Monday Night at 43 Unicorn

[mylandmyrules]

Nell had decided recently that living on Unicorn Street must have been a sign because the odds of her having such amazing things in her life had been as unlikely as finding a unicorn outside of Fandom.

She had decided to make a large batch of spgahetti for the gathering, one pot of sauce with meat and the other vegan. Surprisingly enough the pasta itself - most of them anyway - were actually vegan.

In any case, the rich smells of the sauce filled the house, welcoming whoever made it over tonight.

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[sword_chocobro]

Another added benefit of living here now was that Gladio had a good idea of what Nell would be making for everyone on Monday nights, and could then tailor his beverage selection to that!

Ignis would be so proud.

So when he did get back from training, gym stuff, errands and shopping, he returned bearing a pretty good sounding (in his opinion anyway!) strawberry basil drink and some new sweatpants.

Hey, it was buy one, get two free! He was practically losing money if he didn't!

Ignis would be so proud of that, too!

[deathsmajesty]

Liliana would have to agree, if only because she lived on Phoenix way and something about a bird of undying flame resonated with her as well.

She once again arrived bearing nothing but an appetite, which, honestly, was all that anybody really wanted her to bring. And, considering the weather outside, it wasn't entirely ridiculous for her to declare her presence was a present. Even if Nell and Gladio's home was warm, there was still a long, unpleasant trek to and from this side of town to be braved, and yet, here she was.

[chef_chocobro]

It would seem that cakes were going to be a trend for what Ignis brought along with him to Nell's, this one chocolate orange, because apparently, he was all about orange today, too.

That wintry need for vitamin C, no doubt, and a gratefulness for how much easier it was to maintain here than in the past, what with the whole 'no sun for a decade' of it all.

[mylandmyrules]

"Nice sweatpants," Nell said with a smile. "And that drink looks wonderful!"

[mylandmyrules]

"Welcome, Liliana," Nell said. "Hospitality and safety to you while you're here. Come in and get warm! We have the fireplace going in the living room." It was a gas fireplace, but it was warm and pretty.

[mylandmyrules]

"Ooooh," Nell said. "That seems amazing! I can't wait to try it. I have spaghetti for us and some homemade bread." Not nearly as much as there had been yesterday, but there was some!

[deathsmajesty]

Liliana kissed Ignis and then immediately abandoned him for the warmth of the fireplace. Her (un)natural body temperature meant that she almost never sweat, but winter was extra cursed.

"Much appreciated, dear," Liliana said. "Is it likely to warm up any time soon?"

[mylandmyrules]

"Not for a few months, probably, though it usually isn't quite this cold," Nell said, bringing her over her mug filled with hot water and a caddy with a selelction of teas.

[deathsmajesty]

An appreciative look and Liliana set about making herself a nice cup of tea. "Can I make you one, as well, darling?" she asked. "It does feel like forever since we sat around and gossiped over a nice cuppa."

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh, I'd like that," Nell said. "Gladio can manage any kitchen stuff for a while. Hangon, let me just go get my mug and more hot water."

She was back quickly and settled in near Liliana. "Oh, this is nice."

[deathsmajesty]

"We'll shoo the gentlemen off into the kitchen and stay here and gossip outrageously about them in their absence," Liliana decreed, definitely loud enough to be overheard by said gentlemen.

Not that Ignis would need much persuasion, though he also loved a good gossip.

[sword_chocobro]

"Right?" Gladio agreed, looking overly proud of himself as he lifted up the case and gave them another look. "I like how simple the design is, you know? No bullshit, just drinks, and, you know, basil's supposed to go good with pasta, right? So it seemed like a good pick.

"And thanks," he lifted up the bag in his other hand and his grin went a little crooked. "Got some for you, too, you know. The sale they got going at the store was too good to pass up."

[sword_chocobro]

"Lils," Gladio greeted, especially since tensions had definitely smoothed out rather nicely, wouldn't you say from last week?, with a nod and a lift of his drink. "How's it going?"

[deathsmajesty]

"Beefslab," Liliana returned with a purely internal sigh for the persistent nickname. "It's far chillier than a civilized place should be - and, yet, I'm unsurprised you remain shirtless for it. And you?"

[chef_chocobro]

"I trust," said Ignis, his faint grin a bit easier and loose this evening, it would seem, "that it tastes even better than it smells, which is saying quite a lot, as the aroma has enticed my attention well before we even graced your doorstep. And kudos, for getting Gladio to eat noodles at aren't from a Styrofoam cup."

A statement that, if overheard, Gladio would take umbrage with, as he did enjoy most noodles, thank you, he just couldn't help that some of the best ones did come from Styrofoam!

"Have you had a good weekend?" he then asked. "Looking forward to a good week?"

