tea leaves

lorenz laurie. bergamot tea & roses.

[noblercse]

lyzabeth !

*:･ﾟ@noblercse​

*:･ﾟ  “  i’m fine ,   really !!  “    lyzie defended herself – gathering herself to her knees, but still slightly skidding on the black ice that covered the tarmac.   lips were pulled halfway between  a grimace and a pout ;   annoyance  rippling through veins as she glanced down at grazed knee and laddered tights – and she had just bought these !   “ i don’t need to be coddled – “    pink eyes glanced up, in somewhat of an approximation of puppy eyes,   “– but i could maybe do with a hand …  “

                    DESPITE  THE  REASSURANCE  that  she  is  alright,  laurie  continues  to  hover  around  her,  just  in  case  she  moves  in  a  way  that  will  have  her  slipping  again.  ❝  i’m  not  trying  to  coddle  you,  i  promise.  ❞  though  he  doesn’t  deny  the  fact  that  he  may  be  doing  so  anyway,  just  not  on  purpose.  ❝  a  hand  ??  i  can  do  that.  ❞    he  extends  his  hands  to  her,  planting  his  feet  firmly  on  the  ground  so  he  doesn’t  fall  beside  her.

[noblercse]

isabella !

Isabella was no stranger to the coffee shop. Her diet probably got half of it’s calories from just the coffee she drank. She was working on her laptop, scrolling through e-mails and tabbing in and out of various spreadsheets and word documents. She only stopped to take a sip of coffee every few minutes. She had been going at this for a while, but at this moment, after she took a sip of coffee, she sighed. She turned her head to the closet person to her, cup in hand

“ I wish coffee stayed hot for longer than it does. I know all the cream I put in it probably doesn’t help it stay hot, but it’s just really inconvenient sometimes. Do you think one of those UBS coffee warmers would be a worthwhile investment? It may make any cup I use too hot to hold, though… ”

As if to emphasize the point, she was tapping on the side of her computer, to the USB port.

                    LAURIE  IS  MORE  of  a  tea  person  than  a  coffee  person,  but  sometimes  he  has  those  days  at  the  delmare  where  he  needs  to  be  awake  for  longer  than  he  originally  intended,  thus  why  he  stands  in  the  coffee  shop  today.  manon  must  have  known  exactly  what  he  needed  just  by  judging  from  the  look  on  his  face,  and  so  she  wasted  no  time  in  getting  him  the  strongest  of  his  small  selection  of  regular  orders.  he  thanks  her  right  before  he  hears  a  voice  close  by.

                    he  smiles  slightly  at  the  sentiment.  ❝  me  too,  though  i  can’t  say  i’ve  ever  thought  about  those  coffee  warmers.  i  suppose  if  you’re  focused  on  your  task,  then  you  can  lose  track  of  time  and  the  coffee  just  cools  down,  so  if  you  have  a  habit  of  doing  that,  i  don’t  see  why  you  shouldn’t  get  one.  ❞

[noblercse]

how do you define honor?

                    ❝  well,  honour  is  different  for  everyone,  but…  honour  is  something  that  must  be  earned,  not  something  to  be  born  with  like  some  people  act  as  if  it  is.  a  person’s  position  has  nothing  to  do  with  honour,  but  their  deeds  do.  that,  and  the  intention  behind  those  deeds.  some  might  say  intention  is  even  more  important.  ❞

[noblercse]

do you like to be clean?

                    ❝  doesn’t  everyone,  though  ??  ❞

[noblercse]

what do you always say “yes” to?

                    ❝  helping  others.  as  someone  in  a  comfortable  position  in  life,  i  feel  that  it’s  my  duty,  almost,  to  help  others  out  when  needed.  of  course,  there  are  limits.  i’m  not  about  to  help  anyone  do  anything  illegal,  but  i  suppose  that  was  obvious.  ❞

[noblercse]

if you could say absolutely anything to your father without consequences, what would you tell him

                    ❝  i  would  tell  him  that  he’s  selfish.  it  took  me  too  many  of  my  formative  years  to  realise  that  was  —  and  still  is  —  the  case.  even  if  it  seems  like  he’s  helping  someone,  it’s  solely  because  he  knows  he’ll  get  something  out  of  it.  if  i  do  say  any  of  that,  though…  well,  it  likely  wouldn’t  end  well.  ❞

[noblercse]

helena !

