[Asterion/Vlithra] Tea for Two

[Asterion Khryseos]

The rain fell in a vicious torrent, lashing against the ground without cease. The sound of water beating heavily against the ground filled the air like a chorus, even with the doors and windows shut tight, though the walls at least allowed for the sound to be muffled. Staring through a window, and squinting past the jagged streaks of water that cut across the clear pane, Aster looked up at the sky - and saw only an endless stretch of the darkest grey, broken up solely by the occasional streak of lightning, itself followed by the booming crack of thunder.

Far from finding it unpleasant, however, Aster saw it as somewhat cosy. An excuse to kick back and relax for a little while, even if part of him was disappointed that his plans to go out for the day had been scuppered. More importantly, however, it was an excuse to finally break out what he'd been sent from home - the 'care package,' as his mother and Deegan affectionately referred to it. After rummaging briefly around in his section of the common area's cabinets, he pulled it out, and set it gingerly upon the countertop, taking a few moments to look it over before he set to work.

Perhaps it was just sentiment talking, but the box alone held charm enough that he couldn't help but smile a little as he gazed upon it. A square thing, wrapped in crumpled brown paper and frayed string, the edges smoothed down and held down with liberally-applied tape, it looked more like a present than a package. And while it all was ultimately just wrapping, he nevertheless treated unpacking it with a level of delicacy that few would have suspected could come from the bull-horned berserker that made his living swinging an axe around at soulless behemoths.

Gradually, that crumpled brown paper fell away, leaving only a cardboard box and an envelope placed tidily atop it. The package itself had had his address attached, of course, but the letter inside was nevertheless addressed to him, with a simple "Aster" written neatly onto the middle. The handwriting was instantly recognised as his mother's - it was a letter from her, no doubt, though he was certain that Deegan had slipped a note of his own in there too. The envelope was placed to his side, well away from the kettle, lest water be inadvertently be spilt on it. He resolved to read it once his drink had brewed, and returned his attention to the box.

The strip of tape running across the top was cut apart with a single, slow, slice of some nearby scissors, and Aster fished out the tin resting inside. It was a square thing, much like the box, but smaller and nestled amongst crumpled pieces of paper. Something to cushion it on its journey over to Beacon, no doubt. It didn't take him long to recognise the tin as something from home as well, this time from the faint smell that wafted out from the minute gap between the lid and the tin's body. It was one he was quite familiar with - home.

It was a gentle fragrance, though no less sweet for its subtlety. The moment he pried open the lid, the scent seemed to sprawl out into the air around it, wrapping itself serenely about whatever it could lay itself upon. That sweet, floral, bouquet had him drifting into a daydream, if only for a moment, thinking on the home he'd left behind to attend Beacon. The crisp air of the Forever Fall Forest, the faint must of the library, the clamour of smells arising from the dining hall's bevy of dishes - all were forgotten in that moment, when he allowed himself a chance to immerse himself in the thoughts that aroma evoked.

No sooner had those thoughts drifted into his mind than they had drifted out again, however, and Aster moved his hand towards the electric kettle's switch. He could save such musings for later, once he'd brewed the gift from home.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Thunder crackled, the illumination from the flash casting a shadow onto a dormroom door. The downpour of water from the heavy rainstorm outside was practically slashing at the shut window, making looking outside barely an option. Not that there was a reason to, Vlithra had other business being alone in her room, as she sat right in front of the window, her legs crossed and a bit hunched over. She was assembling something, undisturbed by the noises from the other side, she was focused on her work.

She was fumbling with the parts for her custom made dust cartridges. Most of the time the tigress retains these for further use or collects them after the battle, if things got too hectic. However the last incident she had in the city, had her loose them and she wasn‘t able to find any afterwards. Luckily the materials she needed were on the less expensive side, at least in comparison to the dust she filled them with. She grunted in annoyance as she remembered how dust prizes have been skyrocketing lately. And all that because an entire cargo ship with the stuff apparently never arrived at the docks. It didn‘t bode well for being a huntsman in Vale, let alone to be a dust shop.

This was the last one she‘d make today. Next to her was another set of six of the empty cartridges she had made today. Empty, they almost looked like batteries, small and efficient, but easy to loose with a complicated assembly. Making these was tedious. The tigress grabbed the pliers next to her and pinched the edge of the input point for the dust, carefully turning it until, finally there was the satisfying sound that rounded up the assembly.

