Akashic Arcana The Search for AlcheTea

Rue

Rue

Acting Maniac
@Craig Leo

After receiving the funding they needed to start their very own Alchemy/Tea Club, along with a few starting points for supplies shopping from Viktoriya, Viola and Masego took a brief break to change into more comfortable walking clothes then met back up in the shopping district to begin their massive spending spree.

It was pretty interesting being out and about like this with Viola. It almost felt like a date of sorts, though Masego kept that thought far from his lips. As he activated his ORB, he took a look at the markers that Vikki had given them of shops around the area. "Looks like we'll be doing quite a bit of travelling. I suggest we hit IKEA last, since it's probably going to be where we do the heavy lifting." He suggested with a smile before letting the club leader take the lead. "So where should we head first?"
 
After getting the chance to pick some more suitable clothes, Viola decided to go with one of her favorite afternoon stroll outfit. It held to her favorite current style: a modern sophistication look that a girl like herself, enrolled in such a grand magic school like she was, should aspire towards. Plus, it was nice and warm, which is a huge benefit for her.

Standing next to Masego, Viola referenced her list of the supplies needed again, letting her mind gravitate towards the item that she most wanted. Tea, IKEA, Alchemy stuff... snacks to go with the tea... maybe some cookies. Oh. Or those little finger sandwiches. Hm.

Her mind decided, Viola looked up from the list and spoke at Masego in her most serious voice. "I'm hungry. Let's grab some food."

She was a great club president.
 
Masego couldn't help but snicker at Viola's first choice. All that build up she had made only to decide on getting food for themselves. It was a feature of hers that he was sure other people might find exasperating, but he enjoyed the girl's enthusiasm, it kept his spirits up. "Very well, food it is. Then we shall explode onto the tea scene with righteous eccentricity." He said with a fist pump for emphasis.

He decided to hit up a retro looking American Diner which seemed to emulate designs from the 1950s, over 200 years ago by now, and yet there was something about it that charmed Mago. "I like this place, it has a certain hospitable theme to it. I cant put my finger on the word to describe it." They took a seat at one of the booths where a waiter on hoverblades came over to take their orders. "Hmm.. I think I'll have the double decker bacon egg and cheese sandwich." It was at this moment that Viola would realize that Mago eats as much as an elephant does. "What about you, Viola?"
 
With her hunger currently in the process of being sated, Viola thought that she would have more time to focus on the things that they needed. Instead, she focused most of her time staring at the menu, trying to force herself to come to any decision. Everything had looked so good, and Masego's quick, concise order put the burden of being the last person to order a meal. Taking and wasting everyone time.

She decided with her gut instead. "I'll take a cheeseburger, with those curly fries and.... Oh! Yes. A milkshake. Chocolate. "

With their meals having been ordered, she was finally able to to put her mind to the task. "We should get the tea in bulk. Maybe they'll be able to get it sent to our club room if we buy enough." Because if not, Viola was going to have to get Masego to carry just about everything. Because they needed a lot.
 
Mago nodded in agreement, taking a sip from his water that they'd put down in front of him. "True. Don't sweat it if we have to carry them though. My beefed up form is about ten times stronger than a normal human, which means I can carry ten times the wait. It all just depends on how awkward it'll be to carry the boxes."

He scratched his chin in thought as he realized that he'd completely forgotten to check out the club room they'd received, and couldn't tell how their location would affect decorating. "What kind of atmosphere are we going for with this club? We keeping it relaxation based, or do we wanna mix it up since we've transitioned into alchemy?" He'd remembered old legends of Voodoo practitioners using alchemy in their spells back before magic was rediscovered, though they mostly existed in the Bayous of the United States.
 
Viola traced a finger around the table, leading it through a series of swoops and twists that didn't seem to have any real goal or destination in mind. Her mind focused on her club and on what type of club she had wanted it to be. Alchemy needed to be a major part of it now, probably more than the tea part. Relaxation was mostly gone now as well, due to the idea being marketable. How could so still in corporate all of that?

After some thought, Viola eventually gave up and laid her forehead down on the table on the exact spot that her finger had just been tracing.

