#and i don’t really share any of the more common sentiments ab it…

[boyfridged]

What’s your opinion of fanon Jason? I fucking hate him but I’m curious about what you think since you’ve been posting about him recently. The pit madness stuff with Jason in canon is insanely ableist and reeks of abuse apologism in my opinion. To me, part of the appeal of his character is that him doing all of those awful things is entirely his choice and making so that it isn’t fully his fault is both unfair to him and all the people he hurt.

i’m sorry if any of that comes across as unnecessarily blunt but i talked ab it plenty before and each time i have been misunderstood so i want to be clear.

i guess the general difference in my perception of jason being overly violent while displaying psychotic symptoms (because i believe this is what we are talking about?) versus reaction of most people is that i don’t think it’s primarily an issue of abuse apologia. i get that this sentiment is based on approaching the topic from an angle most of the audience is familiar with. however, i believe if you take the problem of ableism seriously, the excessive abuse should be just taken out too. it makes no sense without that context anyway. what is the reason to claim that he acted violently with no motive and while completely sane if it says nothing about his attitude and the story whatsoever? the idea of him targeting random victims is already rooted in the concept of his delusional state; so just throw it out, or else the readers will go back to the conclusion of clinical insanity. unless you want him to be an inherently cruel person – and that’s just not a type of characterisation that is to my taste (i have too much fondness for his original place in the narrative to entertain it. i’d rather think it’s something learned.)

that is not to say that i think all of his violent acts should be written out; but the specific ones most associated with all the psychosis-esque behaviour (like the so-called titan’s tower incident for example.) this is also not to say i think the motif of “madness” should be completely erased; it can be approached in fiction without using the language and showcasing specific behaviour that point at real symptoms and tie them to aggressive actions.

so, regarding whether or not everything he does is fully his choice– i think it’s a bit of a reductive presumption and question in general. i’m sorry for getting philosophical but most discussions of autonomy in the field presume that the circumstances someone finds themselves in already limit autonomy a fair share. and at the end of the day, jason’s position in the narrative and in the world he finds himself in post-res are so obscure that it is the point that he doesn’t get much choice in how he communicates his grief. and grief and madness are themes that blur into each other too. i think, very much like in hamlet, the question of whether the protagonist is sane or mad doesn’t actually matter much because the extreme circumstances call into question if there’s a “normal” response to this situation at all.

if you want to be realistic about it, you have to ask how much someone who has been raised (in good faith and not fully intentionally) to believe it’s their duty to fight criminals and protect people only to get brutally murdered, resurrected, kidnapped and finally given access to assassin training at 16/17 can be believed to be a fully self-aware and autonomous person.

if you want to think of it in terms of what the story is about, at least the initial stages of it (so the lost days & utrh for example, as well as countdown, if you will) then it doesn’t truly matter that much. this is something that can hold weight if there’s talk of redemption – and in the narrative he’s not alive enough for it as things stand anyway (and sometimes he’s just written as a very much redeemed corpse without any significant build-up leading to it.) to me, a perfect story would address his wrongdoings, but also highlight it's not the core of his personality; but still, this is such thin ice to walk on with all the classism and ableism inherent in his development as a "villain" and "anti-hero."

and as for fanon – i don’t like the takes which justify his actions by “pit madness” etc, and i hate the tag “enemy to caretaker” with my whole heart, but honestly, i also don’t mind when some of these actions are erased (which canon does a lot too, depending on who is behind the portrayal and what they want him to be). this is simply because, again, too many of them are rooted in writing that has been historically full of classist and ableist influence. and to reference one of my recent posts, as much as i enjoy some of the red hood content and the tragic cycle he drives himself into, i do prefer him being softer and kinder. this is who he was meant to be — his story starts in the place of batman’s parents’ murder but the beauty of it is that it’s ia story of hope and compassion that was supposed to overwrite that tragedy.

[discotechque]

till my hand shook with the way I fear

pairing: abed nadir/nby! reader word count: 1.6k rating: T

me and abed have neurodivergent solidarity and for that, we would be besties. also the mc in this is specifically non-binary so whatever.

There's clear haze that settles over the bar, that's the first thing Abed realizes once he settles into the space. It's dim, like most bars are and he assumes that's the charm of places like these. Jeff and Britta are adults ( he is too but he's overlooked and therefore his opinion is mute ) so he follows their guidance. Watching from afar, observing their inebriated choices while downing another shot.

He doesn’t get the point of alcohol, much less bars, and it seems the whole point is to get pleasure after an initial sting. A sharp weight that lays in the back of one's throat before elation rips through you. Bourbon burns through him with too much consequence, gin coats his mouth with a bitter tang, and wine falls flat on his tongue.

Maybe it's his upbringing, he's never witnessed his father take a sip to this day, or the pressure that rushes to his frame when he's offered a drink. Abed understands the appeal of bars, it does not mean he shares the same sentiments to them. They're noisy little backend places where melancholic characters come to waste away their sorrows, typically finding pathetic people who drool over glass rims.

However, he is not pathetic ( even if his oldest friend is rounding his seventies and community college all seemed like a folly ) and he had never been overtly dripping with melancholy. So he stood by the small arcade game in the corner, unbothered and safe, until someone offered kindness.

And he takes miles of that even if all they've given was an inch because even if he isn't pathetic or melancholic, he is greedy. He likes eyes being on him because he has so many thought he wants to share with one mouth that can only do so much. Abed is not dumb, he knows what the man wants and how his friendly touches are slowly rising above his knee.

He knows what the man wants and isn't surprise at his outburst once learning that the feelings isn't reciprocated. There's streams of Mint Julep dripping from his jaw and lashes, softly mumbling about his love for Farscape before having it degraded. Abed knows he deserves it and was warned by Annie that people are sensitive ( but he is not held by the bounds of common decency or empathy no matter how hard he tries to keep his mouth shut. )

Then, he remembers the man's proposition ( the only reason someone would be interested in him ). He isn't familiar with being viewed as a sexual object and men weren't unwelcome in his eyes. Gay? Is he gay? Maybe something that exists within the unorthodox box that is sexual realization? The questions sound so foreign even within the echo chamber of his mind.

He's in a dingy bar celebrating his best friend's birthday, this is not a time for the sexual exploration of his subconscious ( although he saves the thought because he considers if not now then when ). The drink is seeping within his clothes, it's going to stick if he doesn't move. He needs to fucking move.

And he does, swiftly pulling himself away from the chair and heading towards the bathroom. Wherever that is, Shirley said it was in the far back and Annie said fair left. Yet, she meticulous as ever so what if she always assume her left is everyone's true left and Shirley is vague with her directions but it doesn't even seem to be enjoying her time here at all.

He's not enjoying it either if he's honest. His loose shit now sticks to his chest and he knows it would make sopping sounds if the man's glass was any larger. Jeff brought them here to celebrate because they're all adults and Troy deserves to have a birthday party in style but if all Jeff and Britta do it bicker, doesn't that make them children themselves? And if he shares his companionship with them, does that make him and all the others children by association?

He's going nowhere with this train of though, this he knows but it can't ever seem to stop. His brain becomes a leaky faucet that can never be screwed back just right so it drips and drips just like the alcohol does along his jaw and lashes. Abed wants to go home but he's with his friends and it's his best friend's party and it'd be so rude of him to leave so soon. At least, that's what Annie tells him.

( Parties were far and few between when he was younger and even then, he cannot replace family functions for beings that truly care for him. )

But then he remembers you, nursing an iced tea in the corner because you are not interested in bestowing wisdom onto Troy that you do not have or participating in anybody's shenanigans. Bars are where people come to hook up or fuck up, you proclaimed on the car ride here, there's no in between.

Then he hears it, bursting against his ears as a smile splits across your face, a discotheque pop song that might be pleasant if it wasn't so overwhelming. His hand involuntarily taps against his thigh in tune with the rhythm. It helps sort out the sensations, the noise is different than the bland flavoring of water, and he knows what's what but it all feels the same in his mind.

Abed's eyelids shut, another involuntary tick he can never seem to shake, and his hand has created it's own beat. Rapid and rushed with no real rhyme or reason except for the fact that it's something that will tug his mind away from everything. ( It's the same thing he does when he's at the edge of a rollercoaster, it makes him safe. ) If everyone else can sway to a rhythm, why can't he?

"Hey," an unexpected voice softly call out to him ( tenderness within this group almost borders on unnatural ). Abed slowly opens his eyes to see you, you call out to him. He feels his hands move away from his pants, tangled within your fingers instead as you gaze at him with earnest. "five things you can see?"

Your hands feel polished, no—plush. He's afraid that if his thumbs press too hard, he'll begin to meld into your being. That's a great idea for a movie, he thinks and he knows you've been his muse from time to time. Maybe it means something, he's not willing to deep any deeper.

His eyes scan the room for a brief second before he rattles off, "The wooden floors, the bartender, the door, the chair behind you, and Annie still trying to be a Texan."

Her accent still lingers within her mind, poor acting for someone so involved a role they've assigned for themselves. The though nearly amuses him but he's getting off track, he needs to focus on you. On the way your hands gently rub over his knuckles and needs to ignore this growing pit within his stomach on whatever that insinuates.

"Four things you can feel?"

"My feet against my shoes, my jeans against my legs, how hot my ears are, your hands."

You don't let go even after he's mentioned it, instead he receives a squeeze that sounds throughout his body. A continuous cycle the runs on until you ask him for something he can taste, he doesn't know what lingers within the crevices of his mouth. ( He'd want it to be you and licks his lips without a second thought. ) Yet, settles on the answer Mint Julep.

Something about thinking this way must be wrong, he shouldn't want to keep holding your fingers or gaze into your fervent irises. He shouldn't be attracted to someone like you and shouldn't be searching for so many reason on why he has to tear himself away from your presence. Still, shouldn't doesn't stop him from doing so.

Maybe his hands have melted into yours, it'd be a good excuse on why he can't bring himself to let go. The song changes again, how long has he been in this small little world with you?

"Hey, it's Mazzy Star, this fucks so hard." he's heard of this before, maybe you've shared it with him. It's less grating on his ears, smooth melodies being shifted on strings, and he watches you sway from the corner of his eye.

( He likes to be watched but something about you commands all his attention. )

Still shifting from foot to foot, you turn to him with a far more lax expression. Both shifting into familiarity as you ask, "You wanna sit down?"

"Not really," he shoots back suddenly but you're not perturbed at his fast response reflex. However, his heart sinks as the next words tumble from his lips. "but we can stand here and sway?"

You don't pull your hand away from his, instead, pressing into his fingers as you ponder a reply. Perhaps you think this isn't real as much as he presumes you'll humiliate him for even asking. But you don't and another smile splits down your features, large than the last one he saw from across the room.

"Of course, Abed Nadir has a genius idea. Let's do it."

You don't move him from this space you've cultivated with him. Instead, wrapping arms around his neck as he places them on your waist ( he never went to prom but this is better than any teenage fantasy ). Moving side to side, never shifting around in a circle but rather awkwardly figuring out a steady pace while his stares becoming fonder while the night grows.

Abed still doesn't get the point of bars but he can figure it out the next time he's here with you.

[vancilocs]

31-47 for ninida, lazlo(was it lazlo, call me out of i wrote it wrong) aand max?

add an s and make it laszlo and you’re golden! (it’s actually laszlowaria but ain’t nobody got time for that)

31. Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover? How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind or teasing?

Ninida drinks somewhat, not much, rarely to the point of being hammered but tipsy maybe once a week or so. He’s a lot more jovial and affectionate when drunk, likes hugs, will pet your hair if you have it, laughs and is just a general good sport. Complete opposite when hungover, just leave him into his blanket burrito to recover. Will growl if someone comes too close. Kinda exasperated if people are drunk or hungover around him, complains about it, but if it’s a friend he’ll help in whatever way needed.

Laszlo can drink you under the table, he’s a regular in a local bar when not on duty and has a pocket flask for when he is. Never hammered during working hours but a little tipsy maybe, only blackout drunk if knows he has no duties. Even more out of it when drunk, somehow falls off the floor. His stories have no end, rambles in circles until he passes out, stories may or may not be true at all. Quietly looks after drunk and hungover people by making sure they aren’t in immediate danger, otherwise stays out of it.

Max can drink more than you’d think, she’s short but also has a pretty good resistance… might have drank a tad too much at parties when she was younger. Very rarely gets drunk anymore. Louder and more emotional in every way when drunk, laughs one second, cries the next, gets angry immediately. A mother hen when others get drunk, as a bartender she’s pretty good at spotting when people have had too much.

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like?

Ninida doesn’t care about makeup or fashion, just skincare sometimes and the functionality of the clothes (as long as he can show his arms). Lots of pockets, a bulletproof vest under the hoodie. Gloves are cosmetic. Sleeps with sweatpants or underwear on.

Laszlo is colourblind and mostly wears black, puts comfort and functionality over looks, but with a thotty twist. His hair he keeps just long enough to tie up, otherwise his nose and medusa piercings are the most he’s done for his looks. He mainly wears the catsuit given by his boss, otherwise it’s capri pants and t-shirts that don’t get stuck on his shin and forearm spikes. Sleeps with a t-shirt and underwear.

Max takes clothing very seriously, orders mainly online from specific goth brands that carry her size, has outfits planned. Makeup is a second job to her and barely ever steps out the house without it, also makes sure her hair is in ship-shape. Very looks-oriented.

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties?

Just… boxers, comfy

Boxers mainly, sometimes backwards, sometimes he forgets

Comfy panties, cute to give confidence but nothing that chafes, she’s on her feet a lot as bartender. Has a bunch of lacy ones for sure.

34. What is their body type? How tall are they? Do they like their body?

He’s typical for a nedian, some 172 cm maybe, slim, a bit less muscular than many others but not too bad of a twink. He’s okay with how he looks, women are the more beefy ones anyways

Around 180 cm, a little over maybe, thicc as a tree trunk. Typical strong arms and thighs for climbing but also some belly fat and love handles to spare. Just an absolute unit and he’s pleased with that

Max is short, some 155 cm and fat. She’s lost a little weight with a diet change to homecooked scheduled meals, but she’s still fat, and she’s completely fine with this and looks bomb as hell

35. What’s their guilty pleasure? What is their totally unguilty pleasure?

He doesn’t really feel guilty about the things he does for fun, doesn’t feel the need to. Though in the end cheating on his wife dipped from “guilty pleasure” to “complete douchebaggery”

He doesn’t have enough braincells to feel guilty, dude was a police officer corrupt as they can be once upon a time. Maybe drinking on the job is a bit of a guilty pleasure but hey, he’s got good tolerance and not enough booze in his flask to get him too messed up.

Buying new makeup and clothes can be a bit of a guilty pleasure, but she neeeeds them. Using them and making herself look glam is something she feels no guilt about though, yes she might look a lil over the top but so what? It’s her style and she likes it

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing?

Can design and build guns like the best of ‘em, it’s a hobby and a job, as well as testing the guns out at a firing range. Can’t sing at goddamn all

An excellent marksman and slick as hell, can talk himself out of pretty much any problem. Knows where to find a connection and how to utilize it to end up on top. On his free time he likes to play cards, hang out in a bar, snoop around casually, maybe find someone to share his bed for the night, who knows. Not a singer.

She’s got great style and impeccable makeup skills, somewhat artistic too but those are just some flower doodles. Enjoys making videos and makeup tutorials, cooking, hanging out with friends. Can hold a tune but mainly just hums.

37. Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they like poetry? Fictional or non fiction?

He can pour over technical manuals, likes comics, longer novels get boring. A pretty fast reader though, has no interest in poetry.

A bit of a slow reader and prefers bigger text for his eyesight, has a hard time concentrating on longer text so he doesn’t really read books. Alternatively he does enjoy poetry and comics since there’s less to read.

Enjoys reading, usually fiction, crime novels and horror, sometimes romance. Enjoys poetry a lot, especially of the gothic kind.

38. What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

Admires tenacity and skill, never giving up despite struggles is inspiring. Wishes he could demand respect and earn it in a way people like Mhairi do, he feels like a bit of a little fish still (esp. compared to dad)

He can respect honesty, positivity and tenacity, even if it’s someone trying to catch him. Also appreciates patience because he knows he can be a bit of a mess. Being able to focus better would be nice.

Max appreciates honesty and open-mindedness, you can be blunt with your honesty, just don’t be mean, and be open to other views and facts than your own. She’s always looking to improve, if anything specific then just not being so hot-headed herself

39. Do they like letters? Or prefer emails/messaging?

Texts and emails are so much easier.

He won’t remember what he wrote on a letter so messages and emails work best

Loves an old-fashioned wax-sealed love letter as much as any dramatic hoe but obviously texts and emails work the best

40. Do they like energy drinks? Coffee? Sugary food? Or can they naturally stay awake and alert?

Too much soda and energy drinks, a caffeine fiend. Could probably stay up without if the weather is warm but still drinks his Red Bull

Mostly drinks alcohol or just water, he stays up long whiles with no help.

Likes her coffee, but mainly just a cup in the morning and an extravagant Starbucks drink during the day, maybe one in the evening. Might have something sweet during shifts at the bar, just for a little kick.

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

Hetero/demisexual, primarily an ass man, but a tight bod in general is a sight to see. Hair is nice to touch. Mentally likes tough women who know what they want and know to demand it, likes brains as much as butts. Needs affection and love and dedication, he’s serious about this shit

Bisexual, doesn’t really have a preference, maybe leans more towards thicc guys and gals, prefers a chubby belly over washboard abs. Mentally just be interesting, keep his attention, share views, not super into uptight nerdy scholar types. Needs attention, love and for the other one to take initiative for him to show love back, for now kinda casual about relationships because he tends to go too serious too quick and end up hurt

Bisexual, likes tough girls and cute boys, chubby people, stronk and soft, sparkly like she is, similar views and attitudes, not interested in super shy and quiet people who don’t like going out or don’t hype her up.

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

His main goal is to blow up beat Vim in the market, his feelings are hurt and feels like his old man’s time has passed, no familial feelings anymore after the stunt Vim pulled, now it’s just rivalry. Kinda sacrificed a relationship to have the family he wanted, too.

Right now he’s just seeing if this sticks, so far he’s enjoyed captaining the Vandal and maybe even dipping his toesies back into corrupting law enforcement… this time being the one corrupting, not the one corrupted

Her ambitions are to make the makeup channel a full-time job and quit bartending, can eventually do that and make bank from being an influencer while also being a mom.

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people?

Not religious really, just tiny remnants of the kind of voodoo-type religion most common in where he’s from. Biggest thing religion-wise are the beads he got from his mom he keeps in his pocket, it’s more sentimental than that he actually believes in higher powers. Has no opinion about believers or non-believers unless they try to tell him how to think in which case he gets pissed

His people are generally atheistic, not religious at all himself, kinda finds it odd. But it’s none of his business, just keep it to yourself thank you. Will listen to stories though.

Not particularly religious, wears some religious stuff as part of her style but doesn’t really follow anything herself. Keep it to yourself.

44. What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most?

Summer, he thrives in warm and humid. Active and happy during warm months. Hates the cold, gets drowsy, outside gets janky and eventually freezes entirely. Whines about cold.

Used to mild, medium weather, very dry, was baffled about rain and clouds. Appreciates the lack of dust outside his homeland. Summer tends to get hot, winter is too cold, not a fan of snow, likes rain. Likes fall.

