Welcome to the Teahouse! (PM for Invite)

[Elderflower]

El drew a purposeful breath, eyes closed. She could feel the tickle of faint sunbeams warming her shoulders as they poured in through her back window. Somewhere out in the garden she could hear Blue, her little fairy wren, chirping away. Her wake-up call. It was odd for her to be awake before his morning song, but today just seemed like one of those days where she was going to be a little more on the ball than usual, and she was always grateful for those little bursts of energy. Finally she opened her eyes and made her way to the kitchen, where she took dough that she had already made and started to bake her pastries for the day. She then made her way to the garden doors, which began to glow with golden light and slide open.

[colour=#ffa07a]“Morning,”[/colour] she sang out softly as Blue drifted down from her elder tree to land on her back. Her soft, golden eyes took sharp notice of the berries on her tree: many of them were turning plump and black, causing the branches they were hanging on to sag a little. Midsummer was approaching quickly! The young mare could not wait to see the berries ripen. Quickly (but carefully) sweeping her gaze over the garden, El set to work. Like clockwork, a set of tin watering cans painted blue and decorated with white flowers began to lift into the air, bouncing lightly in the unicorn’s golden magic. Very calmly, she spread them out over the garden to water her flowers, and when she was done she began snipping the buds and leaves she would need for the morning. Blue darted from plant to plant as she worked, chirping whenever she missed a bloom.

Once she had her plants trimmed, she went into the little workroom in the far corner of her garden which was hidden (for atmospheric purposes) behind a massive clutch of tea rose plants. Once there, she hung each of her collected samples to dry and bottled some of the finished pieces to take into the teahouse to blend – after she removed her pastries from the oven, of course.

Every morning when her sweets came out unscathed El felt grateful for her magic. She would never be able to work so quickly or efficiently without it, and certainly would never be able to leave her oven unwatched to do any other work – it would take so long to work in her garden that the sweets would burn! Of course, she could always seek out somepony to work for her, but she simply couldn’t conceive of such a thing. El was terribly particular and would never be able to share her work because of it!

When her morning routine was complete, she lifted all of the chairs off of the tables to set on the floor (or ground, in regards to her garden area) and opened the doors of her teahouse. It was still a bit early, so she wasn’t really expecting to see many faces, but that was fine. She began to steep a post of jasmine tea for herself nibbled on a croissant dusted with elderflower sugar.

[colour=#ffa07a]“Well, Blue,”[/colour] she said brightly, smiling up at the little bird preening himself on the open door to her teahouse, [colour=#ffa07a]“The sun is shining, the air is fresh, and I woke up early! It looks like today will be a lovely day.”[/colour]

[Needlemouse]

[colour=#eeefff]"Nice~!"[/colour]

[colour=#add8e6]The blue hedgehog chimed as he strolled along the streets of the city that he'd come to know by the name of Canterlot. Pastel whites, purples and blues as far as the eye could see, tinted with yellow and gilded linings here and there. The place was the very definition of regal and upper crust - but still so very impressive as far as architecture went! Red-white sneakers carrying him in his slow, lazy walk with the dull tapping of sole on cobblestone, he took his time enjoying the sights and the sounds of ponies at various cafés and restaurants, others rushing from store to store carrying the latest trends in fashion and designer brands. It seemed that whether it was one world or another, life had a way of going on its merry way pretty much in the same way as it might anywhere else. [/colour]

[colour=#add8e6]As he walked on, he noticed however that he seemed to be getting a far amount of sights set on himself as well, the hedgehog only managing a carefree grin in exchange. Was it because of his looks, so clearly alien and completely foreign to this world of ponies, even amidst the presence of creatures like minotaurs and dragons, perhaps, or was it because of the steady and constant momentum of his left arm, currently set in a light wrist-flicking rotation? His hand catching and then launching the trio of pears that he had aquired for his 'road snack' in a fairly impressive display of one-handed juggling. To him, of course, it mattered very little, flashing a smirk at the snooty-looking ponies as they drank their coffee early in the morning and turned their noses up at the realization that he was looking back at them.[/colour]