There was a click, followed by a relieved sigh. She was finally done. Filling these with dust can wait for the next day. Now it was time for some refreshments and kicking back to relax. Afterall what better day to do so than on a rainy day like this one.

So off to the common area she went. And upon entering the room, her nose was immediatly hit by quite the relaxing fragrance. It almost seemed familiar, the smell reminded her of jasmine, but… it wasn‘t? It was subtly sweet sure, but more floral than what she was used to. A look around quickly revealed the quite familiar looking perpetrator. It was Aster, the big hunk of a guy who she had fought to a standstill once, who seemed to have opened a package that contained the source of the fragrance and was just now turning on the electric kettle. Wait, could he possibly be a tea enthusiast like her? If so, he had some good taste. The smell hanging in the air was again so sweet, Vlithra had to take another quick whiff before fully entering the room.

“My, thats quite the lovely aroma you got going here. Never thought you‘d be into sweet stuff like this.“ She moved to lean on the edge of a nearby table and looked at the bull boy with an almost cheeky smirk as she continued. "Then again, I guess I am wired in a similar way."

[Asterion Khryseos]

It didn't take more than a split second for Aster to recognise Vlithra. Distinct appearance aside, it was difficult to forget the face of someone that'd given him such a pulse-pounding fight. He greeted her with a warm smile and a nod, letting her take in the aroma of the tea, and make whatever comments she wanted before he gave a reply.
"You think it's good now, just wait until it's brewed." He said, canting his head briefly towards the rumbling kettle, and to the mug that sat beside it.

"Chamomile." He said simply, figuring that the single word would suffice as an explanation as to what kind of tea it actually was - though part of him supposed that she'd probably already sussed that much out, if she was as much of an enthusiast as her remark implied. He then realised that a single word, while perhaps enough to indicate the flavour of the tea, it perhaps wasn't that conducive to a conversation. So, he followed it up in a casual and relaxed tone, while turning around to fish out another mug from the cupboard, rummaging quietly around to find one of his other ones amongst the cluster gathered there.

"Mum sent them in a few days ago from home." He said, while setting out another mug beside the first. A stark difference could be seen between them - one was a simple matte black affair, while the other depicted a cartoon bear of some kind. A mascot for some company or other, by the looks of things, but Aster didn't seem to care too much to elaborate on which specifically. "I can make you a mug too, if you like. There's enough water in there for two. Hell, I might still have something to eat with it somewhere."

With both set on the counter, he turned back to her, awaiting a response.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Aster was really praising the tea for all that it was, it only fed onto Vlithra‘s already existing interest and curiosity she had for it. And the name even, the tigress was certain she heard it somewhere before. Maybe her uncle brewed it at some point and Vlithra just couldn‘t remember when. In any case, the name seemed a bit exotic, especially apparently since the bull boys mother sent it to him. If her memory served correctly, then it must be a plant native to Menagerie, since Aster hailed from there specifically. She should ask him, but first… she was offered a mug herself. Now what kind of person would she be if she declined?

“Gladly. I was going to ask, but if you‘re offerin‘ just like that I‘m not going to say no.“ She answered, getting up from leaning against the table and moving to the counter. “Besides, I barely ever get to try these kinds of rare brews, let alone drink ‘em alongside a friend. Not exactly many students around that are into this stuff.“ A sad truth for the tea enthusiast, since it meant there were no opportunities for her to share her tastes with others or to gain opinions on different brews of tea. At least there now was one.

“So, Chamomile. That‘s not something you just get at a random shop, isn‘t it? The name isn‘t familiar to me, but the scent and all reminds me of some of my favorite brews.“ Vlithra asked the bull boy, still ejoying some of the scent while she waited.

[Asterion Khryseos]

"Good eye!" Aster said calmly, though only because he'd barely managed to restrain childlike enthusiasm. In that instant, a spark seemed to be lit in his eye, and he fixed that lit gaze firmly upon Vlithra, hoping to the Brothers that he'd found a kindred spirit - someone else that appreciated the finer points of a well-brewed cup of tea. "Well, more like nose." He added, a little sheepish, but recovering not more than a split second later. "It's actually a blend that's special to Menagerie. You won't be finding this anywhere else - the climate's just right there for this to grow."

