#rhythmstar

—

“Hey Prof Venom! How’s your year going?”

“Hey Supertonic, that is definitely NOT the tone we are going to use with him!”

“That is one funny duet you had going on, SEM, Suan. Maybe the universe is calling you two to—”

“Shut up, blue monster!”

“Do you two just practice speaking in unison or something? It just sounds so sweet and silly!”

—

“Hey SHK, stop whispering those words, we are in public!”

“Eh, you know I will always adore you no matter if we have audiences or none, right?”

“But we are in the Prof’s house, can’t you at least shut up about it for once?”

—

“Miss Suan, did we really have to call him a blue monster? I felt my dignity leaving my body after that.”

“I… I didn’t realize you will be saying that with me! Besides… Why and how did we speak in unison?”

—

Oh, those big brothers and sisters again. They have always been there every year, with their own eccentricities. It has been… A few years ago, after all.

“Therese, the tea.”

“Oh, coming right up, Professor! For how many?”

The professor seems to see around… 6 people, though his years seem to make it hard for him to distinguish their numbers. From a woman with a grayish or brownish long hair, who is holding a brown haired-guy with glasses’ hand, with some apple guy and a blonde, flirty guy, to a tall blue man and some… Gym person with one raunchy mouth. Professor Venom my- I need to brew the tea. Time to experiment with the leftover flavors that the Professor almost never tasted and make them guess what it is and why!

For the first girl… She seems to be a princess kind of woman. I bet she will like some floral tea, lavender perhaps? Besides, this is one of the most feminine flavors I have in mind. Not only that, she has one great sense fashion of too! Wait… I need to present this tea on one of the most delicate teacups too!

One cup done!

For the glasses man… From his looks, he is one busy man, like one who would take coffee… So what about something as black as it is? I don’t know if it is as bitter though, the professor simply does not allow coffee. Maybe with a classic coffee mug to match!

For the apple person… They sure are quite the energetic person, don’t they? Do I give them cinnamon or ginger? Maybe they are up for challenges anyway… How about…

Yeah that is it! I will get a matching teacup after I brew these! Careful not over-brew it…

Done! Time to go for the cup! Where did I put this playfully designed cup with apples hitting some guy’s head under the tree?

Maybe the shelves down here…

None.

How about the high shelf?

None.

The higher one? Wait, I need to make myself taller! Some chairs will do…

And there we go!

None.

Oh wait….I remember now, that little cup drawer that we almost never open!

Lemme close you a bit before I go down, and to arrange the chair back to its place.

Now, to open this thing…

*Cough cough* Oh my gosh. Remind myself to clean this once in a while if I do not want more dust all over me again.

Now, for the playful cup… Way behind the pretty weirder designs, huh?

Let me take it…

Whew, found the cup in some dusty place! I only had done three, I need three more! I mean four, the professor would need his trademark tea too, right?

I need to wash this too!

Gosh, being ambushed like this by those people is just not fair!

But hey, the cup is salvaged and a little clean!

♪ Pour the spiced tea in the playful cup. ♪

Fourth cup… *Sigh* I chose this one, got to finish this sooner or later.

So I got… The prof, the shiny blonde, gym man and blue person.

Maybe the gym man first, since he seems to care about his health, and energy drinks are not allowed here… How about some green tea? Not only that, what will his reaction be if he drink tea as green as he is?

Would they even expect me to be this silly? But well, some matching cup it is… A tall blue and a short green cup! Alright, green tea for green cup!

4 cups done… Blue guy next!

I usually do not know much about him, he seems stylish and likes to annoy green guy. He seems to not really be bothered by anything… Maybe I can roast his tea a little?

For the tall cup, of course. It would be fun to see since he is tall, hehe!

I am not really used to brewing this kind of tea, really… I just took them from the professor’s hidden stash…

5 cups done!

Oh, blonde man, I almost forgot he existed. Some white tea for him because he is pale, besides he is too noisy and floats a lot with the whole guy without mercy for my ears. And I know I will keep messing up brewing white teas and I hate those teas. He deserves it anyway.

And some yellow cup to match this with.

*Sigh*

6 cups… Oh, the professor’s the last brew! The trademark tea!

Hmmm…. Some English aroma, smells like tradition and something rich, similar to him; no wonder he likes this tea…

Match this with his favorite cup!

Hooray!

“Therese, are you done?”

Uh oh, did I take too long? The tea is going cold!

“Coming!”

I took all the tea in the tray and distributed it to everyone.

“Enjoy your tea time!”

“Thanks Therese!”

“Whoa, the cups are a little funny today, never knew you had cup collections, professor!” Some refined toned guy spoke, the blue never leaving his body.

