Luke's Diner; Tuesday [12/12].

[chef_chocobro]

When it came to things like holiday cheer, Ignis had always felt like he fell firmly on the side of humbug; he was, at best, generally indifferent, especially since Christmas wasn't even a holiday they had an equivalent to back on Eos, he had a....complicated relationship with religions and beliefs centered around saviors, and the consumerism of what it had become clashed firmly with his frugality. Hanukkah, with its much quieter presence and its roots in war and oppression and emphasis on light, resonated much more strongly with him, if he were to adopt either of them...

However, now he was living (well, more or less) with someone who had entirely been swept up in the Christmas spirit, and even Ignis' natural humbug nature was finding it difficult to not be swept up along with it. Liliana's enthusiasm for all the trappings of the season, all the decorations, the food, the scents, the songs....was rather catching.

And he had to admit, he did enjoy all the baking it was likely to inspire, too.

Today's Specials
Ham Cheddar Cranberry Melt
Slow-Cooked Brisket Salad
Mini Mint Chocolate Chestnut Stacks

Luke's is open!

Comments

[deathsmajesty]

In fairness, Liliana still had yet to fully understand what Christmas was actually supposed to mean. As far as she knew, Christmas was the trappings, and there was nothing deeper to it, beyond the natural yearning towards the return of longer days.

Today was not helping to convince her that there was anything meant to be solemn and religious about the day. There has been chocolate! In her shoes! She had so many shoes and she'd had her steward ascertain that, yes, there was chocolate in each pair!

Wrapped, of course, because if someone had put unwrapped chocolate that could have melted in her shoes, there would have been a war, but that crisis had been averted and instead of ruined shoes, she had a treasure trove of chocolates.

Some days it was great to be Liliana. Honestly, most days were great to be Liliana, but some days were even better.

She swept into the diner and over to the counter where she put the now-customary coffee down in front of him and leaned in for a kiss. "Hello Ignis," she all-but-purred, leaning in for a kiss. "I have something truly terrible to confess."

[chef_chocobro]

Ignis had no doubt in his mind that Liliana could actually have a great many actually terrible things to confess, but something told him, as he leaned in to meet her for that expected kiss with a thoughtful sort of hum, that this was more along the lines of the importance of Christmas trees and less things like, oh, selling one's soul to four different daemons just for immortality.

"And what," he asked, as he drew away and his hand drifted over to the coffee, "might that be, Liliana?"

[deathsmajesty]

Excuse you, it had been immortality and power and eternal youth and several other abilities just for kicks. All for the low, low price of one highly-tarnished soul. One would assume that Ignis would have been pleased by the magnitude of her deal!

She had to take another moment to kiss him again - his fault, he was being a criminal again - before she replied,
"This is just to say
I have eaten
the chocolates
that were in
the your shoes.
Forgive me
they were so sweet
and so gold."

Only Liliana would find an apology poem that was barely an apology. Not that she thought Ignis would care overmuch, save for concern over how much candy she'd eaten. But she was in a playful mood and he was the one who had introduced her to this plane's poetry, and so now he got to reap the consequences of it.

Anyway, she was a delight and weren't you glad to have her, Ignis?

[chef_chocobro]

She certainly could be, and he most certainly was (to a deep, almost desperate measure, really), and she could hardly blame him for illegality when he was merely matching crime for crime.

And just so long as she hadn't indulged to the point that she'd gone and spoiled her appetite for lunch, but surely, not even Liliana Vess would never...

"You do know," he checked, the fond amusement in his voice rather ruining the effect of the arch lift of his brow,"that you can get chocolate that isn't from a shoe, as well? But, I suppose, if you must, you could do far worse than chocolate from mine..."

A sip of his coffee, and then, though still faint, an undeniable smile.

"Enjoying another holiday sugar rush, darling, courtesy yet again of our fair isle?"

[deathsmajesty]

"Yes," she said, with absolutely no shame over being a little sugar gremlin. "And while I certainly could purchase my own chocolates, it's ever so much more fun to be surprised by them in places one would never expect. I know you know very well the impact of emotion upon a meal, my darling," she teased, absolutely not thinking of the most delicious key lime tarts she had ever tasted in her life, why would anyone even assume that? "Why else does everything taste better stolen?"

Not that she did that to him, either, of course.

"...Or so I've heard, of course."

[chef_chocobro]

"Everything?" asked Ignis, with a cool yet indignant, skeptical lift of his brow. "Should I start leaving pies on windowsills now? Especially since I can hardly just look the other way to enhance the flavor for you."

[deathsmajesty]

"Oh, I would adore stealing pies off windowsills, yes, my darling, do," Liliana laughed, before leaning in to add in a whisper, "You make it sound as if everything you make for me isn't enhanced by the mere fact that it is your hands crafting it. Or have all other seafood paella been ruined for me for some other reason?"

She ran a cold finger along his jawline and then tucked it under his chin the way he so often did to her. "I have a hoard of chocolates back at your apartment. Will you join me for lunch today?"

Two statements that seemed to have nothing to do with each other. But to someone who was trained to hear the unsaid, to respond to what was not there even more than what was...