#((but she had no way of knowing that she would even reunite with randall! so these items she's taken care of all this time))

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Oh, only the good things," Randall grinned right back, the smell of homemade gumbo, with all of its savory spices and seasonings, dancing in his nose as he thanked their waitress and prepared to dig in. Hot gumbo was something he could eat without hardly blowing on it, just as he could drink hot coffee straight from the pot, completely unbothered by the temperature-something he picked up from his mother, no doubt, given her penchant for piping hot black coffee.

"I think you'll like them," he added warmly, as he took in a spoonful of gumbo, savoring the wonderful flavors before saying, "They're very nice, very...down-to-Earth, you might say. Ma's a nurse at the children's clinic and Pa works construction, so you probably wouldn't see them during the week; they work most of the same days I do, but they at least get the weekends off."

So who knew? Maybe after one of these dates (the word alone made his heart flutter with excitement), they'd swing by his home to meet them-his folks never minded visitors, and would no doubt welcome her with open arms.

"How's your steak?" he then ventured to ask, looking up from his gumbo at the slab of meat on her plate-he probably would've ordered it a little more cooked, a little more well-done, but hey, some people enjoyed their steaks rare...really rare...

#((it really is gonna bring everything into focus isn't it? i think it's gonna really hit home for him)) #((just how alone emily has been for ages: she's held onto these mementos of him; taking care of them)) #((but she had no way of knowing that she would even reunite with randall! so these items she's taken care of all this time)) #((are bittersweet reminders of him; and it's clear that she could never love another after his death)) #((so i think seeing the rings; the veil; as well as how much emily has missed him in the intervening years)) #((is really gonna be what's gonna prompt him to wanting to become a vampire)) #((because he can't bear the thought of emily losing him again and being lonely for another century!)) #((he wants her to be happy and if that means becoming a vampire then so be it!)) #outofhatboxes #beatingheart-bride #V:Dark Shadows

[justthehiddleswrites]

Destiny Has Other Plans | Loki x OFC | Chapter 10

Pairing: Loki x OFC

MASTERLIST IS HERE

Summary: When Loki goes to ask his father for permission to marry, he is shocked to discover his destiny has already been made for him.  He is already betrothed to Sjofn, the daughter of the King of Vanaheim.  An arranged marriage to bring the two kingdoms closer together and strengthen the bond.  Never mind that Sjofn and Loki can’t stand each other.  

After The Battle of New York, Loki is sent to live at Avengers Tower as punishment for his misdeeds.  But it doesn’t mean he has to like it.   A year later, he has adjusted to life on Midgard but has avoided any romantic or emotional entanglements, still bitter over his lost love.  Dr. Alexis Randall is skilled at helping others fix their relationships as a couple therapist, but can’t help her own love life.  A chance encounter with Loki in a dive bar has life altering consequences for both of them.  Now, Alexis and Loki must figure out a way to co-habit without killing each other in the process, plus navigating impending parenthood and other roadblocks along the way.

This Chapter: Loki and Alexis finally reunite but not in the way they plan.  Life really does enjoy giving them curveballs. 

Warnings: Arranged Marriage, Forced Marriage, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Smut, Angst,  Semi-Public Sex, Mentions of law enforcement, Oral Sex, Cursing, Vaginal Sex

Taglists are Open, please let me know if you wish to be added.

--

Siv paced outside of Sjofn’s bedroom as Sjofn read the letter in privacy. She had seen the sincerity and heartbreak on Loki’s face firsthand and only hoped his letter conveyed the same emotion tattooed on his face. The door swung open and Sjofn walked through. Trails of tears ran down her cheek. Siv couldn’t tell if she was angry or happy or any other emotion in between those extremes.

Sjofn shook the pages, and there were several at Siv. “This… is… the… most…” She let loose a sob. “… beautiful and romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. What did he say to you?”

Siv blinked, processing and recalling the conversation. “That he loves you and that everything was Sigrun’s fault, a girl from his past. He said everything was in the letter.” Siv shifted her weight. “He asked me not to fail him.”

Sjofn embraced her friend. “You did not fail him. I did.” She sobbed softly on Siv’s shoulder. “I never even gave him the chance…” Sjofn gasped and clutched her stomach. “Siv, the baby!”

She touched Sjofn’s belly. “But the due date is not for another three weeks.”

“Ah!” She yelled out in pain. “Well, I don’t think this baby knows how to read a calendar. Because my water just broke.”

“What should I do?” Siv panicked. “What do you need?”

“I need Loki.”

-

Loki realized when he got back to the Tower, he had failed to ask Hannah, well Siv, to contact him regardless of Alexis’s decision. He paced the floor of their shared apartment. Staring at the phone on the coffee table as if he could will it to ring. He let loose a sigh and turned to head to bed when the phone rang. He lunged for it.

“Alexis?” he asked into the phone.

“It’s Hannah. Come downstairs.”

“What is happening? Is she—”

“NOW, LOKI!” She yelled into the phone.

Loki dropped the phone and bolted for the door. As he dashed through the common area, Tony, Clint, and Bruce bombarded him with questions. He ignored them as he stepped into the elevator.

“I’ll explain later.” Loki offered, satisfying no one’s curiosity as the doors closed in front of him.

Siv paced up and down in front of the bank of elevators in the lobby of Avengers Tower. The elevator dinged, and she rushed to grab Loki’s arm.

“Come with me.”

Loki twisted out of her grasp. “What is the meaning of this?”

“The baby.” Siv hissed.

“Lead the way.”

Siv twisted her way through the lobby until the two of them were in front of a supply closet. Siv opened the door and pulled Loki through with her. Instead of walking into a dingy closet with mops and cleaning supplies, the two of them stepped in a small but clean living room. From a quick glance at the setting suns outside, Loki surmised they were somewhere on Vanir. He could hear yelling coming from the other room. Siv gestured to the doors and Loki took off at a jog. As he stepped inside, he found Sjofn not alone.

“Mother.” Loki’s eyes flashed in anger. “Did you know where she was this entire time and kept it from me?!?”

Frigga stood to her full height after pressing a cold compress to Sjofn’s head. “They summoned me, just as you were. To help with the birth of your child.” Frigga threw daggers at Loki with her eyes to tell him to leave any theatrics for after the birth of his child.

“Loki!” Sjofn called out.

“Alexis! I…” Loki rushed to her side, grabbing a hold of her outstretched hand. She squeezed his hand hard.

“I’m sorry, Loki. I should have… AH!” She tightened her grip even more, and Loki overheard his knuckles crack under the pressure.

Frigga moved swiftly over Sjofn’s body. “I suggest we leave the tearful reunion for later. Right now, I need…” Her eyes darted around the room. “… Siv!”

The young woman appeared at the doorway. “Yes?”

“Towels and blankets. And wet a small towel. And a pair of shears.”

“I feel another one.” Sjofn squeezed Loki’s hand again. “AHH!!” she screamed again. Loki wasn’t ready for the strength of that squeeze, and his knees buckled.

“Ah!” Loki howled.

“Sorry! It hurts so much. Frigga…”

Frigga gazed at her with a pained expression. “I have nothing to give you child and unfortunately, magic is useless.”

Loki extracted his possibly broken hand from Sjofn’s grasp and pulled his mother aside. “Surely there is something you can do to make her more comfortable.” he hissed.

Frigga glanced over her shoulder. “This baby is coming quick, Loki. And early. Between Sjofn’s Vanir heritage and your own magic, I can’t risk it.”

Loki’s mouth dropped open. “What are you saying, Mother?”

“I am saying that there could be complications. I need you to keep her calm and focused.”

Loki nodded. “How do I do that?”

Frigga cupped his face. “You love her. Figure it out.” Their sidebar was interrupted by Sjofn’s screaming in pain and Siv pulling Frigga away.

“Darling,” Loki returned to Sjofn’s side.

“The baby’s coming, Loki. I’m scared.”

He pushed her hair off her forehead and pressed his lips to her temple. “I know.” He chuckled while fighting back tears. “And we haven’t even picked out names.”

“We don’t have names. We don’t have anything, Loki!” Her eyes widened. Sjofn hyperventilated.

“I am sure Stark would be more than willing to shop for us.” Loki commented as Sjofn squeezed his hand through another contraction.

Frigga popped her head over Sjofn’s stomach. “Push on the next contraction.”

“Stark? Really?” Sjofn exclaimed. “I don’t want the baby’s crib to explode.”

“What if Nat goes with him?” Loki offered. Frigga caught his eye.

Sjofn nodded. “I like that idea. Oh…”

“Push, Sjofn!” Frigga called out.

Loki squeezed Sjofn’s hand tight. “Push, my love. One, two, three, four, five. Relax.”

Sjofn fell back onto the bed, panting. “What about names?”

“No time for names, push.” Frigga commented.

“Ahhh!!!” Sjofn screamed, pushing hard.

“One, two, three…” Loki counted it out for Sjofn through the contraction. “You are doing so well, darling. The baby is almost here. Our child, love.”

Sjofn sobbed out of exhaustion. “I can’t… It’s…”

Loki grabbed her hand even tighter. “You can, my sweet. You will. And I will be right beside you the entire time. That is, if you will have me.”

“Loki, please. I need you.” Her nails dug into his hand.

“Big push, Sjofn.” Frigga said without looking up.

“One big push, darling. Can you do that for me?”

Sjofn nodded and bore down, pushing with all her might. “AHHHHHHHHHH!” She grunted and soon the sharp cry of a baby filled the room.

Frigga cleaned up the baby and placed the baby of Sjofn’s chest. “Say hello to your son.”

“A son?” Loki’s voice cracked. “I have a son?!” His eyes welled with tears as he caught Frigga’s eye.

“You have a son.” She smiled at Loki.

Sjofn smiled down at the tiny baby, crying and rooting against her. “We have a son, Loki.” Her face dropped. “Oooh, woah.”

Frigga’s brow furrowed. She ducked back down between Sjofn’s legs. “Push one more time, please.”

Loki cradled the baby as Sjofn pushed hard, confused and scared.

“And again.” Frigga countered. “I think we have a stowaway.”

Sjofn pushed again, and another cry echoed against the walls.

“And here is your daughter.” Frigga held up a second, even tinier baby.

Loki’s mouth dropped open. “Two?”

Frigga nodded. “Twins. It’s rare, but then so is having Jotun and Vanir parents. And it would explain why Sjofn got so sick. It took a lot of magic to stay hidden.”

Sjofn sighed. “Like her father.”

Loki frowned. “More like her mother. Disappearing on me.”

The two of them locked eyes before laughing. Frigga looked on with a smile. “And to think the two of you hated each other.”

Loki turned to face Sjofn. “I was young and foolish.” He pecked her lips.

“I was too. I can’t imagine my life without you, Loki. Can I come home?”

Loki’s head dropped. “We will go home as a family.”

One of the twins cried out at this point. Loki and Sjofn cooed after the twins.

“You realized Odin and Freyr will never let the two of you forget they were right.”

Loki’s face dropped, as did Sjofn’s. But soon a devious smile broke out over Loki’s face.

“I’m sure we can devise something to displease them.”

“What did you have in mind?” Sjofn squeezed Loki’s arm.

“Before you go plotting against your fathers,” Frigga stepped in, a small smirk on her face. “what are you naming my grandchildren?”

“Speaking of names, darling, what do I call you these days?” Loki stared at Sjofn.

Her brows pinched in contemplation. “I think I have rather grown attached to the name Alexis. Besides, Sjofn is too hard for Midgardians to pronounce.”

Loki let loose a small laugh. “I love you, Alexis.” He pressed his lips against hers. She reached up and cupped his cheek. A baby cried. Loki glanced down. “I love you too, my princess.” He kissed on the top of her head. “And my son.” He kissed the other.

#loki #loki fanfiction #loki fanfic #loki imagine #loki fluff #loki smut #loki angst #loki x ofc #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #destiny has other plans

[clean-bands-dirty-stories]

Forget Me Not ~ R.C.

A/n: I really love the diversity of requests on this page y’all are so good to me. I did assume a female reader, so let me know if you want a male/nonbinary request instead! I love the idea of this prompt going a totally different way lol. Also, super sorry I took so long writing it :( Hope it was worth the wait!

Request: “Could you write something where Randall gets dusted by the reader to forget about you and protect him from the order and how he reacts when he finds out?...” by 💙 anon

Word Count: 4600+

MASTERLIST

"You want me to what?"

Alyssa took a deep breath. It was apparent that it caused her just as much pain to say as it did Y/n to hear. "The Grand Magus," She said with great stress, making sure it was clear that this had been  Vera's decision and not hers. "Wants us to dust the wolves to make them forget. Everything." I went to argue with her so she rushed to add, "She thinks that they can't be controlled and therefore they're dangerous." Alyssa grabbed Y/n's shoulder, her desperation clear. The only person that would understand her struggle was the girl in front of her. If Y/n wasn't on her side Alyssa was going to lose her mind. "If you don't, they are going to kill them. All of them."

Y/n covered her mouth with her hand, trying to process. After a moment she moved it so she could speak, but only to her throat, as if pantomiming choking herself. "I have to make Randall forget me?"

Alyssa swallowed hard. "You've got the easiest access to him, and if you do what they say then you'll gain Vera's trust. I..." She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose for a second. When she moved her hand away and looked back at Y/n, there were tears in her eyes. "Listen, I need a friend in this and so will you. I know you care about Randall as much as I care about Jack and we will be the only two in the whole Order that will understand how the other feels. Please, do this for me. For - for you, even."

Shaking her head, Y/n stepped away. Alyssa seemed defeated until Y/n spoke. "I do it for Randall, like I do everything. If I was doing something for myself... I'd do something stupid."

There was a solemness to Alyssa's nod. She had won and gotten Y/n on her side. But at what cost?

Not long after their conversation, Y/n was on a trail to destroy the one thing that meant most to her for the sake of the man she loved. Randall and her had been dating for a while now. They'd met before either of them were part of the Knights or the Order and had started dating pretty soon after their instant chemistry took off without a hitch. When Alyssa had dragged Y/n to some beaten down cabin or house or whatever in the middle of the woods, Y/n hadn't known what to expect until she opened the door and came face to face with Vera Stone, who was supposed to be dead, and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who was apparently her enemy. It had all been down hill from there, though it hadn't seemed to be for a second there. Randall and her had talked and figured out a system. They'd make it work. They had a plan.

Now it didn't matter.

"Hey there," Randall greeted brightly, grinning from ear to ear.

Y/n was a terrible liar but tried to seem as happy to see him as he was her. She was always glad to reunite with him, but what it meant to meet up with him now... For the first time she wanted to run far away from him and never come back. Maybe then she wouldn't have to do this. But that was, of course, a lie. If she didn't someone else would, and she might get dusted herself when she finally did return. She needed to grow up and just do what had to be done. Until she could figure out a better option, she'd rather him forget her than be dead. "Hey." She didn't stop walking when she saw him, moving right into his arms. He was a little surprised but was always down for a hug.

As had been mentioned before, Y/n was a bad liar, and even more so to Randall who knew her very well and could always tell when something was bothering her. So even though he loved hugs, he was also concerned by the way she was clinging to him. He pulled her back, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "What's wrong?" His eyes searched hers, trying to find the problem so he could fix it.

God she was going to miss him. He wasn't just her boyfriend, he was her best friend. How could she just...? No, she would do it. She HAD to do it. "Nothing." She steeled herself, pulling her thoughts together forcefully. This wasn't the worst option. At least if he forgot her, he'd be alive. And he wouldn't hurt either. He wouldn't know to miss her. This was a mercy. This was better than what she would be getting. There was no time for self pity though, she had to focus on helping him. Saving him. She relaxed a little and he seemed to believe her a bit more. "I just missed you."

"We saw each other yesterday," he reminded, his smile growing a little more teasing.

She felt her heart swell. "Well, how am I supposed to ever be okay with being away from the best boyfriend ever? Every second apart is actual torture."

Randall scooped her up against her, kissing her on the cheek. "My adorable, cheesy girlfriend. What would I do without you?"

Y/n felt a pang in her chest. "You'll never know." That, at least, was the truth. She stepped away, turning to the bar. She'd come to the Den since that's where he'd been, studying. Jack had left just before she'd gotten there to meet with Alyssa. Lilith and Hamish were still here though, so Y/n had to either wait for them to get called out or somehow get Randall away. "Want to do something today?" She needed to get this over with. Like a band-aid. Fast.

"Sure, I-"

"Hey, sorry to interrupt," Lilith said as she pointed to the door out they were blocking. "I was thinking about going for a run. I can't focus on homework after having a rough time sleeping. I think it would help to get my blood going." They both nodded at her and parted, letting her pass.

"Anyway," Randall sighed, stepping closer to his girlfriend again. "Where do you want to-?"

"Pardon me," Hamish mumbled as he brushed between the couple, pushing them apart again. "I need a drink." He looked tired, but wasn't it early to be drinking? And didn't he have homework? And class?

They let him go anyway. It wasn't their job to judge his life choices.

A thought did occur to Y/n then though. "...Or we could stay here." She chuckled.

He shook his head. "I can tell you, they definitely left because this place gets really stuffy after a while. We were all about ready to clock in a break. How about a walk instead?" Y/n agreed and he reached out, intertwining their fingers before pushing the door open and heading outside, tugging her gently after him. "You had a class this morning, didn't you?" He asked as a way to start conversation.

She nodded. "Yeah." She shrugged, already knowing what he was going to ask. "It was fine. My professor seemed to be irritated today but I know it wasn't my fault so no stress." She chuckled softly and he smiled. It was known that most of her professors were often irritated with her since she struggled to pay attention in class in a way they found mattered. She knew all the material and got fantastic grades, but spent most of her time staring out the window so they'd try to write her off, just for her to pull through anyway. She'd been accused of cheating even a few times, but she never did so it had fallen short.

They began to circle the house in their little walk, not wanting to go too far and chance running into someone else, but also wanting to get some distance from the place Randall didn't want to be right now. Y/n pulled ahead, turning around so she was walking backwards. He slowed down so she didn't have to walk so fast. "You sure it wasn't you? I swear you always press the right button, even if you're trying to be good."

Y/n rolled her eyes. "I'm sure. Even Mrs. Tynn has stopped her side comments. They're over it. I'm not cheating, I'm learning in my own way, and they don't have enough energy to be wasting it on me all the time." He nodded, recognizing that as fact. Most professors didn't waste energy on students if they didn't feel they had to. Y/n tilted their path, taking them closer and closer to the woods and further away from the Den. It would be best if he was away from it when he forgot, so he wouldn't come back and go searching. "How about you?"

"Thank god I don't have class today," Randall groaned, rolling his eyes. "I was so happy when my teachers all told me I'd have no classes on Saturday." Y/n chuckled, remembering how all last year he'd been whining and moaning and complaining about having class on Saturday. He didn't mind Sunday, and if he had the day off on Friday it bothered him less, but there was something about having Saturdays free that he fed off of. Y/n only had the one morning class, so they usually spent it together.

I guess that wasn't an option anymore.

Y/n wrapped her fingers around the bag in her pocket. It was super small. Smaller than what she'd thought. "Randall," she wondered aloud. He hummed, letting her know he was listening. "Do you ever do something that you regret, but you know you have to do?"

At that he scoffed. "I guess. Not really, for the most part, but I have before." Y/n thought back to when must have been around the time Randall had first joined. He was nervous and jumpy, obviously guilt ridden. The first few times he'd killed people had been obvious in hindsight. He wouldn't let Y/n touch him, and had almost broken up with her because he said he wasn't good enough for her. Then, after a while, he'd seemed to calm and adjust. Y/n wondered if that's what he had in mind when she said things you had to do, but didn't want to. Last time she'd checked, he was plenty fine with it now. He even enjoyed it, having to be reeled in by Jack and occasionally Hamish, and being disappointed when he was.

It came out without her wanting it to. "What if you had to kill me?" He stopped dead and she slowed, leaving a lot of space between them. He suddenly felt incredibly far away and she hated it. "I don't mean to make you anxious - I haven't done anything. I just mean, your job is to kill people in the Order right? You enjoy doing it. It's what fuels you every day. Well, goddamnit, I'm in the Order."

He shifted uncomfortably. "I thought we talked about this."

"I-" She bit her lip, looking away from him. "You guys kill kids our age. Kids who are most of the time just doing what they're told so they can be apart of something they enjoy. Something they worked their asses off to keep being apart of. Something that makes them special." She looked back at him. "What if the day comes that I'm asked to do something and you're told to stop me, and we have to kill each other? Would you do it?"

"Would you?" It was accusing and it made Y/n take another step away, horrified at what must have been going through his head.

"NO!" She felt anger rise inside of her. "I'd give everything to protect you, Randall. But what I do doesn't require me to kill you, does it?"

He seemed to have too many thoughts. The easy going mood from a second ago was gone. "Well I can't just quit like you can."

