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| The Art of Comfort Cooking; [CLOSED] | |
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| Topic Started: May 13 2007, 03:01 AM (304 Views) | |
| Mina | May 13 2007, 03:01 AM Post #1 |
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Mina knew from experience that any holiday, whether Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter, could make the students feel homesick. This was true for Mother's Day as well, whether the students had a good raport with their moms or not. Not only that, but it tugged at her heart a bit as well. Her own mother had passed several years ago, but on the upside her daughter Meghan was coming to visit for the week. And so, Mina had taken to the kitchen to bake one of her absolutely favorite things: fairy cakes. They were just like plain cupcakes, really, but more prettily decorated than those things you buy in the stores with their little plastic decorations on top. Plus they were just so much fun to make. Several batches of cakes were cooling on wire racks on the island in the middle of the kitchen as Mina busied herself mixing up a batch of plain white icing. She wore a pair of black slacks and a white button-up shirt, remnants of the suit she had started the day in. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun at the back of her head, a few blond wisps escaping to hang infront of her eyes, and her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. She paused for a moment to wipe a bit of sweat off her brow with the back of her hand before spooning a bit of icing into a smaller cereal bowl, dabbing a bit of food coloring into the icing until she got just the right color of pale, pale blue. Assorted sugar decorations in the shapes of flowers and butterflies were strewn across the counter, and the kitchen smelled absolutely fantastic. What a perfect way to start the weekend. |
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| Dia | May 13 2007, 11:01 PM Post #2 |
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Drawn to the kitchen by the wonderful smell Dia found herself looking at the headmistress. "Hello Mina. Smells good in here." She greeted her with a friendly smile as she tended to do toward anyone she came across. Coming further into the kitchen she continued to sniff the air as she looked around. "So you need any help?" Probably not but it was still good to ask. Being raised with the golden rule and putting others first before self Dia easily slipped into the help mode. If there was anything she could do or help with she would, no questions asked. Ah, icing the cupcakes. That was the fun part because if you got some on your fingers you could lick it off once you were done with all the cupcakes. To lick your fingers after one then continue was something that was frowned on but if you were a kid you'd just get a warning. If any licking off icing was to be done the fingers had to be washed before going on to ice any more. |
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| Mina | May 14 2007, 12:55 AM Post #3 |
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Upon hearing someone enter the kitchen Mina glanced up from the cupcake she was carefully icing, smiling gently when she saw Dia. "Hi, Dia," she greeted. "How've you been doing?" She always liked to catch up with the students and they knew that she was genuinely glad to hear from them. Pausing for a moment, she laid a single sugar daisy on top of the cupcake. "Well, not really, but you're more than welcome to ice some if you want," she said brightly, digging another butter knife out of the drawer and passing it to her. "It's always nice to have an extra set of hands. Besides, there's something therapeautic about baking." |
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| Riva | May 14 2007, 05:03 AM Post #4 |
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Mother's Day or not, the world didn't cease working just because of an honorific holiday. And if it weren't for the department store commercials trying to harpoon customers like harp seals with their sales spears, it would easily go unnoticed. At least it had for Riva. She wasn't very observant when it came to holidays. They were just like any other day, except you were expected to invariably buy something for someone. Well, that had been her mother's jaded logic, straight from the corporate hellhound herself. It seemed those views had rubbed off on Riva. Well, not really. Riva was just busy. She was in a new school in a new state. And she was starting off already in a new job. She managed to land a position as a floor rep at a small guitar store down in Salem. On weekends, her co-workers would alternate giving lessons to a small class of enrolled kids. It sounded like a good idea at the time--extra money to babysit a few munchkins, right? After all, who doesn't like kids? Riva didn't now. For three consecutive hours, not counting the forty-five minutes it took dear little Danielle's mom to drag her late butt to pick up her daughter, she endured that pre-K pow-wow of screeching off-key voices and the screams of guitar strings as they were butchered by their little fingers. And those were the kids that could pa attention. The ADD group? We're not even going there. The thin line of thread that was Riva's patience was mangled and frought with kinks and agitated knots by the time she stormed out of the store, any plans to hang out with a few coworkers out the window. When she made it back to the Institute, she didn't even enter the front door, positive that the next poor soul she'd chance across would probably get mauled, or something equally painful and uncalled for granted her bad mood. She circled round the back, climbing up the steps to the dining patio before she