melodiesofeternity | 🎂🎂🎂

[This is a prompt to allow anyone who's helping set up this little birthday surprise to have shenanigans with one another before the king comes home. Enjoy~]

[When he's not fighting and training, the kitchen is Ignis' domain- whether it is on a regular day or a day that celebrates something. In this case, Noct's birthday. Which means-

the cake is being made and if you touch anything you might lose a finger or two.

Okay, maybe that's a bit too harsh. But seriously, don't try to do stuff that involves the cake without Ignis' knowledge. He's been working on the three-story beauty for three days already (complete with recipe searching). The only thing left is decorations.

He's at the stove and if you think he didn't hear you trying to sneak in and snag something sweet from the table, you're in for a surprise.]

Fingers out of that glaze, please. [He warns, stirring another glaze, in a different color, at the stove, not even turning to look at the person.]

They weren't anywhere near, I promise. This new hand just makes a lot of odd noises. [It does. He doesn't like it but who is he to complain about a temporary. Shiro leans against the door frame well out of the way of any cooking.

His new arm doesn't look as streamlined as his original. It's clearly not the final model.]

I was about to ask if you needed anyone to do a grocery run for anything else you need but you clearly have it well at hand here.

[Ignis lifts the pot with new glaze and sets it on the counter to chill. Then he turns around to face Shiro. For some reason, he had a feeling it was Gladio who was trying to sneak a lick of the glaze.]

Apologies. There seems to be a lot of theft going around here in last few hours, [Ignis says with an amused roll of his eyes.]

And thank you for the offer, but I believe that Gladio and Prompto got everything already. And I am almost finished as well. [Just waiting for his thing to cool off so he can wrap everything up.]

[He nods and scans the kitchen with a glance. It's such a foreign world to him. But he admires the work Ignis has put into it.]

From how I've always understood most birthday parties to work thefts in the kitchen was part of it.

[He wouldn't really know. He was raised by his grandfather. His lips twitch at the corners and finally curl up into an amused smile.]

Or at least the part most people attempt. I'm assuming no one has been successful.

[Usually, Ignis kitchen is impeccably clean. Right now, it has things strewn around, a small notebook with recipes laying on the counter. He was debating on doing cake decorations but making glaze look like a night sky won over.]

There have been snags here and there, [Ignis smiles with a shake of his head and then stirs the glaze he'll be using on that three-story cake next to him.]

I just don't want glaze ruined before I put it on the cake. It is a bit tedious to make it.

[He pushes away from the wall and cautiously treads inside the kitchen. It looks a bit of a mess but that reminds him of hanger bays and times he's hung out in the kitchen while Hunk cooked. This isn't the same but he settles in an out of the way spot that's decent for observing.]

What exactly are you going for if you don't mind the question?

It will be a three-story, wildberry cream cake.

[That should cover all the guests attending the party, right? It's not too much. Not as extravagant that he would go after if their circumstances were different.]

It will have a mirror glaze for decoration in the colors of the night sky.

[The obvious inspiration coming from Noctis' name.]

The night sky. [He echoes, his eyes widening with a faint spark of excitement. A mirror glaze of the night sky. There's a faint hint of longing in his voice. Enough it's easy to hear it.]

How...could you tell me how that's possible in a glaze?

[Ignis just smiles and takes out several bowls and starts filling them in with different colored glazes- light blue, dark blue, light purple, dark purple, white and black.]

Rather than tell you, I can show you?

[He places the biggest part of the cake- the first out of three-story cake, the bottom one- on the decorating rack, lifted above the pan which will catch the glaze as he pours it over.

He picks up the black glaze first and pours it over the cake, letting it slide over the top and the edges slowly. Then he adds deep blue that mixes in quite nicely, covering even more of the cake. One by one, Ignis adds colors, letting them swirl around each other, making waves and beautiful lines. Once he's done, the cake fully glazed, he picks some of the white glaze on the brush and sprinkles it all over the cake. Stars anyone?]

[He shifts his weight to make himself more comfortable and pays rapt attention. Whatever he expected it wasn't this. He drifts a little closer but still out of the way.]

...reminds me of a puddle after it rains. [The ones on the edge of the hangar with the oil slick. All swirling colors and designs. He blinks as the colors make lines and that...reminds him of what he once thought stardust was like. Space isn't like that. Not all the time.]

