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dopescotlandwarrior · 5 years ago

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Bluegrass-Chapter 11

A special thanks to @statell for everything you do for my stories

Previous chapters on AO3

Chapter Eleven

The following day, Jamie drove Michael to look at a car. It was perfect for his needs and he paid cash for it. Once they were done, Jamie suggested dropping in on Claire and he would just stay after their visit. Michael was all for a glass of whisky and texted her they were on the way.

Claire heard two vehicles pull up to her stairs and went outside to welcome the men into soft comfortable chairs on her patio. Jamie looked at her for a long minute, appreciating the long cotton dress she wore and hair up in a ponytail. She took his breath away, but was soon snapped out of his reverie with a glass of whisky. The three of them seemed happy and relaxed and the whisky flowed. Stories about training horses and buying quality broodmares were shared and Jamie laughed while telling how he acquired the Runner’s dam.

“It was ridiculous inching up with another bidder. That fucken guy was so cheap it was turnin into torture for all of us. I decided to offer the askin price and Chad could kiss my ass.”

“Wait!”

Claire put a hand to her chest and took a deep breath.

“Did you say Chad? You outbid Chad, Jamie”

“Aye, he was plenty pissed too. I told him to grow up and find another mare.”

Claire stood up and paced around her patio. Suddenly it all made sense. That’s why Chad went out with her, to get information about Jamie, or Runner. She sat down and stayed quiet until Michael left, and she was plenty worked up by that time.

“Maybe Chad had something to do with poisoning the horses, Jamie. I don’t know how yet, but I always wondered why he wanted another date when we didn’t seem to get along.”

“I know him, how could he slip in and poison the feed without someone seein him?”

“I don’t know and forgive me for saying this, but I think Isobel had something to do with it too. Only because her horse was not affected. Porcelain was not poisoned but she did beg me to get her away because she was afraid of Isobel.”

Jamie got very quiet and listened to Claire feeling the truth in what she said.

“It was a sudden trip to Scotland she went on, maybe she was afraid of bein implicated, so she left. I remembered she cried and carried on for days when she got home. An exaggerated response because she couldn’t give two shits for those horses.”

“Why is she staring at Runner in the middle of the night. What can she gain from hurting him?”

“I don’t know Sassenach, but it’s time to push her a bit and hope she makes a mistake. Right now I need yer body mo chridhe. Come inside, I have somethin to show ye.”

Claire was hungry for him and peeled his clothes and boots off slowly and then worshiped his naked body until he almost came in her mouth. He pulled her away from him and told her to remove her dress while he watched. She slipped out of the dress and waited.

“Bra and panties too, love.”

She stood in front of him raking her eyes over his gorgeous body.

“Come here.”

When Claire was seconds away from her orgasm, Jamie heard Molly come in and the front door close. He covered Claire’s mouth with his hand and pushed her off the cliff she was on, keeping his hand in place until her moaning stopped. She gave him a come fuck me look and he tumbled into his own hurricane of release, heroically quiet.

Most of the next day, Claire and Runner worked with Michael, giving Jamie some time to consider the Chad connection and possibly Isobel. He picked up the phone and dialed Ned Gowen. The older gentleman’s voice gave Jamie goosebumps and made his heart hurt. Ned had been a friend of the family for decades and his voice reminded him of home.

“Yes laddie, I added terms to your contract with Dunsany for the dissolution of marriage. Ye havena married the lass and doesna sound like any possibility in the future. If you want her out, tell her to leave. The loan contract was signed by you and Dunsany. Isobel was not a signer and as long as you are current on yer payments, she canna force you to sell. It may be harsh for Isobel, but she is entitled to nothing.”

Jamie couldn’t believe his ears and struggled through the rest of the conversation. He wanted to get up to the house and pack all of Isobel’s belongings right away. Isobel could rent an apartment somewhere, but he wasn’t paying for it. Maybe this was enough to drive her back to Scotland.

Fortunately, he gave it some thought before impulsively kicking Isobel out and though it was a dreaded phone call, he decided to touch base with Dunsany. He had given Dunsany double and triple payments when his foals and yearlings sold, consequently he was far ahead in paying off his debt. He hoped that would count for something. It was the dinner hour in Scotland, so he made the call before he lost his nerve.

Dunsany was not surprised at this development in the relationship of Jamie and his daughter, in fact, it was expected.

“If Isobel has taken no interest in your breeding business than it stands to reason she will not share in the profits. She isn’t smart enough to realize this so I imagine you will have quite a time with her. If she wants to come back to Scotland, her mother will welcome her with open arms. If she decides to stay in Kentucky I will pay for her housing. You can pass that along to her please and I will wait to hear from her.”

“Jamie, I financed your operation because you acted honorably, agreeing to marry Isobel when she was with child. I make money with honorable men every day and knew this was a good investment, no matter the turn out between you and my daughter. So far I was right, although I’m not happy with the doubling up on your payments, it's costing me too much in interest. You can pay your monthly installment or pay me off so I can reinvest.”

That was all there was to it. Jamie hung up the phone feeling like a man freed from four years of imprisonment and couldn’t sit still with his happy energy. He went out to watch Claire and Runner, also getting some sunshine on his face.

Claire was breezing and Runner was open-mouthed from her holding back on the bit. He wanted to bust out and gallop, it was obvious how much he loved to run. Jamie smiled as they came closer. Michael called to her to move him eight feet to the left and Claire was able to direct him with no problem. Other horses were working out and when three of them came close to Runner he pinned his ears back and almost broke out of Claire’s control. She let him accelerate a bit but still held him back.

Jamie sat against a tree and dialed Isobel.

“Something important has come up Isobel. I need you to call me back right away.”

Jamie closed his eyes to the bright sun and wondered what kind of shit storm Isobel was going to cause over being kicked out of the house. He picked up his vibrating phone.

“What is it, Jamie.”

“I need ye to come home as soon as ye can. I’ll be packin your stuff tonight because ye are movin out of my house. Yer father said he will pay your housing if ye stay in America, or ye can go home to Scotland.”

“You must have hit yer head today if you think I’m leavin with nothin. Ha, that’s rich Jamie. You will pay off the loan to my father and sell the farm so we can split it. Then I will leave happily.”

“By contract, you are entitled to nothin. You are not a signer on the finance agreement, more importantly, you have not contributed five minutes of your time to this business in the four years we have been here.”

“Bullshit! I am not stupid Jamie Fraser.”

“I think ye should call yer father and stay calm so he can explain it to ye. I’ll pack yer things and ye can take what ye need for the short term. You can stay in a hotel until ye find suitable housing or go home. If ye don’t come for your things tonight I will leave them outside the door for ye.”

“No!” Isobel was shrieking into the phone, so loud that Jamie held his cell away from his ear. “No, you canna do this to me, fuck ye. I will be home for dinner and bed like every night.”

“Perfect, I could use some help gettin it all packed. Goodbye Isobel.”

When Jamie looked up, Claire and Michael were staring at him. They could hear Isobel from the track. Claire jumped off Runner and pulled his saddle off. She gave Jamie a long look as she walked to the wash rack.

Jamie ran after her and helped kneed Runner’s muscles with his permanent smile. Claire had never seen him so happy.

“I am very curious about what has made you so happy.”

“I am movin Isobel out of my house, tonight. She isn’t happy about it but I’m doin it anyway. I spoke to Ned Gowen earlier and he told me the financing contract was signed by Dunsany and me, not Isobel. If we had married, the property and assets would be split according to Kentucky law. Failing to marry means she has rights to nothin. Her father will support her so she’s not in the streets and maybe she will go back to Scotland. I can only hope.”

They walked out into one of the pastures to enjoy the Indian summer warmth and let Runner chow down on grass. Jamie touched her cheek and then kissed her.

“Jamie, I can’t stop thinking about Dustin today. Can you think of a reason he doesn’t call or email me? I’m curious about how he is doing, and I miss him. It hurts my feelings that he just forgot about me after being attached at the hip for almost two years.

“He loves ye Sassenach. I imagine he’s suffering with a broken heart and talkin to ye will make it worse.”

Claire looked at him like he lost his mind.

“It’s true, love. I saw it the first day you were here. He will come around when he’s ready.”

Claire was deep in thought when they walked back. She wondered if it were true about Dustin and wondered why she never noticed. Jamie kissed her deeply and said he would be fighting with Isobel all night so he would not see her after work. He held her for several minutes, one last kiss, and she was gone.

Jamie stared at the enormous job of packing all the clothes, makeup, lotions, shampoo, and a thousand other things. This was way bigger than he estimated, and he would need a ton of boxes. He dashed into town and bought a dozen boxes in three sizes. Coming back, he saw Isobel’s Cadillac in the driveway and took a deep breath.

Isobel walked swiftly toward him looking like she would stab him in the face if she could.

“What are all those boxes for?”

“I told ye, yer movin out tonight. I suggest ye find a suitable hotel to stay at until ye find somethin to rent.” He moved toward the bedroom and started building the boxes. When the tape gun made that horrible noise, Isobel snapped. She grabbed the tape gun and kicked the boxes all over the bedroom.

“I’m callin the police to arrest ye, ye piece of shit!”

Jamie grabbed another box but could not get the tape from Isobel. It looked like she was having a stroke with her purple face and wide eyes. Jamie walked back to his truck where he had a second tape gun and then started on another box.

“I’m callin Jenny. She will stop this, she is at least sane.”

“Enough Isobel! Stop acting like a spoiled four-year-old! You have hated every minute in Kentucky, I can’t remember the last time you were here, and there’s no reason for ye to stay. None whatsoever. I’m not sellin the business and yer father doesn’t want any more double payments. I know ye lied to me about being pregnant, if ye don’t get out tonight, yer father will know as well. Now you can help me or leave me to my task.”

“Ye prick!” With that Isobel ran out the door and sped away in her Cadillac.

Jamie continued until he saw Michael at his bedroom door looking like he had seen a ghost.

“What’s wrong with ye Michael?”

“Did you tell Isobel I was staying in the guest room for a while?”

“I did, well I sent her a text message ye were here, why.”

“I doubt she read it. She came bursting into the house like hellfire was chasing her. She called someone and paced like an animal while she talked. She told this person he was an idiot and if he hadn’t botched the poisoning this would all be over. She also told him she was getting kicked off the property, so it was now or never.”

“Holy shit.”

Jamie sat on the bed and stared into space for several minutes. Both men were shocked by what Isobel revealed not knowing Michael was in the house. Jamie grabbed his phone and dialed Angus hoping the guys had not left yet.

“Angus, can ye and Rupert wait to leave until I get there. There are big developments and I need yer help. I’ll be right there.”

The men assembled in the office and Jamie explained what Isobel said on the phone before asking for ideas.

“Do ye think the poisoner is comin back to finish the job, Jamie?”

“I think this person still wants to hurt me, whether it be poison again or some other terrible thing. I don’t know why Isobel’s presence here will facilitate the guy, but she seems to think so.”

They continued thinking about what might happen and after fifteen minutes Isobel was calling.

“Isobel.”

“I never want to see your face again Jamie Fraser and if you get near me, I’ll call the police and tell them you tried to kill me! I must get my tack out of the barn, so I need a passcode. I’ll be in and out and you can watch from your ridiculous cameras if you want. But if you come near me, you’ll spend the night in jail. So give me your code.”

“8246 star.”

“Do I get to say goodbye to Porcelain Love?”

That’s a different code, its 7933 pound.”

Isobel clicked off without another word. Jamie was shaking with rage. Rupert and Angus were incredulous at what Jamie did, giving her his code. Michael figured it out and smiled.

“If I’m right gentlemen, she intends to give the code to the poisoner so he can finish the job. We know it’s happening tonight so if we take positions in different areas of the compound, we can catch the bloke in the act. As soon as you see him stop at a stall ye jump him. I have a feelin he’ll be headed straight for Runner so let him pass through if he is headed that way.”

“It’s a little daring Jamie. He could easily squirt poison into the water, and we might not even see that in the dark.”