"Is it even possible yo make alchemy cute? I've seen some of those ingredients before. I may be in over my head with all of this." She admitted, feeling like flailing and throwing a mini-fit.
 
"Aw come on, don't give up hope now. We worked so hard to get it accepted in the first place, that's the first major battle down. Now we take on our next foe. Interesting décor!" He said, his trademark theatrics slowly building into his performance. "Together we can make an alchemy club so cool and fun, it'll be giving the classes of Arcadia a run for their money!"

He calmed himself down as their food arrived, looking amazingly delicious. "Here, maybe some food will help your brain." He said as he began digging into his giant sandwich. "Let's focus on a different adjective besides cute. Maybe something more accessible, like cool or intriguing. Maybe that'll get the well of ideas flowing again." He said in between bites.
 
Viola pouted. She didn't like having to wait for a satisfying answer. She'd been raised and had almost always lived by the motto of getting up and getting exactly what she wanted or at least trying to. And so far it had worked.

When their food arrived, Viola perked up instantly and was back to her usually smiling self. "You're right though. This club is not just meant for me, I should try and think of a way to be more... what's the word? moderate?" She tilted her head to the side, as she began working her meal.

Her general attack of her meal seemed to mostly revolve around her milkshake. She dipped her curly fries into it, took frequent sips after a bite of her cheeseburger. Her eating habits as sporadic as her personality.

"We should focus on the product. Combining tea and alchemy is unique, I think we can work with a pun." She spoke in between bites and sips of her food. "Maybe have our club name be something like "AlcheTea or AlchemTea. Maybe even 'The Tea Potions Shop'". She nodded, pausing before she continued. "I think maybe simple in design? Focus on the tea lore, let the alchemy stuff kind've blend in.... if we can manage it."

Viola hesitated after her mid-food rant to swallow down a chocolate covered curly fry.

"And there should be some cute things though." She emphasized the word 'some' to show how moderate she was being.
 
As Mago continued to take massive bites of his giga-sandwich, he took mental notes of all the things Viola was suggesting. He threw out suggestions of clarity for each subject. "AlcheTea is a good name. Simple is good, focusing on Tea lore might have us go a bit more retro though. Blending the Alchemy into the design shouldn't be hard though. I'd need to see what we're working with to get a clear picture in my head though."

He decided not to comment on the cute things. It was her club, she was allowed to make decisions like that. Suddenly an idea struck him. "We should get a third head in on this, I'm not much of a thinker so having someone else to bounce your ideas off of would be great. We should call Artoria and invite her along. She did say she wanted to join the club after all. I bet she could even help us design the club off of britannian customs as well."
 
While Masego tried to handle and respond to her rapid-style brain storming process, Viola took the time to devour the rest of her food. In simple terms, she did not eat like a sophisticated woman but rather like someone that had just gotten out of a rather brutal prison. The only real breaths she took in the process was one or two extra breaths before she took a sip of her milkshake. Her meal didn't end until she had finished every drop of said milkshake.

Once her mind was no longer focused on the powerful combinations of flavor that had kept her so enraptured, she pieced together what Masego had been talking about. Her contended smile quickly turning into wry grin.

"Aw. What's wrong? Don't want to spend anymore time alone with me?" She teased, barely holding herself back from stroking an invisible mustache. Her own giggly nature didn't keep her straight faced for long. "But no, you're right. We should get someone else in on this with us. That's a good idea." Viola gave him a thumbs up. "I like your devotion to AlcheTea. Call her and invite her to join us. I think we've got this in the bag now."
 
Even with his dark skin, Viola could clearly see a visible blush on Mago's face. He hadn't been expecting that kinda tease from her, and it actually left him speechless for a moment. He eventually managed to shake himself back into cohesion before giving her his own smile and thumbs up. "Of course I'm devoted. When I commit to something, I commit 100%. I'll give her a call now." He said before shoving what little remained of his sandwich in his mouth.

They'd all exchanged numbers in the med bay so finding Arty's was a very simple process. He called her up and made sure the message was clear. "Hey Artoria, it's Masego. Viola and I got the go ahead from Vikki to start the Tea club, with some... slight modifications. We're out buying the supplies and were wondering if you'd like to join us? Maybe help brainstorm some ideas? You would? Great, thanks. We're at a place called 'Little Jimmy's Diner'. We'll meet you there."
 
