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]

"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."