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Tweak says, "You're simply the best"

michael corner is reluctantly growing up (mlcorner) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2011-12-26 22:12:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: november 09 2003, character: lavender brown, character: michael corner

Characters: Lavender Brown & Michael Corner
Setting: Lavender's flat, 9 November 2003, 2:31pm
Rating: General Public
Summary: Catching Lavender up on the meeting & getting free baked goods.

Michael wasn't sure if he felt good about the meeting or not. They had discussed plenty of things and learned loads from all different sources, but there had been confrontation and not many had considered some of what he said to be realistic, which he had expected, but being the dutiful not-boyfriend that he was, he had still said it. He wanted to give Lavender a full account of what all had happened, but he had a feeling she wasn't going to like all of it. Hopefully he could put that part off for a while.

Michael knocked on her door rather than trying to enter through the roof, though at least he had been extended an invitation this time. So maybe that meant that he wouldn't be expecting anything to be thrown at him, not that he wouldn't put it past Lavender to turn the tables on him at any moment. He waited for her to open the door, holding a bouquet of lavender coloured flowers he had procured on the way over to Lavender's flat.

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lavishly
2011-12-27 07:32 am UTC (link)

Lavender took the flowers thanking him as he came into her flat. She crossed over to the kitchen so she could get a vase for the flowers. "I look and feel heaps better today than I did last night and I was really in no position to be dealing with that level of...well, anything." She shook her head. "But so far today has been good - like I said full of sleeping, reading and a little baking."

She turned around, leaning over the island. "There's spinach quiche in the refrigerator and that's chocolate zucchini." Lavender reached over to see if her cake was still warm. Sure, there were spells to help that sort of thing along, but she always thought it tasted better if she waited and let it cool normally. "And my carrot cake is cool enough to frost if you'd like a slice of that."

Her normal appetite had returned today, which was a good thing and she was intent to make all of her favorites while that was the case. Although in all fairness, just about everything she could bake was a favorite. "Okay, so maybe more like a normal amount of baking."

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mlcorner
2011-12-27 08:28 am UTC (link)

Michael followed her toward the kitchen area, listening to her speak. "Sounds like you've had a busy day. Sleeping the day away, have you? Sounds like a nice way to spend one's time." Michael leaned against the wall out of her way and watched her. "I'd offer my help but y'know, I don't know anything about any of this so I wouldn't be any help at all."

He glanced around and laughed a bit. "You call this a normal amount of baking? What does a lot of baking look like, then?" He might have been good with potions recipes but he never could understand cooking.

"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask you - have you tried to use any sleeping potions yet? I'm working with a few to see if I can't modify them toward these memories, but seeing as sleeping draughts are made for actual dreams and not memories, it's not really that easy. I've made some stronger versions of the normal sleeping potions though, we can at least give them a try for now." He shrugged, surveying her baked goods as if what he was saying wasn't really that much of a feat. Maybe if he could manage to block out the memories from their sleep that would be something, but at the moment he didn't feel like he was accomplishing anything but playing at potions.

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lavishly
2011-12-27 06:34 pm UTC (link)

"That's okay you can just stand there, watch, and provide conversation." Maybe another time she would offer to teach him how to do something because it really wasn't the complicated. She supposed it wasn't that difference than potions class, but without the gross ingredients.

"A lot of baking would be this doubled or maybe tripled, and that would just be what I manage at home." As she spoke she moved effortlessly around her kitchen to get what she needed to make the frosting. "I mean at the shop this isn't even a little. Sort of like the cake." The carrot cake was miniature having used the smallest pans she had, but she had to do something with her carrots. Other than throw them at unwanted guests.

"No, no sleeping potions, I don't like to do anything new the week before." It wasn't the best, but she had away to manage her monthly issues. At least that way she knew what to expect. "Do you think some sort of dreamless drought would work because they're not exactly dreams?" Not to mention it wasn't solving the problem, just putting a bandage on a wound.

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mlcorner
2011-12-27 07:13 pm UTC (link)

"So do you ever start baking in bulk because you are used to doing it at work? Instead of just making enough for yourself - or y'know, me?" he laughed, because obviously he wasn't the only person she would make things for.

