[center][h1][b][color=green]A L B E R T A[/color][/b][/h1][hr][b][color=gray]AVALICE ACADEMY — THE PLAZA[/color][/b][/center][hr]
What was meant to be a conversation for two quickly became a topic for class discussion, not at all what Alberta intended. Usually she would have been irate at the sudden interruptions, but the two girls who had spoken up  — and who she vaguely remembered being in the same classroom as her — didn't seem to be looking for a confrontation. Much to Alberta's surprise, considering the turbulent events that had taken place earlier in the morning. There was no reason for her to act hostile. Yet.

[b]"[color=green]But of course, my family has been brewing some of the finest teas in the continent for centuries,[/color]"[/b] she replied to Kiara and Sekhandur. [b]"[color=green]Most of our plantations are based in Grünewald down south, since the weather is a lot milder near the coasts. Tea plants do favour climates where rain is most frequent, after all.[/color]"[/b]

It was as if Alberta's perpetual ill temper had suddenly dissipated, now overcome with an intense, almost aggressive earnestness. There were very, [i]very[/i] few things in the world she genuinely appreciated, and even fewer instances where she could express them; but once the right conversation met Alberta at the right time, there was almost no stopping her from blathering on about the subject in question. Sekhandur had asked her to regale them with her expertise, and Alberta was prepared to deliver.

[b]"[color=green]And yes, I make most of my teas myself, especially when I'm away from home. Anything I can't grow here myself, I just request to have imported from the plantations,[/color]"[/b] Alberta continued, even setting down her half eaten biscuit sample on a table behind her. [b]"[color=green]Really, it's a fairly simple process, you know, withering the tea leaves to pull their moisture, bruising the leaves and letting them oxidise to strengthen their aroma and flavour, then steaming the leaves to stop them from oxidising which prevents damaging said aroma and flavour, then rolling the leaves into a desired shape which can actually further enhance the taste of the tea depending on how it's handled, and [i]then[/i] finally air drying or baking the leaves to finish, but it's important they're not overcooked otherwise all your efforts basically amount to nothing and you're left with the hot, bitter taste of failure. And that's just for making black tea! There are many others that follow different processes, but this is the most common one.[/color]"[/b]

Alberta took one second to catch her breath, then resumed. [b]"[color=green]Of course, you could just harvest the tea leaves fresh and soak them in hot water, but compared to dried leaves and flowers, the taste is [i]completely[/i] different. Still, it'll probably taste a lot better than the teabag garbage some of these food stalls are serving, you might as well be drinking sugared compost with hot water poured on top of it.[/color]"[/b]

She then turned to Sanhan, who, in the midst of her brief talk about tea processing, Alberta had completely forgotten was beside her. That, and her name had slipped from her mind since the morning introductions. But with the mentioning of tea escaping the young woman's mouth, Alberta at least remembered what Sanhan had asked earlier. 

[b]"[color=green]A lemongrass and liquorice root blend should wake you up, it sure looks like you need it,[/color]"[/b] she advised Sanhan, staring her up and down. [b]"[color=green]Go look for the Practitioners United stall, they're the only ones here who sell loose tea leaves that actually taste decent. Their president's got a few screws loose and he'll definitely try to sell his weird smoking herbs to you while you're there, but if you ask him for something specific he should give you the right thing.[/color]"[/b]