[Canterlot] Cold Days and Warm Tea (Closed; Rosewind)

[Elderflower]

[colour=#ffa07a]The Menu

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Teas

Green, chamomile, elderberry, hibiscus, lapsang souchong, shui hsien, ginger honey, black, pu’erh, oolong, earl grey.

-Milk and sweeteners optional. Sweeteners include white sugar lumps, brown sugar lumps, honey, agave nectar, and elderflower cordial.

Sweets

Chocolate croissants, elderflower sugar croissants, elderflower cupcakes, sugar cookies, shortbreads, and macarons.

Beverages

Sparkling water, still water, lychee juice, milk, passionfruit juice, and elderflower cordial with sparkling or still water.

Elderflower was draped across the dark, lacquered wood of her countertop, a long expression on her face as she stared outside. It was almost noon and she hadn’t seen a single customer – not much of a surprise, though, considering the weather. Thick, ominous stormclouds had rolled in over Canterlot during the night, carrying with them violent peals of thunder. A weather pony who had stopped into the teahouse the day before had told the wisp of a mare that despite how dark the sky was going to get, the storm wouldn’t start until it had passed over the city. Luckily, all that Canterlot would see of this would be rain switching on and off between gentle showers and downpours all day – nothing unwise to venture into if you were well-prepared, but still very unpleasant. She had hoped this meant there would be ponies still going about their routines, eventually leading them to the teahouse, but there had been no such luck yet.

A few businesses on El’s street had closed down for the day, but she was determined to keep The Elder Tree Teahouse going until closing time. This was partly due to the fact that she wanted to keep her doors open just in case any unlucky pony wandering outside got caught up in one of the “downpour” phases of the rain and needed shelter, but mostly because she simply didn’t know what to do with her time if she wasn’t working. She had already covered the more delicate plants in her gardens with tarps during the free hours of the morning, and now she was almost wishing a customer would come break the bleak monotony of this rainy day.

With a long sigh, she slid backwards off the counter and decided that the best way to occupy herself for now would be to make up some tea! For a rainy day, the mare preferred to dip into something a little heavier – something rich that would ooze deep into her bones and flood her with feelings of warmth and comfort. Though she loved everything she currently had on her menu, she knew that the perfect tea to chase away a damp chill was nothing other than a homemade masala chai!

Just the thought of the spicy, luxurious flavour caused El’s mouth to water, and without the slightest bit of hesitation she trotted into her kitchen, balls of golden light shooting ahead of her to find all of the ingredients – and her special masala chai pot! Luckily, she always kept jars of a masala spice mix prepared for chilly days, so whipping up some tea would be the work of a few quick minutes. Just one thing to decide…how many servings?

[colour=#ffa07a]“How much to make, Blue?”[/colour] she asked aloud. The little fairy wren was tucked away in her mane. He had been snoozing earlier, but she hoped speaking would wake him…unfortunately all she got was an indignant, groggy chirp followed by a very tense silence. What a drag! El was hoping he would solve a moral dilemma for her: should she make a huge pot of tea in case customers came in seeking respite from the weather? She was sorely tempted, since there was a huge possibility of nopony showing up (leaving copious amounts of delicious tea for her to drink). But on the other hoof, she could be responsible and think about her poor tum, making only two servings.

Blue didn’t want to be helpful today, though, it seemed. So one big pot with servings enough for ten ponies it was! She had the tea made in no time, and the tantalizing perfume of the spices was soon wafting its way through the teahouse. If anypony got close enough to the front entrance to read the sign indicating the Elder Tree would be open despite the weather, there was no doubt that divine aroma would seep out through the cracks in the door!

Smiling, Elderflower ladled herself a generous mug of the masala chai tea with her pale, golden magic and floated it in front of her as she returned to the counter, humming a little ditty that came to her as she bounced out of the kitchen. Rainy day or not, a good spiced tea was guaranteed to lift the spirits!

