InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I am the walrus!"

Calypso (joyously) wrote in cirque_rp,
@ 2017-08-06 18:15:00

Who: Zanna and OPEN
What: Tea Time
When: June 2nd
Where: Verbena, off the Midway
Rating: TBD

Zanna couldn't say that all of her tension had melted away with the clearing of the bodies from the grounds, but she could feel at least somewhat satisfied that something was done. It wasn't so much a mess, and with Jade's help she had even gotten all of the flowers and vines back to her own garden to be transplanted. From there, they could be processed correctly and made into something new. Something useful.

Something that didn't shoot at anyone.

When she had finished bundling and hanging a new batch of herbs, she turned her attention to her teapot. The blend was a custom, rich and earthy, fortifying, with hints of subtle sweetness. The smell filled her whole shop, wafting out onto the Midway. There weren't as many other smells to compete with, since the food stands weren't up and running. And though the silence of the circus was a bit eerie, Zanna couldn't think of a better atmosphere for a cup of hot tea.

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_geokinetic
2017-08-06 11:21 pm UTC (link)

The soft rap of his knuckles against the doorframe signaled his arrival, the fresh, earthy scent of the tea having caught his attention from the Midway. His face was turned toward her, even if his eyes settled unseeingly on the floor by her feet; he could tell where she stood by the way her footsteps reverberated against the floor.

"Hey," he greeted with his usual aloofness, an unlit cigarette bobbing from between his lips with each syllable. "Smells pretty good in here." He took a few steps into the shop and shoved his hands into his pockets, finally reaching up to move his cigarette from his mouth to behind his ear. He did not move with the halting caution of a blind person, but rather with leisurely confidence. "You busy? Just wanted to stop by and uh... see how you were holdin' up. Your garden's pretty happy." The plants had told him so.

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joyously
2017-08-07 03:31 am UTC (link)

The tap at the front of the shop brought Zanna's eyes up, a warm smile curving her lips – although, of course, her company couldn't see it. She could sense him a bit from where he was, the 'earthy' presence of him. As a Fae of a similar nature, Jade resonated pleasantly with her; meeting him had been like meeting an old friend or a long-missed family member. It was comfortable.

"Jade," she greeted pleasantly, the warmth in her voice an invitation inside, in and of itself. "Do you like it? It's a new blend. I needed something calming." It never occurred to Zanna to offer him help, or to assume that he might need it; he had always seemed perfectly capable. Instead, she bent to retrieve a second mug. "I'm okay, I think. Tired. I've been spending most of my time shoring up my stock, just to give it all away to the Bandaid Station." Things had finally begun to slow, though. And at least the bodies she'd had on hand had been enough to keep her in good supply.

"I'm glad to hear it's content. There's been enough upheaval without angry plants. Do you like more sugar or less?"

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_geokinetic
2017-08-07 06:49 am UTC (link)

That was one of the things that drew Jade to Zanna in the first place when he'd first met her months ago. She never treated him like something fragile or helpless. "There's still a crowd down there, huh? I could coax a few extra plants up for you before I go so you have some on reserve, if you want. Wouldn't be a problem." He stepped up to the counter and leaned his elbows against it, a subtle grin tugging at his mouth at her comment about angry plants.

"They like you," he assured her. "It's kinda funny. We showed up here and everyone acted like it was some huge vacation, and we're leaving tomorrow more exhausted than we've ever been. I'm glad you're taking some time for yourself, Zan." He scratched absent-mindedly at the back of his neck as he added, "And uh, less, thanks. My teeth are still tingling after those brownie waffles last night."

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joyously
2017-08-13 02:54 am UTC (link)

"I think we should be okay." No, there had never seemed to be a reason to treat him as anything less than a fully functional young man. He had made it on his own before he had come to the circus; she didn't think he needed to be hovered at now that he was here. The things she did for him were the same that she would have done for anyone – such as stirring a single cube of sugar into the tea that she poured, sliding the mug of steaming liquid across the counter for him to retrieve. "Things seemed to be slowing down... If we hadn't had all the extra bodies, of course, it would have been another story, but..."

He couldn't see the little shake of her head, but Zanna still expected him to know for some reason. "It will be good to go somewhere else. Maybe the Management will build in some rest days for us after the move, hmm? We could even spend them doing something besides drinking and eating chocolate waffles." They really had been too sweet, almost overpowering. Zanna hadn't eaten more than a couple of bites before she had passed hers off. She was more interested in the drinks.

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_geokinetic
2017-08-13 04:53 pm UTC (link)

He felt the warm nudge of the mug against his knuckles and reached out to retrieve it, lifting it from the counter and saluting her with it as way of a silent thank you. The aroma truly was comforting... rich and heady, with an underlying hint of spice. He took a careful sip before setting the mug down before him once more, his palms carefully curling around it. "That's really good. And yea, we can dream, right? Though I wouldn't be surprised if it was business as usual after this. The show must go on, and all that."

There was no bitterness in his tone, more of a verbal shrug. "Though shit really has been hitting the fan pretty regularly lately. Can't remember the last time we just had a normal stop. Or... ya know. Whatever passes for normal with us. Hard to see that line much anymore."

Scratching absently at the side of his nose, he looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, "Where would you go? If you could choose the next stop, I mean."

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joyously
2017-08-13 06:43 pm UTC (link)

She kept half an eye on the rise and fall of the mug, seeming satisfied only when he expressed his own satisfaction with the drink. At this point, Zanna was fairly well practiced in the art of making tea blends, but they didn't always hit the mark. Just because she liked the rich, earthy notes of this one didn't mean that everyone would. "That it must. It's better that way, besides. Spending too much time lamenting the past is a waste of the present."

Then again, that was a Fae perspective, the sort of thing that came from having a life so long that it was nearly endless. "Things have happened more often though, I will give you that. It's... strange." There was something there, something she wasn't quite willing to say; something held back. But it flickered away between one moment and the next, and she settled with her elbows on the counter between them, leaning over her mug of tea.

"If I could choose... I would go a little north. Maybe enjoy Ireland or Scotland while the weather is a bit milder. Somewhere green and lovely." Her mouth quirked at the corner. "Where they don't have as many errant Knights."

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