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#yes previous campaigns were too
happycattail · 7 months
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Can we talk more about that entire combat last night please? Because it was so good?
They were caught by surprised by fake Ludinus, 2 Ruby Vanguards, and 2 Reiloran. By all means, they’re the underdogs.
But that wasn’t the case at all. Imogen had the idea to use lava and dragged one of the Reiloran into the lava, severely damaging it. Orym then finished it off and proceeded to kill off a Guard using lava also. Within the first 3 turns, they took out both a Reiloran and one of the Vanguard.
We had Chet going invisible and doing the smart thing of hiding the spark. FCG healing Ashton from the fire damage he’s taken.
Then of course we had that epic moment of Orym (with the help of Ashton and Launda already dealing some damage to it) killing the Juggernaut.
We had Imogen casting Lightning Bolt, instantly killing the final Guard and dropping Ludinus’ Concentration.
Finally that heartstopping Counterspell from Launda.
They came out of that battle with no scratch on them aside from the damage Fearne and Ashton had already taken before combat started.
Ludinus can pretend that no matter what he got something out of it in the end, but that still doesn’t negate the fact that the Hells had that battle handled. They took out nearly all the enemies before they had a chance to even attack.
Yes they were lucky with the counterspell rolls, but it wasn’t just luck. They’re stronger, faster, and more synchronized than ever and they came out of that battle the winners in more ways than one.
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reasonsforhope · 5 months
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No paywall version here.
"Two and a half years ago, when I was asked to help write the most authoritative report on climate change in the United States, I hesitated...
In the end, I said yes, but reluctantly. Frankly, I was sick of admonishing people about how bad things could get. Scientists have raised the alarm over and over again, and still the temperature rises. Extreme events like heat waves, floods and droughts are becoming more severe and frequent, exactly as we predicted they would. We were proved right. It didn’t seem to matter.
Our report, which was released on Tuesday, contains more dire warnings. There are plenty of new reasons for despair. Thanks to recent scientific advances, we can now link climate change to specific extreme weather disasters, and we have a better understanding of how the feedback loops in the climate system can make warming even worse. We can also now more confidently forecast catastrophic outcomes if global emissions continue on their current trajectory.
But to me, the most surprising new finding in the Fifth National Climate Assessment is this: There has been genuine progress, too.
I’m used to mind-boggling numbers, and there are many of them in this report. Human beings have put about 1.6 trillion tons of carbon in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution — more than the weight of every living thing on Earth combined. But as we wrote the report, I learned other, even more mind-boggling numbers. In the last decade, the cost of wind energy has declined by 70 percent and solar has declined 90 percent. Renewables now make up 80 percent of new electricity generation capacity. Our country’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling, even as our G.D.P. and population grow.
In the report, we were tasked with projecting future climate change. We showed what the United States would look like if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius. It wasn’t a pretty picture: more heat waves, more uncomfortably hot nights, more downpours, more droughts. If greenhouse emissions continue to rise, we could reach that point in the next couple of decades. If they fall a little, maybe we can stave it off until the middle of the century. But our findings also offered a glimmer of hope: If emissions fall dramatically, as the report suggested they could, we may never reach 2 degrees Celsius at all.
For the first time in my career, I felt something strange: optimism.
And that simple realization was enough to convince me that releasing yet another climate report was worthwhile.
Something has changed in the United States, and not just the climate. State, local and tribal governments all around the country have begun to take action. Some politicians now actually campaign on climate change, instead of ignoring or lying about it. Congress passed federal climate legislation — something I’d long regarded as impossible — in 2022 as we turned in the first draft.
[Note: She's talking about the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Act, which despite the names were the two biggest climate packages passed in US history. And their passage in mid 2022 was a big turning point: that's when, for the first time in decades, a lot of scientists started looking at the numbers - esp the ones that would come from the IRA's funding - and said "Wait, holy shit, we have an actual chance."]
And while the report stresses the urgency of limiting warming to prevent terrible risks, it has a new message, too: We can do this. We now know how to make the dramatic emissions cuts we’d need to limit warming, and it’s very possible to do this in a way that’s sustainable, healthy and fair.
The conversation has moved on, and the role of scientists has changed. We’re not just warning of danger anymore. We’re showing the way to safety.
I was wrong about those previous reports: They did matter, after all. While climate scientists were warning the world of disaster, a small army of scientists, engineers, policymakers and others were getting to work. These first responders have helped move us toward our climate goals. Our warnings did their job.
To limit global warming, we need many more people to get on board... We need to reach those who haven’t yet been moved by our warnings. I’m not talking about the fossil fuel industry here; nor do I particularly care about winning over the small but noisy group of committed climate deniers. But I believe we can reach the many people whose eyes glaze over when they hear yet another dire warning or see another report like the one we just published.
The reason is that now, we have a better story to tell. The evidence is clear: Responding to climate change will not only create a better world for our children and grandchildren, but it will also make the world better for us right now.
Eliminating the sources of greenhouse gas emissions will make our air and water cleaner, our economy stronger and our quality of life better. It could save hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives across the country through air quality benefits alone. Using land more wisely can both limit climate change and protect biodiversity. Climate change most strongly affects communities that get a raw deal in our society: people with low incomes, people of color, children and the elderly. And climate action can be an opportunity to redress legacies of racism, neglect and injustice.
I could still tell you scary stories about a future ravaged by climate change, and they’d be true, at least on the trajectory we’re currently on. But it’s also true that we have a once-in-human-history chance not only to prevent the worst effects but also to make the world better right now. It would be a shame to squander this opportunity. So I don’t just want to talk about the problems anymore. I want to talk about the solutions. Consider this your last warning from me."
-via New York Times. Opinion essay by leading climate scientist Kate Marvel. November 18, 2023.
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fiercynn · 2 months
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okay, if you have ever made or reblogged a “hold your nose and vote for biden” post, this is for you.
here’s the fucking thing about these kinds of posts. i've been seeing them since i first returned to tumblr in, I think, late 2022? they've certainly increased in frequency since october 7, but they were there before too, ready to counter any kind of opposition to biden that has cropped up. many of them are not just trying to educate people about what positive things biden has done, which, like, at least I can understand the motivation behind those ones? but so many of them are directly in response to people criticizing biden, and their only real point is “sure you’re upset at this thing biden did, but have you considered the election?” starting YEARS before the next presidential election, mind you.
and october 7 only made that clearer. i don’t think it had been a week before i saw these posts cropping up. can you not see how fucking ghoulish that is? to look at the rightful pain and anger of those whose relatives and communities are being slaughtered with active american support, to respond to one of the few pieces of agency most americans have in influencing what their governments do – their vote – by saying “yes but trump would be worse.” as if the primary people you’re lecturing – palestinians, muslims, arabs, black people, indigenous people, disabled people, other marginalized people – don’t remember exactly how bad it was under trump!
and even if you think not voting is an empty gesture – something i, who studied political science at a mainstream american lib college, who has worked as a field organizer on a previous democratic presidential campaign and for several policy campaigns, who currently works in public policy in america, used to believe, but have absolutely changed my mind on – what is in no way an empty gesture is saying publicly that you will not vote for someone. the arguments people usually have about why simply not voting is bad are that you can’t tell why someone is not voting, so it is as likely to be apathy or disenfranchisement as it is a political statement. but saying publicly that you will not vote for someone, and why you will not vote for them, absolutely is a political statement, and potentially a powerful one! but you choose to negate and/or ignore that by trotting out the “lesser of two evils” bullshit.
and then there’s the whole “yes but people will DIE under trump”. PEOPLE ARE DYING NOW. even if you’re fucking racist and have decided that palestinian lives don’t count, have you forgotten biden’s ongoing covid minimalism and dismantling of the CDC’s covid research and prevention infrastructure? have you forgotten his increase in spending for law enforcement scant years after the murder of george floyd and his administration's surveillance of protesters, including cop city protesters? have you forgotten his recent ramp-up in deportations of undocumented immigrants, including the active continuation of many trump-era policies?
maybe you have forgotten all those things and do purport to care about palestinians, but you just think that biden is doing his best to influence netanyahu and is getting nowhere! but then you must have forgotten all of the things that biden and his administration themselves have done to further this fucking genocide, including:
continuing to send arms to israel
putting together a military task force within days of yemen’s red sea blockade and attacking yemeni ships
bombing yemen
bombing syria
bombing iraq
vetoing three ceasefire resolutions at the united nations
testifying to defend israel and its genocide and occupation at the international court of justice
refusing to rescue palestinian-americans stuck in gaza
halting funding to the united nations relief and works agency for palestinian refugees (UNRWA) based on israeli claims that 12 of UNRWA’s over 30,000 staff were hamas agents, even though u.s. intelligence has not been able to independently verify this
lying that he’s personally seen photos of babies beheaded by hamas when he hadn’t because they didn’t exist (and even when his own staff cautioned him that reports of beheaded babies may not be credible)
questioning the number of palestinian deaths reported by the gaza ministry of health (when even israel has not questioned them, since they are in fact proud of those numbers)
perpetuating lies about hamas having committed the attack on al-aqsa hospital
questioning united nations reports of adults and children raped by israeli soldiers while claiming to have proof (that no one else has seen) of hamas doing the same
honestly so many more things that i can’t remember them all but others feel free to add
or maybe you haven’t forgotten any of that, and think that you’re still justified in lecturing people about why they should vote for biden, because you genuinely believe trump would still be worse. if that is the case, you have still failed to see that by saying you will vote for biden no matter what, you are part of the problem of biden continuing to act like this. because biden is counting on fear of trump to win him this next election no matter what else he does. despite his appalling polling numbers, despite the knowledge that he is losing the palestinian-american vote, the arab-american vote, the muslim-american vote, the black american vote, the youth vote – despite all of that, he is secure in the idea that he will still win because he is better than trump. can you not see how that allows him to act without impunity? how it becomes increasingly impossible for his base to influence what he’s doing if he thinks that they will be with him no matter what? this is how you make yourself complicit to biden’s actions, by not affording anyone even the slightest power to hold him accountable for anything.
and in most cases, the “hold your nose and vote for biden” thing is the response of people who aren’t even being instructed by others not to vote for biden. it is their response to people saying they themselves are choosing not to vote for biden. fucking ghoulish.
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reysdriver · 7 months
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Roleplay | E.M.
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Day 1 of Kinktober: Roleplay — eddie x fem!reader smut
warnings: 18+, Minors DNI - roleplay, piv sex, unprotected sex, blowjob, fingering, edging sort of, creampie, light begging
words: 1.2k
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Eddie rapped twice against your bedroom door to get your attention while you put on the finishing touches on your costume. “Are you alright, sweetheart? Let me know when I can come in, okay?”
You exhaled lightly and spoke up so your boyfriend could hear you from the hall. “I’m ready, Eds.”
He opened the door slowly, and you bet it was because he wanted to build his own anticipation for the moment he saw you. And when he did get a look at you, he was stunned. His eyes moved from the way you braided the front two locks of your hair, to the way you did delicate, sparkly makeup, and to the long chiffon dress you wore that let him get a faint view of your lingerie underneath. 
When he had gotten home that night, you had told him you had a surprise for him—and you had implied it was sexual—but he never would have expected this. 
Even though you were sure he would be into it, his silence could have been an indicator for anything. “Eddie? Do you like it?”
“You’re— You’re her.” He responded.
You knew exactly what he meant. You had attempted to dress up as the fairy princess in Eddie’s new Dungeons and Dragons campaign—the character he based off of you—and you were so glad he recognized it. 
“Yeah.” You whispered, then repeated your previous question. “Do you like it?”
“I fucking love it.”
Eddie’s lust-ridden voice sent a chill up your spine and brought back your confidence.
“Yeah? Well, I was hoping you could be your character and I could reward you for saving me from the Arcane Brotherhood, would you like that?” 
“Baby, that’s some shit out of my fucking fantasies.”
“Good. You can just lay back and I’ll give you whatever you want.” 
“I don’t get a costume or anything like yours?” He asked, settling down on the bed. 
You got on the bed and started straddling him. “Well, the goal is kind of to have us both be naked soon, so…” You shrugged, then leaned down to kiss him. 
He kissed you back, then pulled away for a breath. Well, you thought it would be to take a breath. Instead, he kept talking. “I’m kind of digging the whole outfit though…”
You sighed exasperatedly. “Oh my god, Eddie. Do you want your reward for saving the fairy princess or not?”
He pulled you back down so you could kiss again. “Yes, absolutely. I’ll shut up now.”
You two were making out heavily, but you moved down to kiss Eddie’s jaw, his neck, his collarbone, and everywhere in between. Eddie tends to have wandering hands when you make out, but this time you had to stop him before they went too far down on you. 
When he looked at you with a slightly confused face, you had to explain to him why you did it. “This is an expression of my gratitude for coming to my rescue. I’m sure the High Forest will be so relieved to have their princess back. I want to do something to show how grateful I am.”
He looked like he finally got it. “So I should just lay back like a paladin weary from a tiresome journey to rescue the princess?”
“Exactly.” You said with a smirk. 
Then you scooted back a foot or so, just to sit beside Eddie’s legs so you could start undoing his belt and pulling down his pants enough to free his dick. 
You looked up at him and batted your eyelashes while stroking his hardening member, trying to put on an innocent yet sexy face. “Is this okay, handsome paladin?”
He was already breathing heavily, but trying to calm himself. “It’s great, princess.”
“Tell me if anything is less than perfect, okay? I want this to be the best gift I can give you.”
“Oh, don’t worry, honey. So far, I love it.”
His compliments just egged you on, but you tried to hide your smile so he wouldn’t get too cocky. You leaned down and fit as much of him inside your mouth as you could. You knew you were doing alright so far because you heard Eddie choke out a moan with every swipe of your tongue against his cock. 
You kept going, bobbing your head repeatedly, creating an amazing bedroom symphony when paired with his repeated moans. 
Because you knew Eddie better than anyone, you knew that him beginning to get tense was the sign you had been waiting for to tell you that he was close to cumming. 
Instead of continuing to suck him off, you let off of him, knowing exactly what it was doing to Eddie. 
Eddie looked at you with aching eyes. “Honey, I was so close—”
“I know, but I thought you’d rather finish in your favourite place.” You pulled his pants off completely, then went to remove your dress as well. 
“As much as I loved that dress, I’m so happy to see what’s underneath.”
You knew he would like it. In fact, you bought a set with a hole in the panties so you wouldn’t even have to take it off and Eddie could keep looking at it the whole time. 
“Yeah? I bought it from some fairies in an oak tree who said any charming hero like yourself would love it.”
“And I do.” Eddie said as you straddled him again. “I mean, I didn’t come rescue you for the reward but I have to admit it’s incredible.”
“Well, I trust you, but I can’t be sure I’ve given a sufficient reward just yet.”
You lined him up with your entrance and lowered yourself onto him slowly. Eddie let out a groan of your name and brought his hands to your hips. You both let out some whimpers—quieter than you would if you didn’t have such thin walls—and you moved your hips to ride him properly. 
You kept moving up and down while Eddie helped gently guide you. And even though you really wanted the night to be all about Eddie, you didn’t protest when he moved his hand to help move you along. 
“I’m so close.” You said breathily. 
He looked like he was holding back. “Me too, princess. I want to finish inside of you, right with you. That’d be the best part of this. Please, princess.”
“I’m right there, honey!” 
With the perfect way Eddie was moving his thick fingers, plus the feeling of him releasing inside of you, it was impossible to hold off your climax. 
