WEEK THREE MINGLE

[potatomance]

ᯓ⭐ WEEK THREE MINGLE

Happy third week, lovebirds! Here's to hoping you're riding high on the wave of success of one whole pair being correct! Surely you must have an idea by now how to win this thing!

Probably?

The good news is that you're not going to have to find yourselves in any weird clothes this time around, except maybe that just leads to a strange sense of foreboding for a future scenario...? Who knows. You can't quite brace yourself for it this time.

But don't worry, it's not like there's nothing happening. On the contrary!

For the entirety of this week, you'll find yourself feeling... clingy. It's going to start feeling very strange if you're not leaning on someone, holding their hand, cuddling with them, sitting in their lap, stealing a kiss, or engaging in some other form of affectionate physical contact. And if it's someone you're already feeling fond of OR someone you actually can't stand, guess what?

That feeling is doubled!

You may realize this is an unusual feeling, but so what? Trying to ignore it is only going to make it feel stronger and do you really want to make yourselves feel miserable?

Shut up, masochists.

FAQ ⭐ Truth Booth Voting ⭐ Mysterious Thing ⭐ Sex Dungeon ⭐ Perfect Match Voting

Comments

[hearthwarming]

[ This time, she is drawing her hands away from Manuela's face, if only so that she can wave them wildly, dismissively. ]

No, no, I— I didn't mean it like that. I meant it very... generally. I only know because I've been there, too. I don't think you're at your lowest, Manuela, but I wonder if you've been unhappy here...

And besides, there's absolutely no way you've failed at womanhood— what... What does that mean, anyway?

[alcoheal]

[Has she been unhappy here? Did she come into this competition already feeling like she was bound to lose it; is that why people keep thinking she isn't trying? Her hands leave Ori's cheeks to reach for the tiefling woman's flailing arms and clasp them instead.]

Haven't I failed? You'd think I couldn't screw it up the way I have with only thirteen other people to choose from. [Something strange about that number. Anyway.]

Meeting some of you has been a delight, don't doubt that. If you think you wanna look up to me, who am I to refuse? I'll try to be that person.

[hearthwarming]

Oh, Manuela...

[ She's going to go ahead and simply... Pull Manuela into an embrace, a hand coming up to the other woman's head to stroke her hair. ]

You remind me so much of Prince Kaulinor when you say things like that... He'd call himself a "fuckup," but his heart's always in the right place. I don't think you've failed at all. Honestly, when it comes to being on a show about romance... There's not very much of it going around, is there?

[alcoheal]

[It's very strange to be on the receiving end of this kind of affection. Thinking about the kinds of people surrounding her because of her job, it's only natural. Manuela is the one who has bedside manor, who is encouraging and nurturing...when she isn't dishing out tough love. Her colleagues aren't overly emotional and her students are her students, even if they are adults who have occasionally had to fish her out of a ditch hungover.

She laughs, a little surprised at how nice it is to be held, and after a moment, moves to return the embrace.]

You've certainly surrounded yourself with princes, haven't you?

[You would think she could put two and two together, but the thing about people in the Fire Emblem universe is that they are clinically incapable of recognizing alternate identities. It's a disease.]

It really doesn't feel like it. Maybe I should have hustled more, but... [But maybe she'd thought it would have been different. Easier.]

[hearthwarming]

[ A wry laugh. ]

You make it sound like I do that on purpose...

[ But more importantly, her arms tighten around the other woman's and, unbidden, she nuzzles into the softness of Manuela's hair, just ever so slightly. ]

You're a caretaker, too, are you not? There's nothing wrong... with wanting to be the one who's taken care of, now and then. Nobody should blame you or shame you for wanting that here.

[alcoheal]

It could be; what if you wanted to snag yourself a nice stay in the palace?

[Manuela tucks her face into Ori's neck, where she'll feel the smile. It's nice; it makes her feel like a young girl again in some ways just to sit here and rock back and forth in the hug. It really has been such a long time.]

... Somebody I can do that back and forth with? Boy, that'd be nice. Just somebody who treated me equally, so we both got the same things in return. [Of course, she likes admiration; she just doesn't need idolization. People who expect the diva from the stage to be everything about her are sorely disappointed in the end, anyway.]