#and for Cait I didn’t know how to say this coherently but

[seven-vi]

What’s your favorite costume/outfit detail in the show

This post has gotten away from me

Jinx

This is more of a general thing, but much clearer in all her designs. The way Zaun does fashion. Specifically, the way the clothes end up looking because they cut and alter and reuse clothes. Powder has a top made of the same fabric Jinx’s (Loose fitting) Pants and arm thing are made from. In the final battle that same fabric is used to make patches and a little tie on her new pants

Or the way her boots are ill fitting as Jinx, until the final battle where they’re properly laced. And they have keys in the laces!! And just in general her little x on the crop top

And then later, her top that looks like bandages. That plus the hair (And possibly the way the pants are constructed. Hip cut outs) Is a clear mirror to Vi

Vi

Another thing about Zaunite clothes, the layering. It is probably prison clothes but she’s wearing 2 tank tops and 2 pants, one with stripes like her sister. Notably also has wraps on the bottom of her pants and a boot to keep in place. Missing a shoelace. Kid Vi follows a similar trend. 2 1/2 pants, 2 shirts, and a vest (Pit fighter Vi, however, seems to have the Least amount of clothing possible. Not even a proper shirt. Cropped jacket, not even full length)

Also: So much of her design details create little V shapes it’s very cool

The choice of leather in Zaun also? A fabric difficult to work with yes, but is waterproof and generally protects from things like scrapes? Very durable?

The way her top layer of pants are constructed in her base design looks like something made to get around not knowing how to make Actual Pants

Jayce

I don’t know if I have much to say about him but I do find the way Piltover clothes have what look almost like armour on them interesting

His white coat, it has a detail in gold metal on the lapel that looks like it’s imitating a blanket stitch and I think that’s very cool

Also the way ties are done in this universe? Fascinating. Why are they Like That. They look like flowers

I do very much enjoy his end look in season 2. The greens, darker colours, and silver seem to suit him more than Piltover’s colours. Not that he looks bad in red and gold and white, it just doesn’t click the same way

I also like how Piltover has the same lines and designs in their clothes that Zaun does. Except in their case, it’s style lines and not done out of necessity. Takes up more fabric, seems to be done to have a more tailor made look, more difficult

Viktor

Has a similar look to Jayce, but no metal. His clothes don’t fit as well. However the white vest has the same intricate lines, and his look almost like stained glass to me

The hammer?? On the cane?? Jayce Talis I know what you are

Don’t get me started on the blanket

Mel

My love <3 Generally speaking, very simple clothes, but very intricately detailed. Quiet wealth, as quiet as Piltover can be. No bright clothes or hard to find dyes like you would expect of royalty. White, black, gold metals. Detailings on her white clothes are very similar to Viktor’s actually

Much less clothing too than other councillors? Not in a slutty way, she just has the one layer and it’s not even a full length dress. Which is not how people typically show off wealth. The only thing that really indicates it besides the small detailing, is all the gold. So much. Less clothing again when she discovers she’s a mage. Simple white cloak to hide it, but she’s in a skintight bodysuit. AND THEN!! First time we see her in layers, excess fabric etc, is when she’s Noxian royalty again. The end outfit? The bright red and mismatched metals? Augh. I want to hope that the silver is for Jayce. Definitely not her mothers

This is another side note, but half the shirt/Jacket collars in the show? Not actual collars. There’s no stand/Undercollar, just the top bit pinned together

And also AU Timebomb? Matching colours in their outfits. The teal and magenta. Odd choice because Ekko’s usual colours are more green and orange, with Jinx having the neon blue and pinks

Silco

Back to Zaunites and making clothes out of other clothes. Silco has more wealth, more luxury, more tiny gold metals detailing. A colour scheme that fits in with Piltover. It’s also my belief that his vest (Season 1, not young Silco but honestly his too) is something cut apart and put back together. Perhaps, like Jinx, from a younger design. One shoulder is a separate piece of fabric, the other is a brown belt now used to hold it together. The gold detailing almost makes this look intentional. It’s very interesting to me

Young Silco? Shares a surprising amount of design details with Vi. Hand and arm wraps, cropped leather jacket, the pink/Red colour

Ambessa

I dunno if this is anything but when she first shows up, despite being royalty, she’s not dressed very extravagant? Not like she is later. She saves all the gold and detailing for when Caitlyn is a dictator

Season 2 look has little claws in her gold metal toed boots

Think that sums up everything specific

However

The AU

There is something distinctly different in the clothing and I cannot fully place it

Arcane takes inspiration from Art Nouveau (1890 - 1914) And Art Deco (1920 - 1930) Architecture primarily for its designs. From what I can see there is also slot of cyber/Chempunk, steampunk, Victorian (1837 - 1901), Edwardian (1901 - 1910), and Belle Epoque (1871 - 1914)

That last one I’m gonna go with mainly as it encapsulates both those eras

Piltover seems to lean into that fashion, in a more modern sense. Despite being Art Deco based. Piltover never really did. However, in the AU? Especially in young men’s styles that type of dress is very prominent. Almost to a point where it kinda took me out of the story with how unaltered it looked for Arcane. Obviously it still had the classic Zaun look, seen more in older generations and Jinx/Female presenting? But that was such an odd difference to me. Similar enough to still look in the same place but different to be a clearly separate universe. As well as, in the AU they have more colour. Most Zaunite clothes are mainly tan, brown, white, and black with pops of colour. These are mostly colour. I think it speaks to the difference in city relations

To end it off, Most Zaun details are clearly clever ways to patch and repurpose clothes while still having a sense of personal or functional style. Piltover details are in some way adding to their showcase of class or wealth

[sgiandubh]

Hello! I am Caitriona anon. My ask was prompted by a comment from succulently speaking who commented in your post a few days ago “what has Sam done wrong and what exactly do you want him to do”? You responded he needed to step up his game. That’s why I asked about Caitriona because I thought it funny how much you post about Sam and what he should or shouldn’t be doing and I thought, I wonder why Caitriona doesn’t get that same treatment? I've been following you since you got here. I understand your position. My only quibble is I don’t think of them as one entity and I think Cait especially has pushed against this for years. She’s offended at the notion. As I said, of course it's your blog and you can post whatever you'd like and certainly don't owe me an explanation, but I thank you for the one you gave anyway. I’ll continue to read you because I enjoy you. I hope I didn’t offend or that I was impertinent.

Dear (returning) Caitriona Anon,

For an Anti, you sound pretty literate and polite. So, I am going to answer you and try to keep this dialogue line open. Try me: keeping dialogues open is my bread and butter, IRL. Has been so for twenty years.

Thank you for understanding my position, but I do not really need to be 'understood', like a minor Romantic poet by his posterity. I try very hard to rationalize yours and I believe it is your constitutional right to believe what you want about this saga. Conversely, it is my prerogative to believe exactly what I want about it, based on what I do consider to be relevant facts. Not social media, press circus or PR induced tacky blogger manipulation.

Having said that, it is also my constitutional right to express my opinions and try to encourage others to do so, in a no-drama, friendly environment. It would also seem that determined Mordor to marginally step up their game, for I seem to be the nightmare these people collectively manifested every single time they howled 'the shippers are stupid', on full moon nights.

Shippers are everything but stupid, pumpkin. They are witty, funny and completely immunized to bullshit. For rhetoric bullshit with honors is your question: why Caitriona doesn’t get that same treatment?

You know very well why and I am going to tell you a Romanian proverb: cine nu muncește, nu greșește. Loosely translated: no work, no mistakes. How do you want me to say anything about a statue, who doesn't show us anything else about her life anymore, spare her outfits, her make-up and some rare events, with or sans the PA? Oh, and marGINally, her erratic business projects, for ever ongoing, hinted and never ever, God forbid, materialized? SAG-AFTRA strike? News of it never seemed to have made it to Caitrionaland. Israel-Palestine conflict? Prudent silence, but hello Tilda, darling, how are you. Ukraine? Last I heard/seen, a short appeal for helping the refugees and then crickets. Women's rights? Again, a short snippet on Persia, then mum. Just what the fuck is this supposed to be? Surely not a coherent PR strategy for a gifted, intelligent and fun (yes, fun!!) 44 year old actress who wants to keep her lucky strike going on! Let me tell you: she doesn't come across as dignified. She comes across as despising, condescending and entitled. Too cool for school, too sexy for your car, peons.

She is not Queen Victoria, for crying out loud, and we are definitely not amused!

You then proceed to say 'she pushed against it for years'? Please, do not insult my intelligence! She pushed against shippers who deface the nice Narrative, when she needed sympathy and massive support for her Belfast promo, unwittingly making a major PR blunder and for ever fracturing this fandom in at least two savagely antagonistic camps. Then, a cold, totally DGAF attitude, including towards her stans: tough to be her stan, when your Goddess is more silent than a Poor Clare (pun totally intended) nun! And she denied being an item with S (which is a complete, pious lie), because that is the Narrative, ever since IFH.

So, it's safe to say: yes, public Caitriona Balfe is dismissive of the notion, but since when is social media indicative of an undeniable or even intimate truth, especially in that particular world of hers? Oh, and by the way: sorry to be pedantic, but - it's offended by the notion, not 'at the notion'. Simple curiosity: you translate your thoughts from which language, exactly? My bet would be either German: bei, or Russian: обидеться на - yes: literally 'offended at'.

My complete Romanian proverb includes a conclusion. In full, it would be: cine nu muncește, nu greșește, dar nici nu reușește. No work, no mistake, no success.

How I wish to be proven wrong, Anon, on that one: you can't even imagine! Thank you for the time you took to answer me. I am afraid we agree to disagree. Change my mind? Not in a million years.

[fallout-drabbles-n-stuff]

Can I ask what it would be like for Solsu having to take care of drunk romanced companions? Bonus points if they're told about their shenanigans afterword.

Cait:

(Angry drunk)

•It's best that you don't drink in polite company with her. She's already a feisty individual with a burning passion for inflicting pain, you make her drunk and it's only a matter of time before she incites some horrible fight.

•Sounds funny, but it's really not. Reign her back. Please.

Curie:

.......you aren't really gonna let her drink, right? I highly advise you don't....

Danse:

(Horny drunk 👀)

•Danse hardly ever partakes in more than a couple glasses with company and this is exactly why.

•At first it all starts off nice and smooth, just Danse beginning to gradually relax- which is "outstanding" considering his usual rigid disposition. However once that fine line of too many drinks have been crossed, all hell breaks loose.

•It'll start with comments on your appearance, simple incessant "you look beautiful"s spoken with dazed eyes...then it escalates to Danse pulling you into his lap where you're met with his obvious "intentions" prodding you in the ass, all while being held in a bear hug from a blushing, smiling Paladin who happens to look like a kicked puppy when you make him calm down with a drink of water. Don't worry, he might mope but he'll quit if you tell him to.

•Perks back up when you tell him it's time to go to bed...only to mope even more when he realizes that no, it isn't for sexy times. No worries, he'll be happy so long as you let him hold you..

•Is absolutely ashamed and horrified of his behavior when he wakes up and you tell him what went down. Probably will hide his face in his pillows and try to disappear. Swears he won’t drink again and make a fool of himself like that….will totally drink some more.

•Just be lucky he wasn’t feeling melancholic like a post BB Danse would.

Deacon:

(Stupid drunk..)

•Ever seen that one video of that guy busting through drywall like Kool-Aid Man? That's Deacon's level of maturity when properly intoxicated.

•No worries, Desdemona is going to bitch at him from the time he does something too stupid until he isn't even drunk anymore. Frankly, he deserves it too- he's destructive, reckless, and...well..hilarious, but that doesn't mean it's redeemable!

•He seems to perfectly remember all his antics, some he even reflects upon with a proud grin..until his hangover ends up making him wince in pain. Just...take care of him, there isn't any point in trying to scold him. Des has that covered anyways.

Gage:

(Emotional drunk)

•A drunk gage was both extremely rare because of his genuine hate for alcohol and also very shocking. Sure, one may assume that someone so rugged and tough like a raider- especially Gage- would have no issue handling his liquor....oh how wrong you could be...

•You weren't entirely sure what happened, much less where he got the idea, but somehow Gage got the absurd notion that you decided he wasn't good enough for you and you were going to just leave him behind. He'd keep it in for a while, slowly growing more quiet as he took practical gulps of his drink. That doesn't last.

•Eventually he starts to cry, silent tears pouring from his good eye. Whenever you actually notice, it's too late. Just pray no one else is around when this next part happens.

•All it takes is you coming to his side, placing a comforting hand on his back and he crumbles. He'll grab you and push his face into your chest and start sobbing, wailing incoherently as he begs you to not leave him.

•It might seem humorous, but it raised several questions.

•The morning after his outburst, you wake up extra early to present him with a half way decent breakfast in bed- extra grease on the food for good measure. Once he seems to be more coherent, you make sure to talk to him about his apparent fear of you not loving him...which brings him close to tears once again whenever you finally convince him that you do in fact love him and won't ever leave his side so long as he loves you back.

Hancock:

(Stealthy drunk)

•Unfortunately, the mayor of Goodneighbor doesn't really have any fun antics..well at least any that would point to him being intoxicated. Sorry.

Macready:

(Over indulging drunk)

•Mac is arguably the best one to get shit faced with, especially if you like drugs and food. Oh yeah, something about eating while intoxicated is irresistible to him. Think of it like munchies, but in Mac's case, five times as bad.

• After a couple drinks, Mac nonchalantly will reach into his pocket- gesturing for you to come close- before putting a cigarette in your mouth and lighting up- using your's to light his own. If you don't set a stopping point, the two of you will wake up down two packs, several empty containers of jet, and crumbs everywhere.

•When faced with the consequences of his gluttony, Mac will just sit there and whine as his stomach does cartwheels. That's punishment enough...

Maxson:

(Mr. Vomits-a-lot drunk)

•It takes a whole hell of a lot for Maxson to get shitfaced thanks to his rather strict habitual drinking. After all, it would be a strange day if you didn't see him knock a bottle of whisky out before finally turning in..which was kind of sad come to think of it..

•Nonetheless, he does occasionally push his limits when he's especially stressed and it's never pleasant when he does.

•It was sort of funny, in retrospect. One minute you and him were sitting on the flight deck together, casually talking whilst finishing off a bottle of shitty vodka (unknowing that he had already burned through countless bottles before meeting you) when suddenly Arthur started to look pale. It just kept getting worse until eventually he was frantically motioning for you to follow him as he ran to the railings, sticking his head over before throwing up whatever was on his stomach..sending it to a several hundred foot drop below.

•It's a good thing you held him, otherwise the brotherhood might've been short an elder and you short a partner.

•When confronted with his..let's say "overindulgence", he'll sort of look away and try to change the subject. It's probably best if you try to hide liquor for a while. 

Nick:

(Doesn't drink....)

Old Longfellow:

With his age and experience? He's the same as Hancock.

Piper:

(Daredevil drunk)

•Hope you're sober, because if you aren't- there's a good chance you'll be spending the night in Diamond City Jail.

•Piper is reckless on a good day, putting alcohol with that in mass quantities and she's wild. Just hope you have strong will, because she sure as shit isn't going to back down easy.

•It's kind of funny, but her go to is to do crazy shit. Jump off the roof? Hold her cup. Want to vandalize the great green wall? Fuck yeah. Nothing beats the time she wasn't careful and threw a lit cigarette down Ann Codman's cleavage during a heated argument with her.

