Copper's Corner

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

It had started out simple enough. Anders managed to catch her in the hall, asking if she'd like to sit with him during dinner.

From there, conversation had seemed natural enough. The two of them didn’t exactly get to spend a lot of time together, so taking the opportunity to talk and get to know more about one another didn’t seem so out of place.

Then, running into him in the library wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He was a mage, after all, and it seemed perfectly normal.

And she was getting better at having him mind her training sessions, not finding him as much of a distraction. It helped that he seemed to be present at many of them, despite the fact that she knew the mages took turns doing so. Still, he would often stay behind to help her tidy up the practice gear, asking her questions about tactics, her favored techniques, and seeming genuinely interested in her way of fighting.

“You’re much more...personal than Nathaniel is,” he remarked. “He prefers his bow.”

“Oh, I do, too,” she replied with a smile. “But the darkspawn don’t always stay far away.”

“Of that I’m well aware,” he chuckled. “Unless, well, I magic them in place.”

“Wynne could do that. Very handy.”

“Wynne? Ah, I remember Wynne! She was always fun to tease. Sharp, too. Gave as good as she got.”

“You knew her from the Tower, then?”

That prompt began several stories of his time actually in the Circle, which prompted more stories of his seven escape attempts, something Elissa had failed to mention. He teased her with the notion he wasn’t telling her everything, which, of course, meant she would have to accept his invitations to carry on their discussions.

Often, they would meet after their evening meal or she would coax them out of him after training. And she wasn’t content to simply be an audience, weaving tales of the Blight or simply sharing stories with a more personal touch whenever the opportunity arose.

It was then she was most comfortable. She was a bard, after all, and entertaining was what she loved to do. But it was different with Anders. Every story she told, be it one she lived or one she knew, he sat and listened to her. It was these times he was actually still, sitting in and taking in every word of them.

One particular evening, they were settled in their usual place in the library: the floor in front of the fireplace. It had started getting chilly in the evenings, so he'd smuggled a blanket out of one of the stores and draped it around her shoulders as he settled beside her.

"You never did answer me," he remarked quietly.

"About what?"

"Well, you told me that you grew up in Orlais, but were born here in Ferelden. You never told me why you came home."

She grew quiet at that, absently pulling the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders. Her attention drifted away from him to a spot on the floor beyond her feet. Months. It had taken months for her to trust Elissa enough with her story and yet, as soon as Anders had asked, she'd wanted to tell him.

What harm could it do? she asked herself. That part of your life is behind you now. And he's been nothing but honest with you.

Not to mention how strange it was, but she felt safe with him almost immediately. Something in her wanted a closeness between the two of them, wanted to know what it would feel like to have his arms around her as he simply held her. A little smile came to her lips as she wondered what his heartbeat would sound like.

"Oh!"

She was suddenly staring down at a pair of fair eyes and a playful smirk. Anders had stretched out and pillowed his head on her lap.

"If you don't want to tell me, I understand. It's just that, well, you were wandering away from me and I thought I should bring you back."

Her fingers settled in his hair, combing her nails lightly along his scalp. "It's not that. It's just..." She sighed, her attention turning downward once more and finding nothing but curiosity and perhaps a touch of worry in those soft eyes. She gave him a smile and took another breath.

"As I've told you, I was once a bard in Orlais. I had a mistress who taught me everything that I needed to know to survive as one..."

By the time her tale was concluded, they'd just about changed positions. Anders was sitting up again and she found herself leaning against him. His arm draped slightly around her back, keeping her close but not holding her to him. She could still slip free, if she truly wanted to. Glancing up, she saw a peculiar smile on his face.

"What are you thinking?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing too terrible," he chuckled. "Just that if the sisters we had in the Tower had been anything like you, I don't think I'd have tried to run away quite so often."

Leliana felt the blush rising to her cheeks again. "It doesn't bother you?" She hoped to deflect from that with her question.

"What?"

"That I did all those things?"

He brought his hand over, lightly resting it on top of hers. "What we do makes us who we are, Leliana. Every time we make a choice, it changes us a little. Would you be the same woman if you'd made different choices in your life? If you hadn't become a bard, you never would have wound up here in Ferelden. And, well, I can't say that we might not have ever met, because believe me, I thought about running away to Orlais several times," he laughed. "But we wouldn't have met now. Like this." He brought his arm up and draped it lightly across her shoulders.

"And I'm very happy to have met you, Anders." She turned her gaze up to him again.

"Wow, you're the first person that's told me that in a very long time. Usually it's 'You're so frustrating, I could scream' or 'Now what did you do?' or, my personal favorite, the long-suffering sigh. It's amazing how expressive one little gesture can be, isn't it?"

She couldn't help it. Given the expression he was making along with his comments, she started giggling, bringing her hand up to cover her lips. His own came up, drawing it away.

"You should never hide a smile so lovely."

And she found herself smiling, truly smiling, at those words. She'd been taught it wasn't proper to laugh too loudly, but something in his encouragement warmed her. That he noticed her smile spoke a lot for him...and his affect on her, if he could, indeed, make her smile like that.

He lowered their joined hands just in time to have them bumped by something warm and fuzzy. With a meow and a little squeak, Ser Pounce-a-Lot padded into the mage's lap and promptly curled up.

"It looks as though someone else is wanting of your attention," she said with a soft laugh.

One of his brows arched. "Someone else?" A little smile pulled at his lips.

She just smiled in return, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. It certainly wasn't lost on her that his eyes followed the gesture before returning to watching her.

"I thought to ask you," he said after a few more minutes of silence, "if you'd be interested in accompanying me to the city. Near as I can recall, you haven't been there yet and Elissa pulled rank on me and is sending me there to take care of a few things. If you're interested. It'll be a journey of a couple of days, but somehow I don't think that's a problem for you." He smiled.

Leliana thought for a moment over the invitation. It would be a good opportunity for her to finally visit Amaranthine proper and, well, though they were going there on what was likely Warden business, she had a feeling that Anders wouldn't be asking if he didn't have something in mind. At least, that's what she was hoping.

"I think I'd like that."

"Really? I'll make the extra preparations, then. I just hope telling you I'm supposed to be leaving tomorrow isn't too soon?"

The sheepish look on his face made her laugh again. "I'll be fine. In fact, given how much I know you love mornings, I'd make a wager that I might even be ready before you."

"Hmm, and what would the wager be?" He was giving her a cocky look, coupled with arched brows.

"As a rule, I never gamble like that among friends, so why don't we keep it simple. The loser has to buy the winner," she thought for a moment, "two drinks."