​

[Rosewind]

Twilight Velvet hurriedly made her way down the damp, clean, chilly cobblework of Canterlot's mercantile district. She had been in the middle of writing a particularly long-winded fiction about a race of talking hamsters, and their Kingdom devoid of fruit, when her parchment supply had run out. Usually in her task of writing, she would scribble magically with her lavender quill, deep in the throes of creative vision and creation. It was when she blindly stretched her hoof forth to procure another blank page, her hoof scraped against the cold oak of her study desk instead. It was her husband -- Crescent's -- turn to do all of the sundry shopping, and he most likely forgot. Stallions. He was away at work, so she wouldn't have an opportunity to nag him about it until later. She took it on herself to shop for more, meanwhile. Shopping was wonderful, anyway -- except it was lightly drizzling rain outside, and the dark sky angrily threatened more than just drizzle. No problem, a little rain never hurt anypony, right?

Back to present...

Velvet's saddlebag was stuffed with rolls of parchment, as well as a glass vial of some particularly nice opalescent pearl ink that caught her attention. It matched a necklace that her husband once put together for her from pearls they had gathered when they were dating. A flash of light followed a sharp bellow of thunder from the inky sky. The light grey mare bit her lip, flicking her damp bangs out of her eyes as large rain drops pattered against her. She glanced around the damp street with her aqua-coloured gaze, looking for any shops that might be open. A tea shop! What luck! She hadn't really noticed it before; as it was cozily tucked between the other shops, with a tailoring shop nearby that she frequented for sewing supplies.

More thunder! Ker-CRACK! Boooom! The mare's trot broke into a gallop, as chilling wind began to howl and blow. She bit her lower lip, hoping her supplies wouldn't get ruined -- or much worse, simply get blown away in the wet squall. She slipped into the warm shop, her senses instantly hit with the evocative scent of the masala chai. It was mystical, heady, spicy, and instantly warmed her through. She rung water out of her tail, hopping up and down to get the rest of the drips off. [colour=#9966CC]"Hello? My goodness, the weather outside is atrocious! I wouldn't have been caught in it if my husband could remember to do some basic shopping now and then."[/colour][colour=#9966CC] [/colour]Velvet paused. The tea shop was not only cozy, it was adorable. The mare went into her cutesy mode of looking over everything, from lace dollies, delicate porcelain cups, and large jars replete with teas, each unique in scent, colour and texture. At last, her attention came to the lithe shopkeeper. She grinned warmly. [colour=#9966CC]"Oh my! You're a cute little thing! Is this your shop? It's simply lovely!" [/colour]Velvet rubbed dampness off her cheek, flushing as the scent of the warm chai continued to suffuse her senses.

[colour=#9966CC]"I'm Velvet, of the Sparkle family! It's quite a pleasure to meet you! What is that smell? It's heavenly!"[/colour]

[Elderflower]

El was just enjoying her first sip of rich, spicy tea when a clamour at the door grabbed her attention. It seemed as though her stubborn attitude had paid off! The mare who entered seemed to be a victim of the damp weather, and after swallowing the delicious, hot tea the wispy unicorn placed the mug she was using on the counter and then trotted to the storefront to greet the stranger.

[colour=#9966ff]"Hello? My goodness, the weather outside is atrocious! I wouldn't have been caught in it if my husband could remember to do some basic shopping now and then."

​[/colour]

[colour=#ffa07a]“Hello there,”[/colour] El replied, bowing her head forward in greeting before offering the mare a generous smile, [colour=#ffa07a]“The weather is certainly foul today, but the brunt of the storm isn’t supposed to hit until the clouds pass over Canterlot, thankfully.”[/colour]

[colour=#9966ff]"Oh my! You're a cute little thing! Is this your shop? It's simply lovely!"[/colour]

​

Elderflower blushed slightly and nodded, but before she could make a proper answer, the energetic mare was speaking again. My! She certainly moved fast!

