estoria | ☠Second Reel: Tea for two [Closed]

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☠Second Reel: Tea for two [Closed]

Who: Grell/

unionjackoff
When: Backdated to Nov 9th
Where: Some tea place that may have seating
What: Grell insisted they meet for tea. Arthur suggested they meet at this place.
Rating/Warning: PN for Prickly Nations

From what Grell could see on her map, there were a number of tea shops in this world. Whether or not they were of any quality was up to her to decide. If she planned to accept bribes from her future pupils, she had to make sure they were giving her good quality items. What was the point of giving her cheap tea for a passing grade?

Right now, she was waiting in front of one tea shop Arthur had suggested, wearing a biker styled black jacket (with a collar that didn't hide her neck tattoo), a short red dress, black leggings, and her usual shoes. Her CereVice was currently keeping her occupied during her wait, but she was using the time wisely. She was scanning over some codes she developed in an attempt to "get to know the system better", and from time to time, she was typing in or deleting codes.

Grell looked around for her tea date, in case she got too absorbed in her work. Nope, no familiar head of blonde hair just yet. She'll try again in a few more minutes.

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Thank everything England had a scarf when he was transported to this world. Not because he was particularly cold, but the bruising from Russia still had not faded from around his neck. He healed faster than humans did, but their fight had happened only a few days prior, so the scarf covered those marks. He didn't want to talk about the incident, and didn't want anyone asking questions. It was easier just to hide them.

Aside from the scarf, he was wearing his coat, nice slacks, and comfortable loafers. England picked Grell out of the crowd immediately, thanks to those bright red locks, and made his way over to her.

"Good afternoon," he said, giving her a tiny smile. He was still a bit intimidated by her, but England wanted to get to know her better. He had to. She was one of his, and he was making it his duty to find his citizens and protect them from whatever fate Cerealia had in store for them next.

Grell peeled her eyes away from her work and smiled brightly to him, waving a hand in his direction. She pocketed her device into her tote bag.

"Good afternoon~! So nice to meet you in person!" His style did not go unnoticed by her, as her eyes did roam over his attire, not at all shy to do so. "You're looking rather dapper!" . She turned her gaze to the shop they were to explore. "Have you been here before?"

Dapper! That was a word England had not heard used to describe him in a long time. Very rarely did he dress up anymore. Even now, he was wearing an old cardigan underneath the nicer jacket. He almost never kept up his appearance unless he was meeting with royals, and occasionally for world meetings. Most of the time, England just liked to be comfortable, and more often than not comfortable meant untidy.

His cheeks reddened when she boldly raked her eyes over him and he cleared his throat nervously. "N-no, not yet. A friend told me it was here and let me sample some tea she had bought. This is the first time I'm checking it out for myself."

Most of the company she keeps wouldn't ever dress as he did. They have a hard time keeping their shirts either on or closed. They also didn't believe in trousers like the pair Arthur has. Hence, dapper.

She was also not unaware of her bold nature, and how it made him a tad uncomfortable. It was an affect that proved valuable during the best and worst of times. Her smile was still there, as friendly as ever. Well, as friendly as it got with such sharp teeth.

"Well, it must have been good enough for you to inspect it further! Shall we, then?"

Even when they were talking over the CereVice, England had noticed those teeth. They were so strange, all pointed like that. It was a jarring image. He would not bring them up, but he did wonder how they came to be that way. Was Grell born with teeth like that, or had she had them all filed to points? Well, it was none of his business, anyway.

He gave her a crisp nod and they entered the tea shop together. England recalled the job information he'd been given upon his arrival; if he liked it here, he should consider asking for a job. He was going to need money, eventually, and working would make it look like he was conforming to CERES' rules. He could make this job part of his plan.

"The tea I tried was quite delicious. I can't remember the blend off the top of my head, because it wasn't something I'd had before. But I was impressed."

Upon entering, there were at least two entire walls dedicated to shelves upon shelves of various teas, along with a couple of ladders to access the ones placed on higher shelves. There were also tables set up for customers to enjoy their purchases, and a case by the register to house finger foods to accompany their drinks. A few patrons were already occupying some tables.

"Perhaps you could describe it to one of the staff? They should know their own wares. Or we could explore something new!"

Grell went over to a random shelf and browsed a few teas before picking up an interesting one called Matinee. She held it up for Arthur to see. "Something like this? It seems interesting."

"I don't mind trying something new when tea is involved," England replied, glancing over the description of the tea Grell chose. This place was fancy, and he was actually pleasantly surprised. "That looks good for now." He would look at the more herbal blends later.

This could definitely be a shop she would be frequenting. Grell gave a nod at Arthur's approval. "Then I'll just bring this to the register and get things started. Could you grab a table for us, dear?"

England gave her another nod and then went to do just that. He managed to find a table in the back that wasn't hidden, but was away from the register and the doors that led to the noisy shopping district. It would be quiet, a good place for a conversation.

There was a menu to peruse, filled with little snacks, like miniature sandwiches and cakes and cookies, things to go with the tea. Looking at the foods made England feel homesick, but he decided he would order something from there anyway, when Grell returned. He had no idea what would go well with the blend she suggested, so it would be best to taste the tea first, by itself, and then order snacks accordingly.

After searching around for where Arthur had chosen their seating and spotting him, Grell carefully walked over with their beverages on a tray. The cups and saucers were simply white, holding a fresh batch of tea. There was also a gold bell sitting on the tray. Grell took extra care to not trip along the way, so it was taking a while for her to arrive. The tray was set down without a mishap, however, much to her relief.

