general open post

[ofstarlight]

GENERAL OPEN POST ° Drop off a starter, texting or leave a prompt of some sort, whether text based, quotes or images. AUs welcomed. Please, make sure to link to all pictures.

° Include the character in the subject line or be surprised!

° This is open to all even if we haven't talked before. Feel free to toss things at me.

° Prose and brackets are both welcomed.

Pick one of my characters: here.

code by photosynthesis

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@sam

[forwakanda]

Loving someone had never been easy for T'challa and he knew without a doubt he wasn't an easy person to love either, even outside of the whole titles and royal background. He just held so many walls around himself and all the failed romance of the past only deepened his resolve to not go there again.

Then Sam happened. Stubborn, beautiful Sam Wilson. He had been in trouble from the first hello.

Throughout the coming years they grew closer together after discovering the whole soulmate business and little by little he let go and opened up to Sam, loving him and being loved in return. It nearly made up for losing everything and he started to believe he could make an actual home there for himself. That he could handle being human, after all.

Waiting for Sam to wake up, T'challa eventually lost patience and moved to straddle his waist, looking down with a huff of his breath. "Wake up, Samuel."

[wingedman]

"Mmm." Sam slowly blinked awake, a smile spreading over his face as he took in T'Challa straddling his waist and giving him that imperious look he used so often. "Usually I'd complain about you waking me up, but I'll let it slide just this once."

He reached out and placed a hand on T'Challa's chest, then let it slide over his bare skin, fingertips trailing down his stomach and settling on a hip. "Any reason why you're so impatient today? 'Cause if it's pancakes, you're gonna have to wait."

[forwakanda]

Pancakes? He huffed out a breath even if the insinuation had him pausing for a moment to picture the Western dish and how much he enjoyed it. Sam knew how to make them just right every single time. After a moment, he shook his head, reaching behind him for a box he placed on the bed before he straddled Sam. "If you would be quiet you'll know what I'm doing," he started and then pressed his lips together.

"I just - have a speech or had. I kind of - slipped my mind completely now but you tend to do that to me. You pull me out of my head and make me focus on things more in the present and -" He shook his head, opening the box to first pull out a red string.

"There is a belief in the red string of fate and how it ties us together, specifically two people in love and meant for each other." Pausing, he reached for Sam's ring finger to tie the string around the tip, holding up the end of the string with a soft smile.

"I never believed I wanted to be tied to someone again but you, Samuel Wilson make me have hope in so many things. You make me feel so many things." Reaching for the ring out of the box, he held it at the end of the string, waiting. "To that end - Sam, will you marry me?"

[wingedman]

"Um." Sam just blinked up at T'Challa as he tried to parse the words that had come out of his mouth. Normally, the other man was smooth and well-spoken, and Sam couldn't imagine him actually forgetting a speech, much less rambling in the way he did. It made him speechless, and the proposal itself stole the breath from his lungs. Sure, they loved each other - there was no denying that. But for some reason, he'd never imagined T'Challa actually expressing enough sentiment to propose to him.

"You didn't tie the other end to yourself." Very helpful, Sam. Definitely an answer.

[forwakanda]

The remark was not in any way an answer but he threaded the ring through and tied the end of the string to his finger, keeping it from sliding down until Sam replied. He gave a look, almost nervous of a rejection. Had it not been enough time? Should be have waited until another moment to ask? He probably should have gone through with all the other plans and made it much more special. But what about not being able to wait for an engagement and plans for a forever? It counted for something, right?

"You haven't answered, Sam," he finally remarked, eyes gazing down at the man in question and he almost wanted to move off his lap just in case.

[wingedman]

Sam could feel the tension in T'Challa's muscles, and it made him raise his eyebrows a little. Although he tried to keep a straight face for a few moments longer, the grin he fought to hold back won in the end, breaking through as he reached up and pulled the other man down into a kiss.

"Of course," he murmured when they broke apart for a moment. "Did you really think I'd say anything else?" He twined the fingers of the hand with the red string through T'Challa's, squeezing his hand gently.

[forwakanda]

While he tried to respond to the kiss, the worry over the answer distracted him. The lingering fear of a reject remained even with how close they were and how much he knew they loved each other. Marriage took things to a whole other level and some never wanted to roam there.

Apparently, Sam wanted to. Grin spreading across T'challa's face, he offered a more passionately involved kiss as the ring slid fully onto Sam's finger. He made sure to settle it into place, kissing even deeper, tongue running along Sam's bottom lip.

[wingedman]

Sam ran his thumb along the ring, feeling the weight of the metal as he smiled against T'Challa's lips. Truth be told, he'd thought that T'Challa would never choose to propose to him - not because he didn't love him, but because he didn't seem like the marrying type. The proposal had caught him completely by surprise.

"Any Wakandan engagement traditions I should know about?" he asked, only half-teasing. "Anything interesting or unusual to me?"

[forwakanda]

Looking down at Sam, T'challa's mind began to wander a bit, contemplating his last attempt with marriage and other relationships. What made Sam different and why did he want to try again? Questions for another time most likely when he found solitude again.

"There are courtships and galas but you are accustomed to those by now," T'challa responded. "I believe it is the same for Westerners to purchase engagement gifts for one another? Only ours will be in a celebratory setting." As in for the entire land to attend. "Keep it appropriate for young eyes to see." He decided to refrain from discussing the scrunity the gifts faced. "Prophecies are foretold and you are to meet the panther spirit."

[wingedman]

"Hey, I keep most of my gifts appropriate." Sam pretended to sound offended. But, really, something as serious as an engagement present? Not the time to give someone a new cockring. Probably. "So I'm guessing it should be something nicer than a cat-themed tie?"

...yeah, he didn't think the people of Wakanda were likely to appreciate cat jokes. Or, for that matter, the panther spirit.

"When you say meet the panther spirit..." Sam drifted off. He wasn't sure what he was asking.

[forwakanda]

As if aware of Sam's thoughts, a glare worked over T'challa's features, very unamused by the sheer possibilities of what the other man might be considering. "No sex toys," he reinforced, making sure to have Sam look at him and see how seriously he meant it. "The present is supposed to show your feelings." Emotional ones and not the physical.

As for the panther spirit, well, Sam would be in for a shock. "It's a literal manifestation of the spirit within. You will encounter it along me to see if you're worthy of bonding with me. The spirit can see and sense all." Probably not the most reassuring thing in the world.

[wingedman]

"I am an actual adult, you know," Sam retorted dryly. "I'm not going to embarrass you in front of your entire country at our engagement party, even if I am a boorish Westerner." He was well aware of what those opposed to his presence in the country - not to mention his relationship with the king - thought about him, and he wasn't going to give them any ammunition to use against T'Challa.

"What if I'm not worthy?" Sam thought he was, but the panther spirit might have other opinions. It might not like foreigners, for one thing - particularly not foreigners who wanted to marry the king, and especially when they had no royal background. (Yeah, he'd heard some stories about Ororo.)

[forwakanda]

There were a few comments he could say but decided against them in the end because he picked up on Sam's nerves about the entire situation. Marrying into a royal bloodline would be difficult but even more so for one resting in Wakanda. The country held such deep connections and an overwhelming pride for tradition. Breaking such things were almost unheard of until more recent times.

He understood the nerves, then, and reached out to cup Sam's cheek lightly. "The panther spirit will view your heart and what your intentions are. I do not believe you will have an issue," he explained with a significant look. "Unless you have something you wish to reveal to me."

Not giving Sam much of a chance to answer, he moved to grab for a few very, very thick binders. "You will need to read through these for the ceremony protocols."