#tiny table!

[sanddusted-wisteria]

A Builder, a Researcher, and a Rooftop, Ch. 11: Camellia sinensis

prev | next | index

Also on AO3

------------

Eyes tired from having to read under the dim moonlight, Qi scanned the diagram again, double-checking for errors. Then he triple-checked. The builder would be here soon, and he needed to get this one right. Out of every diagram he’d made in recent memory, this was one of the most important ones. For some reason, his usual, near-absolute confidence in his designs was absent today. Why was that?

A shadow fell over the page. “Hey, what’s that?”

The builder was standing over Qi, peeking curiously at the diagram.

“A new diagram.” He handed it over to them. “It’s a sort of beverage container. A very interesting design. It uses a vacuum chamber to reduce the amount of heat convection and conduction on the liquid from the outside. The contents can therefore maintain a significantly different temperature to the ambient environment for much longer than it would in a standard container.”

“S-so…basically, hot drinks stay hot longer, and cool drinks stay cool longer.”

“Basically, yes. Does it seem feasible to build? I have a vacuum pump, so I can assist you with that part of the process.”

They hummed and scanned over the blueprint and the materials list. Qi still felt a little uncertain. It was reasonable, right?

“Oh yeah, this is absolutely doable.” Qi felt a small ripple of relief. “Already have all the materials. I can get it done in a few days.”

“Wonderful,” Qi replied, trying not to sound too excited.

The builder rolled up the diagram. “I guess this is for tea?”

“It is. When you brought hot food last week, it reminded me of a device that I found mentioned in several data disk records. Apparently working people in the Old World used these so-called ‘thermos’ things to keep their coffee or tea hot on their commutes. I managed to recreate the design, and I’m curious to see if it works.” That was definitely the only reason. It most certainly wasn’t also because Qi felt obliged to repay the builder for their kindness from last week.

“A ‘thur-mis’…huh? Fun word to say.”

“Yes. Based on the root ‘thermo-’, meaning ‘heat’. A fitting and memorable name for a product.”

“I’ll definitely remember it.”

“In any case, I figure we can test it next week, if possible. I can brew my afternoon tea, put it in this container, and we can see how it fares when you stop by that night.”

“Sounds cool. I’ll get it to you as soon as I can. Shouldn’t take too long.”

“Good,” said Qi. “Hopefully it works as intended.” The builder nodded, not knowing the full weight of his words.

------------

Qi idly turned the thermos over in his hands as he waited for the builder, feeling the hopefully-still-warm tea sloshing around inside. He perked up at the sound of their steps, grabbing the cups out of his lap.

“Oh…”

He looked up to see the builder on the landing with two boxes of food in their hand. They pursed their lips. “Maybe the food was a bad idea. Forgot that we’re on a slope.”

Qi looked down at his hands, thermos in one and cups in the other, with nowhere to set anything down to pour it. “It…appears I neglected to consider that as well.”

The builder let out a snort. “Well, I guess we can at least sit down here,” they said, tapping their foot against the flat deck at the bottom of the slope. “View’s not gonna be as good, though.”

“Best not to let this go to waste,” Qi said as he stood up and carefully made his way down.

They sat down across from each other. The builder passed a box over to Qi’s side while Qi set a cup down by the builder. He twisted the thermos’s lid off carefully, and flinched when a puff of steam immediately rose up and fogged his glasses. The builder laughed.

“I see that it works,” Qi said, blinking as the fog gradually dissipated from his lenses.

“Good job us,” the builder said as they held out their cup for Qi to pour. They nodded in thanks as he topped it off, and brought it up to their nose to breathe in its warm, grassy aroma. “Do you drink the same tea all the time?”

“Depends,” Qi said, pouring his own cup. “Usually I just use the local stuff. Minimally withered fresh tea leaves. More efficient time- and money-wise. But if I’m in the middle of a big project, sometimes I order black teas from Highwind. More expensive, but more caffeinated.”

“Better taste, too?”

“Taste is not my priority. Caffeination comes first.”

The builder let out a chuckle that sounded more concerned than amused. “It’s 10:30 at night, Qi. We don’t need to be getting caffeine-d up at this hour.”

Qi shrugged. “One cup probably won’t affect our sleep too much.” He took a sip, pleased to find it as good as a fresh cup. “Hm. That does remind me, though. I do have a bag of mint tea sitting around in my pantry. I never drink it, since it’s not caffeinated, but perhaps it would be good for occasions like these.”

A cheeky grin rose on the builder’s face. “Did…?”

“Yes, yes, Mint was the one who gave it to me,” Qi sighed. “He thought it was funny, but he forgot that herbal teas don’t have any caffeine and are next to useless for me. Luckily, I reminded him of that, and he has yet to repeat the same mistake.”