Immediately Y/n's anger exploded and he looked away, ashamed. He knew how much magic meant to her. How she had spent years feeling like an outsider until she'd learned magic and it had given her a purpose. Somewhere to belong, where things made sense. "If I quit, I would lose everything. Including you. I wouldn't know you were a wolf anymore, and with all that sneaking around... I mean our secrets almost ripped us apart before. You want it to happen again?"

"No," he snapped. His voice sounded raw though, and stress lines were beginning to deepen as the thought of me forgetting him made him feel terrible. Y/n knew, because she had been thinking about it nonstop since Alyssa had told her what Vera had ordered.

Y/n turned around, puling the bag out of her pocket. She stared at it, her eyes watering. She blinked it away, looking straight ahead and setting her jaw. "I love you, Randall. Despite what you think about the Order and what you do and our parts in this world that was supposed to make us enemies. I love you."

Randall sighed behind her, his footsteps sounding as he moved closer. She reached into the bag, pulling out a handful of dust. "I love you too. I'm sorry I just... I don't want to lose you."

"Neither do I," Y/n whispered. His hand reached out to touch her shoulder. The second it landed, she spun around, throwing the dust in his face. He collapsed right there and she felt her heart shatter. She slipped the now empty bag in her pocket, staring at him. He suddenly woke up, gasping, eyes flying open as he looked around, obviously confused. She rushed to him, offering a hand to help him up. "Oh my god are you okay?"

"Y- yeah." He blinked, shaking his head, and then took her hand as she helped him up. She let herself hold as long as he would let her, reasoning that he would need to be stabilized but knowing it was really because this was probably the last time she'd ever touch him again. "Where am I?"

"You looked like you were going on a walk and you just collapsed." She slipped out her phone with some quick thinking. "I was taking pictures."

That's when his eyes landed on her. He made the same expression he had the first time he'd seen her, if with a little more confusion now. "Why?"

"I enjoy the beauty of nature," she slowly offered, a spike a fear running through her as she wondered if it hadn't worked.

He seemed to chuckle though, his hand that she'd been holding now holding her hand instead. "All you have to do to see art is look in the mirror."

Despite herself, she blushed. "Well thank you." She pulled her arm away, stepping back. It was time to stay goodbye. "Make sure you get back to school safely, why don't you? Wouldn't want a pretty face like yours to get messed up with another fall."

His eye slight up and she internally cursed herself. STOP FLIRTING WITH HIM! "You know, it's customary for the knight in shining armor to escort the princess back to safety."

"You do know that you're the princess in this situation," she reminded, a smile growing.

"I am," he confirmed rather proudly. "And since you're my knight in shining armor, how about I buy you dinner? As a thank you."

She almost said yes. Almost. She remembered what she'd just said. How keeping secrets ruined relationships. And how could she have a relationship with him when there was so much he'd forgotten? It would be unfair to her, and even more so to him. She didn't get to keep being happy when she'd taken away from him the exact thing she'd gotten mad at him for suggesting she leave. The Order was for Y/n what the Knights were for Randall. Even if it was to save his life, she had a lot to answer for. So she panicked, and said the first thing that came into her mind instead. "I... have a boyfriend." Her face scrunched. What an odd thing to say when just moments before she'd flirted with him. "Sorry. I..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm happy with him."

He backed off immediately. "I get it, no worries. Thanks anyway."

Nodding, she walked away. Her fingers death gripped her phone as she stared at the ground as she walked. The only thought she could muster was: You shouldn't be thanking me.

-

Y/n had been struggling to keep herself together, but at the very least she'd had the freedom to be away from any reminders of Randall when she was doing Order stuff.

Now they were here too.

"Y/n, right?"

The girl turned to face the person talking to her and had to steel herself so she wouldn't cry. "Yeah." Her voice came out in a rasp and she cleared her throat. He kept looking at her like he was trying to understand. She couldn't understand what was so interesting to him, but his look made her want to combust into flames. Randall's gaze usually made her feel warm, but not it was like someone had turned the temperature up a hundred degrees. It was unbearably painful.

"I was just wondering if you could help me with something."

She moved away as he went to step closer, shrinking into herself. "Please ask someone else."

That seemed to confuse him. "But-"

"She gave you an order, Neophyte," Alyssa said calmly. Her hands were behind her back and she was giving Randall a warning look. It wasn't angry like she'd been with Jack when he'd first joined. It was almost... panicked. Y/n could understand. Alyssa of all people knew how weak Y/n's self control was when it came to Randall, and if she burst into tears just because he'd talked to her it would have set off a lot of questions.

Randall seemed pissed. "Fine." He turned around and left and Y/n almost became a puddle from how hard she'd melted in relief.

Y/n turned to Alyssa. "I- I can't do this anymore, Lys. Please just- maybe I should just quit. And forget. I haven't been helping you at all with the dust and it's getting so complicated and I- I- I can't lie to him anymore." Her eyes were watering and she'd begun to hyperventilate.

"You can't forget," Alyssa rushed, her eyes wide with panic.

"Why not?" Y/n demanded. "It's been six months of me sitting here and trying to deal with the fact that I made him forget everything that mattered to him, including me. And for what? It didn't work, and they're going to kill him anyway!"

Suddenly Y/n's brain shut down.

They were going to kill Randall.

Tears were streaming as she leaned against the wall behind her, soft sobs emitting from her as she tried to muffle them with her hand. Her chest constricted and she doubled over, covering her face. Alyssa tried to touch her and shrunk away, a shiver running down her spine as her body coiled so tightly it hurt. "Y/n please-"

In response, the girl on the floor shook her head frantically before her body began to vibrate. She was having a breakdown. It had been the worst six months of her life and Y/n had a soft heart. She didn't hurt people. She didn't betray people who she cared about - people who trusted her. She was a good person through and through. She handled everything to the best of her ability, guided by a strong conscious. Everything she was doing now went against that driving force that demanded she do what was right. Nothing made sense anymore, and she couldn't handle feeling lost on top of feeling both guilty and alone. They were all emotions she couldn't handle. She wasn't built to deal with it.

It was as if Alyssa could sense the exact moment she could no longer help Y/n. The blonde spun around, running. In the distance she was yelling something but Y/n didn't care. Not until two people came back, one kneeling in front of her and reaching out, concerned. Y/n made a mental note not to break down in the temple again. What were they going to do? Help her? No, the Order would be much more eager to just wiper her memory. On second thought, that might not be so bad.

"Y/n, please talk to me." Her head snapped up to lock eyes with Randall of all people. "Wh-" She shook her head. "No," she moaned, putting her head back between her legs. "Don't help me."

He sighed. "Y/n I know." Just like that Y/n was still, her eyes wide as she slowly looked not at Randall, but at Alyssa. The blonde shrunk away in surprised fear at the look of murder on Y/n's face.

"You... told him?"

"They remembered," Alyssa rushed to explain as she twisted her hand around her wrist nervously. "Their healing was just helping them get used to the dust, like someone adjusting to a drug. I had to do something, I-"

Y/n shot to her feet, rushing at Alyssa. Randall caught her by some miracle. She didn't even process him though. "He's going to die now!"

"What?" Randall snapped.

"No one is going to die." Alyssa huffed, her voice tight. "We will figure this out. But- Y/n I need your help."

Y/n grunted, twisting her body to slam her foot on top of Randall's. He yelped and flew back from her and she closed the distance between her and the Alyssa. "You got me into this whole mess. You brought Vera to the Den and that's how she found out about the wolves. You convinced me to agree, and then continued to convince me to stay. Because you needed a friend and if they found out, they'd die. Now you've gone behind my back and made some alliance with them and you want my help again?"

Alyssa let out a sharp breath, her body shuddering. "I'm just trying to figure this out, Y/n. I know how hard this all is I'm sorry I just- I'm trying to keep them alive, and if they didn't get answers it was going to make everything so much worse."

"Then why didn't you tell me they remembered?" Y/n demanded. "What did you tell Randall when he asked who I was or why I did what I did? Do you even know why? Did you take away my opportunity to explain it to him myself, without other people muddling up what really happened? Fuck you Alyssa." She spun around to run off but was stopped dead as her eyes locked with Randall's.

"You... were the one who dusted me?" Alyssa's help had aided in returning memories much more quickly, and in bigger chunks, but for each of the wolves it had worked differently. For Hamish, it had been from when they'd lost their memories and backward. For Jack, it had been returned to him all at once. For Lilith, it had come very quickly in tiny tidbits. For Randall, it was in huge chunks but very slowly. As Y/n revealed she had been the one to do it, he got his first bad memory of the girl. The day she'd taken his memory.

Y/n was stunned. "You... didn't know?"

Alyssa cleared her throat. "I.. think I should go." She dipped around them and raced out before either could stop her. Not that they cared much to.

"Randall, please-"

"She didn't tell me anything," Randall told her. His voice wasn't malicious as she expected, but it was hard. She wasn't sure what that meant. Was he mad? Sad? Scared? Secretly planning some violent revenge? "That's why I came up to you. I thought... I know we were together before, but I don't know everything. Every time I saw you I got more, but... not everything. Alyssa says that in two or three days all of our memories will be back again. I thought talking to you might unlock if we weren't together anymore, or where we'd left off... I guess it wasn't great."

Y/n couldn't find the words. "I can't even think of how to apologize to you. Just, please understand that I did it so they wouldn't kill you. I figured you living out your life without me would be safer for you, if anything. You'd be happy. And you were happy. I know how hard it was, and what it cost. It cost being a wolf, and that was something special. Like magic is to me. And I... I can't imagine what it would be like to realize your best friend doesn't even care about you. I was so mad when I found out. But if I had done anything, I would have forgotten you too. And- and sometimes I wanted to, but I thought that I should hurt. Because I made you hurt. I-" She cringed away, flinching away from her as he met her gaze again. "I'm so sorry Randall."

His jaw worked as he let this new information roll around in his head. "I'm angry," he realized. Y/n's head fell forward in shame. "But... not at you, I don't think." She stared at the ground in shocked, too scared to look at his face again and see he was being sarcastic, or cruel. "I'm mad at the Order. I'm mad they forced you to do this. Honestly, I think I would have done the same. I can't imagine having to choose your life or your magic. I don't blame you- you made the right choice. If you hadn't, you'd have forgotten and I could just as well be dead."

Now Y/n did look up. "You... forgive me?"

After a second, he shook his head. "There's nothing to forgive you for. I got the good memories first, Y/n. I got the cuddling and the crying when I stepped on bugs, and the stressing about tests together, and watching you get decked because someone was nasty to me. Back when we were still pretending to be just friends and I flirted with someone to see if you'd get jealous. To see if you liked me. And it was a guy, and this older woman was really nasty to me. You stood up for me, and when her husband reacted poorly and you were on the floor.... god I was so lucky those police officers were nearby because I almost shifted right then and there." He smiled a little. "You love me, and I love you. And you were faced with a bad choice and an even worse choice. I'm just so glad that I can come back to you, rather than having to go through even more shit to get you to remember to." He sighed, shaking his head again. "I've been through so much, Y/n. We- both have, actually. This world of our is shit, and it's really hard to deal with alone. Can we just get passed this and be happy? You make being happy so much easier."

Y/n beamed. "Of course Randall."

They shared their first kiss in six months, and it was a relief to both of them. It was also a promise. A promise that no matter what, it was always them. They were together, through thick and thin. It was Y/n and Randall and it would always be Y/n and Randall. No matter what to get between them in the future, they'd figure it out and stick together. Because fuck everything else if they lost what they had. Love was more powerful than any magic. More important too.

#randall carpio #the order #the knights of saint christopher imagine #the knights of the order of the hermedic blue rose #the knights of saint chrisptoher #the knights of saint christopher x reader #randall carpio x reader #randall carpio imagine #the order x reader #the order imagine #female reader

[sablelab]

👻 Spooky meets Kooky 🎃

SUMMARY: Claire reminisces about the time when she first came to Scotland and fell through the stones on the eve of Samhain. Jamie tells her a story his da told them as bairns, and Claire recaps her favourite Halloween memory from the future which has James Fraser all engrossed in more ways than one.

A spoof of when the past meets the future.  Retelling parts of Chapter 1, pp 22-25 from Drums of Autumn, inspired by Halloween with the Addams Family and Vera Adxer’s artwork above.   

  AO3

PART 1 … The Tale of the Tannasg 👻

 It was nearing to Halloween time on Fraser’s Ridge, and as the Frasers prepared for a night beside the fire, Claire was reminiscing about times gone by on that fateful night that was to become her destiny.

“Jamie, Halloween, the spookiest night of the year, is almost upon us.”

“Don’t ye mean Samhain Sassenach?” he replied cheekily knowing that the two were indeed similar celebrations centuries apart.

“I do, but I was just thinking about the first time that Frank and I came to Inverness all those years ago … I remember it was on the eve of Samhain.”

She continued to tell Jamie the conversation they’d had in Mrs Baird’s Bed and Breakfast not realizing that her husband’s mind was elsewhere. “I can still recall what she said …”

“Well, you've picked a bonny time to be here. Just nigh on Samhain.”

“I take it that's Gaelic for "Halloween?”

“Well, Halloween is derived from Samhain. You're both welcome at the festival, of course.”

“Of course, what would Halloween, Samhain, be without a good ghost story?”

“Oh, and we have those, for sure. I hope you'll join us for Samhain tomorrow night.”

“What, the pagan festival?”

“Aye. There’s a circle of standing stones on the hill just outside the village, and there's a local group who still observe rituals there. It’s a place called Craigh na Dun and according to local folklore, the stones were carried there from Africa by a race of Celtic giants …”

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

“Hmmph!  Not Frank …” Jamie mumbled under his breath tapping his fingers against his thigh in dislike.

The mention of Frank Randall’s name only brought back his feelings towards the man he had sent his Claire back to on the eve of Culloden knowing that he would surely die on the battlefield. His emotions were still raw about this man even after all these years and their conversation about him and their daughter Brianna echoed in his head as Claire was still speaking.

“I hadna thought ever to be so jealous of a dead man. I shouldna have thought it possible.”

“Of a dead man? Of Frank?”

“Who else? I have been worm-eaten wi’ it, all these days of riding. I see his face in my mind, waking and sleeping. Ye did say he looked like Jack Randall, no?”

“How? How could you think of such a thing?”

“How could I not? Ye heard her, Claire; ye ken well what she said to me!”

“Brianna?”

“She said she would gladly see me in hell, and sell her own soul to have her father back—her real father.  I keep thinking he would not have made such a mistake. He would have trusted her; he would have known that she … I keep thinking that Frank Randall was a better man than I am. She thinks so. I thought … perhaps ye felt the same, Sassenach.”

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

“James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser …!”  Claire remonstrated noticing that her husband seemed a little distracted, “… Are you listening to me?”

“Aye, I am Sassenach,” he replied sheepishly knowing that his mind had indeed been elsewhere.  “I’m intrigued about that night in Inverness, and what happen to ye before ye fell through the stones.” Jamie looked at his wife and gave her his full attention to what she might say next.

“Do you know that if I hadn’t gone to see the Druids that night, and returned in the morning to collect the Forget-me-nots, that I may not have ever gone through the stones and found you.”

“We were fated mo ghràidh.  Ye would have found yer way to the stones regardless because I was waiting for ye on the other side. I thank the day, Murtagh brought ye to me at the cabin.” He leaned towards his love and clasping her hand brought it to his lips placing a tender kiss to the top of her hand and knuckles.

Claire blushed at her love’s romantic gesture and looking at him explained about that night so long ago.  “I remember seeing those Druids dancing.  They were mesmerizing Jamie twirling in circles on top of the hill with their burning tapers. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled at the sight of them, but some small voice inside warned me I wasn't supposed to be there. That I was an unwelcome voyeur to something ancient and powerful.”

“Aye, ye were Sassenach, but that is the mystery of Samhain. It is all about the supernatural, witches, spirits and fire. During the celebrations, people dance around bonfires while the dances tell stories of life and death. What ye saw that night was something magical that drew you tae me.”

“I wouldn’t change anything Jamie except for you sending me back on the eve of Culloden, but we found each other again and that is all that counts.”

“Aye. You belong wi' me. We're mated for life Sassenach. I barley lived for those twenty years wi'out a heart when ye were gone. I lived half a man and accustomed myself to live in the bit that was left. Did ye feel the same?”

“Yes, I knew how that felt, and had it not been for Brianna I don’t know how I would have survived too. But I had you always close because our daughter was so like you Jamie. Your carved initial in the flesh of my palm was also a constant reminder of our love. It gave me comfort whenever I touched it.  When I closed my eyes, I could feel you touching me.”  

Claire looked at the man she adored thankful every day that they had been reunited and that their two-decade separation had been both painful and heart breaking for each of them.  “It was lonely without you, so lonely.”

“And me,” Jamie replied pensively, his voice a soft whisper.  “I saw ye so many times.  You came to me so often. When I dreamed sometimes. When I lay in fever. When I was so afraid and so lonely, I knew I must die. When I needed you, I would always see ye, smiling, wi’ yer hair curling up about your face.” He paused before an outpouring of emotion surfaced.  “During that time apart, I prayed every day that you and our bairn would be safe, for whether I’m dead or you, whether we’re together or apart Claire, I will always love ye.”

“And I you, Jamie.”

“Samhain was the beginning of our destiny Sassenach.  A pagan, Gaelic festival brought us together.” He kissed her palm and rested it on his heart.

Claire could feel his heart beating and her eyes misted over just thinking about the significance of this special time of the year. “All I know of Samhain is what Mrs Baird told us.  Please tell me more Jamie.”

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

“Samhain is a three-day celebration in preparation for winter mo ghràidh and a time for kin all around the Highlands tae come together and feast. People believe that deceased spirits and faeries of the Otherworld can easily come into our world, so ye would honour the dead and implore loved ones to bestow some blessing on them in return. Offerings of food and drink are left outside for the spirits, even portions of crops are left in the ground for them.”

Claire listened, attentive to everything that Jamie was telling her.  

“Tricks and pranks are played but blamed on faeries and spirits ye ken. Children disguise themselves as evil spirits by blackening their faces and dressing in auld clothes to go guising door-to-door reciting songs and verses in exchange for food.”

“Why do they blacken their faces?”

“’Twas so that they can venture out safely wi’out being detected by wicked spirits in hope of fooling them and to scare away the ghouls who might want tae harm them.”

“It is so like what happens at Halloween in the future too Jamie. A lot of Scots came to America in the 20th Century and brought these customs with them and they evolved to become extremely popular. There are many similarities to Samhain but also some differences too. In the future people dress up in masks and spooky costumes and the children go Trick or Treating for sweets.”

“Aye, it would seem so mo nighean donn. Samhain and Halloween do seem verra similar.”

“Mrs Baird said that you needed to be mindful for ghosts are freed on the feast days and wander about, free to do good or ill as they please.”

“’Tis true Sassenach. I myself have not seen a tannasg, but there are tales of others who have.”

“A tannasg? What, in Heaven’s name is that, Jamie?”

“Oh, a Dhia … where tae begin,” he exclaimed running his hand over his chin in thought.

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

Taking a deep breath as if calming himself before he started to explain, Jamie picked up his cup of ale and took a big swig before beginning.  He looked at Claire as she waited for his explanation.

“Some say a tannasg is a balding, six-foot-tall, hairy, Celtic beastie, normally only found wandering around the hills and glens at night. Some say it is eerily like a fogy mist that covers the moors on a dark night and is what ye may call an apparition, a spirit or a shadowy ghost figure. Nobody really kens what it is but, nae matter, a tannasg is verra scary and if you come upon one when out in the glens ye must be verra careful. Sometimes it’s an unfriendly faerie or nymph who may have been holding onto a grudge and means tae cause trouble.  A tannasg would put the fear of the Almighty in ye and scare ye witless.  If ye ever were to meet one it would make yer hair stand up like a man’s cock in the mornin’ Sassenach.”

“Jesus H Roosevelt Christ!  I’m scared with just the description of one.”

“And so ye should be a leannan.  They are verra scary beasties that ye wouldna want to meet.”

“Oh, I do love hearing a scary ghost story Jamie. Can you tell me any about tannasgs?”

Claire watched as his lip curved up into a smile. He had that twinkle in his eyes that she knew so well whenever he was going to tell a story.

“Aye, I will.  Sit yerself down by the fire and I’ll tell ye one that ma da told us wee bairns that scairt us truly.”

Settling down more comfortably in her chair, she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and waited for her husband to retell the tale told to him, his brother William and sister Jenny long, long ago.

“I can tell ye a frightfully spooky tale of the past.  It’s a spine-chilling story guaranteed tae give you a good thrill and chill ye to the bones.”

“I think I best have a wee dram of whisky ready for the story you are about to tell then James Fraser.”

