(no subject)

[virgocat]

INTIMACY

1. PHYSICAL INTIMACY. It might just be innocent touches or it might be during sex.
2. LONG CONVERSATIONS. Honest words can be more intimate than touch.
3. DRUNK. You're oversharing or simply maudlin.
4. FORCED INTIMACY. Magic. A truth serum, whatever - you didn't mean to bare your soul, but that is precisely what you're doing right now.
5. SLOW-DANCING. There is something inherently intimate about trusting someone else to lead you, and someone trust you to lead them.
6. OTHER. Intimacy can come in many forms. Pick your poison.

STOP! SOMEONE IS NAKED IN YOUR...

1. BED. Waking up after a wild night or just getting ready for bed?
2. OFFICE. Getting a leg up at work? Caught in a moment of indiscretion?
3. YARD. Someone's been communing with nature...
4. CAR. The warmth of a heater during snowfall... or the aircon during a melting summer.
5. BEACH. Oh look, there's a floating swimsuit... and there's its owner.
6. RIVER. God, can't even fish without hooking the wrong species.
7. BATHROOM. . . . Oh, hey, who needs a shower, right?
8. PARK. Sun and grass and lots of people to . . . watch . . . oh my.
9. OTHER. Because there are way, way too many more places than I can think of.

HURT/COMFORT

1. INJURY. You've been injured. Broken bones or bleeding out or maybe just a tiny little papercut. The choice is yours.
2. SICKNESS. You're sick and laid up in bed, at home or in a hospital. The severity is up to you.
3. FEAR/ANXIETY. Something is happening and you're scared beyond belief.
4. LOSS OF SENSES. Sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell, etc. You've lost some important sense or ability and now you're left to deal with it.
5. DESPAIR. Nothing is good or right anymore and you can't shake the depression. Maybe that friend of yours can help though.
6. MAKE UP. Fight or break up, it's time to make up.
7. RESCUED. You've just been held captive and/or tortured for however long and finally, someone has come to the rescue.
8. BAD ROMANCE. Fight, cheat on, abuse, whatever the case is, someone else can clearly see you need comfort from someone who isn't your terrible lover tonight.
9. LOSS. You've experienced a loss of some kind and need help getting through it.

CUDDLES

1. SWEET DREAMS. It's been a long day and all you want to do is sleep or just rest your eyes for a bit. Hopefully whoever is close by doesn't mind if you use them as a blanket.
2. STORMY WEATHER. The heavy rain, thunder, and lightning won't be letting up anytime soon. Luckily, it's the perfect weather to stay indoors and snuggle up close and keep warm.
3. SLOW DANCE. It's the end of a party, or maybe it's only the two of you, but the tempo is slow and the lights are low. Let your dance partner take the weight and just sway.
4. SURPRISE ATTACK. Time to invade someone's personal space. Are they working too much and need a distraction? Maybe you just wanted to brighten their day. Either way, they won't see it coming.
5. MOVIE NIGHT. It can be on the sofa or in a darkened theater, but you've got your popcorn and someone to settle against during your favorite movie.
6. I LOVE YOU, MAN. It's totally platonic, really. You're just very good friends, no matter what people like to think. But you just love your friend so much you want to hug them, whether they like it or not.
7. JEEPERS CREEPERS. Welp. You were just frightened. Was it a spider in the washroom, a ghost in the attic, a bad dream? Either way, you're looking for someone to cling to right now, and who better than that person right there?
8. HURT AND COMFORT. Whether you're sick in bed, just been dumped, or suffered a traumatic event, you need someone to wrap their arms around you and make everything go away.
9. SUNDAY MORNING. Maybe you just had a wild night. Maybe there's just not enough space at your place and you need to share your bed. Or maybe you just got really tired and someone else happened to be there. Doesn't matter because now the person with you looks way more comfortable than any blanket or pillow. Drape to your heart's content.
10. MOMENT AFTER. You just had incredible, vigorous sex and if you weren't a cuddler before, you are now. You're probably too exhausted to do anything else anyway. Just enjoy the moment.
11. MENAGE A TROIS. Or four, or five. Get a group and cuddle away.
12. PLAYER'S CHOICE. Pick one or make up your own!