Loves the fall, pumpkin spice, Halloween, spooky times. Manages heat well, hates sleet and snow but has good jackets to stay warm. Now if just her boots wouldn’t get so dirty.

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves?

Depends greatly, he might be a whiny brat to some, a genius to some. He has been knocked down enough pegs to make him a bit humbler than he’d be otherwise, but he’s still an eager little man trying to become something great at any cost

He’s very much not welcome in his homeland, kind of an outsider everywhere else, his people aren’t so often seen. He’s just chilling and he has his talents, he’s a bit of an enigma to others, a horrible criminal to some and a disaster to his crew

Some may think she’s just a fat bitch, those are people she hasn’t allowed to bully her, others think she’s a role model. She’s a great friend and a mom, too.

46. Do they make a good first impression? Does their first impression reflect them accurately? How do they introduce themselves?

He’s a bit awkward but he’s that in general, got more gun skills than people skills, which is pretty noticeable. He’ll shake your hand and say his name and what ship he’s from.

There’s something off, the handshake is firm but he might just forget to actually say his name or what ship he captains/who he works for, in general he seems… capable? If a bit scatterbrained.

Shakes your hand, smiles, introduces herself, she immediately feels like a pleasant person.

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear? Do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event?

Doesn’t feel at all home in fancier events, doesn’t like dressing up formally, even if nedians don’t do black ties. Avoids fancy chitchat and events and maybe just raids the snack bar and bails.

Pretty at home actually, doesn’t particularly like formal wear but he’s used to wearing it, slips out from one conversation and into another without internalizing any of it or adding anything of substance. Gets tipsy and eats a bunch, just wanders around, gets stuck staring at a curtain for half an hour,

Likes dressing up but prefers a bit more casual parties, like dinners, not as formal. Loves to talk and have a drink and compliment ladies on their clothes.

[kv-r18-fics]

Experimentation Sin

This is a fairly recent story, felt like writing a fic on first time experimentation - kinda have them tread on the first steps of intimacy. Hope you all like it!

The idea of romance was a foreign thing, to do something that was never once experienced in one’s life felt like some sort of territory to be wary of treading. Isaac and Rachel never knew what love felt like, it even repulsed Zack to some extent. Yet, during their time together, even on the run, there was always this attraction that drew them together.

 They weren’t sure to say they were dating, but they knew what they had was something beyond their normal bond. Zack and Ray often shared hug, just to feel that warm feeling of acceptance and security, then there was the kisses that followed after. Their very first one was very shy and impulsive, Ray was always curious to know what it felt like to kiss him, she even had to ask permission to let her give it a small try.

 “Zack?”

 “Mh?” Zack grunted.

 “...Can I do something really quick?”

 “Like what? Spit it out,” Zack said.

 “I’d like to kiss you.”

 Isaac raised a brow, while also filling up with his feeling of uncertain nervousness. Rachel’s kissed him plenty on the cheek or forehead, and every time it sent his mind into a spiral. He doesn’t know if he wants to be put in that state of confusion again.

 “W-What for?”

 Rachel’s face turned a slight shade of red, he could see her nibbling at her bottom lip, with her own look of unease to say the answer. He grumbled to himself, it’s only a temporary feeling, just temporary, and humor her.

 “Knock yerself out…”

 He really didn’t know what to expect when he felt a meeting of lips instead, that state of confusion was more of a state of inner chaos and heat. Isaac was internally screaming in his head, but, at the same time, there was this lingering pleasantness. Is he liking it? As soon as Ray pulled back, he could see this adorably sheepish, yet pleased expression on Ray’s face. It was enough to make Zack’s cold heart flutter.

 “...Hey...do it again…”

 That’s how it all started, just a simple moment of selfish experimentation, and now he’s welcoming Ray’s advances openly, while giving her a share of his own. Zack wasn’t too much of a thinker, but from the years he’s spent observing couples, both in the streets on on TV, kissing was a sign of affection and desire - love, something he abhorred at first. With Ray though, it didn’t seem too bad, he actually liked the thought that someone adored him enough to engage in such an act. Honestly, he’s been feeling that pulling force of attraction towards Ray as well, he was just too pig-headed to really act on it. Ray was a grown woman now, there was no denying that Isaac did have his share of second glances to her matured form, he just never had that drive to act out his inner thoughts in the most appropriate way.

 Kisses started off as a simple peck at first, then over time it kept growing into something more, Zack found it the most pleasant to open Ray’s lips a little more, sometimes he’d be a little more daring and invade her mouth his his tongue.

 “M-Mhh!” Ray gasped, before pulling away.

 Her face was flushed, and she covered her mouth in surprise.

 “What’s wrong? Didn’t like it?”

 Rachel was unsure, it was different, intrusive, but she didn’t hate it.

 “It’s just...it’s different,” Ray muttered.

 “I can stop, if ya’ don’t want me doin’ it anymore…”

 She tightened her lips a little, Ray was unsure at first, but Zack seemed to be enjoying himself in the middle of their kiss - at least he was considerate on how Ray felt about it.

 “L-Let’s try again...just...give me a moment to adjust…” Ray stuttered.

 “...Then how about you make the first move…” Zack said, inching closer to Ray.

 He was giving her the control, her heart fluttered within her chest as the distance between them began to close even more. Soon, their lips met again, a simple lock to start, then progressed into something deeper yet again. Zack took the approach to part Ray’s lips, but he allowed the woman to invite herself in. With her heart pacing hard within her chest, she summed up the courage to start the exploration, even Zack flinched a little from her intrusion. It was something different between them, but also alluring, they’re both sampling a taste of each other for the first time, and it was intoxicating. To Zack, Ray tasted sweet to him, and to Rachel, Zack had a more wild flavor, but as their tongues met, it became a whole taste on its own.

 Ray was compelled to hum out a sound, something that hinted satisfaction as they continued their moment of invasion. Isaac could feel Rachel dig her fingers through his hair, and pull him much closer, apparently she liked what they were doing much more than she’d thought. Amused by this, he wrapped his arms around her as they continued their sultry liplock.

 Honestly, after that, Zack and Ray couldn’t tell if that step was a good thing or bad thing. It felt really nice, pleasing, really, but the atmosphere felt helluva lot different after each moment of kisses. They both had this gleam in their eyes, along with a growing heat between them. A heavy air hung around them as the couple felt this sense of tension lingering.

 It wasn’t just kisses that added to the tension, but how they lived together in general. Aside from the occasional glances at Ray’s newly shaped feminine form, there was also that moment of comfort they had for one another, they’ve shared a bed together so often that personal space became almost absent between them. It had become common practice that the two would casually dress for the day with the other in the same room, neither one would make any comments about their appearance, to them, it was just the norm, even going as far as to toss each other the clothing they needed to dress in. That slowly started to change as well, with more gazes being exchanged towards one another, Zack’s sculpted abs were Ray’s immediate attention grabber, while Zack often caught himself ogling at Ray’s curvy form.

 There was a thought in the back of their minds to explore more of it, yet they did nothing, which only piled on that growing tension.

 Then, there was the moment of taking a shower. The place they called home didn’t have the best water heater in the world, hot water always seemed to last for one person, while the other had to wait for a long time for the hot water to return - it was very aggravating. In the past, sharing a shower together was something Zack strongly opposed to, aside from being self-conscious, the thought about being naked right in front of her was an immediate nope. Rachel did share the same sentiment, but she would trade comfort for the convenience, it just wasn’t fair to let one sit out for a prolonged period just for something as basic as a shower.

 First time showering, Isaac refused to undress completely, he’d shower with his underwear on, while also keeping his back facing Ray, while she treated showering like another moment of bathing. However, Zack was first to leave the tub the moment he’d washed enough.

 The next few times, he did attempt to shower like normal, but lost the nerve midway of undressing.

 ��Nope, fuck this shit, can’t do it. Not with her around.’

 The tenth time, Isaac finally summed up the ‘okay, fuck it’ mentality and tossed his undergarment off before he could chicken out again. He was completely flustered though, tempted to jump out of the tub and just let Ray have the shower all to herself. When Ray would try to turn and glance behind her, Zack would quickly bark at her to keep her eyes elsewhere.

 Twentieth time, he was slowly growing more comfortable to this situation, all they’re doing is just bathing, that’s all they’ve been doing. He’s been feeling heavy tension in the air for a while, but most of all he’s never really had any other thoughts prod his mind like he’d feared. It’s just Ray, everyone wasn’t born with clothes on their backs, and all she’s ever done was treat this like any other shower, maybe he should too.

 So, he began to shyly turn around.

 “I thought you didn’t want me to look,” Ray blankly said.

 “W-we’re just bathing, that’s fucking it,” Zack snapped in a flustered tone, “I’ll turn back around.”

 “No, you don’t have to, I’m not trying to antagonize you,” Ray replied, “you’re right, we’re just taking a shower.”

 She wanted to prove that she wasn’t scared of having him within a close vicinity of her, at her most vulnerable state, but as she turned around, blood quickly escaped Zack’s nose and his back was facing her again, followed by frustrated swears.

 “Fucking dammit! Shit! Shiiiiit!”

 Ray will have to admit, seeing Zack act so uncharacteristically sheepish was a little endearing. She decided to lessen Zack’s frustration by bringing a lathered shower puff up and scrubbing soap on the man’s skin. Isaac flinched from the touch, and glanced from the corner of his eye. Like before, she was just treating this like another session of bathing, only giving Zack a hand at it.

 The next few times, the two were adjusted to showering together. Like dressing in front of each other, it felt normal to do now, they weren’t making any advances whatsoever. Plus, having Zack’s height was an advantage when it came to harder to reach spots, even grabbing the showerhead when she needed it most.

 When the day came where the two finally kissed was when a simple shower was changing. It took longer this time, even to the point where the hot water would run out, Ray just couldn’t stop staring at Zack’s physique, while Zack’s eyes focused on Rachel’s breasts. They weren’t as voluptuous compared to most women, but he still found it appealing on Ray. Zack’s muscles were Rachel’s main focus, the firmness glistening underneath the water droplets always tempted her to just run her fingers across the rows of muscle.

  The tension was growing again.

 The next following day, Isaac was laying in bed, staring at Ray again as she got dressed for the day. He watched her slip out of her nightgown, and clip on a bra before grabbing a shirt to put on. Zack’s eyes wandered to Ray’s buttocks, the smooth curvature of it sent his heart racing, and his hand subconsciously reached up to have a feel. Rachel seemed to sense his presence and glanced back, watching him freeze in place.

 “Is something wrong?”

 Isaac almost bit his tongue for a moment, then cleared his throat for a moment, “I...I just wanted a kiss, that’s all…”

 Rachel faintly blushed, but she’d never pass up on the opportunity to lock lips with the man she felt deep adoration for, she walked over to the bed Isaac casually laid on, and hovered her body over his to bring herself down for a kiss. Zack could feel the warm plushness of Rachel’s lips against his, he hummed out a pleased sigh, and allowed himself to part his lips for her, inviting Ray to deepen the kiss as she pleased. The woman’s heart fluttered, and eagerly accepted his silent invitation. Once the tongues met, Zack’s hands coiled around the woman and pulled her closer. Rachel was suddenly on top of Isaac, one hand caressed her back, while the other travelled further. As his fingers grazed her bottom, she inhaled a sharp gasp before pulling back.

 “Zack…” she murmured.

 He had that gleam again, one that screamed that he wanted to kiss her again, and see how much further he was willing to go. Rachel felt heat gather in her cheeks, her heart racing within her bosom, as she continued to stare into those needy bi-colored eyes of his. Her hands caressed the man’s face as temptation to kiss him again was overcoming her sense of thought. Then she felt his hand at her buttock again, making goosebumps rise in her skin, Ray felt a tingle crawl along her spine, along with a feeling that maybe she was going a little too far with this. She was almost straddling the man’s hips.

 “I…” she stuttered, “I still need to get dressed, Zack…”

 Zack pouted, even letting out a slight huff of disappointment, but he relented. Rachel felt the man drop his hands down to his sides to let her go. Rachel did feel a little guilty to abruptly end things, but right now, she was feeling a heavy weight on her, that sense of uncertainty if she acted out on such a risque action. She leaned down to give Zack’s neck a tender smooch, showing that she wasn’t turned away from Zack’s actions, but it was clear she did need a moment to think. Perhaps Isaac needed a moment as well, he was feeling a welling heat growing at his hips, along with an uncomfortable snugness. He’s had his share of morning wood before, but rarely has he felt such an odd stir within his loins.

 To hold Ray, and to run his fingers along her skin, it was filling Zack’s head with many thoughts. Rachel’s mind swirled around the similar subject, even as she tried to go about her day, her mind just kept replaying so many moments - their steamy kisses, staring at Zack’s body in the shower, and how Zack’s touches on her rump sent her heart fluttering wildly.

 Rachel was well aware of the situation, her body was starting to tick for an attempt at intimacy, the bond they shared had grown significantly, that it had already come to this level. Still, she wasn’t sure if she was ready for this sort of thing - what if she didn’t like it...what if she did like it? Ray couldn’t stop blushing, along with other strange sensations coursing through her body. Her body couldn’t decide if she was feeling hot, tingly, or excited, it just all mixed in some wild chaos. Zack had his own share of inner conflict going on, he had been feeling hard for a while, and ignoring it agitated him, just thinking about Rachel only added on to his frustration. Erections always went away when he ignored them, but why was this one putting up a bigger fight against his will? He groaned as he dragged himself to the shower to run his body under cold water.

 That feeling of inner struggle culminated in the atmosphere, it was weighing heavily everywhere, that strong tension growing more and more between the two. It was like a dam trying to hold its store of water, but everything holding the foundation was crumbling.

 The couple kept a distance from one another for a while, who knows what could’ve happened if they stayed in a close distance with desirous vibes continuing to linger about?

 They couldn’t stay apart for very long though, come night time, they had to be close together again. Isaac’s back was facing her in the shower again, while Ray nervously washed her own body. She couldn’t stop shaking, like every touch she made to run soap along her skin was giving her goosebumps. Zack tried his damndest to shrug off all thoughts as well, but the need to glance back at Ray was too difficult to ignore. He’d tilt his head just a little bit to glance at her from the corner of his eye, he’s admired the shape of her body for a while, seen her nude form a couple times, but he’s actually noticing it.

 “Yer’ shakin’ like a leaf...is the water too cold?” Zack mumbled.

 Rachel flinched for a moment in surprise, “No, i-it’s fine...I just can’t stop trembling…”

 Zack raised a brow, he was unsure as to why Ray kept shaking, he could even spot the goosebumps lining her fair skin. He reluctantly turned himself around, and placed his hands at her shoulders, the trembling only increased.

 “Zack…” Ray whimpered.

 Her voice, it was vulnerable just like in the morning, as he ran his fingers along her in an exploring touch.

 “You scared?”

 Rachel quickly shook her head, sensations from Zack’s fingers was like electricity shooting through her right now, and her legs wouldn’t stop squirming. Isaac couldn’t ignore how fidgety the woman was, something was on her mind, and he could sense it. Ray felt the man wrap his arms around her frame, and she locked up. Zack buried his face in the woman’s neck for a moment, he could feel Ray’s rapid heartbeat, along with faint whimpers.

 “Relax,” he whispered.

 The woman tried to take a couple deep breaths, as she watched Zack reach for the soap they commonly used. He lathered his hands and ran them along her shoulders to bathe her like they normally did, this did ease Rachel’s mind a little and encouraged her to face him again. Ray glanced up at the man, looking past his burn scars patched upon his body, and seeing how attractive he really was. Her heart fluttered again, and felt the man’s hands continue to lather her supple skin. Her legs squirmed once more, getting that feeling of chaotic sensations coursing through her again, the mixture of growing heat and tingling. Soon, she was bringing her own hands up to caress at Zack’s pecs. Isaac himself was getting that odd nagging feeling between his legs, just like earlier this morning, he knew he was going to get hard eventually, and there was no way to hide it.

 Their touches were tender, but also desirous, like any moment of pulling away would make them crave for more of that sensation. As Isaac continued to run his hands along Ray’s shoulders, his eyes travelled back to her breasts, watching every droplet of water trickle from the curved shape of her bosoms, some of them dripping off the obvious hardened buds. His hands began to slide further down, until they were eventually cupping the woman’s breasts. Ray’s breathing was growing heavy, she was feeling that odd weight on her yet again, that uncertainty. She tightened her lips as she brought her hands up to grasp Zack’s wrists - was she going to stop him again?

 To his surprise, she was motioning him how she wanted him to fondle her bosoms, most of his fingers feeling at her soft skin, while the thumbs were planted against her hard nipples. Now Isaac was the one huffing out hot puffs of air, the heat within his groin was growing, while his thumbs gently rolled against Ray’s hard buds.

 “M...mmh!”

 Those vulnerable whimpers again, and she invited him to make her emit a sound, Isaac licked his lips as his digits rolled against her nipples. Ray was trembling again, her legs threatening to buckle from the strange sensations she was feeling in her thighs. Zack glanced downward, watching her legs quake, he knew she’ll collapse if he continued.

 Before they both knew it, they were both sitting there on the tiled floor of their shower, having that longing look in their eyes like they had prior. That continued building of tension swarmed around them, the situation they were in right now screamed ‘now or never’, and it was obvious that they wanted it now. Zack placed his hands on Ray’s legs, then gently proceeded to open them, revealing what was making her fidget so much.

 Her womanhood was flushed, and he could feel a kind of heat coming off from it. Ray’s face was turning a deeper shade of red, just feeling Zack’s eyes stare right between her legs was making her all kinds of flustered.

 “D-Don’t look, it’s embarrassing…”

 “Nah, don’t give me that…” Zack muttered, then heard her let out an uneasy whimper, “Look at me, Ray...my own body is actin’ all kinds of weird…”

 Rachel saw Zack sit up for a moment, her eyes trailed down from Zack’s pecs, to his abs, then to his hips. From there, she could see his member - she’s seen it a couple times from their previous times bathing, but never in this state. It was standing erect, much larger in appearance than in its natural state. Rachel blushed even harder as she stared at it, almost intimidated just from how large it could be.

 “We’ve been drivin’ each other fuckin’ crazy...so, what are we gonna do about it?” Zack murmured.

 Ray didn’t even know the answer to that, her body screamed for intimacy, craved Zack’s touches, but she was nervous of the full act of sex itself. Perhaps like with how things occurred during their growing bond, the progression of their kisses, this could be done in steps as well until they were both comfortable. Rachel swallowed hard as she opened her legs a little more to welcome him.

 “...Your touches were feeling really nice…” Ray prattled, “we can start with that…”

 Zack raised a brow, she did squirm an awful lot when he was fondling Ray’s breasts, if just a simple touch was enough to make her tremble, then maybe he could start things off with just that. His odd-eyed gaze stared at every detail of Ray’s body, from her porcelain colored skin, her feminine curves, her petite breasts, all the way to her rosy hips. He couldn’t stop looking at Ray’s sex, it’s the first time he’s really focused this part of her body, and it was making the heat grow in his loins. If Ray liked Zack’s touches so much, then how would she react if they moved lower.

 Ray could feel Zack’s gaze again, her hips writhed a little with nervous anticipation, the man placed one hand on Ray’s leg to keep her wide open for him, while the other moved to her inner thigh. Rachel’s heart was at her throat, she whimpered quietly from this new territory they were starting to tread, but her body was responding much differently. She was feeling this strange throb between her legs, along with a heated ache that demanded for some sort of attention.