“Aye …”  He picked up his cup of ale and they both took a wee sip of their drinks.  “Sláinte. Are ye ready Sassenach?”

“I am.” Claire curled her feet up in the chair whilst Jamie began to tell the tale of the tannasg.

“My father loved telling this story.”

She watched as a muted glow descended over Jamie’s face as the light from the fire fell across his features and highlighted the animation she could see on his face and in his eyes. Claire looked at him waiting with bated breath ready for him to retell this tale, for she knew that she was going to enjoy this story very much indeed.

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

“Tis the story of a man who was afraid of being alone in the dark and most mortally scairt of the spirits, ye ken, and how one night he met a tannasg. I remember when my da first told this story. I was mortally scairt too Sassenach.”

His body shuddered a little despite the heat in the room at the thought of the untold story he would tell. “I kept awake half the night, after he told us this tale, though it dinna seem to bother Jenny that much.”

“Oh, my,” Claire uttered her voice eager to hear more. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, her eyes round with the wonder and intrigue that he would impart with his tale as Jamie began to recount his childhood story.

Settling himself in his seat by the fire, he sat back, his ale cup in hand.  Thinking, he rubbed his hand across his chin collecting his thoughts. Jamie then smiled at his wife wryly glancing at her as he began to recount his tale of long ago.

“Ah, well, it was in the late, cold autumn in the Highlands, just when the season turns and the chill in the air tells ye the ground will be covered wi’ frost come morning.”  

Rolling the pewter cup slowly between his hands, he stared down into the dark ale as though seeing those Scottish peaks in the pitch-black night and the mist that floated across the glens.  Raising his eyes, he looked at Claire.  She was hanging on each word and so he continued.

“Well Jock MacBride’s son brought back their kine from the glen that night, but there was one wee beast missing.  The lad had hunted for it up the hills and down the dales but couldna find it anywhere, so his da sent the lad to milk the two others and set out himself tae look for the lost cow.”

“Go on …”

“The da went some distance, but his cottage behind him soon disappeared.  When he looked back, he couldna see the light from the window anymore and there was no sound but the whistling of the wind.  It was cold, but MacBride went on trapsing through the mud and heather as the ice crunched beneath his boots echoing in the stillness.”

Claire pulled her shawl around her shoulders. If her husband could see her eyes, he would have seen that her pupils were decidedly larger. She was so engrossed with his story thus far and took another wee sip of her drink. With eyes fixed on Jamie, she couldn’t wait to hear more of his tale.

“Soon up ahead of him, Jock saw a small grove through the mist and thinking the cow might have taken shelter beneath the trees, he went toward it. However, the trees were birches, standing there with nae a leaf, and with their branches all gnarled together, so he bent his head to squeeze beneath the boughs.”

“What did he see when he got through the branches Jamie?”

“He came into the grove Sassenach, and saw it was not a grove at all, but a circle of trees. There were great tall trees, spaced verra evenly all around him and smaller ones too wi’ saplings grown up in between the trees to make a wall of thick branches.  In the centre of the circle stood a cairn.”

Claire felt as though a sliver of cold ice had just slid down her spine.  She got chills listening to him and shivered imagining the scene, for his picture was very real in her mind. She had seen ancient cairns in the Highlands herself that Jamie had just described and found them eerie enough in the broad light of day, let alone to see one at night.  That would have been quite spooky indeed.

Jamie was getting that gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach he remembered feeling as a bairn when his father had told this tale. He looked over at Claire and she had an expression of foreboding for what he may say next on her face that he’d had too. He took a sip of ale to loosen his vocal cords for his mouth was dry before continuing.

“He felt quite queer did Jock MacBride, for he kent the place, everyone did and kept well away from it.  It was strange and it seemed even worse in the dark and the cold than it did in the daylight.  It was an auld cairn the kind laid wi’ chunks of rock all heaped round with stones.   He was scairt, but he slowly glanced up, and saw before him the black opening of a tomb.”

“Jesus H Roosevelt Christ!  Was there a tannasg in there?”

Her husband gave her a piercing look.  Jamie knew that Claire’s mind was thinking ahead and knew that he was getting close to revealing what Jock had seen.

“He knew it was a place that no man should come, and he was without a powerful charm to ward off any spirits. Jock had naught but a wooden cross about his neck, so he crossed himself with it and turned tae go.”

Jamie paused to take another sip of his ale to catch his breath. Claire saw his Adam’s apple bob in his throat as he swallowed and reached instinctively for her own cup with eyes fixed on her beloved. Holding her breath, she gasped, “Don’t stop there. What happened next?”

Giving her the semblance of a wink and a wry grin, he paused then spoke softly stating, “As Jock went from the grove … he heard footsteps behind him.”

“No…!” she exclaimed.

“He dinna turn to see, but kept walking and the steps kept pace wi’ him, step by step always following.  Jock came through the peat where the water seeps up and it was covered with ice, the weather bein’ so cold ye ken.  MacBride could hear the peat crunch under his feet and behind him the cr-ack! cr-ack! of the breaking ice.”

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

James Fraser was a natural born storyteller, animated and engaging like most Scots were and listening to him speak reminded Claire of their wedding night and the awkwardness between them. She remembered him saying, “You’re a Fraser now Sassenach.  You must learn to tell a story and listen to one.” So, to put her at ease, he’d told her story after story of his family and his life growing up and she in turn had told him about her life too. Her husband was in his element telling this story just like on the night they wed.  She knew, that Jamie was aware that she hung on his every word and was eager to hear the rest of the story.  The tension was building and placing her legs to the floor, Claire removed her shawl as it was getting warmer in the room and leaned forward eager to hear more of his tale.

“Jock MacBride walked and walked through the cold dark night watching ahead for the light of his own window where his wife had set the candle. But the light never showed and he began tae fear he had lost his way among the heather and the dark hills.”

“The tassasg was following him?”

“Aye, he was Sassenach. All the time the steps kept pace with him echoing loud in his ears. At last Jock could bear it no more and seizing hold of the cross he wore round his neck he swung about wi’ a great cry tae face whatever followed.”

There was apprehension in her voice for poor Jock. “What did he see?”  

Jamie glanced at Claire and when next he spoke, his voice was so quiet, almost like a whisper, that she needed to concentrate to hear what he was saying.

“It was a figure like a man, but with no body. It was all white like it might have been made of the mist, but wi’ great holes where its eyes should be. They were black and empty and fit tae draw the soul from MacBride’s body with fear.”

Claire gasped with a cry of anguish at the description, and placed her hand across her mouth. “What did he do Jamie?

“Jock held up his cross before his face and he prayed aloud to the Blessed Virgin,” he said leaning forward intently. “The thing came no nearer Claire, but stayed there watching him.”

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

The dim firelight outlined her husband’s profile in a halo of golden aura which made his rustic hair seem like it had flecks of gold and crimson sprinkled in it as well. Suddenly, she was a little distracted by the man and was mesmerized by his intoxicating Scottish drawl. Claire’s eyes glazed over overcome with feelings for the virile man whose silhouette was oh so tempting in the fire’s glow, but also for poor Jock MacBride and how he would get out of his predicament.  She held her breath and waited for what would happen next.

“And so, he began to walk backwards not daring to turn around again. Jock walked backward stumbling and slipping in an effort to get away from the spirit, fearing every moment that he might tumble into a burn or down a cliff and break his neck, but fearing worse tae turn his back on the cold thing.”

“I would have done the same Jamie.  Better to watch the tannasg than not to know where it was,” she added with a little shiver of dread for the poor Jock MacBride.

“He couldna tell how long he’d walked only that his legs were trembling wi’ weariness. Then at last he caught a glimpse of a light through the mist, for there was his own cottage wi’ the candle in the window.  Jock cried out in joy and turned to his door, but the cold thing was quick and slipit past him tae stand between him and the door.”

“Oh no!”

“Dinna fash Sassenach, his wife had been watching out for him and when she heard him cry out, she came to the door at once.  Jock shouted to her not to come out but to go and fetch a charm to drive away the tannasg.  Quick as could be, Bessie MacBride snatched the pot from beneath her bed and a twig of myrtle tied with ribbons that she’d made to bless the cows.  She dashed the water against the doorposts and the cold thing leapt upward straddlin’ the door’s beam.  Her husband quick as a flash, rushed beneath and bolted the door shut tight.  He stayed inside in his wife’s arms until the dawn hoping that the tannasg would nae come inside the cottage. They let the candle burn all the night and Jock never again left his house past sunset.”

Claire sighed as Jamie finished speaking. “Did they find the cow?” she queried, keen to know the fate of the lost kine.

With a raised eyebrow he answered, “Oh, aye they did.  The next morning, they found the poor beast wi’ her hooves all clogged wi’ mud and stones. It was staring mad and frothy about the muzzle.  Her sides were heavin’ fit to burst. Jock said that she looked as though she’d been ridden tae Hell and back.”

“Jesus H Roosevelt Christ!” Claire exclaimed imagining the visual of what had happened to the poor cow.

Jamie glanced at his wife to see her reaction to his tale.  “Did ye like it?”

“Like it? … I loved it Jamie. It kept me in suspense all the way through.”

“Thank ye Sassenach.  I’m glad ye liked it,” he replied very pleased with himself.

PART 2 … Halloween Addams Family style. 🎃 

“So, what about you Claire? Do ye have a tale tae tell as well?”

“As a matter of fact, I do Jamie, and when I’ve caught my breath, I will tell you something about Halloween from the future. My tale will not be as scary as your story of Jock MacBride though,” she replied with a cheeky twinkle in her eye. “In fact, it is about something that you might find hard to wrap your head around.”

Intrigued with his wife’s words, Jamie sat back in his chair and waited for her to begin. With a curl of his lip and a sparkle in his eye he asked, “And what might that be Sassenach?”

“Television.”

His brow furrowed in thought and Jamie raised an eyebrow a little perplexed as he glanced at Claire. “Television? … Hmmph?” He tapped his fingers against his thigh in concentration and ran the word slowly over his tongue as if savouring a new morsel of information, he didn’t quite know enough about. “Television ye say.”  He looked at Claire again in earnest anticipation and waited for her to explain.

“Oh dear…” she sighed. “Where to begin?”  Collecting her thoughts on how to explain this invention to her husband, Claire finally had an idea.  “Remember when you rescued me from the Witch Trial and I told you I was from the future?”

“Aye, I remember mo ghràidh.”

“Well this is another one of those things from the future too. It is something from my time. You've never heard of it. No one here has, that is except for Bree and Roger.”

He grinned at her statement of the obvious.  “Well then, I may not understand it a bit, not yet, but I trust ye.  I trust yer word; yer heart and there is a truth between us. So ... whatever you tell me ... I will believe ye, Sassenach.  Tell me more.”

Claire bit her lip before she spoke. “Do you also remember the photographs I brought back to show you of Brianna?”

Jamie made a small inarticulate sound, “Aye I remember.”  

He remembered all too well Claire taking a small packet from her clothing, to show him the photographs of their beloved daughter Brianna, a fine boned, and delicate replica of himself.  He looked up at his wife wondering what the correlation may be with the photographs and this television.

“Well television is those pictures brought to life.”

He remembered how he had splayed his hand out over the photographs, with trembling fingers not quite touching the shiny surface. How was it possible that pictures could be brought to life? He was a little perplexed.

“Television is a machine with a small screen that shows moving pictures and sounds.  They were commonplace in many households in Boston during the 60’s and we had one too. The word "television" comes from the words …”

But before she could finish what she wanted to say Jamie butted in with his knowledge of the Greek language.

“Tele is the Greek word for far away, and vision would mean sight.”

A smile softened her lips, “Yes, that’s right.”

He shook his head in disbelief when Claire described something so unfathomable that it was hard to believe some such machine existed. He didn't understand it all, but he listened.   Claire had risked bringing the photographs of Brianna through the stones and thus brought something of the 20th century into the 18th century. However, although still a little mystified, nothing she had told him about the future fazed him now and he believed her despite how inconceivable what she was saying could be.

“Television was used for family entertainment and we would sit around in our parlour and watch the screen.” Claire’s voice was animated when she next spoke.  “There was a program on the television that you would have loved Jamie, called The Addams Family.  Brianna and I loved that show.”

He grinned.  “I would verra much have liked to see this television program too Sassenach.” If they loved it, he knew he would love it too.

“They were not your typical family; they took delight in most of the things of which normal people would be terrified.  They were kooky and eccentric but they were a very close-knit, extended family.”

“Ah, so just like us here on Fraser’s Ridge Sassenach,” he replied giving her a huge, big smile.

“Yes, I guess, but there was one difference though Jamie, they had decidedly macabre interests and supernatural abilities.”

He balked at that. “Oh, indeed they wouldna fit in well in this time then.  People believe in witches and things that go bump in the night, but they wouldna understand them at all.  They would have their heads on a pike before ye could count tae ten.”

Although Claire nodded in agreement at what her husband was saying for that was exactly what had happened to her.  As he spoke, she was momentarily distracted with thoughts of what had happened in Cranesmuir at the Witch Trial when she was tried and convicted of witchcraft.  

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

People’s superstitions of anything they didn’t quite understand, especially a person like her was met with fear for they thought her a witch. At the trial, the crowd was baying for blood and wanted to burn her at the stake, and had Jamie not rescued her, that would have been her fate. Nonetheless, he was a little skeptical as well because he’d seen the “devil’s mark” on her arm too. He had calmly asked if she was a witch, because what she had told him was far-fetched. His face throughout her admission was inscrutable and he’d sighed, then smiled ruefully down at her. She remembered their conversation well,

“Claire, are ye a witch?”

“I’m not a witch. Do you really believe me, Jamie?”

“Aye, I believe ye, Sassenach. But it would ha’ been a good deal easier if you’d only been a witch.”

“And if I were? If you had thought I were a witch? Would you still have fought for me?”

“I would have gone to the stake with you, and to hell beyond, if I must!”

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

“Claire? … Claire?” Jamie said a little louder as she had been quiet for so long that he was a little concerned for where her mind must have gone, but on reflection it was probably to the Witch Trial when he’d rescued her and she had told him she was from the future.

“Oh, I’m sorry Jamie, I lost my train of thought there for a moment.”

“Nae matter … So, mo chridhe, ye were saying?”

Claire let her husband’s endearment wash over her. Jamie was always so attuned to her feelings and giving him a tentative smile, continued to explain about the Addams family members. “Their mother and uncle lived with them and their children, plus they had a 7-foot-tall butler …  their man servant called Lurch, and a disembodied hand that lived in a box called Thing.”

Jamie shook his head, as what Claire was saying was becoming more fanciful, but he kept an open mind as she described more.

“The husband, Gomez Addams was an extremely wealthy man and was able to indulge his wife Morticia's every desire, whether it was cultivation of poisonous plants or a candlelit dinner in a graveyard.”

He raised his eyebrow again at this piece of information. “That sounds verra interesting,” he murmured somewhat amazed.

Claire smiled indulgently at her love. “You are very much like him.  He was very romantic and he was madly in love with his wife and loved her to distraction.”

“As do I you, mo ghràidh,” before adding, “I think I should like this Gomez fellow.”

She beamed at him once more as Jamie seemed pleased as punch at what he had just said.  

He then blessed himself.  “A Dhia!  But … I willna have dinner wi’ ye in a graveyard, mo luaidh even wi’ candlelight,” he muttered under his breath. He chuckled at the thought of that idea, especially after having just told her the story of the tannasg who had come out of his tomb.  No, he could not come at doing that.

“I agree. I don’t think I would like to do that either, but Gomez and Morticia did. They also had pet names for each other, Jamie.”

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

His ears pricked up once more when she said this, knowing that his Claire had several endearing names that he called her.  He sighed his voice a little raspy, “Aye, I do that too Sassenach.”

Her smile was soft and dreamy for the loving man she had married, then she told him some extra information. “Despite what I have just said, this television show was very entertaining and so amusing. It had unconventional humour, sex appeal, the breaking and questioning of the conventions of conformity at the time, as well as looking at the world in a unique, offbeat frame of mind.”

“Well then, tell me more mo muirninn. I am an educated man as ye ken, and I can see that perhaps these Addams people were different but nae different from our family. Do they have something tae do wi’ Halloween then?”

“Oh indeed. Halloween was their favourite time of the year and they would bob for crabs instead of apples as most people would do. You see, they were not a conventional family.  They dressed differently to everyone else, they were weird looking and they had peculiar idiosyncrasies.  They even lived near a cemetery at 0001 Cemetery Lane in an ornate, gloomy mansion.”  

Jamie poured himself a whisky this time and laughed as her descriptions of this family were getting more and more unusual.  He refilled Claire’s cup as well and handed it to her, then sat back in his chair to hear more.

“Oh, Jamie I wish that you could have seen it.  You would have loved all the characters but particularly Gomez Addams.  Bree and I would laugh so much. They were so funny.”

Claire paused a little as if thinking about something she remembered then looking at her husband with a mischievous expression on her face asked, “Jamie?  Can you click your fingers?  Like this?” She then demonstrated a click! click! sound.

“I may not be able tae wink, but I can click my fingers ye ken Sassenach.”

She began to set the scene for her tale of the Addams Family. “Well then … Every time I say … da-da-da-da … you click your fingers okay?”

“Okay, I can do that mo nighean donn.”

“I will sing you the theme song that would play when the television show came on screen but I’m going to replace their family name with ours, however, … the da-da-da-da was really played on a harpsichord, but I’m going to improvise.”  

Claire grinned at her love and saw that Jamie was prepared and a little excited to know more of the Halloween tale she was about to unleash on him. “Are ye ready?”

“Always.”

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

“Da-da-da-da” … click! click!

“Da-da-da-da” … click! click!

“Da-da-da-da, Da-da-da-da, Da-da-da-da” … click! click

 Claire repeated the chorus … as Jamie was thoroughly enjoying himself while getting into the swing of things with gusto.

 “Da-da-da-da” … click! click!

“Da-da-da-da” … click! click!

“Da-da-da-da, Da-da-da-da, Da-da-da-da” … click! click

“They're creepy and they're kooky. Mysterious and spooky. They're altogether together ookey. The Fraser Family.

The house is a museum. When people come to see 'em. They really are a scre-am. The Fraser Family.

“Da-da-da-da” … click! click!

Neat

“Da-da-da-da” … click! click!

Sweet

“Da-da-da-da, Da-da-da-da, Da-da-da-da” … click! click

Petite

So, get a witch's shawl on. A broomstick you can crawl on. We're going to pay a call on. The Fraser Family.

 They both fell back against their chairs laughing out loud as Claire finished the theme song and Jamie clicked the refrain part with enthusiasm.

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

“I see what ye meant earlier Sassenach, so, tell me more about the husband Gomez and his wife Morticia.”

“Gomez was the patriarch of the family, just like you Jamie.  He was a very dashing man who loved to wear pinstriped suits.”

She saw his puzzled look and explained.  “Clothing was very different in the 60’s to what it is now, but he was as dashing as you were in Paris.  Suits are a two-piece garment, long breeks and a jacket cut to the hip, made from the same material and worn together.  Gomez Addams smoked cigars and had a very quirky moustache. I’ll ask Brianna to draw you some pictures of the family if you like.”

Jamie nodded in reply to her statement for he loved the drawings Brianna did, and although he could picture them in his imagination, seeing a picture of the family would make them really come to life.

Claire knew that her husband would relish this next piece of information.  “He adored Morticia and would call her Cara Mia, Querida, Querida Mia, Tish, or Cara Bella.”

“Hmmph? … Querida is Spanish for "the woman I desire.”  I can relate tae that Sassenach,” Jamie replied with a sharp look that made her heart skip a little beat.   “I see now why ye think we are alike,” he proclaimed with a penetrating gleam in his eye. “And his wife?”

“She was very beautiful with long flowing, straight, raven coloured hair. Morticia was described as a witch; she was slim, with extremely pale skin.”

“A witch ye say? … a Dhia Claire! … It’s just like people called you because of yer healing powers.  I am seeing more parallels here … Querida,” he added in that sexy voice that always thrilled her.

Claire nearly lost her train of thought when her husband called her Querida and she bit her lip in response to the endearment once more. “Stop interrupting me James Fraser, I’m trying to tell you my Halloween story.”

“Duilich … Sorry Sassenach, but I am just imagining the things ye are saying just like you saw on the … television. Tell me more about this Morticia Addams.”

“Her black dress matched her hair and it was skin tight and figure hugging with a fringe of octopus-like cloth "tentacles" at the lower hem that pooled around her feet.”

“That’s quite an outfit you have on there lady?” one of the robbers said to her Jamie.

“I always wear this for Halloween.”

“Looks great.  Real good for Halloween,” he replied thinking that she was wearing a costume but it was her actual clothing.

“Is that so?  Anything else …Tish?” Jamie grinned cheekily doing a mental checklist of the romantic names Gomez had called his wife.

