[CLOSED]

[volleygenius]

Who: Marui and Leia
Which: Closed log
What: Dreamotion ability training followed by comfort and cuteness.
When: Afternoon and evening of Nov. 2nd
Where: Marui's treehouse
Warnings: None expected, will edit if needed

[ Marui's dreamotion abilities are not progressing well.

He isn't used to struggling with a new skill. He picks up on most things rather quickly. This, however, is quite simply a mystery. Maybe because it's so abstract? He's been able to do tennis and cakes with it like a true genius, but everything else has been a flop. The hot spring pool he made near his treehouse for bathing is uncomfortably small and shallow, and it occasionally mistakes itself for a geyser. His attempt to kill one of those giant termites with a bolt of lightning instead turned it into a particularly luminescent firefly. (On the upside, it's decided it lives with him and provides after-hours lighting around his house.) Bubble gum he'd thought for sure he could replicate as his supply dwindled to dangerously low levels, but the end result was too sticky to chew and popped while still in his mouth and that was great and interesting, perfect prank material, but not what he needed for everyday use.

He refuses to give up, though, especially in the aftermath of all that happened at that graveyard. He's determined to at least learn how to use it to protect himself and the people he cares for. And so now that he's given himself a one-day break to recover both physically and mentally from that ordeal, he's getting to work on that. Starting in the late morning outside his treehouse, he performs some warm-up stretches, rolls up his sleeves, and then... Well. This is about the part where he usually gets stuck. What should he try to do? In the end, what he most knows how to attack and defend with is still a tennis racket.

Well, no sense fixing what isn't broken. Time to invent some moves.

By the time lunch rolls around, Marui has worked up a decent appetite, and there is one thing and one thing alone that can satisfy him: cake. (Actually, some company would be nice too after spending all morning by himself, but hunger first.) Happily, cake conjuring is a dreamotion ability he's got down pat! He's even figured out how to conjure a platter for it to sit on now instead of the unfortunate (but admittedly hilarious) result of it splatting to the ground.

He takes a minute to imagine its shape, size, flavor, decorations, colors. It's easy with cake because he's seen, tasted, and baked so many. What would be really great right now is... yes. Perfect!

It's so real to him already-- the apple slices decorating the top; the warm and nutty aromas of maple, cinnamon, and pecan; how light and juicy it is inside with steaming apple pie filling between fluffy layers of spice cake! He's excited just thinking about it!

It feels like warm tingling at his fingertips. The cake realizes itself layer by layer, stacking higher and higher before disappearing inside a warm off-white encasement of frosting. Red-skinned apple slices radiate from the center on top in symmetry. Candied pecans line the base and accent the apple slices on top. An orange maple leaf pattern wraps around the side. ]

Yahoi! [ He cheers when it's done, and eagerly carves out a slice. ]

Comments

[volleygenius]

Ah?

[ Marui's just about to sit down and dig in when he hears a familiar voice and looks over in her direction. ]

Well, isn't it Leia. You're just in time. C'mon, sit down and have some cake with me.

[ It's not that he's deliberately ignoring what she said... he just jumped right from his realization that she was there to his natural reaction to that discovery. He was just thinking he wanted some company! This is perfect. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Moving closer, she gets a better look at that cake and begins carefully examining it.]

Is- is it safe to eat?

[Sure, it looks delicious. But it what, exactly, could it possibly be made of. And can Marui even normally make cake?

She has... so many questions.]

[volleygenius]

'Course it is. I made it, after all.

[ Sort of.

Well, if smelling isn't believing, maybe seeing will be. Marui opens wide and takes a nice, big bite from the first slice he's taken out. And while that does mean he can't really speak further, he does light up and close his eyes with a sound of complete delight.

See? Delicious. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Okay. As exciting as it is seeing this happen, it's still, hm, how to put it...

Oh.

Too good to be true. If Leia could learn how to create cakes whenever, she'd be a force to be reckoned with. It's all she would do. But that's just it, this all seems way too good. And she's also seen what some food can do here...

She studies Marui carefully.]

Hmm. Part of me feels like I shouldn't question the ability to pull cakes out of thin air, and just be happy it can happen. But the other part of me is gonna stand here and see if you keel over after a few minutes before I trust any of this.

[volleygenius]

[ Marui spares just long enough a look at her to take in her words and shrug in a 'Suit yourself' kind of way. He swallows. ]

So, what brings you over, if not the delicious smell of apple, cinnamon, and maple?

[ That'd definitely be what got him... ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

Oh, um, just passing through!

[Which is partially true. Partially. She really hadn't thought very hard on where to go next before her feet lead her to his house. Had he just been that close?

... Spirits, though, that cake smells really good. It's totally ruining her train of thought.]

[volleygenius]

[ Just passing through? Okay. Somehow, that's a little disappointing. ]

...I see. Where you headed?

[ He takes another bite, but with less gusto than before. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Now there's a question.

That she doesn't have an answer to.

Where was she going? She wanted to stay busy, but somehow wound up in the residential area and exactly right here. So she randomly thought she could jump Marui again, but it was nothing more than an idle thought.

