GSS Chapter 3: A tea. A mirror.
As they passed through various streets and their various twists and turns, Auros could not help but wonder where Gabrielle was taking her next. Fortunately, she did not have to wait too long to figure that out, for when they took another turn a certain house came into view.
Its front was adorned by many climbing plants, which covered most of it with their big leaves. At first glance, it gave the impression that it was yet another building that had been reclaimed by nature, but as Auros gave it a closer look with her enhanced sight, not only were all the plants perfectly trimmed and cared for, but there were also various wooden tables in its front yard, and most importantly...there was a very beautiful and handmade sign hanging on the door with words that gave her the answer she needed.
Not only did the sign reveal that the house was a teahouse, but also that it was open for business, and soon enough they found themselves walking through its front yard and to the door.
“I wanted to save coming here for last, but there is no better place to wash away whatever tiny traces remain of the…sourness than here. And since the other spots are in the merchant district, I believe that coming here first would be better, as it would be easier to visit those spots while we take care of your business there, my dear Auros.”
“Umu, that is alright by me. After all, sharing a cup of tea with you, my lovely Gabby, in your most favorite place sounds perfect.”
“My, my...then let us go inside.”
With that, they did just that, causing the bell hanging on top of the door to chime as they did.
“Wel—!”
And inside there was a gorgeous insectoid woman of the butterfly variety—or as they are most commonly known in Arte, a Papillion—wearing an attire proper of the one tending to the teahouse.
While her body was certainly humanoid and even had very similar curves to it, she had one more set of arms, which were smaller and more insect-like, as they were covered in a very thin exoskeleton and the hands connected to them only had three fingers each. Besides that, she had light orange skin, light lilac hair done in a bun, a set of butterfly-like antennae on top of her head, and of course, a beautiful pair of wings.
Said wings were as colorful as they were intricate in their pattern, which was unique for each individual of the race, just like humans and their fingerprints.
In any case, while Auros once again tried to hide her excitement about the appearance of another waifu and maid type, the Papillon woman–who should have welcomed them right as they entered–had suddenly found herself at a loss for words, raising her eyebrows in joyful surprise as her gaze fell not on Auros but rather…Gabrielle.
Or better said, the equivalent of her gaze, as she in particular was blind and relied on her antennae to see.
Among the various things she was able to ‘see’ with those, mana was one of them. Specifically, the usually invisible mana that covers all living things in Arte, the silhouettes that it draws, and most importantly, its ripples.
Furthermore, she had learned to read such ripples.
“…welcome, dear guests, to my humble teahouse. I am the proprietress, Danaus Plaexipus. Please, choose whichever table you wish, I shall bring your tea shortly.”
Still, she refrained from saying anything about what she discovered that had her so surprised and joyful about and proceeded to welcome the two women like she did with any other customer, with a warm welcoming tone and smile.
And so, doing just as she had told them, Auros and Gabrielle went on to pick a table that was near the center of the teahouse’s indoor garden, which had a very beautiful tree growing in its center, and they immediately took a seat in front of each other.
As they waited for their tea, the latter admired the rustic and natural beauty of the place with a look of nostalgia and a smile filled with relief, for she was glad that the place was just as she remembered.
Meanwhile, the former did what she would always do since her arrival to such a fantastical world, she took in all her surroundings with an awe so pure and a joy so innocent that no act could completely stop it from showing through her eyes, even if it took the form of a near missable glint.
Then, while she did so, she realized something, something that she immediately began to wonder about, and in looking for an answer, she began to very subtly glance at her surroundings.
She thought she was doing a good job at hiding the whole thing.
And she certainly was, for no one should have been able to tell what she was doing, given that she had indeed a certain uncanny mastery over her expressions and movements.
Unless, of course, that person was someone who always paid attention to her and had become able to read the extremely quick and subtle tells that she still gave away without knowing.
Gabrielle was one of such people.
And she found Auros simply adorable, so much so that she could not help but want to bring up the thing that she thought was what her dear date was wondering about, all while feeling a certain warmth fill her before turning into a giggle and more.
“Uhuhuhu…are you perhaps wondering how the proprietress would bring us our tea despite the lack of a menu and us never ordering it, my adorable and dear Auros?”
“Again…?!”
Surprised by Gabrielle having seemingly read her thoughts for a second time in their date, Auros let that out, which caused said young woman to let out another giggle before answering her.
“I can see them, my dear Auros. I can see those little expression changes you do and that glint in your eyes that shines with all the excitement you have for everything you see.”
“Wha...!”
“My, it should not even be that surprising to you by now. After all, we did have our little conversation that night. I can see you, Auros. I can see you just as well as I can hear those little changes in your voice whenever you are holding back your other side from coming out.”
“That’s…”
“...a terribly adorable aspect of you. One that, why, I love so very, very much.”