•She has no regrets either, so don't expect her to be remorseful in the morning whenever you tell her what she did. If anything, she'll just laugh next time she sees Ann.

Preston:

(Over thinking drunk)

•If it wasn't lowkey annoying, you'd probably think Preston's drunken neuroticism was hilarious. Not to be gotten wrong, but even sober, your love could be extremely insistent..mix his anxious attitude with liquor and you end up with a terrible night.

•You knew better than to let him have more than a couple beers, seeing as his tolerance wasn't exactly the best, and yet here you were. Preston pensively sitting at the bar beside you, rich eyes narrowed and focused on the liquid in his glass- his hands resting against his head.

•"I know you're dying to ask...." "Okay babe, since you brought it up...do you think putting electrical wire around our people's settlements would be a bad idea? It might closely resemble a prison but it's for their own good. Wait- shit, what about the kids? Oh god..."

•He may just sheepishly rub the back of his head and apologize in the morning..but he'll be quick to revisit some of the key points and ideas with you if you so much as give him a chance.

X6-88:

(Ridiculous drunk)

•It was only one time..thankfully.

•You, and your whole group of friends had to convince him to try it out- but once he started, he couldn't stop.

•This asshole would throw down drinks faster than Hancock..which was terrible considering his painfully low tolerance to alcohol.

•One thing goes to another and next thing you know, "The Wanderer" is playing in the background, X is singing and dancing like an idiot, and everyone is gathered around- terrified at what they were seeing. It's sort of like seeing a deathclaw do ballet- so, totally understandable.

•He dares you to bring it up later, dares you.

[retvenkos]

understanding // cisco ramon

The Flash (Any Season) - Cisco Ramon x Reader, fluff

Summary: It was almost routine, now, stopping in the Cortex to listen to Cisco talk about what he was doing next, and how his proposed invention would save your skins. You didn’t always understand what he was saying, but it was the way he was saying it that made you come back, again and again.

Cisco was rambling, again. You leaned against the pristine tabletop in the Cortex, facing the monitors that sat on top of it, your every sense focused on the man who stood beside you, speaking rapidly. He was gesticulating excitedly, pointing from the screen to his newest invention, and you nodded along, trying your best to keep up with what he was relaying to you, not wanting to admit that you were utterly and hopelessly lost.

The science and technology that S.T.A.R. Labs dabbled in on the daily was beyond you. All of it was so far removed from your understanding that if anyone were to ask you what your team did, you would have an easier time creating lies that sounded plausible than actually trying to explain the truth. It was all complete nonsense to you, and most of the time you were able to hide that reality. You were a meta-human, not a genius. None of Team Flash expected you to find solutions to those types of problems, and so, for the most part, you just avoided the technological parts of being a superhero.

But then you started to get close to Cisco, and it wasn’t long before his rather endearing rambling followed.

All it would take is you walking up to him and asking what he was up to, and he would take off, explaining everything in minute detail. You didn’t stop him because you didn’t feel like it - he was cutest when he was excited, and when he spoke, you felt like you could understand the world, if he continued for long enough. He was brilliant, and if you could see the world in his eyes for just a fraction of a moment, it was worth listening to jargon you didn’t understand. You never wondered why you let Cisco ramble because it was the easiest thing in your life.

The entire world could go to hell in a handbasket, but Cisco would always be there, grinning with enthusiasm and unfolding the universe’s best kept secrets right in front of you, using nothing other than his ingenious mind and his exuberant voice.

If he caught on to the fact that you knew very little and could contribute even less, he didn’t mention it or try to dumb things down for you. If anything, the more you allowed him to speak, the more he sought you out so you could listen. It was almost routine, now, stopping in the Cortex to listen to Cisco talk about what he was doing next, and how his proposed invention would save your skins. You didn’t always understand what he was saying, but it was the way he was saying it that made you come back, again and again.

He was brilliant and you couldn’t help but admire that.

So it was no surprise that when Caitlin needed you, her first place to check was the Cortex, where you could undoubtedly be found. You were smiling at Cisco like he strung up the stars and he didn’t seem to notice.

“Hey, (Y/n). Can I borrow you for a minute?” Caitlin looked at you expectantly and you conceded.

“You’ll get that last bit with time,” you called over your shoulder to Cisco, and he smiled, waving you off. You walked down the hallway with Caitlin, a spring in your step. “What did you need, Cait?”

“Anxious to get back to Cisco?” Caitlin teased, her eyebrows raising. “Your feelings for him are rather obvious, you know.”

You spluttered, trying to think of some coherent sentence that could deny the statement, but Caitlin fixed you with an expression that very clearly said ‘really?’ and you sighed.

“I mean, do you really understand what he talks about half the time? Even I’m at a loss, sometimes.”

“I do, when he explains it.”

“And afterward?” Caitlin could be scarily accurate with her deductions.

“I’m...” you pursed your lips and gestured vaguely, “allowing him to express himself. Sometimes, feeling understood is more important than anything else.”

Caitlin nodded at that, not too dissimilar from the way you nodded at Cisco’s rambling.

“And maybe his intelligence is... attractive.”

Caitlin scoffed. “That’s what I thought.”

[guccipip46]

T ruined Outlander??? WTF?

How can you blame the guy for all the ills you complain about when he's done NOTHING wrong? 

The show's writers, producers and executives ruined the show not the cast and their SO.

You go after Cait for everything and just like Tony, she's done nothing wrong. You couldn't say enough great things about her when you believed 100% that she was with Sam. Now that she's ruined your fantasy, you hate her for everything under the sun. Now her boobs are saggy. Really? Her boobs are damn beautiful.just like the rest of her. The woman is sexy as hell and now you're going after her looks? I'd pay to see you all naked and scrutinize your bodies the way you scrutinize hers. Bet, most of you look like crap but you have no qualms going after her! I also bet, you'd ant all the details if she was with Sam, but she isn't so you scream that you don't want anything about her and Tony and she shouldn't touch the subject when asked.

My God, the things you say about her are unbelievable! What kind of people are you to hate another woman you know nothing about to this extent? What has she done to deserve this horrendous behaviour from women who profess their intelligence on a daily basis? You hate her for breathing. You blame her for Sam's problems. You blame her for the way Claire was portrayed when she was barely seen and heard in S4. You blame her for no sex in S4 when she was actually the one nude with Sam. She didn't invent "horney grannies", only reused it after a fan coined the term about herself and her friends, yet you blame her for it too. You blame her for begging for money for WCC when she's never pocketed a cent.barely without his shirt. You never do any of this to Sam who is constantly asking for money and only he and his partner Alex know how the money is spent. A huge chunk is building his whiskey business. The business, along with MPC, paid by the same women who will buy his whiskey. How nice and easy it is for him to do nothing but ask and wallets open without a question! Sam is using ALL of you and you forgive him everything. He's the fake one, yet you idolize him. He's not the nice and humble guy he sold himself to be. He's a manipulator who would use his own mother to get what he wants.

Instead you hate the woman who told you she was never with Sam and who lives her life as she wants to. The woman who has been with her boyfriend for years while Sam has used beards to pretend he's straight. You hate her for her political stands she's had all her life but excuse Sam who is trying to appear interested when he's never been. He has no depth, he isn't coherent. Listening to him answering and expanding on a question is like pulling teeth. The man is a dolt. 

What causes women like you to hate another the way you do? How do you wake up every day and continue to hate her to no end? What do you expect to accomplish with your behaviour. You said you're staying to see how it ends. How it ends??? There's nothing to end because there was never anything between Sam and Cait. There will never be a "reveal"! Your "receipts" are bogus. In 5 years you got nothing on them but blurry photos and videos, human parts, reflections in glasses, helmets, windows, etc. Cait never spent her free time with Sam and never travelled to his filming locations when on hiatus. You made it all up without 1 ounce of proof. 

You are hating a woman and her fiance for absolutely no reason other than she shut down your crazy fantasy.

You are the cause of your own misserry not her and Tony. They are innocent victims in your twisted world of shipping real people.

[haledamage]

Pairing: Cait Cousland/Loghain Mac Tir

Story Summary: Word of a plot against Anora comes to light, and Cait Cousland and Loghain Mac Tir must go behind enemy lines to hunt down the source.

aka Cait and Loghain have to pretend to be married and attend a fancy Orlesian party. What could possibly go wrong?

Sequel to Yield though you don’t need to have read it to read this one. Rated E

“Good morning, Anora. Another bouquet of flowers arrived for you,” Cait called as she opened the door to the queen’s office. She hoped Anora was actually in there; she couldn’t see over the riot of flowers in her arms.

“They're lovely,” Anora replied unenthusiastically. Cait made her way in the vague direction of her voice. “Who are these from?”

She sat the vase down, the flowers covering the surface of the desk and hiding the mountains of paperwork that were probably on it. She pulled the card out of her jacket pocket and read it as dramatically as possible. “‘To the Radiant Anora Mac Tir, All flowers pale before your delicate beauty, but I hope they brighten your day just the same. Lord Otwin De Calis .’” She dropped the card onto Anora’s desk, to get lost among the rest of the chaos. “Should I know who that is? He sent me a bouquet too.”

“I'm not familiar with the name,” Anora said, appearing from behind an especially large pink rose. “What did your card say?”

“He said my beauty was mesmerizing . And something about my strength of character,” Cait rolled her eyes and dropped into an empty chair. “I think I'd rather be radiant.”

“At least he has a decent grasp of language.” Anora stood up to carry the flowers to the window to add them to her collection. There were over a dozen bouquets of various sizes and colors, all from hopeful suitors that seemed to think a bunch of roses would be enough to make them the next king of Ferelden.

Cait propped her feet up on the desk and watched her friend walk across the room and back, poised and controlled even after hours in this little room. “I suppose. Anyone who'd call you delicate doesn't know who they're dealing with.”

“Delicate next to you, maybe,” Anora said, eyes flashing with amusement. “I assume you've already sent replies?”

"Of course." Cait intoned in an expressionless voice, "Her Royal Highness and Chancellor Cousland are very flattered by your gift and your words, but completely uninterested. Try chocolates next time.”

“Good.” Anora pushed Cait’s boots off her desk and sat back down. “I received word from Warden-Commander Amell.”

That got the Warden’s attention and she sat up straight in her chair. “How’s Carah doing?”

“There may be a situation with the darkspawn in Amaranthine. She says she doesn’t need help at this time, but she’ll keep us updated.” Anora handed Cait the letter in question and she read over it quickly.

Once she’d handed the letter back, Cait slouched into her chair again. “Better her than me. I’ve got too many memories attached to Amaranthine. I’d rather be here.” Carah Amell was a natural-born leader and deserved every bit of praise and power they could give her. Cait only hoped that whoever she had helping her in Amaranthine knew more about politics than she did. Carah was a sweet girl; the bannorn would eat her alive if they could. “She’ll be a better Commander than I would be anyway. Patience of a saint, that one.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be killing darkspawn than glaring at politicians?”

Cait shrugged. “Nah. If I wanted the easy job, I’d have volunteered. I like it here, believe it or not.”

"Since you are here, I would like a word with you." Anora stared at her, inscrutable as always.

Cait grinned to hide her sudden unease. "Am I in trouble? Because it kind of sounds like I'm in trouble."

Anora laced her fingers together on her desk and said calmly, "When I requested you find a healthier way to spend your evenings than getting in bar fights, I did not mean to imply you should start having sex with my father."

Cait studied the queen, trying to read anything in her expression. She didn't seem angry, but beyond that she couldn't tell what she was thinking. Hoping she was reading this right, Cait kept her grin firmly in place and said cheekily, "You didn't explicitly tell me not to have sex with your father."

"I'll endeavor to be more specific in the future," Anora said dryly.

“Is this a problem, Anora?” Cait asked bluntly. She sat up straight again so she could lean forward over the desk and started gathering together a coherent argument in her mind, in case Anora tried to tell her to stop her relationship with Loghain. Could they even call it a relationship? An affair, maybe? Liaison?

Anora was still studying her, and Cait hoped her poker face was good enough. “That depends on you. What are your intentions with him?”

Cait started laughing. And then she kept laughing, until her sides hurt and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Anora just watched her stoically, patiently waiting for her friend to stop being so dramatic and answer the question. “I’m sorry, I just… I never thought I'd be on the receiving end of this kind of conversation.” Cait wiped the tears from her eyes and added, “We made it clear that we're not looking for anything serious. I'm not out to become your stepmother, if that's what you're worried about.”

Anora paused before quietly saying, “I'm worried about the opposite, actually. My father is a very loyal man. He does not do anything lightly.”

Cait watched her face for any kind of disapproval, but Anora looked as serious and unreadable as ever. “You're concerned that he's after a commitment and I'm just in it for a bit of fun.” She wondered how honest she should be. Anora seemed to just genuinely be interested, and since Carah and Leliana had left the city Cait was severely lacking in female friendships. But it was also Anora’s father that she was having ‘liaisons’ with.

Oh well. In for a copper, in for a crown. “I thought it might be the other way around, though now that I say it out loud it sounds stupid. Everything Loghain ever does is serious . He doesn’t know any other way to do anything.” She dropped her head to a clear space on the desk with a hollow thud. “He and I are a really good fit. Or we could be, if we decided to be. But I can't even get him to call me by my name when other people are around.”

Anora was quiet for a long time, but Cait stubbornly refused to look up and see the expression (or lack thereof) on her friend’s face. After an indeterminate amount of time, either seconds or hours, the queen simply said, “Perhaps I can help.”

She handed her a stack of papers as soon as she sat up again, and she flipped through them, trying to make sense of it. There were a lot of names she didn’t recognize and things written in very fancy filigree. “You lost me.”

“There are rumors of unrest in Orlais. Some courtiers seem to be upset that Empress Celene failed to acquire Ferelden after her plot with Cailan was interrupted." Anora didn't react to that, though her face went a little stonier. Cait sneered on behalf of both of them. "One of these lords, a Duke Dubost, seems to think he'll gain support if he succeeds where she failed. He seeks to supplant me, either by force or by marriage. And since I do not intend to remarry, not now and maybe not ever, it is only a matter of time before he tries something.”

Anora shuffled through the papers until she found the one she was looking for, and pulled a very fancy gilded party invitation to the front. “He is holding a fete at his estate in Jader and I would like you to attend. Find what he's planning and stop it.”

Cait could just imagine how well that would go. The Orlesians were sure to be very accommodating to the blighted Hero of Ferelden. “I'm behind you completely, you know that, but if I walk in there, everyone will either run screaming for the hills or fill me full of arrows.”

The look Anora gave her reminded her of the ones her mother used to give her, when she said something very stupid and Mother was too polite to tell her so. “That is why you will not be going as yourself.” Another shuffling of papers to bring a new one to the top, filled with Anora’s elegant handwriting. “You are Lady Adela Roth, a minor noble from near Highever. You were invited because your cousin, Elena, is married to the youngest son of a marquise, making you technically a noble in both Ferelden and Orlais. You said your Orlesian friend taught you some of the Game, yes?”

“Yes. Bardic basics, at the very least. Don't know that I'm ready for this , though.” Cait was pretty sure Leliana’s exact words were ‘if you keep punching every lord that insults you, there will be no chevaliers left without broken noses.’ Probably best to keep that to herself. “And what does this have to do with Loghain?”

