Monday Night at Nell and Gladio's

[mylandmyrules]

It had been a lovely weekend and Nell was feeling happy and relaxed. She'd arranged for someone to open Covent Garden Flowers in case she wasn't able to make it in, so she had the day off. She'd used the time to make some venison stew and some good bread to go with it. She'd also made chocolate chip skillet cookies and a skillet Texas sheet cake to serve with ice cream later.

The rest of the day was spent puttering around the house and spending time with Gladio and the kittens whenever they happened to find her and making sure the house was ready for guests.

Comments

[mylandmyrules]

"It is very pretty," Nell said, "But I don't play. I suppose I could hang it somewhere, but that seems a waste of such a beautiful instrument."

She quickly added. "Not that I'm not grateful that you thought of me. It is truly beautiful."

[deathsmajesty]

"Ah," Liliana said, looking down at it. "Well, I knew it was a possibility that you did not, but I thought it was worth the chance."

Okay her thought process had been far more complicated than that, full of memories of a very different time, but 'perhaps I shall gift it to the little woods witch' had neatly paved over all of that.

"...Do you play another instrument?" she asked, because otherwise she might have to contemplate bringing it home what to do with it properly. "I can keep an eye out in case something comes through the shop."

[mylandmyrules]

"I don't, I'm afraid," Nell said. "Playing instruments was not highly valued back home. Singing, yes, but not an instrument."

[deathsmajesty]

Liliana nodded. "Whereas it was expected of a daughter of House Vess to be 'accomplished', which included playing an instrument," she said. "And the fact that there was a war on and I was also being trained as a cleric couldn't stand in the way of singing, music, or dancing lessons." She gave a very unladylike snort. "...Though, in fairness, I ought to say that it was expected of every child of House Vess, as my brother was held to those standards as well."

[mylandmyrules]

"Music - other than hymns - was considered frivolous and ungodly," Nell said. "Not anything a godly woman or man should be wasting their time on."

[deathsmajesty]

"Always interesting how what is and is not 'godly' seems to align neatly with the person's own prejudices," Liliana noted wryly. "Though no one assumed Serra cared about whether or not we sang. But then, it's hard to declare yourself an expert on what she would or would not care about when, at any moment, one of her angels would show up and stick her nose into something."

Could she have helped the sneer that crossed her face when she mentioned angels? Sure. But she didn't want to.

[mylandmyrules]

"ANgels?" Nellnsaid a little skeptically. "Like actual angesl?"

[deathsmajesty]

"Unfortunately," Liliana sighed. "Humanoid women, wings, flying, holier-than-thou, singing praises to their creator, terribly judgey?"

She patted her headdress a bit smugly.

"Not as untouchable as they to think..."

[mylandmyrules]

"How... odd," Nell said. She wan't sure about God these days much less angels. Still, Liliana lived in an entirely different world, so there was that.

[deathsmajesty]

"Ignis befriended one," she said, lip curling.

On the plus side, though, she was dead now! So all was right with the world.

"Serra, the goddess my Order was devoted to, made the angels on our plane, presumably because pigeons weren't obnoxious enough." She shrugged. "Possibly all the angels in the Multiverse? Unclear."

Liliana blamed her for all of them, at least.

[mylandmyrules]

"Ignis...? Serra... made all the angels?" This was very strange to try and wrap her head around. "I... I've never seem an angel."

[deathsmajesty]

"You're not missing anything, unless you enjoy overgrown self-righteous pillows," Liliana assured her with exactly zero prejudice or anything. Another shrug. "I was surprised to see how prevalent angels are on this plane, too, considering how few non-humans you have. Is there a place where angels tend to congregate?"

So she could avoid it?

[mylandmyrules]

"They're s'posed to be up in heaven," Nell said, "Watching over us. I don't know of any on the earthly plane."

[deathsmajesty]

"Ah, so they're off being useless," Liliana said with an understanding nod. "Yes, a favorite pastime. Ask Gladio what he thinks of how useful angels are."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell glanced over at the man in question and couldn't help but smile. He was such a wonderful person and she was so very happy and - "Hmmm? Oh, yes. I will." Maybe she'd remember and maybe she wouldn't. Who could say?

[deathsmajesty]

Yeah, somehow Liliana doubted that angels would be the topic of conversation after their house emptied for the evening. Call it a hunch.

"Of course, dear."

Look, Liliana had seen that expression before and it didn't bode well for discussion.

...Err. On other people, of course.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell smiled distractedly at Liliana. "Yes, yes, of course."

Hmmm?

[deathsmajesty]

Liliana went to pat Nell's arm. "I'm going to go get myself another bowl of that most excellent stew," she said, giving Nell an out of their conversation and the ability to drift back to...whatever she wishes.