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Tweak says, "He is the Space Heart!"

lavender is sure that living is worse (lavishly) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2011-11-24 22:53:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: november 04 2003, character: adrian pucey, character: lavender brown

Characters: Lavender Brown & Adrian Pucey
Setting: Rising Loaf, sometime after 1pm
Rating: general public
Summary: Adrian comes around the bakery to say hello.

After wiping down her station all she had to do was load her latest batch -- peanut butter and blackberry jam -- into the display case and she was officially off the clock for the day. Normally that meant she would be heading home for a nap in the hopes of feeling like an actual person if she wanted to do something this evening, but she was sort of avoiding sleep as much as possible the past couple of days. Any time she managed to shut her eyes, it was never restful, and her normal nightmares this time of months were bad enough on top of whatever psychic event was happening - well, coffee, pepper up potions and concealer seemed like a far safer combination.

Between the lack of sleep and the emotional maelstrom of being at Hogwarts for Harry's funeral, Lavender Brown wasn't even close to at her best. Right now she was mostly just taking it a step at time and trying to not let things spin out of control, well, at least anymore than they already were. And really, maybe it was for the better that she hadn't remembered that Adrian Pucey, the really fit bloke from the gala when the world felt a little bit more normal, said he was going to stop by the shop.

If she had remembered, it would have been worse because the woman who was at the gala a few nights ago was not the same one at the bakery today. That woman was put together and charming, able to hide all of her insecurities behind a mask. Sure, she had ways to hide them in the day-to-day, but they weren't quite as good.

No, it was better to just focus on the display case, while the lunch time rush buzzed around here. She could be out of here in a few minutes and she would figure out what came after that when she got there.

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everupward
2011-12-06 08:43 pm UTC (link)

"Not everyone's happiness manifests the same way," Adrian responded thoughtfully. He briefly returned his attention to his lunch. chewing and swallowing before responding to Lavender's next questions. "Actually, both. I did want to simply come satisfy my own curiosity, but I've learned a bit more since we first spoke. You're running some sort of database regarding these nightmares people are having aren't you? I'm impressed with your initiative. I think it's a very good idea, having that all in one place."

Not to mention he wanted to know what, if anything, the database had turned up in the way of 'coincidences'.

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lavishly
2011-12-07 02:12 am UTC (link)

A bit of both made it a little more complicated because she didn't really know where she stood on the whole thing. Lavender took a moment to consider her sandwich, decided that she should at least try to eat and it gave her time to weigh her approaches.

"Well, I've always sort of dabbled in divination." That was the easy bits, general public knowledge that anyone who knew her at school wouldn't be surprised to find out. Although half of them wouldn't take it seriously because it was her, but even getting half of the information was better than not knowing. "And I mean I'm having the nightmares myself, so I would sort of like to get to the bottom of things and you know maybe get a decent night's sleep again."

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everupward
2011-12-07 04:06 pm UTC (link)

Divination. Adrian didn't put any stock into it at all. He found it too imprecise, too full of mystical symbols and in his opinion, guesswork. He'd never see a true seer in the grips of a vision, and even if he had, he'd have likely written it off as stuff and nonsense as well. He did, however, believe in instinct, in gut feelings, and so long as he could tell himself that the thoughts and ideas gleaned from divination were manifestations of someone's instinct he could manage it. He kept his face completely neutral, expression unchanging when she mentioned it. There were some things he could not quite explain, after all.

However, his façade slipped when she mentioned she was having the nightmares herself. "Ms. Brown, pardon me if this seems too personal, but when you began having recurring nightmares, did you find, upon your person, a black spot that had not been there previously?" He'd paused with his coffee cup halfway to his mouth.

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lavishly
2011-12-07 05:49 pm UTC (link)

Lavender Brown was a believer, so it was probably best that he didn't voice any of his opinion. Not that she hadn't come up against that sort of thing before. She knew better than to not trust her instinct, Lavender knew that things didn't just happened out of nowhere. There was always a force behind it. Some people called it God, free will, karma...Lavender had never been so concerned with names as long as she had a way to understand it.

