chef_chocobro: ((older) (no glasses) amused to the side)
Ignis Scientia ([personal profile] chef_chocobro) wrote2025-06-04 04:39 am

A Villa in Argentina; Wednesday [06/04].

After a weekend like the last, Ignis and Liliana had whisked themselves south, shirking their oh-so-pressing duties on the island to cloister for a few days in the sunny countryside villa that had entered their ever-growing roster of hideaways, habitations, and households, and weren't they both better off because of it. Of course, for Ignis, it wasn't just about some well-earned relaxation to ease the physical and mental strain and drain that went with several days hunched over in a workroom or traipsing around Innistrad.

For Ignis, things were rarely so singularly intentioned as that, although yesterday....that had been intentionally simple, a day of basking in each other's company, feasting on local foods, making idle plans that may or may not be followed through on, distractions pending, and just reveling in the intricate steps of their surprisingly easy and endless waltz. And today had been much of the same, with just a bit more laziness involved. Lounging in bed a little later, less complicated recipehs that lent themselves well to distracted cooking, skipping his training forms out on the deck in favor of appreciating the fine work of Liliana's fingers as they plucked at her lyre or brushed through his hair and behind his ears, his head in her laps, as they discussed the artistic merits of more of that Kamigawan poetry she'd recently unearthed.

And now, as evening fell, the next second. The underlying purpose. And also the edge of a potential point of no return. And one might argue that he could still step back from that precipice, but he would find that arguement faulty and flawed. The last few days had only bolstered his convictions.

He might not be able to see the slowly emerging stars in the stretch of sky darkening above them, but he could feel the coolness creeping into the air, he could hear the sounds of the day shifting into the music of the evening, and feel the oh-so-subtle weight of the shadows shifting and lengthening to let him know that the twilight hour was upon them.

"Darling?" He found Liliana, two glasses in one hand and a bottle of one of the wines they had cultivated together on one of their first ventures out here in the other. "I think tonight is an excellent one to enjoy the fruits of our labors. Don't you agree?"

[[ for the paramour, por favor, and NFB for distance~ ]]
deathsmajesty: Katie McGrath as Morgana from BBC's Merlin (Head-Tilt - Fond Smile)

[personal profile] deathsmajesty 2025-06-04 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Liliana smiled into this kiss, soft and full of a happiness that felt as bubbly and effervescent as champagne. "You are at that," she murmured against his lips. She also felt the unexpected weight on her finger now and, to her surprise, it didn't feel heavy or confining. It just felt right.

His own hand felt naked, however. They were going to have to fix that. She was not the only one so promised, and therefore, was not the only one who needed a ring, no? She didn't think that Ignis would mind a tangible cue of his own for this, either. Something to think about.

"I do have one question for you though, my darling," she said, after kissing him again for the sheer pleasure of it. Her voice was gentle. Understanding. "What about Noct?"
deathsmajesty: Katie McGrath as Morgana from BBC's Merlin (Uncertain)

[personal profile] deathsmajesty 2025-06-05 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
Liliana's own confusion was evident as well. "I thought..."

Had she misunderstood? Should she, perhaps have asked him about what that baggage had meant, rather than assuming it was related to her insecu--err, that was, nothing, never mind.

"That is..." she tried again, "I saw the bag. From Thursday." She'd seen multiple, even though she'd pretended not to. A courtesy to one another. Even if it had taken up far too much space in her brain afterwards. "If it weren't from him..."

Why else would he have had marriage baggage if it hadn't been from losing Noctis, first to an arranged marriage and then to death itself?
deathsmajesty: Katie McGrath as Morgana from BBC's Merlin (Surprise - Huh Brow Furrow)

[personal profile] deathsmajesty 2025-06-05 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
Of course they could. That wasn't even a question at all. Ignis had lost a hope, a dream--in some ways, those were the hardest to lose of all.

"I know you never were," she said softly. "But that didn't..." She trailed off as he continued, eyes almost as wide now as they'd been for the original question. "I am no expert," she said tartly, "but being married and being beholden do not seem synonymous to me. At least, not any kind of marriage I intend to participate in." The nervousness she'd felt earlier rose up and she fought it back down. Not now, nerves, she was making important points. "I think if you're on your knees asking me for something, the term 'beholden' flies out the window." And as for my track record..."

Well, she was not currently manipulating Ignis on behalf of an ancient dragon, nor was he convinced he was actually his dead best friend, so...those seemed to be outliers and probably should not be counted.

"...it's true that I have not given it much thought in the past, nor felt it particularly important, but...you actually have that baggage to thank. Because I saw it, and concluded that you would never wish to marry because of it and then had to think about what I thought of that..." She hadn't gotten particularly far, because that involved thinking of Noctis and how his loss was affecting Ignis and she hadn't particularly enjoyed doing that. "But, if that is the case, my darling...how long have you had that ring for?"
deathsmajesty: Katie McGrath as Lena Luthor (Hug - In Need of Comfort)

[personal profile] deathsmajesty 2025-06-05 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
"A wise decision--" though Summer's own taste in many things was highly questionable, though clearly jewelry was safe enough, "--although I will point out that Prompto was discreet enough for me still be able to take you by surprise." Yes, of course she was preening. Shh.

She held up her hand, once more admiring the band around her finger. "Nearly a year," she murmured. "I do see why it might have turned to baggage in that time." He could have just asked her opinions on the matter, honestly now.

Like you asked about Noctis? She was just going to ignore her own internal monologue right now. It was clearly discombobulated from the day.

"Did you mention this to them, too?" she asked, wrapping herself around him, her head resting on his shoulder. "When you told them about becoming a vampire?"