InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "...one good reason to do it."

Maeve Sheridan knows she's better than you. (few_and_far) wrote in wished,
@ 2010-07-26 23:28:00

Entry tags:

!2003: 07, !complete, delaney twilfitt, maeve sheridan

Characters: Maeve Sheridan and Delaney Twilfitt
Setting: Slugs and Jiggers, Monday late afternoon//The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley, Monday evening
Summary: Maeve attempts to have a nice, normal, quiet day at work and Delaney is determined she have otherwise.
Rating: PG, some kissing and awkward flirting.

Staring up at the top of the shelf, Maeve pulled her wand out and waved it in it’s general direction. Two jars on the top floated down to the table gently, directed by her wand. Both were neatly labelled with the ingredient, lacewing flies, and the date they’d started stewing. Maeve carefully removed the lids and surveyed the contents of both containers, deeming them still unripe, and levitated them back to their place. Across the shop she heard the door creak open, admitting what was surely another irritating customer in but she chose to ignore it, surely Susan or someone else was that could save her from suffering that torment twice in one day. She'd already gotten caught that morning and been forced to walk one old biddy through the differences between the Draught of Living Death and a simple Calming Draught.

She shelved away the pickled mandrake she’d brought out in the first place and picked up a few empty phials before heading back for the other side of the shop, more than ready to hide herself away in her tiny workshop for the rest of the day. There weren’t many orders to keep her busy but she had her own solution simmering that had been brewing for two days and wasn’t almost mature. She’d be damned if she was going to let hard work be ruined at this point. Before she could retreat completely she remembered she’d also needed saltpeter shavings and turned back, so surprised to find someone behind her she gasped softly.

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few_and_far
2010-07-28 03:38 pm UTC (link)

Maeve raised an eyebrow at Delaney's confidence, feeling a little less sure that it wasn't too early to be labelling themselves as getting along so well. There was still plenty of time ahead of them for things to go south. But she let it slide and took another drink.

She was in the middle of drinking when the waitress came back around and Delaney ordered her another round. Downing the mouthful fast enough to stop their waitress would have resulted in choking, she was sure, so she let her go. "Thanks," she responded dryly, keeping the eye roll in.

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delaneytwilfitt
2010-07-28 09:05 pm UTC (link)

"So," Delaney ventured, sensing that the drink had almost crossed a line with Maeve. "Tell me more about this potion you're going to make for my brother. Do you think it's worth ordering something similar for myself? Have you always liked Potions, enough to make it your job? Or is there something you would rather be doing?"

Self centered Delaney might be, but it hadn't escaped her notice that Maeve had loosened up considerably as soon as Potions had been mentioned earlier. She was hoping it would have the same effect now.

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few_and_far
2010-07-28 09:47 pm UTC (link)

Delaney's observation wasn't off the mark, once she brought the conversation back around to what Maeve considered the safety of Potions, she lightened a little, choosing to forget about Delaney's pushy ordering habits. "There is nothing in the world I would ever consider doing," she said, matter of factly, taking another drink. As far as Maeve was considered potion making was the pinnacle of magical arts and to succeed in it would be the greatest accomplishment she could manage.

"You could if you so wished," she said, going back to answering the first of her slew of questions. "There are a variety of different types of potions," she explained, not caring whether or not it sounded condescending. "Tinctures, poisons, philters, brews," she ticked off examples on her finger. "For your brother I'm making an elixir, a solution that will capture the magical essence of the ingredients in it. It's not overpowering and the effects build on themselves over time so it's ideal for regular use." Personally she thought it was a costly alternative to enforcing proper eating and lifestyle habits or even just a bottle of regular vitamins, but she was the benefactor and felt no need to share that particular observation. "If you wanted to, you'd be perfectly able to, I'm sure."

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delaneytwilfitt
2010-07-28 10:17 pm UTC (link)

It was concerning to Delaney that her smile wasn't nearly as predatory as she would have liked. In fact, it was dangerously close to genuine, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Your eyes light up when you talk about Potions," she blurted suddenly, and blushed slightly. "It's very pretty."

Surely that had been the alcohol speaking - Delaney shot a dirty look at her glass and pushed it aside (after finishing the contents of it, of course. Well, this evening was a wash. She felt sure that Maeve would get up and leave after hearing that little bit of word vomit.

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few_and_far
2010-07-28 10:23 pm UTC (link)

"I'm sure it's not," Maeve said promptly, brushing away the compliment with barely a chance for it to register. She hesitated as she raised her glass, finally noticing the other woman's blush and raised her eyebrows curiously, not sure what exactly she'd missed. "Potions is simply an excellent topic," she pointed out, taking Delaney's comment as one on the fine choice of conversation material.

