thatsit: (But we don't have to be)
thatsit ([personal profile] thatsit) wrote in [community profile] spira_rp2019-04-16 11:02 am

Now you know it's so much better to pretend

Since the revelations of the meeting the mood in the Palace had shifted. In part, that was because the population had shifted. A number of attendees had left for their own homes once more, and the air had felt a little less tense ever since.

Bellatrix had been the first to depart, slinking off with her tail between her proverbial legs before anyone had chance to notice her retreat. Ariane Emory had stayed the night and left for Gralea the following day. Ignis had no doubt the woman would be back, but since her chances of laying her hands on the stone were currently zero she'd likely considered it a waste of her time to linger. He wasn't sorry to see the back of her black clad followers, whose impassivity was unsettling and existence an affront, although neither of those things were the fault of the individuals themselves.

Sir Integra and Alucard had stayed an extra night, which Ignis suspected had more to do with the presence of Noah clan in the Palace than Integra's own wishes. Alucard was a barely leashed attack dog at the best of times, but the Palace was, if not a no-combat zone then at least a neutral one where residents were expected to behave themselves. Ignis had sought her out prior to her departure, and they'd spent an hour discussing the meeting, the attendees, and Ignis and Gladio's plans to stay on a while longer.

She'd promised to pass his well wishes to his aunt before she'd left.

The Noah remained, though they seemed more intrigued with the Arrancar than they did with Ignis and Gladio. It wasn't unfounded; the meeting had held a number of revelations, not least the fact that Captain Aizen's underlings were daemon-infused experiments. It explained a lot about some of them, such as why, despite their reputations and behaviours, they were kept around.

It only raised questions about others. Nel, for example, seemed perfectly level headed and competent, and even had a background as a ranked watchwoman, and yet as one of Captain Aizen's Arrancar, she was infused with daemonic power. Why she had consented to that was a small mystery, and one that was probably rude to enquire about unless one knew her personally.

She was preparing for another visit to D District, maintaining the air that she was Captain Aizen's lover. Ignis had informally taken over some of her kitchen duties, duties that were not, Nel had said, given to her but which she had assumed because it was that or allow a disorganised free for all that would see inhabitants surviving on cup noodles and ready meals, and no one ever washing the dishes.

Aside from anything else, it gave Ignis a good position from which to ingratiate himself with the Palace's other inhabitants. Some were self sufficient, stubbornly so in some cases. Others were accustomed to Nel's presence, and became similarly accustomed to Ignis's.

He had two flavoured batches of Lucian Delight, cooled and ready for slicing into cubes to one side. He'd found an apron too, which made him feel much more at home in the Palace's kitchen. With his sleeves rolled up and his jacket hanging over the back of a chair, he practically looked like he belonged there as he sifted cornflour and icing sugar together.
thesilentstorm: Unhappy (All your anger.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 12:10 pm (UTC)(link)
"From what I know, food local to this region is often heavily spiced," he offered. "I don't get the feeling that deserts have much to offer beside that."

He hadn't spent much time in Rabanastre, or the wider country of Dalmasca, but their food, in his limited experience, was often loaded with spices, perhaps to disguise the less savoury cuts of meat. He didn't imagine farming in a desert resulted in the usual plump, well-fed specimens it did elsewhere.

It occurred to him, if vaguely, that 'local' to Ignis may simply refer to 'Ivalice', but Ivalice was a big place. Bancouri food was not Dalmascan food. The dishes common to Rozarria were not like those from Landis. Mixtures happened, but there was a world of difference where 'local' was concerned.
thesilentstorm: Skyward Look (Towers crumble to dust.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 01:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"There is a large food market in Rabanastre," Lumi said, after a moment of thought. "Of course, there are stalls where you can get pre-made examples of certain dishes, but I can't attest to the quality or accuracy."

It wasn't that he was picky with food, he just didn't spend a great deal of time in Rabanastre. That, and Marluxia was not a street food enthusiast. He preferred an overpriced restaurant with well-dressed servers, an ambience and meat with a pedigree to dishes of uncertain origin cooked in the open air.

Lumi wasn't fussy. He'd eat anything. It didn't matter to him whether the meat on his plate had been wild caught or raised for the table over generations, with a genealogy to prove it.
Edited 2019-04-17 13:02 (UTC)
thesilentstorm: Listening (So distant that I forgot.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 01:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"I seldom go to Rabanastre," he said, giving a shrug. "I dislike the climate."

As a desert country, it was obviously hot. There was rarely a summer or winter distinction, just a few long weeks of wet to briefly break the grip of the unforgiving heat.

"Marluxia also isn't a fan of market food," he added, giving slight smile. "He prefers an upmarket restaurant. Some of the ingredients in Al Bhed food is enough to make some of the diaspora turn up their noses, let alone others."
thesilentstorm: Hesitation (...on the moments of our lives.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 01:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Where is Altissia?" He asked.

Geography of countries he'd never visited wasn't his strong suit. Geography in general wasn't. He hated all of it, plains, mountains, steppes, beaches, deserts and scrub. It was all unpleasant, all in its own way, even though he had been forced to get used to it of late.