More papers shuffling. “He is your husband, Lord Christoph Roth.” Anora paused, waiting for Cait to refuse, maybe. When she didn’t, she continued, “I did not feel comfortable sending you in alone, and as you said yourself, you work well together.”

Cait had a lot of questions, but she didn’t know where to start and doubted Anora would answer most of them. She liked to be cryptic, a trait Cait found equally frustrating in both Mac Tirs. “Did you ask about my relationship with your father out of genuine concern, or did you just want to make sure we wouldn't be too awkward on your mission?”

“I don't see why it can't be both. You leave in four days. I've already taken the liberty of having some dresses made for you.” Anora sat back in her chair, apparently taking Cait’s lack of dissent as approval. Maybe it was; Anora’s plan was foolproof, and probably even Cait-proof. She couldn’t think of a way to refuse without just seeming childish.

Business concluded, the stern expression on the queen’s face faded into a small, sympathetic smile. “Some time away will do you good. Who knows, maybe spending a week pretending to be a married couple will give you and Father a chance to work a few things out.”

Cait knew that Anora meant well, but when she put it like that, it just sounded like a threat.

-------

Loghain was having a good day, which, for him, mostly meant a quiet day. He spent the day in his room, at his desk, answering letters. Some of them had been there for weeks, waiting for him to find time to reply, but even if he was no longer a teryn or a general, work kept piling up just the same. No messengers came to his door with news of a new fire he needed to put out and the only sound was the scratch of his quill and the cold wind whistling through the half-open window.

He should have known it was too good to last.

Three terse, loud knocks on his door broke his mid-afternoon solitude. He tried not to growl at whomever was on the other side. "What is it?"

Cait breezed into the room like she belonged there, kicking the door shut behind her and moving through the space with her easy, thoughtless grace. She'd never been in his room before; until this moment, Loghain didn't know she knew where his room was.

She was in one of those Nevarran-style suits she was so fond of, with their high collars and thousands of tiny buttons, her hair in a neat braid and, near as he could tell, she was unarmed except for a stack of papers. Probably, that meant she was here on business.

"Warden," he greeted because he liked the face she made when he did.

"How many times do I have to ask you not to call me that?" Cait asked, making a face like she'd just bitten into a lemon. Without waiting for a reply, likely because she knew she wouldn't get one, she added, "Are you in the middle of anything?"

"Nothing that can't wait. What is it?"

She looked around for a place to sit and, finding no other chairs, sat down on the edge of his bed. She held out the stack of papers she'd brought with her. "Anora has some work for us."

He flipped through the pages, skimming over the words to try to put together the story. "She wants us to pose as a married couple to infiltrate a party in Orlais and stop a plot to overthrow her rule."

"You caught on a lot faster than I did." Loghain couldn't tell if the wide smile on her face was from nerves or excitement. Probably both, knowing her. "We leave in four days. Take a carriage there, snoop around for a while, come home with the evidence we need. Easy as lying."

"I see," he said, trying to keep his voice as even as possible, "and Anora sent you to tell me in hopes of softening the blow?"

Cait laughed, a warm, throaty chuckle. "Is that what I do now? Here I thought it was my job to make your life more difficult." Her eyes were as warm as her voice, but much sharper, seeing through his attempts at stoicism. "I know we're asking a lot of you. She's asking a lot of us , really. If you don't want to do it, I won't push."

"And what happens if I refuse?" he asked. Spending any time playing nice with Orlesians was pretty high on his list of worst nightmares. Judging by the way neither Cait nor Anora were ordering him to do this, Loghain assumed they were aware of that.

"I don't know," she said plainly, shrugging one shoulder. "Maybe she sends me alone. Maybe she finds me a new Lord Roth. Maybe she replaces us both. It needs doing no matter what." She paused, still watching him. Her stare was like a physical touch, and could make him feel underdressed even in full armor. Finally, quiet and honest, Cait added, "I'd prefer it's you."

"Hmm. And why is that?" Loghain knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it - or the excuse she made instead.

"We work well together." Her lips curled in a sly, private smile. "You know we do. If I have to go to Orlais, I want to do it with someone I know I can trust. And Anora must have chosen us for good reason."

She was probably right. His daughter was not the type to throw her greatest supporters to the wolves. She was also not the type to have only one motive behind anything she did; life was a game of chess for Anora, and they’d just have to hope that they weren’t being cast as pawns.

Cait held his gaze unblinking, not quite a challenge but close. When she looked away, it didn't feel so much like a surrender as it was a mercy. There was something she wasn't saying, but he tried not to make any assumptions. She was not in the habit of keeping secrets. If she wasn't talking it was because she wasn't ready to.

"I'll do it," he said, as if there was ever really any doubt.

Her face lit up with a pure, joyful smile that hit him like a suckerpunch and he regretted his decision immediately. "Good. We leave in four days, as I said before. Anora is providing us with clothing, but the rest is up to us. We'll make our way to Highever first, then take a more discrete carriage from there."

There was nothing he needed to add to that, so he just nodded.

Cait nodded too and slid off the bed. "I'll let you get back to your work, then."

She hovered for just a moment more. She looked like she wanted to say something, or was waiting for him to. But she didn't, and neither did he, and then she left as quickly as she'd arrived.

The room was cold with her gone, and too quiet. Her perfume lingered in the air and on his sheets from the handful of minutes she'd spent on his bed. Sleep tonight was going to be impossible.

He struggled to remind himself to think of her as the Warden. To maintain that careful distance between them. That distance closed a little more with every moment spent with her, and every day it got harder to remember why he thought he needed it.

Loghain had not loved many people in his life, and all of them were dead now except his daughter. But the Warden-- Cait --she was Celia’s ferocity and Rowan’s grace and Maric’s charisma all wrapped in wildfire and he knew if he fell for her he wouldn’t survive the impact.

A week in her constant company would probably kill him.

He turned back to his desk, but just stared unseeing at the blank page in front of him. He couldn't concentrate to write anymore, his focus chased away by easy laughter and storm-colored eyes and the scent of summer flowers. With a frustrated growl, he stormed out of the room to find something else to occupy his thoughts.

[xswestallen]

In this current episode, we see a lot of parallels between the Westallens and the Snows. We also find out that while Caitlin’s mom is rather cold, she still cared about Caitlin. Do you think this could be the same for Iris and Nora in the future? Iris grows cold, because of Barry’s death, and Nora may feel like Iris doesn’t really care about her, but Iris actually does?

I was actually thinking this while watching the 5x06 scene of Caitlin and Thomas Snow walking, discussing Caitlin’s mom. Later on, when Caitlin mentioned how all this time her mom was protecting her, but she thought her mom was the bad guy, it really struck me how alike Caitlin and her mom are to Nora and future Iris. 

I wish the show would’ve addressed that. I would love a scene with Nora and Caitlin talking about these feelings. It would be a great opportunity for a SnoWest moment too. Picture a scene like this after Caitlin and Nora’s talk, where Nora goes to Iris, actually vocalizes her forgiveness of Iris because she now understands that Iris was always trying to protect her, they hug, then the camera pans out and we see Caitlin watching. Over Nora’s shoulder, Iris smiles at Caitlin and Caitlin smiles back.

I hate how the writers don’t care at all about giving Iris and Caitlin any meaningful interactions. They have completely given up trying to write a friendship. SnoWest deserves better.

So is Thomas good, but his alternate personality not? Like with the Caitlin and Killer Frost situation?

Thomas Snow and Icicle are just like Caitlin and Killer Frost in season 3. Though, we don’t really know if Thomas is good or evil yet. Caitlin only saw him for a a fraction of a second when Icicle was injuries, he didn’t get the chance to say or do anything before Icicle took back over. But, like Caitlin, we’re assuming that her dad is a good guy. Icicle is obviously evil, like season 3 Killer Frost was.

I didn't read it as Iris not wanting Nora to help with the interview, I read it as plain awkwardness. She said she does it alone, then she said, but yeah you can come and they went back and forth until Sherloque stopped them. I don't think this was Iris blocking her out, I think this was just plane awkwardness. I think anyone else Iris would have said no too so that was her initial reaction, then she realized it was Nora so she tried to dial it back and they had the little back & forth!

Yeah, I know it was meant to convey awkwardness, but I still can’t be convinced Iris wouldn’t have immediately said yes and been ecstatic that Nora wanted to interview people with her. Iris knows this is her daughter, Nora, not anyone else.

So, if Barry is saying that Caitlin is like family, does that mean he think of her as a sister?

Yes. Barry considers the team his family and even though he’s only called Cisco specifically his brother, I think it’s fair to say he looks at Ralph as a brother too, Caitlin as a sister, Harry as another father figure, and obviously the people who are actually his family (Iris, Joe, Wally, Cecile) as their respective roles in his family. 

Critics seemed to really dislike this episode, at least looking at the early reviews, claiming that this is the first massive stumble of the season Haven't watched, mainly because I'm pretty indifferent to Cait, so I don't think I could get myself to sit down and watch 42 min of an episode centered on her, but I hoped that the writers would at least write something coherent? I'm guessing it fell flat, at least in critics' eyes, because the writers never wrote KF properly to begin with.

5x06 wasn’t as good as the previous 5 episodes this season, but calling it a “major stumble” is a heavy exaggeration. It was still a good episode. It holds up much better than most of the season 4 episodes and, I’d argue, several season 3 episodes too. Caitlin and Killer Frost’s origin story was coherent this time. The final fight scene where Caitlin is finally able to bring Frost back was very well done. The humor was good but not overbearing or juvenile. 

The only thing I didn’t like was how separate all the subplots were from each other. What Cecile and Ralph were doing didn’t correlate at all to what Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, and Caitlin’s dad were doing, which didn’t correlate at all at what Iris, Nora, and Sherloque were doing. Other than trying to figure out who Cicada is, the stories didn’t mesh together. But, I understand that it’s hard to write for that many characters every week for 22 weeks. 5x06 could’ve been better, but it was far from a failure.

IDK why everyone thinks CS/KF is boring. I think her story is just as interesting as Nora.

I don’t know why either. I love Killer Frost! I will admit that I am more interested in Nora and her relationships with Barry and Iris, but I’ve really enjoyed watching Caitlin figure out how she became Killer Frost as well. 

Was Candice sick and that’s why she didn’t have a much in this episode?

I don’t think so. Candice tweeted that she is currently sick with tonsillitis, but 5x06 was filmed months ago and I don’t think she was sick then. 

Besides, the script isn’t based off which actor isn’t feeling good, it’s based off whatever they want to write. The scripts are finished weeks, if not months, before they are filmed, so there’s no way the writers could know if an actor would have a cold during the week of a particular episode’s filming. Unless the actor is seriously injuries to the point that they can’t work, like Jeese L. Martin currently is, then the script won’t reflect an actor’s illness at all.

I didn’t think I was going to like him but Sherloque is my new fav Wells. 

I feel similarly. While Harry is still my favorite Wells, Sherloque might be my new second favorite. I was weary about him when it was announced Harry wouldn’t return for season 5, but Sherloque pretty quickly put my doubts at ease. I love his subtle humor, how he’s personable and empathetic like H.R., but how he’s smart like Harry. And of course, Tom is doing a great job, but that goes without saying!

[badassbarmaid]

Anything specific you're looking forward to with the FF7 remake? Anything you have high hopes for in particular?

((Hoooo boy. What a doozy! Let me see if I can put my thoughts into coherent statements to respond to this. :) 

I have a lot of high hopes for this remake. I’m a plot-driven person, so I gravitate to games that have solid plots. Others may be more worried about the combat system, or weapons/accessories/materia, or how the open world mechanics will work...but I’m all about that sweet sweet storytelling. A lot of gaps in the story were left behind in the original game, due to lack to priority, bad translating, or whatever else. We got sinippits over the years of filling these gaps, but I really hope that overall, we get some answers to these 20+ year old questions. I’ll list a few of the things I’m looking forward to the most/hope that’s included in the remake:

- More development of AVALANCHE; I mean interactions, characterization, plot...I really hope we see more of Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie before the fall of the plate. They’re fantastic tutorial characters and really help to set up the beginning atmosphere of the game. With my close ties with my muse, I know I also really hope to see an expansion of the relationships/interactions with these characters, including with Tifa, Barret, and Cloud. It looks that way with what we’ve seen in the trailers, so I’m very excited about that. 

- A cohesive rundown of Nibelheim; we got a lot of this in Crisis Core and I bit in the Last Order anime short, but things didn’t canonically fit with what was established in the OG, so I’m really looking forward to more in-depth presentations of what happened there, as well as hoping for the aftermath. How it turned into a place full of Sephiroth clones wasn’t explored well in the OG, and I would love to see how that went down or how ShinRa managed to cover it all up considering there were some survivors (also a follow up on what happened with Zangan would be awesome). 

- Kinda going along with that....I am super hype for showing the effects of trauma on Cloud (and hopefully the others throughout the game);  His hallucinations look wicked and I love the realism there. Some of those scenes in the OG were confusing or seemed out of place, so cohesion with them and their intensity and how they deeply impact Cloud and the others in the game looks really exciting, so I’m looking forward to more of that. 

- Expanded backstory on all the main characters; I feel like if they’re going to make each “episode” feel like a full game, they should spend more time on the main characters, especially Yuffie and Vincent (since they better not be secret characters like in the OG). I want to know more about everyone and more character arcs for them, especially Cait Sith. He was my least favorite character in the OG, but I feel like a lot of that had to do with a lack of real character development (which could’ve been so well in the game but was just kinda thrown in sorta) and hope to see more attention paid to those sorts of things. 

- ALL THE CHOCOBOS. ALL THE GOLD SAUCER. ALL THE COSTA DEL SOL. Just... all those side things that are super fun and a nice break from grinding. I look forward to seeing what they do with that. 

- I really hope we get more summons added to the game. I am excited to see what they all look like (FFXV made me super fucking hype) and how they interact in combat. I’m also looking forward to seeing redesigns of the limit breaks. The few we’ve seen already look REALLY GOOD.

- While I doubt it’ll happen...I really want some of the cheesy lines to stay. Please have the characters swear, have Cloud say LET’S MOSEY. Things like that. There was a charm to that in the OG that I don’t won’t be lost in the remake.

- A High definition version of the Tifa v. Scarlet slap scene. Yes please.

Things I’m not looking forward to:

- The death scenes. Why? Because those devastated me in polygon and text back in the day. Upscaled, theatrical graphics? Fuck me.  

- The WEAPONs. Those battles are going to be brutal and I can already imagine the hours of grinding it’ll take to fight those off.

- An accurate portrayal of the Tifa getting gassed scene. That was messed up in the OG as it was, but picturing that brutality in updated graphics...shudder.))

[companionhell]

Hello! May I please request companions reaction to thinking sole is dead and then them getting up and saying "ow"

Cait: Cait would stare at them in disbelief. “Are ya fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” she’d say, laughing in a combination of shock and relief. If their relationship was platonic, she’d make a wisecrack or two about never being able to get rid of them; if romantic, she’d hug them quickly, briefly letting her true feelings be shown. Sole was the only one Cait trusted, in a friendly way or otherwise, the only one who hadn’t betrayed her, and the thought of losing them would make her deeply sad. Cait would be a bit more protective afterwards, expressing her fear of Sole’s death through making sure they’d never do that again.

