Oh For the Love of Tea...Biscuits

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Tiland Kortun"]

The Sphaera Tea Shoppe had been open for quite a few weeks now. And already business had been booming. Not so much for sales taken within the store by guests wanting to have a cup or two, but moreso by people ordering her specialized teas by the pallet or boxful.

And specialized they were, for there was hardly anything usual about the Sphaera teas. Each tea had not only a unique taste, but also a unique gift. Some could heal, some could kill, some could empower and some could subdue. Each tea was carefully crafted for such a purpose in mind that only Kay was aware of. Hired hands were sent off to dangerous corners of the Galaxy in order to gather rare ingredients that could be put to a unique purpose.

Books lined a shelf the back room, some of them old testiments and tomes, each of them held there for study. One of these days she'll have poured through every page, but not yet.

There were cookies to bake as well. Darkside cookies were the first that she put up for offer. And right now she was working on a Lightside variety. It all boiled down to the right flavouring...

Kay came into the shoppe from the back room, all covered in stray puffs of flour on her apron. Her other two staff members were off this day, so she couldn't have herself distracted for long, lest she lose a customer. She glanced over the cafe portion of the shoppe, not spotting anyone just yet and then put on a kettle to brew herself a cup.

Sapir tea. It was always her favourite.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="Kay Arenais"]

Where there was tea, Tiland would eventually find his way to it. Especially when it was crafted and brewed by an old friend that he had lost contact with. Not that such a thing was unusual by any means. He wandered too much to stay in contact with anyone for long. Perhaps that was something he would resolve in his old age. The thought struck him for a moment and he considered. Even his uncle, an Anzati assassin's guildmaster and Sith Lord, had retired in his old age. Would it be wrong for him to do the same? There were Force traditions that encouraged such a lifestyle. One rooted in one place to provide refuge and shelter to those in their community. Yet another prompting from the Force nudged him forward again and he shrugged. He would travel where the Force willed.

Leaning the staff against his shoulder, he pushed open the door and stepped in, lightly pulling the door closed behind him. A smile stretched across his face when he saw Kay. "Ah, my young friend. What a delight to see you again."

The staff echoed briefly on the floor as he swept inside and leaned it in a corner before turning back to her. "Have you added baking to your repertoire as well, m'dear?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Tea making was at times a delicate art. However Kay had done it so often that she could easily do it in her sleep. Whether or not she had actually accomplished it though was anyone's guess. Maybe [member="Veiere Arenais"] would know. But the two of them were hardly on the same planet anymore, let alone in the same sector of space. Maybe one day she'll ask.

Kay brought out the dried Sapir leaves from it's pouch, crumpling them into the cup while she waited for the water to boil. It didn't take too long, especially as her mind was preoccupied.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention. She looked up from her cup and smiled as [member="Tiland Kortun"] walked in. "Well isn't this a nice surprise." She was quick to round the counter and approach him, all the while dusting off the bits of flour as he commented on her baking. "I have added some baking, yes. Customers started asking for it, so I figured that I'd give it a try. Come and sit. I just started making some Sapir tea. Can I offer you a cup?" It had been some time since she had seen the man. No doubt they had some catching up to do. Although she had hoped to keep the focus off of her as much as possible. There were some things that she didn't want to discuss. Recent events had been too painful.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="Kay Arenais"]

"Indeed?" Tiland asked, taking a seat and resting his hands on the table. "Sapir tea? I would be delighted." He adjusted the strap of his satchel at his shoulder and set it down at the feet of the chair. "How has business been with your tea shop?" He adjusted his robes a but further and settled more comfortably into the chair. "I had not considered taking on baking. Hard to do that while moving around all the time."

Yet there was something off about her. She was different than he had remembered and he clasped his hands in front of him, resting his chin on his knuckles. Something in her mind and gaze was not what it had been before. They were deflecting something, but away from her or away from him, he could not say. Such was the delicate dance that they had to walk.

"Tell me, Kay, what have you been doing since our paths last crossed?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay bowed her head as [member="Tiland Kortun"] took her suggestion for tea. She turned and headed back behind the counter while he sat down and began asking her questions. Given that it was just the two of them in the entire shop, it was quite easy to hear him. And so she responded in kind while she prepared more Sapir leaves in a second cup. "The tea shop is doing well. Or rather the company itself is faring better. People are buying the teas by the pallet, if you can believe it. Who knew that my unique teas would catch on like that?"

The kettle was ready and so she carefully picked it up and poured the hot water into the cups. "I can imagine that baking wouldn't be so easy while you're on the move. But you'd find some great ingredients, I'm sure."

After the kettle was replaced, she carried both cups over to his table and set them down. Then she pulled out a chair for herself and sat down. Tiland's question caught her a bit by surprise. But of course she was quick to give a very basic answer. "Oh just a bit of this and that. I'm out of politics now so that I could run this little tea company. You could say that it's my retirement." The tea was not yet steeped, but she cupped her hands around the cup anyways. "What about you?"

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="Kay Arenais"]

"Ah, excellent, then." Tiland murmured, cupping his hand around the mug of tea and peering into its depths. Good color, distinct swirls as the tea wafted through the hot water. He inhaled deeply, absorbing its scent, and contemplating it for several minutes before at last nodding his head and taking a small sip. This he took several moments to full experience the flavor before nodding. "And this too is excellent."