"You have yourself a wager, my lady." He stuck out his hand and the two of them shook on it. "Come on, Pounce. We'd best turn in early if we're going to win ourselves some free ale."

She found herself laughing at that as well, though he wasn't in a hurry to rush off. Gathering up the kitten in one arm, he held out his hand to her, helping her to her feet and then bending down to pick up the blanket as well.

"See you in the morning, Anders. Bright and early," she teased as they finally parted.

Though it was late, she took a little time to at least begin packing, that way she could give herself a bit of a head start for the morning. Thinking about their playful bet, she couldn't help but giggle to herself as she readied for bed, finding herself too excited to sleep for a time. When she finally did slip into slumber, it was to more smiles and even more playful thoughts.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

He lost the bet, of course.

Arriving in the main hall, he found Leliana sitting on one of the benches, lazily kicking her feet and humming to herself. She made a show of yawning and stretching though she certainly didn't look like she was still tired. In fact, she looked as though they should have been on the road several hours ago.

Then again, that had been his plan all along.

When she'd suggested the bet, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to, well, buy her something to drink without being very obvious about it. If she thought they were playing around, it might make things easier to accept than him seeming to be plying her with alcohol.

Not that he was considering plying, mind you, but he was no fool when it came to knowing his reputation within the Vigil. Certainly Leliana had to have at least discovered one or two stories, or, at the very least, been made to listen to one or two. And yet, she still agreed to accompany him. The Maker moved in mysterious ways.

Of course, it probably would have been better if he'd remembered his reputation here in Amaranthine rather than just be worried about the Keep.

Their task had been completed without incident. Elissa had wanted him to check on some deliveries, touch base with a few of their contacts, and, "For Maker's sake, don't antagonize the Templar while you're there."

Easier said than done, when Leliana had insisted upon visiting the Chantry while they were there. His saving grace had been that he was known as a member of the Grey and he'd practically been Elissa's other shadow during the time that she was overseeing the reconstruction of the city. It was still coming along, but the people were really putting all they had into it. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear they were trying to make the city better than it was before.

What it meant, though, was that the Templar here in the city knew him and so long as he didn't cause any trouble, they left him alone. It didn't stop him from being nervous about being there, though, but watching Leliana as she walked the aisle of the chantry to the podium where sermons were delivered was a delight. If he had to compare it to anything, it would have been his first time leaving the Vigil as a Warden. Certainly there was nothing spectacular about the sights. He'd seen a few chantries on his travels and they all seemed quite similar and there was nothing overly special about the Keep's courtyard, and yet, seeing them for the first time, with a newcomer's reverence; or better yet, seeing that reverence in someone else's expression made it seem new again to him as well.

When she'd finished exploring the building proper, she took a moment to speak with the Revered Mother, something that had Anders wincing. Not a few moments into her conversation, he appeared at her side.

"Leliana, my dear, we still have to pick up those bundles from...the..." He hadn't thought this bit through. "Place. With the packages. That have our things in them."

Definitely not his smoothest escape attempt, but it seemed to work.

"You're quite right, Anders. Thank you. If you'll excuse us, Your Grace." She bobbed her head to the older woman, who just frowned at Anders as he lead her off. "Maker, thank you. I realized my mistake as soon as I introduced myself."

Anders chuckled. "You should have been there the time the Commander," he glanced around to make sure they wouldn't be overheard, "spread rashvine all over the woman's bed."

Leliana jerked to a stop. "She did not!"

"She did. I was there when she snuck in and everything." He grinned. "Of course, at the time, we thought it was just fragrant herbs to make her room smell better. At least that's what the Orphans told us."

"Orphans?" She didn't look like she believed him.

"I'll tell you over a drink," he promised, leading her once again toward the door, down the steps, and over to the Crown and Lion.

Before ordering that, he secured the two of them rooms for the evening. It was too late to start back to the Vigil at this hour. Better to get going in the morning. For now, though, there were drinks to be enjoyed and more tales to be woven. But first, he needed a rest.

Anders sagged against the table, arms on the wood and chin on those. "Elissa is going to be the death of me. Running me ragged like this."

"You should have been with her during the Blight. I believe I've set foot in every inch of Ferelden."

"Hmm. You know, we've shared heroic stories of our illustrious commander. What about the not so illustrious ones?" He gave her a sly look.

"Gossip? Is that what you wish?" Her lips quirked a little.

"Would an ale or two make the notion more palatable?"

"Well, since you're offering..."

Chuckling, he got up and headed to the bar for the aforementioned drinks. While he was waiting, he suddenly felt arms around him, followed by a delighted "Anders! You're back!"

Extracting himself from the embrace, he found a petite brunette with tight curls staring at him with a smile on her face. His mind whirled for a moment. "Um, er, hello, M-Mah-May. May."

"It's been a while, stranger!" The bartender set down his mugs. "Ooh, you're not one to waste time, are you?" She scooped one into her hand and took a gulp from it before he could protest.

"It...has." He didn't dare look over in Leliana's direction. "And, unfortunately, it will have to be longer. I'm here on business."

"Since when has that stopped you from having a good time?" She attempted to snake her arm around his neck.

He ducked away. "May, please." He shook his head. "I can't. Not tonight. Not any night. Not anymore."

She stopped, mug halfway to her lips. "What?"

"I...There's someone I'm...with." He gave her a telling look.

A snort escaped her. "You were with me last time. And that blonde Antivan girl the time before that. And then there were those two--"

"May, stop," he hissed. "That was...before. I've...settled. I'm not...not interested in--"

"Settled?" Her brows arched and she all but laughed out the word. "You?"

He frowned. "Yes. I met someone who--"

"Oh, I see. You just met a new girl, that's all." Her scowl relaxed. "You know, if you'd like, we--"

"No," came out through grit teeth. "I don't want anyone else. Just her."

She huffed a breath out of her nose. "So that's it, huh? Some new chit strikes your fancy and I'm not good enough anymore?"

It was his turn to scowl. "I made it very clear that I wasn't interested in more than a night or two."

"And yet you're settling for...for what?" Her eyes cast around the bar and he knew she saw his staff near the table. "That red-headed little tart over there? I could snap her in half."

Anders barked a laugh. "I'd like to see you try," he muttered. "And I'd ask that you don't talk about her that way."

"Oh, you ask do you? Well, here's what I think of you, your little princess there, and your settling." She dashed the rest of the ale in his face and stormed off.

Clearing his eyes, he meekly asked for a towel and another ale. As he was wiping his face, he felt slim fingers brush over his own, taking the rag and tending to him.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he mumbled.