Codsworth: His voice would crack, and he’d sniffle a bit. “Oh, sir/mum. I- I thought I’d lost you for a moment there.” The relief he felt at their survival was absolutely indescribable. “I thought for sure you were gone for nearly two centuries, Master/Miss Sole. And then I got you back… don’t die on me now, sir/mum.” Codsworth was terrified that something would happen to the only remaining family he had, after two hundred years of uncertainty, and this incident only served to solidify it.

Curie: Curie had experienced grief before, with a scientist that she’d been particularly fond of, but she’d never felt anything like the heartbreaking anguish that tore through her for the few moments she thought Sole was dead. Whether a friend or a lover, she’d gather Sole into a tight embrace once she was sure they were alive. If romanced, though, she’d shower their face with kisses as well. “Désolée, mon chou. My eyes, they… malfunction,” she’d say, pulling away and using her sleeve to wipe tears off her face. “Now, you need treatment.” Curie put aside her fear of losing Sole for a moment to work, though she truly didn’t know how she’d survive in this wasteland without them.

Danse: Danse let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. People had died under his command before, and it hurt every time, but this one would have been… different. Closer to Krieg or Cutler than anyone else, maybe even worse. If Sole was just a friend, he’d offer them a smile, tell them he was glad they were alright, and set up for a serious talk about how much he valued them. If they were dating, though, Danse would take a minute to hold Sole, breathe, steady himself with the knowledge that they were still living. Without them, Danse would be utterly alone, and he was never more aware of it than in that moment.

Deacon: If they were friends, he’d grin at them, trying to feign amusement. “Ah! Zombie! Oh, sorry boss. Just you.” It really did spook Deacon, though, something that would be abundantly clear if the two were romantically involved. He’d be visibly pained, unable to avoid the mental comparison to Barbara. For the next while, Deacon would do everything he wished he’d done with his wife; he’d be more protective, a little more affectionate, try to appreciate his time with Sole. They were all he had, the only one in the world he was close to, and he was scared as hell of losing a loved one again.

Dogmeat: He’d have been nudging Sole’s face, then licking it happily once he realized they weren’t dead. Dogmeat had grown an attachment to Sole over their adventures, and would hate to see his human die- it had happened before, unfortunately, and Dogmeat didn’t take it well.

Gage: Shit. When he saw Sole was okay, he laughed hollowly, trying to resolve some of the tension, but it didn’t work. Gage had never been close to anyone before. Had never trusted anyone, especially not the way he trusted Sole. So he’d also never felt grief, felt an expanding hole in his chest at the death of another, which he’d gotten just a taste of during that terrifying minute or two. If their connection was purely platonic, Gage would probably never mention it again. But if Gage had already opened up about romantic feelings, the two might have a late-night, somewhat awkward talk about how he couldn’t lose them.

Hancock: Hancock had few emotional connections in his life, and it was absolutely heartbreaking to lose someone he cared so deeply for… even for a minute. When they were up, though, he’d laugh in disbelief, his emotional state jumping from a deep despair to blissful relief to a somber realization of how close he’d gotten to losing a loved one. With a friend, he’d pull them into a casual one-armed hug, disguising his emotion. “Good to see you’re still kicking, my man/sister.” A lover, though? Hancock would hug them more tightly, making absolute sure they were there. “Scared me for a minute there, sunshine,” he’d admit nervously, pulling them closer.

MacCready: MacCready was not emotionally prepared for this. If the scare was with a close friend, he’d quietly be pretty damn relieved, and maybe fight a little fiercer on their behalf in the future. If he was romantically involved? The man would be crying, first from grief and depression but then from pure joy, pulling Sole into a hug. “Damn,” he’d say, sniffling, “I thought… I thought you’d died on me, too. That would… I couldn’t… Please, just… just stay with me.” He knew his words weren’t coherent, and he was vaguely embarrassed about it, but he mostly didn’t care. MacCready couldn’t handle another Lucy, and he was glad he wouldn’t have to- yet, at least.

Nick: When Sole dropped, he’d felt upset and somber and more awful than he’d felt in a damn long time, and having those feelings lifted from him when he saw Sole was alright- it felt like ecstasy. He’d focus on medical attention first, but then express his happiness at their survival. If Nick and Sole were only friends, he’d put a reassuring hand on their shoulder, smiling warmly. “I’m glad you’re stickin’ around, partner.” But a partner of the romantic variety would get a sweet embrace, a kiss on the cheek, a brighter smile. “Good to see you’re still with me, stud/doll.” Internally, he’d be intensely worried for the day when it really happened- but hell, he was just happy it wasn’t today.

Piper: She’d have yelped when they went down, then started a long string of words both for Sole’s sake and her own comfort- “Oh Blue, you’re okay, you’ll be okay, easy now, you’ll be fine after a Stim or two, oh please just be alright-” but was interrupted by Sole sitting up. Piper would beam, pleased as punch, but still a little scared by the near-death experience. She’d pull both a friend and a lover in for a hug, but the latter would also be treated to a quick peck. “I’m so glad you’re alright, Blue. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Well, I mean, first I’d write you the best damn obituary in the Commonwealth, but after… I’m so lucky to have you, you know that?”

Preston: When he’d thought Sole died, he was instantly in a pit of depression even worse than after Quincy. Somehow, out of dumb luck, he’d come across someone perfect to lead the Minutemen- then that same luck had taken them away while he watched. So when Sole spoke, it was a miracle to him. Still choked up, he’d smile at them if they were a friend, then make sure they were totally okay. But Preston would wrap his arms around a romantic companion, speaking with his lips pressed against their head. “Thank god,” he’d whisper, his voice hoarse and eyes teary. “Thank god you’re alright.”

Strong: Strong was impressed at Sole’s persistence in staying alive. He’d been disappointed when they’d fallen- upset at having lost a good leader, yet accepting of the inevitability of human death. But his respect for them doubled when he saw them sit up again. “Most humans stay down. Strong think human dead. But human good fighter. Not weak. Strong happy human not dead.”

X6-88: X6 was fairly certain he wasn’t programmed to feel his stomach drop when he thought Sole was dead, but drop it did. And he was pretty sure relief wasn’t in the code either, but X6 felt a rush of it when Sole sat up. He double-checked that they were okay. If they were friends, he’d probably leave it at that, trying his best to hide how spooked the experience left him. If they were more, though, he’d put his hand over theirs, tighten his grip a little. “I…” He’d hesitate, look away. He had trouble finding words. “It’s good that you’re alright.” And if X6 hadn’t questioned the Institute at all before, he definitely would now- this grief, this happiness… was this what rebel synths felt before they defected?

[sablelab]

Three Days in the Highlands Chapter 35

DISCLAIMER:

This is a complete work of fiction and as such is an entirely fabricated tale created in my imagination.  I appreciate you taking the time to read my story and or leave a message. Many thanks xox

SYNOPSIS:

“ It was as if he had planned for this evening to be one to remember .”  Caitriona reflects on their evening thus far.  Some suggestive text and content NSFW.

Chapter 35

  Totally relaxed Caitriona lay on their bed robed in the beautiful, vintage peignoir lingerie robe and nightgown set she had received from Terry waiting for Sam to come back to her from downstairs. Some time had elapsed since he had placed her on the bed and they had spoken endearingly to each other.  She did love Sam, so very much, and the words came easily to her lips. Today had certainly been a declaration of his love for her as well culminating in their bath on their return home. Just the thought of that word brought a smile to her lips. This was home ... their home and she couldn’t be happier or more contented to be here in the Highlands with him over this weekend. Their night on Islay had been a magical one but nothing compared to the time spent here together in this home. Unfortunately, they would have to leave tomorrow and Cait was dreading going back to Glasgow and their gruelling filming schedule.

As much as she tried she could not dismiss the wonderful bubble bath Sam had run for her. Closing her eyes her mind filled with Sam's image and the things he had done in the bathtub and Caitriona smiled lost in her recollection of what had transpired.

Sam had painstakingly bathed her with the delicately scented and wonderfully smooth bath lotion and the smell still lingered on her skin intoxicating her senses.  Her flesh tingled just remembering his gentle yet erotic soothing touch that had ignited her desire for him in a heartbeat.  Goose bumps formed wherever his touch had been and her emotions had heightened beyond measure.  Everywhere he’d touched, the strokes of his wonderful fingers across her skin seemed to alleviate any aches and pains as well as eliminate every tension she'd felt since climbing Mount Schiehallion today. He knew her body so well and his touch was a balm to her senses

But the best thing of all was that her man had made love to her in the bath. The thought of their bodies joined in the water sent a ripple of excitement darting through her body. Caitriona sighed as images ricocheted in her mind.

They had physically made love but when his demonstrative touch renewed all those blissful moments all over again, she’d been lost beyond measure. Slowly but surely he’d made love to her again and again with his tactile caresses.  She’d thought she may just have combusted if Sam had continued to stroke her skin so adoringly in the guise of helping her recover from her physical discomfort. The trouble was he’d unwittingly caused a different gamut of pain, a pleasurable pain that had threatened to bring her to the abyss once more.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She couldn’t wait to see Sam’s face when he saw what she was now wearing and she in turn couldn’t wait for him to remove the gossamer thin, translucent fabric from her body. This sheer gown was her favourite costume and she was ever so glad that Terry had given it to her. She loved the way the beautiful silk caressed her skin and now that she was wearing it she could imagine and feel the glide of Sam’s hands as he took it from her body.  Just the thought of his fingers caressing her naked skin as he removed the peignoir caused her heart to flutter incessantly.

As she lay there Cait looked around just noticing what was different in the bedroom.  Perhaps it was the candles or maybe it was the seductive smell of the burning essential oil that made her feel wanton, but there was certainly something afoot in this bedroom. The room just felt really romantic tonight and it made her smile. Just the thought of Sam’s whispered, soothing and oh so sexy voice when he’d said “I love you” had resonated. He had told her many times before that he loved her but somehow this time was different. It felt as if he wanted to say more but the words wouldn’t form.  What was he up to that made him tongue tired this time? If she could work that out then the mystery would be solved, but alas she was too languid to form any real coherent thoughts. Her favourite music playing in the background had also created a dreamy atmosphere conducive to relaxing after a long day at Mount Schiehallion.  All these things were lovely but collectively they all really made her take note. Sam’s choices were working some special magic though. She was in heaven, and he was the one responsible for those feelings of bliss.

It was as if he had planned for this evening to be one to remember to celebrate what had happened today on the mountain. She was so happy that she felt she could burst.

Cait loved him for all the care he had taken to set up the mood in their room. It was perfect … he was perfect. He always made her feel so special, cherished and loved that she could hardly believe that he was truly her man.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Caitriona opened her eyes as these thoughts began to consume her mind, but she was too tired to even think about his reasoning. However, as she lay on the bed her stomach began sending her signals of a different nature.

She was famished and Sam had gone downstairs to get them something to eat, but he was certainly taking his time and her stomach began to rumble in protest. He’d prepared their dinner whilst she was having her bath but his appearance in the bathroom and his subsequent joining her in the tub had probably put an end to whatever he had decided to make for them to eat.  She was getting more ravenous as the clock ticked and couldn’t care less what he bought up for them to eat.  She would devour anything as long as it was food.  Whatever was he doing that was taking so long?

She was nearly on the verge of calling out to him but no sooner had she thought he was gone for a long while than Sam popped his head sheepishly around the corner.

“I’m so sorry my darling.  The dinner I prepared earlier was completely ruined and I was trying to salvage it, but I’ll be back again soon with a snack to replace what was spoiled.”

“I guess we stayed too long in the bath and ....”

“We were preoccupied by other things,” he said finishing her sentence with a knowing grin from ear to ear.  “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Neither am I Sam but my stomach is.  Do you want some help?”

“No.  You just stay there honey and relax. I’ll be back before you miss me,” he replied moving closer to the bed and giving her a kiss on the cheek.  However, distracted by what Caitriona was wearing Sam was reluctant to leave. “Grrrr! You look absolutely sexy in that gown.”

“Thanks babe.”

“I’m so glad that Terry gave you that negligee Caitriona.  It’s beautiful and I can’t wait to take it off you.” He gave her a cheeky grin that left her in no uncertainty that Sam Heughan would do that in the blink of an eye.

“It slips off very easily Sam.”

He smiled at her and raised his eyebrow the way that she knew he had already worked out in his head the exact time it would take to disrobe her from this beautiful peignoir.

“Yes I know.  I saw the rushes of that episode.” Caitriona noted some distain in his voice.  “Can’t say that I liked it very much that Tobias got to remove it from your body. I wanted to punch his lights out you know.  I was so jealous.”

“You needn’t have been. It was in the script.  It was just acting.”

“Hhmmph!”

“Well then good thing that you will have your chance later on then Heughan.  You do know that Tobias is blind as a bat without his glasses?”

“Well then. That gives me some comfort that he couldn’t see you clearly but I still didn’t like it you know.”

“I love that you were jealous Sam but there was no need to be. Tobias knew the score early on between the two of us and he was respectful of it. So there is still hope for you to be the first.”

“Don’t you worry about that Balfe-e.  That negligee will be off that tempting body before you can say my name.”

“Oh, I can’t wait.”

“Vixen.”

With her eyes sparkling with mischievous joy Caitriona replied in her most tempting and seductive voice, “Bite me.”

“Oh, I intend to ... Now ... about that peignoir. I think it is time it came off.”

Dinner was ruined for the second time.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Third time for something to eat, however, had been the charm, but now she was craving something sweet and dessert would just top off what had been a sensational day.

"Don't move.  I’ll be right back.”

Caitriona reluctantly eased herself from his arms as Sam rose from their bed.  “Why? Where are you going?” She said with an inquisitive tone in her voice.

“I forgot something,” was his evasive reply.  He stood by the side of the bed wrapping his towel precariously back around his hips, then placing his hands on either side of her body he leaned down and placed a kiss to Cait’s cheek.

Looking into his eyes she smiled alluringly and said, “I would really like some dessert Sam.”  

“And you shall have some,” he replied against her mouth before walking away from her towards the bathroom.

“Sam? Dessert is that-a-way ... in the kitchen ... not the bathroom. Whatever are you doing?” What is he up to? Cait wondered, as she enjoyed the view of his retreating figure particularly his pert backside hidden beneath the terry towelling material.  

“You’ll see.” He called out over his shoulder. The tone of his voice registered something mysterious and for the life of her Caitriona couldn’t fathom why he was back in the bathroom.

OMG!  She had forgotten all about Eddie and wondered if she was still curled up in the basin.

Obviously that must have been the reason why Sam had headed to the bathroom and not the kitchen.  As she waited patiently, Caitriona momentarily closed her eyes and laid her head back against the pillow, but when she did so memories came flooding back.  She began to muse over how she came to be divested of the beautiful sheer negligee she’d worn before Sam Heughan had seen to its removal.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He’d earlier tried to dexterously remove the peignoir she’d worn without ripping the sheer material, it was after all a gift from Terry  and she loved it so very much that he was as careful as he could possibly be in his enthusiasm to see her body naked once more. Thankfully in his haste and eagerness, the material had given way without incident slipping from her body before she could even utter his name. He had forewarned her that this would be so, and the slinky material had just slipped off of her body in one quick smooth movement of his hands. Sam had subsequently nonchalantly gathered it up and tossed it into the air until it had floated gently to the floor like a feather.  