"A black spot?" She thought of her bruise that wasn't a bruise. And how that sort of thing had been brought up before. But she didn't give much thought to it. It was easy for her to run into a piece of a equipment in the back or even just sleep funny and have a spot. Without doing it intentionally she reached to cover the upper part of her arm where she had found such a mark. "I do have something, but I mean...I didn't think it was anything to worry about."

Her body always did all sorts of weird things this time of the month. So really a spot wasn't really that alarming, growing a tail or fur, well, then she would have a problem. "Do you think it should be something I should worry about? Do you know of other people with spots?"

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everupward
2011-12-08 01:37 am UTC (link)

Adrian watched her carefully, measuring her response to his question. He saw when she covered her arm, and presumed that's where her mark was. "I'm not certain it's something to worry about exactly. However, as far as I've been able to determine, everyone suffering these nightmares has a spot that's turned up without explanation. A black mark that doesn't hurt, doesn't come off, and just simply showed up. Does that sound like yours?"

Adrian sipped his coffee again as he waited for her response. He hadn't expected the conversation to go this way at all, but now he was glad he'd come out to talk to her. He wondered if she'd had any experiences that could shed some light. He really shouldn't even be focused on the nightmares, not with Harry's case still looming, but he couldn't shake the need to know.

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lavishly
2011-12-08 02:38 am UTC (link)

"I haven't really tried to take it off but yes, I suppose so." Now she was definitely having her healer look at it tomorrow. And hopefully get rid of the damn spot too. Even if it didn't come off easy, someone had to figure it out. She didn't want it anymore, not if it was connected to the nightmares. Maybe then they could be gone.

If she weren't wearing long sleeves she would have been tempted to pull up her sleeve in show him. (Although maybe only on the condition that he showed her his.) "Why? Do you have one too?" Was he one of them or someone looking on? Lavender needed to know now, figure out why he cared, if he cared at all.

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everupward
2011-12-08 02:54 am UTC (link)

"I don't have one," he replied. "And I haven't been having nightmares. However, my mother has and so have a few coworkers and associates." He didn't ask to see her mark, instead slightly shifting the conversation.

"I don't need specifics, and I'd rather not make you think about it in depth, but could you confirm that your nightmares are...well, could be considered much like torture?" His tone gentled a little, as best he could. He wasn't exactly the best with empathy.

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lavishly
2011-12-08 03:20 am UTC (link)

"This isn't some kind of official report you're going about collecting, is it?" There was a sort of tone to how this lunch was going that didn't sit with her right. Although that could have just been a side effect of the topic of conversation. It wasn't like the nightmares something that people were particularly verbose. From her own and the others she read, they were all violent and gross, really making her standard nightmares pale in comparison.

What she wouldn't give to just have the standard nightmare of her becoming a monster and ripping her friends apart.

Shaking her head. "But I guess it could be torture, certainly not anything pleasant like and it feels real, but not in that it doesn't always feel like me, but it still feels."

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everupward
2011-12-08 03:32 am UTC (link)

Adrian shook his head. "Not at all. Off the record. Someone is investigating it, but not my department. I will not pass along any information you tell me, not with your name attached at least. But if I find a connection that I think others should know would not be able to simply sit on it."

He picked up his sandwich again, but didn't move to eat it. "You're not the only one worried, Ms. Brown. I think your database might provide some insight and possibly even some support to those affected." Perhaps they nightmare sufferers should meet to discuss at some point.

"I asked that because the nature of the dreams - nightmares rather - seem to be similar as well." Adrian shook his head. "I apologise. I didn't mean to take a simple lunch conversation in this direction." He paused for a moment and then suddenly asked, "How long have you been baking?" Changing the subject to something she enjoyed might help.

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lavishly
2011-12-08 03:42 am UTC (link)

She couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity in conversation change. One moment she was wishing for nightmares of eating her friends instead of being eaten alive by pixies and now he wanted to know about her baking. It was just too much. Lavender was overcome with a sort of nervous, awkward, but honest laughter that even managed to catch the attention of a few of the people nearby.

