Lydia Bennet

It smells fantastic.

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Considering his own recent stint as an apparently quite sassy Chap, the name of the restaurant this week had gotten a genuine chuckle out of Ignis, though one might argue that he seemed a bit more inclined toward such expressions of amusement lately, for some strange reason. Either way, he was looking forward to some good barbecue (with it being summer, perhaps he should play around with a few ideas for some recipehs for unique sauces? Although he did lean more toward a pomegranate barbecue these days, if he was to be fetching meats from all across the multiverse nowadays, he'd have plenty to experiment with), and he had absolutely brought extra wet wipes and other such precautions to ensure overall cleanliness for himself and his fellow Supper Clubbers.

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Liliana had been slightly subdued all day - no reason - but the sound of Ignis laughing caused a genuine smile of her own. "Did my ears deceive me, my darling?"

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"Well," said Ignis, whose own hand seemed to gravitate toward Liliana's even more so than usual lately, and hearing that smile in her voice despite the slightly more reserved demeanor of the day only pulled his own that much more, "that all depends, my love, on what it is you think they might have heard."

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The slightly more reserved for no reason demeanor, don't forget that part. It was the most important.

"Why, it sounded like a laugh, my darling! Not even sardonic or slightly sarcastic, but genuinely amused."

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Ah, yes. For no reason, of course. But that practically went without saying, now, didn't it?

"Mmmm," Ignis gave his thoughtful little hum as he considered this suggestion, his other hand even going so far as to stroke his chin. "In that case, I can certainly understand why you think there might be a bit of audible deception afoot, but I assure you, your ears do in fact ring true." In fact, they would also be picking up an additionally amused huff. "I was just thinking on the rather timely coincidence of the restaurant's name and the event of the last weekend."

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Excellent point.

"Ah, I see," Liliana said with a small chuckle of her own. She leaned in to press a kiss Ignis' cheek, right over where his scars extended past his glasses. "Quite a way to be welcomed home, I will admit."

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And what a place to be at, where it wasn't so much that there was a smile on Ignis' face that was notable, but rather that there were shifts in the type of smile he currently wore, instead, as that kiss caused it to shift and spread like warmth, into something softer and more personal, and he squeezed Liliana's hand.

"Quite a way," he drawled a bit wryly, "to be thrown off from all of our grand announcement plans, as well."

Though if he was at all bothered by that fact, he was doing a remarkable job hiding it. There was a certain playful allure, there, in a knowledge that neither of them were trying to hide, that they could revel in between themselves in the meantime.

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The fun of discovering how long it would stay quiet with them neither hiding it nor trumpeting it from the rooftops.

"Perhaps, then, we might wish to throw a party sometime soon," Liliana said, looking at that smile with a bit of smug pride. It was only June, but she was quite certain she had blown the past year's smile production out of the waters. "Less an announcement, but more a celebration."

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The fact that his default state had effectively shifted closer to the edge of a smile than anything else lately alone...

"I might even go so far as to say," Ignis mused, "a bit of a community service, as well. It does feel as though there has been a distinct lack of expecting parties around the island lately..."

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Keep it up and some people might have trouble saying that Liliana wasn't good for him.

"Quite," Liliana said. "It was a very quiet spring. I don't know if Steve and Tony have anything planned for that other holiday coming up, but even if they are, I'm sure we could figure out the timing of something so that it doesn't conflict."

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Well, she clearly wasn't any good for his Very Serious and No Fun demeanor! Or, at the very least, some modicum of an impression of one.

"Plenty of days, I'm sure," he noted, "to work from, although sooner is probably better than later, lest some of the impact of the news begins to falter. But no doubt we can whip something up quickly without much trouble at all."

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"Hmm, my darling, we do have one very important thing to decide, though," Liliana said, brows contracting. "An evening party in the ballroom, or an afternoon garden party in the conservatory?"

They were going to get the whole party planned right here.

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Ignis' mouth opened with a ready response, but before he could get it put, a thought creased his brow and he shut it again, considering more closely the charming quiet intimacy that the garden party he hadn't considered would have to offer.