"She wasn't very happy with you, was she?" Leliana gave him a crooked smile.

"I make it very clear to people I'm with that it's...casual. No commitment. Most understand. Some...don't."

She laughed softly. "You act as though you're the only one whose had a jealous paramour." Something about her smile seemed a little forced, though.

"Still, not quite how I wanted to address that aspect of my life." He gave her an apologetic smile. "And I still owe you an ale." He pushed the mug toward her.

"Thank you."

She was a bit more subdued after that, as was he. Their plans of gossip were forgotten in favor of a meal and an early start. If they pushed, they'd be back at the Keep by nightfall, and that option sounded good right now.

Tossing about in his bed, his mind swirled over the exchange, whether it could have gone better, or if he could or should have warned Leliana what they might encounter. He sighed. It was over and done and she seemed to be taking it well. Though her expression nagged at him. Something about the exchange bothered her, but he couldn't place what.

Halfway back to Vigil's Keep, it hit him.

"You thought I meant you, didn't you?" He stopped, putting himself in front of her.

"What?"

"When I said no commitments. You thought I was talking about us, too."

"With what I've heard of your past, Anders, can you blame me?"

He gave her a wry smile. "Not really. But I meant the other things I said, too. About finding someone who meant more to me than just something fleeting."

"Have you?"

He nodded slowly, bringing his gaze up to meet hers. "I have."

A tinge of pink bloomed across her cheeks and she let out a soft, almost embarrassed little laugh. Taking a breath, she put her attention back on him. "Well, if that's the case, are there any more surprises I should know about like your friend May?"

"Something tells me that if I tell all of those, you'll change your mind about me."

"Hmm. You'll just have to take a chance on that, won't you?"

He chuckled. "And taking chances seems to be what I do best."

And so, he found himself trading more stories with her the rest of the way back. In addition to clearing secrets between them, it also helped pass the time. Still, it was practically the middle of the night by the time they were safely inside its walls again.

Engrossed in their talk, they truly didn't stop until they stood outside her door.

"Thank you for accompanying me, Leliana. Having you with me made this trip more than pleasant."

"Well, I certainly got to experience a good deal. Perhaps we'll have to go exploring through the streets sometime again soon?"

"I think I like that idea." He reached out and took her hand, bringing it to his lips before letting her slip away.

"Good night, Anders." She took a step back, stopping in the doorway and laid a hand on the frame, giving him a little smile as she did so.

"Good night, Leliana." He hesitated for a heartbeat and then reached up, fingers dusting her cheek, his hand cupping there as he held her, leaning close to let his lips brush against hers. Hearing a soft sigh, he firmed up the kiss slightly, deepening it with gentle tugs on her lower lip, but at the same time, keeping it almost chaste.

Drawing back, he caught the hitch in her breathing, barely hearing it over his own deep breaths. Licking his lips, he gave her a smile. "See you in the morning." And with a bow, he turned and made himself walk away from the door, letting out the breath he'd been holding when he finally heard it click shut.

Passing the entrance to his own room, he found another door that was just as familiar to him. Letting himself in, he stopped with his back pressed against it.

"Nate! You'll never believe what just happened!"

If he hadn't been so giddy, he likely wouldn't have missed the feminine squeak that came from the direction of the bed. As it was, the shuffling drew his attention and as he crossed over to talk to his friend, he found that Nathaniel wasn't alone in the bed.

Elissa was lying beside him, the covers pulled up to nearly her shoulders and Nate's chest. From the position of his arm, Nate had it wrapped around her back, allowing her to cuddle so close. "Anders," she said by way of greeting, though her voice seemed a little strained.

He rubbed his face with his hands, letting his fingers drag slowly over his lips. "Leliana kissed me," he stated, unable to keep the smile off of his face. "Well, all right, it was more that I kissed her, but she kissed me back. It was...wonderful. She's so sweet!"

Nathaniel cleared his throat, scratching a hand through his hair as he stared at the mage beside his bed. "Anders, you know that any other time I would be immeasurably happy for you, but don't you think this is something better suited to tell me in the morning?"

Stopping his pacing, Anders blinked as he looked over at the rogue. "I...I'm sorry. I just...It just happened and it wasn't like I planned it or anything, but that makes for the best reactions, right? Being spontaneous?" He went back to following the perimeter of the rug Nathaniel had laying on his floor.

"Spontaneity is definitely something that makes a relationship interesting," the dark-haired man agreed.

"And it's likely good you didn't push things further than that," Elissa added. "Leli hasn't been very close to anyone since I've known her. I'm sure she appreciates you taking things slow."

"You really think that?" Anders stilled again and turned to face the pair in the bed. "I just...I have been simply because I didn't want to make an ass out of myself."

"Yes, that's definitely something you'd want to avoid." Nate sucked on a tooth, raising his eyebrows as he concluded the statement.

"You...you don't think I'm taking things too slowly, do you? I mean, she kissed me...back. That's got to tell her that I...like her, doesn't it? And I doubt she'd have let me if she weren't interested herself. I just...I'm so afraid someone else might...might..."

"Steal her away?" Elissa concluded for him. He nodded vigorously. "Anders, Leliana knows when a man is interested in her and if she didn't feel the same way, you'd know."

"I know. I just...I've never really...I told you that it wasn't like this in the tower. I want to know...I want to be sure that I'm doing this right."

"You are," she affirmed. "She certainly hasn't come complaining to me about your attentions, that much I can tell you."

"She...talks to you about me?"

Nate let out a soft groan. "Mage, it's the middle of the night. You can have tea and gossip with the commander tomorrow. Is that agreeable?"

"But I--" Anders blinked again, noticing for the first time that the two of them were in the bed together. He thought nothing of the fact that Nate was shirtless, but the way the commander had the covers tucked around her, not to mention the flush that was on her cheeks... "Oh. Oh! Oh, Maker! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Hiding his face in his hands for a brief instant, he suddenly turned and fled out the door, a flush burning up from the base of his neck. Once he was safely entrenched in his room, he paced around, hands covering his mouth and nose, rocking a little as the realization of what he'd done finally hit him. Sitting down on his bed, he ran both hands through his hair.

Nate and Elissa had been...and he'd...but Leliana had...

That last thought had him smiling again and the elation of what had happened refused to keep his mood dampened for very long.

"She kissed me," he breathed out softly, the words followed by another delighted laugh. "And you two should learn to lock your door!" he called to no one in particular, since the two he was addressing wouldn't hear him anyway.

Sagging onto his bed with another happy sigh, he flopped back onto the mattress, arms spread.

"She...kissed me."

