#Fruity French Earl Grey Black Tea

[bicyclepainting]

redacted characters and their coffee orders

(my qualifications are that i am a barista [however i am a starbucks barista so it will be a bit biased towards that])

thank u to @calicostorms for giving me the idea to make this post :-)

will include explanations of drinks bc coffeeshop lingo and starbucks isnt always common knowledge

shaw pack

david- black coffee (probably a dark roast as it has a stronger (more bitter) taste), on hot days or days when he needs more caffeine he will get black cold brew (cold brew is coffee brewed with cold water instead of hot and uses a steeping process thats around 12-24 hours), will occasionally get an iced green tea in the afternoon

asher- shots of espresso (concentrated form of coffee) with a different kind of flavored syrup and milk combination every time

milo- iced black tea, maybe an americano (shots of espresso with water)

solaire clan

vincent- vanilla latte, hot or iced depending on day, but usually hot (a latte is shots of espresso with steamed milk)

sam- black coffee but a blonde roast (lighter/smoother flavor and has more caffeine than dark/medium roasts)

william- french press coffee (coffee brewed with hot water and steeps grounds for a few minutes, has a reputation of being ~fancy~)

DAMN crew

gavin- iced passion tango tea with lemonade (passion tango tea is a fruity/florally tea), possibly a flat white (basically a latte but with less foam)

damien- chai latte (traditionally chai is made by boiling chai leaves in boiling milk/water, it is a black tea that has a spicy sweet flavor)

huxley- matcha latte (matcha powder with a small amount of water and milk, matcha powder is a fine powder made of ground up green tea leaves), maybe with added vanilla to make it sweeter

lasko- earl grey tea (black tea with a citrus flavor), probably with some kind of alternative milk (id say soy milk)

office boys

aaron- LOVES all the little seasonal flavors, pumpkin especially. aaron and his lil pumpkin spice latte is so real and personal

ollie- hot chocolate, caffeine makes him too jittery

ivan- caramel cold brew

Etc.

avior- royal english breakfast tea latte (royal english breakfast is a black tea and has notes of toast and honey, the latte has added steamed milk and sugar)

vega- does not partake in human drinks even for the sake of this post, sorry <3

elliott- iced coffee with sugar, but no cream (maybe an iced americano with sugar)

geordi- decaf hazelnut latte

marcus- cappuccino (latte but with more foam)

james- coffee with two added shots of espresso and a splash of cream

#this was so fun to do #redacted asmr #not tagging each character god bless #if any of these characters have canonically different orders that i forgot about that is none of my business #this is based purely on vibe #redacted audio

[xcjkt]

Attack on Titan Characters and their coffee shop orders

—contents: What I think (as a barista) the Attack on Titan characters would order and their preferred coffee shops

—warnings: none!

—contains: Eren, Armin, Connie, Levi, Erwin, Mikasa, Sasha, Hangë

SFW

Eren

He would 100% only go to Starbucks because that’s the only coffee shop he actually knows. Scooters? isn’t that the thing that hurts your ankles? Dunkin? that’s basketball.

Venti Veranda Blend. No flavors, no cream, no sugar. Just a straight black coffee. Why? he’s a weirdo.

He would only go inside because the thought of talking to someone through an intercom is mind boggling to him.

He would be a neutral regular, he wouldn’t complain but wouldn’t engage in small talk and be on his phone while waiting for his coffee.

Armin

Dunkin is his preferred shop, but he’s open to trying all different kinds of shops with friends. He likes the simplicity of customizing his drinks.

Large iced mocha latte with 5 mocha and 4 liquid cane sugar. A worker told him the liquid cane sugar was easier to mix into drinks than granulated sugar and he only orders it with LCS now to make the baristas lives so much easier.

He would go inside so he can sit and read a book while drinking his latte. He doesn’t mind the drive thru but going inside makes him feel closer to the baristas.

He would be the super kind and charismatic regular, everyone knew his order and would something give it to him for free. He would only come in when they’re slow to avoid being a hassle during a rush.

Connie

He would go anywhere that sold coffee, BUT he also go to Dunkin because of the simplicity of ordering drinks.

Large iced americano with an extra shot of espresso with 10 sugar 10 cream, 10 french vanilla. He hates the taste of just straight espresso/watered down espresso but needs the energy.

He would go through the drive thru unless he was with friends doing separate orders. He may be stupid when it comes to ordering but Armin taught him that separate orders in drive thru can be a struggle for workers and it stuck with him.

He would be the regular that makes funny voices or impressions when ordering. He would order at the intercom in a really bad british accent and when he gets to the window he would be australian. (little does he know that EVERYONE knows it’s him when he pulls up)

Levi

He would go to a local tea shop. He would never be caught in a corporate store, he’s a huge supporter in local businesses.

Large hot Earl Grey tea. He likes the bitterness and needs something to laugh at when Erwin takes a drink of his tea.

He would go inside because the shops he goes to doesn’t have drive thru.

He would be the quiet regular. He wouldn’t complain or fight with the new people when they don’t know his order immediately. He would make small talk with the cashier but never enough to consider each other friends.

Erwin

He would go to scooters. BUT only the drive thru only ones. He doesn’t like the music coffee shops play and doesn’t want to be seen ordering what he orders or even heard saying it from strangers.

Small blended caramelicious with extra caramel. Nothing about ordering the drink is even remotely embarrassing but please imagine Erwin Smith (COMMANDER OF THE SCOUTS, may i remind you ) saying “may i please have a small iced caramelicious?” and not laugh even a little.

He would only go through drive thru due to embarrassment of his drink.

He would be the regular that all the new hires swoon over, they would love his deep voice and muscular build. But when they get to know him go straight head over heels for him and flirt with him. And he would totally flirt back if they were of age.

Mikasa

She would go everywhere that sold coffee. She would not have a preference.

She would always get something new to see how everything on the menu taste. Though she does have a preference for fruity drinks and lemonades.

She would go inside because she likes the aesthetic of being the mysterious girl in the coffee shop everyone wants to get to know at least once.

She would be the regular who was overly sweet. Would never complain on how long it took to make her drink and if the cashier had a bad attitude (“maybe they’re having a rough shift/day. I have to give them some slack.”) Everyone would love her.

Sasha

She would go to Starbucks, only because she is literally in love with their birthday cake pops.

She would order an Iced Peach tea Lemonade and six birthday cake pops. (and eat each one in the shop) Coffee is the bane of her existence and the taste is too gross for her.

She would go inside just so she can stare at the food in the display case and smile.

She is the reason the Starbucks closest to her house orders extra birthday cake pops on their truck. She comes every single day and always smiles at the sight of the baristas handing them to her. Everyone loves her energy that she brings and always wonders where she’s at if she hasn’t come in by 10 am.

Hangë

They would go to all the local coffee shops with Levi, and sometimes pay for his order.

A large hot french vanilla latte. They loves french vanilla. (Levi claims they smell like french vanilla all the time, little does he know it’s their perfume from Bath and Body Works)

They would go inside with Levi and always beg to stay and sit to drink their drinks and chat about work.

They would be the regular that was never seen alone and always brought a smile to everyone’s face. They would never complain about wait times and always tip the baristas more than what their order costed.

