#Loose leaf oolong tea

[makaibari]

Makaibari Loose Leaf Tea: Elegance in Every Sip

Experience the exquisite flavors of Makaibari loose leaf teas. Our collection includes premium loose leaf white tea, rich loose leaf black tea, and refreshing loose leaf green tea. Each variety is meticulously crafted to provide a unique and delightful tea-drinking experience. Discover the elegance and tradition of Makaibari, where every sip transports you to the lush tea gardens of Darjeeling. Indulge in the finest teas today.

[steveyockey]

they don’t want you to know that you can cold brew tea that right now before bed you can put a bag of tea in cold water in the fridge and wake up to a beautiful cold beverage with zero risk of harsh tannin flavor and you can do this for ANY tea black oolong hibiscus spearmint it’s all within your power

[oolongshot]

Unsung benefit of loose leaf tea: dumping your spent tea in the garbage disposal makes the sink smell good

[micahs-tea-house]

Help !! >_< Need tea recommendations.

Self-explanatory I think, but I'm wondering if anybody has any specific (preferably loose-leaf) tea they could recommend? I'm not picky whatsoever, I like all kinds of tea and love trying new things. I favor sweeter teas, but I think they're all special in their own little way.. That being said, if anybody has a specific kind they like, I'd love to know. Hoping to buy a bunch of new tea this month. ^_^ Kind of also just asking what kind of tea people like. I think it's nice to get opinions from people with the same silly little interest as me!!

[oriarmcha]

The aroma of jasmine, the flavor of oolong, the perfect fusion of jasmine and oolong tea, enjoy the fresh taste, the enjoyment of the tongue!

[cultivatetastetea]

Cultivate Taste Tea - Rice Oolong tea - "Sticky Rice Oolong"

[ibuyteas]

9 Ways To Preserve The Fresh Taste Of Chinese Tea!

In the tea circle, different types of Chinese tea have different characteristics due to their unique production process and fermentation degree.

Each type of tea has its own unique flavor and aroma, and naturally their shelf life is also different. If you handle them in the same way, your tea will probably go bad!

The correct storage method can not only allow the tea to maintain its fresh taste for a longer time, but also maximize its nutritional value.

Here are nine ways to preserve tea, you can take a look.

Here are nine ways to preserve Chinese tea, you can take a look

Chinese Green Tea

Unfermented tea retains the original natural aroma and fresh taste of tea.

The best storage time for green tea chinese is generally within 1 year. Beyond this period, its freshness will gradually decrease.

In order to keep green tea fresh, we need to store it away from light, cool and dry

If conditions permit, you can refrigerate it, but be sure to avoid refrigerating it with other foods to avoid absorbing odors.

Unopened green tea that is not consumed for a long time can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 years.

It is recommended to use a moisture-proof bag plus an aluminum foil bag or a jar as the storage container, which can effectively prevent the entry of air and moisture.

Chinese Black Tea

Fully fermented tea can maintain its high quality within 2 years if stored well.

When storing black tea, you should choose a closed, room temperature, and dry environment, and avoid mixing it with other teas, because black tea easily absorbs odors from the surrounding area.

Pay special attention to emptying the air from the tea bag, as it will develop a sour taste if it gets damp.

Storage containers can be sealed dry cans, tin foil cans, purple clay cans or tin cans, which can effectively prevent the tea from moisture and oxidation.

White Tea

There is an old saying: "1 year for tea, 3 years for medicine, 7 years for treasure". The older it is, the stronger its fragrance.

White tea should be stored in a room temperature, light-proof, dry, sealed and pressure-proof environment. To store white tea, the three-layer packaging method (aluminum foil bag + moisture-proof bag + carton) is the best choice.

If the amount of tea is small, you can use a kraft paper bag, seal it, and place it in a cool place.

Note: Do not store in the refrigerator.

Pu'er tea and black tea

Has a longer shelf life.

The shelf life of Pu'er tea is long-term storage, generally 10-15 years. To store this kind of tea, you need a ventilated, dry, odor-free, moisture-free environment.

If you find that the tea leaves are moldy and have white hair, you can take them to a dry place and air them in the sun for a few days to make the mold spots disappear.

If black, green or gray mold appears, the water cannot be consumed.

Storage containers can be kraft paper bags or cartons, as these materials can absorb excess moisture and odors to a certain extent.

Yellow Tea

It is a lightly fermented tea and its storage method is similar to that of green tea. It is best consumed within 1 year.

Yellow tea should be stored in a dark, cool place.

