Anne Radcliffe on Jul 15, 2013 wrote:

Anne's eyes sparkled as she grinned at the clever, scientifically-minded, red-haired pirate. "That's exactly what I thought, Scarlet. Who else knows tea the way Emma does? So if I were a villain, and tea was involved in some plot of mine, I would want to make sure that the person who could discern any tampering with the tea was out of the way. So I went back to the warehouse and got a sample of some of the tea leaves Lien-Hua had. The bale had split in the fighting," Anne assured the young goat woman, who had taken an interest in the conversation once it got around to tea.

Lien-Hua nodded abstractedly, her worry over getting in trouble with the warehouse owner turning into worry over her precious tea. Anne produced with a flourish the tea leaves she had picked up, inviting comparisons with the sample that Lien-Hua had given Emma earlier. A sample of the new plantation tea leaves in the box Lien-Hua had sold Emma was laid side by side with the sample of the larger supply in the warehouse.

Disappointingly, the leaves of both looked exactly the same.

"Hmm" Scarlet pondered as she examined the tea leaves, "It can be hard to differentiate between two similar species of plants when using only the leaves, we really need the whole plant. However, since tea is acidic, and each tea plant should make a tea of different acidity, I know of a simple test that can determine the relative level of acidity between these two samples of tea leaves, all we need is a red cabbage. Or we could just set sail and umm, liberate some samples from the original tea plantation".

(OOC: The red cabbage acidity test I'm hoping to describe actually does work as a simple litmus paper test, the red cabbage juice turns varying shades of pink in acid liquids, and varying shades of blue in alkaline (basic) liquids. Therefore, if there is any difference between the acidity of these tea plants, the cabbage juice would turn different shades of pink when small portions of the different teas are added.)

(OOC:Anne, I was wondering, since you like literary references, does your pirate's name possibly refer to a certain 18thC female author whose characters had a fondness for breaking out into poetry (ie the author of The Mysteries of Udolpho) ?)

Anne Radcliffe on Jul 17, 2013 wrote:

OOC: I'll answer your second point first, because otherwise I will burst... yes! Yes! Ann Radcliffe is exactly who I named my character after! I was so excited to see the opportunity to take on an 18th C. woman's name of such excellent repute. Then, it just seemed that taking on the name of Ann Radcliffe, author, she became an inspiration to me, and one of the reasons I started writing down the stories of Anne that popped into my head, and sometimes taking inspiration from her style. Ann Radcliffe (the real one) had an amazing talent for describing places and landscapes that she invented (honestly, reading The Italian, I could hardly believe she invented all the highly realistic descriptions of the Italian landscape and people), though she is best known for her skill at creating suspense, and some are very suspenseful sequences too, even for the modern reader. And she certainly had a fondness for breaking out in poetry, you are so right, Scarlet! Hmm, I hadn't intended my Anne's tendency to break out into song to imitate that, but it seems I sort of have

As far as the cabbage acid-base indicator goes... I confess, I had not thought of that possibility when I thought of the plot here... but it could work, why not? Though it would have to be a pretty strong difference, as red cabbage is not the most sensitive indicator. However, there is a very simple (safe) way to detect that something is wrong, but we need Emma, the tea girl, to do it, because she is the person who could best discern the difference.

OOC: Woo! I'm the tea girl!

Emma nodded. "Acidity is a way to tell the difference between the leaves. Moolong and ginseng tea leaves look exactly the same but have different levels of acidity. Um, anyone have a red cabbage?" The blonde smiled sheepishly. "Scarlet is right, and it will test the acidity levels. The red, truly violet, colour of the cabbage becomes different shades of pink when testing tea leaves. I do it all the time."

"However, I can try and see if I can find a further difference between ginseng and Moolong." She reached into the pocket of her new Mooshuian dress which she had paired with her "gypsy hat." (Chrissy probably gets what I mean. XD) Emma pulled out a couple tea leaves. "These are Moolong. Compared with the leaves of ginseng, they look absolutely the same. You have to look extremely close to notice some pale speckles on the Moolong leaf. Meaning these-" Emma held up the warehouse tea. "-are Moolong."

Anne Radcliffe on Jul 18, 2013 wrote:

Anne looked closely as Emma had instructed. It took her a moment, but after having the differences pointed out to her, she could see how the teas differed. Then she frowned. "But Emma, the samples of the Moolong tea in your box and the samples I took from the warehouse look exactly the same, speckles and all. Maybe I was wrong about the idea of this tea being part of some plot," she finished, looking a bit crestfallen. She picked up a few leaves of each, crushed them between her fingers and smelled them, but shook her head. "I can't smell any difference, either. Can you, Emma?"