[colour=#add8e6]He took the moment to chuckle, though that proved to be a bit of a mistake, as a loose tile on the sidewalk caused him to stub his toe painlessly, but brought the blue hedgehog to a stumble through his lack of paying attention. His balance off for only a split second, it was still enough for him to miss a beat in his juggling, and dropping one of the pears, [/colour][colour=#eeefff]"Hey now, you get back here."[/colour] [colour=#add8e6]the foreigner tutted irritably, watching the fruit roll along as if of a mind of its own.. eventually stopping on the doorstep of one of the numerous establishments he'd already seen on his tour of the city.[/colour]

[colour=#add8e6]Coming to the door to pick up his snack, the hedgehog dusted it off and peered inside.. the place was certainly an impressive-looking little teahouse. Far more modest than the extravagant ones he'd seen down the road, but the humble decor gave it its own unique sort of charm. On top of which there was the sweet smell of baked goods permeating through the air of the place, giving it a pleasingly homely atmosphere that was surprisingly welcoming. Bouncing the pear up and down a few times in his hand, while sheltering the other pair in the palm of his other, he stepped inside to get a better look, letting out an audible

as an appreciative response to the look of the place, [/colour][colour=#eeefff]"Nice digs - anybody home?"[/colour]

​

[SilverSwirl]

"That was close!"

The peach earth pony stallion exclaimed as he sidestepped a sword swing. With a sly grin, he brandished his own sword. His training partner gasped as he stared at the nearly neon green aura surrounding the blade. It was an impressive blade, known as the Force Sword in his home universe. Having been used to weaken Zeon, prior to sealing that evil entity away.

He lunged forward, seizing the opportunity to strike as his partner was distracted by the blade. There is that sound of metal clashing against metal as his partner blocks the blow, fore leg quivering under the strain. Grunting, he brought all his strength to bear as he forced his partner into a kneeling position, sweat running down his muzzle.

Locking eyes with his partner, he sees fear in them. His partner, panting heavily, offers no more resistance as his blade hits the green grass of the field. Smiling, he sheathes the Force Sword and helps the armored guards pony to his hooves. "You did real good, partner. You lasted a full 5 minutes! I'm impressed at how well you can handle that blade but that is enough for today. I'll see you at your next session.", he said to the armored pony encouragingly before turning around and galloping away from the garrison.

Back out onto the cobblestone streets of Canterlot, he had had the common sense to have bathed after that sparring match to spare any snooty noble ponies from smelling an unpleasant odor. Wearing his baby blue headband, his long flowing golden blonde mane was out of his eyes as he trotted along the streets.

Canterlot reminded him of Granseal, his home kingdom with its castle and lively atmosphere. His chain rustling against his neck, two jewels fused together bounced a little at the end of the chain. They were the same as his mark, blue and a scarlet red. Smiling, he looked all around him before a blue hedgehog entering a building captured his attention. It didn't seem natural to him but considering how he had arrived here it wasn't all that far fetched to have a humanoid hedgehog wandering about.

Approaching the dwelling, he caught the inviting scent of baked goods. It set his mind at ease, the decor almost seemed to be beckoning him to come inside and take a load off. With a polite knock, he opened the door and entered, bumping into the hedgehog! "Oh, my apologies, sir?", he exclaimed politely, blushing lightly.

[Elderflower]

The Menu:

Teas[colour=#FFA07A]: Green, chamomile, elderberry, jasmine, genmaicha green, masala chai, fennel rose, ginger honey, black, pu’erh, white, peppermint, eucalyptus leaf.[/colour]

[colour=#FFA07A] -Milk and sweeteners optional. Sweeteners include white sugar cubes, brown sugar cubes, honey, agave nectar, and elderflower cordial.[/colour]

Sweets[colour=#FFA07A]: Chocolate croissants, elderflower sugar croissants, elderflower cupcakes, sugar cookies, shortbreads, and macarons.[/colour]

Beverages[colour=#FFA07A]: Sparkling water, still water, lychee juice, milk, passionfruit juice, and elderflower cordial with sparkling or still water.[/colour]

------

Elderflower blinked at the entrance to her shop, golden eyes wide with...wait, with what? She wasn't even sure what she was feeling! There, standing in the doorway of The Elder Tree Teahouse, was a creature she had certainly never seen before. She stared for a few seconds, completely taken aback by the unfamiliar form before her, until Blue let out a sharp trill.