             ❝  WAIT ,  SO THE STOLEN ITEMS  were given back ?  oof ,  finally …  i didn’t even realize that had happened !  ❞   mostly because of how the girl had been trying to ignore things that weren’t directly relevant to what she considered the busiest time of the year  —  and consequently ,  the worst .  besides her friends ,  career and university ,  helena couldn’t bring herself to care or want to keep up with much else ;   it was just too much work !  not to mention ,  someone was bound to update her on everything sooner or later ,  regardless of whether or not the magenta - eyed girl asked for it .   leaning back in her seat ,  helena continued to sketch a new piece of jewelry in her ever trusty ,  baby pink notepad .  ❝  the  holiday season  is just a lot for everyone ,  you know ?  i hate being kept out of the loop ,  but i also hate having so much to do …  oh well ,  i do have to focus on my shop ,  so i suppose i could just trust on you to keep me updated from now ,  right ?  ❞   she pauses the sketch ,  gaze lifting towards her companion for the day .  ❝  you’re obviously really well informed …  even if i tried ,  i could  never  be as good as you !  ❞

                    HE  NODS,  HIS  gaze  focused  on  the  work  planner  on  the  table  in  front  of  him.  it  is  always  less  of  a  chore  to  get  through  when  he  has  someone  around  to  spend  time  with  and  speak  to.  ❝  i  don’t  know  if  it  was  that  big  a  thing  beyond  the  report  they  issued.  apparently,  the  people  whose  items  were  stolen  ended  up  getting  questioned,  but  they  were  deemed  non-suspect.  ”  he  thinks  that  was  obvious  from  the  start,  but  he  supposes  the  police  have  to  be  thorough.  better  safe  than  sorry  and  all  that.  he  nods  again  when  she  mentions  how  busy  the  holiday  season  gets.  he  can  definitely  relate,  what  with  all  the  events  there  are  to  plan  and  all  the  rooms  he  has  to  ensure  are  ready  on  time  for  the  guests  who  flock  to  the  delmare  to  get  away  from  their  normal  lives  for  the  holidays.  ❝  it’s  alright,  i  see  nothing  wrong  with  you  simply  focusing  on  your  shop.  you  have  orders  and  the  like  to  get  done,  and  that’s  not  to  mention  the  shipping  that  comes  along  with  it.  ❞  he  knows  that  if  he  had  the  time,  he  would  be  helping  helena,  but  he  is  completely  swamped  with  work  for  the  time  being.  ❝  oh,  i  can  definitely  do  that.  at  least  one  of  the  televisions  in  the  hotel  common  rooms  has  the  news  on  at  any  given  moment,  so  i’m  sure  i  will  find  out  sooner  or  later.  ❞  as  always,  completely  ready  to  help.

[noblercse]

claude !

&&  — “ IT’S DELICIOUS ?? OH , NOW THAT’S A BIT FULL OF YOURSELF , though i will admit that you are right. ” he’s just teasing , though admittedly he gets the impression that the person in front of him might be a bit flustered , head tilting as he tries to gauge his reaction to him. “ i mean , it’s just coffee. if coffee’s catching you by surprise , i’m guessing you must be fucking hilarious at haunted houses. ” a wink follows this statement , again , that signature smile showing up on his face immediately afterwards. “ i don’t usually just shower strangers with compliments though , this is kinda just a thing i do when i think they’re cute. ” there’s a pause though as he leans back on his heels , nodding his head slightly. “ so , laurie , hm ?? ” he smiles , digging into his pocket to dig out his phone to reach it out to him. “ so , hm , maybe you should just spell it here in my phone so i can know how it’s correctly spelled ?? you can leave your number if you want to , too. ” this wasn’t really one of his own schemes but rather just quick thinking , something he was kind of proud of in the moment as it did feel as if he was being smooth. 

                    ❝  OH  ??  I’M  SIMPLY  stating  a  fact,  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  how  humble  i  may  or  may  not  be.  ❞  laurie  knows  that  there  are  obvious  merits  to  being  modest,  but  he  also  likes  to  believe  that  he  has  good  taste  in  most  things,  and  he  isn’t  afraid  to  say  as  much.  ❝  a  haunted  house  won’t  catch  me  by  surprise,  believe  me.  it’s  harder  to  scare  someone  when  they’re  expecting  it.  ❞  not  that  he  has  ever  actually  been  inside  a  haunted  house  before,  but  he  likes  to  believe  that  it  would  never  get  the  best  of  him.  really,  he  should  have  expected  some  sort  of  flirtatious  comment  after  his  question,  and  yet  he  still  feels  the  warmth  in  his  cheeks.  how  dare  his  body  betray  him  like  this.  ❝  is  that  so  ??  ❞  it  isn’t  much  of  a  comeback,  but  he  genuinely  doesn’t  know  what  to  say.  for  as  social  as  he  tries  to  be,  it  is  rare  that  he  is  ever  flirted  with.  ❝  i  never  give  phone  numbers.  i  only  exchange  them.  ❞  it’s  with  a  small  smile  that  he  pulls  his  phone  from  his  pocket.  he  isn’t  smooth,  better  with  more  genuine  words  and  conversations  than  pick-up  lines  or  anything  else  of  the  sort,  but  he’s  doing  his  best.