 Fingers gently brushed Ray’s skin, feeling the soft suppleness under Zack’s hot fingertips, they trailed up and down Rachel’s leg for a moment, then began to inch closer to Rachel’s womanhood. Every detail about it was making his heart pound, those flushed open lips, along with her heated folds appearing wet and glistening. Isaac ran his fingers along Ray’s navel, and brushed along the small patch of hair adorned at the top of her womanhood, until he could feel the malleable and slick sensation of Rachel’s lips. Zack felt an incredible amount of wetness coming from Ray, something far different than just touching water-soaked skin, it was far more slippery, making it far easy to glide his fingers against her.

 Ray tried to keep her mouth shut, she let out a couple muffled whimpers, but something else was wanting to break free from her voice. Her body was shaking again, while an enticing tingling sensation began to swarm Rachel’s thighs. Zack watched the woman’s body squirm against his curious touch, his fingers continued to brush against the woman’s soaked lips, moving them back and forth. Rachel’s hips jerked a little, while Zack felt them writhe with every touch he gave her, like they were going along with the slide of his fingers. Heavy breaths escaped Zack’s lips as heat continued to build within him, his digits pulled back for a moment, then inched back to the woman’s pelvis. Instead of brushing her tender lips again, they slid to her slippery folds.

 “F-fuck…” Zack muttered to himself, “yer’ completely soaked.”

 Ray brought her hands to cover her face, she was feeling all kinds of embarrassed right now. The sensations she was feeling right now was increasing the more Zack’s fingers glided up and down her trembling flesh.

 “Mmh!” she hummed, “Ngh!”

 “Hey...ya’ wanted to do this...quit hidin’ yerself…” Zack murmured under his breath.

 “Nh...I...I can’t help it…” Ray gasped, “i-it’s e-embarrassing...I can’t control myself…”

 Her body continued to respond otherwise, her hips gyrated on reflex to Zack’s touches, approving of his discovering glides against her aroused folds. Isaac knew Ray was continuing to try and stifle every sound threatening to escape, only emitting whimpers and grunts.

 “Ray, I wanna see you…”

 Rachel let out a stubborn whimper as she shook her head, Zack let out a huff, then slowly pulled his fingers back. He could feel the juices stick to his fingers in a slippery strand, and watched Ray’s body give off slight throbs. That stimulation was fading from Rachel’s thighs, and she was feeling a sense of unfulfilled frustration, she whimpered as her legs squirmed to rub them together, only, Zack kept her open.

 “Z-Zack…” she whined.

 “Look at me, Ray…”

 She was unsure at first, huffing another whimper, as she continued to cover her face.

 “I want ya’ to sit up and look at me.”

 Rachel peeked through her fingers, the man’s hands were at his lap, nowhere near her heated thighs. Soon, she felt him grasp her wrists, freeing her face from being covered, Ray quickly diverted her gaze away from the man, but her hands were being pulled over to him. Her fingers began to touch as Zack’s skin again, Ray glanced from the corner of her eyes as Zack sat himself up for Rachel to get a better view of his body. Normally, Isaac was the more self-conscious one of the two, but right now, it wasn’t showing - he wants Rachel to look at him.

 “You have a turn then…”

 The woman stared at her hands on Zack’s muscles, her eyes wandering down to the man’s thighs. She can see the section where natural skin and tanned skin met, along with that small trail of hair starting near Zack’s belly button to his pelvis. Then there was his hardened length, Ray shyly glanced away from it a couple of times, but she always found herself staring right at it again. It stood completely rigid, yet it seemed to move on its own in slight squirms. From what Zack was doing earlier, it aroused him to the point where his cock was throbbing for attention. Rachel could even see a couple veins lining along the shaft to course an abundance of blood flow to his body, keeping him fully erect. There was so much more Rachel was staring at, there was that protective layer of extra skin, and in it, she could see something red and shimmering just threatening to poke out through the stretched folds of it. This was still very embarrassing, but at the same time, Rachel was feeling herself become more drawn to exploring Zack’s body.

 Her hands shyly slid down to the end of Zack’s abs, while the man watched in anticipation, but something prevented her from continuing.

 “I...I don’t know if I can, while you’re watching…”

 “I’m not gonna look away, and I’m not gonna hide my face,” Zack mumbled, “I want to see what you’re gonna to do to me.”

 Isaac wants Ray to see his reactions, and he wants to watch whatever desires she had during the growing tension they had.

 Rachel’s heart was racing yet again, she glanced at Zack’s pulsing member, she could see something seeping out of him, she was confused and a little bit curious as to what it was. The woman curiously brought a hand up and gently coiled her fingers around the shaft of Zack’s cock. The man uttered a small hum at first, and watched Ray gently expose the head of his member before her. Rachel was astonished with how hot Zack was to the touch, not only that, more of the strange liquid trickled out. With every throb, she could see it seep out from the insert of the tip, and drip from an excessive amount pooling.

 The woman dragged her thumb against the head of Zack’s cock, and watched his hips twitch.

 “Nh...h-hah…”

 Zack’s raw sound was making Rachel’s face burn, not only that, her sex was getting that nagging throb again. Like with her, Zack was quivering from just a simple touch, except he refused to retreat himself. If Zack was going to end up vulnerable, then to hell with it, only Rachel was blessed to indulge herself to such a sight.

 That moment of nervousness left her, she wants to hear those sounds from Isaac again, and leaned up to tenderly kiss Zack’s belly. The man smirked as he brought a hand down and ran them through Ray’s wet locks. He leaned back a little to give Rachel room to continue, and watched her coil her fingers around the shaft yet again. For Rachel, to please her only took hot and gentle glides of the fingers against her, perhaps she needed to so something in similar nature for Zack’s anatomy. With a slow motion, Rachel began to slide her hand back and forth along the shaft, while the other hand continued to fondle at the head.

 “A-ah...Christ, Ray…” Zack moaned.

 “Is this feeling good?”

 Isaac huffed out a slight chuckle, “Mmh...fuck yeah it is…”

 His pelvis squirmed a little with every graze of Rachel’s fingers against the head of his cock, he hummed an occasional grunt before letting a sighed moan escape his lips. With Rachel’s fingers gliding against his shaft, he could feel heat and stimulation grow between his legs. With every swift pump, she did notice her palm occasionally tapping another part of Zack’s anatomy - the undercarriage, or to put it bluntly, his balls.

 “I’m not hitting it, am I?”

 Zack uttered a small laugh, “Yer’ good, Ray...kinda feels good when ya’ touch it.”

 “You want me to feel there too?”

 “If that’s what you wanna do...mh...right now where yer’ touchin’ feels fucking awesome…” Zack replied.

 “Another time, then,” Ray said with a faint giggle.

 “Hey...since yer’ fine touchin’ me...I wanna do the same with you again…”

 Rachel was feeling nervous again, “I-I...I don’t know if I…”

 Isaac interrupted her moment of doubt with a kiss, turning it deep within seconds to clear her mind of any thought whatsoever. It worked, all rational thought left her mind, and all she ever could think about was Zack’s savage kiss, and that feral taste that filled her mouth when his tongue made its intrusion.

 “Mmh...” she hummed.

 They needed air, and reluctantly parted lips, as Zack’s tongue left Ray’s mouth, their mix of saliva stuck together in a thin strand. Isaac leaned Ray back down on the floor, while he laid his own body on its side. He parted Rachel’s legs, while he opened his own to give the woman plenty of access to his excited member. The two engaged in liplock yet again, with their hands going to their respective places, Rachel grasping Zack’s throbbing dick once more, while Zack moved his fingers to Ray’s dripping folds. With a short break for air, was when the couple began their stimulating actions. Rachel pumped Zack’s rigid shaft like before, while Zack’s fingers glided and stroked her damp folds. Both partners were breathing out soft moans, while their hips squirmed in response to each other’s touches.

 “Ah...Aahhh…” Ray gasped, “M-mh…”

 “That’s a good sound yer’ makin’, Ray…” Zack purred, kissing at her neck.

 The heat and the tingling throbs returned to her thighs, her hips couldn’t stop gyrating to Zack’s touches. Isaac glanced from the corner of his eye that not all of Ray was touched, one direction felt like he could slide his fingers in her, while another lead to a spot he must’ve missed. Just resting above Ray’s slick folds, he could see the slight throbs of a small bump. Isaac slid his soaked digits up to explore this new area.

 “Ah!” Ray gasped, “A-Aahh...Zack!”

 This intrigued the man, Rachel’s hips jerked hard, and Zack watched her arch her lower back just a little.

 “Good spot?” Zack mused.

 Rachel’s soft pants trembled, her hips slowly coming to a rest until Zack’s digits grazed them again.

 “Ah! Y-Yes!” she yelped, “Mmh!”

 Zack was amused by her reaction, but it wasn’t met without some sort of response, he immediately shuddered as soon as Ray began to stroke near the head. He felt the heat and stimulation coursing through him as the head and shaft rubbed against Rachel’s soft palm.

 “Nh...g-god…” he growled.

 Both hands were quick at work, Zack’s fingers juddered against Rachel’s aroused clit, while Ray began to quicken her strokes. Their pants were growing much heavier and needy, and their bodies reacted with every touch given to them. Hips were rolling against their partner’s touches, it could’ve been on reflex, or it was some sort of need that craved to be satisfied. Rachel could feel Zack’s hips moving with her hand, in some way of helping her pump himself, her hands were getting slick and sticky from the abundance of precum trickling out from him. Ray’s own hips seemed to move in a similar manner, as if reminding Zack’s fingers there was more for him to please. The man continued to play with Rachel’s clit a little more, until he decided to slide his digits further down.

 Down Ray’s folds, he felt an ever growing heat, along with an increase in dampness. Zack paused for a moment, gazing at Ray’s lost expression, admiring the look she made when huffing out her moans. He leaned close to claim her lips yet again, emitting his own moan when Ray stroked him quick yet again. Then, he slid his largest digit inside of her.

 “Nnh!...Zack..a-ah...n-not there…” she whimpered.

 “Doesn’t feel good?”

 He got that familiar pause of uncertainty, of course it felt good, she’s just too damn shy to admit it. Zack smirked to himself as he kissed at Rachel’s temple, he pulled his digit back a little to see just how soaked Ray was, his fingers were practically dripping with her juices. Isaac toyed with his fingers a little, before sliding them back to place, now inserting two fingers in her this time.

 “Z-Zack...n-no...ahh…”

 “It’s embarrassing, I know,” Zack whispered in Rachel’s ear, “but you still like it, right?”

 Rachel softly panted, feeling Zack kiss her temple repeatedly, before moving his fingers yet again. Instead of pulling them out completely like last time, he noticed Ray’s body had different responses from when he moved them in general - be it from pushing them in or sliding them out. It’s as if her body craved for every bit of touch, and desired to keep his fingers inside. How Rachel responded to Zack’s actions, it was if her protests didn’t exist at all. The only thing she was expelling from her lips now was hot moans, while her thighs curved to Zack’s touches.

 “Zack...ah...Z-Zack…” she gasped, almost pleading.

 Isaac could feel Rachel’s body throbbing under his touches, and with a small crook of his fingers, it only made her tremble harder. His own body was burning hot, with most of the heat continuing to swell between his legs, his cock was pulsing hard in Rachel’s swift strokes, and his hips continued to meet her touches.

 The couple were continuing this moment of mutual masturbation, with the heat from the water gradually growing cooler. The sounds of water splashing on the tile, and moans were filling the room, with pleasured sighs coming equally from both partners. Yet, Zack’s moans were starting to sound much different in compared to Ray’s, it was almost sounding needy in a way.

 They were growing desperate, often short and pleading, with obvious hints of frustration. He was feeling different than the culmination of stimulation and heat in his loins, instead, he was feeling this ache, a pressure, and this sensation that teased all the pleasure that was building within him. Rachel could feel Zack moving his hips a little quicker to her strokes, even having a mixed expression on his face - one that showed of pleasure, yet strain.

 “Faster…” Zack whispered, “...nh...f-fuck...please, do it faster!”

 His voice was almost begging, Rachel’s hands had become slick and slippery from the amount of pre that leaked from Zack. Not only that, she feels the strong heat and pulses within her palm, Ray paused for a moment, trying to break through the haze of pleasure to concentrate on catering to Isaac’s pleas. Her grip remained near the head, knowing now is where he felt the most pleasure, she kept it at a snug grip, and began to slide her hand along Zack’s cock much faster, hearing the sounds of it slipping within her grasp.

 Zack continued his heavy pants, he wants to continue pumping his digits in Rachel, but right now, this sensation he’s feeling had his undivided attention. This feeling he was having deep inside, screamed that he was close to having something happen. His body began to feel tight in different places, mostly within his muscles - mostly his abs, his legs, and even his balls were feeling tense.

 All the while he was being pumped, his thoughts swirled with a simple thought, something was coming out. Zack’s hips continued its frantic movement to match Ray’s pace, while he couldn’t stay quiet for a second, his pants were replaced with sharp and stuttered moans.

 The sensation within his groin was increasing, like he was teetering ever so close to this pleasure that was teasing within him.

 “K-Keep going...ah…” Zack panted, “nh...right there!”

 Throbs were only pulsing wilder in Ray’s hand, she’s never heard such desperate and vulnerable sounds before, especially coming from a man like Zack. She didn’t know what was going to happen if she continued, but every new reaction coming from Isaac was both enticing to watch, but arousing as well. It was making her own body throb that nagging ache yet again, telling her body not to stop being pleased. Ray breathed out a couple pants, her free hand handing its way to Zack’s, and cupping it as his digits remained stationary inside of her. She wants to please Zack, but her body demanded to be pleased in return. So she gently rolled her hips, while she manipulated Zack to keep pumping his digits inside of her.

 Isaac couldn’t even tell what was going on, his mind was already becoming clouded by this ever growing stimulation. Suddenly, he felt this spark, causing him to grunt harshly, while his body began to tremble. Something was coming out, but most of all, all the pleasures he had been feeling before erupted into something more, something that overwhelmed the man and sent his mind in a sort of euphoric high.

 A long moan escaped Zack’s lips, something Ray has never heard before. It was the rawest sound Isaac has ever breathed out, it tuned the hints of satisfaction, pleasure, and desire. The look on his face, she’d never expected him to make such an expression before. It showed a sense of being trapped in the strongest forms of bliss anyone could ever experience, obviously something Isaac has never felt before. Rachel internally admitted to herself, that very expression must be the most attractive thing she’s ever seen.

 There was more to Isaac’s first orgasm than just his sounds and expressions, something splashed onto her repeatedly. The woman glanced down to see spurts of white expelling out from Zack’s member. With every hard throb within her palm, she saw more streams of the sticky liquid spurt out, coating her fingers and thigh. Rachel pulled her hand back, while Isaac panted heavily, resting his head against his arm. The white fluid covering Ray’s digits were much thicker and stickier in texture compared to the abundance of precum a moment ago, it almost felt pretty dirty to even examine it. The cooling waters of the shower rained on her skin, and helped clean the mess off her body.

 Still, she couldn’t stop Zack’s orgasm from replaying in her mind, he must’ve felt incredibly good, and it left her curious about experiencing such a sensation herself. Ray huffed out a couple frustrated pants, as she continued to roll her hips along with Zack’s fingers. She wants to reach that end too.

 Reality was slowly coming back to Isaac, his breath was still heavy, and his mind was struggling to break out of a daze. The man carefully picked his head up, and focused back onto Rachel. He could feel her hand over his, moving it back and forth to get his digits to penetrate her repeatedly, and could hear the slight huffs of frustration.

 Ray could feel the man cease her actions, and crawl his spent body over her.

 “J-Jeez Ray...I-I get it...you don’t wanna get left out, but don’t go usin’ me like some kind of toy...I’ll get ya’...”

 Ray give Zack a slight pout, but spread her legs wide to give him all the room he needed to continue. Just the sight of her right now could make him hard again. Isaac pulled back his fingers for a moment and decided to step it up one more time - he made it three digits.

 “Nnh!”

 “Too much?” Zack asks.

 Rachel quickly shook her head, and clasped the man’s hand yet again, silently begging him to continue. Zack smirked and crooked his fingers once more before pumping them inside of her, Rachel’s moans were being exhaled in a more satisfied manner, drawn out and blissful as this sense of heat filling her up inside overwhelmed her, not only that, his fingers were rubbing against sensitive nerves she never thought to have. Zack could watch Rachel’s hips eagerly roll along his digits in some sort of erotic dance, not only that, he could see her throbbing with delight. This coaxed more ideas in his mind.

 Isaac wasn’t using his other hand, he might as well. His thumb made its way between Rachel’s rosey red lips, and pressed against her pulsing clit.

 “Haaah!” Ray mewled out.

 Her sound was much more passionate this time, and it excited Zack as it rung in his ears.

 “A-again!” she pleaded.

 She really liked what he just did to her, this teased out a sly grin from Isaac as his fingers continued to delve inside of her, while the others rolled against her clit and folds. Soon, the woman was finding herself repeating the same sounds as Zack, those hot and desperate moans, both sharp and short, as it was begging to reach some sort of climax. Now that Isaac’s experienced it firsthand, he knew Rachel was starting to feel that frustrating teasing heat. Judging by how her hips writhed and squirmed against his digits, her body wished to aid in the process as well.

 “Hot...e-everything’s hot…” Ray panted.

 Zack’s other fingers juddered and caressed Rachel’s clit, making her tremble and whimper with want, he can feel the heat coming off her, along with a tightness her body gave around his fingers.

 “Are you feelin’ close, Ray?”

 Ray gasped for a short moment, her thoughts having trouble trying to piece what he meant by that, close to what, she can’t even think straight.

 “Nhh...d-don’t...don’t know...just...don’t stop…” she struggled to say.

 He’ll take it as a yes.

 If he begged for Rachel to stroke him faster, then he’ll indulge Ray before she even had the chance to beg. He moved his hand much quicker, pumping his fingers inside of the woman as fast as he can comfortably go for her. Rachel’s moans were becoming breathier by the moment, her hips couldn’t stop for a second, she had trouble finding the rhythm of Zack’s fingers moving inside of her, but she found one with the others rattling her stimulated bud. Isaac could hear those familiar groans and gasps, the same as his, while her body was starting to become tense. He was anticipating every second of this, if he became so unwillingly lost in this new and incredible sensation, then he wondered how Ray would react to her own.

 “Almost there, Ray…” he whispers.

 All she could feel was heat and pleasure knotting up within her more and more with every action Zack gave to her, and it seemed if Ray even dare to move an inch, she was going to succumb to it. The sensation she was feeling was so entrancing, yet at the same time it frustrated her, so much work to get this faint tingling sensation to stop teasing her. Zack could see it on Ray’s flustered face, she’s teetering right at the peak, just a little more, and she’ll feel that moment of ecstasy.

 With his digits rattling her clit again, Ray threw her head back slightly, emitting a sharp yelp of delight, then felt her hips jerk against Zack’s touch. She’s become incredibly tight, she was throbbing wildly around his digits, and he could feel the same pulses coming from her excited bundle of nerves. Rachel’s legs were shaking uncontrollably, and her back arched a little. What followed was the most alluring sound Zack’s ever heard. That primal sound of pure bliss echoing the shower walls, along with an expression Rachel never made before. He didn’t know what to make of it, more or less, how to properly react, just looking at that lost and erotic look of delight stunned the man. Did he really make a face like this too? No wonder Ray was eager to meet her climax, just watching Ray endure her orgasm was bringing Zack on the verge of hardening again.