She remembered groaning as his passion threatened to overpower her. She could still feel his potent kisses that had left moist trails all over her skin worshiping her.  Sam propped himself up on one elbow above her gazing into her eyes while his other hand began to roam along her side.  The scrape of his fingertips stroking delicate lines up and down the side of her neck did all unconscionable things to her nervous system. Sam’s piercing blue eyes never left her gaze and burned into her soul. When his delicious mouth moved down her chest and found the top of her stomach, she thought she would die with how he was making her feel.  Her reaction was immediate especially when he bit her skin before licking his tongue inside her belly button.  She’d gasped, arching her neck back gripping a fistful of Sam’s hair so tight with one hand, while her other hand fell to the mattress and fisted in the already dishevelled covers.

Sam, ever the conjurer, had moved his body between her spread legs, kneeling on the mattress while he continued to caress her stomach with his mouth, anointing her skin with kisses to every part of her belly. She was coming apart at the seams. She could barely breathe and felt as if she was sinking into mire. Trailing his mouth further downn her body she‘d next felt the touch of his lips on the inside of her thigh just above her knee which caused every muscle in her legs to clench in anticipation of his next move. Her toes curled as her lover’s sensual attack continued.  It was all too much, and not enough at the same time. She wanted more.  Sam’s warm, wet lips had ever so slowly made a tantalising path up her thigh making her body quake with intense feeling. She could still feel the gentle nips of his teeth scraping across her flesh and when he kissed her intimately, she almost convulsed.

“Saammm.”

 “Shhhh.”

She’d barely heard his reply for she felt as if she was disintegrating into tiny fragments of dust. It was as if an explosion had occurred inside her body when Sam’s lips had probed against her throbbing sex. Unable to stop the feelings of euphoric happiness affecting her nervous system she had sucked in a quick breath in fear that she may asphyxiate. He repeated his tortuous actions to her other leg as she writhed in pleasure.  With her body trembling with feelings, she lifted her head to look down to where she could see the top of Sam’s auburn head moving along the inside of her thigh.  Sensing her scrutiny, he’d lifted his head and gave a wry grin before continuing in the same vein.  He licked, then sucked and nibbled on the sensitive flesh along her inner leg going teasingly close to the juncture of her thighs.

“Mmmm,” he’d groaned, the sound coming out almost like one of Eddie’s purrs.

It felt wonderful. “Oh God ... Yes!”  She could remember the metallic taste of blood on her lips for she must have bitten her lip when she cried out. This sustained unravelling of her thought processes was heightened even more with Sam’s next words.

“Open up for me Cait.”

With an agonized groan, she had succumbed to his torment. Her entire body arched up and she’d gasped, gripping the sheets with her hand. A tortured cry of lust burst forth from her lips as Sam delved inside again and again sliding his tongue into her. Sucking on the pulsing bud he was making her entire body quiver with ecstatic pleasure. Rolling her hips against Sam’s mouth, she’d wantonly lifted her body off the mattress as the intense feelings started building inside of her even more intense. Unable to stop the torment, she’d reached her hand down and grabbed his head, raking her fingernails over Sam’s scalp while euphoric sensations built up inside of her. Her entire body was trembling as every lick of his tongue brought her closer and closer to the edge, until suddenly her body exploded and waves of acute pleasure ripped through her.   Spasms rocked her to the core, spreading outwards from the place Sam’s mouth was, all the way to the very tips of her fingers and toes as a tumultuous climax rocked her body.

She remembered the way her chest was heaving with the effort to breathe and when her love had crawled up her body to hover over her, he’d rested his weight on his forearms. The look in his eyes was scorching. Sam was wearing his heart there in the windows to his soul. Mesmerised by the pull of his gaze she could do nothing but mirror his look. She surrendered.  Wickedly, Sam grinned down at her before he’d dipped his face and kissed her so tenderly that once again her breath hitched in her chest. When he lifted his mouth from her lips, she’d grinned up at him the same way he'd grinned at her, but it was the words he said next that had thrilled her to the very core of her being.

“You’re my world Caitriona.  I can’t imagine living my life without you.”

Reliving those words brought a smile to her heart.  Was he saying what she thought he was saying without actually saying the words?

She knew at that moment that Sam had much on his mind. Those precious little words he’d uttered on the Mount today were coming again. Cait knew in her heart of hearts that tonight was special for that reason for he’d gone to a lot of trouble to make everything romantic and unique in way that was memorable for them both. Tonight, Sam Heughan was summoning up the courage to propose once more and if it took all night then she could be patient.

Patience after all was a virtue with love being the greatest virtue all.

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Thanks for reading. xox

[lettersofsky]

A Meeting at the End of the World

Written for the Fic Exchange over on AO3  for user frogslay.  A threat in the Northern Continent draws the attention of the world's saviour, while investigating they meet someone eager to be of assistance.

“And why should we help you? This s the third time you’ve managed to screw things up.” Cloud fixed Rufus with a bland look, staring down at the older blond seated behind the desk. He had, of course, been expecting something like this when Shinra called him and asked to meet, but being proven right never failed to brighten his move.

“The second time wasn’t my fault,” Rufus reminded him, the slight furrowing of his brow the only indication that the older man wasn’t as unaffected as he made himself out to be. “Nor is this one. You can’t blame me for the results of my Father’s actions.”

“You’ll fine I’m very good with blaming the wrong people for things,” Cloud stated, crossing his arms over his chest and shifting on his feet. “Just ask Tifa, she’ll tell you all about it.”

There was a minute twitch of a fine brow before the business man took a deep breath, releasing it with a soft, almost inaudible sound. “Regardless,” Rufus said, emphasising the word. “That isn’t what’s important here. Are you going to help or not?” The question would have sounded short from anyone else but from Shinra, the words were almost desperate.

Cloud wasn’t cruel enough to turn the man down, despite how much he thought the other deserved it.

“Of course I am,” he shrugged, rolling his eyes at the stunned look he got from the business man at his nonchalant words. “Just because I hate you, doesn’t mean the Turks deserve to suffer for it. They’re ok sometimes.”

Rufus stared at him silently, peering at him with cold eyes. He took a deep breath before releasing it harshly, speaking in a blank voice. “Do you need me to send you the coordinates?”

“Nope, Reno sent them before you called. Cid’s probably already waiting for me so we can leave.”

There was another twitch, this one a bit more noticeable than the last. “I better not keep you then,” Rufus forced out through gritted teeth. “I hope to hear good things from my Turks when they return.”

“The fact that they’ll have returned will be good enough.” Cloud called over his shoulder as he turned and strode out of the office. Pulling his PHS from his pocket showed him that he had several messages from his friends, they were ready and waiting for him on the Shera a few miles away.

He put his PHS away and continued to stride out of the building, making his way to Fenrir with steady, confident footsteps. He started the engine and immediately turned in the direction of the airship.

When he reached the airship, he discovered that neither Barret or Yuffie could make it to help them, Barret was dealing with issues in Corel and Yuffie was swamped with things in Wutai. Cloud didn’t hold it against them, they were both quite busy with their lives and couldn’t keep dropping everything to deal with Shinra’s messes.

Reeve was updating Cait Sith so the one he sent with them was only for communication and wouldn’t be joining them in any battles. The small robotic cat sounded far too downtrodden when he informed them of that.

Cloud strapped Fenrir down in the Shera’s cargo hold and put himself against a wall in preparation of the journey, he really hated having to travel by anything that wasn’t his own two feet.

“If you fuckin’ vomit in my ship, then you’re gonna be the one to fuckin’ clean it!” Cid shot at him as he started the Shera’s engine, the airship rising rapidly into the air.

It was time to save the world once again.

Apparently, the Northern Continent was one of the best places to try to end the world, the other was Midgar but that was more than obvious. The coordinates Reno had sent led them to an empty, mountain range and a smouldering wreckage of a helicopter.

It seemed that being unable to land a helicopter safely was something common amongst all the Turks. Cloud remembered that Tseng had somehow managed to crash one on a beautiful day, with absolutely nothing wrong with the copter and while nobody was attacking them; it was kind of amazing, now that Cloud could think back on it.

Cid set them down a few miles away from the crash and they quickly made their way to the helicopter. The smouldering metal was a stark contrast to the snowy mountain around them, it wasn’t on fire so Cloud counted that as a win; it meant that they didn’t have to worry about the helicopter exploding on them.

They started searching for Reno and Rude then; Nanaki trying to find a trace of their scent as the rest of them searched for more visible evidence of their presence. They soon found the two hidden away in a cave and were almost shot for their trouble; the two had had a tough time of things it the number of injuries they had was anything to go by.

“He was some fucked up dude, yo,” Reno told them after he recognized who they were, the man was a little woozy but still coherent. “That fucking throne dude from year, ya’ know?” Rude nodded silently from where Tifa was casting a Cure Materia on him, sunglasses broken but still on his face.

Cloud turned to where Vincent was lurking in the shadows, peering at the mass of darkness that was the gunman. “I thought you said he died,” he questioned, tone more curious than accusing. “You’re usually so good about things like that.”

The shadows shrugged but made no other move to answer. Cloud rolled his eyes at the gunslinger and turned back to the Turks, looking them over critically. “We should get you back to the ship,” he suggested, staring at the way Rude almost fell over himself where he was sitting. “You both look like you’re about to keel over.”

“Yeah, we’ll let you guys deal with the fucker, yo.” Reno agreed, waving a hand drunkenly in Cloud’s direction. “Just point us where and we’ll let you guys get to the thing.” Rude nodded once again, muttering a soft “yeah” to Reno’s words.

“You might die if you go alone,” Cloud informed them bluntly, looking over his shoulder at Vincent as he continued. “Vincent will get you back safely, won’t you Vincent?”

There was a moment of nothing, Cloud imagined that Vincent was giving him a dirty look from where he was hidden in the shadows, before the gunslinger nodded. “I shall meet up with you as soon as I am able.”

Cloud nodded at Vincent’s answer, turning back to his other companions. “We’ll start by going back to where Nanaki picked up that scent a few miles back, Vincent will be able to follow us from there.”

His enhanced hearing allowed him to hear the words Vincent muttered under his breath, “I could track you in my slumber, in the dead of the darkest winter night.” He was sure the man was aware that he could hear him, so he ignored the other.

He got confirmation from the others and they informed Reeve of what their next course of action would be.

They left the Turks in Vincent’s care and set off for where Nanaki had picked up the scent of mako and blood.

“You sure they’ll be alright?” Tifa asked, casting a worried glance back at the cave they had just left. “What if he comes back for them?”

“Vin can hold off any fuckers that come at him!” Cid assured her, a wide smile on his face. “He’s a tough bastard! Nothing’s managed to kill him yet!”

Tifa nodded, looking reassured by his words. “Yeah,” she breathed, turning away from the cave to where Nanaki was already on the trail. “They’ll be fine.”

The Turks were, in fact, more than fine with Vincent.

And why was Cloud so sure of that? Because Weiss, the throne dude, made it obvious where he was.

A giant, glowing mako pool surrounded by large, terrifying monsters was not the most inconspicuous thing in the world. Then again, the world-ending threats never were inconspicuous; Sephiroth and Meteor couldn’t be ignored and Deep Ground made sure everyone paid attention to them.

Weiss immediately sent his beasts after them, content to sit back and watch them fall to his little (GIANT MAN-EATING) pets.

They might have been able to handle them if both hadn’t come at them at the same time. Two beasts, both larger than most houses were, bearing down on them at once, was not something they could handle easily.

Cloud almost screamed in frustration when a Limit Break did nothing against them, he did scream when one of them completely healed the other after they had almost whittled it down to nothing. Even Vincent joining them did nothing to turn the tides in their favour.

Then one of the beasts erupted into flames, writhing in agony as deafening screams of pain filled the air around them before it collapsed to the ground and went shockingly still. They stared at the corpse for a moment, shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Then a large blur of red slammed into the ground in front of them.

He stared at the man as he stood to his full height, he was tall and his red-hair fell to his lower back. He turned to them, fixing them with inquisitive mako-blue eyes before turning away with a scoff. “You’re lucky I decided to help, instead of letting these things tear you apart.”

There was a moment of silence, then;

“Aw, fuck you, you bastard! Come over here and say that to my face you fucker!”

Cloud sighed softly as Cid continued to swear at the newcomer, earning a cold look from the stranger. He decided not to bother with them for the moment and turned his attention back to the other beast; Tifa and Nanaki were divvying its attention between them while Vincent focussed on taking shots at the thing when he had the opportunity, he went over to assist them.

Taking the stranger’s example Cloud started using his Materia against the beast. While it’s twin had a weakness to fire, this other was taken down by a powerful lightning spell. Tifa and Nanaki were tired from their efforts, chests heaving with their breaths as the beast fell to the ground.

“Who’s that?” Tifa asked, gesturing towards where Cid was still shouting at the stranger. “Someone you know?”

Cloud turned to glance at the man, seeing that Cid was now shouting in the other’s face. The man looked less than impressed by what the pilot was saying. The stranger turned away from Cid suddenly, approaching them with a confident stride. “I don’t know him,” Cloud answered his friend. “But I’m not going to turn away any help we can get.”

“I agree with Cloud,” Nanaki said, watching the man approach them from the corner of his eye. “I doubt we’ll be of much help against the upcoming enemy.”

Tifa looked troubled for a moment but agreed with Nanaki. “You’re probably right about that,” she rolled her shoulder, wincing and reaching up to grasp her upper arm with her hand. “I think I’m out anyway.”

Cloud fixed her with a concerned look, “will you be ok?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Of course I will be, I just pulled something.”

He nodded at her response but the stranger reached them before he could say anything else.

“What are we going to do about our friend up there?” The stranger asked, coming to a halt next to Cloud. He peered at them all with a judgemental look but didn’t say anything else.

“You, Vincent and I will be going after him while the rest wait here for our return. If things look like they’re going south, then they’ll come give us backup.” He turned to where Cait Sith was silently listening to them, “you got all that?”

“Ay lad, Reeve said yar in the clear! We’re ready to mark ya grave if ya don return.” The cat’s response drew a stunned look from the stranger and a surprised noise form his throat.

“Good, hopefully it won’t come to that.” He turned away from his friends then and stared at the man still seated above the mako-pool, it didn’t look like he had even recognized that his beasts had been killed. “Take shots where you can Vincent, just try not to hit us alright?”

Vincent scoffed silently but didn’t say anything and moved off to find somewhere to perch.

“Right,” Cloud breathed, nodding to himself. “Ok, let’s mosey.”

“What?” The stranger questioned, staring at him like he was insane. “What about a strategy of some kind?”

“I’m going to smack him with my sword and Vincent’s going to shoot him,” Cloud answered, continuing to move as he spoke. “Try not to die.”

A harsh sound came from behind him but Cloud focused on getting himself to Weiss.

Time to finish this.

Weiss wasn’t as difficult to take down as Sephiroth had been, even Kadaj-Sephiroth had been harder to take down. Maybe they’d been giving Vincent too much credit after the whole Deep Ground thing, especially if Weiss had been the strongest among them.

Weiss had gone down after two stabs; one through the stomach from Cloud and the other through the chest from the other man. Vincent hadn’t even gotten a shot in, it had been over so quickly.