Unable to come up with an excuse, and determined to not have to explain anything about why she'd been aimlessly busying herself all day, she just smiles sheepishly.]

Haha... I forgot. Guess I spaced out.

[Which isn't a total lie. That's just classic Leia.]

[volleygenius]

[ Marui sends her a bemused look. ]

You forgot...?

[ How does that even happen? Oh well. He smiles easily. ]

Well, sit down and think about it. Maybe it'll come to you.

[ragingscoopaholic]

Hm... I wonder...

[She says absentmindedly, quietly, taking a seat across from him.]

Actually, it probably wasn't important to begin with. [by now she just wants to change the subject, and also maybe she's curious about dreamotion cake.] So, was that really dreamotion energy you just used?

[Because it was kind of impressive. And she's yet to try it out for herself.]

[volleygenius]

[ Well, Marui isn't about to grill her over where she needed to go when he'd just as soon have her stick around a bit. He'll happily shift gears and talk about himself instead. ]

I guess. I make pretty delicious cakes the old-fashioned way, but even I can't just wish them into existence. Except here, apparently.

[ He finishes off that first slice and takes another. ]

You sure you don't want any?

[ragingscoopaholic]

[By now she's become thoroughly distracted by all the different smells wafting through the air that she can no longer ignore how amazing it looks, and probably tastes. Why deny herself this sugary slice of stress relief?]

Okay, you got me! It'd be a sin to turn down something that smells this good.

[After they both enjoyed some victory cake after catching those fish, she knew of his love for cake. But not that he actually baked them. Or, uh, dreamed them up, in this particular case. However that works.

Should she start devising a way to get him to make her cakes all the time?]

[volleygenius]

[ Heh. ]

You bet it would be. Dig in.

[ Not like he can't make more. And anyway, as easily as he could polish this one off by himself, he really wants her to taste it. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Nodding, she gets up to move closer to the cake and Marui, leaning over to cut herself a piece before sitting back down beside him.]

How'd you come up with this? I've never even seen a cake that looks anything like it!

[The sliced apple garnishes on top, the layers of spice cake with an apple filling in-between. It's practically decadent! This is from the imagination of a chef! But...]

It's hard to imagine you coming up with it.

[Is he secretly a chef when he's not playing tennis?]

[volleygenius]

[ Marui has eaten a lot of cake in his life, including countless professionally made ones. Having seen and tasted so many ideas in layers, fillings, frostings, decorations, and flavor combinations, he's got plenty of inspiration to draw from when making a cake of his own. ]

I'm just full of surprises, aren't I? [ He says smoothly. If he's at all prickled by the backhanded compliment, he doesn't show it. ]

So? Isn't it delicious?

[ragingscoopaholic]

[It's not that she doesn't think Marui is capable of pulling off stuff like that.

... Nah. That is what she thinks. She just never would've guessed that this punk (a term she'd use with some affection) had the imagination to craft something that looks so elaborate. It's really impressive!

And as for the taste... She carefully digs her fork in, gathering the cake and the gooey apple filling. After a brief hesitation, she brings it to her mouth, slowly chewing, and not even finishing it before she stares at her slice, eyes widening in surprise.]

This... This is totally amazing! I think this might be one of the best cakes I've ever tasted!

[This is coming from someone who boasts her dad's cooking prowess, and used to eat the sweets Ludger made. This cake, easily, ranks amongst them.]

[volleygenius]

Right? It's genius.

[ Were you expecting even a drop of modesty? Sorry, none to be found here. Inwardly, though, it makes him quite happy to have gotten such high praise from her. He knows she's an avid cake enthusiast just like him, and well, it was just important, ok? ]

And there's more where that came from. [ He winks. ] Don't hold back now.

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Not an ounce of modesty, but she lets him have it. It's just that good! He's totally earned it.]

At this rate, you'll have to make another cake! [she grabs another forkful and brings it to her mouth before stopping. like a lightbulb just went off in her head.] Oh, I know! Can you teach me how to make one?

[volleygenius]

[ Teach her? Marui blinks once and just briefly thinks that over before smiling with confidence. ]

Sure. Try and learn it.

[ragingscoopaholic]

[To distract herself with making cakes seems like the best way to go about things. Bonus? More cake whenever she's feeling down.

Yeah, it's a good things calories don't count here.]

How about right now? Unless you're busy?

[volleygenius]

[ Marui shrugs. Sure, he can do now, as long as she's fine with verbal instruction. Hey, it's lunchtime for him! He's hungry! ]

Do you know how to make cakes without dreamotion energy?

[ragingscoopaholic]

Uhhh...

[She really has to think long and hard about this one.

... Because she can't keep track of all the cakes she's failed to make properly. She smiles nervously.]

I've made a few.

[That were kind of disasters.]

[volleygenius]

[ Marui lifts an eyebrow and downs a big bite of his cake before he answers her. ]

Well, maybe it won't matter. First, decide what kind of cake you're going to do. Then think through how it would be made the usual way: ingredients, bake times, assembly. Then visualize it.

[ragingscoopaholic]

Okay, okay, slow down a sec! It's gonna take me a bit to think of a good cake.

[volleygenius]

Why don't you start with something simple. Try a chocolate cake. Just chocolate.