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Leliana stood there, listening to the mage's footsteps as he walked away from her door. Her cheeks tingled with warmth and she could still feel the press of his lips against hers. Bringing her fingers up to brush over them, a smile accompanied the soft giggle that bubbled up from her chest.

Spinning on her toes, she prepared herself for bed, humming quietly as she did so. Pausing in front of the vanity that had been provided for her, she scooped up her brush and began running it through her hair. It was beginning to get long again and she wasn't certain that she wanted to have it cut off once more. Staring at herself in the mirror, she found herself wondering what Anders would think. If he'd prefer running his hands through it as it were now or if it were longer. His own came to near his shoulders, so it was possible he preferred length. Perhaps she'd have to see what he thought the next time that they talked.

Would there be a time for that? she mused. A small part of her worried that they might lose what they had built together. Given what had just transpired, she shouldn't think that way, but past experiences began to creep their way into her thoughts.

He wouldn't have kissed you if he didn't feel something for you, she told herself. At least that was what she hoped. Given what they'd talked about on their way home, she was nearly certain the kiss had been something more than a passing fancy.

Getting the answers she wished out of the mage, however, was beginning to prove difficult. Whenever they were together, Anders seemed...distant. It was as if after their kiss, he didn't wish to be so close. He wasn't avoiding her, but the little intimacies they shared had all but stopped. And any time she thought to bring up the conversation, he'd deflect it or he would make some excuse to leave.

"Something's on your mind." Nathaniel reached down to help her up after tripping her for the second time during their sparring match that day.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just--" She cast her eyes to the mage watching over them. Anders had missed the last two sessions.

He followed her gaze. "I think I'm beginning to see."

"That obvious?" she asked sheepishly.

"No, but I'm able to put a few things together."

She sighed. "You are his confidant, Nathaniel, are you not? Did I..." She worried her lip. "Did I do something to push him away?"

He almost looked startled at that. "Oh, Maker, no." He shook his head. "Nothing of the sort. If nothing else, you helped him settle down. And all without him even realizing it." He added the last part with a chuckle.

Perhaps that was the problem, then. He was feeling confined by her presence. "Have I?" She fidgeted with the pommel of her dagger. "Is that a good thing? Him settling?" She thought more about the talks that they'd had, about how he valued freedom above all else. The last thing she wanted was to take that away from him.

"Probably not the right word." Nathaniel grew quiet for a moment, a little smile coming to his lips. "You make him happy, Leliana. I've known him for some time and this is the most content I've ever seen him. He was giddy enough to be free of the Circle. Chattered endlessly about it. Now, he's very quiet, but he gets this...smile that tells me he's thinking about you."

"Are you sure it's me he's thinking about?" She almost didn't want to ask that question, but if she wanted to be certain, she needed to know.

"Oh, I'm quite sure. There's no denying that wistful look that comes over his face and the fact that he's very easily distracted when he's like that." A smirk played over the dark-haired man's lips, though it faded when he saw the frown on her own. "What's troubling you, Leliana?"

She let out a sigh. The last thing that she wanted to do was to burden someone else with her own troubles, but she'd been unable to figure out what was going on with the mage herself, so perhaps an outside approach might be necessary.

"I...you say he thinks of me? Then why is it when we're not together? If I'm with him, he stares off, barely hearing me. He doesn't," she made a helpless gesture that encompassed the yard, "come here any more. He told me how he felt about the two of us and now he seems to be doing the complete opposite of it. I don't understand."

The other rogue shook his head and motioned for her to head over to one of the resting benches along the fence.

"You're not frightening him away, if that's your fear, Leliana. Anders is...well, it's hard not to hear of his reputation. This is new to him and he's afraid of making a mistake."

"So he avoids me instead?"

"I don't pretend to know his mind." He let out a bit of a sigh. "Try catching him somewhere that he can't run and...reassuring him. He'll kill me for telling you this, but I don't wish to see you so troubled. And Maker knows, it might help him as well." He chuckled. "He's just as uncertain as you are and, I think, at a bit of a loss."

"Well, that's silly." She shook her head. "He has nothing to worry about. Is that why he changed?"

"It could very well be. He might be afraid how he acted before will chase you away."

"Silly mage," she muttered.

"Isn't he?" Nathaniel looked thoughtful. "Why not let me have the recruits for today? I'll put them through some archery paces. You go find that mage and beat some sense into him."

She smiled. "Thank you, Nathaniel. I'll make myself scarce before the recruits arrive."

"Try the workshop. I think I saw him there earlier."

"Thank you!" She waved back to him and after shedding armor and weapons, she made her way there.

Pushing the door open slightly, she heard the rattle of the mixing devices and a smattering of curses that made her chuckle softly. Not wishing to startle him, she slipped in and shut the door with a soft click. Waiting until he set down the potion he was working on, she cleared her throat. "Good morning, Anders."

He still jumped, but actually smiled when he saw her. Then his expression turned to one of concern. "Leliana? Is everything all right?"

She nodded. "I'm here to visit, not for healing," she assured him, watching him relax. She could ask him right away, but that might put him on guard. Better to ease into it. "What are you working on?"

"Draughts to help refresh us during combat. The apothecary in Amaranthine put me on the idea."

She moved next to him. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I've got things under--" He paused, frowning, then a little smile pulled at his lips. "I mean, well, if you'd like. It's mostly measuring and mixing right now."

"Just show me what to do."

They spent the morning and through lunch working together. They talked little, but he seemed more relaxed around her. When they broke for an afternoon meal, she finally broached the subject.

Anders hung his head, looking almost dejected. "I'm sorry. I...You had it right. I'm...afraid. I don't want this to be fleeting and I don't want to rush into things. But I shouldn't be afraid to take a risk, should I?"

She smiled at him. "No, you shouldn't."

"You'll forgive a fool, then?" He looked at her almost expectantly, still nervous.

"Why wouldn't I?" Threading her fingers into his hair, she drew his lips to hers and coaxed him into a warm kiss.

When they parted, he was smiling. "I was going to give you this, as an apology, but I think a simple gift is much better."

He drew out a stoppered bottle from his pouch and handed it to her. At his urging, she opened it, a familiar scent wafting from it.

"Is this--?"

"Distilled in oils, so you can wear it whenever you wish."

"So sweet! Thank you!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him another kiss.

His hands settled around her waist in reaction to the gesture. "Mmm. If I'd known that would be my thanks, I'd have given it to you sooner."

She laughed softly, brushing her fingertips through the hair at his temple. Leaning closer, she rest a cheek against his shoulder, finding comfort in his embrace. "I almost wish Elissa were having another gathering of her banns. Then I would have a reason to dress up and wear my lovely new present."