“We should empty the water in each stall. They can handle it for a few hours. And Michael, ye will not be joining us tonight. You don’t need to risk yer neck for a job that doesn’t even pay ye.”

The men were all shaking their heads at the plan and figuring out where they could hide.

“We have another hour of daylight so ye guys get some dinner and a beer, only one beer please.”

Jamie took out a fifty and handed it to Rupert. “When ye come back, you need to hide yer truck Rupert. I’ll leave my truck in the driveway and you pull into the garage and shut the door. Since we don’t know when he’s comin, be silent after dark.” He tossed Rupert the remote to his garage.

The men disbanded to eat and get ready to catch the man that killed five of Jamie’s horses. Jamie argued with Michael on the way back to the house refusing his request to participate.

Jamie laid on his bed and called Claire to fill her in.

“I’m coming over Jamie.”

“No, yer not lass. I would be too worried and distracted with you here. We will get him tonight, I’m sure of it. Isobel has done a fine job of setting him up to be caught. I love ye Sassenach, don’t worry. I will call ye when we catch him.”

“Any time of night Jamie, I doubt I’ll sleep until I know you’re safe, and Runner too.”

“Lass, ye put me ahead of Runner, ye know what that means don’t ye? It means ye love me more than him.”

“I do love you more than anyone in the world. Please be careful.”

Jamie watched the monitors until he heard a light tapping on the front door.

“Claire, what are ye doing here?”

“I’m coming so I can prevent Runner from jumping his stall walls.” She put her hand up at Jamie. “You know the risk of him seeing someone at his stall in the dark. I will crouch down under his water bucket and keep him calm while you catch the guy. No one will see me.”

“Where is your truck?”

“It’s in the lower pasture, well hidden. I hiked up here.”

“In the pitch-black outside, no moon to light yer way? Yer in big trouble lass, let's go.”

As Jamie pulled the door closed, he felt it open again as Michael slipped out to join them.

“I’m coming too.”

Jamie looked at Claire and Michael, both dressed in black and shook his head.

“Silence as we walk.”

Michael hid in the breeding wing, Angus near the entrance door, Rupert on the long aisle. Claire was crouched under Runner’s empty water trough. Runner could not figure out why she was down there and pestered her to race him. She convinced him to lay down in his straw and showed him multiple images of him winning races. Before long he was snoring and the wait began. Jamie logged into the cameras and watched them closely. He had shut down the lights near the entrance so the man would be at ease coming inside. Most of the lights inside were off as well. With all the darkness, the night vision cameras would find him easily.

It was a grueling three hours later that Jamie saw a dark figure approach the keypad and then duck inside. Angus saw him right away and watched him closely. Rupert saw him move down the aisle and Jamie was right, he was heading right for Runner’s wing.

“Sassenach, he’s comin, stay down and quiet.”

Jamie pushed against the wall so he would be on the other side of the door when it opened. He heard the beeping keypad and tried to slow his heart. The door opened slowly, and the dark figure moved toward Runner’s stall door. When he opened the stall, Jamie slammed the door closed and turned on a light. The figure twisted and lunged at him. His arm was raised above his head, and there was a large syringe in his hand. The man slashed at Jamie with the syringe.

When Claire heard the stall open, she almost fainted. He was coming into the stall! She concentrated on images to Runner to keep him asleep. When the lights went on and the door slammed, she jumped up and watched Jamie in a struggle to save his own life.

Jamie reached up and grabbed the man’s forearm and kicked him viciously in the nuts and then pounded his face with his fist, three hits directly to his jaw and the man went down. Claire grabbed the syringe out of his hand and found a safe place to put it. She put her arms around Jamie who was panting from the fight.

“Sassenach, do you have that size syringe in yer truck?”

“Yes and the needle too.”

Rupert and Michael piled in the door and looked at the man. He had a ski mask on which Jamie pulled off to reveal Chad Remington.

“Rupert, go with Claire to her truck and hurry. Angus, turn the water main back on to refill the buckets.

Claire was back in short order with the syringe and needle. She filled the syringe with D5W, a harmless fluid, and looked at Jamie.

The man was tied to a chair and slapped awake. As Claire tied off his bicep and slapped the inside of his elbow to bring up a vein. She pulled the syringe out of her jacket pocket and pulled the safety cap off. Without saying a word, she bent forward and inserted the needle while Chad thrashed in his chair.

“Now then, ye worthless asshole, suppose you start at the beginning with poisoning the horses two years ago.”

Chad ordered Jamie to call the police, willing to face charges to get away from him.

Jamie brought his face close enough to Chad’s he could feel him breathe. Jamie put his thumb on the plunger and growled his question, “start at the beginning or I empty this syringe into yer arm.”

Chad was clearly terrified of the syringe and started sputtering about meeting Isobel at the Keeneland auction two years ago.

“We started sleeping together and I confessed how much I hate you for stealing the broodmare. She hated you and she hated Kentucky, but you wouldn’t sell the farm because your breeding program was making money. She wanted to cash out and get away, I wanted to cripple yer business. Killing your horses would satisfy both of us.”

Jamie couldn’t take another word and smashed Chad’s face with his fist, knocking him out. He left the wing and walked the aisle briskly, trying to calm down. Claire caught up to him and hugged his waist asking him to slow down. She could feel him shaking and spoke softly to him.

“It’s almost over sweetheart. One more person to identify and we can call the police to haul him away. We need to know who helped them poison the horses.”

Jamie exhaled and shook his head. They came back with smelling salts from the emergency medical kit and revived Chad.

“Sorry, I lost my temper for a minute and these blokes held me back from pushin that plunger in yer arm.” Jamie put his thumb on the plunger and told Chad to just give him a reason. “Who helped ye poison the horses. It wasn’t you, so who?”

Chad stared at Jamie but was silent until Jamie jumped forward and pushed the plunger a bit. Chad screamed as five cc’s were injected into his bloodstream.

“It was Yvonne! You hired her to manage the feeding, but she worked for me. She was in love with me and would have done anything I told her. She wasn’t happy staying on two weeks after you found out the horses were poisoned but she did it because I told her to.”

Jamie sneered at Chad and pushed the plunger all the way down. Chad was screaming as he watched the solution disappear into his body. Chad knew there was enough tranquilizer in the syringe to kill a twelve- hundred- pound horse and he would be dead in a matter of seconds. He was hyperventilating and screaming until he passed out.

Jamie pulled the syringe from his arm in disgust and then reached for his phone.

Sometime later Isobel pulled up to the driveway, thoroughly pissed off that Jamie left her boxes on the street. He had sent her a text an hour before telling her to come get them or the borders could have them. She had not reached Chad to come and help her, so she pushed and grunted to move the boxes toward her trunk.

“It looks like you could use a hand.”

Isobel squealed in her shock to hear someone on the road with her on this dark early morning.

“Jesus Christ, you scared me.” When she looked at where the voice came from a police officer came out of the dark and walked toward her while pulling out handcuffs.

“What the hell are you doin?”

Jamie came out the front door and looked closely at the vilest woman he had ever known.

“Yer goin to jail Isobel, along with yer lover Chad who told us the whole story. I’ll donate all this stuff because I’m told yer lookin at up to ten years. Nothing could make me happier.”

Isobel was screaming at Jamie to help her, but he walked into the house and closed the door.

Rupert and Angus were quick to leave, needing a little sleep before they came back for a full day of work. Michael begged off to his room thinking he would easily fall asleep tonight.

That left Jamie and Claire. He held out his hand and hugged her.

“Will ye stay with me tonight mo chridhe?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

They stood under a hot shower not willing to let each other go and soap up. She kissed her hero and felt her heart in her throat at the way he looked at her. He bundled her up in fluffy towels and held her close in bed. Neither wanted to make love after such a day. So they slept in their embrace and felt protected from the world by the other.

Jamie felt Claire’s movement several hours later. He watched her dress and asked her to stay with him.

She kissed him deeply and touched his cheek.

“See ya soon.” She left quietly to find her truck and her way home to change.

Two officers came to the compound the next day and took testimony from each of them. There would be more required of them in the near future, but this was enough to charge Isobel and Chad. Later that day, the officers were able to find Yvonne at Chad’s facility. She was arrested, charged, and sent to jail to await trial.

Claire worked on stats of the horses she would race that day. She was in her silks after weighing in and felt very determined after their disqualification in New York. There were ten horses in the stakes race, Sham was among them. Claire smiled and said a silent thank you knowing Runner would do anything to beat Sham.

Claire turned and smiled at Jamie as she was ponied to the gate. Runner was coming out of the fifth position, right in the middle of ten horses. Claire suggested he hang back for a few seconds to avoid the chaos. When the gate slammed open Claire was in her jockey position and finally asked Runner if he intended to run the race. Almost like an afterthought he jumped onto the track and loped like a rodeo horse falling even further behind. Claire told Runner that Sham was in first place so he better hurry and that was her last thought before he bounded into the turn and took off.

Claire was worried he had dallied too long. It looked impossible to run past the clump of horses and overtake Sham. “We’re going right up the middle big guy,” she yelled, and directed him to shoot straight up the middle of the pack. It was something the crowd would not soon forget. The dark horse coming out of dead last to run up the middle of an eight-horse clump at a staggering speed and overtake the leader, Sham.

Runner told Claire to tuck in from the start and when she peeked around her, she saw no horses. She looked ahead, no horses.

“Jesus Christ Runner, you are all alone. Hurry!” Claire looked ahead at the finish line and the camera blinded her again. “You won the race! Holy crap, there had to be five or six lengths between you and Sham!”

Claire pulled him back and waited for the ha-haha-ha-ha as he passed Sham, still at a full gallop. Claire came around the turn and saw Jamie and Michael smiling like the blinding sun. She stood in her stirrups and pointed her crop at them before pulling Runner back in earnest.

Three weeks later they were racing at Keeneland Park for the Breeder’s Futurity Stakes. Claire could see Jamie was right about better horses as they continued down the road to the Kentucky Derby. They were still running the prep races and Claire shivered to think what the super six would be like.

They were ponied to the third position in the gate and Claire was tense and ready when the gates slammed open. Runner let the others go first but quickly jumped onto the track. Claire could feel how tense he was and coming into the turn he took the wrong lead, slowing him considerably. Claire asked him for the left lead, and he changed it quickly. She didn’t know how to help him but as he came out of the turn his body stretched forward and she could feel his leaping gallop. She tucked close to him looking for trouble ahead every few seconds.

The crowd went wild watching the big black horse turn on his power and run ahead of the others at a blinding speed. Runner took the lead with the closest horse right on his butt as he ran across the finish line. Claire pulled him back while going a little crazy he had done it again. There was no showing off for the horses he beat. Runner obediently slowed down and a track pony was able to stop him quickly. Claire’s heartfelt sad for Runner because he didn’t have fun like he usually does. After the winner’s circle picture, she jumped off and held his face. He told her he was tired and he missed Jason. Claire took a double-take at this asking why he missed Jason, but Runner was being led away by Michael.

Claire jumped into Jamie’s arms kissing him while smiling hard. The number of spectators that gathered to congratulate Claire after the race was growing. She smiled and thanked them as Jamie led her into the stall area where Michael was washing the colt. She held his face and saw pictures of Jason rubbing him with a towel and throwing a blanket over him when he was wet. Claire wondered how they would find a groom like that. Michael was clearly not doing it right.

One man waited outside for Runner to emerge and be loaded into the trailer. The horse was accompanied by the owner, trainer, and jockey, and the man was thrilled. He identified himself as a writer for Sports Illustrated and fired a dozen questions off which were answered by one of the three. The man’s name was William Nock and he had Runner in his sights. The reporter returned to New York that night and blazed through his first article about the incredible stallion, Midnight Runner. He would be trackside for his next race in Florida, at Gulfstream Park.

Claire talked to Jamie when they were alone in the truck. She told him Runner was not happy about today’s race and he wanted Jason back.

“Who?”

