hugtopia_logs | Let's Get Cooking [OPEN]

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Let's Get Cooking [OPEN]

♥ Who: Will and YOU
♥ Where: Will and Kiwi's house
♥ When: Christmas Day
♥ What: Will is going on a holiday baking spree and wants your help! (And also to feed you. Please eat.) It's also a last minute birthday party for Kiwi, because someone didn't mention it to anyone.
♥ Rating: Should be nothing but cute unless something unexpected happens! Assume PG-13 to be safe.

1. An Open Invitation! [Network Post - Video, Public]
[Where on earth did Will get a chef's hat? The world may never know. Regardless, he's wearing it and a cute apron, and looking immensely pleased with himself as the video turns on.]

Hi, everyone! Now that the ingredients we're getting out of the replicators are looking so much better, I thought I'd try my hand at doing some baking again and see if my recipes would come out the way they're supposed to. Who wants to come help?

Taste testing is an important way to help too, of course! Hehehe~ ♥ Anyone who wants to drop by, come whenever you can!

2. Secret Santa [Network Post - Video, locked to everyone EXCEPT Kiwi]
[The video seems to be over for a moment--until it clicks back on, this time in a slightly more private setting. Will's beaming smile has turned into a conspiratorial grin, and his voice is a little quieter to make sure he's not overheard.]

You all should also know it's Kiwi's birthday today, too. I know there's no advance warning, so gifts might not be feasible--I only found out yesterday, myself. But maybe at least give them a hug and some well wishes while you're here? I'm sure it would make them really happy!

3. Let's Get Together [Network Post - Video, locked to Magolor and Crystal Exarch]
[This time, he's just making a separate message entirely. He moves in and out of view of the camera as he putters around the kitchen preparing, but his voice is still easy to hear, at least.]

Exarch, Magolor! Can you both make it over sometime today? I promised I'd take another spin at these poffins months ago, and I promised I'd introduce you two once everybody was done being sick, so now seems like a perfect time to chat.

[Remember how you wanted him to make poffins for his own surprise party, Magolor? Well, hopefully this is almost as good. Especially when you add the fact that he's been hyping you up to another friend!]

4. Food, Glorious Food [Action]
[You want treats? You got treats! Whether you came to help Will cook and bake, to be social in and around the kitchen, or expressly to mooch free food off of him and maybe provide feedback, he's welcoming everyone in with open arms.

Highlights include poffins, Pokéblocks, a birthday cake, anything guests might request or try to whip up themselves..... and curry? He wants to make sure people actually have something substantial to eat alongside all the sweets, okay. ~~His friends have an appalling track record of not taking care of themselves, please let him love you.~~ The improved ingredients seem to have done wonders for his cooking, though--everything is turning out excellent today, and he couldn't be happier to see how well it's all coming together. Hopefully that good mood is infectious~ ♥]

5. Get This Party Started [Action]
[There really wasn't any time to decorate, since Will threw this entire affair together last minute--but that doesn't mean they can't have fun! There's freshly made treats, (including a cake!) there's delicious seasonal drinks, there's probably a handful of presents to be opened.....

And most importantly of all, of course, there's a birthday bard to fuss over and spoil. Enjoy the party! Will is fluttering around playing the gracious host, trying to make sure everyone is happy and comfortable, and socializing with each other well. He's also (but why, though?) put on a colorful cardboard party hat right on top of his chef hat; it's staying on remarkably well.]

6. Wildcard
[Do whatever else you want! Mix, mingle, steal delicious unbaked dough, tease Kiwi over being such a cute birthday bard, etc. etc.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She tilts her head thoughtfully at that, brows furrowing, trying to gauge his thoughts.]

Was it trouble?

[Because he seems to be the only one left whose feelings on that are still unclear.]

[He looks just as thoughtful as she does, the embarrassment secondary to the muddle of emotions.]

Maybe... confusion is a better word.

[So very much confusion, so much still jumbled up and uncertain in his own mind and heart, never mind working out conversations.]

That, I'd buy.

[Well, okay, she could have bought either, but the follow-up is a little more comforting. She takes the slightest of steps closer, more of a shuffle really.]

Copper for your thoughts?

[He sighs, one hand coming up to rub at the bridge of his nose a little. Then he gives her a weak smile, offering his hand and nodding towards the stairs. He's pretty confident Will won't mind if they use his room to talk for a little bit and this isn't really the kind of conversation he wants getting interrupted or potentially bringing down Kiwi's party.]

Somewhere we can talk, okay?

[His hand lifts, and there is no hesitation whatsoever; she takes it immediately, offering back to him a calm smile in the hopes that it eases his nerves somewhat. He ought to be more confident. Come what may, there's nothing to lose. She'll remain his friend no matter what he decides, and she'll make sure that he knows that if need be.]