ROAD TRIP
1. BREAK DOWN. Oh snap. Your car decided to break down out in the middle of nowhere. WHAT DO? Is that Leatherface? Will this be "Children of the Corn"?
2. HITCHHIKERS? Is this even a good idea? Threads may also have a third participant. Go wild.
3. WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST HIT? Dude, I hear deer mess up cars... Or I think that was a deer...
4. DON'T MAKE ME TURN THIS CAR AROUND. Alas. You're the parent or disgruntled friend who has had it up to here with all the fighting in the bakc. This thread may also have a third or even fourth participant, if you can wing it.
5. OMG, I WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS LANDMARK! No, no, and no. You tell that person that they're going to be driven around and they're going to like it.
6. THE GREAT ESCAPE. Either dinosaurs or the mothman is chasing you. Don't stop now.
7. MAKE OUT. For whatever reason, the person you're traveling ith in the car. You would love to make out with them and then some.

(Borrowed from usquebaugh with love)

Comments

[child_of_bhaal]

If she's going to interpret, it'll be towards the result that is most embarrassing for her, because that's her luck.

"You went to a great deal of trouble to do something nice for someone you love. How could I ever think terribly of you from that?"

She's very matter-of-fact as she pours wine into both glasses. She's not from a world where wine is sipped and sniffed and barely tasted. She's from a world of long swallows that result in wiping mouths on sleeves. So the glasses get filled to decent levels.

[withimagination]

He smiles gratefully at that. She could have been exceptionally mean, but she's been utterly gracious and graceful.

The pour has him grinning and nodding. "Now that's a pour I can get behind. Here, love, cheers," he says, raising his glass to her. He swallows with a cheerful hum, nodding toward her.

"So what... what made you send Arthur in my direction?"

[child_of_bhaal]

"If you wanted less, you'd have brought smaller goblets." Because that's what wine glasses are: goblets. You fill a goblet.

She raises up her glass at his trust and takes a hearty swallow. Which gets stuck for a second as his question registers. She doesn't come, bit it's a near thing.

"Well," she holds her cup in her lap, a serious expression on get face that matches her tone. "He was already wanting to go to you. All I did was let him know he wasn't being stopped."

[withimagination]

He chuckles at her first statement, but then he turns serious, turning to her and bringing up his legs on the bed.

"Most people would have been offended. They would have seen me as 'the other woman.' I don't remember you even acting jealous once."

[child_of_bhaal]

It's a good thing they're drinking, because suddenly the conversation warrants alcohol. She is quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"Before I was brought to the fleet, I knew one thing about my life for certain: I would die. And I knew I would die young. I would die and there was no certainty that I'd get to do or have the things that most everyone is sure they will get.

I turned down a man back home that wanted to be with me romantically. Knowing then that I'd probably never get another chance, I still couldn't be with him. I didn't want him like that, and he....he wanted me for the wrong reasons.

Arthur is a blessing. He does love me, for me. He knew me first, and the bhaalspawn last. And still he loves me. And I love him. And when you really love someone, you love all of them.

How could I be jealous of his feelings for you? You give him things I can't, and you don't want to take him away from me. How could I take you away from him? That's not love. That's... That's avarice. That's cruelty and selfishness. Love is a gift. And how lucky he is to have found it twice."

[withimagination]

Eames takes a big swallow in response, sticking an elbow out so he's leaning. "Why did I think this was a topic for before we were drunk."

He shakes his head and runs a hand over his chin. "I... That was very eloquent, and I... I can never begin to thank you enough. For being willing to share. I do believe you're the best thing that happened to him. I don't even know if he would have been willing to date me before you. We've always had something there. I'd just... I'd never been bold enough to go after him."

[child_of_bhaal]

Why indeed.

But she now gives him raised brows, mildly incredulous.

"You? Not bold enough?" She looks around the room pointedly, where flower petals are still strewn about. "There's still a flower with your teeth marks in its stem on his pillow."

[withimagination]

He cringes almost imperceptibly, his smile just this side of forced. She's not easily conned, so he eases himself down on the bed, shrugging.

"We have this... tension between us. The concept is that I flirt with Arthur, and he pretends to be grumpy about it. Of course, I know now that it's all a charade with Arthur, that he needs me to be this over the top, that his eye-rolls and shaking of his head are really his way of saying 'I like you.'