HI HI!!! I’ve been working at (undisclosed coffee shop) for about 3 years now and have a love for the art/craft of coffee and coffee making. i think it’s such a neat thing. anyways, i projected one of my regulars onto connie. They ALWAYS come through the drive thru with 8 people in his mini van and talk in really bad british accents. It’s gotten to the point where when he see his car pull up to the intercom we just “ITS CHEWSDAY INNIT LUV” and tell him to pull forward. We know his order, it never changes. Love you fake british dude <3

#levi ackerman #attack on titan #armin arlert #snk #xcjkt #mikasa ackerman #eren yeager #erwin smith #sasha braus #connie springer #coffeshop #headcanon #actual barista

[mona-liar]

How so you make cold tea taste good?? Help a girl out here

Of course! Here's how I do black, green and red berry/fruit tea in summer (keep in mind that I don't like my drinks too sweet, so you might want to add more honey if it's too bitter for you).

Also, I prepare my iced/cold teas in advance and this way always have a prepared ration at hand in my fridge. It doesn't take more time than regular tea to actually prepare it, but you have to take into account the extended resting time).

Loose leaf tea is the way to go. I try not to be a snob here, but I cannot imagine this working too well with bagged tea and the few times I tried in the beginning, it ended up tasting like sludge.

Cold black tea with milk (750mL):

take a non-insulated bottle you can screw shut

put 6-8 teaspoons of black tea leaves in the bottle

fill the rest up with cold water

shake thoroughly

put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferrably overnight

it should have the same colour as the tea brewed hot, or at least a similar one

strain the entire thing into another container (you can use either a coffee pour-over, a normal strainer or just mix the entire thing in a french press from the very beginning if you have a big fridge)

add milk to taste, but keep in mind that you'll need less than for regular hot black tea, bc the tea is less strong in flavour anyway

I recommend keeping the cold brewed tea in the fridge and add the milk directly into your glass/cup. I have no idea how milk reacts if mixed with tea and stored cold for longer amounts of time. It's possible it spoils or changes taste.

I guess it's possible to add honey, but it won't dissolve as well as with hot tea

Iced black tea (750mL):

750mL of black tea brewed hot (Blend of your choice. I personally use Earl Grey, but I imagine Darjeeling or more fruity blends would work as well, I just haven't tried any yet.)

4 cL lemon juice

1-2 cL elderflower syrup

1-2 tablespoons of honey

1 heat resistant, non-insulated bottle for 750mL which you can screw close

Let the black tea cool down a bit (it should still be fairly warm though) (I leave the tea in for this part bc I like it strong, but I guess taking it out after the regulated "brewing time" on the package is enough, even with this ratio of other ingredients).

Strain out the tea leaves

Pour the lemon juice, syrup and honey into the bottle and add the warm black tea

Shake the closed bottle like a bartender so all ingredients are dissolved, especially the honey.

Put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours (or until it's cold enough to your liking)

Cold green tea (330mL):

take a closed, non-insulated bottle you can screw shut

put 3-4 teaspoons of green tea leaves in the bottle

I personally really enjoy a mango green tea mix, but any regular green tea has worked so far

fill the rest up with cold water

shake thoroughly

put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferrably overnight

it should have a slight green-ish colour

strain the entire thing into another container (you can use either a coffee pour-over, a normal strain or just mix the entire thing in a french press from the very beginning if you have a big fridge)

Ta-Da!

I drink it just like that, but I can imagine a bit of diluted lemon juice and honey will taste good as well (even though, again, you might have a harder time dissolving the honey than if it were hot)

cold red berry/fruit tea (330mL):

take a non-insulated bottle you can screw shut

put 3-4 teaspoons of your loose tea blend of choice in the bottle

fill the rest up with cold water

shake thoroughly

put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferrably overnight

it should be very red at this point, especially when held against the light

strain the entire thing into another container (you can use either a coffee pour-over, a normal strain or just mix the entire thing in a french press from the very beginning if you have a big fridge)

Ta-Da!

I wouldn't add anything at this point bc my red tea has an incredibly strong flavour in and of itself, but you can experiment however you want!

There are the ones I make for myself, but I've been told Jasmin tea and white tea also taste really nice when brewed cold. And I personally re-use glass bottles I already own bc I have less qualms about keeping drinks in there for longer periods of time and it looks nicer than in plastic or anything else.

#Oof these became much longer and detailed than I originally thought #but I don't know how detailled my explaination should be? Anyway I hope it helps #also keep in mind that I live in Germany so these ratios and tea blends etc... might differ considering whatever is available for you #I specify the non-insulated bottle part #bc the first time I was stupid and thought myself really smart #bc I wanted to take the tea with me but keep it cold #and I did all of this in a big thermos #so guess who wasted a ton of energy and was greeting with still incredibly hot tea come morning? #exactly: me. I'm a fucking dumbass #anyway keep this to yourself okay?

[carewyncromwell]

OC emoji ask: 👁 🥞 🍩 ☕️ 💐 🍁 👖 ☁️ 🌟 for Ed, Desiree, Eli, and Bairn.

Somanyquestionsmyheart -- 😭

👁️ EYE - what colour are their eyes? do people notice their eyes? is there anything special about them (shows emotion easily, literally magical...)?

Ed's eyes are a bright blue than can be both boyish and shining when they’re happy and stony and unreadable when they’re not. Many of his more starry-eyed fans find his eyes incredibly dreamy...and so did Regulus, back in the day. 😉💚

Desiree's are a bright, gleaming black. When she's excited, they resemble a child's on Christmas. 

Eli's eyes are hazel with flecks of green and gold, depending on the light. It's the one trait he inherited from his mother that none of his siblings did -- his resemblance to his late mother is a large part of the reason why his father Grover has had such a difficult time accepting Eli's gender identity.

Bairn's eyes are blue. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and I'd say Merlin @magical-retales would agree, since for as strong and masculine as Bairn looks, his eyes are incredibly gentle, and he's an open book emotionally through those eyes for anyone with a talent for Legilimency.

🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast?

Ed really likes sweet pastries, so things like donuts, sugar-dusted crepes, or even churros would be right up his alley.

One of Desiree's favorite foods in general are croissants, so that plus a cup of Earl Grey tea and some fresh fruit? Yes. Just yes.

Eli isn't the type to care about what foods should be eaten for breakfast versus lunch or dinner, so he's just as likely to eat steak and French Fries for breakfast as he is bacon and eggs. That being said, though, he does usually have to eat quite a bit of carbs to get through a bad hangover, so toast is often his go-to.

During the Renaissance, it was most common for Londoners to eat bread, cold meat, and ale for breakfast. Bairn himself, however, often ends up roast any meat he has for breakfast -- most notably fish or venison -- so that it's nice, hot, and crispy, since he sometimes will share some of his breakfast with his dragon familiar Morag.

🍩 DONUT - favourite sweet treat?

Ed's one true love is cheesecake. He's not picky about its supposed "quality," he will indulge in some if he gets the chance.

Desiree really isn't a sweets connoisseur, largely because in her household, the Lestranges really didn't have many of them around, so she's not used to eating them and even now doesn't tend to gravitate toward them. While traveling, however, she did try ice cream for the first time (strawberry, specifically), and she really enjoyed it. Fruity flavors in general tend to be up Desiree's alley more than anything chocolate or sugary -- if you want to try to tempt her "sweet tooth," put fruit in it or make it fruit-flavored.

