Mochi Munching and Mind Wandering

“Can I help you find something?” A gruff voice snapped Silvanus out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see a stern-looking bun with curling horns regarding him. The titular Dan of Dan’s Dango, he presumed. He straightened up from the seasonal mochi display that he had been perusing and cleared his throat a little awkwardly.

“I, uh, was just browsing.” Well, that was obvious, wasn’t it? “I’ve never celebrated the Mochi Moon holiday before, so…” He trailed off lamely.

Dan’s expression didn’t budge, but he lifted a hand to indicate the central display, consisting of three distinct types of mochi. “These are the traditional holiday flavors - sesame, strawberry, and matcha. It’s typical to make some of these to leave out in offering to Allocer.”

“And to eat yourself?” Silvanus asked, unsure if he should be playful about the question. Dan wasn’t giving much away in terms of expression or body language.

“Of course,” Dan harrumphed. “Mochi is for eating, whether by demons or succubuns.” He paused and gave Silvanus a once-over. “Or cherubuns.”

“Right. Of course.” It seemed like Dan was a bit skeptical of Silvanus himself in general, but… no, he was hopeless at this. He just couldn’t read into Dan’s feelings. Silvanus struggled to pick up cues from others even when they were particularly demonstrative buns, and expressive Dan certainly was not.

Silvanus was glad that he had managed to make sure none of his imps had followed him into town, at least. They’d be wreaking havoc all over the dango shop right about now if they had, and he already felt like Dan was irritated by his very presence in the shop, despite Silvanus being a customer.

“Do you want an order of the festival mochi?” Dan asked after a moment, realizing that it might take a bit of prodding to complete this potential sale.

“...Yes. Thank you.” Feeling a bit sheepish and not knowing why, Silvanus handed over a few carats. Dan selected one of each of the Mochi Moon flavors and packaged them in paper, then put the folded package inside a bag and handed it over in exchange.

“Thank you,” Silvanus said again, unsure of what else to say. He fought back the silly urge to bow, unsure whether it would have been in thanks or apology in the first place, and stiffly turned and hurried out of the dango shop. He may have imagined it, but he thought that he heard Dan sigh behind him as he exited.

Silvanus kept up a hurried pace down the sidewalk as he left the dango shop behind, only gradually slowing as he put distance between himself and the store. Before long, he was overtaken by feelings of foolishness and embarrassment at his own awkwardness. He momentarily entertained the thought of going back and apologizing, but what would he even apologize for? He’d bought mochi and not caused a disruption in the shop. Going back to apologize for not being good at making conversation would be more of a disturbance than his awkward interactions in the first place.

He shook his head as though to clear it and sighed deeply. It was just one transaction out of the likely dozens that Dan would have dealt with today. By tomorrow, he’d probably have forgotten all about it.

Composure more or less recovered, Silvanus assumed a more meandering pace, gradually making his way to a park that he had visited a few times during his trips into the heart of the city. The crystals that it Burrowgatory were fading into their twilight state by now, but the park was far from deserted. Some buns darted about playing with their imps or waving lit sparklers, while others lounged on picnic blankets and benches to chat or snack on mochi much like the ones Silvanus carried. He himself hadn’t brought a picnic blanket, but he didn’t mind sitting right on the grass; after locating a spot that wasn’t so crowded, Silvanus did just that.

For a little while, he just sat, closing his eyes and letting the sound of the wind rustling the dry grass and trees wash over him, along with the nearby calls and laughter of other buns. They were lighthearted noises, comfortable and familiar even in a still-unfamiliar locale. How many times had he sat on the grass of the Heavenly Meadow and taken in his surroundings just like this?

Opening his eyes, however, revealed a sight that was very unlike the Meadow he used to call home. The same bittersweet feeling that often struck him these days settled in the pit of his stomach. Sighing a little once more, though not as deeply as before, Silvanus set down the bag of mochi that he had been holding and carefully undid the paper wrapping around the treats. He selected the sesame mochi first at random, and bit into the sticky dough, savoring the mild, sweet flavor.

As he chewed, he leaned back in the grass and let his gaze travel upwards, studying the far-distant ceiling of Burrowgatory’s caverns and the little lights that winked all along it. It was both similar and very different to the sky that he remembered above the Meadow.

It was funny, in a way, that succubuns should celebrate the moon every new year, when they themselves had never seen it. It made that bittersweet feeling more intense; at the same time, it was oddly comforting. Before coming to Burrowgatory, Silvanus might have assumed that its denizens would have only celebrated that which they could directly see and feel. Their brand of spirituality was still a little alien to him, but fascinating all the same.

After finishing off his first mochi, he reached for a second one without looking to see which one he picked. It turned out to be the matcha one; the taste of this one was a little bitter, but refreshing. Was that the flavor that he had heard called umami?

It was very good. He’d have to pay Dan’s Dango another visit. …When enough time had passed that Dan had most likely forgotten their first painful interaction.