You continued to ride him through both of your highs, and then you practically went limp on top of him. You kissed his jaw in the way Eddie always liked as a way to cool down, and he spoke again. 
“If I write more characters based on you, can we do this again?”
You let out a giggle. “I’ll give you one night for every character, Eds.”
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atlasofthestaars · 7 months
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[MK X READER] New Era - Chapter .004
first part | previous part | next part
Note: I often try to plan out plot points while I’m at work, and I was like wow! I get why Kronika went insane because trying to keep all these plot points (especially the parts where I plan on diverging from canon) logical is wild.
This is the first chapter that doesn’t follow any of the main campaign events at all, so it was a bit more of a struggle to write for, but I hope you enjoy it regardless! There will be more chapters of this, building up the much needed foundation for the champions squad. Don’t worry Lin Kuei fans, there will be a few more Lin Kuei moments too during these times, allowing us to see them again before they disappear for a while during the tournament arc!
Shang Tsung deliberation is up until a week from when chapter 3 was released/aka when the tumblr poll ends. 
Otherwise, I will accept any wants for any other love interests until we get closer towards the Outworld arc since I’m pretty sure all Earthrealm men are already confirmed.
For example, someone asked for Reiko, so here’s a poll for him to gauge interest, AO3 fans, please comment on your thoughts for him!
FROM THE EYES OF ONE WHO HELPED TRAIN SOME NEW CHAMPIONS
Turns out, thinking about the things that worried you leads to overthinking.
Pacing back and forth in your room, you felt the cool wood under your feet. With how much you paced around the room, you were surprised the wood had not been ruined at this point. You paused in your pacing and you looked outside the window to look at the moon. 
You were never a good sleeper, finding it hard to sleep at night. But oddly enough you always found yourself awake for the sunrise due to routine. You often found naps were a good supplement for your tiredness, but some days you would suffer being awake without much rest.
Your memories buzzed around your head too much to rest easy. You paced back and forth once more for a few more minutes until you stopped at the door of your room, briefly considering going and seeing whether Liu Kang could help ease your troubled mind.
Your hand laid upon the handle, the metal knob cool to the touch. Goosebumps trailed up your arm as you stared at the doorknob. You tried to will yourself to move. To finally speak with Liu Kang about the memories that weighed upon you, to free yourself of this silly burn that you brought about upon yourself.
Unfortunately, you could not bring yourself to step outside your door.
You were too racked with guilt to do that.
You were afraid of the idea that you would slip up and mention the many other memories you had recovered, the timeline you were beginning to piece together, and Liu Kang would begin to realize this. You were afraid of upsetting the man who most generously took you in and allowed you to stay by his side despite your odd past.
You did not want to ruin the good thing you had going for yourself.
Your hand dropped from the doorknob. Sighing, you walked over to a particular floorboard and carefully lifted it up. You reached inside and pulled out the leather bound diary that you had found on yourself when you first awoke in this world. Along with it was a pen that somehow, despite the years, had not run out of its smooth ink.
This was your only confidant in the memories you had. Moving towards your desk, you adjusted the lantern in your room to hang over the desk, giving you more light to work with. You stared at your words, trying to look at what you recalled.
Your memories seemed to be linked with those you interacted with, so the Lin Kuei and Liu Kang and the memories surrounding them were the strongest. Even still, you had holes in what should be completed memories. Meeting the new people seemed to patch some of them up, though.
You sighed as you skimmed the pages. They were mostly short phrases describing what you remembered from these brief memories. It was hard to keep them in order since they were random and never in order whenever you got them.
You picked up the pen, spinning it with a flourish before you began to write.
Kung Lao, a cocky monk of the Shaolin with a razor hat. Once was friends with Liu Kang. Seems now he is a farmer and friends with Raiden.
Raiden, Thunder god. Seems to have once been what Liu Kang is now. Mortal now, and a farmer of Fengjian with Kung Lao.
Johnny Cage, actor. Was with Sonya Blade and had a kid. Still an actor, has a different wife, and no kid. 
Kenshi Takahashi, once a blind swordsman with telekinesis and telepathy with a magic sword. Had a kid. Now seems that he has his vision, uncertain of abilities.
You sighed as you put down your pen, staring at the words in front of you. You tried to will yourself to conjure any memories you had of these men previously from just their name. Unfortunately, this just gave you a headache…and not the kind that gave you any helpful memories.
“Damn.” You muttered leaning back in your chair. You had never had control of your memories, even after all these years. They were rather inconvenient and useless, since they rarely gave you any insight on the ones you meet. They’re all so different.
The only constant was their names.
You closed your eyes as you thought of the four men you had written down. Who were they? What was their connection to you? You sighed as you rubbed your forehead, trying to ease the headache you had accidentally given yourself.
Ah shit, you were in charge of training them, weren’t you? Or at least, somewhat.
They were going to be a headache in more ways than one, it seemed.
“So, how, exactly, am I to train the four?” You inquire as you glance over to Liu Kang, briefly noting the way the sunlight landed on his features. It was another morning of watching the sunrise with the fire god. You had gotten a few hours of sleep, at least, before rising to meet up with Liu Kang as usual. A few hours was better than nothing.
You had started off quiet, before natural conversation hit the both of you. You discussed many things, mostly the events of the past few days, before the conversation naturally landed on the new recruits. You found out that they were going to be arriving at the Wu Shi academy in a few days time, giving them enough time to get their life sorted out before they drastically change theirs.
The god looked over to you. It seemed like he had been expecting this question, and you wondered just how easily he could read you. 
“You are to simply oversee their training and test their skill. I know you are not all too familiar with the teaching of the monks, so they shall handle the bulk of it.” He explained, and you found yourself sighing with relief. “Not to mention, I shall also assist when I am able.” You were not ready to have to handle training four grown men, so hearing that you were mostly there to test them was great.
You were good at fighting, at least. It was a skill that people often commended you for. 
Madam Bo often praised you as one of the best she had sparred with. The old Lin Kuei’s grandmaster often found value in the practice you gave his sons. You would never admit it, but you prided yourself on these compliments. 
“That’s good.” You remarked, feeling your shoulders relax. You returned your gaze to the rising sun and the pretty colors that were painted in the sky. You paused, deliberating over the next words that were to leave your mouth. “Why me?” You asked, your voice almost shy. That question had been haunting you ever since you found out about this arrangement back in Fengjian.
“Because I can trust you.” Liu Kang began, his voice filled with certainty. You felt a pang of guilt, your gaze dropping to your hands. Your mind screamed with how you were unworthy of his trust with the memories you found yourself unable to confide in him with. “And I know you will provide a healthy challenge to them.” You chuckled at his words, pushing out the voice that whispered in your head.
“Why are we recruiting these people so late?” You inquired, asking another question that had been bugging you for a while now. You were glad that Liu Kang was a benevolent god, and never seemed to mind your questions. “Would it not be more wise to recruit them earlier since the tournament is mere months away?” 
“Had we sought them before, none of them would be ready.” Liu Kang answered wisely, and you hummed. You knew better than to ask how he knew this, despite the years together there were some things you knew he kept secret, and his innate knowledge was one of those things. You supposed it was just a godly thing.. “It is only until now that an opportunity presented itself.”
“And so you decided that I was one of the best options to train them within a few months?”
“Indeed.”
“You have a lot of confidence in me, Liu Kang.” 
“Should I not?” The god questioned. The tone in his voice surprised you, and you looked over to him instinctively. You were surprised to see such a strong look of confidence on his face. Gently, he put a hand on your shoulder. His thumb rubbed your shoulder comfortingly. Through your clothes and his hand wraps, you felt the comfort of his warmth.
“No, you should.” You said, your voice filled with a bit more confidence. You looked at his face, feeling oddly proud of yourself to have earned the god’s confidence. He nodded, seeming content with the shift in your attitude. “I shall do my best.” You said, bowing for the man.
“I know you will.”
“How are you boys doing?” 
Striding into the courtyard of the Wu Shi academy, you looked at the four recruits. You noted how each of them wore the uniform, and how it all seemed to fit them, more or less. You walked with confidence in front of them, imbued with the words you had been given before from Liu Kang. 
All of them were various degrees of exhaustion. Not surprisingly, the actor seemed to be having it the roughest. He was still fine, but it was easy to tell he was the most winded out of the four. You assumed his luxurious lifestyle had something to do with it.
You sucked in a breath as you fought the massive headache these four were giving you. Being stuck with overseeing their training, you assumed you’d be having this feeling a lot. It was no matter, you’d simply sleep it off right now.
Strangely enough, despite the intensity of the headache, you were unable to glean any memories easily. Probably something to do with so many people trying to resurface at once.
“Training has been rigorous, but enlightening.” Raiden replied, his face flush from exertion, and you noted how out of the four he was one of the ones faring a bit better. You assumed it was because he wasn’t underestimating the monks’ intense lessons. You smiled at him, nodding.
“Good, as it should be.” You said, humming as you clasped your hands behind your back, observing them all. Despite their tired state, you could tell they were at least eager. “As Lord Liu Kang has said, I will be partially in charge of your training.” You grinned at them, seeing them perk up at your words. “Today will be a…benchmark to see where your skills lie.”
“Who exactly are you again?” Johnny asked, still hunched over slightly, hands on his knees as he looked up at you. You saw the slight glares from the others, probably because they saw his words rude. He put up his hands defensively. “Hey, I didn’t get a proper introduction like you guys did.” He defended himself.
“Don’t worry, I don’t take offense.” You chuckled, shaking your head. You said your name, clearly and loudly so the others made sure what it was. “I’m a companion of Lord Liu Kang, and he has entrusted me with overseeing your training.” You explained before clearing your throat. “I’m not one for lectures, so I’ll get right to it, who wishes to go first?” 
The four looked amongst themselves, seeming to deliberate amongst themselves silently on who would face this challenger they’ve never seen fight. You let out a silent chuckle, wondering how they sized you up. Eventually, you watched as Kung Lao strode up to take the challenge. 
“Let me show the others how it’s done.” He declared, seeming confident. You saw the small smirk on his lips, and in return you smiled graciously at him. You gestured for the others to step to the side, and you watched as a few of the monks gathered around to watch. The monks were no stranger to your fighting prowess.
“Bold.” You commended, nodding as you walked into place with Kung Lao, settling into the all too familiar fighting pose that you were familiar with. You watched as he mimicked your actions, settling into his as well. “Now, allow me to show you why I was entrusted with this task.”
You watched as Kung Lao approached, confidence in his strides. Almost too confident. You held a defensive position. The point of this test was to gauge their abilities, so acting on the defensive first would allow you to see what their confidence and skills on the offense were like. 
As he swung the first punch, you blocked it with ease. You supposed it was a bit unfair, having already known what Kung Lao’s fighting style was like after watching him in the teahouse along with the bits of memories you had of him. You allowed him to attempt to break your defense more, noting how he had a strong emphasis on his punches with their quick nature.
You had to commend him on his confidence, he knew he was a strong fighter. The farmer had a lot of potential.
It wasn’t until his major slip up with throwing a rather risky punch that you decided that it was time to go on the offensive. Ducking under the move, you went for a sweep, knocking the man off his feet. You waited until he got back up before you grabbed him. Taking him off his guard, you brought him close as you winded your leg back.
As you sent the kick flying into his stomach, you transformed your leg into that of a secretary bird’s, allowing you to put even more power than you would have normally.
“Holy shit!”
You disregarded the actor’s exclaim as you watched Kung Lao fly back, tumbling from the strike. As he stumbled up, he seemed surprised before hesitantly approaching once more. This time, he utilized more caution as he swung at you, trying to even employ the technique of grabbing you like you had. Easily you shoved him back, retaliating by whirling around and transforming yourself to have a kangaroo’s tail which you swung at him with.
This back and forth went on for a bit, with Kung Lao being easily fended off by you before he eventually conceded, calling for surrender.
“You fight well.” You commend, bowing towards Kung Lao. He did the same as he panted, nodding as he caught his breath. You stood up to look at him as he gestured towards you, a look of awe on his face.
“I am amazed at your transformation skills.” The farmer admitted, looking at you up and down with amazement as he continued to catch his breath. “Is it possible to learn that?” He asked, almost too eagerly as he walked over to the side to rest up.
“It is a skill I was born with, so unfortunately I cannot teach you.” You told him, grinning as you held out your arm to transform it into a bear’s with its claws out. “I have the ability to transform any part of my body, and all of me, into an animal.” You explained as you transformed your arm back as easily as you had changed it.
“Now, who is next?” 
You causally stood there, only having barely broken a sweat as they stood to the side, catching their breath. A pleased look appeared on your face as you crossed your arms, noting how they each fought. Today you had gone easy on them, being more defensive than your usual aggressive fighting style. You surmised they’d only have a few bruises each because of this. You tried to stay away from anything that would rip and tear.
Honestly, your memories had been helpful for once. They helped clue you in on the fighting style of each man, the odd exception being Raiden who felt pretty different than the man you remembered. It was nice to know what to expect, unlike the first time you had fought the Lin Kuei in training…
Kung Lao had been interesting, being the most confident in his strikes and fighting style. That matched with his speed allowed you to see where he truly shone in his fighting. Taking defense against him was a challenge due to how swiftly he struck, but being able to defend well proved useful as you could counter him when he was left vulnerable after a failed attempt at breaking your defense.
You hummed, recalling how this version of the man lacked the iconic razor hat you remembered. You wondered briefly if you should suggest it to him, or if it’d be odd. You also noticed how despite his confidence in this life, he was at least a bit more humble than when you remembered him last.
Johnny Cage had been unique, his fighting style more flashy and all in than what you were used to. It felt like it should be impractical from just watching it, but the man made it work somehow. He also had interesting evasion, which almost took you off guard. You think you could definitely work with it, especially teaching him how to better evade the opponent since he seemed to grasp that concept well already.
Your eyes looked over to Kenshi. Kenshi had been odd to train with since he wielded a sword, and it felt like he had the most experience in fighting. Your eyes trailed down to his hands, noting the tattoos that littered his hands. You remembered how Liu Kang had briefed you in on his past. A yakuza…that explains the calculated way he fought. 
You wondered if you’d ever have to deal with the telekinesis you remembered he had in his past life.
Raiden had been the most different from his past life. In both his fighting since he lacked the lightning powers you remembered so strongly, and how he carried himself. He was not as confident as you hoped, despite the obvious skill he had.
You’d have to work on that with him.
“Excellent work for day one with me.” You congratulated, causing the four men to look at you with varying degrees of confusion. You guessed they thought they had done not so well due to how you had battled them off easily. “As I said, this is a benchmark, so I know now how to best advise where to take your training, especially since the tournament is mere months away.” 
“That was a benchmark?” Johnny Cage asked, sending you a disbelieving look. He had been one of the ones you had ended up fighting the most before he conceded. He had been stubborn against you, and you don’t know whether that was foolish or something to be commended for. Maybe it was both. “You kicked our asses.” You chuckled as you grinned at him.
“Did you expect anything less from someone who is allowed to stand by the Fire God’s side?” You asked, a hint of playfulness in your tone before you observed them once again. “We’ll meet again tomorrow after your training with the monks. For now, you are all dismissed.” You said, bowing towards them, your hands forming a fist into your palm similarly to how Liu Kang does. 
You turned around, intending to go back to the Fire Temple for a well deserved nap, especially since the headache was getting nearly unbearable at this rate. Then, you heard your name being called. Turning around with a raised eyebrow, you watched as Johnny jogged to catch up with you.