"I'm sorry, it's just-" She waved her hands trying to pull herself together. "I mean, well, quite the non sequitur there." Lavender would call it for what it was because that seemed the far interesting point of conversation, rather than her history with baking. At least for her anyway.

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everupward
2011-12-08 03:54 am UTC (link)

Adrian stared at lavender as she laughed, surprised at her reaction. Finally a rueful smile crossed his own features. "I suppose there wasn't any sort of segue there. I just didn't want to continue such a heavy topic over such a delicious lunch. I thought I out to ask about something you seem to enjoy."

It had been a very poor attempt to change the subject but his original intention had still been accomplished: she was not thinking about terrible nightmares now.

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lavishly
2011-12-08 05:34 am UTC (link)

Except that the story how she got into baking wasn't exactly a better topic. It was just trading one horror for another, but at least this one was familiar. "A few years now, it was something I sort of fell into." Lavender swept her hair back behind her hair, bringing those scars back into view. She didn't think they gave her any sort of character, it was a reminder of what she was now and what she couldn't be.

"You met my aunt who runs the business and my uncle makes most of the bread. So I guess it's a family thing." Only her mum directed theatre and neither her father or sisters seemed to have any talent or interest in baking.

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everupward
2011-12-09 04:12 pm UTC (link)

Adrian saw the scars. He however, made no mention of them, nor did he shift his focus to them. He knew what they were and why they were there. He had researched her a bit, learned she'd been attacked by Greyback about five year ago, during the war. And she survived. Few of his victims did. As far as he could make out, she hadn't been bitten, and wasn't a werewolf, which was a blessing.

Ahh, Merete is your aunt then. I wasn't exactly certain of the relations. I suppose it's nice to be in the family business and actually enjoy doing so. In too many cases, families expect you to be a part of it and you must either disappoint them by choosing your own road, or submit and be quite miserable. It's nice to know there is that third option." He finished the last of his sandwich and turned back to his coffee.

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lavishly
2011-12-10 12:51 am UTC (link)

"That's what older siblings are for, well one of the things at least." Or in her case, much older siblings who she didn't always like. Before Lavender had even thought about her OWLs, Libby was on the path to taking over the Seaside Guest House. And of course there was Eliza, prefect beautiful smart Eliza who was a healer. While Lavender was a baker, but at least she was good baker.

"I take it you didn't go into the family business then?" Lavender didn't know a thing about his family, but they were on the topic, so it seemed like the sort of thing to ask. Especially because working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement didn't exactly seem to be a family business sort of venture.

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everupward
2011-12-13 03:13 am UTC (link)

"Ah, are they? I've none myself. A few cousins, but no siblings, so it was all on me, I suppose. Anyway suffice to say I did not follow the path my mother preferred I take."

He finished the last of his coffee and set down the empty mug. "I however chose to do what i wanted and felt I could do well, as well as contribute something." not to mention attempt to clean up his family name and distance himself from the Yaxley side.

"Unfortunately, I'll have to be getting back to the office." Every minute he wasn't working Harry's murder case was another minute it went unsolved.

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lavishly
2011-12-13 03:41 am UTC (link)

"Of course." She really didn't want to keep him any longer than she already had. He had been a pretty good sport about the whole thing. And it hadn't been completely horrible, or at least she didn't think so and that counted as a win in her book. Well, unless her aunt decided that having one lunch with a man actually meant something and there would more prodding about it later, but she would deal with that when it came. There was no sense worrying about it now.

"Thanks for indulging my aunt and staying for lunch." Not that she had eaten much of hers, but she was finished work for the day and in no rush to go anywhere. "It was nice to meet the man behind the mask." She offered him a small smile, hoping that even if she didn't live up to expectations that it wasn't horrible or unwanted experience for him.

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everupward
2011-12-13 03:46 am UTC (link)

"My pleasure," Adrian replied sincerely. He had actually had a pleasant lunch, better than eating over his notes would have been, and the break refreshed his mind...and gave him a bit of insight into Lavender Brown. He'd keep an eye on her and her dream database, should any of it prove important.

With a parting nod, he exited the bakery, lighting up a cigarette as he went. That had been a bit unexpected, but all in all, rather enjoyable.

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