills, Creame :3))

Lorcan took the passed pitcher and filled his glass. Glanciing at Itazura, Lorcan asked, "Really? You've never had alcohol before?" He paused for a second then added, "That's strange." He lifted the glass the rest of the way to his mouth and downed it swiftly. "Ahhh, that's the stuff" He grinned with complacency. Lorcan slid the pitcher to Cici then propped up his head on one hand and watched her intently.

Lorcan knew that Itazura must have some trick up her sleeve if she thought she was going to win against two experienced drinkers. Probably something demonic... they were always up to someting. Ah well, as long as I beat Cici.

((Da, twas pretty apparent. I don't bother using the thesaurus anymore, though. Kesese. xD))

Cici smiled, pouring herself another glass with grace as she spoke. "Haha, that's good. You remind me of a kid, tasting spirits for the first time." the kitsune said sweetly, twirling the sake inside it's glass. "You'll get used to it. Gotta build up that iron liver somehow!" With that, she gulped down the whole glass in a short time. "Besides, demons can intake more liquor without getting alcohol poisoning, so it'll be fine." Cecilia said, turning towards Lorcan with her usual affable smile. Although her smile was actually meant to say "Yeah, you don't stand a chance against two demons". Politely, of course.

Just before she slid the pitcher over towards Itazura, a door swung open, revealing a forgotten Dwin carrying a platter of food. Steam wafted off the freshly cooked food, and the fragrance made Cici's hidden fox ears perk with delight. "Neh, you've 'een drinkin' even when I've 'en tellin' ya not ta?" Dwin shook his head as he dished out everyone's food. "I hope ever'one still has room ta eat." he said cooly, though his eyes glanced at everyone in the room as he sat down at the table biting into his buttered sweet potato. In fact, all of his dinner consisted of vegetables: baked corn seasoned with a variety spices, diced greens, stir-fried cabbage, and even a large tomato cut into an artsy rose. Dwin was truly a genius when it came to food.

"Ah! No no, I always have room for your cooking, Dwin~!" she replied happily, taking a large bite of her salmon and savoring it's flavor. "Delicious..." Cici sighed contently, a blush playing on her face as she closed her eyes and let the juices dance on her tongue.