Girls' Night [Sweet Princess Iris]

[kennedyk]

Kennedy's laid out several blankets and pillows on the distressed hard-wood floors of her top-floor apartment. It was a long day at work, but thankfully a productive one. Several customers came by to commission her after visiting her booth at the art festival, something she'll call a win. Now that there's a nice open space on the floor free of her canvases, paints, and as clean as it's been since she's moved in, Kennedy pops a big tub of Neopolitan ice cream into the freezer and sets a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice to chill. She picked up everything from the market on the way home.

"I hope Iris doesn't mind eating on the floor..." she worries, but furniture such as a dinning room table really seemed like a waste of money when she needed the space for her art. She shrugs, figuring her new friend will be so excited, she'll love absolutely everything. Laying a box full of jewelry-making supplies on the floor along with their stash of beads from the festival, she pulls out her notebook, quietly working up a quick sketch of the man Owen she met at her booth as she waits for Iris.

Comments

[littleredsiren]

Iris has been cooking and baking all day trying to make the meal as amazing as possible. She's got the pasta and garlic bread, but also cupcakes galore. And she's making her way to Kennedy's apartment with all of them piled into her arms and a pile of movies on top of all that. Peering around the edge of the food tower, she checks the apartment number to make sure she's in the right place before kicking the door lightly, unable to knock properly.

[kennedyk]

Kennedy bounces to her feet, tossing her notebook to the ground before she opens the door. "Good, Lord, woman!" she exclaims as she eyes the tower of food. "How did you even get up here with all that? Sirens have mad balancing skills?"

She quickly reaches up, standing on her toes to grab a few of the containers of food. "Come on in, make yourself at home, dear."

[littleredsiren]

Iris laughs, following her in and laying the food down on a counter. "I think the balancing is a purely me thing. I've had to carry this much food around so many times that I've just learned how to keep everything steady."

She looks around, taking in Kennedy's apartment with curiosity. For being in the same building, it's certainly a very different style. Where Iris' apartment is frilly and feminine, Kennedy's is earthy and full of art supplies. Despite the differences, Iris feels completely at home in the atmosphere. Something about it is oddly inviting. "Your apartment is lovely! There's so much room!"

[kennedyk]

"You'd be popular at a circus then," she teases. "I'd have stubbed my toe immediately and thrown a fit, tossing the food everywhere."

Kennedy looks around her place, taking it in for the first time as a visitor would. Actually, Iris is her first visitor here. She smiles. "Thank you. I know I have the bare minimum, but this is where most of my painting happens so, needed the space."

"Speaking of space, I hope you don't mind eating on the floor? I have really nice pillows to cushion your butt, though."

[littleredsiren]

"I've never been to a circus... They sound fun though!" she grins. "Eating on the floor sounds fine to me! Nothing I made is super messy anyway, so it won't be like we'll ruin your floor, or cushions."

She taps a finger against her teeth, looking around the kitchen. "Where do you keep your plates? I'll get this plated up if you want to pour the wine?"

[kennedyk]

'I've been to a few. Definitely fun. Fairs, too. If something comes by Siren Cove, we'll check it out, ok?"

Music to Kennedy's ears. She points Iris to a cabinet in the corner of the kitchen as she pulls two glasses from her wine cabinet, an old piece of furniture she revamped into something useful. "Did you have a busy day?" she asks as she pours the wine and carries the glasses to the blanketed place on the floor.

[littleredsiren]

"Yes! Definitely!" Iris grins, excited just at the thought of having plans to do something.

She skips over to the cabinet, pulling out a couple plates and spooning up the pasta. Putting a couple pieces of garlic bread on each, she carries them over and lays one down for Kennedy before taking her own seat. "Not really. I was cooking all day," she explains, sipping at the wine. "How about you? You were sketching when I came in, I guess?" She gestures to the scattered pencils and charcoal sticks.

[kennedyk]

Kennedy takes the plate happily, eager to dig in because it honestly looks amazing. "Smells delicious!" She sips her wine, not understanding how Iris can spend the day cooking and still her chipper self. Kenned would be grumpy. "I'll happily eat everything you cooked today."

She glances over at her pad, whispering a quick 'oops' before grabbing it and smoothing out the pages. "I forget myself sometimes. Gotta make everything Kennedy proof, aka it's gotta be able to handle some wear and tear." She passes the book over to Iris to glance through. "I sold some commissions today, actually! People who came by my booth actually came to the store."

