#is a black tea that’s strong. very strong. like earl grey

[kit-inclothes]

peppermint tea appears to be weird in great britain 🤔

Kit Connor | via British Vogue Shorts

[figofswords]

wow I didn’t think reblogging that tea post and then seeing people’s tags would deal me such strong psychic damage. come over I can fix you I can find a tea you will like. “I don’t like tea” how can you say that as a blanket statement when there are so many vastly different kinds of tea. head in hands

[captaindibbzy]

There is easy low hanging fruit here, especially about the US and salty tea. And I'm so SO tempted.

But also I'm super in to tea and I'm bored.

The perfect cup of tea is how you want to drink it, and if you do not LIKE tea then drinking it a different way, or a different kind of tea, vastly changes it.

A pinch of salt makes things less bitter, this trick also works with coffee. But other things that affect taste are tempriture, length of time it brews, where the tea was grown, the climate, the soil, and how big the leaves are. Some of the cheapest tea has little more than dust in the tea bag while more expensive teas you will notice have more structure to the leaves.

Tea brewed in colder tempeitures needs longer and creates a different taste. It may require more tea to get the specific flavour you want, and generally it is less bitter for it. Similar thing to spices where if you cook them, use them hot, toast them first, etc, you get a different set of flavours to using them cold.

Like wine, tea can have lots of flavour profiles and colours. Assam for example is very dark, malty, and strong, it can get quite bitter. Ceylon is much lighter. Darjeeling is good with lemon, but Assam is better with milk, in my humble opinion. Lapsang Sushong is very smokey. Earl Grey

Most people will drink a mix. English breakfast is usually a mix of Assam, Ceylon, and Kenyan. Earl Grey is flavoured with bergamot.

White, green, and black tea all come from the same plant, just different parts of it, treated differently. Black tea can take a higher tempriture, but boiling water on green and white tea will scorch the leaves and make it very bitter. Agitating the tea can also have this effect as it releases more tannin.

As a general rule there is a tea for everyone, and a way to drink it that you will enjoy, whether that's hot, cold, mixing it with spices, flavourings, fruit, milk, sugar, lemon, and yes, even a pinch of salt.

I would not, however, recommend tea that has been in the Boston harbour.

[emmawithtwoms]

Potions Dungeon

@wolfstarmicrofic day 26 -831 words

Sirius Black had had many stupid ideas in his life: putting fairy dust in his mother’s tea, telling Snape about the secret passageway under the Whomping Willow, “accidentally” throwing a bludger at Slughorn during the last quidditch match… 

But choosing Remus Lupin as his potions partner during the lesson on Amortentia must have been the dumbest idea that had ever crossed his mind. 

To be fair, when they chose partners he did not know that they were going to brew love potions, but still, Morgana must have really hated him. 

All around him he could smell the scent of old books, earl grey tea, the Forbidden forest and fucking cinnamon. It was driving him insane. 

Padfoot could feel his palms sweating, his face blushing and his heart rushing, and why did nobody tell him of the arousing effect the vapors from Amortentia had? 

So he made a plan: he would not talk, think about or even look at Moony for the whole lesson. He would concentrate only on the potion, checking that the colour was right, that it was being turned the right amount of times, in the right direction and making sure that the right amount of ingredients was poured at the right moment and in the right way. Although it was Moony doing it, so it was hard ignoring his presence, his scent, and his hands… Merlin his hands, his beautiful, big, callous, scarred hands NO! He would not indulge in those thoughts. 

Sirius shook his head trying to remove everything regarding Remus and his hands from his head. Sadly, the other boy was not making it easy for Padfoot to ignore him. 

“Are you alright, Pads? You’ve been awfully quiet.” 

“Yeah, yeah, just… lost in my head a bit” 

Sirius kept pointedly not looking at Moony. The smell from all the Amortentia in the room was so strong and so enveloping that he was sure that if he had looked at Remus, he would have confessed eternal love. 

Remus placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. 

“Is it because of your brother? If you need anything I am here, you know? Mulciber could “accidentally” drop a bit too much fairy dust and cause an explosion, accidentally ending the lesson earlier, you know?” 

Oh that beautiful, beautiful man, Sirius could melt because of him.

“No, I’m fine, really. I just can’t wait for this stupid lesson to be over. I fucking hate love potions.” 

“Oh. Yeah, I get it. And smelling this intensely the person you are in love with is very… distracting.”

Sirius finally lifted his gaze to look at Remus.

Right. The person you are in love with… he didn’t think about it, but surely Remus would smell someone too in the potion. Someone else. 

“Do you smell someone in particular, Moony?”

Please don’t, for the love of Merlin

“I… Yes I do.”

Those words stabbed Sirius right in the guts.

“Well, they must be very special to have you looking like that.”

Remus had a sad smile on his lips, like he resigned himself, like he felt hopeless. 

“Yes, he is.”

HE?

“I know he will never like me back, but I just can’t help it. He’s too important, too special. Even if he sometimes cannot see it, he is one of the best people I know.” 

“Don’t say that, Moons, everybody would be lucky to have you.” 

“Oh come on, you are my best friend, you have to say that.” 

“No, I’m serious, pun not intended. You are amazing Moony. You are kind, smart, brave, strong, funny and an evil mastermind. And honestly, you are rather beautiful, so if he can’t see it, sorry but he’s just not worth your time.” 

Remus stared at him in disbelief. The hand that was still on his shoulder tightened, his eyes glistened and he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, and Sirius, just for a second, indulged in the fantasy of a heartwarming love confession. 

But they were rudely interrupted by Slughorn, who announced the end of the lesson, and all the students hurried to bring samples of their potions to his desk, including Moony. 

While leaving the potions dungeon to head to dinner, though, Remus called Sirius back, leaving them behind from the group. 

“Pads, thank you for what you said earlier, you… you are really special.” 

Remus was not looking at him in the eyes and picking at his cuticles. 

“Moons, that was just the truth. Stop doing that with your fingers, you’ll hurt your hands.”

And without thinking about it, he took Remus’ hand in his and smiled at him, and he just… didn’t let go. Not until they reached the Great Hall, and not while they were eating, still with their pinkies intertwined during dinner, and not while climbing the stairs back to their common room. 

They both knew that they should have talked about it, but for now, for now it was fine just like that. 

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

Marauders and the hot beverages they like:

James: He doesn't like to drink anything hot. He doesn't have the patience. He is the chocolate milk and smoothie type of guy for his breakfast. He drinks tea only when there's a tea party or he's chatting with someone that enjoys tea. But he waits for it to get cold to drink it.

Sirius: He has always preferred coffee over tea. He loves the taste, the aesthetic of holding the cup and the way it slowly stimulates him and gives him energy. He usually chooses to drink black and very hot coffee. But what very few know is that he drinks it with like 4 or 5 sugar spoons.

Remus: Always tea. And always earl grey. Never changes it for anything. It is his father's favorite and he drinks it just like him: 1 milk, 2 sugars. He loves to enjoy it two times a day. Plus he can drink a cup while reading comfortably.

Peter: Likes better the taste of coffee but always with milk. He thinks the flavor of tea is not that strong with milk. That's why he enjoys cappuccinos, mocaccinos, and lattes. But when at home or Hogwarts, he puts instant coffee to the hot milk. He always adds cinnamon, or vanilla, or any other spice. He likes to experiment and try something knew.

Lily: Doesn't stand the taste of coffee, she only drinks it when she is hangover or had a bad night sleep. But making faces and gagging like with medicine. Usually she drinks tea. Her favorite is always Green Tea. And when there's no green tea, she drinks black tea. She doesn't add milk because she is lactose intolerant. But she likes her tea very sweet.

Marlene: Only drinks coffee in the morning to wake up and have energy for the day. She drinks it black with a bit of milk and only one spoon of sugar. She drinks one cup a day, nothing more. She doesn't need more. Plus she doesn't like tea in general.

Mary: Loves coffee only on coffee shops in shape of lattes and Frappuccinos (usually cold). But daily, she likes to taste all kind of tea flavors. There are times when she drinks digestive teas to keep her figure. Other times, drinks fruit teas, or anti age teas for physical benefits etc. She is always coming up with a benefit about the tea she is currently having. She likes to feel healthy.