[deathsmajesty]

Once Liliana was properly warmed and had chatted with Nell a bit, she returned to wherever Ignis had ended up, pressing his personalized mug into his hand that she had, of course, filled with nothing but coffee.

"My darling," she murmured. "I have an idea to run by you, about the apartment. What do you think about keeping it?"

Her own sip of tea was perhaps a bit mistimed, as it meant leaving the question there for a moment.

"Between work on Tuesday, my class on Thursday, the upcoming renovations...having a place here in town isn't the worst idea," she continued, albeit a trifle belatedly.

[sword_chocobro]

Hey, now, he's put on a shirt for company!

But an absolutely shameless grin grow on his face. "Meh," he said, "it's barely even cold. But I'm good." The way that grin seemed to softened and warm like butter on bread fresh from the over, though, suggested that maybe he was underselling it a little. "Thanks. You're teaching this semester, too, right? How's that working out for you so far?"

[deathsmajesty]

Radio suggested this was a rarity. Though she appreciated it, as it saved her eyes the strain of rolling them at the lack.

"I am," she said, with no little satisfaction. "It is, for the most part, quite enjoyable and will only get moreso as I dig deeper into the material." Her lips curled into a small smile. "There is something very validating about teaching a subject that has been your life's work for decades."

[chef_chocobro]

The warmth of the mug in his hand and the instant aroma of the coffee drifting up from it had set Ignis at a pleased ease that was almost instantly swept away by the question, a shift drastic enough to make his shoulders almost instantly stiffen with that shock of...well, confusion, really, and the concern that followed in its wake. Why was she bringing up the apartment? Wasn't the matter already settled? He'd already resigned himself to pulling away that safety net, and now she was suggesting reinstating it?

His immediate protest, to her addendum, was to point out that it wasn't that big of an island; to suggest that the mansion's relative seclusion in the woods placed it out of town was, quite frankly, a little absurd to him; yes, the winter made it a little more arduous, but it was only a few months of the year...

But her last point stopped the protest on his lips almost immediately.

"Ah," he said, feeling a little nonplussed that he hadn't already taken that into account, "yes, the....the renovations will be quite the ordeal to maneuver around again, won't they?"

But were those truly the only impetus for this suggestion? His brow knitted with a concern he hoped he could pass off as mere consideration.

[deathsmajesty]

"I mean, we could always get a hotel room on days when they're truly insupportable, though I should think the lack of a kitchen of your own would be almost as deep a frustration as the cost," Liliana continued on, blithely unaware of Ignis' own consternation. "We can talk to the contractor, see how long he thinks the renovations will last, and then just fold the cost of the rent into what I've budgeted for that project as well."

Okay, she hadn't really done anything that really counted as 'making a budget,' but that just meant that the budget was 'however much it cost', right? And that could easily absorb a few months' worth of rent.

"Once they start renovating the upper floors for the guest suites, we won't even be able to retreat to the bedroom properly," Liliana continued, lacing their fingers together and resting her head on Ignis' shoulder. "I thought about simply decamping to Innistrad or Ravnica while that was happening, but that would require Planeswalking several times a day and I have no idea what that quantity of portals would cost for you. Keeping the apartment until, say, summer seemed like a much more efficient solution than anything else." She pulled away to look up at him. "Though if you have alternative solutions, I'm happy to discuss those, too."

Liliana was an accomplished liar and sometimes getting a read off of her was tricky, but she did collect properties on whatever planes she alighted on the way other women collected charms for bracelets, so it was entirely possible she just saw nothing odd in the idea of keeping multiple residences for the convenience of it.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell just looked at him for a moment, processing. "You...you'un bought sweatpants for me too?" She swallowed hard. "Ain't no one ever bought me something just 'cause. That's... I don't hardly know what to say, 'cept thank you."

She was still another moment, then just wrapped her arms around him.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed. "I think you'll have to start us off since I'm not the best at gossiping."

[mylandmyrules]

That got a laugh. "Why thank you. He does seem to appreciate my cooking for sure, though even I enjoy Cup Noodle on occasion."

She appreciated the ease of his grin this week for sure. "My weekend was wonderful," she said, "And I hope my week will be likewise. And Gladio bought me sweatpants today!"

[deathsmajesty]

"What, not going to regale me with tales of all the plants you've entered into your herbal since I gave it to you?" Liliana teased lightly. "Nor with what new mischief the kittens have been up to now that Gladio has moved in."

[mylandmyrules]

"I'd think my plants would bore you to death," Nell said as she sipped her tea. "But the kittens love Gladio. It's fun to watch them dash for him whenever he comes in. If I didn't totally understand their love for him, I might be jealous."