Eli really loves custards and puddings, though when he gets to the States, he develops a liking for Muggle Jello. He loves playing with it and watching it wiggle as he eats it.

Bairn also tends to prefer fruit to sugars or chocolates, largely because in his time period, chocolate is still rather new and way more bitter than it is today. Fresh fruit preserves are actually one of his favorite foods, especially plums.

☕️ HOT BEVERAGE - do they prefer hot or cold drinks? what is their favourite drink?

Ed likes sweet coffee blends best, especially the kinds with lots of foam. One of his personal favorites is the white chocolate mocha.

Desiree is a tea person through and through -- Earl Grey is her go-to.

Eli really enjoys butterbeer, preferably cold, as well as root beer and Coca Cola.

Bairn's all about the Scottish Whiskey, baby! Though hot apple cider is great on cold nights.

💐 BOUQUET - create a bouqet for them! what do those flowers mean? are any of the flowers their particular favourite?

Ed would need some yellow crocuses for his bouquet, while Desiree would need some purple irises. As I said in this post, yellow crocuses represent rebirth, innocence, joy, cheer, positivity, and new beginnings, while irises represent faith, hope, courage, admiration, and wisdom. 

For Eli, I pick the daffodil. They represent rebirth and new beginnings (fitting, considering his storyline), as well as hope, youth, energy, creativity, renewal, inspiration, and forgiveness. They are also the first flowers to bloom in spring, meaning they thrive despite very unforgiving circumstances, which associates them with strength and resilience. 

For Bairn...I pick lavender! They represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness, and their purple color associates them with royalty. Lavender is also frequently associated with its soothing, therapeutic scent and its healing properties. 

🍁 MAPLE LEAF - what is their favourite season? why?

Ed's a spring kind of guy -- he loves when the warmer weather comes back after a long chill, but he also likes going out to see some live music at a warm, cozy club on those dark, rainy nights.

Desiree also really enjoys the spring, largely because it's the best weather for traveling.

Eli isn't picky about the weather, but he loves the fall because fall means Halloween! And Halloween is one of his personal favorite American Muggle traditions.

Bairn enjoys the fall and spring best -- he enjoys the change of season in both directions, but he also finds both seasons the best compromise kind of weather to go out and do things.

👖 JEANS - what is their go-to outfit?

Ed ~ t-shirt, jeans, couduroy jacket, baseball cap, shades

Desiree ~ collared shirt with burgundy tie, burgundy culottes, tall boots, burgundy fedora, gold winged earrings

Eli ~ suit with the jacket left unbuttoned, collared shirt, loosely tied tie, argyle-printed socks (often yellow, blue, or red), black oxford shoes

Bairn ~ Renaissance peasant tunic, belt, breeches tucked into boots, hand-carved rune pendant on a cord around the neck

☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon

Just about all of the songs Ed has written, even back when he was still a teenager, were about the love of his life, Regulus. Even when he and Regulus couldn’t be as upfront about the nature of the feelings they had for each other, Ed would often write little songs to make Reg smile. 

One of Desiree’s go-to happy moments, whenever she has to summon a Patronus, is the first time she and her first friend and eventual other-half Jules Aquila @kathrynalicemc fully hugged each other. Jules had initiated a few casual hugs in the past and Desiree had awkwardly reciprocated them, but this moment in particular was after the Empyrean’s crew had gotten separated during a particularly hazardous adventure. When they all reunited again, Jules’s eyes were so bright at the sight of Desi and the others that Desiree couldn’t stop herself from running over to him and throwing her arms around him. Although a bit startled at first, Jules very quickly reciprocated, laughing in delight and relief, and the two hugged each other like they never wanted to let go again. 

One of Eli’s favorite films of all time is MGM’s The Wizard of Oz. Several times, while meeting child fans, he’d made them smile by cracking jokes and singing songs from the movie, especially If I Only Had a Brain, since the Scarecrow is his favorite character. 

Bairn may be an orphan raised by an abusive adoptive family, but small children are attracted to him like magnets. Even if at the very start, they might be afraid of his height and muscles, as soon as he gets down on their level and speaks to them in his measured, quiet voice, they pretty instantly take to him and will start gabbing away about what they’re interested in or about their home lives while Bairn patiently listens. (Bairn’s way with children is ultimately how Merlin and he adopted more than one of their kids. 😂) 

🌟 GLOWING STAR - what do they think about when they look at the night sky? is there someone they want to star gaze with?

Ed always thinks of Regulus, without fail. He has to find Regulus's star and make a wish on it every time he stargazes.

Desiree ends up stargazing a lot while on board the Empyrean with Jules. Whenever Jules asks her what she's thinking about, though, she doesn't respond like most people do -- rather than thinking of a person, her place in the world, or even the endless assortment of countries she could visit or adventures she could go on, she's usually stuck dwelling on something like how a star's chemical composition affects its electromagnetism. 🤣

Eli is one of those people who wouldn't want to stargaze with anyone, but rather do it when he wanted to be completely on his own and take some time to consider his overall insignificance, in the face of the rest of the universe.

Bairn would love to stargaze with Merlin!! 🥺 The stars are beautiful at night...he'd love to go out and look out at the stars!! He probably wouldn't talk much, but if Merlin wanted to talk while they stargazed, he'd listen. ❤️

Emoji Ask Game!

#emoji ask game #ed rosier #about ed #desiree lestrange #about desiree #eli fawcett #about eli #bairn macduran #about bairn

[tealovers]

Shop Loose Leaf Tea - TeaLovers

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Seeking to shop loose leaf tea in green tea varieties – Tea Lovers stocks a quality range of single origin green teas + flavoured green teas. Popular blends include; Lime & Coconut Green Tea, Cherry Pie Green Tea, Masala Chai Green Tea, Hawaiian Sunset Green Tea, Banana Strawberry Sencha, Japanese Lime, Jasmine Flowers Green Tea, Japanese Sencha, Milky Oolong, Tie Guan Yin Oolong, Chun Mee Moon, Japanese Genmaicha, Japanese Matcha, Organic Gunpowder and many more varieties to choose from.  

Seeking to shop loose leaf tea in black tea varieties – Tea Lovers stocks a quality range of single origin, English & flavoured black teas. Their most popular selling black teas include; Fruity French Earl Grey Black Tea, English Breakfast Superior, French Vanilla Black Tea, After Dinner Mint Black Tea, Cream Caramel Black Tea, Sinful Liquorice Black Tea, Sticky Honey Chai Black Tea, Dark Chocolate Ginger Black Tea, Australia Daintree Black Tea - plus many more exceptional black teas.

In Australia consumers motivation to shop loose leaf tea is a growing trend, especially among younger consumers. With the popularity and increased distribution of bubble tea stores such as ChaTime & GongCha, as well as specialty loose leaf tea store T2 – Australia’s love for tea and quality tea products is ever increasing. This increased awareness for tea and tea products has also made consumers more aware of different tea qualities – now opting and seeking higher quality loose leaf tea varieties as opposed to traditional store-bought tea bags. Consumers will also shop loose leaf tea as it is seen to be a more environmentally friendly alterative to mass produced teabags.