Lead the way.

[It's his first time here but there are only so many options and it is painfully clear which room is Will's very quickly. So he waves Lup in ahead of him and leaves the door ajar.]

Sorry... I just didn't want to get interrupted.

[Then he settles on the edge of the bed, gesturing to the bed beside him.]

There's a lot to talk out, I guess... I'm, honestly, not entirely sure where we stand?

[She shakes her head at his first comment; he doesn't need to explain, and she's grateful for the privacy. This sort of thing is personal and can be awfully sensitive, and she has no desire to have some party goer stumble into their conversation.

Following him over, she sits down next to him, close but with no direct contact made. Her hand rests on the bed between them, her body turned in his direction, and she looks thoughtfully at him.]

I suppose the big question would be, where do you want to stand? What is it you want, Cor?

[Be it more, or a return to how they were before, or perhaps nothing at all. One should always begin with some kind of goalpost.]

[What does he want. It's difficult for him to look at any situation and put his own needs and wants first. It's strange and unsettling in many ways. It seems horribly selfish to not first ask what he can do to make things easier on her.]

I... don't know. And what's more I don't know how to-

[It's even more difficult to put it into words. Especially in any way that doesn't make him sound absolutely ridiculous.]

What I do know is that Regis is my King and has had my heart since I was a teenager. Will is very close to me, I cherish him and what we've come to have in these past months. You are a very good friend and a positively breath taking woman...

I do not want to cause any distress to anyone. You're all far too important to me.

[His king, too? Cor has a bigger heart than he lets on. There's a little surprise, but no jealousy in her expression at his words. That sentiment she can certainly understand. Is it any different from her, really? In her own world awaits the love of her life, the man she's spent decades with and would share hundreds more if they survive the end of all things. He'd love her even as a lich, even if she's dead, even if she never gets her body back. And Taako, of course, the other half of her soul. Her love for him is familial but no less powerful, and no other could come first.

But her heart is big enough for more, too. So with a soft smile she reaches out and tips his chin to look up.]

Then... let me put my offer on the table, and if you want it, it's yours. If it's not to your liking, I'll bear you no ill will- we can blame the wine and carry on like nothing's changed. Does that sound fair?

[She reaches out to touch him and he follows the gentle pull of her fingers readily. He almost expects another kiss, then. What with her holding his chin, directing his gaze back to her. For a moment his heart stutters and he closes his eyes.... And then she speaks and he blinks down at her, trying his best not to make it obvious that he's surprised.]

That... is fair, yes. And, admittedly, easier for me to parse.

[Working within the bounds of others' desires and needs is how he has spent his entire life. Asserting his own will always be difficult for him.]

[A good start. Now to follow through.]

I'm not here to fall in love, or to devote myself to any one person. Your heart belongs to someone else; so does mine. That's okay. I think... with the right people, with good communication, it's possible to share yourself with others. Sometimes more than one. Sometimes at the same time. It's not as uncommon as you might think.

[Difficult. Incredibly so. Complicated sometimes. Messy. But possible.]

The one I love isn't here. That hurts. [It's lonely. There's a hole in her chest, she misses what she had before. But she won't guilt him with her grief, not when she wants him to decide on his own.] When I'm with you, though, it feels good. I want that- to touch someone, to enjoy myself again. To have fun, and maybe forget for a while.

[She closes her eyes briefly, giving herself a moment to reapply that very careful mask of calm that had begun to falter when she thought of her lost love, of the lonely, empty existence she's endured for the last decade after the century of struggle that came before. Her family would understand. He would understand. She's been alone for so long, and she can feel her soul decaying, yearning for those bonds to be rebuilt again. She can't exist untethered for much longer. Maybe if she were still just an elf, she'd be okay, but there's no going back to that now.]

What I'm offering is this: my body, my company, my listening ear when you need it. A shared experience, only as close as you're comfortable with. No expectations and no obligations. Just... two adults, free to enjoy themselves as much and as long as they want.

[As she speaks the worry and uncertainty visibly washes away. He's so worried about what all this will mean, about hurting people because he has no idea what he's doing or what he feels. Because the fleeting taste of the kind of deeper relationships he's denied himself his whole life has left him longing for more. As though he could somehow make all the years of pining and loneliness better if he only held those he's come to care for here closer.

Her heart belongs to another and that means he doesn't need to be quite so frightened of not being what she needs, not being able to give her what she needs. The deeply ingrained guilt that goes along with the kind of self sacrificing ideals that are embedded in Lucian culture eases it's grip on him with that knowledge. The weight of expectation lessened slightly with that.]