"Do you need to dress up for that? I thought to make something you could have any time."

Picking her head up, she flashed him an impish smile. "But what lady doesn't like a chance to dress up as well?"

"Ask Elissa that question," he replied with a laugh, then grew thoughtful. "And who needs the banns to dress up? Meet me for dinner tonight, in my room." He stepped apart from her, taking her hand in his and dusting his lips over her knuckles. "I look forward to sharing a meal with lovely company."

And that had been several hours ago. Now she was fretting in front of the mirror again. Her gaze kept drifting to her orange dress, but he'd already seen her in that. Still, nothing else seemed quite right. And would he truly care if it were the same? Or would it only matter that she were in her finery?

Taking a deep breath to stir away the butterflies, she made her decision, finishing off her outfit with dabs of the perfume at her wrists and neck. Thankfully, as she and Anders were in the same wing of the keep, she reached his door without any questions or puzzled glances.

He answered her knock by drawing the door open wide. Of course, the first thing that she noticed was him, or rather, the cut of the robes he was wearing. They were Tevinter style, but different than the ones she was certain he was normally in. They seemed suited for someone of a much higher position than a Grey Warden mage who ran around in the Deep Roads or the woods all the time. His hair was pulled back, as usual, and due to her delight at seeing him, it took her a moment to realize that he'd shaved as well.

"Good evening." She couldn't help but smile as she offered her hand.

"Good evening, my lady." He kissed her hand in greeting, but instead of releasing it, she felt him smile and then turn her wrist gently so that he could lay a kiss against there as well. "Please. Dinner awaits."

He lead her into the room and helped her into one of the chairs that were there, returning to shut the door before joining her. It was very intimate, that she noticed right away, and felt her butterflies settling again. Candles illuminated the room from the table and a few shelves around them, the light glinting off the glass of the wine bottle he was currently using to fill their goblets. Two covered plates sat at each of their chairs, the domes doing little to mask the scent of the roast beneath them. He drew the lids away with a flourish, revealing a meal that obviously had a lot of care put into it, given there were other foods accompanying the meat, all dished out as well.

"So where is our chaperone this evening? I don't see him begging for scraps," she asked midway into the meal.

"I asked Sigrun to mind him this evening. I thought he might be a bit of a distraction. Especially after he tried at least three times to make sure that my robe was, in fact, dead and the trim in need of a good batting around."

"It's good that he looks after you so," she teased, taking a sip of her wine.

"He does, indeed. But there are times when I need advice and all he can suggest is looking adorable and scampering away before someone realizes you're the one that's upset everything."

"Hmm, that actually seems like very good advice. He is wise, your Ser Pounce-a-Lot."

"Aye, but there was one problem he couldn't help me with. Except for, perhaps, the looking adorable part. So I am very grateful a dear friend saw fit to make me face what it was that was troubling me."

"Your friend is also very wise, it would seem."

"She is. And clever. Strong. And stunningly beautiful."

"My, this is a friend indeed. You seem lucky to have her."

"I thank the Maker every day that I do." He rose from his chair, moving over to her side and sunk down, kneeling beside her on one knee. They joined hands, fingers threading between one another. "Though in truth, it's she that has me, completely."

Brushing the fingers of her free hand along his jaw, she raised his chin, urging him to his feet once again and joining him, never once breaking the hold they already shared. Laying a kiss or two against his lips, she saw him smile as she felt one gracing her own features.

"I feel as though I am the lucky one," she whispered. "I never dreamed of finding someone who makes me feel as I do with you, Anders. You are not the only one who thanks the Maker for his blessings."

They stood there for several heartbeats, each holding the other in an embrace that conveyed more feeling than either could put into words. She felt safe in his arms. Warm. Loved. And from the gentle sigh she heard, she knew he felt the same.

"I suppose this is the part where I whisk you off into a...grand spectacle of a dance that shows everyone how happy we are together, but alas, we seem to be lacking both music and an audience," he chuckled softly in her ear. "Not to mention the fact that I haven't a notion how."

She laughed, pecking his cheek before drawing back. "Fortunately, you have me to help you with that."

Humming softly, she settled his hands around her and began slowly leading him through very simple steps. He was a quick learner, though, and soon, so long as they didn't try anything fancy, he was guiding her around the small space of his room, humming along with her to provide them with a proper tune.

Both laughing after they finished, he reached up, brushing some of her hair back behind her ear. "Thank you, Leliana. Not quite the dashing figure I hoped to impress you with, but I much preferred this over sweeping you off your feet."

"There are many ways to do that, Anders. Consider me swept." She laughed gently.

Silence settled between the two of them again and she found her brow pinching, watching some indecision play over his face. He caught her watching him and favored her with a smile.

"Stay tonight. Please."

His tone was tender, not wanting, and mirrored in his gaze. Something about it made her chest flutter and she couldn't keep a smile off of her face. Instead of answering him with words, she did so with a kiss, one that steadily deepened as he wrapped his arms around her, fingers sliding into her hair, his other hand skimming along her back.

As they parted, he let out a soft chuckle. "And here I thought I was going to have to bribe you with dessert." A little smirk played over his lips.

Laughing, she drew back, tugging him with her to the table again. "Bribe, no. But if you think I'm going to miss it, you are sorely mistaken."

Shaking his head, he chuckled as he helped her into her chair once more. "It never crossed my mind." He paused, taking up their glasses and passing the one to her. "To new beginnings," he murmured.

They chimed together. "And beautiful ones at that," she concluded.

-Fin

 

[dmronny]

Re: Copper's Corner

All right two questions who/what is Rin's Geist and who/what is M'Brook?

I'll let you know what I think of the story after I get through it but I'm only about a quarter of the way right now and I'm going cross-eyed so I need to stop for now.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Rin's Geist is Quetzalcoatl, the winged serpent. When we made Rin for the game, it was decided that she'd be a little more powerful from the get go because she's part of the "end chapter" of our little trilogy (and supposed to be the one to take down M'Brook.)