Your head pounded as he neared, but you at least felt some relief as you felt a few more memories resurface.
You recalled how he had been very, very arrogant as a younger man. He had brazenly had his name tattooed across his chest, and for a moment you allowed your head to dip to his chest, curious if he still had it in this life. Somewhere, after what you could only remember a big event as a tragedy, you remembered he mellowed out. 
You wondered how this one’s attitude laid on those scales.
“You know, you’d be a hit in Hollywood.” He told you, his breath still heavy with exertion. You raised an eyebrow, surprised at his words. You weren’t all too familiar with what he was talking about, but you assumed it had to do with his acting background which you vaguely remembered.
“Really?” You asked, holding back a chuckle as you looked at him with amusement. Even across the world, he was still thinking about his acting career. “What makes you say that?” You inquire, deciding to entertain his thoughts. 
“People dig animals,” The actor started off, gesturing to you, “and not to mention how much you’d be valued there for being able to act as any animal?” He continued, acting as if he were trying to sell you on the offer. “Directors would be hitting you up left and right.” You felt yourself grin a bit more at his praise, but reminded yourself not to get caught up in his flattery.
“Are you implying I’d only be adored for my animal side? And not my own charisma?” You asked with faux offense, deciding to try and tease Johnny. You were surprised how he didn’t even flinch at your words and smoothly replied.
“Nah, you got that and more.” The actor admitted, shrugging as he pointed at you. “but it’s not often people meet an animal shapeshifter.” He pointed out with a nod, making you nod. “So if anything is your claim to fame, it’s that.”
“You’re interesting, Cage.”
“So I’ve been told.” The man replied wittily as he grinned at you, eagerness shining in his eyes. “So, you interested in becoming a star after all this blows over?” It was an innocent seeming question, but you narrowed your eyes, not certain on the intention of the question.
“Why are you so interested in my career path?” You inquired, your tone a touch more serious. You glanced over to see where the others had gone. All gone. No one to save you from this man’s questions. You crossed your arms as you gazed at him with skepticism.
You were hit with a wave of nostalgia as your mind reminded you all of a sudden how he had offered a similar gig in your past life.
Some things never change.
“Listen, I talked with Liu Kang, this shit has movie written all over it.” Johnny Cage decided to be a bit more transparent with you. You raised an eyebrow, and gestured for him to go on. “I think if what he says is true, I can make a box office hit!” He gestured towards you eagerly. “And I think you have what would make this movie superb, my friend.”
“Interesting…I’ll have to pass though.” You said, shutting him down. You watched as his glee dropped a bit, and you started to walk off. You were surprised as he still walked over to try and cut you off.
“Come on, hear me out-”
“Not right now, Cage.” You replied, putting a hand up to silence him. He huffed and you could tell he held back rolling his eyes. You sent him an unamused look. “Perhaps focus on your training first, then we can discuss it.” He perked up, and you decided it was best to start to walk off before he can try and talk to you about his movie shenanigans again.
“Really!?”
It was another sleepless night.
Sighing, you swung your legs over the side of the mattress as you sat up. Perhaps you should stop trying to take naps and fight through the sleepiness so you can actually sleep at night for once. You sigh as you slump over, rubbing your eyes.
You should go outside, maybe do something productive. It’s been a few days in a row of this, you had to try something.
Not knowing exactly what to do, you followed your sense of wanderlust. You left your room, down the halls and out the building. From there, you left and found yourself standing at the entrance of the Fire Temple. You hesitated as you stepped out onto the dirt path, hearing the rocks crunch beneath your feet.
You’ve never left in the middle of the night.
It’s not like you had a curfew, or that you had any promise to stay inside the Fire Temple at night. Far from it, you remembered how Liu Kang told you that you were allowed to come and go as you pleased. That was long ago. You never thought much of his words, thinking you would never stray far.
You wouldn’t, but you figured there was no harm in going and walking off your restless energy instead of staying cooped up within the Fire Temple.
With a burst of anxiety and what you could barely consider courage, you walked on. You followed what felt like an invisible trail, until you found yourself standing in front of the Wu Shi academy.
Strange, but you supposed maybe you could train. Walking carefully into the academy, you made sure to be quiet, as to not disturb the monks with any noise near their sleeping quarters. You found yourself making your way towards the training grounds where you were surprised to hear the faint noise of training.
Transforming your ears into bat ears, you tried to hone in on the sounds. You furrowed your eyebrows as you stood still, trying to make sure the person was not a threat, and if you could recognize them. You blinked as you suddenly came to a realization.
You walked quietly, making sure to follow the lessons Madam Bo and Bi-Han had pushed onto you to remain quiet and stealthy. Be stealthful as the night, and as deadly as the dawn. You peered from around a pillar, and spotted the person standing there alone, and you confirmed your suspicions.
It was Raiden.
You watched for a few minutes, changing your eyes to those of owl eyes to see better in the dark, to better observe. He was going over the basics, ever diligently. You pursed your lips, raising an eyebrow. You had thought he had been more…feeble, being more reserved than Kung Lao. And yet, he was here, training in the dead of night.
What a peculiar man.
After a few more minutes, you watched as he made a critical error in his form. He didn’t seem to notice, and you sighed. He kept on training, repeating the error. You cringed. That was going to form a nasty habit, and if you were to be the mentor Liu Kang trusted you to be, you couldn’t let that happen.
Moving out of position, you slinked closer towards him, stopping to lean against a pillar that was only a few feet away from him. You changed your eyes back, letting your eyesight return back to normal. You felt the all too familiar feeling of the headache return, and you grimaced.
Your memories for Raiden were confusing. He was like a completely different man in almost every way. If your memories didn’t trigger in such specific ways, you wouldn’t believe the man that appeared in your head was the same one that was training in front of you.
Maybe because he wasn’t the same man.
“You’re doing it wrong.” You spoke, your voice ringing clear in the quiet courtyard. You watched as Raiden jolted from surprise, stumbling as he whirled around in a fighting stance to face you. You smiled at him as you held your hands up. “Relax, Raiden.” You said softly, to try and calm him down from the sudden shock.
“Why are you…?” Raiden began, eyes wide in confusion as he stared at you, not processing the situation quickly. He swallowed as he tilted his head, mouth open as he tried to muster up the words to speak. You brushed off his confusion, gesturing to his stance. 
“Your form was off.” You comment, gesturing to his body and pointing towards where he exactly had been incorrect. “You were practicing with it being wrong. That’ll be bad practice for you.” You point out. You watched as he tried to correct his form, and you hummed, gesturing to instruct him on how to fix it. As he finally shifted back into a proper stance, you nodded. “Better.”
“Um…thank you.” The farmer boy said, his awkward feeling at the situation obvious. Not only did it show on his body language, but it was shown plainly on his face. You had a feeling this man couldn’t obscure his feelings for the life of him. 
It was good to be honest, but you were worried it might work against him.
“I have trouble sleeping at night.” You explained, crossing your arms as you sighed. Your eyes looked down at the ground as you noted how the moonlight fell and illuminated the area around you two. “I decided to go on a walk and wound up here. I thought it might be nice to try and train, then I saw you out here.” You looked up, and gestured to him.
“Oh.” Raiden said after a few moments of silence. His face flushed as he put two and two together that you were asking for him to explain why he was there too. “I…uh, couldn’t sleep.” He admitted, looking down to the ground in defeat. “It’s different here than in Fengjian.” 
Ah. Homesickness.
“I see, so you decided to try and train and work off your restlessness?” You inquired, tilting your head as you tried to gauge his reaction. He paused, considering your words for a moment, before nodding hesitantly.
“A bit.” He said, nodding his head. “But I was also thinking about our sparring today.” The farmer admitted. You blinked in surprise, and nodded, wanting him to go on. “I just wanted to go over what the monks taught us today, so next time I would fare better against you.” 
How humble and sweet.
“While I admire your determination, there’s two problems.” You said as you kicked off the pillar you had been leaning against. You strode over to stand closer to Raiden, gesturing to him. “One, you must be diligent in your forms. Practice without purpose only builds bad habits.” He nodded eagerly, seeming to take your words seriously. “Second, there is a thing such as over practicing.” 
“I see.” Raiden said, letting your words sink in as he nodded. He stared at you with a mixture of admiration and attentiveness, and you smiled. Quickly, he bowed in appreciation. “I’ll keep this in mind, thank you.”
“No problem, what kind of mentor would I be if I let you practice such horrible habits?” You inquired, crossing your arms. You observed the man a few moments more, and you sensed that neither one of you were quite tired enough to go to bed. “I have a feeling neither one of us is ready to sleep, would you like me to run you through the forms again?”
“Yes please!”
Maybe you were cut out for this after all.
part five
429 notes · View notes
dangopango00 · 3 months
Text
COLLEGE AU TIGHNARI ROOMMATE HCS
Tighnari x gn reader
A/N: AUGGGHHHHH IM INSANE AGAIENEBWFWFWWGQ Missing tighnari hours oue so I will write out all the roomie hcs I have to share; per usual its self indulgent as hell
If im being fr this is probably gonna have a part 2 soon i always forget something 😭😭 also my art of him is down there somewhere!!!!
Cw: long af oh my god
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more utc
First Meeting:
- You’re a biology major or something similar and just visiting the college you’ll be attending
- You were definitely going to move into the dorms but you heard about and later witnessed some student running around like a maniac looking for a roommate
- You even got emails about it, found flyers on some of the pinboards around the school and even saw ads online (whether that be in some college gc app like zeemee or whatever)
- Eventually you did a bit of basic research on this guy by asking some of your friends or people who know him and you found out his name is Tighnari and he’s double majored in biology and botany
- You let him go on for a few days-a week before you realized he really wasn’t going to find a roommate this late in the game; feeling both pity and admiration for his dedication, you approached him with one of the flyers in your hand as the poor guy took a break from his ad campaign
- “Um… about this flyer…..”
- Tighnari’s ears immediately perked up oh you just made his week, no his month— maybe even his year
- “Yes? Are you interested in moving in? My previous roommate has begun living elsewhere” he explained.
- You’re hesitant, hoping you aren’t making a mistake but eventually steel yourself and figure you only live once right? Plus he could always help with your work! You give him a firm nod.
- Tighnari got a bit overexcited, asking way too many questions at once, “When can you move in? How will you be paying rent? Are you alright with plants? Right, by the way I’m Tighnari. I am a biology and botany major”
- “It’s nice to meet you! I’m (Y/n). I can move in soon and plants are fine! Uh …About rent! I’ll have to find a job but I do have some savings!” you confessed nervously.
- To tell the truth you weren’t planning on getting a job this early on, planning to get the hang of the new workload first but desperate times call for desperate measures (Cute guy in trouble 😤)
- Tighnari however, was unamused. His face completely dropped as if you’d just told him his entire family dropped dead, “You don’t have a source of income already…? Then why would you…. Sigh Nevermind. Its fine. This is fine. I’ll even help you job search”
- “Greeeaaatttt there goes my credit” he thought. And it showed on his face too.
- You just shoot him a silly smile and over the course of the days it took to move you into his apartment you establish some ground rules
Rules:
- He will do the cooking and he’ll cook for you if he’s cooking for himself (if he’s not cooking then you’re on your own)
- In return you do a majority of the cleaning although it’s still pretty split kinda like a 60/40 or 55/45 kind of deal
- You pay the water bill while he pays electricity (you take long showers and his plants and such sometimes require lamps + he just uses a lot of electricity I feel like it’s not usually for him but his plants and work)
- Visitors are pretty much always welcome but you have to let the other know beforehand
- Although the previous rule is true none of those kind of visitors are allowed. Tighnari has sensitive ears he don’t wanna hear that 😭😭
- Be cool and communicate if you have a problem
Apartment:
- SO MANY PLANTS. LIKE THEY ARE TAKING OVER THE APARTMENT . This is a big part of why Tighnari didn’t want to live in the dorms since he wouldn’t be able to have as many plants as he wanted
- It’s a little funny Cyno has really bad allergies so he never lived with him and Collei lived with him for a long time but moved out to move in with Amber (oue shes leaving the nest) (she’s in the apartment right below yours)
- You, as a biology major, on the other hand LOVE the amount of plants in the apartment and Tighnari is ecstatic because he was sooo worried you’d try to make him get rid of them or something; is even more glad that you like them as much as he does
- Also has a big tank of worms where he dumps all the leftovers neither of you eat. He then uses the compost as plant fertilizer
- Despite the amount of things in the apartment its very neat and organized; there are little notebooks next to every living thing to keep track of when and how to feed them
You and Him:
- He has a very old ass car but only uses it for emergencies because he’s not a fan of carbon emissions (usually goes places by public transport, walking or hitching rides) (its the little things that make a big difference ok)
- He works two jobs: One at a plant/flower shop and the other at the school library
- He sometimes brings home new plants because all the plants no one will buy are always given to him by management
- You work one or two jobs likely on campus maybe in the newspaper or the school cafe etc
- Either way whenever you get home tired or after just having a bad day he’d comfort you so much no matter how many days in a row you do the same thing, flopping on the couch and groaning
- When you first did it you two weren’t close but he still stroked your hair and offered you some words of praise but when you two became more comfortable he’d straight up hold you to his chest or let you lay on his lap while stroking your hair if you don’t mind
- “I really need to stop coddling you” he’d say this all the time but never follow through on it and you’d be in his arms as we speak 😅
- He never did stop coddling you. Whenever you watch a show or anime he’s right beside you on the couch reading his book as he glances up every now and again; sometimes gives his two cents on what’s going on in the show (my personal fave is him getting mad at the usopp going merry arc in water 7 bye)
- He has little black rectangular reading glasses idc idgaf he dresses like an old man too with cardigans and sweater vests, maybe overalls if he’s going out to do garden work (he has no sense of fashion we know this)
- If you’re willing to listen he will yap so much about his plants and about wildlife; his heart melts in his chest if you seem genuinely interested and are paying close attention
- You have a snail named Saniel/Saniela. You almost stepped on him and brought him inside, putting him in a little terrarium thing.
- Tighnari hates that thing (he doesn’t; he’s like a grumpy father with a new dog) if it gets out it will eat his plants, so watch it. 😤
- Posts it on his little conservation account (shoutout to the person who wrote that post where he had a conservation insta acc i cant find it) and it overtakes the page gn its his worst nightmare. First it steals his unofficial lover now his followers
- Yall would’ve been burned at the stake in the 1800s you’re always doing your “projects” in the house unless its dangerous (but you’ll still do it outside) like you seeing a girl on Tiktok grow mushrooms on a book so you try it at home…
- He always helps you with anyyyyything. You need help studying for this biology test? So does he, come on in. You need a shoulder to cry on? He has two!! You want a snack but you don’t want to ask too much of him? Don’t be ridiculous he’s making you something as we speak
- He’s actually such a sweetheart he worries about your diet so much; honestly he’s content knowing that you’re under his care bc then he knows you’re eating right
- He wakes up and starts his day INSANELY early and honestly if you manage to wake up before him he’d probably flinch seeing you up LOL he’s so not used to anyone being awake when he is let alone earlier
- Absolute hypocrite too, he won’t let you sleep too late no matter what day it is or whether you have class or not but when he does it he’s just busy smh
- Wouldn’t mind if you treated him the same although if it’s time sensitive he fears he cannot give in to your demands sigh
- He’s a worrywart and a leeeetle nagging but you can tell he cares and you care about him just the same
- You’re always doing whatever you can to take stress off of his shoulders like running errands for him, cooking for him/ordering takeout when he can’t cook, Taking care of his plants for him when he’s busy, etc
- If you work out in the house after moving in then it’s so over for him
- He’s insane. If you’re in the living room he will go “read” his book on the couch but he’s been on the same page the whole time, is he ever gonna flip?
