Hot Times at the Tanuki Express - RPLOG
From Rusted Promises
Participants
Date
19/5/478
Log
Tam, the tanuki food vendor is very busy today! He has set up a bit of a tent and some small, folding tables beside his cart to make a little cafe area and is busily serving customers with a contented smile on his round face. "Right with you!" he says to the newest wave of customers, "Please, have a seat anywhere!"
Zuri hurries past the crowd, longing to try the tanuki's exotic foodstuffs one more time. He's still trying to recall all the delicious things he had last time, but all he can come up with is 'all of them'. The small salamander peers around for an empty table and pops himself onto a chair, waiting eagerly for his turn to order up.
Cassidy shuffles through the streets, ears perking. She wasn't sure if she was much for eating contests, being as small as she was, but lunch sounded fine, anyway! She was hungry, and she'd certainly be able to eat her fill here. She gives Natska's arm a squeeze and settles down at one of the tables, ears flicking.
The loud rumble of a small crimson and gold lizard woman's stomach announces her arrival long before she actually gets there, the noise quickly followed with a hissed, "Oh.. creators above, be quiet, you!" Sara, the lizard hidden underneath the travel dust covered black cloak had for a while been traveling, seeing the sights of the world as she had often dreamed, though her latest trip; the one back home had left her quite famished and upon landing she immediately found herself amidst the familiar market district and with it the familiar sights and smells that had come with it. "Mm.. what to eat, what to eat.." she later began droning, crimson gaze falling over the various carts and their peddlers. As she had noticed the busy makeshift cafe Sara's head had soon perked up and she had asked, "Hmm.. wonder what's going on over there.." before finding her feet willing to answer for her. It didn't take long before she found herself infront of Tam's cart and seated at one of the tables looking around not unlike she had the first day she had arrived, looking at anything that had changed in her time away.
Natska is, of course, on Cassidy's arm as the couple looks through the market district for a good place to eat. She's happy to visit Tam's, sniffing at the air and taking a seat next to Cassidy, then giving a smile and a wave to the people she recognizes.
For reasons unknowable to anyone but Thelergramor, he has arrived at the food-place. Tent. All wolfy, prosthetic legged, clothed and Thelergramor-like, the wolf enters the tent and looks over the occupants from beneath his hood. Recognizes several of the other beings, and flips a crown to decide where to sit. Which doesn't solve the predicament of there being three tables occupied by beings he knows, but... He gives each in turn a nod in greeting, then sits at Sara's table. Words. He makes none, proceeds to look tired.
Tam scurries over and bows low to the newly arrived beings. "Welcome to the Tanuki Express!" he says, "I hope you have all come hungry! Are you here to try the special challenge?" The tubby tanuki wipes his hands on his apron and smiles around. "If you can beat my challenge, I will stuff you to the gills for free!" he says, "But be warned! No one has managed it yet today!" He points to a huge boar with what seems to be the remnants of a black eye. He is busily downing a large tray of dumplings. "Horace over there has come the closest," he says, "But he had to pay for his dumplings like everyone else."
Zuri perks up. "A challenge?" It was actually the first time the salamander had heard about this. He was just here for Tam's delicious food, but a challenge? He can't pass that up! "I'm in!" He says, waving excitedly. It's at this point that he spots Cassidy and Natska, and offers them a return wave in greeting.
Cassidy offers a little bow of her head to Zuri before eyeing Tam. "Mmm. What is this challenge? I'll probably end up paying regardless, but... Well, as long as I don't have to eat anything ~weird~ I don't see a problem in it."
A soft, and muffled yelp is sounded into the silken long scarf covering her face as Thelergramor sits at her table. Her mind having been completely elsewhere and having not figured she'd get the company. "Uh.. h-hello Mr. Thelergramor.. g-good.. good to see you." no real difficulty of figuring out which of her multiple personalities had taken control. "Uhm.." she begins, though stops as she clears her throat, ".. how have you.. how have you been?" he lizard woman seeming to attempt to sink into her seat. The fear however does not seem to last long before she breathes out a sigh, and with a much stronger voice says to the proprietor as the topic of 'challenge' comes up, "Sure, I'm famished.. would've probably ordered yer entire menu, but if I can risk getting it for free, well.. there's something I won't turn down." With that out of the way, she begins rubbing her palms together and looks around the room once more, waving exhuberantly to those familiar faces who she had missed for all that time she had been abroad.
Natska quietly snickers. "No challenge for me, Cass, I'll just have... a bowl of noodles and veggies and one dumpling." She watches the rest of the crowd for a moment, then gives Cass' arm a small squeeze. "Let's go sit with them."
Thelergramor is all about challenges! And then not winning. But we'll see what happens as he volunteers for the challenge. He turns to Tam, speaks: "Sure, sounds fun, Tam." Then turns back to Sara. "I've been good, mostly. Aside from a few problems that have since been dealth with, but good. Been awhile, nice seeing you again."
"Weird, Lady?" Tam asks, "Not at all! A little exotic, though." The tanuki nods and smiles at the others as they volunteer. He waddles back to his cart and returns with two covered baskets, setting them on the table, he reveals that the first is full of skinny, green peppers of some kind and the second is divided in two, one side filled with small, orange chili's of some sort and the other with a pile of round, purple fruits. He also places a jar full of some sort of amber liquid on the table. "Gather around everyone!" he says, "A challenge like this is better shared!" He points at the various foodstuffs on the table as he talks. "I got you three exotic peppers here, folks," he explains, "The green ones are called Effreet Tongues, grow here on old Firebough. The orange ones are scorpion peppers from Shralesta and the purple blighters are Devil's Testes, straight outta hell. The jar there is full of sweet Krick honey. All you gotta do is eat these three peppers one at a time, starting from the green one, with a minute in between. You last a minute after the third pepper without a spoon full of honey to kill the burn, and you win! Any questions?" The tanuki produces a pair of bamboo sticks and gently tweezers an Efreet Tongue pepper in front of each participant. "Best if you all start together," he says, "Then we can wait out the minute together."