“The groom you hired in New York. Runner showed me pictures of everything Jason did for him and he wants that touch again. It’s cold outside and Michael walks him without a blanket after the race and doesn’t rub his muscles, so they cramp up. I love Michael but we need a better groom.”

“I’ll look into it Sassenach. He won one-hundred thirty thousand today, so he gets the best groom. He kissed her and smiled.”

Over the next week, Jamie looked for an outstanding groom, talked to five or six that were still available but could not find anyone who did the treatments Jason did. He made a bold phone call to the track in New York and left a message for Jason to call. Later in the day, Jason returned the call and Jamie made him an offer.

“Come to Kentucky to be our groom for the rest of the races. It’s all travel until the winter break so you’ll be living in hotels, but we will feed ye well and pay all your expenses plus five-hundred a week cash.”

“No kidding?” Jason’s excitement came through the phone. “I love Runner and can’t wait to get out of New York! Heeeell ya!”

Jamie laughed at Jason’s exuberance and felt something release inside of him. He was still getting used to his new freedom. The happiness, the chance to love Claire and let the world know she was his. Why not give Runner the support he wanted to make him happy too?

The oppression of living with a hateful woman was slowly seeping out of him being replaced with happiness and hope. Jamie lived with secret doubts about Runner’s chance to get to the super-six races. He wanted to believe in him that much, he tried to believe, but in the end, he just didn’t. His gut told him great things didn’t happen to him because he was undeserving, not good enough, a pretender. Those were Isobel’s words that had been hurled at him for four long years. She was gone now and he was healing, feeling like himself again. Jamie was content to know however many races Runner had left, he would arrive to the race and exit the race a happy horse with his favorite groom.

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bee-kathony · 6 years ago

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Call Me By Your Name | Ch. 1 - Albicocche

a/n: Huge thank you to @abbydebeaupreposts for being my beta for this chapter and helping me work out some of the kinks! I’m thinking this will be a four parter.

Somewhere in Northern Italy, 1983

John leaned back against the pillows, one hand behind his head, “When is he coming?” Isobel asked and plopped down on the bed beside him.

“Any minute now, his plane arrived this morning from Scotland.” John quirked his eyebrows up, he knew Isobel had a thing for Scottish men.

Every year, John’s family spent the summer at their Italian home and their neighbours, the Dunsanys accompanied them, owning the decently sized house next door. Italy was a nice change from the cold stuffy weather of England. “I wonder what he’ll be like?” John rose from his bed to look out the window, but there was no sign of a car approaching.

“Perhaps he’ll be like the last one, a conceited know-it-all,” Isobel laughed, brushing her hands through her stringy brown hair. John liked Isobel, she was sweet and they fooled around sometimes but he wasn’t attracted to her, it was just a youthful exploration.

“Yeah, let’s hope not.” John said under his breath. John’s father was an archaeologist and, during the summer months, he would hire an assistant come to help him catalogue his findings. They were always young men, working on their PhDs, somewhere in Europe. Just then a honk came from outside the open window and he heard the faint sound of his father’s footsteps on the cobblestone pavement. “That must be him.” John and Isobel ran down the stairs to get a glimpse of the new assistant who would be with them for six weeks.

“Welcome! Welcome!” His father, Gerard said as he greeted the red haired man, “Oh, my, you’re much bigger than your pictures!” He laughed placed his hand on the back of the man’s shoulder. The large man was clad in loose cotton shorts and a billowing half unbuttoned dress shirt with sunglasses hanging between the material.

In a thick Scottish accent, the man replied, “Och, I couldna fit all of myself in the pictures it seems.” John liked him immediately, his clothes, his chiseled jaw and that accent — he could listen to it all day. This was all very superficial of course, but he hoped he would get to know more about him over his stay.

As his father and the man approached him, John stuck out his hand in introduction, “Hi, I’m John Grey.”

The tall man took his hand, firm in his grip, “Jamie Fraser.” He smiled, and there was a warmth that fell over John and he was now very much looking forward to the summer.

Jamie walked past John and he caught a slight whiff of lavender and whisky. “Make yourself at home, Jamie. “La nostra casa è ora la tua casa.” Gerard led Jamie around, giving him a quick tour while John followed closely behind. Isobel waved goodbye and turned to head back to her own house next door, John almost missed her departure due to the fact that he was staring at the back of Jamie’s head, watching his auburn curls bounce with every step.

“John, dear, will you take Jamie’s things up to his room?” His mother, Benedicta, asked him, her hand soft on his shoulder as she shook him out of his daze. She gave him a knowing look, one John didn’t quite know the full meaning behind but as her eyes darted over to Jamie, he blushed and kissed her on the cheek.

John then looked over at Jamie who was staring at him, his own smile plastered on his face. “Follow me,” John called to Jamie and started up the stairs to his room, which adjoined Jamie’s with a shared bathroom.

“’Tis a lovely house ye have, John.” Jamie remarked as they walked through the halls.

“Oh thanks. It’s quite different from our home in England and I love the weather here. I’m sure you’ll find it’s a nice change from the Scottish rain.” He laughed and set the suitcase he’d been carrying on the floor of his bedroom.

Jamie’s shoulder brushed against him as he passed. John watched as the large Scot jumped onto the bed face first with a sigh.

“If you need anything, my room is connected through the bath right there,” John looked down at Jamie but there was no response as he had fallen asleep.

“A lazy one aren’t we.” John smiled to himself and crossed through the bathroom to his own room and sat down at his desk, resuming writing a letter to his brother who was currently back in England. John missed his brother, Hal, it was usually the two of them all summer, riding around Italy, chasing girls and staying out all night. But since Hal got the internship with the Prime Minister, he wasn’t able to join them this year.

An hour later, his mother was calling up for them to join them downstairs for dinner. He stood from his desk, laying his headphones over his journal and crossed through the bathroom to his old room. Jamie was splayed across the bed, arms out and mouth agape. John noticed that Jamie was smiling in his sleep which he found quite endearing.

Walking over to his bookshelf, John picked up a heavy book and “dropped” it on the ground with a loud thud. Jamie immediately jumped and stirred, his eyes opening to stare up at John.

“We’re being called down to dinner,” John said, his gaze never leaving the ocean blue eyes.

“Och, I’ll have to pass this time. Was up all night packing and saying goodbye to friends,” he sighed and closed his eyes again.

John walked to the door, “Oh and could ye close the door?” Jamie said and promptly pushed his head back against the pillow.

++++++

The next morning, John sat outside with his parents over breakfast. The house had a large orchard on the property that grew fresh fruits like peaches, apricots and pomegranates. John took a sip of his apricot juice as he heard the loud steps of what could only be Jamie descending.

“Ah, look who it is,” Gerard said, raising his hands in the air, “Jamie, recovered have we?”

Jamie took the seat next to his father and picked up a boiled egg, immediately peeling the shell off. “Aye, the moment my head hit the pillow, I was out. I didna even hear John come back from dinner.” At the sound of his name on Jamie’s lips, John felt something in him stir, curiosity maybe?

“That’s great, Jamie, I’m glad you could rest,” Benedicta smiled across the table, pouring him a glass of apricot juice.

John sat back quietly, eating the bits of his breakfast and just watched as Jamie took the proffered glass and slowly drank the juice, a little bit of the orange liquid spilling down his mouth and neck.

“This apricot juice is most likely the best thing I have ev’r had!” Jamie sighed and set the glass back down on the table and his mother refilled it to the top. John looked at his father, amused, already knowing what he’s going to say.

“The word apricot comes from the Arabic — it’s like the words ‘algebra’, ‘alchemy’, and ‘alcohol’,” Gerard said to Jamie, “It derives from an Arabic noun combined with the Arabic article ‘al-‘ before it. The origin of our Italian ‘albicocca’ was ‘al-barquq’…”

Benedicta tries to hide her smile and picks up the morning newspaper from the table as Gerard continues, “It’s amazing that today in Israel and many Arab countries, the fruit is referred to by a totally different name: ‘mishmish’.”

The corner of Jamie’s lips quirked and John settled in to his chair, “I beg to differ.”

“Ah, do you?”

“The word is not actually an Arabic word.” Jamie replied, folding his hands over his firm stomach.

“How so?” Gerard replied with a smirk of his own.

“I’m diving into a bit of etymology, one of my passions, so bear with me,” the Scot laughed, “Many Latin words are derived from the Greek. In the case of ‘apricot’, however, it’s the other way around.” Jamie grins over at John, catching him off guard and John felt a blush creep up his neck.

“Here the Greek takes over from Latin. The Latin word was ‘praecoquum’, from ‘pre-coquere’, pre-cook, to ripen early, as in precocious, meaning premature.” John watched Jamie’s lips ast they formed the complicated words.

“The Byzantines - to go on -“ he laughed again, “borrowed ‘praecox’, and it became ‘prekokkia’ or ‘berikokki’, which is finally how the Arabs must have inherited it as ‘al-barquq’.”

The Grey family was silent, sharing looks between one another until John laughed and Gerard said, “Passed with flying colours.” Jamie looks from his father to his mother before settling his eyes on John.

“He does this every year.” John laughed, remembering the one man who came to stay with them one year who had no idea what any of it meant and agreed with his father on his wrong understanding of the derivation of the word.

John finished the rest of his own juice and looked back to Jamie, “I can show you around today.”

“Aye, that’d be great.” Smiling he took another bite of his fourth egg and reached for a piece of toast.

++++++

John led Jamie through the small town on bikes, the sun scorching high in the sky, a gentle summer breeze in the air. They peddled to a small cafe in an unpopulated area and took a seat across from each other at a small table.

“So John, what do you do around here?” Jamie asked, taking a sip of his iced latte, his eyebrows raised in question.

John licked his lips, tasting salty perspiration, “I read mostly, go out at night — play chess.”

“Oh I love chess! We’ll have to play together sometime,” Jamie offered, his legs crossed under the table and bumped against John’s knee.

“Great. I’ll probably beat you, just letting you know,” John grinned and took a long sip of his own iced coffee.

“We shall see about that,” the Scot said, his blue eyes crinkling against the rays of the sun. John stared back into the Scots eyes and thought he saw a flicker of flirtation but it was gone as soon as it came.

“When you go out,” Jamie said, his hand brushing back loose curls that fell over his eyes, “are there girls that go wi’ ye?”

“Of course, there always are. You’ll meet our neighbors soon, the Dunsanys, they have two daughters around my age.”

“A bit young for me perhaps,” Jamie attempted a wink, “How old are ye anyways?” He laughed.

John answered, suddenly feeling like a child, too young to be taken seriously, “I’m nineteen.”

“Och, I coulda sworn ye were at least twenty or twenty-one.” Jamie grinned, taking another sip of his latte, “I’m twenty-three, so only a four year age difference.”

“Are you religious?” John suddenly asked, out of the blue, pointing to a silver cross necklace hanging around Jamie’s neck.

Holding the small cross between his fingers, Jamie smiled, “Och, I’m Catholic, born and raised, are ye religious at all, John?”

“Oh yes, my family is Church of England. Although we don’t necessarily partake in everything – casual you could say,” his lip quirked up at the side, earning a similar smile from Jamie.

It was ease of conversation that John liked when he talked with Jamie. Nothing was forced, no one was trying too hard.

They finished their coffees in silence and both stood to climb back on to their bikes. John was unstable and as he put his foot on the peddle his foot slipped, causing the bike to push against Jamie. His hand reflexively went out and clutched at Jamie’s shoulder to hold himself steady, a wave of electricity went through his body at the contact.

“Sorry,” John stammered and righted himself back on the bike.

“’Tis no worries, mate.” Jamie smiled and together they peddled back to the Grey’s house.

++++++

The next day a few of John’s friends come round to play a game of volleyball in their big backyard. Isobel came and of course brought her older sister, Geneva. John knew Isobel was quite jealous of Geneva, she was beautiful and very charming whereas Isobel was quiet and held back how she truly felt most of the time.

He laid back on a towel spread out on the lawn.