[colour=#ffa07a]"Oh! Where are my manners?"[/colour] she gasped, blushing furiously, [colour=#ffa07a]"I am very sorry for staring, how rude! Please, come in - this is the Elder Tree Teahouse."[/colour]

As she spoke, the unicorn mare felt herself beginning to calm down and revert to her usual quiet, wispy self. A calm smile began to work its way back into position, gently lifting the corners of her lips as she stepped from behind her counter and approached the blue, spiky something. El was standing directly in one of the slanted sunbeams painting her hardwood floors with a light glow, and she could feel the sunlight warming her neck and jaw as she stood there. The mare was just about to speak again when a golden-maned stallion entered the scene, banging into the spiky one. Blinking, again, she took a moment to find her composure before smiling at the two of them.

[colour=#ffa07a]"This is the Elder Tree Teahouse,"[/colour] she repeated for the newcomer, before gesturing to the wooden interior with her hoof, [colour=#ffa07a]"There is seating available in the main sitting room, as well as a few more private and quiet side rooms. You may also choose to sit out in the garden, if you wish. I will guide you to whichever seat you may choose and then give you time to look at the menu. My name is Elderflower."[/colour]

Well, she hoped she had made a smooth recovery. Different or not, the spiky one was still a customer and, clearly, a very sentient individual and therefore deserving of respect and manners. She could not believe she had been so...slack jawed and rude. The mare only hoped that she could redeem herself and avoid offending him further.

[Needlemouse]

[colour=#add8e6]Stepping into the teahouse, the hedgehog stretches a few times, lazily turning his wrist in a way that allowed him to roll the lone pear from his palm to the back of his gloved hand, and then back into his palm again. As he moved forwards, he noticed the weird look he was getting from the establishment's hostess, which only drew a good-natured grin from the blue-quilled visitor. He was more than used to looks like that since coming to this strangely pastel world, and so he offered a cheerful, [/colour][colour=#eeefff]"No worries! I get that all the time!"[/colour][colour=#add8e6] as he stepped in a little further, just in time to quickly side-step what would have been a pretty major bump from another incoming customer, instead making it more of a brush of the shoulder, followed by him responding to the second apology he'd received in those few moments with another grin - people sure were polite around these parts, he mused.[/colour]

[colour=#add8e6]As the hostess proceeded to then invite him, and the other pony, to find their seats, he took the time to look around the place a little more keenly, taking in the sights and the scents that wafted through the place and gave it that welcoming and warm sensation. It was hard to dislike a place like this, where the atmosphere felt so natural - not that he disliked fast food joints and fast living, after all he still hadn't seen a single place here that served a chili dog, much to his chagrin and dismay. But there was always room for a nice, relaxing time to be had on any adventure, he'd learned, and this place was perfect for such an occasion.[/colour]

[colour=#add8e6]Upon hearing the hostess introduce herself as Elderflower, his grin widened to a cheery and pleasant smile, as he began to flip and bounce the two pairs he had palmed up and down in a minute little juggle, chiming [/colour][colour=#eeefff]"Nice to meetcha, Elderflower. I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog,"[/colour][colour=#add8e6] he proclaimed with the carefree attitude and ease of someone who had probably introduced himself that way countless times, to a variety of people. At the very least, his demeanour certainly seemed to be that of someone troubled by little, as nowhere did his expression show offense at her previous staring. Following his introduction, he then added,[/colour][colour=#add8e6] [/colour][colour=#eeefff]"And it's a great day out, how 'bout a seat in the garden?"[/colour]

​

[QueenChrysalis747]

(so is this just a random little tea shop, is there an OOC/sign up area? Can I just join? I see sonic is in and it's in crossover so other creatures allowed like Pokemon?)

