Quaint Little Town [Closed]

[The Jenn]

Donnie blew on the top of her dainty little teacup, sending ripples across the surface of the pale liquid that steamed inside. The smell of jasmine wafted up in the steam and made her sigh happily. Sometimes, the Gardens were the only place she could get a really phenomenal cup of floral tea. They just... knew what they were doing.

All around her, colorful women chatted and ate and sipped at their drinks, while others waited on tables. She'd decided to eat at one of the outside tables of the cafe today since the weather cooperated by being so gorgeous. People came up to her every now and then, subtly or bluntly inquiring whether she was in fact the Yarrow-mix wolverine who had recently taken over the Court of Spades. It was fun to have that kind of recognition, but also somewhat aggravating when she just wanted to enjoy a cup of tea in peace during her first two-day reprieve from the Court since taking power.

She finished her cup and left a good tip behind, wandering through the small, quaint village. They did a good job making it cute. She just wanted to get a little lost, forget some of the stresses of the Court for an hour or two, and enjoy the scenery.

Her walk eventually led her to a less posh area of the village. There were a few shops that caught her interest, mostly by their nondescript nature. Maybe she could find a good place to get tea to bring back with her, or a shop with some cute furniture. She ducked into one at random, the sign not telling her much, and looked around.

[Amsy]

The shop was low on Black Haw.

Zora's feathers bristled in exasperation. That was a popular one among her regulars, particularly the ones she only saw once a month. It was near impossible to convince any to grow in the little patch behind the shop, so this meant a long trip to gardens outside the town to restock - not a problem in itself, and a rather pleasant outing, but only possible when Zora had time, which, currently, she did not.

She scowled, and shoved the jar back onto its shelf.

A few hops carried her back into the main room, and she allowed herself a moment for a deep breath, taking in the crisp smell of dried herbs and the faint hint of incense from next door. The sunlight was filtering through half-closed shutters, catching tiny bits of dust hanging stagnant in the afternoon air; Zora fluttered through them and opened the windows all the way, letting in a cool breeze and lighting every corner of the small room.

Satisfied, she returned to her counter and the storage room behind it, straightening the hanging vines and plants on display, her back turned to the door and street outside.

She'd ceased to be startled by the little bells that meant someone had just entered, so when she heard them, she didn't even bother turning around. "What're you looking for?" she asked cordially, turning an urn to face in the proper direction.

[The Jenn]

What a horribly cute little herb shop. Donnie hadn't seen one of these since her visit to the Gardens two years ago, running an errand with one of her great-aunts. Granted, she hadn't been looking for one, but the smell brought back memories. And made her sneeze.

She rubbed at her nose in slight embarrassment and glanced around the brightly-lit room. There was a pleasant breeze running through and swirling the different smells around. "Just looking in general. I haven't been in an herb shop in a little while."

The shopkeep looked like quite the feathery thing, almost severe in the way her predatory beak sat on her long face. Running the place without a biped form, or even maneuverable paws, had to be a real pain in the ass. The woman must have been especially adept with her feet and wings. "What kinds of tea blends do you have available, if any? I'm looking to take some back with me and this is the only region that stocks half-decent florals. Do you have any rose hip or jasmine?"

[Amsy]

Zora nudged at one last vial with the tip of her beak, and, doing her best to relax and be pleasant, turned to see who she was talking to.

The woman was stately, to say the least. Zora felt a bit smaller, looking at her, a feeling that was more than a little off-putting, but regardless of stature, a customer was a customer, and acting intimidated was practically begging for a tough haggle. Still, she let her eyes flick down briefly, disappointed when she discovered that anything that would have clued her in on the woman's rank was backlit into obscurity by the heavy afternoon sun in the windows behind her.

At the request for tea, Zora smiled: a woman after her own heart. "You've looked in the right place." She hopped from behind the counter to a perch closer to the ceiling with a flutter of her wings, rustling the hanging herbs and sending a few dry leaves drifting to the ground. "I have a blend of rose hip and hibiscus you might like," she offered, pulling a jar out by the handle with her beak and doing her best to talk around it. "Smells like nothing else, and nothing'll calm you down quicker after a long day."

She hopped back down, placed it carefully on the counter, and twisted the lid off with a claw. "You're traveling, then?" she asked as she fiddled with the jar. "Traversing the land, looking for the perfect tea?"

[The Jenn]

The shopkeep had tea! Excellent. Donnie took a few steps closer to the counter, out of the direct sunlight so that she didn't have to squint quite so hard. For all that the day was beautiful, she didn't need the sun screaming that fact in her face. Besides, she wanted to smell the tea.

As soon as the lid was removed, she got a hint of it, followed not long after by the strong but delicate floral scent that competed for airspace with the other various smells that permeated the shop. She leaned down, about two feet away from the tin, and waved a hand to waft the scent closer to her face. "Mmmm. That smells absolutely heavenly. I've never had rose paired with hibiscus in a tea before. It certainly smells like something I'd enjoy, though. I'll be having quite a few long days in the near future."

She straightened again and the sides of her muzzle twitched upward in an ironic, amused smile. "That sounds like a worthy goal, but no, more's the pity. I'm just in the Gardens for the weekend. After that, it's back to the stresses of the outside world. I'll be better able to face them with a good tea, though. Would you be willing to brew a pot as a sample? I assure you that if I like it, I'll be buying in bulk to last me until my next pseudo-vacation."

