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

[unusual_sith]

Lana made sure to show up on time, since she was bringing the cake. It was a vegan chocolate cake she'd been assured would be delicious, with raspberry filling between the layers. She had regular and vegan vanilla ice creams to go with it. On top of the frosting, it said "Happy Birthday, Nell!" amidst creeping vines that also held two and two-eighths candles. (Lana had absolutely measured them.) Floating along behind her was a potted tree, black with glowing red spikes on top.

She put the cake on the table and the ice cream in the freezer, and looked around for somewhere to leave the plant.

[pocketpretzels]

Watts was here of course, dressed in the plaid suit with a book-shaped parcel carefully wrapped in green tissue paper tucked under one arm.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc didn't know how long he would stay but he could at least put in an appearance. He put Nell's present, a somewhat bulky wrapped box, on an empty spot on a table for when Nell wanted to deal with it.

[unusual_sith]

"Marc." Lana nodded at him. "I wasn't sure if you, Steven, or both would be making an appearance."

[pocketpretzels]

Watts didn’t need to be a detective to figure out the unfamiliar face in the room was. So at some point early on in the gathering he made his way over, twirling a blossom he’d plucked from… somewhere sorry Nell between his fingers.

“Llewellyn Watts,” he introduced himself. “And you… would be Miss Beniko.”

[unusual_sith]

"I would, yes." Lana smiled back. "And I imagine you're Detective Watts." She didn't need to be a former Minister of Intelligence to figure that out, either. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She gave him a slight bow.

[hasaknightjob]

"Parties aren't really my thing," Marc said, by way of agreement. "Steven might come in."

[pocketpretzels]

“I am,” he confirmed, returning her bow with a nod of his own. There would have been hat-tipping, were they not indoors and his hat already off.

“Steven is- quite fond of you,” he said.

[unusual_sith]

"It's good to see you regardless, and I doubt this is likely to become too rowdy," Lana pointed out.

[hasaknightjob]

Yeah, it wasn't the potential rowdiness that was the problem but Marc wasn't going to get into that with anybody. Instead he went for a handy subject change, "How are you doing?"

[unusual_sith]

Lana smiled. "Not as fond as he is of you. We've enjoyed swapping philosophical texts, though. How was your trip to Portugal?"

[pocketpretzels]

"Oh, fantastic," Watts enthused. "I've been wanting to go for ages, I'm only glad Steven was amenable to taking the trip with me."

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh my goodness," Nell said, "Lana, that's beautiful! You can set it right over there on that table. And welcome, safety and hospitality to you while you're here."

[mylandmyrules]

"Detective, welcome," Nell said cheerfully. "Come in, please, safety and hospitality to you while you're here. Thank you for coming!"

[mylandmyrules]

"Marc," Nell said warmly. "I'm so happy you came, even if it's just for a little while, thank you. Safety and hospitality while you're here."

[pocketpretzels]

“Of course,” Watts said with a small smile. “Wouldn’t have missed it.”

His hat, naturally, had ended up dangling off the plant Lana had brought, because where else would one put a hat?

He held up the parcel he’d brought. “Where would you like this?” he asked.

[unusual_sith]

"I'm doing well," Lana said. "I was back home briefly to run interference for the Commander. Portals are invaluable. It's this weekend you're heading out?"

[unusual_sith]

"What is it like?" Lana asked. "It's on Europe, isn't it?"

[unusual_sith]

"May the Force grant you a good year," Lana said, smiling as she set the tree down. "This one's from Umbara; it grows without sun, and it's potted in its own soil for now so you can figure out what it needs."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell carefully rescued the hat - or the plant - and set it on the counter. "Right over there would be good," she said with a smile. "It's very kind of you, thank you."

[mylandmyrules]

"It's incredible! And it doesn't need sunlight? No chlorophyll then." She looked it over. "I'll enjoy getting to know more about this one!"

[unusual_sith]

"It's called a Zabrak Spine. Give it enough room and it'll grow bigger than you," Lana said. "Umbara has virtually no sun, so it's used to darkness. I'd hazard a guess it might be used to protein in the soil; it usually grows along with Death's Embrace, which is a carnivorous plant."

She grinned. "I almost brought you one of those, but I wasn't sure how you would feed it. Hopefully you don't get so many annoying customers."

[mylandmyrules]

"Zabrak Spine," Nell repeated, nodding. "I can find a way to add protein in the soil."

She smiled at Lana. "Prob'ly for the best. Fandom's a small place, so people might be missed more easily."

[hasaknightjob]

"No problem," Marc said. He indicated the wrapped present he left on the table. There was a tag on it which read "To Nell, from Steven and Marc" where it was obvious that Marc's name was in different handwriting from the rest. "That's yours. There's a receipt if you want to get something else."

[hasaknightjob]

"Leaving tomorrow, coming back Tuesday," Marc said. "Wild how portals work. Met a guy at the gym the other day who can't get home."