"And indeed!" He gave a broad smile. "I am surprised that there are those who would buy teas by the pallet. They must be major distributors. Congratulations on such a success."

He set the cup of tea back on the table and held his hands loosely around it. "True, I could find such ingredients much as I do for my teas while I travel, but I lack the experience to bake as carefully as I curate my tea blends."

"And how is retirement treating you? I have never managed to settle down long enough to retire."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay watched [member="Tiland Kortun"] as he sampled her tea. His love of tea almost matched her own, as hers was a full blown addiction. "Thank you. Sapir is my favourite."

At the mention of her tea being bought by major distributers, she tilted her head to the side a bit. "Actually you'd be surprised. Most of my buyers either run weapons companies or casinos. You see, some of my teas have special side effects. Take the Sapir tea for example...it soothes the drinker with a sense of calm. Others can heal, promote good health, act as a truth serum, provides focus, and one even numbs out Force abilities. There is just so much that can be done with the right kinds of herbs and roots." Some could kill as well, but she didn't openly talk about those.

She took a sip of her own tea as it was steeped in the way that she liked it. "I learned how to bake when I was raising the twins with Veiere. We spent a lot of time at the Estate during their youth. So that gave me plenty of time."

As Tiland questioned her retirement, Kay couldn't help but shrug her shoulders a little. "It's different. Most don't know where I am or that I'm even alive, so that's all for the best. It keeps politics away from me. I've been in it's clutches for far too long. No good comes from it now." She's made far too many mistakes for her to even forgive herself with. Too many had died because of her and she made a promise to herself to not let that happen again.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="Kay Arenais"]

"Indeed! I can see why," Tiland agreed, cupping the cup in his ancient hands and leaning back in the chair. As she spoke, however, he grew serious. Had she weaponized tea? It was certainly a possibility when it came to herbs and spices. They certainly had the capability to be put to such a purpose. He had even worked on developing a kind of his own. Tea imbued with the Light side of the Force to help heal and counteract Sith poison, but that was still a healing herb.

"Very clever use of tea, I must say," he said after a moment. "Would not have thought of selling to weapon companies or casinos in bulk." He considered and ran a hand through his beard. "I fear it would lose too much of the personal touch that I prefer. Harder to know what each individual requires that way."

He nodded and took another slow sip. "Ah, that is good then. And how are the twins these days? Do they know you're here still?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

"I can't be too picky these days. A customer is a customer, afterall. No matter where they hail from or what their profession is." It wasn't as though she had another income. Yes [member="Veiere Arenais"] would support her financially if she asked for it, but Kay didn't feel as though she deserved it. Those credits were of better use for their children or for helping others in the Galaxy. She was beyond all of that now. Isolation was the better option. It was safer for everyone involved.

Kay sipped her tea as [member="Tiland Kortun"] asked about her children. "I believe they are well. Veiere gave me a bit of an update not long ago. He said that he was going to tell them that I was here, though I imagine that they are quite busy with their own lives. They thought that I was dead, the same thing that I thought about them. Having to readjust isn't so easy. And given that I prefer if most don't know that I survived, reaching out to them or traveling to wherever they are wouldn't be so wise. So I'll just wait for them to come here." Not to mention the fact that she no longer had her own ship. Public transport was her only possible route these days and that wasn't really the wisest option either.

If anything it was paranoia that kept her on Altiria. It also contributed to many of her teas as well.

What has kept you busy these days?"

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="Kay Arenais"]

Tiland considered for a moment and then nodded. "Indeed, I suppose that would be sensible. Tea is the great binder of society and peaceful gatherings after all. It is best to be shared."

He cupped his hands around the mug again and felt the heat relax into his muscles and he settled more comfortably into the seat and listened. "That is good then. Though I suspect they might prefer it more if such things came from you." He gave a gentle smile. "But what do I know of such things after all?" He shrugged it away and took another slow drink of the tea.

As she asked her question, he shrugged and waved it off. "Oh you know, traveling around, some teaching. Not much else." It was a bit of an understatement, but it worked for him. He'd fought the Sith Emperor, but that was not much of a big deal. Nothing was particiularly accomplished there, save for the prevention of Sisio's destruction. And far more people had a larger role in that than he did.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay fidgeted with her fingernails as [member="Tiland Kortun"] spoke of the twins wanting to hear from her first. [member="Veiere Arenais"] had said as much too, and in some way she knew that they were right.

But she wasn't ready. Both physically and mentally she wasn't prepared. This place was her secret and she had hoped to keep it that way for as long as possible. It was safer that way. Too many had died because of her anyways. Lori might be more understanding of her decision, but [member="Caedyn Arenais"] was another story. He was already mad at her when he came upon her at an apartment complex of a space station. He made it very clear to her that he wanted his own life without having her around. And who could blame him? "Veiere can do it when he has the time. I don't expect that they'd be on a mad dash to see me."

"Hiding from your family as well, Kay-Kay? What don't you hide from these days?"

The voice of Mayhem startled her. Of course only she could hear it. Kay gestured towards Tiland. "I'm with a customer right now. So please go back to your experiments." She shook her head a little, having no idea that Mayhem wasn't actually there. "Sorry about that. Mayhem can be quite...intrusive when he wants to be." And annoying. But what did she expect from an enemy that delighted in tormenting her?