“Morticia could easily excite her husband by speaking French and other languages. Her pet names for him were Bubula, Mon Cherie and Querido.”

“Ah,  Querido, the Spanish word for "the man I desire."  I like that too Claire.  Ye can call me that at any time my … Cara Mia.”

She blushed a little more at another one of Morticia’s pet names her husband had called her and felt a hot flush warm her cheeks.

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

“So, Sassenach tell me about the Halloween story ye and Brianna loved watching on yer television about the Addams Family.”

“Well Gomez received a new carving knife in the mail and used it to carve out a pumpkin with the face of his Uncle Fester on it for Halloween. They would put a candle in it to light it up at night and the face would shine through the holes in the Jack-o-lantern. This is very common in the future and people in Boston would put their carved pumpkins on their doorsteps at Halloween.  It was a fun thing to do and they would also decorate their houses with ghoulish things.”

“‘Tis similar to Samhain too Claire but people use turnips. I guess a pumpkin would be easier tae carve though,” he proclaimed. “Tell me more.”

“Their children, Wednesday and Pugsley, dressed up and went trick or treating with their Grandmama for sweets and treats that they would collect from their neighbours.  While they were out two robbers who were escaping from the police … took refuge in the Addams family garden.  Thinking they were their Halloween guests, they were invited inside for a Halloween party but unfortunately, they tried to steal money from the family instead of enjoying their hospitality. When they saw inside their spooky house they exclaimed,  

“You folks sure don’t hold back on Halloween.”

“It’s our favourite holiday.”

Then Gomez said, “Gentlemen come here and I’ll give you a treat.  Open your bag. They didn’t want to show him what was in there because it had the stolen money in it.”

“What happened next Claire?”  Jamie asked thinking this story of the future was a little bizarre but extremely interested in her Halloween story of a show she had watched on television.

“Now, now, there’s nothing to be scared of, I think it’s kind of heart-warming that adults get into the Halloween spirit, and when Gomez opened their bag, he found it was full of money, and he assumed that their neighbours had given them cash for a Trick or Treat. He took out several hundreds of dollars from an open drawer and gave it to them. The robbers’ eyes widened with surprise and decided to hatch a plan to steal all the money and their valuables from them.”

“Did the Addams’ ken they were planning tae steal their valuables?”

“No, they were in the kitchen getting refreshments, and whilst Morticia was stirring the punch, her husband Gomez became quite amorous towards her.”

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

This story now was just getting more fascinating for James Fraser by the minute.  He smiled at his Claire and asked a little provocatively, “Tell me more Sassenach. What did he do … in the kitchen?”

She was a little tongue tired especially with the way the man she desired was looking at her, but she ventured on regardless to how her insides were all fluttering with tingling feelings that she felt to the very core of her being. When Jamie was in this amorous mood, she was putty in his hands. How was she ever going to tell him what happened next, she thought, but she did.

“When Morticia called him “Bubula … darling” … he took her hand in both of his and kissed it before caressing each finger with his lips beginning at the little pinkie, then the ring finger, and then each other finger after that, until her whole hand had been caressed. It was something he always did.”

Jamie’s eyes were smouldering.  “How did she react tae that ... Querida?” he murmured with a little raspy grunt.

She took a deep breath before continuing. “Morticia swooned at the attention her husband was giving her and replied … When we are together darling, every night is Halloween.”  

Claire was starting to swoon a little herself. She was feeling a little hot and bothered, and bit her lip as Jamie’s gaze washed over her with intent, but she continued with her story.  Her husband knew exactly what he was doing with the way he was looking at her, and he couldn’t be more interested in what would Gomez Addams do next. Jamie hung on each word that came out of her mouth.

“Go on … Sass-en-ach.”

Her mouth was getting a little dry, so Claire took a wee sip of her whisky to also compose herself before she went on with her tale.

“Then while his arm was around her waist, and holding out her arm, Gomez slowly ran his lips up the length of it, kissing across the back of her neck … her shoulder, then down her back and …”

“Aye?  And … then what?”

“The punch exploded!”

Jamie couldn’t help himself.  He was not expecting Claire to say that, and doubling over in mirth, he burst out laughing as too did she.  The happy, raucous sound echoed in his throat and their combined laughter loudly resonated in the room.  

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

However, James Fraser suddenly stopped laughing.  

Looking up, Claire saw the explicit intent in her husband’s eyes that always made her catch her breath. She watched; eyes fixated on her virile man as he rose from his chair and made his way over to where she was sitting. Jamie was now standing in front of her chair.  He reached out his hand towards her, then placing her hand in his grasp, he slowly pulled Claire up and out of the chair until she was but a hair’s breath away from him.  She could feel the solidness of her husband’s chest.

“So, mo nighean donn, what happened tae the robbers?”

“I … ahh, … I … don’t re-member,” she mumbled, tripping over her words as Jamie’s penetrating gaze held her eyes captive with a look that had her feeling quite breathless.

Claire could feel the warmth of his breath as her love quietly spoke seductively against her lips. “I see … Well then ... What were ye sayin’ about what Gomez Addams was doing tae his wife … Sass-en-ach?”

Lost in the suggestive look that Jamie was bestowing on her, Claire Fraser found it difficult to breathe let alone speak as she felt the gentle but scorching touch of lips brushing against her own.

“Ahhh … Ahhh …” she murmured incoherently. “He kissed … her hand.”

“What? … Like this?”

Placing his arm around Claire’s waist, Jamie held out her right arm and proceed to place warm, fervent kisses to the top of her hand before trailing them down to her little pinkie finger.

“Ye-yes…” she purred closing her eyes in the bliss of his seduction.

Soft, warm lips lathed the small digit before continuing on to her ring finger.  His lips started at the tip of her fingernail drawing it into his mouth before releasing her finger. His tongue then skimmed up and over her knuckle to where his wedding ring, a silver band with a small thistle bloom carved in the centre of each intertwined Highland pattern, lay nestled against her skin. Jamie’s lips hovered over the ring, stopping as his eyes observed his token of love on his Sassenach's finger. Jamie hesitated for a moment, then bent his head over it, his lips barely brushing over her knuckles once more before they touched the silver ring and stopped there for one moment of remembrance.

At the same time, suddenly Claire’s thoughts returned to that day in the hospital recalling when Frank had tried to twist it off her finger and the panic that she’d felt.  The guttural sound she’d made was heart wrenching and she’d jerked her hand away and cradled it, fisted, beneath her breast cupped in her left hand.

“I never took it off …  mon Cherie,” she whispered, the love in her voice caressing Jamie’s ears as much as his lips had caressed her hand.

This ring was special to her and she had never taken it off even over the twenty years they had been parted.  During those long, aching years of separation, it was one of her very, very few tangible reminders of Jamie. The Latin phrase that he’d engraved inside her wedding ring was a brief quotation from a love song by Catullus, and she had recited it so many, many times just thinking of her love when she closed her eyes at night.

Jamie’s lips found and touched the silver ring once more before his tongue slid from one side of the ring to the other. His ring which she wore on this finger since the day they had wed was special to him. It was his ultimate love token to the woman who had stolen his heart from the very moment he had laid eyes on her at Samhain time.  This ring spoke to him and was a reaffirmation of how solid was their love and how strong their bond was.

Her eyes were closed, and Claire knew without looking, that Jamie’s were, as well.

“Da Mi Basia Mille, diende centum, dein mille altera, dein secunda centum …” he murmured, smiling before opening his eyes to stare piercingly at his love as he translated the Latin.  “Then let amorous kisses dwell on our lips, begin and tell, a thousand and a hundred score, a hundred …”

Claire’s eyes blurred with tears. Placing her hand at the nape of Jamie’s neck, she fisted it in his glorious red hair, slowly twisting the curls between her fingers. "Dein mille altera … then give me a thousand more,” she uttered breathlessly clearing her throat.  

He brushed away the tear that had trickled down her cheek with his finger, but two more welled up and overflowed; she felt them, full and round, roll down her cheeks.

This poignant romantic moment of remembrance between them was suddenly so overwhelming, that she felt her eyes well up once again. The reality of the power of their love and connection made the fictional one between Gomez Addams and his wife Morticia pale in comparison.  Perhaps the show she had watched when back in the future was a reminder to her of who she missed terribly and how much she missed so achingly the sensuous kisses that her beloved husband had given her.  Suddenly, she was overcome with emotion as Jamie continued to display his amorous kisses to her hand.

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

However, he soon sensed that his Claire was feeling wistful.

“Cl-aire?” Jamie’s voice was gentle and his utterance of her name, spoken in tenderness, nearly made her break down again.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Are ye okay mo ghràidh?  What’s the matter?  Am I not doin’ this right, like Gomez Addams?”

“Oh, Jamie, … You are doing this … so much better … than he ever could my love.”

Slowly he drew her close to him, taking both hands and holding their linked fingers just under his breast to where Claire could feel his heart beating in his chest. Jamie held his love close for a quiet moment and kissed the top of her head as it lay nestled against him.  Placing his finger under her chin, he lifted Claire’s face up to his, then cupping her beautiful cheeks with exquisite gentleness, he set his mouth on hers.

“I like yer Halloween story verra much mo ghràidh, in fact I like it sae much that I think we could … continue it in our bedroom.  What say ye … Querida Mia?” … He kissed his wife’s cheek … “Cara Bella,” … and then her other special name … “Sor-cha,” … Jamie muttered against Claire’s lips before trailing them down her throat in an assault that had her losing consciousness in his arms.

“Per-haps … we … could …” was her garbled reply spoken against his hot mouth as she wound her arms around her husband’s neck. Her eyes glazed over with emotion for this wonderful man as she succumbed to the sweet surrender of his embrace.  Jamie’s eyes too were shining with passion as he lifted Claire up into his arms and carried his love into their bedroom.

“This has been a verra good night Sassenach and one I think could be repeated each Samhain.”

“I approve … Querido,” she murmured seductively against his ear and cupping his cheek with her hand.

Touching foreheads, Jamie’s lips hovered over hers and he smiled with such a wicked look that Claire couldn’t help but smile too knowing that whatever came out of her husband’s mouth would be something profound.  However, she was not expecting his reply with the phrase Morticia Addams had spoken on the television program.

“When we are together darling … every night is Halloween. Now, I want to take ye to bed, and I mean to spend the rest of the night thinking what to do to ye once I’ve got ye there.”  

Then James Fraser proceeded to demonstrate the many ways that this Fraser husband showed his wife how he would seduce her every night … but twice on Samhain and Halloween.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The End

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

 The Addams Family Theme - Vic Mizzy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ5IWRz78DY

 Halloween with the Addams family (full episode)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LavY2K3-Vhs

 Endearment Translations:

Claire Fraser

mo chridhe - my heart

mo muirninn - my darling

mo luaidh - my darling, my dear.

a leannan - sweetheart, or beautiful woman

Sorcha – brightness

mo ghràidh – darling

mo nighean donn - my brown-haired lass

 Morticia Addams

Cara Mia - my beloved

Cara Bella – pretty face

Querida - the woman I desire.

Querida Mia – beloved

Tish – strong willed

 Gomez Addams

Bubula – sweetheart

Mon Cherie - dear heart, my dear love.

Querido - dear

#samhain #halloween #James Fraser #clairefraser #the addams family #2020 #the lallybroch library #outlander fanfic

[betweensceneswriter]

The Madame, Part 6: La Rousse (The Redhead)

Previously:  Part 5: The Smugglers

The channel crossing to France brings nausea and memories…

The Madame: Table of Contents

Book 2 of Second Wife.  Jamie has left Laoghaire to find work in Edinburgh with Fergus.  Multi-viewpoint.  Lots of Claire memories.

Book 1–Second Wife

Mme Jeanne,

   Bonjour from your homeland.  We return a fortnight hence, bringing many lovely Guests with us.  We hope you will have Quarters for our Visitors, about thirty in all--five of Whom are to stay with you permanently, and the others to find Homes of their own.  We expect to reach your Establishment on the evening of the sixth and after a long Journey the Ladies will be weary.  We are hoping that you can have several discreet Gentlemen meet us to help us Escort them to their lodgings quickly.

    Now that you are prepared for those Guests, I beg that you may Prepare a room in the Garret for an additional Member of our party.  Elle n'a que onze ans--she is but eleven years of age, and is not to join your Jeune fille.  I simply need lodgings for her for the one Night, and then I intend to Travel on to the North to reunite her with her Family.  

Mr. Malcolm

He shouldn't have gone there. La Hopital de Angles’ brought up too many painful memories.

But it was right next to the chapel and the little graveyard where Faith was buried, and Jamie wanted to visit her… for Claire’s sake, certainly, but also for his own heart.

He was alone, as he had left Lesley, Hayes, and Fergus at Cousin Jared’s home.  

Jared was in his mid-seventies now--gray-haired and shrunken--and still a shrewd businessman. Despite Jamie’s letter requesting a kind bargain, it had taken quite some haggling to bring Jared down to a price at which they might actually turn a profit. Having finally agreed, though, now he only needed to secure the ship for their return voyage. The men had asked for the afternoon off, and he had consented, knowing he had solo plans of his own.

As he entered the cemetery, he took a deep breath.  

He felt guilty in Paris. Before Claire, guilt wasn't an emotion he much bothered himself with.  Growing up, he had always gone to confession with a spring in his step and a half-smile on his face.  On long travels as young men he and Ian had often amused themselves by debating which of the sins was most severe --which would keep them out of God’s favor or make the Blessed Virgin turn her back on them. 

Impure thoughts and self abuse were only venial sins--they would weaken the soul, but not kill the grace within.  Fornication, however, was a mortal sin--and that had been enough to keep Jamie from visiting the brothels like the other mercenaries did when they were fighting in France. 

Depending on the circumstances, killing another man could be a mortal sin.  But killing was a necessary evil at times in order for a man to protect his family.

A man might feel defending his honor was worth that necessary evil, Jamie thought with a shudder, but he must count the cost before allowing his pride to determine his actions. 

It was precisely that consideration that brought him such guilt in Paris. He had not counted the cost all those years ago when he had challenged Jack Randall to a duel even over Claire’s desperate objections.   To protect his own honor he had broken his wife’s heart--in essence murdering his first born--and then kept himself locked away while a bereft Claire had needed him after Faith was delivered stillborn.  

Jamie looked around the graveyard. Why had he come here? He could never recite enough Our Fathers and Hail Marys to assuage himself of this guilt. Nevertheless, he had come.

With one more sigh, Jamie stepped through the gate and walked toward his own broken heart.

Some of the grave markers were grand sarcophagi, white marble carved into the form of bowing angels, the Virgin Mother, or a patron Saint.  However, the grave marker he sought was humble, flat to the earth, hidden toward the rear near a copse of trees.

Jamie sat down when he reached Faith's gravestone.  He traced the name with his finger.

“Wee Faith,” he murmured aloud. ”I have thought about ye much since yer ma and I left France…”

He took a deep breath, gazing across the grassy expanse as if he could see through time.  “She said your hair… was a red halo... about your wee face.” With a hiccup of a laugh, Jamie shook his head sorrowfully, a smile playing about his lips. “For that I'm sorry,” he said seriously, patting the marble reassuringly, “No wee lassie should be saddled with orange hair.” He sighed, looking down at the stone, again running a finger gently over the carved letters. “I wish you had had dark curly hair, like your ma.  She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.” He furrowed his forehead. “Dinna fash yerself, though. My step daughter Joanie has red hair, and she is precious to me despite it.”

He shook his head.  He wasn't doing this very well.

“I came here, Faith,” he finally choked out, “to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for my stubbornness, for my pride. I have done my penance, truly I have.  For I sent your ma and wee baby brother away through the stones to keep them safe.  It broke my heart, but I did it. I learned my lesson too late to spare you, but I spared them the pain of the years after the Rising.  I even kept myself hidden away at Lallybroch to keep the rest of my family safe. For seven years, mind. Seven years alone. Seven years to be sorry for it all.”

Jamie closed his eyes, for a moment feeling the devastating desolation of those years—all the years he spent in silence—so much time to rehearse in his mind what he would have done differently had he been able to do it all again. 

“Since you, wee lassie, I have not spared myself at the expense of another.  I turned myself in and went to Ardsmuir to keep yer Auntie Jenny and Uncle Ian and their wee bairnies safe. And I stayed at Helwater as long as I could to watch over... your brother Willie.”

Jamie cleared his throat, taking a ragged breath.

“Will you forgive me, lass, for not protecting you? I didna put you and… Claire… above myself, and that was a terrible mistake.”

As if in answer to his question, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the nearest tree, making them dance in a way that drew Jamie's eyes upward.

It was at that exact moment that Jamie saw the flash of red.

He shook his head and looked down, certain the tears in his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But when he looked up again, the red hair was still there.

A small girl, thin as a wraith, was picking her way through the graveyard.  She was dressed in ragged gray clothing which made the nosegay in her hand and her fiery hair stand out even more vividly.

She did not see him. He wondered for a moment if she was a spirit.  He believed in the afterlife, and Claire had appeared to him often enough.  But he had never seen…

“Faith…” He breathed in a whisper.

But then he noticed that her eyes were focused on a plot of freshly turned earth some yards to the north of him. He could almost see her tremble--from cold or sorrow, he didn't know.

“Maman,” the child whispered, falling to her knees, laying the bouquet gently down.  

Her red curls spilled over her shoulders, obscuring her face.  She wasn't the correct age, but he had to know.  He stood slowly, so as not to frighten her.

“Petite fille,” he said quietly, “comment tu t'appelles?”  She looked up at him, her eyes swimming.

“What did ye say?” she asked. Her accent was Scots.

“What is your name, child?” He asked again.

She spoke so quietly that he couldn't hear her well.

“Martha?” He asked.

“No,” she said, clearer now.  “Maitha.”

He reached a hand toward her, and she shrunk back as if afraid.

“Keep yer hands from me,” she said firmly. “I amna starving.  I am no’ for sale.” Her voice quavered despite the brave jut of her chin.

“Your parents called you Maitha?” he asked again.  “Aye,” she agreed.  “I dinna ken who my da is. But my Gran--she's from Aberfeldy.  And she wrote and told me ma to name me Maitheanas.” She lifted her chin proudly. “And when I'm old enough and have enough money I shall travel to be wi’ my family in Scotland.”

“Maitheanas?” Jamie repeated.  He felt a tremble deep in his gut at the word. “Do ye ken, child, what maitheanas means in the Gàidhlig?” 

“Of course,” the little lass said, a hint of pride lifting her chin. “Me mam loved to tell that story.  For it meant a lot to her, coming from me Gran after she had run away from home wi’ me da.”  

She was leaving now, confidently tossing the information over her shoulder.  “Of course I ken what me own name means. Maitheanas means... forgiven.” 

#Eek! It's been almost a year! #Feeling the urge to write #Second Wife #The Madame #Outlander fanfic #Canon-consistent #Jamie #Claire #Outlander #angst! #betweensceneswriter

[rockislandadultreads]

Start a new series on audiobook; here’s a list of firsts in popular book series. Available now! 

Summaries & Ratings from Goodreads.com

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

(A Witchcraft Mystery #1)

3.89/5

Lily Ivory is not your average witch. Her spell-casting powers tend to draw mischievous spirits while keeping normal humans at a distance. But now her vintage clothing store could give her a chance to make friends in San Francisco....

Lily hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion -she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry—her store becomes a big hit.

But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy—especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

(Outlander #1)

4.23/5

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

(Delirium #1)

3.97/5

In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn't about to make the same mistake.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the "Wilds" who lives under the government's radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

(Southern Reach #1)

3.7/5

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition. The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day

(Crossfire #1)

4.18/5

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness. He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily.

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

(All Souls Trilogy #1)

4/5

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

#mystery #romance #science fiction #fantasy #fiction #historical fiction #audiobooks #book recommendations #book recs #bookish #series #book series #highly rated #librarybooks #library books #reading recommendations

[spn-meanttobe]

Spn Meant To Be Masterlist - 2016

Here is the roundup from the last spn_meanttobe challenge! The entries were wonderful and stay tuned for details regrading a brand new challenge coming this way soon!

