A Different Kind of Adventure

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden had lived in Tresteria for a while now and foreigner or not, the man enjoyed a good adventure and well versed in the many locales of the kingdom. But Tresteria was much larger than his home island, and as such, when he had been informed of the much praised tea shop in Viperon, he was both surprised and not.

Did he drink a lot of tea? It was never a question he had asked himself, but now, as he was walking the shop fronts for a specific sign, he was pretty sure he didn't. But he wasn't opposed? Probably? Either way, even if Elyscia also didn't like tea (he would have to ask, people around her seemed to think that was important to know) he figured it would be worth the time to look into the place. Maybe they could visit another time. Maybe he would buy a lot of tea leaves there. Maybe the entire seaport would make for a nice place to have an adventure with his fiance before they looked beyond the island and before they took any further steps of commitment.

Maybe it would just be nice to take a short break and reacquaint himself since he had been gone for months and so much seemed to have changed in that time. Wars, marriages, deaths of royalty...certainly most of it felt distance, but they were important all the same. He wanted to be more than just another soldier in the kingdom. And he wanted to be able to earn it and to have more excitement in his life than what he would have been handed at home.

So, apparently, that started with a mundane visit to a tea shop to set his mind at ease. Kaiden hoped.

Tasseomancy was not difficult to spot from the outside. There was the classy sign, of course, and the heavy foot traffic in an out (busy but not overly crowded), and even from the exterior, it smelled wonderful. A mix of floral and fruity and sharper flavors that escaped the interior every time the door was opened. He let himself in and was met with a heavier aroma and quite a bit of warmth. It was welcome at first, it being spring. His eye was immediately drawn to the wall behind the counter, all the jars and containers full of various colorful mixtures and ingredients, all impressively displayed. Around half of the tables were full and there was a woman bustling between tables and the counter.

The noble wasn't in any rush and simply paused to appreciate the space and that he knew nothing about tea.

Beatrice Smith

[Beatrice Smith]

Beatrice had been a little surprised at the bustle of people in and out of the shop for the day. Her father was upstairs, asleep, still recovering from the flu that had knocked him on his rear a few days before. That meant, of course, that it was a one-woman show in Tasseomancy that day. Beatrice swung neatly between the tables, dropping off pairs of cups and already steaming teapots at each waiting table, along with a dish of honey to one of the farther tables. Her braided hair flipped out behind her as she made quick turns but thankfully kept well away from the tea. She smiled at customers as she went, careful to make sure each one had what they needed and was satisfied with the service--even with only one dark-haired young woman to manage all of them. So far she seemed to be doing alright; most of them had settled in and seemed to be content to just sip their tea and chat amicably with their companions. As she returned to the counter, she noticed a new arrival who seemed to be considering his options.

"Welcome to Tasseomancy," she called to him with a smile as she approached, propping the now-empty tray against her hip. She could tell by his expression, and by the fact that she hadn't recognized him right away, that he wasn't one of her regulars. "If you're not sure what you're looking for, I can help you narrow it down. Did you have anything in mind?"

[Kaiden Dellario]

She seemed to have things well handled. Likely the owner or the daughter then, considering most places were family businesses.

Kaiden returned her smile with an easy one of his own. "Milady," he greeted. "That obvious, huh?" Not that he had been trying to hide the fact he wasn't sure. Sometimes, not knowing was okay. "I admittedly am not sure what my options are for you to narrow it down?" Which of course, wasn't helpful. "What's your favorite tea this time of year?" he asked.

His gaze shifted over the young woman's shop to her. She had dark hair in a simple braid, dramatic lips and lovely cheekbones. It was hard not to notice. She didn't seem flustered in the slightest about being the only one manning the shop, from what he could tell. That was a big deal in Tresteria, however, woman being treated as they were. Kaiden noticed this, but being from elsewhere as he was, he didn't mind.

[Beatrice Smith]

Beatrice chuckled and shrugged. "Only because I didn't recognize you. Papa and I tend to know most of the people who are in here often." Maybe it sounded cocky of her to say that, but it was just the truth. She had a good memory for faces, even if she didn't always remember names. At his question, she turned to look back at the shelves, considering her answer. Springtime...something good for spring... She chewed her lip absently as she stared.

After a long moment, she looked back to him. "Alright, I have a few ideas. Come with me, and we'll have you try a few." She smiled and waved him towards the counter. As she reached her side of it, she tucked her tray back under the counter itself into a little cubby, then glanced out over the other customers to make sure they were still alright. They seemed to be. Satisfied with that, she moved between the various cubbies, taking down things here and there and setting them onto the counter. Green tea, black tea, a few varieties of dried fruit, lemon peels, and rosehip were first. Then, from under the counter, she removed a series of small teacups, about the size of shot glasses. Each cup was then covered with a tiny sieve.

