fandomtownies | Luke's Diner; Tuesday [09/03].

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Luke's Diner; Tuesday [09/03].

Apparently, Greg had taken a vacation to Jamaica that weekend, and everyone was honestly surprised he'd even remembered to come back. But return he did, and bearing a few spices and other ingredients to offer to Ignis not only as a sort of general offering of peace, but also because he was sort of hoping he'd whip up some island flavors for him, since his tastebuds and his stomach weren't quite ready to leave them all behind.

Naturally, Ignis was happy to obliged, though the rest of the staff doubted it was really the food that Greg had been missing the most about the place.

Once he'd settled, though, behind the counter after setting the menu and doing the usual prep work, with his cup of coffee to enjoy a bit of quiet before any customers were likely, based on previous traffic, to come in, he took a moment to also check a perfectly timed message on his phone.

He'd listened to it twice before promptoly grabbing Greg to watch the counter a moment while he went back to the kitchen, with the particular desire to tend to a few new recipehs that would distinctly be well off the menu.

Today's Specials
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken with Herb-Roasted Potatoes
Jerk Tofu Sandwich with Pineapple-Pepper Slaw
Gizzada Pie with Lime Coconut Ice Cream

Luke's is open!

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Was Liliana smug as she sauntered into Luke's that afternoon?

Oh indeed. It practically infused the very air through which she moved. If smugness were a perfume, she would be giving people migraines from yards away.

"Hello, my darling," she said, trailing to the counter. "And how has your say been?"

Luckily for Liliana, smug was, indeed, yet another thing she wore exceptionally well. And if it weren't for the fact that denying that her smugness was particularly warranted that day would deprive him of a bit of his own smugness, Ignis might have been tempted to pretend to know nothing about why its application had been so heavy handed.

So, instead, with a faint grin into his nearly finished...now quickly finished and set aside...coffee, he moved from around the counter to meet her, arm immediately sliding around her waist to pull her in closer. "Mmm," he said, "much better now," and he kissed her to emphasize that observation, and that kiss turned into a small twirl, a bit of a dance, deftly avoiding tables and clearly guiding her over toward the booth they'd commandeer in those occasions where they actually did stick around for lunch.

"Have a seat?" he suggested, and though he released her to spin her out that way, he pulled her right back in to him. "And give me just a moment? A few finishing touches on your lunch, my love. I do hope you weren't planning for something specific, because for some...truly elusive reason, I found myself somewhat...inspired today."

Liliana laughed in pure delight as they wove around chairs and tables, once more having fallen into perfect rhythm. Had the staff ever seen such a thing: Ignis dancing without the influence of Fandom whimsy, simply for the joy of it?

Not that Liliana was paying attention to what the staff did or didn't know, her attention was fully on Ignis, giving because where else could it be? Even so, she didn't expect him to pull her back to him, which meant that her smile only widened as he did, hand coming up to cup his face, thumb brushing over his cheek.

"Truly a mystery why," she agreed, her voice light and full of a soft happiness. "Though I suppose I can put off ordering from the Specials Board--" you know, like a peasant "--for one more week."

Ignis just smiled at Liliana for a moment, with that hand brushed up against his cheek, before he turned his head to press his neck kiss there against her palm, against her fingers, lingering just a little bit longer there on her thumb, and his grin grew.

"I promise you," he stated, "you won't be left wanting."

But before he was left utterly distracted from this reveal of this meal that had been so potently inspired by apparently nothing at all, there was one more kiss before he pulled himself away. "Only just a moment," he assured her, guiding her to sit and get comfortable while he returned to the kitchen to finally pull his grand plan together.

Well, it was perhaps just a bit longer than a few moments, but he eventually did return to set down what he'd been working on. A salad, brisket, roasted vegetables, and, of course, dessert.

The last of which he may have considered holding off until afterwards, but, instead, seemed to have not only brought it out with the rest of the meal, but also seemed to set them closest to Liliana as he settled down the plates and platters, before setting himself down beside her. Slipping his glasses into his pocket as he slipped into the booth, with his usual "Bon appétit, mon cœur" so low, it was a good thing he was so very close to her ear when he said it.

"Oh!"

While the meal looked delicious, the inspiration (of nothing, of course) visible in every offering, it was Ignis' choice to remove his glasses that caught Liliana's attention more than anything else.

She said nothing further about it, but leaned over to brush feather-light kisses over his newly-visible cheekbones before finishing up with a kiss as deep and heady as the finest burgundy wine.

"Mmmm, for as much as I would love to devour you, my darling, I'm afraid you've created serious competition for yourself. I almost don't know where to start."

As her fingers went directly to one of those mini-tartlets.