Michael nodded, knowing that for her it may be a bit more tricky than the others. When she asked about the dreamless drought he shook his head. "No, I don't think they would. The drought might affect them in some manner, though. Since it's not actually your memory, it's coming forward when you sleep because your mind is most vulnerable then. So it may pull you out of the memory and leave only Pandora's bits in - y'know, the people who were actually involved in the memory, rather than you lot who weren't even there. But I think you'd still experience the memory just like before, just not with you in it." He didn't know if that was for certain, but seeing as dreams generally involved the person who was dreaming them, it seemed logical enough that the dreamless drought would stop them from dreaming about themselves and allow room for the memory to play on loop ad nauseam while they slept, which wasn't what he was really attempting to do.

"I wonder if there is a way to mix in a targeted temporary memory obliviation..." Michael mused, mostly to himself.

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lavishly
2011-12-28 12:49 am UTC (link)

"I'll do it." She didn't need to hesitate or pause to consider if that would work or not. "I'll try your sleeping potions, see if that gives me any distance or any some sort of lucid state so that I could interact with it." Lavender had experienced lucid dreaming before, it wasn't always the greatest of experience, but it was definitely something familiar to her. "Especially if it could help."

This morning might have been largely taken as a day of rest from her physical exhaustion, but also away from everything that she had been messing around with the dream database, the spots and what she was so caught up in. For a little while she needed to pretend and even sort of believe that things weren't that bad. It was short but necessary respite, as she tried to ignore the possibility that it might also be the eye of the storm.

"Can you even obliviate something like that? Not that I know anything about it, but I doubt it would be easy."

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mlcorner
2011-12-28 01:22 am UTC (link)

Michael was a bit surprised by how willingly she volunteered to help. He hadn't even really asked it of her and considering all the other things she was doing and the shite she had to deal with, he didn't really expect to put it on her to do more. "You sure? I mean, you're doing plenty already, Lav. I will need people to try them, obviously, since that's the only reason I'd be making them anyway, but I don't want to make anything more stressful for you."

He shrugged at her question. "I never really looked into memory charms much. We'd have to ask some Obliviators about that. But I'm sure we could look to see if we can find anything on it. Anything is worth looking into at this point, though I don't think any of it concerning these memories is going to be easy, honestly. Whatever they are, they aren't normal magic.

"I would like some carrot cake though, so long as I can eat it and not have it thrown at me." He gave her a lopsided grin, attempting to change the mood from the grimness.

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lavishly
2011-12-28 02:29 am UTC (link)

"It's effecting me and I'm willing. I don't really have anything to lose, do I?" Her Gryffindor tendencies always came out when needed. Brave and a little foolish, but that was what you needed to be brave sometimes. Lavender looked up from the frosting she was whipping up to him. "And it's a good idea."

It certainly wasn't something she would have thought of, but maybe it was better that there were other brains working on this. She had said as much at the start - after all, she was just Lavender Brown, barely taken seriously and most likely to be underestimated.

She smiled at him when he mentioned the cake. "Well, I think I might make you work a little earn a slice and learn something in the process. Why don't you grab a spatula you like," she pointed to the assortment of baking and cooking utensils on the island. "Then get over here I'll give you a quick tutorial on cake frosting."

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mlcorner
2011-12-28 03:33 am UTC (link)

He nodded. "I suppose not. I doubt it could make them any worse, just leave them the same if anything. I hope they do something though." Michael rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't really thought about it being a good or bad idea really, just an idea to do something. "I just wanted to see if I could do something for you lot. Thanks for helping me with this, Lav."

He sighed dramatically. "Oh alright fine. I guess I can do that." Michael walked over to look at the cooking utensils. "So which one is a spatula again?" he grinned at her, picking one up and standing next to her. "Alright, if this gets ruined, don't blame me." Michael poked her in the side with his spatula.

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lavishly
2011-12-28 04:38 am UTC (link)

"The worst you can do is make things crumbly, but I would probably forgive you if it came to that." She nodded, doing a good job at sounding serious. Lavender set down the bowl and pulled out the pulled out the mixer, taking a swipe of the frosting from there to make sure it tasted right. "Otherwise, the most of it is aesthetics and I don't need a pretty cake today." He would even get a practice round with the filling layer and really it would taste good all the same.

