[ she finally begins to stir, several hours after they fell asleep on that bed of moss. her body still feels so heavy, and she generally feels--warm. safe. she's half-sprawled over stephanie, head on her best friend's shoulder, leg slightly tangled with hers. both of them are, naturally, very naked below a weave of flowers and moss that had grown into a sort of blanket. as if the place sensed a need. their clothes, now unglamoured and normal, are scattered around them.
cass murmurs nonsense and curls around steph a bit more insistently, nuzzling her. she's not really awake or aware, not yet. she just knows that she wants to enjoy this a while longer. ]
cass murmurs nonsense and curls around steph a bit more insistently, nuzzling her. she's not really awake or aware, not yet. she just knows that she wants to enjoy this a while longer. ]
[ cassandra doesn't open her eyes, but stays nestled up with steph. unfortunately, stephanie, she's definitely closer to still being asleep. the experiences of last night are newer for her. she's less used to it and so it took more out of her.
she nuzzles against her shoulder, letting out a quiet content sound. ]
she nuzzles against her shoulder, letting out a quiet content sound. ]
[ well. the sound of stephanie brown's voice has always been a beacon, for her. so of course she stirs more at that. realizing she's definitely naked next to a woman. which is... something she's... pretty sure she hasn't actively thought much about, except about certain... well, that doesn't matter. her head shifts and she slowly blinks, groaning in exhaustion, and the motion of it resembles nothing so much as a cat being startled awake. before her eyes close again.
she's still not quite all there though. give her a second. ]
Hey. [ it's casual, fond, like she and steph are meeting for breakfast and not... tangled up like this. she hasn't quite made the connection between the body under her and steph's voice. ]
she's still not quite all there though. give her a second. ]
Hey. [ it's casual, fond, like she and steph are meeting for breakfast and not... tangled up like this. she hasn't quite made the connection between the body under her and steph's voice. ]
[ okay, that gets her attention. she opens her eyes and pulls back just a bit. enough to... recognize the situation. to look at steph. to try not to think about the fact that steph is definitely naked and perfect and--
bits and pieces flood back. she doesn't fully remember--the glamour makes it all a bit difficult, booze aside--but she can piece together enough on top of this. cass frowns, but... nods, reaching out to move some hair out of steph's face. her voice comes with some hesitation, a bit of worry. she can see steph rushing to disentangle herself from the situation, and she's not sure what to make of that yet. ]
Can we... talk about this? [ over that coffee, maybe. ]
bits and pieces flood back. she doesn't fully remember--the glamour makes it all a bit difficult, booze aside--but she can piece together enough on top of this. cass frowns, but... nods, reaching out to move some hair out of steph's face. her voice comes with some hesitation, a bit of worry. she can see steph rushing to disentangle herself from the situation, and she's not sure what to make of that yet. ]
Can we... talk about this? [ over that coffee, maybe. ]
[ she's mostly just worried because steph seems worried and--
cass isn't troubled over what happened. not as such, not really, anyway. she pulls away under the blanket of plants, squeezing stephanie's hand once. firmly, reassuringly. ]
I'll go with you. Just, uh... [ cass just like. tosses a hand out to grab her shirt and jeans, shimmying into those quickly under cover. she doesn't want to make this any more awkward. her underwear just gets shoved into a pocket.
cass stands up, just sort of. looking away from steph and turning to give her a bit of privacy. this is probably kind of a silly thing to worry about, with everything she remembers of fingers and tongues from last night? but whatever. ]
Whenever you're... you know.
cass isn't troubled over what happened. not as such, not really, anyway. she pulls away under the blanket of plants, squeezing stephanie's hand once. firmly, reassuringly. ]
I'll go with you. Just, uh... [ cass just like. tosses a hand out to grab her shirt and jeans, shimmying into those quickly under cover. she doesn't want to make this any more awkward. her underwear just gets shoved into a pocket.
cass stands up, just sort of. looking away from steph and turning to give her a bit of privacy. this is probably kind of a silly thing to worry about, with everything she remembers of fingers and tongues from last night? but whatever. ]
Whenever you're... you know.
[ cass moves quickly to keep up, not wanting to press the subject until they have coffee and hopefully food. her brow creases, though--she can't quite make sense of the whys underlying steph's actions here. if she just wanted to pretend this never happened, that would--make sense, to cass, obviously steph doesn't want... anything like this. with her. but she finds herself hoping that that isn't the case, which... she's not sure how to examine right now.
she remembers herself gasping and pleading for more, remembers feeling utterly at home and full of adoration while dancing with...
cass closes her eyes and draws in a breath as they walk, reaching down to grasp steph's hand in hers.
and finally the familiar dining area opens up, in the midst of a breakfast service. cass heads for the coffee. ]
she remembers herself gasping and pleading for more, remembers feeling utterly at home and full of adoration while dancing with...
cass closes her eyes and draws in a breath as they walk, reaching down to grasp steph's hand in hers.
and finally the familiar dining area opens up, in the midst of a breakfast service. cass heads for the coffee. ]
I... don't know either.
