middaeg | [Open Catch-all][March]

[Though Ignis would never have really said that cooking was his true calling in life, it is something that he's undeniably good at and a wish to return to some kind of normality is what pulls him to the tea room and gets him gently ushered into the kitchen the moment he confirms that yes, of course he can make some small deserts to go with their tea.

What he comes up with manages to fit the theme of the place each time, much to the delight of the owner and patrons each time someone curiously makes an order.

And Ignis finds that despite their relative simplicity he really doesn't mind doing it. It's something to concentrate on that doesn't cycle back to darker memories of still far-too-recent events.

At the end of one of the shifts and quite late into the night he leaves the place with a small box of leftover treats and a flower tucked jauntily behind one of his ears. Getting into the spirit of things, as it were. If he spots someone lingering nearby, he asks--]

Did you come in tonight? I can recommend it, if you're thinking about it.

Not yet.

[ Admittedly, floral arrangements aren't something that normally draws Light's attention, but the idea of combining tea with the dessert reminds him of the cafes that seemed to be everywhere in Japan. It seems there aren't a lot of Japanese influences around and while this isn't unique to his home country, it's enough to have him pause outside of the store, debating the decision. It's late, Light isn't against desserts in limited quantities, and a cup of tea sounds nice. ]

The shop just reminds me of home. Tokyo has a lot of cafes that offer treats and coffee or tea. I didn't go to them very often, but it's nice to see a reminder. A good cup sounds like a good way to end the night.

[Ignis smiles faintly, though warmly at the reply. The theme of the place isn't one that he's really come across before, but the owners had been very pleasant and the customers seemed to enjoy what he was making.

No matter what, it always seems to come back to cooking with him.

He tips his head towards the door, where the light is still shining through and gentle chatter and laughter is filtering out into the street.]

They open late. You should try it. I've been working in their kitchen so I wasn't able to sample too much.

I thought one of the advantages of working in the kitchen is being able to sample the food.

[ Light moves closer to the door, his decision becoming more and more clear. There's nothing wrong with indulging yourself from time to time, and a really good cup of tea would be a nice way to do so. ]

Then, as one of the cooks, do you have a recommendation? I already have a favorite tea, but if I'm going to have a cup, I should have a snack, too. One of the appeals of the cafes back home was trying to guess how they managed to shape the desserts. Cute shapes were popular.

Hah. I don't like to be distracted.

[Not that his own food isn't worth the sampling. Ignis drifts back towards the door despite himself. Maybe it would be nice to actually try something in the place he'd just spent several hours working.]

But I'll accompany you, if you don't object. I can make recommendations easily enough.

I don't mind if you want to join me. I'm not in a big hurry.

[ And what's there to lose by having someone with inside recommendations?

Nodding his head toward the door, Light begins to head inside. It does seem popular so he hopes the wait isn't too long. ]

They look pretty busy.

[ Turning to face his new champion, he decides it's time to introduce yourself. ]

Since we might be here for a little bit... I'm Light Yagami.

[Ignis has nowhere pressing to be except home, and he did slightly regret not being able to experience the place before he started working in the kitchen, so he takes up the offer gladly and follows Light inside.]

It's popular, but I wouldn't worry. [He expects them to be seated fairly quickly in fact, given he's been working for them all evening.]

Ignis Scientia. [A hand is offered with the introduction.] It's a pleasure.

[ Light accepts the hand.

Ignis' status seems to be noticed; the two are led to a table very quickly. It wasn't why Light invited him inside, but it's certainly turned out to be a nice bonus.

Left at the table with a menu, he idly flips his open. ]

What part of the food were you in charge of?

[When the offered hand is accepted, he gives Light's a quick shake before he lets go.

The people running the place hadn't expected to see him back again so quickly, it seems, and there's a small joke about him not being able to stay away as he's taken to a table. He does feel a little guilty about having taken the spot from someone who had been waiting, but fair's fair... he had worked hard tonight.]

Bakers' confections. [He tips his head towards the counter, where small cakes are occasionally being handed over with the tea.] Not my usual area, but I didn't object to the work.

