The Tea Shop Meme

[foxoffortune]

The Tea Shop Meme

Just what it says on the tin: you're in a tea shop. Maybe it's your first time, or maybe you're a regular. Maybe you're alone, or with a friend, or a group. Maybe you're celebrating something, or writing the next great novel, or you simply want to sit down and enjoy your tea. Maybe you don't like tea at all; maybe someone dragged you there. Maybe you know more about tea than the proprietor. Maybe you are the proprietor.

Any which way, you're in a tea shop.

Blank comments will be deleted. means your tea is oversteeped.

Now sit down and drink your goddamn tea have fun!

First posted HERE by sailorgenerous

Comments

Col. Sebastian Moran - Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series

[bagoftigers]

[The shop has untampered with Darjeeling. That is why Colonel Moran frequents the little place. It's not well known, not particularly patronised by anyone of stature. But that assures a quiet afternoon with good tea.

Small parties come and go, playing card games. Without alcohol, however, they either grow bored or keep quiet. More than once, he's been asked to sit as a fourth when someone desires a rest. There might be some gambling, but it's really more of a joke, the stakes. It's good company and a way to pass the time. The sums that change hands are trifles, rarely amounting to a full pound won or lost.

He is always disappointed when he watches them with their cream and sugar. Usually because they've let the tea steep too long. That is the problem with allowing a customer to do it themselves, if they so choose. They ruin the tea that way and then further mutilate it by their additions. Still, he is a gentleman of society. It is not his place to correct such a thing, particularly in public.

On this particular afternoon, he has taken up his usual initial table and just set aside his strainer before taking a sip from the delicate china in his hand.

Perfect.]

[onemanshort]

[there's a small, appreciative gasp as Kaylee steps inside. It wasn't often she got to see shops like this. Shops like this belonged in the parts of town that Inara visited...not the dingy, well-worn streets and alleyways that surrounded the mechanic's usual bargaining grounds. But they had the time, and Mal had only been able to give a begrudging harumph when Kaylee'd begged to tag along with the Companion for the day.

Inara was the striking figure, of course, already stopped in the doorway when some of the more elite recognized her and came to chat. In her shadow, no one really noticed as Kaylee slipped further inside to stand at the counter, her smile quick as her eyes slipped hungrily over all the varieties displayed in their beautiful little herb boxes]

*Xīngxīng zài tiānshàng....[her laugh bubbled, light and delighted as she looked up at the clerk] You've got so many! How's anyone even know which ones to pick?

*Stars in heaven

Yue Hua Lightpaw [OC] | Warcraft

[moonlight_my_path]

[Yep, totally plunking down in this tea shop. She's been dying for some properly made tea. Though, she has to ask...]

You have dumplings too, yes?

[OOC: Have an info post.]

[isnitroglycerin]

[John doesn't get much down time, so when he does he'll find a nice quiet place to sit. Today he chose a tea shop. He sat at a back table relaxing as he sipped his tea.]

Oh my god what am I doing

[womanwhobeatyou]

[Irene walks into the tea shop, and after two seconds of glancing around the room, makes immediately for John's table. She doesn't ask for permission, simply sliding with graceful poise into the seat across from him.]

Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, I presume.

Sherlock Holmes - BBC's Sherlock

[notquiteheartless]

Q: Does Sherlock Holmes care that his cup of tea has been sitting in front of him for ten minutes and is now somewhere between "room temperature" and "cool"?
A: Not one bit.

What he does care about are the other people in the shop. Not their boring conversations as the two girls chatter about some new "sophisticated" film neither of them has figured out the other hasn't seen either.

He's interested in the off-duty police officer whose right finger shows clear signs of having been shooting a hand-gun lately. Something that is clearly not his service weapon, which his quiet area gives him no cause to ever request to have on him anyway.

Equally appealing is the girl with dyed blond hair and several lip piercings. She's on a chat program, obviously, and her headphones are emitting just a trace of Bach.

And then there's the waitress herself. Chipper. Wearing long sleeves in the middle of summer to hide track marks. In rehab now but very near a vicious backslide. One more major stressor -- like that boyfriend of hers. Stay or go, he'll be the cause, of course.