- Not even like explicit workouts like squats or something; just seeing you push yourself to your limit and sweaty and grunting and— where was he again? Ah right page 52.
- It’s so much worse if you ask him to help in some way, he can’t focus at all especially if you ask him to sit on your back while you do pushups
- Also a fan of you being taller than him no matter the method. (Which isn’t hard to achieve bc I hc him like 5’1-5’3) Naturally tall? Great! Wearing platforms? Amazing! Standing on a stool? As long as he doesn’t look down then it’s hot
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Funny Bonus from the ari:
Tighnari: do you know anyone who still needs housing arrangements?? pls I’m desperate 😭
Alhaitham: you could take Kaveh
Kaveh: WOWWWW…
156 notes · View notes
cherrycola27 · 1 year
Text
Red, White, and Rooster
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Series Warnings: Language, alcohol consumption. Frenemies to lovers, relationship of convenience. Political situations. Allegations of affairs, military and political inaccuracies. Eventual smut. 18+ Minors DNI. Banner Credit: @thedroneranger
Series Masterlist Previous Part Next Part
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Chapter 4: A Wedding of Presidential Proportions
You couldn't sleep when you got back to the White House. You were pacing the floor of your room, trying to fabricate a believable love story for you and Bradley.
You would say that you'd gotten close during his campaign, and he proposed the night he was elected. That would explain why he risked his life for you after the last debate and why you held the Bible and danced with him at the inauguration. That would be believable.
You also had to think of a wedding date. It would need to be soon. Now that the people knew, they would push for a wedding. You settled on October. That would give you two months to figure this out.
You'd have to tell your parents tomorrow because you knew they would have questions, but you couldn't tell them the truth.
You were furiously trying to write notes down when you realized you should probably check on Bradley. It was almost two in the morning. You hoped he was still awake.
You grabbed your robe and note cards before sneaking down the hallway. You knocked once on his door before it flew open.
"You can't sleep either?" He asked you. "No. But I've been productive. You say as you enter his room.
You spend the next twenty minutes going over the tale you have spun for the two of you. He sits silently and nods along as you pace back and forth across the carpet of his bedroom.
"So, does it sound believable?" You ask him once you finish. "It does. You've really put a lot of thought into this." He agrees with you.
"Now, for a wedding date, I was thinking October because by the time the story gets out, we will have been 'planning' one for a few months." You tell him.
"Do we really have to get married? I mean, William and Kate dated for ten years before tying the knot." Bradley points out. "Yes, but their engagement was about a year. Trust me, I've thought about dragging it out, but with the digital age we live in, it gives people too long of a chance to find out we are lying." You explain to him.
"Okay, so after we get married, how long until we can get divorced?" He asks you. You stop in your tracks. You hadn't even thought about that.
"Well—" you begin, "If we get divorced in less than two or so years, people are going to be extremely upset. It will look bad on you, and the tabloids will start fabricating stories of infidelity between us, and it would tank your chances at reelection and my chances of ever working again." You continue.
"But, if we get divorced after two years, that would be peak reelection campaign time, and again, people would be angry that their favorite first couple is breaking up and it would give your opponents fuel for a smeer campaign and probably tank your ratings and cause a scandal." You tell him. Then it hits you like a ton of bricks.
"Oh my god." You breathe out. "What?" Bradley asks you as he sits up from his chair.
"The only way to prevent this whole thing from killing both of our careers is to stay together and get divorced after you get reelected or lose the 2028 election. It would be at least four years of marriage. Four years of a lie." You state.
You can feel the heat rising in your chest as the anxiety sets it. You being to pace faster around his room. Your eyes are wide with a far off look in them.
"Oh my god, we can't do this. We can't commit to this for FOUR YEARS Bradley. What was I thinking when I said that? I'll tell you what—I wasn't thinking. I didn't want the media to brand me as someone who slept her way to the top, but now I've sentenced both of us to a life of scrutiny in the public eye!" You shout at him.
"We can't do this. I was wrong about everything I said. I didn't have a plan, I wasn't thinking I just did, and now I've screwed everything up." Your voice starts to tremble. Your chest tightens, making it harder for you to breathe. You can feel the tears welling up in your eyes.
Bradley can see the cracks in your armor starting to break. The facade that you wear so well is slipping. His heart breaks when he sees the first tears slip down your cheeks. He's never seen you cry before. Come to think of it, he's never seen you as anything other than put together. He's shocked to see you like this. Emotional, vulnerable, raw.
"Where's my phone? I have to call Jaycee. I have to have her publish a story saying that I was lying and that we aren't a couple." You choke out. Your hands are trembling as you try to unlock your phone, but it's no use. The device falls from your fingers and crashes to the carpet.
That's all that it takes for you to fall to your knees and sob. Rooster immediately jumps from his seat and pulls you close to him. You're babbling about how you're sorry to him and about how you can save his career by tanking your own.
It's killing him inside to see you like this. To know that he's the reason you're having a panic attack at three in the morning. He doesn't know how to respond. Normally, you're the one picking up the pieces for him. So he does the only thing his can think to do. He sinks down on the floor next to you and pulls you close to him. He tucks you under his chin and rubs your back to soothe you.
"Y/N. Y/N—please, take a breath. Look at me." Bradley tells you softly. He takes your chin and gently directs it to meet his eyes.
"Let's take a couple of deep breaths together. Come on, breathe with me. Breathe in—and breathe out." He directs you. He repeats this several more times until your breathing is back under control, and you aren't crying anymore.
"Okay, let's talk through this slowly. We have two options. We can get married, spend the four years together, and then get a quick and amicable divorce after the election. If we do that, we both have a good chance of being able to continue our political careers, right?" He looks to you for your approval. You nod your head.
"Or, you commit political suicide by saying what? You made up the whole thing because you didn't want the media slandering you?" He asks. "It seems like they would slander you even more if you said we lied." He tells you.
"I can tell them that I can onto you, I was harassing you. Trying to blackmail you or something. If I did that, it would save your image. I could never work in politics again, though. I'd have to leave D.C." You stutter out, the anxiety still not fully gone from your body.
The thought of you leaving made Bradley sick to his stomach. He couldn't let you give up your dream for him.
"No." He says. "I won't let you do that. I can't let you do that. I wouldn't be in this position of power if it wasn't for you. I can't do this without you. I need you." He tells you earnestly.
"We are already friends. We can do this. We'd only have to pretend for the cameras and in the public eye. Behind closed doors, it doesn't matter. We can fake it til we make it." He laughs.
"You sure?" You ask him. "Positive." He confirms. You nod your head and smile at him. He helps you up. You take a deep breath and feel some relief.
You pause for a beat, and Bradley can see the exact moment you put your mask back on. Gone is the vulnerability you'd just shared with him, and back was the bravado he'd seen you wear so well.
"You know you'll have to make sure any hookup you bring here signs and NDA, right?" You ask him.
"Come again?" He blurts out with a look of confusion. The sudden change in your demeanor has his head spinning.
"Look, Bradley, even if we have to be married for a bit, I don't expect you to be celibate the entire time. You won't be the first president to have a mistress, but you'll be the first with permission. You snicker at the last part.
"I mean I'll do the same." You reassure him.
Bradley is too stunned to speak. The idea of either of you having a lover made his heart ache. He couldn't stomach the thought of another man touching you or getting to see the side of you that you kept closed off from him.
"Yeah, I understand." He hesitated. The silence around the two of you was uncomfortable.
"Right. So, I'm going to call a jeweler in the morning so we can pick out a ring and make sure you memorize these cards." You tell him as you hand him some flash cards, breaking the tension.
"I have the ring covered." Bradley tells you. "What?" You ask him. Unsure if you heard him correctly. "I have the ring covered. I'll memorize the cards. For now, we both need to get some sleep." He rubs your arms in a reassuring way.
"Okay. You're right. Goodnight, Bradley." You tell him as you leave his room. "Goodnight, Mrs. Bradshaw" He calls down the hallway after you. You roll your eyes and try to ignore the butterflies in your stomach.
The next day around lunch, Jake storms into your room. "Wise-woman! Girl, what the fuck?!" He asks you.
"Jake, I don't have time for this. I was in a life or death situation. It was either fake engagement or political ruin. I did what I had to do." You explain to him. "I know, I know. Rooster already gave me the same speech. So you're really going to do this interview. Get married and all that jazz?" Jake asks as he comes to sit with you.
He flops down on the couch in your sitting room while absent-mindedly tossing a baseball in the air.
"Yeah, it's not ideal, but it keeps all of us employed. Well, let me rephrase that. It keeps you and Bradley employed. Meanwhile, I get to be paraded around as a piece of arm candy, and the only thing people are going to care about is what time wearing." You sigh.
"You know there are way worse things than being the First Lady of the United States. You think that no one is going to care about what you have to say, but Bradley will. He values your opinion more than any of his advisors. And you could have a serious social impact. Doesn't every First Lady have a platform that she focuses on during her time? Think of the change you could make. The good you could do in the world." Jake tells you. You hadn't really thought about it that way.
"Plus, do you know how many women in America would gladly take your place? I do, because I've seen the tweets and the tiktoks. Marrying Bradley isn't the prison sentence you're making it out to be." Jake finishes his pep talk to you before silently tossing his ball some more.
You sit there, taking in his words and processing them.
Neither of you is sure what to say until Jake speaks again. "So, on another note, your friend at the Post who's interviewing you—is she single by chance?" Jake asks you.
You laugh at his comment. Of course, he would ask you about Jaycee when you're having a crisis moment.
"Jake! You're such an asshole!" You laugh as you throw a pillow from the couch at him.
"Knock knock." Bradley comes in. "And that's my cue to go." Jake says as he gets up to leave.
Bradley comes and sits down next to you. He puts a small box on the table in front of you. "Go on. Open it." He tells you.
You open it, and your breath catches in your throat. Inside is the most beautiful ring you've ever seen. It's an oval cut diamond, easily five karats or better. It's flanked by two pear cut amethysts and set on a silver band.
"Bradley how—" you ask him. "Called in a favor." He tells you. You stare at it a moment before he takes it out of the box and slips it on your hand. "Size eight. Just like you said." He smiles at you. "Oval because of the Oval Office, right?" You joke with him. "Exactly." He breathes out.
"So, are you ready for this interview?" You ask him. "If I'm being honest, no. But I know that just like everything else, we can get through it together." Bradley kisses your cheek and pats your leg before getting up to leave. The skin where his lips touched buzzes with a familiar feeling that you're desperately trying to push back down.
Thanks to your careful planning, you made it through the interview with Jaycee. By the time you and Bradley arrived back to the White House, you were trending on social media, and #Wiseshaw was going viral. You had succeeded in pacifying the nation for a while.
Now, the real challenge began: planning a wedding.
..................
"Does it really matter so much about the flowers!" You groaned into the sofa cushion. The wedding was a week away, and instead, if sitting in on interviews for who was going to take over your position once you became the First Lady, you were with Jake and Jaycee picking out center pieces.
You had hated all of the aspects of planning the wedding. You hated them because over the past two months, you'd found yourself unable to deny the fact that you had feelings for Bradley. He truly was the man of your dreams, but the only reason you were able to have him was because of a lie.
Magazines, news outlets, and social media called you the perfect political power couple. The people ate up the engagement shoot you'd released, and the buzz of your upcoming nuptials was all anyone could talk about. People were rabid wondering what your dress was going to look like, who would be on the guest list, and most importantly, people wondered how long it would be until the two of you had children.
Of course, there was speculation that you were already pregnant due to how fast you were getting married from the time you announced your engagement. If only the people knew that your husband would never touch you like that.
You were broken from your thoughts by Jake.
"Yes, it really does matter, Wise- woman. You and the president are getting married. This is the closest thing America is ever going to get to a royal wedding." You looked at Jaycee and rolled your eyes because you knew Jake was right. This would be the first time a president had gotten married in office in over a hundred years. In the minds of many, this was a royal wedding. The two of you were the American Will and Kate.
"Jakey is just trying to be helpful as the best man and all." Jaycee tells you as she gets up to wrap her arms around him.
"If you two could keep it in your pants while I'm here, I would appreciate it." You tell them. You shuttered at the memory of finding out they were seeing each other. You had gone to Jake's office to ask him to sign off on some things, and instead, you found him and Jaycee, using his desk for purposes that it was not intended for.
"Oh c'mon, don't be such a grumpy gills. You'll be getting your taste of a man in power soon enough." Jaycee laughs.
"No, I will not. This marriage is a business arrangement. I'm not going to sleep with Bradley. I'm not even going to move out of my room." You tell them. You get up to leave as Jake and Jaycee shoot each other a knowing look.
.......................
Saturday comes quicker than you expected. All morning, people are fussing over you and helping you get ready. Jaycee is doing her best to keep you calm. You aren't nervous because you are getting married. You're nervous because your life is about to change.
You wonder if Bradley has the same knots in his stomach or if he is calm and collected.
The funny thing is, as he's getting ready, Bradley wonders the same thing about you.
He's paced around his room about five hundred times since he woke up this morning. You had no clue that Jake and Bradley's godfather Maverick had been trying to keep him calm.
He knows it's just about time, and his hands shake as he tries to tie his bow tie. You always make it look so easy. He growls in frustration before Maverick takes over. "The last time I saw a Bradshaw, this nervous was when Goose was getting ready to marry your mom. He was awful with ties, too." Maverick smiles at him, trying ease the tension. "They'd be so proud of you, kid." Maverick smiles as he smooths out Bradley's collar.
Soon, the wedding coordinator is coming to get them. It was time.
The wedding is to be held in the Rose Garden with a reception to follow in the banquet room of the White House. Everything is perfect. The chairs, the flowers, the table settings, the center pieces, the decor. All of it is fit for a wedding of presidential proportions. You'd spent two months going over seating charts, menu options, and cake flavors. Every time you asked Bradley what he wanted, he always responded with, "Whatever you want dear." You roll your eyes at the memory. Of course, he would be better in a fake relationship than any of your previous real ones.
As you put the finishing touches on your makeup, the thought of running crosses your mind.
You don't have time to ponder it though. It's almost show time. Your mother and Jaycee help you into your dress. It's a soft taffeta ball gown with ruching on the bodice. Its sleeves are slightly off the shoulder, and it has a jeweled belt at the waist. You could describe your dress best as "a modern take on Jackie Kennedy." Your mother helped you secure your cathedral length veil in your hair. She brushed a few stray hairs from your face before making sure your oval pendant was centered on your neck. Jaycee handed you your bouquet of lavender roses before grabbing the train of your dress and veil to help you out of your room.
Your father smiled when he saw you. Both of your parents were so proud of you. Their daughter was about to be the First Lady.
You took a deep breath as you walked out of french doors to the top of the staircase.
Your heart felt like it was about to beat out of your chest as your feet carried you down the steps. It felt like you were in autopilot.
The violin quartet began to play "august" as Maverick walked down the aisle, holding framed photos of his parents before sitting them in two reserved seats. Jake followed him with your mother before coming back. Several of his former Navy friends escorted your bridesmaids down the aisle. Then, Jaycee and Jake made their way down the aisle. As the song looped, you could help think about the irony of it all. The man that you were about to marry would never be yours, not really.
