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Tweak says, "Conky?"

Dorcas Meadowes (bp_dorcas) wrote in breaking_point,
@ 2010-12-27 21:39:00

Entry tags:

*complete, 2025 12, character: caradoc dearborn, character: dorcas meadowes

RP: Dorcas and Caradoc
Who:Dorcas and Caradoc
Where: Ministry (possibly elsewhere later)
When: December 27
Summary: Dorcas and Caradoc talk after a day of work

She'd worked through the holidays, giving others with family the chance to be off since she didn't have a family to spend the holidays with. Tomorrow she was going to be off, as would she on New Years eve, which she was looking forward to. She'd heard about the party at Eros and was hoping it would be as fun as it sounded. '

When she finished for the day, she spotted Caradoc still at his desk and walked over. "Hi there," she said. "How was your day?" she asked.

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caradoced
2010-12-27 08:56 pm UTC (link)

The holidays were always a good chance to catch up on paperwork, and though there were still patrols to run and they were still putting the pieces back together after the mess Riddle had caused, Caradoc was glad for the respite. He stayed later these nights to finish up work that had been pushed aside when they were dealing with the worst of the mess, and now he was playing catch up.

He didn't mind it terribly though, he liked being organized and knowing that things had been done right. It was good for there to be a record of their actions, it held them accountable. And if this war, the third some had lived through, taught them nothing else it was that people needed to remain accountable for their actions. A record was the best defense and in some cases the best evidence against a person as well.

Looking up from the notes he was making when he heard a familiar voice, Caradoc arched an eyebrow at Dorcas, "Same as yours I imagine." He told her. "We still do the same job, remember." He smirked slightly, leaning back in his chair. "You off now?"

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-27 09:07 pm UTC (link)

Dorcas chuckled. "Since when does the same job mean doing the same things in this division?" she asked teasingly. "But I'll take that as a fairly standard day, and yes so was mine."

She nodded at the question, leaning back against his desk. "Right," she said. "You too? Or do you still have some more work to do?"

"I was considering grabbing some food at one of the pubs before heading back to the estate. Want to come?"

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caradoced
2010-12-27 09:26 pm UTC (link)

He snorted and shook his head. "You know damned well what I mean," He told her leveling his gaze at her as she teased him, and she got with the program a moment later. They might do different things during the course of a day, but they all did the same kinds of things. He expected nothing less than standard from Dorcas, if she wasn't in St. Mungo's things had probably gone off just fine after all.

"I am finishing up a few reports before I was going to call it a night." He told her, nodding to the papers that still littered his desk, thankfully she'd managed to find a spot to lean that was, for the time being, paper free.

He arched an eyebrow when she asked him if he wanted to go eat with her, knowing Felix his brother would probably be working late - just the way he tended to - and he shrugged. "I suppose I could do that, man's got to eat after all. Mind waiting a few minutes, while I finish this up?"

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-27 09:48 pm UTC (link)

It was so easy to tease Caradoc, and quite fun too, but Dorcas refrained from laughing and settled for smiling at him as he answered her. She turned her head enough to look over her shoulder when he talked about the reports, nodding. "Sure," she said, glancing over the headings before looking back to him. "I need to change out of uniform anyway."

No one could say the uniform was comfortable, not if you'd worn proper robes that fit the way they were supposed to. Today though, she was aiming for jeans and a top. The jeans today looked fabulous. She still remembered a time when you had to spell shut the jeans if wearing them too tight, but jeans today managed to be comfortable and tight enough to be sexy at the same time. As much as she'd grown up a wizard, how could you not like that?

"How about me meeting you back here after I've changed, you'll have time enough to finish up," she said, pushing off his desk and heading out of the office. When she returned she wore tight fitting jeans and a jumper that managed to fit well in spite of being warm. A coat and a warming spell and she could brave the winter outside.

"So where do you want to go?" she asked with a bright smile as she returned. "The Leaky Cauldron or one of the places in Dorinta?"

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caradoced
2010-12-27 09:59 pm UTC (link)

He nodded when she said she needed to change - never enough to wear the uniform after hours. He didn't mind it terribly, especially after going as long as he had in borrowed clothes. It was good to have something that was his, and actually fit him, or fit him as well as the uniform fit anyone. "Sure that sounds fine." He agreed. "Take your time." He called out to her, glancing up just briefly as she headed out of the office to change.

Caradoc wouldn't make it through all the reported he'd planed on doing that evening, but he finished the one he'd been working on, and the rest would keep until the next day, so he didn't let himself worry about it - there would be time enough to make sure it was all taken care of properly.

