The Creepy, Slightly More Abandoned Than Last Week Mansion, Wednesday Evening

[deathsmajesty]

So, yesterday at the diner, Ignis had confided his love of music and immediately her head had been filled with images: Ignis enjoying an opera at Silverquill's Rose Stage. The annual Prismari elemental concert. Comedic musicals in Ravnica's Tenth District and dinner up on the Millennial Platform while the most elite Rakdosian musicians played for the crowds below. Evenings of music in Gavony estates. So many different options for musical entertainment that she had drifted through over her lifetime, options she could now share. A wildly impractical and impulsive invitation had sprung to her lips, though she'd been able to bite it back in time.

She was in no shape to planeswalk anywhere right now. Nor had she verified anything about these planar portals for herself. Nor had she set up any kind of logistics...nor was she sure that this was the best idea anyway. For...reasons. Reasons she wasn't looking at too closely because hey shut up is why.

But that didn't leave her completely empty-handed. "I can only imagine...the wide breadth of melodies you've had the chance to experience over the years..." he'd said and she'd nearly replied, 'You don't have to imagine it' and she'd realized it was true. He didn't. And, more importantly, she could give him some of his own music back.

And when she'd realized that, any selfish reluctance she'd had about her second idea had fallen away and all that had remained was the details about how to make it happen. Which was why she was pulling him into her kitchen, all bubbling excitement and bright anticipation. She might not be able to give him his perfect day, but music? Music she could do.

[For he who is to be surprised, and has been modded with permission]

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[deathsmajesty]

Liliana didn't push. Not for words, not for dancing. She knew that there were three things that could immediately transport her back to a specific place and a specific time: a scent, a flavor, and a strain of music. And she wasn't going to interrupt Ignis taking the time he needed for this, to make his way through his own memories and the unutterable longing to return to a place that had been lost to him.

It was, for Liliana, a familiar feeling. And one even she wouldn't dare rush. Well, at least, not here and not now.

[chef_chocobro]

And that was a good thing, then, because Ignis was absolutely going to take all the time he could for this, and being transported, even if briefly, to somewhere he hadn't been in a very, very long time, well beyond the Eos he'd come from recently, stretching past the Long Night and into those impossibly innocent days before the Treaty, and any chance to linger in those days again, well, he was going to seize that opportunity with everything he had.

Though, as the song started to wind down toward its natural conclusion and his mind started to turn a little away from bittersweet memories and more toward the amazing power of not only the tiny device in his hand, but also to just the incredible magic of music itself, he found himself wanting to test and probe its abilities, just a little, and shifted his thoughts very firmly elsewhere.

And, sure enough, as the last song faded, another one began, and he laughed, a short little burst of one, that accomapnied a mystified and amused shake of his head.

He still couldn't find many words, but he did at least find one more, this time an actual word and not just merely a soft and enchanted sound.

"Incredible."

Well, a few more, as his focus shifted away from the box and back to Liliana, with a furrow to his brow, an attempt to pour more into his words and expression to make up for what his gaze couldn't convey nearly as well.

"Thank you.:

[deathsmajesty]

Even she couldn't say where the whim had come from or why she'd listened to it. This was, after all, a very powerful and culturally relevant artifact and Liliana Vess did not give up prized possessions lightly. Perhaps it was just the euphoria of killing Kothophed or discovering planar portals or even being off-balance from all of the emotions and memories that she'd been navigating this past week.

Either way, she resolved not to think about it overly much. She'd wanted to and therefore she had, the Liliana Vess story. Looking deeper didn't seem particularly relevant.

"You're very welcome, darling," she said softly, her cool hand resting gently his face.

[chef_chocobro]

With that now familiar, cool, cherished touch, Ignis carefully set down the music box. He needed both his hands free, one to gently fold over hers at his cheek before following the line of her arm to her own cheek, where his other hand joined it on the other side to hold her face perfectly as he leaned in to kiss her.

And his mind did not actively think of the next song that played; something else was very clearly at its forefront at the moment. But it didn't need to be, pulled up from somewhere else deep, deep within, barely even aware of it, where it thrummed, where it resonated, where it already lingered.

[deathsmajesty]

Liliana's free hand rested against his chest, right over his heart, as he kissed her, curling into his shirt with exactly no regard to the quality of the fabric or neatness of his overall appearance. She was exhausted by this point and more than; while she enjoyed pretending that it was the kiss that made her knees weak (and, you know, it certainly wasn't helping her maintain her balance), she was forced to admit that the dancing and standing had taken their toll, even with as much of her weight as she'd shifted onto him to support.

"I hope you enjoy this music box as much as Kayla did," she whispered once their kiss ended, her smile wan but violet eyes alight.