Receiving her first ORB call was a startling experience, at first. Artoria answered in a rather meek way, but hearing a familiar voice put her back at ease. "Oh? You got the Tea Club authorized? That's great! Sure, I'll meet you there."

The weather out was brisk, but compared to the often overcast and cold weather back home, it was practically summer time for Artoria. Dressed in a pearl-white sundress, Artoria decided to let her hair down for the day, taking some time to relax before the school activities would truly pick up in full. Her golden-blonde locks reached down to her shoulders when not tied up in a neat bun, accentuating her cute looks. Her strap sandals showed off her tiny feet and blue-painted toe-nails.

It would take some time for her to reach the Diner from her Dorm, which she had spent the morning cleaning up while her roommate Mira was out somewhere. Upon arriving, she lightly jogged over, giving them a friendly and energetic wave. "Nice to see you two again. How are you feeling, Mago?"
 
During the wait for Artoria arrive, Viola went through a few small phases: she was eager and excited to continue, to wait getting to her. Then, the amount of food and how quickly she'd eaten it hit her, and she spent a small portion of time just cursing having an appetite larger than her stomach. She took a small power nap, waking up in time for Artoria to arrive.

Instantly, Viola had been back to herself again. She waved at her fellow class mate. "Hey! So glad you could join us. We need to find a way to fit alchemy into tea, both physically and spiritually. Got any ideas?"

Viola also paid attention to Masego's answer, as in her excitement to get the club started she realized that she had also never asked him how he was doing. He still looks like he's healing up right now. That's not right. She chided herself and made a note to do something for him as a forgiveness.
 
Masego waited patiently for Artoria to arrive, offering his shoulder for Viola to take a power nap on. When she finally arrived he waved her down, his large hand very visible over the crowds in the shopping district.

When Artoria asked how he was doing, he took his left arm, finally free of it's cast and gave it a good flex for the two girls to see. "Never felt better. I'm ready to carry ALL the boxes!" He said bringing his right arm into the flexing as well. His left arm was still a little sore but he didn't let it slip to the girls. They had enough to worry about.

As Viola explained the situation to Arty, Mago explained a little better. "A normal Tea Club wouldn't get academic merits so we turned it into an Alchemy club based around tea and discovering recreational uses for alchemic blends. We need some help coming up with a design for the club room and which aspect to focus on more, tea or Alchemy. I'm not the best thinker so we were hoping you could help while I do the heavy lifting."
 
"Alchemy with tea, huh? That sounds.. intriguing, to say the least. " Artoria sheepishly scratched her cheek "I'm afraid I don't really know much about alchemy, so I'm not sure how much help I'd be there." She crossed her arms and went deep into thought, then appeared as though something clicked in her head. "Although, I think I've got a good idea regarding the aesthetic of the club room. I'm thinking perhaps.. uh.. old-timey and rustic? You know, much like something you would see back in medieval times." She glanced between Viola and Mago, watching for their reactions to her suggestion.

Looking at Masego's left arm, Artoria couldn't help but offer her help with lifting. "You don't have to do all the lifting, Mago." She gave him a friendly smile. "I'm strong, too. I couldn't possibly make you do all the work."
 
"Hmmm." Viola tried to imagine working in a club work that looked like a medieval kingdom, or even something that belonged in a castle. There was some merit in thinking about things from an old perspective. but perhaps that was a bit to old.

"Maybe not medieval times. I think it's too old, and it may not let us stand out too much. But I do think you're onto something." Viola closed her eyes, squeezing them shut in an attempt to get a visual image of the club once it was done. What could they use? Something old just not too old. It just wasn't hitting her the way that it needed to though, nothing exciting.

"Maybe something Victorian, instead? Combining the high sophistication of tea and the dark tones of alchemy together. " Viola glanced at both Masego and Artoria. "Do you two know where to buy outfits from that era?" her eyes were wide, she had an idea. Whether or not it was a good one depended on a bunch of factors.
 
