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.

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[akatawitch]

Sunny was momentarily puzzled at how low on the door the sound was, but given she wasn't expecting anyone else she self-consciously smoothed the skirt of her dress--red, but more a rich burgundy shade than her usual preferred bright orange-red--and her hair--one of the rare times she did a twist out--before she went to answer.

She went through a series of reactions in quick succession, each flitting across her features. Pleased to see Faizel, understanding and amusement when she saw his arms were full, and then deeply touched and delighted when she saw the flowers. "Oh..." she said, reaching out to take the bouquet. They smelled lovely.

She grinned at him as she stepped out of the doorway. "Come in, come in."

[faizel]

"I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I just got chocolate cake. I imagine most people like chocolate cake..." He babbled, heading inside and admiring her for a moment before speaking again.

"You look lovely, by the way. Truly."

[akatawitch]

Tucking the flowers close to her chest, Sunny pushed up on her toes and kissed him sweetly. "Chocolate is perfect. And the lavender's lovely." It also made a nice counterpoint to her decor, which was largely warm colors--oranges, yellows, pops of red.

[faizel]

Cheeks going ever so slightly pink, Faizel nodded once and then turned to place the cake on the nearest flat surface.

"Please, tell me how I can help prepare dinner," he said cheerfully. "My culinary skills are... Well, questionable, but very much at your disposal."

[akatawitch]

"I may have noticed this," Sunny teased, moving toward the kitchen to get a vase, filling it with water so she could stick the flowers in. She buried her face in the blooms momentarily as she did so, enjoying the scent. "But I figure, hey, this way I get to bolster your questionable skills and teach you a thing about my culture at the same time."

[faizel]

Faizel nodded a little, looking around the kitchen unsure of where to place himself.

[akatawitch]

"You can take off your shoes if you like," Sunny told him. She herself was barefoot, even if she'd made the effort to look nice. Wearing shoes in her own home was just not going to happen.

She placed the flowers on her--for tonight, cleared--table. It had just this morning been covered with her books, some for school and some for research, any research, she could do with regards to Anael. Even Philip was banished for the evening (though God only knew if that would stay that way).

Then she move to the counter, and held up a knife. "I trust chopping is in your questionable skill set?"

[faizel]

Toeing off his shoes carefully by the door, the wizard looked unsure.

"Um, well- Yes, but... I usually just-" He paused, retrieving his wand from a pocket stitched into his sleeve. "You know- Cheat."

[akatawitch]

Sunny smiled at him. "I am all for cheating during the cleanup. For right now, though, we're doing this by hand."

[faizel]

"Right... Well, just promise me we can cheat if I manage to lop off a finger, hmm?" he said, reluctantly tucking his wand away.

[akatawitch]

In that event, Sunny would happily cheat, but her response was to go wide-eyed and ask, "You've never cooked by hand before?"

[faizel]

"I have. ...I make things sometimes. ...Toast, and- Things. ...Honestly, why would I bother when I can just-"

He gestured with his hand, and while not as focused as his wand, his magic still easily moved some items off the counter and onto the chopping board.

[akatawitch]

Sunny visibly faltered for a moment at that. It wasn't that she couldn't--didn't--do the same thing, only it was something she saved for the times she was too tired or too short of time to cook. It was one of many marks of her Lamb upbringing and family. She had to know how to do things without magic, and to her the question was more why do things with magic that don't need magic for the doing?

It should not have bothered her much at all, but she was trying to share something of herself with him, and there was always a kind of vulnerability in that.

She set the knife down on the counter and padded over to him, putting her arms around his neck. "Please?"

[faizel]

For Faizel, it was the opposite- Why waste time and energy on such mundane tasks when there were more important things to be done? Why spend time chopping carrots when you could cut four things at once without looking up from your textbook? Wasting time on such little things would have gotten him scolded at home to be honest, and laughed at in school. It grated a bit against his nature, but he nodded a bit.

"If it's that important- Alright," he said. "Perhaps next time we can do things my way though?"

[akatawitch]

"Sure," she agreed. "Just..." and here she did falter and lower her eyes. "I must sound a little mad, right? But if the point was doing this the easiest way, I'd've just done it myself."

[faizel]

"No, it's fine it's just... I don't know, I'm used to putting efficacy before all else, that's all," Faizel admitted. "It's fine- I'm sure it will be very enjoyable."

He wasn't actually sure of that, to be honest, but he did think it would make Sunny happy. He felt like he so often said or did the wrong thing. At least he could do this right for her.

[akatawitch]

Practically being in position already, Sunny kissed him again. And then she solemnly promised--so solemnly that she could only be teasing him--"The chances of you lopping off a finger are next to zero."

[faizel]

Ears slightly pink, Faizel nodded and smiled. "Alright, but if one comes off, you're putting it back on," he teased, kissing her quickly in return.

[akatawitch]

Sunny looked wounded to the core. "You say that like you think I've never done that before," she said as she pulled her arms away and beckoned for him to join her at the counter. Ginger, garlic, onion, yams, and okra were all in need of a knife.

Two knives. She had two cutting boards waiting. "I went back and forth on what would be the right thing to make. And I figured this was about as gateway of a dish you could do. Groundnut stew is all over West Africa. It's one of those things that's so common that no two families make it exactly the same way. Across several countries, two official languages, probably a thousand tribal ones, and they all know this in some form or other. The only point that everybody agrees on is when someone makes it without heat, we should all cry inside."

Spices were waiting off to the side for later, and she gestured briefly to them to punctuate what she'd said.

[faizel]

Faizel listened and nodded, wondering if he should have brought something more personal than cake.

"So... What should I do first?" he asked, glancing over curiously.

[akatawitch]

Sunny picked up a garlic bulb and a piece of ginger a couple of inches long. "Which one do you want to peel?"

[faizel]

Both looked like a horrendous task, but Faizel pointed at the ginger. "I can do the ginger," he offered.

[akatawitch]

Sunny handed it over, then reached into a drawer and pulled out a spoon which she handed to him as well. "You avoid the dreaded knife for another few minutes."

[faizel]

"I'm not dreading it..." Faizel insisted, setting to work and ignoring the itch to whip out his wand and be done with it.

"...You know, I'd have taken you out for dinner if you'd liked. Anywhere in the city, I would have," he said after a moment, glancing over at Sunny. "I know I'm not good at- This. But I do want to try and be."

[akatawitch]

Sunny in the meantime set about peeling garlic with practiced ease that didn't require her full attention. As such, her hands kept busy even when she felt her confidence take another little knock.

The last thing he wants is to hurt you. He didn't mean it that way.

"Yes, I know," she answered, the lightness of her tone belying the pang she felt at that. "Is this already so heinous?"