The builder’s grin wavered a little at the corners. “Uh—harsh, but okay.”

“It was a present, so I didn’t throw it out,” he backpedaled. “I’m sure it’s fine, it’s just not the tea I need. If we’re opting to avoid caffeine this late at night, we might get some use out of it after all.”

They took a sip from their cup. “Sounds good. I’ve only really had the tea you give me sometimes when I pop in. A different kind sounds interesting. Plus, I’m sure Mint will be happy to know you’re finally using his gift.”

“Perhaps I’ll inform him of the joyous occasion in my next letter,” he intoned, drawing a snort out of the builder.

“Oh right!” they suddenly exclaimed. “Food. Hope it’s still warm…” They lifted the lid off their wooden box.

Qi reached down and did the same with his own box, revealing two freshly steamed buns. The sweetish smell of the bread blended seamlessly with the smell of the tea. He took a bite out of the soft bread and the sweet and tangy meat filling, washing it down with the grassy flavor of tea. The pleasant warmth from both was more than enough to stave off the chill of the desert night.

The builder raised an eyebrow. “Good?” they mumbled through a mouthful of bread.

Sublime, Qi thought. But he just nodded with a hum of assent. The same subdued smile from several weeks prior crossed the builder’s face again. The warmth in his body only seemed to grow at the sight.

“The tea’s really good with it, too. Thanks for that, by the way.”

Qi shrugged. “It’s nothing, really.”

The builder raised an eyebrow. “Is it? It’s not precious minutes shaved off the workday to brew some extra tea?”

Brewing an extra cup for the builder whenever they came over (day or night) added another 3-5 minutes per brew. It also cut into his water supply by a small, but noticeable amount. Regularly giving them tea forced him to order a few extra units of water every time he needed a refill. But despite that…

“I don’t particularly mind.”

The builder stared back at him blankly—wait, no. That was a look of surprise. A subtle one, but surprise all the same. “Huh.” The mild disbelief on their face slowly faded into a more thoughtful look. “Well, still. Thanks. It…feels nice to know that you’re thinking of me.”

That got his mind humming. Hopefully his face didn’t show it. By some instinct, Qi was able to clamp his tongue down before it made him say anything silly out loud. All that left his throat was a noncommittal hum.

“Shame about the view, though, gotta say,” they said, tapping the railing next to them. The empty street’s not as interesting.” They leaned their head out to get a better look below. “Feels like someone’ll pop up to yell at us from down there.”

“Indeed,” Qi said, looking up. “Our view of the sky is limited down here. If we want to keep bringing food and drink up here, we might be stuck with this, unfortunately.”

“Hmm…” The builder looked towards the rooftop, pondering. “Do you know the angle of this roof?”

“No…?” Qi frowned. “Why?”

“It’s fine. I can take a protractor to it later.” They took another sip with a smile. “Bring some tea again next week. Think I might have a solution.”

------------

One week passed, and Qi was once again seated on the roof with the thermos full of mint tea in his hands, wondering what the builder had in store.

“Hey!” He heard the builder call up the stairs. The first thing he saw when they emerged was the energetic grin on their face.

“Tiny table!” They brandished an odd-looking stool triumphantly over their head.

Qi squinted. “What?”

They brought it over next to him and smacked it down, hitting the metal with a clack. “Tiny table!” The top board was perfectly level, the legs cut slanted to match the exact angle of the roof and fitted with rubber feet to keep it from sliding down. “Now we can put tea and stuff down so we don’t need to move. Isn’t it cute?!”

“I’m…not sure if a furniture item can reasonably be described as ‘cute’…”

“Aw come on,” the builder pouted. “It’s tiny!”

“I’m sure its utility far outweighs the…cuteness.”

“Okay, well, why don’t you put that thermos down and we’ll put that to the test?” they said with a roll of their eyes, though he could hear the levity in their voice.

The table was big enough to comfortably hold the thermos and the two cups Qi had brought. Solidly constructed, too. Not a single wobble or slip.

“I still think it looks cute…” the builder mumbled.

“And I still think that its utility is its defining feature,” said Qi as he opened the thermos and poured their cups.

“Agree to disagree,” the builder hummed, taking their cup.

Qi lifted his own cup to his lips. The warmth of the tea was offset by a mild chilly sensation–the menthol in the mint. It felt incredibly pleasant running down his throat. He let out a hum. “I have to say, despite the lack of caffeine, I actually quite like it.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty good,” the builder said. “Mint got it from…where?”

“He bought it in Atara, but it’s an import from Seesai. Well known for their herbs.”

They nodded. “He’s got good taste.”

“He mostly bought it for the sake of a joke, so that’s questionable,” Qi snorted. “Though I suppose I have to retract my previous evaluation of uselessness. Next time I write to him, I’ll have to thank him properly.”