I already have the pleasure of your company quite often, Lup. And if you are comfortable sharing something more intimate with me then I am honored. To be able to give you that joy is... [He huffs a breath, offering her a smile and a shrug. He has no words to describe how touched he is that he can have that, that she's willing to give him that.]

As you said, good communication is necessary for any of this to work. So I... want you to know where I stand. Regis is my King. I have loved him since I was a boy and been in love with him for longer than I've been able to admit. That said his Majesty has been in love with his Queen for just as long. I would, and truly could, never come between them. Without her here... kisses here and there, no matter how charged they might be, are all that will ever happen between us.

Will is, Astrals, more than I deserve. And... I am still uh... learning, with him. Regis was always unattainable and duty was far more important than anything I could... [Excuse the blush, there's something more than a little embarrassing in a man of his age admitting that he has no experience. Or well, had none. It's been a very eventful month.]

Kiwi also shares Will's affections... and there is one other that... I may well have entirely misread my own feelings for if not for the wine. I don't know how close you are with her? A woman by the name of Honerva. I have no idea what, if anything, will come of that particular kiss.

Edited 2020-01-08 02:36 (UTC)

[Okay. Okay, she was good with pretty much all of it. Both of them having proper loves means there's a lower chance of actual romantic complications down the line. And she appreciates that! Because fun, casual flings should not be complicated! Just fun. And casual. And fling-y. So she's good with it.

And then he says that, and her eyes go wide.]

You kissed- hang on. You kissed Honerva?

[And she allowed it?? She didn't teleport him down a hole or something? That's, uh.

Wait what the fuck, though.]

[Ah... closer than he'd initially thought, then. Her reaction has his face flushing darkly, gaze flickering away from her. So two others is acceptable but not three? Or is it because the other two are men and this means she is not the only woman he has interest in?

His brow furrows but he can't quite bring himself to meet her gaze again.]

Y-Yes. Shortly before the solstice.

[....

Alright. Alllllright. Lup stands up, hands lifting to clasp behind her head as she paces away from the bed, quiet for a long moment. Before the solstice? Had she missed something? Honerva hadn't said anything to her, and she can't recall a particular day when she might have come home distressed... was it... okay? Or just not something she wanted to discuss?

Fuck. That's gonna have to be a conversation eventually, isn't it.

At last the moment passes, and Lup turns on him again, her eyes narrowing.]

Listen. She and I? We've got history. And she's been through a lot already.

[And it isn't her business to say what that entails, but someone like Cor ought to understand.]

Don't just screw around, Cor. I have no idea if she'd be as down for something so casual, but if you hurt her I will end you.

[This is some... rather intense emotional whiplash. One moment they're being open and honest and talking about feelings, something that is already beyond what he'd be comfortable with anywhere else. Then She's shocked and distressed and he has no idea what he's said or done to upset her but it's very clear that's precisely what he's done.

She paces and he closes his eyes, breathing slowly, carefully measured breaths, trying to tell himself again and again that.... this is what she asked for, this is what she wanted. He doesn't need to retreat behind those walls he's spent his entire life putting in place.

When she rounds on him again there's something cold and distant in his gaze, something that is more the Marshal than the man underneath. Especially when her words are more threat than warning. Maybe he had been wrong to be so open. Maybe-

His jaw clenches tight, eyes closing once more. Astrals, but everyone keeps telling him how he doesn't need to do that, be like that here. That he can and should let his walls down. When he finally speaks his voice wavers slightly, glancing at her only hesitantly, ready to bring those walls slamming back into place in an instant but trying, for her sake, for their sake, not to immediately shut down.]

I meant no harm...

[Something about his expression, and the fact that he'd given her a response at all, calms some of her nerves, so she turns again to settle the last of them. Honerva's a big girl. If she wants to talk about it, she will. And if she wants to have something else here, well... She can do that, too.

When she returns to him once more, her expression is back to that calm, collected self, and she sits back on the bed, sighing softly. While they're being honest, he might as well discover her temper.]

I'm sure you didn't. [She's not sure he actually caused any, either. It's the potential of things that worries her.] Sorry. Just... she's family, and I have little enough of that to get kind of prickly about them. Figure it out, talk to her, and... I have no objections, however it goes.

[How does she feel about it? She can figure that one out when the time comes. She's a big girl too, after all.]

[Her temper might be the thing that gets in the way here. As much as he does his best to appear unaffected by so many things when he is actually open about his feelings... he is surprisingly fragile. He has been told all his life he's not meant to allow himself those sorts of frivolous indulgences.

It's hard for him to hold his ground in the face of her anger but even harder yet when she sits back down beside him as though nothing had happened. Mors has been dead near thirty years and there's some part of him that still expects the bite of frigid air, cold and sharp in his lungs. It's irrational, he knows it's irrational... but that doesn't make it go away.