[littleredsiren]

"I hope you like it," she smiles. "I brought cupcakes for dessert. I hope that's okay! I figured they'd go good with ice cream."

Iris nudges her plate out of the way, not wanting to mess up the sketchbook. She flips through the pictures with interest, pausing at the half finished portrait of Owen. "Hey! I know him... We talked at the ball. Owen, right?"

[kennedyk]

"The more food the better." She dives into the pasta, making a pleased noise as she takes another bite. It'd been a few days since she had something that wasn't microwavable. "So good!"

"Mmhmm, that's him." She takes another sip of wine. "We met at the art festival. He's going to be my cheerleader."

[littleredsiren]

Iris grins. She's always pleased when people enjoy her cooking. She finishes looking through the sketchbook and lays it down, picking up her plate to eat. "Your cheerleader? What for?"

[kennedyk]

Kennedy shrugs. "Everything? Food eating contests, painting, running errands before I've had my coffee. He said he used to work at the Boardwalk so he's very good at motivating crowds. Plus he's got a sweet ride."

[littleredsiren]

Iris hums curiously, twirling spaghetti up onto her fork. "Sooo... Do you like him?" she asks, smothering a grin as she pops the forkful into her mouth.

[kennedyk]

Kennedy wrinkles her nose. "He's cute, but I didn't get a chance to check out his butt." Not to mention the vision she had, he's clearly in mourning. "Anyone catch your fancy, red?" she grins, her plate already completely clean.

[littleredsiren]

Iris giggles, blushing. "I mean... there are a lot of attractive men in this town, I can't lie," she offers, avoiding the question by shoving another forkful of pasta into her mouth. "They're all very nice too."

[kennedyk]

Kennedy grins widely and nudges Iris. "Tell me! I'm cooped up huffing paint fumes all day!"

[littleredsiren]

Iris giggles, nudging her back as she finishes off her plate of food. "Gosh! So pushy! I... ah, I dunno. I've never really had a big crush on anyone before. There are a couple really nice guys I met working at the community garden though..."

[kennedyk]

"I'm a very pushy person, you're gonna have to learn to love it, Iris." She takes their plates, getting up to set them in the sink before she grabs the bottle of wine and returns to Iris' side. "So," she grins, pouring more wine. "Are you going to keep going there then? Gonna talk to these boys some more?"

[littleredsiren]

"Alright, alright. I love it," she laughs, sipping at the wine. "Well, I mean, I've committed to volunteering there already so I kiiiinda have to. And we're all friends so, um, it'd be pretty weird if I didn't talk to them."

[kennedyk]

"Making friends with all the hot dudes. You make great choices." She gives Iris a wink before sipping her wine. Kennedy pulls a plate of cupcakes, a tub of ice cream, and her box of jewelry supplies within reach. "What are you doing over there?"

[littleredsiren]

"Mostly just cooking meals for the other volunteers," she explains, spooning up a bowl of ice cream. "Eli is absolutely hopeless with cooking so I get big lunches together for them all."

[kennedyk]

"Dang, they lucked out with you cooking for them." Kennedy scoops out a few scoops of ice cream and plops them on a plate along with a cupcake. She hands the plate to Iris before making herself a plate as well. "Tell me about Eli! I haven't met him yet. Is he cute?"

[littleredsiren]

She takes a bite of the ice cream before answering. "He's super cute. I think they breed the boys out here different or something because I don't remember this many attractive men in Seattle," she laughs. "He's super nice too. He's the one who helped get me that teacher's assistant job. And he danced with me all night at the big Coombs ball."

[kennedyk]

"Sure as hell weren't this handsome back in Oklahoma. Oh! Do you mind cursing? If so, I'll keep that in mind when I talk." Kennedy smiles and bites into the cupcake. "He sounds like a sweetheart. And he works at the community garden? I guess he likes to help out."

[littleredsiren]

She shakes her head, finishing off the ice cream. "It's okay. I don't do it much myself but I don't mind if other people curse," she smiles. "My aunt said that people who curse were foul spirited but I never really understood why she gave such silly words so much power."

"He really is. And he's a teacher as well, so I guess he's just a super helpful guy?"