Tenpenny's Teahouse by the Sea

A

Alice Ripley

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Mar 29, 2009
100
The streets themselves were wet cobblestone. The buildings around the area were a glimpse of what Alice imagined was normal. Just townhouses. Some were in colors, but pastels only. Everything seemed normal. Truly. Normal. Normal streetlights. Normal mail boxes. Normal children playing an evening game of jump-rope to normal rhymes.

The teahouse was a four story building, a townhouse originally, in a barely-blue off-white paint that had clearly been chipping for some time. It looked as normal as any other building until she actually focused on it. Just then, the first floor windows showed normal yellow light and a swinging wooden sign showed a title in black paint: Tenpenny's Teahouse by the Sea. The sign was worn, showing plywood. Alice began to feel embarrassed that her suggestion could lead to such a junky-looking place. But then, without thinking about it, she looked to the second story. Suddenly, the building had a gradient blend of orange and pink that glowed together as if trying to show a sunset. The windows lit with pink light, and then a sign became visible on a vertical, long tapestry with golden embroidery which read in painted, slanted letters that fell down the length: Tenpenny's Teahouse by the Sea. She looked up another floor and the sunset surface turned to chipped red bricks and crumbling mortar. A window materialized a construction paper sign with the words 'Poetry Slam 2NITE' scrawled on it in permanent marker. A neon sign appeared on another window, illuminating a drab curtain: Tenpenny's Teahouse by the Sea. When Alice looked to the last floor, the old bricks turned to glossy, midnight-blue stones etched with various symbols. The windows went from plain glass to stained glass, each piece of the glass a seemingly random shape with a seemingly random color, all of which shifted with the flow of seconds. Alice watched as burning white light fizzed on the stone, drawing, burning the surface until it read, at last, Tenpenny's Teahouse by the Sea. Alice began to lower her eyes, watching each appearance of the building appear and disappear until she looked at the front door and saw only the shabby off-white building she had seen first off — a normal, shabby-looking tea house.

"Alex? Are y'seein' four teahouses by any chance?"
 
A

Alex Monroe

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Mar 25, 2009
257
Alex glanced around the street at the townhouses, the cobblestone roads, and the children playing. It reminded her so much of home right then and playing baseball with her friends by the street lights Alex almost forgot for a moment she was standing on an island in the pacific in a blue dress and black bra. It made her flash a quick smile just thinking about.

She was brought back from her happy reminiscing by Alice as she spoke up and asked about the teahouse. Looking up at the teahouse Alex’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. From what she could tell it was actually several teahouses, each one stacked one on top of the other and each with their own unique look and style.

“O-okay.” Alex said not exactly sure what that meant. “Is that supposed to be like that?” She asked Alice and only realizing a half a second too late that she wouldn’t know anymore than she would. After all this is the first time here for both of them. “You think it’s, like, the same place or whatever.”
 
A

Alice Ripley

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Inactive
Mar 29, 2009
100
"I'm not sure. S'pose there's only one way t'find out." She shrugged lightly and proceeded. Alice suspected that they were looking at a building that had a relationship with magic, a heavy one. However, Alice barely knew much about enchantment since was disabled from doing it along with the other magics. She approached the door and listened — she heard nothing, but the cheap plastic sign by the door insisted "Welcome: We Are Open." She extended her hand to the handle and pulled.

***

That final, shabby door opened and Alice found herself in a room lit by blue light bulbs. She corrected herself. On neat round tables brushed with black stain sat two candles in black square-shaped holders; their wicks burned purely blue — no electricity involved. Each table had two tall-backed chairs in the same black stain that had blue plush padding in the seats. On each table was a teapot in traditional ceramic on a plate, with two cups on small plates, and a larger plate composed of scones, clotted cream and raspberry jam. The center of the room was, quite literally, a massive weeping willow tree. Its trunk went into the ceiling, and small openings in the ceiling allowed the long streams of leaves to come back through. In one-foot intervals, rectangular openings at the tops of the walls went along the ceiling, showing a night sky. The walls themselves were hidden behind a thick cover of vines from which wide-petaled flowers were in bloom, so deep blue that they radiated their colors. In this room, the only sound was the modest sound of water flowing under the floor towards the tree planted beneath the dark wooden surface. Alice simply stood, eyes wide. In her silence, she noted the complete absence of anybody else in the room, as well as a note left in fine print, left on the waiter's stand, which read, "Please sit where you please. Leave $7.49 for one person or $14.99 for two on the table when you leave. If tables do not detect payment, you'll be sorry! Oh, and enjoy your evening! - Tenpenny"

"...Whoa..."
 