entered the kitchen's back door, a glowering expression aimed at no one in particular on the young red-head's face. She wiped her feet lazily on the floor mat, her first few steps into the kitchen a beeline to the fridge. Wrapped up in her rather negative mental recounts of the day's events, she really didn't notice the other two women in the kitchen. But it took only a few more moments for the warm aroma of the baked confections to register, her hand just about to grasp the fridge handle, pausing at the realization. She turned around, eyebrows rising in slight surprise as she finally took notice of the pair. "Oh. Well hi there," she greeted, though a bit uncertainly. It wasn't everyday you found the headmistress baking... "Cupcakes? What's the occasion, ladies?" Riva smiled, the sweet smelling scent filling her with sudden vigor and improving her mood as well, finally opening the fridge and taking her water bottle. Her guitar, which had previously been strapped to her back, was now resting on an anonymous chair as Riva settled herself on a stool at the kitchen's island, watching as they worked on the cupcakes. "Y'all been at it long?" Riva asked, taking a refreshing gulp of water, watching with unadmitted interest. Cooking and baking had been quite foreign in her household, unless the recipe involved a box of Hamburger Helper or some other prefabricated meal. |
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| Dia | May 15 2007, 11:42 PM Post #5 |
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"I'm doing fine." Of course she missed her mom but who didn't? Especially on such a day as this one. "How about yourself?" Did the headmistress find things organized to satisfaction? Did she find the school in pretty decent running shape? Dia couldn't image what it was like to run an entire school, though Mina wasn't really alone. She did have the x-men to help out and some, if not all, of the students too were more than willing to help. Taking the knife she smirked at the metal. Now this was a metal she could manipulate easily being all too familiar with it. But now was not the time to be playing around with abilities. Not that this was exactly a serious time either, it just wouldn't be appropriate to display her powers. Though as far as her icing abilities, well those she could flaunt a little no matter how poor she thought them to be. "Thanks. I'd love to ice some." "Hello." Dia greeted the young woman with a friendly grin. "They're for Mother's Day..or at least I guess that they are." Dia looked to Mina to either confirm or deny that the cupcakes were for Mother's Day or not. "I'm Dia by the way." Might as well use the conversational opportunity to introduce herself. |
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| Mina | May 16 2007, 12:09 AM Post #6 |
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While she spoke to Dia, Mina continued to ice the cupcakes with practiced, effortless efficiancy, arranging a few sugar decorations or delicate rice paper roses on top for just the perfect touch. "Oh, I'm doing just fine," she replied. It had been trial and error for the first month or so after she'd taken over the running of the school but had settled into her new position quite well. After all, she'd had quite an excellent example set for her by Xavier. Mina's eyes flickered up to Riva as she stormed into the kitchen, arching a brow slightly at her obvious bad mood. It's a good thing she'd been baking; cupcakes solve all problems. Hearing Dia's explanation, she nodded, a small smile on her features. "I thought they might cheer up anyone's who a bit homesick," she explained. "Plus, my daughter is coming for a visist, and I always like to have something waiting for her." Almost everyone at the Institute had met Mina's daughter Meghan at least once; whenever she was here for a visit the vivacious little girl tended to greet everyone she passed in the hallway. She paused for a moment to pull a large platter down from one of the cabinets and set it on the counter, arranging what cupcakes she had already iced on it. "How's your day been so far?" she asked Riva, though it was obvious from the way she had burst into the kitchen that the young mutant wasn't having the best afternoon. |
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| Riva | May 21 2007, 02:33 AM Post #7 |
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"Ahh, Mother's Day. O' course..." Riva shook her head knowingly and flashed a rather bright smile, hiding the sudden cringe that seized her gut pretty well. A busy schedule hadn't been the only factor in her forgetting the holiday--she'd consciously willed herself to do so. She and her mother weren't exactly on speaking terms, and Riva, being the hard-headed girl she was, wasn't about to break the silence. Her grandmother was a different story, however, and she felt a pang of guilt for not at least having sent her a little greeting card and prove to the sweet old woman that her grand daughter still spoke French... albeit badly. She'd have to make another trip into town, and Riva frowned just slightly at that prospect. "Nice t' meet ya, Dia. M' name's Riva. I think I saw y' name on the dorm roster, but y' ain't m' roommate. It's another new girl... bah, can't remember the name. Whatever," she shrugged, taking another sip of water. "Haven' seen ya around the Institute, though. Y' a student?" she asked, looking over the gray-skinned mutant. What sort of hair dye did she use? She simply adored her hair color. Looking over to the headmistress, Riva nodded. "Homesick or not, y' never need a reason to eat a cupcake. 