THE GALA ON ADSUM (Mingle Log)

[serpentis]

Who: Anyone and Everyone!
Broadcast: Nope!
Action: A ballroom on Adsum
When: 2/21, Evening-Night



[And the night has arrived! Dorian put out an open invitation, and anyone who is interested is welcome to dress up and meet up for a night of dancing and fawning over each other. Make sure to wear your best, everyone! It's a very special episode of Drift Fleet!]

((OOC: There was an open invitiation, but even if your character never replied or has had personal contact with Dorian, feel free to assume he's let them come along or be dragged along by someone else! I'll be tagging some threads, but if you want a thread to be closed, please just say so in the header.))

Comments

[hellofist]

[Before Steph even lifts her hand, Cass can see the intention, the invitation, and she's already moving. There's no way, no possible way she'd say no, reject that, but once she's close enough to touch Stephanie she stops.

Tim should get his time. He got to hug Stephanie on his own, and Cass wants that to. Selfishly, she wants her own private moment with her best friend, and even though there's something almost uncomfortably tempting about being wrapped up in the both of them, she doesn't want that yet.

Her hand drops, and then both her hands fist into the delicate fabric of her dress. She'll wait.]

I can wait. [Somehow. She can hardly hear her own voice, so she tries again.] We can take turns.

[mysunnydisposition]

[ Steph lowers her hand, trying not to look hurt. It's a lost battle from the start with Cass, but she tries anyway. ] ...okay. Yeah.

[ It is really hard not to just grab Cass and hug her anyway, but she can wait until she's ready.

She shifts her weight, leaning in a little more to the contact with Tim, as much for the reassurance of it as anything else. They weren't gone, not for her... but she still hasn't really talked to either of them since Batman fired her, wasn't sure they'd ever really be able to be friends again, and her chest feels warm and full just from being in a room with them again. ]

I'm so glad to see you guys. I was about ready to start climbing the walls back on the ship...

[detectivewonder]

[He shoots Cass a quizzical look. What...?]

After the end of the month, you can both transfer over to the First Breath. Uh, if you want. There might be advantages to saying split up...

[He shrugs, suddenly uncomfortable, and steps back, clearing space both so that Cass can come forward and that he can watch them both, create some intellectual distance, and think.]

[hellofist]

With greeting. Just that part.

[They can just take turns with the first hug, because there's so much between all three of them that it only seems fair to let it be as one on one as possible for the first hug. After that, she doesn't care. As long as Stephanie knows she's loved, that any mistakes she's made are forgotten, they can hug in any combination they want.

Now that it's Cass' turn, she won't wait. As soon as she sees that Tim is letting her go next, she rushes forward and wraps her arms around Stephanie's waist, squeezing as tightly as she dares. There's still a part of her that's sure she needs to be careful, that worries as soon as they touch Cass will wake up, but Stephanie is warm and real and alive in her arms.

She won't cry this time. Instead she lays her head down on Steph's shoulder and lets out a thankful, choked sigh.]

[mysunnydisposition]

[ Oh, okay. That she can do, gladly.

She hugs Cass just as tightly, grinning again and feeling like she's going to vibrate out of her skin, she's so full of bright, bubbly energy and sheer relief. She turns her head and murmurs, just for Cass to hear. ]

It's okay. I'm not gonna break or anything.

[detectivewonder]

[Tim lets out a long, shaky breath. He's not good at showing what people mean to him, but having both of them here, both of them... all right with him, past snafus temporarily forgiven or forgotten, takes a weight off him he hadn't felt until it was gone. Together... they'll find a way out of this. He'll plan and pull strings, Cass will keep them safe, Steph will make sure they never give up. This will work.]

[hellofist]

[At that reassurance, Cass squeezes Stephanie a little tighter. She doesn't want to let go yet, or ever if she's honest, but she does remove one arm so she can wave Tim over again. She had her moment, and they can share now.]

We should stay together. Tim is right.

[mysunnydisposition]

[ Right. Tim was asking a question. Steph studies his face for a moment, and nods. She's with Cass on this - the closer she is to the other two, the better she'll feel about this whole thing. ]

If you think it's a good idea, I'll transfer as soon as I can. We always did make a good team.

[ When they weren't fighting, anyway... But for the moment, at least, that doesn't seem like it's going to be a problem. ]

[detectivewonder]

[he steps closer again, lips mobile enough to indicate some lingering uncertainty.]

We did. Though it's not going to be quite the same, here...

[mysunnydisposition]

[ Steph narrows her eyes. What is wrong with you, Timothy?

She almost reaches out to pull him into a group hug, whether he likes it or not, except that then he says that, and she hesitates. ]

Why not?

[hellofist]

[How about just no. Eyes on Tim, she shakes her head.]

You're messing it up, thinking too much. You should stop.

[At least let them enjoy this for five seconds, Tim.]

[detectivewonder]

I...

[He steps closer and joins the hug, still skittish, but suppressing it, trying to be in the moment.]