A Celebration for Nell

[mylandmyrules]

Nell had tried something a little different for dinner tonight. She'd made a large, and hopefully tasty, vegetable stir fry and had stir-fried some beef in a different pan so those wanting meat could have some. She also had homemade sourdough bread, salad, and a vegetable broth based soup to start the meal.

The apartment was spic and span, the cats were happily curled up on their cat trees, for however long that would last, and she thought she was prepared as she could be for her first ever birthday celebration. Now to wait somewhat anxiously for her guests.



[For those who know who they are.]

Comments

[mylandmyrules]

"I hope you're hungry," she said. "I made a lot and it looks like Lana brought some delicious dessert."

[pocketpretzels]

"I," Watts assured her. "Am always hungry." Yes, sometimes he got distracted enough to forget to eat. But there was a reason he carried snacks around in his pockets. For emergencies!

[mylandmyrules]

"Excellent!" Nell said cheerfully. "I can send you home with leftovers then."

She gestured him further into the apartment. "Are you looking forward to going to London tomorrow?" she asked.

[pocketpretzels]

"I am," he nodded. "I've been before, of course, but I imagine a few things have changed in the last hundred and twenty years." Plus, there was a difference between visiting as a tourist on one's own and accompanying someone to their home. Yes, they'd be doing touristy things, but he'd also be seeing the parts of the city that were important to Steven specifically.

[mylandmyrules]

"I'm sure they have," Nell said. "And knowing Steven he'll be thrilled to have you tell him all about the differences."

[pocketpretzels]

A big part of those differences was going to be the traffic. Steven was going to have his hands full (possibly literally) making sure Watts didn't attempt to cross the street at the wrong spot and get himself flattened.

"I'm more looking forward to having him tell me about things," he admitted.

[mylandmyrules]

"I'm sure you'll both have a wonderful time," Nell assured him.

[pocketpretzels]

"I've no doubt," Watts agreed. And then he shook his head, looking somewhat sheepish. "Oh! Many happy returns on the day. I'm sorry. I ought to have said that first thing."

[mylandmyrules]

"Given that I don't know any of the rules for this sort of thing, I'm not worried about any 'oughts',' Nell said with a smile. "You could come in and, I don't know, do a little dance and then wait for me and say 'your turn' and I'd never know the difference."

She hesitated. "There isn't any dancing, is there?"

[pocketpretzels]

"I wouldn't know," Watts confessed. "I've never had a birthday party either." Or attended one, until Prompto's a few weeks back.

[mylandmyrules]

"Then let's agree there is no silly dancing as a birthday greeting," she said. "But I'm sure you'll be having a birthday party of some sort within the year if Steven has anything to say about it."

[pocketpretzels]

“Agreed,” Watts nodded. And honestly… she probably wasn’t wrong, about that second thing.

[mylandmyrules]

Not wrong at all, no.

"Shall we go have some dinner?" Nell suggested. "I tried something new."

[pocketpretzels]

"You needn't ask me twice," Watts said, heavily food-motivated creature that he was. "What did you make?"

[mylandmyrules]

"It's a sort of a stir-fry thing?" she said. "With lots of vegetables and a slightly spicy sauce. And there's meat to stir-fry separately to add in for those who want it."

Not to mentiom the bread and salad.

"Oh and a nice light soup with a vegetable broth to start."

[pocketpretzels]

"Well, I've not been disappointed by anything you've made yet," Watts pointed out. "So I've high hopes."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed. "Me too."

[pocketpretzels]

"Suppose if all else fails there's takeout," Watts suggested, blasphemous as that was. Or they could go with Steven's suggestion of just eating cake and ice cream.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed. "We can order pizza."

Though just eating cake and ice cream definitely would be a better choice.

[pocketpretzels]

Raiden did excellent pizza, though! Even the vegan ones!

"Nothing wrong with a good pizza, but I'm sure it won't come to that," Watts said.

[mylandmyrules]

"Nothing wrong with it at all," Nell said. "I've ordered one from Pizza Planet several times and they've all been delicious."

Even the one that she'd barely been able to eat her first night back as she'd told Marc about her nine years away.

"But I'm hoping you'll think My food is quite good in any case."