[colour=#9966ff]"I'm Velvet, of the Sparkle family! It's quite a pleasure to meet you! What is that smell? It's heavenly!"[/colour]

​

[colour=#ffa07a]“It’s lovely to meet you, Velvet!” [/colour]the pink-maned mare finally said in reply, beaming, [colour=#ffa07a]“This is my shop, The Elder Tree Teahouse – and my name is Elderflower. That smell would be a fresh pot of my homemade masala chai tea. Would you care for a cup? It’s quite tasty, and certain to warm you up on a day like today. There are other things on my menu, however, if you would prefer something less heady.”[/colour]

El grabbed one of the nearest table menus with her magic, then, and floated the small card embraced by pale golden light towards Velvet so she might have a look. The mare looked Velvet up and down, then, noticing that she and her things were quite wet – no surprise, considering the nasty weather out there!

[colour=#ffa07a]“And if you’d like, I could fetch you a towel for your mane, and for anything in your bags that might be damp so you could lay them out. I wouldn’t want you to catch cold-”[/colour]

Something struck her, then, and for a moment she considered the name, the purple hues, and the shape of Velvet’s bangs (which were still fairly telling, despite being damp).

[colour=#ffa07a]“You don’t happen to mean of the Sparkle family as in…the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle, do you?”[/colour]

It simply couldn’t be true! Well, it could – apparently the new Princess had grown up here in Canterlot, at least that was what a few of her customers had said. Still, it simply seemed unreal, the idea of meeting a relative to royalty. El had gotten one brief, clear view of Princess Twilight Sparkle during her public coronation in Canterlot (for everypony in the gilded city had been granted a day off) and from that brief memory the tea-loving unicorn could certainly see there being a family tie with Velvet here!

[Rosewind]

Velvet curtsied politely to the lithe unicorn. [colour=#9966CC]"Elderflower, you say? What a lovely name! I don't know why I haven't visited your tea shop before. I tend to be busy between one thing or another and sometimes special little nooks like this one slip by attention!" [/colour]She trotted around the shop at length, admiring all of the whimsical decor -- and taking notes, especially. She inwardly wondered if Crescent would consider converting his "stallion cave" into a fancy tea room. She would have to present him with the idea. She paused as a menu fluttered into her view. She peeked over the top at Elderflower, smiling. [colour=#9966CC]"I'll take a cup of that chai, if you wouldn't mind...and a towel? Yes, please!" [/colour]The unicorn mare slipped off her saddlebags -- replete with a stitched latch with three purple stars matching her cutie mark -- and set it to the side of the table. [colour=#9966CC]"I'm glad my parchment didn't get wet. That was the reason I was out. I'm an author by trade and a seamstress by my other." [/colour]Velvet flicked her head to the side as she noticed the pink-maned unicorn carefully looking her over. She smiled, nodding. Her damp bangs clung to her forehead as she did so, and she swept them out of her light-blue gaze as Elder asked her about her children.

[colour=#9966CC]"That's right! Twili is my daughter, and my oldest, Shining, is Prince of the Crystal Empire. Crescent -- my husband -- and I are quite proud of our little ones!"[/colour][colour=#9966CC] [/colour]Velvet trotted closer to Elderflower, lowering her voice. [colour=#9966CC]"We often joke about making lightning strike thrice with the royalty thing, but I'm quite happy with just two! We don't want to force Celestia or her sister into retirement yet![/colour][colour=#9966CC]"[/colour] Velvet slipped into a lovely thatched chair, smoothing her hair over with her hooves. [colour=#9966CC]"Ugh, I probably look dreadful! Miss Elderflower, tell me a bit about yourself? I've certainly rambled on long enough about me! Tell me about you!"[/colour]

[Elderflower]

[colour=#9966cc]"Elderflower, you say? What a lovely name! I don't know why I haven't visited your tea shop before. I tend to be busy between one thing or another and sometimes special little nooks like this one slip by attention!"[/colour]

​

El beamed at the curtsy – what a refined mare she had in her shop! As for missing the teahouse from time to time, well, that was actually a fairly common occurrence. The exterior of her shop was fairly humble compared to the gilded structures that were so common in canterlot. Though not terribly small, the wooden structure hardly called to mind a Canterlot standard. For the more upper crust and high-nosed ponies of the city, this not only made the Elder Tree Teahouse unremarkable – it made it unworthy, despite the fact that the carpentry and artistry that shaped the wood panelling was rather exquisite. Perhaps wooden facades in general just seemed to rustic and earthy for the æther-steeped city. The few who did pass through the front doors, however, usually changed their minds. There was something special about the atmosphere that really helped put ponies at ease and fill them with warmth, and that something special is what El did her best to produce. It could touch the most severe personalities, even if only slightly. It also helped to raise opinions of her business – the opinions that were shaped by the wooden exterior.