But back then... I really had no idea what was reality between us. I'm afraid he didn't let himself want me, and therefore I wasn't certain of anything. I didn't want to know if he really hated me."

[child_of_bhaal]

"Well," she starts, laying down on her stomach, parallel to him, on the bed. "I can't speak about what life was like for either of you back on Earth. But, what I can say is, it was obvious, when you first arrived, that he had deep feelings for you."

She takes a drink of her wine, and smiles as she remembers.

"He got all tense, and his eyes got those little crinkles around them while his mouth got a really hard frown. You could just tell he was fighting really hard not to smile. He was so happy to see you, but so worried. And I figured out why fairly quickly.

Honestly, even if it had been just the two of you still back on Earth, I think you'd have come together eventually. Your lives were to high risk for you both not to get a kick in the right direction eventually."

[withimagination]

Surprisingly, his cheeks heat up, turning a soft pink. He can't blame the wine.

"I, ah... thank you, dear. That's... It's strange, being in a polyamorous relationship. For many reasons, I suppose, but especially because... I believe you've been a big influence upon me. For the better, of course."

He laughs softly. "I don't know how you two got together though. You blush and fidget around each other so much."

[child_of_bhaal]

She chuckles, at for the first part

"Well neither have I. To tell you a secret, I'm just making it all up as I go."

And then the laugh fades again, c for the second part.

"We um... I died. Here. Protecting him from a kind of dragon creature." Dinosaur. "But somehow, Atroma was able to keep me from being taken to my father's realm in the Nine Hells. They put me back together and dumped me back on the Red Fish. Arthur found me, and first thing he kissed me. I barely remembered it, I was so ill. But we came together after that. Slowly. Really, I think we're still figuring out how to do this."

[withimagination]

"Well, you're doing it splendidly."

He listens to the last part avidly, though his eyes are soft with sadness. "He doesn't talk about it, you know. You dying. I've tried to get him to open up but it's like ripping open a wound. He just won't do it."

He swallows some more wine, humming once. "I can tell just how much he loves you. It's incredible, to watch him with you, like a flower opening up."

[child_of_bhaal]

"I think it hits too close, for him. Like his friend Mal. And my being brought back was very unexpected. We both thought it was the end. Getting a second chance like this, it kind of forces you to make the most of every moment."

She drinks her own wine, and glances over at him, aiming for something less heavy to discuss.

"You know, it's different with you, because you, by your nature, demand he give up his ridged self control, his sense of order. You are more wild than he is, yet very sure of yourself in that wildness. He feigns being annoyed or grumpy, because he likes the game. You chase him. If he doesn't run a little, it's not as satisfying when you catch him."

[withimagination]

His eyes positively sparkle at her assessment of them, and he lowers his cup with a smile.

"Are you sure you're not a forger? You've a very keen eye for behaviors, personalities, and body cues. Sometime, you should let me take you under and show you how to forge. You'd be brilliant; I'm certain of it."

[child_of_bhaal]

She flushes with pleasure at his praise. Eames always seems to know how to compliment her so that she not only accepts it, but feels like she's earned it. The only other person who can do that is Arthur, and only when she's panting in passion.

"Well I've spent my life training as a bard. Learning about characterization and behavior is what I've been doing since I learned to read. Then once I left home, I had to refine the skills, so I knew who I could trust.

So, if you'd like to teach me sometime, I love to learn."

[withimagination]

"Excellent. I'll see to it that it happens." He smiles. "Yes, Arthur told me you're a bard. You must be a very creative person. What all can you do? Sing? Dance?"

[child_of_bhaal]

She nods enthusiastically. "Both, and also I'm a storyteller, a playwright, and an actor. I draw and paint too."

She points up at the wall over the bed, covered in sketches of people. Some he'll know. Some he's never met, possibly never will.

"Those are mine."

[withimagination]

"A woman of many talents," he says with a pleased smile. He crawls over to the wall, looking at her sketches.

"These are brilliant. Arthur will never let me hang any of his up. Maybe..." He glances at her with a thoughtful frown, then the smile returns to his face a second later. "Maybe you could draw him for me? So I could have something on my wall? I know it's terribly selfish of me to ask you, so feel free to say no."

[child_of_bhaal]

Ah Eames, you're already one of her favorite people, no bed to keep trying.