'Specially home-made ones." As she mentioned her daughter, Riva arched a brow, a sly little smirk playing on her lips. "Y' a mom, Miss Mina? Tch, get outta hea," she laughed, swaying her legs lightly before she finally crossed them at the ankles. Their headmistress certainly looked good for her age--of course, 30 wasn't old anyway. But she'd seen moms who completely let themselves go after just one kid, looking like they'd had ten. Hmm, her great grandmother had ten... poor woman. Her mental tangent snapped quickly back on track as Mina asked about her day. At that innocent question, Riva couldn't help but laugh sardonically, shaking her head. "Well, I learned that my vocational future doesn' involve child care, or anythin' havin' t' do with kids. I'm scheduled t' teach the adult group next week, though, so I'll recuperate," she answered, holding back any negative remarks she had. She certainly had no room to talk. Not to a woman that already had a child and ran a school full of kids. Mutant kids. "I don' know how y' do it, but I could stand t' borrow some o' that patience.... Jesus those cupcakes smell good. Where'd y' learn t' bake like that?" |
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| Dia | May 21 2007, 07:48 PM Post #8 |
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"Nice to meet you Riva." Dia nodded paying attention to the girl as she spoke. Dia mostly listened with her ears breaking her focus on the cupcakes she was icing only once in a while. "Her name is Alix. Nice person. Brand spanking new to the mansion. Quiet in every way imaginable." By Dia's tone alone it was easy to tell that she liked the fragile looking telepath. Actually she liked anyone who was decent towards her. Those that were rude to her where very easily ignored. "I'm a student in the fact I am still learning. Learning about the mutants that go here and of course learning how to further my own capabilities. Thanks to my being here for..oh I don't know how long now I have quite a bit of control." It was just releasing some of that control so that her powers could pack a bigger punch that was a problem with her. "But no. I'm not a student. Newly appointed x-man." But like she said, there was still much that she had to learn and had no problem in admitting that. "I have to agree with Riva. These cupcakes do smell just absolutely terrific." Dia took a short break to take a deep breath in before continuing. |
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| Mina | May 21 2007, 11:50 PM Post #9 |
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Mina could see the brief cringe that flashed through Riva's eyes at the mention of Mother's Day, and to tell the truth, she wasn't all that surprised. It seemed that almost every student at the institute either had a very supportive mother or didn't speak to theirs at all. Apparently, Riva belonged in the latter category. "Y' a mom, Miss Mina? Tch, get outta hea." Hearing that, Mina couldn't help but smile, chuckling a bit to herself. "Ohhh yes," she confirmed with a small nod. "She'll be five years old in November. You'll meet her soon enough, I'm sure. She absolutely adores meeting new people." She paused for a moment to push her bangs back from her face; somehow she had managed to avoid getting anything on herself, quite a feat to be sure. "Oh, it's certainly not for everyone, I can understand that," she said, looking over to Riva. "You'll find your niche soon enough, everyone does. I was just lucky enough to find mine here." "Well, these cupcakes certainly aren't for just smelling good," she pointed out, effectively halting Dia's icing by nimbly lifting the knife out of her fingers. "They're supposed to taste good, too." She picked up two of the already iced cakes and placed one infront of Dia, holding the other out towards Riva on the palm of her hand. "Eat," she said simply. Grabbing a hand towel from one of the drawers she swiped it over the counter, doing a bit of cleanup as she answered Riva's last question. "My mother was the first to really introduce me to baking, but as I got older I started doing it as a sort of way to relax. In my opinion, there is no better way to relieve stress." It certainly seemed like it worked, too; Mina almost never appeared frazzled or worried about anything, always keeping a cool, level head. |
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| Riva | Jun 1 2007, 02:47 AM Post #10 |
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Rough day at work or not, it could never hurt to garner a few brownie points, especially from the head honcho herself. She'll probably need to redeem those by the end of the week anyway. Complimenting your headmistress's age and youthful looks could only bring good things, especially when you were as sincere and truthful as Riva... Now, Riva could only imagine what sort of child Mina's daughter would be like; the gregarious, composed angelic child a headmistress's kid would be... or the spoiled, snot-nosed bratty midget-sized monster headmistress's kid could be as well. Damn, that was one hell of a fork in the road. And she'd come up with more bad adjectives than good. 