“And admit that there’s more to tea than caffeine.”

“Indeed. What a miscalculation on my part. Perhaps it would do me some good to try some other kinds of tea sometimes… When I’m not in need of a significant caffeine dose, of course.”

The builder smiled. “Save me a cup if you find any good ones.”

“Well, with this thermos, I suppose that makes it easy.”

“And the tiny table.”

“Yes, of course, and the tiny table,” Qi sighed.

The builder let out a short laugh. “You can keep it, by the way.”

“Oh? Why me? You made this.”

“I made it for you. You’ve got the tea. Best leave it with you so you can just bring it out whenever you feel like having some.”

“Ah. That is logical. Thank you, then.”

“‘Course.” The builder took one last sip and set their empty cup back down on the table. “Well, I gotta go to bed now,” they said, stretching their arms over their head. “Thanks again. This was nice.”

Qi felt a light upwards tug on his lips. Normally, he would have suppressed it, but just this once, he let it go. “I agree. I’ll be sure to bring more tea every so often.” The builder smiled and nodded.

Qi gathered up the thermos, cups, and table, and the two of them left the roof, waving goodnight as they reached the bottom and headed their separate ways.

Qi headed inside, blinking rapidly to adjust to the fluorescent lights of the lab. He rinsed the dishes off in the kitchen sink and put them away.

He knelt down to set the tiny table down on the floor near his dining table, leaning it against the cabinet holding all his tea-related things. He stared at it for a moment instead of getting up and ready for bed, his mind wandering.

First the food, then the thermos, and now this. All things of relatively negligible physical value, but still requiring a significant investment of time to make. All things the builder was willing to do for him without hesitation or even much reward.

What was it that they told him last week?

It feels nice to know that you’re thinking of me.

“…I could say the same to you,” Qi murmured to the walls of his empty home.

He stood up before his mind could catch up with what he said, and headed to his room to get ready for bed.

Even after he brushed his teeth and buried himself under his blankets, Qi swore that he could still feel the warm and tingly sensation of the mint tea running down his throat.

------------

A/N: Herbal teas aren't technically tea in the strictest sense, since they don't actually use tea leaves (Camellia sinensis). It's more a catch-all term for any non-caffeinated drink made by soaking anything plant-based (herbs, spices, fruit, etc) in water. I thought about writing a segment where the builder and Qi argue about the semantics of tea (the drink) vs. tea (the plant), but couldn't really figure out a way to make it work. Maybe a future silli oneshot.

prev | next | index

[corkscrewteeth]

happy pride month audio drama community

EDIT: ID in alt, fellas!!

[fascinationstreetmp3]

There was an offhanded remark in your memoir about this dessert. I hope you don't mind. What does this taste like to you? Like almost all human food… Like paste, chalk, like soap.

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE | 1.02

[aka-indulgence]

Losing has never been so entertaining

[pppondi]

More Cherik because I want to!

[anim-ttrpgs]

The Kickstarter for Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is Live!!

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is our team’s debut TTRPG, over three years in the making! The campaign will run from April 10th to May 10th!

How far would you go to learn the truth?

Play amateur detectives caught up in things they barely understand, and explore how the lives of your characters unravel as they push themselves to dig deeper into the unknown!

Tense investigations!

Delve into an investigation-focused mystery and horror system that lets players take initiative and use their characters’ unique strengths to find clues and deduce conclusions themselves. A few bad rolls won’t get the party hopelessly stuck, but at the same time Eureka respects their intellect and lets them take charge of solving the mystery!

Character-driven gameplay!

Stats and abilities are based on who your character is as a person. Freeform character creation allows you to build a totally unique little guy, and have a totally unique gameplay experience with him! This is supported by the backbone of the Composure mechanic. Stress, fear, fatigue, and hunger will wear your investigators down as they trudge deeper into the unknown. Food, sleep, and connections with their fellow investigators are the only way to keep them going!

Secrets inside and out! 

Any investigator could be a monster, helping their friends while trying not to reveal their true natures. The party will learn to trust and rely on each other, or explode into a tangled net of drama!

Intense, tactical combat! 

Hits are devastating, and misses are unpredictable–firing a gun will always change the situation somehow, for better or for worse!

Now in Technicolor!

Evocative artwork from talented femme-fatales @chaospyromancy and @qsycomplainsalot and the mysterious @theblackwarden paint a gorgeously-realized portrait of a world with shadows lurking in every corner.

Elegantly designed and thoroughly playtested, Eureka represents the culmination of three years of near-daily work from our team, as well as a lot of our own money. We are almost at the end, we just need some financial support to put the finishing touches on it and make the final push to get it ready for official release!

With every stretch goal we meet, the game gets better and better. Tons of beautiful new artwork, new options for gameplay, and even two entirely new playable Monsters could be added to the book, so visit the Kickstarter and secure your copy today!

