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Tweak says, "SANCTUARY!"

ciɳɗy (ciɳɗɛʀɛʆʆɑ) ѵɑkɑʀiɑɳ (

silvershoes) wrote in

valarlogs,
@ 2016-01-05 08:18:00

Who: Leliana & Cindy
What: Passing the mantle, now that Cindy has a new job
When: Backdated to this weekend sometime, I think
Where: An old-fashioned ice cream shop
Rating/Warnings: Girl bonding, naughty talk
Status: Complete

When it came to sweets, Cindy wasn’t going to do anything half-assed today - she said she’d take Leliana out for ice cream, and she meant it. The place was an old-fashioned gem, like something straight out of a red-and-white-striped carnival, step right up, folks, and feast your eyes upon the literal mountains of ice cream. All plopped into a huge bucket and slathered with a multitude of sauces, nuts, and whipped cream - homemade, of course.

The sparkler on top was truly the crowning glory. It reminded Cindy of many a 4th of July celebration at the plantation home back in Georgia, and fireworks zinging into the air over the sprawling manor.

But giving into the sweet tooth aside, she did have a reason for asking her mama bird and/or maid of honor out to accompany her. A very good reason, mind you; there was much to be discussed, especially after the shitstorm that was the holiday season. Or December in general, really. Cindy was ready to slide into 2016 with relative ease, and hit a few home runs. Like no more kidnappings or grim reaper visits, for one thing.

“So, there’s something - “ She poked at the ginormous bucket with her spoon, finding a few nuts to scoop up. Mmm, her poor husband, not being able to eat these. “I wanted to ask you. Besides how I really hope neither of us die in our dreams again?”

Ah, Cindy did know how to lure her out, didn’t she? Promises of sweet, decadent things that were a little more appropriate to consume now that the snow had melted, and the weather had turned back to what winter was actually like in southern California. A bit chilly, but nothing like the winter wonderland they’d endured for a month - the cause of someone’s powers going awry due to its newness, nothing that deserved blaming. Worse things had happened and that round of dream bleed over had been relatively harmless.

It wasn’t something they experienced often. Count your blessings, or something.

“Yours was worst by far,” she scoffed, pointing at her with the plastic spoon. “You quite literally died, Cindy-lou, would you please avoid doing that in the future anytime soon?” Yes, nothing like bonding on how their fates ended in some other reality, but at least Leliana hadn’t literally flatlined in her lover’s arms - another blessing to count. All their dreams seemed over now, on the bright side. “I’ll do my best to promise, as long as you do too.”

She hadn’t usually been one for counting blessings, straying far from the ideals about prayer before dinner and church every day of the week (twice on Sundays) but after some kind of death epiphany? Yeah, Cindy would not take things for granted - she would also give a shout-out to whatever was upstairs pulling the puppet strings, for bringing her back; it wasn’t her time to go, and just thank whatever that a resurrection spellcaster was around and able.

“I promise,” Cindy spoke, lifting her hand as if ready to swear on the Good Book itself. “It can’t get any worse in the dreams - they’re for real done this time. Dead really is dead where I am. No one’s beaten that one yet.” Probably wasn’t the same in other worlds, what with loopholes galore, but Fabletown? They were about to face a lot of changes, and she just wouldn’t get to be there to see how it unfolded. Which was okay - really, she’d somewhat come to terms with it. Cinderella had a long and fulfilling life.

Besides, bludgeoning a bitch with a glass slipper and then dying five seconds later was a decent way to go.

“And you’ll avoid the arrows? See, we’ve got this.”

“Death is something that is very difficult to cheat,” Leliana frowned, prodding at her scoop of ice cream. A sorbet, actually - blackberry with yogurt chips sprinkled on top. “But I refuse to believe it was your time to…die. From something like this.” Death didn’t discriminate. It wasn’t something they couldn’t control even outside this supernatural hot spot; yet there were people who could bend the laws and pull them back from that precipice of no return. It gave her a sign that things didn’t need to end on those kinds of terms - that events from another world didn’t have to define the way you ran your life, or the way your life ended here.