In cafes, it's the sweets that attract as many people as the tea. If the atmosphere is good enough, it's not even considered a guilty pleasure.

[ In the seat, Light allows himself more time to study the place. He probably won't come back often, but that's more due to his personality than any shortcoming. The food does look good, and the smell promises the taste will match. If he was someone who often went out to cafes, there'd be no reason to stay away and plenty of reason to return. ]

What's your normal area? I didn't cook very much before coming here so I had to learn, but I don't really do anything very fancy.

[He lets out a soft sound of amusement. Not even a guilty pleasure, hm? While he'd been in the kitchen he hadn't even given that kind of thing a consideration, but actually sitting out here is entirely different. This entire place runs on the idea of a guilty pleasure, he thinks, but it looks more than popular enough.]

I've always cooked. [Since he was a child, in fact.] But it's more of a hobby.

[No need to go into too much detail here and now of just why he cooks, or why he learned in the first place.]

I'm the personal advisor to the crown prince of Lucis, if you're asking about my job. Not that it means a great deal when not in Lucis, and when the crown prince isn't here.

Displaced. That's how it can feel.

[ Admittedly, Light has never heard of Lucis and as far as he's aware, he's never met a prince. Still, he can acknowledge that being a royal advisor is a considerably impressive job. ]

I didn't know a lot of people who work with royalty double as a chef. It looks like you're finding a way to apply your skills here. It probably isn't as nice as a royal kitchen, but more people can enjoy it.

[Ignis needs to be doing something, and though cooking had always just been a hobby for him, at least it does give him a skill that he can put to use to keep him occupied. If he wasn't doing that, he'd no doubt be driving the local government to distraction with his endless badgering.

Probably best that he doesn't do that.]

I wouldn't know about the royal kitchens. [He replies mildly.] I never had occasion to cook for for the king, though I don't think he would have turned it down had I offered.

[Regis had always treated him very well, but he isn't sure that even the king knew the extent to which Ignis arranged his life around taking care of his son.]

The kitchen here suited me well enough. What will you have?

That depends on you.

[ It's a light and airy reply even as his eyes scan the menu. ]

I'm a little picky about my tea, but what's your recommendation for a snack? I'll just be having one of the black teas with sugar. What do you think pairs well with a stronger tea?

[He leans around slightly in his chair to see what they have on display at the moment.]

With strong tea, you'll want something with chocolate.

[Then he glances back to Light with a smile.]

Trust me. And I believe I would join you in that.

Who better to trust than the expert?

[ Admittedly, Light has never bothered to learn about flavor profiles beyond his own preferences. ]

Since you're the guest of honor, did you make any currently in the case?

[He chuckles, but he isn't going to deny that he is very knowledgeable in these kinds of things.]

If you can see the small chocolate tortes, I made those. [And a few other things too, but if they're on the subject of chocolate...]

I made sure to keep the flavour from being too heavy.

[ He scans the display until his eyes land on the aforementioned torte. He chuckles. ]

It almost looks like a display picture. I'll try it. This probably sounds like a basic question to a chef, but what makes one a 'cake' and the other a 'torte'?

[ While Light has learned to cook after coming here, he's never gotten overly fancy about desserts, even if a certain someone has a very sweet tooth. ]

Not a basic question at all.

[And he is absolutely delighted to be able to answer it. His posture shifts slightly to show his change in attention, and he clasps his hands together on top of the table.]

A cake will most often be made with traditional ingredients - sugar, eggs, butter and flour. A torte, however, has little to no flour and utilises ground nuts or breadcrumbs in their place. It results in a heavier texture and a richer flavour than one finds in cake.

[ Grounded nuts. If freshly grounded, it sounds like it would be a lot more work, though Light's sure it could probably be bought premade. If he likes it well enough, it might be worth looking around for, though he knows it won't be as good as something purchased from a place specializing in sweets. ]

So, it sounds like it would be the next level of cake, or are the two not comparable? It doesn't sound like anything we had in Japan, but we did have some things I don't see here.

They're comparable. Torte is a kind of cake, only denser and richer than most people would expect a cake to be.

[And certainly not a specialty item. Light would be able to find it for sale if he looked, no doubt.]

