Teas has a minion!

There is good reason to fear the Flock

TEAS CURE ALL - Teatime Aromatic Apothecary

"Look, but do not touch," she reminded her visitor.

Tina was entertaining a prospective client in the private section of her tea shop. It doubled as her workshop really, and normally she did not allow guests. However, this guest was asking for something special, and its price would pay her shop rent for a month. All along the walls were shelves, cupboards, and small drawers, full of the materials and tools of her trade. Most of her stock was harmless. Mostly dried or bottled plants and extracts that could be use to create or flavor teas. A bit of chamomile, a bit of cinnamon, and the like. However, some materials were unpleasant to look at, and raised questions that visitors likely did not want the answers to.

"Is that nightshade?" her client asked, looking perturbed. He was staring up at a jar on her top shelf, which was clearly marked "Nightshade" in script.

She nodded and replied, "Poisons at the right dosage become safely medicinal. Or they can be used as poisons. I will actually be using some of that for the batch you ordered. If you want to convincingly fake an illness, you will need to appear sick. I am going to raise your body temperature, give you an elevated heart rate- well. You'll see. I will prevent you from actually being in pain, so don't worry."

He smirked at her across the counter as he paced past her shelves, but his shoulders relaxed, she noted. "You know a lot for a tea maker."

"There are many kinds of teas," she countered, as she collected materials from around the room. Hopefully she would finish this particular project quickly and send him on his way, minus the cash he had shown her for her work and her discretion. She was scheduled to make a delivery soon at the business of a friend.

"I guess that's why I was told to come to you," the client said after a thoughtful, gracious silence. He opened another drawer and saw something he recognized. "Aren't these just weeds?" he accused with amusement, as he crushed a handful of dandelions.

Tina raised her brows without a word, until the man realized he had broken the "no touching" rule. He dropped them back and muttered, "Sorry."

The teamaker turned away and went back to eviscerating dried roots in her mortar. She paused and thought of how she had been treated throughout her life despite all she could do for the world. Then she smiled and told him, "Sometimes it is the thing that is unwanted that has the most power."

Full Name: Martina Graves
Nick Name: "Tina"
Title: The Teamaker
Birthday: September 23, 1974 (21)
Zodiacs: Libra - Wood Tiger - Vine
Ethnicity: African
Languages: English, Latin
Education: High school diploma
Occupation: Tea shop merchant
Religion: Wiccan
Collects: ?
Food: ?
Hobbies: ?
Talents: ?
Anomalies: ?

Teasing:
Pens: "Hey, it's teeny tiny Martina!"
Tape: "Would Martina like a martini?"
Reel: "Tea-na! Get it? Cause you make tea? Ha! I'm so punny."

Background:
Martina comes from a sprawling family tree with magic in its roots, according to family folk lore. Her grandmama has told her stories of witches and spells, and even passed on a supposed "grimoire" so that the memories would be preserved. According to these stories, their line is one of ancient witches, but they were cursed and can no longer access the magic. Tina has taken these stories to heart, as a special part of her family history, but she believes it all to be fantasy, no more than lore. However, there have been times throughout her life that she has been able to sense things that confound reason, and at those times, she was made to wonder...

All true teas are made from dried components of the tea shrub, Camellia sinensis.

TYPES OF TEAS:

GREEN: Made from untreated leaves of the tea shrub.
• Sencha: Made from untreated leaves of the tea shrub grown in light.
• Bancha: Made from the stems and twigs of the tea shrub grown in light.
• Gyokuro: Made from untreated leaves of the tea shrub grown in shade.
• Matcha: Made from powdered leaves of the tea shrub grown in shade.

YELLOW: Made from delicately oxidized and steamed leaves of the tea shrub.

BLACK: Made from long oxidized, withered leaves of the tea shrub.

WHITE: Made from withered young buds and leaves of the tea shrub.

OOLONG: Made from oxidized, withered, and curled leaves of the tea shrub.

HERBAL: Tisanes made through infusions or decoctions of herbs and spices.
Items sold as "herbal teas" may not actually contain tea, and are more correctly referred to as tisanes. However, herbal tisanes may indeed contain a type of tea in addition to other ingredients, which would make them a true herbal tea. For a list of ingredients that may be used in herbal teas, refer to the Ingredients section.
You may have heard of some herbal tea combinations that are commonly sold:
• Earl Grey: Made from black tea infused with bergamot oil.
• Chai: Made from black tea, steamed with milk, sweetened, and spiced.
• Thai: Made from black tea strongly brewed, sweetened, and spiced.
• Jasmine: Made from green tea infused with jasmine dried buds and oils.



Be aware that any herb can be toxic in excess. Always take care with dosages, and consider the effects of ingredient interactions. Do further research if you are pregnant or entering surgery. Always consult a medical professional.

DISCLAIMER: INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE DOES NOT ACT AS MEDICAL ADVICE!
This is a pet site. Please don't go brewing concoctions from someone's petpage. Thanks.

INGREDIENTS:
(Click an ingredient to read more about it.)