Either way! None of that bothered the unicorn terribly – she had a stable business with excellent patrons that she valued highly. A few non-believers weren’t about to get her down! Speaking of patrons…she’d best stop dwelling in her thoughts! Her cheeks a little pink, El’s gaze darted around until it had locked on Velvet. Luckily, she was distracted by looking over the shop! It spared the mare from being caught for zoning out a little, something she rarely did! Perhaps the weather was dampening her head!

Watching Velvet looking over things so attentively was a little nerve wracking, however. El found ever glance tugging at her tum – it felt almost like the grey mare was staring right into her soul!

[colour=#9966cc]"I'll take a cup of that chai, if you wouldn't mind...and a towel? Yes, please!"[/colour]

​

[colour=#ffa07a]“Right away, Velvet!”[/colour] El chimed, beaming still. Without missing a beat, she trotted off through the closed hallway that lead to her bedroom, grabbed a few towels from her linen closet, placed it on her back, and trotted back to the shop. When she was there, she poked her head into the kitchen and ladled up another mug of luxurious chai using her golden magic. When she trotted in, she just caught the tail-end of what Velvet was saying.

[colour=#9966cc]"- I'm an author by trade and a seamstress by my other."[/colour]

​

[colour=#ffa07a]“An author! How exciting!”[/colour] El exclaimed, levitating the mug of steaming chai to the table where Velvet had laid out her things, careful to make sure it was a good distance away from them just in case! After coming out in this weather to buy them, it wouldn’t due to get them covered with tea – no matter how good that tea smelled! She lifted the towels into the air and suspended them so they would be held there magically until Velvet was ready to use them. She had intended to ask the mare about the titles she had written, but instead listened, wide eyed, as she spoke about her very successful children.

“You must be so proud of them!” the tea-loving mare said, a touch of awe in her voice. To have the family of royalty in her teahouse! It felt totally exhilarating! [colour=#ffa07a]“If you try for a third, your family might just overtake the rule of Equestria on their own!”[/colour]

Chuckling, she magically grabbed her own tea from the counter of her shop and floated it over, taking a deep sip. It had cooled off a little but was still quite nice!

[colour=#9966cc]"Ugh, I probably look dreadful! Miss Elderflower, tell me a bit about yourself? I've certainly rambled on long enough about me! Tell me about you!"[/colour]

​

[colour=#ffa07a]“Not at all! Though if you want to use my hair dryer and vanity I can show you to my room once your tea is finished. As for me, well, I’m afraid my life has been quite humble in comparison to your own! My parents own a café here in Canterlot, but I grew up loving tea. The moment I was old enough, I left home and started travelling. I wanted to find the best Equestria had to offer in terms of tea, so I found plants that made the best teas and brought them home to start my garden and business. And now here we are! It’s not as glamourous a life as royalty, but I’m quite happy. Oh, but I’ve been rambling! How is your tea? Is there anything else you need?”[/colour]

Yet again, El beamed at Velvet.

[Rosewind]

Velvet smiled cheerfully, her grey horn glowing. Elder's towels were nearly as gorgeous as her shop. The stitchwork of them reflected pale greens, golds, and earthy tones of red. She almost didn't want to use it. As her mane was still drippy wet, she reluctantly dabbed at her striped hair, running the soft fabric over her bangs. She smiled warmly to the unicorn as she offered the use of her vanity. [colour=#9966CC]"Oh my! That's incredibly gracious of you, but I would dare impose like that. I love these towels! It would take hours for me to do embroidery like this!" [/colour]Satisfied that her mane was now as dry as it was going to get, she placed the towel on the back of her chair, turning to the table. It was then that Elderflower placed the steaming hot cup of chai tea in front of her.