RPS

Title: Butterfly in a Glass case Author: all_the_damned Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 5K+ Warnings: dollification, spanking, rimming, indentured servitude, prostitution, BDSM, dubious consent/non-con, hurt/comfort, mental atrophy, body modification, control collars Prompt: "Captured": Lifelong best friends James Laird and Lola Caraway are reunited when Lola moves to LA after college. Lola is starting her new life, new job, and a new romance with a successful lawyer--a relationship which forces James to question the nature of his feelings for Lola.James has always been a master at pleasuring women, so it was an easy transition to play a Master on-screen in a series of BDSM videos which have brought him fame and the promise of a lucrative career. The films have also brought him the attention of hardcore producer Eva Satana, who wants James to be a ruthless Dominant -for real- in her brutal and extreme BDSM scenes.James soon finds himself caught in a contract he cannot break and compelled by threats to the woman who's stood by him through everything.Summary: When you’re a doll, there’s not much to do other than dream. Jared can barely remember a time when he wasn’t a doll. On the best and worst days, he gets to be with Jensen. Link to fic: Ao3 (Must be logged in to read) Title: Can a Girl Ever Have Too Many Cowboys? Artist: beelikej Pairing: Danneel/Jeff/Jensen/Jared Rating: PG-13 Medium: Photoshop Warnings: Polymory Prompt: 33. The Trouble With Texas CowboysNo sooner does pint-sized spitfire Jill Cleary set foot on Fiddle Creek Ranch than she finds herself in the middle of a hundred-year-old feud. Quaid Brennan and Tyrell Gallagher are both tall, handsome, and rich...and both are courting Jill to within an inch of her life. She's doing her best to give these feuding ranchers equal time-too bad it's dark-eyed Sawyer O'Donnell who makes her blood boil and her hormones hum.Link to art: LiveJournal Title: Home of the present Author: crimsonepitaph Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: R Word Count: 32K Warnings: language, mentions of depression Prompt: A man in need of a comeback…A woman in need of love. Off the court, tennis star Jason Cartwright's playboy image is taking a public beating. On the court, he's down forty-love. A comeback is in order, but the makeover he needs is in the hands of the woman he loved and left fifteen years ago. While single-mom, Izzy Connors, sees people for who they really are through the lens of her camera, even without it, she knows Jason isn't the star he appears to be. All she sees is his wasted talent and playboy lifestyle. Will the click of her camera shatter his world as well as his heart? Summary: Jared Padalecki is a failing tennis legend striving for a comeback. Jensen Ackles is the unwitting photographer co-opted in the makeover project, a biography meant to change the game. Single dad, definitely not a fan of Padalecki's, and a cynical human being in general, Jensen takes the job out of necessity, and gears for a year long charade. But what happens when Jensen discovers more than he signed up for - not just about Padalecki, but about himself?Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: Jensen's Choice Author: zara_zee Artist: amberdreams Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 44K Warnings: Kidnapping, violence, torture, minor character deaths, dubious consent*, rough sex, light kink (bondage, spanking, edging/orgasm delay,cock cage, slight D/s), crime, discussions of child abuse, smoking, drug use, addict in recovery, bad language and homophobic insults.*For the purposes of a dark romance, I’ll say dubious consent, however it should be noted that in the beginning, Jared has all the power and Jensen’s consent is definitely coerced. In the real world, I would classify that as rape. On the whole many unhealthy attitudes to consent are conveyed here.Prompt: An ex-pool hustler must fight her attraction to a sinful, sexy biker when she's kidnapped by the Dragons MC and sold to the club's Vice-President. Summary: Seven years ago talented pool hustler Jensen Ackles fled LA for his home state of Texas—with a price on his head and HellSpawn MC on his tail. Now, Jensen’s past has finally caught up with him. His debt has been bought out by the Vice-President of HellSpawn, Jared Padalecki, who expects Jensen to satisfy his dark sexual appetites. But even worse than life as the VP’s beck-and-call boy is the very real possibility that Jensen just might be falling for the sinfully sexy biker. Link to fic: on LiveJournal Link to art: on LiveJournal Title: Pranking the Padalecki Author: whiskygalore Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 9K Warnings: younger Jensen, older Jared, spanking, bad language, schmoop with a happy ending Prompt: The Brat Next Door Tessa Randall has loved playing practical jokes on her brother's best friend, Trace Samuels, for as long as she can remember. But when she pushes him too far one day, she finds herself getting her long-overdue comeuppance over his lap. When Trace follows this treatment with a kiss, Tessa's confused emotions take an unexpected twist. Has she been menacing the boy next door her whole life, just to get closer to him? Has it been her motive all along to simply get his attention? And if so, where does she go now that she unquestionably has it? Summary: Jensen Ackles has loved pranking his brother’s best friend, Jared Padalecki, for almost as long as he can remember. But when he pushes Jared too far one day and finds himself on the wrong end of a spanking, Jensen lets slip a secret that might change things forever.Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: Up Against Your Will Author: amypond45 Pairing: Jared/Jensen, past Jared/Genevieve, past Jensen/others Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 17K Warnings: reference to past rape/abuse (not graphic or specific) Prompt: Blind Wolf: Julia has never been on a date in her life. She's a curvy girl with no money, no education, and no way out of the town she works in as a library assistant... until Damien shows up. He's just like the prince charming Julia always imagined would sweep her off of her feet. There are just a few things standing in the way of true happiness: he's blind, he's dating someone, and he's WAY out of her league. Oh, and he's a werewolf. Damien lost his eyes two years ago in a wolf battle. Ever since then, the straggler pack of disabled wolves he leads has been searching for a place to call home. One house seems like the perfect choice, but Damien realizes too late that the person who lives there is the girl he met at the library. The human girl. Damien is torn between loyalty to his pack and raw lusting desire for the girl who haunts his dreams day and night. She's a human. How could she be his true mate? Summary: Jensen wasn’t planning to rent out the apartment in his basement. But when a tall, handsome stranger offers him a deal he can’t refuse, Jensen puts aside his natural shyness and lets Jared move into his home. Now Jensen’s having intense dreams, hearing strange sounds in the night, and one day he sees a wolf in his backyard. Can Jensen regain his carefully ordered life (and his sanity) before it completely unravels? Or will he give in to his passion for the beautiful blind man with all the wildness in his heart? Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: Dead men do tell tales Author: siriala Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 18K Warnings: mildly creepy and supernatural stuff surrounding death (which is not made into a major issue in this fic), shady but friendly Chad, voyeurism, judgmental and mean people Prompt: Her Ladyship's CompanionIn the Scottish countryside of Selkirk, Lady Isabella Stirling resides at Bowhill Park, serving penance for a sin that nearly ruined her family. For five years she has been condemned to a loveless marriage and confined to the estate where she does little more than tend her rose garden. With her husband absent for months at a time and few visitors, Bella lives a lonely existence, denying the passions that burn within her very soul.Then her cousin comes for a visit and makes an outrageous suggestion: what Bella needs is a lover. A hired lover. Despite her need, Bella says no. But soon Mr. Gideon Rosedale arrives-and he is at her service for two weeks. Indulging in what she intends to be a harmless flirtation, Bella is overcome by Gideon's intoxicating presence. And when she at last permits him to satisfy her desires, she discovers she's done the unthinkable-she's fallen in love.Summary: Jared has been alone most of his life. Good thing dead people can't be picky when he talks to them. Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: The Roommate Author: ashtraythief Artist: beelikej Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 for fic, PG-13 for art Word Count: 12.6K Warnings: ummm… there’s porn? And description of unhygienic storage of clothes? Unhealthy amounts of cereal consumption? Idk, this is just really schmoopy and floofy. Prompt: One Night With Her RoommateEver since her former roommates deserted her, Meg has had to share an apartment with a lazy, obnoxious ass. He won’t pick up after himself, and he refuses to get a good job. Plus, he doesn’t always wear enough clothes—which is really a problem, because he’s hot. Maybe he’s occasionally funny. And every now and then he can be sweet. But mostly he’s just annoying. It doesn’t matter how much he’s starting to flirt with her—Meg is going to resist. She’s way too smart to fall for a guy who never takes anything seriously. But then everything changes in only one night.Summary: When Jared moves in with Jensen, Jensen’s life is turned upside down. Jared is a terrible roommate; messy, loud and entirely obnoxious. Unfortunately, he’s also pretty hot and even kinda nice when his socks aren’t clogging up the sink. Not that Jensen would ever do anything about that, because Jared is straight and a giant slob. Or so Jensen thinks. Link to fic: on Ao3 Link to art: on LiveJournal Title: My Wicked Pirate Artist: kinkajou Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: G Warnings: none Prompt: Azure-eyed Alanis was by far the most exquisite treasure ever claimed by the black pirate known as the Viper, but his motives went deeper than his silken promise to ravish the feisty Yorkshire heiress. Commanding the waters of the Caribbean was his means to an end: reclaiming his birthright—and his blood debt against those who had betrayed him.Then he gave her nights of wicked pleasure...Comfortably betrothed to a nobleman, Alanis never imagined the heady emotions involved in the true games of seduction—games this blackguard seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing with her. Swept up into an adventure that soon revealed a gentleman and kindred spirit beneath the ruthless veneer of a privateer, Alanis began to soften towards her enigmatic captor, as her pride and her heart fell under his erotic spell.Link to art: on Ao3 Title: After All This Time Author: safiyabat Artist: vilabelle Pairing: Jared/Jensen, Gen/Danneel, Jared/Stephen, J2DG Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 7K Warnings: Internalized homophobia, het sex, Chad Prompt: Kinky Neighbors: The Mitchells and the Harts have been next door neighbors and friends for the past year. They have loads in common; double incomes, professional careers, no kids...and a kinky streak. Now they're about to become very good friends...with kinky benefits. The sex between them all is hot, naughty, and unbearably exciting. It isn't merely swapping partners and moving to another room; it's true foursome sex, same room, same bed, all four involved. For Drew and Cat Mitchell and Logan and Alexis Hart, it's about barreling through boundaries none of them have ever crossed before, doing kinky things they've only fantasized about. But when they begin to exchange not just sex but emotional connection, the problems start; a little jealousy, feeling left out, wanting more from the wrong partner. Can two couples really share everything without losing it all? Summary: Jensen's a pretty happy guy. He's happily married to his hometown sweetheart, Danneel, and he's got a thriving law practice in Austin. He lives next door to his lifelong best friend, Jared, who is married to his and Danneel's girlfriend, Gen. When Danneel and Gen suggest bringing Jared into the bedroom, though, things get weird. Jensen thought Jared had gotten over his schoolboy crush on Jensen, but it turns out that Jared isn't the only one with lingering feelings.Link to fic: on LiveJournal Link to art: on LiveJournal Title: The Lost Author: phoenix1966 Artist: amberdreams Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 93K Warnings: swearing, murder (off-screen), violence, m/m, top!Jensen, bottom!Jared, bottom!Misha (offscreen) Prompt: Al King is a rock singer and selfish stud extraordinaire. His brother and manager, Paul King, gets Al whatever he wants and boy does he want a lot. Dallas is a former hooker gone beauty queen/actress. Everyone wants a piece of her and she plays hardball like the best of them. What happens when the plane they are on crashes in the middle of the Amazon jungle? Summary: Big screen star Jensen Ackles was on his way to Brazil to continue filming his latest project. He was glad to lose himself in the role and bury the pain of his broken heart by slipping on a stranger’s skin. Because of his manager’s twisted attempt to help, he found himself on a private jet with a high-class rent boy. Before he could figure out what to do with that, a bolt of lightning sent them tumbling into the rainforest. Link to fic: on Ao3 Link to art: on LiveJournal Title: The Other Wesson Author: firesign10 Artist: milly_gal Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 8K Warnings: none Prompt: Beth Bradley has a problem. Everyone is expecting her successful music executive boyfriend, Charlie, to be her date for her best friend’s wedding. There’s one hitch: Charlie doesn’t exist. Unless she can think of something fast, she’s headed for the most humiliating weekend of her life. Alex Tanner has a problem. The former Navy SEAL's search for a double agent lands him at the Kensington Hotel, and he needs a cover to finish the job. When the sexy maid of honor blackmails him into pretending to be her lover, he thinks he's been handed the solution. Except Beth has a way of stumbling into trouble, and when the man Alex is hunting starts targeting Beth, Alex has to decide between solving the mystery or protecting the woman who has stolen his heart. Summary: Jensen Ackles has a problem. Everyone is expecting his successful accountant boyfriend, Sam Wesson, to be his date for his best friend’s wedding. And Jensen is the wedding planner! There’s one hitch: Sam doesn’t exist. Unless he can think of something fast, Jensen is headed for the biggest humiliation of his life. Jared Padalecki has a problem. The government agent's search for a possible sex trafficking ring lands him at the Isla Grande Resort on the Gulf of Mexico, and he needs a cover to finish the job. When he meets the sexy wedding planner while planting a bug in his room, Jensen blackmails him into pretending to be his boyfriend. Jared doesn't mind--he thinks he's been handed the ideal cover. Except Jensen stumbles into trouble, and Jared has to decide if this resort romance is just play-acting—or the real thing! Link to fic: on Ao3 (art embedded in fic) Title: These Violent Delights Author: dimpled_sammy Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 82K Warnings: Violence, gangsters, minor character death Prompt: Romancing the Mob Boss. Trina Hathaway is a waitress in a Las Vegas strip joint who spends a romantic evening with a good looking hunk she met at the club. Hoping to see him again, but not disappointed when she doesn’t, she goes on with her life. But a week later, when she interviews for a job at the renowned PaLargio Hotel and Casino on the Vegas Strip, and discovers that the owner of the hotel is the man she had slept with, a man who very much wishes to rekindle what they had captured that passionate night, her entire life spirals into a new and dramatic world where family ties and ever-increasing violence ropes them in. Summary: Jared Padalecki has only ever wanted to get out of Sin City. Trapped by extenuating circumstances, he works as a waiter in a Las Vegas strip joint, doing what he can to get by, including spending a romantic evening with a handsome stranger who wanders into the club one night. Hoping to see the stranger again, but not disappointed when he doesn’t, Jared moves on with his life. A month later, Jared interviews for a job as a financial consultant at one of the largest and newly made over Hotels on the Vegas strip. Jared gets the job, only to discover that his new boss is the same man he slept with: Jensen Ackles, the enigmatic and ice cold business man. Jensen Ackles, the city's biggest mob boss. Torn between his longing to get out of the city and his yearning to be closer to Jensen, Jared finds himself being sucked into a new and dangerous world where loyalty is everything, passion exists on a knife-edge, and the ever-increasing violence makes it impossible to escape. Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: Heartstrings Author: madebyme_x Artist: quickreaver Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: PG-13 Word Count: 7.5K Warnings: Language and references to drug and alcohol abuse Prompt: Heartstrings. As Julia prepares to settle in for another typical 12-hour shift in the ER, she's ready to handle anything...That's before Slade Hale rolls into her life...on a stretcher surrounded by 15 doctors and nurses. To her he's just another patient, and a cocky asshole Rock Star with an ego. Or at least that's what she thinks. When she's assigned to be his personal nurse, Julia suddenly feels out of her comfort zone. Slade is the most beautiful man she's ever seen in person and even in his vulnerable condition he seethes of raw sex appeal. When he starts to wake up, that's when the real trouble begins...Julia desperately attempts to fight his charm and wit, to stay professional, to keep the upper hand. Summary: Washed-up rock star Jared is rushed to hospital, and it's up to uptight nurse Jensen to fix more than broken bones. But what is it that they say? Opposites attract, or something like that... Link to fic: on LiveJournal Link to art: on LiveJournal

Supernatural

Title: Behind Glass Author: museaway Pairing: Dean/Castiel Rating: Teen Word Count: 21.3K Warnings: Temporary Character Death Prompt: Life as he has known it is over for Adan when his mother tells him she has bought a mansion in an exclusive community high in the redwood mountains. There are no other young people living there except one, a girl named Chrystal who has never been outside the community before or known anyone her own age. But Adan can only admire Chrystal from afar, she is beautiful and he is covered in scars. Summary: Castiel has spent his life secluded in the woods. At his father’s warning, he’s never left the property. He has no memory of his mother, and his father doesn’t come above twice a year with supplies now that Castiel is grown. But when he befriends a boy named Sam who trespasses on his land, and Sam's older brother, whose face and arm were maimed in an accident, he begins to doubt everything his father has told him. Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: The Trouble with Benny Author: angelus2hot Pairing: Dean/Benny Rating: PG-13 Word Count: 2K Warnings: none Prompt: Can a girl ever have too many cowboys?No sooner does pint-sized spitfire Jill Cleary set foot on Fiddle Creek Ranch than she finds herself in the middle of a hundred-year-old feud. Quaid Brennan and Tyrell Gallagher are both tall, handsome, and rich...and both are courting Jill to within an inch of her life. She's doing her best to give these feuding ranchers equal time-too bad it's dark-eyed Sawyer O'Donnell who makes her blood boil and her hormones hum.Summary: It took awhile for Sam to realize even though Dean could have almost anyone he wanted, his brother only wanted Benny. But when he did he and Garth devised a plan to get Dean to finally go after what he wanted. Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: Happenstance Author: stonenumberone Pairing: Sam/Dean Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 18K Warnings: Pre-series AU, underage sex, underage drinking, complete lack of listening to the concept of Stranger Danger, swearing and just a little bit of angst and sibling incest. Prompt: Colin Hartman can now add college to his list of failures. On the coast-to-coast trek home from California, Colin stops at a gas station in the Nevada desert, and can’t help noticing the guy in tight jeans looking like he just stepped off a catwalk. When he realizes Catwalk is stranded, Colin offers a ride. Riley only intended to take a short ride in Colin’s Jeep to the Grand Canyon. But one detour leads to another until they finally find themselves tumbling into bed together. However there are shadows in Riley’s eyes that hide a troubled past. And when those shadows threaten to bury the man whom Colin has fallen in love with, he vows to get Riley the help he needs. For once in his life, quitting isn’t an option… Summary: Dean’s never been really good at that whole “accomplishment” thing. Drifting is the one thing he really knows how to do, and a trip after his latest failure—college—with just him, his car, and the wide open road is exactly what he needs. Running into a boy with legs longer than the California coastline was definitely not on the agenda, but hey, it’s not like Dean has anywhere else to be. When the trip becomes more of a series of detours, Dean finds himself more and more drawn to the young Sam, who seems to be carrying more baggage than Dean originally thought. A secret revealed threatens to shatter everything they’ve built together in this short time; will they make it through or crash and burn like every other thing Dean has ever touched? Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: Sunrise Cove Obsession Author: smalltrolven Pairing: Sam/Dean Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 9K Warnings: Beyond Awful!John Winchester Prompt: Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous. No matter how close she gets to happiness, she can’t outrun the sins of Thomas David Bowes. Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, a rambling old house in need of repair, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the kindly residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton. Naomi can feel her defenses failing, and knows that the connection her new life offers is something she’s always secretly craved. But the sins of her father can become an obsession, and, as she’s learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away. Summary: When the boys are forcibly separated at twelve and eight by a father gone mad their lives take very different turns. When they are then reunited fifteen years later, they don’t recognize each other. Dean’s promise to stay away from Sam even though unwittingly broken brings a danger back that may kill them both. Link to fic: on Ao3 Title: Indelible Author: dare_darcy Pairing: Dean/Sam Rating: M Word Count: 25K Warnings: Light BDSM Prompt: Leni Brewster should have been disappointed when her twin sister had to bail on holding her hand during her first tattoo, but going to her appointment solo means time alone with the sexy-as-hell tattoo artist who falls into the Do Not Touch category. Only Jamie Rodriguez isn't as off-limits as Leni thinks. Privately single for months, Jamie finds himself more than looking forward to having the hot little librarian in his chair. And when she accidentally reveals a naughty secret about herself, he can't get his hands on her fast enough-he has to know what else she's hiding under that buttoned-up exterior. What he discovers sets his blood to boiling, igniting a burning determination to test every single one of the boundaries, both personal and physical, that she's set for herself. Summary: Dean Singer is a tattoo artist, single and unhappily so. Sam Winchester is the sexy librarian who has been feeding his secret book habit. When Sam walks into Dean's shop, will Sam break through Dean's walls and see the man beneath? (Summary to be fixed when I'm not sleep deprived.) Link to fic: on Ao3

#spn meant to be #masterlist #2016

[teenybeanielinguine]

Outlander S4 - A Reflection

With that explosive finale behind us and a long Droughtlander ahead, I’m taking a moment to look back on this season and reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

(I’ve had some time to unpack and process, so be warned: this is a LONG review, with mild spoilers for The Fiery Cross.)

The Good:

I understand that this was a divisive season for many fans, but I personally loved it!  I could write a whole book about everything I loved, but for the sake of time, I’ll confine my praise to the best part of this season: the amazing cast of actors who bring my favorite characters to life.

Caitriona Balfe reprised her role as Claire Fraser with stunning success, and really sparkled when she shared the screen with her fellow cast members; her most powerful moments this season were definitely the mother/daughter conversations she had with Bree and Marsali.  Though she handles tragic scenes with ease, I hope she is given a chance to enact lighter, happier sequences in Season 5; Jamie and Claire need more laughter and teasing, less heart-felt speeches and drama.