[Elderflower]

(Sorry, I meant to close this yesterday. You're welcome to join in on a pony alt but I'd like to keep Sonic as the only crossover element here.)

[QueenChrysalis747]

[ok]

A lovely smooth white pelted mare slowly strode down the strret before she noticed a blue creature run across the road and head off toward a treehouse. She slowly cocked her head to the side and hastened her pace just a bit and began to follow.

[SilverSwirl]

Bowie was pleasantly surprised by this blue hedgehoglike creature and its reflexes. What would have been a very serious collision was mitigated to a mere brush of his shoulder against the nimble visitor. He couldn't help but grin back at him as the hostess introduced herself to him and learned the identity of the blue creature. "Sonic huh, he is a quick one. But I can tell he's a good egg though.", he thought to himself, his tail swishing once.

Having heard Sonic voice his desire to sit in the garden, he decided to follow suit. He was curious about his origins and where he was from, and by the same token, tell this creature about himself in return. Still grinning, he also offered, "I'll take a seat in the garden, Miss Elderflower. My name is Bowie, a great swords pony from Granseal, it is wonderful to meet you both."

[Elderflower]

Oh! A hedgehog! Though she had never seen a hedgehog quite so large, or blue, or one that stood on two legs…well, she could see the resemblance at least. He had the quills!

[colour=#ffa07a]“Well, Sonic, the feeling is mutual. It is very nice to meet you! And you as well, Bowie. And it is quite a lovely day, so please follow me to the garden.”[/colour]

With a warm smile, El turned on her hooves and strolled over to the garden door, which began to glow with gentle golden light and slide open. Warm sunlight flooded into the teahouse through the garden doors and the mare’s smile only widened as she stepped into its warmth. Such a lovely day, indeed! Instinctively the wisp of a unicorn began to hum, stepping from the stairs onto the lush green grass as balmy winds rustled the branches of her elder tree overhead. She stopped near the tables that were sheltered by the shade of the tree this early in the morning and finally turned to face the customers, beaming.

[colour=#ffa07a]“Sit wherever you would like – there is a menu on each table. Nopony else is here yet, so you may take your time to choose and I will stay out here until you do. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. The menu is quite small as I prefer to cycle through different selections rather than offer them all year-round – it’s a little easier to manage.”[/colour]

Blue darted out from inside the teahouse, then, reaching out with his legs to grab hold of the tip of her horn and perch there, peering at Sonic quite intently. No doubt he was curious about the stranger, too. And then something else occurred to Elderflower…

[colour=#ffa07a]“Oh, excuse me Bowie, sir…did you say Granseal? Is that in Equestria?”[/colour] El asked, tilting her head inquisitively,[colour=#ffa07a] “I don’t believe I’ve heard of it.”[/colour]

[QueenChrysalis747]

Fleur knocked on the door gently and softly.

(Dunno what else to say haha)

[SilverSwirl]

Bowie followed his hostess out into the garden, smiling at the warm sun. It was evident to him by her humming and beaming smile that she thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine in her garden as he felt the soothing breeze ripple his mane. His smile widened as she brought them to their table, the shade a welcome reprieve from the heat of the morning. He listened to her instructions, nodding in the affirmative as he glanced around to select a table, humming to himself softly.

His selection was interrupted by Elderflower's inquiry and he looked at the mare, face blanching. He wanted to tell her the truth but was afraid he'd be called a lunatic or worse. Nervously, he cleared his throat, beads of sweat wicking into his baby blue headband. "I wanted to only tell Sonic but I guess I'll have to say something early... Can't be helped.", he thought to himself with a sigh, smiling faintly. "Granseal, doesn't exist in Equestria. It's.... Far away from here... You can't find it on any map...", he said to her softly, bowing his head. "I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it.", he added with a twitch of an ear.