That kiss, momentarily, managed to keep Ignis' own impending overwhelming eau de smug in check, though it would be exceptionally difficult with a reception like that. Almost as difficult as it was to even let Liliana go in the first place as she drew away and the urge to keep her attention on him was strong.

But so was the desire to have his inspired moment appreciated, so he let her go and felt her reach as an arm slid over her shoulder.

"I daresay," he mused, "a very good question, but at least I know where not to start. Surely, you wouldn't be so uncouth as to jump straight for dessert, now, would you, darling?"

"Of course not, love," Liliana assured him, the tart hovering next to her mouth as she answered, certainly close enough for him to smell the rich chocolate. "I would never dream of eating this delicious meal in the wrong order."

She bit into the tart and gave a soft, fervent "Mmmm," of appreciation. "Propriety is the best way to season a meal," she added before finishing the other half.

Don't ask why her next kiss tasted like chocolate, Ignis, it was a mystery.

Truly, an enigma for the ages. And Ignis, for one, was utterly shocked by this strange little unexplainable detail. Surely, he had to be mistaken. He supposed the only way to know for sure was to kiss her again for additional confirmation. A confirmation that came with a soft little hum of his own, and a moment of sympathy for all the meals he'd have that didn't benefit from being tasted from her lips.

"Certainly far more subtle than salt, at any rate," he noted, and he himself picked up a fork to spear a bit of the brisket, though he offered that morsel out for Liliana to try first, should she feel so inclined.

"I do wish I'd have had just a little more time for the roast in the oven," he admitted, "but the flavor is nicely present and the meat good and tender all the same."

She absolutely did feel so inclined, also likely to his utter shock. Poor Ignis, so bewildered all day today.

"Is that a request for me to come in later?" she teased. "I could make that happen, of course, but I generally assume you spend Tuesdays pining for my arrival." To save him from the inanities of his...fellow staff, sure....if nothing else. She helped herself to a bite of salad and while she didn't offer that to him, she did follow it up with a candied walnut held up to his lips.

"You know, love, I was reading a book of mythology to prepare for my class this morning and between that and this meal, it gives me an idea for Halloween..."

Oh, well, Ignis did have some Ebony to help him get through the most arduous of pining, at least, but let's perhaps keep that little detail to ourselves.

"I'm afraid I've gone a bit rusty on some of my Earthen legends," he admitted, although he did try to recall, though he'd likely have requested the information in a similar way even if he did remember, "so, please, enlighten me, darling."

FOR THE BEST. Let Liliana thrive in the illusion she was still first in Ignis' heart for awhile longer.

"There is a Greek myth of Persephone and Hades," Liliana said. "God of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring. He kidnaps her and tries to keep him with her, though her mother, Demeter, goes into mourning, which resulted in winter that would last until Persephone was returned. Finally, to save the world from starving, it was said that Persephone could return to the Overworld, so long as she hadn't eaten or drunk anything while she was there - but, at the last minute, she'd eaten six pomegranate seeds, and therefore it was decreed her time would be split, between her mother's house and her husband's."

She paused to enjoy another bite of brisket before adding, "Most modern retellings have turned their myth into a passionate love story. They are a frequent favorite pairing for romances, or so my brief skim has suggested."

And, honestly, whether they played the myth straight or swapped roles, it would be very fun.

"Mmm." Another thoughtful hum, this time around a amused smile and a bite of potato as he listened. "Well, a passionate love story and a hod of the underworld would be exceptionally fitting, though I'm not so sure about myself slipping so easily into a representation of spring. I suppose, however, that I am quite prolific at preventing starvation."

"Well, it is Halloween," Liliana said with a low laugh. "You could be the brooding underworld god while I am the effervescent goddess of spring."

She batted her eyelashes at him. "Did I mention that Hades is also a god of wealth? And some say taxation?"

And that little tidbit was meant with a faint chuckle. "Well, they do say that nothing in life certain except death and taxes, and I think we both can attest to the falsity of at least one of those.

"And I do brood well," he noted, although anyone seeing him with that pleased, contented look on his face at that moment might have difficulty believing it. "I do think you may be onto something there, 'Iana.."

And he would reward that excellent idea with another kiss, with a hand gently to her face to guide her attention from the food on the table.

"Do you suppose you'd like to throw another party for the occasion again?"

And hard to believe, really, that they were coming up on that first party's anniversary, and, really, now that he thought about it, even sooner still was that stroke of luck at Caritas, the paella on the beach, the whirlwind that followed.

And, oh, how much his life had changed in just that one impossible year...

"Perhaps this one with a theme of something like 'a trip through the Underworld'?" Liliana mused, idly tangling their fingers together while she nibbled on salad and vegetables. "Rather than another generic Halloween party."

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Luke's Diner; Tuesday [09/03].

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