As our leading man, Sam Heughan played Jamie to perfection; he managed to tell entire stories with his eyes alone.  Same as with Balfe, he captures tragedy easily, but I want him to stretch out a little and show off his acting chops.  There will always be drama in Claire and Jamie’s lives, but please sprinkle in some more fluffy moments, so we can see Heughan laugh!  Jamie’s roles as patriarch and leader are also going to be significantly expanded in the next season (the last few moments of the finale teased that a bit), and I can’t wait to see Heughan tackle that challenge.

I’ve been tentative about Sophie Skelton in the past; after all, Brianna is one of my favorite characters, despite her polarizing nature, and I was worried about her portrayal.  But Skelton nailed everything (the rape scene and its aftermath, in particular, were deeply chilling), and I have complete confidence that Bree is in safe hands.  In the finale, we saw Bree finally become a mother and reunite with her husband (not gonna lie, I’ve had that reunion on a loop ever since it aired); these two events are going to play major roles in her character growth (so excited for next season!).

Richard Rankin was a tour-de-force as Roger; I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen every time he appeared.  Any issues I had with his character were purely a result of writing and production choices, and despite those issues, Rankin still managed to make the character wonderfully, emotionally, lovably human (for further evidence, please refer to the idiot hut).  Roger’s journey is one of the most difficult transformations in the series, and next season will be challenging for Rankin; I’m particularly interested to see how he handles Roger’s growing relationship with Jamie.

All the leads were supported by a strong set of secondary characters, from Duncan Lacroix as the miraculously resurrected Murtagh to David Berry as the fabulous Lord John Grey.  John Bell was one of my absolute favorites, with his spot-on portrayal of Young Ian (that proposal! the emotional goodbye!! running the gauntlet!!!).  Ed Speelers played Stephen Bonnet in a way that brought back shivery memories of Black Jack.  Honestly, there was no weak link in this cast.  Special shoutout to Braeden Clarke (Kaheroton) and Tantoo Cardinal (Adawehi/Nayawenne in the books); hopefully we’ll be able to see even more powerful and complex First Nations characters in the coming season (to this effect, may I humbly suggest showing Young Ian’s time among the Mohawk?  Would love to see that first-hand rather than having the character describe it after the fact; also, you can never have too much John Bell).

This Season’s MVPs: Lauren Lyle and César Domboy.  Marsali and Fergus are never more than side characters in the books; you never hear the story from their POV.  Thankfully, the show saw a chance to expand their roles and took it.  And oh boy, did Domboy and Lyle deliver! Their nuanced performances just blew me away (”If Not For Hope” comes to mind).  I hope that we see even more of them going forward.

The Bad:

No adaptation is perfect (although if you have found one that is, please message me immediately).  It is especially difficult when the adaptation in question has to fit an 880-page book into a mere 13 hours; to put it into perspective, the audiobook version of Drums of Autumn is a whopping 45 hours long!  Though I like to nitpick and criticize, I am not so arrogant as to think that I could have done a better job, and I am very grateful to the writing and production teams who tackle this impossible task. I am also strangely content with most of the deviations they’ve made from the source material (Murtagh as a regulator is particularly genius, with really interesting implications for next season).

That being said, there is some room for improvement.  And one area that definitely needs some fine tuning is Claire and Jamie.  This year, some very vocal fans found issue with the fact that we didn’t see our main lovebirds enough, and there weren’t enough sex scenes, and why weren’t they in this episode?!  For me, none of those things were an issue, especially given that we saw Jamie and Claire way more than any other characters this season.  I don’t think we need more J/C time; I think we need better J/C time.

I wish the show would stop beating us over the head with Jamie and Claire’s epic love; we know their love is deep and everlasting, that’s why we keep coming back! (That, and the kilts.)  But we need to move on from soap-operatic speeches and tender love-making; those were more interesting in the early days of their marriage, when their love was a new, fragile thing.  Show me instead the easy comfort of a long-married couple: the teasing, the laughter, the bone-deep happiness.  Balfe and Heughan have such great chemistry when it comes to that kind of thing, but we’ve only gotten snippets of it this season!  Rather than another over-the-top, tear-jerking scene where Jamie and Claire reassure each other and reaffirm their love (again), give me Claire cuddling up to Jamie under a snowbank after his back gives out and telling him stories.  Or exchanging amused looks with him when Young Ian does/says something silly.  Or Jamie teasing Claire about that time she hit him in the head with a fish while he was trying to fight off a bear (true story).  Or Claire teasing Jamie with her new breeches (I’m not going to say no to sex scenes entirely).  Get rid of the excessive drama (this couple already has more drama than they know what to do with); bring on the fluff!

Speaking of moving on, the show needs to let Frank Randall go.  By this point in the series, he’s been dead for a few years, and quite frankly, good riddance (pardon the pun).  His character was cast in a sympathetic light for narrative purposes; the producers wanted to make him the antithesis of his ancestor, Black Jack Randall, so they carefully omitted the fact that he was at times a racist ass with a string of mistresses (my apologies to any Frank fans; as you can see, he’s not one of my favorite characters).  The problem is that they took it too far, painting Frank as a martyr and putting first Claire, then Jamie, at a big disadvantage.  Despite this mistake, I’m fine with using Frank to flesh out Brianna’s character (his only redeeming quality is his aptitude for fatherhood), but that should have happened very early on in the season, before Bree makes the journey through the stones.  That journey is a pivotal point for Bree; she is driven not only by a need to save her mother, but also by a deep curiosity and longing for this birth father that she’s never met.  In the book, she even goes so far as to abandon the name “Randall” and adopt “Fraser” for the journey.  But that sentiment was lost entirely by the decision to have Frank accompany her on the voyage, narratively speaking.  We no longer get the feeling that she’s eager to meet/bond with Jamie; even worse, the writers had her casually dropping Frank’s name into every conversation!  No matter how great Tobias Menzies is, we have neither the time nor the will to keep devoting so much energy to a deceased character (who isn’t that critical to the future story, btw).  Heading into Season 5, we need to make our final, belated goodbyes to Frank Randall.

One 20th century man we should have seen more of instead was Roger Mackenzie.  As we dove into Season 4, I was so excited to see his developing relationship with Brianna; remember when they were super cute together, a million years ago in Season 3?  But too much focus on exposition meant that we didn’t see them until three episodes in, and instead of the slow burn I had anticipated, we got a lot of unnecessary drama.  Why on Earth is Roger a misogynist all of a sudden?  What happened to the sweet proposal where they both decide they’re not yet ready for marriage?  The lack of screen time meant that Bree and Roger’s entire relationship development was crammed into one episode; coupled with poor writing choices, the result was a shaky romance that was hard to root for.  I was lucky enough to have the books as a safety net; I know exactly how deeply they love and respect each other, despite the mayhem onscreen.  But the fans who hadn’t read the series (and even some who had) didn’t understand why these two were an endgame couple, and I don’t blame them.  That last reunion scene helped cement their relationship a little, but not enough; unfortunately, Season 5 is going to have to waste some of its precious time rectifying this misstep.

Which brings me to my last point: the pacing.  With so many new characters and so little time, it is more important than ever that the show learn to juggle all the storylines more smoothly.  The pacing of this season was so uneven, it gave me whiplash.  Gone are the days when Claire and Jamie were the only focus; from now on, their ever-growing family is going to continue complicating matters.  Outlander needs to evolve to meet this need if it wants to keep up. (Also, could we revert back to a 16-episode format, like in Season 1?  Please and thank you.)

The Ugly:

I will readily admit that I am new to this fandom.  I got hooked on the show during summer 2018 and devoured the books shortly thereafter.  When I joined Tumblr in the fall, it was because I wanted to celebrate this story with likeminded people and geek out over the upcoming season.

The actual experience was a bit more jarring (suffice it to say, I didn’t know hate-watching was a real thing that people did).  I don’t want to chastise or implore certain fans to adopt a more positive outlook; I’ve seen a lot of posts about that already, and I’m not inclined to add to them.  Instead, I’d like to share some of the guidelines I impose on myself when I contribute to any fandom (I’m not saying these will or should work for everyone, but they have worked for me):

Love, not hate.  To me, a fandom is a community that comes together out of love.  Knowing this, I try my best not to express any feelings of hate within that community; I don’t think it’s an appropriate place to share those feelings, and I don’t want to diminish the fandom experience for anyone else.  If I find that I no longer love or even like the show/book/movie that the fandom is centered on, I disengage from the community entirely, because I no longer consider myself a fan.  And that’s perfectly fine; there is no rule that says that once you’re in a fandom, you’re in it for life.

If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.  Despite the fact that I love the subject matter, it is not an absolute, unconditional sort of love.  I often find myself disliking certain aspects or getting frustrated by opposing views (this is doubly true when it comes to adaptations).  I let myself express these dislikes and frustrations only if I can see the silver lining; in other words, I allow myself to say a few negative things about a character/scene only if I can supplement them with a good dose of positivity as well.  Too much uninterrupted negativity borders on hate.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  I’m a very anxious person with self-confidence issues, so I have a hard time expressing my opinion online, even anonymously.  That’s why I’m never going to tear anyone else down for doing so.  I may disagree with you, or dislike the way you expressed yourself, but I’m going to be respectful even if it kills me, because that’s how I would want other people to interact with me.  Even with the Internet as a buffer, I think it’s important to remember that we are all human, and all equally capable of hurting others and being hurt ourselves.

Again, these guidelines work for me, but it’s completely subjective.  And even though my experience in the OL fandom hasn’t been a bed of roses so far, I’ve still met some amazing people with incredible things to say.  My favorite fandom moments of the season? @futurelounging‘s beautiful thoughts on episode 12 and @breefraser‘s hilarious criticism of Roger’s sartorial choices.

I’d love to hear from other fans!  What worked for you this season?  What would you have changed?  Favorite fandom moments?  If you choose to reply, please be kind and respectful.

#just a few thousand thoughts #i'm rambling a bit over here #feel free to stop me #or come ramble with me #Outlander #outlander season 4 #drums of autumn

[drunklander]

Sophie Skelton is running so fast she’s nearly breathless. The actress—who plays Outlander’s smart, spirited Brianna Fraser, the daughter of time-traveling 20th-century surgeon Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and 18th-century Scot Jamie (Sam Heughan) — is in Scotland on a hot April day to shoot a heart-wrenching scene from the Season 4 finale.

In take after take, Bree, a onetime 1970s MIT student now in Colonial America, dashes across the lawn of the lush North Carolina plantation known as River Run. (Yes, Scotland has been doubling for the future Tar Heel State this season.) For months, she’s been sequestered there with her rich aunt Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy), waiting to give birth. Her parents and cousin Young Ian (John Bell), meanwhile, are trying to rescue her history professor husband, Roger (Richard Rankin), from the Mohawks — a risky operation that will reach an action-packed conclusion in this episode.

“Bree doesn’t know if Roger’s alive, if her parents are alive,” says Skelton, who’s dealing with a painful side effect of her mini-marathon: the blisters that come from ye olde footwear. “Giving birth without her mother there is something she’s very afraid of and sad about. Jocasta has become a mother figure, but Claire is the only person Brianna can talk to about her fears of having a baby, and everything else.”

Part of that “everything else” is Bree’s dread that her child isn’t Roger’s but instead the offspring of psycho criminal Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers), who raped her on her wedding night. This violent act is the source of the Fraser clan’s current woes. First, in a horrible case of mistaken identity, Jamie believed Roger to be the assailant and beat him to a pulp; Young Ian then sold the poor man to the Mohawks. This, when devoted Roger had followed Bree back in time (she went to warn her parents after seeing an obituary of their deaths in a 1700s fire) and married her in a handfasting ceremony. Their first night of passion reached Claire/Jamie sizzle levels before devolving into a quarrel. Bree went to cool off in a nearby tavern, which is where Bonnet attacked her, and Roger was on his way to find her when Jamie and Young Ian unfortunately intervened.

The danger doesn’t abate in the final two episodes of the season. When determined Claire, guilt-ridden Jamie and adventure-seeking Young Ian finally reach the Mohawk village in New York Colony, they find that getting the bruised and broken Roger back isn’t as simple as trading him for a few trinkets. “It’s very dangerous,” Heughan says. Violence arises after an unexpected twist related to someone from Claire’s past — and the encounter ultimately demands a great sacrifice from the Frasers.

Months in captivity witnessing horrors and suffering abuse has damaged Roger both in body and spirit. But on set, a cheerful Rankin, dressed in rags and smudged with dirt, confesses he’d be fine with even more bone-shattering stunts than the storyline has required. “Roger’s [been] dragged about, went over a few cliffs. I threw myself around a fair bit, but not as much as I would have if given the opportunity,” he says. But no matter how bad things get, “He just can’t tear himself away from the thought of reuniting with Brianna.”

Love for Bree motivates Jamie too. Having learned what he did to Roger, she unleashed her fury — and the new father-daughter bond was fractured. (Remember, Jamie has only just met his daughter, who grew up with Claire in the future — no one ever said time-jumping was free from complications!) “He’s on a quest to win back her trust and love,” says Heughan. “He promised Bree he’ll save Roger. He can’t come back empty-handed.” Jamie, who was raped by sadistic British Army captain “Black Jack” Randall in Season 1, “sees himself in her,” Heughan adds. “They’ve both been through a trauma.”

Now Bree has to make it through labor and then see whether she can love a child who reminds her of that harrowing night. And if her parents and husband do return home, will Roger — who doesn’t even know his wife is pregnant — willingly raise a baby who may not be his? “Claire holds out hope that he will,” Balfe says. “She’s seen how in love Roger is with her daughter. Claire knows he is a good man and a man of honor.”

For Balfe, the finale caps a season she’s enjoyed for the chance to play a more mature and domestic Claire, and to delve into the strength of Claire and Jamie’s relationship beyond their sexual passion (although, thankfully, there’s been plenty of that!). “People tend to disregard the value of when people really get to know each other and spend time with each other,” Balfe says. Their partnership could save Roger — they just have to keep from being wrenched apart in the process, something that often happens to Claire and Jamie.

Even if the Fraser family finds peace and togetherness, the world around them stands on the brink of turmoil with the American Revolution about to begin. Jamie’s godfather Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) is a leader of the Regulators, the future revolutionaries, and his involvement puts the Frasers in the crosshairs. “They know this war is coming, bigger than anything. It is slowly thundering in the background,” Heughan says. Make that the foreground: Across the field from where Skelton is shooting, three horsemen in British army redcoats practice for a jaw-dropper of a scene. Sums up Heughan, “Dare I say, this finale is the strongest we’ve had.”

#* #outlander starz #outlander press #outlander 4x12 #caitriona balfe #sophie skelton #sam heughan

[perriefairy]

Introducing Perrie Sparks. She is a Second Year Student that belongs to the Autumn District. She’s 19 years old and strongly resembles Natalie Alyn Lind. 

Get to know her...

Perrie Sparks grew up just outside of Atlanta, Georgia with two loving adoptive parents. She went through 13 years of her life resigned to the fact that she might never know anything about her biological family, which she was fine with--They weren’t ready for children, so they gave her up. She now had a relatively privileged life, with parents who could pay for doctor’s appointments to make sure the silver scars on her back were nothing of concern. Perrie knew that she’d be content with life if she didn’t search, but if there was one thing she got from her adoptive father, it was her curiosity and her inability to settle for just being content. On her 14th birthday, she learned about her powers, how she could control and create frost and ice and knew she needed to look into her biological parents, hopeful for answers and hopeful for someone to tell her that she didn’t have to hide them.

Welcome to the coast...

At 18, as if she needed another push to find her parents, she found someone in the system with her same birthday--she found out she had a twin sister just one state away in Florida. Without much thought, she sent in a college application and, three months later, she had packed up and moved to Costa Serena for school. Her mother didn’t always understand her need for answers and had always hoped she would hide her powers, but her father kept her standing tall. He’d told her to be who she needed to be, and if that meant moving to Florida and finding the one thing that kept her from feeling at home, that she should go for it. A semester after moving to the island, she got an email from someone working at the University telling her to check out a few books from the library, ones that detailed the existence of fairies and magic. Once she knew what she was looking for, she found others with the same scars and she knew she was exactly where she needed to be.

Stay a while...

It took her a few months to work up the courage to find her twin, but fate worked in mysterious ways. During her second semester, she and Trinity were in the same class as each other and had even been paired up on a project together. She could’ve stayed afraid of rejection and brushed off the idea that they looked similar, but Trinity always seemed so bubbly and inviting that Perrie spilled the secret. She was hopeful that they’d be close considering they had the same interests, and she couldn’t be happier that her sister had welcomed her with open arms.

Connections:

Trinity Beau (twin sister): Perrie was never unhappy with her adoptive family, but becoming close with her sister was a dream come true. The two were like long lost best friends reunited after a few years apart.

Gadget Hachwrench (friend/roommate): The two met during their first year when they were paired as roommates. Though both of them were shy and didn’t talk much, Trinity pushed Perrie to be more outgoing and befriend her. It may have taken a while for them to be close, but all that matters is that they’re close now.

Randall Boggs (unlikely friend): There were plenty of reasons Perrie shouldn’t have been his friend, but the first time they had met, she found herself falling into an easy banter with him. He never seemed too cold or harsh with her and his confidence helped boost her own.

#serenachallenge #*bio #//hi I'll explain the change/revamp in the ooc!

[quoteablebooks]

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743. Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

*Opinions*

I did something a little different this time and wrote the review while I was reading since it was such a long novel. That has lead it to be a rather long review. 

I have had this book for almost a year at this point, but at almost 900 pages it was rather intimidating, especially with my inability to find time to read recently. However, I finally decided to take the bull by the horns and dive in. I was so pleased to see that most of the chapters are broken up into smaller segments, making it easier to move quickly through the book and not being locked into needing forty-five minutes to get through a chapter. I’m one of those people that really hates stopping in the middle of a chapter without a clear break in the action. There is also a good pace to the novel so that it's not that hard to convince yourself to go one more chapter break or make it to the end of the chapter. That being said, the overall plot of the story moves rather slowly, which would account for the novel's 850 pages. Still, after all the hype, I went in cautiously, not wanting to get my hopes up and be disappointed as I have been in the past. 

We started in the “present” of 1945 and even though we aren’t in 1945 long, Frank Randall finds the page time to be rather condescending and annoying. I do believe that is the point, his dismissal of his wife while he hunts down the family connection with Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall, to highlight the difference with Jamie, but it still bothered me. Now, I get it, I have family members who are very into genealogy, but to complete ignore your wife who you barely saw for six years to look at old records is ridiculous. Also, Frank’s view of adoption instantly made me sour toward him, but it’s a viewpoint that a number of people still hold. Not to mention how he reacted to Claire swearing. Now my viewpoint might be colored because I know that Jaime is the main romantic interest due to the television show, but still. Just saying you love someone doesn’t mean much when you’re a giant ass, Frank. To be honest, I don’t know why Claire tried so hard to get back to him. Getting back to indoor plumbing I understood, but not to get back to Frank. That coupled with his ancestor being the primary villain in the novel and I didn’t really give a damn about Frank. 

Something that I liked in regards to Jaime, which I hadn’t expected, was that he was younger than Claire. There was something so endearing about Jamie becoming flustered when Claire even suggested they sleep in the same room with absolutely not romantic intentions toward one another. Jaime has a lot of sweetness in him and while he has mysteries, he isn’t overly brooding, which is slightly overdone these days. Still, there are moments when he wants to be Claire's “master” that make him unlikable. Claire tells him no multiple times and they end up having sex anyway. While I am going to address this when it’s with males who aren’t Jaime, it is still nonconsensual sex (also known as rape) even if it’s a man that you are married to. You can argue that it’s the time and that makes it acceptable, seen a marital duty or whatever, but it doesn’t make Jaime likable. However, that doesn’t make me completely hate Jaime, due to his youth and inexperience, it just makes him a complex character. I just wish romance, as a genre, could stop pushing the no actually means a coy yes story line. It’s not sexy on the page or in real life. It’s rape. 

As with everything that is set in historical times, rape is spoken about, implied, and threatened on a number of occasions. It even happens to a male character, though I don’t want to spoil who. I understand, it is the truth of that point in time, but I personally feel that more of discussion needs to be had about it if you chose to focus on that part of history on so many occasions. I mean, Gabaldon has time travel in this novel, she could have toned down the amount non-consensual touching, kissing, undressing, groping, almost rape and actual rape in the case of Jaime taking Claire after she told him no on a couple occasions. Every male that runs into Claire either threatens to assault her or does assault her in some way and it’s just tiring. I thought that the novel was done with that particular issue once they had left the castle, but the minute that a male that was described as somewhat attractive and not crippled once again enters the narrative, Claire is forced into a position where she should be sexually assaulted. Then it is threatened again with a male that is mentally unstable. If that is the only way you can build tension in a scene with two members of the opposite sex, maybe take a step back and looking at how you’re crafting the story a little more carefully. This isn’t selling the romantic dream of every man wanting to be with you, it is reinforcing the knowledge that every woman has that we should always be on our guard and are never safe, which isn’t something I read fiction novels to be reminded of to this degree. 