Apologies, I haven't explained M'Brook in detail, just name. He's actually Diogenes, Pendergast's brother (and yes, if either of those names have been sounding familiar, the ST borrowed characters and tweaked them. Because they're fun.) M'Brook is the name that the changelings use for him. He was kidnapped by the Fae Lord Jareth (no, she wasn't thinking when she named him and the first words out of Rin's mouth when she learned that was "Jareth? His name is--?" The character telling her told her to "shut up and don't say it.") at about the age of 6 and held in his realm until he was around 18-20 or so (I think). He got free and has pretty much been on a conquest to do two things: Ruin his brother's life and become all powerful. He tried in Boston and that wound up with Becca sticking an enchanted dagger in his heart. Then, in Erie (the second game, I don't blather about that too much) he wound up having a good chunk of his and the Abyssal lord he serves cult beaten to a pulp, set on fire, and then blown up by my other Sin-eater, Steph (except for the blown up part...That was the Hunters.) Now he's in NYC, attempting to, again, ruin his brother's life by attacking the people he cares about (ie Rin and Pend's ward, Corrie.) and is also currently attempting to merge the Underworld, a fae realm, and the suppernal realm (aka, heaven, or the realm of the angels/mages).

Charming guy, neh?

Ohyeah, and added one more song to Becca's soundtrack. Forgot it the other night when I was tacking on all the others.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Copper's Corner

Ah I see, I guess I just hadn't realized all three games were connected for some reason despite you saying that Pendergast was in all of the games. Some things make a bit more sense knowing that the games are connected. Feel free to shoot me for this but did M'Brook learn to juggle from Jareth.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Yeah, the Boston game sort of crossed over when we had our little Halloween excursion and Christmas (Becca is originally from Erie and she dragged the entire Boston krewe down, and Cass and Rafe over from Italy). And somehow they all sort of just seemed to mesh together. Not to mention Matt got sent down to Erie to help Steph when her buddy Zane went missing.

Now, in the NY game, Cass and Rafe are there, overseeing the Hunters (and trying not to get killed by irate family. Long story.); Jace is there, watching his brother's back; Steph *wants* to be there because M'brook's there (he kinda kidnapped her girlfriend and replaced her with a fetch, not to mention the whole cult thing...); Xander and her fiance, Dragon, were there long enough to have a confrontation with Seth; Julian was there watching Jace's back and to give Rin advice about M'brook (he's now back in Boston); and now Becca's currently on a plane because Jace came to realize that he needs her beside him, not just as his fiance and lover, but as a partner. (The in-game version was sweeter, but a little hard to recreate here, heh.)

As for Pendergast, he started out investigating the "rabid dog attack" that put Becca in the hospital, not to mention the couple of break-in's in her apartment (orchestrated by M'brook). He also knows Becca's landlord, Charlie, who's ex-FBI. Poor guy could *never* get a straight answer out of Becca or Jace. He came a little closer with Steph, who has no qualms telling people that she can see ghosts. They think she's either crazy or make up their own excuses for it. She did lie to him about the business with Zane and what *really* happened at the two clubs that were harboring M'brook's cults, but she was at least watching his back and keeping an eye on Corrie now and again. Rin is the one that gets to truly explain all the weirdness to him, dragging him with her into the Underworld and explaining what exactly his brother is now capable of and that the unconscious man currently on the futon in his library is essentially an angel. Little things like that.

 

[Luppikun]

Re: Copper's Corner

Wait... Pendergast as in Agent Pendergast? Of The Relic?

 

[dmronny]

Re: Copper's Corner

Dear god will that be an interesting conversation with Pendergast, when she explains everything to him. So is krewe the Geist term for a group who works together much like coterie works for Vampire. Just curious because it's kind of an odd choice to me since I actually was a member of a krewe back in the day. I also just realized that the playlist is much better if I don't click on everything individually and just let the youtube playlist go on it's own. I swear I'm completely oblivious sometimes.

Now for the story which I loved by the way, it wasn't quite what I expected knowing the usual content of your stories but I still loved it. Maybe I'm just a big sap but I actually enjoyed it more with just the romance more than I would have with a sex scene added in. Granted sex most likely ends up happening from the ending, but it fit the tone of the story better without having it described. Something else I noticed because I was listening through the playlist while I was reading is that a lot of the songs fit the story perfectly.

I also loved the scene where Anders barged in on Nathan and Elissa and he didn't catch on till the end what was going on. Reminds me of something I did with one of my old room mates once.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Wait... Pendergast as in Agent Pendergast? Of The Relic?

And all the stories after, yes. My ST tailored him to fit a White Wolf setting a little better, but yup. Special Agent Aloysus X.L. Pendergast. Nawlins drawl and all. And the poor bastard still doesn't quite know what hit him. First, Rin has to explain that there's a gate to the Underworld in his basement and that his house is haunted. Then she has to try and explain to him why exactly she knows this stuff (essentially explaining her Deal to him.) He got to take her to an Abyssal's lair, which pretty much put her on her ass. The two of them took a lovely stroll through M'brook's portion of the Underworld with his haunted garden and guardians and yeah.... She got to tell him that M'brook tracked down the spirit of his dead wife and bound her to Cassian to make him into a psudo-sin-eater. He gets to see the aftermath of whatever happens whenever M'brook decides to terrorize Rin. Got to have a rather unpleasant repressed memory resurfaced about what really happened to his brother. And now currently has an angel and a kitsune cuddling on the futon in his library, after seeing said angel in "battle" form. Loads of fun for a supremely rational guy.

On to Ronny's remarks...

Aye. A krewe is the term for a group of like-minded Sin-Eaters that tend to have either similar goals, geists, or just, well, get along. The Boston krewe is just pretty much one big family. Erie doesn't really have a krewe. Steph and one of the other sin-eaters get along like fire and gunpowder, she's dating one of the other ones, and Zane, well, he's a trouble magnet, but she's friends with him anyway. But they aren't really a krewe. In NY, we have a bunch of krewes. There's the Ragnarok krewe (Fen, Raven, Liz, Loki...). They're the ones Rin usually hangs with. There's the "angelic" krewe (or "happy Catholic land" as Rin has dubbed them.) There's a "demonic" krewe (the krewe leader owns a restaurant/gentleman's club, go figure.), the Dionysians (Dion and Mercy belong to them) and the Egyptians (who mostly keep to themselves.)

Funny, I didn't think the playlist would do that for you, but cool. I did kind of try and keep them in order as far as the game goes. Might have to swap out the ones that youtube took away, though. Funny that the soundtracks worked with it, too. I may have to try that. Anywhere in particular it stuck out well?

And yeah, I pulled it off of a prompt site who wanted Anders and Leli together, her being a bit shy and not having been with anyone for a very long time. The original requester also had two "bonus points," one being Anders asking Elissa if he could court Leli and the other being him interrupting Elissa and Nate in bed to talk about how much he likes Leliana. That was, though, one of my favorite scenes to write. I think I had that done before I even began the story proper *laughs* I thought about a "bedroom scene" for the story, but the more I wrote it, the more I realized it was more about the romance than the sex for the two of them and left the "invitation" open to the reader's imagination. I'm very glad you enjoyed it, though. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy

Also, the fact that you pulled something similar in real life has me laughing to no end. There's a story there, I'm certain.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Copper's Corner

Well if Pendergast is from Nawlins what's he doing being a supremely rational person. Actually never mind even one of the loonies from Nawllins would think she was nuts.