He'd just filed away the completed report when Dorcas returned, having changed out of her uniform and into clothes that were much more form fitting.

"Suppose we could go anywhere really, though I don't think I'm up for braving the Leaky tonight." He chuckled, and decided to transfigure his robes rather than changing completely. The spell would hold for the rest of the night and he didn't have to deal with new clothes while at work. "You been to any of those new places in Dorinta yet?" He hadn't really been able to check it out yet, he'd been to the opening, but he hadn't really had a chance to really see the place now that more businesses had taken up residence there.

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-27 10:14 pm UTC (link)

Dorcas wasn't so sure what there was to brave at the Leaky, but she was more than up for trying a new place. "Not all of them," she answered with a chuckle. "I've been to a couple, but not very many of them. Mina's pub looks good from outside though. From what I've heard they're supposed to have good burgers."

To be honest she'd been out far less than she had used to be when she lived the last time around, and wasn't that an odd thing in itself? Back then she'd had friends and lovers, but now there were only the people she lived with, Caradoc and a few others whom she knew. It wasn't the same, but she was determined to change that.

"What do you say? Should we try this Mina's place and see what it's like or just go there and see what strikes our fancy when we're there?" Not that she was in a hurry to be out in the cold. Warming spells were all nice and well, but they didn't keep for long in this kind of cold.

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caradoced
2010-12-27 10:23 pm UTC (link)

He nodded when she told him about a pub in Dorinta she had seen but not visited. "Well I don't know about you, but I don't fancy wandering around in that weather any longer than we have to - so let's leave the sight seeing trips for a day when the weather is a little bit warmer, okay?" He asked her with a smirk.

If Dorcas wanted to go out there and freeze her arse off she was more than welcome to it - but he just wanted something to eat, maybe a bit of conversation that didn't revolve around work (which probably meant going out with Dorcas was a mistake), before he went home for the night.

"Come on then Meadowes I haven't got all night," He smirked at her and started heading for the door without waiting or looking to see if she was keeping up with him, he didn't doubt it though.

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-27 10:49 pm UTC (link)

"A few days?" Dorcas asked with a small laugh. "I never pegged you for such an optimist. But sure, we can walk around some other time and go for the food now." Besides, she knew enough about men to know that keeping them from food was a bad thing.

She rolled her eyes at him as he headed off, chuckling as she followed. "Always such a gentleman, aren't you?" she retorted though the teasing grin was heard in her voice as she followed him out of the office.

Not long after they walked in at Mina's pub and were seated at a table and had placed their orders. Her coat had been thrown over another chair and she had a pint of beer in front of her. Now this was much nicer than the office. "So did you have a nice Christmas?" she asked as she leaned back. Having worked all days of Christmas herself she knew who had had days off and who hadn't. Caradoc had been there almost as much, but not quite, and unlike her he did have his brother around to spend it with.

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caradoced
2010-12-27 11:18 pm UTC (link)

"Not in a few days, when it's warmer Meadowes, and here I thought you were a brilliant witch, something happened to damage your hearing?" He teased her with a smirk. "You really ought to know better than to think me of all people is an optimist."

"That's me." He chuckled, hands stuffed into the pockets of his transfigured coat, he'd add a warming charm when they were outside. "My mother raised me very well."

It was warm inside Mina's and Caradoc was glad for that, they hadn't been outside long but it was enough to make him grateful for the heat inside. And he might like to make sure things were in order at the office, but he'd take a pint and good food over working late any day. "It was good, even managed to get Felix out of the office for an entire day." He chuckled, he might work a lot, but his brother almost always had him beat. But it was the holiday and it was one day a year, so the brother's could deal without going into the office for once and spend a little time together.

"How about you, did you take anytime off at all?"

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-27 11:40 pm UTC (link)

"Pfft, I'm still brilliant, thank you very much," she retorted. "Maybe you need to speak up so it's easier to hear you?" she said with a laugh. Or maybe she was more tired from working than she thought, but she didn't add that. She wasn't one to show weakness unless she had to. It was easier to just tease and be teased back.

"Of course she did," she laughed, in a better mood already.

She smiled when he spoke of his brother, taking a sip of her pint as she nodded at the question. "Figured the people with family could take the time off," she said with a shrug. "They need it better than me, after all. I have a day off tomorrow and then a couple around New Years and someone who should have worked got a happier Christmas." Besides, it meant less time to miss her family. She'd only be depressed that they weren't around if she was at home alone for Christmas, even with people in the house. She'd rather not think about it, and it was easier every other day than that particular one.

"So I take it Felix is enjoying his job then, if it's you getting him out of the office. I'd think it would be the other way around."