He turned the box towards her briefly, giving her a chance to peer in and observe the blooms closely, before placing it back onto the counter. "They're harder to grow, and take longer to bloom, but these ones have a stronger flavour than regular chamomile without you needing to steep it as long." His tone clearly indicated an eagerness to talk at length about the brew, and with the kettle beginning to settle down and grow quiet, he had ample opportunity to.

He shuffled a little in place, settling into his position, before turning his attention to the seemingly-inconspicuous flowers that sat before him, dried and packed, waiting for him to use them. With care and delicacy that was more at home on a surgeon than it was some axe-swinging berserker, he drew a teaspoon through the pile, before placing a heaped spoonful into each of the mugs. "But it's not like regular teabags. You gotta wait for the water to cool a little. The blooms are delicate, and the flavour's still soft - boiling water'll burn it and ruin the taste."

[Vlithra Qing Long]

It was hard to miss the enthusiasm Aster exuded as he began to speak. No wonder, he was talking about a special blend of tea straight from his home and had just found a kindred in his passion for tea, she couldn‘t blame the big guy. She eagerly peered as she was offered a look at the source of the sweet aroma in the air.

And she kept listening as Aster elaborated on the qualities of the plant. Harder to grow, long time for bloom with stronger flavours in return. Weren‘t those kind of tea plants the best? It‘s always the exquisite, rare and more difficult to cultivate plants that make the best tea. It was like an unspoken rule of nature.
Unnatural in contrast was the delicacy that Aster worked with the tea. It was sort of adorable to see how soft the berserker could be outside of combat, a truly kind soul, not only in terms of personality. “I‘m certainly intrigued to find out how the taste is. Mistralian Jasmine smells equally sweet, but has less of a floral tone when it comes to the aroma.“

The tigress crossed her arms, her expression shifting as if she just remembered something less pleasant. “The plant is easier to tend to due to the climate being ideal near Mistral, however import tax rates have shot up in recent weeks so it‘s quite pricey right now.“ Reminding herself that she shouldn‘t be complaining about that stuff in front of someone else, she shook her head unfolding her arms again to look over to the Aster. “Sorry, I‘m beginning to ramble. How long you reckon until it's ready? Sorry, if I'm a bit eager.“ True to what the tigress said she seemed, well... eager. Indicated mostly by her gaze traveling between both the mugs Aster had prepared and the kettle that was slowly cooling down.

[Asterion Khryseos]

"Mistralian Jasmine..." He mused quietly, though mostly to himself, rather than as a response. "Don't think I've had the pleasure..." Despite having never tasted it, it was clear that he was trying his best to imagine what it would be like, however. He knew little and less about it, but the look of concentration on his face that appeared when she spoke of it said enough about how eager he was to get his hands on some of it. However, he was quick to snap out of his trance, and his gaze focussed quickly and unceremoniously back on Vlithra when she asked about the tea.

He held up a finger, silently telling her to hold on for just a moment, before pouring out the water into each individual mug.
"Shouldn't be too long now." He said, carefully letting the water fill both containers up, pouring as if anything with any degree of force would ruin the taste irreparably. "Just needs a little time to brew. A few minutes should do it, but with this particular blend, you could get away with three. I just like to give it a chance to get all the flavour out, since these blooms come with a stronger taste than normal ones."

The scent alone was enough to prove his point. Already, the aroma of that speciality blend had begun to intensify, changing from soft floral hints to something that - while still notably delicate - was far more noticeable than what had emerged when the tin was opened. At least Vlithra wasn't alone in her eagerness, however. Aster's eyes flitted between his mug and the clock, each second spent in silent agony while he waited for a chance to leap at his drink and savour those subtle - yet strong - flavours blending together. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long, and Aster was quick to pass a mug over to Vlithra once the blooms had been removed.

He didn't say anything about the blend, instead just letting it do the talking for him. The aroma drifting up with the steam, the gentle colouration of the tea itself, the warmth radiating out past the porcelain walls of the cup - it all came together to form a feast for the senses that Aster could have been satisfied with. But the main event was yet to reach his lips. Slowly, he tipped it forward, letting the first few slivers of Chamomile Hill's signature blend reach towards his tongue, and settle against his mouth.