#Hawaiian Sunset Green Tea #Sinful Liquorice Black Tea #Australia Daintree Black Tea #Fruity French Earl Grey Black Tea #Shop loose leaf tea

[theplanetprince]

I'm not a big coffee person but I do think it's a really simple character exercise that tells me a lot of about a character. If I can imagine what a character would get at a coffee chain then I think I have a grip on what the character finds important. That being said--

Mr Lancer is trying to cut back on soely relying on caffeine to get through the day, so I think he would alternate from black coffee to like an earl grey tea.

Sam Manson, contrary to popular belief, I think she wouldn't just take her coffee straight. She typically takes pride in making it herself and is very particular about what goes into it-- so she wouldn't buy her coffee from anywhere. She likes a standard French vanilla blend with like some oat milk equvilant in it but nothing crazy.

Tucker meanwhile gets his coffee on the go. He gets it from the 99 cent machine at the mini mart-- he could care less about what goes in it as long as it's brewed beans baebee. He's got a paper due in two hours and he has a death wish. If he's not in hurry he would get like a mocha and a sandwich from dunkin donuts.

Val usually gets the same thing everytime. She leans more on the sweeter side, nothing too extravagant but she likes those drinks with the whip cream and flavored syrup on top, iced coffee, frappes are the go-to.

Jazz I think would like to present a calm and elegant aura so she says she likes green tea but if it's a bad day shes nursing Red Bull.

Dash doesn't like sweet things as a rule. He's on a diet bc sports. But you can't tell me this isn't the type of child who would order whatever fruity specialty drink that's available. I'm talking your unicorn frappes, im talking about your electric berries, I'm talking about your coffee order that would require research. This man is a blond smoked butterscotch latte. Its his cheat day okay, don't judge 💅💁‍♂️

Danny meanwhile trains himself to like black coffee bc it's cool and hip to do that. Or alternatively, he does like black coffee. Or even more alternatively, he takes his black coffee with two shots of blueberry flavoring bc there is something deeply wrong with him.

#txt #danny phantom #dp #coffee orders #long post #long post//

[ofmermaidstories]

What tea (or teas) is your favorite? Are there any you would recommend? I recently bought my first pack of earl gray and I'm burning through the tea bags like a crazed woman. I want to expand my collection ~

Earl grey is a classic!! I’m still making my way through a french black tea I bought in Paris, before this parallelogram started — I actually don’t stray very far from black tea, LOL, beyond the green tea I drink at yum-cha or otherwise iced. English Breakfast is good! It’s mildier than Earl Grey, less perfumey. Although!!! Rooibos teas can be good! I tend to think of them as like, fruity (good for having iced), but they can come in all sorts of flavours. I enjoyed this bourbon vanilla one, when I had it:

I’m normally a milk-and-sugar kinda girl with my tea, but this one i just had straight up, and it was great. ☕️

#ofmermaidstories-asks #gonna make a new tag and it’s: #ofmermaidsrecommends #do one of our beloveded reader self inserts need to go to a tea room sometime? #fun fact: my friends and i really enjoy high tea #its a thing we do #lil sandwiches and scones and lots and lots of tea

[noscentsatall]

Six Hexennacht Scents

Wuthering Heights 

Lavender, vanilla, spectral musks, vetiver, tonka, jasmine, tea leaves, oakmoss.

This one was kind of sweet and dark, with a mysterious and earthy quality to it. With my nose pressed right up against the skin, it seemed like there was something off about one of the notes, which I think must have been the musk, but it blended in better as it dried down. All in all, nice, but probably not a keeper.

London Fog

Sweetened earl grey tea, steamed milk, vanilla syrup.

I was a little worried going in with this one, because I’d seen some people online say that it smelled like rubber on them. To my surprise, it smelled like... nail polish remover on me? Keaton didn’t smell it, but I couldn’t get past it and eventually had to wash it off. I don’t know if it was the milk, which is apparently a tricky scent on many people, or one of the other things, but I was pretty bummed out because I love a good London Fog.

Thé Noir

Hex-blend solinote of black tea.

Speaking of disappointments! I was excited for this one because, again, I love black tea! A solinote of black tea sounded like it would be great for layering, or on its own because I’m usually a coward when it comes to the reality of that. Unfortunately, this didn’t smell even slightly like black tea on me. Keaton agreed. It smelled kind of like pepper and powder. Actually, it smelled exactly like a loose powder foundation I used to have back in high school or college. But it didn’t smell like black tea, not even slightly. I caught a whiff of tea leaves once and then it was gone forever.

Poivre Vanille

Vanilla, pink peppercorn, black pepper, amber, cedar, conifers, clove.

This one was nice, but I wished the pepper and clove came through a bit more. I think they came through enough to round out the vanilla and amber into something a little less sweet, but not enough to push through, which is a pity. I can’t really say I was getting a lot of woodsy notes either, but I was also kind of hung up on the lack of pepper and clove, so who knows. I think I’ll hold onto this one a bit longer and see if I come back to it at any point, but I’m not like, head over heels for it.

Bisou

Smeared lipstick and warm, flushed skin: vanilla, orris root, violet, sugar, cetalox, skin musk, and safralein.

Okay, this one is weird. I told MK it smelled like ballerinas making out in the dressing room, but Keaton said it wasn’t powdery enough for that and that’s also right. It really smells a lot like unscented lipstick, or maybe just whatever scent they gave lipsticks in the 90s, idk. It’s extremely subtle on me, a really light, rounded out floral. It’s also got a little bit of an almost artificial smell to it, something nearly waxy or leathery, and I am guessing that’s safralein?? I’m probably going to keep this one just because I’ve never really smelled anything like it and I’m fascinated.

Ambre Blanc

White amber.

To finish this bulk review off, here’s one more French name. This one is just a white amber, but you have to remember that I don’t really know what white amber smells like. My first and last white amber before this was Ghost Fire, and I remembering finding that one nice but kind of eh, and I will say that this is better than I remember that one being. It’s very sweet and summery, like wearing all white and drinking a fruity cocktail in the sun. Something in it reminds me of BPAL’s Dirty. Which means it’s time to let Simple and Clean play us out again.

#hexennacht #wuthering heights #london fog #thé noir #poivre vanille #bisou #ambre blanc

[rasoir-national]

@ghostplantss​  tea is such a fine luxury to have! i never know where to start with teas. which ones do you like? oolong is awful lovely i don't think i knew it was blue before

Oh boy, I am as glad you asked as you’re about to be sorry you did. I humbly present to you :

A GUIDE TO MOTHERFUCKING TEA

By Raz

A Very White European

Part I - Basics

Okay the great thing with tea is that you can take any of them and make them taste like crap. It’s like a superpower that everybody has. I’m not going to make a lecture out of this, but there are two basic rules to respect if you want to actually taste what you bought.

1) THE WATER MUST NOT BOIL !

Fun experiment : put a teabag in cold water. Nothing happens. You’ve wasted your time. Tea works because oxygen trapped in hot water opens up the leaf which frees odouring particles. But if you boil the water, then there’s almost no oxygen left. It will still sort of work, but it won’t even be close to the actual taste of the thing. If you’ve had a oopsie, just had a bit of cold water into the teapot.

2) Respect infusion times

I used to think I was too good for those. If you go over, it will still taste like tea, but most of the secondary flavours will be gone, and it will be much more bitter. You don’t have to buy fancy hourglasses like *some* people, but still respect the basic guidelines : 2 min max for white, 3 min for green, 4-5 min for oolongs, 5-6 min for black, 7-10 min for infusions.