Regulus: Coffee addict through and through. Drinks like 4 cups a day, and still doesn't have energy. But starts getting stressed if he hasn't had a cup in a long time. Drinks it black with very little to no sugar. The bitterer, the better. Drinks tea only when he has to.

Dorcas: She likes Black Tea in the morning, after lunch, and after dinner. She has a routine out of drinking it. This calms her down during the day. She drinks it black with no sugar. Doesn't like any other tea and worse coffee. She thinks coffee is very unhealthy and tea shouldn't be superior.

[m-jelly]

The Crow's Song - Chapter 1

Prince Levi x Witch Reader

Royal Romance with magic.

Plot: Prince Levi works and trains too much, which concerns his parents. After trying everything to get him to rest and enjoy life they reach out to you as their last resort. Many in the palace thought you'd have a hard time working with the prince, like many before you, but instead, the Prince is very taken with you. Levi learns to relax and you learn to trust and together you learn to love. Things are never easy. While the two of you learn many things together and unlock love and powers in Levi, many things are working against you. Greed can appear in many ways, from power to attention. Both you and Levi have to face demons together, the rich and powerful want to stop you, a greedy ex wants to stop you and bitter rich ladies. When a witch hunt is started, Levi must do what he can to save the woman he loves before it's too late.

In this chapter: The king and queen show their concern for their son. You confront and ex and move on with life. You accept your job and meet the handsome prince.

Ao3

Part 2

Levi was uncomfortable.

He was sat in a meeting room on a sofa with his parents staring at him. The gentle scent of warm tea and cakes drifted through the room, but it brought no peace to him. No matter how much they tried to make it a comfortable meeting, it was never going to be. This meeting was all about how Levi was living his life.

It’s not like his parents, the King and Queen, were disappointed, they were just concerned about his well-being. All Levi ever did was work and train, he had no time for personal things or to relax. Levi had friends and social things to do, it’s just he chose to work hard because he wanted to create a life for his parents where they had nothing to worry about. He wanted to be strong and fix his country’s issues so his father could pass the crown on and have zero worries.

The problem with Levi’s thinking was he was working every second of every day, he was barely sleeping, barely eating and had no time for his friends and family. The life Levi was leading was going to be a very lonely one. Levi had tried to have a relationship, when he was a bit younger and just became an adult he romanced a noble lady, but it ended because she was not his priority. Levi wasn’t deeply hurt by the breakup because he wasn’t fully invested, but he did have his firsts with her so there was a slight pain and sadness to it.

“Levi.” Kuchel’s voice was so soft and gentle. “We’re not having this meeting to tell you off.”

“Far from it.” His stoic lovesick father interjected. King Sebastian was a devilishly handsome man with well-tamed stubble, shoulder-length black hair and the most charming smile but his eyes were slightly cold no matter how happy he was and Levi had inherited them. Sebastian had a very big heart. “This is a meeting to talk about how concerned we are about you.”

The two of them held hands and gave Levi a sad gaze. Even though the room was full of light and reflected so beautifully on the polished wood floors generating a warm look, the room seemed heavy and dark. A nice cool breeze drifted into the room from the two open double balcony doors, it provided some relief to the moment.

Levi was agitated and annoyed; normally at this time, he was practising his magic abilities to ensure he was a deadly knight. The problem was he struggled to say no to his parents, so no matter how much he wanted to escape the room and practice his magic and sword skills, he remained in the room with his overly concerned parents who loved him more than words could describe. Due to Levi’s deep love for both, he let them keep him in this meeting.

A light tink from Levi lifting his teacup from its saucer cut the silence in the room. “You’re both always so concerned about me.” The light flavour of Earl Grey spread in Levi’s mouth, he adored this tea. “What is it this time? I’m sure I can fix it.”

Kuchel leaned forward in her delicate flowing dress. “Levi, you work too much. You barely eat or sleep. You are exhausting yourself.” Tears filled her eyes. “You’re always working so hard and never have time to spend with us or your friends.”

Sebastian wiped his wife’s tears away. “Son, we love you so much.” He turned to him and smiled. “We understand you are working hard for us and our country, but you have to slow down. We’re a blessed family. We live longer than most humans because of our magical abilities and a powerful God has blessed us.” He rubbed Kuchel’s back. “Your mother was accepted with warm arms by our God and now she lives for a long time like us.” He released a long sigh. “Levi, if you keep doing what you’re doing you will be working for a very long time because you have an incredibly long life. Yes, you’ll have policies to your name, but what about other things? Friends are important.”

“Levi Ackerman.” Kuchel slapped her hand on the table. “Have you ever had a girlfriend? Or had sex?”

Levi slammed his cup down, he was not expecting his mother to ask that. “Ma.”

“Don’t you Ma me! I know that being with someone makes you happy or being with someone is the only way to be happy, but damn it Levi I want to be a grandma!”

He placed his head in his hands and huffed. “I have had a girlfriend before, yes we had sex and no we're not together anymore because she left me.”

“When…” She paused a moment as her frustration went and she was slowly comprehending her son’s words. “When were you in a relationship?”

He lifted his tired head from his hands and pushed back his soft raven hair. “A few years back when I came of age. We were both adults, it was a silly simple relationship with light feelings. She took all my firsts and I hers. It lasted just over a year, but she didn’t like that I was always working.” He rubbed his jaw. “I know, I know, I’m just proving your point.”

“You know what we’re concerned about, you can see it for yourself.”

Sebastian kissed his wife’s cheek. “Dove, give him a moment.”

She gazed at him with pure adoration. “Sorry, my bear, I just worry.”

“I know you do.” He nuzzled his nose against hers. “My beautiful dove.” He kissed the end of her nose before turning to his son. “You’re young. You can take your time and enjoy yourself. Please, spend more time with your friends, go on trips and go on dates. Just, be happy.”

Levi understood where his parents were coming from, he did need to relax a lot more but his goal was to ensure his parents and people were safe. For everyone to be safe, he had to make sure he worked hard so he was strong and smart. “I’m doing all this for you.”

Kuchel covered her mouth with her hand as she felt so touched. “That’s so sweet of you, but we never asked you to do this. You work too much and too hard.”

Sebastian smiled. “What your mother is trying to say is we love you deeply, we’re so damn proud of you and you’re an incredible example to Princes.”

Levi’s brow raised. “But?”

“But you are pushing yourself too hard. We might be stronger than your average human, but we can still get sick. You’re on your way to being very sick and you might cause irreversible damage.” He opened his hand to show red and black smoky magic dancing above his palm. “Our magical abilities rely on us being centred and healthy. The more you neglect yourself the more you will suffer at the hands of your own magic.” He clenched his fist and sighed. “We are trying to stop you before you get sick.”

Levi rose to his feet. “Thank you, both of you for caring so much about me.” He moved over to them and kissed both on their cheeks. “I’m touched that you care so deeply. I will try my best to behave.”

After exchanging some concerned and unconvinced looks, the couple hugged their son and let him go. The royal couple remained in the meeting room while the Prince went right back to the endless duties he set for himself. While the Prince practised with his magic and sword, he had a moment that concerned those watching. He came to a stop as a dizzy spell hit him and blood dribbled down from his nose.

Whispers started and soon the event that Levi quickly covered up soon made it to the head butler. Charles rushed through the halls and into the meeting room. He bowed to both. “Your majesties, I come with a report about the Prince.”

Kuchel clasped the hand of her husband. “What’s happened, Charles?”

“The Prince went right to training and I am sorry to say he has bled from his nose.”

She dropped her head into her hands. “Oh, Levi.”

Sebastian rubbed her back. “What are we to do with him…”

An idea struck Kuchel, she was shocked that she had never thought about it before. For a long time, she’d been trying to set Levi up with beautiful women but none of it worked and he rejected them. She came from a magical background and knew that often influential people would have a magical assistant. “I’ve got it!” It was the perfect plan and she knew just where to go and who to see. “We need to get him a magical assistant. He will work with them, but they’ll secretly be working for us! They’ll help us get him to rest, take care of himself and they’ll report to us.”

Sebastian hummed. “I want to be honest with our son. We’ll tell him the magical assistant is there to help him relax more.”

“Okay, we’ll do that!” She grinned. “Thank you for supporting me.”

“Anytime.” He frowned a little. “Where to go and who to see though.”