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caradoced
2010-12-28 09:03 am UTC (link)

He snorted. "Or maybe some of us have just been working too much and we're not quite as brilliant as we normally are." He suggested with an easy smirk in her direction - it was better being out of the castle, being able to go home at the end of the day, he didn't feel quite so on edge when dealing with people, and it was easier to tease.

"Well aren't you just completely selfless." He said shaking his head and smirking as Dorcas told him why she had worked over Christmas, though he didn't envy her not having any family around. He'd had only a short amount of time without his family and yet it was enough to know that he would be a lot more like her if his situation was the same.

"Any plans for New Years, since you're going to have the time off?" He wasn't really sure what he was going to be doing yet, if he was going to be up to doing anything. He had his hermit reputation to think about after all.

He chuckled, "Felix makes me look like a normal person when it comes to our work." He informed her with a grin. He remembered just how much Felix had wished to be up at the Ministry the moment the battle had been over, helping out with paperwork and everything, at least he still held a little sway over his brother. "I'm not sure what everyone's aversion to paperwork is, it's a necessary part of our job. If this was all just running out and hexing the bad guys then going home at the end of the day, we'd have a lot more people in the department." He reminded her, though he wasn't really very forceful with his argument.

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-29 07:47 pm UTC (link)

"That some of us meaning you?" Dorcas teased back, smiling as she nudged him with her shoulder. It did not escape her that Caradoc felt more at ease these days, and she had to say she was pleased to see him more relaxed.

Laughing slightly at the comment, she shrugged as he said that she was selfless. "Seeing how the option was spending Christmas alone, I'm not so sure selfless is the right word," she said. "But thanks for trying." She looked up as their dinner arrived, waiting until the waiter left before answering Caradoc's question.

"I'm heading to Eros. I heard their New Years party is supposed to be grand, so I figured I might as well check it out," she said before taking a bite of her burger. "How about you?" she asked when she'd swallowed. "Or are you working?"

A smile spread on her face as she listened to him speak of her brother. It was obvious how much he cared about his brother. She didn't say more on the topic though, but instead sniggered at his next comment. "Necessary doesn't mean you have to love it," she said with a grin. "Personally I don't mind it too much, but that doesn't mean I don't try to get through it as fast as humanly possible. If I'm working late, it's because I'm on someone's tail, not because I want to make sure the report of how I caught one is in order."

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caradoced
2010-12-30 09:34 pm UTC (link)

"Whatever you need it to be so that you can still feel good about yourself." He chuckled when she nudged his shoulder. He was feeling more like his old self - and even that wasn't exactly right, there wasn't a war to deal with now and just that knowledge had a profound effect on the way Caradoc was able to go through his days.

He snorted shaking his head. "Maybe you ought to learn to take a compliment one of these days, you ought to know better than most I don't just go throwing those around for just anyone." He reminded her, not that he hadn't been teasing when he made the selfless compliment, he knew what it was not to have anyone for the holidays, or to be the one being kept away during that time, and he didn't envy her that.

Shrugging, Caradoc took a pull from his drink. "I'm working during the day, but as I've been reminded more than once the day doesn't have to be over when you clock out for the night. I might make an appearance at some party." He wasn't really sure, but he had been keeping himself busy at work recently, it wouldn't hurt to get out and actually enjoy life - the way people kept saying he needed to.

"Who said anything about loving it?" He asked her, smirk plain on his face. "I don't love a great many things about this job of ours, but that doesn't keep me from doing them, or avoiding them like the plague the way some people do." He told her, he'd work late to get paperwork finished so he had more time later to work on other cases, it all made sense to him, and putting things like that off caught up with you eventually, and that was something he didn't need to deal with.

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-30 10:13 pm UTC (link)

Laughing was easier when the person you were speaking to was in a good mood, and Caradoc's mood rubbed off on her. It was also fun to be able to tease and joke with him again, even if she ignored some of his statements in favour of others.

"I promise that when you pay me a compliment I deserve, I'll take it with a thank you," she said with a grin, raising her burger to her mouth, washing it down with some beer. The food here was pretty good, she decided, and she would definitely be paying this place another visit or two.

"You should," she said after swallowing. "It's not New Years without a party. What else would you do? Go to bed early and miss the turn of the year?" She smiled. "And if you don't like the party you can always leave and go find another one, though from what I hear more or less everyone is going to be at Eros."

She chuckled. "I didn't advocate putting it off though did I?" she answered, eyebrow raised. "I said do it as fast as possible so you don't have to stay late doing it. It all comes down to how efficient you are."

