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

[assassino]

[Ezio is not surprised to be in his room, or a little bit tipsy from too much wine, or naked in his own bed. All of that is pretty normal for him, catching a nap after a shower, before goin' out into the city for some free-running and to scope out the local crime.

What isn't normal is Lana Luthor in his bed, especially not Lana Luthor with her face smeared in some strange matter and her hair wound up. In his sleep-addled grogginess, he has no idea what is going on with her face. Is that some sort of mold?

He's concerned, confused, and a little amused. What's with your face, girl?]

... Lana?

[luthored]

[ His calm reaction does not help hers any, instead only frustrating her more, not to mention alarm her, when she realizes...he's not wearing any clothes. Immediately she shuts her eyes and tries to scramble back off the bed without sprawling and revealing anything of hers.

She's mostly successful, if only because all of her intense training has kept her from being a complete klutz. Still, panic can cause clumsiness in any situation, making her hug her robe around herself even tighter as she darts away from the bed.

Except all the training in the world can't help her when she smacks right into a window in her hurry (eyes still closed), and cries out. This isn't even her castle room. The layout is completely different! ]

What are you doing?! Put some clothes on!

[assassino]

[He sits up and looks around for his clothes, politely diverting his eyes from her -- jesus christ where are his pants -- but he looks back her way when he hears the thud of her hitting the window. This, baby, is why you are a failsassin.]

Calmati, calmati! Don't throw yourself out the window. Non è successo niente di grave.

[He grabs his pants and pulls them on.]

And, for the record, this is my room!

[luthored]

[ HOLDING HER FACE, AND ALL THE GOOP THAT COMES WITH IT. DOESN'T EVEN CARE. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! ]

I wasn't throwing myself out the window! I just thought we were in my room! Normally there's more space by my bed in the castle.

What's going on; are we trapped?!

[assassino]

[LOOK HE'S A BIT STARTLED, THE ITALIAN JUST SPILLS OUT OF HIM >:'( He fumbles with the laces on his pants. Why he hasn't started wearing modern pants all the time, he has no idea.

The stupid window just vanished, though, leaving a solid wall in its place. Ezio stares at it for a beat, perplexed, and then he orders her:]

Sit down and calm yourself, and I'll get to the bottom of this.

[Like a real man B[ He yanks on his shirt and grabs his hidden blade off the bedside table, buckling it on immediately.]

[luthored]

[ She...does that. And then wonders why the hell she did it (I'LL DO WHAT I WANT), and quickly stands back up, dropping her hands from her eyes. Oh...good, he's dressed. Not that he is bad to look at but-- STAY FOCUSED, LANA. ]

Get to the bottom of what?!

[ ...And then she notices the décor, since she's still got her back to the window (now wall?) and glancing around the rest of the room. Ezio is suddenly getting a very cold look from the swamp thing. ]

What's this about?

[assassino]

The window just vanished.

[If she wasn't screaming like a harpy about it, he would have assumed that she came here herself; the castle interfering just doesn't occur to him. He crosses the room to the wall, placing his hands against it and giving it a shove. No, definitely solid wall.

He glances at her, serious.]

You just appeared here? You didn't come here yourself?

[luthored]

[ She steps out of his way when he moves closer, watching in alarm. Where the hell did the window go?! That's fairly new. ]

Yes, I just appeared! You think I'd walk in here looking like this? While you're sleeping, no less?

[ Ezio your assumptions and the situation are just making it worse. Damnit, why is she suddenly having trouble seeing? She's ditching and going to try the door. ]

[assassino]

[He shrugs, though he's a bit annoyed.]

How would I know? I've woken to stranger women in my bed! I didn't want to assume!

[He follows her to the door.]

[luthored]

Well, I'm not one of those women! I'm married, or did you forget?!

[ GOSH EZIO. No seriously she is yanking that doorknob, pushing against the door, and her last resort is to give some very solid kicks just below the doorknob where it's weakest.

But obviously it does nothing (and she's starting to figure out what might be going on), so she lets out an annoyed huff and slams a palm against the door before stepping back. ]

You try!