[OOC: subtle, but yes]

Emma smelled the leaves. "This one-" she lifted up the warehouse tea. "-smells a little spicier than these, which smell sweeter. However, the traces are very faint, so I don't know if it was wafted from the tea it was next to, but still." The blonde sheepishly shrugged and smiled. "So.... Hmmm." Emma seemed to be pondering the tea leaves' details, minor and major, and attempting to compare them. "This is difficult..." She admitted quietly as she studied the leaves.

Hey guys -- Just wanted do know I've been reading everything up to this point, and I'm amazed at how well you guys worked together to make this thread, despite the fact that sometimes the moderation thing can take several hours. Incredible!
I would like to join in, but honestly I've got now clue how. I mean I know I can just jump in with my pirate and all, but I don't want to change the plot too much. Any idea for things Elizabeth could do? Btw it's fine if you don't think that Elizabeth should join right now -- trust me, I hardly believe she should either. However I would love to be apart of this piece of art and I hope i'll be able to join!

~Elizabeth, level 15 ~

Anne Radcliffe on Jul 18, 2013 wrote:

As she sniffed the two sets of leaves, crumpling them between her fingers, Emma became sure that there was a difference. The spicy notes she detected at first in the warehouse tea seemed to have bitter, acrid overtones on closer examination. None of the others at the table could tell the difference, not even Lien-Hua.

"If you can detect a difference, then I'm sure there is one," Anne added eagerly, not realizing that part of her quick agreement was a delight in having her hypothesis proved right. "But we probably should not taste cups of tea if it is something dangerous. I have it! We know an apothecary in Subata! He can test the teas. Let's go to him!"

Lien-Hua wished to remain; she had to deal with her responsibilities at the warehouse. Her anxiety about meeting the warehouse master was soothed after Anne provided the small amount of gold that would be needed to hire laborers to clean up the mess. She also promised to hold the new plantation tea apart and warn any other buyers that she knew, until Emma and the others found out if the tea was safe to drink.

"To Subata then!" Emma exclaimed cheerfully. She walked off with the rest of the group, headed for the new Mooshuian Galleon she purchased not long ago. The Honor's Phoenix was a large ship with room for everyone to just chill out and have some cake Emma kept below deck.

The blonde walked the stairs up to the wheel and started steering for Subata Skyway. She kept along the wind lanes rather than randomly taking the shorter, but more dangerous way. The Storm Koi, Flying Turtles and Storm Sharks got on her nerves nonstop and she had no time to waste as of now. If they got boarded she was just going to use her baseball bat.

Just Add Bacon on Jul 18, 2013 wrote:

Hey guys -- Just wanted do know I've been reading everything up to this point, and I'm amazed at how well you guys worked together to make this thread, despite the fact that sometimes the moderation thing can take several hours. Incredible!
I would like to join in, but honestly I've got now clue how. I mean I know I can just jump in with my pirate and all, but I don't want to change the plot too much. Any idea for things Elizabeth could do? Btw it's fine if you don't think that Elizabeth should join right now -- trust me, I hardly believe she should either. However I would love to be apart of this piece of art and I hope i'll be able to join!

~Elizabeth, level 15 ~

OOC: I think it's awesome that you called this post a peice of art, and I think it's really because of Emma and Anne. Emma obviously for starting this thread, and Anne, because I'm pretty sure she's the only one who actually knows where the plot is going. I can't say anything for Emma, but I know I'm just guessing where the story is going based on what Anne writes. Therefore I'd say just jump in and have fun. Right now I'm guessing where going to head to Subata to the apothacary, and mabey find out that the switched tea is poisonous. Really, simply switching an inexpensive tea for an expensive one seems kinda anti-climatic.

Red Scarlet

Anne Radcliffe on Jul 19, 2013 wrote:

OOC: We should be heading to Subata, Elizabeth, so you can jump in there, or join the party before they leave Hamamitsu. I anticipate a little more plot development (I expect we should be visiting Yao Fang, the apothecary there, but maybe he will need your help?) before we jump into the big fight, but as everyone is making this up as we go along, you never know. So jump on in! Say, there's a library in Subata, you know...

And, yes, there would be ships with Takazaki's family emblem on them in the Khotan skyway... nice deduction, Scarlet

OOC: At the library right now.