“He seems a big improvement from the last assistant,” Isobel smiled, casting her hand over her eyes to look over at Jamie who was playing a game with some others.

“Yes, indeed he is.” John dropped his book to his chest and found himself staring at the long lines of Jamie’s body and noticed the man had deep scars on his back. He would have to ask him about those sometime.

“And Geneva is quite taken with him, I see,” Isobel scowled and crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her sunglasses onto her face.

John found that he too was jealous of the way that Jamie hugged Geneva, but he pushed that thought aside and told himself he was jealous because he fancied Geneva, not the other way around. “Who wouldn’t be, that is the question.” As he stared over at Jamie, he noticed that Jamie was now on his way over to them.

“John, did ye want to come and play in the next game?” He asked, clasping a large hand over his shoulder.

John shook his head, trying to act casual about the touch, “No. I’m perfectly content to sit out here, soak up the sun.” He stretched his arms out in front of him.

Jamie began to rub his hand over his shoulder, back and forth almost as if he was massaging his muscles, “Well, ye need a bit of sun. Yer quite pale,” he laughed and with a gentle slap against his skin, Jamie turned and left, back to the game.

That brief moment of contact, much like yesterday on their bikes, left John reeling and he spent that night thinking about Jamie’s hands somewhere else on his body.

++++++

One night at dinner, about six days into Jamie’s stay, before Jamie came down, John asked his father what he thought about Jamie. “Do you think he’s a bit arrogant though?”

His father looked up at him, “No, not at all.” He grinned, “Well maybe a little but who isn’t? I actually think he’s more shy than arrogant however.”

“Meanwhile, we have to put up with his arrogant shy arse, for six long weeks!” His mother chimed in which made John laugh.

“I think you’ll grow to like him, John.”

“But what if I grow to hate him?” John replied, but he knew no one could possibly hate Jamie Fraser. It was only his confused feelings that made him say this.

++++++

It was another hot summer afternoon, all of John’s friends had left to go down to the river but John stayed back, too deep in his own thoughts to imagine having fun.

No one was in the house, to his knowledge and John was feeling very relaxed so he laid back against the bed and let his hand wander down his bare chest. He settled it over his boxers, feeling his bulge against his hand. It was thoughts of Jamie that aroused him, picturing his toned back, his wavy curls. Normally if John did this, he pictured a woman but things had changed ever since Jamie came to town. It wasn’t just the Scot’s good looks, there were many handsome men and John wasn’t ashamed to think that. But it was Jamie’s mind that captivated him, and he felt almost like he’d known him his entire life.

His hand slid down into his boxers and he took a firm hold of himself, shutting his eyes and began to stroke himself.

Just as he was about to finish, he heard footsteps in the hallway and quickly pulled his hand out, a deep red spreading across his chest and face.

“Oh, John. There ye are.” Jamie smiled as he came into the room, “Why are ye no’ wi’ yer friends down at the river?”

John sat up from the bed, trying to cover himself, “I just didn’t feel like it.” A poor excuse.

“I see. Well ye wanna go for a swim? Just us two?” Jamie asked, hopeful.

“Sure,” John felt that same stirring deep in his stomach, “just give me a minute and I’ll meet you outside.” Jamie grinned, almost as if he knew that John had just masturbated.

John stood from the bed and walked to the bathroom, grabbing his swim shorts and sliding them on. He looked in the mirror and felt confused, did he really think about Jamie in that way? John thought he must be making it all up in his head, that Jamie could be attracted to someone like him. But the lingering looks at dinner, the way Jamie included him in activities, it had to mean more.

++++++

Jamie hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself, but ever since his arrival he had been taken with John. He’d only kissed a few guys, it was never serious and didn’t amount to much more than making out when he got too drunk. He hoped that John hadn’t seen the way he’d been looking at him over dinner and he prayed to God that John couldn’t read his face. Because if he did, he would learn that Jamie thought about kissing John and wondered what his mouth would taste like on his. John was young and impressionable, Jamie knew he shouldn’t tempt him, so he would try and hold his feelings back.

There was also the issue of Jamie’s fiancée… Claire, waiting for him back home. Jamie hoped this trip to Italy would clear his mind.

#Call me by your name #fanfic #outlander fanfic #john grey #lord john #jamie fraser #wee mention of claire #john x jamie #mclairefras #cmbyn fic #chapter 1 #albicocche #italian for #apricot

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manders1984 · 7 years ago

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Outlander Season 3 Episode Master Post (Update #2)

Bumping because a few people have asked. Post now includes runtimes for episodes airing in November, per Starz’s November schedule.

This post has been updated with all of the episode titles, descriptions, writers, and directors we know so far for Season 3—which is pretty much all of them. If you don’t want to be spoiled, STOP READING. I will update and repost this as information becomes available.

The previous versions of this post are here and here. For my predictions on the breakdown of the episodes leading up to the Reunion, click here. For analysis of the 305 episode title, click here.

Episode 301 (September 10, 2017)—"The Battle Joined"

written by Ronald D. Moore

directed by Brendan Maher

(57 minutes) After living through the Battle of Culloden, Jamie finds himself at the mercy of unforgiving British victors, until a connection from his past provides his only hope of survival. Meanwhile, a pregnant Claire attempts to adjust to life in the modem world of 1940s Boston—and life with Frank.

Additional Cast:

Ryan Ralph Gerrard as Giles McMartin

Joseph Rye as Realtor

Garry Summers as Anaesthesiologist

Episode 302 (September 17, 2017)—“Surrender"

written by Anne Kenney

directed by Jennifer Getzinger

Hiding in an isolated cave, Jamie leads a lonely Life until Lallybroch is threatened by redcoats pursuing the elusive Jacobite traitor known as "Red Jamie: Back in Boston, Claire and Frank struggle to coexist in a marriage haunted by the ghost of Jamie's love.

Episode 303 (September 24, 2017)—"All Debts Paid"

written by Matthew B. Roberts

directed by Brendan Maher

In prison, Jamie discovers that an old foe has become the warden - and now has the power to make his life a living hell. Over the years, Claire and Frank both put their best foot forward to share a harmonious marriage, but an uninvited guest shatters this illusion, bringing their differences to light.

Episode 304 (October 1, 2017)—”Of Lost Things”

written by Toni Graphia

directed by Brendan Maher

While serving as groomsman at the aristocratic estate of Helwater, Jamie is reluctantly pulled into the intrigue of a noble British family. In 1968 Scotland, Claire, Brianna and Roger struggle to trace Jamie's whereabouts in history, leaving Claire to wonder if they will ever find him again.

Additional Cast:

Hannah James as Geneva Dunsany

Tanya Reynolds as Isobel Dunsany

Episode 305 (October 8, 2017)—”Freedom & Whisky”

written by Toni Graphia*

directed by Brendan Maher

As Brianna grapples with the life-changing revelations of the past summer, Claire must help her come to terms with the fact that she is truly her father's daughter - her 18th century Highlander father. To complicate matters further, Roger brings news that forces Claire and Brianna to face an impossible choice.

Additional Cast:

Mitchell Mullen as Dean Tramble

Episode 306 (October 22, 2017)—”A. Malcolm”

Runtime: 75 minutes

written by Matthew B. Roberts

directed by Norma Bailey

After decades apart, Jamie and Claire finally reunite and rekindle their emotional and physical bonds. But Jamie's new business dealings jeopardize the couples' hopes for a simple life together.

Additional Cast:

Ian Conningham as Barton

Kirsty Strain as Peggy

Episode 307 (October 29, 2017)—”Creme De Menthe"

written by Karen Campbell

directed by Norma Bailey

In the aftermath of a violent confrontation, Claire follows her conscience as a surgeon, even though it could put her and Jamie's lives at risk. At the same time, Jamie attempts to evade the reach of the Crown as its representative closes in on his illegal dealings.

Additional Cast:

Ian Conningham as Barton

Episode 308 (November 5, 2017)—“First Wife"

Runtime: 60 minutes

written by Joy Blake

directed by Jennifer Getzinger

Claire returns to Lallybroch with Jamie, where she does not receive quite the reception she was expecting. Unbeknownst to her, Jamie's made some choices in their time apart which come back to haunt them with a vengeance.

Additional Cast:

Steven Cree as Ian Murray

Laura Donnelly as Jenny Murray

Episode 309 (November 12, 2017)—"The Doldrums"

Runtime: 58 minutes

written by Shannon Goss

directed by David Moore

Claire and Jamie leave Scotland, sailing to the West Indies on an urgent quest. But when the superstitious crew looks for someone to blame after a string of bad luck, rescue comes from an unlikely source.

Episode 310 (November 19, 2017)—"Heaven & Earth”

Runtime: 58 minutes

written by Luke Schelhaas

directed by David Moore

Claire races to discover the source of an epidemic aboard a disease-stricken ship before hundreds of sailors die. And as Jamie locks horns with Captain Raines, Fergus finds himself torn between loyalty and love.

Episode 311 (November 26, 2017)—"Turtle Soup"

Runtime: 58 minutes

written by Karen Campbell and Shannon Goss

directed by Charlotte Brandstorm

After making a leap of faith, Claire washes up on a seemingly deserted island where survival is her only option. Navigating treacherous waters has crippled the Artemis, so Jamie devises a joyful moment for his crew in the midst of devastating setbacks.

Episode 312 (December 3, 2017)—"The Bakra"

Runtime: 58 minutes

written by Luke Schelhaas

directed by Charlotte Brandstorm

The Artemis finally reaches Jamaica bringing Jamie and Claire that much closer to their goal During a lavish ball on the island, the Fraser encounter old allies, as well as former adversaries who threaten to derail their mission.

Additional Cast:

Matthew Dylan Roberts as Auctioneer

Episode 313 (December 10, 2017)—"A New World”

written by Matthew B. Roberts and Toni Graphia

directed by TBA

Claire is forced to play a game of cat and mouse with an old adversary as she searches for Young Ian. The Frasers race through the jungles of Jamaica to prevent the unthinkable.

Additional Cast:

Calum Cormack as Fire Brigade Captain

Brett Williams as Mr. Oliver

ANALYSIS/COMMENTARY:

Directors

All of the directors this season are new:

Brendan Maher: Spartacus, Upstairs/Downstairs.

Jennifer Getzinger: Mad Men, How to Get Away With Murder, Agent Carter

Norma Bailey: Reign, Heartland

David Moore: Jamestown, Jericho, Shetland

Charlotte Brandstrom: Madam Secretary, Arrow, Grey’s Anatomy

I’m particularly jazzed because one of Getzinger’s 10 Mad Men episodes, “The Suitcase,” is widely considered to be one of the best episodes of the series. I think she’ll do well here.

Like Metin last season, Maher directed the majority of the episodes and they’re all at the beginning of the season. Hopefully this bodes well for a consistent tone/focus/vision at the beginning as we build up to the reunion.

Writers

There are four new writers this season:

Shannon Goss: ER, Harry’s Law, Revenge

Joy Blake: Ghost Whisperer, Heroes, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

Karen Campbell: Dexter, Covert Affairs, Unforgettable

Luke Schelhaas: The Good Wife, Law & Order, Smallville

I can’t wait to see what these new writers bring to the table. I’m sad my girl Anne is getting pushed out and/or leaving. But this show really needed to be injected with some new energy.

All in all, I’m kind of excited to see what all of the new blood means for Season 3—and Season 4, because remember, they started padding their writing staff so they could get rolling on not only Season 3 but Season 4 as well.

#outlander #outlander season 3 #outlander season 3 spoilers #master post #master episode list

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syrupwit · 4 years ago

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Letter for Trick or Treat Exchange 2020

Hello there, and welcome to my letter for Trick or Treat Exchange 2020! I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to read this letter. I hope that it will provide you with clarification, inspiration, or at the very least a bit of entertainment.

Although I’ve written more for some sections and less for others, rest assured that I would be super excited to receive a gift for any of my requested fandoms, characters, or fanwork types.

