[Hong Lu finds himself standing alone in the bus hallway as he waits for the last anon to materialize. Don Quixote's voice can be heard through the kitchen door, and Hong Lu can't help but feel slightly grateful that she is willing to entertain everyone for a brief moment.]
[Smoothing out the skirt of his dress, Hong Lu takes a deep breath. It's odd interacting with his anons in person. It's odd seeing his brother. It's odd being in such an outfit. Yet, Hong Lu can't pinpoint what emotion is making his heart beat this fast.]
[In his floundering, Hong Lu realizes that he can't predict how well this tea party will actually go. All of his planning was thrown out the window the moment his big brother announced he was coming. Before, there was a vision of Hong Lu sitting at a table gently speaking as he poured others tea. But now, his mind turns up blank as he tries to plan ahead.]
[Hong Lu has zero clue how to act. He doesn't know how to feel.]
[He wants to change, he wants to show that he has changed. Yet, Hong Lu doesn't know how to prove himself to his brother. Hong Lu doesn't know if he'll ever be on the same page as Jia Huan.]
[Hong Lu takes a deep breath, now isn't the time to go exploring his emotions. The man will unpack all of this later. It's his job to host this tea party. It's his job to make this tea party enjoyable.]
[There's a small honk as an anon materializes next to Hong Lu, and the man finds himself somewhat curious about how they exist. All anons appear to Hong Lu as short grey human shaped creatures with sunglasses, and sometimes they have unique identifiers that help Hong Lu tell them apart. For example, this one appears to be holding some sort of magazine.]
You must be the Eavesdropping Anon~! Just in time, ehe.
[Hong Lu allows his normal whimsy to take over as everything else is pushed aside. Theres a ditsy grin on his face as he leans down to be at eye level for the vertically challenged creature.]
I have a table set to the side for someone's plushies. I was wondering if that would be an alright place for you to set up, because otherwise I can pull the chair elsewhere. I'll make sure you have plenty of snacks either way~!
[Hong Lu doesn't quite wait for the anon to respond. Not all anons can speak out loud, after all. Instead, Hong Lu leads the way to the kitchen and shows the anon where to sit. It's only when he's sure the Eavesdropping Anon is comfortable that he allows himself to join the main table for his tea party.]
Hello everyone, thank you for waiting~.
[Hong Lu finds himself content with the size of the group he is entertaining. It's not too big, but it's big enough to be considered a proper tea party.]
[Instead of going to the empty seat between Don Quixote and the Anon of Kindness and Peace, Hong Lu allows himself to stand in between Don Quixote and Jia Huan to reach the tea he had been steeping.]
[With the last second decision to prioritize the enjoyment of his guests over any sort of tea ceremony etiquette, Hong Lu pours the liquid from the teapot into the fairness cup.]
Today I'm offering red tea that is sourced from a farm in Hongyuan. It's known to be somewhat bitter, so if anyone needs sugar or milk I can bring them some. Though, the cups in my gongfu tea set are quite small, so we may need to bring a bigger cup if you want milk~.
[Hong Lu serves the tea directly from the fairness cup into the tasting cups, starting from his left with Jia Huan and going around the table until he finishes serving Don Quixote. Hong Lu pours the little leftover tea he has over small stone animal figures sitting in the middle of the table.]
Most of the city calls this black tea instead, which may be a more familiar title for most of you. The difference between the red and black names is the color of liquid versus the color of the tea leaves. It's quite interesting~.
[Hong Lu grins to himself as he starts the process of heating more water and steeping the leaves once more. It's only when Hong Lu is sure that everyone is settled that he allows himself to sit next to Don Quixote.]
There are also strawberries and cookies here in case anyone wants them. If you want more tea, I'll be happy to serve you~.
[And, with that, Hong Lu allows himself to sip his tea.]
@numberonefixerfan @jia-huan / @justanotherdeckhand @hellscreen04
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