Shay didn't make a habit of drinking tea. She liked it well enough, but she wouldn't have called herself an expert on it. She tended just to have Lipton with a dash of sugar and a bit of milk or half 'n' half. Nothing fancy by anyone's standard, but it calmed her down when she had a particularly ugly day. Her father used to call it the liquid hug, and he was right about that.
She slipped into the first tea shop she found, a Sip 'n Tell, and sat at the nearest table. There were a few people around, but it was a small shop, and Shay could see nearly all the seating placements from where she'd chosen to sit. Her back was to the wall, as it almost always was. She didn't like the idea of anyone sneaking up on her.
She inspected a menu, trying to determine what she'd have. She was picky in her simplicity, so the more something had, the less likely she was to like it. Shay didn't know what any of this tasted like and that was bothering her. She felt silly. At least, no one was in her head.
She squinted, focusing. Maybe she should have just bought a small pack of Lipton before going home? But then she'd have to drink the tea at the orphanage, and that was hardly relaxing.
Ah, one of the quiet days. Oddly enough, Monochrome enjoyed the solitude that he got when only a small amount of people entered his domicile. He wanted the money yes, but he hated the stupid gestures that he was asked. "What's in a strawberry and vanilla tea?" He would get asked these absurd questions, which would usuall end in him saying something sarcastic or mean back, such as "chopped up lives and dick." He really needed to hire someone else to answer those mind-numbing perplexions of his store.
Today though, through his lack of customers, he was able to make out the problems and almost the inner thoughts of what his piggybanks were thinking. One girl strikes him as, odd. Not in the traditional sense, but she looked so unsure, as if she was contemplating the meaning of life as her eyes prickled at the menu.
It intrigued him. He served up the order to a young couple who stopped their bickering once their hot and cold drink were placed on the table. Monochrome lifted his head as he positioned the serving tray under his right arm. His small stature walked over to her. "Are you having trouble reading the menu? Perhaps get up and move closer?" He addressed the girl with a half smirk. Without a doubt, he wasn't ever going to change himself to be nicer to his customers.
Today though, through his lack of customers, he was able to make out the problems and almost the inner thoughts of what his piggybanks were thinking. One girl strikes him as, odd. Not in the traditional sense, but she looked so unsure, as if she was contemplating the meaning of life as her eyes prickled at the menu.
It intrigued him. He served up the order to a young couple who stopped their bickering once their hot and cold drink were placed on the table. Monochrome lifted his head as he positioned the serving tray under his right arm. His small stature walked over to her. "Are you having trouble reading the menu? Perhaps get up and move closer?" He addressed the girl with a half smirk. Without a doubt, he wasn't ever going to change himself to be nicer to his customers.
Shay didn't look away from the menu for thirty seconds (she knew because she counted them out) before she leisurely looked to Monochrome. Oh? Was he teasing her? Trying, it seemed.
"Were you trying to insult me in some way?" she cocked an eyebrow, voice completely neutral. "Or were you just hoping I'd sit closer to you? Either way, come up with something better."
It had been a bad day, and Shay was grumpy on her good days. Lucky for him, she wasn't feeling as confrontational as normal, or she might have gotten the urge to hit him. No, Shay was just exhausted, mentally speaking.
It didn't escape her notice that this boy could be no older than her, and the legal employment age was sixteen. She wouldn't ask if he wasn't willing to tell, it wasn't any of her business and thus far prying into people's lives had proven too exciting for her.
"You seem like the kind of person who might be up for a bet? Do you like trying your luck any?"
"Can a girl like you even feel insulted on?" She was a cocky little thing, which made Monochrome push his filter a bit more. "Like I'd want someone like you any closer. I was just making sure I didn't get lines on your young face." It wasn't like this girl mattered to him. They didn't know each other, but he was just trying to help, as he wanted her to buy something this century.
The young boy didn't appreciate lingering people, as it made him a bit uneasy. Most people that didn't order on the first minute and a half, left and never came back. It was as if they came here to scan the menu, him and his customers as if he was a part of some secret society. As she had been siting there for almost the minute limit, he tapped his foot.
"A bet?" The thought wasn't in his comfort zone for strangers, but the thought of gaining more make him listen. "Go on then, make me stay and hear wha they have to say."
The young boy didn't appreciate lingering people, as it made him a bit uneasy. Most people that didn't order on the first minute and a half, left and never came back. It was as if they came here to scan the menu, him and his customers as if he was a part of some secret society. As she had been siting there for almost the minute limit, he tapped his foot.
"A bet?" The thought wasn't in his comfort zone for strangers, but the thought of gaining more make him listen. "Go on then, make me stay and hear wha they have to say."
"Not by the likes of you," Shay retorted just as quickly, before giving him a sickly sweet smile. Her eyes narrowed when he said the next part of his sentence and her smile turned a little more sour before falling away completely.
"Okay, here's my deal. I'm not a big tea person, that's to say, I don't drink the stuff. I have no clue what I'd like on your menu. I want you to bring me what you think I'd like, and if I drink the majority of the cup, I'll pay double. Sound fun?"
Shay needed some fun in the day, and this seemed worth losing some time over. She really didn't want to go home.