Please see the table of contents below:

Likes

Do Not Want (DNW)

Fandom: The Bureau d'Echange de Maux - Lord Dunsany

Fandom: Carnacki the Ghost-Finder - William Hope Hodgson

Fandom: Invader Zim

Fandom: The Magnus Archives

Fandom: Stellar Firma

LIKES

For Treats, some general things I like are:

Silly, clever, or situation-based humor

Surreality and weirdness

Lore and worldbuilding

Stories-within-a-story

Slice of life, especially light moments for darker canons

Unusual team-ups

Dramatic rescues

First times

Seasonal and holiday-related tropes -- autumn weather, changing leaves, spooky foods, candy, friendly ghosts, haunted houses, horror movies, costume parties

For Tricks, some general things I like are:

Dark comedy, gallows humor, horror comedy

Psychological, paranormal, and cosmic horror

Creepy lore and worldbuilding

Unreliable narrators

A lingering sense of unease

Examining darker aspects of canon

Obsessive, love-hate relationships between adversaries or people who are in conflict over something

Corruption

Dubcon where a third party or outside force is responsible for the situation, or where the dubconned party enjoys it

I have a very long list of fic likes here.

Please see my Multifandom Horror Exchange letter for more about my horror likes.

DO NOT WANT (DNW)

Characters under age 16 involved in sexual situations

Sex without mutual attraction

Hate speech

Harm to animals (the existence of ghost animals is OK, but I don’t want to hear about injury, abuse, or death of animals)

Fandom-Specific DNW Exception for TMA: Mention of canonical, character-motivation-significant cat death is fine.

Bestiality

Scat

Necrophilia (sexual activity involving ghosts is OK, just not corpses or remains)

Sexual activity involving worms / spiders / insects

THE BUREAU D’ECHANGE DE MAUX - LORD DUNSANY

Fanwork Types Requested: Treat - Fic, Trick - Fic

Characters Requested: Shop Owner

This short story can be read online for free here. CW for brief antisemitism (it’s one line/mention, but it caught me off guard, so).

I actually hadn’t read this story before seeing it in the tagset, but what an intriguing premise! I’d love to hear more about the shop owner’s business and the bargains his customers make. The trades in the story seem intuitively equal -- life for death, troubling intelligence for happy ignorance, a phobia for a phobia -- but what more unusual types of trades might occur? Has anyone ever tried to rob the shop owner? What strange or ordinary-seeming locales has his shop traveled to, and how does he feel about them? I’m interested in Trick and Treat takes on all of these questions.

I really like Lord Dunsany’s style and would enjoy anything in that tone. If you wanted to bring in some of his other short story characters, like Nuth or the bad old woman in black, that would be great. I’m also open to crossovers for this fandom with all fandoms I’ve requested in this exchange or any previous one.

CARNACKI THE GHOST-FINDER - WILLIAM HOPE HODGSON

Fanwork Types Requested: Treat - Fic, Trick - Fic

Characters Requested: Thomas Carnacki

The original nine short stories about Carnacki can be read online for free here. Project Gutenberg also has the first six stories.

Among fictional occult detectives of the early twentieth century, Carnacki has a special place in my heart. He gets scared, he makes mistakes, he does weird things with colored lights and electricity, and sometimes he figures out that the haunting was a hoax. While the supernatural cases that Carnacki investigates are (in my opinion) genuinely scary, those occurrences that turn out to have a mundane explanation are just as suspenseful.

Hodgson’s cosmic horror worldbuilding, as well, is inventive and unusual. My favorite Carnacki story, “The Hog,” concerns a malevolent extra-dimensional pig that attempts to manifest in the world by tormenting a frightened dreamer. Other adversaries include a ghost horse, a cursed ancient dagger, and a giant pair of whistling lips.

For Treats, I’d like to see Carnacki tackle a lighter-hearted problem or deal with an antagonist that’s more silly than sinister. The stories’ conceit is that Carnacki calls his four closest friends to dinner every so often and makes them wait until the meal is finished to recount his latest case. I’d also enjoy something about his relationships with them, maybe a situation where his personal and professional lives clash or he acquires a new quirk after an odd case.

For Tricks, I want ghost pigs and ghost pigs only. Just kidding! I’d really like to hear more about the creatures and lore of this universe, as well as the beings, texts, and rituals that Carnacki references or uses in his work. More mistakes, near misses, and terrifying encounters are always welcome.

INVADER ZIM

Fanwork Types Requested: Treat - Fic, Trick - Fic

Characters Requested: Dib, Zim

Apparently one of my forever fandoms. To re-use my own words: There’s something irresistible to me about the blend of snappy comedy, unapologetic pessimism, and hints of a more complicated universe that we just get to see. I’m not up to date on the comics yet, but please feel free to include canon from comics, show, or movie.

Dib

I love Dib’s obsessiveness, his alienation, and his frantic pursuit of approval from a community and society that couldn’t care less about him. He wants to be the hero, but his actions are selfishly motivated and often result in catastrophe. I’m really endeared by his devotion to the paranormal and the ridiculous situations he’s drawn into.

Dib/Zim is my OTP, but I also enjoy them interacting as enemies or frenemies. (I would prefer any sexual content be set when Dib is 16 or older.) For gen, I’m interested in Dib’s family relationship with Gaz, potential friendship with Tak, and encounters with aliens, cryptids, monsters, ghosts, and other paranormal investigator types.

Zim

Zim is a total disaster, and that’s what I love about him. Like Dib, he’s stuck in a futile quest for validation from leaders and peers who would prefer he not exist. I like that he’s gullible and easily scared -- cf. “Germs,” his meltdown over the VHS copyright notice in “FBI Warning of Doom” -- yet unusually chaotic and dangerous even among his species. He also has a subconscious layer of... neediness, I think? that could be really interesting to explore.

Again, Dib/Zim is my OTP. For gen interactions, I like Zim’s relationships with GIR, Ms. Bitters, the Tallest, and any other invaders, as well as random hapless humans and experiments and so on.

THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

Fanwork Types Requested: Treat - Fic, Trick - Fic

Characters Requested: The Buried, The Vast, Adelard Dekker, Jurgen Leitner, Peter Lukas, Gertrude Robinson

My favorite horror podcast! I may be obsessed at the moment. I love the tone and worldbuilding of TMA -- the entropy and hopelessness, the way the monsters don’t play fair, the semi-religious devotion of avatars to their patrons. I also love characters figuring out the magnitude of the awfulness they’re dealing with, and fighting against overwhelming odds.

The Buried

A fascinating fear! I’m really attracted to the Buried’s mix of attributes -- not just dirt, asphyxiation, and the subterranean, but also pressure, metaphysical weight, oppressive circumstances and hopeless struggle.

This entity’s particular aspects of denial, and of accepting increasingly adverse or strange conditions -- the pit, the statement giver from “Dig,” Karolina Górka considering a nap on the Underground -- both unsettle and delight me.

I feel that both the Buried and the Corruption have this compelling theme of like... suffocating, boundary-crushing love, that takes a person’s identity, will, and outside connections but leaves them a sense of belonging or importance. Then, on the other hand, the Buried can also belittle as it isolates. I thought Hezekiah Wakely’s identification of the Buried with rest and peace, and the Sunken Sky’s evocation as a mercy, were very interesting as well.

For prompts: I really love archaeology and ancient history, so I’d love anything about the Buried in connection to that. An anon on FFA brought up the Kola Superdeep Borehole as a potential hook for the Buried, and that idea is quite interesting to me. I’d also love to hear about any of the statement givers from canon, the coffin’s other victims, or any main or original characters encountering this entity.

The Vast

Heights are one of my most visceral fears in real life, despite not being something I’m conceptually afraid of. I am requesting the Vast because I would like to be conceptually afraid of it!

Elements of this entity that intrigue me: the image of the Falling Titan, nihilism (and finding freedom in it), insignificance, call of the void, oceans / storms / cliffs, space, scales of size so large they’re not humanly comprehensible, Simon Fairchild’s love for the sky, delineation from the Lonely, opposition to the Buried, unusual manifestations.

As with the Buried, I really love the justifications that avatars give for their devotion to a power -- something exploring that, the choice to serve and the benefits that someone either gains or rationalizes after the fact, would be amazing. As stated above, unusual manifestations of fears are my jam, especially things that start out looking like one power but turn out to have a different affiliation.

I’d be interested in hearing about any canonical statement givers, avatars, main characters, or original characters encountering the Vast, or perhaps just a record of a past manifestation. I love stuff that’s grounded in a place, time, or feeling, so something super-specific or historical would be awesome. But, again, I really just want to be scared.

Adelard Dekker

Such an interesting character, and with depths yet to be explored! I enjoy his pragmatism, sense of humor, and relationship with his faith. I’m intrigued by the question of his allegiance and motivations, as well.

I’d love to hear more about Dekker’s pursuit of the Extinction -- perhaps the incident or incidents that first made him suspect its existence? accidental Extinction!Dekker? -- and his apparently far-flung contact network. I ship him both romantically and platonically with Gertrude, and I’d be interested to hear about their first meeting or other cases they collaborated on. Additionally, Dekker/Tim is a rarepair that intrigues me -- perhaps they meet in an AU where Tim becomes Dekker’s apprentice, and they take down Nikola together? I’d be open to seeing him interact with any character you think might be interesting, whether in a gen or shippy way.

Jurgen Leitner

I just want to know about the cataloging system he uses. Alternately, MORE LEITNERS. Alternately, ohh, the hubris! Leitner’s motivations for starting his library, vs. what he actually ends up effecting... aiii. I’m interested in what role the Eye played there, or how others may have manipulated him.

I don’t have any ships for Leitner, but for gen I would be interested to see him interact with Gertrude, his assistant, or Gerard Keay. Elias or Peter Lukas could also be interesting -- potentially funny, potentially sad or ominous.

Peter Lukas

On the one hand, a sinister sea captain and the heir of a frightening legacy; on the other, an annoying boss who refuses to learn basic computer skills and says things like “You and me, the dynamic duo!” I enjoy how petty and human Peter seems, at the same time that he’s this remote and gleeful monster.

I ship Peter/Martin super hard, but I also enjoy gen Peter & Martin and both gen and shippy interactions involving Elias. Additionally, I’m really interested in what happened for Peter to transport Gertrude to Sannikov Land, given their animosity. (Peter and Gertrude interacting seems like it could be hilarious.) For a fish-out-of-water scenario, I’d also like to see something where Peter feels out of control or threatened -- like, perhaps he’s caught in another avatar’s trap, or forced to be around other people for a bet or some strange purpose.

Re: Peter/Martin: I would prefer for Martin to gain the upper hand, even if it’s just in principle. I really like the idea of Peter going along thinking he’s in control, he’s seduced Martin to the Lonely, his plan is moving along -- and then he’s suddenly hit with all these feelings that he doesn’t know what to do with, because he’s never been in this situation before. On Martin’s part, I like it when he’s sort of reluctantly allured, but also contemptuous and focused on his own plan. And I would absolutely love some weird monster courting rituals -- Peter trying to impress Martin, but not quite pulling off “human” or “not disturbing.” I’m not married to these sorts of dynamics, though -- if there’s one you like better, please write it.

Gertrude Robinson

My favorite character! I love her practicality, dry wit, and self-control, but I also love stuff exploring her weaknesses, blind spots, regrets. I like that she can be smug and sometimes cruel, but not to the point where she violates her own principles (or, at least, not in her own opinion). I like that her backstory is so simple. I just really like Gertrude, in general.

For solo Gertrude, I’d like to learn more about her early days at the Institute -- maybe some of those heroic ideas she mentions she had, or their gradual dispelling. I’m also interested in seeing her solve problems, travel to unusual (or totally mundane) places, and face all kinds of supernatural nonsense. How did she get so unflappable? Is it mostly temperament, or was it a process?

For Gertrude ships, I could be convinced to ship her with pretty much anyone, but especially Agnes, Adelard Dekker, Emma Harvey, and Mary or Gerry Keay. For gen, I like her with everyone. I just want to see Gertrude interact with people!