[Amsy]

Zora worked the lid off eventually, smiling a bit as the woman stepped closer to enjoy the scent. She loved this tea, and not just because it tasted good; one whiff made it an easy sell. And it looked like that was going to be the case with ... whomever this was. Now that she was out of the backlight, Zora could get a closer look, and --

Oh, dear.

Zora hoped that the Queen of Spades was as distracted by the tea as she appeared, because she was sure that her panic was visible, and did not make her look reliable in the least. Here, she'd just been hopping around, blathering away.... She was supposed to, what, grovel and avert her eyes? Did Queens appreciate that? For the sake of all things holy, Zora had absolutely no idea. This was what she got for giving up on the Court.

She thought about making herself more presentable, but the Queen had already seen her, after all, and such a gesture might come off as more of a suck-up, than anything. So she settled for taking a few calming breaths and focusing on the rest of what the Queen said to her, doing her best to look as competent as possible while the Queen entertained her inane attempt at conversation.

"Of course," Zora smiled at the Queen's request for a sample; granted, that would give Zora longer to make a fool of herself, but she supposed that if making idle chatter with a member of the Court was frowned upon, the damage had already been done. Besides, Zora thought as she arranged a little packet of tea, she seemed friendly enough. "Tea puts problems in perspective - regardless of scale, I'm sure. Your Majesty," she added lamely, doing her best to migrate over to the little stove in the corner of the shop without turning her back. "Please," she finished, gesturing at an old wooden table with a few chairs situated under a colorful selection of showy flowers, "make yourself comfortable."

(Ag, this was absurdly slow. ; Sorry about that.)

[The Jenn]

Donnie took a step closer to the tea and peered into the container, examining the dried ingredients and missing the little stress fit that the proprietor was having behind the counter. When she looked back up, the woman had composed herself and she didn't notice anything amiss. She'd never been the best at reading expressions around beaks, much as many people couldn't read a human face.

Something in the tone of the voice caught at her ear and she gave the woman a curious look, the 'Your Majesty' tacked onto the end of the sentence a hint. Part of her got a real kick out of the words. After all, she'd been working long and hard enough for the rank, not to mention the title. Whether the woman realized she was a titled Queen or not, the respect felt good. She just hoped it didn't turn the conversation into something painfully awkward. It wouldn't be the first time.

"It really does. No matter how far away I go, a cup of good tea always brings me back to the Gardens." She walked over to the table and chairs indicated, settling herself and crossing her bipedal legs at the knee before looking up at the display. "They simply don't know what to do with flowers anywhere else. How long do you recommend steeping this brew after the water comes to a boil? It smelled delicate." And delicious.

((Slow is my middle name right now. xD No worries on that. Also, love the reaction, totally. Very world-appropriate. *grin*))

[Amsy]

Zora had to take a deep breath before she even tried to transfer a kettle from the wall to the stove. It was an awkward maneuver that involved bracing herself against the shelves with one wing and reaching up behind her with a claw; normally, she was alone when she did this, so she could contort herself to the point that she could see behind her, but as she had such esteemed company, she figured it would be a bit classier to go it blind. She listened to the Queen talk while she poked discreetly around behind her with a foot, until she felt her claw hook around a handle.

Barely suppressing a chirp of triumph, Zora brought the kettle around and set it on the stove, filling it with water from a jug sitting nearby. "No better place," she smiled, fluttering back to the counter to collect her little packet of tea leaves. She carried it over by the corner, and let it drop with a satisfying splosh into the tepid water.

"It's best when the flavor stays light." Zora paused to nudge the packet with a stir, watching as the water near it stained a faint red, before abandoning the kettle in favor of the other chair at the table. "I usually pluck it out right away, but then, I've never been one for strong teas."

Having run out of professional advice, Zora found herself opening her beak with no idea what was going to come out of it. She was quite positive that she had absolutely nothing interesting to say in comparison to the adventures the Queen must have had, the people she had met, the things she had witnessed in her life. And -- she was coming dangerously close to pausing for too long. She didn't know what else she had expected of herself, what magnificent powers of conversation and wit she had hoped to magically develop. Mixing herbs, after all, didn't require much charm.

And then, in a cross between a stroke of inspiration and mortification - "I suppose I should introduce myself - Zora." She nodded a bit in something like a bow, moved slightly in the direction of offering a claw, then opted to stick with a respectful gesture, lest she risk seeming too forward.

[The Jenn]

Donnie's fingers tapped out an absent rhythm on the wooden table as she watched the bird maneuver herself, the ticking of her claws a habit from classes long past. She was quietly impressed with the bird's dexterity. Having been born with her biped form, she'd never had to deal with the same problems that her sister and many other Cards had before they were old enough to acquire other forms. She was especially familiar with birds and the coordination required, both her mother and her sister having been Villa songbirds. This woman obviously knew her shop inside and out. It gave her confidence in the tea itself.

"I'll scoop it out after half a minute, then, and see how I like it." She watched as the bird carried the cup over, moving again with careful coordination in order to manage the object and still settle herself in a chair.

The fragrance that had begun to just barely waft out of the steaming beverage remained promising and she sat forward, poised to pluck the bag from the water and place it on a nearby saucer after a short amount of time. It hadn't been an awkward silence for Donnie because half her concentration was on the tea anyway, and once she'd removed the bag, she looked back up as the woman introduced herself. "Zora, a pleasure. I'm Donnie." And if she didn't recognize that name after recent events in the Courts, she was either a true hermit or partially deaf... if she hadn't guessed already. Most Yarrows had noted her accomplishment with some amount of regional pride, despite the fact that she held a touch more Villa.