Tuesday Night at Nell's

[mylandmyrules]

Tonight was fresh fruit night at Nell's. Not that she didn't still have some baked goods around, but she'd set out cubes of watermelon alongside bowls of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. She'd also sliced some up and turned others into sauces to go over ice cream if people so desired.

She was also aware that people might be feeling a bit pensive after the events of the weekend, so she was prepared to be flexible with whatever people wanted to do tonight. They could always just sit and watch the stars and talk if sports or games didn't suit.

Comments

[chef_chocobro]

Hopefully, no one in present company who had already been exposed to them plenty during the weekend was sick of those pasties that Ignis had been whipping up the whole time, but it was difficult to not really lean heavily on the memories involved in them after recent events. After all, it was the quest to recreate these special little treats from Noct's time in Tenebrae that had sparked Ignis' love of cooking in the first place. It had been a nightmare, trying to master the recipe and figure it out, but from the very first moment Noctis took a bite and Ignis knew he'd gotten is exactly right....there was no going back for him after that.

So there were more tarts, and also some of the schnitzel sandwiches, the recipe he'd picked up from Cindy way back when that Noctis had also gone crazy for.

He thought of doing a little something with beans to honor him as well, but...without him here, that would have lost a significant amount of its charm.

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh Ignis! I'm so happy you brought those. They are so delicious!" SHe smiled at him warmly. "And of course with the fruit filling they match beautifully with all the fresh fruit I have tonight, thank you!" She took another deep breath, "And those sandwiches smell amazing also. Please comr in!"

[chef_chocobro]

"They are known as a beloved treat throughout Tenebrae for a reason," said Ignis, with a soft, appreciative smile for the easy warmth of Nell's praise, "and the sandwiches were a favorite of Noct's that I figured I'd bring in his honor. I'm glad he got the chance to meet you, while he was here. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know he was quite charmed."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell blushed a little. "I'm glad to try the sandwiches too, then," she said. "I'm sure they're delicious. And that's sweet of him. I rather liked him as well."

[chef_chocobro]

"I might be a touch biased," said Ignis, with a faint, fond, though undeniably saddened smile on his face, "but I think he was rather easy to like. Not at first, for a lot of people, especially back when we were younger, but he did have a natural effortless charm that could win over even the toughest of critics."

Namely him and Gladio, but...well...

"You yourself," he added, a bit softer, a bit gentler, but unable to hold back his curiosity, "didn't have any visitors, is that correct?"

[mylandmyrules]

"He did have a charming side," Nell agreed. Not that she was much impressed by charm. The obvious caring and respect he had for the other three was far more impressive to her.

"No," she said with just the hint of a sigh. "I mostly only could have had my husband, John, or my sister wife, Leah."

She shook her head. "John would not approve of where I am or what I wear or who I spend time with - or indeed who I am. He didn't - nobody back home knows about my gifts. They just think I'm good with plants. Leah..."

This time she really did sigh. "I like to think she might be better. She probably would tell me that I was free to make my own life now, but she wouldn't like any of it either. Now, if animals came back..."

[chef_chocobro]

Ignis gave a thoughtful, sympathetic sort of hum for those sighs, both fully formed and barely there, as he found himself with just that little bit more context on who Nell was. "They both," he said, "sound like they would be very interesting people to meet. But animals, now....beloved pets from your past, then?"

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed, but there wasn't much humor in it. "M'not sure interesting is the word most people around here would use." She shrugged. "But they were good to me - Leah especially - much as they could be I think."

She smiled a little sadly. "My dogs. or rather my husband's old hunting dogs. I loved them so much and they loved me back." She swallowed hard thinking of the day she'd come home and found the churchmen had killed them and left them on her front porch. She'd never been able to get all the bloodstains off.

"Pretty sure they're the only things that have ever really loved me."

[unusual_sith]

Lana, for one, had not had any of these, so she was absolutely pleased. (Though she night be taken aback at mention of where the treats were from.) "Oh, this all looks wonderful! How have you been?"

[chef_chocobro]

"Thank you," Ignis nodded in greeting back. "It's heartening to know that I haven't lost my touch when it comes to presentation. And I have been well, all things considered. How have things been with you, Lana?"

[unusual_sith]

"I've been well, thank you," Lana answered. "I understand we both had former superiors visit this weekend, though yours seems to have been much more relaxed."

She really couldn't picture fishing with Darth Marr.

[chef_chocobro]

"It would be an impressive task indeed to manage to be more relaxed than Noctis Lucis Caelum," Ignis drawled, a bit dryly. "You'd think a man who roused himself from a decade-long nap just to die would have had enough of sleep, but then you'd be wrong.

"And your superior? What were they like? Much less inclined toward leisure, I presume?"

[unusual_sith]

Lana chuckled. "I'm not sure Darth Marr knows the meaning of the word. Even in death, he covers himself in full armour. But it was good to speak to him, regardless."