Page Turner
Meant to invoke reading by a fireplace, the tasting notes are smoke-forward but also papery... maybe it even kind of tastes like a book??
 
Ingredients:
Sage
Ginger
Smoked Black Tea
Cinnamon
Clove
 
Tin: 15 tea bags - Net wt .79oz (22.5g)
Resealable Bag: 30 tea bags - Net wt 1.58oz (45g)
 
The Page Turner
You have been in this library a thousand times, but this time, it’s different. This time, you want to see if there really is a ghost. You have heard the rumors of the ancient library being haunted for as long as you remember. People say they have seen objects materialize in thin air right in front of them. Others say the opposite and that objects, and even people, have disappeared never to be heard from again.
 
You emerge from your hiding spot between the cold stone wall and an old shelf in a dark corner, where you had waited until all of the scholars left. You head up to the second floor and go straight to the door of the sealed wing. You try the handle expecting it to be locked, but it is not. Which is lucky because your lock-picking skills are not the best.
 
As you cautiously enter the room, a sudden burst of thunder startles you. It begins to rain, and as the sky grows darker, you find that you are unable to see into the room.
 
"I should have brought a candle," you mumble to yourself, but as soon as you say it, a bright fire instantly ignites in what seems to be a hearth. This scares you more than the thunder did. In fact, your reflexes cause you to jump back a little out of the room. Who lit that fire?
 
"Hello? Is anyone here?" No response. Then you remember the entire reason you are here. Could this place actually be haunted?
 
"Sorry... you just startled me. I’ve never done this before, so uh... If you are there, give me a sign."
 
You instantly feel a sharp pain on your head as an object bounces off and lands on the ground. This was more painful than startling (more startling than the thunder but less startling than the magic fireplace). You rub your head in surprise and pick the object up off the ground. It’s... a sign? Like an actual wooden sign. It has a post and a board, and the board says "SIGN."
 
You enter the room and move towards the fireplace, not really sure what to do about there actually being some sort of sarcastic ghost. As you approach, you can now see the walls are actually entirely made of bookshelves, and they are covered with hundreds of old-looking tomes. You can smell the rain that has started pounding the roof, you can smell the paper and leather of the books, and you can smell the logs crackling in the hearth, which is inviting you to step closer.
 
You see a cozy-looking armchair next to the fire, and you approach it and sit down. You aren’t really sure what to do or say. You thought the whole haunted ghost in a library thing would be a lot scarier, but you are more confused than scared. The fire feels wonderful and as you gaze upon the room and its hundreds of books on the wall you can’t help but wonder why the ghost chooses to stay in here? Can ghosts go anywhere or does he just like to read? 
 
“So uh…You have a lot of books here, do you have something I could read?” you ask the ghost. Just as you finish speaking, a book appears out of thin air and lands on your lap. You look at the cover and the title is “SOMETHING”. You roll your eyes but realize maybe you need to be more careful with your choice of words. You flip the book open and start reading, and sure enough the book actually is something after all. As you read about something, you realize the book isn’t just about any something but a specific something.
 
I'm a vessel for warmth and delight,
Handle me gently, hold me tight.
In the morning, you'll find me steeped,
A companion for moments to be contemplated, deep.
 
“Teacup." you say instantly, "Honestly not a very hard riddle. Steeped is such a specific-” but before you could finish your thought the book in your hands emits a white a glow and starts to physically change shape, slowly moving in on itself. It reshapes itself into a teacup. You stare in amazement as the words and letters on the inside of the book cup appear to melt down the sides of the page, pooling at the bottom of the cup. A steaming kettle appears in the air before you and slowly tips over into the cup. You have been frozen just starting at the cup as it fills with hot water. Some letters like L and T and F start to float to the top. Other letters like D and G and B seem to stay at the bottom. You have no idea why. The kettle disappears and as the liquid sits you can see inky black trails start to slide off the letters and dissolve into the water. 
 
“Is this tea?” you ask. Well now that you have said it, it seems rather obvious after the whole bit about the teacup and the magic kettle filling it from thin air. You take a tentative sniff, it smells smokey like the hearth. It also kind of smells like a book, but that is to be expected. You very carefully slurp at the edge of the liquid so as not to burn your tongue.
 
“Hmm… Yes, definitely smokey… and… bookish?” you never drank a book before but you're pretty sure you are doing so now. Suddenly, a strange feeling hits you. You take another sip and… yes! Each sip is like reading a story. It’s a very bizarre sensation to read via drinking but as you approach the bottom of the cup you feel like you have read an entire novel. The protagonist was alone, trapped in this very room. People would come in but never be able to see him. He would stand in front of their faces and scream and no one ever knew he was there. Honestly it was an incredibly sad and tragic book and you don’t think you would have been able to read it if it hadn't tasted so good. 
 
You know exactly what to do now. You set the cup-book thingy down and head back to the public level. When you return, you ask “How about another cup of tea?” as you hold up a book titled “How to Assist a Non-Corporeal Entity in Escaping a Library”