If you describe something you've been looking for, I might be able to replicate it.

[ He hadn't looked, neither here or in Japan. ]

That's a kind offer.

[ With a slow blink and a laugh, he sits slightly further back in his chair, growing more comfortable. ]

Do you often offer to make food for random strangers?

Not often, though I haven't had the opportunity before.

[He tilts his head slightly, not quite relaxing in the same way as his companion but clearly at ease. Ignis adjusts his glasses, sliding them a little higher up the bridge of his nose with the tip of his finger.]

Normally it would have been my friends from home, but I'm afraid none of them are here anymore.

[There was never any doubt that Ignis would involve himself in any kind of mandated research into the Cwyld, though he finds no small amount of suspicion in the timing of it. Though he doesn't rush to be one of the first he does find himself in the line of volunteers to get a bracelet and instructions, and when he leaves with the thing tucked into his pocket he stops outside to open the map and run his eyes over it.]

They do say one shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. [He mutters to himself, his eyes narrowing as they scan over the recommended locations for the research.]

But if you didn't, how would you ever know what you were getting?

[They warned about side-effects and he had considered them before volunteering, but he hadn't considered the effect they might have on him when he saw them. Physically he feels well enough, but when he catches sight of a strange patch of discoloured skin on the inside of his left arm the nausea is instant and almost overwhelmingly powerful.

From the outside it might look strange. The young man abruptly stops and leans against a lamp post as the colour visibly drains out of him, and he rubs one thumb over a darkened, bruise-like area on his arm with a pained grimace on his face. It can be treated swiftly, he knows that, but the memories of the cult are still so strong and fresh that they rush back instantly, and every terrified face he'd looked into and spoken with as he had tried to gather any information that could help to break them out without too much bloodshed on their part flashes through his head.]

Ugh.

[All the things he's seen, and this is what gets to him. He takes his glasses off to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Get it together, Ignis.]

[It's something calm, and quiet, and outside of his usual wheelhouse. Ignis might be regarded by some as far too fastidious to get his hands dirty doing something like gardening, but he can be found at the nursery sitting at a table, prodding holes into seedling trays and gently planting seeds. He's focused enough that if he hears someone nearby say something to him, no matter what it is, he simply assumes that they're asking him for something off the table and answers in a distracted mutter;]

Yes, yes, take it.

[Or, at some point on a relatively warm afternoon, a shadow might fall across where you're working as he asks;]

Do you mind if I borrow that?

( it's obvious that the man is so focused on what he's doing that he's hardly paying any attention--and that makes her smile, at once, her hands clasped at her back, dirtied from the holes she's dug into the garden proper, planting those seeds that may require a bit more room than the seedling trays the stranger is currently working on. in truth, she hasn't really asked for anything at all: simply inquired, instead, as to how the work's been going, but if he's going to give her permission...

she smiles, nodding, and her hair slips over one shoulder, then back again as she straightens. rather than reach to take anything off the table, she curves around the man's shoulder, reaching with her fingers to carefully, wordlessly, pluck the glasses right off the bridge of his nose.

he did say to 'take it', right? )

Perfect, thank you.

( does she need them? absolutely not. but as she props them up onto her face instead, met with the blurry sight before her, she moves back towards the flower beds like she's absolutely just going to get right back to work as is. )

What--

[Oh, normally he'd be quicker off the mark. Normally she wouldn't have been able to get her hand within a foot of his face without him realising and asking her what in the Astral's names she thought she was doing. Normally this would be the case, but she correctly assessed how he was concentrating on what he was doing and the combined lack of attention on anything else along with the various stresses that the magic here has been putting on him make it all too easy for her to get around his usual defences.

And for a moment, he's stunned.

In truth, Ignis sees very well. He doesn't necessarily need the glasses safe to fix a very slight deficiency in his vision that he simply won't tolerate. So, he sees where she goes quite easily and immediately sets after her.]

Miss--

[This is ridiculous. He does his best not to sound annoyed.]

I'm going to need those back.