"They gave us samples of the tea, and if we like it, we can purchase it." She set the cups on the table, with one in front of Arthur. "The bell is for refills."

She sat across from her, setting the tray aside and took hold of her cup, smelling its aroma. A sweet scent that wasn't too overpowering.

"Samples," England repeated once Grell was sitting. "How civilized of them." That was a plus for this shop. He took his own cup to smell it, but wanted it to steep a little longer before diving in. It was pleasant, and not cloying. He felt relaxed for the moment.

"The menu looks promising too. I'm thinking of ordering the cucumber sandwich."

"Oh?" Grell opened the menu, surprised at the array of items to choose from. "I don't think I've had any of these in quite some time." Her eyes lingered on the page at hand before turning. During her four year stay in another world, she hadn't ever felt homesick until now.

But why now?

"I think I'll go with an apple tart," Grell stated after a few quiet moments.

That was an interesting tone. England had only heard Grell when she was at her most confident. He lifted his gaze so that he could look at her curiously.

"Everything all right?"

Grell gave a blink, not thinking that her thoughts were so easily read by her actions, before giving a wry smile.

"I hadn't known what I had missed until it was presented with flavors and prices." She lifted the menu slightly, gesturing to its items. "Come to think of it, I probably hadn't had time to notice."

The prices were rather steep. It was because this was a specialty shop. Just another reason that he should work there, England considered. Imagine the discounts!

"I know how that goes," he said sympathetically, sitting back in his chair. His hands remained around the cup, keeping him warm. "Things have been pretty busy here."

Considering Grell came back from a shopping trip, spending not only most of her stipend, but also some of her husband's, Grell didn't live a cheap lifestyle. Even her wedding ring, which she showed off with ungloved hands, was covered in a mix of diamonds and rubies. Her husband knew of her high tastes.

She set the menu down, opting to take up her tea. "How long have you been here? I don't believe I asked you."

He considered her question and then pulled out his CereVice to locate the calendar. He'd been making notes there. Brief ones, ones that didn't give out too much information. He put in some names, or words that would jog his memory. Otherwise, England kept the records in the device short and sweet. If he needed to make more elaborate notes, he used a pen and paper and hid them away in a drawer in his apartment. "Hm, October nineteenth," he said as he swiped the application away. "It feels like it's been longer."

"Try four years. It felt like forever and a half!" With a sigh, she took a sip of the tea. It was a lovely blend, and very original. She wouldn't have thought green tea and caramel would go so well together.

"I wonder how long my stay will be here, and if I'll ever see London again or my husband's world."

London. England's heart. It ached when she said the word. If only he could feel it the way he used to. Was it really all gone? Had the world really been destroyed by the Flamines, or was CERES lying? England hoped to find the answer soon.

"Where was your husband from?" he asked, trying to move the subject along. England did not care to argue about who had been away from home longer, or rather, how long it felt and who needed to go back more. That was pointless. He brought the cup to his lips to finally take a sip and was pleased at how hot it was. It was also delicious, subtly sweet. He wondered if America would like it. England would purchase some on the way out.

"A world where life is spent upon the seas, free as the wind. I'm not sure I could get acclimated to such an environment without him there, but at least I'll have a place to live if I end up there."

A trip there proved that she'd at least not be alone, or lonely. In the interim, she hailed a waiter to put in their orders for the cucumber sandwich and an apple tart. Once done, she turned her attention back to Arthur.

"I should introduce you to him, sometime, if you haven't stumbled upon him already."

A life upon the seas. The first thing England thought of was a pirate, since those days had been such a big part of his life. Though, he supposed there could be other professions that spent the majority of their time at sea. Sailors, whalers. But were those people free as the wind? He would probably ask about it later, if the subject continued in this direction.

"You mean he's here?" England quirked an eyebrow.

There was a nod at his question. "Blonde hair, which reminds you of a certain tropical fruit, blue eyes, an open shirt that cannot stay closed, with a large tattoo on his chest." She then pointed to her own tattoo, which was modified so the crescent not made a connected circle. "He has this one. One could hardly miss those features."

Edited (found the proper image!) 2015-02-07 06:32 (UTC)

England considered the description as he drank his tea. He tried to think about people he had run into during the incident. Could he have beaten up Grell's husband? Probably not, if he was some kind of pirate who ran around with his shirt opened. Then there was that post he made on the network...

"I might have seen him," he said. "I've met a number of people in the past few days. Though there was some time where I was not in the best frame of mind. You said he's from a different world from your own, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct." Grell was sure that Marco wouldn't hesitate to know as much about this world and its inhabitants as soon as he...could stop trying to troll people. Bless his heart.

"To make a long story short, this isn't my first trip to a world unlike my own. Someone messing around with time cause quite a mess we had to clean up. There is another whom I know who ended up here. A grouchy pink chameleon." Taking another sip, Grell set down her cup. "I'll have to introduce you properly to either of them, in any case."

Grell steepled her fingers together with a light smile. "You said there were others here from our homeland, but how about from your world, in general?"

A chameleon? As in, one of those lizard-things? Now, why would anyone want to talk about England's home when there apparently was a pink chameleon running around? Why couldn't they stay on that subject? England wanted to know about Grell's travels, who she met, what she did.

But she seemed determined to ask him about himself. He sighed and gave her a small smirk. "My world is boring compared to what you just described, miss Sutcliff."

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☠Second Reel: Tea for two [Closed]

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