we'll be counting stars

[lucre]

Who: Lucrezia and Cassandra, Lucrezia and Spike!
What: Finding lost dogs and making house calls nbd
When: December 2
Where: everywhere
Rating: PG for now!

Cassandra;

More than half the lavish parties thrown in Rome were probably hosted by her family. The church certainly has deep pockets, most of the time, even if sometimes her father digs too deep. So it's rare that she would miss any of the important festivities or feel the need to leave her house to attend the ones worth going to. Regret is an uncommon sentiment for her when it comes to parties, but she does regret not attending this Bathaus one when it could be a chance to mend old friendships (or just to get away).

It's good that the weather has turned rather cool, since Lucrezia doesn't know what dry ice is and how to properly transport a tub of ice cream. At least she knows to wrap it up in a scarf when she comes knocking, herself all bundled up in a coat as well. Here is hoping everyone is at home (minus Tim).

Spike

The dog was surprisingly well-behaved even if it did bark at the kittens once or twice. It even befriended the tiger, though whether that's to his credit or the tiger's is up for question. She has enough pets as it is, with the mansion quickly turning into a zoo without quick intervention, and Spike is a friend who seems ever in need of a friend, whether one that can talk or not.

But Lucrezia knows to greatly reward those who please her with their company, which is easier done in a magical castle that grants all wishes. So it's with a pretty pink pearl collar about his neck and a matching little velvet coat that she carries Ein back to his door, knocking just twice and hoping the master of the house is in.

 

Comments

[hellofist]

Nope, not allowed. Cass catches her hand and sucks the ice cream off Lucrezia's finger, at least polite enough to not let her finger stay dirty, and then grabs up a spoon to get some pie onto that.

"We can fix that." She holds the spoon up for Lucrezia now, offering her a bite of it.

[lucre]

Lucrezia laughs when Cass licks her finger clean instead. The trouble with having a friend who can read what you're about to do. But then when something does happen, she can tell that Cass wants the same. It's no loss.

She returns the favor, taking that bite from the spoon as cleanly as she can. Wow. Chocolate. Wow. She chuckles after she swallows. "Now I feel terribly close to you."

[hellofist]

Now who is the cute one? Spoilers, it's Lucrezia. Cass smiles as she watches her friend eat, then leans in to kiss her cheek.

"You'd better. Would be sad, loving you... and you not feeling close."

[lucre]

No, that's too cute. Lucrezia tries to catch Cass in her arms when she moves in for that kiss, squuezing her tight once to show her just how close.

"Do you mean you love me, Cassandra Cain?"

[hellofist]

She doesn't have to try that hard to catch Cass, though. No, she just hugs back.

"That's not news, is it?"

[lucre]

"Not quite, but one needs good news every single day of the year." And she turns to nuzzle her nose into her hair, content to stay this way even as the ice cream melts.

"This one bears repeating."

[hellofist]

Who needs ice cream when you can have hugs? As far as Cass is concerned, they can stand there in the kitchen cuddling all day.

"Can manage that. Telling you every day." And she will now, Lucrezia will find the message scrawled in the journal in Cass' shaky handwriting every single day.

[lucre]

Writing practice! Lucrezia will send her a pretty Italian word each day in return, for Cass to practice too. She gives the girl a squeeze before stepping back to tend to the ice cream and the pie.

"Shall we?"

[hellofist]

Cass heaves a sigh, pretending to look as put out about the hug ending as she can.

"I guess," she says, and leads the way to the living room. There's a blanket folded up across the back of the couch, so Cass picks it up and shakes it out before nodding for Lucrezia to sit. "Get comfortable."

[lucre]

That expression only has her giggling as she picks up both bowls to follow Cass to the living room. It must be true love, for Lucrezia Borgia to be carrying food for you. She sets the bowls at the foot of the couch, still closer than the table, before hopping (yes, hopping) onto the couch while grinning up at her friend.