“Well, I know where we can meet them, but I don’t know who the best is at the moment.”

Charles bowed. “I will gather the information for you.”

“Thank you, Charles.” She stood up and made her way over to the butler. “I know of a few places you can go to find good magical users.” She read out a few as Charles noted them on his little notebook. “They have to be someone who will grab our son’s attention. They have to be powerful, strong, smart and funny. You know the Prince well, you helped us raise him.” She leaned closer and whispered. “Pick a witch. Make sure she’s curvy with a good bust on her.”

Charles chuckled. “Yes, Your Majesty.” He bowed before leaving the room and checking his list. “Hmm, I’m sure I can find someone that meets these requirements.”

“Requirements?” Levi’s tired voice echoed down the hall. “What’s going on, Charles?”

He smiled at the Prince. “Your parents are looking to hire someone, that’s all.”

Levi dabbed under his nose. “Really? I thought we were fully staffed.” He pondered for a moment. “I’m curious.”

“Really?”

Levi nodded. “I would like to meet them, whoever they may be, even if it is a small role.”

Charles smiled fondly at the prince. “Well, you do like meeting all the staff. I will notify you when they are hired.”

“Thank you.” He winced a bit. “I’m going to rest. I think I’ve pushed myself too much today.”

“Rest well, Your Highness.”

The deadpan look you gave could not be played off or excused, it was clear to everyone that you didn’t want to be in the hall in front of the King and his slimy advisor. You were a strong witch and people admired that, but it wasn’t the only reason people took notice. The way you dressed was in a very confident manner. You wore mostly black, but your dresses were always low cut to show off your large cleavage and sometimes your dresses would flash your legs.

The King wasn’t the one that really wanted you there. King Rowen was known to be a bit of a gullible idiot who wanted only money, booze and women. People mocked him for being weak and a puppet because the real leader of the country was his warlock advisor. Since the moment his advisor slithered his way into the palace, he had King Rowen under his thumb.

Vance Noir, the warlock who put a bitter taste in your mouth. The two of you had a history and he was not going to let you forget it. Before he lost himself to his powers, he was a wonderful man who wanted so badly to be strong so he could help, but something corrupted him. He was tall and lean, which was incredibly attractive to most. His nose was slender, his lips slightly plump and his eyes incredibly intense that drew you in and you’d become lost in the purple colour. His was very pale but seemed to be a bit off in colour, you could never put your finger on it. The black soft wavey hair, which was parted in the middle, always seemed to frame his beautiful face. His voice was a silken smooth deep one that would lull you into a hypnotised state.

As you stood listening to the King, you could feel Vance’s gaze on you and you had eyed him too. He was in all black with dark gold and black armour clasped on parts of his body and a deep purple cloak with a collar and a broach to keep it in place. He had a firm grip on the top of the throne to assert his dominance. When you took in a deep breath, which caused your breasts to almost spill out of your dress, Vance gripped the seat harder.

It was a few years ago that you and Vance met. At first, you were friends with each other but you did become romantic and physical. The relationship was passionate and full of fire, but that fire burned too bright too fast. After a few months of deep feelings, Vance developed a deadly ego and became a bit of an egotistic dick. So, when it got too much and it was all about showing off and being stronger than others and not about helping, you kicked his ass out of your life. The problem was, no matter how much you tried to get away from him, he always seemed to pop back into your life.

You yawned a moment before huffing. “Look, Your Majesty, I appreciate the job offer but I’m not interested. I like being a free witch doing odd jobs. I mean…” You spoke in a mocking tone. “You have the great and powerful Vance Noir.” You smirked and held back a laugh. “What more could you want?” It seemed that no one picked up on your rude and sarcastic tone, which was good for you. “I’ll be on my way.” You bowed deeply. “Goodbye, Your Majesty.”

The moment he waved you off you raced out of there like your ass was on fire. You skipped down the hall feeling a lot better. As you moved down the long hall thinking about a meat-filled bun at the local baker you liked a cloud of dark purple smoke formed at your side. Vance strolled out of the smoke, his long legs allowing him to catch up with you easily. Although he looked a little fragile he was incredibly strong and was the object of many women’s affections.

Vance looked desperate and irritated, but he managed to hide it well behind a charming smile. “My sweet doll, can we talk?”

You flicked your gaze over to him before holding your head high and looking away. “What’s there to talk about? I said no to the King and that’s that.”

He stepped right in your path causing you to come to a sudden stop and almost slam into his chest. His gloved hands gripped your upper arms. “Think this through.”

You looked up at him and couldn’t believe that you used to look at this man with deep love. “Vance, I said no because this wasn’t the King’s idea, it was yours. There is no value to me taking the offer.”

He rubbed his thumbs on your skin as if he was trying to arouse you. “I’m the value.”

Your face dropped and you gave him a deadpan look. “Gods you’re such an egotistical dick.” You took his hands off you. “I’m not interested in your offer, Vance. Now, let me leave.”

He said your name sternly but had a smile on his face. “Please, reconsider.”

You smiled at him as you shimmered and turned into little sparkles of light and passed through him. Your sparkles danced until you came together outside on the grand stairs making the guards jump. “Sorry gents, didn’t mean to scare you.” You wiggled your dress up a bit. “Mm, time for a meat bun.”

The double doors behind you slammed open. Vance’s hair was a little messy, his eyes a more toxic purple and his teeth a little sharp as he gritted them. He almost shouted your name. “I wasn’t done talking to you.”

You smirked at him. “I was done though. There’s nothing more to say, Vance. I’m not staying here.”

A guard sniggered a bit before talking under his breath, but it wasn’t quiet. “Women can reject the warlock.”

Vance flew towards you, his cloak flowing around you with his magic. He lowered his voice. “Stop this childish behaviour. You know you and I belong together. Come back to me.” He reached up and lightly held your neck as he said your name. “Please. We need each other.”

You laughed and stepped back. “You need me. I don’t need you.” You turned and jumped off the steps and floated down to the floor. “Vance, you need to accept we’re over. There are a lot of other women out there you can be with romantically. The time we had together was lovely, but I’m done.” You blew him a kiss. “See you around.”

As soon as you left the palace grounds Vance no longer followed you. The man loved money and power too much, so the idea of leaving the grounds repulsed him. So, you were happy and safe now from your frustrating ex. You turned into your sparkles of light and moved over the land until you reached the bakery. You became your normal self and bought a freshly made meat bun.

After getting your food you made your way to your magical carriage. You climbed inside and ate your delicious meal in the comfort of your large home. You relaxed for a while before using your magic to set your carriage on its course to the next country, one that you knew was ruled by rather nice people, was a good size, by the ocean, by the mountains and was just so perfect.

A loud knock on your door woke you up from your deep sleep indicating you had arrived in the new country. You sat up, fixed your dress and hair before shoving the wooden serving door open. You rubbed your eyes as the sun shined brightly in the sky. “Mm.” You winced a bit before looking down to see a sharply dressed man. “By the looks of you, you are a butler.”

Charles smiled at you. “Indeed I am.” He gripped a piece of paper in his hands, as it crumpled a bit you could see it was an advert for your services that the good people of this country handed out when you arrived. “I heard a lot about you from the people. You’re very popular here.”

“It’s probably because of my infectious smile.”

He chuckled. “Possibly, you are a very beautiful lady.”

You hummed a laugh. “Buttering me up, huh? What might I call you.”

“Charles.” He bowed to you. “Wonderful to meet you, my lady.”

“You too.”

“May we talk? I have something rather important to discuss with you.”

You eyed him a moment and noticed the pin he had was the coat of arms for the Ackerman royal family. “How about you come in here and chat? I can imagine it’s something you want to talk about in private, hmm?”

Charles smiled softly. “If that is okay?”

You opened a door. “Come on in. I’ll pop the kettle on.”

He climbed inside with a soft frown, he wasn’t sure if there was enough room. As soon as he got inside the door closed behind him and the tiny carriage was huge inside. He admired the room full of blankets and cushions. Everywhere there was a place to sit was full of comfort. Plants hung from the roof and others were resting on tables and sides.

You walked over from your old kitchen area and handed him a cup. “Make yourself comfortable.”

“This…this is interesting…it’s so small on the outside.”

You hummed a laugh. “Magic is fun.”

