[Intermission] Bleu's Domain: Tea Ceremony

"I got something good prepared for you two this time!"

My hazy consciousness surfaced to her yell. Seriously, why do I have to feel this tired everytime I come to Bleu's domain? It totally sucks-- feeling groggy and shit.

I held my head and sat up. By the way, it has become normal that Liliath and I wake up on Bleu's supersized bed. I don't know if I should be grateful or worried.

"That's just how it is, sorry for having you accompany me like this all the time," Bleu pointed at herself with a loose, troubled smile on her face.

"Nevermind, I just need some time to clear my head," shaking my head like a hamster, I turned to Liliath who-- continued to lie with her limbs outstretched in a daze as she stared at the white sky.

Taking a deep breath, I jumped to my feet and walked over to the sofa.

"Coffee is the one in the blue teapot."

"Thanks."

Why a teapot though?

I poured some coffee for myself and sipped the warm cup little by little. The aroma was soothing and pleasant, the bitterness was as if lulling me to sleep. So much for caffeine, looks liek it ain'r doing shit here.

Liliath did eventually get up from the bed and had some tea for herself.

"Thanks for the drink Bleu. So what did you say you prepared?"

"It's definitely something Liliath would love."

"Tea?"

"Bingo!"

Tea again. Not much I can say about this. Liliath drinks tea practically every meal-- and she's having yuzu tea right now.

"I'll wait for you two to sober up while I go change into something more comfy."

Something more comfy-- I wonder what that could be?

"You two will be the first to witness firsthand a goddess wearing something like this."

"Okay," unable to muster any enthusiasm for her words, I took a sip of my coffee again. Haa.. I think I'm sobering up a little now. "You okay Liliath?"

Liliath nodded drowsily. Her loose hair dangling in front, shadowing her face so I couldn't really see her expression. She must be really tired.

"Ta-da!"

When I returned my sights to the front-- to 'witness' Bleu's aforementioned 'never-before-worn-clothes'..

Is it just me or does she look like a farmer? She's even got the plastic apron, sunflower hat and a large bamboo basket strapped to her back. T-shirt, strapped jeans, boots and all. Really now? This is what she meant? Kinda blew my expectations away.

"Thank you."

"I don't know if I'm complimenting you or something else you know?"

"I don't know either but I'm sure my creator wouldn't be so harsh to me right?"

She sure has quite an optimistic view there.

"Ah. What I'm wearing are modern farmer clothes, not a butcher," Bleu said to Liliath.

A butcher huh-- how suiting.

"Are you two done? I suggest you two switch to something more appropriate," Saying that, Bleu snapped her fingers and two sets of clothing appeared on the table. One had a dull grey shade, the other had a flowery bright pink pattern to it. One had an obi, the other had-- I think it's called a hakama.

"Is this what I think it is? A male kimono and yukata?"

"I find it hard to believe I'd be given the chance to wear this," Liliath for some reason, sounded amazed.

"Noel hasn't worn this before either, so it isn't something to be surprised about."

"The.. no. I suppose it wouldn't be accurate to renounce such historical clothes as an amazing object since it's something people in Noel's world could come across if they wished to."

"Yup."

Heck.. I don't even know how to put on these clothes properly. Not to mention--

What.

"There, no problems with my help right," Bleu spun her fingers.

"Thank you?"

"Amazing.."

What happened was.. Bleu had the clothes automatically appear on us. Very unnatural if you ask me. If Bleu has such a power to change people's clothes, doesn't this mean she could strip me naked in a second?

"I didn't think both of you would think of the same thing? I should consider having such an accident happen one day.." Bleu showed us an angel-like smile.

I turned my head to look at Liliath--

Our gazes met.

Her beautiful white yukata adorned with pink flower patterns of various shades-- her velvety hair neatly arranged into a bun by a silver pin with ornaments. The matcha-green obi wrapped tightly around her waist, emphasising her chest. Coupled together with her crimson eyes-- it gave off a somewhat alluring charm...

We averted our eyes.

Hahaha.. damn. This is embarrassing. Liliath actually thought of such a thing? What happened to the thing she said about not being able to marry a non-demon lord?