“Is it always so easy?” The stranger asked, turning to stare at him over the corpse slumped over in the throne. Cloud shrugged in response, eyes trained on the other man’s sword; it was an impressive piece, a small SOLDIER sword retro-fitted with an ornate grip and etched with glyphs that pulsed with magic. It was also red, Cloud couldn’t tell if that was by design or something that had later been added to the blade.

“Usually there’s more destruction,” he admitted in a distracted tone, tearing his eyes from the crimson blade. “Midgar gets a bit more wrecked each time. Usually someone dies.”

The taller man blinked at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. “Ok,” he breathed, turning away from the corpse to where Vincent was perched a few miles away. “I expected it’d be harder to save the world.”

“Vincent might shoot at you if you ask him,” Cloud offered, hoisting First Tsurugi onto his back. “Or if you tell him how awful he is if he lost against that guy.” He stepped down to the strip of raised ground connecting the platform the throne was on to the shore of the lake.

The other followed him quickly, keeping up with him by virtue of his longer legs. “Where are you going after this?” He asked from behind him, pressing forward to breath into Cloud’s ear. “I’d love to hear about those other times.”

Cloud glanced over his shoulder, seeing glowing blue eyes staring at him intently. “It’s not that interesting,” he tried to tell the man.

“It’s got to be more interesting than this,” the other insisted, gesturing to the silent mountains around them. “It’ll certainly make the trip a bit more bearable.”

“The Turks will love that,” Cloud said in a bland tone. “Getting to listen to how useless they’ve been.”

“Turks?” The stranger questioned, freezing in his stride. “There are Turks with you?”

Cloud paused, turning to look at the man. “Yeah, they crashed their copter so we’re taking them back.” He was quiet, staring at him without really seeing him. “You gonna be ok with that? I mean, a lot of people are uncomfortable around the Turks.”

“Hmm,” The taller man hummed, blinking lazily before snapping back to attention. “Oh, yes. No, I believe we’ll have to save those stories for a different day.” He stepped back then, a large black wing materializing behind him. “Until next time.”

He was gone before Cloud could do little more than take a shocked breath, leaping into the empty sky and disappearing before his eyes. Cloud blinked at the dark spec in the sky for a moment then turned to look at the presence that just appeared at his shoulder. “That just happened, right? He’s got a wing too?”

“Yes, it was quite impressive.”

“Right,” Cloud nodded at the man’s words, sighing and turning to where their friends were waiting. “Let’s go tell everyone the good news.”

He realized while walking back to the airship that the stranger had never introduced themselves.

Only he and Vincent could make it the next ‘potentially world-ending crisis’; the others were too busy with their own lives to come help them. Cloud didn’t blame them; if he had a choice, he would have stayed home and slept in too.

When they reached the battlefield this time it was to see the swordsman from last time get thrown across the ruins of Midgar by an enormous creature with several arms. Its lower body seemed to be melded with wires and its body was dripping with mako, it was odd to see something like this; a kind of meld between something organic mixed so closely with something non-organic.

Cloud raced to where the man had impacted the ground, dropping into the small crater around the man’s body without a moment’s hesitation. He was relieved to see that the man was conscious, groaning as he pulled himself to sit upright. He turned to Cloud with hazy eyes, blinking at him a few times before speaking. “I believe I was robbed during our last meeting,” he told him seriously, raising a hand to grasp Cloud’s shoulder “Also, you’re far too pretty.”

Cloud ignored the man’s words, focusing on casting a Cure on the other man. He watched as some of the larger wounds on the man’s arms closed before stopping his spell, looking over the man for a moment. “You’re not gonna die yet,” he informed the other, watching the way blue eyes focused on him. “Think you can keep going?”

The man nodded after considering him for a few minutes, lifting himself to his feet. “Of course I can. Can’t let you have all the glory again.”

“If its glory you want then you can have all of it,” Cloud informed the man, lifting himself from the crater. “I’m just here to kill things and get myself a pay check.”

That startled a laugh out of the stranger and they set off to engage with the giant creature, keeping a close look of the other’s back as they fought the monster.

They eventually found the creature’s weakness; the underside of its head was particularly susceptible to stabbing so while Vincent and the other swordsman distracted it, Cloud forced two of his smaller blades into the soft skin, ripping its misshapen head from the rest of its leaking body.

The other swordsman was nice enough to catch him before he fell into the gapping, open wound of the man’s neck. He picked him out of the sky between one beat and the next, carrying him with the help of enhanced strength and his large wing.

Cloud could admit to himself that it was kind of nice. The man had a tight grip on him so he didn’t have to worry about being dropped and he smelled like apples and something he couldn’t identify, it was a very nice experience.

The man set him down safely on the ground, far away from where the corpse was dispersing into the Lifestream, the oozing flesh fading away and leaving the mechanical parts behind.

“I wasn’t aware your sword could do that,” the winged man said, the feathered limb dematerializing into nothing as he fixed his gaze on the blades in Cloud’s hands. He lifted his eyes from the swords to meet Cloud’s. “Any other special tricks?”

“None I’d ever show someone without knowing their name,” Cloud informed the man, turning to look for where Vincent had placed himself. He hadn’t meant to say that. His attempted to diffuse the coming awkwardness with his next words. “My friends want to have some standards.”

A soft noise of consideration came from behind him. “I suppose that’s reasonable,” the other man moved into his personal space, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. “Is a name all I need to see these special tricks?” The question was almost purred into his ear, warm breath fanning across his flesh and freezing Cloud in place.

He hadn’t expected the other man to response like that, it was unexpected to say the least.

Cloud swallowed heavily, abandoning the search for his friend. Vincent would have made himself apparent if he was here, meaning the gunslinger had left him to deal with this situation on his own. He wouldn’t put it pass the man to do that. “Um,” he responded eloquently, frozen for a moment as he tried to figure out how to react to this new situation. “It’s a start.” The words were muttered a few moments later as he forced down the heat that was threatening to rise to his cheeks.

He was usually much better around pretty people, he shouldn’t be getting this flustered by some random winged stranger that flung magic like he had been born doing it and had a sword as pretty as he was.

… Cloud might be a little bit screwed.

“Well then,” the other purred, pressing flush against his back and placing lips against his ear. “Genesis Rhapsodos, I can’t wait to see those tricks of yours.”

A shiver ran down his spine before Cloud could stop it, the way the other’s mouth grew into a smile told him that the swordsman, Genesis, had felt it as well. “Cloud,” he muttered quietly, shifting a bit to brush his mouth against the other man’s. “I’m… I’m Cloud.”

“Well, Cloud,” the way Genesis purred his name sent another shiver down his spine, not helped by the way their lips brushed with each word. “Shall we go to your place, or mine?”

There was a bright smile on the man’s face and he was staring at him with warm eyes.

Cloud was definitely screwed.

He was awoken a few hours later by the shrill tone of his PHS.

He groaned, reaching out from beneath the thin blanket to grasp the device. He lifted himself a bit, dislodging the warm arm that had been wrapped securely around his waist as he did so, and answered the call. He lifted the PHS to his ear and spoke, “hello?” His voice was gruff from previous activities and heavy from sleep.

“Cloud?” That was Reeve. Why was Reeve called him? “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” he answered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Why are you calling?”

The warm body next to him stirred, tightening the grip of the arm around his waist. Genesis lifted himself from the bed and pressed his nose into the hollow of Cloud’s throat with a disgruntled noise. “Whoever that is better be important,” he muttered into the flesh of his shoulder. “Or I will set them on fire.”

“Is there someone with you Cloud?”

“Yeah, he said if this isn’t important he’s going to set you on fire.” He answered, glancing down at the man nuzzling into his shoulder. “He’s probably serious about that.”

“… Ok. I take it things went well, then?” Reeve asked, bemusement clear over the PHS. “With the creature that is.”

“Things went fine,” he responded, ignoring the distracting way Genesis was dragging his fingers over the skin of his lower abdomen. “It had re-joined the Lifestream by the time we left. Didn’t Vincent tell you?”

“You know that Vincent can be very… cryptic. He said something about a crimson angel and seduction that made his own look like a ‘masterpiece of a declaration of affection’.”

Cloud furrowed his brow at Reeve’s words, reaching up to run his hand through his messy hair. Genesis took the opportunity to capture the hand with his own, bringing them to rest against Cloud’s chest. Cloud turned his hand to thread their fingers together, feeling the smile that the other man pressed into his shoulder. “Yeah,” he muttered in a distracted voice. “Is that all you wanted Reeve?”

“Yes! Of course, my apologies Cloud. I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. I’ll speak to you later.” Reeve hung up then, the sound indicating he had hung up almost cutting off his last word.

Cloud pulled his PHS from his ear, closing the device and setting it back down away from the bed. Genesis pulled him back against the mattress, pushing him flat on his back and kneeling over his prone form. “I hope we won’t be having any more interruptions,” Genesis purred, eyes half-lidded as he ran a hand along Cloud’s side. “You haven’t shown me all your tricks yet.” His last words were accompanied by a smile, a warm, lazy curl of the other’s mouth that stirred a warm feeling in Cloud’s chest.

Cloud leaned forward to take Genesis’ mouth with his own, reaching up to sink his free hand into long hair. He wrapped his leg over the other’s hip, rolling up into Genesis’ space with an exaggerated movement. He used the moment of distraction to flip their positions, forcing Genesis back against the mattress before pulling from the other’s mouth.

He stared at the other with lidded eyes for a moment, staring down at him from his kneeling position. He shivered at the feeling of the man’s hand coming to rest on his side, pressing into the warm weight.

“I’ve got a few more things up my sleeve,” he breathed, using his grip on Genesis’ hair to urge the man up to meet his mouth. “Can’t promise that there won’t be any more interruptions, though. They might need us to save the world again.”

“Well then, we’re simply going to have to make the most out of our time. Aren’t we?”

[seriestrash]

You Me Her

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 

Chapter Eleven: About Last Night...

Word Count: 2138

��� ♥ ↞

When Riley wakes the morning following the winter formal she's immediately hit with a throbbing headache. Riley lets out a sleepy groan as she sits up and rubs at her temple. Violet meows softly after Riley's stirring wakes her. 

"Any chance I dreamt it all, Vie?" Riley pats the kittens fir. Another tiny meow. "Yeah I didn't think so." Riley sighs. 

The brunette looks over to the window. The blanket Riley had placed over Lucas in the early AM sits neatly folded in the bay window seat. Riley notices a glass of water on her nightstand, courtesy of Lucas she guessed. Riley gulps down the liquid quickly, her dehydration was not satisfied even a little. She sets the now empty glass down and rises from her bed. 

Once Riley is on her feet she's hit with an extra pang of throbbing in her head. It painfully took her by surprise, so much so that she wobbles on her feet. After steadying herself, Riley makes her way out into he hall. She hears the shower running in the bathroom when she passes and notices Auggies room is empty. 

Then Riley hits the stairs, each step making the pain in her head worse. She spots her best friend sitting on the sofa watching television. He's still in his suit pants, his white shirt is half unbuttoned, his hair a mess. 

"You look like crap." Riley jokes. 

Kai turns his head around with a smile, "You're not looking too hot yourself.” His smile turns into a knowing stare. “It’s not like I packed an overnight bag for this spontaneous little sleepover.” 

“You have some spare clothes in my room if you want to change.” Riley sluggishly walks over and joins him on the sofa. 

“Yeah I’ll change in a bit.” Kai turns off the television and gives his full attention to Riley. 

“Was that Noah in the shower?” Riley questions. 

Kai crinkles his nose and nods his head. "He started throwing up not long ago." 

"Ick." Riley scrunches her nose too. 

"How are you?" Kai questions. 

"My head is throbbing but I don't feel like being sick... Yet." Riley grips at her stomach. 

"That's good but I meant how are you after the mind F that was last night?" Kai clarifies. 

"Oh that." Riley curls into the arm of the sofa with a groan. Her voice is muffled as she continues. "I was hoping I got concussed on the way to the dance and imagined everything."

Kai tugs at the hem of Riley's tshirt, she lifts her head with a pouted bottom lip. He extends his arms out and Riley curls into his side with feet tucked up beside her on the sofa.

“If time travel exists in the future I’m super mad at my older self for not warning me about the embarrassment that was yesterday.” Riley whines.

“Everybody knows that altering History is dangerous.” Kai chuckles. “You’re smart enough to not risk the fate of the universe like that.” 

“Damn me and my common sense.” Riley huffs, warranting another soft chuckle from Kai. “Did you see Lucas at all this morning?” Riley asks. “He was gone when I woke up.” 

“He left about half an hour ago.” Kai says.

“Did you guys talk?” Riley questions.

“Yeah I apologised for being a dick last night and then we sat around and exchanged fond memories we have of you.” Kai is very sarcastic.

“Cool the sarcasm would you?” Riley groans. “I could be mad at you, ya know?”

"I apologise for telling Lucas about your panic attacks. I shouldn’t have done that.” Kai is sincere. “But I’m not apologising for anything else I said to Lucas. I think I went easy on him.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Riley sighs. 

“Good.” Kai says. “We can forget wonder boy once and for all.” 

“I don’t want to talk about it, that doesn’t mean I can ignore what happened.” Riley pulls away from their cuddled position to look at Kai. 

“Why not?” Kai questions. “He shouldn’t be allowed to come back into your life after all this time and claim that he still cares about you.” 

“I know. I completely agree with you.” Riley nods. 

“Okay but why does it feel like we’re fighting about it?” Kai laughs nervously. 

“I’m confused.” Riley shrugs. “I tried for so long to be upset with Lucas for not choosing me but I couldn’t. I loved Maya too, so I could see why he chose her and I know first hand that you can’t help who you fall for but to tell me he made a mistake after they broke up.. That’s.. I just.. I’m angry that he’d come to me, his second choice like he expects that I’ve been waiting for him.” 

“Total jerk move.” Kai nods. Riley deflates in her place. “Ri, you’re fairly incapable of anger-” 

“Am not!” Riley whines. 

“Riley.” Kai coaxes his head with a knowing look. “You know I have the anger thing covered enough for the both of us so you can tell me how you really feel about it.” 

“I am upset about being a second choice. I thought so much more of Lucas back in the day... But I think I’m upset mostly because part of me was actually happy to hear Lucas say he wish he chose me.” Riley frowns. “What kind of a terrible person am I for thinking that?”     

“Ri, you’re human.” Kai gives her a sympathetic smile. “This is the first guy you ever liked. You loved him Ri, of course part of you is going to like hearing that he likes you too.” 

“So I’m not a terrible person?” Riley asks softly. 

“The opposite.” Kai holds her stare.

“Is Noah mad at me for bringing up Notre Dame?” Riley wants to change the subject but is still visibly worried about the response. 

“No, oh gosh no.” Kai soothes. “He babbled about it for a while before passing out. When I take him home later I’m sure I’ll get a more coherent explanation out of him.” 

“You’re happy for him right?” Riley asks. 

“Are you kidding?” Kai grins. “He’s some football superstar on an athletics scholarship but also manages to get in on early admission for academics. I’m so proud of him.” 

“Little math whizz he is.” Riley smiles too. “Then you’ll go to college and become some fancy pants historian.” 

“History geek and dramatic freak.” Kai says his ‘slogan’ with hands under his chin in the ‘cupcake’ pose. 

“And Noah is the math whizz in ... the football bizz?” Riley squints one eye. 

“We can work on his slogan later.” Kai chuckles.

“Such a power couple.” Riley praises.  

