Infinite Consortium, Monday

[deathsmajesty]

None of the crates had books in them. Liliana wasn't exactly sulking about it, but she was ignoring them in favor of playing her lyre. So there.

Was it really too much to ask for a once-in-a-lifetime find of incalculable worth and historical value to happen two weeks in a row?

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[chef_chocobro]

After a morning filled with the unfortunate droning of microwave ovens (and perhaps the occasional explosion or fire), walking into the Infinite Consortium to the sound of (presumably) Liliana's lyre was such a welcome surprise that Ignis took a moment after entering just to listen to that, like balm for his weary head, before following the sound to her.

And even though he could easily guess where she was based on the source of the music, he still called out with his usual "Liliana?" before heading that way, bearing the treats he'd dedicatedly and resolutely whipped up after class to help get all that microwaved food out of his soul.

[deathsmajesty]

whurr whurr

"Over here, my darling," Liliana called, even though he was already walking in her direction. She timed her playing with his pace, bringing the piece she was playing to an end with a small flourish and then setting her lyre aside just as he reached her. "You look on the verge of a headache, love; are you well?"

Her hands instantly went to his face - though likely would have done so regardless - chilly against his skin, fingertips seeking out his temples to rub softly.

[chef_chocobro]

Oh, how such a soft sound could still manage to rival that of nails on chalkboards.

But Ignis had already started to put that (hopefully!) far behind him in the kitchen immediately following, and now was quite confident it could be left there for good now that that particular lesson was over. There was a sigh quite different from the previous sighs that had littered his morning as he leaned into that cool hand, a soft smile on his face, although he did then leave its embrace so that he could lean in and kiss Liliana before responding more than that.

"Exceptionally well now," he assured her. "The headache, unfortunately, still lingers, but you...and your playing...are an excellent balm for that. A quiet day, then, for the most part, I take it?"

[deathsmajesty]

Except for when she was making it to tease him, in which case it was both charming and hilarious.

"Indeed it has been," she assured him, and if the store knew what was good for it, it would remain that for the duration of his visit. "No exciting historical finds, sadly, but nothing obnoxious, either." She rose in a single, graceful motion, kissing him again while guiding him to take her seat.

"I'm happy to keep playing for you, though that means you will be required to feed me while my hands are otherwise occupied."

[chef_chocobro]

"Oh, dear," Ignis, guided easily and without the least bit of reluctance, opined in a truly distressed murmured as he settled into that seat and almost immediately drew Liliana back into it with him, "what a burden, truly. Somehow, though, I think perhaps I shall manage to persevere and survive such a ordeal."

Of course, Liliana might find a bit of a challenge for herself, too, in how she could possibly be expected to eat or play with Ignis kissing her again.

[deathsmajesty]

Truly a question of the ages, which she would ponder in due time--or not, because why on Earth (or any other plane) would she worry about doing something else when Ignis was kissing her?

Her hands were far better placed on his face, thumbs stroking over his cheekbones than most other places - lyre included - anyway. The only exceptions were, interestingly enough, also upon his person. "Such admirable tenacity," she murmured at some point between one kiss and the next.

[chef_chocobro]

What a coincidence, as upon Liliana's person, interestingly as well, was precisely one of the best places for Ignis' own hands, a fact he was clearly taking great care to demonstrate,sliding them along her sides and to her back, to pull her in closer.

"My inexorable will," he stated, after a long, long while where all he wanted was to just linger there in the comfort of her very existence after such an arduous and trying morning of his own unfortunate design, "especially in times of great crisis, is indeed one of my most stubborn defining characteristics."

[deathsmajesty]

She moved at the urging of those hands, curling around and against him to better block out the rest of the world and let him focus on her and her alone. Her lips carried his warmth now and so were no longer chill against his skin and he could feel the slow warming of her fingers as well.

"How cruel I am, piling yet more hardship upon you after what has already been a most trying day," she said with a soft chuckle. "Perhaps I should reconsider my harsh stance and seek to offer you a balm instead."

She did have to pull away briefly to reach under the counter for something, but hopefully that moment of distance could be forgiven once he heard the crrrack-hiss of an opening can, smelled the rich scent of coffee in the air and - most importantly - was given yet another kiss, this one tasting of Liliana's mouth and Ebony.

[chef_chocobro]

Any complaint Ignis may have had about Liliana moving away from him was dispelled with that all too familiar sound (far more preferable to any whurring, without even a doubt), and it was replaced with a small laugh.

"Mmm," he hummed his approval once he'd kissed her back long enough to ensure that all traves of Ebony had faded from her lips, and only then did his fingers start dancing up her arm, to meet her hand, and wrap his around hers and the can both. "Yes. I darsaay, that was just thr curative I needed."

[deathsmajesty]

"Just because I'm no longer a cleric doesn't mean I've forgotten everything," Liliana said with another laugh of her own. "Was today truly so terrible, love?"

[chef_chocobro]

Ah, Ignis would respond to you in just a moment, Liliana, darling. Just as soon as he liberated that can from your hands and had a good, proper sip of his own.

Alright, maybe after two.

"Quite terrible," he finally confirmed, "although regrettably necessary, but at at least now it's done and over and hopefully I shall never have to teach about microwaves again."

Despite the disparaging drawl, there was a satisfaction there in a small smile.

"Several of them did take on a good deal of spectacular and hopefully irreparable damage, though. So it wasn't all necessarily horrible."

Half the class seemed properly dubious of the contraptions, too, which felt encouraging.

[deathsmajesty]

"At least until you teach this class again," Liliana said with a laugh. "It could have been worse, though. I could have been a student." And she absolutely would have trolled him during it. Out of love. "After all, I would need a way to tank my grade before I can visit after class and assure you, Professor Scientia, I would do anything to raise it back up again."

Honestly, she would have just been trolling and then would have come up with a way to work it to her further advantage afterwards.