 His palms were soaked, during her climax, more of her juices escaped from her, and onto Zack’s hand. The man slowly retreated his fingers, watching more of the slick fluid trickle out from her, his other hand eventually left Ray’s clit as well, giving the woman a time to recover and bring herself back to reality. Just looking at her right now, satisfied, his sent his heart racing. No wonder she was too damn shy at first to do something like this. Such a feeling during the climax was like being sent to heaven, along with losing control of one’s body during it all. It was kind of scary, but absolutely incredible.

 Rachel panted heavily, her body felt incredibly overheated, but luckily, the shower was starting to run cold. Her vision blearily focused back to where she was, and saw Zack hovering over her. He had a pleased grin on his face, and leaned down to capture her lips, giving her the option to deepen it. Ray hummed out a soft moan as she complied, letting her tongue invade the man’s mouth to steal his taste again.

 As they parted, Zack gently bumped their heads together, “How was that?”

 “Amazing would be too simple of an answer…” Ray said, “there’s alot to say about it, but I think I might end up boring you.”

 Zack quietly chuckled, she definitely knew him all too well.

  After what occurred in the shower, sensual touches was becoming the new norm. The casual kisses, getting dressed in front of the other, their showers, and now mutual masturbation.

 If the couple were getting lost in a steamy kiss, it would take one to start dropping hints to the other partner. Zack’s fingers would start teasing Ray through her underwear, while Rachel would caress between Zack’s legs to coax him into becoming hard. Sometimes a moment of sultry kisses wasn’t it to engage such an act between the two, it would often occur at random.

 Rachel could be washing plates until hands began to grab her from behind, one hand gently groping her breast, while the other snaked into the rim of her pants. Zack would then tenderly nibble at Ray’s ear, or sometimes her neck, before whispering erotic things in her ear.

 “Zack...wait...let me finish this…”

 “They’re not going anywhere...those can wait...I can’t…” Zack would seductively growl, then glide his fingers against her sensitive bud.

 It was one hell of a stress reliever for Zack as well. When he’d come home annoyed during his moment of scouting the city, he would normally sit down and pout about it until Rachel would find a way to lift his spirits. It was often kisses and sweet words of encouragement, but now she had more options.

 “Need some help getting people’s smiles off your mind?” she’d ask.

 “I guess...what are you going to…”

 His sentence was cut off with Ray caressing the man’s lap so tenderly.

 “Just sit there and relax,” Ray murmured.

 Zack’s face grew hot underneath his bandages, but he complied, leaning back in the chair as he would watch Ray unzip his fly and get to work between his legs. Rachel took her sweet time pleasing Zack, letting both of her hands touch and explore the man’s hard-on. One fondled near the head of Isaac’s cock, while the other ventured at the base of it, massaging his balls and giving the shaft an occasional stroke.

 “Mhh...yeah, that’s good…” Zack purred out, opening his legs a little wider to give Ray all the room she needed.

 He planted his arms against the cushions of the chair, and rested his head on it to show complete relaxation. He tilted it back a couple times when he felt Ray’s fingers graze a couple sensitive nerves, with the occasional moan and seductive words of approval. True to her word, Zack’s stress and frustration was melting away.

 Every mutual encounter was different, it all depended on the situation, really. Sometimes their moment of play was in one room, then the other, sometimes they engaged in the erotic activity partially clothed or completely in the nude, and in other moments, the aftermath of their play was either planned to keep things clean, or just out of the blue, leaving a bit of a mess.

 “Jesus, Ray...look at ya’...you’re a mess,” Zack chuckled in a sly and seductive manner. His fingers were dripping with her juices.

 “Y-You’re one to talk…” Ray said, as she panted to catch her breath.

 She was perched on the man’s lap, her legs coiled around his to keep them spread, while he played with her. His usual count of digits were delving deep inside of her, while his other hand teased and fondled the woman’s clit. Ray gasped and whimpered from how full and stimulated she was feeling, along with Isaac littering her neck with kisses and wild nips.

 “Yer’ gettin’ me real fuckin’ hard right now,” he growled in her ear. To prove his word, he rubbed his hips against her, “ahh…”

 For some reason, the sight of his seed coating different areas of Ray’s skin aroused the man, like it was visual proof that Ray and only Ray could get him off, and she got rewarded for it. There’s so much more he’d like to do with her, he’s been having that craving for a while now, just like at the start for their explorative touches. That tension.

 Watching Ray climax, hearing her pleasured cries, and feeling her body throb from his touches turned him on. Just rubbing his hips against her was making him huff out hot breaths against her skin, and feeling the excess of Ray’s juices on his fingers was only making that craving grow. Zack could feel Ray push her weight on the man in exhaustion, he smirked to himself as he carefully lowered her down on the couch to let her catch her breath. Isaac’s fingers were basically dripping as he carefully withdrew them from her.

 “Was that good, Ray?”

 “Yeah...I-I can still feel it…” Ray panted.

 “Heh...I’m gettin’ better at this…” Zack chuckled, then gazed at his hands, “I’ll be back in a moment...you can rest.”

 Isaac picked himself up, giving Ray all the space she needs to rest, and eventually redress, while he headed over to the bathroom. He just needed his own time to take care of his hard-on, while also giving himself some time alone with the nectar lingering on his digits. Zack sat himself down, staring at his fingers, watching the slippery fluid bead and string every time he parted his fingers. This new thought quickly invaded his mind - how did it taste?

 Using the fingers that weren’t as drenched, he pulled down the zipper of his crimson pants, unbuttoned it, and pushed them down to his ankles. From there, he snaked into the opening of his boxers to pull out his hardened cock. Zack’s boxers have already become slightly damp from his moment of grinding against Rachel during his time of pleasing her, his member continued to leak precum as it ached for more attention.

 He really couldn’t control this part of himself, having repressed sexual desires for so long, Zack’s body became sensitive and messy, even from the slightest hint of arousal. He wasn’t going to complain too much, Rachel found it alluring to see him in such a state. Isaac coiled his fingers around the shaft of his member, pulling back the protective layer of skin to free the head of his dripping cock, and allowed his thumb to swirl in gentle circles to further stimulate himself.

 “Hnn…”

 Ever since touching each other in the shower, he’s learned to explore his body when Rachel was away, it still paled in comparison to Ray’s gentle touches, but it still satisfied his needs. His digits continued to play with the head, gliding along the very tip, making his legs shake from the jolts of pleasure coursing through him. As he huffed out hot moans, he stared at the soaked fingers before him, still drenched in Ray’s juices. The thoughts to taste it still persisted in his mind, and with every touch and stroke of his fingers, his other hand inched closer to his mouth. Isaac was practically stroking himself now, making it nice and slow as to feel the tight snugness of his grip, while he slid his tongue out to meet his other fingers halfway. The scent of Ray’s lust was filling his nostrils as his fingers drew closer. Then, he felt the slippery liquid coat his tongue.

 ‘It’s...kind of salty...w-wait...no...oh fuck no...it’s becoming sweet...god it’s so sweet…’

 A new sensation was taking over Isaac, a sense of intoxication, just from a sample of Rachel’s true flavor.

 ‘It’s so fucking good...I want more…’

 He dragged his tongue against his fingers once more, breathing a hungry growl in place of a moan. His hand began to quicken in pace, while his legs spread much wider, his cock squirmed as harder throbs were pulsing his heightened sense of arousal. Zack’s licks were turning more ravenous, and began to wrap his lips around his digits. He wanted every drop, every strip of flavor soaked on his fingers, all the while his mind began to fantasize. He closed his eyes for a clearer picture, his lips enveloping Rachel’s wet sex, slurping her hungrily as she writhed and shrieked in delight. How freshly sweet her flavor would fill his mouth, and how generous an amount he would drink when she did cum. Such thoughts was teasing his climax to arrive much sooner than before. His hand continued to pump himself, picking up the pace as his pre made his grip nice and slippery. His hips gyrated to his touch, giving Isaac that fulfilling need of having something to thrust into, just like how he grinded against Ray.

 Stifled moans and hungry slurps filled the room, along with a growing humidity. He could feel it, that stimulating ache within his groin, teasing him more and more to work hard to let it all go. That familiar sense of pressure and congestion, along with his muscles tightening up to prepare for an ejaculation.

 “M-Mh...hnngh…” he hummed.

 He could pretty much hear the slippery sounds of his hand pumping his dick, he knows he’s close, he knows it’s going to make one hell of a mess, but right now, he doesn’t give a damn. Isaac was too lost in suckling the flavor of Ray off his fingers.

 His hips squirmed and twitched, while his heels pressed hard against the bathroom tile, his cock throbbed much harder in his grip, which prompted Zack to give himself one final increase in pace with his strokes.

 ‘Almost there...Ray tastes so fucking good...god, it’s turning me on so much…m-more...I want more...’

 His hot breaths grew more desperate, his hips didn’t stop for a second, and Zack slowly tilted his head upwards, as if he wanted to breath out his final cries to the heavens.

 “Mmh! A-aaaah!”

 Zack could feel a strong tension in his abs, his cock swelling in various spots, and that pressure he’s been feeling for a while finally cave. Pleasure coursed through his body as his vision hazed into heavenly white, and his body seized just for a couple seconds.

 After a few strong throbs, his dick erupted the first load of his seed. A large stream of milky white spurting out from the swollen tip, while his shaft twitched to help push the flow out at its fullest. The arch landed on Zack’s legs and fingers, then came the next spurt, which landed on his stomach. Followed by the next and the next, until only trickles began to escape from him.

 “H-Haah...hahhh…” Zack panted out.

 He was still in a daze, but his body worked on a sort of autopilot, guiding his hand to help squeeze out more drops that couldn’t escape him. Zack’s body was trembling, he’s come hard this time, and he was having trouble trying to come to after such a strong orgasm. His vision blurred a good while, until the picture was starting to become clear again. His fingers were hanging partially from his mouth, while drool escaped the corner of his lips, he couldn’t taste Rachel anymore. He struggled to properly sit up and saw the aftermath of his moment of self-indulgence. His belly, his legs, his hand, and even some of the floor was coated with splashes of his semen - he made a real big mess this time.

 ‘C-Christ, I never blew this big a load before, even when Ray jerks me off…’ he thought to himself, then gazed at his fingers, seeing them drenched in his saliva now. ‘She tasted so fucking good...just thinking about the actual thing is gonna make me hard again…’

 Zack’s breath grew hot, sitting around just daydreaming about it was just going to rile him up further. He needed to clean up his mess first, before barging out to cave into his needs yet again. First, he cleaned the splatters off his body, then took care of the droplets off the tile. Isaac could feel his body growing warm yet again, he couldn’t bear to keep the hoodie on his person right now. Zack pulled his britches up, and left the bathroom before fidgeting to unzip the thick hoodie.

 As he entered the living room, he noticed Rachel wasn’t on the couch anymore. Zack grumbled a short groan of frustration as his pants was threatening to tighten all around him again. He waltzed through every room in the house, until he spotted Rachel in their bedroom - it couldn’t be more perfect, all the privacy for them. She was sitting on a chair, and quietly reading a book to pass the time during Zack’s moment of absence. The woman noticed a different presence in the room, and saw Isaac standing at the doorway.

 “Oh, are you done taking care of things?”

 “...For a bit...yeah…” Zack mumbled, then quietly approached her.

 She can see that haze of lust in the man’s eyes, Ray recalled Zack rubbing against her a while ago as she was being pleased, perhaps Isaac didn’t take care of his own needs while she was recovering. Rachel set her book down, and her eyes wandered to Zack’s hips - he had a fairly noticeable erection.

 Before she could propose pleasing him, she felt Zack quickly claim her lips, and deepen it without a second thought. The drive behind Zack’s kiss felt like an immense hunger, his tongue quickly finding hers to steal every bit of her taste as he could. Ray shuddered for a moment from how hot Zack’s savage kiss felt, she can sense his cravings with every dance of the tongue, it made her heart race, and slowly become drunk with his flavor. Isaac could feel Ray tug desperately at his bandages, as she began to return her own fervent swirls of the tongue, almost as if either one could starve without each other’s kiss.

 As they parted for a short break of air, Zack’s hands slowly made their way down to Ray’s legs, and slid his fingers against her shorts. Rachel shuddered a little from the sensation of something incredibly hot rubbing up against her sex, then pulled Zack in for another prurient kiss.

 “Zack...you...ah...you s-still never had a turn…”

 Zack hummed out a faint chuckle, “Took care of it a moment ago...this one’s new...you keep turning me on so fucking much…”

 He slid himself between Rachel’s legs, pulling her closer, while Ray leaned back in the chair. Zack pulled down the zipper of the woman’s shorts, and slowly slid off the articles of clothing. Already, he can see how wet she’s become just from their kiss alone. Isaac felt that hunger again as he slyly licked his lips.

 ‘Delicious…’

 “God...do you know what you’re doing to me?” Zack growled out.

 “Mmh...s-sorry…” Ray breathed out, her breath growing heavy.

 Isaac tossed away the woman’s shorts, then gently spread her legs wide open, he wanted nothing but complete access to her body.

 “Don’t be...I want this...more than anything right now…”

 “A-Anything?”

 Isaac gave her a devious smirk, he glanced at the corner of his eye, and saw one of his hunting knives, he grabbed it, and displayed it in front of her, showing just what he desired most right now. As Rachel gazed at the blade, she suddenly saw him toss it across the room, with the blade lodging into the wall.

 Murder just wasn’t his passion right now.

 Zack picked up Rachel’s legs and draped them over his shoulder, this was an entirely new position, perhaps to give Zack better access to her body to touch however he pleased. Ray’s heavy breaths were on the brink of turning into soft pants, her hips curving slightly to give Zack a better view of her aroused sex, and entice him to do whatever he wanted.

 “Good girl…” he purred.

 Zack kissed at Rachel’s inner thigh, shooting a seductive glance from the corner of his eye, before bringing his hand up to her, sliding his digits along her soaked folds, and spreading his fingers to part Rachel’s lips wide open. He could see all of her, the juices stranding across the gap of her lips, her velvety flesh, that small and pulsing bud, and the increasing amount of nectar seeping out of her channel.

 Ray watched him stare at her with such longing in his eyes, in the beginning it embarrassed her to see her splayed open like this, but now, it excited her, it made her feel completely desired, and she’d willingly offer herself to Zack. The man continued to gaze at Rachel’s body, until he could ignore the hunger no more, he wants to eat.

 “Z-Zack!” Ray yelped.

 She could see Isaac dive himself between her legs, and feel his lips wrap around her womanhood. She uttered a sharp whimper as something glided against her folds, she knew it wasn’t his fingers, it was something much more hot.

 “Mmh…” Zack growled out.

 She could hear his ravenous growls, along with a new sound - suckling, Isaac was eagerly suckling on her sex, and hungrily licking at her.

 “A-Aah! Zack!...Nh!...Z-Zack...no!” she whimpered, “Ahh...Zack…”

 Isaac wasn’t listening, to tell him no was like presenting a starved man a meal, but telling him he couldn’t eat.

 He didn’t just stick to suckling, his tongue swirled along her body, his lips kissing at every sensitive spot, and his feral voice rattled on her. Zack’s hands quickly planted themselves on Rachel’s inner thighs to hold her open. That sweetness from before was filling his mouth, making his cock throb hard with arousal, and only fueled his hunger, before greedily drinking her up.

 “Nhh! Zack...that...aah...it’s so...it’s so dirty…” Ray whined.

 Isaac’s bi-colored eyes glanced up at her, she could see the lust-drunk haze in them, he wants her to watch him devour her, he slid out his tongue to let her spectate it fondling her clit. Rachel clasped her mouth tight with her hands, letting out a muffled shriek from how it felt. Zack sensed Rachel’s heels squirming against him, and judged that she was curling her toes fairly hard.

 “Says who, Ray?” Zack replied, “...if I’d known you tasted this good, I’d eaten ya’ back when we played in the shower...mmh...and judging from how hard yer’ squirmin’, you’re fuckin’ loving this…”

 Rachel’s face turned a deep shade of red, she was tasting good to him, down there of all places, and he was consuming her like a starved beast. Her loins felt like they were consumed by a stimulating wildfire, every touch, every suckle was sending her body in a hot frenzy. Yet, she felt an ache that more could be done, she didn’t know what until she inhaled a sharp gasp. Something entered her, and waggled inside. Zack was going to get her juices from the source.

 “Z-Zack!”

 His lips encased her again, but he slid his tongue inside of her, and even gestured it in small thrusts to coax more wetness from her. Aside from fulfilling his hunger for Ray’s forbidden flavor, he wanted to make sure Rachel was feeling pleased during this entire experience, after all, this was his first time doing something like this, and all he had going right now was fantasies that played in his head. He slowly pulled his head back, Ray’s juices stringing off the tip of his tongue, as much as he’d love to please her this way, he knows his tongue wasn’t long enough to satisfy her.

 “I’m puttin’ em in…”

 He freed a hand and gestured his digits for penetration, he’d normally use 3 fingers to fuck her with, but given how excited Ray was with his licks, it was best to use his longest digits for now - so just his middle and ring fingers. Rachel shuddered to feel Zack’s fingers invade her again, then noticed Zack lowering his head once more, he was going to lick her up, while fingering her. His warm tongue slid out of his mouth again, and found her clit once more. Rachel threw her head back from the jolt of stimulation overwhelming her, but as soon as Zack moved his fingers, he felt her legs squeeze him a little.

 His gaze was fixated on her again, daring her to watch him as he sampled her during masturbation. Rachel felt that sense of embarrassment again, but she couldn’t look away. The man was leisurely dragging his tongue against her quivering bud and folds, and letting her see the nectar hang off his tongue. This was so lewd, but it aroused her so much.

 Soon, Zack could feel Rachel’s hips starting to move against his fingers, actually, it wasn’t that, she was moving along with Zack’s greedy licks - she was grinding against his tongue. This amused the man, he’d won her over with his actions. His seduction glanced turned into a pleased one, and planted his tongue against her, giving her a silent approval to grind against his mouth however she pleased. Rachel panted heavily, this was incredibly raunchy, she’d never expected herself to even do something like this, but she didn’t want to stop, everything felt so damn good. The woman reached her hands up to Isaac, and placed them behind his head. One letting her fingers lovingly caress through his black hair, while the other pressed him against her, showing her absolute desire for this man.

 ‘She fucking wants me too...she’s tasting so much sweeter now...god she’s so good…’

 “Aah!...Mmh!...Haahh,” Ray moaned out, followed by soft mewls of Zack’s name.

 Isaac’s fingers did all the work to thoroughly fuck her, crooking just right, and plunging deep inside of her, while her hips gyrated against his mouth. Rachel gets pleasured, while he suckled her dry. Suddenly, he could feel a whole new spot inside of Ray, something his fingers have yet to graze, he pulled them back for a moment to gently strike at it, and felt the woman jerk her pelvis hard against him.

 “Aah!” she yelped, “...A-Again!”

 It must be good. So, he did what she asked, getting that same reaction.

 “D-Don’t stop!”