One thing that I will give Gabaldon a small bit of credit for was how she dealt with the male rape victim in the novel. I don’t want to spoil who it is or the specifics surrounding the assault, but I believe she gave enough page space and emotional weight, Now this wasn’t just an assault, but torture as well, but the feeling of helplessness and shame that surrounded the character in regards to sex afterwards I believe was well done. However, that leads to another issue I have with this novel, that both homosexual characters are portrayed poorly. One is a villain and it is implied that he raped his younger brother, the other is a caricature and literally only in the novel for a while as a sort of comedic character, who also attempts to rape young boys. You can’t claim historical accuracy in this poor representation. While it might not have been written down, I highly doubt that every non-straight individual in the Scottish Highlands was a pedophile and/or rapist. 

Moving on from that, Gabaldon got the sibling dynamic between Jaime and his sister Jenny down pretty well. While we may live in a more civilized time, this is basically how arguments between me and my older brother go down, sans the whole kilt incident obviously. While it was frustrating that Jaime didn’t give her a chance to explain herself, especially when he already knew about Randall’s issue from Claire explaining her experience, it is a pretty accurate representation of sibling stubbornness. Jaime had years to form a picture in his mind of what had happened and it’s hard to listen to reason, from anyone, when that happens. Jaime’s interactions with his namesake nephew were also painfully adorable and it was a nice respite from the constant danger that they faced while at the castle. I really enjoyed this whole section of the novel, though the weird sexual display when describing what it’s like to be pregnant seemed a bit odd to me. Still, it was easy to understand the mood of the room and it was a rather wonderfully written section. 

Now to address the criticism that Claire is a Mary Sue that I had seen on a number of occasions. The knowledge that she had of medicine from her time as a nurse during the war makes perfect sense for the time period that she was living. The interest in herbs would also make sense if she had learned so much medical knowledge, hell I am interested in herbs and I have zero medical knowledge. While, I will admit, the whole traveling around with her uncle on archeological digs was a bit much, it’s no different than Indiana Jones and no one has a problem with him. While I don’t think that addition was necessary, most people adapt to roughing it when there is no other choice, it wasn’t something that pulled me out of the story. Honestly, I think what saves Claire from being insufferable is that she makes stupid decisions and is not a perfect person. I’m alright with a very knowledgeable main character as long as she also has flaws, which Claire has many. She is a very alive character and I appreciate that about her, even if I don’t like her all the time. 

It was a brave move on Gabaldon’s part, is that she lets the story take a very leisurely pace. There are whole sections that don’t move forward the plot, but they do give us the personality of the Scots that Claire is traveling with or meeting during her trip into the past. It is probably why the novel is almost 900 pages, however I appreciate learning to care about and getting complex characters to fall in love with or loath. While I do think that some areas could have been tightened up a bit, you are pulled with Claire into the Highlands and it is rare that you find yourself thinking that Gabaldon should just speed it up already. While it does seem as if the plot becomes a little repetitive, Claire finds herself in danger, is saved, becomes comfortable in her surrounds, and then the cycle is repeated, I never forced myself to pick up the book and dive back in. The only section that I found completely unnecessary was the entire battle with the wolf near the end of the book. The injuries from that encounter really have no bearing, nor does the actual killing as Claire is forced to kill humans a little later on. It was too long and I found myself really not all that interested. A couple paragraphs could have neatly wrapped up that section and moved the plot forward, but it was the only time I felt that way. It really is well situated to a television format, and it’s easy to see how sections could be broken up into episodes. I might search out the show now that I’m finished with the novel. Overall, I enjoyed my adventure in the Highlands and will continue with the rest of the series, but I don’t see this becoming my favorite series. There are just too many problems with it that I find hard to overlook or ignore.

#review #Outlander #the outlander series #Diana Gabaldon #3 out of 5 stars

[costaxserena]

Introducing Perrie Sparks. She is a Second Year Student at Ancora University that belongs to the Autumn District. She’s 19 years old and strongly resembles Natalie Alyn Lind. 

Get to know her…

Perrie Sparks grew up just outside of Atlanta, Georgia with two loving adoptive parents. She went through 13 years of her life resigned to the fact that she might never know anything about her biological family, which she was fine with–They weren’t ready for children, so they gave her up. She now had a relatively privileged life, with parents who could pay for doctor’s appointments to make sure the silver scars on her back were nothing of concern. Perrie knew that she’d be content with life if she didn’t search, but if there was one thing she got from her adoptive father, it was her curiosity and her inability to settle for just being content. On her 14th birthday, she learned about her powers, how she could control and create frost and ice and knew she needed to look into her biological parents, hopeful for answers and hopeful for someone to tell her that she didn’t have to hide them.

Welcome to the coast…

At 18, as if she needed another push to find her parents, she found someone in the system with her same birthday–she found out she had a twin sister just one state away in Florida. Without much thought, she sent in a college application and, three months later, she had packed up and moved to Costa Serena for school. Her mother didn’t always understand her need for answers and had always hoped she would hide her powers, but her father kept her standing tall. He’d told her to be who she needed to be, and if that meant moving to Florida and finding the one thing that kept her from feeling at home, that she should go for it. A semester after moving to the island, she got an email from someone working at the University telling her to check out a few books from the library, ones that detailed the existence of fairies and magic. Once she knew what she was looking for, she found others with the same scars and she knew she was exactly where she needed to be.

Stay a while…

It took her a few months to work up the courage to find her twin, but fate worked in mysterious ways. During her second semester, she and Tessa were in the same class as each other and had even been paired up on a project together. She could’ve stayed afraid of rejection and brushed off the idea that they looked similar, but Tessa always seemed so bubbly and inviting that Perrie spilled the secret. She was hopeful that they’d be close considering they had the same interests, and she couldn’t be happier that her sister had welcomed her with open arms.

Connections:

Tessa Beau (Twin Sister): Perrie was never unhappy with her adoptive family, but becoming close with her sister was a dream come true. The two were like long lost best friends reunited after a few years apart.

Gadget Hachwrench (Friend/Roommate): The two met during their first year when they were paired as roommates. Though both of them were shy and didn’t talk much, Tessa pushed Perrie to be more outgoing and befriend her. It may have taken a while for them to be close, but all that matters is that they’re close now.

Randall Boggs (Unlikely Friend): There were plenty of reasons Perrie shouldn’t have been his friend, but the first time they had met, she found herself falling into an easy banter with him. He never seemed too cold or harsh with her and his confidence helped boost her own.

#disney rp #town rpg #natalie alyn lind #Disney Fairies #periwinkle #c #autumn district #local #takenf

[fuckyeahjamieandclaire]

This week, a Twitter exchange between the writers' account for a popular TV show, its lead star, and the series' fans received some attention. The latest episode of the show — the sixth of its third season — depicted a long-awaited reunion between its star-crossed protagonists, and fans had things to say about how the scene had deviated from the original source material (the books on which the show is based). Tweets flew between fans and the show's writers, then the star himself stepped in to explain why he'd enacted the scene the way he did, and finally, the writer of the original books retweeted it all, to settle the matter.

Welcome to the world of Outlander.

In the Golden Age of Peak TV, small screen series — Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, Sherlock, to name just a few — have gone on to become global phenomenons, and inspire devoted fan followings (Orphan Black) in a way that would make Hollywood envious. Outlander has fans who're a little more invested than most — and the show, which premiered in August 2014, deserves every bit of the fandom.

The story so far

For those who haven't seen Outlander (it streams in India on Netflix; a new episode goes up every Monday night), here's a quick lowdown:

Based on the Outlander novels by American author Diana Gabaldon — the first was published in 1991; the series comprises eight books so far, with a ninth on its way — the story spans the genres of historical fiction, sci-fi, adventure, fantasy and romance. It begins just after World War II, when English nurse Claire Randall disappears in Scotland while on a second honeymoon there with her husband, a historian called Frank Randall. Frank and the authorities search high and low for Claire; what they do not know, is that Claire has slipped through a time portal while visiting a mysterious stone circle (a small-scale Stonehenge) in a place called Craigh na Dun, and inadvertently travelled 200 years into the past. Having hurtled into the year 1743, Claire finds herself navigating the social mores of 18th century Scotland (at a troubled point in its history), and also a passionate marriage with a Highlander called Jamie Fraser.

Showrunner Ronald D Moore has stuck pretty closely to Galabaldon's books in his screen adaptation. So Outlander's season 1 followed the happenings of the eponymous book 1 (nearly) to the letter: Claire's tumble through time, establishing herself as a healer of some repute, marriage with Jamie, and their run-ins with a sadistic captain in the British Army, Jack Randall (an ancestor of Frank's). Season 2 (based on book 2 — A Dragonfly in Amber) saw them escape to France and get embroiled in the court politics of King Louis XV there, before returning to Scotland. The larger narrative arc for both these seasons — covering a span of about three years — is the Jacobite rebellion brewing in Scotland at the time, with several of the clans declaring support for Prince Charles Stuart's uprising against the English king George II. Knowing as she does that the revolt will lead to the destruction of the Scottish clans, Claire works with Jamie to stymie it.

[Spoilers ahead]

The end of season 2 saw Jamie send a pregnant Claire back through the stones at Craigh na Dun, to the future; he believes he will die in the battle of Culloden, where the Jacobite rebellion was crushed by the English. Claire returns to the 1940s, to Frank; they move to America where Claire trains as a surgeon and they raise her child together. Twenty years later, after Frank's death, Claire revisits Scotland, and happens to discover that Jamie was not, in fact, among the men who were killed at Culloden. A painstaking search over several months with help from a historian friend helps Claire track Jamie down — from years of hiding in a cave near his ancestral home, to several more in prison, then as an indentured servant on parole, and finally as a printer in Edinburgh (with a profitable side business in smuggling fine liquor). Her daughter is all grown up, and has (after some disbelief) accepted her mother's time travelling past, so Claire decides to go through the stones, once again, and reconnect with Jamie.

It was this reunion — dubbed 'the print shop scene' by fans, because it takes place in Jamie's print shop — that caused the recent Twitter eruption. In Diana Gabaldon's third book (titled Voyager, the chapter is called 'A. Malcom', as is episode six of season 3) Jamie breaks down after Claire shows him photographs of their daughter Brianna. In the show, actor Sam Heughan preferred to take a more restrained approach, and while he depicts a man in the grip of great emotion, didn't actually break into tears. With Heughan, the writers and Gabaldon herself all presenting their points of view, the fandom seems to have been appeased, for now.

The story now

Outlander stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Beauchamp/Randall/Fraser, Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, and Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall/Captain Jack Randall. Balfe is a wonderful Claire, playing her with all the gutsy gumption the character demands. Claire has been called many things — the female character Game of Thrones should have had, a true feminist heroine etc — and Balfe brings all of that strength into her portrayal. Tobias Menzies is a revelation: both his roles, as the sensitive/disappointed Frank Randall and the utterly villainous Jack Randall are so finely etched, you wonder why the Game of Thrones showrunners decided to waste his prodigious talent by casting him as the wishy-washy Lord Edmure Tully. The supporting cast also boasts several gifted actors — and yet, Sam Heughan towers above them all (figuratively, and literally considering he stands at about 6'3"). Over much of season 1, Heughan played Jamie Fraser with a carefree insouciance, although there were flashes of intensity that promised greater depths. Then, over the last two episodes of the season, came what for most fans was an Outlander rubicon — the depiction of Jamie's rape by Captain Jack Randall. Menzies was pitch perfect, but Heughan's performance was something else altogether. The violence was brutal — but not gratuitous, the scene stark — yet oddly intimate; it won rave reviews for showing the aftermath of rape, and survivors' state of mind. (It was also a winning argument for why we need more women directors on big-ticket TV shows, but more on that later.)

While Outlander, for the most part, is told through Claire's perspective, it does delve into Jamie's frame of mind as well, on occasion. Those occasions give Heughan a chance to shine. Season 3, especially, has offered many of those. As a fugitive from the law, then a prisoner, and 'lowly' servant, this Jamie Fraser is a far cry from the devil-may-care lad we first knew, and Heughan invests the weight of all these life experiences into his portrayal. Much has been written of how the characters were not aged in a very physically obvious way, even though the story has taken a leap of 20 years, but there are subtle changes that do make a marked difference — the way Heughan moves, or the air of reserve, of sorrow held in check that wasn't present in his portrayal earlier.

Filming for season 4 is currently under-way, and season three is only at its halfway point, which means fans have a fair bit more of Outlander to look forward to. With the story moving away from Scotland, as the reunited Jamie and Claire set off for fresh adventures in France, the West Indies, and finally America (by the end of book 3), there's quite some exciting ground to cover.

Outlander and the female gaze

Feminism may seem like an odd thing to bring up in connection with a TV show about time travel and Scottish history, and yet, that's among the most discussed things about this series. The obvious way in which Outlander is feminist is in its heroine, of course. As a nurse and later, surgeon, Claire is in her element — whether she's in 18th century Scotland, or 20th century Boston. Season 1 saw her grapple with patriarchy and superstition — all while she plotted with Jamie to save the Highland clans. Sure, she gets into situations where Jamie needs to rescue her — but she's no damsel-in-distress, and saves Jamie's life just as often. Then again, it isn't that we haven't seen strong female protagonists like Claire in popular culture.

Outlander's feminism comes from its adoption of the female gaze — not just because the story is written by a woman, but also in the way women directors have shot crucial episodes. Game of Thrones has often been criticised for its lack of female directors; Outlander, by contrast, shows you what women bring to a scene when they're placed behind the camera. So season 1 had critical episodes being shot by Anna Foerster (Underworld: Blood Wars, White House Down) — the season finale and the penultimate one (Jamie's rape and torture at the hands of Jack Randall) and also Jamie and Claire's wedding episode. The wedding episode offers a case study in the difference between how men and women film sex — how male and female actors (and nudity) are portrayed depending on who's behind the camera. Season 3 again features three women directors on its roster — Norma Bailey (who shot the print shop reunion episode), Jennifer Getzinger and Charlotte Brandström.

Some may argue that the reverse of what we see in other shows has happened with Outlander — it's the male lead (Sam Heughan) who is now objectified. However, the appreciation for his Greek Scottish god looks has also been balanced with the acclaim for his histrionics.

Those Outlander-Game of Thrones comparisons

That they feature well-known actors from the UK, are based on sprawling epic historical/fantasy sagas by immensely popular American writers, are inspired by aspects of the UK's history, have gorgeous music (Bear McCreary's score for Outlander is as good as Ramin Djawadi's for Game of Thrones) and are produced by premium networks make Game of Thrones and Outlander comparisons common. Of course, they're vastly different — and those oft-listed similarities are superficial at best. Still, fans of one show will find much to love in the other.

As Game of Thrones heads to its finale season in 2018, there's going to be a big, fantasy epic-sized hole in our pop culture lives. Outlander — with its well-entrenched fan base and potential to grow bigger — could be poised to fill that gap.

#outlander #outlander starz #sam heughan #caitriona balfe #to ransom a man's soul #of lost things #A. MALCOLM #1x16 #3x04 #3x06 #people: sam heughan #people: caitriona balfe #tv: s1 #tv: s2 #tv: s3 #norma bailey #anna foerster #tv news #review #character: claire beauchamp #character: jamie fraser #queue

[yellowfeather84]

Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe know they've got something special: From the complicated, passionate characters Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall they get to play on-screen, to the close friendship they've developed off-screen, Outlander has changed their lives. And they're not alone: Since the Starz hit premiered in 2014, fans have been rabid for all things Outlander—Heughligans debate the merits of Sam's man bun, shippers argue they're a couple in real life, and dedicated social media accounts document every last detail of Jamie and Claire's saga.

So when Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe decided to visit the ELLE.com offices, I knew I needed the help of someone whose fandom went beyond my own appreciation for the show to an expert-bordering-on-obsessive level—the kind of person who would know Claire should be referred to as "Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser," not "Claire Randall," in the above paragraph, and be mad about the mistake. I needed a super fan, and lucky for me, I happen to be related to one of the biggest out there: Pat Holmes, my mother.

Here, an Outlander super fan (and her daughter) talk to the show's stars about their friendship, Jamie and Claire's evolutions, and how love can survive a 20-year separation.

Warning: This post contains mild spoilers for season three of Outlander.

I just watched the first episode of this season—it's amazing, very emotional.

Sam: It's very sad, actually.

Caitriona: It is very sad. All of the Culloden stuff is just so brilliant.

For the first time, you weren’t in the episodes together. So what it was like when you saw it, for you, Sam, to watch Caitriona—and Caitriona, to watch how Sam did?

C: It was great, because I think we both purposely didn’t read those parts of the script. It’s nice to be able to remove yourself from it, because normally you’re in it so much, and it’s hard to be objective and look at something from the perspective of a viewer. There was a lot of surprise, because I didn’t realize that they would shoot it that way—it's so much darker, and Sam's performance was so amazing. I loved it, and it was really heartbreaking. The way they edited it, going back and forth and bringing it to where Jamie doesn’t really know what’s happening, he doesn’t know whether he’s alive or dead, and interspersing that with moments that happened before and after, I thought was really beautiful.

S: I only recently saw it and it was just remarkable. I think that Caitriona and Tobias [Menzies] are amazing together, and it's just so grown up and sad. They’re doing everything for their daughter and trying to work through it, but there’s heartache there. It was a great script and Ron [D. Moore] did wonderful with the writing. It’s really the beginning—we say goodbye to Scotland and a lot of the characters there.

You’re talking about the 20 years your characters spend apart, and they change a lot. What did those 20 years do to them?

C: One of the huge things I played with Claire is that she shelved a side of herself for 20 years. The way we worked it out with the writers is that initially Claire tries to have a relationship with Frank, but after a year and a half, they make an arrangement and they live separate lives within the same house. Claire has always been a very sexual person, a very passionate person, and losing the person that means the most to you is one thing, but losing a part of her DNA or a part of who makes her who she is had a real effect on how she carries herself and interacts with people. She became focused on her career and daughter but there’s a rigidity to her, and I think she’s lost some of that freedom and joy she has when she's around Jamie.

What happens to Jamie?

S: He obviously loses the love of his life and he expects to die. And when he doesn’t, he goes through this process of all the phases of grief and mourning: Ultimately, why is he there and what does he have to live for? He regresses into a shell of who he is and it takes him a long time to rediscover himself; he doesn’t want to be Jamie Fraser anymore. He wants to hide in the shadows, not because he’s an outlaw or a prisoner, but he wants to live in the memory of her.

Time is probably the best healer and it does take a long time for him to come to terms with the fact that she's actually gone. He goes on an insane journey to see if she’s still alive or possibly has come back into his life, and when he really finds out that she hasn’t, he can move on. And he does—he creates a new life for himself.

Is he a whole person?

S: Of course he’s not. He’s always loved her and always had a space in his heart for her, but he rebuilds himself.

Is there anything left of the old Jamie?

S: He’s still there, but he has to go through a lot of growing up. Not giving away too many spoilers, but he becomes a father, he gains his liberty, and finds peace within himself with who he is without her. I think that’s important, actually. He finds himself.

And Claire does too?

C: I think what I love about her is that she is a survivor, so even though there’s a part of her that has been shelved—her heart is definitely hardened and broken—but that she does figure out a way to create a successful life. That’s important about both these characters: Even though this relationship and this love that they experienced are bigger than any of us could hope to have, I suppose, that they don’t make it their single defining characteristic. To honor that relationship and the people that they are, they make the best of the lives they have.

S: They’re at their best when they’re together. They’re a team, they’re a couple. And that’s when they have the most life-affirming moments.

Are they still in love 20 years later? How do you keep a love going for 20 years when you don't even see each other?

C: Yes, because I think when you experience something that strong, it doesn’t fade away. You can keep it in a certain place, but it doesn’t diminish.

S: That’s what they do. They eventually sort of come to terms with each other passing, but there’s always that part of them that they keep dear to them. So when they do reunite it’s like, Oh wow, you’re back, and they fall back into their own routine until they realize that they have changed and have become different people.

C: When somebody cherishes a memory like that, you put them on a pedestal and nobody else can come close. You’re looking at it through rose-tinted glasses. When they first meet, it’s that first rush of love and it’s like that old time. And then what they have to do is dismantle that pedestal and illusion they’re created and find a way of falling in love with the people they are now.

They have great sex scenes in the book, but they have fights too. Which is more fun?

C: Fights!

S: Fights. Always. It’s gotten physical at times.

C: Um, yeah!

S: But it’s great. Caitriona is wonderful to work with, so they're the scenes we do cherish and enjoy, don't we, because we get to go at it.

C: I think the thing about these two people is they love so passionately and they fight so passionately. They live on this really fierce frequency and it’s great, because we do like to go for it. We know each other so well that we know how to push each other’s buttons—it's good, it's fun.