All so very interesting. And they could, any of them -- or all of them, for that matter -- be agents of Jim Moriarty.

[theoniongirl]

[A chipper, ex-junkie waitress, you say?

Her job at Katherine's was new. So new. And it was a far cry from the post office. In some ways, it made it harder. In the post office, no one looked twice at a volunteer in oversized clothes, or questioned the days when she didn't quite feel up to chatting and chose, instead, to sit beside Geordie in quiet camaraderie. She'd been getting better, of course, the smiles coming more easily and her interest in the world around her growing more and more genuine. But sometimes, a place like Katherine's could be overwhelming in how...normal...it could be.

But the post office wasn't hiring volunteers anymore, and her other odd jobs and volunteering couldn't begin to cover the cost of her room at the boarding house--let alone the art supplies she needed for her studio classes--so here she was.

It was easier on the days when Sophie was working, too...and on the days when she hadn't found out that her supposedly decent boyfriend was actually married. With kids.

Of course.

Later, she'd talk to Angel. Or she'd hunt down Geordie after her shift and after he'd finished busking and they'd go wandering through Lower Crowsea just so she could keep her mind off of things. But, for now, she was left with a vague yearning that she had to fight to ignore and a shift that was only getting busier as the day progressed. Stressed was a good word for it.

And yet, when she stops at Sherlock's table, her bright blue eyes taking in his untouched cup and the neutral, elusive expression on his face, the smile she gives him is genuine.]

Did you want a different cup? For some reason, iced tea isn't half as pleasant when it started out hot.

naoto fuyumine | DOGS | ota

[spareblade]

[The tea shop, small and eclectic and cozy, had unexpectedly drawn her attention and Naoto finds herself sitting down before she fully realizes it.

Now, there's a delicate powder-blue teacup steaming in front of her and a matching pot to the center left of the table. Her posture is blade-straight, though the set of her shoulders relax fractionally as she takes a sip. Her katana is leaning on the chair beside her right knee.

While she does not have a fine-tuned appreciation for the intricacies of tea, she can still savour the fragrance and light bittersweetness of the house blend.]

[consultmybooks]

Giles would be prepared to admit that, no, he actually didn't know more about tea than the proprietor. If he had, he would know just what the proprietor did to make such fantastic tea.

Needless to say, the little shop was a frequent haunt of his, and he was something of a regular. Generally, he kept himself isolated from the other patrons by means of a notebook, pen, and some busy scribbling. Today, however, was a slightly different sort of day. Giles had been drawn outside by a friend coming by to deliver some news. Coming back inside, a little more grim and a lot more focused, it takes him until she's actually sat down in the seat he'd just vacated to realize that both his cup and his notebooks are missing.

"...oh, for god's sake."

[alwaysaround]

Not missing, exactly. If he looks around, he'll notice both tea and books are at the next table over, near the edge but not in danger of being nudged off and ruined in a horrible waitressing accident. Clark is seated there as well, frowning at the door leading into the kitchen. His body language is a little tense as well, like something less than pleasant happened.

Apparently oblivious to the notebook owner's arrival, he pulls one of his own from an inner pocket in his coat and flips it open to scribble something down in shorthand. His tea, by the way, has a slice of lemon floating on top of the steaming liquid. Clearly heathen an American.

[tornbypride]

This is a girl that does not really want to be here.

It's clear that Merida is bored. Dreadfully, painfully bored. Clear to everyone but her mother, perhaps, who is patiently explaining the practice of the tea ceremony for her upcoming diplomatic visit. Merida doesn't even particularly like the taste of tea, at least not the tea in the dainty little mug in front of her - every sip she takes is accompanied by a barely suppressed face of disgust.

In a moment where Elinor has paused to catch the attention of the server, Merida casts her gaze about the room, perhaps subconsciously seeking a means of escape. Her eyes meet yours'. Seeking sympathy, she rolls her eyes theatrically, inclining her head towards her mother.

let's pretend this makes sense

[savingchina]

Mulan was part of the diplomatic contingent sent from China to this far off, distant country. [Roll with me here.] She'd been eager to go, ready to see with her own eyes the sights of this strange new world.