I guess it's probably not all that weird of a choice for the term. It just seems odd to me since every time I read the word it reminds me of Mardi Gras, a krewe being the group of people who run the parades and the parties.

Yeah I don't know why it seemed to match up so well and I don't know if I could recreate it perfectly if I tried it again. I remember the Vertical Horizon song matching up well for the portion I was on at the time and a few of the other more romantic type songs just seemed to hit the right note at the right time as I was reading.

Yeah sometimes the bedroom scene fits better and sometimes it doesn't, in the case of this story I like it better when it's left to my imagination.

The real life story probably isn't as exciting as you would think, but it was pretty amusing. At least it was to me, my roommate didn't really talk to me much the rest of the week though. So I take it he didn't find it as amusing as I did.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Comes from being Harvard schooled, I guess. At least I think it was Harvard. Might have been Cambridge. I don't remember what he told Rin.

Well, that is sort of what a krewe is. Sin-Eaters tend to have quite a bit of celebrations, particularly things that revolve around death, the dead, etc. They have flesh faires, carnivals, Halloween, All Saint's Day, and Dia de los Muertos (probably butchered that) are big for them. Though a lot of it is more celebrating being alive than death. At least the way my ST runs it.

Glad that it managed to do so for you then, at least. And yeah, especially given the last session, the Vertical Horizon song is really perfect for Jace and Becca. I'm just glad it fit with Anders and Leli, too.

Quite. I've got another story that I wrote a long time ago that I've been heavily debating including a love scene in and I still don't know if I want to do that. Sometimes things are better left after the fact or, like we've been saying, to the imagination.

Well, I think the reader probably finds the situation more amusing than Nate did at the time *laughs* Usually the way. And at least your roomie didn't try to get back at you for it?

 

[dmronny]

Re: Copper's Corner

Harvard is in Cambridge, MA unless you meant Cambridge University in the UK. Either way I think I'm going to picture the UK one in my head because I think a Nawlins accent would drive them nuts in the UK.

Yeah that probably is where they got it, since the first krewe in Mobile was actually a mystic society in the early 19th century. Bet you didn't know that Mobile was where Mardi Gras originally started in the United States. The whole celebrating death does make a good bit of sense Geist too, since that is sort of the whole idea of the game from what I know. Carnival/Mardi Gras and Dias de los Muertos are the perfect celebrations for that too. Since that's how I've always thought of them and celebrated them. A little tip to make it easier to remember all those days, All Hallows Eve (Halloween) and All Saints Day together are Dias de los Muertos, just depends on which country your in on what it's called.

Anyways like we said sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't, of course some people might like it better with the bedroom scene too. In my case I like it better this way though.

Actually he did get revenge for it, but at least it was the good natured sort of revenge.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

With him, it could go either way... But have fun imagining!

Oh, more than likely. The Geist sourcebook has a lot of info on "death celebrations" and the like, though it's kind of amusing since krewes and sin-eaters tend to...hobble together various imagery and traditions. They have archetypes and the like, but as a community, it's very...you tend to pay lip-service to whatever tradition suits you best. You're not stuck following a particular dogma, I suppose you could say, at least when it comes to living your life. If that made *any* sense at all.

True true. I've had more than one occassion where I've done something minor/left out the "love scene" and then had people requesting "more" or "sequels" so you can actually get the characters to the sex.

At least it was good natured and not vindictive.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Copper's Corner

Yeah it's actually pretty amusing either way with the accent.

Well I don't imagine I would be very dogmatic if I had already died once so it makes sense to me. I'll betcha voodoo comes up occasionally in the book since it's one of the few religions I know that treats death in that fashion, at least the good side of it does. I would imagine there can be bad sin-eaters too though so both sides would work.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Well, sin-eaters can make zombies. It's just how you go about making the zombie that tends to let people know what side of the coin you fall on. And as for "good" and "bad" sin-eaters, well, that's relative as well. One would think a krewe of sin-eaters with a Catholic/angelic mentality would be "good" and a Hedonistic/demonic krewe would be bad, but guess which side is allied with the Abyssal? Hoooboy. Actually, that's what Rin's about to find out next session. She's got fairly damning proof, if what she learned from one of the mages is true. She wound up trucking through an Abyssal's lair and that sort of clings to you. She picked up on it when Rafe came home from the place. One of the other sin-eaters picked up on it right away on *her* after she investigated the place and the one mage was three feet away from her in the door and went "Rin, I need to talk to you. Now." Then shunted her off to his brother to get purified. Thing was, she spent about an hour with damn near the entire Angelic krewe and not a one of them said a damn thing. So either they were being polite (doubtful, since none of them even seemed to notice. Hell, she got hugged!) or, as Dragon (the mage) explained, it's either willful ignorance or familiarity with something means it doesn't affect you.

And she offered to join the krewe so as to find out wtf they're up to. This is going to be interesting.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Copper's Corner

Yeah does sound a little like voodoo when you put it that way. Making a traditional zombie as in a mindless slave is black or bad magic, whereas if the spirit/soul chooses to come back in a willing persons body it's white or good magic. So they probably did at least take some inspiration from it even if they changed it a little for the game.

I always kind of assume good or bad is relative in the world of darkness. It's like saying the Camarilla is good and the Sabbat is bad, it really depends entirely on how you look at things.

So was the abyss actually clarified in the nwod because in the owod it seemed to depend on which story line you were playing on what the abyss was. I always find it quite confusing that the Lasombra abyss seems to be completely different from the demon abyss.

Talk about liberal use of plot thickener, I need to get some of that stuff myself.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Magic/powers/abilities are not inheriently good or evil. It's all in how you choose to use them.

This is Demon Abyss. About...3rd edition-ish information on. The ST uses Demon, New Mage and Changeling, Geist, 3rd Edition vampire (because she thinks New Vampire sucks ass and I'm inclined to agree with just what she's told me) and we have very few Shapeshifters in our games because she doesn't like Werewolf (but there is a Kitsune running around).