STELLAR FIRMA

Fanwork Types Requested: Treat - Fic, Trick - Fic

Characters Requested: Hartro Piltz, Trexel Geistman, David 7, IMOGEN

I love this podcast so much it’s ridiculous. If I recall correctly, it’s been described as a cross between Brazil and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; this strikes me as accurate. I love how the tone is at once silly and exuberant, but also dark and messed-up, in an absurd way that doesn’t try to hammer listeners over the head with its irony. (Please feel free to explore that darkness in a Trick.) Also, it’s funny.

Hartro Piltz

I fell head over heels for Hartro’s character somewhere between her first appearance and the Executive Quarterly mini-episode where she reveals that her alarm clock launches her headfirst at the floor every morning (“I like to really smack awake”). She’s such a fun villain, and her attempts at team bonding with David and Trexel are oddly endearing. I like that it’s made clear that she’s as much at the mercy of Stellar Firma as everyone else, just with more perks.

For ships, I’m really into Hartro/Trexel, and I could get behind some Hartro/Trexel/David 7 as well. (If foot stuff is opt-in, consider me opted in.) For gen interactions, I like Hartro with anyone -- not just the other main three, but Standards, Sigmund Shankeray, and other members of her team or clients.

Trexel Geistman

Trexel is the worst, and I adore that about him. I love how thoroughly the show demonstrates his jackassery, and how it’s still possible to sympathize with him and see how he got where he is at the same time that you (I) just want to shake him. His responsibility-abnegating, depression, and alcoholism seem weirdly realistic, or at least reality-informed, and they weight his character in a way that I find compelling. I love his songs and weird shticks (Detectives and Detonations <3), and lapses into grandiosity and fantasy.

For ships, I like Trexel with Hartro or David 7 or both. Bathin/Trexel and Percy/Trexel, as well. Broom/Trexel, ehh. For gen interactions, I’m interested in seeing him interact with just about anyone -- but I’m especially curious what he did to Space Gertrude’s space tug (from Episode 25, one of the character witnesses from the trial). For seasonal-themed prompts, I am amused by the idea of Trexel as a horror host -- thanks, FFA -- or something else along the lines of the TMA crossover mini-episode.

David 7

Poor, sweet, innocent, possibly-doomed David 7. I love his rage, his affinity for crafts, and the bits where he gets swept up in the excitement of planet-designing (or planet-selling, or problem-solving) and can’t contain his enthusiasm. And I love his progression, over the first two seasons, from timid and cautious to just plain fed up.

For ships, I like David/Trexel, David/Bathin, David/Bathin/Trexel, and David/Trexel/Hartro. David and IMOGEN are interesting to me both platonically and romantically. For gen, I am again interested in seeing him interact with just about anyone.

IMOGEN

How much power does IMOGEN have, exactly? At some point, I hope we find out. I love her chipper sarcasm and barely-hidden dark side, and I hope that she eventually gets a vacation.

I don’t really ship IMOGEN with anyone, though the idea of David/IMOGEN is interesting. Her dynamic with David seems to have an unusual tension built into it, where they get along well and he trusts her but she can’t stop herself from threatening him with gun walls and there’s some murkiness about everyone��s motivations. Oh! IMOGEN and the Board, IMOGEN and the senior executives -- what’s going on there? IMOGEN and the station, IMOGEN and near-omnipotence -- there are a lot of fascinating things to explore about her as an AI.

#optional detailed letters for exchanges tag #this signup is no longer in progress!

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fuckyeahrogerandbrianna · 7 years ago

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Check out our interview to learn more about how she wrote about Jamie and Willie’s relationship in “Of Lost Things,” and Claire and Brianna’s relationship in “Freedom & Whiskey.”

SONY: The disconnect between Brianna and Claire progressively resolves itself over the first half of the season, especially in episode 5. As a writer, how did you decide which moments were key in bridging the gap between them? Were there any other ways to bring them together that you explored but didn’t pursue?

TONI GRAPHIA: Essentially all of the Claire and Brianna relationship moments we wanted to explore ultimately ended up on screen. But earlier in the process, the story wasn’t so mother-daughter centric, and at one point there was a Jamie and Brianna storyline we considered but did not pursue … [because] I realized the story was really more between mother and daughter. We had two episodes—4 and 5—to portray the evolution of that relationship, and the moments we emphasized were focused on increasing the transparency between Claire and Brianna.

In order to bridge the gap between them, I thought it was important for Claire to involve Brianna in the search for Jamie so that she wouldn’t feel shut out. It gives them a project to work on together and allows them to bond. We wanted that transparency so Brianna wouldn’t feel like her mother was on a secret mission to find Jamie and keeping her apart from it—instead, the research was used as something to bring them together. And it was likewise important to show that Brianna was excited to be a part of this search and grateful that her mother had finally shared the secret with her. In one earlier version, Roger was the one who gave the article to Brianna and told her that he had found Jamie. But I changed it to have Claire be the one who admits to Brianna that Jamie has been found—not so she could seek her daughter’s blessing, but just in the interest of honesty because she’d kept so many things from her before.

But with that transparency about Claire’s future comes a need for transparency about the past. Taking a look back in their history is shining a light on things that used to be secret. We wanted to craft a moment where Claire and Brianna could have a truthful conversation about how Brianna had always sensed that something was off in her parents’ marriage. So that conversation beneath the arches about Frank and his relationship with another woman was another important part of breaking down the wall between mother and daughter. We had a lot of discussion in the writers’ room about many moments that could have existed between Claire and Brianna, but we kept distilling them down to the moments that we believed would heal the wound between them—and those had to do with Claire being honest regarding both Jamie and Frank.

Another important element we felt we needed to play was Claire struggling with her decision to leave Brianna behind. Even when Brianna gives Claire her blessing and tells her she has to go back to Jamie, I thought it was important that Claire didn’t just take the yes and run with it. It was important to have a second conversation—the one they have later on the sofa—where Claire says she really wants Brianna to think about what this decision would mean and make sure she’s OK with it. She wants to be sure that Brianna understands the magnitude of what Claire is considering and what it would mean for both of them. To that end, I thought it was important to include the line where Claire says to Brianna that, even with Brianna’s blessing, she doesn’t know if she can bring herself to leave and never see her again. It’s a difficult, heartbreaking choice for both of them, which is part of the reason I decided to set the episode at Christmas—so they could have one last family Christmas together before Claire goes to the stones. In the book, Brianna accompanies her there, but I chose to have them say goodbye at home so Claire could say, “If I have to say goodbye to you there, I might never go.”

SONY: Brianna finally finds resolution in her relationship with her mother, and even helps her find Jamie. But she knows that when they succeed, she will lose Claire again. How do you write the payoffs for this relationship, knowing that it is bound to be bittersweet for the characters as well as the audience?

TONI GRAPHIA: Yes, it is indeed bittersweet. She's helping her mother and I don't think that at the beginning she's really thinking about the endgame. She's caught up in the excitement and hasn't really thought through the fact that if this succeeds, she will lose her mother. But it's like that old saying that when one door closes, another opens. Roger has appeared in her life at this moment, and just when she's lost her father who died, and now her mother is leaving—she's got Roger. And there's more than just a romantic spark, but a deep soul bond—after all, their families both date back to the 1700s … he's a MacKenzie! There’s the promise of love to come between them and I think that gives Claire some peace and helps her be able to leave her daughter, knowing she won’t be alone. But the biggest resolution Brianna finds in this heartbreaking situation is realizing Jamie saved her—he made her mother go back so that Brianna and Claire could have a chance. And the worst part of it all, is that Jamie’s had to live out his days not knowing if they even made it. Brianna finally comes to terms with accepting she has to let her mom go. Jamie gave her mom to her, and she has to give her back so she can tell him everything.

SONY: How did you develop Roger as both a fully-fledged character on his own, as well as someone who has huge influence in supporting the relationship between Claire and Brianna?

TONI GRAPHIA: Well, Roger has an interesting background in that both his parents were killed during the war. He was raised by a man who wasn't his birth father, just as Brianna was. He loves history, but knows very little of his own. He knew the Reverend was his adopted father and he knew some of his backstory. He never had the rug pulled out from under him like Brianna did. So he's a little more balanced and grounded. He's had a pretty safe life until now. And it’s fate that on the day he buries his father, he meets the love of his life. In the coming season, Roger's life will be upended because of his love of this girl and that's been interesting for us to explore. He's going to go through some huge, unbelievable challenges which will test everything about him as a person. His physical, mental, and emotional limits—and even his moral code. Without Brianna sparking this life change, he may have had a quiet, comfortable life as a professor. So, she's like a bomb that goes off for him. His relationship with Claire has been interesting too, and I wrote it a bit differently than the book. We really wanted him to come visit them and bring news of finding Jamie. Claire isn't ready to open that door again and initially she's not happy about him having done this research which she never asked for. But he cares about this mother and daughter. He was in the midst of what happened to them in the season finale last year and they are a bit of a trio. I wrote them as sort of three points of a triangle because he's become so enmeshed in their life. They're bound together forever by the bonds they forged through this experience at the end of Season 2. Plus, he sings a good rat satire! Ha ha. How could any girl resist him? Richard Rankin does an amazing job and I can't picture anyone else as Roger. He's perfect and we're all a little in love with him.

SONY: Most unusual for “Outlander,” you wrote two episodes back to back. Can you please talk about this process? Why you chose to write both episodes, what the experience was like, and any stand out scenes that you really loved writing?

TONI GRAPHIA: When reading Voyager, I thought the ship stuff was really cool, but what I connected with most was Jamie's relationship with his son, and Claire's struggle with how to leave her daughter. It started initially as one big episode, but there was just too much to cover. We'd always talked about maybe doing an "all Jamie" episode and an "all Claire" episode, so when this one started getting too big, we decided to split them and try to do just that. But how do you choose between Claire and Jamie?! So I said I wanted to do both. Everyone thought I was crazy to write back-to-back episodes, it's a heck of a lot of work. But I loved doing it and I'm proud of both. They're so different. There's still a little bit of each in the other's story, but it's the closest we came to doing all-Jamie, all-Claire. In episode 4, “Of Lost Things.” I'd say my favorite scenes were where Jamie sees his son in the baby carriage and tells him, "Dinna fash, I'm here." Then Lady Dunsany gives him his freedom and he decides to stay with his son. I also love the "stinking papist" scene, especially when Willie says he doesn't want a wife but Jamie says he'll find one someday, "...or she'll find you." And we know Jamie's thinking of Claire. The song at the end kills me every time; Bob Dylan's "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" came to me way back when I was reading that chapter and I knew I wanted to use it in the episode. We found the cover version by the band Walk Off the Earth—perfect because it's a male-female duet and represents the Jamie and Claire parallel lives.

In episode 5, “Freedom & Whisky,” I love the scene where Sandy confronts Claire with her love for Frank, and Claire has to own the cost to this husband who stepped up to raise her daughter by another man. I love the scene where Claire asks Brianna if she's sure she can live without her and says, "Because I don't know if I can." And I loved writing Claire's transition back to the past—using the monologue about puddles. This was an episode that created a great deal of discussion in our writers’ room about how to portray a parent's decision to part with their child, even for the man she loves—and a daughter's decision to let her mother go. I couldn't have done either of these episodes without the creativity and enthusiasm of our very talented writing staff, and especially the wonderful Maril Davis who championed this episode and helped make it what I hope is a testament to the complex bond between mothers and daughters.