 The sensation she got just now made the arousal within her loins knot up just as quick, Zack could feel her tighten up, like she could cum any minute just from those couple of strikes. Amused by this, he wanted to up the sensation a little more.

 “Spread yerself open for me…”

 Ray breathed heavily, the hand combing through Zack’s hair made its way to her sex, and spread her lips open for him, giving him easy access to her throbbing clit.

 “Mmh...atta girl…”

 With no other warning, Zack dipped his head down, and started to suck fairly hard on the woman’s clit, letting his hungered growls vibrate on her, while his fingers delved inside her at a quick pace. Rachel’s back arched, and her voice was filling the room with her moans and shrieks. This was a pleasurable overload for her, something she wasn’t sure she was going to recover through.

 “Aah! Th-there!...Right there!” she moaned, “Faster!”

 The stimulation was building much quicker, than that usual slow burning tease. It was wild and out of control, her body couldn’t stop shaking through it all. Zack could feel Rachel’s legs trembling, while one pointed skyward and locked in place from the pleasure.

 She was practically gushing from the stimulation, his fingers were slipping in and out of her so easily, he decided, now was best to slide in that third finger.

 “Zack!”

 Her hand pressed hard against the back of his head, with fingers balling into a fist and tugging a tuft of hair. Her climatic cry loudly echoed against the walls, displaying a primal and untamed power behind it. While her body seized in place during her orgasmic possession.

 Isaac seized this chance to slide his fingers out and wrap his lips around her again, sliding his tongue inside her tightened sex, holding her thighs tightly against his mouth, and was eager to take in every drop that spilled out of her. Rachel’s hips twitched for a moment, and Zack was surprised by how aroused she was. She came hard, he could feel Rachel’s juices erupt out of her, and fill his mouth. Isaac could feel something trickling down his chin, be it drool or Ray's excess, he couldn't care right now. If just a sample of her tasted as sweet, her climax was the most indulgent delicacy of all.

 The man got goosebumps from her flavor, and savored every drop he swallowed. His tongue gently dragged against Ray’s quaking womanhood to lap off every drop that still clung to her, while teasing out the fading stimulation of her orgasm. Isaac’s pants were feeling incredibly compressed and damp from it all, he wonders if he should excuse himself to the bathroom again, knowing Rachel couldn’t bounce back so easily, not from such an intense climax like that.

 Ray heavily panted, her legs weakly resting against Zack’s shoulders, she was exhausted, but she still had plenty of energy left. It took her a short while to stop her head from spinning, but she couldn’t stop moaning in between pants from the hard throbs continuing to ghost her.

 “Zack...a-ah…” she breathed, “...i-incredible.”

 Isaac was standing beside the woman, licking off the bit of Ray’s juices off his fingers with a smirk, “It was good for me too...best meal I’ve ever had…”

 “It’s your turn though…”

 Zack raised a brow, then felt her caress the damp erection.

 “Yer’ tired, Ray...don’t wanna make you overwork yourself,” Zack replied.

 “...Then how about I try what you did?”

 Isaac raised a brow for a second, but the thought intrigued him. He loved when Rachel touched him, but now the thought of Ray returning the favor, his skin got goosebumps. How would it feel if Ray licked and suckled on him too?

 The man brought his hands up to let Ray watch him partially undress, he let his hoodie slide off his shoulders to get rid of the excess heat he knew was going to overwhelm him, then unbuttoned his trousers. Slowly and carefully he unzipped them, and began to push both the pants and boxers to his hips. Zack wasn’t joking about Ray making him hard, even after relieving himself in the bathroom a moment ago, it was like it never even happened from how rigid it appeared.

 Precum was already dripping from the tip, and his cock lightly bobbed from the hard throbs coursing through the shaft. If he’d taken his sweet time just a little longer devouring Ray, he might’ve lost it completely by arousal alone.

 “Give it a try, if you’re willing to do it,” Zack said, “if not...then you can just watch me take care of this…”

 “I want to try...give me a moment,” Ray said.

 She sat up a little, inching closer to Zack’s dick, she brought a hand up to gently grasp it, and eyed every detail about it. Could her mouth really take him in? He is pretty thick as he is large. Isaac watched her with anticipation, he knows he should let her take her time to sum up the courage to try something new, but damn, was his impatient demeanor kicking in.

 Ray gave Zack a couple gentle strokes, watching more of the sappy fluid trickle down from the tip, she wasn’t entirely sure to suck on him just yet, but she may as well try and build her courage up a little. Zack watched Rachel lean closer and start to gently kiss at the shaft, planting his skin with a small shower of affection. The constant pressing of Ray’s plush lips felt like a bit of a tease, and it made him grumble a little in the back of his throat. Yet, he knew to let her explore, learn, adapt, and even enjoy this activity like he did.

 The woman pulled back for a moment, and let her thumb swirl along the tip of Zack’s member, hearing him hum out a pleased sound. The sticky precum beaded onto Ray’s finger, sticking to her by a mere strand before becoming undone by gravity.

 Zack watched her observe the liquid on her digit and smirked a little, “Give it a lick…”

 Rachel’s face turned a deep shade of red for a moment, just from the lewdness of it all, but...one little sample wouldn’t hurt.

 She slid her tongue out, and gently glided it against her thumb, tasting the flavor of Zack’s pre for the first time. It was a very odd taste, making her cheeks flush even more. Primal, hot, yet strangely sweet, a perfect flavor befitting Isaac.

 “How was it?”

 Ray was silent for a moment, then glanced up at Zack, “...More…”

 So, she had the same reaction too. The man smirked as he leaned closer to Ray, letting his hips hover close to her, while he planted his hands onto the chair. This gave Rachel a far better access to his member, and already, he could feel her gently grab the base of the shaft again.

 Rachel leaned up, she was going to kiss it again, moving upward this time. Isaac gripped the chair fairly tight at her lips drew closer and closer to the head.

 “Mh!...Haah…” he breathed out, feeling those luscious lips against his body yet again.

 She can taste the pre again, and licked her lips to clean them off to get more of that savage flavor. The woman knows Zack is watching her every move, and like what he’d done to her earlier, she wants him to watch her explorations. Rachel finally summed up the courage to slide her tongue out, and proceeded to gently caress the underside of the head first.

 “Aah! O-oh fuck!” Zack gasped.

 She knows he’s feeling incredible, the head was always a big sensitive zone for Isaac. So, she proceeded to slowly drag the tip of her tongue along the rest of the head, gliding it over the peak to the other side, then back to where she started.

 Isaac shuddered for a moment, then felt his legs threaten to buckle on him in an instant. Rachel proceeded to hungrily lap at the very tip of Zack’s cock, slurping every drop that seeped out of him. Hot and heavy breaths escaped Zack, as he struggled to stay on his feet. God, it felt incredibly good.

 “God, Ray...nhh...th-that’s the spot...ah, yeah...right there…” he purred.

 His moans were sounding much different compared to how Rachel touched him, they were more erotic and satisfied. Isaac was already struggling to keep himself up, being licked was indeed far more different than being touched, he can feel the grooves of Ray’s hot tongue tickling every sensitive nerve on the head of his cock. Ray pulled back for a moment to wipe the corner of her lips, gazing up at Zack for a moment to see that familiar lost expression from being trapped in a haze of pleasure. He used more than just his tongue to pleasure her, the first thing he did was use his lips. Now that she was accustomed to Zack’s taste, she should start doing the same.

 “H-Haaahh…” Zack shuddered.

 Heat and a gentle snugness was encasing the head, making Zack’s hips jerk for a moment. Ray was sliding her mouth down on him, adjusting her lips and tongue to wrap around his thick member just right. The tongue cushioned Zack’s dick, while her lips snugly wrapped around him, her mouth felt incredibly hot all around him, and it made Zack huff out moans with every breath - she didn’t even move yet, and he’s already losing it. No wonder Rachel came so hard earlier.

 “Mmh…” Ray hummed, feeling precum seep out onto her tongue.

 A firm suction surrounded Zack, along with Rachel’s tongue fondling him, his hips squirmed a little from the stimulation becoming teasing at him. It felt nice, but Isaac had that feeling that something was lacking. There wasn’t too much proactivity like he did with Rachel. He had to shake off that thought for a moment - Ray is just getting the hang of it, let her find out on her own.

 As soon as Ray pulled her lips back to swallow what filled her mouth, she heard an excited gasp coming from Zack. It was slowly coming together, with Ray’s hands, to stimulate him, it had to move along the rigid shaft to give him stimulation, what Zack did with his mouth and tongue was to simulate his fingers’ actions, only tenfold the pleasure.

 Ray slid her mouth back over Zack’s throbbing dick, the taste coating her tastebuds again, and making her emit a hum of approval. Her sounds vibrating on him made the hair stand on the back of Zack’s neck. The man fixated his gaze downwards on Ray again, then watched as she tried to imitate the motion of her hand, moving herself back and forth on his cock.

 “Nh...aah…”

 He could hear the sounds of her suckling him, watching his member slide in and out of her mouth, while feeling that of stimulation pool between his legs. That small thought of possession crossed his mind, it’s his cock she’s slurping, enjoying its taste, and taking her sweet time to please. It’s him that she desires over all.

 ‘This is so dirty...but I don’t want to stop...his sounds...this...this taste...it’s so alluring...I’m craving for more…’ Ray thought to herself, ‘this is must be how Zack felt…’

 The more she bobbed her head, the more she could taste precum being squeezed out from the shaft. It was clear she had a limit of how much she could take in, Zack was fairly large in size after all, and she could only fit so much of his length into her mouth.

 “Ah...th-this feels good…” Zack panted, but he noticed Ray had to pull back a couple of times, “...nh...what’s wrong?”

 “S-Sorry...I’m just trying to keep up...I guess I’m still low on energy…”

 “You wanna stop for now?” Zack asks.

 “No...no, I don’t want you to leave until you’re done…” Ray pleaded, “...I want to do my share in this too…”

 Zack brought a hand down to gently play with her hair, then trailed it to Ray’s lips, feeling how soft and plush they are.

 “Can’t get enough, huh?” Zack teased with a smirk, “...hmm...how about I just do the moving instead?”

 The thought made Rachel blush, she tried to hide in it Zack’s thigh, as she heard him chuckle.

 “That’s if you want to, Ray.”

 “I-I’ll do it...it’s just...I never thought I’d being doing something like this...it feels so sinful...but at the same time...it’s tempting,” Ray mumbled.

 “Heh...yer’ not alone on that...but honestly, there’s no one I’ll ever being doing this amazing stuff with other than you, Ray,” Zack said with a soft purr. “You should know that by now...I mean, look at the wall.”

 His hunting knife was still wedged and unmoving in the wall right across from them, proof that only Rachel had a special effect on him. The woman smiled to herself for a moment, then gave the head a tender kiss this time.

 “Let’s do this, be gentle, okay?” Ray said.

 “Got it��”

 Ray did the work of sliding her mouth back over Zack’s member, while he slid his hand back to her head, holding the back of it to help keep her in position for what he was going to do. Zack stood straight to make sure he could see what he was doing before the both of them got comfortable for the next action. Rachel placed her hands on Zack’s hips to keep herself anchored on him, and decided to tease him a little with the hum of a moan.

 “Nhh...if I get too rough, feel free to push my hips away, got it?”

 He felt her gently pat at his hips, a signal that she understood him.

 “Right, gonna move now…”

 Slowly, he reeled his hips back, with Rachel responding to his movement with a firm suck. He huffed out a hot moan for a moment, and paused his hips the moment he felt the ridge of the cock head graze Ray’s lips. Then, he pushed it back in, before starting the process all over again. Isaac licked his lips, watching what he was doing, moving his waist in a sensual rhythm to help Rachel suck on him with minimal effort. He was literally making love to her mouth right now.

 Rachel let out a couple more hums as the taste was filling her mouth again, this was much easier to let Zack move, and it was coaxing out much more exciting moans from the man. It was making her body feel hot again - aroused. She uttered another hum as she freed a hand. Zack wondered what she was up to, then watched the woman bring her hand up to fondle her breast. He’s eyes widened a little to see he was getting more of a show, than him constantly thrusting into Ray’s mouth. A hard throb aches from him, which caused Ray to hum out another moan, sending electricity down Zack’s spine.

 It started off with gentle squeezes, until her digits began to play with the nipple, rolling against the hardened bud, and even giving it a couple gentle tugs. She was doing everything to mimic Zack’s actions. Isaac’s hips jerked for a moment, and increased the pace a little, he was getting far too aroused from watching Rachel touch herself.

 ‘This is so fucking hot...and everything feels so damn good too...god, I could cum any second…’

 Rachel moaned in approval to the change in pace, along with sucking fairly harder on the shaft, just playing with her bosom wasn’t enough, she was getting wet again. Isaac watched Rachel spread her legs open, and could sense she wanted some room for what she was going to do next. Very carefully he allowed Ray to lean back in the chair a little, slowing the pace down just a tad so she wouldn’t suspect a thing. Once she got comfortable, was when he rolled his hips quickly again. Rachel’s digits left her breast, and quickly found their way between her legs. Her index finger rubbed against her clit for a moment, and grunted a sharp moan from how sensitive she was feeling right now.

 “Ray...ah...you’re really good at this…” Zack moaned out. He wants his words of encouragement to arouse her further - and it was working.

 Her fingers were gliding against her hot and slippery folds, getting them nice and wet during stimulation, before finding their way back to the clit. The little show Zack was watching, plus the combination of Ray’s moans, it was making him let out his own with every breath. He was right to throw off his hoodie, he wished he’d rip off his bandages too, his body was overloaded with gradually building heat. The constant stimulation he was feeling was also directing that heat to his loins, exciting his body more and more for his eventual climax. He decided to do something slightly different for a moment, and slid most of the shaft out from Ray’s mouth, now thrusting just the head repeatedly.

 “Mmh! Fuck!” he shouted, then was bombarded with the moans again, “Fuck!”

 Zack hunched over a little, panting out a hard moan, while his body shook for a second, it seems so soon to ejaculate, but he was already feeling that sensation of a climax.

 “A-Ah!...I...I’m cumming…” he moaned.

 Zack felt Ray’s other hand grip tightly against his hip, and used her energy to bob back and forth on the head, determined to aid him in his climax. Isaac’s legs were trembling, as he pressed his forehead against his arm. His mind was swimming in a heavenly bliss, yet, his body wasn’t doing it’s other part. He still felt the growing pressure in the base of his spine, and he didn’t have that sensation of ejaculation. He had the climax, or at least, the sensation of it.

 “Nnh...hah...hnn…” he panted, then sheepishly chuckled, “...f-false alarm...mmh...you really are somethin’, Ray…”

 This was the first time she’s coaxed Zack into a small orgasm, it sent her heart racing, if she could make him feel that good with her mouth, she wonders what his full climax would be like. Her grip loosened, and allowed the man to find his energy to continue his thrusts again. All the while, her fingers returned to rolling against her throbbing bundle of nerves. Her hips squirmed and rolled against her touches, wanting so much more, while she savored the taste of Zack. The man noticed Ray taking off her other hand from his hip, he caught it this time, noticing what she was about to do.

 “Lemme take care of those…”

 He slid his cock out for a moment, so he could lean down and suckle on Rachel’s fingers, dragging his tongue against her digits, and showing her how nice and wet he got them. He gave her a seductive grin, letting her know she was ready, before standing straight again, and holding the base of his cock for her to slurp.

 Rachel blushed faintly, realizing Zack knew what she was doing all along, but with the strong sense of lust she was feeling right now, she was kind of enticed that he was watching her please herself. Ray dragged her tongue along the dripping head of Zack’s cock, then slid her mouth on him once more. He was feeling incredibly hot, and the throbbing was pulsing much more wildly in her mouth - either it was from his small climax earlier, or perhaps he was on the cusp of cumming very soon, she was eager to continue pleasing him.

 One hand continued to rattle her bud, while she directed her drenched fingers to slide inside of her, they weren’t as thick as Zack’s but it’ll suffice in masturbation, while Zack continued his thrusts.

 Zack placed both hands behind Rachel’s head, making sure not to go overboard with his thrusts. The couple were clearly feeling hot and bothered with what was transpiring, and they were desperate to reach their climax together. Zack carefully picked the pace up once more, getting another fantasy to spark in his mind. How his cock continuously entered and exited Ray’s mouth, how aroused he was to watch her finger herself during it all, he wants to replace those fingers with his member. If his own digits can fill her up and make her feel good, he could imagine just how trapped in pleasure Ray could be when he actually does fuck her.

 That would be for another day though, for now, this was good, this was a damn good start.

 Rachel’s alluring sounds, her eager sucks, and the grooves of her tastebuds tickling against his body, Isaac was more vocal than ever because of it. Every hot breath that he huffed out, a moan was sure to follow. Heat was gathering in Zack’s loins, along with those familiar hard throbs again, he needs to keep going to reach his peak. Ray herself was lost in everything, with every suckle, she emitted her out moans and purrs, her fingers pleasuring herself, while she made sure her mouth stimulated Zack to the best of her ability. She could feel Zack pulsing in her mouth, squirm a little from the throbs aching on Zack’s member, and taste a growing surplus of precum filling her mouth.

 ‘He’s letting out so much...I don’t know if I can take it all…’ Ray thought to herself, ‘...I...I still can’t get enough of it though...it’s his...it’s Zack’s…’

 That thought alone aroused her, making Ray thrust her fingers much quicker inside herself, while her other hand juddered fairly quick on her pulsing little bud. She hummed a longer moan this time, and felt Zack shudder in response.

 “God...do that again…” he whispered.

 Rachel glanced up at Zack for a moment, and hummed out another long moan. Isaac’s hips jerked in response, followed by an excited grunt, before rolling his pelvis yet again.

 “Almost there...keep makin’ me feel good, Ray…” he panted.

 She did just that, making her sucks, fairly firm, while continuing the barrage of moans. Pleased with every action Ray did, Zack let one of his hands comb his fingers through her hair.

 “Nnh...good girl...ah...yer’ amazing, Ray…” Zack said in between moans. “I-I can feel it...gettin’ closer…”

 Heat and stimulation were pooling between his legs more and more, what was once a gradually building sensation became more of a growing wildfire of pleasure. Rachel’s mouth was indeed different compared to how she pumped him with her hand, and he was enjoying every second.

 ‘He’s getting bigger...swelling up...am I sucking on him too hard?’ Ray pondered to herself, noticing a slight change in girth from Zack, ‘he’s feeling incredibly hot...and his body keeps beating wildly…”

 Zack’s cock was starting to swell a little, mostly around the head and balls, he could feel that pressure growing ever strong with the constant push of his hips. In and out, he could feel himself getting closer and closer to the climax. His hips twitched, as the need to really stimulate his cock was driving him mad. He wants to go faster, but he knows he might lose himself in Ray’s mouth.

 “N...Ngh...R-Ray...gonna need yer’ help...I’m about to cum...do what ya’ did last time, move quickly, as fast as you can go…” Zack panted, “I’m losing control of myself.”

 This meant Rachel has to put pleasing herself on a brief pause, but it was a fair exchange to hear Isaac raw moans again, she pulled her hand back from stimulating her clit, and brought it to grasp the shaft of Zack’s member. She pulled back for a moment to prepare herself for what was to come next, then signaled to Zack that she was ready, by gently swirling her tongue along the head. As soon as she slid her mouth down on him again, she began to bob her head fairly quickly, picking up the pace like last time.