[noblercse]

( @cfnaptime​ )

                    LAURIE  KNOWS  THAT  working  at  the  delmare  can  sometimes  be  a  tedious  task,  what  with  everything  that  goes  into  ensuring  a  hotel  runs  smoothly,  but  he  doesn’t  think  that  is  any  excuse  to  laze  about  on  the  job.  this  is  something  he  attempts  to  get  through  linhart’s  head  (  the  keyword  here  is  attempt  ),  and  he  hasn’t  given  up  yet  despite  the  world  telling  him  that  he  likely  should.  he  isn’t  the  type  to  give  up  on  people  when  he  knows  they  can  do  better,  and  linhart  is  no  exception.

                    ❝  linhart,  ❞  he  starts,  walking  briskly  towards  the  front  desk,  ❝  i  sincerely  hope  you  aren’t  sleeping  on  the  job.  isn’t  that  what  your  other  job  seems  to  be  for  ??  ❞  after  all,  it  has  a  couch  cam  while  the  delmare  does  not.

[noblercse]

lyzabeth !

SENDING - > …. SMS @ NOT LORENZ: … acceptable. i hope she knows she is loved.  SENDING - > …. SMS @ NOT LORENZ: oh no … laurie your cake ! SENDING - > …. SMS @ NOT LORENZ: [ attatched picture of a fork hovering ominously over the box with laurie scrawled neatly across it ] SENDING - > …. SMS @ NOT LORENZ: better teach your car how to fly real quick. 

[ text ] @ lizzy: oh trust me she’s so loved that she’s spoiled [ text ] @ lizzy: LYZABETH NO [ text ] @ lizzy: i can’t control the traffic lyzabeth

[noblercse]

claude !

&&  — THE SMIRK DOESN’T SEEM TO LEAVE CLAUDE’S FACE even after the two have spoken of their mix match , eyebrow simply cocking as he tilts his head. this is his signature look , after all , reaching to give him the cup in exchange for his own. “ i mean , you don’t have a bad coffee order , luckily. though , by that face you’re making , i’m guessing the feeling isn’t mutual? ” his teeth dig into his bottom lip as he turns the cup around , reading his own name before looking back to laurie. “ is it too bitter for you? maybe you need something a bit sweeter , ” a wink follows , naturally , as he looks to the cup. “ honestly , i think it might be fine. you only took one sip and like , you look clean. you’re not carrying the next plague , right? i think you might be too cute for that , but anyways. ” he shrugs , taking a sip before getting an answer. “ i’m claude , by the way , but i’m sure you got that. ”

                    LAURIE  LOOKS  AWAY  from  the  other’s  face,  the  smirk  starting  to  agitate  him,  and  he  doesn’t  quite  know  why.  ❝  of  course  i  don’t,  it’s  delicious.  ❞  a  bit  of  a  petty  argument  that  doesn’t  have  all  that  much  force  behind  it,  mostly  said  to  cause  a  defensive  wall  of  sorts.  ❝  and  your  coffee  is  fine,  it  just  caught  me  by  surprise,  is  all.  ❞  in  truth,  it’s  mostly  claude  who  has  taken  him  by  surprise,  but  he  isn’t  about  to  say  that  out  loud.  there  are  only  so  many  humiliations  one  can  take  in  a  day,  and  another  person  seeing  his  misspelled  name  on  yet  another  cup  has  filled  that  daily  quota.  the  wink  and  being  called  cute  in  a  span  of  less  than  a  minute  has  him  raising  an  eyebrow  and  he  really,  sincerely  hopes  that  he  isn’t  blushing  right  now.  that’s  the  last  thing  he  needs.  ❝  i  don’t  think  whether  someone  is  cute  or  not  matters  when  it  comes  to  something  as  non-sentient  as  disease,  but  i’ll  take  your  compliment  for  what  it  is,  i  suppose.  ❞  he  takes  a  sip  of  his  drink  —  the  correct  drink  —  and  says,  ❝  and  i’m  laurie,  not  spelt  like  that.  ❞  he  points  to  the  name  hastily  scrawled  on  his  cup.  ❝  do  you  shower  every  stranger  you  meet  with  pretty  words  ??  ❞

[noblercse]

📱

name: hell-ena

ringtone: bubblegum bitch / marina

calls this week: 2

missed calls: 1

SENT TEXTS

laurie ( november 28th / 9:50pm ) claude said you were getting me out of here what does that mean

laurie ( november 28th / 9:53pm ) helena what does it mean

laurie ( november 29th / 11:58am ) i can see you over there in the corner with that look on your face, you’re plotting something

laurie ( november 30th / 2:17pm ) sorry i missed your call, i was dealing with a dispute between guests

laurie ( november 30th / 2:18pm ) it isn’t anything urgent, is it? is everything okay?