The green-eyed blonde that we all know so well leaped up the stone steps leading to the Library of Contemplation, rubbing her hands up and down her arms, trying to warm her body. She breathed out, watching her breath float into the air. Elizabeth had just finished meditating at The Eye of Harmony, enjoying the beautiful sights of the skyways and listening to the crackle of fire next to the two shrines and the birds and crickets chirping to make a wonderful harmonious sound. She breathed in the sweet smells of the cherry blossom trees, her favorite of all trees, and she listened to fer feet crunch in the snow. Lizzy wore black and green Mooshuian robes and shoes, the Setting Moon articles of clothing to be exact, while she was wearing no hat. Rather, she had her hair pinned back with some white orchids.
Lizzy marched into the library and closed the doors behind her quickly so as not to let the cold air in and the warm air escape. The sudden change in temperature caused her nose, her cheeks, and her fingers to turn cherry red. Lizzy rubbed her finger-less gloved hands together and shook from the cold as she walked into the library.
"G-g-good evening, Quan-Shi!" Elizabeth stuttered, smiling. Her shoulders were hunched up so high that they had to knock her hoop earrings out of the way to touch her ears. When she breathed in, you could hear it because of how shaky it was.
"Good evening, Elizabeth! So delightful to see you again so soon!"
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "Good to see-ee you again, too!" Lizzy got right down to business, taking a scroll out of a stand and then marching to the middle of the room. She sat down on a red cushion and rolled out the scroll, pinning it down with four little rocks so that it wouldn't roll itself back up again. She then took a small Valencian book out of the pack on the side of her belt, and dived in. Every time she reached a symbol that she didn't quite know, she reverted to her Valencian translation book and then nodded as if to say 'I should have known that!'
She took out another piece of parchment and began to write, gathering information from the two scriptures and then writing it down in Valencian so that she could read it better. When she was done, she put the book back in her little pack and the scroll back in its stand, then once first bowing to Quan-Shi, left the library.
Lizzy headed down to the Subata Temple Tea House and leaped behind the counter, trying to warm herself up. After having went outside again, she resembled Santa Clause once more. She immediately set to work.
After a few hours, Elizabeth's skin was whiter than the moon from the baking powder she had used. She wiped her face, washed her hands, and smiled at everyone in the tea shop. "Hey everybody! I made dumplings!"
Elizabeth watched as it seemed like everybody in the village crowded into the tea shop. Lizzy grinned at her brilliance at making more than enough for the entire town of Subata.

Can I join this roleplay thread, just to make sure.

Anne Radcliffe on Jul 20, 2013 wrote:

OOC: and swapping an inexpensive tea for an expensive one would be pretty silly economics too , but no, there's a reason this story is "Tea Leaves of DOOM"

Yao Fang was pleased to see paying customers, and even more pleased by the puzzle that was given to him. For the next several hours he ground various powders, mixing them with the tea leaves and smelling the solutions -- a couple of times even tasting them, a dip of the finger then onto the tongue, a potentially dangerous test, surely, which alarmed Anne, and she protested. Yao Fang merely winked at her, telling the pirates that he was a professional, but certainly, they should "not do this at home". He then burned tiny samples of the teas in a candle flame, mixed powders with teas and burned them, examining the changing flames, all the while taking notes.

Finally the apothecary shook his head. "There most certainly is a difference, honorable friends, and were I to hazard a guess, I would say that another solution was poured over these leaves, that was then allowed to dry on them before they were packaged," he pointed to the Moolong leaves that had been taken from the warehouse. "For what purpose, I can not say. Though there are some aspects that are familiar to me, this is not something I would readily recognize from my normal work. I need some references." He quickly wrote down some instructions, hasty calligraphy, on a small but beautiful sheet of rice paper. "Ask to borrow these texts from the library. At least one of the scrolls should have the information that I am after."

[So there you are, Elizabeth -- and anyone else -- the Library at Subata!]

Emma nodded. "Thank ya kindly, Yao Fang. We're gonna go head to the library now." The Library of Contemplation was a place Emma visited almost as regularly as the tea houses, which was a lot. The Musketeer was surprisingly quite the reader, and had an astonishing collection of books in her house. She stopped by the library often, intrigued by the rare stories she found there. The blonde darted out the door and made her way to the library, she noticed a large crowd outside the tea house. They'd better be careful if they're purchasing tea of any kind... I wonder what all the fuss is about?

She shrugged, and walked on. The cold of snowy Subata made the blonde happy she was wearing a dress and boots suited to the Mooshuian weather. She followed the winding paths that lead to the Temple of Eternal Serenity and the Library of Comtemplation.