[assassino]

I know that! I just could not think of any other reason for you to be in my bed with...

[He gestures at her bare legs. HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE WORDS.

He watches her struggle in vain, both annoyed and perplexed that she is freaking the fuck out and going to down on his door over something so stupid. Concerning, yes, but it's suddenly being in a different room, not the end of the universe.]

I will, if you'd step back for a moment and stop flailing about in hysterics.

[And then the lights go out. Completely.]

[luthored]

I'm not flailing! You don't understand because you haven't been here for that long. But if this is what I think it is, then it means—

[ —Oh. Lights out. This is just...fabulous. At least now he can't stare at her face or gesture at her perfectly innocent legs anymore. Still, um... That was alarming. ]

Ezio?!

[assassino]

I'm here.

[He reaches for her in the dark. His hand lands on her chest, and then slides away, casually as fuck -- it wasn't intentional, but he knows he shouldn't linger on that mistake. Whoops :) His hand stops on her shoulder.]

Means what?

[luthored]

[ In any other situation that might have resulted in a slap, but it's quick enough and seems to be unintentional enough that she just clamps her mouth shut and hopes he doesn't actually...notice. (Of course he did, he's a man.) NO, ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED.

She's really glad the light are off now, too embarrassed to even comment right away, but she doesn't move away when he touches her shoulder. Things are too uncertain for her to act like a complete idiot.

At least she sounds infinitely calmer and more quiet, if only out of embarrassment. ]

I, um... I just mean that when this happens, usually, we should...check the journal. But now we can't even see where those are.

[assassino]

[See? Touch breasts, calm women. That is the power of Ezio Auditore. He finds her hand in the dark and gives it a quick squeeze.]

I see. Don't move. I'll find a candle.

[luthored]

[ Lana just lets his hand go and crosses her arms over her chest, quietly cooperating for now. If this is what's going to happen, she needs to be calm about it. It was her own fault for assuming she'd have one night all to herself... ]

This would be easier if we at least had moonlight. I don't understand what happened to the window. That's new.

[assassino]

[It left because it was worried the glass would break because of your shrill voice, lady :'( Ezio just laughs, trailing his hand along the wall and his furniture until he gets to his desk, where he fishes a candle out of the drawer and lights it. Modern lighters are amazing, too.

The candle flares up, casting a yellow-orange glow and illuminating his handsome face. He lights a second candle from the first, and places it on the desk. His journal is right there, too.

He beckons for her to come to him, reaching out a hand to take hers again.]

I can't say I understand this "magic" thing at all, but come. What are you looking for in the journal?

[luthored]

[ Having had a few moments to collect herself and remember that this is really nothing new, she just waits until she spots the light before trying to make her way over.

Straining to catch his hand, she steps over the next few feet and glances over the nearby journal. ]

We should check to see if...anybody else is experiencing anything strange. You can guarantee that if the castle is behind this, quite a few journals are going to record others' reactions.

I'm sure ours are in here, too. [ Shit. Embarrassed all over again. ]

[assassino]

[He laughs, under his breath. It's half genuine amusement, half annoyed.]

Well, now that the castle knows about my habits...

[He pulls the desk chair out for her, like a proper gentleman.]

Let us check to see what is happening, then.

[luthored]

[ That's sweet and all but she is far too nervous to sit. Instead she just rests her free hand against the back of the chair while leaning over. And...actually there aren't currently any loud or panicked entries except for theirs.

Now color her embarrassed. Which is red beneath that...green. There's an awkward silence where she wonders if he thinks she's some evil liar seductress queen.

She's slamming that journal shut, so at least nobody else can hear it. ]

Maybe people still need to...wake up. I should go wash my face and get dressed. Do you have more candles?

[assassino]

[No, but he is questioning her mental faculties. Also, she'd have to sleep with him to be a seductress.]

I do.

[He gets more out... though there are perhaps more than he originally asked the castle for. Curious.]

I'm still not accustomed to "electric" lights.

[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.]