If conditions permit, you can also refrigerate it, but you also need to avoid refrigerating it with other foods to avoid absorbing odors.

If you don’t drink unopened yellow tea for a long time, you can keep it in the freezer for two years.

It is recommended to use a moisture-proof bag plus an aluminum foil bag or a can as a storage container to ensure the dryness and aroma of the tea.

Oolong Tea

According to the degree of fermentation, it is divided into light fermentation, medium fermentation and heavy fermentation, and the corresponding storage time is 1-2 years, 3 years and more than 3 years respectively.

Regardless of the degree of fermentation of oolong tea, it needs to be stored away from light, in a dry and sealed place.

When canning oolong tea, make sure the can is full to reduce air contact and avoid oxidation.

Storage containers can be tin cans, iron cans and porcelain jars. These materials can effectively prevent moisture and light, and maintain the unique flavor of tea.

The recommended storage temperature is around 25°C and make sure it is sealed.

scented tea

The storage period is generally no more than 1 year, because the dried flowers in scented tea are easily oxidized and lose their fragrance.

The key to preserving scented tea is to avoid light, keep it cool and dry. When storing, you should choose double-layer protection of aluminum foil bags plus moisture-proof bags or cans to ensure that the tea is not damp and does not deteriorate.

Compressed tea includes Tuo tea, cake tea, etc., which can be stored for 5-10 years.

To store compressed tea, you need to choose a moisture-proof, light-proof, and ventilated environment, and at the same time avoid the tea leaves from being subjected to excessive external pressure, so as not to affect its quality.

Recommended storage containers include ceramic jars, purple clay jars or kraft paper, as these materials help absorb excess moisture and odors.

Non-fermented tea mainly includes yellow tea and green tea, and the shelf life is 1 year.

When storing non-fermented tea, you need to choose a dark, cool and dry environment.

The storage container can use a moisture-proof bag plus an aluminum foil bag or a can, which can effectively prevent the intrusion of air and moisture.

[queerpossums]

i think i found my new favorite tea. it cost almost an hour’s pay for 2.5 oz but it’s sooooo good

[makaibari]

Makaibari Organic Oolong Tea: Nature's Refreshing Elixir

Discover the pure essence of Makaibari Organic Oolong Tea, meticulously nurtured to perfection. Savor the exquisite flavor and myriad health benefits in every sip. Handpicked and crafted with care, our loose leaf oolong tea offers a delightful blend of aroma and taste. Embrace the natural goodness and elevate your tea experience with Makaibari's organic oolong tea.

[teainspoons]

Plum Deluxe Tea’s 2023 Taste the World of Tea Caffeinated Box | Tea Review

[autobahnmp3]

hm chocolate is much better with some black coffee

[hellafluff]

i love January its the only time of year i feel comfortable spending more then $10 on myself

[undeadcannibal]

Hey thought of some cute and funny Headcannons for Ghost, Gaz and Price teaching their s/o on how to make a “proper cup of tea.”

Summary: Ghost, Gaz, and Price show their S/O how to make a ‘proper’ cup of tea.

Genre: Headcanons, request(s) Characters featured: Ghost, Gaz, Price

Warnings: None!

A/N: Thank you for the request, Anon! I hope I didn’t botch this one. OTL Hopefully y’all enjoy ‘em!  ( Gif credit: xxx )

Ghost―

Depression was a bitch. Even the simplest things like making food for yourself turned into arduous tasks. Much like today. You were trying to get something - anything, really - into your system just so you didn't feel even worse later on.

Grabbing a mug, you filled it with tap water and set it aside on the counter so you could rummage around through your selection of teas. While you were browsing, you could hear Ghost entering the kitchen thanks his heavy booted footfall, prompting you to glance at him over your shoulder.

"Hey, hon."

Ghost nodded silently as he strode over so he could place a kiss to the top of your head.

"Doin' alright, love?"

Pursing your lips, you hesitated responding before eventually shaking your head. "Not really, no. Having one of those days, I'm sorry..."

He shook his head. "Nothin' to be sorry for."

Looking over towards the counter, he gestured to it silently with a jut of his head. "Making a cuppa?"

"Yeah," You nodded. "I was looking through the teas just now."

"What'd you settle on?"

"Mm," You shrugged your shoulders. "Maybe some Earl Grey?"

You watched Ghost squint his eyes down at you, causing you to laugh softly. "What? Don't tell me..."

Ghost's chest puffed up as he took a deep inhale and exhaled slowly as he nodded his head eventually. "No offense, love, but I know when you're not feeling well you tend to throw things into the microwave more."

