Fandom Island Museum, Thursday Daytime

[hasaknightjob]

Steven was once again in a good mood when he got to work at the Museum that day. He took particular care with making sure the exhibits for new residents were looking shipshape, and that there were plenty of maps to hand out if anyone needed them as well.

While busy behind the welcome desk he hummed a song to himself that perhaps sounded suspiciously like music he and Llewellyn might have ended up dancing to on their date night together.

[open]

Comments

[mylandmyrules]

Nell stopped in after class to say hello, and no, she was not still in her sweatpants from gym class because no. Gym class was one thing, but real life still required skirts or skirty-pants for the time being. Not that Steven knew any of this obviously, but there it was

"Good morning, Steven," she said cheerfully. "I brought you a little surprise."

It was a very small bottle of some of the first honey from Nell's hives.

[hasaknightjob]

"Nell, hello!" Steven said. He peered at what she'd brought. "Is that from your hives?"

[mylandmyrules]

"It is!" she said, "I wanted you to be one of the first to have some since you're the one who kind of gave me the idea to put the hives up there. Or at least to actually do it."

[hasaknightjob]

"That's wonderful!" Steven said. "In plenty of time for Rosh Hashanah as well. That will make it extra special to try. I'll have to come by to thank them personally."

[mylandmyrules]

"You're welcome any time," she assured him. "I'm sure they'd be happy to see you."

[hasaknightjob]

"Well thank you and them in the meanwhile," Steven said. He put the honey in his satchel for safe keeping. "And how are you doing? Things going well?"

[mylandmyrules]

"Very well," Nell said with a smile. "I can't remember a time when I was happier." And okay, that bar wasn't terribly high, admittedly, but still!

"And you? Are you liking living in your new place?"

[hasaknightjob]

Even so, Steven was happy for her. Though he still tried to temper how much of that showed to not make her feel self-conscious.

Luckily, he could channel any such cheerful expressions into his reply. "It's going brilliantly, actually! We've three whole residents in the boarding house now!"

[mylandmyrules]

"Really? That's, well I guess that's wonderful for you," Nell said. "Is it strange being in charge of a boarding house?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Not what I expected," Steven admitted. "Of my life, I mean. But it's been nice so far. We had a lovely breakfast together for their first day of university. That's not - we don't provide meals as a rule but I thought, you know, special occasion?"

[mylandmyrules]

"Yes, of course, special occasions call for a bit something extra," Nell agreed. "I hope they appreciated your gift to them."

[hasaknightjob]

"They seemed to like it?" Steven said, looking pleased. "Might do it again sometime. Little treat now and then. And how's first week of the new school year treating you?"

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh, I'm just taking physical education this semester. With Gladio." Yep, and there was a smile and a bit of a blush. "I think we're going to do some camping this weekend."

[hasaknightjob]

"Are you?" Steven asked. "Anywhere in particular?"

[mylandmyrules]

Nell shrugged. "I'm assuming on the island," she said. "It's a lovely place to be."

[hasaknightjob]

"Here's hoping the weather is in your favor," Steven said. "No rain or too horrible heat like today."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed. "We talked about the heat and decided that neither of us is bothered that much by it. Rain, well, we can always go home if we're getting too wet, but a little rain never hurt anyone."

[hasaknightjob]

"And if it does rain that's what the tent's for, isn't it?" Steven said. With all his expertise of camping that came from doing it once with Llewellyn thankfully in charge of the details.

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh... I hadn't really thought of a tent," Nell said. "When I've slept outside it's just been in the open air. Maybe?"

[hasaknightjob]

"I see," Steven said. "Llewellyn and I used a tent when we went. Good for keeping the bugs away as well."

And for feeling more secure for someone who might have been skittish about the outing at first.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell nodded. "Yes, I suppose that's true. I guess we'll figure out more details as they come up."

Like not sleeping inside the same tent as a man - even one she was spending lots of time with. She wasn't sure that was something she was comfortable doing.

[hasaknightjob]

"Going tomorrow night or Saturday?" Steven asked.

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh, tbd," Nell said. "As long as nothing comes up. Gladio is taking Ignis to the Three Minute Date event, so around that."

[hasaknightjob]

"That'll be nice, make new friends perhaps," Steven said. Then, since Nell seemed to be so comfortable talking about it, he ventured, "And a good sign for you and Gladio then? That you'd like to go camping with him?"

[mylandmyrules]

"A good sign? I guess so." Nell smiled at him. "I like doing lots of things with him. And we both like being out in the woods. I think in general being with Gladio is a good thing."