 “Ngh!...Y-Yeah...just like that…” Zack purred, “...don’t stop.”

 All Ray’s focus was on helping bring Isaac to his climax, she suckled and slurped every inch she could take in, keeping the rhythm going, while Zack shuddered from the impending pleasure that teetered around the corner. His hips wanted to continue the thrusts, the ache grew much stronger, as well as the heat. It gave Zack that small sense of frustration that his orgasm was right within his grasp, but just out of reach. His moans were constant, with every heated breath that escaped his lips, they were strained from his tone of voice, but hinted that he was starting to feel that lingering pleasure beginning to take hold.

 They both could feel his hard throbs, but Isaac sensed his body starting to cave in to ecstasy.

 “Ray…!” he gasped, “...mh!...Cumming!”

 The woman held onto Zack’s hips firmly, bobbing her head a little more, just to keep him in place. Zack hunched over onto the chair, exhaling a long and gratifying moan, while his hand pressed down on Ray a little. His vision hazed, his body was trapped in primal pleasure, and relief was just about to wash over him.

 Rachel continued her eager sucks, tasting the flow of pre coming out from Zack, but then something else happened. Ray could feel those constant throbs along the shaft with her tongue, along with lively twitches and squirms. As soon as her ears rung with Zack’s heavy moans, something hot splashed inside of her mouth. She uttered a grunt of surprise, yet, it continued. With every squirm, more of the contents spurted into her mouth in heavy flows. She needed to pull back, her mouth was going to get full if she let it continue. Rachel picked herself up to let her mouth slide off Zack’s pulsing cock, she covered her mouth for a moment to prevent whatever she had from spilling out, but then felt more of the warmth catch her. She could feel it, some of the heat was on her face and her breasts, she glanced at Isaac’s member, and could see smaller eruptions of white escape from the tip. Maybe she should’ve endured a full mouth, than to have gotten unintentionally dirty with Zack’s seed.

 The contents in her mouth, it was much hotter than the pre she lapped up hungrily, and the taste differed as well. It was much stickier, primal, lustful, many words to describe this forbiddenly sweet taste that coated her tongue. It’s Zack. There was no way she would ever want to spit it out - if Isaac hungrily drank her up, then so would she. So, she downed the contents.

 Rachel get to taste Zack’s true flavor, and it gave her goosebumps.

 Isaac panted heavily, his vision slowly getting clearer again, yet, his body continued to shudder from the lingering haunts of pleasure along the shaft of his cock. He’s pretty sure he was spent, yet, he continued to feel sensations between his legs. He carefully motioned himself to stand straight and glanced down, noticing Ray was suckling on him again.

 Like with her hand from all the past times of jerking him off, she wanted to make sure every drop left his body, and she was going to lap it up.

 Isaac brought his hands to Rachel’s shoulders, and gestured that she was free to stop now.

 “Nhh...it’s all out now, Ray…” Zack softly moaned.

 Rachel slowly pulled back, her eyes meeting his, as she slowly dragged her tongue against the very tip one last time. Yet, it wasn’t her lustful expression that surprised Zack, it was her appearance now.

 “Ah sh-shit...I got ya’ dirty…”

 Rachel was planting tender kisses on the man’s thighs, his shaft, and even at his undercarriage, showering him with erotic affection.

 “It’s my fault...I pulled back,” Ray said, kissing at his skin some more, “I should’ve stayed and took it all. I wasted it…”

 Isaac let out a short chuckle, “Waste? Not like that was the last of it...though, I’m gonna have to admit...seeing ya’ like that...it’s pretty fuckin’ hot…”

 Rachel faintly blushed, this was so lewd and dirty, but it excited her so much, her fingers were still inside of her, while her body was aching for attention again.

 “I’ll take ya’ to the shower...but you need to finish up first…” Zack said, “here...spread yerself open…”

 Ray paused for a moment, but did what she was told, she wants relief now. Zack gave her a sly and arouse grin, seeing her legs spread out, and present the actions she was doing before having to stop. Fingers still deep inside, soaked to the core, with her little bud throbbing from arousal.

 “Mmh...nice...you can pull yer fingers out,” Zack said, then brought his hand to the base of his cock.

 “Y-You’re putting that in?”

 Isaac rose a brow for a moment, then quietly laughed, “Right now? Nah, I’m spent...I still got that extra bit of time before I’m no longer hard. I just need the room. I do need ya’ to keep yerself open for me.”

 Reluctant at first, she slipped her digits out from her, Zack watched with eager anticipation to see the juices cling to her digits, and licked his lips to recall her flavor. He could lick her again to help her finish, but his desire to try one more new thing overruled his hunger. Rachel brought her slippery digits up and used them to spread her lips open, giving Isaac complete access to her womanhood. Zack gently caressed her inner thigh, then moved to close the gap between their hips. Rachel’s face was red again, watching Zack press his spent cock against her, feeling his pure heat against hers, it made her a bit anxious, but it also felt wonderful. The lingering rigidness of Zack’s shaft seemed to fit quite snugly against her folds, and the length of his shaft could easily stimulate it and her pulsing bud.

 Zack gently grasped Rachel by the hips to keep her in place for what he wanted to do next. Thrusting in her mouth was incredible, as with her hand, but the need to move his waist against something else was another drive that plagued his mind, this will suffice until both had the nerve to try intercourse for the first time.

 Soon, Zack began to move, rolling his hips against hers, and letting out a couple huffs from his previous orgasm being teased out. Ray herself threw her head back for a moment, the heat was rubbing firmly against her, and it made her utter a pleased yelp at first.

 “Heh...if ya’ weren’t a mess, I’d kiss ya’” Zack chuckled.

 “Nh...m-make up for it...i-in the shower,” Ray said in between moans.

 “Done.”

 Isaac began to pick up the pace, he wants Rachel to finish, and he knows she wants it too. The woman began to move her hips in response, grinding against each other in a sensual rhythm that just worked together. Isaac slide against Rachel’s slick folds, feeling himself get wet by her abundance of juices dripping from her, this only made his thrusts slide on her much smoothly.

 “Aah!” Ray moaned loudly.

 “Almost there, babe?”

 “Nh...y-yes!...R-Rub a little more upwards...mh!” Ray pleaded.

 Zack pulled her hips closer to let his cock pay more attention to her clit, and continued the swift movement against the sensitive bundle of nerves. Rachel’s legs shook hard, and her toes curled, he’s rubbing at the right spot that demanded the most attention. Her thighs were feeling hot, the pleasure was incredible from having Zack’s natural and primal heat exciting her. His thrusts were wild, but they were gentle when they needed to be. She could feel her own climax drawing nearer, and watching Zack fuck her thighs only fueled her arousal.

 “F-Faster!”

 “Nh! Don’t need to tell me twice!” Zack barked, moving his hips much more swiftly.

 Rachel could hear the sounds of Zack’s body colliding against hers, his hips hitting against the back of her legs during this swift moment of friction. Their grinds were only making the erotic flames between then grow stronger, pooling more and more between their loins. Isaac knows his hardness was starting to fade, so he needs to bring Rachel to her orgasm as quick as possible.

 Then he could hear it, those strained moans that signaled that she was reaching the peak, his hands held onto her firmly and lifted her hips up to press it against his, rubbing as hard and pleasantly fast as he could.

 “Zack!...A-Ah! Aaah! Zack!” Ray shrieked in pleasure.

 “Louder,” Zack growled. “I wanna hear ya’ scream it, Ray…”

 Ray struggled to find breath for a moment, letting out huffs at first, until her body gave way. Her legs immediately coiled around Zack’s waist, locking tightly against him, her body was trembling, and her back arched. Her climax was finally reached and she felt her body becoming possessed with the blissful pleasure swarming from her thighs.

 “Aah!...ISAAC!” she cried out.

 Zack stood there for a moment, stunned she called out his whole name in the heat of passion, watched her very expression change to that of sexual delight, and felt her body throbbing hard against his. It left him with a love-struck expression that clearly said - Damn, that’s my woman.

 His hips returned to moving against her, trying to keep Ray in the clouds for as long as possible, hearing her pleased moans being sung out throughout the room, and sensing her cum against him. Zack slowed his hips down, as he heard the woman’s moans turn into heavy pants, signalling that her few seconds of pleasure was coming to an end. As he finally ceased movements, he let her sit there for a moment to catch her breath, while he carefully pulled his cock away from her. Now he too was soaked and dirty, they both needed to shower badly to wash off this intense session of lust.

 “Zack...mhh...Zack…” Ray purred.

 “Back to your senses?”

 “Y-Yeah...haah...that was intense…” she panted, “I...I didn’t think rubbing together like that could feel so good…”

 Zack chuckled, “Or getting sucked...which one ya’ liked better?”

 “I...I think I liked your mouth on me more…” Ray sheepishly admitted, “you really went all out on it.”

 “Heh...I was fuckin’ hungry,” Zack replied, “I’d love to do it again whenever. Then again, you were amazin’ doing that same thing to me too...like you already knew what you were doing.”

 Rachel tightened her lips for a moment, “...Th-that’s because...I kind of...memorized your pleasure spots.”

 “Dirty girl.”

 Ray let out a slight huff, then gently caressed Zack’s abs, eyeing his body, and seeing he had become soft again.

 “Hey Zack...since we kind of pushed - well, shoved ourselves out of our comfort zones. I think maybe next time, I want to try making love to you…” Ray mumbled.

 Zack’s eyes widened, now feeling his face burn, “W-wh...you really mean it?”

 Rachel nodded with a sweet smile, “Like you said, you’re the only one I’d ever want to do this with. You’re the only person I want to have my body feel whole. I know I want you more than anything.”

 “Anything?”

 Rachel pointed to Zack’s knife in the wall - she wants him more than death. That moment of passion seemed to be a perfect signal of their wants and desires, and that made the man let out a short laugh.

 “Y’know...I never really summed up th’ courage to tell ya’ this...but I love ya’ Ray…” he said with a pleased smirk.

 Rachel’s heart thudded against her chest, she knew he did all along, mostly by actions alone, but this was the first time to actually hear it - solidifying the proof of his feelings towards her. She wiped a couple tears from the corners of her eyes, then lowered her legs from Zack’s hips.

 “Hurry and take me to the shower please,” she said, “or I’m going to kiss you right away and get you dirty.”

 “Heh, alright...we should clean up,” Zack said, helping her to her feet.

 From all the pleasure she’s felt, her legs did wobble a little, and had Zack hold her up by the hip to keep her from faltering. There, the two made their way to the bathroom, washing off the evidence of their passionate moment together, but at least it freed them from that feeling of being dirty, and gave them a chance to kiss - as promised.

 To experience new things, a little experimentation needed to be done. That’s how their relationship began to bud, and it showed signs of continuing to grow into something more.

[ihamtmus]

I have an essay to write which means it’s the perfect time to answer some questions instead of doing that, right? I was tagged by my dear @hufflepuff-jedi. <3

Rules: Answer these 85 statements about yourself, then tag 20 people.

I tag @howlingdawn, @ultrawhalnar​ and @mailorderfictionalcharacter (not 20, I realise that)

Last;

1. Drink: tea (with milk) 2. Phone call: my sister 3. Text message: my mom 4. Song you listened to: wait for it from hamilton OH GOSH IT IS SO GOOD I WANT TO CRY 5. Time you cried: hah it was while watching videos about the original hamilton cast, i just love them so much. but i didn’t actually cry.. there were just tears in my eyes. so let’s say the last time i cried was two days ago after a stressful day at school when i called my mom to tell her about it. 6. Dated someone twice?: [insert that meme with the guy pointing at his head] you can’t date someone twice if you haven’t dated anyone once 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: bro read the previous answer carefully 8. Been cheated on: it is all connected you see, the answer is above 9. Lost someone special: my history teacher... oh and also my friend who hasn’t died but we’re not friends anymore. 10. Been depressed: like, for real? i had a really bad time like half of a year ago 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: i don’t do this kind of stuff my guy

Fave colours;

12. bless you for giving space for three colours. that’d be dusty blue 13. brownish purple 14. green

In the last year have you

15. Made new friends: yes :’) 16. Fallen out of love: no 17. Laughed until you cried: umm sure 18. Found out someone was talking about you: i’d be disappointed if nobody mentioned me ever 19. Met someone who changed you: i think so, yes 20. Found out who your friends are: i made a new friend and she is my friend now and i found it out so you have your answer  21. Kissed someone on your facebook friends list: dude, what even

General;

22. How many of your facebook friends do you know irl: there’s only one girl i haven’t met 23. Do you have any pets: not anymore 24. Do you want to change your name: i’m too sentimental for that 25. What did you do for your last birthday: i went to the park with my friend and he bought me lemonade and flowers (!!!) and in the evening i went with my sister for a drink to a lovely place and we wore pretty dresses and it was wonderful 26. What time did you wake up today: so my alarm clock started ringing at 9:05 but it doesn’t mean i got out of bed before 9:35 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: probably listening to hamilton 28. What is something you cant wait for: i want my cousin to finish listening to hamilton and meet with her and freak out with her about how good it is and watch some animatics and sing and maybe see it on stage again oh gosh 30. What are you listening to right now: nothing but wait for it is actually still playing in my head 31. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: i’ve talked to somebody named the Polish version of Tom, which is Tomasz 32. Something that’s getting on your nerves: when my sister wants to call her boyfriend and asks me to go to the kitchen (she cannot call him in the kitchen becase she doesn’t want out other flatmate to hear her talking to him xd) 33. Most visited website: tumblr 34. Hair colour: dark blonde 35. Long or short hair: long 36. Do you have a crush on someone: nope 37. What do you like about yourself: my smiling attitude 38. Want any piercings?: thank you, no 39. Blood type: was it ab?? or a?? 40. Nicknames: let’s not get into details, it’s gabi 41. Relationship status: still single 42. Zodiac: not sure, perhaps cancer?? maybe 43. Pronouns: she/her 44. Fave tv shows: star trek ds9 is the greatest show ever, along with star trek tos. i also liked merlin, zorro and sherlock 45. Tattoos: not even one, my dude 46. Right or left handed: *george washington’s voice* RIGHT HAND MAN 47. Ever had surgery: no 48. Piercings: wasn’t there a similar question earlier? the answer is still no 49. Sport: not really into sport. when it comes to physical activities i do like walking in the mountains, but it’s not a sport, is it. i used to LOVE playing basketball but it was so long ago. 50. Vacation: i just want to go to london and see hamilton again please 51. Trainers: whom *checks in a dictionary* oh no i don’t wear them

More general;

52. Eating: just give me food and i’ll be happy 53. Drinking: coffeeeeeeeee 54. I’m about to watch: hamilton’s america!! let me watch all the LEGAL FOOTAGE 55. Waiting for: it (ensemble *quietly*: wait for it, wait for it). no but honestly i’m kind of waiting for my essay to write itself 56. Want: my essay to write itself. and also i want to see hamilton on stage again, we’ve been here, next 57. Get married: oh sure! 58. Career: translator (or maybeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee children’s book illustrator................... maybe one day.... maybe)

Which is better;

59. Hugs or kisses: i haven’t kissed anyone i can’t answer that 60. Lips or eye: eyes 61. Shorter or taller: who are we talking about now. and shorter than who. a potential partner? i’d prefer it if he was taller than me 62. Older or younger: a little older 63. Nice arms or stomach: @questions why are you like this. i guess arms?? but i don’t think i share a popular opinion about what nice arms mean (don’t like arms that are too muscular) 64. Hookup or relationship: what’s the first one *checks in a dictionary* are you serious? relationship 65. Troublemaker or hesitant: we’re still talking about the potential partner? hesistant i think

Have you ever;

66. Kissed a stranger: bro 67. Drank hard liquor: um no 68. Lost glasses: lost and didn’t find? no 69. Turned someone down: oh yes 70. Sex on first date: BRO WILL YOU STOP, NO 71. Broken someones heart: ..maybe a little, but not my fault 72. Had your heart broken: not really 73. Been arrested: umm no  74. Cried when someone died: yes 75. Fallen for a friend: yes

Do you believe in;

76. Yourself: most of the time yes 77. Miracles: yes, God literally saved my life using them 78. Love at first sight: not really 79. Santa claus: no (there is a Saint Nicholas tho and i do think he exists, but he has little in common with santa claus) 80. Kiss on a first date: i mean, if you ask me if i “believe in” kiss on a first date then sure, i don’t doubt some people do that, but i’d rather not. 81. Angels: oh sure

Other;

82. Best friend’s name: idk!! my cousin’s name is Emilka, my sister’s name is Asia and my friend from uni’s name is Sandra and i love them all!!! 83. Eye colour: blue but sometimes green and sometimes even grey (what a mystery) 84. Fave movie: that has to be the lord of the rings 85. Fave actor: ummmmmmmm like a movie actor?? i think tom hiddleston. but at the moment i am filled with love for leslie odom jr. who is a musical actor. and also lin manuel miranda, i love him.

[automaticpostinfluencer]

Italy death toll crosses 5,000

This is a live blog. Please check back for updates.

Global cases: At least 294,110 according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization

Global deaths: At least 12,944, according to the latest figures from the WHO

All times below are in Beijing time.

12:10 pm: Trump tweets that the cure cannot be ‘worse’ than the problem

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.” At the end of 15 days, a decision will be made as to which way to go, he said, without saying what he was referring to. — Weizhen Tan

US President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House on March 22, 2020, in Washington, DC.

Eric Baradat | AFP | Getty Images

12:00 pm: Japan’s Abe reportedly hints that Tokyo Olympics could be postponed

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hinted that the Tokyo Olympics could be postponed but ruled out the possibility of canceling the global sporting event, according to multiple local media reports on Monday.

The reports come a day after the International Olympic Committee announced that it will stepping up its scenario-planning for the event to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus and safeguard the health of those involved. — Eustance Huang

10:48 am: UAE tells people to stay at home unless absolutely necessary

The United Arab Emirates urged the public to stay at home and limit social contacts, unless when out purchasing necessary supplies like food and medicine or performing essential jobs, according to the government news agency. 

“The public are also urged to use their own family cars with a maximum of three individuals per vehicle. They are also advised not to visit public places and maintain social distancing protocols during family gatherings as part of the precautionary measures taken to ensure public health and safety,” the Ministry of Interior and the National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority said a joint statement.

People were also told to avoid visiting hospitals except for emergencies and to use face masks. Instructions on the use of public transport, taxis and other means of transportation are due to be issued later, the statement said. Violations are punishable, including fines and jail terms. 

Inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE are also set to be suspended for two weeks as part of precautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, the government news agency said. Cargo and emergency evacuation flights would be exempt. — Patrick Allen, Jonathan Stayton, Saheli Roy Choudhury

10:29 am: Fight against the pandemic is like ‘the fog of war,’ says Fauci

The battle against the coronavirus pandemic is “almost like the fog of war,” said renowned top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci in an interview with Science magazine.

“After the war is over, you then look back and say, wow, this plan, as great as it was, didn’t quite work once they started that throwing hand grenades at us,” said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Testing for the coronavirus across the U.S. has been criticized as unacceptably inadequate and slow. New York state now has more coronavirus cases than France or South Korea as the number of confirmed infections soared to 15,168, according to new data released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday.