She dropped a little of this and a little of that into each one, creating four different blends. Finally, as she was pouring a little hot water into each of them from a nearby teapot, she glanced up at him to explain.

"Alright, so! First, blueberry cinnamon black tea." She poured water into that one, then named each of the others as she poured them. "Then green tea with peach, one that's green tea with lemon and ginger, and this last one is blueberry rosehip. It's one of my favorites." She set aside the teapot on a hidden burner, and carefully slid the little cups towards him. "Smell first, see if there are any you definitely don't want to taste. Then, when they're done steeping in a moment here, you can try them."

[Kaiden Dellario]

It was cocky. Delightedly so. He wasn't from herr and didn't share most of the stigma against women. It was only right that the woman would fight for her regular customers. So she should. Kaiden grinned at her words as she invited him over. He stepped over eagerly, leaning a bit against the counter. He wasn't intentionally being nosy per say, vut je was curious. He liked food and cooking and while tea was an entirely different beast, he was still curious to watch.

He was more than a little surprised, but entirely pleased, at how intense of an adventure this became under the woman's guidance.

He couldn't say it out loud, but the tiny tea cups were adorable. The noble spared them meaningful smirk, gaze shifting between the cups and the woman playfully as she worked.

He leaned back from the counter as she poured, following along with a casual finger angled at each cup as she named them, almost like he was directing a tiny orchestra. "First," he mimicked her set up. "I don't take drinks from strangers. Lord Kaiden Dellario," he said, gesturing to himself and then offering her a very informal hand to shake along with a smile.

Introductions complete, Kaiden leaned over and took a careful draw on each. He was leery of the blueberry cinnamon by name but it smelled okay. And so did the others. "Black tea versus green tea?" He asked. He really didn't know anything, apparently.

[Beatrice Smith]

Beatrice laughed and shook his hand when he offered it. "Beatrice Smith, at your service," she replied cheerfully. "A pleasure to meet you, my lord."

She watched expectantly as he smelled each one, curious to hear what he thought. She'd expected him to reject at least one, but he seemed to like all of them. Good! She was on the right track, then. His question surprised her--most people basically knew they tasted a little different, but didn't care why.

"Oh! Well, they're both made from the same 'tea' plant, but the leaves are treated differently when they're picked. Black tea is darker, and more...not bitter exactly, but more intense. Green tea is lighter and tastes a bit well...green." She laughed. "I know that sounds strange, but it tastes like the color green, to me. Fresh, kind of grassy, but in a pleasant way. And then the blueberry rosehip is an herbal tea; there are actually not any 'tea' leaves in it, but we call it tea since it's made the same way, by steeping dried fruits or leaves in hot water."

As she finished speaking, she lifted the little sieve from the blueberry cinnamon. It looked dark enough, so she pulled the rest as well and tossed them in a bin under the counter for when she did dishes later. "Do you like any sugar or honey in your tea?" she asked, then realized he might not know. "Personally, I like most teas without sweetener especially when there's a fruit in the mix to add sweetness on its own, but the ginger lemon will probably need some honey so it doesn't knock you flat."

[Kaiden Dellario]

He would try just about anything once. Might as well, right? Trying was half the fun anyway and he wouldn't really know until he tasted it. He spent enough time in a kitchen to understand that different parts of the same thing, treated or cooked differently, produced different effects. Tea was...well, sort of like cooking in that regard. And it was food.

Kaiden nodded as Beatrice explained. He understood what she meant, describing the flavors. It was interesting. He wondered what else one could steep like 'tea' even if it wasn't really some sort of 'tea' plant. He supposed a lot of things, especially fruits. Not to mention he had had various herb teas, like lavender and the like.

"Oh, I suppose I do, I've had some tea before, but...maybe we try them unaltered for the moment?" He didn't particularly have a sweet tooth, though he understood ginger and lemon were both rather strong. He grinned. Trying was part of the fun. "Well, only one way to find out?" He figured it might be best to try that one last though.

So the green tea it was. It was a light flavor and rather sweet even without added sugar. "Has a nice crisp taste," he noted. Probably he would like the blueberry rosehip too, but...he didn't know what rosehip tasted like either. After a moment, he tried that one too and was a little surprised by the tart flavor, but he liked that a lot better. "I like this one."

[Beatrice Smith]

Beatrice raised her eyebrows when he said he'd rather try all of them unaltered, even the lemon ginger. That was brave for someone who'd walked in knowing basically nothing. She didn't mind, though; it was totally up to him what he was interested in trying and how. And besides, she had warned him. That one had a tendency to be a kick in the pants if you let it steep too long, but she hoped that since they were only running a quick trial, it wouldn't be too spicy. Even so, the worst it would do would be to leave a bad taste in his mouth--literally.