In an instant, he was flooded with sensations both calming and invigorating. It evoked hints of crisp apples and golden honey - sweetness that was subtle, but no less pleasant for it. He swallowed slowly, letting himself have the chance to savour even that meagre mouthful, basking both in the taste... and the memories of home that it brought to the fore. Aster said nothing, but satisfaction was writ clear on his face.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

“That‘s fair. I shouldn‘t rush.“ She exclaimed with closed eyes and now waited, the scent seeping into her nose as the blend mixed with the water. It was way more noticable and above all… delectable. There was silence, only interrupted after a few minutes when Aster removed the blooms and passed the mug to Vlithra. She waited for another moment of agonizing patience, to see if Aster wanted to comment further on the blend he had made, but surprisingly there was nothing. Only wordless sipping of the tea followed by a more than satisfied look on his face.

Seeing how enchanted he was, Vlithra now had to try it for herself. Like he did she slowly brought the mug to her lips. Even before it had reached its destination, her senses were engulfed by the aroma. There was no drawing it out any further, the brew practically called out to her and the tigress just couldn‘t resist further. As the tea seeped past her lips, her eyes parted in amazement.

What crisp yet subtle sweetness! It was one sip, her first, and yet the taste was just as great as the bull boy had told. It was difficult to swallow it, not because it felt dry in her throat or such, no… the tigress wanted to bask in the taste for as long as humanly possible, to savor the first time as long as she could. But alas... all things come to an end. Once the brew slipped down her throat, she let out a satisfied sigh.

“Woah, you weren‘t kidding. The taste is amazing…“ She held her speech for a second as a thought shot into her head which she then muttered. “Downright criminal, that I‘ve never heard of this before.“

[Asterion Khryseos]

"Doesn't surprise me that you haven't." Aster said offhandedly, nursing the mug between his palms, and letting the heat spill out gently across his palms. It wasn't that it was cold in the common area - he just liked the feeling, and it gave him a chance to savour the brew's subtle, yet striking, aroma for a little longer. However, tea was still tea, and was made for drinking - not for sniffing. Another sip was taken in, and he let it sit on his tongue for a few seconds, once more filling his head with memories of home.

Fields of green stalks and white blooms, a blazing sun that hung in an endless azure sky... It was a simple life, in that community, and a happy one too. However, his mind was shaken back to the fore by the realisation he'd started his part of the conversation without really leading into anything, and he hurriedly got back to speaking. "Chamomile's easy enough to find, but this type's hard to get a hold of unless you're looking really hard. Not that I'd drink the boxed stuff. It's got nothing on this. Maybe I'm just biassed though - after all, I grew up where this stuff was grown." He chuckled a little, taking another sip, and let the taste creep into every corner of his mouth.

"You know, you can help yourself if you want some more. My mum usually sends one of these over once a month though, so try to leave some for me!" Another small laugh at his own joke, and another sip of tea. He did genuinely mean it, though. She was welcome to brew herself a cup of chamomile any time she wanted - if he was to be honest, he was just happy that someone was enjoying the tea as much as he did. "And let me know if you start making a cup. I don't know anyone else that's as into tea as us - I'm not gonna miss out on a chance to talk about it."

[Vlithra Qing Long]

After muttering to herself and hearing Aster comment on it, Vlithra again took a nother sip. Everytime the taste of the brew came back to her lips she could imagine the scenery of the palce where these plants were grown. With it, Menagerie seemed more like a beach paradise than a crowded Faunus community, at least that was what she heard about it.
Aster meanwhile went once more on a little tangent on the chamomile he was so fond of, before uttering an offer the tigress literally could not refuse. She could make herself more when she wanted? Boy was this bull boy generous… too generous almost. Vlithra would feel bad to accept this offer without something in return, and him mentioning that he‘d not miss a chance to talk tea with her, gave her just the idea…

“Oh, I wouldn‘t dare leave nothing for you. If anything I should offer you access to my tea stash aswell.“ Vlithra leaves her mug where she was standin for a moment and walks over to the left most drawer. Upon opening it it reveals a few different other packaged brews of tea, giving off a mixed scent that doesn‘t quite allows one to distinguished the different kinds in there. They are bit more varied, among them being a common variant of Black Tea, Silver Needle White Tea and Oolong Tea. “If you ever need a change of pace, you can take some from my stash here. The Jasmine I usually keep in my own room, but I‘d be willing to share with you since you have extended the same courtesy.“ She gives Aster a little wink, before closing the drawer and moving back to pick up her mug again.

