The Creepy, Once-More-Unduly-Filled-With-Children Mansion in the Woods, Saturday

[deathsmajesty]

Liliana had spent the night in Innistrad; the geistmage she'd borrowed from Olivia had wanted to get some preliminary readings and measurements from the Chain Veil. While the night had been long and tedious, the following morning (late morning, to be sure) saw her Planeswalking home again, full of smiles and empty of stomach. Her staff at the estate had offered to make her breakfast before she'd left, but she'd waved them off. After all, she was certain to return home to a paramour cooking up brunch in the kitchen, and why ruin her appetite for that?

Her blithe assurance of how her day was going to go crashed around her ears when she swept into the (oddly quiet and scentless) kitchen, with a cheerful "My darling, what culinary delights have you prepared for my delectation this morning, I'm positively starved!" only to find a child sitting in her breakfast nook.

Specifically, the child her paramour had once been, and had returned to for the weekend.

"Bloody hell," she said, looking at the sandy-haired young boy with undisguised dismay. "This island's timing and humor are atrocious."

[For the gentleman, of course, but also open for any wandering adults and children because a Liliana-run daycare sounds hilarious.]

Comments

[chef_chocobro]

At first, Ignis looked a little confused about why Liliana thought he would use anything against her like that, and he was doubly confused...a bit startled, really....when she came to sit next to him. He stiffened where he sat, uncertain, and then nearly protested when she mentioned the prince more directly. He wanted to tell her that he wasn't talking about him, really! But Liliana had been kind and open with him, so she deserved the truth and not to be lied, too. Especially when she hit the nail so succinctly on the head.

Well, almost...

"I don't think he's a brat," he said, almost witheringly, wondering if she'd been talking to that Gladio too much! "Not at all! I know he has to handle a lot, especially after his injury, but that's why he has me to help him! And I'm supposed to help guide him to be a great ruler some day. But it..." He drew in a breath, his hands curling up into nervous fists in his lap while he hesitated, already feeling he'd complained too much, "I find it very...frustrating, when aim supposed to guide him and teach him and he doesn't want to be guided or to learn! When he says 'just one more level, Ignis!' Or 'do we have to? I'm tired.' Or 'but we did that yesterday!' But it's all important, and I just wish he understood that more! I can't help him when he won't even help himself.

"And," he added, with emphasis, giving Liliana a pleading look because this was tge worst part of all, "he doesn't eat his vegetables ."

[deathsmajesty]

Heard it here folks. Talking to Gladio too much: confirmed.

"Okay, so, for the vegetables, I don't have anything for. Vegetables are delicious and if he doesn't understand that, he's just wrong." Though she laughed at that, she was a little more serious when it came to addressing the rest of it. She reached for his hand, so much smaller than she was used to. "It does sound very frustrating," she agreed. "You have been given an important responsibility, being the companion and guide to the next ruler. And you want to live up to that responsibility and help Noctis become the ruler you know he can be, and that his people deserve. But that's also a lot on his shoulders, too. One thing, my brother told me when we were younger...sometimes he was jealous that he was the oldest. Because my sisters and I? We never had to think about our parents dying. There was a war, so it was something we were scared of, yes, but we didn't have to think about it. But him? The heir? His whole life was all about 'when you become Count Vess, my lord' and 'when you take over your father's lands, young sir.' But do you know what they're saying? 'One day, when your father is dead and you have the title, my lord' and 'one day, when your parents are gone and you've taken over the lands.' Every day, over and over, given these very big shoes to fill and the constant reminder that, one day, our father would die. It is one thing to know that one day, your parents will be no more. It's something very, very different to never be able to forget it."

She looked around, wishing she had something to drink. Her throat was a little dry, the only reason why it needed clearing. Without thinking, she reached for the can of Ebony to take her usual sip.

Sorry, tiny!Ignis. She was momentarily distracted from your tininess by--nothing. Never mind. Unimportant.

"I will admit that I don't know much about Noctis. But it certainly sounds to me like Noctis is a young boy - he's younger than you, yes? By several years? - who is looking for a little more control over his own life and exerting it over what few things he can. Video games. Comics. Vegetables. Maybe a little bit like a boy who hopes that if he acts out enough, perhaps he can see his father, since it doesn't sound like Regis has a great deal of time for him." SINCE HE DECIDED THAT A CHILD OF SIX WOULD RAISE HIM JUST FINE. "Maybe a boy who is resentful that he has to obey to someone who is his peer, and not an adult. And possibly...somebody who doesn't believe that the people around him will stay, who is scared of what he must become, so it's better to push them away, to not care, because then when he is alone, when he has failed, at least it's because he chose to, and not because he tried his best, he truly did, and yet his best wasn't good enough."

Not that Liliana would know anything about that. Because she was amazing.

"I don't know. All of this is speculation; I've never met him. And none of these are really rational thoughts, he's probably not even aware of them. But the thing for you to be aware of, Ignis is...yes, he needs to know the things you're trying to teach him. But does he need to know them now? Because it sounds like he might not yet be ready for a guide - but it does sound like he maybe needs a friend."