"I'm 'fraid I can't let you do that. Let me take care of it. I'll make one for myself, too."

Playfully rolling your eyes at him, you nodded your head in agreement anyway.

"Fine, fine." Snorting softly, you'd also comment. "Brits and their tea." Shaking your head for good measure.

Reaching around, Ghost delivered a light pinch to your backside, pleased with himself once he saw you jump and yelp in response. Smacking your smaller fists against his hard chest. "Watch your mouth, brat."

Afterwards, he walked away so he could grab the kettle he brought over just because he preferred it over other methods.

"Here," After he filled the kettle with water, he placed it on the stove top to heat up. "I'll teach you how to make proper tea."

Feeling a little better with Simon's company and attention, you couldn't help but nod and smile at him. "Yes Chef~"

Gaz―

"What tea did you wanna brew again?" Kyle asked as he picked out cups for each of you; his was a royal blue with a union jack on it, yours was molded after a black cat with the tail curled up for the handle.

"Oolong, please."

He nodded and took the loose leaf tea bag out, choosing his own shortly after while you took care of putting water into the kettle, setting it aside for it to boil. While you waited for the water to heat up, you walked over to him, pressing yourself into his back as your arms wrapped him up in a loose hug.

"Doin' alright, dove?"

"Mhm." You nodded against him only to jump shortly afterward when you heard the kettle going off, causing him to laugh at you.

Reluctantly pulling away, you'd reach over to take off the kettle from the heat. Readying it to pour straight into your mug before Kyle called out to you.

"Wait!"

Your eyes widened as you halted in mid-air, whipping your head to look at Gaz like he was a mad man. "What? What's wrong?" You asked in a concerned tone, shaking your head at him.

"You're brewing Oolog tea, right?" He waited for you to nod in confirmation before carrying on. "You've gotta let the water cool for a bit before adding it in. Over-boiled water will make the taste turn a bit off. Also," As he rummaged around in the drawer for something, he'd pull out a thermometer shortly after, smirking at you cheekily. "You've gotta let it brew for two to three minutes."

Staring at him with a deadpan expression, you couldn't help but sigh.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

Kyle shook his head. " 'Fraid not, love. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

"It's just tea!" You exclaimed with a chuckle. "I doubt the difference in taste is that noticeable."

"We'll see about that." He'd reply as he took the liberty of checking the temperature of the water.

You ended up just letting him do whatever he wanted so he didn't fuss over how you made tea.

After the two of you were done, you didn't really taste much of a difference than how you'd normally make it, but for his sake, you acted as if it was the best damn cup of tea you'd ever had. Taking pleasure in seeing him light up with pride at his success.

Price―

"How do you take your tea, sweetheart?"

You were currently making breakfast for the two of you while he tended to the tea. In the time you'd spent together, you'd learned that when he wasn't busy with work, he tended to prefer having tea over coffee when he could.

"Um," Scrambling the eggs in the pan, you hesitated in answering. "I guess sweet is fine?"

"Just... sweet?" John asked, turning to look at you with an amused expression on his face.

Meeting him with a glance of your own, you squinted your eyes at him as if daring him to say something. "Yeah? Don't tell me you prefer unsweetened tea." You teased.

John shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. Leaning back against the counter. "No, no. Not sure how they do things in the States, but we've a few ways to make a cuppa here."

"For example," He continued, gesturing vaguely towards the empty cups waiting on the counter top. "The kind I prefer has a bit of milk to it, few bits o' sugar as well."

"Oooh," You laughed softly, stirring the eggs in the pain as you joked with him. "My apologies, Gordon Ramsay, apparently I forgot to brush up on my tea knowledge."

Huffing, he'd glance off to the side with a disbelieving shake of his head. "The nerve of this one..." He mumbled to himself with a smile.

"I'm just saying," He'd begin, pushing himself off the counter so he could step over to stand in front of you. Towering over you with the height difference between the two of you. "Your poor taste buds deserve better, dear."

"Pfft, get out of here!" You laughed, waving at his face with your free hand. Before your hand fell to your side, he captured your wrist in a gentle hold, pulling it towards his face so he could kiss the back of your hand. The rough scrape of his facial hair coaxing a shiver to course up your spine.

"Never~" He spoke against your hand before he began to kiss his way up your arm. Stopping once he was close enough to you he could whisper just loud enough for you to hear. "Let me make you a right cuppa?"

How could you ever say no to that?

