Eldritch Tea Party

It was almost time for the tea party!

Such a shame that the trail was so long. Perhaps there should be a shortcut? She would contact the road manager if he didn't suffer that accident, which was the one where he fell face first into her giant, gaping second maw. Alas! That was the price of a good meal. You have to live with losing some amenities you wanted your original guest to fix. Can't make use of skills inside your belly, after all.

She looked behind her and saw that her lovely guest was dressed to the nines. How delightful! The Duchess so despised guests that weren't considerate enough to dress themselves. After all, the Duchess herself excruciatingly plucked her tentacles piece by little piece to make sure they were perfectly aligned. Her octopus tentacles looked lovely today!

The Duchess strolled pleasantly through the streets of Manta Carlos, then took a right and entered the streets that looked like Manta Carlos, and then streets made of void. Oh, goodie! They were almost here! As she led her guest through the dark, cracks of her dimension grew wider and wider as if breaking through the void with splashes of color, until they were wide enough that they reached the opening of her mansion. The Duchess closed her parasol and walked over to the guest's seat, pulling it out.

"Do sit down, love. The tea party is starting!"

The Duchess smiled with her razor sharp teeth. Already, she could tell that she liked this one. Such manners! He hadn't screamed even once.

"And I thank you for being such a well-dressed and polite guest, my dear."

She made her way to the other end of the table with her hands pulling up her tentacle skirts. She sat down with dignity and perfect posture, making eye contact with her guest despite the sea of confectioneries and exotic floral arrangements between the two of them.

"Now, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am The Duchess. Welcome to my humble abode."

They should start with something light. Two slices of strawberry shortcake, one for each of them and baked to perfection, floated over to their respective plates. The teapot began pouring tea into the ornately decorated tea cups. Upon closer observation, there is a small rose sitting on the bottom that bloomed upon contact with hot water.

"Now, for this round, we are serving a slice of chilled strawberry shortcake coupled with my favorite Rose Congou tea. Perfect for this type of Summer weather."

"Oh my! A Doctor? I'm quite honored you've decided to attend my tea party, doctor. If I may ask, a Doctor of what?"

The Duchess gave him a bright smile and a nod as she sipped her tea quietly. Slurping, after all, was rude beyond measure. Dr. Donein was a man of impeccable manners. She recognized this immediately. Her heart filled with immense glee.

"Ah, yes, of course! We are moving from Summer to Autumn, my dear. The wind has gotten chillier as of late. It's so lovely to watch green leaves turn orange, but..." The Duchess sighed, pressing the back of her hand dramatically against her forehead. "I'm afraid I have no outfits that would match the season. Oranges and browns do not go so well with light pink and brown. Always a bother."

She sliced a piece of cake and put it in her mouth, chewing with her mouth closed. She only spoke when she was done chewing, as proper etiquette dictated, of course.

"Tell me something about yourself, Doctor. I do so love getting to know my guests."

The Duchess nodded approvingly. Now, as a general disclaimer, the Duchess knew very little of the minute concerns of human society. All the words that came out of his mouth were absolute gibberish to her, but they were, nonetheless, very impressive gibberish! She put her teacup down and clasped her hands together in delight. "An esteemed scholar! Oh my. You certainly have the bearing of an educated man."

She took a bite of her cake again and nodded approvingly. "That is certainly a very forward way of thinking, Dr. Donein! I've always wanted to be a trendsetter myself." She raised her hands and gestured around the squirming tentacles on her head she loved to call her 'hair'. "This hairstyle is something I made up myself. Do you like it? I've asked others, but they're often so terrified by me, I never really get a straight answer."

New? The concept of newness always mystified her. Time and space so rarely aligned for her that she had a hard time discerning what was old and what was old. Still, she nodded. "Then welcome to Manta Carlos, darling. I hope your stay has been nothing less than pleasant. I like to believe Manta Carlos at least knows how to treat a gentleman with impeccable manners such as yourself right."

All three of her red eyes were wide as saucers. Oh my! What a flatterer! She cupped the side of her faces with her hands and smiled, her purple skin flushing a light, mossy green.

"Well. I am the Duchess and this is my abode. Poppies are my favorite flowers. Satin is my favorite fabric. I've always wanted to go to the Palace of Versailles and to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I hear it's quite romantic." The Duchess looked at her cup and... oh dear, it seemed like they should refill! The teapot filled her cup. "Dr. Donein, would you care for another round of tea?"