The teacups are now in everyone’s hands…

Though they are the wrong cups…

“Professor… Should I fix this..?”

The professor seems to get some… Smile I never saw from him. I will admit, it made me feel like my body is paralyzed after that smile.

Unless…

He coughed, making everyone stop from drinking from the wrong cups.

“Since you all came, I want you all to know that Therese prepared several blends on how she sees you all, yet that cups are not in the right order. ”

“Now, I want you to put them down and blindfold yourselves with these handkerchiefs. We will play a simple game of matching a tea to whoever you think should receive this.”

“I just wanna drink, professor”

And a couple of ‘come on’s followed the statement. Though each of them seem to be willing to test the tea out.

While I just take out several teaspoons. Yes, several, cannot have them accidentally take indirect kisses or have tea flavors mixed, can we?

Now that I have seen these… Older people in their blindfolds, I will place the spoons on each cup. The clanking of spoons were heard, one by one, in the midst of the cold barely being warmed up by the little fireplace.

“Oh, does anyone want to go first?” A call for attention was heard, with the young girl going first, I still had to assist her since she is blindfolded, of course.

“Oh, Suan as the first challenger? Therese, give her the cup.”

“Okay!” I then held a cup of tea with the playful designs and scooped a teaspoon for her to taste it.

“Oh my gosh, what was that taste? I mean… It is good, but… I think I tasted two flavors… Which are competing for what the flavor should be, too strong for me, but I think Supertonic can have this. A strong guy like him will probably be able to endure strong tastes too.”

Supertonic? Hmm.. very far off, but I guess mixing cinnamon and ginger is quite a bad idea to describe the guy I was going for.

“Supertonic it is.”

I placed the concoction to the green man and then took the tall blue cup to him and scooped one teaspoon of it.

“Hmm… What was that? Tasted like something roasted or something. TS can have this, bet he can’t handle the flavor!”

Laughter came after that after he poke in a funny tone.

TS… The blue monster, well he guessed well, but maybe I just made it easier for him.

I moved the cup to the blue man and took another teacup and scooped a spoonful out of it.

“Black tea? Oh. For the Serious SEM, please.”

T-That was fast. Maybe he is just an actual tea drinker.

I transfered the tea on the SEM person and took a spoonful of another teacup.

“What was that? Hmm… I will just go for SHK with this one. I hope he likes the flavor.”

Well, he is right. SHK it is. I really did mess up with that one.

Maybe I will have mercy.

Same protocol as before!

“Something flowery, huh? Of course this would be a drink befitting of a being as alluring as aphrodite, Apple Soda!”

“H-hey, we are here for tea tasting, do not flirt with me in front of many people!”

“Why can’t I show my affection to you in here? Don’t you want them to know that I’m yours? We are already blindfolded but I still feel your face becoming a tomato due to how flustered you could be!”

“Okay, SHK, public displays of affection is now banned in this house.” The professor chimed in after a cough while sipping his own tea to stop the lovebirds, making them go non-responsive and just stop. How powerful!

Last tea then, can’t believe how funny this will be.

Scoop another spoonful…

“This feels great! Though it is a bit cold, heard Suan likes to live healthy, I know a good cold green tea when I taste one!”

Not like he has any choice with that one, he heard everyone after all.

After I gave the lady the green tea, everyone got to remove their blindfolds and saw the results of their inituition.

“THE CUPS!” The apple man shouted in disbelief.

“Oh wait, the cups? Oh right! So mine should be the flowery ones! I hope you enjoy the taste, Soda!”

“Heh, drinking cold tea sure it’s fun.”

I interfered and told the scores.

“50-50.”

“Would you like to guess which one is right or wrong?”

No response came as they all drank the tea, some enduring that bad brewing.

“Therese, the teas are cold, let them taste the consequences or their guesses.”

*DING DONG!*

Oh, I should answer the door.

I gently open it and…

“Hello professor! I cane with Mr. Lightning to give you gifts!” The pink lady seems to be loud too, it seems.

“For the last time Miss Nana, it is-”

“Whatever, we give gifts, ok?”

“Oh, alright!”

Then a rain of teabags came to this cottage to the point I cannot count and identify which is which.

Supertonic came and went to question the gifts, which kind of made sense.

“Oh, more supplies of tea, really? In a tea man’s cottage?”

“Well, so many fans gifted me tea, I don’t even drink tea!” The white man responded in a defensive manner.

While the teabags kept on pouring, the professor kept on taking and filtering the bags.

“Thank you, Shine Star, Nana. This is a wonderful gift.”

The professor then looked at me after that.

“Therese, I believe you should help me with this one. This should keep us for 6 months or a year.”

In that mound?

Oh.

COME ON!