[mafuyussweater]

What I think some of the characters from mdzs would order from a coffee shop:

Wei Wuxian would get a quad espresso over ice with a lil milk (maybe oat or soy) or nitro cold brew. If he is feeling fancy he'll get one of the seasonal drinks.

Lan Wangji would get a hot chamomile tea or jasmine but only if it's loose leaf. Sometimes he'll get a soy matcha unsweetened but only before 8am (hot or iced depending on the weather).

Lan Xichen would drink an oolong tea (hot or iced depending on the weather) or a decaf hot latte bc he likes coffee but can't handle the caffeine.

Jiang Cheng gets a hot chai latte or a hot chocolate (maybe a hot caramel latte if he needs caffeine).

Wen Ning drinks energy drinks so when he is at a coffee shop he just gets a hot chocolate.

Wen Qing gets an espresso if she is in a rush or cold brew if she is gonna study. She needs the caffeine to get through being in the medical field tbh.

Nie Huaisang is an iced fruity tea bitch for sure. He may get an affogato to be fancy~

Nie Mingjue gets straight black coffee. He only drinks hot drinks. Occasionally he'll splurge for a breve cappuccino.

Jiang Yanli drinks London fogs with almond milk. She needs the calming beverage when dealing with all the silly men in her life.

Jin Zixuan used to get an espresso and add 3 sugar packets because he thought it was too girly to get a "fancy drink" 😅 his wife gets him to try a vanilla latte which he loved and gets that now.

(Let me know what your headcanons are!)

[cultivatetastetea]

THE TAO OF TEA: CHINESE TAO’S PART IN ZEN

by Jennifer Nowicki

Tao has played a major part in the development of Zen Buddhism. Zen, like Taoism, is the worship of relativity. Tao literally means a Path, but has been translated as the Way, the Absolute, the Law, Nature, Supreme Reason, and the Mode among others. Taoism is the legitimate precursor of Zen; it represents the individualistic trend of the Southern Chinese mind while communism of Northern China expresses itself in Confucianism. Both are major and ancient ways of thinking and belief systems in China. In ethics the Taoist railed at the laws and moral codes of society, for them right and wrong were but relative terms. Definition is always limitation–the “fixed” and “unchangeless” are but terms that express the stopping of growth. But the chief contribution of Taoism to Asiatic life has been in the realm of aesthetics. Chinese historians have always spoken of Taoism as the “art of being in the world”......

To read more Person & Planet: Purevant Living Book 5 -

[czenzo]

Watch Out for Skull – Chapter 2

[ao3] chapter links: [ 1 ] [ 2 ]

summary: Lucy takes on a cat-sitting job for a stranger, hoping for a quiet week in a nice London flat, with free food, no bills, and enough time to finish an art commission. But the cat is a menace, and the stranger’s friend is ridiculously charming—and a huge distraction.

rating: T words: 2,048

note: I visited home today, which meant I edited this chapter while being pestered by my own two cats, who are the most loveable, attention-seeking little creatures I've ever met. I'm starting to realise I may have taken more inspiration from them for Skull than I thought…

Lucy awoke not to birds chirping, nor an alarm beeping, but a single cat screaming so loud she feared for the window panes.

As Skull paused to catch his breath, Lucy closed her eyes in relief, but the sudden, sharp noise of something clattering to the floor had her shooting out from under the covers. She cautiously peered over the back of the sofa—it was pulled out into a bed, which wasn’t the comfiest, but it was preferable to sleeping in George’s—to inspect the damage.

A picture frame lay face down on the floor. Skull looked down on it from his vantage point on the cabinet.

Lucy’s silently repeated mantra of please don’t be shattered, please don’t be shattered must have been heard by some higher entity, because when she slowly picked the frame up she found it still intact, glass and all. The picture within was of two teenage boys grinning with their arms around each other. They wore matching white polo shirts graffitied with messages and doodles in a rainbow of colours, the school leavers' tradition, and Lucy promptly realised what the thinking cloth reminded her of. One of the boys was clearly George, with a rounder face and wider eyes, but the other boy, dark-haired with a dazzlingly bright smile, Lucy didn’t know.

“He’s bloody lanky,” she murmured as she carefully put the frame back in its place. She shoo-ed Skull off the cabinet and coaxed him towards the sofa bed, hoping to distract him with the plush, kneadable duvet. He fell right into her trap, leaving Lucy feeling rather proud of herself and free to enter the kitchen without the possibility of Skull destroying everything.