“Why were we not able to mobilize on a broader scale? But I don’t think we can do that right now. I think it’s premature. We really need to look forward,” Fauci said in the interview, adding that testing is one issue that needs to be reexamined. — Weizhen Tan

10:24 am: Former Goldman CEO says people with lower risk should be allowed to return to work

Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein said on Twitter that extreme measures to flatten the coronavirus “curve” temporarily to ease the strain on health infrastructure are sensible. But, he said, “crushing the economy, jobs and morale is also a health issue-and beyond.”

He also urged that “within a very few weeks let those with a lower risk to the disease return to work.” — Saheli Roy Choudhury

10:15 am: Canada says it will not send athletes to the Tokyo Olympics

Canada will not send teams to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, according to the country’s Olympic Committee. It urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee and the World Health Organization to postpone the events for a year.

“We offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring,” the Canadian Olympic Committee said in a statement, adding that “nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community.”

The IOC on Sunday said it was assessing the situation alongside the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Japanese authorities, and hinted that postponement could be an option. But cancellation is “not on the agenda,” it said. — Saheli Roy Choudhury

10:09 am: China aims to be a stabilizing force as global financial markets remain volatile

In face of the new coronavirus’ shock to global financial markets, China aims to be a stabilizing force — beginning with its own markets.

As calls from global leaders for more international cooperation grow, it’s still unclear to what extent it’s possible at this point for China to become a force of stability. And when it comes to the world’s second-largest economy, there are pressing domestic issues that authorities need to consider, such as high debt levels, need for foreign capital and slowing economic growth.

Still, China was the first to grapple with COVID-19 and in recent days have largely reported new imported cases while other countries grapple with fast-spreading epidemics within their own borders. — Evelyn Cheng

9:31 am: Singapore Airlines announces more capacity cuts due to growing border restrictions

Singapore Airlines said it will cut 96% of the capacity that had been originally scheduled through April, citing stricter border restrictions around the world. Countries have stepped up travel restrictions in recent weeks, with many of them barring non-resident foreigners from entering their borders.

As a result, Singapore’s national carrier will ground around 138 aircraft out of a total fleet of 147. Its low-cost unit, Scoot, will suspend most of its network and ground 47 of its 49 aircraft.

“It is unclear when the SIA Group can begin to resume normal services, given the uncertainty as to when the stringent border controls will be lifted,” the company said in a statement. — Saheli Roy Choudhury

9:22 am: South Korea says 64 new cases and 7 additional deaths

South Korea reported 64 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the country’s total to 8,961, according to the latest data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another seven people have died, raising the total number of fatalities in the country to 111.

Still, South Korea has been praised globally for its efforts to contain the virus’ spread following an initial spike in new cases, most of which were reported in the city of Daegu. Mass testing of individuals and other rigorous measures undertaken by Seoul brought down the number of new cases reported daily in recent weeks. — Saheli Roy Choudhury

8:40 am: Luxury group Kering to donate 3 million surgical masks to France

Luxury group Kering said it will purchase 3 million surgical masks from China and donate them to the French health service. 

“Meanwhile, the French workshops of Kering’s Houses Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent are preparing to manufacture masks while complying with the strictest health protection measures for their staff members, with production getting underway as soon as the manufacturing process and materials have been approved by the relevant authorities,” the company said in a statement. 

France has at least 14,296 cases, according to the World Health Organization. It shut down nonessential stores and told people to stay indoors as part of its efforts to combat the virus’ spread. — Saheli Roy Choudhury

8:35 am: China reports 39 new cases, says all of them are imported

China’s National Health Commission said there were 39 new cases, all of them imported, and 9 additional deaths as of the end of March 22. The fatalities all happened in Hubei province, where the virus was first detected; for its part, Hubei did not report any new cases of COVID-19, China said. Altogether, the country has 81,093 reported cases, of which 72,703 have been cured and 3,270 people have died. — Saheli Roy Choudhury

8:05 am: Italy’s death toll crosses 5,000

The Italian health ministry said as of 6 p.m. local time on March 22, at least 5,476 people have died due to COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. There are 59,138 reported cases in total, where about 7,024 people have recovered.

In an attempt to try and contain the virus, Rome has now ordered that all businesses that are not providing essential supplies or services must close until April 3, Reuters reported.

Italy is already under a heavy lockdown where public movement is restricted and many establishments are closed. — Saheli Roy Choudhury

Medical personnel transport the first patient affected by COVID-19 to an ICU tent a Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Field Hospital on March 20, 2020 in Cremona, near Milan, Italy.

Emanuele Cremaschi | Getty Images

7:38 am: Asia Pacific stocks set for another day of declines

Stocks in Australia plummeted in early trade on Monday as fears over the economic impact of the global coronavirus outbreak continue to weigh heavily on investor sentiment.

The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 7.65% in early trade as the sectors mostly fell. The heavily weighted financial subindex dived more than 9%, with shares of the country’s so-called Big Four banks all selling off steeply: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group fell 9.61%, Commonwealth Bank of Australia dropped 8.01%, Westpac declined 10.27% while National Australia Bank slipped 10.15%. — Eustance Huang

All times below are in Eastern time.

7 pm: UAE suspends all passenger and transit flights to and from the country, state news agency says

The United Arab Emirates suspended all passenger and transit flights to and from the country for two weeks over coronavirus fears, state news agency WAM said on Sunday citing National Emergency and Crisis and the Civil Aviation Authority.

WAM added the decision will take effect after 48 hours and will last for two weeks, subject to review and evaluation. –Reuters

6:45 pm: Coronavirus stimulus bill fails in key Senate procedural vote

A massive funding package to combat the impact of coronavirus did not get enough votes in a key Senate procedural vote Sunday evening.

The stalemate came hours after Democratic leaders warned that the bill was not to their liking because they said it did too much to bail out companies and not enough to help workers. Stock futures cratered as the two parties failed to agree on the terms of the package.

Still, President Donald Trump expressed optimism that lawmakers would eventually reach a deal. “I think you’ll get there,” Trump told reporters at the coronavirus task force press briefing shortly after the vote became final. –Lauren Hirsch, Leslie Josephs

6:30 pm: Airbus says plants will reopen at slower production rate

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[urbanwronski]

And it is money that has come out of the pockets of some of the poorest people. It is money that comes from human hardship. These machines are located in pubs and clubs in areas of economic disadvantage deliberately. And that is why we have fought so hard, so hard, to get poker machines out of pubs and clubs in Tasmania. We know they are lethal and toxic machines. Rebecca White Tasmanian Labor leader

Like rabbits caught in the headlights of a juggernaut of pro-pokie Liberal Mad-men, Tasmanians vote, Saturday, mostly to do as they are told. It’s a win for pokies’ owners by pokies’ owners. Bugger the people. Yet it’s not the crushing victory being sold on mainstream media. What is clear by Sunday is the Liberals will stay in power.

Premier Will Hodgman’s government wins 13 of the 25 state lower house seats on Saturday, a loss of two, or down 0.8 %, but still enough for his Liberal Party to govern in its own right in a large late surge over the last month.

Labor’s vote is up 5.4% with 84% of the vote counted Sunday. The Hare-Clark, Robson system means that several seats remain in doubt in contests between candidates from the same party. What is not in doubt is the size of the Liberal war chest which some say is ten times Labor’s. Did wealthy Liberals donors help the party buy its victory?

Bedazzled by bill-boards, newspapers and TV screens, in a saturation ad blitzkrieg, voters succumb to sentimental slogans such as “love your local” and fear of paternalism, the dreaded spectre of Labor-Green despotism.

And the jobs’ lies. “I’ll have to go to the mainland for a hospitality career if Labor gets in,” whinges a teenager on the radio, a model of self-pitying misery and entitlement, already a perfect fit for any career in customer service.

Bad news, kid, the “hospitality industry” is rife with wage theft and exploitation. Better you should stay at school.

“Whether it’s a big, small or medium business, the most common worker is young, unskilled or a migrant so really it’s a hotpot for exploitation. When you put all these things in the mix, people aren’t aware of their rights — people are desperate to work, and it’s a recipe for exploitation,” says Shine Lawyers employment law expert, Will Barsby.

When it comes to wages, Tasmanian workers share the predicament of all Australia’s workers. Wage earners’ share of the national pie has shrunk dramatically to the lowest point since the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) began recording this data in 1959.

Roy Morgan reports that our workforce is 13,410,000 comprised of employed and unemployed, up a whopping 518,000 on a year ago, a context omitted in Scott Morrison’s misleading claim that “2017 was a year of extraordinary jobs growth in Australia, over 400,000 jobs created in the year”.

1.312 million Australians were unemployed (9.8% of the workforce); an increase of 126,000 (up 0.6%) on a year ago, but Morrison chooses to hide this from us in the hope we are all mugs. ScoMo or Michaelia Cash never talk about numbers of unemployed.

Furthermore, despite Liberal shills on ABC and mainstream media who pretend there is some miraculous recovery happening ,Tasmanians are in fact more likely to be out of work or underemployed than workers in any other state.

Tasmania’s unemployment rate is 10.7% while 11.5% of the workforce is under-employment 11.5%. 22.2%, or one in five, Tassie workers have either no work or not enough. Abolishing pokies is not going to cost 5000 jobs – as claimed by Hodgman’s Liberals – when there are only 370 workers in the industry – or about 1000 in gambling overall. And other jobs are likely to be created as a result of money not spent gambling.

The new gaming laws will bring a windfall for casinos reports The Australia Institute, cutting their taxes in half if they are put on the Federal group rate. Taxes for pubs and clubs, on the other hand, will rise by $10 million. Yet, in a typically caring, sharing, token concession to pokies’ toxicity, taxpayers will contribute an extra $1.7 million to the Community Support Levy to counter the costs of problem gambling. The casinos are the big winners while the punter loses out yet again.

The Liberals’ big Tasmania vision is not solution, either, for unlucky punters. Population growth is at its highest rate since the GFC, but that doesn’t “grow” jobs. Nor is it a state economic windfall. It’s the structure of the population that counts. Each year Tasmania has fewer young and more older people compared to the rest of Australia, even when population “booms”.

Will Hodgman has had a population push since 2014. Yet Tasmania has always gained more people over 45 and lost more younger, working, fertile, 19-39 year olds due, mainly, to the state’s lack of employment opportunities.

Older folk create jobs and actively contribute to society and economy, but they also will create increasing demand for government services, such as pensions and healthcare, areas in which Liberals have a poor track record.

The Government has made sweeping job cuts in health, reports ABC Fact check with the Treasurer stating publicly that while the Tasmanian Health Organisations gained 80 full-time equivalent staff, the Health Department shed 200 positions between June 2014 and March 2016.

But bosses and government never gull young people, it’s always unions and greenies who are out to con you.

“Labor and the Greens think you’re stupid. What’s next? Don’t let them tell you what to do”.

This richly allusive Liberal rhetorical campaign gem shrewdly taps Tasmanians’ memory of the unpopularity of its last Labor-Greens coalition cabinet of 2010, a coalition which psephologist, William Bowe, dubs an electoral disaster.

Be it inertia, bewilderment, blind panic, cynical manipulation, disinformation or a toxic cocktail of the lot, in the end, voters elect Will Hodgman’s Libs, a shady cabal of big business, big gambling and Big W, in a result which will further erode Tasmanians’ control of their own lives, expand state power, boost  gun-power and feed the canker of poker machine blight, introduced to the Apple Isle by Ray Groom’s, 1993 Liberal government.

Can Tasmania, our most beautiful, most wondrous state, Australia’s own Serendip, now be rotten at the core?

Ministry of Truth, our ABC in its Insiders cosy Sunday hack-chat-show, a forum which artfully evades the real issues, or real depth, says the Liberals win as Tasmanians flock to sunny uplands of neoliberal prosperity. Hodgman’s Liberals, they say, deliver an “economic upturn” a myth based on the island state’s property boom, or bubble.

It’s a tall story which can only grow taller, as the federal Liberals’ spin doctor army toils to turn the result into a vindication of the Turnbull government’s futile attempts to revive neoliberalism’s corpse; its corporate tax cut payola to its donors, and austerity budgeting, a campaign of calculated impoverishment of innocent and vulnerable victims of its policies, which daily widens the gulf of economic inequality, in its war on the poor and elderly.

By Monday, Tassie’s results will become a sign of upturn number 365 in the Turnbull government’s popularity. There is always a reboot, a recovery around every corner.

Yet, apart from real estate sales, any other economic upturn is hard to find. So why the sudden turnaround? A month ago, polls had the two parties neck and neck, on 34% of the vote, but in more recent polls Liberals soar an alarming 12 %.  in a shocking corruption of the popular will, which, William Bowe, worries, means,

The election could join federal Labor’s mining tax debacle in 2010 as a cautionary tale about the dangers of taking on deep-pocketed interests in an election campaign.

A key issue at stake is many Tasmanians’ opposition to Federal Hotels’ pokies monopoly. Federal owns all 3500 machines (plus Wrest Point Casino, some luxury wilderness accommodation and the Henry James Hotel). Labor and The Greens’ want to remove pokies from all pubs and clubs by 2023. But end the firm’s half-billion dollar revenue stream?

Also not sitting well with voters is Federal’s breath-taking, back-flipping duplicity. Anti-pokers veteran, Pat Caplice sums up Federal’s hypocrisy.

 “The clubs and hotels pushed for pokies back in the ’80s. Federal opposed it totally, used all the arguments about dependency they now deny. Then, when it was being debated in 1993, there was a huge backflip, within days, and Federal itself was gifted a monopoly licence.”

Saturday’s election result ushers in a new “gaming” agreement, an industry euphemism for ripping off unwary, vulnerable, punters. The state will revoke Federal Hotels’ monopoly and gift licences to pokies pubs, in a move which will result in cashed-up Federal and Woolworths buying up dozens of pubs, allowing Woolworths a 30-40% stake in gambling in the state. The result is guaranteed to increase personal misery and social breakdown.

Meanwhile, the pro-pokie promotion create a ruckus that sucks the oxygen out of many other areas of debate.

Protecting what remains of The Tarkine is a huge political issue. Speciality timber logging permits granted in 2014 by Hodgman’s government reduce the area’s reserve to five per cent of its former area. Liberal candidate for Braddon, Adam Brooks’, media release reads “Only the Liberals would stop a Tarkine National Park”.

The Liberal election pledge is an indictment of the party’s senseless environmental vandalism; its contempt for Aboriginal cultural heritage, history and the legacy of shell middens, stone quarries, hut depressions, seal hides and rock carvings that remain and its failure to consult with local Aboriginal people.

17 coupes are still being logged while the 4WD fraternity, bush-bash on expensive temporary road mats. In Hobart, around two thousand people protest the abuse of the unique wilderness, in a gathering led by the Bob Brown Foundation. The group calls for permanent protection for the 447,000 hectares of the Tarkine.

One-armed bandits backers make such a racket they drown out late news that the 45th Tasmanian premier, William Edward Felix Hodgman, promises the quaintly termed sporting shooters and farmers, a hard-nosed gun lobby, an easing of gun control laws, extending licences from five to ten years and permitting automatic weapons.

But if it’s a victory for guns and money, it’s also another stage in the ascent of the corporate oligarchy Woolworths, which, Guy Rundle writes, will wield power over Tasmanians “from controlling prices to suppliers, to selling them their food back as consumers, and taking the cash of people who never quite make it to the shops.”

At the same time, Tasmanians surrender their own say in their own affairs, as Hodgman’s big government proposes major projects legislation and a state-wide planning scheme which shuts out community input.

Tasmania, fruit of the fruit machine, rolls with the dice, as the state’s obscenely powerful gambling lobby pours millions of dollars into Liberal party campaign coffers, vastly outspending the Labor Party. Some estimate a Liberal war chest up to ten times larger. We may never know. The state has the nation’s slackest campaign donation disclosure rules.

What is unique – and refreshing about the Tassie election campaign is the respect between the Liberal and Labor leaders, a tradition that is dead, buried and cremated in federal politics this week when Michaelia Cash suddenly threatens to name young women in Bill Shorten’s office – about whom there have been rumours “for many, many years.” The idea that she should “slut-shame” nineteen women working in Shorten’s office is bizarre, wrong and a sign of an ugly decline in federal politics.

Worse, Cash makes it clear that she proposes to name names and then Shorten will have to prove his innocence. It’s a perversion of legal process and a cheap, demeaning stunt. Worse, it plumbs new depths in character assassination as political strategy.

And it’s part of Liberal team plan: Peter Dutton is soon off the leash on 2GB attacking loose, louche, philandering Bill and two-timing Tony Burke.

“I think we’ve sat here taking a morals lecture from Bill Shorten in relation to Barnaby Joyce over the last few weeks and people know that there’s a history of problems in Bill Shorten’s personal life, Tony Burke’s personal life. And to be lectured by the Labor Party really sticks in the craw.”

As is Dutton’s wont, he is undeterred by being factually incorrect and totally out of order. Labor scrupulously abstained from criticising Barnaby Joyce’s affair with his staffer Vicki Campion.

It was, in fact, Malcolm Turnbull who took it upon himself to deliver a finger-wagging moralising, which was backed up with what can only have been a National to Liberal Party hand-ball leaking of the name of a woman who is bringing case of sexual harassment or serious misconduct against Joyce to the National Party – from whom we have heard nothing further.

Above all it’s not Joyce’s dangerous liaisons that are the critical issue – not his fidelity or his personal morality but how he could create or cause to be created not one but three jobs for his (non-partner) paramour Vicki Campion. And his boondoggle inland rail. Plus his Murray Darling basin water for rich cotton irrigator National party mates scandal.

As the week closes, it is clear that the Coalition’s mud-slinging will continue as part of the Kill Bill strategy – but also as a splendid diversion from any alleged peculation, nepotism or misuse of public funds including travel allowances, a net which seems to be closing rapidly on Julie Bishop, whose non-partner, David Panton, is somehow able to travel at taxpayers’ expense.

The situation is clarified late in the week when Bishop changes her mind; agrees the two have been partners for six months. At least that’s cleared that up. Will Panton now repay his trip to the UN or any other trips he took with her prior to that period? At least it’s not “a grey area” as Barnaby Joyce calls his paternity.

A new tune to add to his brilliant riffs on playing the innocent victim, Joyce tells media that everyone assumed he was the father of Vikki Campion’s child. He may not be. The Daily Tele never asked, despite there being an email from the paper to Joyce asking that very question according to Fairfax.

Now it seems Barnaby and non-partner Vikki were mostly geographically apart with some togetherness during the putative conception date of the unborn child, whom Barnaby, nobly, says he will love anyway. And no. He has no intention of taking any paternity test. Perhaps it may turn out to be an immaculate conception.

In Tassie this week, the Liberals win by throwing buckets of their sponsors, the gambling mob’s – (wrongly dignified as an industry)-  money at advertising promoting fear and loathing of Labor, while, in the senate, Michaelia Cash dishes the dirt as a diversion from her own alleged collusion with the AFP to contact media to help her conduct a witch hunt in an illegal raid on the Melbourne office of the AWU, a union Michael Keenan says gave a donation to Bill Shorten’s campaign – as it is perfectly entitled to do.

The AWU has not yet been charged with a single criminal offence. Probably because none has been committed. In the meantime, politicians from Tasmanian to the nation’s capital compete this week, as Hamlet almost says, stewing in corruption, honeying and making love – while tipping buckets of excrement over their opponents in a debauched, degenerate, parody of a competitive party political system which was once based however loosely around policies and reasoned argument and rational rebuttal.

