Princess Charlotte Morningstar, cherished by her father, Lucifer Morningstar, exhibited a certain naivety and innocence. A considerable amount of time had passed since the last extermination, and life was gradually returning to its normal routine. That afternoon, several residents of the hotel gathered in the kitchen, collaborating to concoct a remedy for the common afternoon slump. When Charlie stepped into the room, everyone greeted her warmly, treating her as they would on any typical day, until she posed a question that shifted the atmosphere.
"Hey, which one of you was planning to let me know that tea tastes different when you steep it in hot water?" Charlie asked innocently, causing all conversations to come to an abrupt halt and leaving Niffty looking quite distressed.
"You're actually using cold water?" Niffty exclaimed, her shock teetering on the edge of mania, while Angel encouraged Charlie to elaborate.
"Yeah, I honestly thought for about five years that people just used hot water to speed up the tea-a-fication process… I had no idea there was a real reason behind it," she admitted with a nervous laugh and a gentle wave of her hand, suddenly aware of how the mood in the room had shifted dramatically.
Angel stood there, utterly astonished, his face transforming into one of disbelief and surprise. He then exclaimed, "You really don't have the patience to microwave water for three minutes?"
Vaggie, taken aback by the absurdity of Angel's statement, responded with clear irritation in her voice, "Why are you putting it in the microwave, to boil it?"
With his characteristic flair for the dramatic, Angel placed a hand dramatically against his chest, his fluff bristling with indignation as he replied, "Do you honestly think I have the patience to boil water on the stove?"
Vaggie lets out a deep sigh, her face displaying clear frustration as she pounds her fist into her other hand to emphasize her point to Angel Dust. The rest of the room watches the heated exchange in utter disbelief. Charlie begins to feel a sense of guilt for even introducing the topic, attributing this seemingly pointless argument to the afternoon blues that everyone seems to be experiencing.
"It takes less than a minute!" Vaggie exclaimed, her agitation with Angel growing.
"Vaggie, is this stovetop powered by the sun!?" Angel retorted.
"How long does it typically take you to boil a cup of water on a stove?" Vaggie asked, her frustration evident.
"I don't know, maybe around seven minutes!" Angel replied, clearly on the verge of losing his patience.
With a sigh, Vaggie closed her eyes and explained, "Just place the mug on the stove at medium heat; it will boil in about two minutes. If it takes more time, you should use a saucepan."
At this moment, Alastor and Husk entered the room, having overheard part of the conversation from outside the kitchen and in the lobby. Husk cast a wary glance between Vaggie and Angel, letting out a low growl as he proceeded to the refrigerator to prepare himself a sandwich for lunch, having worked straight through his lunch break. Meanwhile, Alastor lingered by the door for a brief moment before moving over to the coffee pot, holding his "Oh Deer" mug to pour himself another cup of coffee.
"Are you really placing the entire mug on the stove set to medium heat? Your stove is enchanted!" Angel continued to argue as Husk's growl resonated loudly enough to draw attention to himself. "Is every single person in this room completely insane!?" Husk exclaimed, surveying the room with narrowed, annoyed eyes. Alastor turned to observe everyone while pouring his cup of coffee, trying to piece together the ongoing conversation and argument among the residents. As he realized the absurdity of how the others prepared 'tea,' after piecing the conversation together despite his own preference for coffee, he exclaimed loudly, crackling with static, "Do none of you possess a proper fucking kettle?!"
The atmosphere in the room became quiet after Alastor's sudden outburst, as everyone exchanged glances that conveyed their uncertainty. With a noticeable sigh, Alastor reached for one of the cabinets located near the coffee pot and politely asked Vaggie and Angel to step aside. He retrieved the tea kettle and proceeded to the sink. Once there, he lifted the lid and filled the kettle with the appropriate amount of water before making his way to the stovetop, where he placed the kettle on the burner and turned on the heat.
He then turned to face the residents, his expression clearly displaying annoyance as he awaited the kettle's whistle, which signaled that the water was heating up. After approximately three minutes, once the kettle emitted its distinctive sound, he promptly turned off the heat and approached Charlie, offering to fill her mug with the steaming water. After she nodded in agreement, Alastor placed her mug on the counter and poured the hot water into it, ensuring it was filled to the correct level before returning the kettle to the stove.
Completing this task, he sauntered back to the coffee pot to retrieve the tea bags. Once he had Charlie's preferred tea bag in hand, he leaned over to place it in her mug, whispering, "Four minutes, my dear, and then remove the tea bag. Tea is best enjoyed warm unless it is a hot day, in which case it is best served cold." Charlie expressed her gratitude to Alastor as he grabbed his coffee and seamlessly shadow-traveled out of the room.
After Alastor exited the room, a sense of disbelief washed over everyone as they exchanged glances with one another and then turned their attention to the kettle on the stove. It was at that moment that Angel, with one of his long, delicate hands resting thoughtfully under his chin, mused aloud, "I wonder if Voxtec makes an electric kettle."