“Today, do you want us to hang around and keep you company?”

“No I may have been using the empty house as an excuse to get out of the dance but now I do really need some alone time.” Riley says. 

“Are you sure?” Kai asks. 

“Would I lie to you?” Riley exaggerates a toothy grin. 

“Yes.” Kai says bluntly. “Exhibit A, yesterdays spiral.” 

“Fine.” Riley pouts. “But I do need to think through some things on my own. We’re meeting up tomorrow at the bakery for our gift exchange so you can quiz me then.” 

“I’ll prepare the questionnaire tonight then.” Kai jokes. 

Noah rounds the corner of stairwell and both Kai and Riley erupt in laughter. The tall and muscular football player is wrapped in Riley’s pink polka dot robe. 

“Stop!” Noah bashfully turns his body. “My suit smelt gross so I didn’t want to put it back on.” 

“I have some sweats here that you can wear home.” Kai continues to chuckle. With that the boy in glasses disappears to retrieve said clothes. 

“Sorry for encouraging you last night, Sunshine. I don’t know what got over me.” Noah holds Riley’s hand as he sits by her on the sofa.

“Hey, I’ll have you know I can corrupt myself.” Riley jokes. 

“So did anything happen last night with Lucas?” Noah questions. 

“What do you mean?” Riley gives him a quizzical look. 

“Nothing like that.” Noah’s eyes widen. “I mean did you two talk?” 

“Everything is still a little fuzzy.” Riley admits. “But I have the overall image of me being fifty shades of confusing. I don’t know what I wanted from Lucas last night.” 

“Naturally.” Noah’s smile is small. “Part of you is angry that he’s come back after so long but part of you still loves him. It’s not weird that you’d be hot and cold with him.” 

“Still loves?” Riley laughs nervously. “That was so ten chapters ago.”  

“You never really got the chance to be in love with him so I find it hard to believe you ever fell out of love with him.” Noah softens completely. “I’m not saying you should give him a chance or anything like that but I do believe that owning those feelings might help you officially move past this.”

“I think I’m more confused than ever now.” Riley frowns. 

Kai returns in a fresh outfit himself and throws some baggy sweats at his boyfriend to change into. Shortly after, Noah and Kai leave Riley’s apartment. The brunette heads upstairs to shower. Once clean, Riley feels slightly better. Only slightly. Then she sits at the edge of her bed and pulls out her phone. Riley dials Caitlin’s number, it rings a few times before she finally answers.

“Bonjour.” The free spirit answers happily. 

“Hey.” Riley smiles at her friends French greeting. “It’s not too late there is it?” 

“Nah, It’s just after six.” Caitlin says. “What’s up?” 

Riley then goes on to tell Caitlin in great detail all that happened yesterday after they parted ways. 

“Wow Matthews, you got drunk?” Amusement clearly present in Caitlin’s tone. 

“So not the point of the story.” Riley groans. 

“What do you want from me?” Cait asks in a funny accent. “I’m on vacation.” 

“Well sor-ry.” Riley huffs. 

“Look Riley, I know I don’t say it much but I love ya. You have to know that right?” Cait softens a little. “But this seems like Kai territory, I’m not sure what you want me to say.” 

“I need your unbiased opinion on the situation.” Riley sighs. “You know how Kai feels about Lucas. I can talk to him, but I don’t know if I can trust his opinion completely.” 

“Well, what do you want to do Riley?” Caitlin asks. 

“I don’t know!” Riley exclaims. “That’s why I’m asking you.” 

“But what are your options?” Cailtin questions. “Are you trying to decide between giving him a chance or-” 

“No, no, no-” Riley cuts in quickly. “I could never date Lucas.” 

“Then what do you need help with?” Caitlin is confused. 

“How to handle things.” Riley shrugs to herself. 

“So you’ve made up your mind about it already.” Caitlin says simply. “The way I see it is; you can kick him to the curb, sorry wonder boy you missed your chance, or you can grill him for the answers you clearly want and then kick him to the curb.” 

“What if I can’t handle the answers?” Riley continues to freak out. 

“Matthews, you’ve been kicking ass without wonder boy for years now.” Caitlin scoffs. “Answers or not you’re still Riley.” 

“You think I kick ass?” Riley smiles. 

“Hey. After I repeatedly claimed I disliked you, you looked me dead in the eyes, smiled and told me you didn’t care.” Caitlin says. “Total badassary.” 

“And look at us now?” Riley can’t help but smile. Riley’s phone vibrates against her ear. She takes a moment to look at it. 

“It’s a text from Lucas.” Riley panics. “He want’s to talk.” 

“You’re a stress head, Matthews.” Caitlin doesn’t mean it in a snide way, she’s just stating a simple fact. “Try not let this eat away at you. It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow, you have the rest of winter break to sort through how you feel. Just try and relax, would ya? Lucas made you wait eight stupid months in a triangle he can wait one damn week for you to be ready to talk to him.” 

“You’re right.” Riley nods. 

“Always.” Caitlin chuckles. 

Soon after, their call ends. Riley sits quietly with her thoughts for a while. Her eyes wander over to the backpack by her desk. Riley nervously bites at her thumbnail as she continues to stare at it. Riley stands up and takes a step towards it but shakes her head and sits back down. She does this two more times before finally marching over to her desk and opening her pack. Riley pulls out the handful of brochures Noah gave her the previous day. Riley lines them all up beside each other. 

“I kick ass.” Riley says aloud and with that empowering affirmation she picks up the first brochure. 

End Notes: Firstly I want to apologise for short chapter. Secondly I want to apologise for not including Lucas in this chapter like I said I was going to. 

NEXT CHAPTER, we will certainly have some q’s answered from Lucas. Maybe y'all can let me know what you want answered and if it fits with my plan I might include it! Also there will be Riley’s Wizard of Oz audition oooooo. 

ALSO. I know the college apps are late especially for ivy league but most places still accept applications until Jan don’t they? If not lets just pretend okay because storyline wise it’s fitting that it happens now!!! 

Until next time!!!!!!!!!!!! x

[supertam87]

Ok guys, I think I can finally wrap my brain around this enough to give a coherent recap. I'm a processor, so I had to live it in the moment, and now that I'm on the plane leaving the experience behind, hopefully I can make sense of it. I posted pictures in order of event. Sorry I can't write in between each pic, but I'm on my iPhone and it won't let me add pics as I go. Anyway, to get on with it... I started my epic adventure with a 4 hour layover in San Francisco which isn't as bad as it might seem, because I've been married for 25 years and have 4 kids and rarely get to be alone! Let the adventure begin. I roomed with the amazing @sileas84 who is 100% responsible for me attending this con. She employed shameless peer pressure and I crumpled like a card tower in the hands of a toddler. I have no regrets. We arrived at the con at 6:30 am and immediately met up with a group of awesome women (in picture two - this is @myguiltyolpleasure's pic btw). We were determined to be up close. FIVE HOURS OF WAITING later, we sat on row 5 center and I was thrilled. I was really hoping for a good view. And boy did I get one! Sam twirled in that kilt and I didn't even try to look, his knickers presented themselves to me! Simple black boxer-briefs - always a classy choice 😂. For most of the panel I could see right up his thigh just because of the way he was sitting in relation to where I was sitting. It's not that I looked, it's just that it was thigh porn and I totally looked. At one point we were directed to take a selfie, so we did. (Pic 3) If there's one thing I can tell you about this particular con, it's that it was all about obedience. I have never been yelled at by adult strangers so many times in one day since I was a pre-teen. If you stepped out of line, and I mean that literally and figuratively, you heard about it. I won't talk about the panel because all y'all have seen it. It was fun, they were adorable and I love them. The hour flew by and I could have sat there and listened to them for the rest of the day. Sam's unintentional joke about reading about stuff on Tumblr cracked me up, mostly because he was mortified and blushed. After the panel the autograph session filled up immediately, so we went to get lunch. Ladies, I got up at 4:30am. It was 12:30. I was starving, parched, desperate to pee - cons are not for the weaklings of the herd. That Diet Coke was on par with meeting Sam. I'm just sayin'. Lunch was a tiny little respite in a sea of hurry up and wait. Following our brief lunch we did our photo ops. You need to understand, those two photos took 4 hours. Compare the photo with only Sam vs the photo with both and look at Sam's eyes. By the time we got to group photos, he was literally exhausted, yet he treated us exactly the same both times (as did Cait) - warm and welcoming, said hello, eye contact, a little squeeze of the hand on the shoulder (ded. I am ded) They were ultimately respectful of the fans and the time and money we put into this. Said thanks and goodbye as we left. I am so impressed with both their professionalism and their basic humanity. These are quality people. The solo photo op is where I had my hair/armpit incident. We walked up and Sam just throws his arms open to engulf you in his superior humanity. As he was putting his arm around me (did I REALLY just type that!) he caught my very long hair with his arm and I ended up being trapped right up against him with my head sort of forced to lay against his arm. I. Am. Not. Complaining. I'm stunned that I had the presence of mind to smile. All I could think of was that I was pressed up against Sam so tight that I could feel how soft the leather of his jacket was. I didn't even notice that he had changed from kilt to jeans until later. My first thought about Caitriona when she entered the panel stage is that no picture or video can ever prepare you for how tall and thin she really is. And how gorgeous and graceful she is. And how charming and funny and silly and well spoken and sincere and kind. Ok, I'll stop. Just look up all the positive adjectives. Next we went to the autograph line. I was there when the lights went out and Caitriona joked about that not being the way to get to Sam and also when he was jokey about being bored because he had no one at his station so he teased her about taking too long and went over to harass her at her table. They were funny and relaxed and enjoying themselves and it was great to see the spontaneous interaction. Every event was very rushed, but they again did their best to say hello, make eye contact, say a little something to you, and thank you for coming. I had them sign my original Outlander book that was given to me by a friend about twelve years ago, who said, "You might like this." Famous last words. As you can see, it's lived a good life. I've lent it out many times. I said at dinner last night that I was too nervous and hadn't really say anything to Caitriona, until I literally went oh my gosh! I did say something to Cait. I had totally blocked it in my nervous state. She commented on how well loved my book was, and I said 'yes, it's been read many times by many people and it opens right to the wedding scene' and then I proved it, by opening it right to that scene. So, yep. I did that. I blushed so hard my eyeballs turned red when I remembered that. Sam was equally adorable, but I just had 'do not say that to sam' on repeat so then I didn't really know what to say to him. He was so sweet. His handler was rushing him a little bit and he sort of looked at him and then apologized to me for being rushed along. He looked me right in the eyes. He winked at me and smiled. Ladies, the smolder is real. I was POSITIVE I was immune to the Sam effect and I am NOT. I literally went weak at the knees. My stomach churned. I started shaking. I giggled. I could not think. Well, I could. But the only thing I could think was 'Sam. Sam winked at me. Sam's eyes are so blue. Sam is so beautiful. Sam. Sam winked at me.' My brain sort of jammed. After dinner a huge group (like 17) of us went to dinner. It was awesome. It was amazing. These ladies are incredible. Our fandom is incredible. Last night we went to a smaller dinner and stayed for hours. I can't tell you how hard we laughed. It was so much fun. I seriously love this place for so much more than Tumblr. We are such a diverse group. Different cultures, different educational and socio-economic backgrounds, different personal and relationship statuses, and most importantly, different ages. We have so much to teach each other and so much to learn, and as a group, we are so generous with our time, talents, resources, emotional support and wisdom. I treasure this. I am so grateful I went. I loved meeting Sam and Caitriona. It was great fun. Meeting dear friends who will remain forever was life changing. I look forward to doing this again one day and meeting even more of you. Sorry I bombarded you with a DG length post, but thanks for making it through. All I can finish with is if you didn't leave with a Totes McGoat tote, then you didn't con right!!

[fallout-friends-react]

Alright, how about instead of sole being walked in on, the companions are walked in on by sole? (Fallout 4 companions please and thanks)

I told my friend to look through all my asks and choose one for me to do and he chose this one, can u fuckin’ believe it? Also I’m not gonna do non/romanced like the other ones because I have a lot to do and it takes a lotta time.

Cait: Sole walked in and all they heard was a string of swear words, some of which they hadn’t even heard before. Once they found out exactly why Cait was swearing so much, they immediately blocked their view with their hand. She kept laughing and yelling at them to leave. She was laughing mostly because she couldn’t believe they actually walked in. Rather than never talking about it again, Cait sometimes joked about it with Sole.

Curie: As soon as Sole opened the door they could hear Curie squeak from within the room. They poked their head in to see just exactly what she was doing, and when they found out, they were so startled they just about fell over. She was yelling something in French Sole didn’t quite understand, and desperately trying to find something to cover herself with. Once she managed to cover herself up, she looked at Sole seriously. She did her best to calmly and politely ask them to get out. Sometime afterward, she talked to them about it. The entire time her cheeks were a little more pink than usual.

Danse: When Sole walked in, he didn’t even say anything right away, he just kind of flailed around trying to cover himself. He was ashamed of doing it in the first place, but them walking in on him just made the whole thing so much worse. He didn’t say anything, he just, kind of looked at them, his face was red. They very quickly left the room. It took him a long time, but Danse apologized formally to them a few days later.

Deacon: Deacon wasn’t embarrassed at all, and I mean at all. Sole walked in but it didn’t even seem to phase him. Of course he stopped, he didn’t want to be that disrespectful, but he just said, “is there, something I can help you with?” Sole was more embarrassed than he was. Afterward he made jokes about it, just because it made Sole flustered.

Gage: “BOSS I’M-” Gage couldn’t finish his sentence before Sole fully opened the door and saw what he was doing. Sole had never seen him so genuinely embarrassed before. While he was shuffling around to cover himself, he said, “is there something you NEED RIGHT NOW?!” They calmly apologized and slowly backed out of the room. Gage couldn’t keep direct eye contact with them for a straight week.

Hancock: “WhooAA there,” this definitely wasn’t the first time Hancock had been caught in the act, but it was the first time being caught by Sole. He wasn’t particularly embarrassed though. Sole was freaking the hell out and apologized a million times. Hancock just laughed and told them to calm down, it wasn’t that big of a deal. “If you wanted me this badly you should’ve just asked.” After he said that Sole hurried out of the room, they could hear his laugh coming from the where they had left.

MacCready: He didn’t notice right away because he was more than a little wrapped up in himself. Sole made the first sound, and once they did they practically set off an alarm in MacCready. He yelled, not even coherent words, just sounds. Once he calmed down a little, he looked to Sole, his face as red as ever. “WHERE WAS THE KNOCK???” They apologized and quickly left the room. The two would never speak of this ever again.

Nick: (let’s just say he’s capable of it) Nick heard their footsteps coming towards the door to the room he was in, so he had a little bit of time to, make himself decent. Sole walked into the room to find him sitting up straight, looking right at them. He couldn’t be more inconspicuous. He asked them if they needed him for something, they didn’t, and then they left the room. Nick had been through all kinds of situations before, but not something like this. Sole didn’t even know what happened, but Nick felt awkward when he was around them for a few days to come.

Piper: All Sole wanted was to ask Piper a question, and apparently they forgot knocking was a thing people did. As soon as they walked in the room, Piper screamed. Her face was already red but them seeing her made it just that much more pigmented. She yelled at them to get out, and when they did she didn’t want to leave the room ever again. She was way too embarrassed to face them ever again. When she did talk to them, she asked them never to mention it ever.