Technically she and the rest of her companions on this visit were to formally meet with the current ruling family tomorrow and so had to stay within their rooms, but she was curious about this place - everyone dressed so strangely, and all the furniture was so high and everything was so different! She had to go explore!

She pokes her head into a room - and was surprised to see the princess herself sitting at one of those high-backed chairs, staring right back at her. Mulan smiles sympathetically once she figures out what, exactly was going on.

America // Axis Power Hetalia

[constitutionalidiot]

[He was never the type to drink tea (coffee is better by a huge margin, to be honest), but nevertheless, he is there, just sipping a cup of tea while people-watching; seeing customers come and go, chatting it up with the store clerks or their friends.

It's really refreshing from the constant chaos World Meetings tend to be, and...

...Eh, thinking about these things are not that beneficial to him, MIGHT AS WELL TAKE IT EASY.

Right?]

YOU ASKED FOR THIS...

[valueofdance]

[Maybe America will notice this young woman? Not like anyone would blame him, considering her looks and...outfit.

She's at the counter and ordering her tea.]

Labrador | 07-Ghost | OTA

[floralprophecy]

[Welcome to Labrador's teashop. He specializes in flower and herbal tea all of which have some sort of healing power. Some might even soothe the pain in your soul and he's always up for a little chat.

How may he help you today?]

[socrash]

[Bart is not aware that this place is a tea shop. What he is aware of is that he has money in his pants pocket and a decided lack of delicious junk food in his stomach.

Thus the extremely important question of:]

Got any freeze-dried chicken nuggets around here?

Reiza | Inazuma Eleven GO: Chrono Stone

[tacticsax3]

[This is where she goes to ditch teammates. Whether or not she's successful... depends on the day. Sometimes she doesn't mind the unexpected company.

More often than not, she's content to just people-watch. She wouldn't mind someone trying to strike up a conversation with her though, whether they're a new face or a familiar one.]

/ages him up whoops

[heavenstimetraveler]

[Weirdly, it's the dark eyed chef of the place that wanders over to the girl and puts her tea on the table.
Probably because his two waiters are sitting down at a table themselves and having a heated debate; and she's the only customer right now, too... how weird.

It's not often he leaves the kitchen, though; so she's kind of a new face to him, even though he's the one who made her tea every single time.]

Here's your tea, little miss. Just like you like it, pretty sure.

Rhys | Supernatural (OC)

[sleight_of_fate]

The young man in the worn jeans and tape-patched black canvas duster looks like he wandered into the wrong shop by mistake. Maybe he was looking for the tattoo parlor down the block, with both his ears full of silver rings and waist-length black ponytail. But he's got his hands full of boxes of tea, a new strainer, and a couple of rumpled, oil-stained twenties to pay for it all with, and he's buying with the determination of someone who actually knows how to brew a decent cup.

"And...a couple of scones?" Then, after a second, he looks sheepishly at the total on the cash register, the pile of boxes, and the cash in his hand. "Umm...or not. Never mind. Just this'll be fine, actually."

[tasteoftruth]

He'll find himself a matched pair with the man in the corner. His rough hands are big enough to hold three of the tiny teacups they use here and it looks like he hasn't shaved

Badd plays the tough guy, but a real tough guy isn't ashamed to indulge in the more delicate pleasures. He's got a full pot of tea ("What kind?" "Black." "What kind of black?" "The kind that's tea.") and a full bowl of sugar to go with it, and he's just waiting for it to be cool enough to drink.

The man at the counter amuses him, though. Definitely a man who goes after his passions. Badd stirs his cup and watches to see what he'll do with all that.

Teru Mikami - Death Note

[eraser_rain]

[If his daily rituals are to be interrupted it only makes sense that his diet be altered as well. A coffee drinker more by habit than taste, it would be a shame to waste a good opportunity for the nostalgic taste of tea. He doesn't expect it to compare to what he could likely have in Kyoto, an old city steeped in national tradition, but he lives and works there. It would be harder to break his habits there, even if it was easy enough to abandon the place altogether. He considered himself a practical man: he could and was breaking habit in the name of a business trip.