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caradoced
2010-12-30 10:58 pm UTC (link)

He shook his head at her. "That's not exactly how compliments work, Meadowes, didn't anyone ever teach you that?" Gods knows people gave compliments all the time about things that weren't even deserving of notice let alone compliments, but you learned to take them at some point in your life.

He chuckled. "There's nothing wrong with catching up on your sleep, I can't think of a better night to do it actually - while everyone else is out busy with parties, seems like the perfect time." He teased, he wasn't quite that much of a hermit yet, but the idea did have merit. "Well considering the type of fare that Eros has to offer I'm not surprised that it'll end up being the destination point for most people.

"You and I seem to have two different definitions of efficient." He told her shaking his head, you could do it fast, but that left the chance that you would miss something. He'd rather take his time and make sure everything got taken care of than rush through things in his haste to get out of the office at the end of the day.

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-31 07:04 am UTC (link)

Laughing, Dorcas leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her beer while being careful not to get it in the wrong throat. "Didn't you know? Manners wasn't a part of my education," she teased, clearly joking. "I promise I can take a compliment, you don't need to worry about me." She grinned, then rolled his eyes at him as he continued.

"Oh no, you're not going to sleep on New Years," she said with a laugh. "It's the worst night ever to do that. Come to Eros and dance for a bit. You'll have fun." How could anyone not have fun in a place so decadent?

She shrugged. "Whatever works for you," she said with a grin. "We're all different."

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caradoced
2010-12-31 07:37 am UTC (link)

He snorted and shook his head. "Believe me Meadowes I don't think there is a person in existence that is not aware that manners are not a part of your upbringing." He assured her with a smirk, pulling on just a bit of his own pureblood upbringing as he gazed at her. He didn't normally make a fuss about it - but there were times when it was amusing to play that card. "I'm not worried about you, I'm merely making you aware of social mores."

Chuckling, Caradoc shook his head. "No, I'm not going to sleep on New Year's Eve - though it's tempting. They say it's best to ring in the new year with someone than alone." He told her with a grin. "Might as well enjoy myself that night."

"That we are." Caradoc agreed, he most certainly had his own way of doing things and he knew for certain that Dorcas had her own more showy way of taking care of things - he supposed it was part of the reason he preferred working alone, tracking and building a case slowly rather than jumping in wands up.

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-31 07:54 am UTC (link)

Oh it was hard not to burst into laughter at that look, but through biting her lip she managed not to. "How kind of you, dear sir," she said in mock seriousness. "I will take your words into advisement and strive to do better in the future." Okay so she couldn't keep from laughing. She cracked about two seconds after the words left her mouth. Being a pureblood yourself helped of course. She was from a good family, she just had had a different upbringing than most.

"Exactly," she agreed. "And at Eros you'll have plenty of people to ring it in with and enjoy yourself with." She certainly intended to.

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caradoced
2010-12-31 07:38 pm UTC (link)

Caradoc really had to struggle not to snort at Dorcas' impression of class. The girl might be good at her job, but she really wasn't cut out for that sort of thing. "I think you'd better stick to catching bad guys, and just avoid social situations from now on." He told her chuckling. "Either that or take some lessons on how to talk to people without sounding like an idiot." He teased her.

"That's what I've heard." He nodded, there would hopefully be not just the general company for the evening, but someone he could take home at the end of the night, he'd gotten far too caught up in work recently and he missed that kind of connection.

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bp_dorcas
2010-12-31 08:28 pm UTC (link)

Had they been in the office, she would have scrunched up a piece of paper and tossed it at him. As they weren't she settled for laughing. "You are so not a gentleman," she teased, almost sticking her tongue out. "I'll have you know that I do excellent in most social situations, well when the people I speak to aren't complete snobs." She grinned. "You are right that I am absolutely brilliant at catching bad guys though. I think society will prefer that I keep on doing it."

Without knowing Caradoc's thoughts, she had similar thoughts of her own. She was tired of going to sleep alone every night and she'd had far too little sex since she came here.

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caradoced
2010-12-31 10:05 pm UTC (link)

He laughed and shook his head. "Never claimed to be one, Meadowes." Not that he couldn't play the part when necessary. There was a reason Caradoc had come up with his reputation as a hermit. He might know all the rules about how to behave in society, but he'd never seen the point. So when it was necessary he did, but otherwise he was more than content to avoid that sort of thing. "I think you're right about that, who knows the sort of trouble you could get yourself into if you tried to join society." He teased.

It was good they'd gone out, it gave him a chance to relax and he didn't mind Dorcas' company, in the end he was glad for it. And they night wore on the two of them teasing each other and generally having a good time until it was time to go and catch a few hours sleep before starting their routines all over again.

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