“Thank you for the tea.” He took a sip and hummed in delight. “This is divine.”

You sat down and grinned. “I make my own tea.”

He eyed you and almost choked on his tea because of how you looked, you were an incredibly beautiful woman. “I ah.”

You reached over and wiped his face with a hankie. “Too hot?”

“You could say that.” He was talking about you. He flinched a moment when he realised why he was there. “I have a letter for you.” He placed his cup down and pushed his hand into his inside breast pocket. “King Sebastian and Queen Kuchel are in desperate need of help.”

Your shoulders slumped at hearing those words because you couldn’t help but feel like this was another royal who wanted your power. “Right…we’ll I won’t fight in any battles or wars.”

Charles gasped as his eyes widened. “Bat…oh! No, no! This is different. Please, read the letter.”

You took it from him and read it slowly. “Oh…oh you’re right…” You lowered the paper. “How old is the prince that you all need to do this?”

“He is in his mid-twenties.”

You stared down at the letter. “Hmm…I…I…wow…the poor man needs to have some fun.”

“So?” Charles shuffled closer. “Will you aid us?”

You tilted your head. “So, all I have to do is just look after the prince?”

“Yes, and you get paid a lot of gold for it.”

You released a long sigh. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

He released a long sigh. “Thank the Gods.”

Two beautiful royals stood before you with pleading looks in their eyes. Your heart went out to the two of them. They loved their son so much that they wanted him to get better and have some light in his life. They had tried everything to get him to relax and have fun, but he was so focused on being the best Prince and future King that he neglected himself.

Prince Levi was a strong and smart man. He gave everything he could to those around him to prevent the loss of life. Every second of every day he worked hard. No matter what was said to him he continued to push himself beyond what a human should be doing.

As a strong witch, you could enchant people and heal as well. It made sense to you that they would request help from someone with your talents. You were a little embarrassed when you met them because your attire was a little on the revealing side. The dress you wore was a low cut to show off your chest that was held up by a corset. A slit went up the side of your leg as a nice peek-a-boo.

You smiled brightly at the beautiful couple. “So…Charles told me all about this…job.” You cleared your throat. “I am rather happy to help out. Do you need me to prove my magical abilities?” You turned into light sparkles and appeared above them and floated around. “Oh! I could grow some plants…” You hummed in thought. “Maybe I could create something!”

Kuchel giggled. “You don’t need to.” She offered her hand to you. “You’ve just shown your abilities without realising.”

You floated down. “Sorry, I tend to fly when I get excited.” You smiled brightly. “I would love to help your son out.”

Sebastian shook your hand. “Wonderful news!”

Kuchel eyed you, you were a stunning woman and the power flowing off you was incredible, but she could see a dark mark on you and it concerned her. Something bad had noticed you and she wasn’t sure if she could let her son near that. “Mm, perhaps you two should meet first? Levi has to like you.”

“Darling dove?” He moved her to the side. “What are you saying? She’s perfect. I think she could bring out Levi’s hidden ability.”

“Sweet bear.” She held his hands and whispered. “Something dark has touched her. It’s not strong, but I’m concerned.”

You leaned closer. “It’s probably my ex.” You smiled when both jumped. “Sorry, I’m a quiet thing. I used to be romantically involved with a warlock but he turned out to be a dick. I saw him yesterday but it was for business reasons. I rejected his offer. He grabbed my upper arms, so you’re probably sensing that.” You smiled. “I promise he’s no longer involved with me and I am a good clean witch.”

Sebastian smiled. “Let’s give her a chance.”

“If I suck, I will give you back all of the gold you pay me.” You landed and bowed to them both. “I can give you daily reports.” You stood back up and smiled again. “Maybe you could put me on a month trial period?”

Kuchel sighed. “We won’t put you on a trial period. I trust this will go well. Just know that if I think you are dangerous, we will force you to leave.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll take you to him.” She softly smiled at you. “Come with me.” She moved out of the room with you. “You really are a beautiful thing.”

“Oh, why thank you.” You fiddled with your dress. “Not as beautiful as you though.”

“You’re too kind.”

Queen Kuchel led you down a grand hall as she told you all about her son. At first, you thought the Prince was someone young and this was a nanny thing. However, that was very wrong. When the Queen opened the study door you saw a handsome man in his mid to late 20s. He was so beautiful to you.

Kuchel released a long sigh. "Levi? Son? You know how your father and I have been very worried about you."

Levi ruffled his hair as he scribbled away. "I told you, I am fine. You have nothing to worry about." A gasp escaped him when his papers began to float up away from him. "Tch, shit, come back!" He jumped up to grab it. "Damn it!"

You hummed a little laugh causing Levi to glare at you. You gave him a playful wink and saw him slowly take you in. The glare he gave you slowly turned into a strong blush, his pupils dilated and a shiver ran right through him. He stopped jumping and just stood there and stared at you with a longing look in his eyes. Your aura, presence and looks instantly tamed the Prince. This had never happened to you before, so you were very interested in the Prince. Perhaps he was your soulmate.

You returned his papers to his desk and introduced yourself. You moved over to him and offered your hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm your witch. My job is to make sure you keep on top of your health and to also have a bit of fun."

Levi took your hand and kissed the back of your fingers with his soft warm lips. "The pleasure is all mine. When do you start?"

"Right away!" You glanced over at Kuchel. "Right, Your Majesty?"

Kuchel smiled brightly, which just lit up the room. "Yes! I'll leave you both alone."

You floated up and sat on Levi's desk. You made sure that your ass was right on his work. "So, what do you want to do? Do you want to read a book? Go on a walk? Take a long relaxing bath?" You leaned forward and pressed your breasts together. "How about a massage?"

Levi shivered. "I...I...I...uh..." For once in his life, Levi couldn't function or process any thoughts. You had truly captured him in a spell without the use of magic. "Boobs."

You blinked a few times before you started laughing at Levi's face going pink. "They are very nice, huh?" You reached towards him and grabbed his tie. With a gentle tug, you pulled Levi towards you. "Why are you so far away, hmm? It's okay to get close." You played with his tie a little. "You're so handsome."

"I...uh...um...th-thank you."

You took his hands and started massaging them. "So much tension in your hands." You pressed his hand on your chest above your breasts. "I need to work a lot on your body."

Levi whimpered a little as he became overwhelmed by your beauty and your warmth. "You...you do?"

You ran your hands up his chest as you read his aura. You cupped his face in your hands and hummed. "Yes, yes, you are rather unwell. I need to work hard on fixing your aura, mana and your body." You floated off the table and grabbed his hand. "Come."

Not a single thought went through his mind as you pulled him down the hallway. His eyes locked onto your ass as it moved with each step. He felt like he was drooling at the sight of you. Something was between the two of you, he could just sense it. There was this magnetic pull and he wanted to keep you close to him, always.

With your powerful magic, you filled his large pool bath with water and special fragrances that would help him out the best. Once completed you ushered him towards the water. After turning your back, Levi removed his clothes and walked down into the water. It didn't take Levi very long to relax. He was almost out like a light.

Levi released a long moan as his body relaxed. "This...this is incredible."

You pulled your dress up and sat on the edge of the bath with your legs in the water. "My special healing magic."

Levi turned his head and gazed at your thighs. "Uh...umm." His eyes trailed up your legs to see your dress just about covered your underwear. He gulped hard before looking up at you. "Th-thank you."

You reached over and began massaging his shoulders. "Let me heal you. I have an incredible touch."

He shivered and moaned as your hands moved against his skin. "Mm."

You leaned closer. "I want to get to know every inch of your body, your highness." You pushed your fingers up into his hair and massaged his scalp. "What you crave, desire and need. I want to give you everything."

“I-I don’t n-need much.”

You pushed your hands down onto his pecs. “Do I make you nervous?”

Levi pulled your hands from him. “This is just a lot, that’s all.”

You got up and stretched. “Shall I leave you for now then? It is rather late and you should get some rest.”

“Rest? But I have work to do.”

You crouched down next to him and leaned closer to him so he got a face full of your breasts. “If you don’t go to bed right after this bath, I will lock you up in your bedroom and treat you like a silly little bratty princess. Is that what you want?”

He gulped hard. “N-No.”

“Plus, if you do as I say I’ll give you a reward.”

His brow raised. “Reward?”