Lucy popped the kettle on and peered in every cupboard in search of the tea, then stumbled upon a treasure trove—English breakfast, Earl Grey, Green, oolong, matcha, chai, chamomile, Darjeeling, ginger, stacks upon stacks of colourful boxes, some describing flavours she’d never heard of in her life, in flat bags, pyramid bags, loose leaf, sachets…

The kettle pinged to signify it was ready. Overwhelmed by choice and reminding herself she had a whole week to be adventurous, Lucy plucked a bog-standard English breakfast bag from a box and plonked it into a mug adorned with He-Man’s face, accompanied by the caption ‘A good cup of tea is the colour of He-Man’.

As she reached for the kettle, the unmistakable sound of the front door’s handle rattling echoed through the flat.

The door creaked open.

Skull scuttled into the kitchen, wide-eyed and fur stood on end, and she picked him up to soothe him. She crept across the room, every step increasing her heart rate, then froze when she heard footfall heading her way.

Someone turned the corner and entered the kitchen.

It all happened rather quickly, really—Lucy had no choice but to act on instinct.

Skull screamed. Lucy held him out in front of her. Whatever words were about to come out of the intruder’s mouth were cut remarkably short as a flurry of paws and claws descended upon their face and torso.

The person stumbled backwards, pressing themself against the far wall, and when Lucy realised he looked oddly familiar she lowered the deadly feline in her hands.

“Oh my G—” He heaved, hand braced against his chest as he came down from his panic. “Christ. I think I almost had a heart attack.”

“Who are you?” Lucy demanded, raising Skull back up in the air between them, an unspoken but certain threat.

“Who are you?” the man replied, incredulous. “Where’s George?”

Lucy narrowed her eyes. The man straightened and pushed away from the wall. Upon seeing his height and long limbs to their full extent, Lucy realised where she knew him from. “Are you his friend?”

“I like to think so,” he said, with a smile Lucy assumed was supposed to be charming. “Again, apologies if I’m being rude, but who are you? Why are you in George’s flat?”

She gently wobbled Skull in the air, as if to prove her point. “I’m cat-sitting.”

The man’s face was blank for a moment, before lighting up in realisation. “Ahh, I see. I could’ve sworn his trip was next week… Though I’ve never been one for calendars and keeping on top of schedules. That’s George’s thing. I’m Lockwood,” he added, holding out a hand.

“Lucy.” Both of her hands were full of Skull, so she resorted to manoeuvring him to gently tap Lockwood’s hand with a paw.

Lockwood flinched away. “Please don’t. He hates me.”

“Sorry.” She gently lowered Skull to the floor with a frown. He had gone oddly quiet. “Is that why you couldn’t look after him, then?”

“Indeed it is. He’d claw my eyes out in my sleep, or piss in my shoes, or carry out some other dastardly act of torture,” he said, cautiously eyeing the mass circling Lucy’s legs. “This is George’s first trip away since taking him in. Skull can be a bit…” he gestured vaguely. “So he was a little concerned about finding the right person.”

Skull began to nibble on the hem of her sock. “I reckon I’ll be alright.”

“What a strange little creature,” Lockwood mused. He raised his eyebrows. “Well, sorry for disturbing you. And startling you.”

“Sorry for shoving an angry cat in your face,” Lucy added sheepishly.

“Water under the bridge, Lucy.” Lockwood smiled again, and this time, Lucy was unnerved to realise she did find it rather charming. “I’ll leave you both to it.”

He turned to head for the door.

Lucy's mouth opened before she could process her thoughts. “I just popped the kettle on, so you’re welcome to stay,” she called after him. “If you want.” There was also the matter of the Swiss roll, which she really didn’t want to go to waste. Ten in the morning was a reasonable time for cake, right?

Lockwood turned back around, smile widening.

–––

After the sofa had been restored to its original form, and the small coffee table was relocated in front of it to store their tea and cake, Lockwood fished the TV remote from the depths of the cushions (so that’s where it was hiding) in an act of familiarity that told Lucy he spent a lot of time here. He turned the TV on, then paused. It had been left on a documentary channel.

“Do you mind if we keep this on? I’m quite fond of whales.”

Lucy huffed a laugh into her mug. “Go for it.”

Lockwood inhaled the steam from his tea—he’d gone for the Earl Grey—and sank back into the cushions.

Skull jumped up into the space between them. In the blink of an eye, he aggressively batted Lockwood with a paw before hopping over Lucy’s lap and wedging himself in the small space between her thigh and the arm of the sofa.

