InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "add asil"

Melinda Bobbin (_melinda_) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-12-31 23:30:00

Entry tags:

character: cho chang, character: melinda bobbin

Who: Melinda Bobbin (and open, though it works as a standalone, too)
What: After the last cake of the year
Where: Sweet Nothings
When: December 31, after closing time
Rating: SFW

Melinda was still smiling when she closed her journal. Last cake of the year had been picked up, and tomorrow was the first day of her two weeks off, before the real work with the make-over of the patisserie began. At least for her. The people doing the renovations on the place would start on Monday, but that only required approvals from her, no actual work.

No actual work…

Melinda stopped. Work was what had kept her going the past weeks. Work was what had kept the thoughts of and longing for Oliver bearable. Work was what had made her feel like she could actually do this, but now? Now the last cake of the year had been picked up and tomorrow was the first day of her two weeks off. Tonight was the party at Wingbeats, with the sexy dresses, the high heels, the make-up, the drinks, the champagne (or at the very least; sparkling wine)… the kisses at midnight.

Overwhelmed – and at the same time grateful that she had sent everybody else home for the day – she leaned against the freezer and let herself slide down until she was sitting on the floor. There was a pain in her chest that she hadn’t… no, she had noticed it before, she had just ignored it, and now it was there at full force, suffocating her and forcing the tears to her eyes. It was stupid. So incredibly stupid. Since when had she cared about stupid kisses at midnight? Or who to toast with when the new year began? This wasn’t her first New Year’s Eve as a single witch. She agreed with Marietta – and loved her just a little bit more for pointing it out to her – that she didn’t need a man. She didn’t. She really didn’t. She didn’t even miss a man, but bloody hells she missed Oliver, and she had missed him for a long time. It didn’t make sense. She couldn’t wrap her mind around how what they had had could have affected her so deeply, so fast, only to unravel and evaporate even faster. It blew her mind that it had even happened, that she could have felt this much for him, and now all she wanted to know was where it all had disappeared off to.

Apparently hers hadn’t disappeared at all, she mused as she wiped her nose on the sleeve of her chef’s coat, not caring one bit about hygiene regulations or even proper conduct while in the kitchen. None of it mattered, she figured, burying her face in the crook of her elbow and just gave in. Right now, unfortunately, she had the time. Another twenty minutes and it would be a different matter. In twenty minutes she had to at least be upstairs so she could get ready for the party tonight, though right now, partying was the last thing she felt like doing.

(Post a new comment)

charmingcho
2015-01-01 02:51 am UTC (link)

Cho had seen Mel's note about the last cake and grabbed a chilled bottle of champagne and two flutes from her kitchen. She pocketed her journal - just in case, it being a holiday and all - and headed downstairs figuring Melinda would still be in the kitchen. They had both survived the holiday season - a stressful time for both of them, every year - and deserved a toast. Plus, it wasn't like either of them figured they were getting a New Years kiss.

Cho let herself into the shop and knocked on the kitchen door, "Yoohoo," she called out, not wanting to scare Mel if she was working with a knife or anything. She clinked the flutes together and added, "I figured your note required a little celebration," but then she turned the corner and heard crying.

Oh dear. "Honey, what's wrong?" She asked, setting the bottle and glasses down on the nearest bench and immediately making her way to her friend to put her arms around her in comfort. All sorts of scenarios flew through Cho's mind - Mel's parents, the business. Who knew what could be wrong.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

_melinda_
2015-01-01 03:22 am UTC (link)

The muscles in her arms twitched, her instinct to blink away the tears, wipe her cheeks dry and hope that she could explain the red nose and sniffles as nothing more than allergies, but that was as far as she got. She didn’t even feel like trying to hide it, even before she recognised Cho’s voice.

Melinda just shook her head and leaned against Cho, finding comfort in the arms around her. “It is so stupid,” she sniffled, a small hiccup cutting her off when she drew in a deep breath. “It’s not even new, it should be gone. I had it all worked out and now there’s just time, too much time and it just hurts.” Again, she shook her head. “I miss him,” she admitted, “and it’s just stupid because I shouldn’t, right?”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

charmingcho
2015-01-01 03:32 am UTC (link)

Cho shook her head, "It's not stupid. He's stupid. He's a stupid, blind git and I have a lot more words I can use for him if you like. Anyone who could walk away from you," she couldn't finish the thought, because she couldn't imagine it, if she were honest.

She also knew what Mel was feeling... It was true that her heartbreak all those years ago had been very different - everything back then was different, of course - but the feeling of just missing him was universal. An emptiness and a need to cry no matter the reason - just because of missing him was something anyone should be able to understand. Cho better than most, though. There was little you could do to stop the feeling, besides maybe have time.

She held her friend closer and "It's not stupid at all," she repeated, smoothing Mel's hair as she whispered soothing words.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

_melinda_
2015-01-02 11:54 pm UTC (link)

Melinda shook her head; she didn’t need Cho to provide her with anymore words for Oliver, and if she was completely honest with herself, she wasn’t even sure she agreed with him being stupid. None of them were. They had gotten caught up in the flirting, the romantic gestures, the feeling of being in love and adored and really? Who wouldn’t have? No, Oliver’s only real fault in this was not letting her know when he had had enough and simply left her to wonder what she had done wrong until she had caught up with him and had put an end to it.

And now? Now that small sliver of doubt that was always there had reared its ugly head. Now she didn’t have work to bury herself in, cake designs to ponder, or details to focus on. Now there was just free time and reminders of how amazing it had felt to leave her otherwise level-headed self behind and lose herself in night-flights and sunrises with an unfathomably handsome Quidditch star. Melinda couldn’t help but snort a bit, because no matter how much she tried to convince herself that Oliver was just a pretty face with a lot of romantic ideas, she knew better; he was a good man and things had just changed for some reason she still didn’t know, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Not right now, at least.

Resting her cheek on her arm, Melinda looked up at Cho. “It was stupid,” she said and drew in a deep breath as she blinked slowly. But sweet Rowena it felt good. All of it.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

charmingcho
2015-01-08 12:02 am UTC (link)

Cho gave her friend space as Melinda moved to look at her. And then she raised her eyebrow, "And what exactly was stupid about it? You fell for someone. And it felt good. And you let yourself feel good about it." When that good feeling just ends with no closure or conclusion - when Cedric dies, when Wood just stops calling - it feels awful but there's nothing stupid about feeling good while you can.

Not that Cho was good at living up to that in her own life.

(Reply to this) (Parent)