Monday Night with Nell and Gladio

[mylandmyrules]

Nell had decided on lasagna for dinner - one extra large one with meat and a smaller one without. She made up a garlic spread for the bread, that Gladio could slather on her bread before they heated it up for serving, and a large salad. That plus the usual snacks and desserts should be more than enough for anyolne who might stop by.

Once everything was set and the lasagna ready to pop in the over she had some time to put her feet up by the fireplace and snuggle with the cats and/or Gladio if he was there. Though if he growled against her neck she might just have to drag him off to the bedroom.

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[chef_chocobro]

Typically, Ignis did try to challenge himself to make something vegan in general for the gatherings at Nell's (and, well, Gladio's now, too, as well), but this week, he was making an exception, because while he could potentially whip up a dairy-free version of his chocotorta cake, he felt that would greatly diminish the spirit of the inspiration.

And though it was clearly unintentional, it did strike him as rather amusing when he realized what Nell had made that evening, that they'd both be leaning heavily into layered dishes.

Because sometimes, it really did not take much to amuse him, contrary, probably, to popular belief.

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh Ignis!" A pink and cheerful Nell greeted him at the door. And if her shirt and hair were a bit disheveled, well, at least they were mostly straightened. "That is amazing! I can't wait to try it after dinner."

And there were surely enough gluten free desserts for the Detective and Steven should they stop by.

[chef_chocobro]

Well, to Nell's benefit, at least Ignis was the last person to notice her disheveled hair or clothing, although it was interesting, wasn't it, how such things could sometimes manage to be translated into one's words, too. Well. Perhaps not the words themselves, but rather just in how they were said...

So there was a small hint of a grin on Ignis' face as he ducked his head a little in greeting. "It will make for an excellent dessert, especially with maybe a little coffee served with it. I know you tend to lean more toward tea, but it's a very coffee-forward treat."

Which was another reason why he absolutely could not have made anything else that evening.

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh, I like my coffee too, she assured him. "So I can definitely make up a pot to go with dessert."

Tea was a wonderful drink, but she definitely needed coffee to get her going in the morning.

[chef_chocobro]

"I'd certainly be willing to help take care of that, as well," Ignis offered, "since we're already putting you out as host."

And while he didn't doubt Nell's coffee making abilities in the slightest, he could hardly pass up an opportunity to be exceptionally particular about preparation when it presented itself.

[mylandmyrules]

"Sure, if you'd like," she said. "Though I don't mind hosting at all, I wouldn't object to you helping out there."

Her coffee was quite delightful, Ignis, if perhaps not quite up to your standards.

[chef_chocobro]

"You already do so much for these evenings," Ignis pointed out, "it's the very least I could do by offering my own capable hands in some capacity as well."

Don't let the generosity of the offer fool you too much, though, Nell. Even with the incredible strides he'd made in actually allowing Liliana's steward to take on certain tasks around the house without his interference, it was all just an offer to ensure he didn't get too twitchy from being idle while others did the work.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell could completely understand that. She still found it hard to let even Gladio do for her.

She smiled at him. "Then you're in charge," she said. "I will sit back and put my feet up and be a woman of leisure after dinner." After she did the dishes and put everything away, of course.