"Here," she sits up and reaches for the beside table. She picks up a leather bound journal, clearly made by hand, and much thicker than any modern journal would be. This she offers to him.

"Pick whatever you like. It's yours." Inside there are drawings upon drawings. There certainly ones of people already in her wall, like Zhas or Maglor. Most of them are of Arthur; studies of his hands, eyes , mouth, or snippets of expressions she's caught, gestures. There also be ones towards the end that include Eames. Nothing lewd, but definite moments of emotion; hand holding, shared looks, things like that.

[withimagination]

He takes the journal and opens it carefully, holding it like it's sacred. The drawings inside are beautiful, and they convince him even more that she could be a top-rate forger. He's caught up in looking at the ones of Arthur, each line of her pencil like a lovely caress to the page.

There's something about looking at someone you love that's different from a stranger. There's a warm feeling in his stomach, and his breathing almost stops when he gets to the ones where he's included. They're lovely, including expressions he didn't even know he was making at Arthur.

He turns back to the ones exclusively of Arthur, stops at one with Arthur's eyes downcast, his eyelashes sweeping gently over his cheeks. He looks up at her, his eyes big and genuine, his voice a little rough with emotion. "Lovely. May I?"

[child_of_bhaal]

She watches him as he goes over her drawings, and she wishes she had parchment and charcoal in her hands right then. He's so expressive and she sees thoughts and feelings flit across his features that the artist in her longs to capture.

When he chooses one, she smiles, nods, and reaches for a knife. There's no crude ripping off the page. She carefully slices the paper clean off the binding, without ruining the page below.

"There. And if you ever want another, well... I draw him all the time." She blushes at the admission, because she really does. Love made Arthur her favorite subject.

[withimagination]

He watches her slice the paper, takes it carefully from her, and stares at it for a few moments with a smile. Then he sets it down gently on the bedside table. With that, he smiles and leans over to kiss her cheek, lingering.

"It's like we're friends, sharing secrets and drawings and affection. Except it's even better because you have that flame for Arthur inside you, too. You know what it's like."

His cheeks are a little pink, his hair still mussed from changing clothes. He's maybe been filling up his cup a little too much, but he's not drunk. It takes a lot more to do that.

"What is it about Arthur? Why do you love him?"

It's a difficult question, but he knows she won't begrudge him for it.

[child_of_bhaal]

She smiles at the kiss to her cheek. It's sweet, and she likes the easy affection.

For his question, she has to think. Because there's just so much to love about Arthur, it can easily blend together to form the whole of him.

"It's easy to start listing qualities; he's kind, thoughtful, generous, sweet. But I think that sort of shortchanges your question. Arthur, he...

He listens to me. Really listens. He doesn't assume I'm just like any other person. He treats me as if I'm unique, but without the negativity of being born different.

He sees me, you know? Me, Syeira, before anything else. Before the bhaalspawn, before the bard, before the errant hero. He remembers that I like trees, and that I'm a bad cook.

He owns too much, and can laugh at it. He's meticulous, because he always wants to present himself in the best possible way. It's why I've of my favorite things to do is to muss up his hair, because he's always at his best.

He's smart, without being arrogant about it. He's observant, careful. He feels deeply, and hides it because he doesn't want it to get in the way. Loyal, and generous. He stays, even when you tell him to run, because he can't stand the idea of leaving someone behind..."

She trails off, taking a long drink to mask the bashful expression on her face.

"I guess I could ramble about him for a while."

[withimagination]

Eames leans back against the headboard, listening with an indulgent smile on his face. He loves this, loves her, loves Arthur. He feels surrounded by warmth, and he's pretty sure he doesn't deserve these people. Regardless, he'll do his best to make them not regret choosing to make him a part of their lives.

He takes her free hand, giving it a light squeeze. "It's okay. So could I."

He closes his eyes, smiling. "I like the way he smells. When he spends the night with me, his scent's on my pillow the next morning. I wish my bed was bigger. I feel odd borrowing your bed."

His eyes open and he smirks at her. "Which is a good segue. What do you think of Arthur's lovemaking?"

[child_of_bhaal]

She's mid drunk when he asks that question, so he's treated to the spectacle of her half choking on her wine, and then having a little coughing fit after.

"...what?" Is all he gets after a minute of her coughing and eyes watering.