A

Alex Monroe

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Inactive
Mar 25, 2009
257
Alex followed a few steps behind Alice as she proceeded towards the restaurant. This wasn’t out of any hesitation to head to this strange little building but instead because it took Alex a few precarious steps to get a proper walking rhythm with walking down, and she really didn’t want to fall flat on her face or stumble in front of Alice. Alex’s dignity may have taken a lot of hits in the last half dozen months so she had to hold on to every last shred left.

While Alice walked in Alex stood there at the holding the door open gazing at the, we are open sign. OF course that wasn’t unusual the place was obviously open and the lights were on, but she wasn’t hearing any voices her head. Was this place empty? Walking in Alex was shocked by what she saw surprised her. There was a tree growing out of the floor, and vines and plants covering the walls and as far as she could tell there wasn’t a single light bulb to be scene, the place was lit almost entirely by candle.

After taking a few moments to take the scene of wonder if she noticed Alex’s higher functions returned. “Wow.” She said as she slowly strolled over to where the podium where the maître d or hostess would be in a normal place and noticed the note. After reading over it a few times Alex glanced over at Alice and asked, “Well what do you make of this place?” Glancing down a around the room seeing which of the vacant tables looked like the place they should sit she finally added. “It’s certainly something.”
 
A

Alice Ripley

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Mar 29, 2009
100
"Something..." Alice walked to the tree and felt the water underneath but drew her hand out quickly. The water had felt impossibly cold and stung instantly. When Alice looked, her fingers did not look harmed at all, and the sting faded fast. ...So that's what this is... Alice added it all up. Lessons came up in her mind, facts she had to remember.

"It's kind of complex. I don't really know all th'details since I can't do this, but I think we're actually in a place that has actual, stable, large magic." Alice took another look at the note and relaxed. "It's a magic teahouse, compliments of Mister Tenpenny." Alice was relieved. She was afraid that she would be responsible for ending them up in a run-down shack that served tea. She learned when she was young that there were such things as place enchantments done by a certain Mage family. These enchantments could make a space that altered itself based on the occupants. If she was right, and this was a place-enchanted space, than, considering the lack of any other person, it was actually made in accordance with her and Alex's own minds. She recognized her own tastes in the black furnature and white tea set. But the blue! Just like the flowers, Alex's dress had a glow of its own. For whatever the reason, the room seemed to be taking its form from Alex. Alice, again, gave her curiosity to the wind. However the magic worked, it produced an ideal place, and that's all that mattered.

"Well, I think it'll do really well. Let's take Tenpenny up on his offer. If the tea is anything like this room, I'll be more than happy t'give him my seven forty nine. Well, we certainly have our pick of the seats..." Alice looked about, considering which one to choose.
 
A

Alex Monroe

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Mar 25, 2009
257
“S-so this is all magic?” Alex asked still a little surprised as she slowly strolled towards the middle of the room glancing up at the gaps in the ceiling that let shine the night sky. “Is this actually here?” She asked running her fingers gently across the vines growing on the wall. “Or is this some kind of illusion?” Alex never really was able to wrap her head around how magic worked. She considered herself a rational person, the world worked by a set of rules, even if she didn’t understand all those rules. But from what Alex could tell those rules were subverted completely by magic. Either way real or illusion Alex had to concede, this place was truly amazing.

Alex scanned the room looking for a seat. Alice was right they didn’t have to worry about getting a good table; each one had its own synergetic benefits.

“Well I always like the corners.” Alex said gesturing towards the corner with of the room farthest from the door with a table. Quickly changing the subject Alex glanced over her shoulder and looked at the plants on the wall, “I really love these flowers.” Alex said in an uncharacteristically girly as she admired one a blue pedaled flower growing out of the wall right next to her.
 
A

Alice Ripley

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Mar 29, 2009
100
Alice watched Alex approach the back wall, near the blue blossoms growing there. She was sure that if any boy from school could see her in this moment, radiant and perfectly in harmony with her surroundings, he would break down and beg for a number, or try to get it from Alice if he was intensely shy. The lights even seemed to be positioned to take the psychic look out her eyes and give them through reflection a hypnotically peaceful look. Alice rubbed a petal of a nearby blossom between her index finger and thumb and found it as real and as soft a touch as she had ever known. Alice pulled out her tall seat from the table in the corner and sat, feeling somehow strange, light. Another wordless feeling. She was drawn to the sound of the flowing water as it spread without logic in her mind.

"Y'know Alex, it's kind of tragic that we're alone. I bet nobody'd say no t'you right now," Alice said cheerfully as she started to unwrap the white cloth napkin on her side. When she opened the tea pot, steam rose out — the water was somehow ready to steep. Alice put in a measure of loose tea leaves that smelled of cinnamon and hibiscus rose tips into the pot. "Four minutes, I think, and the tea will be ready," she said, watching Alex amidst the glow.
 
