ℒℒ 41 {dictated} after midnight

[luthored]

[ Lana can actually claim having a quiet couple of weeks for once, strange tension with Damon and Damian’s unique and separate dramas aside. Which is why she has decided to dedicate Friday night a spa night after she finally gets home from work late.

By the time midnight rolls around, Lana’s stretched out on her couch in a plush robe and slippers, a small black lab curled up in her lap while she flips through an interior decorating magazine. A detox mask covers her face, and her hair is wrapped back in a conditioning treatment and a towel, and honest to goodness she looks like a normal young woman enjoying a normal evening.

Until she’s suddenly no longer on her couch, and instead sitting up and reading in a...bed? A fancy bed. And just as she’s wondering if she accidentally dozed off, she looks over and sees somebody next to her.

A familiar somebody. At that, Lana cries out in surprise for all over the suddenly open journal to hear; ]

E—Ezio?!


[ ooc; Initial reaction open over the journal, but Lana would close it right after. Comments from her will 'technically' be from maybe half an hour later or so later. ]

Comments

[luthored]

It doesn't matter. Candles are fine.

[ Lana could just ask the castle, but honestly she resists wishing for anything from the castle whenever she can. That's why she lives in the city. Which also means... ]

Do you have something I can wear?

[assassino]

[He sets up a few more candles.]

Uh, yes, one moment.

[He moves across the room to his wardrobe, and he pulls out a plain white dress shirt. On him, it'd go just past his hips, but she's considerably smaller than him, so it'd be a tent on her. He's not sure, though, so he keeps rummaging, hoping he maybe has something of Claudia's. He does, however, find a modern t-shirt, and a pair of boxer shorts. Thank you, Stephanie Brown.]

I'm not sure what kind of rules your age has about women wearing men's clothing, but... I have this -- [he holds up the shirt] and these... [he holds up the t-shirt and boxers.] Take your pick.

[luthored]

[ Looking between them as best she can in the dim light, Lana squints. It's not the most appetizing choice, really, so she reaches out and takes...all three. ]

All of the above. Thank you. I'll be right back.

[ Lana is now taking the original candle and finding her way to the washroom and hoping maybe there's a window there she can climb out of... Ezio was not meant to see her like this. She's miffed. ]

[assassino]

You're welcome.

[He realizes the bathroom is suddenly connected to his bedroom now, but he doesn't comment. Castle, he figures. Castle shenanigans. He just sets up more candles in the meantime.]

[luthored]

[ She's not about to shower in this situation (and besides she'd just had a bath), but she does wash off her face and rinse out her hair, tying the damp locks back in a ponytail before pulling on the boxers, t-shirt, and finally the unbuttoned dress shirt to drape about her.

Sighing, and hoping that this actually has nothing to do with the upcoming holiday and that this doesn't last until then...she tries to do a five minute calming meditation before stepping back out into the room.

It's nice to be able to see, but the romantic ambiance is not lost on her. ]

Ezio, I have to ask... Do you always decorate your room like this?

[assassino]

Hmm? [He's not quite sure what she means. Why wouldn't he?] My room usually has a window, but otherwise, yes. This is how it always is.

[luthored]

It's so nice. I think electric lights would ruin the effect.

[ She can't help but be used to the standard bachelor pad. Zelman and Lex hardly count, considering what eccentrics they are. But then again, Ezio is from a time when this would be standard fare. She's just surprised he bothered to decorate so quickly.

She has yet to even try to decorate her castle room... But she also doesn't stay there. ]

[assassino]

[Shrug, smile.]

That and it is unnatural for a room to be so bright after the sun has gone down.

[Also, Claudia insisted on remodelling the place. But, more importantly:]

I wanted to apologize for startling you, Lana... but what was on your face?

[luthored]

Oh, that was just a moisturizing facial treatment.

[assassino]

[Huh...]

I see.

Well... [he goes to turn on the oil lamps.] Hopefully we will learn what the castle intends for us soon.

[luthored]

[ Nose scrunching he tiniest bit, Lana finds a chair to sit in and stares hard at the door, still frustrated but not wanting to seem so any longer. She should be the pro at this, not him. ]

Well at least it's with someone I know and get along with. I could think of worse scenarios. We're not handcuffed, for instance.

[assassino]

[He sits down on the edge of the bed.]

That is true as well. I am not looking forward to being trapped in here, but chains are worse.

[luthored]

[ This would be easier if she knew whether this was just them or the whole castle. Perhaps it wouldn't really matter, but she'd feel less awkward. ]

Maybe you should try to contact your sister.

[assassino]

We share the apartment. Perhaps she can open the door from the other side.

[He gets up to go knock on his own door.]

Claudia?

[luthored]

[ She waits, watching curiously, before something catches her eye. Did that candle suddenly turn pink, or was it that way the whole time? ]

[assassino]

[Nothing :( Is she sleeping? Probably.]

I cannot hear her...

[luthored]

Um, Ezio... Turn around.

[ HORROR. ]

[assassino]

[He turns, concerned.]

Yes?

[luthored]

I don't think this is how you normally decorate your room, right?

[ It already had that Renaissance romance about it, but now all that seems to have clashed with 'modern' ideas of romance and it just looks tacky in some spots. ...Pretty in other spots, like the rose petals on the bed. But still. ]

[assassino]

[He glances around at it, confused.]

Wait... I did not ask for those things.

[luthored]

I'd hope not.

[ That would just be...tactless. Sighing, Lana stands up and walks over to try and pull down some of the glittery garland lining the dresser. ]

They're classic Valentine decorations. I'm not surprised, given the timing, but that doesn't mean we have to humor it. I wonder what will happen if we clean this all up? Think the lights will go out again, or worse?

[assassino]

I am not too familiar with any Valentine but St. Valentine.

[he picks up a rose petal. Ah ha, it's real.]

These are nice, at least. We could try removing the rest of it, at least.

[luthored]

Well the holiday itself is called Saint Valentine's Day, and it's to honor the Christian martyrs named St. Valentine. Obviously it's fallen far from its original purpose, like...most modern holidays. Now it's just an excuse to sell cards and candy, and for couples to create a romantic night together.

[ A little shrug as she rips the garland the rest of the way off, only to watch it reappear. ...A sigh, and she sets what she's holding in her chair. The alarm's fading away and now she's tired again. ]

Maybe we should just...try going back to sleep, and we can handle this properly in the morning. Whatever that means.

[assassino]

I see.

[Considering pause. He guesses he won't be going out tonight... ah well.]

It is late. But it does not concern you, that the castle has forced us together with supposedly romantic intentions?

[luthored]

Of course it concerns me.

[ Especially since she worries if this is actually random or not. Plus she has work, and was actually looking forward to it for some stupid reason! And she had patrols. And...a million other things to do that she can't do in front of Ezio.

But she had been expecting something close to the holiday to ruin her plans, anyway. Just not quite this. ]

But...this is better than forcing us to kiss like usual. At least we still have our free will. Assuming we don't have to do anything special to get free.