Bloom

11: The Lavender Tea

"Buttercups, the main flower of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), commonly expose five beautiful golden petals. Though they show a rather innocent appearance for a flower, they are not edible. Like their anemone cousins, these plants are toxic, and should not be eaten."

Today's bouquet is a flurry of buttercups drenching Tulip's back. The pain has become almost unbearable. Now they know why. What an evil little plant. They want to read more, but the pain is begging them to take a break, so they have no choice but to close the book and shove it under its hiding spot. Carefully they grab the blanket, fluff up the towel, then rest on their side.

A noise disrupts their attempt to sleep. The crack of light where the small door is has appeared again. Under the door is another paper and pen. Pepper taps on the ground twice to alert Tulip. They frown, knowing they have to awaken the pain from its dormant slumber after just lying down. Pepper taps the door this time. Tulip has no choice.

They fumble out of the blanket and slowly crawl towards the door. Every stride is another ache added to the mental tally. They make it, and to their surprise and relief, they can read the writing without having to go to the middle of the room.

"What are today's flowers? Read the book if you don't know which ones."

They scratch their head, almost tangling their fingers in a knotted web of hair. Quickly they write down the name, then slide it back to them. A minute passes, and the note gets passed back.

"I've heard mortals like to use the term buttercup as a means of mocking. 'Suck it up, buttercup' is what it was, I believe. So buttercups symbolize being childish, also tidiness."

They raise an eyebrow, mouthing out the words 'suck it up buttercup' silently.What a bizarre phrase. Suddenly, they recall the conversation they had with Mortelline. The words "Death", "Life" and "time" haven't escaped their busy head ever since that talk. They jot something down.

"Do you fear Death?"

They nod to themself, sliding the note right under. The response takes longer, but they did hear Pepper make an audible 'hm' sound. The paper returns back to eager hands.

"Maybe. I've never come face to face with it yet. Why do you ask?"

They ponder some more, trying to come up with a reply. Tapping the end of the pen to their chin. Finally they write down something, then slide it back. They hear a loud gasp on the other side. The paper comes back.

"If you're hurting really bad today, I suggest you drink this tea."

Tulip pinches their brows together. What tea? As if silence is the answer, they hear Pepper get up and dash off. Seconds turn into minutes. Tulip waits, wondering, watching to see if the light will disappear and they'll have to crawl back to their spot again. Pain grapples them in place, not like they wanted to move anyway. Then suddenly, the door opens a little, making Tulip flinch. It quickly closes after. They groan from the pain, then look down at the floor. A cup of tea was offered to them. The aroma is strong, somewhat calming.

"Drink," Pepper whispers, "it's lavender."

Tulip bites down on their lip to suppress a groan. The tea's scent floods their nostrils. There's no other choice. They pull it closer, then lift it to their face, taking in a giant whiff. Minty. They take a small sip. Sweet. Like the green tea they tried before, their body begins to relax. The stems sprouting from their back shiver from the warmth.

"How do you feel?" Pepper asks. "Tap on the ground once if you're better, twice if it's not working."

They lower the drink to the ground. Instead of tapping, they turn over the paper on a blank spot, then start writing. Pepper waits in silence. The note is passed under.

"How are you so fast at making tea?"

Pepper giggles softly, reading and re-reading it. They pass the paper back with no written response.

"My mother has a garden," they whisper, "she grows all the ingredients in order to make tea for guests. One day she taught me how, since her hands were full and she needed to serve several guests in a short amount of time. I started understanding better the more I partook - the ingredients, the amount, the perfect temperature to serve it, so now it's become second nature."

Tulip thinks for a moment, then takes another sip. The pain has died down.

"Lavender tea is good for pain. It might also help you sleep better."

They nod, absorbing this information like a sponge. Knowing their memory, though, or lack thereof, it might disappear in the same fashion as when they fooled around with time. Perhaps they're not trusting themself enough, which is making them grow more bothered. They place the drink back down, then write something again.

"How do you retain memories so well?"

They pass it back. Pepper lets out an upset sigh.

"I'm not sure," they say. "Mother tells me it's a gift that I have called 'photographic memory'. Well, I do need to remember as much as I can. Because someday, I'll have to take my mother's spot as the next death deity."

Tulip coughs into their drink. Droplets splatter onto the floor below.

"Are you alright?" Pepper's tone sounds worried.

Tulip clears their throat, then places the drink back down. They tap the floor once with their finger. Pepper lets out a sigh of relief. They move off of the door.

"Anyway, I have to take my leave again. I need to tend to the garden with my mother, speaking of her," they stand up, "when you're finished the tea, just leave it here. I'll come by and retrieve it later."

Footsteps decrease into nothingness, in the same pattern as the light under the door turning off. They glance back at the lighted space of the room, but decide to stick around in the darkness for a little longer. It's strangely comforting to them. They let their mind guide them through all the past events being stuck in the dark chamber. They catch themself smiling while thinking of the times with Pepper, but quickly remove the smile, shake their head. They take a couple more sips of the tea, place it down where Pepper can grab it, and crawl over where a blanket and towel await them.

To their surprise, they sleep soundly, and have a dream.