She watched him try the green tea with peach, and wasn't to surprised that he didn't hate it. That one was a pretty safe bet. The reaction to the blueberry rosehip was more positive, and she beamed. That one was one of her favorite custom blends, one she'd designed herself. "I thought you might! It's one of our most popular fruit blends. It's not too sweet, but it's still flavorful. It took quite a bit of trial and error to get the balance right, but it was worth it!"

She pushed the blueberry cinnamon towards him. "This one is a bit of a warmer flavor. More like a pie, so to speak, whereas the rosehip one is a fresher taste."

[Kaiden Dellario]

He shrugged off Beatrice's surprise and the dubious look. Clearly the tea expert thought he was crazy. But his point was simply that while she had likely tried and experimented with all of these flavors herself, he hadn't. Even if something tasted bad or lacking or heavy, part of the fun was experiencing that himself. Kaiden respected the fact that she was probably right. But he was going to try the tea as is anyway.

A lot of trial and error, huh? "You made that one yourself?" he asked with a smile. No wonder the place was so popular. He figured the girl's demeanor and enthusiasm factored into that fame a lot.

Ah, so they were saving the fun one for last. He could handle that. Kaiden admired the color on that one for a moment as she spoke and took a taste. While it tasted strongly of blueberry like the last one, this one was heavier, warmer as she had put it. More suited to winter or fall. The cinnamon made it more earthy and he supposed, sort of like a pie. "I like this one too. Not much of a pie person but...as a tea, it's not bad," he teased.

Which left the lemon. He looked up at Beatrice and gave her an apprehensive grin, as if to say 'here goes nothing,' before he took a drink.

It didn't taste bad, per say. And it didn't knock him over. But it did sort of feel like getting slapped in the face and the gut back to back. He pressed the cup back on the counter carefully. Kaiden kept the eye contact, but he wasn't smiling anymore. "The warning was appreciated," he said and then a sheepish smile. "Maybe we try that one with some sugar?" As if she hadn't just suggested as much.

[Beatrice Smith]

"I did, yeah! My family has owned this shop for several generations, and each new one adds a few blends to the list. The blueberry rosehip is mine." She smiled softly, trying not to brag too much even though she was excited about it. It genuinely made her happy when people enjoyed her creations.

She grinned and shook her head at his evaluation of the cinnamon one. How could anyone not be a pie person? Although, she wasn't a cake person, so maybe that was only fair.

She watched with a bit of nervousness as he lifted the ginger one and took a sip. She could tell by his face that it was just as intense as she'd suspected, although he took it well. She actually had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at his expression. She quickly regained her composure as she crouched down to grab a container of honey from under the counter, and by the time she popped back into view she was smiling calmly as she added a spoonful to what remained of the ginger lemon tea and stirred it gently before offering it back to him.

"Try now. This one is pretty bright, and I usually drink it when I'm congested at the beginning of spring from the pollen. It's great for clearing out your sinuses and waking you up...maybe a little too great?" She finally let herself laugh a little, hoping it wasn't too soon for that.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden grinned. Well, he hadn't been intentionally trying to kiss up to her or anything, but he very well might have had he known. But it was better this way, much more genuine because it was entirely genuine. "You make a very fine..." he didn't know if there was a word for it. He paused and thought and then asked, "What does one call someone who formulates and brews new tea flavors? Because whatever it is, you make a very fine one." He grinned. Okay, not that was a little heavy on the flattery maybe, but he couldn't helped it, it was good tea.

If he could bake better, he might be a pie person. As it was, while his cooking was splendid and he enjoyed it as a past time, his baking...everything always ended up burned or under backed or something. Things that required dough generally disliked him, so he returned the favor.

Her amusement at his expense did not go unnoticed but he had been prepared to eat his words. Or drink them, as it were. Kaiden chuckled at himself, not worried about the woman laughing at him. He watched Beatrice add in some honey to tame some of the kick. Or balance it, more likely. He took the lemon and ginger tea again and offered her another silent toast before trying it. It...was still a little...sharp? Bright was the word she had used but it was a lot better than coffee at waking one up in the morning. "Much better. I can see why you prefer it while congested..."

He considered the line of teas again. "Well, I like the blueberry cinnamon, if I can get a cup of that. And maybe I can get a few ounces of the green tea to go?" He had no idea if Elyscia even liked tea, so since that had seemed to safest... Well, he was in Tresteria, where tea seemed to be popular, she probably liked it, but...he didn't want to seem too intense. "If..." he started the sentence before even considering his thoughts and then decided to go with it. "If I wanted to bring a date out here, besides your shop of course, are there any...romantic places to visit? And where might I find good local food?" Kaiden wasn't worried about how fine a place was.