"That is a very good question," he admitted, sounding almost impressed with the challenge it presented. "On the one hand, I do rather enjoy the suggestion of congenial casualness that would accompany a garden party, but, on the other, an evening soiree in thr ballroom would easily mean more dancing..."

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"Consider this," Liliana murmured in his ear. "An afternoon garden party leaves a whole evening free for dancing."

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"Now there's an elegant solution I can certainly get behind," Ignis complimented, and, since he wouldn't want to let such cleverness go unrewarded, he also expressed his approval with an adoring kiss. "I don't believe I'd have accepted anything short of us dancing through the night, well after all our guests have departed, practically all the way until morning, my love."

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Liliana was quite happy to exist in that kiss for a long and endless second.

"And just think, my darling..." she said when they parted. "A garden party means no new chandelier."

You know. Probably.

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"But could it even be considered a party," Ignis countered, leaning his forehead against hers, "without one?"

Because as much as the words no new chandelier rippled across the frugal parts of his brain with an intense pleasure now expressed by the drift of his fingertips along Liliana's arm, a precedent has been set.

Edited Date: 2025-06-12 10:08 pm (UTC)

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"Any gathering we throw is a party, my darling" Liliana said, with an arrogant toss of her hair. "It's us."

You knew there could be no other response, Ignis. You did.

"Buuuuuut, if you insist on a new chandelier, I am sure we can make something happen. I am very resourceful in my profligacy, after all."

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That hover smirk on Ignis' face pulled a little more.

"I'm thinking," he offered, "a lovely afternoon garden reception, then, followed by music and dancing in the ballroom for those who'd care to join us and admire the new chandelier. Because, yes..."

Another kiss, for emphasis.

"I do insist."

Edited Date: 2025-06-12 10:39 pm (UTC)

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"Oh, well, you know I do enjoy it when you insist," Liliana replies with a silky purr, voice full of promise. "I suppose when we get home, you'll just have to demonstrate how unyielding you intend to be on this issue."

A kiss.

"Repeatedly."

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"As many times as it takes," Ignis promised with a low growl to match that purr. "And I believe you'll find my argument to be quite determined."

And a kiss again, of course.

"And thorough."

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Lydia was going to be delighted to learn about wet wipes, especially once she learned some more about barbecue. "Professor Scientia, welcome! A pleasure to have you as always, sir."

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Ignis' fussy fastidiousness would, indeed, come in clutch for moments like these.

"Miss Bennet," he nodded with his greeting. "Thank you. A pleasure to be here. Have you been having a good week?"

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"Fair enough, I should say," Lydia said. "Not my best week, if I am quite frank, but far from my worst one. And yourself, sir?"

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Liliana couldn't help but look around as they strolled to the restaurant. "This isn't near any fighting pits, is it?"

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"I should most certainly hope not," Lydia said. "I didn't realize that was a risk."

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"I don't know that I've had this before," Rey noted as she looked over the menu.

She'd been to a barbecue? This seemed different.

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"I am quite sure I haven't," Lydia said, "even though I believe it is quite the typical food of the area?" She wasn't sure about that bit, though. "And it smells quite good."

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"It does. Have you been to a barbecue that people throw? Like a cookout?"

Might as well make the narrative happen.!

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"There was one last year, for, ah...one of the American summer holidays." Lydia really didn't remember which one. "Perhaps the anniversary of the day they rebelled against the British? I ate a 'cheeseburger;' it was quite good."

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Suddenly Rey was realizing what Flint might be like on the Fourth of July.

"Yes! It seems different than this and I'm not really sure why."

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That was going to be an interesting day.

"Perhaps we could ask someone?" Lydia suggested. "Do you think it would seem odd?" Not once they heard your accents, girls.

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"We could," she said. "When we order?"

This didn't look like a wait staff place.

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witchoftheflesh

Admittedly, Adrian was a little relieved when he looked around and there were no out-of-season holiday decorations anywhere.

At least, off the island. He wasn't taking any bets about on.

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