That’s it. Contrary to most purists, I’m not opposed to teabags. Yes, loose tea tastes better, but you know, I’m on a budget too. Onto actual recommendations.

Part II - Brands

Look, I may lose my french citizenship over this, but I’m the most basic shopper when it comes to “gourmet” products. To me, there are only four wines (fruity red, bitter red, fruity white, sink-unclogger white) and three cheeses (gruyère, gooey and gross). Tea is the only thing I’m willing to spend money on, because really, if you don’t aim at least a little bit for quality, you might as well be drinking hot wet garbage. Do yourself a favour and stay away from Lipton, which is owned by Unilever - really, all you need to know.

The upside is that it really pays off to go to an actual tea shop and pick something you really like. Also, one of the rare socially accepted opportunities to go around sniffing everything like a goddamn pervert.

When it comes to luxury brands, I don’t know what will be available to you where you live ; personally, I’m most familiar with french brands, of course. My favourites are L’autre Thé, le Palais des Thés, Mariage Frères and Damann frères.

If you don’t want to spend objectively way too much money on loose leaves, there are plenty of middle-range brands : Kusmi Tea, Lov, Clipper. I’m personally not a fan of their blends but they’re perfectly fine.

And if that’s still too expensive, my advice is to look into green/fair-trade brands. In my own experience they have the best quality/price ratio. Also, the mysterious tea from the quote unquote “ethnic foods” aisle of the supermarket with google-translated info on the box ? The one you’ve never seen anybody buy ? It’s good, actually.

Part III - Actual recommendations

I tried to make a ranking of my favourite teas, but that quickly proved impossible, so instead I’m presenting these in increasing order of how insane you’d be to trust me and try them. I’m a stranger on the internet. Remember the PSAs.

0) Infusions !

This one doesn’t really count since it doesn’t actually have tea in it, but for that reason it’s a good entry point into hot beverage + taste. You have classics, like my personal fave apple&cinammon, and less so, like thyme, which feels like chugging a sunday roast. Also, contrary to popular belief, they’re not just for sleeping : I’m fairly convinced those pills they give US seal teams so they stay awake are just concentrated hibiscus infusions. It’s what I use when I do an all-nighter.

1) Perfumed green tea !

It’s light, usually fruity or flowery, and it’s great for everybody. I’m partial to Jasmine and Lily of the Valley, but you really can’t go wrong with green tea.

2) Green mint tea !

I’m putting this one separately, since it’s the only case in which I take sugar in my tea. I was lucky enough to have an Algerian friend who showed me how to make it : you take basic Chinese gunpowder tea, put it in water, then throw the water away to wash away the bitterness, pour again, then put fresh mint leaves in it, and then just a BUTTLOAD of sugar and you don’t stir. Then you pour it by doing the fancy trick with the teacup super high that my friend did perfectly and that I’ve never been able to reproduce.

3) Perfumed black tea !

We’re starting to get in the zone. You can basically make any flavour with those. Sweet, fruity, flowery, spicy, woody, musky... I personally prefer those last three categories, but there are all sorts of fun blends you can find. This is where we find Christmas teas, the best thing in the universe : they usually have a sweet/fruity base with spices (usually cinammon & cardamon). Since it’s the time of the year, I really encourage you to try those. They’re a good indicator of the sort of flavour you might like.

4) Oolong tea !

This is actually my favourite kind. It’s not usually blue, but it’s recognizable by its slightly burned taste, usually coupled with a secondary flavour like roasted chesnut, fried rice or hot milk. My favourites are from Taiwan (especially the Dong Ding) and Vietnam, but the Chinese ones are great too. I’d say it’s a good entry point into tea that mostly tastes like tea, it’s really easy to like and it goes great with any meal. It’s also quite good iced.

5) Rooibos !

This kind of tea has a fun rust colour and comes mostly from South Africa. Its base is very woody, with secondary flavours that are usually “exotic” fruits. It’s caffeine-free, and a good entry point into “harder” flavours.

6) Raw black tea !

This is where you find all the classic British breakfast types : Earl Grey, Ceylan, Darjeeling, Assam... I personally prefer the last one for its spicy taste. Ceylan and Darjeeling are a bit too bland in my opinion, but I do like a good bergamot Earl Grey. If you’re looking for something a bit stronger, I recommend Chinese varieties : Yunnan and Qimen are my favourite.

7) Smoked Chinese tea !

I’m putting this black one separately because I love it so much I could cry. There are a few different varieties, but you gotta try the Lapsang Souchong. It’s what it says on the tin : very smokey, very excellent.

8) Korean Maesil-cha !

I only tried this one recently. You know how I said green mint tea was the only sugary tea I drink ? This one does it one better by adding fucking plums and leaving the skin in the cup. It probably gave me diabetes, but it’s quite amazing.

9) White tea !

This is tea with minimal processing that is only left to infuse for a very short time, resulting in a strong grassy scent. I recommend working your way up to those, but they are of course excellent. I’m basic : my favourite is the Baihao Yinzhen.

10) Raw green tea !

The only reason I’m putting this so high on the insanity list is those freaking Japanese green teas. You know macha ? That thing every white person loves ? Well real macha is thick as hell, it has weird bubbles, sticks to the bowl and tastes like fish. I’m not kidding. I’ve been a vegetarian for 5 years and it gave me whiplash. It’s not my favourite thing in the world, but I’m gaining more of an appreciation of them. I fell in love with the Sencha Yabukita variety last year. Taste the sea.

* I should note, if you’re a vegetarian as well, a lot of those (as well as some black teas) did indeed involve animal products at some point in their making. This is personally the one exception I give myself in my diet, but do check your tea ingredients if that’s a problem for you.

11) Pu Erh !

Technically speaking, Pu Erh is tea that’s rotting in dirt. Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you about Pu Erh, the best thing in the universe. It’s mossy, it’s heavy, it’s powerful, it costs 25€ for 100g. The one I own (Mariage frères’ Pu Erh Supreme) is more expensive than most of my clothes, but it’s really the kind of thing you have to try once. Plus, if you’re that high up the insanity scale and you still trust me, you owe it to yourself to see this to completion. Every single person I forced to try it hated it. It delights me. I’m not hardcore by any means, by the way, I just have very white friends. Also it looks like this :

So that’s my unnecessarily complicated recommendation list ! I know you probably didn’t want something that detailed, but talking about tea is one of the things that make me happiest in the world. Thanks for indulging me !

Also, if I didn’t make it sufficiently clear at this point, I’m very white and therefore open to any and all corrections/additions by someone who didn’t just fall into tea when they were 16 the same way white girls get way too much into hip-hop.

#tea obsession

[hydrangeasimagination]

Tea and Coffee Drinkers HCs

Summary: I’m picking three characters from the fandoms I write for. I’ll write if they drink tea or coffee and what I think their favorite tea would be or how they take their coffee.

Alternatively, it’s just me blabbing about my knowledge of coffee and tea with a massive headache.