UNSENT TEXTS

laurie ( november 27th / 1:56am ) i swear those apparitions are coming to me in my dreams every night now

laurie ( november 29th / 7:03pm ) i’m not feeling the best, could you come over?

laurie ( november 30th / 4:29am ) i had a dream, more of a nightmare really, and i feel like i should tell you about it, but you already have enough to worry about

laurie ( november 30th / 4:30am ) i know it sounds like we both saw the same thing, so logically we should talk about it some more, but

laurie ( november 30th / 4:32am ) i think i’m scared, helena

LAST SNAPCHAT

wish me luck on the new dog walking position that seems to come with my job nowadays

[noblercse]

📱 u know who

name: coffee shop boy

ringtone: default ringtone ( for now )

calls this week: 0

missed calls: 0

SENT TEXTS

laurie ( november 27th / 10:20am ) you don’t have to go out of your way to, but if you’re bored

laurie ( november 27th / 10:21am ) if i’m not at reception just tell lin and he’ll handle it

laurie ( november 28th / 9:40pm ) what? what do you mean?

laurie ( november 28th / 9:47pm ) claude what are you planning

laurie ( november 30th / 9:42pm ) definitely tea

UNSENT TEXTS

laurie ( november 29th / 11:22pm ) is it weird to say i feel like i’ve met you before?

laurie ( november 29th / 11:22pm ) nevermind that is definitely weird

laurie ( november 30th / 4:10pm ) i just spoke to my father and i’ve retreated back home, do you mind if we talk?

laurie ( december 1st / 6:02am ) i had the strangest dream but it feels like a memory, even though i’m sure it can’t be

laurie ( december 1st / 6:03am ) and i’m fairly sure you were there

LAST SNAPCHAT

i didn’t realize you were into thieving drinks from random strangers, i might have to rethink this friendship

[noblercse]

lyzabeth !

SENDING - > …. SMS @ NOT LORENZ: where ! is ! the ! dog ! SENDING - > …. SMS @ NOT LORENZ: legally i can’t say text me whilst you drive but i expect dog pictures by the time you’re here. 

[ text ] @ lizzy: with her owner! where she belongs! [ text ] @ lizzy: [ dog picture attached ] [ text ] @ lizzy: i’m stuck in traffic now i can’t believe this

[noblercse]

+ Garden

                    ❝  this  one  is  another  hazy  memory,  but  i  do  remember  a  beautiful  rose  garden.  it  feels  like  it’s  from  long  ago,  so  maybe  it’s  from  when  i  was  younger.  the  garden  on  our  estate  may  have  had  some  beautiful  rose  bushes.  ❞

[noblercse]

+ tea !

                    ❝  they  say  that  certain  tastes  and  scents  can  prompt  memories,  even  if  they’re  fuzzy,  and  there  is  one  that  chamomile  brings  to  mind.  it’s  vague,  though.  all  i  can  remember  is  it’s  night  time  and  i  can’t  sleep,  and  i  don’t  think  the  person  i’m  having  tea  with  can,  either.  i  don’t  remember  what  was  said  or  where  we  even  were,  other  than  a  room  with  a  table  between  us,  but  i  remember  what  i  was  feeling.  i  felt  very  light,  and  when  i  spoke  i  felt  like  i  was  relieving  some  burdens  i’d  been  feeling  for  quite  some  time.  i  also  felt  —  this  is  going  to  sound  absolutely  ridiculous  —  but  i  felt  warm  and  as  though  i  had  butterflies  in  my  stomach.  strange,  really.  i  know  that  i  cared  a  great  deal  about  whoever  i  was  speaking  to,  but  not  much  else.  it’s  a  shame.  ❞

[noblercse]

+ nobility

                    ❝  my  father  always  says  that  we  should  act  like  we’re  nobles  or  something  along  those  lines,  and  all  i  think  of  when  he  says  that  is  attending  a  dinner  party  when  i  was  little  and  having  to  be  as  classy  and  well-mannered  as  possible.  it  wasn’t  hard,  considering  it  was  me,  but  i  knew  i  was  only  supposed  to  be  nice  because  father  wanted  something  out  of  them.  it  makes  me  uneasy  remembering  that  they  were  likely  only  nice  to  me  because  they  wanted  something  from  my  father,  too.  ❞