Hard not to think about things like that, when one of them had physically died here and the other felt the wings of death in the other side. And there were scars from that timesplit, marks of torture that marred her skin, already healed. Leliana wasn’t vain enough to care. She had survived, they were proof of that.

Macabre discussions aside… “We do,” she chuckled. “You had something to ask, though?”

They didn’t have to go on about visits from the swinging scythe of Death. It was depressing, and depressing things weren’t why Cindy decided to propose her latest and greatest idea over ice cream. “Weeeeeell,” she drawled, taking another spoonful of vanilla with hot fudge sauce - and caramel, and butterscotch, oh, and there was a cherry on top too. She plucked it for the steal, setting it between her teeth to bite, twirling the stem.

“I recently started working for the Agency. Internal Security stuff, I’ll be heading up the team which is...sparse. At the moment.” Almost a ghost town, really, but she’d spruce it up - clear off the dust, get some protocols and procedures in place; her background in loss prevention was good for that sort of thing. “I’ll still be somewhat of an FBI liaison too, in order to have that connection between the FBI and the Agency, but...I can’t handle the bulk of all that, and running Shoegasm too. I’d like to pass the store off to someone competent.” Her lips twitched, hiding a smile. “Someone who loves shoes as much as I do - maybe more.”

Oh, that weeeeeell clearly meant there was something big to ask. Leliana squinted suspiciously, licking her spoon clean, just observing all the mannerisms she grew to learn over their friendship. All that adorable, peaches n’ cream southern charm that veiled a deadly side. Outsiders looking in, one would never guess these two ladies had it in them for cold-blooded kills.

Especially not with the way her nose wiggled or the way Cindy spun that cherry stem.

“You did mention this before, no?” Right, right, when the message was sent about her death and miraculous resurrection to life. Not that they had much time to discuss it to its full potential, as Leliana wanted to focus on her baby bird going through a very traumatic point in life. Things settled, moving on was the only thing to do - and now she felt it appropriate to grin. “You trust me with all those shoes, do you?”

Wasn’t the answer obvious? Yes. Running a shoe boutique screamed everything she was; she did some part-time work, insisting on making sure everything was properly organized and priced. Maker’s breath, shoes were in her blood.

“I did, yeah. It’s something I’ve been meaning to properly bring up for awhile, and now’s as good of a time as anyway - a safe time,” Cindy chuckled, the cherry stem no longer having fruit attached to the end of it. Gulp. If she actually finished this gigantic bucket of ice cream, she’d probably roll around in pain on the couch all day but it’d be worth it. “I trust you with my shoes and then some, honey.”

A hint of molasses in her tone, powder blue eyes twinkling. She had a feeling Leliana would accept, and Cindy thought it would be good for them both. “Of course, it’s a cover for FBI operations, so you’d also be reporting back to them - but it’s another thing I’ll leave in your capable hands,” she said. “I would just...like to still be involved as maybe a shareholder or something? Investing in Shoegasm. My dream self really kind of loathed the Glass Slipper, but here, I have a fondness for that store. It’s been through a lot of shit with me.” It had even disappeared and come back! A true testament to the required strength for living in Orange County.

Oh! That was true, wasn’t it. The government part of it, how there were invisible hooks in Shoegasm on that end. Leliana would fair fine. Her connections remained vast, and she had worked closely with that branch before when it came to dirty little secrets. Maybe a little more tape than what she was comfortable with, but doable.

“That store is your baby,” she reminded, still picking at her cup - she always did have the appetite of a bird. “It will still be yours, Cindy-lou, and I am honored you trust me to take care of it. And fitting for someone going into retirement, though I make myself sound much older than I am.” Nightingale’s face scrunched a bit. Or, well, perhaps she merely felt older than what she was. A little more tired, a little more weary after everything that had happened. Leliana had enough excitement for a lifetime. She was ready to do something else until she was called upon for a favor by a friend for whatever reason. “Gale might have to literally come to the store and drag me out every night, come to think of it.”

He also might have to dig through the heap of shoes to find her first, too.