Ever go too far with that?

C: I mean, I’ve landed across the room on my ass this season, which was rather painful. I come away with quite a few injuries.

S: They're both very stubborn, and she’s very opinionated.

...Claire or Caitriona?

S: [Laughing] Aaand moving on from that! No, I enjoy those scenes. And the sex scenes are what they are. It’s an important part of the story and definitely this season there are a lot more.

I think the fans are happy. They weren't too happy with season two, because there weren't very many.

C: We were telling a different story then. I do think that the beauty of Diana [Gabaldon]’s books is that they're about a relationship that spans decades. It’s important to show every cycle of that relationship and not to just repeat one over and over again. What we set out to do is not to just have sex for sex’s sake, but have it tell something about the couple and where they are in the relationship and the point to the story. And if you’re just having sex scenes thrown in everywhere, then they lose their impact. So last season it was about two people who weren’t in a groove with each other and were feeling off-kilter. So other things became their focus, like changing history, which is a big thing.

It doesn’t look like you aged that much in the end of season two.

C: I have some grey in my hair. It's funny, I think we all assumed that we would do a bit more. But she’s only 50. He’s only in his mid-40s.

S: Yeah, when you say it like that...

C: It's not like they’re so much older. The difference between 30, when we last saw her, and 50 is not that huge when you look around. We looked around at our makeup department and the women who were 47, 48, 49 looked great. I think the decision was to play with the hair and more about how time has changed them internally rather than externally. The '60s makeup and '60s costume definitely help give her more authority—she just feels a little bit older in that way. But it’s hard then when you go back to the no-makeup look of the 1700s to tie that in. I was just really tired and haggard myself, so they’re all just mine, those wrinkles.

I thought

in the promo

, in the shot when you were in Edinburgh, about to go into the print shop, you looked so vulnerable and so luminous, but it’s a different Claire. You’ve left the '60s and the Jackie Kennedy look. I have to say, you are both great in this, you do a lot with the emotion in your faces.

S: Well, in that moment, she's just put everything on the line, hasn't she? She doesn’t know how he’s going to react.

C: For me, one of the hardest things to wrap my head around this season was Claire leaving her daughter. And that was such a huge part. Initially when we got our scripts, it was Claire with Roger. And I remember saying to the writers: "Hold on a minute, it has to be with Brianna, because that’s the relationship, that’s the price that she’s paying." To make that sacrifice—you could poll a hundred mothers, and how many mothers would be able to do that? That’s the ultimate price that she pays.

You guys are really close friends. So what do you like about each other? And you can also tell me what you dislike...

S: [Laughing] Long list!

C: I mean, Sam’s just so kind. He’s a really good friend. He always checks in. I don’t know, he has one of the biggest hearts and smallest egos that I know.

[Sam and Caitriona high five]

S: Absolute same.

C: [Laughing] You can't just pick my answer!

S: No, she’s not only a great actress, she's a great friend and a great advice giver, too. And we have each other's backs. It’s a remarkable journey that we’ve been on, starting this together, being thrown in the deep end and being like, Okay! We're going to do this together. It’s a nice bond and I think people are fascinated by it, in a weird way—I know the fans are. We respect each other and have got each other's backs. I’m very fortunate that we have that, it’s great.

How many more will you do? Will you do them all if they want?

C: It depends. If they want, is the big...we’ve signed up for quite a few.

S: We've definitely got this year and then I guess they’ll see.

C: It depends on if they want to keep making them. It depends on if we keep the standard and quality up. I think that's important to everyone, you don’t want to just churn something out.

S: I feel this season is possibly the strongest. The first season was amazing; it was the beginning. And the second season, there were things I loved and things I didn't. But I think this season—Outlander as an adventure, as a historical romance, it keeps moving forward. Viewers are going to be like, Wooow.

C: Their heads are going to spin. They’re going to be like, Where are we now?!

It’s challenging for you to be in Africa, in Scotland, in Boston, in Jamaica, in the middle of the ocean.

S: It's like, What show is this?!

C: It is challenging, the peripheral stuff, but as long as we keep the relationship at the center, it doesn’t matter, because that’s the anchor.

#caitriona balfe #Sam Heughan #outlander #sam x cait

[aion-rsa]

Cobra Kai Season 4: What to Expect

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This article contains Cobra Kai season 3 spoilers.

“Hey. Long time,” Kreese (Martin Kove) says at the end of Cobra Kai season 3 when he calls someone mysteriously, as if to ask a favor. Now just who could it be?

The most likely candidate is Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), Kreese’s war buddy and the main villain from The Karate Kid Part III. Season 3 of Cobra Kai explored Kreese’s backstory, adding credence to this postulation. We see Young Kreese’s (Barrett Carnahan) traumatic experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and how he saved his friend that he nicknamed Twig (Nick Marini). It’s implied that Twig is Silver. In The Karate Kid Part III, Silver was a rich CEO of DynaTox Industries, an unscrupulous nuclear waste disposal company. He helped to fund the Cobra Kai schools and was a major sponsor of the All-Valley Karate Tournament. Since the season 3 finale reveals that season 4 is headed to another yet showdown this tournament, Silver would be a good play. 

And here is everything else we might be able to glean about Cobra Kai season 4.

Potential Villain Cameos for Season 4

There are some other possibilities for a potential Cobra Kai season 4 villain for as we’ve already seen, Cobra Kai Easter egg clues can be intentionally misleading. Tory’s (Peyton List) mom was an expertly played red herring, which we’ll come back to in a moment. The writers know that their audience is watching the callbacks closely and are game to toy with our expectations. 

With the season 2 cameo of Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), Cobra Kai has exhausted all the villains from The Karate Kid Part II except for Sato (Danny Kamekona). At the end of that film, Sato had mended his ways so he wouldn’t have returned as a villain anyhow. In season 3, episode 4 ‘The Right Stuff,’ Sato is mentioned when a villager explains the changes at Tomi Village to Daniel (Ralph Macchio). But in the following episode, ‘Miyagi-Do,’ Chozen reveals to Daniel that he inherited the Miyagi-Do artifacts when Sato died. 

Sadly, Kamekona died in 1996, so even if Cobra Kai wanted to revisit him, he would have to be digitally reincarnated like Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) in Rogue One, and that doesn’t seem likely. Those episodes also revealed that Yukie (Nobu McCarthy) died too, which is appropriate since McCarthy died in 2002. But back to villains, Chozen had some dojo-mates, Toshio (Joey Miyashima) and Taro (Marc Hayashi), who helped him harass Daniel (Ralph Macchio). However, they were tertiary henchmen roles. Few fans would recognize if they reappeared in Cobra Kai and Kreese had no ties to the Okinawan Miyagi-Do villains so he wouldn’t call them. 

The other great villain from The Karate Kid Part III was ‘Karate’s Bad Boy’ Mike Barnes (Sean Kanen) although he was Silver’s guy, not Kreese’s. Both Kanen and Griffith are still alive so maybe they both can return. Kanen is still acting with movie and TV roles as recent as 2019. Griffith retired from acting about a decade and a half ago and shifted to writing. Most recently, he was a writer for the NBC TV series Grimm. Regardless, he’s still in the business. What’s more, Barnes had two henchmen, supplied by Silver, Snake (Jonathan Avildsen) and Dennis (William Christopher Ford), but they were peripheral characters like Toshio and Taro. They wouldn’t have much impact without Silver or Barnes. Most fans wouldn’t even remember their names if not for the Internet. 

One other wild card for Kreese’s call recipient is Dutch (Chad McQueen) from the original films. When the Cobra Kai dojo-mates reunited in season 2, episode 5 “Take a Right,” Dutch was the only one missing from the original line-up. During that episode, the rest of the gang raise a toast to him, explaining his absence as due to his incarceration in Lompoc Federal Prison. Perhaps in season 4, he’ll be released. 

McQueen is the only son of Steve MeQueen. He retired from acting around the turn of the millennium and has devoted himself to racecar driving since then. In 2010, he founded the custom car company McQueen Racing. There were rumors that Cobra Kai reached out to McQueen to reprise his role as Dutch in “Take a Right”, but he was too busy with McQueen Racing at the time. Dutch was arguably the worst bully of the original Cobra Kai members. When Kreese beat Johnny (William Zabka) after he lost at the All-Valley Karate Tournament, the gang abandoned their sensei, but Dutch could have remained loyal. 

Mysterious Parents

One of the best red herrings of Cobra Kai was the identity of Tory’s mom. Most fans thought it was Ali (Elisabeth Shue) because Tory introduced herself in Season 2 as “Tory… with a ‘Y’” echoing Ali introduction to Daniel in The Karate Kid when she said “Ali… with an ‘I.’” Tory’s mom is bedridden due to health issues, forcing Tory to hold down two jobs while in high school to support her family. Her mom was offscreen in a scene in Season 3 which further stoked suspicions. But later in the season, we discover Ali is back and healthier than ever, and her two kids are Lucas and Ava, not Tory.

So, who is Tory’s mom? The only potential remaining lead female characters from the original films are Jessica Kennedy (Robyn Lively) from Karate Kid Part III and Julie Pierce (Hilary Swank) from The Next Karate Kid. Both actresses are still active in TV and movies. Tory had some martial arts background which she may have received from her parents (Tory’s dad could be in play too, but her mom has already been presented, albeit hidden from view, so she’s a more likely reveal for Season 4). Jessica wasn’t a student of Miyagi, but Julie was. So maybe Julie is Tory’s mom. 

Fans are split on the possible return of Julie. The Next Karate Kid was a critically panned flop, so it is generally disdained by the fanbase. It was Swank’s first lead role, and she shines despite the awkwardly bad script. Swank went on to win two Oscars, two Golden Globes and was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine. She is the most successful alumni of the Karate Kid franchise. What’s more, if Cobra Kai should bring Julie back into the canon, it opens the possibility of The Next Karate Kid villains, Colonel Paul Dugan (Michael Ironside) and his school security squad, the Alpha Elite, including Ned Randall (Michael Cavalieri). 

Beyond Julie and Jessica, there weren’t many other women in the original films. Ali had some high school girlfriends in The Karate Kid, Susan (Juli Fields) and Barbara (Dana Andersen) but like Toshio, Taro, Snake and Dennis, they were peripheral characters. The dramatic impact of one of them being Tory’s mom would be minimal. 

The other mystery parent is Miguel’s (Xolo Maridueña) father. His mom Carmen (Vanessa Rubio) describes him in Season 3 as “a very bad man.” Perhaps he could be Barnes or Dutch (Silver should be around Kreese’s age because they both served in Vietnam so he’s too old for Carman, although it’s noteworthy that despite playing his elder, Griffith is a year younger than Macchio). If Miguel’s dad is Dutch, that could really mess with Carmen and Johnny’s blossoming romance. 

Return to the All-Valley Karate Tournament

A key figure to bring back at the All-Valley Karate Tournament in what will probably be the season 4 finale is the Referee (Pat E. Johnson). Johnson was the martial arts master behind the original franchise, a noted master of Tang Soo Do. And in season 3, episode 6, ‘King Cobra,’ Captain Turner (Terry Serpico) tells Young Kreese that the martial art he will learn is Tang Soo Do. This confirms a theory that many martial artists have held about what martial art Cobra Kai really practices – it’s Tang Soo Do, a Korean martial art often labelled as Karate. Following the original movie, Zabka continued to train under Master Johnson. Coincidentally, Johnson also taught Steve McQueen and along with several other notable celebrities. Now in his 80s, Johnson still teaches Tang Soo Do. It would be so fitting to honor Johnson with a cameo because he was largely responsible for the Karate in the franchise.

One character we’d like to see developed in season 4 is Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro), Sam’s (Mary Mouser) punk little brother. So far, he’s only been a nuisance for the LaRusso family, the one slacker, but he has untapped potential for a more significant role. He appeared in almost every episode of season 1, but his role diminished to just two appearances in season 2. At least he’s still in the cast for season 3. Aisha (Nicole Brown) and Raymond (Paul Walter Hauser) were major characters who simply vanished in the third season. 

A huge wild card might be a cameo from Dre Parker (Jaden Smith). In the 2010 redux of The Karate Kid, Dre was the reinterpretation of Daniel’s role, the bullied outsider who finds redemption in the martial arts. While many hardcore fans of the original reject this as part of the Miyagi canon because there’s no connection of any of the characters to the original films, there’s no reason Dre can’t be integrated. After all, if Spock Prime (Leonard Nimoy) can meet Spock (Zachary Quinto) from the Kelvin timeline in the Star Trek redux, anything is possible with franchise reboots. Admittedly, the plot of Cobra Kai doesn’t include time travel (except for an overdose of nostalgia), however that doesn’t exclude the possibility of Dre existing within the world of Cobra Kai. More intriguingly, it would open the door to a cameo from Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). That would really raise the bar on the martial arts of Cobra Kai. And most significantly, Will Smith is an executive producer of Cobra Kai. Smith’s company, Overbrook Entertainment, acquired the rights for The Karate Kid to make the reboot and retained them for Cobra Kai. Cobra Kai has been incredibly witty with its homages to the original film franchise, but with more seasons to come, it will need to expand its scope lest it exhaust its supply of those golden Easter Eggs.

For years, there have been persistent rumors about a sequel to the Jaden Smith/Jackie Chan version of The Karate Kid. The film was by far the most profitable installment of the entire franchise, earning $359 million from a $40 million budget, more than all the original four films combined, so it is surprising that Hollywood hasn’t pushed harder for a sequel. But Jackie Chan is a busy man. There have been unconfirmed rumors of his involvement with Rush Hour 4 and Shanghai Dawn for years too and those are no closer to fruition. Nevertheless, a Dre cameo in Cobra Kai would be a good steppingstone for a redux sequel. And Dre could fit right in with the cast easily. Jaden Smith is the same age as Tanner Buchanan (Robby).

One of the reasons that Cobra Kai left YouTube Red to go over to Netflix was because YouTube wouldn’t commit to a fourth season. Given how the show has played out, the writers seem to have the underlying story arc sketched out, at least as far as season 4. With the escalating surprises that Cobra Kai has already brought, season 4 should be even more fun. 

Cobra Kai never dies! 

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Cobra Kai season 3 is available to stream on Netflix now.

The post Cobra Kai Season 4: What to Expect appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[erika-de-claire]

☾ cute character questions ☽

THE BASICS.

NAME : Erika Florence De Claire Pace (usually going by one of the surnames)


AGE : 16, mentally and physically. 


ZODIAC SIGN : Gemini.


ONE GOOD TRAIT : Gentle.


ONE BAD TRAIT : Anxious.

HABITS.

ONE BAD HABIT : Erika has a bad habit of shying away from most social situations. Only occasionally growing the courage to go to parties and such in which, even then, she still needs Giggles or a close friend by her side so she isn't left with a bunch of people she doesn't know. She struggles to make conversation.


ONE GOOD HABIT : Erika has a good habit of simply remaining polite. She's noticed that many people- especially towards somebody who isn't like them- jump too quickly to singling a person out and being rude. She often causes herself to go overboard with it, however. 


ONE HABIT THEY CAN’T BREAK : Erika can't seem to break her habit of being overly concerned for people. Even in the slightest issue, she will be the one panicking more than the person who is hurt. While she can easily help people when medical care is needed. She worries greatly and this can lead her to becoming a little bit overprotective and doing everything she can to ensure a person's safety.


ONE THEY’VE BROKEN : One habit that Erika has managed to break was a scratching habit. Being a ghost one wouldn't expect her to get hurt. But when her anxiety or PTSD would act up, scratching was a nervous habit and often did cause some ectoplasm. She was lucky enough to break this while dealing with her anxieties, having Giggles become a proper support animal also helped.


WHAT THEY’RE AFRAID OF : The one thing that frightens Erika the most is that the person she once loved, who took advantage of it and hurt her. Will return someday, she fears that he may find her friends and hurt them or try to come back into her life. She knows he is still out there and the things he can do.

FAMILY.

THEIR PARENTS NAMES : Randall Pace and Emily De Claire.


THEIR SIBLINGS NAMES : None


FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY : Erika has many wonderful childhood memories but one of the best was when she went to her first party in the mansion. She was around four or so and at that time, very confident. She still remembers watching the ghosts in the ballroom dance and watching in awe as the organist played his music. She could've sat and watched the entire time, and she almost did! It's possible this was one of the things that got her so into music.


FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TOY : Erika was very spoilt by the other ghosts, though her favourite toy had to be a plush rabbit that was made for her at birth. As a young ghost she would be carrying it in her arms everywhere, when she grew out of her first ballet shoes, she would put the old ones on the rabbit. She still has it kept in a safe place in the mansion. The rabbit was called 'Snowbell'. Possibly because of its white colour.


EMBARRASSING STORY : To Erika, slipping up ever so slightly in front of people can be considered humiliating. Though, she will never get over the time that she slipped up very badly at one of the parties in the mansion. The entire night just wasn't for her, first she showed up and had forgotten to do her hair- it was stuck in the scruffiest ponytail- then she kept getting mixed up in conversations, to a point that she gave just a bit too much away. Other ghosts even wondered if she was drunk! Thankfully, she wasn't, she just was just feeling under the weather.

FAVOURITE FAMILY MEMBER : Erika loves every member of her ghost family unconditionally but nobody can even try to compare to both of her parents.


A STORY ABOUT THAT FAMILY MEMBER : The amount of wonderful stories Erika has with her parents throughout her unlife could make a whole saga of their own. Though, she really does appreciate hearing the story of how her mother and father reunited in the afterlife and got to love eachother freely.

WHAT THEY PREFER.

COFFEE OR TEA ? Tea, her favourite type is Camomile or English Breakfast, the sweeter the better.


SHOWERING IN THE DAY OR NIGHT ? Day, specifically in the morning. Especially in Auradon, it is just a good way to get started and freshened up without seeming completely dead all day.


TAKING BATHS OR TAKING SHOWERS ? Baths, she finds them incredibly relaxing and loves settling down in a nice warm bath with a good book and warm drink. Especially in winter.


TV OR MOVIES ? WRITING OR READING ? Movies, she loves being able to have movie nights with her friends and especially going to the cinema to see new releases, which she had been doing since she started in Auradon. She loves both writing and reading, being an extreme bookworm as well as having a love for all kinds of literature, Erika won't deny having read many classic forms of the art and even written a few poems and songs.


PLATONIC OR ROMANTIC LOVE ? Both, Erika has a deep love for her friends that can never be broken and will always remain loyal to them, and while her experience romantically turned out awful for her, she still has hope in a better romantic future.


ICED TEA OR LEMONADE ? Lemonade, she has tried Iced Tea and it doesn't sit with her right- she prefers hot tea- lemonade also just works for those summer days.


ICE CREAM OR SMOOTHIES ? Ice Cream, Erika is very fond of Ice Cream on a warm day, her favourite flavor often changing.


CUPCAKES OR CAKE ? Cupcakes, Erika can't eat much regular cake as she only eats small portions- always being told 'you eat like a sparrow!' - so cupcakes are much easier to finish.


BEACH OR MOUNTAINS ? Beach, Erika has never been to the mountains but aside from the salt water- she did enjoy a trip to the beach one summer with her friends.

FAVOURITES.

SONG : Erika doesn't have just ONE favourite song, but she does find enjoyment in many modern songs- especially those with a more alternative style or even musical soundtracks. Her favourite song changes often but at the moment it's 'This is Me' by Keala Settle. She even learned the dance.


BAND : Erika hasn't listened to many bands lately and is still figuring out her favourite.


OUTFIT : This is a tie, Erika wears many flowy and frilly dresses that all make her feel beautiful- especially to dance in. One of which being a pale indigo dress that she actually altered herself. Very simple but it works for most occasions. Another is a simple white shirt and long blue skirt- she wears stuff like these on days where her mental state is at its lowest and she can't bring herself out of her room. It's something comfy and light, though it may look frumpy, she doesn't care.


PLACE : Erika has a fondness of many spots in the mansion, though the attic is the one she holds the most dear.


MEMORY : Erika has too many memories that make her smile and fill with glee. Asking her would even send her into an indecisive frenzy.


PERSON : She just doesn't have one! There is so many people that mean a lot to her.


MOVIE : For Erika her favourite is actually a tie between 'The Greatest Showman', 'Murder on the Orient Express' and the 'Sherlock Holmes' movies. The first being a musical that she fell in love with- especially considering she was considered an 'oddity' amongst Auradon students. While 'Murder on the Orient Express' and the 'Sherlock Holmes' movies are adaptations of some of her favourite books by Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- though these could just be biased due to her love of the books.


SHOW : Erika usually watches whatever is on at the time and doesn't have one favourite- she's more of a movie person.

TV!

TAGGED BY : @theheadlessgroom


TAGGING : anyone else who would like to do it!