“Speaking of which, I have a little idea.“ Vlithra moved herself over to a chair to sit down. Crossing her legs and leaning back, she took another sip of that all so sweet tea before continuing. “Why not make it a weekly or monthly thing? Just meet at designated times to enjoy some tea and have a talk. We can tell stories to each other, share experiences or even try new brews together.“ This time Vlithra chuckled, she was sure Aster was onboard with the idea, since he seemed so eager and invested throughout this entire exchange.

[Asterion Khryseos]

Aster eyed the collection with no small degree of intrigue, making no attempt to hide that his eyes were lingering on the boxes instead of looking at her. He was paying attention to the conversation, of course, and listened intently enough that he could nod along at appropriate points. But it was only when she mentioned that he would be allowed into her stash of Jasmine tea that he looked back towards her, and just in time to catch the wink too. A knowing smile was returned, but before he could place the cup down and thank her for the gesture, she'd continued on.

The intrigue that the familiar - yet unfortunately for him, untasted - packages in the drawer quickly turned to deep consideration at her suggestion, and though he was silent as he pulled the mug to his lips again, the expression on his face made it patently clear that he was giving the idea some serious thought. He let the brew sit in his mouth as he considered what she'd proposed, as if the tea itself would give him clarity of mind enough that he could come up with some genius answer. When he finally did set it back down upon the counter, however, his answer only started off with a gentle nod.

"So you're suggesting we set up some kinda club?" It was perhaps a rather blunt way of putting it, but Aster was a blunt person - and, more to the point, held no malice of any sort behind his words. In fact, he seemed to be quite interested in the idea, if the twinge of interest to his voice was anything to go by. "We'd need to figure out a place to get together, but I'm down. I don't know enough people around here that like tea as much as you do, so maybe this'll be a chance for us to fix that!"

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Aster was really taking his time to answer what Vlithra had proposed. Long enough for the tigress to doubt her own suggestion for just a moment. The bull boys thoughtful facial expression being the only thing to reassure her as he sipped once more from the tea.
Vlithra brought her own cup to her own lips, as if she was seeking to calm her suspicions by overlapping it with the sweet aroma of the tea.

A club? That wasn‘t quite what the tigress meant. She initially thought they could just meet up every odd week and have a drink together like good friends.
Buuuut… clearly Aster was onto something here, since Vlithra was considering it more and more the longer she thought about it. If they wanted more people that shared this passion for tea, making a club would certainly attract the right people.
“It‘s certainly an option if you really want to find more students with the same interest.“ She pondered a moment, tapping her cheek with a finger as she thought of where they could settle to establish the club. “Hmm. Maybe we could ask the Beacon Staff for a room we could use? If not, I‘d have no idea aside from our own rooms that we could use. While I doubt it, given they have limited space, it would get too crowded if we‘d suddenly get a ton of people who‘d want to join.“
Vlithra crossed her legs the other way, picking up her mug to take another fulfilling sip. Such sweetness!

[Asterion Khryseos]

It was a moment before he replied, but when he did, his voice was low and thoughtful.
"There has to be at least one room that’s big enough to start a club in." Aster said, stroking his chin after taking yet another sip of his drink. He didn't look at her, though it was clear it was more due to him being deep in thought than anything else. His eyes were cast down at his drink, as if hoping to find the answer in the bottom of his mug, though they did occasionally flit about when he spoke - though even then, mostly to a window nearby than to Vlithra herself.

Eventually, he waved his hand dismissively, and looked back to her - for good, this time. "You're probably right though. Staff'd know somewhere we can set up, we'd probably just have to make sure that we can use a kettle there - unless we're going to be having iced tea every time we meet." He chuckled, but in truth, wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. With how hot summers could get, iced tea probably wasn't a terrible idea during that time of the year. But it was a point that could be addressed when they got around to it. "We'd need to get the word out once the club's set up anyway. Wouldn't be much of a club if it's just us two."