'Note to self--learn more positive vocabulary. And put it to use,' she thought to herself, smiling dulcetly. "I'm sure she's a sweet kid, but she'll pro'lly be too busy hangin' out with Mommy, 'specially if ya got those cupcakes around," the red-head grinned, making another mental note to stock up on some aspirin in case she needed it upon the munchkin's arrival. She had the interesting ability to attract kids like a magnet, which sadly wasn't part of her mutant roster. Maybe having Little Mermaid red hair contributed to that factor? Switching back to black was a definite possibility now. Looking back to Dia, Riva arched a brow, clearly intrigued. With an Xman as a roommate, she couldn't blame that Alix girl for being quite, especially if she was new. Hell, she'd be pissed. It's be nigh impossible to sneak out post-curfew for a drink... damn, if her new roommate ended up being one, or worse, a teacher.... Happy thoughts, Riva. Happy thoughts. "I see. I wouldn' mind gettin' some better control over my powers m'self. Lost track of how many lockers I broke... at my old school," she added quickly, flashing Mina one of her patent-pending innocent smiles. Shame she'd left her lamb's fleece back in her room. Riva shrugged at the niche comment, clearly not too bothered about finding her life's calling. "I still got a year to mull over what I wanna do before I finish high school here. Still gotta pick m' classes for fall; future-settin' can wait... ooh, why thank you!" It seemed her subversiv compliments had landed her a free cupcake, or at least she liked to humor herself so. Never one to shy away from gifts or obsess over carb-counting, Riva took the cupcake gingerly, peeling away a portion of the paper cup base and plucking out a decent portion of buttery-baked goodness. But before she popped it into her mouth, Riva paused, glancing back at Mina. "This is gonna sound stupid, but there ain't any peanuts, or anythin' remotely like 'em in these, right?. Gotta ask, unless y' got an adrenaline shot handy nearby." Despite the casual, matter-of-fact way she mentioned the question as though a peanut allergy were the most pedestrian thing in the world, it made Riva feel incredibly stupid asking. Especially in front of another girl her age. But it was an all too necessary precaution. |
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| Dia | Jun 1 2007, 04:41 AM Post #11 |
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Dia listened to the chatter as she slowly backed away from it. Not by choice really, but rather by the fact that she had nothing to add. "Lockers huh?" There she went, trying to continue the conversation, trying to keep herself in the "loop." Trying so hard and getting so far but in the end it wouldn't even matter. At being handed a cupcake Dia smiled, "thanks." Her eyes glistening in an almost childlike manner when she stuck a finger straight into the icing. Upon plucking her finger back out she sucked on it, little bits of icing still somehow remaining. Heading over to the paper towels she grabbed one and proceeded to place it under her cupcake. She didn't want to make the kitchen any messier than what it was. Looking back at Mina she noticed her cleaning up the counter with a hand towel. Once her mouth was empty she added one last thing, "I get to help with dishes." There was no use in arguing against her about that. She'd just push her way in and help even if Mina refused. |
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| Mina | Jun 2 2007, 03:01 AM Post #12 |
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As Riva and Dia dove into their cupcakes she took a moment to relax herself, picking one up and admiring her handiwork for a moment before carefully peeling the paper cup away and taking a bite. Mmm...heaven. This recipe had been her mother's and she never found any reason to change or try to improve on it. How can you improve perfection, anyway? "I see. I wouldn' mind gettin' some better control over my powers m'self. Lost track of how many lockers I broke... at my old school," she added quickly, flashing Mina one of her patent-pending innocent smiles. Shame she'd left her lamb's fleece back in her room. Mina smiled slightly, shaking her head slightly. "Don't worry, Riva, in a school like this we're expecting a few mishaps every now and then." It was true; in a school full of mutants what else could you expect? She paused, smiling a bit to herself. "I'll tell you girls a story. When I first came to the school I had a fair amount of control over my power, but not complete, mind you. One day I was sitting in the library with my headphones on while Professor Xavier was trying to get my attention. I didn't hear him so he did he tried to talk to me telepathically...to make a long story short, I nearly burned down half the bookcases in the library," she said, laughing quietly to herself at the memory. She'd been sure that Xavier was going to send her home for that one, but he had once again shown a level of patience and understanding that she could only dream of reaching. Briefly, she cast a glance to Riva. "However, intentional damage is very much frowned upon," she murmured with a small smirk. "I still got a year to mull over what I wanna do before I finish high school here. Still gotta pick m' classes for fall; future-settin' can wait... ooh, why thank you!" Mina nodded in agreement. "Of course, there's no rush. You've got plenty of time...it's not like we're going to run you out of here once you graduate," she pointed out with a smile. Her gaze shifted to Dia. "What about you, Dia?" she asked curiously, taking a bite of her cupcake before elaborating on her question. "Do you plan on staying on the team indefinitely, maybe even teach at some point, or is there something else you'd like to do?" Dia was still young, she had plenty of time to decide, but Mina was still curious as to if she had any ideas what she was planning to do with her life. For her, being an X-man was her life, but she knew some others had bigger dreams, maybe even dreams of a normal life away from all the danger and tension of being part of the Institute. Mina was doing her best to have both -- her life as an X-man and the Headmistress of the school, all while raising a daughter. So far, so good. "This is gonna sound stupid, but there ain't any peanuts, or anythin' remotely like 'em in these, right?. Gotta ask, unless y' got an adrenaline shot handy nearby." With a grin, she shook her head. "No, they're safe. Enjoy," she replied. [align=center]~~Le Fini~~[/align] |
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8:20 AM Jul 11