Soon, it was your turn. You smiled as you heard the first bars of "Wildest Dreams" start to play. If it was one thing Bradley knew about you, it was how much you loved Taylor Swift. It only seemed fitting that he would pick two of her songs for your wedding.
Damn him and his ability to give you butterflies. It wasn't fair.
Everything moved in slow motion. The walk down the stair case and down the aisle felt like the longest ten minutes of your life. You did your best to look the part of the perfect blushing bride, but it was so hard.
Looking out at the perfectly place chairs with their perfectly draped cloth covers and perfectly tied lavender bows made you feel sick.
The sight of the wooden pergola draped in in greens and tulle made your knees weak. The meticulous rolled out white cloth that was covered in dainty lavender flower petals for the aisle had the bile in your stomach rising to your throat.
Everything was so perfect. Or at least it would have been if this was real. Your father could feel you tense up as you reached the bottom of the stair case and turned to stand at the end of the aisle. He patted your hand to comfort you. Everyone rose up from their seats, and for the first time, you allowed yourself to look up and look at Bradley. He was standing at the top of the aisle beaming at you. Suddenly, all of the anxiety you were feeling melted away. A genuine smile crossed your face as you began to almost float towards him.
You watched him brush a few stray tears from his eyes.
Your eyes stayed trained on Bradley the whole time. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he was actually in love with you.
"You look beautiful." He whispered to you as you joined him at the altar. "Your tie's crooked." You whisper back. "Sorry, I didn't have help." He chuckled before the officiant asked everyone to be seated.
The ceremony goes by in a flash. You and Bradley exchanged vows and rings. And soon you heard the officiant say, "Mr. President, you may kiss your bride."
You lean forward to press a polite kiss to Bradley's lips, but in an unexpected turn of events, he sweeps you into his arms and dips you before kissing you. Everyone erupts in applause. The officiant speaks once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you, for the first time, President and Mrs. Bradley Bradshaw!"
Bradley grabs your hand as Jaycee hands you your bouquet before you walk back down the aisle under a sea of flower petals.
During the entire reception, Bradley doesn't leave your side as the two of you mingle. You have your first dance as husband and wife to a slowed down version of "I've Had The Time of My Laugh. You grin at his nod to the first time you danced with him. After you finish, its time to cut the cake. You enjoyed smashing some of it in his face more than you should have. Your smile never leaves your face. You can't believe how easy it is to pretend to be in love with him.
But that's all it is, pretend. You've signed yourself up to continue this charade with him for the next four years.
After the reception, you change into a white lace tea length dress. You and Bradley board Air Force one. You have three days for a private honeymoon. Bradley releases his duties to Jake for the time being before you leave.
Soon, you're touching down somewhere tropical.
You're exhausted by the time you make it there.
The two of you get settled into your bungalow. All you want to do is change and get some sleep.
"Can you unzip me? I want to take a shower. There's two bathrooms here if you want to shower too." You inform Bradley. He's happy to help. He unzips your dress. He sees the white lace of the bra and panties you are wearing.
"Thanks." You tell him before trapsing off to a shower.
Bradley groans and adjusts himself before heading off to the other bathroom. God, his right hand is going to be tired after this trip.
After an hour in the bathroom, you finally come out. You find Bradley sitting in a chair watching TV.
"You aren't in bed yet?" You question him.
"I wasn't sure which side you slept on, and I didn't want to assume." He says as he gets up and gestures to the huge bed in the middle of the room.
"Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm not sleeping in here." You laugh. He looks at you confused before you go to the other side of the room and on unlatch a door he hadn't noticed before.
"Did you really think I wouldn't plan a head to make sure we had two rooms?" You ask him.
"I—I shouldn't have doubted your abilities." He tells you, with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"It's fine. Look, we've had a long day. We'll talk more in the morning." You smile and kiss his cheek before walking into your room. "Goodnight, Mr. President." You call to him.
"Goodnight, Mrs. Bradshaw." He calls back.
He hears the sound of the lock on the door clicking. He sighs before dropping back into the armchair. He runs his fingers through his hair before taking a look at the silver band that now adorns his finger. He twists it a few times and sighs.
How was he going to get through the next four years of this?
Little did he know that just on the other side of the door, you were dying inside too.
A special shoutout to @thedroneranger for beta reading this chapter and listening to my rambles!
Taglist: @daggerspare-standingby @shanimallina87 @teacupsandtopgun @hecate-steps-on-me @roosterscock @roosterbruiser @roosterforme @seresinsbabe @startrekfangirl2233 @soulmates8 @xoxabs88xox @avengersfan25 @blackwidownat2814 @loveforaugust @mak-32 @cottagecori @amysteryspot @heyimmadisonn @princess76179 @bradshawseresinbabe @sunlightmurdock @lt-bradshaw @cassiemitchell @die-cunt @mj-l4 @shipinabluebottle @malindacath @violyn20 @imawkwardlysoc @books-for-summer @blackroseboulevard @recordblues @desert-fern @luckyladycreator2 @katieshook02 @samhapner6 @sebsxphia @roosters-girl @diorrfairy @je-suis-prest-rachel @chicomonks @mizzzpink @a-linabean @amklibrary @gretagerwigsmuse @jstarr86 @actuallyazriel @krismdavis
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for-a-longlongtime · 3 months
Text
Aquamarine
Pairing: Ezra (Prospect) x reader x Benny Miller
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Rating: Explicit, 18+ only, MDNI. 🏳️‍🌈 Characters are bi as fuck. 💖💜💙 Summary: Ezra has enjoyed being pegged by you from day one. When Benny comes over, a lazy afternoon takes an interesting turn. Things are said, orders are being followed, two of you might be to blame for Benny's ruined jeans, and that lovely turquoise strap-on gets used. Also, Benny learns how to suck a dick - and it's not just his mouth that becomes acquainted with Ezra's tongue. Let the good times slut roll. (PWP, that's it really.) Warnings/tags: Established relationship (f/m) plus third (hello, younger!BennyMiller from Triple Frontier!AU), dirty talk, brief masturbation (f and m), fingering (f and m receiving), rimming, anal sex, oral on a strap on, pegging, dildo is referred to as "your cock/dick" repeatedly. Some spit use (no kink). Word count: 5652 words A/N: This is part of the Peg That Middle Aged Man campaign organized by the amazing @wannabe-urs. Please go check out all the other fantastic fics here! I completely missed my 01/18 deadline because things/my brain got in the way, but I finally completed after all. Special thanks to many of y'all, but in particular @sin-djarin, @magpiepills and the @alltheglitterandtheroar for their support in getting this done. Infinite gratitude to the always amazing @morallyinept, in particular for her Ezra Dialogue post and Writing For Ezra guide! Dividers by @saradika. This fic is unbeta-ed (in an attempt to squash my perfectionism) and inspired by @prolix-yuy's Din pegging fic, thank you LJ!
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He’s gorgeous like this. Spread out on the bed with your fingers inside of him, those groans of pleasure getting even louder when you slide your mouth back onto his cock. It’s not just about how he looks, although yes - part of the reason you’re soaking wet is definitely that sweaty curly hair with the blond streak. With his head tilted back into the pillows he looks even more attractive than usual, his eyes closed but bliss written all over his face, even after you’ve edged him for almost an hour already. 
What gets to you the most is how unabashedly he surrenders himself. Body and mind greedy for pleasure, as if he’s been without nourishment for too long, deprived during all the time he’s spent on Bakhroma Green. He has no qualms to ask for what he wants, or what you want from him. That first night he fucked you better and longer than you had been in a long time, and still convinced you to call in sick the next day so he could do it all over again, making you scream his name until your voice was hoarse. So when you saw him looking at the harness in your toy drawer later that day, you were more than happy to return the favor.
You figured out pretty much immediately that this wasn’t new to him, so you rode him hard - having learned a thing or two about him in the previous twenty four hours - until he was a sticky whimpering mass, begging for you to keep going until he was beyond overstimulated. Afterwards he made you come twice on his tongue and fingers, and told you that while the strap was new for him, “the pleasure of being taken by a cock is not foreign to me, gem. No love too intimidating.” It was then that the thought of him being taken like this by a guy, or him fucking another man, had sprouted in your mind - something you kept filed away until the right moment came to revisit that. 
Like now.
A knock on the door pulls you out of your thoughts, and Ezra frowns as you let his cock slip from your mouth. “Gem, I must implore you to ignore that interruption,” he sounds breathless as he grabs your wrist before you can slide your fingers out of him. “As much as I enjoy you keeping me on the edge…” he pauses when you give him a challenging look and curl your fingers up against his prostate, making his hips buck hard. “... having a visitor take up your precious time is not something I’m willing to indulge in.”
“But I got you something.” You smirk when his eyes light up and lean into the kiss he’s offering. “I know you’ll like it.”
“Well… You’ve piqued my interest with such a delightful promise,” he muses before he takes over your mouth with a deep kiss. “Nevertheless, I’m sure the courier can leave this offering at the door. I’m not ready for your hands to leave my body just yet. I…” He groans when you slowly start to move your fingers inside him again, and lazily runs a hand over his chest, teasing his nipples until they’re both hardened by the attention. “Grant me another one of those delightful fingers, gem.”
The hitch in his breathing makes a shiver run through you, and as another knock sounds on the door, you wrap your left hand around Ezra’s cock. Slowly stroking him without any hurry, matching the pace of your other hand. He watches you with pleasure, whimpering quietly when you gently slide his foreskin down to reveal the head, then lean down to lick the precum off his dick and your fingers.
“Come on in, the door is open,” you call out into the direction of the door once you’ve licked up all of him, almost like an afterthought. The momentary surprise on Ezra’s face is easy to spot, but it shifts almost immediately to amusement tinged with a hint of mischief. Most noticeable, he makes no effort to cover himself up or discretely move away from your hands - if anything, he makes a point of spreading out more on your sheets. Luxuriating like a cat under a warm beam of sunlight. Or perhaps a panther in the green is a more apt description; no trepidation, just a single minded focus. It’s exactly what you were counting on.
You press a kiss to Ezra’s stomach as you hear the front door open, and his cock twitches in excitement at the startled gasp of the visitor. “Oh, fuck, I’m so sorry, I thought—”
“You thought right, no worries”. You grin as you lick away the last drop of precum that has welled up, then take in your guest. Benny. Just as pretty as when you met him the other day. Tall, blond, a slim but well-defined body that makes it clear he likes to work out. Younger than Ezra, but not too young - probably late twenties or early thirties. He’s a sight to behold in many ways, but that pouty bottom lip and his captivating eyes stand out in particular. You know Ezra is a sucker for that - you remember him telling you that it were your eyes that had drawn him in. Like aurelac. Believe me, gem. I should know, considering how much I’ve harvested it. 
“Glad you came. Close that door, would you?”
“What a pretty thing you’ve sourced for us.” Ezra’s voice is quiet so only you can hear him, yet his dick is anything but subtle; he’s positively throbbing under your fingers, but not addressing Benny yet, waiting for him to approach the bed. You see the hesitation on Benny’s face as he takes in the two of you, but there’s no room for hesitation in the way he licks his lips and shrugs his jacket off.
“Hi… I’m sorry if I’m interrupting.”
“Not at all, gentle man.” Ezra props himself up on an elbow, gesturing for Benny to come closer. He’s enjoying this, the panther in him all relaxed yet fully alert, letting his prey come to him willingly. “What is your name?”
“Benny. I met… we got to know each other, and she told me to come over.” He’s clearly trying to not be too blatant about staring at Ezra, but it’s fairly impossible to not look right at that stiff cock, surrounded by the thick curls of his pubes. It takes a moment, but then Benny seems to realize that you’re not just jerking off Ezra; you’re also still fingering his ass with easy, lazy movements. He clears his throat as he seems flustered, clearly not knowing where to look. 
“Benjamin. Hello, Benjamin - I’m Ezra. You must have met this gem at the drinking establishment,” Ezra suggests as he strokes your cheek, holding Benny’s gaze. “Surely you were as enthralled by her as I was. Tell me, did you try to make her yours?”
Benny laughs nervously, running a hand through his dark blond hair as he shrugs, seeming flustered. “Yeah, I-... I’m sorry, man. Didn’t know she was yours.”
It takes one to know that Ezra’s smile isn’t quite as friendly as it could be, with just a little too many teeth bared before he speaks. “That is not true, Benjamin. This gem belongs only to herself. I have the distinct pleasure of enjoying her whenever she deems me to be worthy of her time.” He pats the bed next to him as an invitation. “Your presence here would suggest she has plans for you, too. So this is… exciting.”
You nod at that as you slide your fingers out of Ezra, who does not seem too pleased about this. “I want to watch you fuck Benny,” you say casually, grabbing some sanitizer and a cloth to clean your hand. “He’s never been with a guy, but I don’t think that has to be a problem. Or is it, Benny? Sit down.”
He follows the command without hesitation, radiating golden retriever energy as he seems eager to please, and just a little bit overwhelmed. You reward him by brushing your fingers over his jawline, tracing the soft stubble and the more pronounced goatee under his plush lip. He looks slightly dazed, but you have no concerns about that. Setting boundaries was no problem for him, you had already figured that out yesterday - because else you wouldn’t have invited him over. “Can I kiss you?”, you ask, and he nods silently. 
“Use your words, Benjamin.” Ezra speaks up before you say it, and you can tell how the tone in his voice has changed since he last spoke. It’s sharper, hungrier, with a little bit of fangs in it. “I expect you to engage in candid discourse with us. Otherwise this is not happening, my friend.”
Something flickers in Benny’s eyes - a hint of resistance, or maybe he just rightfully feels intimidated. Ezra never is subtle about taking control of a situation, getting the upper hand either through words or more tangible weapons. But Benny doesn’t back down, lets his fingers brush down your arm, grazing your breast by no accident. “Yes, you can kiss me. Both of you can”, he then adds, sounding like a dare as his eyes are still on Ezra. “I’m fine with most things, and if not I’ll let you know.” 
“How fortunate for us.” Ezra smiles as he leans back against the headboard and lazily runs his hand over his dick, giving you an expectant look. You don’t waste any time, revising your earlier plans to initially only make out with Benny. While he can’t take his eyes off Ezra, you climb into his lap, steading yourself with a hand on his shoulder as he settles in. He looks up almost in surprise, as if suddenly being shaken out of a day dream, and he wraps his arms loosely around your waist as he faces you straight on now..
“I like how you’re drooling over Ezra,” you tease him, to which he immediately blushes. “No, don’t worry, I’m the same way. It’s hard not to,” you hush him as you settle in, wriggling around for a moment until you’re comfortable with the angle, your bare pussy pressed against his denim covered cock. You brush your lips over his as you slowly rock against him, feeling his hand slide to your hip, the other one firmly grabbing your ass to pull you closer. “Ez has a nice dick, you know. Thick, generously sized… ever been up close and personal with an uncut cock?”
Benny seems already breathless when he kisses you, his tongue just as eager as his hips are, grinding up against you. “No. Not with any cock, really. Fuck. He’s… hot.” He groans when you grind down harder against him, your slickness leaving a wet stain on his pants. “You’re both really hot,” he then adds, kissing you harder as he seems to gain more confidence now. Slipping his hand between you, he gathers your wetness so he can tease your clit with his fingertip, and you whimper in delight by how effective he is. You can tell he wants to explore more, would probably gladly slip one or two fingers inside of your heat, but that’s not going to happen yet - you have plans.
“I like your mouth,” you breathe as you break the kiss, resting your forearms on his shoulders as you lean back slightly, perfectly aware of how this pushes your tits up in a spectacular fashion for him. “You any good with it elsewhere, too?”