“Yep.” You jumped to your feet. “Exciting, right?”

“Mm. I’ll go to bed.”

You hummed a laugh. “Good boy!”

Levi watched you leave and felt a lot of joy go with you. He released a long sigh and ruffled his wet hair. He thought about going back to work, but a part of him really wanted to see what his reward would be. “Aaaaah…fuck me.”

[cleolinda]

Tea preferences

From what I've heard, people who drink hot tea feel very strongly about it, and so I am not making any kind of poll for this because I learned my lesson about polls two weeks ago, damn.

My Mountain Dew habit has resurfaced, right as my doctor also wants me to bring my blood sugar levels down. I have chronic fatigue issues because blah blah blah and I need caffeine mid-morning. So I've started drinking hot (black) tea again, and it gives me a mild lift with no sugar crash, so I'm interested in what y'all drink. Mostly I drink English breakfast with milk (around a latte proportion) and a spoonful of honey, because I like honey. I'm thinking of trying Irish breakfast to level up the caffeine. A maltier flavor, I know, but I think I've tried it before and it was fine.

(I like strong tea to go with all that milk, so I use two tea bags in a large cup for five minutes, which apparently horrified an online friend of my sister's--an Englishman who insisted that Proper Tea is meant to brew for about thirty seconds, even though I am following the instructions on the Twinings box, Arthur, and it doesn't come out bitter at all, how am I out here in Alabama drinking stronger tea than you? I don't even know what he thought about the honey.)

I started out drinking Earl Grey because I like bergamot (I may do a Bergamot in Perfume post at some point), but ultimately, I think I like my Basic Black Tea Latte setup. If you drink hot black tea, what brand do you drink, what do you put in it, how long do you steep it, are you horrified by my methods (I stand defiant)?

[askthehcc]

What are the staff members favorite drinks?

Impulse: I like a nice chai latte.

Zedaph: Oh, it's gotta be a London Fog for me.

Tango: something we don't actually serve here, of course.

Bdubs: Oh, yeah, Zed made that for me once a couple weekends ago. It was pretty good, actually.

Bdubs: I was a sceptic at first and I'll hold my hands up to that, but I've totally been converted.

Scar: What the heck is a London Dog?

Bdubs: It's a London Fog, Scar, not a London Dog!

Bdubs: That's Paddington you're thinking of, stupid.

Impulse: Wait what? Isn't paddington a–

Zedaph: It's an earl grey tea with some vanilla syrup and just a splash of hot milk on top. Very delicious, if I do say so myself.

Scar: Huh. So it's, like, a British thing?

Tango: I guess?

Scar: fascinating.

Tango: What's your favourite drink, Scar?

Scar: Oh, hot chocolate, of course! Nothing better!

Zedaph: Ah, yes, the young man's coffee.

Impulse: Tango, what about you?

Tango: Oh, long black with three shots of espresso. First thing I do when I get in is make myself one.

Tango: Keeps the gears in the ol' thinker thinkificating, if you know what I mean?

Impulse: ...Tango, how many of those do you have a day?

Tango: ...

Tango: What are you, a cop?

---

Cleo: If I get more than five minutes after a rush, I like a flat white.

Cleo: What can I say? I like it basic. Not everything has to have a big fanfare about it.

False: Oh, yeah, give me a cup of strong black tea and I'll be happy.

Joe: For me, it's got to be something a little bit sweet, but not too sweet. I'll usually make myself a white americano with just a smidge of caramel syrup to counteract the bitterness.

Cleo: What about you, X?

Xisuma: Same as Cleo, but with oat milk. I just like it a little creamier.

---

Grian: Huh? Oh. I don't know. I don't really care. Whatever.

Scar: That's not true...

Grian: ...

Grian: Caramel hot chocolate.

Scar: There you go!

Grian: Yeah, yeah, shut up... menace.

---

Mumbo: Uh, just like... A latte, I guess?

Mumbo: It's not exciting, but–

Wels: Americano sunrise.

Mumbo: ...Isn't that–?

Wels: Yep.

Mumbo: ...

Mumbo: Alright then.

Mumbo: Are we, uh... done here?

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

saw you talking about tea the other day and now i'm intrigued 👀 any flavors you're particularly fond of? asking for a friend also. please do ramble about it bc it's delightful :D

Jay! Hi! Fellow tea lover?

Hm… I love lots of teas, but really I prefer simple teas to anything super decadent or elaborate. I don’t ever add anything to my teas unless I’m sick (then I’ll add a bit of honey).

My go-to is just a simple green or peppermint tea, though I’m also a huge fan of spiced chai and earl grey. I adore jasmine tea - jasmine is probably my favourite, but it has to be a good jasmine, so I don’t have it all the time (again, it gets expensive). I always have some green or peppermint tea on hand though - a quality cup is always nice but I don’t as much mind if these are the cheaper kind.

I’m not a huge fruit tea person, though I did have a peach white tea once - that one was lovely cold - and of course a good lemon ginger is always nice. If I’m having bubble tea though, I always go for a mango or lychee green tea if they have it!

I have to say that I can’t remember what pu’erh tea was like - I know it was interesting and I liked it, but I’d need to try it again I think to recall it properly. I haven’t found a rooibos tea I’ve been particularly crazy about, but it’s nice too, just not what I’d gravitate towards.

If you want a sweet or dessert type tea, then any oolong is great, but I think I’m spoiled for that wuyi oolong now hahaha. I’ve had a vanilla black tea - it’s really good. I’d highly recommend that one. I also have this sweet apple-cinnamon tea with nuts. I don’t have it super often, as I’m not a fan of sugary teas but this one is a nice dessert on its own. It’s very nutty which makes it pretty unique.

When I’m sick, I’ve had a couple good teas. One I have for colds is a eucalyptus-mint. I recommend having this one only when you are very congested because boy is it strong. Tastes amazing though. Also my mom had several Korean friends when I was little, so I have fond memories of her making yujacha at their urging when I wasn’t feeling well as a young kid, and boricha for us to put in the fridge and drink cold. I love both.

I don’t usually have chamomile at home, but this is largely because on days when I’m really incredibly stressed (like, shaking with anxiety, actively spiralling, kind of stressed), I like to go for a walk in the evening and pick up a chamomile from a nearby café to take back with me. It’s an indulgence that way.

Other cool teas I have tried:

Butterfly pea flower tea: More of a novelty than anything but this tea is bright blue and changes to red when you add citric acid. It’s a natural pH indicator!

Lavender black tea: Incredibly good. This was another gift from my mom a few years back. Very nice in the evening.

Mushroom tea: These tend to be incredibly overpriced due to purported health benefits so I’ve only ever had samples but honestly? The ones I’ve had are very nice, a smooth, rich flavour. Not convinced they’re worth that price though.

Dandelion tea: People say this can be used as a coffee substitute. I’m not entirely sure I agree with that but it does have a dark roasted flavour that is similar to black coffee. It’s a little sweet though. I like this one a lot, but I only have this with food because if I don’t have anything in my stomach it makes me cramp a bit (as I found out the hard way) :/

Matcha green tea with roasted rice: Okay a friend of mine got me some of this as a gift when she went back to visit family for a bit and. Um. This tea is so incredibly good. We had some together and it was fantastic. I’ve been saving it and only having it at times I know I can really savour it because I want it to last. If you can find some good quality stuff I highly recommend it.

Aaaand sometimes, admittedly, I will enjoy an orange pekoe. It’s nice on occasion. I make it pretty strong hehe

I hope this was fun for you your friend! 😆

What are your favourite teas, Jay?

[paracosmicparadox]

So, I'm falling back into the FFXV kick, and I have decided that I disapprove of how little complex character development Square Enix has given the guys?? Like where is the emotional depth beyond surface-level cutscene angst?? So I took matters into my own hands and have compiled a handy little list of headcanons / expanded canons that I think make sense.

