Roses and Sunflowers and Turtles (Cass, open) - Sunflower Beach

Teddy was out in the garden because, well, she had a garden. Currently, the little blond was sitting on her knees in the grass tending to a flower bed.
She was barefoot, clad in long shorts and a white tank top in addition to flower patterned gardening gloves and an equally ugly but none the less fitting bandanna. What was perhaps odd though was the fact that she didn't have any music with her, she usually always did. Though there? In their garden, by their house, by the shore... she liked listening to just the wind and the sea.

Such very good memories, just those sounds.

Cass was walking up the sidewalk with a large orange rose bush in a Terracotta pot and a large black purse over her right shoulder. The blooming flowers obscured her vision, so... in awkward, but normal fashion, Cass's hips bumped right into the wall around the garden and she gave an audible, "Oof..."

The blond blinked and looked up before her lips parted in a wide grin as she more or less jumped to her feet.
"Cass!" Teddy chuckled as she made her way over to her and, rather than taking the flower right away, parted the flowers with her hands and peeked at the Toreador. "There she is!"

"Hey, Teddy," she chuckled-- mostly at herself for being a bit of a klutz, but at Teddy, too, as her face popped through the fauna. "I come bearing gifts," she smiled happily.

"Oooooh, oh they're beautiful" she practically beamed at her as she carefully helped take the terracotta pot from her and drawing her breath simply so she could take in the sweet scent of the flowers. "Oh they're lovely Cassie, thank you so much, I know just the place to put them" the blond grinned at her, motioning with a nod of her head for the Rose to come with her as she moved back towards the flower bed where, for the time being anyways, she put the flowers down and then proceeded to sit down in the grass without much ceremony.
"Want me to get you a pillow?" she remembered asking first after she's sat down herself.

"Oh, no pillow for me," she smiled to the toymaker. Cass made her way around and came to plop down onto the ground near Teddy, her knees drawn up and her arms around her legs. The scarf came off and was tossed out of the way and to the side. She'd chopped off most of her hair this evening, and now the brunette locks were being a pain in the butt and falling forward and into her face, but she didn't seem to mind it too much.

"So you did it, you got a place. I'm having trouble picturing you in a place this big, but it's gorgeous," she smiled brightly. "I think it suits you, really. Liking it so far?"

If the smile was anything to go by? Then yes. She liked it very much and the blond bit her lip with a soft chuckle and nodded her head as she rested her hands in her lap, having pulled her legs into a lotus position.
"I love it Cass. I love it cause it's ours..." the Caitiff said softly. "And you can smell sea, and you can hear it and I got a garden with flowers" and boy she beam when she said that. "It's not too big, but just perfect really and to find someplace without too many neighbours to peak through your windows? Well, I love the city but this? Oh I like this much much more"

"And it's not far from the shop, either," she smiled, truly happy for her friend. "You're blessed, I think it's wonderful, I truly do!"

Her eyes scanned the garden area before coming back to Teddy, her smile having not faded in the least.

"And the garden will bloom all year, how awesome is that? This setup is hella sweet, chica. Hella sweet. It's a good way to start a new chapter of your life. Congratulations, sweetie, really."

"I'm gonna put the flowers with the red roses so they can climb up the wall under the bedroom window" the blond said, chewing on her lip as she looked up at the wall of the house which was already partially covered by the climbing roses. "That way I can smell them every night when I open it up" Teddy smiled, tilting her head to the side and looking over at her friend with that same lingering smile of hers. Those bright blue eyes gazing at the Rose for a few moments without the smile faltering one bit.
"You're so silly, Cassie... you both are" she said lovingly really.

She was smiling still... well, until Teddy told her she was silly.

"Huh?" She looked genuinely confused. "What'd I do that was silly?"

"He worried I'd hate him" Teddy still smiled as she reached out with a still gloved hand to take Cassie's. "I'm betting you worried the same huh?" she shifted over so she could reached out with both hands to find Cassiel's. A few locks of blond curls having fallen down into her face as she spoke softly.
"Medwyn told me" and she figured the Rose knew what.

Oh... Oh God... Her first reaction was to laugh nervously, something she did often under moments of stress. It was an odd, high pitched, out of tune sound. But it only lasted a moment before she started shaking her head.

"Yeah... I do worry," oh, look. Present tense was used, which means she still worried. "I worry that he hates me. I know I hate me."

Cass squeezed her hands, having assumed Teddy knew everything that happened. "I... I didn't mean it to happen, I didn't... ugh... I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. And not for the reasons most people think."

The light squeeze of her hands was returned as she Caitiff gave her friend's hands a light tug.
"You shouldn't hate yourself Cassie. That's not healthy for anyone, least of all you" Teddy shook her head. "He doesn't hate you. Trust me, alright? And I mean come on..." she gave her hands another tug, seemingly meaning to pull her into a hug if she'd let her.
"It was just sex" and yeah, she said that not sounding one bit upset. "And it was before I even knew he existed. Why should I be jealous or upset over that? I'm not that psycho..." the blond added with a soft chuckle. "And if you and Alex are getting married, then I'm going to assume that you've talked things through and that you are alright. Right?"

Cass rested her head on Teddy's shoulder and nodded gently. Though she didn't feel she had any right to even touch her. Funny, it had been months since it happened-- it felt like even longer for the Toreador, but the memory of that night was still so fresh. Like she could still feel everything-- yes, everything. And not all of it was pleasant.

