she just takes some glue to stay

[hellofist]

Who: Steph, Lucrezia, and Cass
What: SLEEPOVERS
When: January 9
Where: Bathaus
Rating: PG-13 maybe?


It's probably silly, being nervous about this. It's not like the last time the three of them spent time together, everyone actually wants to do this. Sleepovers have been something that's been talked about for months now, and it's finally happening. Still, it's so much bigger than just a sleepover and Cass doesn't even know if they've spent very much time in each other's company in months.

So she's a little nervous, but there's snacks set out on the coffee table already and all the pillows and blankets they own piled up, ready to be made into a fort, and she's in her pajamas already because it's a sleepover and Cass is ready. She's also doing her best not to stand at the window and watch for Lucrezia's approach. That's something she knows better than to do, anyway. Lucrezia will come on her own time, at her own pace, when she wants to. Cass does wish she'd hurry a little, though.

It's been too long, this friendship needs to be mended properly and if everything goes well tonight, hopefully by the time the snow melts things can be back to normal between Stephanie and Lucrezia. It can't be rushed though, so she's pretty sure her nervousness only shows as excitement.

After all, there are donuts. What's more exciting than donuts with people who mean so much to you? She can't just wander the house or eat all the donuts though, so Cass sits on the couch, then huffs a sigh and throws herself down on it, stretching across it to wait for Lucrezia to knock or Stephanie to appear from wherever she is in the house and distract her.

So impatient.

Comments

[lucre]

It's a credit to Cass to have Lucrezia's sense of time all figured out. Clearly, the universe revolves around her and so does the sun and the moon and every method of keeping up with the passing hours. So, she is never late in her mind so long as she arrives precisely when she means to (like a wizard).

But she does abide by the dress code, wearing the prescribed set of pajamas under her fur-lined coat. She wasn't quite sure if this was how one wears this seemingly national costume, but hopes neither of them will take offense that she had to also wear gloves and tuck the hems into her walking boots to keep them getting soiled. Surely they will understand.

It's only after she has slipped any loose strands of hair back into her single braid and smooth out any crinkles on her outfit does Lucrezia finally knock firmly though quietly. She is still walking on flimsy ground when it comes to Steph and she would rather tread carefully in all the possible ways.

[secondchances]

Really, everyone is over-thinking this. For the most part, Stephanie is entirely fine--even looking forward to the sleepover because it's been way too long. Things with Lucrezia are on the mend, and while Stephanie knows it won't ever be the same, different could be acceptable. She's on the way out of the bathroom with freshly brushed hair when there's a knock at the door, and she goes to answer it with a wave to Cass.

"Hey," Stephanie greets with an easy smile, moving aside so Lucrezia can get out of the cold. "Come on in."

See, Cass? It's going fine.

[hellofist]

Cass sits up on the couch, but she doesn't go anywhere just yet. Steph can manage the door opening and greeting, Cass just wants to take advantage of this. Was the last time she saw the two of them together really Tokyo? It feels like so much longer, so seeing the smiles now is nice in a way she hadn't really been ready for.

She doesn't want to get her hopes up, but they're climbing up there on their own anyway.

"We have tea, if you're... cold from walking."

[lucre]

Lucrezia isn't nervous because Borgias don't do nervous. It would be silly anyway, when all she has to face are two girls about her age with little to no reason to hurt her. Even knowing what Cassandra is capable of (not Stephanie just yet), there is no reason she should be afraid. But they can harm her in deeper and more terrible ways than a knife to the back. A wound to the heart hurts more and lasts longer.

So the smile she puts on is hesitant when she sees that it's Stephanie, yet hopeful. It only takes hearing Cassandra's voice on top of it to have her grinning teeth and all and waving as she pulls off her gloves and steps inside.

"I have walked so far and you offer me only tea? How miserly!"

[secondchances]

"We don't keep booze in the house," Stephanie shrugs, closing the door after Lucrezia. And by booze she means anything with alcohol. Sure, Stephanie might be the only one over twenty-one in the house, but they're all practically adults... that don't really drink much.

"But we do have hot chocolate in dangerous amounts."

And Stephanie heads over to the kitchen before anyone can even say anything.

[hellofist]

Interesting. Cass watches Stephanie making a beeline for the kitchen as she heads over herself to where Lucrezia is still standing, but then the smile she gives her is unclouded and just for her, accompanied by a big hug.

"Tea and hot chocolate and hugs." She says, only releasing her so she can rub her arms to try to rub more warmth into them. "Is that generous enough?"

[lucre]

To think that after more than two years of being friends with her, neither Lucrezia nor Ezio has succeeded in converting her to Italian wine!

She shivers a little as she start taking off her coat to hang nearby, interrupted only by Cassandra's hug. Warmth is good. "You are forgetting kisses!"

[secondchances]

It's almost a little too mushy for Steph's taste (a thought that manages to shock even herself because what she is all about affection and cuddles), but she busies herself grabbing some mugs from the cabinets.

Lucrezia can have the pink one.

[hellofist]

With a smile, Cass leans in to kiss Lucrezia on one cheek, and then the other one too just for good measure. That's how it works, right?

"Is that better?" She asks, taking Lucrezia's hand to lead her over towards the couch once her coat is taken care of. She expects that Stephanie won't take too long, but she glances back towards the kitchen for a sign of her return anyway.