Lavender turned to him, obviously surprised when he poked her, but by no means upset by it. Seldom having to share baking space with anyone who wasn't family, she was pretty sure she hadn't ever been poked with her own cooking utensils. At least not in a playful manner. "You know, I don't think that's quite what they are used for." Feeling a need to answer his little poke, she batted his nose with the mixer, leaving a dollop of frosting behind.

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mlcorner
2011-12-28 06:42 am UTC (link)

"Well I don't know about you, but I certainly was expecting a spectacular looking cake today. I can't eat it if it's not going to look like the do at the bakery. If you're going to let the standards drop at home, who's to say they aren't going to drop at the bakery too? I might just need to have a word with your aunt about the work ethic of her niece at this rate. This is really unacceptable." Michael stuck his tongue out at her, though that didn't do much for him as he ended up with frosting on his nose in the end anyway.

Michael stuck his finger on his nose, putting it to his tongue to taste it. "Mmmm. Well now, Lav, I think that was a waste of frosting. Who's using utensils for incorrect purposes now?" Michael raised an eyebrow. He dipped his spatula in the frosting and waggled it threateningly in front of her face. "You just made a mistake, love." He bent the spatula back and let the frosting fly toward her face, laughing.

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lavishly
2011-12-29 01:19 am UTC (link)

"Michael!" She shrieked, trying to move out of the way of the flying frosting. Only she wasn't quick enough. The frosting hit the side of her face, getting in her hair. Flour in her hair by accident was one thing, but frosting intentionally was something different. While not exactly appropriate, it was a far better memory to associate with the frosting than what she had to go through to get the cream cheese for it. No, this was exactly what she needed - a bit of fun.

"I don't think it tastes better in my hair." She brushed the frosting out and shook out it so it fell down on the ground. With her other hand she reached over and cut a piece from the top half of the cake. "But I think you should try some cake, to see if they go well together." Lavender picked up the cake and smushed into his face. Some of it had to go into his mouth.

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mlcorner
2011-12-29 04:55 am UTC (link)

Michael was still laughing when she smashed the cake in his face, so he ended up with plenty in his mouth. He chewed dramatically with his mouth wide open, making loud "Mmmm" noises as he did. "This is so much better when it's baked into a cake and not being thrown at me," he said, when he was finally able to speak after swallowing the bit that had made it into his mouth.

"But I don't want to be rude, Lav. Here, you should have some too." Michael looped his arm around her waist to pull her to him and rubbed his face against hers, trying to get the cake to stick to her face instead of his. Most of it crumbled down between them but he laughed anyhow. "Now that is how you share a cake," he said and then dipped his finger in the frosting. "Oh wait, you need some of this," and painted her lips with it before leaning down and kissing it off of them.

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lavishly
2011-12-30 07:13 pm UTC (link)

Lavender laughed, eyes pressed close to prevent crumbs from getting in, but also because he was close again. She supposed on some level this was what twenty-three was supposed to feel like - full of laughter, cake, and kisses. Pretending in that perfect, unburdened other version of her had got her into trouble in the past. It was because no matter how hard she tried to forget or let them go, her burdens were always there heavy upon her head.

Still, she kissed him. The frosting making it a bit awkward, but not in a bad way. Feeling bold, she reached into the bowl, coating a finger with frosting so that she could smear it on his cheek. So, when she broke away from his lips with a little nip she could lick and kiss the frosting off his cheek. "You know, I can't say that this is quite what I had in mind when I invited you over." She wrapped her arms around his waist, amused by the turn of events.

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mlcorner
2011-12-30 08:03 pm UTC (link)

Michael grinned down at her, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Now you know better than to invite me into the kitchen to help," he laughed, shaking his head a bit.

"Alright, do you want to actually frost this cake, or is it ruined now?" It was missing a piece since it had been shoved into his face, but he supposed the rest could still be done. "I promise to behave...mostly." He gave her a smirk and kissed her one more time before stepping back and wielding his spatula again. "Let's frost this baby so I can eat it already!"

Michael was glad that this afternoon had started off nice because when they began talking about the meeting, he didn't think it would be quite as pleasant.

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