#outlander #richard rankin #brianna randall #claire fraser #toni graphia #freedom and whisky #3x05 #jamie fraser #tv news

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elescritora · 7 years ago

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Outlander 3x04

Ok, so I finally watched it - late, because iTunes in Australia and children and work. It's all the things all the other people have said so I don't feel the need to rehash all the deep and meaningful stuff. But for interest's sake, here are my top ten takeaways: 1. Bear is a genius - my favourite part of the whole thing was the Dylan song at the end, I loved the way that tied all the transitions and cutaways together. I also loved what he did with the music during the sex scene. It sounded like a dirge, and to me it made that scene feel like the beginning of the end - which for Geneva, it was... And in a very 'taking the long view' way, it was for Jamie too, in the sense that that moment led to Willie, who eventually led to Jamie leaving and moving on to the next part of his life. Laoghaire. Which feels like a big fat end, really, in a lot of ways! He's damned lucky Claire came (comes) back! 2. Did they make it obvious enough that Jamie was going to bed with Geneva because she threatened his family? This was really watered down from the books, and very vague before he snuck in later that night. At that point he mentions threats to his family so that cleared it up a bit, but hmm. Dunno about that. 3. I really disliked the way they treated Claire's story in this episode, more so than the previous ones, even though this one focused more on her own story than 'life with Frank'. It was SO disjointed, it felt all over the place, and the narrative and cohesion really got lost. I didn't like the way they picked up where they left off after last season with barely any linkages to what had been shown in the previous three episodes. I feel like this could have been better treated by having the search run for the whole of the first half of the season, and showing the vignettes with Frank, Joe, Brianna as a child etc as flashbacks. Then it might have gelled better for me. Like, if I had watched the end of season 2 and gone straight to this episode I probably would have liked it better as far as Claire's story goes because at least it would have flowed. Although Joe would have been random - he was the only real connection to the earlier episodes from this season. And he has been sorely underused. 4. Fiona and the pearls - I can see why Claire would have given them to Mrs Graham in her grief, trying not to chase a ghost, trying to move on, afraid Frank would burn them, whatever. Her motivation, although unclear and imperfect, isn't what bothered me so much. It was more like - was that worth the 30-60 seconds of screentime? Maybe that time could have been used elsewhere to flesh out Claire's actual story more? Explain why she seems to give up so quickly and easily on the search - I know she's disheartened, and afraid, and has a life for herself in Boston, and has a child... But even though I KNOW this, I don't feel like the episode showed me. 5. I loved Hal and John interacting. So uncomfortable and squirmy and hopeful and disappointed and so. well. done. My little queer heart loved and hated it at the same time. Isobel was awesome too, but the face-slapping was a bit much. She redeemed herself though. 6. Jamie's hair. Just. What. I can't. 7. I'm not feeling Brianna and Roger. Brianna's random and abrupt kiss? Why is Roger so bumbling? I know it's supposed to be cute, and it is kinda, but in some ways he's acting like a teenager with a crush and he's way older than her, so shouldn't he be more mature? But I do like him pretty much everywhere else. And he's not bad with Brianna... and Brianna's not bad with him... But they're a bit meh. I'm just not feeling it. 8. That bit where they're sealing the marriage deal with Ellesmere right in front of Geneva like she's saleable goods. So horrible and uncool. Goddamn patriarchy. It made me really feel for Geneva and understand why she wanted her first time with Jamie. But why didn't she just say that to him? He might have gone for that without coercion - I think he'd understand wanting to grab what little independence, autonomy, and control over your own life that you can. Instead she went for blackmail and made it gross. Also: is 'Geneva' a realistic name for an upper class English gentlewoman in the 1700s? Also, also: imagine Claire was somehow at the estate during that scene. How much would she try to intervene? Smash the patriarchy! 9. Speaking of names: Dunsany is Dunsaney? Has any book reader ever been pronouncing it that way before this ep? Unrealistic pronunciation IMHO. I apparently have been mispronouncing Ellesmere as well (Ell-es-mere instead of Elles-mere), but that's an acceptable alternative, so I'm ok with that. But Dunsaney? 10. How is Geneva laughing and talking after being dropped in the mud like that? I would be wheezing and dying. That was not gentle. Perhaps called-for, but oof!

#outlander spoilers #outlander 3x04 #outlander #my thoughts on this episode #pretty much summed up as meh

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xlisaleinx · 7 years ago

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“To improve is to change” - thoughts on Outlander S3E4

I saw many good posts about 3.04 already, but since I do love the changes in this episode, I’ll add my thoughts anyway! :)

Let’s start with Jamie’s storyline:

First of all, I really liked the portrayal of the Dunsany (DunsAny? Really?!) family. Especially Lady Isobel’s character, which is so much deeper and more vibrant than it is in the books.

Jamie loosing his temper and showing his disrespect towards Geneva by dropping her in the mud. He has accepted his role as a servant to some extent, but his fiery nature is still there and he won’t swallow everything. This scene is also important in terms of the dynamic between these two characters - it shows both the deep dislike (at least from Jamie’s side) and the momentary crumbling of the social hierarchy between them, which is nothing but an illusion.

I’m glad the viewer gets the chance to witness the friendship between Jamie and LJG develop and strengthen throughout the episode. It’s endearing to see how much they enjoy each other’s company, even though John’s feelings for Jamie are obvious to both of them. His visits are also pretty much the only occasions where we see Jamie genuinely smiling (prior to Willie’s arrival).

Jamie touching John’s hand instead of kissing him was another very welcome change. It might even mean more to John than a kiss would have - a) because it’s an honest gesture by Jamie that comes from the heart, while a kiss would have been something he would have had to bring himself to do, and b) because he returns the gesture that he once was disgusted with when they first met in prison.

Now…let’s talk about *the* scene, shall we? Let me start by saying that I like it. A lot. Here’s why:

It portrays two human beings. One of them, Geneva, suddenly isn’t the bitchy schemer anymore as soon as she steps on unknown territory, she’s just an insecure young woman, horrified at the thought of only ever being touched by a man who is old enough to be her grandfather. (Mind: I’m not in any way justifying what she did in order to get Jamie into her bed - that was a terrible thing to do. I’m just describing what I saw in that scene.) The other human being in the room, Jamie, is a healthy man, so he’s obviously turned on by the young and beautiful woman in front of him.

One can argue about the boob lick, but I personally don’t have any objections - simply because Jamie has always been portrayed as a „boob person“, at least in the show. This is the first time he sees and gets to touch a pair of breasts in years.

The actual hmmpf-ing looked authentic - the coupling of two humans without any affection for each other, who are just having sex for the sake of it. Very technical, very enjoyable. But not at all like the firework sparking between Jamie and Claire.

I saw people saying Jamie wasn’t sexy to look at and similar things. With that I don’t agree. I thought it was a hot scene (but, nope, not even close to the Jamie/Claire hotness).

 !!!Now, the most important aspects!!!:

The consent issue: solved. Jamie was forced to come to her bedroom but is still finding pleasure in having sex for the first time in many years. And Geneva never says the word „no“. Nor does she cry out in pain. Handled very well, imo. 👌🏼

Jamie stays true to his character - much more so than in the books. Because a) he honors Geneva by being gentle with her and trying to shut out his hostility and anger, as one would expect from him, and b) he DOESN’T call her loving nicknames, which I’m particularly grateful for. Reading about him calling her „mo ghraidh“ in the book always made me want to vomit. Also handled very well. 👌🏼

He doesn’t stay with her all night, it’s just this one time. And he doesn’t show any signs of affection afterwards either, not like he did in the book. He immediately gets up and away from her as soon as they’re done and she told him she loved him - and I especially love that he hands her her shift to cover herself. He doesn’t allow any sort of additional intimacy or familiarity to build between them. 👌🏼

AND, my favourite part: the scene closes with Jamie explaining to Geneva what love is - without looking at her. Making it crystal-clear that there’s only one person he’s ever loved and ever will love. 👌🏼

So, all in all, my personal conclusion is that *the* scene was handled brilliantly by the writers. Its existence was necessary - both because of Willie and to show the contrast between Jamie and Claire and any other pairing -, so they had to get it over with, but the way they filmed it, it allowed Jamie to stay true to his character and it didn’t involve the rape aspect. Take notes, Diana. I’d also like to add that Hannah James did a great, great job as Geneva.

I was glad to see that they kept most of the Willie stuff the way it was in the book, but the one bigger change they made is possibly my favorite thing ever: SAWNY JUNIOR! 😍 I literally cheered when I saw it in the title card! It’s so like Jamie, and it’s such a brilliant idea to make the connection to Willie’s late namesake. I also adore that they included St. Anthony - it says so much about Jamie and his never-ending hope and love. (And Jamie talking to baby Willie, reverently saying „You’re so wee“ made me tear up.)

The Claire/Bree/Roger storyline:

I don’t have a lot to say about their scenes because this episode was clearly focussed on Jamie, but the changes I love were:

I never knew how much I needed Claire’s life in Boston, along with her responsibilities, to catch up with her in Scotland. It’s not like Claire at all to simply forget about her patients, lbr. Especially not for such a long time. So I really liked to see Joe calling her (even though I was like „Woah, that must have been one heck of an expensive phone call“).

Claire, Brianna and Roger reaching a dead end in their research also adds to the realistic portrayal of that storyline. It always bugged me that the research went so smoothly in the book. It also makes Claire doubt and remember Mrs. Graham’s warning words about chasing a ghost. While very passionate and emotional, two of Claire’s most defining character traits are her rational mind and her sense of practicality. The twenty years apart from Jamie seem to have consolidated them even more. So it feels very much like something Claire would do - return to Boston, and thus return to what she has learned to come to terms with: a life without Jamie. Though her face on the plane says it all. She won’t be able to fully return to that life, because she now knows he hasn’t died and possibly is still alive, waiting for her to find him. I can’t wait for next week’s episode and Claire’s decision to go back.

#Outlander Season 3 #3.04 #Of Lost Things #Outlander Spoilers #Voyager Spoilers

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jadenature12-blog · 5 years ago

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The Jade Earrings Game

The Good, the Bad and Jade Earrings

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What Has to be Done About Jade Earrings

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The Ultimate Strategy for Jade Earrings

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Anything commences with the true stone. It's also a great stone for gridding because it is going to correct any imbalance and guide the stream of energies toward the problem locations. In the event the stone you're using can stand the torch heat, forget the very first half of this paragraph and apply the torch to ball up the opposite end of the wire. If you like to wear nature stones, don't hesitate to opt for any product from our collection. The iron and magnesium substitute for one another, when iron is more prevalent than magnesium, it's called actinolite. It is among the most essential of minerals in the custom of feng shui, for example. Another mineral, which is known as Transvaal Jade, is in reality a sort of grosular garnet.

#Jade earrings

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ramajmedia · 5 years ago

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Outlander: 10 Crucial Lord John Grey Moments In Seasons 3 & 4, Expanded Upon

Lord John Grey, an officer in the British Army, makes his first appearance in Season 2 of Outlander as a 16-year-old English soldier who stumbles across a group of Scottish rebels, amongst them Claire and Jamie, on the eve of the Battle of Prestonpans. The young Lord John Grey immediately recognizes Jamie as “Red Jamie,” the wanted rebel, and assumes Claire to be his prisoner. Playing along, Jamie pretends to threaten Claire in an attempt to get information about the nearby British forces.

RELATED: Outlander: Lord John Grey’s 10 Most Romantic Quotes Ever

John Grey gives it to them, after which Jamie admits that it had all been a ruse and that Claire was, in fact, his wife; however, he decides to spare the young soldier’s life because he had so gallantly attempted to protect Claire’s honor. From there, we see Grey grow into a man in Seasons 3 and 4, with many twists and turns along the way.

This article will mainly focus on Lord John Grey's appearances in the Outlander TV series and, to a lesser extent, the main books, rather than on the character's own spin-off novel series.

10 Lord John Grey confesses his love to Jamie before having him flogged

While in Ardsmuir, Jamie soon builds up a reputation as the leader of the prisoners housed there. Despite declining to see Jamie shortly after being deployed as the officer in charge of Ardsmuir, Lord John Grey and Jamie soon develop a repertoire; spending many nights playing chess and discussing literature. It seems that their joint military background acts as a common ground upon which a friendship blossoms. One late night, Lord John Grey professes his love for Jamie by tentatively "making a move." Jamie immediately recoils, ridden with memories of Black Jack Randall, and severs the relationship with Grey.