[Vlithra Qing Long]

With the sweetness still lingering in Vlithra‘s mouth she waited for the bull boy‘s input. She didn‘t know how she felt about iced tea, she never drank that particular kind of beverage. To her tea was always meant to be warm, so she never bothered. Maybe she should give it a try.
“While that‘s true… those are worries for the future, we should enjoy ourselves for now. Such sweet flavors are best enjoyed not brooding over problems like these.“ With those words she takes another sip, letting the cup rest in her hand afterwards. She gives a long pause that is spent enjoying the mouthful of tea she just took adn staring into out the window, slahed by the downpour of the storm outside.
If it wouldn't be for the occasional thunder crackling this would‘ve really gotten the tigress into an almost sort of regal mood. But a relaxing moody atmosphere with jazz music would do nicely aswell.

“Instead let‘s change the subject. I‘m sure we could both go on and on about our tastes in brews and how they are cultivated, but I wanna know more about you now. Aside from you being from Menagerie and having the same taste for tea, I know not a thing.“ Gesturing her hand in a dismissive manner she looks back at Aster. “Well, aside you being a big bull with a big weapon of course.“ She smirked at the bull boy, hoping for him to share a bit more about himself other than his tastes in terms of tea.

[Asterion Khryseos]

Of all the things that she could have asked, he'd not expected her to just ask about himself - never mind doing so in such a brazen manner. It managed to catch him off guard a little, though the thoughtful look on his face as he figured out how to answer wasn't an unpleasant one. Hand pressed lightly against his chin, he looked down into what little remained of his tea, hoping that its gently-rippling surface might provide some insight into the great intricacies of conversation between peers - but alas, it remained silent, affording him nothing but his own reflection.

Eventually, he just sat back a little and shrugged.
"What do you want to know?" He asked, unsure of what sort of an answer she was looking for. He was perhaps not a seasoned veteran of any great conflicts, nor a scholar with peerless knowledge in his field, but there was a lot to cover nonetheless. However, blunt as Aster was, even he recognised that his response was somewhat lacking, and followed up with some suggestions - ones which he hoped at least sounded interesting on the surface, regardless of whether they actually were or not.

"There's the tea farm I grew up near, the sailor that taught me how to kick ass, my favourite foods... But I think you already know what I'd say for drinks." As if it wasn't already obvious what he was talking about, he nudged his cup a little, causing whatever tea remained to shake somewhat. "Ask me anything, just as long as you don't mind me doing the same thing." The last part was added with a somewhat playful tone, though he was nonetheless serious about it. No reason he couldn't ask the same of her, right?

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Aster seemed disturbed, in a way, about Vlithra‘s question which… was odd to the tigress only lifting an eyebrow in surprise as he seemed to be deep in thought. In the meantime, Vlithra took another sweet sip of the tea.

“Sure.“ She nodded to her answer. She immediately started to ponder on what she‘d ask the big hunk. In thought, she looked to the windows, as if the raging storm outside would give her a flash of an idea. Of course she had to pick on the precipice that he‘d ask her the same or something similar, so she had to be careful not to tread on touchy topics. However she didn‘t ponder for long, as Aster had given her several good openers as options, the most interesting of course being…
“How about you elaborate on that sailor of yours? Sounds like a badass guy if he taught you.“
While she could make the educated guess that the sailor was a huntsman of sorts, she didn‘t want to just assume. Afterall Aster had already subverted her expectations today and she didn‘t want to make wild guesses like that.

[Asterion Khryseos]

"Deegan it is." He said, his smile falling somewhere between eager and warm. Even with just those few words, the tone of his voice was enough to say that he had nothing but respect for the man - Aster was all but chomping at the bit to speak about his mentor. However, before that, he turned to the still-brewing drink. Seeing it finished only compounded the anticipation in his gaze, with his desire to drink it barely having been concealed. Once it was in his grasp, Aster readjusted himself on the seat, and took a moment to recollect what he could about the old man.