As the sunrays came down from the teahouse’s open ceiling and bathed Gabrielle in their mystifying luster, making her seemingly shimmer, she said that with her jewel-like turquoise eyes open and filled with just as much love as the smile she was showing to Auros.
In other words, filled to the brim with it.
“Hnnnngh...!!!”
‘I love her. I love her...so freaking much…!’
And while said woman’s inner ‘narration’ went on like that…
“Just...just...tell me…”
...the ‘romantic damage’—if one can even call it that—she received was just too much for her, and thus she was only able to externally react like that before crumbling onto the table, a muttering and blushing mess that had gone far beyond beet red and into steaming hot red.
A certain peeping Goddess even added the special effect of steam coming out of her beloved’s head for her own amusement, something that the date had already provided plenty of.
In any case, after hearing such sheepish demand, Gabrielle leaned forward a bit as she rested her head on her left hand and moved her right one towards Auros’ forehead, where she began to play with one of her date’s bangs, gently moving it while tracing a circle with her index finger.
Then, as Auros looked upwards, the smiling Gabrielle tilted her head to the side before saying...
“My, why tell when you can taste~.”
...that with a playful smile.
And with an almost uncanny timing, the proprietress arrived with their tea the very next moment, serving it with a clear level of mastery that Auros was certainly mentally describing as ‘something that would make all followers of the way of the tea tear up in pride’, doing so without making any other sound and using her second pair of arms to serve them some clearly homemade pastries to accompany their beverages.
Of course, Auros also realized something via her so-called ‘weeb sense’ and it had her going mad in her now very usual manner.
‘This lovable ojou-sama!! She was so much of a regular, of an otaku of the place, that she has the serving time down to a T!! And she timed this little attack of hers perfectly! Hnnngh!! That just makes me love her more!! Praise! Praise the lovely Gabby!!’
Not only that, but such thing could be confirmed by just looking at the proud expression Gabrielle was making as the proprietress finished serving them, which is when Auros noticed something else.
‘The proprietress…she seems way too happy. Like…not in a customer service happy kind of way, but showing actual genuine happiness. I wonder what’s that about.’
Either way, just as she had arrived, the proprietress left without making any other sound besides telling them to enjoy their tea.
“Go ahead, Auros. Try it.”
“Very well but…this tea...it looks somewhat strange with the color it has. And this smell...it smells sour. Perhaps I should add some honey to it before I drink it…?”
“My goodness, do not dare to do that. You should try it like it is. Trust me, I am sure that it will taste perfectly. So, Auros, take a sip. Please.”
“...alright.”
Seeing that doing so clearly meant a lot to Gabrielle and that she was truly looking forward to it, Auros took a sip of the tea.
“So...how does it taste?”
“Hmm...it is a bit sour at first, but after that initial taste, the tea slowly reveals a certain sweetness to it. However, there is no clash of tastes, rather...the sourness enhances the sweetness.”
Hearing that, Gabrielle showed a knowing smile to Auros and said the following:
“Would you say the sourness acts like a mask that hides the true taste of the tea, its sweet side?”
“...! Indeed! It is just like tha—wait...no way…”
“Ohohohoho! Yes way! Such is the answer, my lovely Auros! That is the very theme of this teahouse, and I am so glad that I brought you here.”
Fun.
That was the only word needed to describe Gabrielle as she said that.
She was having just so much fun.
“Huhuhuhaha...you got me, Gabby. You really got me. This is...wow. Just wow. A tea adaptation of me. That is something even I never thought of.”
And Auros was having that much fun too.
“I never thought so either, but then I found this place. Why, in hindsight it is obvious why no matter how many times I came here, I always felt truly at peace here. Even then, there is more to the teas the proprietress makes…’
Thus, she explained to Auros the process involved in making such unique teas and the role of the proprietress in such process.
In short, the proprietress’ is able to get a glimpse of the many sides a person has–including those that the person in question is not aware of or is consciously hiding–through her ability to read the ripples of their mana and this in turn becomes the information she uses to find the best blend that not only best represents the client, but also provides them with a satisfying tea to drink.
One thing to note though…
“…is that that she can only ‘see’ the information related to a person’s personality, not their power. Because oh my, if she could, she would have most likely fainted the moment we entered this place. Right, Auros?”
“Ghh…I…yes…that would have been most likely the case…”
“Huhuhu…in any case, while some do figure this out, others do not. But I can assure you that both would say that it was quite the good tea to drink. And if they do not, then they simply do not know enough about tea itself.”
So she declared proudly before taking a sip from her own cup of tea in a perfect ‘ojou-sama’ manner, or at least that is how Auros would describe it.
“Now I see why you were so insistent on me trying the tea first.”
“My, but of course! I could not let you ruin it by adding honey to it!”
“Heh, you call me adorable, but you are being quite adorable right now too. If I am to be honest, seeing you pout like you just did is melting my heart.”