Cindy understood, she too didn’t need to be caught up in the excitement that came about with weaving an intricate web of lies, playing the life-or-death game. She’d had a taste of it, Cinderella herself having a much bigger taste in the dregs of Fabletown and beyond, but now it was different - she found a place to settle, a place that she wanted to help keep safe, to do her part with. So it made sense that she’d find a niche that would allow her to fight the good fight the way she envisioned herself doing.

“You’re not old, or retiring - you’re just moving on to the next phase of your life,” she corrected, looking at the whole situation in that sort of light. “We all go through stages based on what we need at the time, and I think we both just...need the stability. Because we have people to live for.”

Sounded sappy, but it was true. So much had happened, but Cindy wanted to learn from it rather than look upon those events as a stain on her life - you could learn from anything, if you looked hard enough for the lesson. “But anytime you want to start, I’ll show you more of the Shoegasm ropes,” she chuckled. “Just be prepared for a somewhat long FBI boarding process, but you’ll get there. I’ll get the paperwork going as soon as possible.” Then came the tests - physical and otherwise - and the other rigamarole, fun.

Assassinations and black-ops wasn’t the kind of career that would assure life longevity, certainly - it was a thing that engulfed who you were, made you lie and deceive those you loved for the sake of the job if it meant getting things done. If she hadn’t persisted on staying, she could have continued to do all of that. Could have lost herself like she did in Thedas, though she had no divine excuse to do what she did. It was something she was good at. It was something part of her even enjoyed doing.

Things changed, and now she was playing house with a family of animals (which she treated like children, considering she had to feed them and clean their poop) with future plans of running the operations of a shoe boutique. A front for an undercover identity, perhaps, but it was still a business of selling shoes and it was her calling. “I think I can handle the men in black,” she giggled. “You are right, though. This place is unstable enough as it is - we don’t need to add to any of it.”

Nor was it worth the price.

“Do I still get to keep the glass slippers on display?” Those eyes batted so innocently. “They’re my favorite part of the store.”

Cindy laughed, twirling her spoon in the ice cream. Slowly but surely, she was making a dent in it. You’d think her stomach would tell her to stop, but alas - still working through it, still being an oinker. “Of course,” she nodded. “Those will stay in the front window on display. I don’t trust just anyone with the proper maintenance of them either, you know.” There were part-time workers in the store, college girls needing the extra money to pay for books and such, and also Zelda who had gotten into the Buyer aspects - but she’d be moving along to greener (green like money) pastures, and there would probably be some reshuffling. A shame too, she’d been learning a lot and doing well - but one door closes and another opens, that was how life went.

Besides the glass slippers, Shoegasm overall had a funky, fun vibe - kind of retro 80s and 90s, with pop art all on the walls and music from those decades played. For aesthetics, Cindy had channeled designer Betsey Johnson, and while she thought it worked pretty well if Leliana wanted to change things it would be up to her.

“I’m glad you’re on board. I think it’s the right kind of change for us. Who knows, maybe you’ll have a wedding of your own to save for one day.”

Those glass slippers were to die for - she’d dreamt about a pair like that in Thedas, traveling around with the Warden’s group of misfits. Cindy’s had a sense of whimsy, literally something out of a fairytale with that enchanted charm. Not that they were practical to walk in (Leliana may have tried it once and may have injured a toe), but they the sight attracted window shoppers all on its own.

“I’m fairly free for whenever you’ve a moment to show me how to handle it behind the scenes,” mused the redhead, a lot of pondering going along in that head. Nothing she’d change, no - it had its style, it fit the name, it was Cindy’s hard work and she enjoyed the theme as well. She’d put a spoonful of sorbet into her mouth, and then kept it there for a minute when the insinuation of tying the knot was made.

Hm. One day, perhaps. It was something she thought of. Aand it was possible, down the line. “After I meet the family and see all of his embarrassing baby photos,” she smirked. “Maybe once you two give me a baby to fawn over. It is spreading, that baby feverr. Careful whose water you drink.”