( miss, she hears him saying at her back, and in a way, she almost feels guilty. her assumptions are correct, in that he's not the type to rage out about such an invasion of his personal space, but the fact that he's polite to a fault, not demanding so much as pleading, means that her shoulders shake, slightly, as though trying to contain her laughter. it's really just a cute prank, after all, no harm meant, and the fact that he trails after her--well, she tries her best to smooth down her expression.

she's crouched by one of the flower beds again, her hands dipping down into the soil; the glasses slip down the bridge of her nose, and she lifts her chin, uses her shoulder to nudge them back up again as she turns to look at him with round eyes. )

Oh, you do? ( apologetic, even, as she nods. ) I lost my own glasses, when I came to this place, so I thought maybe if I could use these...

( she'll give it up eventually. a little prank never hurt anyone, right? )

My name is Aerith, by the way. It's been awhile since someone's called me 'miss'.

Edited 2021-03-20 20:37 (UTC)

[If he had been paying the least bit attention he could have caught hold of her wrist before she'd even managed to reach his glasses. Ignis is, at his core, entirely embarrassed about being caught out like this and it goes very far to cool his temper. Right now he just wants his glasses back. She doesn't seem overtly malevolent, at least.

He can deal with pranksters.]

Ignis.

[And he holds his hand out, palm up, fingers slightly curled.]

My glasses, if you'd be so kind, Aerith. I really must insist.

( well, he's not falling for it--so there's really nothing more she can do except relent. with someone she knew, she might take off running, but this man seems kind enough, tolerant enough, but not quite to the level where she wouldn't incur his ire if she tried.

so she takes in a breath and lets it out in a sigh, and then carefully, trying to keep them as clean as possible, she tugs the glasses off, stretches her arm to deposit them in ignis' hand. )

Since you're here, then...

( she wraps her arms around her knees, peering up at him with a smile that she hopes is irrefutable. )

Would you like to help me dig a few more holes, Ignis? I need to finish out this bed, and then we can put the seeds in.

... Thank you.

[He's aware that she could have made that far more difficult if she'd wanted to, and though she was correct about his temperament it isn't beyond him to get angry if the situation calls for it.

Even if he probably would have still been painfully polite.

Ignis puts his glasses back on, pushing them up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger. When he looks back at her again the smile on her face is immediately disarming.]

Very well. [He relents with a sigh, joining her on the ground next to the flower bed.] I don't see why not.

Not a fan of physical labor? ( she says, teasing him, but there's something more grateful in her smile as he sinks down on the ground next to her. polite, she offers him the small garden spade so that he doesn't have to get his hands dirty; she'll do that part herself. ) Or do you not garden, much?

( she's trying to make conversation partly out of apology, but also because work goes quicker when there's something else to focus on, too. so she slides down from him to start doing up some other holes, more than content to get her hands and her dress dirty, seemingly unconcerned. )

I actually used to do this sort of thing all the time, back home. It's a little different here, of course.

( mostly because the flowers don't really speak to her. yet. )

On the contrary, I'm entirely accustomed to physical labour.

[If one counts fighting their way across the country, battling monsters and soldiers alike as 'physical labour'... Ignis certainly would. She has him right with her second question though, and he doesn't mind making conversation.

If he did, he wouldn't have agreed to stay here in the first place.]

Though admittedly I haven't had much time to turn my hand to gardening. [Despite that, he doesn't seem adverse to getting his hands dirty. Ignis dresses smartly, but his hands are those of a swordsman, not a diplomat.]

I thought it would be a novel experience.

And is it? Novel, I mean?

( she thinks it's sort of cute--she lifts her head to look at him for a moment, but he seems more than comfortable getting his hands dirty, even though he's making far less of a mess than she is. he seems like the careful type. smiling, she turns her attention back to where her hands are settling in, rounding out holes before starting new ones. )

The feeling of growing something, or helping something grow... It feels really good. Like you've put something good into the world.

( a soft laugh, as she wrinkles her nose. she's never really put it into words before. so, cheerfully, she switches topics as she rocks off to the side, some, to finish up the last of the holes. )

Tell me what you did, back home. Something physical? But your hands are very...smooth.

I suppose it is.

[He doesn't catch the way she looks at him with how he's utterly focused on what he's doing. It might be a new experience but he approaches it with the same level of careful dedication that he gives to every other aspect of his life.