~ Dari

Boku no Hero Academia

Aizawa Shouta

coffee drinker, he needs something to help him get out of bed in the morning but drinks tea to wind down

doesn’t really matter to him how he drinks it, switches it up with just black coffee or getting a latte at a cafe before work

same way with how he drinks his tea but usually goes for matcha

Bakugo Katsuki

tea drinker, he doesn’t mind the taste of coffee

more traditional in his tea choices, go to teas are kukicha, sencha, and matcha

needs his coffee prepared a certain way and decaffeinated

Shinsou Hitoshi

both, needs the caffeine to start out his morning but drinks tea through out the day

a bit of a coffee snob in preparation, likes it fruity and deep in taste

drinks crap tons of chamomile and matcha, has a special thermos for it

Kakegurui

Saotome Mary

coffee drinker, only really drinks tea when it’s offered as a sign of politeness

prefers the strong, sweet coffees, lives for espresso and latte art because of the aesthetic™

if she had to pick, she’d just drink fruit based teas or mint

Manyuda Kaede

tea drinker, hates caffeine with a passion since it makes him jittery so everything’s decaffeinated if he does have it

likes the smoother teas like genmaicha and kabuse cha

doesn’t like to admit that he really likes the themed cutesy coffee drinks that only come out on holidays

Batsubami Rei

tea drinker, doesn’t enjoy the taste of coffee

western teas are her preference since she spent a lot of time serving it to others and learned how to prepare it well

specifically black tea, Earl Grey, and peppermint

Overwatch

Shimada Hanzo

tea drinker, the dear traditionalist, doesn’t really mind coffee though

like I said, very traditional; kombucha, sencha, and jasmine are his go-tos

nutty coffee with sweeter notes are what he goes for it he decides to drink any

Jesse McCree

coffee drinker, doesn’t really drink tea unless it’s sweet or iced tea

a total coffee snob, makes amazing coffee, likes it as plain as possible to enjoy the taste on its own... although he’ll still drink it if it’s terrible

thinks Vietnamese coffee hot or cà phê sữa nóng is the best type of coffee and doesn’t budge on it

Soldier 76 / Jack Morrison

coffee drinker, needs the caffeine

doesn’t care how he takes it just as long as he has it, Jesse is appalled

this wreck of a man drank a full pot of coffee after a full night of doing paperwork, would literally just eat the beans if he could

Saiki K

Saiki Kusuo

tea drinker, likes coffee flavored things though(clearly)

doesn’t mind what tea he’s given as long as there’s sweets with it

his mind was blown at the prospect of coffee flavored tea and ordered it as soon as he could to try it for himself

Nendo Riki

tea drinker, since it’s a lot cheaper

not much money but he’s gonna make do with what he has, drinks tons of matcha since it’s what his mom keeps

drinks coffee when he can/when it’s offered

Kuboyasu Aren

coffee drinker, likes tea and will have it when it’s offered

strong black coffee, french pressed since it’s how his dad makes it for him

doesn’t have a favorite tea

#bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #overwatch #kakegurui #saiki k #saiki kusuo no ψ nan #the disaster of psi kusuo saiki #aizawa shouta #bakugo katsuki #shinsou hitoshi #saotome mary #manyuda kaede #batsubami rei #shimada hanzo #hanzo shimada #soldier 76 #jack morrison #soldier: 76 #saiki kusuo #nendo riki #kuboyasu aren #headcanons #dari writes

[ficsandpieces]

Hopefully it's not too late for this but could I get 49 & 50 for QN for your writers meme?? Also how are you doing? Hopefully things are going well for you ~!💞💕

It’s never too late for asks from the writer’s meme! :3 

Thank you so much for asking, it’s so sweet of you! ♥I’ve been pretty busy lately with both work and real life. This week started off rough but then got better later on. Oh, and I discovered a new artist and album that’s right up my alley, so that’s another thing. :D I particularly like Kaijyuu no March, Uchiagehanabi, Hien, Number Nine and Haiirotoao. 

49: this character’s starbucks order?

I haven’t been to Starbucks in ages since I don’t drink coffee and their drinks can be a little out of my price range sometimes. ^^; (Tea, though, I will drink in buckets.) Everything below is based off the menu on their website.

Reiji: He seems like a frappuccino sort of guy to me. :3 I thought of giving him the Java Chip at first, but then Caramel seems more like something up his alley. He goes for the Espresso Frappuccino with a shot of irish cream and hazelnut  when he feels like having something stronger. Summer days see him ordering something fruity and refreshing like a Iced Shaken Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls.

Ranmaru: Honestly speaking, Ranmaru seems more like a ‘canned coffee from the convenience store kind’ of guy to me. ^^; But there are days when Reiji or their manager offers to treat them and that’s when he’ll more than gladly take them up on it.

No whipped cream or that annoying foamy stuff on top of his drink for him, he asks for a Caffè Americano whenever Reiji goes on a Starbucks run for QN. On hot days when he wants his fruit fix there’s a chance he’ll get a Mango Passion Fruit Blended Juice Drink. 

Ai: He gives me the feeling of being more of a tea person so I’d give him a Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly Frappuccino. He would be fascinated by the fact that jelly can be eaten together with tea in a dessert-like drink. Iced Shaken Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit & Honey seems like something he might try too. (No hot drinks for this boi, he overheats easily enough just thinking about emotions lol)

Camus: You mean he doesn’t just dump all the pure sugar syrup he can get his hands on in a mug and top it all off with an entire can of whipped cream and condensed milk? XD

He might try the Yuzu Honey Jelly Yogurt Frappuccino? A Strawberry Frappuccino Blended Crème for the strawberry lover, as well as the White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino and Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. For hot drinks he’d demand a Vanilla Crème.

This is the Sugar Baron we’re talking about here, he’d take anything with cream, milk, syrup and caffeine so that’s practically the entire Starbucks menu.  

50: this character’s guilty pleasure?

Reiji: Pipping hot karaage and french fries dipped in vanilla soft serve ice-cream. Super sinful, super good, and just the thing to satisfy his taste buds and stomach after a long day. Ai advances menacingly and with great purpose towards Reiji with a weighing scale in his hands whenever he catches him eating it.

Ranmaru: He binges on cat videos at home lol. 

Occasionally gives in to the temptation of buying a fancy cooking appliance like an air-fryer that doubles up as an oven as well as a ton of other things. He normally thinks twice about spending money on anything other than clothes and music but damn, thinking about all the things he could cook with one of these babies was too much for him to resist. He makes sure to use the hell out of whatever he buys to assuage his guilt on splurging.  

Ai: Sometimes gives in to the urge to PK other players without warning. To be fair, he only does it to players who follow him around and persistently insist on asking him questions like if he’s really THAT Mikaze Ai when he’s racing against the clock to complete a mission. 

He’ll also accept PvP challenges and makes it a point to defeat his opponent within a minute. He knows that it’s against gaming etiquette and Ren has chided him for it quite a few times, but he can’t deny the rush of satisfaction he gets when he swiftly takes down a higher level player than him with nothing more than his skills and sometimes a few dirty tricks and literally hears the other person’s jaw drop through the headset. On days when he’s feeling especially petty and vindictive he’d equip the lowest level equipment he can find, taunt his opponent and still finish them off beautifully within sixty seconds or less. 