She apologizes and he nods along, of course he will not blame her for any of it. Honerva is family to her, no wonder she's upset. It's perfectly logical.

Yet he still doesn't reach out to reclaim that distance between them now.]

I do need to speak with her, yes. I didn't mean to make things so complicated, I understand if you don't want to be involved in...

[He hesitates, not sure what to say that's not going to sound as self deprecating as he's feeling right now. If he weren't such a mess he surely would not have let all of this happen. Too many people to let down, too many people he cares for that he now has the potential to fail.]

...... this.

[She pauses a moment, taking in his body language, his words, how small he suddenly looks despite being so much bigger than she. Another reminder, unwelcome but predictable. So unsure, so nervous, so down on himself. So very, very serious.

Ahh, hell. She just can't handle it.

Shifting a little closer to face him properly, Lup reaches out... and boops his nose, hoping to force him to look up.]

You really do expect the worst for yourself, don't you.

[It's not really a question. It's plain as day on his face.]

...Mm... I have a request. And it might be a little strange, in light of all of that, but hear me out.

[Cor blinks, startled by that boop. And then immediately laughs, soft and embarrassed, one hand coming up to scrub over his face. Finally he looks up at her, an apology in his expression though he doesn't exactly voice it.]

That bad, am I?

[The boop, at least, is effective at dragging him out of his own head, quieting the voices that insist this is all some grand failure on his part.]

Of course. What is it?

Very bad, yes. Needs improvement.

[But there's room for it, at least.

She takes a moment, inhaling, exhaling, closing her eyes briefly. And then:]

I want you to kiss me. Without the wine, without all that awkwardness, without me brainlessly throwing myself at you. So we know how it feels when it's just us.

[Because she knows herself, she understands where she stands and what her thoughts and opinions are, long after the fog has cleared. But she has a feeling Cor doesn't, and he's the one who has some decisions to make. Better to make them knowingly.]

[Lup, please. You sound like the boys.

The fact that she needs to brace herself so much for that request makes him worry a great deal about what she's going to ask. Another kiss, a proper one without the outside influences, is not what he'd been expecting. He nods slowly, contemplative for a moment. It makes sense, of course. But that she's so hesitant to simply ask for a kiss makes him wonder just what she's expecting from him.

To get cold feet? To deny her or hesitate? He's not entirely sure and as much as he could guess at the reasons he knows he should ask.... and he will.

First, however, he turns towards her a little more fully, one hand lifting to sink into her hair. He doesn't hesitate this time, the guilt of Will not knowing the only thing that had really held him back in the first place. Though he does wonder if she might not be more hesitant because of whatever it was that might be between him and Honerva.]

You're sure?

[Because he's not entirely convinced she is.]

[It's subtle, but with his hand there he ought to feel a slight tilt of her head against his touch, eyes closing very briefly. It's not unwelcome at all.]

Get to know me better, Cor. You'll find that I say very little that I'm not sure about, when shit's serious.

[She'll give him no illusions about what kind of person she is. She's brash, impulsive. Sometimes she lashes out, sometimes she teases. But there's nuance. Her tongue's gentle barbs are usually eased by her truths, with those who have earned both.

If she's trusting him with her body, he's allowed at least that much.]

You don't have to. But I thought it might help both of us.

[People can be so very different when romance is involved. He can't help wondering how much might change, how much more he might have the opportunity to learn about her now. A nod to acknowledge her words, if she's that insistent then he will take her at her word.

And as much as he insists otherwise he rather likes the teasing. People that are not afraid to give him a hard time and treat him like just a man and not some grand legend. ]

You're probably right.

[It would help, surely. Having something that is unquestionably theirs.

So he nods, gives her a faint smile, and then he leans into her. This time it is not rushed and desperate but a soft brush of lips at first. Something that is gentle and curious, a light pressure, curious and sweet that slowly builds in intensity.]

[She leans in to meet him, and he might be surprised to find her at least a little tentative in return, soft and slow, in contrast to that sudden and intense push of the first time, after the wine. This time it is gentle, experimental. For all her boundless confidence she too can have her moments of quiet uncertainties, of not knowing but wishing. She's cautious, but hopeful, even so.

She wonders what he'd say, if she told him theirs was the first kiss she'd had in twelve years. She wonders if he's the one who'd understand, this hardened soldier who seemed so wary about letting himself have even the smallest of life's pleasures, so capable but inexperienced at the same time.

She'd much rather be kissing him than over-thinking it, though; instead, she shoves those thoughts to the corner of her mind where they belong and opens up to him, inviting him in. Her long ears are dipped low, the edge of one brushing against the hand in her hair. Her posture relaxes, leaning closer, relieved to find maybe something there, after all. Not just the wine.]

Let's Get Cooking [OPEN]

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