sticky

[secondchances]

Who: Stephanie Brown and YOU??
What: Sighing a lot and getting tar everywhere
When: Today!
Where: The castle grounds
Rating: PG



Tar, tar everywhere. It was black, sticky, and warm to the touch--which Steph discovered, as it clung to her arms and neck. It didn't take too long for her to realize that many in the castle were being afflicted by this, so she tried to tough through it. It would stop eventually, and she had things to do. There was still a lot to be done in the city, before she and Cass left on the expedition.

However, the more she touched, the more tar seemed to come from her hands.

She wasn't going to be useful to anyone today, let alone herself, she came to realize.

What was the logical response?

To lay down on the grass in front of the castle, of course. Maybe if she didn't touch anything for a while, the sticky goo would recede. In the meanwhile, staring at the sky seems like a good option.

Yeah, castle. She gets the irony. She messes up everything she touches. Ha ha.

Comments

[eaglet]

Connor blinks, a little surprised, but nods. "Yes -- Cassandra. I did not know you knew each other."

It's kind of a small world. Stephanie knew Cassandra, Cassandra (apparently) knew Ezio...

Which reminds him about something, and he sort of blurts it out, more curiously than anything else: "Do you know about the way she sees? How she reads movement and emotion?"

He is still sort of working on being tactful.

[secondchances]

Oh, the crazy adventures these four could have.

Tact isn't something Stephanie puts a lot of thought towards most times, so she doesn't mind the question at all.

"I do. We've fought alongside each other a lot. What she does is amazing. You'll never meet anyone quite like Cass."

[eaglet]

'Adventures' sure is one word for it!

"Ezio thought I should ask her to teach me to see as she does," he says, the excitement ebbing a little as he frowns a bit. "I do not think he knows how she learned."

[secondchances]

Stephanie shakes her head. Oh, Ezio.

"It's not really anything Cass can teach. I think it's something you have to start learning the moment you're born, and it's not exactly nice, either."

Whenever Stephanie thinks about how terrible her own father is, she often reminds herself that she could have been David Cain's daughter instead. While her father locked her in closets when he was angry, Cass' dad shot her.

It was a bonding point, at least.

[eaglet]

"Yes," he says, nodding. "That is what she told me. I would not have asked her if I had known."

Ezio is a jerk, news at 11.

[secondchances]

Ezio being a jerk and no one being surprised! Steph sighs.

"Knowing Cass, I'm sure she understood." And at least Cass knew Ezio, so it wasn't Connor being rude or anything. "She's a good teacher and sparring partner, though. She taught me a lot of what I know."

[eaglet]

'Sparring' is kind of a new concept to Connor. In his village, boys played war games, and even though they knew they were preparing to use these skills in battle, they were still games. Even when he trained with Achilles, he didn't actually fight with him -- he's too old for that, after all.

"She is to spar with me in exchange for my teaching her," he says, then adds wryly: "Though I think she is more interested in sparring than in reading."

[secondchances]

Steph grins at that observation.

"You're right. Reading is harder to learn, when you're older. It's not easy for her... but she'll get it, with all these people helping her out. Something's gotta click."

[eaglet]

"I hope she does not become overwhelmed," he says thoughtfully, a slight frown creasing his brow. "With so many teachers, I would worry there would be conflicting lessons."

[secondchances]

"Maybe, but we'll see how many actually stick to it." People leave, and people get distracted or realize that teaching an adult isn't quite the same as teaching a child. "Cass can handle it. She's a smart cookie even without being able to read."

[eaglet]

He imagines it'll be difficult to get Cass to actually buckle down and take lessons, too. She seemed a lot more eager to spar, after all.

"You are right. I know she will succeed."