Monday Night at Nell's

[mylandmyrules]

Leaning into the plates of latkes that kept appearing, Nell had prepared various toppings and sides to go with them, including applesauce, a pomegranate and honey topping, and a cilantro mint chutney. She also had a curried butternut squash and apple soup simmering on the stove as well as a variety of pastries for sweets after dinner.

The kittens were mostly dozing, though they'd no doubt rouse themselves when company came in to get their petting and snuggling in.

Comments

[deathsmajesty]

"How do you feel," she asked, and he could practically hear the sparkle as she did, "about Christmas trees?"

[chef_chocobro]

There was, in that first moment, where Ignis seemed to be taking in a breath to respond, maybe just a touch of disappointment and maybe even a little bit of confusion, though the clear and evident excitement in her voice seemed to have him sort of take that initial reaction about what was a question he wouldn't have immediately expected, but certainly did make sense, given the season, and shift it, tweak it, just a little, and that inhaled breath was released again with a faint smile, a light laugh.

"I have to admit," he said, "that I don't really feel much about them at all, though I certainly have a deep appreciation for pine offering up a variation in the scents of the season beyond cinnamon and peppermint. Though now, I certainly must beg the question of how you might feel about them?"

He had a hunch, though his intrigue on what exactly her thoughts on the matter were had piqued.

[deathsmajesty]

"I think they sound absolutely delightful," she said. "All the bright lights and bright colors and as you said, the scent of pine redolent in the air, just as the kitchen smells of sugar and cinnamon and baking things and mulling wine..." She stepped closer, to wrap her own arms around him, tipping her face up to his. "I was thinking of getting one for the mansion, along with plenty of decorations--" Which she'd already bought, yes, you were welcome Summer's bottom line. "--and spending an evening decorating it. Though I suppose if such a thing holds no interest for you, I can find another time and simply set it up on a room you're in less often or the like."

Especially after an afternoon of skating perhaps not that she was expecting that yet, followed by dinner and an attempt at keeping Liliana from stealing all of the dough before he could bake cookies for them to enjoy while they decorated...

Didn't it sound like a lovely way to spend an evening together?

[chef_chocobro]

"My indifference," Ignis informed Liliana, faint smile tilting down toward her lift gaze, "doesn't necessarily denote a complete lack of interest, mind you, especially not when, already, you make quite the compelling case for me to reconsider my position on the matter. I think that sounds like a marvelous idea, and I would feel terribly put out to have missed it."

[deathsmajesty]

"Glad I could sway you around to my way of thinking," Liliana said, and he could hear her smile, nothing faint about it. "I didn't even have to point out that it will necessitate keeping Josu out of the front parlor to keep him from getting into mischief."

She was aware of Ignis' thawing towards her cat, but she didn't kid herself to think it meant he liked the feline, simply that he was learning to tolerate him better.

"If you didn't like the idea, I would have done it myself, of course--" She was enamored with it and wasn't going to let something as paltry as someone else's disinterest dissuade her "--but I will admit that the idea of decorating with you makes the whole idea brighter."

You know. In that non-couple-y way.