Camus: Trashy romance novels are his secret vice lol lol. He finds the entire genre stupid, ridiculous and utterly nonsensical at times, but it’s to his great annoyance at himself that he still finds himself attracted to them nonetheless. The visual of the hero sweeping in gallantly to save the damsel in distress appeals to the knight in him but he’d rather cut out his tongue than let anyone else know. 

papa!Camus secretly loves the children’s literature that he reads to his baby daughter on a nightly basis. He’ll stay up to finish the rest of the book long after his daughter is fast asleep and occasionally even brings it to work to read during break, the book jacket replaced with something else naturally. (He’s on the Wind in the Willows at the moment and thinks that the judge was far too lenient when passing out Toad’s sentence.)  

#utapri #uta no prince sama #quartet night #headcanons #answering asks #reiji kotobuki #ranmaru kurosaki #ai mikaze #camus

[tea-person-caffeine-lover]

What is Earl Grey Tea?

Earl grey is black tea + bergamot oil (though some brands will use bergamot flavoring instead)

Bergamot is the citrus fruit pictured below that gives Earl Grey teas a subtle and airy citrusy flavor and scent. The Bergamot oil is the distinguishing feature that makes a black tea an Earl Grey.

Teas in the Earl Grey Family:

Earl Grey - The classic flavor

Lady Grey - Earl Grey with lemon and orange peels (sometimes includes cornflower)

French Earl Grey - Earl Grey with rose petals ( sometimes includes other floral and fruity notes as well)

Earl Grey Crème - Earl Grey with lavender and vanilla

Russian Earl Grey - Earl Grey with citrus peels or lemon grass

Additional Notes:

London Fogs are made with Earl Grey tea, steamed milk, and vanilla syrup

There are variations of Earl Grey teas that use green, white, or herbal teas instead or in addition to black tea

#blacktea #tea #ladygreytea #frenchearlgrey #a:tea earlgrey #russianearlgrey #EarlGreyCreme #rose #rose_petals #london fog #lemon grass

[tealovers]

Russian Caravan Tea a Traditionally Aromatic Blend

Russian Caravan tea is a popular flavoured black tea well known all across the world. The discovery and creation of this flavoured black tea is accidental and steeped in history. Russian Caravan tea is a dark and malty black tea that has been infused with the flavour of smoke. Some describe Russian Caravan tea to have flavour notes of tobacco, chocolate, firewood, charcoal and smoke. It is the smoky and earthy flavour of this tea that gives it a unique complexity, a comforting flavour that so many have come to enjoy.

The origin and creation of what we now know as Russian Caravan tea has quite a story steeped in history. Similar to the Chinese legend of how a Buddhist monk first discovered tea when tea leaves fell into a pot of boiling water - Russian caravan tea also has its own accidental discovery. Along the Sino-Russian trade route in the 1600’s where goods were carted from Imperial China through Mongolia to Russia, there were mile-long camel caravans loaded with tea that made their journeys.

A ‘camel caravan’ is a series of camels carrying passengers and goods on a regular or semi-regular service between points. The caravans would travel along cold, snow-covered roads, and would frequently stop for rests around campfires. With the tea loaded on camels sitting quite close to the fires, the tea leaves absorbed the smoke flavour. When the tea eventually arrived in Russia, tea drinkers noticed the new smoky character and quite enjoyed taste – Leading to the official creation and demand for Russian Caravan Tea.

Coincidently after the discovery of Russian Caravan tea in Russia, in China during the Qing Dynasty a new smoky black tea called Lapsang Souchong was also discovered. ‘Lapsang Souchong’ meaning a black tea smoked over pine wood fire. To this day both Russian Caravan tea and Lapsang Souchong tea are well enjoyed all across the world.

Russian Caravan tea is one of Tea Lovers best selling classic black teas. Other classic black teas include English Breakfast Superior, fruity French Earl Grey, Earl Grey Supreme bergamot, Irish Breakfast Superior, Madam Grey citrus & Prince of Wales oriental blend. Tea Lovers also produces its own Australian version of caravan tea called ‘Australian Bushfire Caravan’. Australian Bushfire Caravan is a black tea blend, consisting of Australian grown Daintree black tea blended with a smoky China black tea base - to create a mildly smoky black tea that is reminiscent of billy tea enjoyed over the campfire.

To shop Australia’s largest range of Classic Black Teas, Australian Black Teas, Gourmet Flavoured Teas and Herbal Wellness Teas – Visit Tea Lovers online tea store at TeaLovers.com.au

#Russian Caravan tea

[saverspender]

Recent splurges I am very excited about: Mariage Frères Tea - $167 I picked up 3 x 100 grams of this iconic French brand. I chose Marco Polo (fruity bestseller tea), Paris Earl Grey (fave with bergamot), Paris-Tokyo (black tea with yuzu). I am expecting this tea to blow my mind because this is some seriously expensive stuff to be brewing, at about $0.55 per gram when I used to pay $0.20 a gram or less. The other brand suggested was TWG and Harrod's, but they’re even more expensive than MF from where I wanted to order. Plus, I get to keep the cute tins to put on display if I end up not seeing the upgraded benefits, just like those Diptyque candle holders after they’re done! Style Books - $55 (but paid $0) I actually got these 3 books for free because of my credits on Poshmark (use code SHERRYISH for a free $15). I bought Fictionally Fabulous, & two other Rachel Zoe books: Style A to Zoe and Living in Style. I don’t really own any physical books apart from having style or photography books in paper form because you can’t appreciate the colours and the beauty of it in an e-book reader. Pedicure kit - $77 Gave in and bought nail polish remover, nail polish, top coat, you name it, I got it all to DIY at home. It costs about $60 each time I go to the spa, so I guess I am saving that amount each time, but I really do enjoy going to the spa. Maybe I can do the spa as a treat or use that money towards a massage instead. iPad mini 5 - $517 (instead of $631 or about 18% off) My friend is an Apple employee so he got me a deal. I bought it only because Little Bun totally RUINED it. He literally smashed a hole right through it breaking it down to the gears and metal bits. It was an accident, but still. I think I shed a tear. I use the iPad mini often, so I basically bit the bullet and replaced it. Any splurges lately? https://instagr.am/p/CDScIVOnu3q/

#IFTTT #Instagram

[ivemetyouathousandways]

Frokost på Sven's (Breakfast at Sven’s)

It’s kind of funny how, since the individualization of mankind, we have grown to attach such importance to names to find security in a somewhat clear cut identification. And it’s kind of funny how, I didn’t yet care to know this stranger’s personal identifier, considering that he had paid for my breakfast yesterday, followed by a bear and a coffee. It had somehow not occurred to us, during the span of our time spent together, to exchange the frivolous triviality of names and the likes of such meaningless details. 

And here we were, the next morning, walking down Østerøya,  the village’s main road, to get to his humble place located past the edges of Kvennesviga, which name I wouldn’t even attempt at pronouncing. He had casually slipped an arm around my shoulders and it took me a moment to realize that I appreciated the gesture, fascinated by how comfortable I was with it, normally having had slipped out of such contact or having voiced my discomfort. 

I loved every aspect of the early signs of life animating the place, light washing the quiet streets in a pale golden light, with actual dew on the the grass and plants, two tourists already on their bikes headed out to explore the neighboring landscapes - I imagined - the constant murmur of the North Sea whispering it’s seductive tales carried by the early morning wind. I almost stopped mid step when it hit me that this was just perhaps the Norwegian equivalent of a French Breton place I had fallen in love with called La Hague, magnificently portrayed by Claudie Galley in her book The Breakers. I smiled and bemused to myself; what would be the odds that this stranger was a sculptor too ? And then I remembered his attire of yesterday; a light ashen grey tweed suit jacket over white shirt, complemented by a dark tie with silver accents... fairly early in the day. Perhaps a journalist?