Soon after this, a patch of Highland tartan is found in the cells. Jamie heroically claims responsibility for the illicit piece of cloth, forcing Grey's hand in having him flogged - a decision that seems to further injure the relationship between Lord John Grey and Jamie.

9 He spared Jamie from the American colonies

Jamie spends three years in Ardsmuir prison alongside Murtagh, but with the renovations to Ardsmuir drawing to an end; Lord John Grey is tasked with transporting the prisoners to the American colonies. Taking pity on Jamie, Lord John Grey decided to parole him to Helwater instead to serve the Dunsay family, with whom Grey was incredibly close.

Grey periodically visits Helwater to check in on Jamie's welfare (and perhaps for another game of chess). Jamie's time at Helwater forms his future path, especially after meeting Geneva Dunsay.

8 Lord John becomes the step-father of Jamie & Geneva's child

Whilst at Helwater, Geneva Dunsany develops a crush on Jamie and refuses to go riding with any stable-hand. On one fine day, Geneva (being her dramatic self) pretends to faint and fall off of her horse. Instead of catching her, Jamie watches as she thumps into the mud. Angered but seeing an opportunity, Geneva invites Jamie to her bedroom that night and threatens to tell her family that Jamie dropped her.

This night of forced intercourse eventually leads to Geneva falling pregnant and dying during childbirth. Jamie then kills Geneva's elderly betrothed, who upon seeing the baby immediately drew a knife to its throat.

Isobel Dunsany takes over the care of the child, who is then named William (known as Willie). Lord John marries Isobel in September of that year and legally becomes Willie's step-father. Upon his next visit to Helwater, Jamie begs Grey to take proper care of his illegitimate child; even offering his body in exchange. Grey declines, stating that he will care for the boy without payment; he is, however, pleasantly surprised when Jamie kisses him on the lips in gratitude.

7 Jamie Leaves Willie With Lord John

Lady Dunsany offers Jamie his freedom after Geneva's death, but he declines for reasons unbeknownst to her. Jamie, in actuality, declined because he wanted to be closer to his illegitimate son, Willie. Willie soon starts to show the same aptitude for horsemanship as his biological father, Jamie, even leading to members of the Dunsany family saying that Willie and Jamie had been spending so much time together that they had even started to look alike.

Realizing that with each passing day, the resemblance between himself and Willie was growing, Jamie decided to leave Helwater behind.

6 Lord John gives Jamie a picture of His Son

Upon arriving in Jamaica upon the Artemis, Jamie and Claire are invited to a lavish ball at the governor's house. Soon after arriving, Jamie and Claire are introduced to the new governor of Jamaica - Lord John Grey. Shocked to see each other at first, and Jamie wishing to keep his connection with Grey as quiet as possible, the night goes on quite uneventfully. At least, until Lord John Grey calls Jamie to one side.

RELATED: Outlander: 10 Brianna Memes That Are Too Hilarious For Words

Lord John Grey tells Jamie of his son, Willie, and how he is progressing and growing up. He hands Jamie a miniature portrait of Willie, and for a moment they briefly embrace. Unbeknownst to them, Claire had been observing the entire interaction from a distance.

5 Lord John enlightens Claire at the very same ball

Realizing that the woman on Jamie's arm was the infamous Claire of whom Lord John Grey had heard so much, he decides to also approach her privately mid-ball. He explains how Jamie came to have a son and how he, Lord John Grey, came to be stepfather to the boy. Grey and Claire share mutual respect, as they both appreciate the space the other has taken in Jamie's life.

This revelation of a son comes as a shock to Claire, who is still rattled by the intimate embrace she had just witnessed, and who had been unaware that Jamie had sired an illegitimate son in her absence.

4 He helps in Young Ian's rescue

Ferreted away into the dark forests of Jamaica, Claire and Jamie are still frantically searching for the kidnapped Young Ian. Lord John Grey soon finds out about the predicament that the two protagonists are facing, and without hesitation, acts altruistically.

Lord John Grey offers the use of his Pinnace (a small sailing ship) to be used in the search for Young Ian; an offer that is gratefully accepted by Jamie and hesitantly by Claire. This might seem like a small gesture of friendship, but ultimately plays a large role in finding Young Ian; trapped by Geillis Duncan (who had been kidnapping boys in search of a virgin to sacrifice). Young Ian and Geillis Duncan are found in Abandawe (a cave). Whilst trying to free Young Ian, Claire kills Geillis Duncan. Ishmael, Jamie, and Claire make a break for it on none other than Lord John Grey's Pinnace - with the Porpoise following close behind.

3 Lord John's wife dies en route to Jamaica

Whilst acting as the governor of Jamaica, Lord John Grey sends for his wife Isobel Dunsany and his illegitimate son Willie. During their trip to Jamaica, Isobel falls gravely ill. Not long after starting to show symptoms, Isobel succumbs to "bloody flux," leaving Willie to complete the rest of his journey alone.

RELATED: Outlander: 10 Jamie & Lord John Grey Memes That Are Too Hilarious For Words

Jamie and Claire only learn of Isobel's passing en route to Jamaica after Lord John Grey shows up with Willie at Fraser's Ridge in Season 4. The death of the kinder sister, Isobel, does seem to weigh heavily on both Jamie and Lord John Grey.

2 Lord John Falls Ill

Lord John Grey unexpectedly shows up at Jamie's new home in America, Fraser's Ridge, with young Willie in tow. Lord John Grey states that he felt the need to make the stop for various reasons; the main reason being for Jamie to see his illegitimate son. Lord John Grey and Willie prepare to travel back to Virginia, but before they can head-out Lord John Grey starts showing symptoms of measles. To protect Willie, Jamie heads off into the woods with him; away from the infectious disease.

Now left alone together, Claire and Lord John Grey both accuse one another of the other being jealous of the other’s relationship with Jamie. Claire tells him about Brianna, and he admits to Claire that he had been heartbroken at the time that Jamie had turned him down. Once Lord John Grey’s fever passes, he and Claire reconcile.

1 Young Ian puts two & two together

While staying over at Fraser's Ridge, Young Ian comments on the distinct similarities between Willie and Jamie, though his suspicions aren't confirmed outright. He grows even more suspicious as Jamie plays the role of a father; escorting Willie into the woods for a hunting trip, and far away from Lord John Grey's measles.

Although the books go into far more depth pertaining to this suspicion, it is also touched on during Season 4, perhaps foreshadowing a big reveal in episodes to come.

NEXT: Outlander Season 5: Everything We Know So Far

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‘Outlander’ says goodbye to one major character, but there’s hope for another

Image: starz

This recap contains spoilers for Outlander Season 3, episode 3, “All Debts Paid.”

Episode 3 of Outlander Season 3 is a pretty big deal for fans of Diana Gabaldon’s novels: Not only does it reintroduce a pivotal character in Lord John William Grey (all grown up and decidedly more dashing than the last time we saw him in Season 2, now portrayed by David Berry), but also closes the chapter on Claire and Frank’s tumultuous relationship in surprisingly poignant fashion.

While the show has to omit or streamline countless plot points from the novels in the adaptation process — including cutting Jamie’s trip out to the seals’ isle (although perhaps we’ll see it later in flashback) and the many prickly layers of his complicated relationship with Lord John — for the most part, Outlander’s writers do an admirable job of staying faithful to the emotional arcs that drive Gabaldon’s novels. That’s especially true of episode 3, written by Matthew B. Roberts, which takes our heroes on a believable and equally effective journey, even if the signposts are a little different along the way.

But “All Debts Paid” also featured a massive change to the narrative of Gabaldon’s Voyager — one that will have ripple effects across the series — and we couldn’t be happier about it.

SEE ALSO: ‘Outlander’ episode 2 finally gives us sex, but not the way we were expecting

In the books, Murtagh FitzGibbons Fraser, Jamie’s godfather and right-hand-man, is killed at the Battle of Culloden, but episode 3 reveals him to be alive (if not well) at Ardsmuir. When the prison is closed, the fan-favorite character, played by the indispensible Duncan Lacroix, is shipped off to the American Colonies with the rest of the prisoners, while Jamie is taken to an estate called Helwater to serve Lord Dunsany.

Showrunner Ron Moore tells Mashable that there was one very good reason why he chose to keep the beloved character alive: “Murtagh’s development in the series is different than the books basically from the beginning. We made him much more of a key player in the story, much closer to Jamie, and then he got in on [Claire’s] secret in Paris. He became part of the family in a different way than in the books. And I just wasn’t ready to let him go in Culloden. He is going to survive and we will catch up with him later, we will just keep him going.”

Fans who’ve read book four might have some idea how Murtagh could come back into Jamie’s life, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Image: starz

Back in the future, we see Claire’s relationship with Frank fracture beyond repair. The episode’s early moments reveal that Frank has been seeing other people, since Claire can no longer love him the way she did before, and while their agreement seems amicable at first, over the years, the connection between them deteriorates to the point where Frank decides he wants a divorce so that he can take Brianna back to England without Claire, to start a new life with his mistress — a suggestion that naturally incenses Claire.

(Sidenote: I hope the TV Academy and HFPA will finally pay attention to Outlander next awards season — over the course of these first three episodes, Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, and Tobias Menzies have all done a spectacular job of establishing the passage of time through their nuanced, perfectly calibrated performances, conveying the agony of grief, insecurity and old wounds more effectively than any old age makeup or hair change could. Heughan’s powerful, restrained delivery when John touches Jamie’s hand effortlessly evokes all the trauma he suffered while at Black Jack’s mercy in a single expression, while Balfe and Menzies’ confrontations are searingly honest, loaded with the weight of two decades’ worth of unspoken resentments.)

Unfortunately, Frank never gets the chance to start over, because he’s killed in a car accident following the fight.

According to Balfe, Claire manages to be content in a marriage of convenience for so many years because she experienced true love with Jamie — but things aren’t quite so simple for Frank.

“She’s sort of decided within herself that once was enough for her, and that the memory of that love is enough to carry her through the rest of her life. Her marriage with Frank, yes, it’s a marriage of convenience, but I think it’s a marriage of friendship in some ways,” she tells Mashable. “They come to an agreement where she won’t ask any questions, he can do what he wants. She’s going to focus on her career and being a good mother, and he’s going to be a good father. It works for them, and it works for 20 years. And really the tragic victim in that marriage is Frank, because he’s somebody who really wants Claire and still is in love with Claire and still desires her, but she just can’t reciprocate it.”

She adds, “Everyone gives Frank such a bad rap, but if you’re in that marriage, I think he can’t help but try and find the things that he needs outside of it. Claire still has Jamie’s love inside her heart, so she’s good.”

As emotional as Claire’s farewell to Frank is, Balfe reveals that filming the hospital scene presented an unexpected challenge.

“Our first take, I look down and realize that sound had stuck a microphone to Tobias’ bare chest. That was not very emotional. I was like, ‘Um, does the dead guy need a microphone?'”

Despite the technical difficulties, Balfe adds that the scene was incredibly important for Claire as a character.

“At that point they were so emotionally far apart from each other, and the intimacy had been gone for so many years, but it’s like you don’t realize how much you love somebody until they’ve been taken away from you,” she notes. “They’ve been so used to living in this side by side world, but taking each other for granted, in a way, that at that moment she just realized that, there’s always been this huge love for [him]… It’s an apology.”

SEE ALSO: 10 burning questions we have about Claire and Jamie’s ‘Outlander’ Season 3 reunion

Tobias Menzies has now said goodbye to both his characters, Black Jack Randall and his descendant, Frank, but admits that he doesn’t exactly feel emotional about losing either:

“It’s sort of odder than that, because they’re all just like bits of you, so they don’t go anywhere. Will I miss playing them? Yes, it’s been great. It’s been an amazing ride. And I’ll also miss all the great friends that I’ve made on it. But it’s been fun to go on and do other things. We’ve been doing this for three and a half years now. But yes, I’ll definitely miss it, and it’s been a really great adventure.”

Outlander airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Starz.

Watch: ‘Outlander’ Season 3 is a heartbreaker