Mago gave Artoria a thankful smile as she offered to help. "It's not so much about the lifting. Depending on how many boxes we get, balancing them all with only two hands is the hard part. So absolutely, but if anything gets to heavy for you, let me know and we can replace it with something else in the pile."

At the mention of Medieval eras and Victorian eras, Mago could only stare confused. He was sure he'd heard the terms somewhere before but couldn't place it. Suddenly he remembered. "Ah, medieval is the era with all the knights in their shining armor right, and Victorian was back when all the ladies wore corsets and dresses bigger then their wingspan? I remember my mom reading me stories about them when I was young."

He took both options into consideration. "Well, I certainly like the rough and tough nature of knights, but for tea and recreation I think fancy Victorian might be the way to go. Just don't expect me to put on one of those suits, except for very special occasions. Damn things itch like nobody's business and you cant move around to save your life." He grumbled, his hatred for fancy clothes evident by the somewhat childish pout he made as he expressed his discomfort.
 
"Victorian era is just as good. There's still a particular focus on elegance, while keeping a sort of style that isn't all squeaky clean like this modern stuff... and pretty dresses." Artoria turned away slightly at the last part, slightly embarrassed at revealing that part of herself. Though when Viola asked about obtaining outfits, her eyes instantly lit up like stars. "I can easily procure outfits like that. Leave that part to me." It was almost comedic how passionate she looked about obtaining a collection of such a specific wardrobe.

The little knight nodded vigorously at Mago's question. "Yeah, that's right. Armor like this!" Out of nowhere, Artoria summoned forth her magic armor in a flash of light. Even with the fierce visage she might have had with her visor on, her big childish smile broke that illusion. She pivoted in place to allow him to get a better look, showcasing her armor's incredible balance between practicality and appearance. Each metal plate looked made by a master craftsman, and her wide-hemmed dress (adorned with armored plating at the hips) showed off how one could combine solid protection with a regal look.

Even with her eyes obscured, the slight tilt of her head indicated confusion when Mago spoke of the discomfort he experienced with formal suits. "Huh? That's odd. A properly-fitted suit should be quite comfortable to wear. Perhaps your tailor wasn't particularly skilled." She glanced up and down the street, as though looking for any clothing shops to browse through. "I'll need to get both of your measurements, to ensure your club outfits fit perfectly."
 
Viola could feel the ball rolling in her mind, gaining momentum as both Artoria and Masego got in on the conversation. It wasn't a bad idea. Victorian decor, maintaining a bit of a darker and sinister edge thanks to the alchemy. Yet, she felt that she could find herself relaxing in that kind of atmosphere. Especially if it involved dressing up in fancy costumes.

Yes. I'll really look like a woman of sophistication then. Imaging herself all dressed up in one of those fancy ball gowns made Viola smile. It wasn't just any smile though. It was definitely one of those smiles of someone that was planning something.

She glanced back and froth from Masgeo to Artoria, working in her mind to piece together some sort of image. What would they look like? "I think she's right." Viola said, turning to face Masego directly. "With the right measurements, I think you could look quite handsome in some of their outfits. Like a real gentleman."
 
Mago nodded as Artoria summoned the armor. "That's the stuff! Real sturdy, keeps you from taking too much damage in a fight. I reckon it's one main reason for how you could keep up with Viktoriya." He said approvingly, giving one of her shoulder-plates a couple of knocks with his knuckles.

Then the conversation took a turn for the worse as the women started discussing fancy suits and the like. "I imagine he might not have been the best. I didn't exactly grow up in the most luxurious place. All I know is that most of my coin was spent making clothes that shift with me so I don't wind up ripping my pants whenever I bulk up."

Even with Viola saying he'd look handsome in a suit, his face wound up paling. "We wont have to wear them every time we have the club meet up, right? I mean, if you want I could try a new one, but having to wear it constantly? I don't know." He looked conflicted, torn between helping his friends and staying true to himself. "It doesn't really feel like me, right? I'm a warrior, not really worth putting a warrior in a suit for monkeys." He said, botching the idiom. It looked as if a slight bit more pushing would convince him to try the suits on.
 
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