[Beatrice Smith]

Beatrice laughed more openly at his evaluation of why she preferred it when congested. She genuinely did like the ginger tea but..well, it took a certain mood for her to crave it.

"Blueberry cinnamon it is!" she agreed with a playful little salute, then immediately set to making a larger mug of that for him, using a metal-mesh tea ball to steep it this time, so that he could just pull it out by the little clover charm at the end of the chain when it was as strong as he liked. Next she set to gathering a small tin of the peach green tea. As she worked, she glanced up at him from time to time, listening to his thoughtful question. It brought a warm smile to her face to hear that he was being so considerate towards his date. How sweet!

"Well definitely here, because I expect to hear what she thinks of the green tea," she teased as she passed him the canister. "As far as romantic places..." She hummed slightly and tapped the handle of her measuring spoon against her lips. "I like walking on the shore, by the cliffs, and the weather is warm enough you can wade there now without it being like ice. It's beautiful at sunset. I honestly don't eat out much, but there is a cute tavern down the way, not too rowdy, and their pot pies are good. I think there might be a restaurant serving Akasian food over a couple of blocks, too. The owners come in here sometimes, although I haven't been there myself."

[Kaiden Dellario]

He watched her prepare the tea and was very curious about the metal ball she put the leaves in. Well, not leaves, but the herbal tea mixture. Kaiden understood steeping generally enough but doing so on the individual cup level was new. And well...he didn't usually watch what tea he did drink be steeped. He always assumed it was a kettle. He did realize that the longer he left the tea ball in, the stronger the flavor.

"That is genius," he observed. Maybe he was just behind the times when it came to tea. He toyed with the charm while she kept working.

Kaiden laughed. "I think, provided she likes tea, this might be the main attraction." Somewhere cozy to talk, to share a drink, and enjoy the good company. Seemed perfect for him. But it wouldn't hurt to have a few different ideas. Ah, walk on the beach. Classic. Sometimes, Kaiden thought he might get tired of beaches, but the sand and the waves still held the same romanticism they had when he was younger. The same promise of adventure. Whether Elyscia had a similar thought considering her fear of water...he was less sure.

"Sunsets can make almost anything beautiful," he noted. It wasn't a pessimistic tone, but an optimistic one that he used. Food...he hadn't thought about food. Maybe he would invite her to his manor. It wasn't too far from here. Still, options were good and the thanks he imparted was genuine. "Thank you kindly, Beatrice. The tea and the suggestions are appreciated." He considered his mug another moment...maybe a little longer. Unlike the ginger one, he could handle a little more blueberry and cinnamon.

[Beatrice Smith]

Beatrice smiled at his reaction to the tea-ball. "Clever, isn't it? Father has a friend who's a sailor, Elliot, and he brings us things if he sees people doing their tea differently or finds things that might be good in tea. He brought these a while ago."

She laughed a little at the 'provided she likes tea' remark. "If she doesn't like tea, you're going to have bigger problems than just choosing where to go on a date! We'll find her something she likes here, or there's something horribly wrong with her," She joked.

She gave a little bow at his polite thanks. "You're more than welcome. I always love a chance to talk about tea, so you've done me a favor too." She grinned. "And of course you're welcome to pick my brain about it any time. For now, do you want to grab a table and have a seat? There's one open to your left, and there's some books on the shelf up front if you need something to do while you drink your tea."

[Kaiden Dellario]

The notion of traveling and learning from and sharing with other cultures and their home goods or cuisine or tools was one that hit home with Kaiden. He didn't know this Elliot, but he knew a few other sailors. Sometimes, he wondered what that life might be like, exploring the seas. Of course, then he wouldn't get to explore the lands attached to them quite so much. But he felt a sort of kindred with sailors. He enjoyed traveling.

Kaiden smirked. He wasn't too worried about whether Elyscia liked tea or not. But he was curious to find out more about her, so one way or another, hopefully an evening out together would achieve that goal. As for places to go on a date... "What about scenic places in the area?" Cold outside or not, his date liked to paint nature. Getting a little more distance and some privacy might suit her better than the tea shop. He was planning to get himself rather well educated here soon enough.

Beatrice clearly enjoyed her work. Sometimes Kaiden envied that. He didn't love being a soldier really. It was more a means to an end. To traveling a little, to building the life he wanted. That seemed to always be shifting, but at the moment, that included his own place. His own family. Maybe one that might travel with him one day.

"A table would be splendid. I look forward to our next meeting," Kaiden said with a smile. He picked up the cup gingerly and made his way to the open table she had pointed out, content to enjoy the atmosphere of the shop for a while longer.