Noctis: Has clinical insomnia and frequent lucid dreams (sorta a given, but bear w me bear w me)

Feels the weight of having to take so much on from such a young age much, much more than he lets on

Loves to argue

Would've been happier if he and Luna stayed as childhood best-buds rather than betrothed fiancés (controversial, ik, but it just didn't seem like he cared that much for her romantically to me?? Like he obviously cared about her, but it seemed like a really strong penpal vibe rather than a "We're-gonna-get-married-and-be-the-next-hotshot-couple" vibe. If you disagree, coolio, I'm not gonna debate w you on this one)

Has a natural sadness to his eyes regardless of what he's feeling

Went through an anime phase (possibly still in his anime phase, idk)

Social anxiety for the win

Severe RBF

Prefers tea over coffee (black tea is best---particularly lavender earl grey)

Can play the cello (practicing tho?? Don't know her)

Writes the most beautiful poetry when The Motivation™ strikes him (usually when he's home sick and half-delirious)

Prompto: Has ADHD and clinical anxiety, but is undiagnosed and doesn't take any meds for either of them.

Is legit like SO SMART, but can never focus, so not many people take any notice

Wears contact lenses (he had glasses as a child and I refuse to believe he had some high-tech corrective surgery to eliminate the need for them when lenses are cheaper and less risky)

Doesn't drink caffeine because it makes him jittery

Doesn't drive the Regalia when the guys are around because having other people in the car distracts him from the road. Also he tends to drive like a speed demon, which worries Ignis to no end.

Sunburns insanely easily

Could legit become a hitman if he wanted to with the amount of gun-knowledge he has. It doesn't matter what firearm you put in this boy's hand---pistol, SMG, sniper, rocket launcher, you name it. He can and will hit the target every single time.

Addicted to adrenaline

Pansexual

Has a lot of self-loathing (we see a bit of this in Ep. Prompto) and talks with an online therapist about it via text whenever his lows hit him. He's making great progress in learning how to heal and how to accept himself for who he is beyond the mask he wears for others

Ignis: More than a little bit of a control freak, and works very hard not to be too overbearing or critical about his friends' misgivings

Hypochondriac

Wants to protect everyone all the time and mentally kicks himself when he doesn't get there fast enough

Is SO PROUD of Noctis's journey and felt a stronger hatred towards Ardyn than anyone else in the group for what he forced Noct to go through (he stayed up at night sick to his stomach with hollow rage and baked nonstop to take his mind off of it)

Can verbally obliterate a man, but only rarely chooses to do so bc he's classy like that

After losing his eyes, he notices so much more beauty in the world than he used to (the sound of rain on the Regalia's roof, the specific gait of each of his friends, the smell of salt on the wind in Galdin Quay, the flawless feel of one specific silk tie he has in his repertoire, etc)

His internal compass is never wrong

Regularly takes antacids for his stomach

Has the straightest teeth you've ever seen

Demiromantic

Gladio: Hates being wrong: it's his way or the highway

Actually so much smarter than the musclehead jock front he puts up

A little vain and easily jealous (this man has a Jealous Face like no other)

Thunderstorms are his favorite; his ideal place to be is at a campsite, during a storm, with a well-worn book and a mug of Irish coffee in hand

Would throw himself in front of a bus for any one of his friends

Would beat up kids for the folks he cared about in middle school and spent the time he wasn't training to be a Crownsguard sitting in detention with the most unrepentant, smug, and-I'd-do-it-again look scrawled across his face

Can make a better smoothie than anyone (except maybe Iggy)

Spotify junkie

Had a dinosaur phase as a kid and can still name random facts about them whenever the opportunity presents itself

Avid technology-hater and only has a phone to make calls and join the others in playing King's Knight since they begged him so profoundly (he's sure the thing's going to be his downfall)

Gets most of Prompto's pop culture references

[newtsnaturethings]

Teas I’ve tried. Ranked

Disclaimers:

1. I do not like fruit teas

2. All teas in the list are teas made with the Camellia sinensis plant.

3. All teas are consumed with no additions. No milk or sugar or anything like that.

4. I will be talking about tea varietals in general. Specific tea brands is its own list.

5. These are 100 percent my silly opinions

A

Gyokuro green tea (green) - super refreshing and bright

Hojicha (green) - lovely and toasty, but also very crisp

Iron goddess of mercy oolong (oolong) - smooth and strong

Lishan oolong (oolong) - crisp and buttery

Phoenix/golden phoenix oolong (oolong) - excellent flavor, has a hint of slow roastyness

Red water oolong (oolong) - nice, sweet, and feels like a warm hug

Earl grey (black) - listen…look…I love bergamot and the flavor of this tea; I may or may not judge a tea brand by the quality of its earl grey.

B

Matcha - it’s matcha; it’s good

Genmaicha (green) - all the refreshing notes of green tea, but with a nice roasty addition

Dragonwell/Longjing (green) - nutty and has a nice aftertaste

Wuyi oolong (oolong) - vibrant and almost sweet tasting

Irish breakfast (black) - grew up with this and it’s just a solid option

Pureh tea (black, fermented) - so so so good; this is a strong, flavorful, and robust tea

C

Sencha (green) - bracing and refreshing green tea; love.

Jasmine tea (green) - very flowery and nice; jasmine smell can be too much for me sometimes tho.

Golden lily oolong (oolong) - soft and almost creamy

Lapsang Souching (oolong, smoked) - smokey is nice but not always what I’m looking for

Darjeeling (black) - good black tea; it’s smooth and strong

Assam (black) - also a good black tea; a bit more astringent in a good way

D

White tea (white) - very soft and delicate flavors

E

English breakfast (black) - solid tea option; mostly here for the letter match up.

F

I can’t in good consciousness put any teas down here.

[toastydoll]

Sooo irl im a barista (toasty lore!) and inspired off this post I decided to make a bunch of custom rh drinks!! I’m gonna start w the original 8 but I have a bunch of favorites so I’ll definitely do more in the future :3

Obligatory barista disclaimer: please don’t order these lmao. Or order them only when it’s super slow or you have the worlds most patient barista.

Ruby Anderson

She’s going big and she’s not going home. My girl gets a graffitied 32oz stanley cup filled with eight shots of espresso. She calls it a double quad when she orders it and it makes kia wince every. single. time

She’s getting a spicy mocha ofc. Kia keeps a bottle of cayenne powder next to the sauces and syrups just for her

A mocha is a little too one note, even w the spice, so she gets a lil cherry and dragonfruit syrup in there too

She’s probably just getting whole milk base, and kia refuses to make a hot version (only iced) so ruby doesn’t drink it too fast

Poppy Rowan

She gets a pretty big drink, but smth more like 16-20oz than rubys mega drink lmao. Three shots of espresso max, otherwise she gets jittery and a little too tunnel vision hyperfocused on things

She usually uses a chai base with a bit of orange syrup. Spice is more her jam than sweet chai but she’s down for either.

My girl gets almond milk foamed into a super frothy cappuccino, with a big head thick enough to support a generous amount of cinnamon sugar.

Sunny Madison

Her drinks are always barely caffeinated otherwise she’s bouncing off the walls lmao. She’s a 16oz drink MAXIMUM, and usually goes for a 12oz drink instead. Either way she only gets a single shot of espresso.

Her drink is so sweet that it completely masks the espresso. She gets a white chocolate caramel mocha with extra white chocolate, caramel drizzle around the cup, and a pump of vanilla syrup. Half the cup is just. Syrup.

All that sugar gets blended with ice and cream until it’s a thick frappuccino, which is then topped with whipped cream, more caramel drizzle, and rainbow sprinkles. Somewhere in there is a shot of espresso.

If kia has some on hand, sunny will absolutely get this made with butterscotch and vanilla ice cream.

Jade Hunter

Nine times out of ten she’s just getting black coffee. Maaaaybe she’ll ask kia to add a pump of vanilla, but it’s usually just plain ol coffee.

When she’s feeling festive she’ll get a doppio and drink it so fast she burns the tip of her tongue

Seriously tho, jade is the kind of girl who gets coffee “black as my soul.” When she needs more caffeine she just adds shots to her coffee for increasingly strong red eyes.

Skyler Bradshaw

Skyler LOVES a cold brew, the smoother the better. Nitro cold brews are her favorites but she understands when kia can’t do that for her lol.

Her coffee is usually unsweetened and topped with cold foamed oat milk

Her favorite way to experiment with flavors is through infusion. She and kia love to play around with chicory and earl grey tea, and her current obsession is infused with Darjeeling.

