Made With Love | Zane's Recipe Book

1| Sensei Wu & Apple Tea

Apple Tea
(A soothing drink to make anyone feel at home)

Ingredients:
1 apple
2-3 cinnamon sticks
2 black tea bags (English breakfast tastes especially good)

Instructions:
Cut apple into pieces (avoid brewing the seeds) put them into your kettle or into a bowl. Add in cinnamon sticks. Pour in water and put to boil on high for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and then place in tea bags and let them sit for five minutes. Using a strainer, pour the tea and now you're done! Add sugar if you want to your own taste!

Recipe from @simplymasarra on Instagram

• ☕️ •

"You're up late again, Sensei."

Zane hadn't meant to scare his new teacher but the man jumped nonetheless, turning to look at the boy standing in the doorway with a startled expression. He relaxed once he saw that it was his student, a smile immediately forming and causing his moustache to curl up. In Zane's experience, most people found his sudden appearances rather creepy but Wu seemed to see the concern behind it, along with teenage curiosity. The sensei gestured for the blonde to join him at the dining table kindly, not minding the surprise company, The man had been ruminating to himself, staring off into space with an oddly somber expression on his usually calm face. While Wu liked to project a positive and collected impression on his students, Zane could see beyond the smile to the deep sadness in the man's eyes. He carried a weight on his shoulders and it was one he wasn't ready to let go of. Zane could see it now in the way he held himself, slightly less tall and confident and more of an exhausted slump of the shoulders. Zane sat down across from the sensei, watching him carefully as the man shook his head in amusement.

"You commented on my lack of sleep while you are also out of bed." Sensei Wu pointed out.

Zane shrugged. "I had a lot on my mind."

The smile dimmed it little bit and the older man nodded. "It is when the night is quiet that the mind is the most loud." The words were cryptic, as most of Sensei Wu's words were, but unlike Jay or Cole Zane didn't mind them as much. It was like a puzzle for him to parse out, one that he'd learned brought wisdom and knowledge for him to gain if he only had the patience to solve it,

"What thoughts are the loudest for you?" The ninja asked carefully.

"Too many sounds to decipher." Master Wu sighed, rubbing at his chin. "Sometimes it is hard for them to quiet."

"What do you usually do to help them soften?"

"I do my meditation, burn some incense, make tea." He chuckled. "I am a simple man but small pleasures bring me such joy." Now that was something that Zane could work with.

Zane stood, decision firm in his mind. "I will make you some tea then."

"You don't need to make me any tea, Zane. Your company is enough." The sensei tried to protest but the boy wasn't listening. He was already heading towards the kitchen and had begun rifling through the cabinets.

Zane had explored the monastery before, including all of the food, so it was easy for him to find what he needed. Swiftly, Zane chopped up an apple, carefully picking out the seeds before putting them inside one of Wu's teapots. After picking through the spice drawer, the boy took out the cinnamon- a tiny bottle with a few sticks inside. As soon as he unscrewed the lid, the air filled with a spicy aroma and he placed in three for some extra flavour. Pouring in some water, Zane let it boil over the stove while he went to find some teacups. Thankfully, Wu had plenty to spare. It was a slightly overwhelming how many he had- all different designs and styles. Some were tacky Christmas mugs while others were traditional Japanese cups. Zane picked out some simple ones with a black dragon design and placed them onto the counter. Once the water was done boiling, he poured it into the cups and then added the teabags. He brought them to the table, careful not to spill, and slid one over to his teacher. Wu gently took the cup in his hands and blew at the steam, gazing into the dark liquid with a contemplative expression.

"I truly believe that all of you will be able to bring positive change." Wu said after a moment.

"I hope so." Zane replied as he sat again, swirling the tea in his cup with a small movement of the wrist. "We must... do our hardest to protect everyone. Especially those who cannot protect themselves."

The sensei smiled at the boy. "I knew that you were the right person to choose, Zane. You have a kindness that is strong in your soul."

"Is that why you recruited us to be ninja? Because we are kind?" Zane asked curiously, leaning forward. Wu never explained to them fully why it was them that he chose to protect Ninjago and not more experienced, less impatient, adults.

"It's easy for us old folk to get stuck in our ways," Wu chuckled. "And our mistakes will follow us like a hunter after it's prey. I believe that true change is in a new generation. The real power is in strong, caring ninja like you and the others." He left it at that, raising the cup to his lips to take a sip. Zane watched as the man closed his eyes and hoped that he brought him some relief from the stress upon his shoulders. It seemed to allow the old man to relax some, the pinch in his brow smoothing over. The boy began to drink his tea as well and revelled in the warm liquid. The sweetness of the apple mixed with the kick cinnamon made the tea cozy and comforting, pulling him into memories of happiness and safety. Though Zane could not fully understand those memories he still felt joy in the emotions the drink brought back.

The two drank tea in silence, enjoying each others company. It was a but strange at first to not be talking about something but Zane soon discovered he liked sitting in companionable quiet, letting the seconds tick away.

Sometimes, Zane thought with a smile, it's simply nice to have tea with a companion.

NOTE*****
I've been struggling with writers block and I thought that some cozy shorts might help a little. I also wanted something that was easily transferrable to Ao3 as I'm trying to share works there too!

I know the recipe says to boil the water for 20 minutes and Zane probably didn't hang around waiting for the tea to boil for twenty minutes but shushhhhhh- suspend your disbelief! It's cute, okay? 😂

I hope you enjoyed! This first one is a recipe I just found online but I'm hoping to share some of my favourite recipes on here that I've collected over the years.

LuckyBugBooks 🐞

COVER CREDIT****

Thank you Ravens_Graphics for the amazing cover and banners!