"Where am I even supposed to begin with him?" He said, looking out the window, as if the rain battering the glass would give him some idea of what to say about the man that had taught him everything he knew about combat. "He's even MORE badass than you think. He fought pirates, bandits, Grimm - anything in the sea that had a bounty on its head. I think he's probably spent more time on a ship than on land!" Aster laughed at his own little joke, but it was easy to hear from how he spoke that he had nothing but respect for the man. "Most of the time, he didn't even wait for them to get onto land. He'd just take a ship out to their turf and beat them down there!" And given the difficulty and differences in hunting aquatic Grimm, it was clear he thought it no small feat.

""He's retired now," Aster continued, smiling wide at the memories of his mentor, "But he could probably still kick my ass if he wanted to." He was silent for a moment, recollecting those fond memories, before looking back to Vlithra. "How about you? Who taught you how to fight? Must've been one hell of a teacher."

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Now this Deegan sounded like blast in his prime. It certainly was impressive to hear what he was capable of. A battle hardened man, quite similar to what Vlithra‘s mother was. And fighting pirates and aquatic Grimm on their terms? Must have been especially rough. The tigress was curious on wether or not this guy had even slain a Fei Long Grimm of sorts. These tough aquatic Grimm were the inspiration for her tattoo and she wanted to know what that must have been like, it certainly must be an amazing story if he had. For now Vlithra had her own answers to provide, though.

“Heh, that‘d be my mother. A strict woman, but has taught me everything I know.“ Vlithra seemed to be ruminating, one finger circling the edge of the cup that rested in her lap.
“She‘s not a huntress, but sure as shit could kick ass like one. She was a mercenary for hire for the longest time and got into all sorts of work. From protecting cargo from syndicate raids and fighting off Grimm to even tangoing with the occasional rogue huntsman. I'm pretty sure there isn‘t a man or woman who could beat her in a straigth fight.“ She paused for another brief moment. Of course her mother wasn't really a mercenary either, but it was the best she could say. After all mercenaries aren't exactly rare and neither were those that were pretty upstanding in terms of making a living. Since Aster had mentioned Deegan's accomplishments, why not...

“You know of the King Taijitu Grimm, right? The big Black and White snake Grimm, slippery and agile with tough to pierce skin?“ She raised a brow at Aster as if to see if he gave an answer or affirmation.
Then with eyes closed and somewhat oozing pride in a way, Vlithra lifted the cup back to her mouth to drink the last of what remained of the sweet camomile brew. In a similarly regal manner she puts it back down to continue where she left of.
“In her high time, my mother apparently took down an Eight-Headed Taijitu. An amalgamation of four of those beasts, as if fused together,“ Vlithra continued with a slight smirk, “she lost an arm during that ordeal… and that was before she retired from the mercenary life half a decade later. So yes, I‘d say that is one hell of teacher.“

[Asterion Khryseos]

Aster remained silent, letting her speak without interruption while he watched. Despite his quietness, however, it was patently clear that he was listening eagerly to her every word. Whether it was the subtle nodding, the rapt expression painted across his face, or the fact that he barely even seemed to blink for fear of missing a single part of her tale, every part of his demeanour spoke to him wanting to know more. It was only after she'd finished that he finally piped up, but even then, there was a slight pause. Like he was waiting for her to continue, or like he simply wanted more.

"Holy shit..." He said, not even seeming to think about the words that fell out of his mouth before he spoke them. "Eight godsdamned heads..." He let the thought sink in for a while, trying to picture it in his head. It wasn't particularly hard to imagine - Deegan had obviously fought his fair share of sea monsters, and the tales gave him quite a vivid imagination. Nevertheless, the mental image was one he lingered on for no small amount of time, before he continued on. He snapped back to attention, and grinned at her.

"She must've been a good teacher too!" He said, once he'd recovered from his reverie. "You're pretty good yourself!" It wasn't idle praise either. Their battle had been an intense one, to say the least, so he knew exactly what he was talking about when he said it. “Say, maybe we should go on a hunt sometime too. There’s supposed to be some Kings in the forest - no eight-heads, but still tough. I think we could take ‘em.”

[Vlithra Qing Long]

It was difficult not to feel smug and prideful in the moment. Aster‘s reaction was just that priceless. The big lug was very much impressed with her mothers achievements that was sure and for good reasons. Who could ever claim to defeat an Eight-Headed monster and afterward continue your carreer like it was just a minor inconvenience? Certainly not many. There were so many other things she had accomplished in her life, but there was no way that Vlithra could say any of those without giving Aster the wrong idea.