And she's right, it does feel good to put something back into the world.]

I'm the personal advisor to the crown prince of Lucis. [He turns one of his hands over. While the tops are as smooth as she says, his palms and fingers show the wear of holding a weapon.]

His advisor, and his defender where necessary.

( it feels natural to gravitate towards the kitchen as he begins to learn magic. cooking is what created him, so to speak, and the kitchen is almost as much his home as the battlefield.

so, Steak opens up the cupboards and looks through everything. what can he work with? what can he do? spells to control the liquids, maybe?

perhaps he should try cooking with magic, lifting knives without touching them. those sorts of things.

but then the question becomes: what should he make?

he's in the process of adding up ingredients to make a decision when— )

You can come in.

( he feels that presence, don't think he doesn't. )

[He hadn't intended to snoop or seem like he was spying, but Ignis finds himself drawn to the kitchen as much as Steak does. The two of them often end up in here, cooking either separately or together.

He seems competent, and Ignis doesn't mind his company.]

Ah, since I have your permission. [Ignis replies good-naturedly when Steak speaks, and he drops his arms down from where they are loosely folded at his stomach. He enters the kitchen, briefly tipping his chin up in a gesture towards the cabinets.]

Were you looking for something?

( Steak has never felt the need to say it, because it is likely impossible, but Ignis would make a fine cooking attendant. he's certainly known of far worse attendants on Tierra.

(The Countess comes to mind, but that's a story he hopes to never have reason to tell.)

he flashes a brief grin to Ignis at that comment and steps to one side so he can join in analysing their cabinets. )

Deciding what to make. And how to make it.

( there are a couple of books on the counter, ones which speak of magic instead of cooking. just how magical can a person get in the kitchen without having to start a whole ritual, anyway? )

Edited (what happened there, dw) 2021-03-13 22:54 (UTC)

[Should Ignis know this, and know the meaning behind it, he would undoubtedly be flattered.

He joins in the cabinet examination without a word needed as to what exactly they are doing looking at the contents, but as Steak gives his own thoughts he makes a soft sound of acknowledgement and brings his forefinger up to curl against his lips.]

It looks like cooking isn't the only thing on your mind at the moment. [Is his next comment. He noticed the books.] I don't think that eggs would be a very effective magical component.

( well, if there's ever a day to explain what they are, he might offer that compliment.

but for now, he'll focus his mind on making something. magically, perhaps. )

I don't want my magic to build up again. ( there's no reason not to admit that. it felt good in the moment, making him feel more alive and delighted than normal, but when all the magic had drained from him, he realised how off it all was. how much it had weighed upon his body even as he felt good. ) I'm finding ways to use it.

Ah. A wise move.

[Exploding witches are not something that one wants to see, particularly when said witches are people one gets along with relatively well. He does raise his eyebrows slightly though at hearing Steak's choice of magical outlet.

Well... he is a 'Food Soul', isn't he?]

If it interests you, I've been thinking of trying to replicate some dishes from home using the ingredients here. It should be possible.

( well, as far as ways to practice and use little bits of magic goes, cooking is one of the easiest. if he could, for example, magically automate a knife to chop vegetables while he weighed out other ingredients, that's time saved. or plate things with magic, dividing them up more perfectly than he generally manages himself.

nothing outrageous, not yet anyway. )

Yeah? Like what?

( he's up for it! )

Anything at all. It would just be a matter of finding the correct ingredients.

[He's written up a couple of recipes already, when inspiration struck him, but he has some plans to go out and visit the market with those aims in mind and see what he can find there.]

Do you have a favourite dish?

[Open Catch-all][March]

QUEST | The Green Petal Tea Room | OTA

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wow. i meant companion there. i guess ignis saved him from a tealess life

lmao I didn't even blink at it either

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QUEST | Cwyld Research (i) | OTA

QUEST | Cwyld Research (ii) | OTA

QUEST | Gerard's Gardening | OTA

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wildcard bc i make my own rules

nico be wildin

only for you (this is unintentionally giving me domestic gay vibes fml)

(lmaooo)

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