The Art of Organised Cheating Part 1
12
Previous ChapterNext Chapter“Perhaps.” You say. “Despite the fact that it isn’t Wednesday yet.”
Every Wednesday, you, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, all gather around to drink tea. The setting for the get-together is decided by playing a game of the host’s choice. The loser has to host the next gathering.
It’s been a while since you’ve had tea at Rarity’s house. You’ve come to miss her fine marble tea set. Each sip made you feel fancy.
“I’ll have some tea.” You decide.
“Splendid!” Rarity cheers. “I’ll prepare it. Please, sit.”
You have yourself a seat at Rarity’s work table. It’s cluttered with muslin, papers, pins, needles, and threads. Aside from the pins and needles, something has been cut in some way. A sewing machine lay adjacent to you on the table as well. A small light bulb glows vibrantly in the machine.
You try to think of where Spike could be in an effort to plan the next search location, and before you know it, Rarity is back, levitating two cups of tea beside her.
“I apologize for the delay, Twilight.” She says as she pushes a fraction of the items on the table to the floor, making room for the tea cups. “I ran out of our normal tea. I had to make up a new recipe.”
Intrigued, you ask, “What are the ingredients?”
“Well, I just threw in some hibiscus, peaches, orange peels, lemon peels, apples, chicory, strawberry leaves, some other things I thought would taste good, and some rose hips.”
The recipe sounded oddly familiar, but you keep that to yourself.
You go to take your first sip of Rarity’s concoction when a strong aroma breaches your nostrils. It smells like a candle; very potent. You sip with caution, and immediately you notice that the flavor is way too strong. The hot liquid attacks your tongue with an awful tang. You make a face of utter disgust.
“Um…” Rarity goes, “perhaps you need some sugar?”
Rarity pours in a scoop of sugar into your cup and stirs it with a metal spoon. You hesitate to take another sip, but, inevitably, you do.
You find that the strong taste from before has been successfully diluted, and the flavor is now much more pleasant. With every sip, you seem to identify each ingredient. You aren’t used to this new tea, so you can’t really see yourself drinking it every day, but it’s good.
You find yourself holding a trivial conversation with Rarity. It lasts just as long as your herbal beverage. By then, you realize you’re wasting precious time.
You thank Rarity for her hospitality, and try to return to your search. Naturally, Rarity offers to help you look. You have to deny her multiple times before she insists.
So, the two of you search the nearby area. There is no sign of Spike for miles. You even check a few restaurants nearby to see if Spike has checked in. After a while, you walk Rarity home. After you thank her for her efforts, you return to searching solo.
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