[ she hasn't exactly had the opportunity to examine her feelings for steph up to now. ]
You, uh... know more of our... history, but...
[ she swallows, feeling incredibly nervous. looking even more so. she's a 19 year old girl overloaded with feelings she never got the chance to unpack and hasn't had to deal with before. life is hard!!! ]
I don't... remember much, from last night. But I know it felt... right? Like... it was a long time coming. Which is... stupid, I didn't know it was you, but... it still...
[ aaaand cass tries not to look at her, focusing on her coffee. ]
[ she hasn't exactly had the opportunity to examine her feelings for steph up to now. ]
You, uh... know more of our... history, but...
[ she swallows, feeling incredibly nervous. looking even more so. she's a 19 year old girl overloaded with feelings she never got the chance to unpack and hasn't had to deal with before. life is hard!!! ]
I don't... remember much, from last night. But I know it felt... right? Like... it was a long time coming. Which is... stupid, I didn't know it was you, but... it still...
[ aaaand cass tries not to look at her, focusing on her coffee. ]
... I don't know. For me, I think. You too, maybe, it's... [ she sighs, tensing a bit, trying to make herself small. like she's bracing for this to go poorly. like she's afraid she might start crying and she wants to run before steph can see her like that.
also, definitely more than one. ]
There was... so much happening, during the ball, and it's... hard to remember. A lot of it, but... when we danced, even with the crowd, it... felt like. We were alone. Nothing else mattered, to me, and...
[ god steph please say something she's scared she's fucking things up ]
also, definitely more than one. ]
There was... so much happening, during the ball, and it's... hard to remember. A lot of it, but... when we danced, even with the crowd, it... felt like. We were alone. Nothing else mattered, to me, and...
[ god steph please say something she's scared she's fucking things up ]
[ that... okay. that's pretty unambiguously positive. so it at least stops her spiraling on this. cass looks up, eyes wide, face at least as red--and she cups steph's cheek, as she has a number of times before, but--she places her mug down. and closes some of the distance between them. she honestly still feels terrified, but--
well. there's a signal from steph that makes a lot more sense now. cass pushes herself up onto her toes, pulling stephanie in for a kiss. it's brief, light. tentative and oh so fearful. ]
well. there's a signal from steph that makes a lot more sense now. cass pushes herself up onto her toes, pulling stephanie in for a kiss. it's brief, light. tentative and oh so fearful. ]
I... don't know, what I'm...
[ she looks uncertain, but doesn't move away from her. ]
I'm... not upset, I... wanted what happened. Wanted you. I don't... regret it, I just...
[ she needs some time to think. she closes her eyes, leaning against stephanie. ]
[ she looks uncertain, but doesn't move away from her. ]
I'm... not upset, I... wanted what happened. Wanted you. I don't... regret it, I just...
[ she needs some time to think. she closes her eyes, leaning against stephanie. ]
[ it helps. she snugs in a bit more, resting a hand on steph's arm and picking up her mug. ]
Definitely... need some too. [ she sighs. ] Let's just... um. Play this by... ear...? I'm--glad it was you, even if...
[ the circumstances of... all of this? leave a lot to be desired. she might not have known it was steph. but there's a biting certainty now, that she wouldn't have felt what led to it with anyone else.
and this is certainly... something. the sex when they weren't in their right minds was one thing. but from the kisses to the gentle embrace--and thinking back further--maybe it has been for a while, and she was just denying herself. ]
Definitely... need some too. [ she sighs. ] Let's just... um. Play this by... ear...? I'm--glad it was you, even if...
[ the circumstances of... all of this? leave a lot to be desired. she might not have known it was steph. but there's a biting certainty now, that she wouldn't have felt what led to it with anyone else.
and this is certainly... something. the sex when they weren't in their right minds was one thing. but from the kisses to the gentle embrace--and thinking back further--maybe it has been for a while, and she was just denying herself. ]
I want us to figure this out. I...
[ she isn't certain of much right now. her own feelings have always been hard to figure out, she's always had difficulty distinguishing different kinds of affection. but... a lot is being recontextualized right now. so many moments, actions both of them took-- cass closes her eyes, staying pressed against steph. ]
I just... um. Need a little time, this isn't something I've... thought about, before. But... I don't want you to... [ a deep breath. ] I don't need space. Not from you. Not ever.
[ she isn't certain of much right now. her own feelings have always been hard to figure out, she's always had difficulty distinguishing different kinds of affection. but... a lot is being recontextualized right now. so many moments, actions both of them took-- cass closes her eyes, staying pressed against steph. ]
I just... um. Need a little time, this isn't something I've... thought about, before. But... I don't want you to... [ a deep breath. ] I don't need space. Not from you. Not ever.
I know, Steph.
[ everything else may be crazy, but in her mind their connection, the bond between them, has never been in doubt. she stays close, overwhelmed with a feeling she can't describe. cass finally pulls back a little and smiles, wide and genuine. ]
Hungry?
[ everything else may be crazy, but in her mind their connection, the bond between them, has never been in doubt. she stays close, overwhelmed with a feeling she can't describe. cass finally pulls back a little and smiles, wide and genuine. ]
Hungry?


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