The first twelve times she went to the rainbow union she just got whatever kia recommended and was too shy to ask for anything special, but ever since they started collaborating her infusions are becoming increasingly popular

Violet Willow

Oh my god she has the most annoying drink in the world. Kia loves her and STILL groans when she comes in. Baristas everywhere fear violet willow.

It’s an iced 16oz latte with half coconut half soy milk, to start, cold foamed for velvety smoothness with light ice. She has her own purple sparkly cup with a rhinestone V on the front.

She gets four shots of espresso and is VERY particular about how they’re pulled. If her espresso is too sour/bitter she won’t hesitate to have the drink remade.

Her base flavor is white chocolate and lavender, with a half pump of blackberry, a half pump of almond, and a half pump of vanilla. Not too much syrup that it’s aggressively sweet, but all five flavors need to be there or she WILL complain.

Her reusable cup has a dome lid so she can see the whipped cream with “just enough stevia sprinkle to make it sparkle!” Kia definitely keeps pearl non pareils just for violet (that violet bought btw)

Kia has this drink down to a science at this point. When violet crosses the threshold of the rainbow union kia is already weighing out syrups and sauces. Their dynamic is tenuous at best.

Bella Parker

Bella needs a lot of caffeine, now. She’s getting a triple shot cortado with half and half, extra creamy

She gets a pump of rose syrup steamed with her breve to add a little subtle complex sweetness. It makes the whole cafe smell delicately perfumed while Kia’s making it

Kia sometimes adds one of violets pearl sprinkles on top of the foam and it delights bella every single time

Amaya Raine

She needs something she can drink super fast that’ll get her brain to focus but she’s amaya so of COURSE it’s gonna be cute

She gets an espresso con panna with rainbow sprinkles! Simple (two shots with whipped cream), fast, and sugary sweet

Kia always adds a pump of vanilla to the espresso to complement the vanilla in her house made whipped cream

[millificent]

This is a PSA for (usually) American authors writing British characters, from a Brit.

The standard British tea is English Breakfast Tea, sold by brands like Yorkshire Tea, and PG tips, or Barry’s if you’re Irish. It is NOT Earl Grey. In fact, it’s quite unusual for someone to actually drink Earl Grey. The two teas are not interchangeable.

If someone offers you a cup of tea, they mean English breakfast - if they have something other than English breakfast, they will specify. Most British households will keep teabags of English breakfast tea and instant coffee as standard (even if they personally don’t like it, it’s usually polite to keep it to offer to guests).

Having worked in a coffee shop, in my experience, it is only middle class people (and usually white women) who order Earl Grey teas, whereas English breakfast is far more universal. A ‘builder’s tea’ - aka a strong cup of English breakfast with very little milk - is commonly associated with working class men, but can equally be enjoyed by everyone (like me). If someone orders a black tea, this will usually mean an English breakfast tea without milk, as opposed to the type of tea. Making a weak cup of tea which has not been allowed to brew for long enough or which has too much milk will result in being mocked, and offering a weak tea to guests is very rude.

Along a similar vein, we do not have cream/creamer in our coffees here. For both tea and coffee, the usual options are milk, sugar, or sweeteners. I live in London and yet I’ve never even seen coffee creamer in the fridge of Tesco.

Of course, I am sure that there are people who prefer Earl Grey and keep it stocked in their homes. Equally, I’m sure there’s someone who went to America and now orders coffee creamer from Amazon or something, but that is the 0.01% of the population. Not the majority.

Yes, this is a weird reader pet peeve of mine because it really takes away from the realism of the story. So small and yet so telling😂

Thank you for reading my rant! If you have any more questions, please ask. Now go forth and write accurate Brits!

[hassedah]

Hey hey, maybe it’s a silly question but what are the boys favorite drinks (besides blood lol)

You know like tea, cola, coffee, juice, hot cocoa. water… stay hydrated everyone ☕️

What boys like to drink :

Hi! How are you? I hope you are well! ^^

I like these types of questions because they're usually pretty quick to answer ^^. Here's the headcanons you requested! I hope you enjoy it! ^^

Take care of yourself and have a nice day! ^^

Vladimir :

He doesn't always remember that he needs to drink to stay hydrated. Ethan and Beliath often remind him of this.

Vladimir mainly drinks tea, with a strong preference for green tea and rooibos, although he always puts a lot of sugar in it.

He'll tell you that he loves black tea and enjoys drinking Earl Grey, but in reality he hates it. Even as a child, he couldn't help but wince every time he drank it (although his parents would have supplied him with any other type of tea he could have asked for, but it was his father's favourite and he was determined to follow in his father's example). He continues to drink it to this day, much to the dismay of the other inhabitants of the manor.

He loves hot chocolate. It's his favourite drink in winter, even if he has a bit of trouble accepting it. He always feels like a child when he drinks it.

He also drinks a lot of hot apple juice when he goes to Christmas markets in winter.

He drinks a lot iced tea in summer. However, he remains fairly classic when it comes to flavours and drinks mainly green tea with peach.

His favourite fruit juice is orange juice, but orange juice without pulp. He'll never touch it if Beliath accidentally buys orange juice with the pulp.

Ivan has introduced him to bubble tea and he's having a bit of trouble deciding whether he likes it. On the one hand, tea with syrup is very good; on the other, he's always worried about choking on the tapioca pearls.

He hates the vast majority of sodas.

Béliath :

He's very careful to stay hydrated, especially since Ethan told him it's good for the skin. So he monitors his water intake to make sure he's drinking enough a day, and he constantly reminds the other members of the manor to remember to drink water (in fact he reminds Vladimir, Raphael and Aaron most of all).

He doesn't drink much tea, but he really likes black tea. In general, he drinks tea when Vladimir or Raphaël have made too much and he drinks it with them while chatting in front of the fireplace.

He rarely drinks hot chocolate, except on the coldest winter nights.

He is very fond of mulled wine, which he often drinks in winter when he wanders around the city during the Christmas market. However, he prefers it with lots of cinnamon.

He prefers to drink coffee, but he doesn't drink it as strong as Ethan does. He didn't like it at first, but since Ethan told him you could add a little milk to it, he drinks it much more often.

He loves most sodas. However, he has a clear preference for cherry cola. There's always some in the fridge at the manor.

He doesn't drink much fruit juice because he finds it a bit too sweet for him. However, he really likes pineapple juice and sometimes buys some for himself when he goes shopping.

Ivan :

Since being transformed into a vampire, he has lost a lot of sensation in his taste buds. However, he continues to take care to stay hydrated. He always has a bottle of fresh water in his room, which he makes sure to drink throughout the night.

He always puts syrup in the water he drinks, because even though Ethan insists that water has no taste, Ivan doesn't like the taste of water. He's tried many different flavours of syrup, but generally prefers grenadine or strawberry syrup.

He doesn't like tea. He tries hard to drink it, but he really doesn't like it. It tastes too bitter, despite the large amounts of sugar he uses.

He prefers to drink herbal tea, especially a candy tea that Béliath found in a small artisanal candy shop. He buys her some from time to time to please Ivan.

He often drinks hot chocolate (and he's Vladimir's excuse for drinking hot chocolate, after all, Ivan won't drink it alone). He likes to add marshmallows to his chocolate, whipped cream or chocolate coulis.

He's delighted to have given Vladimir and Raphaël a taste of bubble tea. He's even happier that Beliath has brought him some from his shopping.

He hardly ever drinks coffee, or only with a lot of milk. As with tea, he finds the taste far too bitter.

He loves sodas. He has a preference for Orangina and Coca-Cola.

Aaron :

He almost constantly forgets to drink water and it's even worse in summer. It's not his fault, he tries really hard to remember, but every time he does he ends up with a massive headache without understanding why, and it takes Ethan or Beliath pointing out that he hasn't drunk water for a long time to get him to think about it. He thinks it's a bit ridiculous, but as he's not the only one in the manor with this problem, he assumes it's to do with the fact that he's a vampire.

He never puts syrup in his water, but often drinks sparkling water.

He prefers herbal tea to tea, and prefers white tea to green and black tea.

He loves coffee, but he doesn't drink black coffee like Ethan, preferring Latte and Cappucino (especially Cappucino).

He is also very fond of Irish coffee, sometimes making it for himself and Ethan and more rarely for Béliath and Raphaël.

He rarely drinks hot chocolate. When he does, he always adds a little cinnamon or vanilla, and if he drinks one with Ivan, he always accepts a few marshmallows.