Preston: “oh my god oh my god oh my god…” Preston was about as embarrassed and flustered as you would expect. He could have sworn he locked the door. “I’m so sorry general, I’m- oh my god.” Sole seemed less bothered than he did. Sometimes they would tease him about it and he would just cover his face with his hat.

X6-88: The ONE time he has time to himself, it’s disrupted by Sole. He did his best to keep his cool, within reason of course. He calmly asked them to leave, they apologized and did just that. Afterward, it was a little hard for him because of how ashamed he was, but he managed to properly apologize for them having to see him in such a state.

[sablelab]

Three Days in the Highlands Chapter 29

DISCLAIMER:

This is a complete work of fiction and as such is an entirely fabricated tale created in my imagination.  

SYNOPSIS:

Sam and Caitriona begin their descent back to Braes of Foss where Sam has parked the Audi Q5.

Chapter 29

Caitriona was still flushed from Sam’s proposal and their illicit lovemaking and her mind was still in a daze of post coital bliss. If Sam had not been holding her hand she didn’t know how she would have been able to make the descent over the boulders without taking a tumble.  She was in a state of euphoria which was a common response to whenever they made love.  However, their spontaneous intercourse on Mount Schiehallion had been an experience to savour. They didn’t speak but words were unnecessary for their body language was screaming their happiness to the rafters.  Sam glanced down at their entwined hands and his fingers squeezed Cait’s fingers in shared knowledge.

“We’ll have to do that again babe ... on another Munro,” he stated cheekily eventually breaking the silence.

“Wh ... what?”

“You heard,” he replied softly.

Finally understanding the inflection of his words, ever so slowly she lifted her dreamy eyes to find him watching her with mischievous intent. Caitriona blushed as a wave of heat darted through her body as Sam’s grin only intensified. His next words, however, made her ears burn.

“Yes ...You always remember the first time ...”  

Her blush deepened and she thought that it was very possible that steam was rising from her face. Cait felt hot and bothered remembering what they had just been doing on the mountain with such unbridled passion. She was a little flummoxed by his statement and the underlying innuendo those words evoked. She glanced at him with a perplexed look on her face then lowered her eyes too overcome with what she saw there as Sam explained.

He bit his lip in amusement as he hawkishly watched his love absorb those words enjoying seeing her a little off her game. “You ... bagged your fist Munro.”

Caitriona swallowed hard before she spoke forcing any coherent utterance from her lips in a hushed reply. “Oh ...”

His penetrating gaze was unrelenting as Sam watched his love try to gain back some semblance of control.  Cait raised her eyes and her gaze caressed his features in bravado while her eyes lazily travelled down across his strong face to those tempting lips of his bearing a wicked grin. Sam watched her; entranced by the way that Caitriona moistened her lips. She would be the death of him, he thought, for when her tongue appeared to moisten her full bottom lip and then her top one, he reciprocated her movements very tempted to kiss her once more.

He didn’t, although he was sorely excited by what Cait was making him feel.  Sam felt the tremor of awareness course though his body and he let out a garbled sigh when Caitriona finally lowered her gaze to where their hands were joined in a lover’s knot.

“It was beautiful Sam.  This place is so beautiful and I will always remember this Munro for that reason but mostly because it is now our special, magical place. I will never forget what happened on Mount Schiehallion.”

“Me too.”

Unable to resist her one moment longer, he raised Cait’s hand placing it around his neck while his other snaked around her waist gathering her to him. His lips then had the last word.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Before they continued any further down the mountain, Sam snapped some last minute photos of the two on them then they quietly began their descent once more.  As they set off to go back down the quartz ridge of Mount Schiehallion, they invariably spotted those easier paths that they had missed on the way up. The trek back down was not as arduous as it was initially climbing through the boulder field, however, the path back through the rocks still made for some hard work on the ankles. They still faced a very decided downward trend and took exaggerated giant steps over boulders like astronauts on the moon.  Some of the boulders wobbled though as they navigated their way across them; hence they had to tread warily in case one or both had a fall.  

This coupled with the climb up and now with the climb down, it was nonetheless a little taxing on the joints of a first timer and Cait was beginning to feel the effects. She soon discovered that her knees had gone a little bit stiff and sore. It wasn't a catastrophe, but it meant that she needed to be more careful on the descent route. Perhaps she could use it as an excuse for them both to slow down and enjoy the views for a little bit longer, and that Sam wouldn’t notice her discomfort, Cait thought. But nothing much got past hawk eyes Heughan.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam did indeed notice that Caitriona was walking a little gingerly although his male pride thought it was something that he had done, and his mind immediately flew to their little dalliance between the rocks.   Nevertheless, he asked her if she was okay.  

“Are you alright honey?  You aren’t hurt are you?”

“No. It’s just that my knees are a little sore from running earlier as well as climbing over all those rocks.”

“Ah! And here was I thinking that you were feeling some after effects of our ... shall I say ... little get together,” he stated playfully.

Caitriona laughed. “If that was so then I would have been on top.”

She let Sam contemplate the meaning between the lines of her sentence but he just burst out laughing rakishly.

“Well in that case babe, I should be the one with bruises on my knees. Come on, if you find that your knees are sore we will stop and rest a bit.”

“You’d do that for me? Really?”

“You know I would.  Come on Limpy let’s go. The sooner we get back to the car the sooner we will be on our way home and then I will see what I can do about those sore knees.”

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Despite Caitriona limping slightly they took their time and also took every opportunity to stop for another set of photos along the way. On the way up it had felt as if no one else was on the hill, but on the way back down the mountain they encountered several people on the way up to the summit.  Several stopped to chat and ask Sam and Cait about conditions at the top or how far they had to go before continuing on their way. As the day was fading quickly, more than likely these people were climbing to the top to observe the setting sun, but Sam had other ideas for when they reached home that would have his love seeing stars of another kind. He had meticulously planned this long weekend with an endgame in sight and perhaps tonight would be the night to put that plan into action. Celebrations were afoot and he’d been keeping a nice bottle of Dom Perignon that they’d brought back from their trip to Paris for such a special occasion to toast the outcome.

Heading back down was a quieter walk, for they took their time and were in no rush to reach the bottom. Sam kept a watchful eye on Caitriona to see if she was feeling any ill effects of the descent as she’d said she had sore knees, but she looked as if they were causing no trouble now whatsoever due to the slower pace. However, a little ways up ahead they encountered several stone steps built into the path and Cait had to hold on to Sam’s hand a few times as she manoeuvred the jutting rock formations.

The steps were quite steep and although they took it easy Caitriona still managed to stumble before she could grab on to Sam. She tripped over a small boulder as her boot tip dragged across it and landed on her backside with a thud. Cait thought she was maintaining a proper sense of awareness and attention going downhill, but the tumble made her aware that she was perhaps more tired than she thought.

“Arrgghh!”

“What happened? Another tumble, are you okay Cait?” Sam exclaimed as he just managed to catch her before she fell further backwards and hit her head on the ground.

“No ... I think I’ve twisted my ankle this time.”

“Come and sit over here while I take a look,” he replied helping Caitriona to hobble over to a raised boulder on the side of the road.

“I feel such an idiot; I didn’t see that protruding rock on the path Sam.  I guess I’m just overtired after the climb up and I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“No you’re not. I knew those steps were a bit tricky and I should have been more aware for you.”

“I’m okay babe ... No significant injuries other than my wounded pride.”

“Give me your foot and I’ll see how much damage there is.”

Cait placed her foot on Sam’s thigh as he knelt before her.  

“Tell me if this hurts?” He asked as he gently probed the source of her injury. His fingers gently massaged the area around Caitriona’s ankle in slow methodical strokes that had a soothing affect on all of her senses.

“Just a little bit, but that massage seems to be doing the trick,” she purred as the touch of his hands began to raise her temperature somewhat.  “That feels so good Sam.”

“I’m glad. We’ll rest a bit longer until you feel steadier on your feet. Then we’ll see if you can stand up and walk.  If not, then I’ll piggy back you down the rest of the way.”

“Really? ... You’d do that?”

“I would. You’re not that heavy.  I’ll carry you if I have to.”

Sam smiled at Cait with that impish grin that she adored and Caitriona couldn’t resist but to gently hold his face in her hands and place a sweet kiss to his forehead. “I love you Sam Heughan.”

“I know.”

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Caitriona had sufficiently recovered and her ankle was feeling better, they set off once again but with Sam keeping a keen eye on her for any distress.  The transition from slope to flat ground was a welcome relief and soon the terrain was much easier to walk on. What a contrast it was to the quartzite sea of rocks and stones on the summit ridge of Mount Schiehallion. This time that mile long ridge at the top where stones and rocks underfoot dominated throughout had to be done in reverse on the descent. They passed by the stone cairns scattered along the way until eventually the gradient eased little by little. The clear, well-constructed path that wound its way up through rocks and heather to reach the main ridge was now in sight where the walking was much more pleasant to manoeuvre.

Sam decided to take a different route down the peaty side of the ridge this time back to the car park at Braes of Foss.  The smooth, gentle curves of green and brown sloped hills ahead of them on the way back down would be a little gentler on Cait’s limbs and were a complete contrast to what they had encountered at the top of Mount Schiehallion. Taking this route too would hopefully avoid any further mishaps as the drying peat surface was springy and a lot more comfortable to walk on. They might even see if they could find any fairies and the missing cave, he thought

Sam broke their shared silence as they made their way along the new track.  “You should see Schiehallion in the winter Cait. Remember I mentioned about the Blue Witch?  ... Well the old hag’s presence is clearly evident then.”

“Why is that Sam? ... It doesn’t appear to be formidable now, so how is winter any different?”

He smiled at Caitriona’s question because it gave him an opening to begin one of his repartees.  Like all Scots, Sam loved telling her these fabled stories rich in superstition and legend. His plan was ulterior and twofold because it would take her mind off any aches and pains she may still have, it would pass the time quicker and it was an easier route.

Candidly, he began his tale.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“There’s stillness in the air in Winter Cait. The rocks are frosted and frozen and ice crystals decorate every boulder. Then there is the mist that shrouds the mountain’s upper slopes. It’s very pretty but when using your imagination you can just picture the Cailleach Bheur’s ... the Blue Witch’s frozen breath kissing the boulders.”

Caitriona was enthralled by Sam’s tale and the picture he was painting in her mind she could visualise clearly as he continued.

“Then, by the time you reach the summit there is little temptation to linger in her cold grasp.”

Looking over at her, Sam’s eyes were wide with enjoyment at the legend he had heard as a child.  Caitriona in turn, could only hang on each word, fascinated by the way he was relaying his tale. Sam’s whole body was animated and the dulcet tones of his voice lovingly caressed her ears.  

“You don’t have to believe in fairies to experience the chilling fingers of winter reach out to you Cait. I’ve been in that situation many a time when I’ve climbed and it’s not pretty. Visibility is poor and sometimes it is difficult to make out one foot in front of the other.  It would be so easy to lose your way, if you didn’t know what you were doing.  Many a time I’ve turned back when the conditions deteriorated, but Schiehallion has an allure that is not always comfortable. It is in winter that mountain is foreboding. Shrouded in the snows of winter her cold charm is compelling, as she tempts you like the blue hag.”

“Oh ... my! That’s quite frightening Sam.”

“I don’t take chances on any mountain honey. That would be tempting fate. Better to be safe than sorry.  You could get hypothermia in no time if ill prepared on a mountain climb. Conditions can deteriorate in the blink of an eye. The risks aren’t worth it.”

“Is it like this every time you go mountain climbing?”

“No. Every season brings something different Cait. If you descend the hill at nightfall in summer you can hear the curious sounds of drumming snipe and territorial roding calls and grunts of woodcock. Then during the chilled days of late autumn you might hear the roars of rutting stags.”

Cait was enthralled to see how much Sam became lost to his love of mountain climbing.  She could see it in his demeanour, and could hear it in his voice. It was as if he was in another place recalling his feelings about his passion for the outdoors and mountain climbing.   His eyes lit up with the excitement and wonder that Schiehallion obviously meant to him.

“I’m so glad you are careful.  I would worry every time you went climbing otherwise Sam.”

Stopping there on the path, he placed his arm around Caitriona pulling her to his side. “You need never worry about me being foolish babe. I have too much in my life that is precious to me to put myself in any jeopardy, and besides, I wouldn’t want to come face to face with the Blue Witch.” His eyes softened and a gentle smile bowed his lips, while his eyebrows did that thing that made Caitriona’s knees go weak.

She snuggled into his warm body. “No ... I wouldn’t want that either.”

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Their conversation during their descent had made the walk go faster than anticipated and soon they were nearly to the bottom of Mount Schiehallion into a beautiful glen.

“Why did we come this way Sam?”

“I thought we may try and find Uamh Tom a’Mhor-fhir.  It’s that cave in the upper reaches of the glen I told you about that Schiehallion’s fairies are supposed to dwell in.”

“Surely you don’t believe in fairies do you Sam?”

“All Scots believe.  We’re a suspicious race not unlike the Irish Celts Caitriona. These tales have been passed down through generations and I hope to tell them to our children some day.”

Caitriona blushed and bit the tip of her lip hearing Sam say their children. She couldn’t help the smile that graced her lips picturing two gorgeous little cherubs hanging on every word their father was telling them at bedtime.  Just the vision of that warmed her heart to overflowing. Filled with love for this wonderful man, she gazed over at the one who held her heart with a contentment that couldn’t be denied.

“So what are we looking for then?”

“Some evidence of fairies ... maybe some circular rock formation where the fairies meet.”

“Oh Sam, I do so love you Scots.”

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Making their way across the heather covered glen certainly made Caitriona aware of bygone days and she could well understand how the charming myths had evolved.  The highlands were enchanting and that coupled with a Scotsman’s sense of imagination and belief of the stories passed down through generations she was not at all surprised that Sam had embraced the mysticism of these tales.  She was enchanted by them too and being Celt felt an infinity with his beliefs and traditions.

Unfortunately they didn’t come across any evidence of fairies as they wandered down the length of the glen. However, they did find some ancient cup and saucer shaped ring markings, evidence of old hut circles and the remains of shielings. These reminders of an earlier way of life when glens like this were used for grazing cattle had stood the test of time. There were no cattle today but they did see, and indeed smelt, some of Schiehallion’s wild goats.

“We must be nearing the car park Sam; I remember seeing some of those shielings on the other track.”

“Aye, it’s not that far now.”

“Are you disappointed we didn’t come across any fairy rings?”

“No ... but it did remind me of AD Cunningham’s words from his Tales of Rannoch. The adventurer who lingers in the secret places of the mountains senses that the cailleach and the spirit life are still there, and he is aware that enchantment has not vanished from the world.”

“Well that is certainly true Sam. Enchantment, together with mystery and superstition, has certainly not vanished from Mount Schiehallion’s slopes that’s for sure. If what you say about winter is accurate, then the Blue Hag has left her mark well and truly.”

“I’ve climbed this Munro many times Cait and it mystifies and fascinates me every time. Schiehallion has an allure that is hard to deny ... a bit like you my love.”

“Oh Sam, I was mesmerised by each word you were saying and now, I too have experienced her beauty and charm.”

“It’s special that’s for sure. Come on honey there’s the car park just up ahead. It’s time for us to go home.”

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Thanks for reading. xox