His lips are on your breasts before you even finish the line, hot tongue licking one nipple before he moves to the other, then sucks it into his mouth in a way that makes your clit throb. “Anywhere and everywhere” he assures you when he lets go of it with a wet smack. “You want me to eat you out?”
“Not now. Maybe later,” you sigh in pleasure, rocking a little harder against his fingers, enjoying how he’s taking his time to figure out what gets you going. Over his shoulder you see Ezra, a predatory glint in his eye when he realizes he’s got your attention. You bite your lip hard when the hand around his cock speeds up, and Ezra lets the other one lazily slip between his legs, teasing himself with deft fingers where yours were minutes earlier. 
You have to hold your breath for a moment to not lose it right there, and Ezra takes full advantage of it. His dark eyes hold you captive as he slips a thick finger into his hole, and you groan when you hear him breathe your name. He wants to get fucked by you, hard, and he’s not shy about it either. You’re throbbing in response to it - between his blatant need and Benny’s fingers between your legs, you feel yourself getting way too close way too fast. Especially when Benny’s mouth returns to your breasts, his teeth and tongue alternately teasing your nipples until they feel just as sensitive as your clit. 
You pull yourself off Benny’s lap just before the waves threaten to overtake you, legs slightly wobbly as you try  to compose yourself and calm your breathing. Benny is looking just as dazed as you’re feeling, and you’re pretty sure that the large wet spot on his jeans isn’t just caused by your arousal only. 
“Pretty Benny,” you say softly as you run your hand through his long locks, admiring the play of dark blond hair with some lighter strands. You’re pleased to see his head tip back as he swallows, anticipation on his face when you slowly twist some of his hair around your fingers. “Tell me something. You like being told what to do?”
Benny’s eyes become glassy at your words, and you feel a little jolt of triumph at his eagerness. Perfect. You give a gentle tug at his hair as a warning for his lack of direct response, and he whimpers. Squeezing his stiff cock through his pants as his gaze remains on you, he doesn’t seem aware of Ezra moving behind him. His eyes close when Ezra’s large hand envelops his throat loosely, cupping it with thick fingers that then move up to stroke his chin. 
“My gem is not in the habit of repeating herself, so I will do you that courtesy right now, Benjamin.” Ezra’s voice is gentle and warm, but you can hear the warning in his words. “She asked whether you like being told what to do.” His thumb slips into Benny’s mouth, its pad stroking Benny’s tongue for just a moment, then resting on his lip again. You feel slightly dizzy by how captivating it is. By no means is Benny a meek man, and he even has a couple of inches on Ezra in height. But there’s a willingness in him to follow orders, particularly when given by Ezra, that you find incredibly exciting.
“I do here, yes.” Benny’s voice is strained, and he finally opens his eyes again, looking at you. Both men having their glances fixed on you, both looking as hungry as you feel; one confident to the point of being almost predatory, the other momentarily overwhelmed by his own arousal. Ezra hums, reaching out to brush Benny’s lower lip with his thumb, his other arm snaking around Benny’s waist in an embrace. He dips his head down slightly so he can whisper in Benny’s ear, and you already know what he’s going to say.
“Suck it.”
Benny obeys immediately. The wet sound of his mouth around Ezra’s thumb gives you goosebumps, and you feel yourself throbbing once again. You had not yet planned on coming, preferring to take your time and enjoying the lazy exploration between the three of you. But you can’t help yourself any longer - you need your release now. 
You slide your hand between your legs and touch your clit, gasping at how swollen and sensitive it is from Benny touching you earlier, and the extensive attention Ezra had paid to your pussy even earlier. Before you can reach further and slip a finger or two inside, Benny’s hand reaches for yours, a pleading expression in his eyes. 
You nod benevolently, feeling his fingers gently enter you - only two, but thicker than yours are, and you moan as he strokes you, explores you. With ease he finds the right spot inside of you, rubbing and tapping it gently, and he smiles when you clench tight around him in response, your pulse suddenly skyrocketing. Without even blinking, he increases the pressure a bit while you stroke your clit, in tandem working towards your orgasm, and in no time at all you’re crying out and coming hard around his fingers.  
Only once you’ve eased down, Benny withdraws from you, a content look on his face. For a moment you think that he’s going to put his fingers to his mouth, but he surprises you - turning to look at Ezra and offers him his slick fingers. The glee on Ezra’s face couldn’t possibly be any more radiant, and he grins as he wraps his fingers around Benny’s wrist. “A most gracious offering, my friend - it appears we have a good partnership here,” he muses as he lifts Benny’s hand to his lips. 
“Fuck me, you’re killing me with that,” you whimper, hearing how hoarse your voice sounds. The sight of Ezra sucking Benny’s fingers into his mouth, cleaning them with his tongue before he lets go, is making you greedy. For more, for them, for someone’s dick being taken down someone else’s throat, and it’d better be soon. 
Ezra smirks, entirely too pleased with your reaction, then leans in to kiss Benny. Cupping his face in his hand, a gentle kiss on his lips first, but as Benny sighs in pleasure you see Ezra quickly get bolder. He shifts on the bed as he draws Benny closer to him, fingers stroking through the dark blond hair as he leans to kiss his jawline, then lets his lips wander back to Benny’s mouth again. 
“Your eyes are extraordinarily striking.” Ezra hums, almost as if talking to himself, his thumb brushing over Benny’s eyebrow. “Ocean blue, but.. viridescent. No. Aquamarine,” he corrects himself, and you smile to yourself - that’s exactly what you expected him to call it the moment you laid eyes on Benny. Leave it up to Ezra to try to capture colors through precious stones rather than using obvious terms. 
Benny laughs a little awkwardly, clearly unsure how to respond to that. “Ahh, thanks? Hey man, you don’t need to woo me.”
“I can assure you I am not even doing such a thing, Benjamin, nor do I believe that I will have to do so when pursuing you,” Ezra teases him playfully, reaching down to the unzipped jeans so he can cup Benny’s cock through the gray underwear. “If I may be so bold - you already appear to be a done deal, my friend. Wooing does not seem necessary anymore.”
Benny huffs as he shakes his head dismissively. “You’re very cocky.”
“You’re very pretty.” Ezra laughs loudly when Benny blushes again, and you reach out for Ezra’s hair as you give it a hard tug before he can say anything else.
“Smart ass. Be nice to our guest, hmm?”
“Of course.” Without missing a beat Ezra’s hand lightly grasps yours and brings it to his lips, pressing a kiss to it. “You may want to go have a drink of water, gem. Hydrate yourself. Perhaps bring your cock with you when you return?”
Benny looks confused for a second, but seems to drop it when Ezra grabs him for a proper kiss this time. There’s a moment of hesitation from Benny, but then his hand slides into Ezra’s neck and he pulls him closer. He takes over the kiss from Ezra, tongues greedily finding each other to share the taste of you and explore each other. Fuck, they’re beautiful. Ezra’s roughness, unpolished edges and a direct approach to ensnare you in his words, make you part of his game - versus Benny’s eagerness, being entirely too pretty, the light and captivating energy around him impossible to resist. They’re a good match in all their contrasts.
Benny pushes Ezra down into the pillows, practically climbing into his lap, and Ezra’s large hands immediately paw at him to remove his shirt. It’s tempting to stay and watch, but you remind yourself that some water is a more urgent need right now. You gulp down a cup from the chilled pitcher, then half of another one as you walk to the dresser across the room. The mirror above it gives you a perfect view of the guys making out, and you shamelessly admire them as you rummage through your toy drawer. First your leather harness, then you sort through the silicone dicks until you find the turquoise one that you like the best for Ezra.
Once you’ve put on the harness and slipped the dildo through through the O-ring, you walk back to the bed under the watchful eye of Ezra, who has Benny grinding into his lap as they’re still making out like teenagers. Eventually he breaks the kiss, sucking a quick hickey onto Benny’s throat as he watches you touch your silicone dick. 
“Kevva, gem. Look at your cock,” he says quietly, his eyes heavy-lidded with desire for you. He grabs Benny’s chin lightly and turns his head, making him look at you, and you see the surprised expression on Benny’s face as he takes in your appearance. The way the leather straps softly dig into your skin, the size of the dildo, and then you see the realization dawn on his face that none of this is a surprise to Ezra. 
“Your mouth is all messed up,” you say as you reach out for Benny stroking the slight redness that Ezra’s stubble left on his pale skin, lips swollen from kissing and his skin slightly flushed from Ezra’s stubble. “Looks good on you.” 
“Would look even better on you, gem.” Ezra’s voice is low and gravely as he runs his fingers through Benny’s hair, brushing the strands back. “How about you suck her cock, Benjamin. Do you see how magnificent it looks on her? You can show her that you know how to use that pretty mouth in different ways,” Ezra whispers into his ear, urging Benny off the bed and in front of you, then adds, “Show us how you can take me in later.” 
The breath Benny sucks in at those words is clearly audible, making Ezra’s grin widen even more as he moves to stand behind you, running his hands over your soft curves as he keeps his hard dick pressed against your ass. For a moment you wonder if this might be pushing him a bit too much, but then Benny kneels at your feet, a sight to behold. All lean muscle and strong arms, dick hard in his underwear, and looking even more fucked out than earlier. 
Benny’s fingers brush over the leather straps of your harness as he examines it on you, pressing kisses to some spots where the leather is threatening to leave an imprint on your skin. “I like the leather,” he says, sounding almost surprised, and just like earlier you find yourself clenching again, especially when he fingers the base of your cock and the balls. For some reason his careful explorations thrill you more than expected, especially once he decides to go for it and lap the head of your cock. Careful licks at first as he seems bashful, fingers brushing over the ridges and fake veins on the phallic silicone. You let him explore, let him get used to the idea of him being on his knees and about to take you in - hell, let him get used to the idea of a dick in his mouth period, even if it is a fake one.
“It’s not gonna bite you, Benjamin.” Ezra has moved over to Benny and is now kneeling behind him, hand resting on Benny’s back as he nods at the dildo. “Will you allow me?”
You raise an eyebrow at Ezra. “Look at you, so polite and sweet to him. Why don’t I get that?”, you tease, and Ezra grins as he smacks your ass hard, making you yelp.
“Because you do not care for that, gem. Come here.” You watch as Ezra’s hand closes around the strap on, leaning in without a moment of hesitation.He’s done this so many times, but never in front of anyone else. Benny watches Ezra’s tongue lavish your cock with attention, and you can tell from the way Ezra’s fingers press into your hips that he’s getting too excited, his body desperately needing release from having been stimulated in so many ways this afternoon.
A quiet groan escapes from Benny’s lips as he watches Ezra’s head bobbing, up and down, and you see Benny’s hand close around himself, the head of his cock almost angrily red and leaking all over him. He fucks himself into his fist, then whines loudly when he sees Ezra take you in all the way - sliding down on your cock until his nose meets your skin and the leather straps. 
You laugh, almost breathlessly, as you slide your hand into Ezra’s sweaty hair and cup the back of his head, holding him in place as you watch his throat work on you. “You take it so well, Ezra. Fuck, yeah, there you go,” you gasp, starting to pull back when you feel him gag for a moment. “Easy there, easy-”
“I’m fine,” the words stutter from Ezra’s lips as he sits up, catching his breath before he turns to Benny, his eyes glimmering with mischief. “Oh, shit. That really got you going, huh?” He sounds hoarse as he nods at Benny touching himself, then leans over to him, pulling Benny into another sloppy kiss. His hand joins Benny’s, intending to help jerk him off - but you’re officially out of patience with Ezra’s chaotic energy crackling at frantic levels. He’s been too wired for too long now, and you know there’s only one way he’s going to be able to let that go.
“Get your ass on that bed,” you tell him as you smack his butt playfully, looking for the container of slick under the pillow. “Now, pretty boy. You too, other pretty boy,” you nod at Benny, “...go sit against the headboard.” 
They both follow your lead, but you can tell by the glint in Ezra’s eye that he’s not about to back down - you know it’ll just be a matter of minutes before he’s running his mouth again. “I don’t want to hear you. Got it?”, you warn him preemptively as you push him down in the sheets, onto his stomach, then give his ass another hard slap as you twist the lid off the small glass jar with slick. 
Ezra groans, letting out a deep sigh as he looks back at you. “Again. Other side too,” he says hoarsely, then sucks in a deep breath when you oblige - a smack against his other cheek, then two more on each of them as you hear him whimper in pleasure. 
“Thought I told you to be quiet”, you challenge him as you spread the slick all over your cock. “Ass up now. Are you–”
“I’m fine, yeah,” he interrupts you, so eager he’s nearly tripping over his words, and he whines as you spread his cheeks, running your slick fingers over his asshole. “Please, just…” He groans when you run your thumb over his rim, letting it slip into for a moment. “Shit, shit, yes. Come on, gem, I can-...”
His words trail off as you push into him, just the tip of your cock at first, making sure he’s taking you as well as usual. When he nods at you to keep going, you slide your hand under him and reach for his half hard cock, stroking him steadily as you push further into him. His breathing still stutters but he takes the strap easily, eagerly as always. When you look up for a moment you see Benny staring at the two of you in awe. 
Ezra notices it too, and you feel the laugh that’s rolling through his chest before you hear it. “I think Benjamin is rather intrigued by the idea of being taken by a cock, gem,” he suggests, sounding rather amused as he grinds back against you. You pick up the pace as you thrust into him, and it doesn’t take long for those broad shoulders to fully relax. His cock is leaking in your hand as you fuck him steadily, hitting him at just the right angle to make him groan, and you hear him lick his lips as he beckons Benny to scoot closer. “Benjamin… come over here, won’t you? I don’t bite. Unless you’d want me to, in which case… today is going to turn out even better than I thought it was.”
“Hey, Benny? I’m gonna need your help here,” you order the other man as you keep up your pace, resting one hand on Ezra’s hip and the other one on his back, as you stroke his warm skin that’s glistening with sweat. “Need you to shut him up, okay?”
“Fuck. Yes - please,” Ezra gasps, his voice breaking for a second, and you feel a shiver run through him. You’re not even sure which one of you three groans the loudest when he takes Benny’s cock in his mouth, but you can feel your thighs slick with our arousal by the view in front of you. Benny’s a goner almost right away, his hand on the back of Ezra’s bobbing head as he guides him down on his dick, hips pushing eagerly towards his release. 
When Ezra’s nose brushes against Benny’s neatly trimmed pubes, holding still for a moment, Benny’s hand drops away as he mumbles something incoherent. You hear Ezra’s half choked grin, see him pull back as he licks Benny’s tight ball sack which earns him another moan. “Tap out if it’s a no,” Ezra tells him before he spits on his digits, brushing his fingertips over Benny’s taint which gets him an even louder moan than before.
“Jesus, Ezra,” Benny mumbles as he closes his eyes, leaning his head back as he lets Ezra handle him. You’re not surprised when you see a flash of Ezra’s pink tongue sliding over the perineum, and you slow down your thrusts to not jostle him too much. When Benny’s hips suddenly buck up hard without a warning, you hear Ezra hum and the sound of more spit against skin.
“Just relax, Benjamin, I’ve got you. Let it go,” Ezra hushes him, rubbing Benny’s thigh soothingly as he keeps his mouth to him, a soft smack of his lips as he sucks on his finger. “ ‘s Gonna feel good, I promise, yeah?” Even though being behind Ezra doesn’t quite provide you with a clear view, you can see just enough of what’s going on - Ezra’s tongue tracing Benny’s rim, slick with saliva, hushing him some more to relax as he takes his time, and then Benny whimpering when Ezra’s finger gently pushes inside of him.