Oh, honey, if this plot were any thicker, I'd need a fire axe and then a chainsaw to get through it. I could probably fill a good couple of these post windows with a summary of the Geist campaigns. And that's if I *just* do the main plot. No side stories, no rants, no nothing. I mean, there's a reason the Boston krewe has shown up in the New York game. It ties in and they just will not retire quietly. And even after this "chapter" is through, and it's supposed to be the final chapter, we then have, let's see...Xander's baby being born (Jace and Becca have been charged with keeping Dragon's mother, Pandora, away from the baby until they've given him a name. They don't want him winding up, let's see, she hadn't used Unicorn yet. And Dragon, Phoenix, and Griffin are already taken.); Anime Boston; Xander and Dragon's wedding; Jace and Becca moving into Dragon's old house; an "awkward conversation" that Becca and Jace are apparently going to have (Me, personally, I think he's either going to be questioning his sexuality [long story, that] or he cheated on her, but I have to wait and see.); and all the happy fun crap that is going to lead up to Becca and Jace's wedding with takes place next year, technically (because his is a Traditional Italian family, a Hunter clan, and pretty much royalty by way of their relationship with the church. Rafe was teasing Becca that she was going to be princessa after she gets married.) Of course, the wedding plans are always fun, because Becca is *so* not a traditionalist. She damn near had bridesmen instead of maids because that's who her best friends are. As it stands, she's still getting Cassian. In drag. Who will be escorted by Jace's cousin, Kale. Who's a woman. And will look better in the tux than Cass. Becca also keeps threatening to elope if Gabriella keeps pushing her. And she doubly threatens to have her wedding at Anime Boston if the woman keeps pushing to have it on Easter Sunday.

See? Wall o'text. And this is stuff that HASN'T EVEN HAPPENED YET.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Copper's Corner

So the same two abysses I was describing then, possibly the same place though they seem to have different descriptions. Sounds a bit like my picking and choosing for what I'm using. Except I don't have any new wod stuff like Geist and most of the other possible creatures I'm just using the descriptions from the vampire point of view. I don't really like werewolf as they are presented in their own line of games either. I would have no problem with the newer vampire if they hadn't you know essentially completely dumped all the history and clans from the older vampire and just tweaked the rules to make the game better. Basically they tried to fix everything rather than just fixing the broken bits and created an entirely different game.

Well I probably won't get that complicated but I do have some twists plotted and thought out. Yeah your Geist storyteller sounds good though at least she does if it's working, but I assume it is since you're on your third game now. One question though how does a celibate hunter cheat on someone, since wouldn't that essentially make him lose his powers.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

I'm not overly familiar with Demon and for the sake of not screwing things up with the ST, I'm avoiding leafing through the book. I'll take your word for it.

And yeah, she hates that the New Vampire has lumped clans together (essentially) and done all kinds of weird and wacky shit. Leave well enough alone. They're hundreds of years old. They don't need that kind of tweaking!

She's a fantastic ST. And the celibate Hunter isn't celibate any more. Doesn't have to be. Once his 30th birthday rolled around, he basically upgraded from his journeyman status. With that, well, the good stuff that came with it were more tattoos, empowered with the same mind-protecting abilities that his vows gave him and the freedom to pursue the fact that he didn't have to be celibate any more. The bad stuff that came with his 30th birthday were his father taking the aspects of the "graduation" ceremony literally (like, there were supposed to be symbolic bonds...Seraphino left rope burn on Jace's wrists and neck.); finding out that the man he thought was his father *wasn't* his father and that his father is actually a Fae Lord; and watching his mother get turned into a hind because she broke her vow to Jareth that his son would come to no harm. Cue Wild Hunt. Cue Seraphino going after Jareth. *sigh* Cue Raphael being named successor because both the Lord and Lady of the house perished that night.

Still, the trip to Italy was interesting. Becca got to meet the "black sheep" of the family (whom she fell into and got along swimmingly with). She did nearly get choked by Seraphino (who was trying to 'thin the herd' of potential brides for Jace) but she got out of it. She got to meet Kale, the demon-hunter that's now training my other sin-eater, Steph (a sin-eater demon-hunter...hoooboy.) And then there was the fencing match. *grins*

One of Jace's "cousins" (family that big, as he puts it, "If they're older than you, they're an 'aunt' or 'uncle.' If they're the same age as you, they're a 'cousin.'") found Becca out in the fencing yard, going through a few drills. He offered to partner with her. Now, this boy is all swagger and cocksure and they're fairly certain he *doesn't* take the vow of chastity seriously. Not to mention he showed up at Becca's door at, like, one in the morning, trying to get into her room so that he could "come in and introduce himself." She promptly told him to do so in the morning and shut the door in his face (and locked it.) So he starts toying with her, because she's just a girl. And Becca realizes this. So she starts toying back, feinting losing to him. And then, she subtly starts to shift tactics, going on the offensive. And picking up the speed of her strikes, not to mention the finesse behind them. Because Becca's been training with Dragon, who is a fencing *champion* and the only man to beat Jace's mentor. And it gets to the point that they have to separate the two of them because it's turned into a full on battle that the other fencers have stopped to watch. And the only reason Becca didn't finish beating his ass was because she got the announcement that Jace was back from the ceremony he'd been in since the day before. And then the jackass tried to ambush her on the running trail when she was out the next morning. Not to mention she gets woken up in the middle of the night that night to the sound of him and Rafe fighting in the hallway. She grabs one of the swords out of the room, goes out into the hallway and whistles loud enough to get the to of them to stop. "Allright, who started it?" "He did!" (both at the same time) "There's only one of you I like at the moment and I'm more inclined to believe him, so unless you want to deal with the business end of this thing, go back to your room!" Cousin slinks off. "Rafe, what did you do?" "Well, he came up and tried to start shit, particularly calling my sexuality into question." "You should have kissed him." "Why do you think he hit me?" "*shove* Go back to bed."

As a side note, after yet another wall o' text (I told you I could do it!), I actually have two rather good stories (in my opinion, but then, they're my stories) about Becca and Jace "after Italy" as we put it. The one's the Epilogue to the game and the other is the "EpiEpilogue." Both go into their relationship now that Jace is freed from his vows. It might also be worth mentioning that while Jace has recently turned 30, Becca has recently turned 24. It's not a huge gap, but she is younger than him. Seems to be a running theme with the ST and me. Matt and Julian are about nine-ish years apart, Steph is 27 and her girlfriend, Micah, is not long out of college, and then there's Rin and Pendergast. ST tweaked him to be in his 30's. Rin is 22. Actually, the only one that's had issue with the situation is Steph, given that she knew Micah growing up and she also is best friends with Micah's dad. Talking with Matt helped her out a bit and it was something of a "Y'know what, if you're willing to give this a try, so am I, kid." "Y'know, it's really creepy when you call me 'kid.'" "At least I don't do it in bed." *gets swatted*