"I would need company to get comfortable."

[hellofist]

Like she needs an excuse. Cass jumps up right beside her and drapes the blanket carefully along Lucrezia's shoulders, then winds it around the both of them. There's a quick kiss to her nose and then Cass is tugging her down to sit, cuddling up close so they're wrapped up together. Best way to spend a cold day ever.

"Will this work?"

[lucre]

Lucrezia is all giggles as she easily wraps her arms about Cass and rests her chin on her shoulder. A perfect fit. It's comforting, in a way reminiscent of Stephanie, to have someone she can express her fondness for without fearing another's wrath and jealousy. Or fearing their eventual demise. Not that the fear goes away so easily.

"Why are we friends, Cassandra?"

[hellofist]

This sort of thing just comes easily, for Cass. Ever since she was a child, seeking affection had only ever resulted in violence. If she reached for her father for a hug, she got a backhanded slap and a split lip instead.

He had gotten a bloody kiss on the cheek after beating him in the fight that caused in return, of course, but the lesson had always stayed with her. There was no room for soft, loving spaces in an assassin's heart.

And now, especially in Paradisa, that's so different. Here she's wrapped up in hugs every day, wrapped up in Lucrezia's arms now and it's just what she's always wanted, love given freely. So she smiles and kisses Lucrezia's cheek, forehead resting against the other girl's after.

"Because I like you." Another kiss, to her other cheek. "Because I want... to keep you close." Her forehead now, accompanied by a sweet smile. "Because you deserve friends. Someone you... can always trust. Someone to love, who won't... ever ask anything in return."

[lucre]

Only God loves so purely. God and family. Everyone else loves for a reason. There is always a reason.

Lucrezia has made herself easy to love because she's pretty and she says such charming words and she smiles so sweetly and laughs at all your jokes. But without all that, they don't love her, not really. Only her mother, her brother, might. Even then she's not so sure. With Cassandra, she's just as unsure. Lucrezia thinks she has been kind to her because first she thought it would help her get Stephanie back. Besides, Cass is sweet and cute and earnest. Endearing. But without all that--

She doesn't know why it makes her feel so guilty. Like a prodigal daughter offered forgiveness when she had expected a beating instead. She moves to hold Cass tighter and to hide her face in the girl's shoulder.

"You will never betray me, will you?"

[hellofist]

Cass reaches up to stroke Lucrezia's hair, her other arm holding her in closer, tighter. If anyone were to come home now it would look strange, the two of them clinging to each other while their ice cream melted a few feet away, but that doesn't matter much to Cass. After all, she's used to seeing people react to how strange she is.

"No, Lucrezia. Will love you forever, would die protecting you." Which doesn't mean as much here, when death isn't a permanent thing, but it's no less true.

[lucre]

Death is the same wherever. It's the thought that she would give up her everything, even life, and the risk of never coming back. That's enough. No greater love has any man, as the Bible says.

Lucrezia inhales slowly then shifts her face to sigh and smile as she pulls back to show Cass her smile. All is well indeed. It is the proclamation that she wants. Words bind those who utter them, even more so if they are so wholeheartedly meant. She is no mind-reader, like Cass seems to be to her, but she thinks she knows honesty when she sees it.

"What do you call ice cream that is no longer ice?"

[hellofist]

"Soup," Cass answers at once, but her attention is still squarely on Lucrezia. She pressed a hand to the other girl's cheek affectionately, trying to capture her attention again.

"Why are you my friend?"

It seemed odd that Lucrezia would even use that word when it's been clear in the past she believes there's no such thing, but now Cass is curious to see what Lucrezia will say and if it will match her body language. The answer itself doesn't really matter because the label doesn't matter, but she wants to see, in her way, what the answer is.

[lucre]

She laughs but tries to seem displeased by that term. "It must be better than that. Ice soup at least."