He quite likes fruit juices, but he prefers to make them himself rather than buy them ready-made. It allows him to mix the fruit he wants and he also finds it much less sweet that way.

Raphaël :

He often forgets to drink water, it's not deliberate on his part, he just can't remember. It was even worse when he lived alone and had to remember without anyone to remind him. Now that he lives at the manor it's easier for him.

He loves water, but he loves it even more with syrup. Ivan has introduced him to lots of different syrup flavours and he wouldn't be able to choose just one as his favourite. He loves lemon, grenadine, strawberry or mint syrup (especially in summer), kiwi, pineapple, blackcurrant or cherry syrup. Béliath is careful to vary his purchases so that there's always a different syrup to drink.

He drinks a lot of tea, but he doesn't have a favourite type. The only thing that matters to him is being able to add sugar.

He really loves lemonade.

He likes coffee, it's not his favourite drink, but he never turns down a cup, especially if he can add milk and sugar.

He loves hot chocolate at least as much as Ivan does. The stronger the taste of the chocolate, the better he likes it. He prefers hot chocolate made with real squares of chocolate and milk to powdered chocolate.

He often drinks soda, mainly because they're generally very sweet, so he really likes Coca-Cola, Fanta and Orangina.

Ethan :

He has noticed from observing vampires that the vast majority of them have difficulty feeling thirst. As a result, they are easily dehydrated. So he takes great care to stay well hydrated and often reminds the others to drink during the night. A small part of him thinks that doing this is ridiculous, but the other part constantly reminds him that he's a doctor, and if one of his friends were to fall ill he couldn't help but blame himself.

He really doesn't like tea. No matter what type of tea or how much sugar he puts in it, he really doesn't like it. The only thing that could persuade him to drink tea is a sore throat and even then, he'd put a lot of honey in his tea.

He loves coffee, and the stronger and more bitter the coffee, the more he likes it. He's the only one who can drink it like that in the manor, and the worst thing, according to Raphaël, is that he doesn't even put sugar or milk in his coffee. Ethan doesn't really understand what his friends have against the coffee he likes to drink - after all, it keeps him awake longer and he finds the smell really reassuring.

He also really likes the Irish coffee that Aaron makes from time to time.

He doesn't like hot chocolate. It's always too sweet for him.

He almost never drinks fruit juice, unless it's made by Aaron.

He doesn't like the vast majority of soda either, he often finds them too sweet for him.

Neil :

He's been feeling a bit out of sorts since he got out of the cellar. He's been so used to feeling thirsty for months that he doesn't really feel it now, and it always takes him a while to realise that he needs to drink water.

The beverage he drinks most often is tea. He has a slight preference for black tea. Depending on his mood, hhe may add sugar, but this is not always the case, as he generally prefers to drink his tea without sugar. He generally likes citrus-flavoured tea, with a preference for lemon.

He'll tell you he doesn't like hot chocolate, and in most cases that's true: he doesn't really like it. However, there is one exception. Neil really likes hot chocolate when it's served with marshmallows, whipped cream and a caramel coulis (he especially likes it for the caramel coulis).

He doesn't drink much coffee, although he does enjoy it. Like hot chocolate, he loves coffee with a touch of caramel, so he's unlikely to turn down a cup of coffee like that.

He really likes iced tea in summer. Neil's not too fussy about flavours, he's less keen on red fruit, but he'll always go for a citrus iced tea.

He drinks very little soda because he finds it too sweet. He might enjoy a glass of lemon cola from time to time, but he certainly wouldn't drink a whole bottle.

Léandra :

She needs to drink less water than a human, but never forgets to stay hydrated.

She always prefers a little syrup with her water because she finds the taste of water boring. She really likes strawberry syrup and mint syrup, but her favourite is still aniseed syrup.

She really likes hot apple juice. In fact, she knows how to make it very well and makes it very regularly in winter. She finds it very pleasant to drink it while sitting in front of a window watching the snow fall.

Her favourite hot drink is coffee. She has tasted all kinds of coffee, although she always prefers black coffee. She also likes espresso, or espresso romano, and Viennese coffee, which she loves to have with speculos.

She rarely drinks hot chocolate; in fact, it's usually coffee with a little chocolate that she drinks rather than real hot chocolate.

In summer, she likes to drink lemonade.

As with ice cream, she loves ginger tea, whether hot or cold. She often accompanies it with a little lemon and, more rarely, orange. She also likes to add a little honey, especially in winter.

Farah :

She takes great care to stay hydrated and to ensure that all the members of her pack always have water available. Farah always carries at least one full bottle of water in her rucksack.

She likes water without needing to add syrup, and she doesn't like sparkling water. She does, however, know how to make her own syrup, having learnt centuries ago, and is always happy to show new pack members how.

She's not a big fan of tea, she doesn't hate it, but she doesn't like it either.

She loves drinking hot chocolate, especially in winter. It's a time of year when she often stops with members of her pack in cafés to warm up. She's tasted lots of different hot chocolates because of this and she always has a preference for Viennese chocolate or any hot chocolate with either a little hazelnut or a little coconut or vanilla.

She loves hazelnut coffee. If she could, she'd keep a thermos of hazelnut coffee in her rucksack, but unfortunately that's not really possible, so instead she waits for a break near a town so she can go and buy some in a café as soon as the opportunity arises.

[wildflowerteas]

having a warm drink in the morning is KEY. it really does make you feel so much better than ice-cold water or milk or juice ( aka tea makes everything better )

do you have any specific recommendations for the morning? 👀👀 Just out of curiosity, since i dont drink tea very often but id love to try

uhhhhhmmmmm let me think. a good classic breakfast tea would be a black tea/assam because of the caffeine content and richness. it's strong, but not as astringent or overkill as coffee but if you like, you can add sugar and milk or lemon and honey. however, lemon or ginger tea is much better for u ( health-wise ) and easier to prepare.

some non-traditional or typical tea choices for the morning that i do:

Lapsang souchong or zhengshan xiaozhong with bacon, eggs, and toast--typical Sunday spread--or a Southern-style breakfast. the smokiness of the tea makes it a popular pairing for breakfast and barbecue.

if i'm doing something sweet, but less rich/strong, i'll have a Pu-erh tea or a Yunnan black tea.

If i'm having huevos rancheros or chilaquiles it's gotta be ceylon tea. don't ask. i stumbled upon it months ago and it was perfect.

If I'm doing buttery pastries or anything with sweet cream or vanilla or other such flavors, it's Earl grey. the bergamot orange in the tea with the butteriness and the frangipane of almond croissants is very nice.

so sorry if this is incoherent i am currently coming down with something ( yes, again. I've been hearing it from everyone ) and im blinking in and out of consciousness.

[walleffect]

about me:

You may call me Abby!

I'm 21 years old.

I use she/her pronouns.

I'm bi and (probably) ace, but I don't care much for labels online.

When I'm not online, my interests include reading, baking, painting & sketching, writing, and going on walks.

I'm a huge coffee nerd, and my favourite tea is either a good masala chai or earl grey.

This is just a fun fact: my username is a reference to research I've done in neutron physics! Please feel free to ask me more if you're curious, although this isn't going to be a physics blog.

topics on this blog:

Chronic pain and all of the medical and non-medical things that make it annoying to deal with.

How mental illness affects my life, specifically dealing with my history of severe depressive episodes.

A documentation of what my journey to accepting and treating my health issues has looked like.

The occasional opinion post about the changes I would like to see in healthcare, society's views on chronic illness, and how online communities sometimes get too carried away.

disclaimers and additional info!

I'm not a medical professional! While I enjoy learning about medicine, I do so very much as a hobby and usually focus on my specific issues: please don't put too much weight in my words.

I am not planning on being a discourse blog, however: I have some pretty strong opinions on how some communities have a tendency to misunderstand the purpose of a medical diagnosis and perpetuate misinformation under the label of being pro-self dx- while I wouldn't consider myself anti-self dx, I think it's safe to say that some people have gotten a little carried away.

Following from my last point, I strongly believe that there are very, very few- if any- situations that are black-and-white. I try not to label my stances as anti-xyz or pro-xyz, but I will often use those tags.

I will be using the block button liberally, don't be rude, and follow along if you'd like :)