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delaneytwilfitt
2010-07-28 10:32 pm UTC (link)

Had she really not realized? Had she really not understood Delaney's blunder, and glossed over it like it was nothing?

Letting out a deep breath, Delaney regained most of her composure. Normal flirting seemed to bounce off this woman like water of a duck's back. She hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, so Delaney could go back to being smooth and suave.

"I can't remember the last time I had a conversation about Potions," she said, lowering her voice and leaning in a little, as if for Maeve to hear her better. "It is fascinating. I will confess that while I never showed any real aptitude for potionmaking at school, I've often thought that cooking is similar - the right blend of herbs and spices in food can sometimes be... magical... don't you think?"

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few_and_far
2010-07-28 10:49 pm UTC (link)

"I have conversations about it every day," Maeve stated, even though she realised that much was surely obvious. She sipped her drink and tried to relate to the comparison Delaney was making and felt it wasn't the worse one she could make. "I don't cook much, actually," she replied, taking a moment to wonder what types of foods she'd be able to prepare in the shop's tiny studio she occupied. "But it's an apt comparison, I'll give you that."

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delaneytwilfitt
2010-07-28 10:56 pm UTC (link)

"I could think of worse things to talk about," Delaney said, leaning in a little more. She wondered, idly, if the drinks were beginning to affect Maeve at all.

"It's not like I'm a gourmet cook," she admitted. "There are a couple of things I can make, and make well - my spaghetti sauce has received rave reviews. It's one of the only things Nico will finish a place of. I've seen him lick his plate, a couple of times."

The platter of food between them was beginning to look a bit sad and empty, the two of them having been picking at it for a while now. "Perhaps..." she hesitated. She didn't want to be too forward, and ruin all the progress they had made that evening. "Perhaps I could make it for you... I could show you how...?"

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few_and_far
2010-07-28 11:10 pm UTC (link)

"I can make sandwiches," Maeve said simply, realising only after she said it how it might sound possibly sadder or sillier than she'd intended. She chose to blame the drink. Which, after another moment, she realised was possibly another bad sign.

But she finished off the glass anyway, using the action of drinking to keep her brow from furrowing at the onslaught of thoughts. "Perhaps," Maeve agreed, considering the truncated offer. "Sometime. It might be nice to know how to do more than make toast and boil soup."

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	delaneytwilfitt 2010-07-28 11:19 pm UTC (link)
	Delaney laughed softly, eyes twinkling at her. "I bet you make great sandwiches." The food was gone, their glasses were empty, and Delaney ordered two more. "One more," she said to Maeve, "and that's probably enough, don't you think?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

few_and_far
2010-07-28 11:26 pm UTC (link)

Maeve refrained from wincing when Delaney ordered yet another round for them. She'd thoroughly intended on making that last one just that, her last. "I was thinking that was actually enough for me," she said, even as the glass was being set in front of her. She took a drink from it regardless and set it back down firmly, giving Delaney a look of obvious doubt. "I don't drink very much," she admitted, glancing back down at the miniature light show in her glass.

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	delaneytwilfitt 2010-07-28 11:34 pm UTC (link)
	With wide eyes, Delaney apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... I mean, I was just going to have one more, so I thought you might want... you don't have to drink it, if you don't want..." She let out a breath. "I promise I'm not trying to get you drunk. I'm enjoying your company, a lot. I don't want to alienate you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

few_and_far
2010-07-28 11:44 pm UTC (link)

Maeve blinked at Delaney's sudden shift, apologising and acting thrown by her honest statement. "It's alright," she said, surprised to see something other than the controlled demeanour the woman had kept up for the rest of their time together. She took another drink to show there was nothing to be too concerned about and shrugged. "I'm not a child. I'm capable of sending it back if I really don't want it," she pointed out, ignoring the bit about her enjoyable company.

Honestly, apart from a few awkward moments that had thrown her, she was actually enjoying herself. It certainly wasn't the evening she'd expected when she'd considered the night ahead on the walk over. Delaney had made it perfectly clear earlier what her intentions were and Maeve felt the whole concept too big to deal with, it was easier to just dwell in the present. Which was actually turning out to be...sort of fun. "I think," Maeve pushed aside the thoughts and her glass and picked up her clutch. "I need some air. Or a walk." She stepped away from the table without saying goodbye, she assumed Delaney would follow along after her either way.

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