"Alex and I are alright. It's forever going to be a work in progress, but... we're okay. But I don't want Medwyn to simply tolerate me because he feels he has to, either. I didn't just hurt Alex or myself, I hurt him, too. And I never intended to, not once. He didn't deserve it-- not the way I acted, not Alex breaking his ribs, nothing. It was all my fault. I'm so sorry, Teddy, I really am."

She held to her friend tightly, there just wasn't much more she could do other than... maybe start to realize just how crazy she actually probably was at this point.

"You know what vampires get to do?" she tended to use that word more often than Kindred. The blond moving her arms around her friend with a smile as she closed her eyes and held her close with a comforting embrace. "We get to choose our families. And we want you to be part of ours" Teddy whispered softly as she brushed her fingers through Cassiel's hair.
"I don't want awkward Cassie... I don't want either of you to walk around as if on eggshells. Worried you'll hurt each other, worried you'll hurt me. You're my best friend. You always have been and I hope you always will be. And I would love for you to be able to sit with me and with Medwyn, and not feel like you're in the way because you're not"

The blond brushed her fingers through her friend's hair again, turning her head just enough to kiss her cheek and nuzzle lightly against her.
"He doesn't hate you Cassie... no one hates you..."

"I'd never hurt you, Teddy," her arms came around to her shoulders, pushing her back gently, just enough to look her in the eyes. "Never. And I promised I would never, ever hurt Medwyn again. Or Alex. I promise I won't."

She gave a sigh, willed herself not to get emotional-- because, let's face it, Cass was already an emotional wreck lately. She hated it with a passion.

"Even after everything was said and done, Medwyn... he... he tried to help me, he did help me. I don't think he knows how he did it or even if he did. But he did, and he didn't have to. He's a damn good man, he really is. And he's damn lucky to have you. You know if anything ever happens, I've got both of your backs, okay? No questions asked."

She managed to crack a small smile.

"But as for the no one hates me bit? I can name 3 off the top of my head," she chuckled.

"Name three people you care whether or not hate you?" Teddy tilted her head to the side, still smiling up at her. "I know you got my back Cassie. And I got yours, remember?"
The Caitiff knew how hate worked. Knew it very well, specially the kind that came for no real reason. It was lovely wearing a brand like that in their society, yet she never seemed all that burdened by it.

Garden gloved hands, with flower patterns!, came up to cup the Roses cheek, resulting in a bit of smudged dirt on ehr skin.
"Alex is very very lucky to have you, and he better treat you right or I'll hurt him" said the oh so scary Bichon Frise, still looking into her friend's eyes. "And Medwyn... Medwyn's my heart, and I'm lucky to have him. You know though? If you actually feel like he helped you? Then tell him... hm?"

"Just Scion," she shrugged in answer to her question. Though, to be fair, she wasn't certain that the Gangrel demon hunter hated her, but... well... he did tell her she probably would have been better off having killed herself, so...

Cass didn't seem to mind the dirt on her face, or even notice really. There was nothing wrong with a little dirt, anyway, And you couldn't not get dirty when climbing trees or walking the beach.

"I don't think Alex is ever going to hurt me, not on purpose. And... I will tell him. I will. I just... don't want to overload him now that... things are happening so quickly for him."

"Then Scion is a fucking idiot" yup, that simple.

The blond brushed her thumbs gently across Cassiel's cheeks, still cupping both with her hands as she leaned in and lowered her voice to a smiling whisper. "Maybe he grew dogs ears on the inside of his head they're affecting his brain"

"Maybe he did," she chuckled. "But I care... Because Alex and Scion are close friends," yeaaah... "I want this to work, but... I think Alex may be in for a rough time and I don't know how to bring it up."

"Well... you simply bring it up"
Teddy slipped her hands away, though no further than allowing them to find Cassiel's again. "You have to talk about things. Even more so if it involves a friend or a lover... hmm?" she smiled, tilting her head to the other side. "There's no point making a big thing out it. You sit down, and you talk. Like we're doing. That's what adults do. And let's face it. If I'm adult enough to do that? Then a bloody cougar of a Gangrel ought to too"

"I know. I had plans to do it prior to... um... leaving...?" Better than saying 'abduction', right? "But I don't know how to do it now. My head's not on right. And I don't know which is worse-- worrying about Alex's friends or worrying that I need to keep my head with Jennica here. It's stupid, but I'm so frustrated. And I'm so tired of drama."

She made a disgruntled sound in the back of her throat before she took a breath and let it out.

"He really is a cougar, you know... literally..."

"Then he has a tail" funny how she managed to focus on those silly details.

"Talk with him when you feel it's right yeah? Just don't wait too long and let it build up. That just sucks and then you'll get yourself all worked up over it and make it into something much bigger than it is, when chances are? Scion doesn't hate you. He's simply being a bit simple about it. You know... those Gangrel boys do tend to take a lot of hits to the head" she said with a soft chuckle.

"And FU Jennica. The bitch can go play someplace else. She's not getting to hurt you. I won't let her. Alex won't let her. Your friends won't let her. Just remember that. You're not alone this time"

"I know I'm not, but it's still frustrating," she shrugged. "At least Alex seemed not to mind that Jamie wants to plan the wedding," she managed to actually laugh at that one.

"See? There's always a bright side."

She.... looked like she had to think about that one for a few moments.
"So... an old Catholic Scottish Brujah is planning your wedding....?" that didn't sound right. Right? "Are kilts gonna be mandatory?" the blond quirked an eyebrow as she said the words slooooowly, like a little kid asking a question.