He liked to believe he knew enough about the world he was forced to live on to know it wasn't somewhere on Ivalice, but he didn't know if it was a country or a district of Lucis. He'd never heard of it, but that didn't mean it wasn't as 'famed' as Ignis said. It was possible that everybody knew. He was hardly normal, even for the Lowerworld.
thesilentstorm: Smile I (When the scent is calling again.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ah," he said, trying to imagine water featuring on a floating continent. He'd been to Dorstonis, which was as it sounded -- a continent floating some distance above the ocean between Ordalia and Valendia. Jylland, or Eos as people were beginning to prefer these days, was reportedly much larger, and he had heard tell of a floating sea. He could be referring to that phenomenon, though it could just as easily be across a sizeable lake.

"I'll have to mention it to him. I'm not certain he's interested in food enough to be considered a gastronome, but I daresay he'd like trying new things with an outrageous pricetag."

thesilentstorm: Sigh (All your hurt.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 06:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, wasn't that just a question? It was sort of difficult to explain without telling him that they were, in fact Ryoka. Their licenses said they were from Lionel, but that wasn't strictly true except in the sense that it was where both of them had first set foot on Spiran soil. He had the vivid memories of the Thunder Plains to prove it.

"Neither of us are local to Dalmasca," he said, evading the question. "My License says I'm Lionelli, but I didn't grow up there -- I traveled around a lot. Marluxia and I have just bought a house in Rozarria, though. He intends to open a shop."
thesilentstorm: Consideration (Lay all my mistakes...)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mmm," he murmured, finding it hard to imagine. Ignis, it seemed, had the same reservations when it came to picturing the man who had pulled a scythe from thin air in a shower of pink chakra petals standing behind a desk and serving customers. "Flowers," he elaborated.

A florist. It was certainly his area of expertise. Providing they were in the area, it would be a good moneymaker, he said. Lumi had argued that they'd make more selling flowers in a desert region, like Rabanastre, or somewhere in Ishval, but Marluxia had insisted on the rather prettier and more temperate Rozarria, to no argument from Lumi. Flowers would still sell there, he'd said. Rich people with disposable income liked beautiful things and he could grow the most beautiful flowers.
thesilentstorm: Listening (So distant that I forgot.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 08:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Lumi's expression went very flat, quite a feat considering his usual subdued emotions.

"No," he said, just as flatly. "No, he will not."

Nobody liked the Malboros. They were revolting to look at, they smelled atrocious and they had wide mouths full of needly, sharp little teeth perfectly suited for transmitting bacteria into the ragged wounds they inflicted. They occupied a position near the top of the list of Spiran fauna -- or flora? -- that were to be feared and avoided at all costs. The list of afflictions they could transmit through breath alone was long enough.

Marluxia's pets didn't attack Lumi, or provide any threat, but that didn't mean he liked them.
thesilentstorm: Bored/Displeased (Looking back...)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"Is anybody?" He asked, giving his head a light shake. "Other than Marluxia, and perhaps Luppi." He wondered if Ignis had seen the Arrancar's tiny, stink-free specimen. He certainly wasn't shy about carrying the damned thing around like a handbag sized dog and wave it at anyone who would look.

The idea of him keeping Malboros around the cottage they had purchased made his skin crawl. The place was covered in climbing plants as it was and Marluxia had assured him that most of them flowered. It was a sickeningly quaint little cottage, spacious enough for an older building, but very definitely on the wrong side of the twee hotel painting scale. The garden was sure to attract more unpleasant buzzing little insects than Lumi could tolerate, without Malboros being brought into the mix.

"If he wants them, he can lock them in his room with him," he said, wrinkling his nose. "They are not roaming around."
thesilentstorm: Interested (Never enough.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Of course not," he said, looking up from the box containing his batch of Lucian Delight. "The cottage has two rooms, there's no reason for us to share any more than here is for us to here."

It was a bonus, really. It means that Marluxia could fill his room with as much petal-laden nonsense as he could stand while leaving Lumi's as bare as he wanted. Lumi had little need for 'stuff'. He was used to very small living quarters with no space for clutter. There was no need to accumulate it now.
thesilentstorm: Smile I (When the scent is calling again.)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-17 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Lumi allowed himself a snort.

Ah, so Ignis thought what everybody else did. In all honesty, Lumi wasn't sure he'd ever spoken to anybody who didn't think that he and Marluxia were a couple. They were certainly a pair, but not a couple, not in that sense.

"Not that close," he said, giving the ghost of a smile, the amusement showing in his eyes. "But I wouldn't worry. You're hardly the first to arrive at that conclusion."
thesilentstorm: Smile II (Cold reflections...)

[personal profile] thesilentstorm 2019-04-18 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"If it helps any," Lumi said, picking up another piece of the Lucian Delight between his fingers. "I rather think that's just Marluxia. I don't get the impression that his ... flamboyance is a sign of anything."

It was just him. He was a showboater. He liked to make an impression, especially when it was around eighty percent done to make a point. A hail of chakra rose petals was unusual enough as it was, but when it was accompanying a scythe pulled from nowhere at lightning speed? It was entirely to draw attention.

Lumi couldn't agree with what many said about pink hair being a sign of sexuality, it was hardly fair to assume that every pink-haired Selkie batted for the other team. Szayel certainly played into the stereotype, the man could sashay standing still, but Marluxia..? Less so. He just enjoyed a spectacle. He'd be the same if his hair was as black as Nnoitra's.

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