Her sour looks to him made him want to annoy her even more. How though? He had no idea. It wasn't everyday that fiery people like her came into his shop. Though, as he started to open his mouth to retort back something mean, as he usually did, she started up again. "Sounds good. That's actually a good challenge little missy." He smirked at her, as if he was planning to poison her. "You just wait here then." He backed away, turning his head to both sides just to make sure that he wouldn't run into anyone.
He didn't even bother to ask what flavor she liked, as he was a tea virgin. Monochrome was driven by this opportunity, so he knew that he wouldn't let himself lose. As he turned around to return to his work space, he finished up the rest of his pending orders with a bleak expression, only showing a flicker of excitement as he looked up to the girl.
He nodded, as he took a new mug. Monochrome peered up at his flavors. Bland. He commented in his head as most of them were customer favorites; ones that were tame enough for people to want. He didn't care though. The thought alone made him giggle like an evil scientist with his newest experiment. It scared a small girl that ran from the pastry section to her mother. He grabbed ginseng, huckleberry, sage and a handful of a mix of rose pedals and dried lemon leaves from his off menu 'add extra' ingredients. He put all of it into a tea bag, adding a big squeeze into the teabag itself, as it soaked into the mixture.
A few passed after he poured the boiling water into the blue and cream colored tea holder. He wanted it to be just the right temperature. As he watched the clear water turn into a mixed purple-red color, he gleamed at his experiment. Taking a spoon, he put a little hint of maple syrup on it and stirred for another twenty seconds. Monochrome took the spoon out and grabbed the warm mug with both hands, as that was all he chose to focus on. He kept his eyes glued to it as he walked over, then placed it on her table. Taking a seat at her side, he held his hands together. "I'll tell you what's in it afterwards."
He didn't even bother to ask what flavor she liked, as he was a tea virgin. Monochrome was driven by this opportunity, so he knew that he wouldn't let himself lose. As he turned around to return to his work space, he finished up the rest of his pending orders with a bleak expression, only showing a flicker of excitement as he looked up to the girl.
He nodded, as he took a new mug. Monochrome peered up at his flavors. Bland. He commented in his head as most of them were customer favorites; ones that were tame enough for people to want. He didn't care though. The thought alone made him giggle like an evil scientist with his newest experiment. It scared a small girl that ran from the pastry section to her mother. He grabbed ginseng, huckleberry, sage and a handful of a mix of rose pedals and dried lemon leaves from his off menu 'add extra' ingredients. He put all of it into a tea bag, adding a big squeeze into the teabag itself, as it soaked into the mixture.
A few passed after he poured the boiling water into the blue and cream colored tea holder. He wanted it to be just the right temperature. As he watched the clear water turn into a mixed purple-red color, he gleamed at his experiment. Taking a spoon, he put a little hint of maple syrup on it and stirred for another twenty seconds. Monochrome took the spoon out and grabbed the warm mug with both hands, as that was all he chose to focus on. He kept his eyes glued to it as he walked over, then placed it on her table. Taking a seat at her side, he held his hands together. "I'll tell you what's in it afterwards."
Shay snorted derisively when she was called little missy. No one had ever called her that before, and it sounded old-fashioned. She leaned back in her seat as he walked off, taking to looking out the window. If she were nervous about him poisoning or spitting in her tea, she didn't show it.
She missed the flicker of excitement that shot across his face when he looked over at her, too busy staring outward like she was waiting for someone. Wishing. Waiting. Left disappointed.
When he returned to her Shay had to suppress a jump when he set the cup down before her. She had been lost somewhere far away. Wishing. Waiting. Wanting. But none of those things had ever gotten her anywhere before, had they? No more. She was in the here and now.
She met his eyes, serious as ever, before taking the cup and sipping it gingerly. Shay had a limited experience with tea and most of its flavors. She could taste artificial flavor in the aftertaste, and something sharp on her tongue -- lime?. Fruit? It was a mixture of sweetness and spicy that she wasn't quite fond of.
Her nose scrunched briefly, but she donned her metaphorical stone-faced mask before she set the cup down and met his eyes again. She didn;t fancy complicated mixtures, and this one tasted complicated to her, or maybe she was just a wuss.
"So, what was in it?"
The looks of disapprovement and questionable ingridents was plastered on her face. "You could make it a bit less obvious that you don't really like it." He scoffed at his own comment, as the goal hadn't been for her to look like it was some sour milk. "I gave you a mix of everything because I wanted to show you that tea can be shitty." He had taken pride in his disaster, as it wasn't often that he got to purposefully mess up an order to get a funny reaction.
"Ginseng, honey, maple syrup, huckleberry, lemon leaves, she and rose pedals." He nodded as he concluded it. "That's the stuff I enjoy because it isn't so, basically stupid like most of my customers want. So yeah." He crossed his arms as he was unsure if she would drink any more.
"Ginseng, honey, maple syrup, huckleberry, lemon leaves, she and rose pedals." He nodded as he concluded it. "That's the stuff I enjoy because it isn't so, basically stupid like most of my customers want. So yeah." He crossed his arms as he was unsure if she would drink any more.
Shay crossed her arms and stared evenly at him. "So, basically, you're a hipster with tea? What are you?" Her stoic look broke then, with a light grin at how humorous all of this was.
"I hope you weren't planning on winning, then." She pushed the cup toward him. "This stuff is terrible. No way I'm drinking all of that and no way you're getting anything from me. I won't even give you a tip, you were so rude." She stuck her tongue out at him, squinting one eye.
- Nov 10, 2013
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