“Fuck. Ezra, fuuck, I can’t– please… please,” Benny begs him, and Ezra beams as his finger slides into the second knuckle. He hums as he mouths Benny’s balls before moving back to his cock, the back of his head blocking most of your view as he works on drawing more moans and pleas from Benny. It’s not long before Benny cries out Ezra’s name along with a string of curses, his body shaking hard until he goes pretty much boneless. 
Benny heaves a deep sigh as he practically melts into the bed, reaching out to brush something off Ezra’s face - some spilled come, you would assume. “Sorry,” he says, not sounding very regretful at all as a smirk plays over his face. “Got it all over, huh?”
“I’ll take you on your word that that was not deliberately aimed, Benjamin,” Ezra says with a shrug, brushing the back of his hand over his cheeks and forehead. “Make sure to keep that in mind next time when I bust a nut over your face, too, hmm?” he adds with a grin as he wipes his hand clean on a bedsheet, then wiggles his ass against as he looks at you over his shoulder. “That was some good team work from our partnership, gem.”
You nodded as you rub his ass gently, moving along with him as you slowly start to pick up the pace again. “Hey, at least it wasn’t me in the line of fire this time, you know?” 
He laughs at you, stretching his arms one by one, followed by his back as he hums contently under your touch - the caresses to his back, the kiss you press against his bicep. He still has the predatory look on his face from earlier, that panther stretching in the sun while examining his prey, looking extra smug this time. 
“Yeah, but you clean it up so pretty with your mouth,” he teases, the two of you both knowing that Ezra is always the first to grab you a wet towel when it’s needed. “As for now…” His eyes darken slightly as he grasps your hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss before he brings it to his throat, folding your fingers gently around him.
“Better finish me good, gem. You know I’ll make it worth your while.”
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My brain was fried when I put this up originally, so I'm tagging people only now to let y'all know this posted (and you may be interested): @marisferasiop @ghostofaboy @immarocketman @ezrasbirdie @whatsnewalycat @gasolinerainbowpuddles @idolatrybarbie @writefightandflightclub @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @maggiemayhemnj @linzels-blog @lady-bess @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @undercoverpena @sp00kymulderr @i-own-loki @ladamedusoif @penvisions @bonezone44 @auteurdelabre @ohforficsake @swiftispunk @max--phillips @kiwisbell @beskarandblasters @rifflovesjoey @chronically-ghosted @iamskyereads
Love to all the sluts! <3 @redhotkitchen @sparklefarts38 @exquisiteserotonin @pink-whiskey-woman @youandmeand5bucks @legendary-pink-dot @secretelephanttattoo @arcanefox207
Taglist for those who requested it : @yorksgirl @nerdieforpedro @pimosworld @survivingandenduring @romanarose @rubyfruitjungle @criticalarchitecture @kt86 @gemmahale @rav3n-pascal22 @rhoorl @laurfilijames @musings-of-a-rose @perotovar
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sea-buns · 23 days
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hey to a gorgug liker what do you think about his nightmare section from sophomore year? cause I feel like the horror there is less “ah my grandparents were racist” and more “fuck am I being a stereotype? are the people who hate me right about me?” cause wrt to his having to modulate between barbarian and artificer in fhjy it’s like. idk
oh boy do I have thoughts
Tbh, I had zero recollection of the racism stuff until reading this. It was just SO MINOR. His trial in the forest felt really lackluster to me. I feel like everyone else's really dug into an issue at the core of their character and his felt more like "everyone is getting a trial, what do we do for gorgug?" And idk if that was just a bad delivery/call on Brennan's part or if it could have been helped by Zac engaging more in it but it just. Didn't feel like anything. It was a lot more about the dice than the horror of the claustrophobia and the bugs and you've never fit in anywhere you live to make yourself smaller wherever you go you're just the loser who hits hard. Like yeah I guess there was an overarching theme of Gorgug gaining confidence in himself but it was done very poorly imo.
And I think his trial in the forest was wrong for putting such an emphasis on his intelligence. I think that would have been much better suited in fy, back when he was still being heavily bullied, but beyond that it felt like a quick and easy thing for them to grab. Yes, he had insecurities about his intelligence with all the complications with Zelda. But, to me, the focus of fhsy was his HEART. It put a spotlight on how his social circle has grown, and his bully is his friend now, and he's not alone anymore. His interactions with Ayda, the friendship book, trying to help Fabian, I believe in you spring break, it's Gorgug keep going. I made a post earlier in the season (including a great addition by another user) that I think articulates that emphasis on his emotional intelligence very well.
Fhjy HOWEVER. I think it's doing everything that sy failed at. It's giving him space to have an inner conflict. It's addressing lots of little issues and conflicts he's had over the campaign and combining them into one coherent piece. Like, guy was in a relationship pretty much all of fy, and then dealt with the fallout in sy, but I don't think we've EVER seen as much quality relationship development with Gorgug as we have in jy. He and Fig spent an entire summer together trapped in a tour bus and no season has indicated that bond and friendship more than this one. He and Riz have found something to bond over, meanwhile in previous seasons there was pretty much zero one-on-one personal interaction between them. Fabian expressed sadness over Gorgug leaving the Owlbears, because it was the only thing they had that was just for them to hang out and be friends.
Just with that, we're already doing leagues more with Gorgug's character than we ever have. And I haven't even STARTED on his barbificier journey, oh dear god lmao.
Gonna preface this bit with a post I made before the season even started. It was about Zac's steady improvement in his performances with every PC, and how I was predicting that it was gonna culminate into a Gorgug that does him the justice he deserves. It was initially supposed to be a criticism, but I got a little lost in the sauce of loving my boy lol. Still very relevant to the topic of this ask!
God, where do I START?? Addressing his relationship with rage? I'll be honest, I didn't think that would ever be used as a character arc. And I'm not even sure why I've felt that way. I just didn't think... I didn't think about how he might've had a dislike for his own rage. Like, the WAY he rages isn't bad by any means, but I don't think it ever crossed my mind how actually harmful his lessons to sing to combat rage were. No, I did not like the way Porter went about teaching him (a bit too unsupportive of his capabilities and reminiscent of shitty teachers for my liking). But his point about EMBRACING anger; that rage is not bad and does not— should not— need to be stifled. THAAAAT. That opened up such an interesting dialogue for Gorgug.
I do appreciate the beginnings of Gorgug's interest in artificing in fhsy. I think the crumbs of it back then did a great job of leading into his larger commitment to multiclassing. And I think what he's been doing with it this season is exactly what was lacking in his section of the nightmare forest. His trial was a puzzle, based entirely on die rolls, where his solution after failing even when he's assisted by the enemy is to essentially give up. I understand that facing their fears was the whole point of the trials, but his section came off as incredibly anticlimactic and unfulfilling. Just the fact that it was a trial based on stat numbers more than the development of the character itself.
Where junior year succeeds in actually showcasing his intelligence and the evolution of the worth he holds in himself is with the hands-on approach it takes. Yes, the academic rolls are still dice and stats, but there's a physical manifestation that wasn't there before. Gorgug is smart when it comes to getting his hands dirty. It is in the practical applications of his skills that his brand of intelligence shines the most.
And while, once again, I did not LIKE Porter's heavy resistance to multiclassing....I have to admit that I don't think Gorgug would have had such a boost in confidence without that struggle. Even if my boy had trouble expressing it to Porter verbally, HE STOOD UP FOR HIMSELF. Instead of simply rolling over and agreeing that he wasn't built for a technical class and it was stupid to try– he was DEFIANT.
The kid who said "I'm a dumbass. Eat me you stupid bug." took on FOUR CLASSES. Three school years worth of artificer simultaneously. AND stayed with the Owlbears. AND went along on party missions to help Kristen's candidacy. AND was always on deck to help the party with the overarching plotline.
AND HE ACED IT!!! THE FIRST BARBIFICER THAT THE AGUEFORT ADVENTURING ACADEMY HAS EVER SEEN!!!!! He is paving the way for every unprecedented multiclass that follows.
Just in comparison to who he was in the previous season, the amount of drive and self-worth he's gained is astounding. In my eyes, it's done more than enough to makeup for the way his development fell flat in sophomore year.
i hope this fulfilled the ask in the way you were hoping! i told you i'd get carried away lmao. writing a bunch about any of zac's characters is always such a joy. gorgug had always been my favorite of the bad kids but i always found myself wishing he went deeper, y'know? and now it's real. my precious anxious boy has been handled so well. and watching zac's growth as a performer has been such a blast.
thanks for the ask! :D
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ceeridwen99 · 3 months
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BG3 is a R O L E P L A Y I N G GAME...
Okay, time to be a bit controversial but I need to get this off my chest. Mainly because I've been seeing it everywhere. Instagram. Here. Youtube. Even the cursed site that is Reddit. I doubt this will reach many people, but I'll feel better having gotten it out of my head.
I think that a lot of people who play/played BG3 have forgotten that it is of ROLEPLAYING game. Let me repeat that. ROLEPLAYING. That means, that your game is based off of YOUR choices and YOUR choices alone. Meaning that the things you choose to do in this game are based on YOUR interpretation of the media. There is NO canonical interpretation of the game because it is YOUR campaign based on how YOU play. The plotline, the romances, and everything that happens is based on YOUR choices and how YOU decide to ROLEPLAY it.
Why am I putting so much emphasis on this? Well, because with the new patch, some additions were made to Durge's storyline. Mainly regarding Gortash. Nothing major at all, honestly. But, as we know, durgtash is quite a popular ship in the fandom. There was an added line during Gortash's coronation when Gortash expressed that he "liked" the Dark Urge in comparison to his sibling. A line has been added where the Durge can reply "I think I liked you too." That's it. That's what all the fuss is about. Because oh boy, did some people interpret that as Larian forcing durgetash on the players. First...what? How--
Let me preface this by saying I'm NOT a durgetash shipper AT ALL. I don't even like Gortash. Believe me, I've tried to see what people see in it (and him). I went and found all the journals and letters trying to see the romantic connection, and I just couldn't. It seems more like admiration and respect than love for me, but hey...guess what...that's MY interpretation. That's not what those who love this ship feel and that's perfectly okay because it's THEIR Campaign.
My point is, in no way is Larian FORCING a romantic relationship between Gortash and the Durge UNLESS you interpret it that way. Gortash says he "liked" you. Okay, That can mean many things. He respected you as his partner in this whole scheme. He enjoyed your company in comparison to Orin. Or, he saw you as a true friend. Or if you want--and only if you want it--he liked you romantically. And this is vice versa for the new line that was added to further differentiate the Durge from a Tav. It is such a vague line and can be interpreted in so many ways, that I truly don't understand what all the fuss is about. If you don't see Gortash as a previous romantic partner...then don't.
The Dark Urge is in many ways a blank slate. Yes, they have a bloody past when it comes to murder, but you don't have to add personal relationships to it if you don't want to. Hell, in my latest playthrough, my durge was a virgin when this whole mess began lol (They, of course, didn't know that, but it's what I roleplayed). They also never fully recover their memory outside of what's shown in the game. They're a complete blank slate at the start and the end. The durge has no personal background so you can make your own. So you can ROLEPLAY.
If you don't like the idea of Durge and Gortash being a thing...don't roleplay it that way. And, if you interpret that line as romantic DON'T click it. But there is no reason to be going around saying something is being forced on you when it isn't.
(If you want to be mad about something, be mad about Wyll constantly being sidelined compared to every other companion, but that's another post in itself.)
Anyway, if you read this thanks and have fun with whatever headcanon you carry.
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drunkenskunk · 2 months
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Working on something for my next Lancer game on Sunday.
Despite technically leveling up to LL5 in the last session, my character Scarlet is still piloting the Everest she started in (R4GE MACHINE, BIG RED, or simply RED, depending on who you ask), and this is the (possibly incomplete) list of all the previous pilots who have used - and died in - this particular mech.
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I'm wondering if I should add more names to this list, or if it's already too long.
On the one hand: I'm thinking I should add more, partly because I can only imagine campaigns like the Hercynian Crisis, the Union Civil War, and the Interest War were absolute fucking meat grinders... but also because I want to have the same vibe as one very particular line from the Tex Talks Battletech video on the Charger:
"As such, the Charger of the Succession Wars is, in every likelihood, this rusty, dented kaiju of a war machine that's burned up 20 pilots in 6 months, which may come charging in at any time to escort you and your home team into the afterlife... or explode gloriously in the process. And this cycle would continue until the Charger produced a hero, or became a very brief, and very dirty star."
youtube
(36:49, for those curious about the timestamp)
On the other hand: I'm worried that this list is already too long, and if I make it any longer, then this list of dead mech pilots is going to go straight past horrifying and end up just being stupid.
Anyone have any thoughts?
(Also: yes. Usage of the Titanfall Protocols is a Very Deliberate Choice here.)
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canirove · 9 days
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Friends, lovers… and an orange | Chapter 4
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"It was so weird, mum... Like, the moment I mentioned his agency, he went all serious and then avoided my question. And before that, he didn't smile like he usually does."
"Since when do you pay attention to the way Mason smiles?" Elizabeth chuckled.
"That's a really good question" Adele thought. "Anyway, do you think... Could an agency do that? Call the paps on one of their clients as some kind of revenge?"
After the chaos at the airport, she and Mason had talked about who could have tipped off the photographers. The only people who knew they were flying that day were their brothers, Jourdan and his agency, and the first three would never say anything. The others... 
"That's too twisted" Elizabeth said. "But I know they've called them without letting their client know because it made the photos look more natural, like actual candids."
"Did that ever happen to you and dad?"
"Never. We were stalked, followed everywhere, harassed... But my agency always protected me."
Adele's parents hadn't had it easy. Her father was the heir of a very important family in the US and was considered one of the most eligible bachelors in the country, and when the press had found out that they were dating, they had gone crazy. Both had been followed everywhere they went, their faces being on all the magazines. The supermodel and the heir, most headlines would say. And his family didn't like it. 
They considered Elizabeth not enough for their son, and had done everything in their power to make them break up. When they got engaged after years of dating, his family hadn't met her yet, and when Adele's dad took Elizabeth's last name instead of being the other way around, they even threatened him with disinheriting him. But they fought for their love despite everything and everyone, and they still were together, happier than ever.   
"So you don't think Mason's agency could have done it?" 
"I don't, no" Elizabeth said. "But less talking about pretty boys and annoying paparazzis, and more about this!" she said, gesturing towards their car's window.
Between Jourdan, Mason and her mum constantly sending her photos of their old trips together, Adele had finally said yes to going to Paris. She would be joining her backstage at the couple of shows she was walking, attending one as a guest with her, and a couple of parties too. Would she end up regretting it? Probably. 
━━━━━━❃━━━━━━
"I am so glad you accepted our invitation, Adele" said Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior's creative director, when she met them for their fitting. 
"Thank you for inviting me" she smiled.
"I myself have picked some looks for you that I think will be perfect."
"Oh, wow. That's so kind."
"Anything for you, girls."
━━━━━━❃━━━━━━
"Red or black?" Elizabeth asked while looking at herself in the mirror.
"Black" Adele and Maria Grazia said at the same time. 
"Black it is."
"Adele, now that I have you here, I have to ask again. Are you sure you wouldn't like to join your mum for our mother's day campaign? It would be just a one time thing."
"I'm sorry, Maria Grazia. But being in front of the camera isn't my thing."
"Then what about behind the camera?"
"What?" Adele said.
