Be Mine - Valentine's Day 2017

[londoncallingmods]

Lucky in love or not, London was a lovely place to find yourself on Valentine's Day. From romantic walks through various parks, to intimate dinners or shared deserts in the many restaurants and cafe's- There was something for everyone, because if wandering or dining wasn't for you, well, there were plenty of organised events to attend.

London couldn't claim to be the city of love, but it was certainly a city of possibilities.

Comments

[akatawitch]

"Affection's very important," Sunny agreed. "The most important thing. But we are... very different people. With very different personalities, interests, education, expectations, cultural context, upbringing, outlook on life, need for physical contact..." She let out a laugh that was more a sigh than anything. "Who are on top of all that attempting to be more emotionally intimate than either of us have ever been before. Why in the world would that be hard?"

[faizel]

"I didn't mean to imply it was easy, only that trying too hard doesn't make it easier," Faizel assured her, his words simple and soft.

[akatawitch]

"Mm." Sunny considered that, then nodded and pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck before letting him go, like that was something she did all the time instead of the first time she'd dared to do it. "I think we may be getting at more or less the same idea." More or less, only they were phrasing it differently. She could be, as he'd not incorrectly pointed out, pushy.

[faizel]

"Maybe," he agreed with a small nod, surprised by the kiss, but managing not to tense in surprise.

[akatawitch]

Didn't flinch. Progress. Sunny wouldn't push it right now, though. She moved back to the stove. "I don't think you've really talked about your father before."

[faizel]

"No?" Faizel asked. "I suppose not. There isn't much to say. He was a scholar, occasionally teaching, but mostly doing research involving new applications for old and obscure spells and potions, among other things."

[akatawitch]

The only question to ask to that was only one word. "Was?"

[faizel]

"Mmm, he passed when I was seventeen, not long after I stopped studying under Aspid," Faizel replied, not appearing too troubled by that fact. He had no ill feelings towards his father, but he didn't outwardly express any pain either.

[akatawitch]

He didn't sound upset, but all the same Sunny flinched. "Damn, that's some timing." Because it was, since she knew that Aspid's... well, calling it care made her ill, but she couldn't think of a better word for it--had not been pleasant, and to go from that to a parent loss had to suck.

[faizel]

"It wasn't a pleasant time in my life," Faizel admitted. "My mother came home for a while, but she was restless. She didn't want to be there."

[akatawitch]

"She tried, though," Sunny mused, though truthfully she wasn't sure what to make of that. Faizel's own description of her was of a rather distant personality. "That's something."

The oil finally heated, she started adding things to the pot.

[faizel]

"I suppose she did," Faizel replied, though his voice lacked conviction. He didn't want to talk about this tonight though. Tonight was for happy things, surely?

[akatawitch]

Sunny didn't stop what she was doing, but she did hear that uncertainty, and she did turn to look at him as she pushed things around with a wooden spoon so nothing would burn. "Do you want to talk about it?" It was a tone that both cared and would leave well enough alone if he'd rather not.

[faizel]

"No, not really," he said honestly, bringing over the last of what he'd chopped. "I'm not even sure what I'd have to say about it all, if I'm honest."

[akatawitch]

"What you felt then," Sunny answered with a shrug. "What you feel now." It was a suggestion more than pressing for him to speak more. "God knows I could talk about my family and how crazy they make me for days." Though even as she said this the corner of her mouth lifted in amusement. Aside from her father, her family did drive her nuts, but she loved them dearly too.

When the onion went in she reached for the last of the vegetables he was holding and offered him the wooden spoon. "Trade you?"

[faizel]

Nodding, he took the offered spoon and started to stir a little.

"I honestly don't know how I feel about any of it," he admitted. "I don't dwell on it really. It happened, it can't be undone or changed.'

[akatawitch]

"That's a mindset I wish I could adopt," Sunny admitted. Having passed off stirring, Sunny started measuring out various spices and adding them to the pot. Though rather than use measuring spoons, she poured into her palm and judged the amount by sight. "But I think my cold war with my dad is going to go on until one of us dies. And probably for a few years after that."

[faizel]

"That sounds exhausting," Faizel said softly and honestly, frowning a little in thought.

[akatawitch]

Sunny shrugged and continue to bustle about, adding other ingredients. "When I was born, I could have been albino or a girl, but I just had to be both. And he's never forgiven me for that. If I want to keep having a mother and brothers, I get to keep fighting the war."

[faizel]

"It's good you have them at least. ...That must help, yes?" he asked, still stirring as he glanced over.

[akatawitch]

"Mm..." Sunny ticked off on her fingers to be sure she hadn't missed anything--vegetables, spices, broth, tomatoes, peanut butter, peanuts... And also it meant that she could affect coolness when she answered, "In the event that you meet my brothers, especially Chukwu, you never heard me say that I love them dearly."

She picked up the cayenne. "How hot can you go?"

[faizel]

Faizel chose to focus on the question, rather than dwell on the thought of meeting family. That was all a bit anxiety enduing, if he was honest.

"I have a high tolerance for heat, in the culinary sense. Please, make it to your liking."

[akatawitch]

Sunny squeaked with excitement and kissed his cheek. She could never love a man who couldn't handle heat.

... Not that she loved him. Hell, not that she knew yet.

"Ever had tainted peppers?" she grinned, adding cayenne and a liberal amount of black pepper to the mix.

[faizel]

He smiled softly at the kiss, hair falling in his face and prompting him to tuck it back behind his ears.

"No, I don't believe so."

[akatawitch]

"If you had, you'd know. We'll have to fix that someday," Sunny assured him. Satisfied, she put everything down and washed her hands. "Once that's stirred in, we can leave it alone for a while."