“…! Oh me, oh my! Is that right?”
“Huhu…it is.”
“I see. Good.”
“Very good indeed.”
“…”
“…”
After sharing such honeyed moment, both women fell silent, but it was not an awkward silence, rather…it was a wholesome silence as they both gazed and giggled at each other while drinking their tea and eating some of the pastries that were on the table.
“May I try yours?”
Of course, even a silence like that was meant to be broken, and so the one who the other to the punch by saying what the other also wanted to say was none other than Auros, all while mentally screaming ‘I’M NOT MISSING THIS PROMPT!!’.
“…! Uhuhu…only if I can try yours too.”
“Of course.”
Thus, they both exchanged teacups and took a sip from each other’s tea, with Gabrielle being the one who…
“So? How was it?”
…asked that first.
And Auros…
“*cough-cough*…it’s too spicy, not mention too hot, and way, way too sweet.”
“Oh, shush, you!!”
…earned herself a love ‘punch’ on the shoulder from her giggling and blushing date with such a response.
“You are lovely, Gabrielle Aeryn.”
“My, my, so are you, Auros Argento.”
With that they giggled, drank, and ate some more until they ran out of tea and the proprietress happily served them more.
They were truly enjoying themselves.
So much so that they simply never seemed to run out of things to talk to.
“I am curious, how is the tea where you come from?”
“Well, I would be remiss to deny that there is quite the culture around it, or rather…cultures, to be precise, all with their own unique ingredients and blends, as well as ceremonies around it, and even ways of serving it. Truly, the day would be over if I were to try and list them all, heh.”
“My, my, it is like here then.”
“I suppose so. Well, except the whole tea adaptation of someone, that is pretty unique to this place, I can assure you of that.”
“Uhuhu…then perhaps you could call that a victory for us.”
“Perhaps, heh.”
Having said that, Auros then leaned on the back of her chair and looked up at the sky through the open ceiling and let out a nostalgic giggle as a certain memory came to her mind.
“Hehe…you know, my grandfather, Gramps, was the one who introduced me to tea. He would make the weirdest and most out there blends you could think of and make me try them out. And guess what? He really knew how to make them work, they were tasty and refreshing. Plus, it was like were doing experiments and for a kid like me that was incredibly fun.”
“...”
Gabrielle simply listened to Auros talk with a warm smile from end to end, her eyes beaming with love for the person reflected in them and of how she once again had opened up to her, this time even without her asking.
“Ah, but my grandmother, Nana, would always tell Gramps that he ought to stop using me as his test subject or else. Although, she would normally say that in more…colorful manner.”
“You really love them, do you?”
Still, seeing the shine in Auros’ eyes, Gabrielle could not help but ask such question and Auros, of course, gave her an immediate answer.
“I do. They…were the best. Nana…she would have loved you. And perhaps she would have also asked for a match with you just for the fun of it or to tease you.”
“…! Oh my! Really?”
“Heh, yes, she was just like that. She was…amazing in so, so many ways.”
“My, the eyes you are making now tell me more than enough.”
“Huhu…good, because you shall have no more anecdotes from me for the rest of the day.”
“Ohohoho! We shall see about that!”
And so, with conversations like that, their time in the teahouse went on and ended, but not before they tried once again to pay after themselves and this time it was different.
Although, not in the way one would expect, and that is because of what the proprietress did after refusing the couple’s payment right before they were about to leave.
“…!”
She held Gabrielle’s hands warmly, grandmotherly, and most importantly, joyfully, surprising the young woman, who…
“Welcome back, little one."
"You...you noticed…"
"Of course, I did. I always had hope that I would see you again and to think that when I finally did, I would see you this happy, this true to yourself, this…loved, I could not stop myself any longer, I hope you forgive me for holding your hands like this.”
“It is alright…this place gave me peace…it was my refuge. You saw me before I could even see myself and…you would always share a cup with me in my worst days…you would listen to me…you would talk to me…you would be there. That is why…I too am happy to see and be seen by you again…Dana…”
…teared up just like her as she responded to both her words and her feelings with her own, all while Auros remained silent, respecting their moment.
Some minutes passed and the couple found themselves leaving the teahouse’s front yard, they were holding hands as they walked, and one of them, Gabrielle, was carrying a small handmade wooden box which held inside some very special tea leaves, her favorites. They were, of course, a welcome back gift from the proprietress, which the young woman happily accepted.
Alas, that was not entirely the reason behind the particular smile she was showing at that moment, a smile that Auros obviously noticed, and just like Gabrielle did in their conversation, she could not help but say the following:
“You really love her.”
“I do…why, you could say that she is…my own Nana.”
“I can see that. After all, the eyes you are making are telling me more than enough.”
“Uhuhu…well countered.”
“Heh.”
With that, they went on to the merchant district.
To be continued…(cue illustration of Gabrielle’s “I see you” scene)