If you want to try before you buy, you can download a free demo of the prerelease version from our website or our itch.io page!

If you’re interested in a more updated and improved version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy than the free demo you got from our website, subscribe to our Patreon where we frequently roll our new updates for the prerelease version!

You can also support us on Ko-fi, or by checking out our merchandise!

Join our TTRPG Book Club At the time of writng this, Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is the current game being played in the book club, and anyone who wants to participate in discussion, but can’t afford to make a contribution, will be given the most updated prerelease version for free! Plus it’s just a great place to discuss and play new TTRPGs you might not be able to otherwise!

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

[tinytablepodcast]

Calling all Indie TTRPG Makers

Hi! We are always looking for new games to play! We do a rules explanation episode, 3-4 episodes actual play, and then a review episode (and hopefully an interview with the developers). Please email us at tinytablebusiness@gmail.com if you want us to play your game! We hope to hear from you!

[turtledotjpeg]

killugon date at the park in the summer, drawn for @ov-rwhelmed for the greed island server summer exchange!! :D

[chippedcupwrites]

Sandor Clegane & Arya Stark + emoji kitchen

[payasita]

Do you have any more slay the princess art? Obsessed with it now and I really like the doodles you’ve shown before 🫶��� I like your design of the bird guy a lot

OH I DO ACTUALLY

nothing finished yet but hey

[archiemcphee]

Bigfoot Basecamp Set

Some say Bigfoot is an interdimensional traveler who disappears when he wants to, but maybe there are no good pictures of Bigfoot because he’s so tiny. The Bigfoot Basecamp has all the things you need to create the scene of a surprised camper trying to snap a picture as Bigfoot approaches. You can take the itty bitty soft vinyl figures, between 1/2" and 1-3/8" tall, out of the box and play with them or leave them inside as a desktop display.

[coldshrugs]

glamtober #18 - tural

i've had trouble styling the etoile top in a way that feels true to io but this glam is actually making me reconsider it as a long-term option... i love it with these pants!

estinien is wearing the undyed ovim wool scouting top, isle shepherd's pants (jet black) and his signature swallowskin boots (jet black). arm...

they're too big to fit comfortably at these tables and being annoying about it.

items used:

head: scion sorceress's headdress body: etoile longcoat (jet black) legs: turali trader's culottes (undyed) feet: dalmascan leather shoes (jet black) accessories: neo kingdom bangles of aiming

[respectthepetty]

After episode one, I thought May and Ming were similar, but after episode two . . .

May saved Ming from drowning when they were younger

May mentions being lonely even when someone is there

May says how important family is above all else

May takes care of Ming

So that means Tong and Ming are the same. Taking advantage of the people who love them, making them feel lonely, even though they are taking care of and loved by that person.

And hopefully that means Ming will look at his sister's relationship and realize she deserves better, which means so does Joe.

[pocketgalaxies]

crazy how in c2 they'll have three extensive convos checking in with each other while traveling like an hour in-game meanwhile in c3 they've been on the moon for days and still haven't discussed the following:

laudna fucking ate a guy

imogen's mom is a mythical legend amongst the enemy

orym vs. laudna's response to imogen giving into predathos

how did chetney suddenly learn to make hypnotizing toys

delilah briarwood

"some of us are expendable, we should get captured"

anything and everything they said during the trust exercise, including but not limited to:

laudna not being able to distinguish her thoughts from delilah's

imogen's disgust at delilah's inevitable presence

chetney's fear that his new family will leave him

orym's feelings about dorian

fcg relieving stress through murder

fearne's insecurities about their chances of success

ashton's guilt about the shard

and more!

[kentopedia]

GIRL DAD DAZAI!!!! 😔

he spoils his daughter so much !! he just wants to give her the best childhood that he never had :( and he thinks it’s hilarious when kids say the most out of pocket things >:( he encourages it actually !! and he takes her to the ada just to show off how cute she is, and kunikida catches him trying to teach her how to do his paperwork & says she can’t come back !! (he brings her back anyway)! and also he buys her the cutest lil outfits just to match his, so she looks so smart and classy as a tiny little two year old. also he tells her the most dramatic stories about his life when she’s falling asleep !! and you have to remind him that a little baby does NOT want to hear about the time he tried to drown himself in the river <3 but at the end of the day, when she’s coloring a picture of her little family, she tells him she wants to be a hero just like her dad & dazai has to leave the room for a minute bc she won’t understand why that made him cry :((

[dungeonofthedragon]

Tiny Table Index

The Tiny Table Index is an amazing new initiative that could really use your help! Submit solo and duet games that you have made, played or otherwise enjoyed for inclusion in their database.

You can even choose to sign up for weekly updates!