[Needlemouse]

[colour=#add8e6]Making his way into the gardens, the hedgehog let out another impressed whistle of appreciation for the amount of work put into the decor. Finding a seat, he settled into it and placed the pears on the tableside, raising one leg to rest it over the other's knee, [/colour][colour=#eeefff]"You really run a sweet-lookin' place."[/colour][colour=#add8e6] He commented, before glancing over to Bowie as he responded to Elderflower's inquiry.[/colour]

[colour=#eeefff]"Heh, so there's other places out there that have talking hors-- err, ponies, as well, eh?"[/colour][colour=#add8e6] the hedgehog chipped in, managing to correct himself on what seemsed to be a bit of a verbal faux pas in these parts of referring to the equine locals as horses rather than ponies. Not letting that hamper him from grinning back at the bird rested atop the hostess' horn, he proceeded to wink and held aloft one of the pears he'd brought with him, offering the feathered companion to have a few nibbles from it if the bird so pleased..[/colour]

[colour=#add8e6]With the topic of bearings and where people were from, he expected his turn to come up eventually, but [/colour][colour=#add8e6]didn't see any cause to bring it up himself. After all, he was just a visitor here like he'd been in so many other worlds before - and besides, how many people would buy into tall tales of genies and alien amusement parks? Well, okay, genies might fly in these parts, he chuckled inwardly, as the two magical ponies talking right next to him would surely attest towards the existance of such things.[/colour]

​

[Derpyy]

As Heart trotted through the city of Canterlot he realized something. Canterlot is incredibly different from Trottingham. Trottingham was his home and all but Canterlot seemed to just have a prestigious air about it. Well it should anyways, since most royal occasions happened in Canterlot. It was mainly the city of royalty. Now, Heart was just a simple doctor from Trottingham and he had no purpose for being in Canterlot other than the fact that he just wanted to visit the city. It was his first time coming to the city in fact, and he had been having a wonderful time. He hoped that his visit would continue being wonderful.

As the stallion trotted through the streets he noticed that he in fact was smaller than most of them. He was a stallion of a small build than most average stallions. Not as tall as some but he didn't mind it. Nopony ever complained or made fun of him for his lack of height so he had no reason to worry, As Heart kept trotting he would stop and wave to a few passing ponies and only a few would wave back to them. He noticed that most ponies seemed to be rather snooty when it came to the exchanging of the friendly hello. He just figured it was that Canterlot attitude.

Just as Heart moved along as his normal pace he noticed something. A rather divine smell made it's way into his nostrils. He took a deep breath and then followed the scent. He found himself in front of a building so he decided to enter.

When he entered he noticed that nopony was inside the building. But there was a door on the other side that seemed to lead somewhere. But right now Heart had no idea if the store was open or not. He awkwardly looked around and then something caught his eye.

Teas[colour=#FFA07A]: Green, chamomile, elderberry, jasmine, genmaicha green, masala chai, fennel rose, ginger honey, black, pu’erh, white, peppermint, eucalyptus leaf.[/colour]

[colour=#FFA07A] -Milk and sweeteners optional. Sweeteners include white sugar cubes, brown sugar cubes, honey, agave nectar, and elderflower cordial.[/colour]

Sweets[colour=#FFA07A]: Chocolate croissants, elderflower sugar croissants, elderflower cupcakes, sugar cookies, shortbreads, and macarons.[/colour]

Beverages[colour=#FFA07A]: Sparkling water, still water, lychee juice, milk, passionfruit juice, and elderflower cordial with sparkling or still water.[/colour]

As he looked over the whole menu he started to speak out loud. [colour=#8b4513]"Everything sounds wonderful."[/colour] He smiled at the menu and decided that he could go for a drink and perhaps a bite to eat. So, Heart did what he assumed he was supposed to do and decided to take a seat in the main seating area. He assumed that this place was a "Seat yourself" kind of place but, then again nopony had told him otherwise. So he took his seat and looked around once more. He spotted a sign and read it. "[colour=#8b4513]The Eldertree Teahouse." [/colour]He smiled at the name. He rather liked it. "[colour=#8b4513]Seems fitting."[/colour] He realized he was talking to nopony but himself and decided to be quiet. He then, patiently waited for anypony to come in with him. He still had no idea if the place was open or not.