Anne Radcliffe on Jul 20, 2013 wrote:

OOC: and swapping an inexpensive tea for an expensive one would be pretty silly economics too , but no, there's a reason this story is "Tea Leaves of DOOM"

Yao Fang was pleased to see paying customers, and even more pleased by the puzzle that was given to him. For the next several hours he ground various powders, mixing them with the tea leaves and smelling the solutions -- a couple of times even tasting them, a dip of the finger then onto the tongue, a potentially dangerous test, surely, which alarmed Anne, and she protested. Yao Fang merely winked at her, telling the pirates that he was a professional, but certainly, they should "not do this at home". He then burned tiny samples of the teas in a candle flame, mixed powders with teas and burned them, examining the changing flames, all the while taking notes.

Finally the apothecary shook his head. "There most certainly is a difference, honorable friends, and were I to hazard a guess, I would say that another solution was poured over these leaves, that was then allowed to dry on them before they were packaged," he pointed to the Moolong leaves that had been taken from the warehouse. "For what purpose, I can not say. Though there are some aspects that are familiar to me, this is not something I would readily recognize from my normal work. I need some references." He quickly wrote down some instructions, hasty calligraphy, on a small but beautiful sheet of rice paper. "Ask to borrow these texts from the library. At least one of the scrolls should have the information that I am after."

[So there you are, Elizabeth -- and anyone else -- the Library at Subata!]

Scarlet stood stareing wide eyed at the multitude of shelves containing more potions, concoctions, and compounds than even she had ever seen in one place. Scarlet was so transfixed by the sight of the apothocary that she almost missed Anne and Emma leaving for the library. Just in time Scarlet caught up to the other girls, with her pockets mysteriously bulging.
(OOC: Scarlet may be a scientifically minded pirate, but she is still a pirate and possibly a slightly (very slightly) less honourable pirate than either Anne or Emma)

"Unfortunatly, I can't join you inside the Library, I'm under a short term ban." Scarlet confessed sheepisly, "The last time I was there I accidentaly made a bit of a mess for the Librarians, that and I have some really overdue scrolls still, so I will just wait aboard Emma's ship."

With a quick glance behind her towards the apothacary's door, Scarlet hurried in what she thought was a casual manner to Emma's ship.

Highlander Fox of ... on Jul 21, 2013 wrote:

Emma nodded. "Thank ya kindly, Yao Fang. We're gonna go head to the library now." The Library of Contemplation was a place Emma visited almost as regularly as the tea houses, which was a lot. The Musketeer was surprisingly quite the reader, and had an astonishing collection of books in her house. She stopped by the library often, intrigued by the rare stories she found there. The blonde darted out the door and made her way to the library, she noticed a large crowd outside the tea house. They'd better be careful if they're purchasing tea of any kind... I wonder what all the fuss is about?

She shrugged, and walked on. The cold of snowy Subata made the blonde happy she was wearing a dress and boots suited to the Mooshuian weather. She followed the winding paths that lead to the Temple of Eternal Serenity and the Library of Comtemplation.

As the girls headed to the Library of Contemplation, an errant breeze wafted to the fragrant odor of fresh steamed buns. "Mmm, smells like the buns my foster mother, Mao Xue, used to make," Anne commented.

Her stomach suddenly rumbled, evidently having forgotten about being served tea, noodles, and cakes only a few hours earlier. She looked questioningly at Emma. "Do you think we could stop by the tea house for a snack before or after going to the library?"

Highlander Fox of ... on Jul 23, 2013 wrote:

Emma nodded. "Sure, why not?" Emma smiled. The blonde also hoped the tea house had some tea... Well, duh it had tea, it's called a tea house. Maybe they also had Pocky*.

(OOC: *Pocky is a Japanese snack that is a biscuit stick usually dipped in chocolate, green tea, almond, strawberry, or other flavors.)

The pair turned their direction down to the tea house, which still had crowds trying to enter. I still hope tea isn't currently a necessity for them. Still, what is all this fuss about?

OOC: I CALL THE CHOCOLATE POCKY!!! ;) i'm sorry,chocolate is my kryptonite, so don't use it against me. XD

Highlander Fox of ... on Jul 24, 2013 wrote:

OOC: I CALL ALL THE POCKY! XD It's seriously really delicious... I have what, seven boxes of it?)

OOC: Wow, lucky! It sounds totally awesome! I'm going to have to ask my dad about that. XD (He loves Japanese food, he'd be the first of my family to know where pocky would be available.)