Aster‘s compliment was taken with a prideful grin, and his proposal for a hunt sounded more than just appealing. Vlithra hadn‘t been getting out much anyway and the training room holograms were simply not doing it for her.
“I‘d be down for that. No better training than the real deal. And, let‘s be real, I‘m pretty sure with us two together there are only a few things in that forest that stand a chance.“ With a laugh she looks at her cup, once more realizing it‘s empty, it gave her an idea for the next topic of discussion along with the curiosity on what the place was like where Aster had grown up. “Say that tea farm you grew up at? Is it only growing this camomille? Can‘t imagine it cultivating only one kind of tea plant.“ She paused only a second. “Speaking of which, may I have one more fill?“ She raises the cup a bit towards the big bull.

[Asterion Khryseos]

Aster was only too happy to get her another cup - he wanted to get more for himself, after all. And, deciding it best to kill two birds with a single stone, he answered her question too.
"All kinds of things!" He said, as more of that steaming beverage filled their cups. "Camomile's just our speciality. We'd rotate what we grew so the soil didn't go bad, but the tea's our big thing! Speaking of which..." The two mugs were placed down, hitting the table with a light clink before he raised it to his lips.

A long, slow, savouring sip was taken, followed a moment or two after by a quiet and satisfied sigh. "I never get tired of this." He said softly, though with how softly it was said, it was more than likely just him thinking out loud. "How about you?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow slightly, once the taste of chamomile had faded from his mouth. "What was it like where you grew up? I don't think you mentioned." He looked at her expectantly, taking small sips from the mug as he waited for an answer.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Vlithra listened and watched attentively, both to not miss Aster pouring a new cup and what he had to say. Once filled, Vlithra took her cup and same as Aster raised it to her lips, savoring the brew once more as it flowed over hertongue down the hatch. “I never get tired of this.“ Just as the bull boy said so, the tigress uttered what would be heard as an approving ‘Hmhm‘.
She took the time for Asters question to sink in, as well as the chamomile taste that slowly and gently faded as she began to think. “No, I didn‘t.“ she retorted quickly, basking in the scent still lingering in her nose.
“I‘d say I was well off growing up. I may live here in Vale right now, but I was raised in Mistral‘s Capital which is quite a big place. So big in fact, it‘s divided into different levels, and my mum had managed to earn just enough to barely sit in the upper levels among the finest craftsmen and artisans around. World-famous weavers, artists and even blacksmiths can be found there. It‘s why you‘d usually find stuff from Mistral quite expensive.“ She finished her sentence with another sip of the brew.

Then as if the tea had elated her to mention it. “As a matter of fact, my Uncle is quite the renowned tattooist, so he had a parlor there that I used to visit very often when I was a teen.“ The tigress had planned to bring it up at some point anyway, not only to distract Aster from asking about Mistrals criminal lower levels, but also because it was the perfect time to mention her tea loving uncle to the bull boy. “Pretty sure he is responsible for my love for Jasmine... and tea in general. I swear, if relatives could visit regularly he‘d be the very first to attend our Tea Club.“ She finished with a lighthearted laugh. “I should take you to meet him at some point, he recently set up shop in Vale and I‘m sure you‘d get along very well.“

[Asterion Khryseos]

"Well, next time we're free, I'll let you take the lead. Anyone that likes tea is a friend of mine." As if to accentuate his point, Aster took another long sip, letting the taste rush over his tongue and soak into his tastebuds. Again, he savoured it, making no effort to hide just how content he was, sitting there and talking with a friend while he downed some of his favourite brew. As much as he loved the battlefield, and the rush of adrenaline that surged through his veins with a good hunt, the more peaceful moments were just as welcome.

"Come to think of it, Deegan mentioned one of his old teammates had set up shop somewhere in Vale too. Something about a tavern? I really gotta ask about that..." Aster didn't recall much of what he'd been told about the place - only that his mentor's old friend had likely set up shop some decade or two prior. That much was explained to Vlithra, and some other short stories about the man that'd helped raise him too. There was plenty of those, and plenty of tea - and it didn't seem like the rain would let up soon, so they had nothing but time to talk of what they pleased.