But to go out of his way just to have tea during an ordinary day was, while not impossible, unlikely. The tea he drank now in a quaint shop tasted like luxury but in Kyoto it would likely only taste unnecessary. For another two hours until his train arrived to deliver him back into his evening paces, there was time to waste on such things: time it was necessary to pass.

With that thought in mind, he considers even more frivolous behavior: maybe he'll make small talk with somebody, if there are any prospects worth considering.]

[itachi_san]

A calm, equally stoic man walks into the tea shop. He seems to be a familiar face in the quaint shop, as he only has to glance and nod at the old woman in the back, and a pot of fresh green tea is already on its way out.

Seeing someone new sitting at his usual table, he approaches the other man with curiosity.

"Pardon me." he says politely. "May I join you, sir?"

Canada | Axis Powers Hetalia; Nyotalia

[mounties]

[A lot of tea had been consumed by her in her years. Plenty more had been poured, the perfect houseguest for countless citizens and other nations. It was an affection that had largely been taught, but she adapted to it anyway, learning to love the warmth and variety, the way that more than fruit and spices could make delicious drinks.

She was still a member of the Commonwealth - tea was rampant. Between India and South Africa and England's near obsession (not to mention the green tea she seemed to get roped into more and more) it was hardly a surprise that Canada drank plenty of the stuff. None to call her own, of course, not properly, but this little place was earning a gold star in her book. Black tea, a solid start, with the most perfect hint of maple flavouring. Whether or not she's getting joined for company, Canada is one very pleased country.]

I need to get her out of my system okay

[chunyan]

[Seated nearby Canada is a young Korean girl, looking around the room curiously until the server places a cup of black tea in front of her. The girl raises it and takes a sniff, not quite familiar with this kind of tea. It doesn't look too strange but the smell is a little different and it's come with so many extra things that everyone else in the place seems to be adding to their drinks and so she looks a little lost.

Man, she never thought she'd travel this far from home.]

Kuchiki Byakuya | Bleach | OTA

[soul_scatter]

[Byakuya sips from the steaming cup in front of him. He has a book of poetry open in front of him and he quietly observes almost everyone from his corner.

The tea is the perfect temperature and smells of herbs and flowers.

His hair loose behind him, he's not wearing the kenseikan for a change and is in mortal clothing. Something he looks rather sharp in. He sips his tea, keeping an eye both on his book and on his surroundings.]

Hong Kong | Hetalia

[orchidharbour]

[His milk-tea brings all the people to the tea shop, hell yesss ~ ]

Demitri Maximoff ❣ Darkstalkers

[midnight_bliss]

[Demitri never drinks... tea. Yet he is thirsty, and here he is, lounging in a relaxed manner. He beckons to a passer by (most likely a young woman), not caring if they are staff or not, a sinister force compelling them to come join the vampire.]

[fleshydisguise]

[That is a seriously sweet outfit, Alice decides. She needs to get to know that outfit a bit more intimately. It's a warm day and the tea shop's got tables out on the street, so passerby completely disinterested by tea may wander by and be compelled by sinister forces to sit down with the patrons.

Alice slides into a chair and crosses her legs, leaning back to survey the man and his cravat.]

Nice day for tea. How you doin'?

William T. Spears | Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler | OTA

[b_student]

A weekend where he has not yet been called into the office to clean up one of Grell's messes. A book he has been meaning to read for months and keeps being called away from. A cup of tea and a quiet corner in a quiet tea shop to drink it in.

William has literally seen heaven on a number of occasions while dealing with some paperwork issues inherent in his work but, personally, he'll take an afternoon like this over anything locked behind pearly gates.

You should be ashamed of yourself for spoiling it.

But you probably won't be.

Sherlock Holmes | BBC Sherlock | OTA

[improbably_true]

[Yes, he would rather sit here and try and pick out the flavours in the tea then focus on any of the customers, but certain details don't miss his eye.

The man in the corner, carrying a gun - illegal of course, just the way his arms are clutched tightly against him as though it were a prized possession. A touch insane.

The bored girl that's serving the tea is irrelevant.]

Sorry, couldn't resist for some reason .-.