Admittedly, she wasn't much of a tea drinker -- not because she didn't like tea (as it was one of the few culinary things she could manage to make without setting her husband or the kitchen on fire), but she was never exposed to very good tea. This was very good tea. She magically lifted the cup from the table, watching as thin wisps of steam curled into the air. She brought it up to her nose, where she inhaled deeply. She closed her eyes, imagining the sun rising over distant vistas, of bustling marketplaces full of foreign ponies hawking strange exotic spices. The murmur of the crowd and local commerce, the smell and charm of spice trade, and the promise of the traditional and new combined...all of that played a symphony of images to her mind's eye. This wasn't just tea, it was a revelation! She never experienced quite a thing like this before in her life. She took a petite sip, followed by another deeper sip. [colour=#9966CC]"Oh my! This chai is...you know, I'll have to think of a good word for it. Just saying it's 'good' would do it poor justice indeed!" [/colour]Velvet smiled at Elder, setting her tea cup down. She wanted to quaff the entire cup on the spot and ask for a refill, but she restrained herself.

Her attention brought her back to the prim, lithe unicorn. [colour=#9966CC]"You've traveled around looking for different tea varieties? That sounds very adventurous! I've done a bit of that myself when looking for new materials to make cloth. I haven't done that in a while, though -- getting married and having kids tends to sap away all of your time! Also, my husband requires my attention and love almost constantly." [/colour]She blinked, smiling. She was, of course, going to firmly love him when she got home. The whole reason she was sitting in a tea shop, damp, was because he failed to get everything on her shopping list. Perhaps she would enlist him to clean out the closet later...Twilight Velvet brought herself back to present, taking another deep sip of her chai. [colour=#9966CC]"Canterlot is an interesting place. My husband and I agreed early in our marriage we would avoid the glitz and glam of noble life, because it would not be fair to us or our children if they couldn't respect all different cultures and classes. I think we've done a pretty good job!" [/colour]

Velvet smoothed her striped bangs over her forehead. Her mane seemed to be drying out in the warmth of the tea shop. Thunder flashed outside, followed by more torrents of rain. The storm rumbled. It was clear the weather pegasi were having lots of fun today. [colour=#9966CC]"Actually, this chai is amazing! Could I bother you for another cup? Also, do you sell bulk to take home? I think I'd like to do that as well." [/colour]Velvet quickly finished the last of her cup. [colour=#9966CC]"MmMmmMM! I bet Crescent would probably love this tea! He might even be a customer of yours, and just never mentioned it to me." [/colour]Velvet set her hooves on her lap, her cheeks flushing red from the heady chai. [colour=#9966CC]"What is in it?"[/colour]

[Elderflower]

[colour=#9966ff]"Oh my! That's incredibly gracious of you, but I would dare impose like that. I love these towels! It would take hours for me to do embroidery like this!"[/colour]

[colour=#ffa07a]“Well! If you change your mind, the offer still stands. And aren’t they so lovely? I purchased them from an outdoor market during the spring, not long after the snows were gone! They have such precise needlework!”[/colour]

El took another long pull of tea, the spicy beverage, which warmed her belly and drove away the slight chill that was settling in from the nasty weather. She kept a careful eye on Velvet, then, watching as the mare took in the whole experience of the tea. It was a sight the wisp of a unicorn appreciated! Taking her time to breathe in the rich perfume of the chai before taking a sip – that Velvet was a real pro! And to Elderflower’s delight, the older mare seemed to be truly enjoying the experience, drinking it in as it were!

[colour=#9966ff]"Oh my! This chai is...you know, I'll have to think of a good word for it. Just saying it's 'good' would do it poor justice indeed!"[/colour]

Colour touched El’s cheeks as a warm flush of pride and happiness overwhelmed her. Such high praise, and from such a dignified mare! It was more than she could have expected when her day began, so grey and gloomy and boring thanks to the weather. She opened her mouth to thank the mare, when Velvet began speaking once more. My, she was the chatty type! But that suited El just fine! She loved the customers that knew how to chat – they were always the ones that kept her days interesting and her job an absolute delight!