"Oh, that's an amazing idea! You could take my photos!" Elizabeth said while getting changed.
"Mum, I'm not a professional photographer. There are better people for that than me."
"It wouldn't be as special, tho. And a daughter taking photos of her mother would also work for our campaign" Maria Grazia said.
"I don't think it is a good idea. What would the photographer you hired say?"
"If I explain it to him, he'll understand. Why don't I ask someone from my team to send you the mood board for the campaign so you can get an idea of what we want?"
"And Addie could send your photographer some of her photos so you know what she can do" Elizabeth added.
"Perfect!" Maria Grazia said, not allowing Adele to protest.
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"I think someone fancies you."
"What?" Adele said. She and Elizabeth had been in Paris for a few days already, everything going pretty well keeping in mind what had been going on back home and in New York. Paparazzis bothered them the usual during fashion week, and all the headlines were about her and her mum, their outfits, and how much they were loving that they were finally doing fashion stuff together.
That night, they were attending a Vogue party where they were joined by people she only saw on Instagram. Models, musicians, actors... Even a couple of football players too. 
"That cute guy over there" Elizabeth said, nodding towards her left. "He can't stop looking at you."
"Who... What..." she said, slowly turning around to look at him. When they eyes met, he smiled at her, and Adele heard herself giggling. He had a dimple on his left cheek, just like Mason did. Mason...
"Go talk to him."
"What?"
"C'mon" her mum said, pushing her towards him.
"But I don't know who he is.”
"An actor from one of those superhero movies. Now go."
"But..."
"Hello there" the cute guy said, his dimple showing in all its glory once again.
"Hi."
"You are Adele Turlington, right?"
"Yep. And you are... Sorry, I'm really bad with names" she smiled, hoping her lie would work.
"Nico Evans."
"Nico, yes, of course! I was thinking about your character's name and I didn't want to say something stupid."
"Nah, it's ok. I'm used to it" he smiled again. God, he was cute. "Would you like to grab a drink?"
"I would love that." 
━━━━━━❃━━━━━━
"What time is it?" Adele yawned.
"Too early. Go back to sleep" Nico whispered.
"Then why are you leaving?"
"Because I am attending a show in an hour, and I haven't showered or got changed" he chuckled.
"Oh..."
"Would you like to meet again?" Nico said after finishing tying up his shoes. "Maybe for lunch? I'm leaving tonight."
"I... I can't. My mum and I are meeting some friends of hers that we haven't seen in ages and..."
"Oh, it's ok. Don't worry" Nico smiled, that dimple he shared with Mason showing up again. Why was she thinking about him again? "Maybe another time."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Thank you for last night, Adele. That was... That was amazing. Definitely a highlight of my fashion week" he smirked.
"You're welcome" she giggled, feeling her cheeks get warm.
"Good bye, Miss Turlington. See you soon" he said, giving her a peck.
"Good bye, Mr. Evans" she replied.
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bylertruth3r · 1 month
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Hiii, what were the signs in the first 3 seasons that will liked mike? When I watched it back in 2019 I thought Will was gay but I when I saw other people say that Will liked mike I wasn’t really convinced, obviously those people were super right, so if you want, can you tell me what were the signs? And are there signs that mike likes Will back? Thank you! 💕💕💕
thanks for asking :)) @palumboompje
1 in s1 Will was able to lie to everyone except Mike and told him that he rolled a 7 during the dnd campaign even though Lucas told Will to lie to Mike (Will was able to lie to Mike in s4 because he was lying for Mike and even there he wasn't able to look at him in the eyes when he told Mike that El commissioned the painting
2 in the Snowballl script it says that Will was looking at Mike who was dancing with El instead of looking at the girl he was dancing with
3 he was really jealous about Mike dating El and spending time with her and it was really evident during the rain fight
4 you can see him staring at Mike's lips in s2 when Mike was arguing with Seth about Nancy and in s3 at the cinema (and Mike was staring at Will's lips too)
and yes there are a lot of signs that Mike loves Will back and i have a pinned post about it but i'm gonna list a few
1 Mike keeps staring at Will's lips
2 his relationship with Willl has always been something more than platonic and you can tell by how much physical touch with Will he initiated and even the bullies know there's something more between them because when they were being homophobic to Will they said those things to Mike's face
3 Mike was the one more affected by Will's disappearance and even Hopper could tell because he was the first one he interrogated in s1
4 in the previous seasons he had no problem hugging Will and being more physical with him but after s3 things started getting awkward between them because of Mike and he hugged Will in that weird way (he doesn't know Will is gay) he took what Will said "and us?" at rink o mania romantically and felt the need to clarify that they're friends twice even though he views Will as straight and then "in the closet (at rink o mania) started playing while the camera was on Mike and he started talking again
5 Mike is the one who starts most of Byler's interaction and he has a soft voice he only uses for Will (his Will voice)
6 he got really jealous in s2 when Will agreed to let Max join them for Halloween because he thought Will also liked Max like Dustin and Lucas did, at the snowball he pushed Will into dancing with that girl and then he regretted it a few seconds after that and moped about it next to Dustin who was moping about Max dancing with Lucas, in s4 he got jealous and thought Will made a painting for a girl (Angela) but then when in the van he realized Will loves him back and that the painting was for him he got really happy about it
7 Mike wasn't able to say "i love you" to El because he's in love with Will just like Nancy wasn't able to say it to Steve in s2 because she's in love with Jonathan
8 he said that his friends are great but they're not Will and that Hawkins wasn't the same without Will "you know Max, Lucas and Dustin they're great, they're great it's just.. it's Hawkins it's not the same without you" and he asked Will to be a team which parallels Hopper saying "we make a great team" to Joyce in s3
9 he said asking Will to be his friend was the best thing he's ever done (he already knew El in s2 btw)
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bareee · 2 months
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I want to ask every question about Mark but for now we'll go with 8: Who are they suspicious of? 14: What hobbies does your Tav have? 18: What would your Tav be doing if they weren't kidnapped on the Nautiloid?
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Finally time to get to do this, ho boy ya makin me work already geessss
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Bein a paranoid person in this game was a fun Time s all imma say bout this one…
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I had to go back to his Dnd sheet to make sure I remembered right, but yea, hes got a few and all are way more delicate then you’d think. His carvin and herbs came from family and the glass blowin came when one of the kids from the previous team wanted to make a potion shop and asked Mark to help, Mark makes the bottles for it. Don’t know if they’d all count as ‘Hobbies’ but it’s what I remembered.
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Mark was a part of the only campaign I was a player in that was actually set in Faerun, So I knew exactly where he was actually cause it was also the only Module game I’ve played too where it was The Mad Mage he was dragged into. It has a canon time with bg3 that also has canon time so he finished the Mage tower close to 2 years before bg3 starts meanin a lvl 20 champion tryin to retire pretty much with a buncha kids that refused to let him die when he felt he wasn’t needed. S probably a lot the brats would have tried draggin him through to fix some things he has goin on after the mage thing, but I aint gonna speak for em so I’m leavin it where they just lived more calmly with what they already had after they were done. And yes, the kids are freakin da fuck out with Dad bein yoinked. He’s a dad to many…
THERE, HA done. *goes and dies in pillow fort now*
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tinydeskwriter · 2 years
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Request: Jack being obsessed with gf reader. Clingy, touchy, jealous, possessive, etc. Constantly has to have her around and gets cranky when she's not.
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Mark The Territory
Jack was usually very touchy—almost clingy—, as a rule a part of his body always had to be connected with a part of hers, and it was just with her Y/n learned early in their relationship, he had never been like that with previous girlfriends, at least that's what his friends said, Urban, Jack’s best friend, even once joked that Jack suffered from an Y/n Obsession, which everyone thought was funny, except for Jack himself who blushed when even his girlfriend starts laughing. Whenever they are in the same room he is drawn to her vicinity like a moth to her irresistible flame. No one else even blinks anymore when he pulls her to sit on his lap in the middle of a conversation. Or the way he moves in two seconds if he sees a guy getting too close to Y/n.
They were one of those always touching, always together, teeth-rotting couple.
“Shit, dude.” Urban entered the hotel room. “Metta came out of here cursing you in German, what did you do?”
“He bit her head off, because his outfit isn't all-black and he and Y/n ain’t going to match.” Zack commented bored, while sitting in an armchair, scrolling through his phone. “And he’s grumpy because Y/n is going to meet him at the stadium for the game, and he misses her.” Bia made fun of his friend. “He’s suffering withdrawal.”
“Shut up.” Jack grumbled, finishing the buttons on his dark brown silk shirt.
Yes. He was in a bad mood over his girlfriend's absence.
They had already spent the entire afternoon apart as she had had a photo shoot for a lingerie campaign. And he'd been banned from attending by her manager—just because he'd threatened the photographer in the last photoshoot, it wasn't like the guy didn't deserve it —.
And to worsen his mood, Jack had seen on IG that two of Y/n's ex-boyfriends would be in the game.
He didn't really care about Colson, the guy was engaged and their relationship had ended peacefully, they kept as friends, Y/n even went shopping with Megan.
Jack's problem was the asshole who still DMed her as if he didn't know she was dating him. He didn't have any beef with Gerald till the rapper he collaborated with on the song 'Moana' made it clear he didn't respect his relationship with Y/n.
"C'mon idiots, I don't want to keep my girl waiting." Jack took his cell phone and wallet from the bedside table.
—#—
One of his hand was intertwined with hers over her knee, and the other was playing with his hair. From time to time he would attack her bare neck with his lips—completely aware that he would leave marks—his free hand gently holding her jaw in place, as if she were his prey.
Jack was also aware of the other rapper sitting across the court, apparently unable to take his eyes off his girlfriend.
“Just ignore.” He heard Y/n whisper in her ear, and turned to look at her.
“Hard when he can't stop looking this way.”
“You're the one who's going to take me home… or rather to our hotel room.” Y/n rested her chin on her boyfriend's shoulder. “While he's the guy who messed up all his relationships and he's going back to a big empty house.”
“How did you know….” He turned to face her in time to see her roll her eyes.
“Please Jack, give me some credit, I know you.” She said. “And since you arrived, all that's left is for you to piss on me to mark your territory.”
Jack blushes.
And then he heard Zack and Urban choke on their drink.
Assholes. That's what you get by listening to other people's conversation.
“I'm yours Jack, there's no reason for you to be jealous or feel insecure, Gerald, Colson, all the other guys are in the past, none of them made me feel the way you do.” Y/n kisses her boyfriend just as the kissing cam focused on the couple.
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gottawriteanegoortwo · 2 months
Text
Mayor Attorney - The Charity Gala
Tonight was the night of the charity gala, one that had been highly anticipated for some time now. There had been a large drive across the city to organise small events to raise money for a good cause, and this gala was no different. The organisers had put a lot of care into making sure everything would go just right. The guest list included both the Mayor and the District Attorney, along with names that Damien eagerly reminded you of. People that had supported him in his campaign, patrons, and not a single person that would give him a stress headache trying to avoid for the entire night.
It was strange to know it was one that Damien had no direct involvement in, but that was a nice relief knowing that he might actually be able to enjoy himself. As Mayor, he would have to socialise and make his presence known, but you hoped he would have time to just be Damien for a little while.
It would be nice. The previous few weeks were too busy for both of you to find time for a date, and you had already agreed to attend this event together. Would it be wrong to make the most of the night?
-
You stood in front of the bathroom mirror so you could make the final adjustments to your hair. Your choice of outfit was a simple one - neat and black, plain and simple. It had been Damien's idea to co-ordinate with only black, but you couldn't ignore the suspicion bubbling up. Damien, a man who loves the chance to dress up nicely, the man who had once confessed that doing so was a 'guilty pleasure', opting for something ordinary? He had something planned.
But what? Damien wouldn't want to do anything that would throw him in the spotlight when he didn't want to be. He also wasn't someone who would add a flamboyant flair to his outfit. 
Before you could mull further on what said 'plan' could be, there was a knock on the door. He was here. Your hair would have to do. A coat with money in a buttoned-up pocket was plucked off a chair on your dash to the door.
Damien stood in the doorway like a lingering shadow. He had kept his side of the deal. His black suit was pristine, with barely a crease in sight. The mayoral ribbon he wore for public events was the perfect shade to blend in with the material. His shoes were barely visible thanks to your shadow obscuring them. Even his shirt and bowtie were barely discernable from the jacket. What you did notice was the lack of accessory on the right lapel. He was known for wearing a flower, and you had expected him to find a black blossom.
The cane was neatly tucked under his left arm so he could carefully hold a small bouquet of white roses with both hands, as though afraid a mere breeze would damage them.
"I'm sorry," he smiled bashfully when he noticed your eyes drop down to the flowers, "I know we had agreed that we weren't to give any gifts ahead of our 'date' but… they were in their prime, and I couldn't help but be reminded of your sweet smile. You look perfect tonight, my love." 
Ah, Damien. Roses might be a symbol of love, but you knew they were one of Damien's favourites, even before you two started dating. Once you let slip that you preferred the white blooms over the red ones, they became a reminder of you. You playfully rolled your eyes, accepted the bouquet, and invited him in so you could fetch a container of water to house them in. You would never be forgiven if they were left to dry out in the open air all night.
As you began placing the stems into their temporary, watery home, your gaze drifted over to Damien. He had stayed near the entrance, staying quiet so you could focus on your task and occupying himself with admiring the pictures on the wall. It was a common tactic he used for the sake of good manners. You waved a rose to get his attention, joking that you thought he had long lost 'guest' privilege by now.
You hit the nail on the head as he sheepishly chuckled and scratched his cheek.
"Ah. Yes. Well… This is a date, and I don't wish to behave so casually when it is the first time we've been together in a while." He paused as he noticed your wave beckoning him over. Who was he to argue with that? Slowly, he crossed the space to where you were working. "I simply want to make this a special night, and make sure you know how thankful I am that it is me you love." Your hands were preoccupied, and he took advantage of this to kiss your cheek.
The wall of formality was finally lowered, as Damien relaxed enough to engage in casual conversation about how the day went for both of you. His cane
For those few moments, you had forgotten the purpose of the night, until you glanced in his direction and was reminded of the empty lapel. You were quick to point this out.
"I did think one of my flowers would be a little too 'much' for a night that I have no involvement in. However, I did have an idea." He put his hand inside his jacket and pulled out two small, heart-shaped pins. One was red, the other was green. "A little gesture to show support, wouldn't you say?"
You flashed him a knowing smile. Your hunch was right, but you never would have expected how simple the act would be. He handed you the green pin so he could set to work putting the red one on your outfit.
"Sometimes, we have to remember the purpose for an event like this. It isn't merely to show how 'good' we are, or to make ourselves feel better. It's to help those who need it, and show that they aren't alone when it feels otherwise." With both pins in place, Damien stepped back to admire his handiwork. "There. Perfect."
You had a playful grin as you shook your head. You couldn't go just yet. His pin wasn't perfect, you claimed, as you reached back to the pin you had just put on him. He believed you, and that was his mistake. It left him open for your hands to swiftly move to either side of his face and pull him toward you for a kiss. When you leaned back, you saw a familiar lovestruck expression plastered on his face that you adored.
You asked if you should both get going to the gala. He nodded, leaning forward to close that gap between you one more time before it was time to go.
-
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Do you want to help make a charity gala a success? Why don't you go check out Heropliers4Palestine, a week-long event dedicated to raising money to help the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF). Click here for more information on how you can support a good cause or help raise awareness, and get yourself something special and made just for you in return!
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