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Alex Monroe

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Inactive
Mar 25, 2009
257
Alex followed Alice’s lead and took at a seat at the in her chair. She crossed her legs at the ankle keeping and again tugged on the bottom of her dress. Alex knew she was the only other person there was Alice, who already saw her underwear, but out of modesty and some little reminder in the back of her head about how her friends back home would react to seeing her here made her do that.

Alex’s mouth fell open at Alice’s comment and her heart began to explode in her chest. Did she really look that good right now, Alex wondered. Either way maybe Alice was right for the most part but if she told Alice how she really felt right now. Alex was sure that this night would be over right then and there. No Alex hadn’t read Alice’s mind to know this, it was something she just knew in her heart, but was it her own insecurities or was it legitimate? Alex was afraid to find out. Not that it even mattered even I f she was interested in Alex the same way she was for her, Alice would hate her when she found out the secret she was keeping from her. That’s what lead to Alex’s next decision.

“Four minutes.” Alex repeated building up her courage to say it. She decided to tell Alice the truth about her past. “Alice. I’ve, I’ve, not exactly been truthful with you about myself.” Alex said slowly and drawn out, clearly struggling with the courage to say it. After managing to spit out that little phrase she paused to see Alice’s reaction before continuing.
 
A

Alice Ripley

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Inactive
Mar 29, 2009
100
Alice had begun to cut her scone with a butter knife when Alex sat down, cheerfully looking forward to finding out what magic food was supposed to taste like. She glanced up to Alex and saw the distance again, saw that look Alex got when, Alice imagined, Alex had been deep in thought. Alice watched Alex draw her shoulders in tighter than usual — she was uncomfortable. It brought Alice out of her eagerness with the food. What was on her mind? Alice discarded her wondering. How would she ever learn about who Alex was if she acted like a suit behind a camera all of the time.

"Alice. I’ve, I’ve, not exactly been truthful with you about myself."

Alice heard the shortness of breath, the tightness of chest at the first word and almost felt it in every single one after. She looked right into Alex's eyes, reflecting the romantic blue. There was a storm behind them, she was sure of it. Alice did not think about any of this. Was the place making it easier to think? Words lined up like piano keys in her head. Alice put down the butter knife and the scone and put her hands in her lap.

"We've..." Alice took a relaxed breath. "We've kept some of our pasts quiet." She grasped one of Alex's hands and gave a small squeeze as she continued, her tone weightless, unstressed. "I don't mind if you've left some details out, but if y'want t'tell me, I'll listen. I may've only known you for about a day now, but I hope I can be a good friend."
 
A

Alex Monroe

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Inactive
Mar 25, 2009
257
Alex was touched by Alice’s attempts to comfort her. Her words were sweet and all and Alex found the squeeze of own hand very reassuring. She tried to remember the last time she had any sort of actually honest to god legitimate physical contact with someone else. She couldn’t remember when that was but it was defiantly before becoming a girl. Suddenly Alex’s resolve to tell Alice the truth began to falter. She just didn’t want to ruin her chances of having any sort of relationship with Alice something she wasn’t sure would happen if she did tell her. She pushed those worries aside, if she didn’t tell her now she would eventually have to tell her anyway and then Alice might think she was trying to deceiver her, which in a way Alex was.

“That’s very sweet and I would like that too,” Alex said fighting in her chair, Alice didn’t know the half of how bad she wanted that. “But you may not after I tell you this.” She had grabbed a scone out of the basket and examined it. Part of her wanted to just take a bit out of it right now, use it as an excuse to drop the whole topic right now but no this had to be like a band aid just pull it right off and endure the pain.

“You see I wasn’t always like this,” Alex said. “I couldn’t read minds and whatever, I was always intuitive and could always knew if people were lying and whatever, but I wasn’t telepathic by any stretch. I was a pretty week psychic and could have probably lived my life without anyone ever knowing I was one. That wasn’t enough for my parents though. They wanted me to have a normal life and not have this stigma. They eventually found this doctor, Doctor Eugene Woolsey junior, who apparently had some experience with my condition. He promised my family with this gene treatment he would remove my psychicness.” She paused and let out a small trouble, she couldn’t believe her parents could be so naïve as to believe him, but then again she belived him too. “He lied to them and actually performed this experimental procedure on me, some sort of retrovirus thing, it almost killed me and I was comatose for a few hours, when I woke up my powers were had fully emerged and were getting more powerful by the hour. But…” Alex trailed off again that whole incident wasn’t the part that Alex figured would upset Alice, but instead the part she was just about to add. “It changed me in other ways too. As in I dind’t always look like this. Before this. I-I-I was.” She took a deep breath, it was like she was about to dive off a cliff or something. “I wasn’t exactly a girl… if you know what I mean.”
 
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