Fragments

Tea Culture

Xiaoyou checked the address that Ximen had messaged her. She walked to the door, and when she was greeted, she said "I'm here to see..." Her voiced trailed off as she noticed the blank stare she was subjected to by the recipient. The man who had answered the door was small and stout, with a shock of snowy white hair that contrasted oddly against his greyish skin. However, his most unnerving feature was his eyes; one was glossy brown and shiny, whilst the other was milky blue and hooded. Xiaoyou started involuntarily when his mismatched gaze focused on her blithely, however, his face betrayed no emotion; perhaps he was used to people staring? Nevertheless, Xiaoyou felt rather guilty regardless as the strange man stared at her impassively. The hairs rose along the back of her neck, and she was distinctly uncomfortable, but it was essential she got through this. Ximen was counting on her! She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves as she straightened her spine, stating "hi, my name is Yan Xiaoyou. I'm here to see Master Li Ren about a new brand of tea he is brewing for our business, I have an appointment?" The man (Xiaoyou was sorely tempted to refer to him as Igor as he reminded her of the creepy servant from Frankenstein) remained silent as he stepped aside, ushering her into the gloomy hallway and slamming the door ominously behind her. Xiaoyou couldn't shake the uneasiness that gripped her heart, but she firmly pushed it aside - she had to focus on the task at hand, for her and her Ximen!

She took a moment to assess her surroundings; she was in a house that gave the impression it may have been grand in the past, but had fallen to seed due to years of neglect. The carpets were faded underfoot, the dark wood panelling was splintering and unpolished, and a thick layer of dust covered everything in sight. Her eyes watered as she suppressed her coughs, but it was almost impossible to breathe, the air cloying - why on earth had Ximen sent her here, was this really an appropriate venue to perform business?! She trusted him instinctively, but honestly, she was feeling vaguely uncomfortable; he had visited the house before, he really should have known how oppressive the atmosphere would be! There was also a distinct lack of windows, Xiaoyou noted, her eyes darting about wildly as apprehension welled in her throat. There was something strange about this place, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was making her nervous; perhaps it was the gloom, perhaps it was the ringing silence, perhaps it was the way Igor had yet to utter a single world as they stood motionless in the darkened foyer. She just wanted to get this meeting concluded, and she cleared her throat noisily as she turned to Igor, about to demand to be taken to the Master so she could get this ordeal over with.

She turned on her heel, yelping loudly and leaping backwards into the wall like a startled cat as she came face to face with Igor. The man had moved silently, and he was less than three inches from her face. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she was held in his milky gaze; she knew she was being shallow and unreasonable, but his eyes really creeped her out! She shuddered when he opened his mouth, his voice like rustling leaves as he croaked "come with me. You can't meet the Master dressed like that. You must be wearing the correct formal attire before you stand before him." He looked her up and down, his game unimpressed; Xiaoyou was distinctly offended, her cheeks colouring when he muttered snobbishly "I doubt you have a cheongsam hidden underneath those clothes..." Her cheeks blazed even more heartily at his barely concealed insult; so what if she liked to wear short skirts? Ximen liked it, and Xiaoyou was comfortable with her body, goddamn old man! This had never been an issue before, and Ximen hadn't told her she needed to be dressed formally! In fact, she was staring to get quite annoyed, she was woefully underprepared for this meeting and she was just making herself look more and more foolish! She considered pulling out her phone and sending an angry text to Ximen, telling him to take care of his own damn business, but she didn't really have the heart to disappoint him. The small woman sighed as she followed the butler, her heart twanging with nerves as she followed him deeper into the dank house. She really, really didn't want to do this....