"Wah.. I'm getting filled with sugar. If you two don't mind, could you stand up now? We have to move to the special location I prepared."

Okay..

I replied to her in my mind.

"Let's go!"

And we transferred to the front of a wooden house, reminiscent of olden day Japanese architecture. The sky was blue with white clouds billowing in the air-- the sun shining down at us, but the temperature was just right.

The house was stationed on top of a mountain range of sorts, overlooking a large terraced tea plantation-- should be. Tea bushes wound themselves around the hills like a snake, leaves sparkling beautifully in a verdant vistage under the light of day as a gentle breeze made the loose cuffs of my hakama sway.

Man.. This is an amazing view..

"Now, I'm thinking of doing a tea ritual. You know? The kind that the tea experts do."

"Do you even know the steps?"

"There is such a ritual?!" Liliath's eyes sparkled. I think it's the first time I've seen her like this. God. Not that it's bad.. She's totally cute.

Which further strengthens my belief that someone could even propose to her using tea leaves… to tea bags.

"I do.. know a bit. But the important thing in this situation is that we try to experiment with interesting things, isn't it?"

"Yeah.."

"Please lead the way," Liliath said in anticipation.

"Then please come in," Bleu took off her slippers and walked into the house.

Which begs the question-- if we're doing a tea ceremony.. why the farming clothes? That makes absolutely no sense.

Either way, we followed Bleu inside.

Seated in a seiza, pillow on our knees as we faced Bleu-- still in her farmer clothes-- dafuq, did she give herself artificial freckles?

"Shh.. I'm concentrating," is what Bleu said as she continued to stir the matcha-water mixture with a whisk.

Liliath looked at her every movement with an intense gaze.

"Okay. Done," Bleu elegantly placed the whisk to the side.

"What.. that fast.."

"I don't know? Just drink it."

I mean.. it sure looks like a properly well done matcha tea though. A beautiful green shade.

"Then I will gladly--" Liliath jumped for the chance to take the cup, Bleu was about to prepare the next cup but..

"No. Hold up. You do know that the tea ceremony involves only one cup right?" I'm seeing exactly two more cups here. Sorry Liliath.

"Ah? Is there such a thing," Bleu put back the empty cup and then placed her finger on her chin and looked at the ceiling, "Oh yeah. The tea master passes the cup around and everyone takes a sip."

"Yeah. That's it."

I saw this in a Japanese documentary before, so I know the gist of it.

"Is that so?" Liliath tilted her head.

"Yup."

"Then I'll take a taste test first," Bleu took a sip of the tea Liliath was just about to take just now.

Seriously.. is it allowed for the tea master wearing farmer clothes to do something like this?

"Not bad.. kind of bitter. It's kind of creamy, here," Bleu passed me the cup.

I obediently accepted it with a sigh. I thought she should've passed it to Liliath first though..

"Where's your thank you?"

"Ugh.. thank you.."

Liliath giggled at my side.

I tilted the cup and then took a sip of the tea, making sure not to touch the part Bleu drank from. Hm.. sure enough, it's not bad. Kind of fluffy? Maybe it's the air infused inside. I don't if this is supposed to be how professional matcha is supposed to taste.

"Here," I passed the cup to Liliath as elegantly as I could. Liliath accepted it with both hands.

"Thank you," Showing a gentle smile, she took a sip. She swallowed once and a satisfied exhale leaked from her mouth.

Still holding the sup in her hands--

"Do we finish the entire thing?" Liliath asked.

"Yes, go on. You wouldn't mind, would you now, Noel?"

"Nah. Liliath can have it all."

So much for a proper tea ceremony. This is totally bust-- but the ambience is amazing. While waiting for Liliath to complete her drink, I turned out the window to gaze at the endless tea plantation.

"Thank you," Liliath said and placed the cup on the tray.

Then Bleu clapped her hands and looked at us with a congratulatory smile.

"Congratulations Noel, Liliath. It's your first ever indirect kiss!"

My jaw fell open.

Liliath's body shook. She visibly shrunk away.. and then crawled into a ball in the corner… that's right— Liliath never did tilt the cup. Which meant that she drank from..

YOU SCHEMER!!!

"Hehe," with her hands covering her mouth, Bleu gave us a sly 'tee-hee'.