[colour=#9966ff]"You've traveled around looking for different tea varieties? That sounds very adventurous! I've done a bit of that myself when looking for new materials to make cloth. I haven't done that in a while, though -- getting married and having kids tends to sap away all of your time! Also, my husband requires my attention and love almost constantly."[/colour]

[colour=#ffa07a]“Oh it was quite exciting!”[/colour] she responded, thinking back wistfully on her days of exploring Equestria’s beautiful wilderness and communities. Truth be told, her 'adventuring' was very tame compared to the shenanigans proper adventure ponies got themselves into, but traveling was nonetheless a thrill for the unicorn. She met many wonderful ponies, saw hidden paradises tucked away in forests and mountains and meadows, and tasted the best teas of her life. And though she knew, rationally, that the teas she brewed here were of an equal calibre, what made each pot of tea so special when she travelled was the punch of flavour that could only be brought about by the sense of excitement and adventure she gained from roaming all over Equestria.

[colour=#ffa07a]“I would love to have another ‘adventure’ some day – just to get out and see Equestria again. Have you ever longed to travel again since becoming a mother? I can imagine becoming restless myself, but having a big, happy family must be nice too! But ooo, I bet you could find plenty of exciting things to make cloth out of, out in Equestria! What was the most interesting thing you found to make material out of? There was a story my mother told me when I was a foal – about a filly who saved her brothers from a curse by weaving them shirts made from the fibres of nettles! That sounds quite scratchy…”[/colour]

Colour touched El’s cheeks again. Ohhh, dear – this was the risk of spending time with chatty ponies! It brought out the truly chatty and rambling side of her! She smiled apologetically at Velvet, promising herself inwardly not to get carried away like that again and hoping she could stick to that promise…

[colour=#9966ff]"Canterlot is an interesting place. My husband and I agreed early in our marriage we would avoid the glitz and glam of noble life, because it would not be fair to us or our children if they couldn't respect all different cultures and classes. I think we've done a pretty good job!" [/colour]

Elderflower nodded her agreement. [colour=#ffa07a]“It’s a good mentality to have! My parents never said as much, but they guided me in a similar direction. Owning a café lets you meet ponies from all walks of life, even in Canterlot! They wanted to be sure I never grew up to be big-headed enough to look down on anypony.”[/colour]

[colour=#9966ff]"Actually, this chai is amazing! Could I bother you for another cup? Also, do you sell bulk to take home? I think I'd like to do that as well. MmMmmMM! I bet Crescent would probably love this tea! He might even be a customer of yours, and just never mentioned it to me. What is in it?" [/colour]

[colour=#ffa07a]“Oh, certainly!”[/colour]

Taking the last sip of her tea, El gently plucked the two empty mugs up with a touch of golden magic and trotted off to her kitchen, beaming all the while. What a stroke of luck that Velvet had happened upon her teahouse! The grey mare was excellent company, and with nopony else around it felt more like a visit from an old friend than having just another customer pop in.

Trotting back in with two more full mugs and a plate of sugar cookies that had a generous smear of frosting infused with elderflower cordial, El set everything down on the table and sat down opposite Velvet once more. The weather had taken yet a nasty turn, and as she settled back into her seat the nearest window rattled threateningly.

[colour=#ffa07a]“Oh my! That’s not very good, is it? As for selling in bulk, I don’t believe I ever have! But I do have a few large, clay jars back in the kitchen that are sitting unused…hmm. I could make you another pot, before you go - I always have the spices prepared so making the tea is quick work! And I have some beeswax candles in my room, as well, that we could melt down to seal the lid on one of the jars – you wouldn’t want that milky tea spilling all over you! As for ingredients, it’s really quite simple! Black tea, milk, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns, fennel, ginger, and brown sugar – though I often prefer to use honey, myself!”[/colour]