I see. So, it's letting the colors naturally mix based on the movement-

[He's always been about math. He's mathing this out in his head.]

Edited 2018-09-13 04:01 (UTC)

[Working with glaze is tasking because it needs to be right temperature but he wouldn't dare to do anything less for Noct's birthday. He keeps adding on colors until they are all perfectly covering every inch of the cake in a wonderful pattern. It probably doesn't replicate the space that correctly, but it's pretty similar to the skies they see in Eos. He adds a bit of a shimmer on the glossy glaze for a starry look and then steps back.]

Now, I need to let this cool and decorate the rest of the cake then stack them. [He rubs his chin in thought-] I hope this will be enough for all the guests.

I definitely think you have more than enough. [He remarks as he draws back to let Ignis get that better view. It gives him a moment take in the new pattern. It does look like a night sky. It reminds him of Earth. He supposes the two are not that far apart.]

And if anything else is needed, there's always making another run for supplies.

Well, the only thing left is assembling the cake.

[The cake that probably as heavy as a pile of bricks. A delicious pile of bricks.]

It is supposed to go in the garden, near the fireworks.

[Reno quickly sticks his finger in his mouth. Worth it.]

See, yer a natural Assassin.

[Which he could say aloud because there was no one currently nearby. Which, likewise, might surprise Ignis if he was expecting someone else tasting the glaze.]

[Next time you might not have what to stick in your mouth, Reno.

Ignis removes the pot from the stove and leaves it to the side to cool.]

My skills have been improving, yes. [He takes a towel to wipe his hands.] Still an advisor, not assassin.

Yeah, yeah. Well, we need advisers too, I guess.

[He came to look over Ignis' shoulder at what was going on, then backed up in sync with the chef's own pace to practically glide around the kitchen out of his way.]

How big is this cake gonna be, anyway? Different flavors for different parts?

Getting into a battle without a proper plan is asking for failure. That's why I'm here.

[He's been debating to take up the Tactician job as of recently. He figured they will have some use of it.]

It is a three-story cake. One story is from wild berries, one from blueberries and the smallest one has blackberry filling. [He turns to the island in the middle of the kitchen where the cakes are still separated from one another, waiting to be glazed before put together.]

We made a lot of friends here. This should cover everyone and still have seconds.

Looks like you treat cooking like a battle, too.

[Reno grinned.]

Sounds amazing. You need help with anything?

[He doubted Ignis was the type to let anyone touch his things, but Reno had to offer. It was the nice thing to do and Reno was trying to be more of that.]

Under certain angle, everything is a battle.

[...okay, no, that's too depressing. He shakes his head and his lips twitch a bit-]

But no, it is not a battle for me. I do quite enjoy doing the cooking.

[He didn't always like it but seeing how others- Noct, Prompto and Gladio- enjoyed his cooking, he found it less of a chore and more of a something he likes doing.]

Well... if you are not averse to doing the dishes, [Ignis implies gently to the heap behind Reno, while he slowly stirs the glaze.]

[Reno detected a hint of regret there.]

I meant, with the same thought an' precision -- not necessarily the rest, yo. An' yer clearly good at it.

[He winced, though, looking at the dishes.]

Ah... Well, I did say anything... Yeah, no problem. Dish-Dibs on more cake after the birthday boy, though.

It is true that you should follow the recipe precisely, but it is not forbidden to experiment for better results. If you know what you are doing, of course.

[And that's how Ignis gets himself stuck in an endless loop of 'does this tart taste better or this one'?]

Excellent. It is a three-story cake, [Ignis starts gathering decorations for the cake,] I am sure there will be enough cake for everyone.

[Reno rolled up his sleeves and began sorting through the mess in (and around) the sink, starting the water to get it hot.]

So... [He started from over his shoulder,] ... How 've things been going with you all? I mean, I know stuff was pretty rough not too long ago.

[Reno felt a bit badly that he hadn't checked in with everyone else besides Gladio, and occasionally Noctis, when Iris had disappeared. And then he didn't want to get in the middle of some kind of fight.]

[He still couldn't even begin to think of what he should say to Clarus. What do you say to someone who lost their kid?]

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The Setup

Open to anyone preparing the party

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sorry family stuff happened. we're good now

\o/

/o/

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