High Tea

Posted on Wed Oct 5th, 2011 @ 7:33am by Colonel Wilhelm Baron von Hackleberg & Lieutenant JG Jane Porter

1,128 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Orbital Yard Project Athena I
Location: Oriental Tea Room

::ON::

Wilhelm and Jane made there way towards the Concourse and stopped in front of the Oriental Tea Room. "Hmm I've never been here before, heard about it though. Care to give it a try?"

Jane had spent little time exploring herself. "It dose look promising. It's been a while since I had a proper tea."

Wilhelm held open the storefront door for Jane as they entered and looked around for a place to sit. "Looks busy..."

Jane nodded in agreement. "I hope that means the food is good."

"I do believe it is." Wilhelm said as he spotted an open table and lead Jane over to it. Helping Jane with her chair Wilhelm took the other and sat down and waited for service.

Aeshia was having a soft conversation in Japanese with the sushi chef. They both stopped, to greet the newcomers. "Hello. Welcome to Oriental Tea Room. What you like today?"

"High tea, please," Jane said, smiling politely at the woman.

"I'll have the same as well." Wilhelm added.

"This way." Aeshia said, nodding. She led them to a small collection of tables, without chairs, sitting perhaps a foot off the floor.

"Have seat here. I go make tea. Are you hungry?"

"What do you suggest?" Jane asked.

"I don't know. You the ones who supposed to know whether or not you hungry. Crazy people." Aeshia muttered, as she walked over to the tea pot.

"High tea. Cakes, scones, cream." Jane looked at the Colonel. "Anything else you'd like?"

"No that would be just I fine I believe." Wilhelm said.


Aeshia brought them their tea, and set the table in the appropriate fashion. She nodded to the two, and assumed they were on a date. She simply asked 'Is there anything else.'

"No, thank you. This looks lovely," she said, smiling at Aeshia. It was a very nice tea. she turned to the Colonel. "Mind if I pour?"

While, normally, Aeshia would have been insulted, she understood that this was a date, and, according to tradition, it was technically Jane's task to serve. Aeshia simply nodded. "If you need anything, shout." She said, as she walked off to go serve other customers, and permit privacy.

"Thank you ma'am." Wilhelm said with a nod of his head toward Aeshia as she walked off. He then turned back to Jane and nodded. "Please continue."

Jane nodded and poured two cups of tea. "Cream or sugar?" she asked.

"Sugar please. Two lumps." Wilhelm said approvingly.

Jane smiled, putting two lumps in his tea and three in her own. She set the tea in front of him, put her own cup in front of her and then passed him a plate of cakes. "How long have you been on Typhon?"

"I've been assigned here for about a year and a half. Though the Regiment just returned from a 3 month tour on the planet Exeter." Wilhelm said then took a a cautious sip of his tea savoring the interesting Asian blend. "Where was your last assignment?"

"Arden. It's a small tropical planet. Starfleet had a colony. I designed and maintained the gardens." She smiled remembering. "It was a challenge to keep the native plants from overgrowing t he foreign ones."

"Insidious buggers where they?" Wilhelm asked.

"Most definitely. They never wanted to stay where they were put. They sent runners everywhere. I finally had to put a mesh ten feet down around the garden to keep them out." She took a scone, spread clotted cream on it and took a bite. She wasn't sorry to see the back side of that world.

"Being a marine, I wouldn't have used just a screen!" Wilhelm said with a chuckle, "Chemicals......explosives." Wilhelm said with a wicked grin.

"Yes, but if you blew up my plants I'd have to chase you down and ... well, let's just say I wouldn't be pleased," she replied, grinning back.

"Well, good point there and setting the proper charges would take more time then using a hoe and shovel. However, like the saying goes: 'There's not a problem in the world that can't be solved by the proper application of explosives.'" Wilhelm said grinning. "Very good tea isn't it?" Wilhelm said after taking a sip and munching on a scone.

"It's excellent. I'll have to come back here more often." She finished her tea and set the cup down. "You're quite refined for a Marine. No offense, but most Marines don't care much for tea."

Wilhelm chuckled, "No most certainly do not. First off, I grew with tea so I like it more then coffee. Secondly, I believe it falls under the 'Officer and a Gentleman' category. Last of all, most marines don't have the patent of nobility and tyrannistic childhood I've had. Mother was quite the Master of Etiquette." Wilhelm said with a smile.

"You are definitely a gentleman," Jane replied, smiling softly. She lifted the teapot. "Would you like more tea?" she asked.

"Please Jane." Wilhelm said.

With a smile she refilled his cup, added two lumps of sugar and passed him the tray of sweets. "What do you do when you're not ebeing a Marine or a gentleman?"

"Well, I like reading old literature and time on the holodeck. I also like the occasional game of chance: poker, tongo, etc.. What do you do when your not exercising your green thumb?" Wilhelm asked.

"I read. Old books. Trade magazines. I don't spend much time on the holodeck. I find they aren't as entertaining when you go alone." She shrugged. "Mostly I read and listen to music."

Wilhelm shrugged, "That works quite good. Though I admit I've got to watch the occasional football and rugby match."

"Ah. I don't watch rugby, but I enjoy the occasional football game."

"Yes it can be exciting at times. Safer to watch than some of what I've seen too." Wilhelm said as he finished his tea then glanced at his old style watch. "Well I'm sorry but I have some other duties to attend to." Wilhelm said with a frown. "Dinner? Tomorrow night? About 2000-ish?" Wilhelm said with a hopeful look.

"I'd love to have dinner with you tomorrow night." Jane smiled and stood. "Thank you for tea. It was most enjoyable. As was the company."

"Yes it was indeed." Wilhelm said getting up. "Have a pleasant afternoon." Wilhelm said with a nod, then went over to the register swiped his chit and left. On the way out Wilhelm muttered, "Time to break-in some green officers."

Jane paused to thank Aeshia for the lovely tea service before she, too, returned to work.

OFF

Colonel Wilhelm Baron von Hackleberg
CO, 21st Marines Regiment
Starbase Typhon

Lieutenant JG Jane Porter
Botanist
Starbase Typhon

Aeshia Dew
Owner, Oriental Tea Room
Starbase Typhon

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