The nation moves beyond policy, principle or even the fan-club of identity politics to savage character assassination, innuendo and vituperative personal attack. Each day we draw closer to the politics of Trump’s USA, the nation our PM wishes to sedulously ape and not only in tax cuts for corporations but in health and welfare, too.

                One-armed bandits rob Tassie election while Cash loses plot and Barnaby finds paternity a grey area. And it is money that has come out of the pockets of some of the poorest people.

[supermanonesie-blog]

the brain of a crazy bitch

First thought: Why do people share? Why write and then invite others online to read what you have to say? For me, it’s a matter of de-stigmatization. Bad stigma causes undue social shame. That’s unnecessary. I often forget what my mother told me a long time ago—one of the many valuable things she has taught me over my twenty-six years of existence (along with how to use a toilet, which has come in handy truly countless times, as you can imagine). She said, when you think you’re the only one in the world who feels the way you do, remember the billions of other people on the planet—and it’s SO unlikely you’re the only one. (I think we’re at about 7 billion right now.)

This idea was one of the few sentiments I heard as a child that defied the theme of “you are special and unique and there is nobody like you”. It also, now that I reflect upon it, aligns with a common trend in my thinking which is that of statistics of large numbers—another occupational side effect—although numbers in the billions are quite small compared to numbers that deal with atoms and molecules vibrating and whooshing around in the air and water and other phases. Damn, Avogadro. Your name sounds like avocado, and you really nailed it with 10^23. Two things that make you awesome. And for those of you who are like, ummmm excuse me, it’s actually 6.0222 blah blah blah? Fuck off, those decimal places are a joke.

As usual, I have digressed. Although, statistics of large numbers is quite on point—perhaps more so than you may know. The reason is this: I think that intellectually, we can understand that other people feel the same way we do about a given subject. However, because humans are cursed with the overwhelming phenomenon of emotion and the unfortunate skill of emotional analysis, when overwhelmed with a certain feeling, it is nearly impossible to remind ourselves that we are not broken or fucked up or so different or too much or too little or wrong in some way. It is SO hard to remember that you’re really fine to be whoever you are. If you fall somewhere within 5 or 6 sigma of the Gaussian average of humans, you (no matter how much you fight or deny this) care a great deal what people think and how far you fall from your conceptualization of what is “normal”. Now, depending on who you are, you may range from caring to what one person thinks of you to what 7x10^9 people think of you, but you fucking care. It will greatly calm your overall emotional existence to care MORE what you think of yourself, but I do think this is a common struggle.

Here, I ruminate on my experience with men in the lens of this theme. Unmistakably, this applies to a crazy number of women. Not 10^23, but a lot. As a woman (and you fuckers who are like, ugh gross, she’s going to go on a rant and she’s a man hater – shut up, I love men – A. LOT. and I don’t hate most of you, just the uninvited pussy grabbers and feeling-shamers). Okay, so as a woman who is 26, I have lived a lot of my pre-teen to adult life receiving direct and indirect messages from guys that they would like me more if I were different. I could reach perfection if I could just get rid of a fewwww things about me. And furthermore, that I am some level of unworthy of respect, appreciation, attention, time, whatever—because I care, am engaged, interested, emotional, aggressive, confident, insatiable, curious, intense, and my favorite: CRAZY. 

But if I lose my center and start focusing more on how he might think of me and less of what I think of him, then the only thing I am doing is playing games (potentially just with myself) to make me feel like I am desirable and in possession of the upper hand. This is one of the most challenging things to avoid in my personal life. This might be singularly the only challenging thing in my personal life. This leads me feeling shitty, alone, undesirable, WEIRD, CRAZY, STUPID….the list goes on. 

When did I become like this and why? How did I fuck up so much? 

It’s been like this since I was something like 12 years old at camp and my initial reaction to having a crush on this boy (a whole year old than me!!! Omigod) was the thought that there was no way he would like me because I was not as pretty as other girls. (Side note, total bullshit because I was adorable and way thinner than I thought I was, and objectively very cute.) From that point on, I garnered so much anxiety from feeling like I had to act like the “ideal girl” that I spent a stupid amount of time trying to look like it, talk like it, act like it, etc. 

This worrying was and is made a thousand times worse by the fact that 1) I have – as one of my best guy friends has put it—the eye of Sauron. Meaning, I notice and interpret the subtlest nuances of physical, facial, and inter-personal behavior roughly a million times better than the average human. (Comment on this: it in no way means that I respond in a smart way. In fact, it’s about 40/60 idiotic/smart. I’ve thought about this a great deal, and I’m convinced that it’s more amusing to do unpredictable things and see how the other person reacts. It’s fucking masochistic. And also endlessly interesting.) 

It (my worrying) is also worsened by the fact that 2) I have generalized anxiety. It wasn’t called anything until my therapist said it aloud about 4 years ago, but looking back on my life, it’s something that has influenced my behavior and choices in one way or another since I was about 12 years old. The first time she said it, I came in (like a wrecking ball, if you will or if you won’t – lol) with alllllllll sorts of judgement about what this meant, and how I felt like I had to pretend I didn’t have this, and how it meant I was different and messed up, blah blah blah. But basically, it’s what I’ve inherited genetically, I can’t change that it’s there, and it unfortunately means pretty much what it sounds like. I garner anxiety from generally everything, plus or minus some things depending on what my anxiety has me nervous about. It’s taken me through absolute rock-bottom hell, which I clawed my way out of with the unwavering love, patience, strength, and kindness of a dear friend (and two amazing doctors). After two straight years of what I would classify broadly as SHIT, I found something that worked for me in order to live my best life and as much as possible diminish this blanket anxiety. I don’t think I toot my own horn a lot, but god damn, that is something to be seriously proud of while getting a PhD. 

I bring this up because I think that over the years, my anxiety latched onto this phenomenon of being the ideal woman (in the eyes of men). The problem was that as I set my goal to summit this mountain, and gain the ultimate freedom from feeling not good enough and having to pretend I was someone different, I picked the wrong summit towards which to climb. I – rather unknowingly, I think – decided that if I was to be free from this, I would be SO amazing in the eyes of men that I would be desirable to them all, and not be under their control. THIS – THIS IS INSANE. For so many reasons. This also DROVE ME INSANE, because, DUH, “men” are not identical humans with identical tastes and identical values. This makes this mountain, well, insurmountable, sets up a totally unhealthy power dynamic, and fuels anxiety. It’s a fucking positive feedback loop sort of nightmare. 

But why is it so hard to kick this habit? One, because when you do something for a decade, it’s always a practice to change. And I fuck up. A LOT. I am stupidly good at chasing boys off. And it makes me kick myself in the head, because then it becomes totally unclear if they are assholes, idiots, whatever, or they are totally thrown by my erratic fluctuations between when I decide to play the game (so tempting) and when I decide to be totally open and when I decide they’re a jerk (the fallback).

It’s also hard to kick this habit because it’s become all-too common social standard for women to be classified as “too much”, “too talkative”, “too into talking about feelings”, and on and on. I would like to say that women and men are wired differently. Of COURSE women talk. We are wired to be good at emotional communication. We also have higher body fat content that is not so easy to decrease. AND NO, CHILDREN, it’s not just in our tits and asses. Women’s magazines somehow are all about instructing us to get the Brazilian Booty, Kaley Cuoco’s abs, Give Him the Sex He Dreams Of (thanks Cosmo, you actually say the weirdest shit), what to eat to be skinny, how to be happy having three almonds every four hours because you’re too fat, spend time deciding Who Wore It Best, shame Kim Kardashian because OMG she has cellulite on her enormous ass (honestly, how is she supposed to tone that whole thing? It’s the size of a planet), shame women and not men for making sex tapes, tell women that they’re only pretty if they look young, make sure that we don’t have pubic hair even though we grow it... the list is so long. It is insane. And it is 90% about how to be more appealing to guys, even many things under the guise of “how to be your best self”. But tbh, magazines, part of being MY best self involves not torturing myself and wasting my time reading your bullshit. 

So, that’s why it’s hard to get rid of the anxiety. Even for women who are lucky enough not to be generally anxious.

I’ve been lucky enough to have many romantic relationships. Roughly 40% of these guys have in large part not been good to me, and I’ve stuck around, trying to be the person they wanted. Luckily, I am not longer in one of these. Actually, I’m not in any romantic relationship. They make me fucking nervous because I’m convinced I’m going to ruin it or they’re going to bail. 

I don’t regret the unhealthy relationships because – as with all things, the bad doesn’t make the good any less good, and I always absolutely adore the times where the physical or emotional connection was so insane, I literally felt like I was on drugs.

I also am so grateful that I have had relationships spanning 3 years and then 2-ish with men who adored me and respected me and made me feel safe. They loved and love that I am fucking nuts and spontaneous and say and wonder about deep things and stupid things and immerse myself earnestly and unselfconsciously (when it happens) in all curiosities and the fun of life and being an animal (some feline variety, duh). They also, through their confidence in themselves, have the ability to appreciate that people are imperfect, and that was unavoidably contagious.  

It’s almost two years of being single – the longest I have ever been single since the start of my dating life at 15 (wuuuuut??). I sometimes feel old habits emerge, and the judgment that stems from that perturbs my hard-won confidence into an oscillating unstable disaster.  

I know I can’t explain all of this to someone I like who I’ve just met because, well, it’s baggage, as all people have, and you can’t just bring your whole big bag of shit and dump it on someone as they’re just establishing that you’re potentially pretty cool and they really want to stick it in your ear (Yeah, I said ear.). But oops, I just did it again, Britney Fucking Spears style. And the guys who spaz, the hypocrites who are allowed to do their version of crazy while I swallow it and stick around? They should probably grow a little. I don’t even want to say “grow up”, because this isn’t something that necessarily comes with age. It just comes with life and realizing that the low-hanging fruit isn’t all that stimulating-- it’s actually pretty boring. And sometimes you gotta take some weirdness to get the juiciest peach higher up on the tree. 

So, it’s fun to fall down the rabbit hole. I want to have a bunch of moments where I feel like I can be free and open, and meet people who are interesting, open, anddddd can throw down and retain their confidence and not get swayed by some minor aspects of you because well, you’re a human, and you have a history, and you’re imperfect. But with that will inevitably come many men who peace after I drop a bag of my anxiety on their toes by accident. It feels sucky, but saying “that was a sucky thing” instead of “I must suck” took a long time, and I wish I had learned to do that earlier in my life. 

You don’t have to be perfect; you don’t have to meet his expectations. You need to meet yours. And if you’re a fun kind of crazy, go be your fucking fun brand of crazy, because that’s why you love yourself after all. 

[ronlofland]

A Gem On The Mediterranean – 10 Things To See And Do While Attending The INTA Annual Meeting In Barcelona

Barcelona may be my favorite city in the world.  It is certainly a top contender.  Because one of my dearest friends is a native Barcelonian, I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited multiple times, and I have also had one of the best tour guides you could hope for.  So when I found out that the 2017 International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting (May 20 -24) was being held in BCN (a common abbreviation for the city and its airport), I had only one question – Where do I sign up?

See this post in Spanish.

A Bit About the City

Barcelona, the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, is nestled on the Mediterranean on the northeast coast of Spain.  An ancient city (one unverifiable legend suggest that Barcelona was founded by Hannibal’s father, Hamilcar Barca, and eponymously named Barcino in the 3rd Century BC), Barcelona was an important center of commerce for the Roman Empire by the 3rd Century AD.  It fell to the Visigoths in the 5th Century, came under Moorish control in the 8th Century, was taken by the son of Charlemagne in the early 9th Century, came under the Crown of Aragon in the 12th Century, and then came under the rule of the Spanish monarchy with the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1469. In the 20th Century, as home to Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and Antoni Gaudí, the ancient city became a wellspring of all things Modern.

Given its storied history, Barcelona teems with architectural, artistic, and cultural wonders, and offers cuisine and gastronomy that is virtually unparalleled.  If you’re going to be there for the Annual Meeting, I definitely recommend removing your “I am at a conference” blinders so that you can take a good look around.  Need some help?  Here are ten things that I would recommend checking out.  And remember, this list could be ten times longer, so try to save some time for exploration – you won’t be sorry.

Look Up!

The architecture in Barcelona is almost unbelievable.  Gaudí is a main reason why.  This Modern architect and designer, heavily influenced by the Gothic Revival, transformed the look and feel of the city.  Structures like Casa Milà, also referred to as La Pedrera (“the quarry”), give Barcelona an other-worldly aura.  But that’s not all – you can take a stroll around Barcelona’s ancient Roman walls, visit the Gothic-era Barcelona Cathedral, behold the unlikely eminence of the colorful-by-night Torre Agbar, or bask in the Modern splendor of the Palau de la Música Catalana (The Music Palace of Catalonia). 

There is all this and so much more.  No matter your taste, there are sure to be at least a few buildings in Barcelona that you will adore.

Tuck In!

Get ready to eat.  Is fine dining your thing?  If so, you are in luck!  Barcelona has long been a hotbed of gastronomic excellence and innovation.  As head chef of the (sadly) shuttered, but still legendary El Bulli restaurant, Ferran Adrià put Barcelona on the international culinary map when he rose to the role of head chef in the 1980s.  Molecular gastronomy took hold, and Barcelona didn’t look back.  Mr. Adrià’s younger brother Albert, who was the pastry chef at El Bulli, has since put on a new apron and proved himself to be his brother’s equal in crafting savory fare.  His Tickets and Bodega 1900 restaurants are considered among the best in the world.  Jordi Cruz, who at the age of 26 was the second youngest chef ever to be awarded a Michelin star, now serves his creative cuisine at ABaC Restaurant and Hotel.

If trendy isn’t your cup of tea, there’s no need to worry.  Barcelona overflows with wine bars, tapas and pintxos places, traditional Spanish restaurants, and seafood for days.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.  Bring your appetite, because you’re going to need it.

Check out a Museum

Is art your thing?  Barcelona’s got it.  The Picasso Museum features some of the artist’s Modern masterpieces, like selections from the Las Meninas series, but it also features many of his early, pre-Cubist works, which sheds some light on Picasso’s evolution as an artist.  The National Museum of Catalonia has a wide ranging collection of works from Roman times to contemporary art.  The Joan Miró Foundation is a personal favorite.  I have a great appreciation for Miró, and a print purchased at the museum hangs in my office.

Take a Stroll in the Parc

Park Güell (or “Parc” in the native Catalan language), is a series of public parks and architectural elements located in Barcelona on Carmel Hill.  It is stunning.  Originally conceived by Spanish entrepreneur Eusebi Güell as a residential enclave for the wealthy, Güell entrusted the task of designing the compound to Gaudi, his lifelong friend.  Reportedly, Güell once said to Gaudí, “I don’t like your architecture, I respect it.”  This is a sentiment I don’t share, but I don’t think Güell stood alone in that thought.  In any event, the park never became a commercial success.  Only two houses were ever built on the property, including the one Güell died in.  In 1923, the Güell family gifted the park to the city of Barcelona.

Visit a Church that Has Been Under Construction for 135 Years

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (“Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family”), commonly referred to as the Sagrada Familia, is large Roman Catholic church designed by Gaudí. (Are you sensing a theme?)  It is his as yet incomplete magnum opus.  Construction of the structure commenced in 1882, and has continued fairly constantly (there was an interruption due to the Spanish civil war) until this day.  The sixth and final construction phase started in 2010 and current projections call for completion in 2026, which will mark 100 years since Gaudí’s death.  La Sagrada Familia is also the architect’s final resting place.  This masterful combination of Gothic and Art Nouveau styles is open daily from 9 am to 8 pm at this time of year.  There is an area for worship and contemplation within the basilica, but regular masses are not currently being held.

Set Aside Some Time for Marketing

The modern supermarket is a fact of life throughout much of the world, and Barcelona is no exception.  But BCN’s network of neighborhood food markets still plays a vital role in the life of the city.  Need fresh fruits and vegetable, meats or fish?  No problem.  Need two chicken eggs, one duck egg, salt cod that has been pre-soaked in water for two days, and a big slice of Spanish tortilla?  You can get all that, too – and much more.  Many of the markets also have small restaurants, cafés, bars or snack counters.  They are a great place to grab a quick lunch or an afternoon snack.  The best known market, La Boqueria, attracts locals and a lot of tourists.  I suggest you check out the Santa Caterina market.  It has been open since 1948, but was remodeled in 2005.  It is worth the trip just to get a peek at the roof.

See the Sea

Barcelona was once regarded as the city that turned its back on the sea.  The 1992 Summer Olympics changed all that.  Much of the city got a makeover for its international coming out party, and the Mediterranean port was transformed.  Railroads, warehouses, and other structures that cut the city off from the sea were removed and the seven kilometers of seashore was made new.  The Barceloneta is a triangular piece of land that cuts into the Mediterranean, and features the Old Port (Port Vell) on one side and beaches on the other.  Sunday is paella day, and this is the area you want to visit to sample Spain’s national dish.  There are tapas restaurant, “chiringuitas,” which are beachside bar and snack places, an aquarium, and more, including the historic streets of La Barceloneta, a neighborhood bordered by the sea.

Climb (or Ride) Up a Hill

Montjuic Hill overlooks the city.  You can walk up (and check out the Olympic stadium on your way), or, if you are in a hurry, you can take the Montjuic funicular or the cable car from the Barceloneta.  Bring a camera (or make sure your smart phone has a full charge), because you are going to want to take pictures.  The views of the city are amazing.  While there, you can see the National Palace, which houses the National Museum of Catalonia, or visit the 17th century Montjuic Castle, an old military fortress.  The Joan Miró Foundation is nearby, too.  If you can manage to be there at 9 pm on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, you can watch the show at the Montjuic Magic Fountain, a mixture of water, lights and music that is a lot more fun than 2-D videos might imply.

Get out of town?

If you are one of those people who likes to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, even when you are on vacation at a conference, then Sitges (it’s pronounced SEE-chuss, btw) may be the place for you.  This beach town is about 35 kilometers southwest of Barcelona and you can reach it by train.  You can stay the night or just spend the day.  A “must see” destination for LGBTQ travelers (but everyone is welcome!), Sitges combines the feel of a quiet beach town with a thumping night life.  There really is nothing quite like it.

Ramble Along La Rambla

Okay, it’s pretty much a tourist trap these days.  La Rambla is a tree-lined open air mall/pedestrian way that connects the Plaça de Catalunya with the Old Port.  There are vendors, street performers, restaurants, cafés and bars, and a lot of people.  Why bother?  It’s a nice walk and you can stop by the Boqueria market on your way.  And, for whatever reason, you cannot go to Barcelona without walking the Rambla at least once.  If you don’t, they might not let you leave.  I tease, of course, but still recommend that you check it out.  If you are coming from abroad, this is a great place to stop by on your first day when jetlag is at its worst.  Watch your wallet, and feel assured that you will be able to order something to eat or drink from a multi-language menu at one of the tourist restaurants.  You may as well order una jarra de sangria (a pitcher of sangria) while you are at it.

Bonus

This list is a good place to start, but it only scratches the surface.  Barcelona is full of music and theater, cabaret and dancing, and night clubs that are really open all night.  I encourage you to think about the things you like to do most and do a little bit of quick research.  Whatever you are looking for probably will not be hard to find.

  Most of all, bon viatge and have a great time.  See you there!

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