“How about you come in this Saturday, and I’ll go over a few things?” Cindy suggested. She worked late at the Agency recently, since she’d just started a couple weeks ago - mostly out of wanting to make a good impression and really clean things up in her department. So, weekends were probably best when it came to passing the torch off to Leliana - Cindy wanted to do a good job with that too.

She also made a mental note to visit her FBI office and unearth some paperwork for the on-board process. Of course she wouldn’t be present for the interviews and tests, but she could at least get the ball rolling. “Oh god, don’t mention babies - “ Poor Cinderella just about choked on a nut (one in her ice cream, thanks). “We’ll let the others have their moment first, wouldn’t want to steal the thunder or anything. It’s an exciting time though, right? I’m happy for them.”

Leliana would mention babies, but alas - the day would come for her baby bird to make her own little nest. And she had two to dote on until then, with Neal and Wisdom having the hilarious accidents of unexpectedly procreating (with their respective ladies, not with each other). There’d be plenty to buy baby gifts for!

Plus, inspiration to continue to regularly take birth control until they were ready...

“I will do my best to not jinx your womb,” she quipped, the smile her mouth curved into it utterly mischievous. “Saturday works wonderfully, though. And you seem to be settling well with this new job, hm? You get to see your husband at work and home, try not to kill him for seeing him too much.”

No, please withhold from the jinxing of the womb. Cindy also religiously and regularly took her birth control, and she was a-okay with the regimen. She definitely wanted children someday, but she also wanted to enjoy being married first. Having babies would ideally require a discussion and agreement, rather than an instance of oops but then again it’s not like she would be devastated if modern science failed her or anything.

“I actually don’t see him too much at work, we’re like waaaaaay - “ She gestured playfully, “...down the hall from each other. Not even on the same floor. Maybe we’ll start doing lunch more often though. It seems to work for other couples there, so hopefully I won’t shoot him in the balls or something.”

Because as stated, she might need those someday.

Hmmmm. The mischief grew, a copper brow rising. “Oh, that just sets you up for a variety of locations for naked encounters, Cindy-lou. The workplace can be very stressful,” she pointed out. “A little escape for some stress relief, no? So many opportunity, so many more desks…”

It was true! Hell, she’d probably do some celebratory christening with Gale around Shoegasm - take him to the back room, undress him with her teeth. Probably in all the spots Cindy and Garrus did their deeds at but that’s alright, it’s why lysol wipes existed!

Well, yes, her and Garrus had christened many surfaces in Shoegasm - sometimes it got boring when she was there late at night finishing up shit she had to pretend to care about, or she was trying to re-word some nonsense in her FBI reports without making the OC seem too ridiculous. Her handsome husband was always a welcome distraction. But Leliana was welcome to make those surfaces her own too - more power to you, girlfriend.

“You’re awful,” she giggle-snorted, tossing the cherry stem across the table as projectile. “At least working Internal Security, I know where all the cameras are.”

See, there you go. A fine use of smarts right there. The last thing she wanted was to basically make a sex tape at work - bad idea.

“But I love you oh so very much, my dearest. Life would be boring without you. I’d also be far less stuffed, because I’d have stuck to tofu for today.” Her arm draped across her stomach, filled with decadent ice cream. “Oy.”

Leliana already had ideas for said surfaces, never fear, Cindy-lou. She closed an eye at the stem toss, brushed it away when it got stuck to her shirt - manners, princess! “How clever, you can conveniently disable certain cameras when your deeds are done, or clear the evidence.” Fingernails drummed atop the surface of the table. “Or keep the evidence, if that is a thing you two are into.”

Nothing like watching a porn you make for yourselves, no? Yes, yes, she did have quite the filthy mind. Put the ‘lay’ in Lay Sister back in that Thedosian era too. Impish lechery wrapped in French (or Orlesian) silk and lace. “And life is short, as we both know. When you have the chance to replace a meal with something sweet, I advise to do so.”

Cindy was chock-full of sage, worldly advice. Leliana was too, sometimes, but today her advice could lead to well-earned cavities and a sugar crash. Better than tofu.

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