[lucre]

That's certainly how it works! Though she was expecting one or two from Stephanie too, preferably without a kitchen knife in her back. She still thinks it's a possibility.

She turns to Cass. "What did you do to convince her?"

[secondchances]

It doesn't take super hearing for Steph to know the moment she's out of earshot, someone is going to be saying something. She's in a fair mood today so she doesn't really mind it, making sure to be appropriately noisy in the kitchen.

"Marshmallows?" She calls out. See? Hospitable!

[hellofist]

But it's Cass, so of course she wouldn't let anyone say bad things about Steph. As it is, she just gives Lucrezia a funny look.

"Just asked her." Why does it have to be more complicated than that?

Marshmallows are the more pressing issue here though, so Cass glances towards the kitchen before changing the direction she's walking, drawing Lucrezia along with her. Why not go see what Steph is doing?

"Yes marshmallows," she says on her way over, her tone playfully scandalized. "What kind of... question is that?"

[lucre]

Lucrezia is hardly the most subtle. As clever as she can be, given the chance, secrecy is hardly her forte. The smile she offers Steph as she lets herself be lead into the kitchen is telling, a little too bright and too guilt-ridden.

"Two for mine!"

[secondchances]

Steph's in the middle of making the hot chocolate, bag of jumbo marshmallows on the counter already. We don't play around the the Bathaus. She looks up at the ladies as they enter.

"Uh oh. Is the kitchen about to be raided?"

[hellofist]

"Only a little."

This just feels better, all of them in the same room instead of one of them off on their own. Plus, marshmallows. Cass reaches into the bag to snag a few. Mmm marshmallows.

[lucre]

Lucrezia could wait for her marshmallows in her hot chocolate or she can nab a few from Cass. Choices, choices. Not that she's ever known for self-control, already reaching for that bag of jumbo goodness. If nothing else, she's patient enough to take the time to chew one and let the next one wait in her other hand.

"We had to make sure you are lavish with the marshmallows."

[secondchances]

"Too many marshmallows and you turn into one, you know," Steph says, hopping onto the counter to sit and wait for the hot chocolate. She's kidding, of course, but she looks very serious about the whole matter as she doesn't take a marshmallow for herself.

[hellofist]

Stephanie can look as serious as she wants, but it doesn't help when it's Cass she's up against. She throws one at her, aiming for her forehead but not actually putting much force behind it. It's just a marshmallow, it's not like it'd hurt even if she winged it as hard as she could at Steph's face.

"You'd be one, then. Or mashed potatoes."

[lucre]

Oh. Oh, so is this what they're going for now? Food wars? Lucrezia spares no delay in chucking another one at Cass just because.

"Marshmallows are soft and sweet. Not too bad a trade."

[secondchances]

Steph fumbles to catch the marshmallow that bounces off her face. She maybe had promised Tim they wouldn't make a mess, but whatever. There was going to be a mess anyway.

"I could be mashed marshmallows." Here, Cass. Have your marshmallow back.

[hellofist]

Are they ganging up on her? She'll allow it, because how is that anything other than good. Yes, work together and continue to throw marshmallows at Cass, she'll just catch them and eat them all.

That's exactly what she's doing, too, snatching them both from the air and popping them into her mouth.

"Best kind of food, I think." She says it with her mouth full and everything, even as she's digging both hands into the bag of marshmallows. She wastes no time, tossing a handful at both of them at the same time.

Hopefully at the end of this there'll be enough left for the hot chocolate.

[lucre]

Lucrezia crinkles her nose playfully because mashed marshmallows just sound nasty. She even makes the point of eating one of the whole marshmallows to prove that it's already perfect as it is. No mashing needed.

"Donuts are better. I have yet to decide which of you may hold that honor." Of being called a donut.

[secondchances]

"I think Cass is the donut because she'll have to clean up the whole kitchen." Get it? Hole, whole? Because donuts have... holes...

Steph grins expectantly. Funny, right guys?

[hellofist]

"We have a dog." For real, she isn't worried. Ace can take care of all the mess.

And nope, that joke goes right over Cass' head. She doesn't laugh, just shuffles a little closer to look at the mugs of hot chocolate expectantly.

"Can we... drink it yet?"

[lucre]

Stephanie, no.

Lucrezia gives her a thin smile to show her how not okay puns are, only to laugh anyway when it apparently flies over Cass's head. "But is it hot enough for us yet?"

Get it, hot and hot? She's so funny, guys.

[secondchances]

"A dog that shouldn't be eating sweets," Steph reminds gently. Finding someone to treat a sick Ace isn't on Steph's agenda, and she doesn't want to think about what Tim would do if something was wrong with his baby.

Steph goes to check out the state of the hot chocolate, and soon is handing each of the girls a mug. Lucrezia gets hers with a lifted eyebrow.

"Are you... saying that because we're hot? Is that what's happening here?"

[hellofist]

"She's not wrong."

And with that particular sentiment just left hanging in the air, Cass takes her hot chocolate that she's loaded up with marshmallows and heads back into the living room. It's a slumber party after all, those don't happen in kitchens.

[lucre]

Suddenly that doesn't sound so funny once it's put that way. And she thought it was so brilliant...

"Hot-- That is the correct sentiment, yes? Or should I have said cool?"