“Watch your step.”

His voice came about at the same time as my foot bumped into the small concrete step at the foot of our destination. 

“Are you okay?” He asked with an amused smile on his lips.

I nodded. Totally fine! Love losing my face in front of strangers I otherwise wouldn’t mind impressing. 

And then I had to refrain myself from not fangirling over the inside of his house - being absolutely authentic vintage European, or in this case, Norwegian; wide open spaces, flooded in the early sunlight, bathing the rich golden caramels and chocolate browns of the woods of the flooring, the table,chairs and counters. Somewhere in the forefront of my mind, I was literally an animated character with heart shaped eyes squealing, shaking my head, overly excited at the exquisite charm of the place. 

“Take a seat - make yourself comfortable.” He said dropping his keys in a dish on an accent table near the door. 

I realized I was standing there frozen in time and space and I suddenly appreciated the soft squeezing weight of his hands on my shoulders nudging me forward in. Midway in, though, he gave a final gentle friendly tap and preceded me to open the fridge and cupboards to set the table. I shyly walked around, looking at the various small decorative items, all more or less sea related; light house sculptures, boat miniatures - those rather expensive and detailed one, hand assembled, probably based off real life ones which had sailed the seven seas at some point in History, complete with real ropes, real linen and real wood or metal bits. And then - there was that one framed photo. I instantly recognized him. His hair was the same, his glasses - the only difference was his smile. He was smiling, a genuine happy smile. There was a rather handsome blond young man next to him, holding a small cherub like toddler, and a beautiful blond woman hugging the young man from behind. 

“This is your son?”

He turned around and an unbearable sadness washed over his face, making me instantly regret my absolute lack of self control and curiosity. I could see his hard gulp, swallowing down his sadness as he walked over to join me. 

“That’s Erik, my nephew.” He said, his warm breath behind my ear. “Also - my apprentice.”

Silence dropped on us like a bomb and I could literally hear my heart thumping and his sadness fill the kitchen. 

“The girl is Hanna and the baby is Jakob.” 

I swallowed dry saliva. I’m so sorry!

“One night he didn’t go home. Instead, he went to the rocks where I found you this morning. He had brought a rich variety of pills, later identified as black market drugs, and a bottle of akvavit.”

His voice was the shadow of a whisper. 

“He was found the next morning by a couple of tourists who wanted instagram photos of the sunrise.”

I could just about hear the sour sorrow in his voice. 

“Is that why you ... you often go there?” I asked trying to hide my own shock.

“Every morning since his death.”

He took a deep breath, a sigh, letting go of the past and I felt his hands on my shoulders again, a gentle pressing squeeze, motioning me to turn around and head to the main area of the kitchen. 

By the time I thought of offering help, I noticed that the table was set for two, with a choice of cold meats, cheese, bread, sliced tomatoes, and grapes. I pouted and slapped myself in the back of my mind. Way to go, Illy! First, sting the man’s memory with an insensitive question, and then just be a typical tourist, not a helping guest. He, on the other hand, kept being an impeccable gentleman, placing slices of sausage, brad and cheese in my plate.

“Mmm - this sausage is to diiiie for!”

He smiled amused and cut a few more slices which quickly ended on my plate.

“I’m sorry for my assumption a moment ago.”

“You couldn’t have known.” He smiled gently and took a piece of cheese. “His father was my younger brother. He was a proud fisherman who wanted to follow the traditional ways of our father and grandfather. Kristian got caught in a real bad storm one trip out - and he didn’t came back. Erik was intensely and very deeply affected by his death. He loved the ocean, he loved and held a great deal of respect for our father. He couldn’t understand how the ocean he has learned to love and revere has had the cruelty of taking the most important figure in his life. He had just met Hanna and it had been a strain on their relationship, but they grew stronger together. And then baby Jacob came along and I thought everything was alright. We were working on a homage piece, to be put on the family tomb.”

He looked at his plate and I could just about understand his sudden lack of appetite.

“I should have asked him to leave the project, to let me finish it alone. I didn’t see his pain, his suffering. He had insisted so passionately. I was the only family remaining, he refused to let me carry all the burden.”

I wanted to lay my hand on his but he was keeping them both to himself and I felt I would have overstayed my welcome had I reached out that extensively. Or perhaps I simply saw the clutter of breakfast as a polite barrier he had set up to keep a certain frame of intimacy. 

“I know your lineage back to your grandfather but I still don’t know your name.” I chimed in to try to lighten up the mood a notch.

He chuckled. 

“Markus.” He smiled as he extended his hand for me to take and shake. “Markus Sven Iskaar.”

Markus Sven Iskaar. MSI. Like my favorite computer brand! I refrained from voicing that odd finding though. 

“Illy Szofiana Máté.” 

MSI in the reverse. I smiled to myself. I was actually pretty proud of this nifty little coincidence and perhaps it quite heavily biased me in my overall preference of the Chinese electronics producer. 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Illy.” He half got up to be more comfortable in kissing the hand he was still holding in his. “I believe you Magyar folks still somewhat abide by this tradition?”

“I guess the older generation - yes. Most people just use the vocal version of it - as a common greeting.”

“And how would that sound like ?” He sat back down and laid a piece of sausage on a slice of bread.

“Kezét csókolom.”

"Velsigne deg!”

I giggled at his joke. I liked seeing him happy and smiling. How odd - a man I knew for less than twenty four full hours and I already cared and wanted to see him solely happy and smiling. 

“You quite surprised me with your cards yesterday.” He commented, finishing off a few grapes. 

I smiled triumphantly, my mind caressing the deck in my purse. 

“Can I at least help with the dishes?” I pleaded as he collected our empty plates.

“Slå deg løs!” He cheered, handing me over the plates and utensils.

I gave myself a mental memo to ask him later what that meant. 

Sven crossed his arms on his chest, shoulder against the refrigerator and stood there watching me wash his dishes as if it was the most entertaining thing he had witnessed in an appreciable while - which made me unreasonably blush. It was odd, being scrutinized by this - wait - let me rephrase that more appropriately; that moment of my life where I washed a Norwegian man’s dishes after breakfast in his kitchen. Talk about living life!

I dried my hands on the cloth hanging under the sink and asked, wondering if I sounded more like a housewife or a sports rookie addressing his coach.

“So - what’s next?”

“Well, we could settle down in the living room and talk.” He offered casually. “You like tea?”

“Green or chaï, if you have...” I sort of asked.

Anything but fruity lies which are sour flavorless disappointments without three spoonfuls of sugar. Also, not a huge fan of Orange Pekoe, not that I want to be a fine mouth but - and please for the love of... whatever or whoever applies - no Earl Grey. I will straight up punch you in the face if you offer that drinkable hot liquid aftershave. I rambled silently at the speed of light. Sven opened a cabinet and presented me a box of Twinning’s Green Tea. 

“Sold!”

“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll put the water on.”

(1) Kezét csókolom = I kiss your hand (formal, courteous greeting)

(2) Velsigne deg! = Bless you (after someone would have sneezed)

(3) slå deg løs = Knock yourself out

[detoxnearme]

Simple Non Alcoholic Drinks

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