“I’ve never done anything to hurt him, honest,” Lockwood insisted. “He knows I’m friends with George, and I’m here more often than my own home, yet he still treats me like I’m some…” he sipped his tea while he reached for a word. “Fiend.”

“You know George from school, then?” She took a bite of Swiss roll and almost failed to hold back a mortifying groan of pleasure; it was dangerously delicious.

Lockwood frowned, and Lucy nodded to the picture frame. He smiled in recognition. “Ah. Yes, I do. He got the highest grades in our year group. I managed to beat him in history, though.”

“You like history?”

“My parents did. I listened to enough of their passionate ramblings to give me a partial PhD.”

The past tense didn’t escape her notice; she quickly thought of something to back out of that line of conversation. “Do you know Holly, then? Holly Munro?”

Lockwood nodded as he balanced the plate of cake in his lap. He began to methodically unroll it, transforming the Swiss roll into a long Swiss snake, before ripping bites off bit by bit. “I do. Incredibly lovely woman. How do you know her?”

“She’s my flatmate,” Lucy said as she watched Lockwood rip off a small chunk of his cake snake and daintily pop it in his mouth. She wearily eyed her own slice and the giant bite taken out of it.

“I see. What’s she up to nowadays?”

“She writes for a fashion magazine.” The name escaped her, which came as no surprise. She had never considered spending her hard-earned money on a magazine that would try to tell her she couldn’t wear Converse with every single outfit (Holly did that more than enough). “She’s hoping to break into the design side of the industry, though. I don’t know much about fashion, but she seems to have a good eye for it.”

“Good for her,” Lockwood said fondly. It surprised her to hear how sincerely he said it; she hid her expression by taking another bite of cake. “What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Lucy hesitated. As nice as he seemed, Lockwood was still from Holly’s hoity-toity southern school. The chances of him not taking her career seriously was worryingly high—but damn it, for all intents and purposes, this was technically her flat for the week. She could chase him out with Skull if he turned out to be an arse.

She ran a reassuring hand through Skull’s fur as she responded. “I work part-time in a cafe to pay the bills, but I do art on the side. Hoping to eventually make that my full-time gig.”

“Really?” Lockwood’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline, and Lucy steeled herself for the incoming ridicule. “What kind of art do you make?”

Lucy’s hand stilled on Skull’s head. Here, she could feel the gentle rumbling of his quiet purrs. “I mostly work with acrylic paint. On canvas, usually. That’s what all my commissions are in, anyway. I sketch all the time, though. Helps clear my head.”

Lockwood’s eating slowed. “You take commissions?”

She nodded, feeling the beginnings of heat in her face. “I’m working on one now, actually, for a friend of Holly’s. I booked the week off to work on it while I’m here. George is letting me use his room as a makeshift studio.”

Lockwood’s gaze darted to the bedroom door.

“No,” Lucy said immediately. Startled by her own sudden brashness, she sank further into the sofa. “I don’t like people seeing my works-in-progress, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Lockwood said with a smile. “Though I am curious, what’s the subject?”

“A really flashy portrait. I get the impression he’s a bit of a snob, so—”

“Wait.” Lockwood paused. “Don’t tell me his name is Kipps.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes and ate the last of her slice. “How the hell did you figure that out?”

“He also went to the same school as us. A couple of year groups above, in the same one as Holly. We both went to fencing club, and my God, did he hold a grudge against me. You jokingly prod a man in the backside once…”

Lucy snorted, startling Skull and sending him racing into the kitchen.

“Shit,” she hissed, chasing after him. “Sorry, he just— he can’t go in— oh my God, stop squirming away!”

“It’s alright,” Lockwood called as she wrestled to keep Skull in her grasp. “I ought to get going now, anyway.”

When she finally succeeded in ushering Skull out of the kitchen, Lockwood was by the door, tugging on his long coat. “It was lovely meeting you, Lucy. Sorry again for the intrusion.”

“No worries, honestly.”

His slim fingers toyed with the hem of his coat. “Are you up to much this week?”

“Not really. Working on the commission, keeping this little menace in check…" She shrugged nonchalantly. "You’re welcome to swing by and watch whale documentaries any time.”

Skull watched the swaying coat with sharp slit pupils. Lockwood eyed him cautiously. “Something tells me he wouldn’t be very happy about that.”

In a movement that was becoming all too familiar now, Lucy stooped to bundle Skull into her arms. He dug his claws into her skin as a silent warning, or perhaps to convey his displeasure at being taken away from his prey. “He’ll have to suck it up.”