A Show of Appreciation

[Professor Shiori Nakamura]

Shiori had been nervous about starting a new job, especially at his age. Was one supposed to change careers once you reached fifty? He felt it was perhaps a little strange, but he'd gone for the position. After all, his nephew was a student and his own son would be attending the school in a year or two. Out of all the staff members however, Mallory was the one who had welcomed him the most, and so he was determined to pay back the favour. He arrived with a small basket full of teas he knew his wife had appreciated during her pregnancy, hoping it would do the same for Mallory. Shiori knocked on the door, hoping she was in.

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory was really starting to feel the effects of her pregnancy. She was curled up on her coach in her favorite, most comfortable pajamas. She wasn't expecting any visitors and blushed when she heard the knock on the door. "Just a moment!" She called, summoning a blanket to lay over herself for a bit of modesty. When she was tucked in properly, with a few pillows by her for support, she waved a hand for the door to open- even if being against the wall kept her from seeing who had come to visit. "Come in, come in. I'm over here," She called, her friendliest smile on her face- even if it was a touch tired.

 

[Professor Shiori Nakamura]

Shiori entered, carefully closing the door behind him. He smiled, the smile fading a little when he saw the tiredness in Mallory's eyes. He knew how hard pregnancy could be and hoped his teas would help. "Sorry to intrude," he said politely, "just thought you could use with some tea." He held up his basket of packages of teas containing several varieties. "Are you doing okay?" he then asked concernedly, lowering the basket.

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory smiled a bit wider at the sight of tea. "A good cup of tea always makes the day better," She agreed, summoning over her tea set and motioning to the other side of her couch. "Thank you, Professor Nakamura. Sit, please?" She shifted lightly, pulling her legs in a little more under her. "Have a cup with me."

 

[Professor Shiori Nakamura]

Shiori took a seat as directed, sitting with a straight back, not looking quite relaxed into the seat. If there was one thing about Shiori that was noticeable at a glance, it was his straight-backed posture, sitting or standing. "I have a few to offer," Shiori explained as he placed the basket on his lap and looked through the teas. "I have rooibos, a nice caffeine-free alternative to black tea - it has a sweet, nutty flavour. Then there's chamomile, for helping relax. Ginger helped my wife with morning sickness, I don't know if you're past that stage yet. My wife had it throughout her pregnancy, unfortunately," Shiori said. "Which sounds best to you?" Shiori asked, turning towards Mallory with a pleasant smile on his face.

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory hummed, smiling as he explained the teas. "Ooh, the rooibos sounds really good," She summoned over her collection. "Would you like to go through my collection? See if there's anything else you'd like?" She offered, willing to share hers when he was being so nice as to bring her some new teas.

 

[Professor Shiori Nakamura]

"Rooibos it is," Shiori said with a smile. He had started to unopen the rooibos package when Mallory summoned over her collection. His eyes widened, impressed. He always had been an appreciator of tea, and he was happy to meet someone else who liked tea too. He hoped he hadn't over-explained anything, not realising perhaps Mallory already knew about the teas he had listed. "Hmm, intriguing," he said, looking over everything. He picked out a Japanese sencha, one of his favourites. "I'll go with this one, please," he requested politely.

 

[Professor Mallory Grayveson]

Mallory hummed happily, and with a bit of easy spellwork, the teas began to prepare. "So, Professor, how are you enjoying your time here?" She asked, eager for the tea to prepare. It finished soon, and she took her cup with a satisfied sigh as she wrapped her hands around the smooth porcelain. She took a careful sip, and hummed happily. "Oh, that's good,"