Even with Cassandra's hand on her cheek, Lucrezia still tries to drop her eyes to her lap, averting her gaze. Not that it matters, when the girl doesn't need to look into her eyes to see whether she's speaking the truth. It's not that she doesn't believe in the idea of friendship, as much as she believes in the idea of love, but she isn't convinced that someone like her would ever find it away from her family.

The Borgias are outsiders, a breed of outcasts welcome neither in Italy nor Spain nor anywhere else for that matter. They belong only to themselves, to family. Everyone else are either tools or enemies.

It takes her too long to respond, trying to understand her own state of mind. Why indeed. "Because I trust you," and she knows to lift her eyes when she says it, because it's true, even if not as fully as she would like Cass to believe. "I could sleep in your arms and not fear to wake with a blade at my throat."

[hellofist]

The funny thing is it doesn't take any time at all for the answers to come, because Cass sees them in her body language and first and it's shocking how familiar it feels, to see what she's so used to feeling. Cut off, lost, left on the outskirts of what you could be. It's different for Lucrezia, but there's enough there that matches.

"Should stay every night, then." Even though she knows it's impossible, Cass says it anyway. Anything to make her feel safer, help her sleep more soundly. "I had nothing, my whole life. No one to love, to love me." She hugs Lucrezia a little bit tighter now, though she's careful not to hurt her. "Don't let go easy, now that... I do have that. You're always safe with me."

[lucre]

The only difference being that Lucrezia doesn't think it's wrong at all, to live as if the whole world stands against her family. It's kill or be killed, put crudely. Though she prefers to use rather than be used, which she thinks is already kindness compared to what her father, her brothers, would demand.

At this moment, Cassandra is useful to her. She is kindness personified and she is stronger than most which, Lucrezia has learned, is an essential trait for any who wishes to come close enough to her. She has lost too many. She would rather gain fewer friends than lose too many more. It's true that she's afraid for her own safety, and that little trip to Florence didn't help any, but she also fears for the lives of those who come too close. She holds on tighter too and takes a deep breath to clear away the weight in her chest, heavy like sorrow or perhaps like joy. It's hard to tell.

"I know now. You can tell for yourself, can you not?"

[hellofist]

Typically, Cass hates to be used. It's what she knew the entire first half of her life, just being a thing to be pointed at an enemy, a trigger to be pulled to the life of someone she knew nothing about. Expected to follow orders, to only operate as a too.

Being used for this, though, for love and to have a friend, she doesn't mind that so much. It's okay for Lucrezia to use her that way because in the end, it's what Cass wants anyway.

"Yes, can tell." She lifts a hand up to rub Lucrezia's back, soothing and drawing her closer as the other girl holds her tighter. "Does it bother you? That I... can do that?"

[lucre]

Everyone is used by another in the end. It's all she knows. Her father uses her as a pawn, a bargaining chip. Her brother uses her as the ideal he needs and even he sometimes fails to see her the way she is.

But Cass's question just makes her giggle, pulling back to show her that no, it doesn't at all. "Does it bother you that I can spin pretty words or that Joshua can halt time?"

[hellofist]

"Not the same, though. Not exactly." But it's a good enough answer for Cass, so she kisses Lucrezia's forehead and then leans over to pick up one of the bowls of admittedly slightly liquid ice cream. Oops.

Still, it'll taste just as good this way so she just scoops up a big spoonful, holding it up and bringing it towards Lucrezia's lips.

"Here."

[lucre]

But why use a spoon when she can dip her finger in that ice cream soup and lick it off with a laugh. (Germs? What germs?)

"Sweet," like Cassandra. She dips her finger, the same one, into the still goopy part of that soup to offer her. It's probably gross, but then Lucrezia doesn't care about such things.

[hellofist]

It's not gross though, not to Cass at least. There's no hesitation, she just opens her mouth and wraps her lips around Lucrezia's finger so she can suck the ice cream off.

This is a totally normal kind of thing, right? Surely all girls cling and suck ice cream off each other.