[invisible_one]

You shouldn't stare at people like that.

[The voice came from across the table. He didn't just sit down- he was sitting there from the beginning, but his extreme lack of presence tends to make him almost invisible at times.

While Kuroko prefers vanilla milkshakes to tea, it's gotten cold outside so tea is as good as the milkshake at the moment. He stared at the other man passively, looking both bored and amused at the same time.]

Scorpius Malfoy | Harry Potter | m/m for shipping, open for gen

[unyieldingebony]

[Just gonna be British and enjoy his cuppa, thanks.

Mmmmm, wizard tea.]

[hypnotic_patter]

Music Meister does not just drink tea. Music Meister dresses up in proper Victoriana tea party garb, with little musical note cuff links and formal boots.

He knows a few of the types from Tetch, the man talks constantly about it, and he knows how to look properly cultured while drinking it. With a guest or only with an audience, perfect poise must always be maintained.

[readitinabook]

The fact that she had called him at all should have told him how serious the situation was. Usually, he was unwelcome into her family life; she wouldn't have been involved in his, either, if she could help it, but alas, she worked for them. However, this problem required his involvement to solve.

She had requested his presence at a certain teashop, at two in the afternoon, and for once she was actually late. The reason for that was revealed when she entered the shop with not only unusually formal attire, but also a middle aged woman with an imperious glare following close behind her. They both approached the table where she smiled a greeting. It wasn't her normal, slow, warm smile, or her incredibly angry smile. Vivian was legitimately nervous.

"I would like you to meet my aunt, Felicity Raymond. Aunt Felicity, this is Sanford Merrick Ingram Adamas, my fiance." Hopefully he would be able to ad-lib well... She hadn't had much time to finish her explanation before her aunt had demanded to know what was taking so long. After all, a cultured lady like a governess should be soft-spoken and succinct.

And not go "gallivanting around" with strange men. Thus the current situation.

[spark_gap]

He had been expecting some strange reason for the social call--partly because Vivan considered him to be incredibly embarrassing in any kind of company, and partly because he was genuinely bad at handling himself in most company. Fellow engineers and scientists he could deal with, rambling for hours about fascinating phenomena and the woes of obtaining patents and funding. Prospective investors weren't so bad, because they wanted blatant charisma and straight talk, both of which he could happily provide. It was the situations that demanded perfect etiquette and subtlety where he tended to misstep, in spite of having endured many such parties in the past. He'd simply never had the patience to hone those skills, even though some day would inevitably come where they would be critical.

Like today, for instance.

To his credit, he manages not to let the shock show on his face for more than a brief instant. He pretends to cough into his sleeve in the moments it takes to collect himself, then adopts a bright smile and takes the older woman's extended hand, kissing the back of it in as gentlemanly a manner as possible.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Raymond. Has Vivi said much about me?"

Tenten | Naruto | OTA

[bunsofsteel]

The only thing better than a hot cup of tea was a soak in an onsen, but the kunoichi supposed that tea would have to be the next best thing. Carefully holding the bottom of the cup with one hand, her other wrapped around the sides, she takes a long sip and sighs with contentment. Green tea and sesame dumplings were the best!

Too bad the tea shop was more crowded than usual... she hoped someone wasn't going to come by to interrupt what looked like some peaceful time to herself.

Gilbert Nightray|Pandora Hearts

[frailraven]

Irene Adler || BBC Sherlock

[womanwhobeatyou]

[Irene sits at a small, intimate table in the teashop, her purse resting on the floor next to her. She waits, calm and patient, with nothing on the table in front of her except a very expensive cameraphone and some very interesting pictures.

She'll wait for company before ordering any tea.]

[queensbane]

[It's hard to regard tea as the simple pleasure it once was. The teapot makes her think of skittering clockwork monstrosities with pulpy red eyes, and the scent reminds her of scalding explosions delivered with the force of a cannon. All bright things grow corrupted with time, especially when you've got a tendency towards madness.

But she is British, so she's not going to let that ruin tea for her. Alice enters and sits down in front of Irene, hands folded on the table. She does not smile.]

I believe you have something for me, Miss Adler? [Right to the point, little care for small talk.]