Monday Night at Nell's

[mylandmyrules]

There was no gingerbread on the menu tonight. Nell had had enough of that nonsense. Instead she'd made a macaroni and cheese casserole and a smaller veggie casserole. She also had homemade hot chocolate ready to go as well as an assortment of frosted Christmas cookies carefully labeled as to which ones were vegan.

The gas fireplace was on and she spent some time contemplating whether she should get a Christmas tree or not. She'd never actually decorated for Christmas, though she'd enjoyed seeing the decorations around town.

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[sword_chocobro]

Well, if Nell did decide to get a tree and needed help decorating it, Gladio might know someone who could help at least putting the star on top for her.

As it was, though, Gladio was showing up with his usual six pack of interesting sodas from the shelves of T&C, this time a cinnamon roll one that felt Christmas-adjacent enough.

He'd even been good about not trying to eat any buildings today, and not just because he'd hate to spoil his appetite for tonight.

[deathsmajesty]

At some point in the evening, a crimson giftbag was casually placed next to him.

[sword_chocobro]

And Gladio was going to casually glance at that gift bag, before casually lifting an eyebrow at the person placing it, and then he was going to (you guessed it) casually pick it up.

"What's this?" he asked, though he was probably about to find out, since he was already opening it to look inside.

[deathsmajesty]

"Open them and find out," Liliana said with a small flicker of a smile. "I know I'm new here, but I'm fairly certain that's how its usually done."

Inside, he'd find an ornament she'd picked up at the market today. She'd laughed when she'd seen it, but what had made her buy it was Ignis' expression when she'd told him what she'd found. Sorry, darling, some things were just too perfect to pass up.

Beneath that, however, was a box that Ignis and Prompto would both find very familiar, though Gladio's only held three locket frames and they were not engraved.

Inside the first were two pictures - one of him with Prompto and one of him with Ignis. Inside the second was only one - Nell, still from Halloween, though by herself, surrounded by greenery and illuminated by moonlight.

Inside the third there were two more. One was him posing with Noctis. The second, a candid shot of him with a young woman Liliana hadn't recognized. Prompto had probably begun leaking again told her that the young woman's name was Iris.

Iris Amicitia.

[mylandmyrules]

She was completely on the fence about it. "Cinnamn roll! Oh, we need to save one for the Detective if he doesn't make it today." She stretched up to give him a kiss. "I'm so happy you're here."

[sword_chocobro]

Gladio leaned down to help so Nell didn't have to stretch quite as much, and grinned into the kiss back.

"I'm happy I'm here, too," he said. "How was your day? What do you need me to get?"

[mylandmyrules]

"My day was far too full of gingerbread," Nell said. "And if you could reach those fancier bowls down for the macaroni and cheese I'd appreciate it."

[chef_chocobro]

To help save Liliana from what had turned out to be a rather unexpectedly wretched final exam for Jon's class (no good deed goes unpunished, indeed) and to help save himself the frustration of constantly trying to prevent her from nibbling on the walls, Ignis had smartly utilized Portalocity and his knowledge of her burgeoning love to the season to whisk her away for the afternoon to some quaint European Christkindlmarket to distract her with more holiday cheer and glühwein.

Which also meant that when they came back in time for Nell's, he also came bearing plenty of little handmade gifts, as well as pretzels, roasted nuts, and cookies (no gingerbread, though, specifically) straight from the booths and stalls.

[deathsmajesty]

"When do we get to go back?" Liliana asked him once they came back together after the requisite greetings and conversations with other people. "Not even to the market, but to...wherever we were. Köln? I believe?"

Ignis had gotten to watch one of Liliana's Planewalker powers in real time as she'd gone from only speaking English to being fluent in German over the course of an hour or so of listening to random conversations. "It was a beautiful city, my darling, and I'm realizing I've been absolutely nowhere. Doesn't a trip together somewhere sound lovely?"

[chef_chocobro]

It had been quite the sight to hear, really, and fascinating in a way that Ignis hadn't quite yet managed to really process yet, but there would certainly be questions about it later when they got home.

For now, though, he was smiling softly, a hand light against her elbow as if in light assurance that she not stray too far at that moment. "We can go back," he said, "whenever you'd like. Barring, of course, any other obligations..."

He fully realized that they both had very different interpretations of what fell under that category, as well.

"But a trip together anywhere," yes, that did still manage to include planes where they were likely to be attacked just by being there, which he was not at all convinced would be limited only to Innistrad, at this point; a part of him, albeit a very small one, was mildly surprised they even managed to make it through the Christkindlmarkt unscathed, "would indeed be exceptionally lovely. And I will say this much about this world: it is expansive, and there is, even in my brief experience, no shortage of interesting places to discover."

[deathsmajesty]

Rude to perfectly lovely necromancers! She took no responsibility for the actions of other people. Especially other, clearly unhinged people like Henrika 'Banging Demons Is An Objectively Good Idea' Domnathi and Garruk 'Who Need Brains When Have Axe' Wildspeaker!

"I warn you though," she said with a soft laugh, leaning against him more fully because she also had no desire to stray far. "We end up anywhere the word wilderness applies and I'm Planeswalking back to the island. I appreciate amenities."

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh my!" Nell said. "Just look at all this. It's amazing!"

[chef_chocobro]

"Well," Ignis said, unable to help himself, even with Nell, "I certainly would if I could. But hello, Nell. We couldn't exactly show up empty handed, now, could we? How are you?"

[mylandmyrules]

She smiled at him. "Sorry, Ignis. It's a little sad how many expressions involve sight. And you are welcome here whether you bring anything or not."

[deathsmajesty]

They were her walls, Ignis, she could nibble on them if she liked.

And also that right there was why she made it a point to not help people out. Because sometimes you did and then suddenly everything was very tiresome.

Still the impromptu trip had sweetened her temper back up, so it was a laughing Liliana who came in on Ignis' arm, hands also full of little presents, still holding her souvenir mug with the last few mouthfuls of glühwein in, just as excited about having been somewhere new and interesting as for the Christkindlmarkt itself.

[mylandmyrules]

"Welcome, Liliana," Nell said with a smile. "I see you brought your own beverage."

[deathsmajesty]

"Only the last little bit of it, I'm afraid," Liliana said, holding up her commemorative mug. "Look! It's a little boot!"

Clearly the most adorable thing ever.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed. "It is very cute. Well, come on in and make yourself at home. I'm glad you're here."

[unusual_sith]

"Liliana, hello!" Lana smiled. "How have you been lately?"

[deathsmajesty]

"Lana! Darling, hello." She offered Lana a smile. "I've been enjoying the season greatly. We just came back from a Christmaskindlmarket, which was delightful. Yourself?"

[unusual_sith]

"Busy." Lana shook her head. "I don't think I've been to one of those - a market for Christmas things, I'm guessing?" Call it a hunch.

[unusual_sith]

"Hello?" Lana stuck her head in the door. "I come not bearing gingerbread."

[mylandmyrules]

"Thank heavens," Nell said. "Come on in!"

[unusual_sith]

Lana came in, smiling. "It's an annoying if harmless day, isn't it? How have you been? I apologize for being so busy lately."

[mylandmyrules]

"No apologies necessary," Nell said firmly. "You have a lot of responsibilities. I'm just happy that you choose to join us when you have time. You're always welcome."