I may not be planning to romance Tom with any of my Gabriels, but given how he seems to focus alot on the age difference between the two of them his reaction to their actual age could be pretty interesting.
To be honest it’s less the perceived age gap as it is the point in life. Yes, you have a kid that is the same age as Josie, but they were dropped in your lap by circumstance, not necessarily choice. He sees you as a younger, single person beginning a new life in their chapter--and not at all one you’re prepared for. He and Marie try to help you cope with being a single parent.
Then the tables get turned and Tom becomes a single parent as well, one that may need more of a helping hand than he is willing to admit. The age difference then becomes more of a teasing thing, something to try and ruffle your feathers. Finding out that you measure your age by eons rather than single years certainly throws him for a loop. Not to mention the fact that he never picked up on it and made assumptions based on what he thought your name was which has him feeling a little chagrined.
Hi!I love your game and I've wondering about this for a while now . Let's say Marie was somehow revived (impossible, I know but just for the sake of this ask) and Tom had to choose between her and a romanced!Gabriel , who would he choose?
That’s nearly an impossible thing to ask. Part of it depends on how long after her death she’s revived. How long has Tom had to fall for Gabriel, to get accustomed to them in his life? How long has he had to see what an influence they have over Josie, and what kind of influence is that?
At the end of the day, Marie was his first love. She’s his alpha, and the mother of his child. He feels a certain obligation to her, and he can’t help but think that if she hadn’t died, he’d never be with Gabriel. So that means he should be with Marie, right? As if she hadn’t died?
But Gabriel was there for him. Is there for him. They are someone he never expected to come into his life and mean so much, and it would be a betrayal of their trust and everything they’ve built together to throw that away.
If it’s been a while, then Marie will make the decision for him. It’s not fair to ask him to choose, because he never had to do so in the first place--wouldn’t have fallen for someone else if she had never died. And he’s happy, now. That’s what’s important. She might not be the happiest but coming back from the dead can really screw things up, and she’s still Josie’s mom and always will be.
So if one of the Were ROs walked in on Gabby naked (who they're crushing on), they'd just kinda shrug about it since nudity isn't all that big a deal to them?
Were culture doesn’t mean that it applies to each individual the same.
Karyn–Whatever. Though she might comment on you being nude in a place where generally humans aren’t.
Tom–Politely leaves. It doesn’t bother him, exactly, but humans in general don’t appreciate being walked in on.
Charleston–You share a locker room with him. It happens, no big deal.
Leo–Surprised, and turns his back to try and give you privacy. He’s not flustered, exactly, but he understands that many creatures don’t like being walked in on while nude. Not necessarily because they’re naked, even, but because they appear vulnerable.
Are we Tom's second choice? ...Cause it sure feels like it
I can’t determine how you feel about it; it’s up to you.
For Tom, it’s not a second choice. He loved Marie, and he thought he would spend the rest of their lives together.
After her death, he never expected to fall in love with someone again. It’s confusing, and at times complicated, because yes, he still loves Marie, but the simple fact is that she’s gone. That chapter of his life is over with.
But you also can’t compare yourself to her. Tom doesn’t. And if you do, then you hurt him because you are your own unique individual, and if you can’t appreciate his respect for that, he may not be the right RO for you. Your love story, to be cliche, is a different tale from the one Tom had with Marie. She is the mother of his child and she was his wife and that will not change, but it does not mean he loves you less because of it.
Dance with Me (Tom Extra, SuperNova’s Ko-Fi Request)
Here’s the Tom extra SuperNova requested. It is safe for work, and as the prompt was left up to me, I decided to do Tom trying to teach the MC the basics of swing dancing. Hope you enjoy!
“Can I take this off yet?”
“Not yet.”
You let out a dramatic sigh, for Tom’s benefit.
The soles of his shoes are quiet on the floor, but you can track him moving away from you, doing something off to your right. Turning your head, you talk in his direction.
“Tall, dark and handsome doesn’t mean you have to be quiet and mysterious too,” you quip. The jest elicits a deep chuckle from your boyfriend that has your stomach flipping.
“And youth doesn’t mean you have to be in a rush all the time,” Tom responds.
Music starts to sweep through the room. Without looking, you know it’s one of his vinyl records. One of his quirks is his preference for the large, black records, the sleeves of which take up several shelves on a bookcase next to the record player.
As the needle passes over the tracks, you start to recognize the notes. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys by the Andrews Sisters.
Warm hands grasp your hips and you jump. You missed his return, distracted by trying to determine the song.
He chuckles, the sound low and warm, causing your stomach to flip. “Now can I take it off?” you plead as he presses against you, his body warm and hard.
“No,” Tom repeats his earlier answer, earning him a huff of annoyance.
“You are being unreasonable,” you inform him, shivering as his stubble scrapes across your cheek.
“Your so-called sense of rhythm is forcing me to take drastic steps,” he murmurs into your ear.
“My sense of rhythm is fine!” You protest loudly. “It’s my feet that aren’t on board with the rest of me,” you add, feeling the sense of disbelief in his gaze.
“All we’re doing is removing some of the distractions,” he states.
You have to bite your tongue.
“I don’t count,” he adds, his lips grazing the back of your neck.
“I disagree,” you say, feeling the way your body tightens at the light touch.
“Now feel the beat.” He disappears from your back, leaving you standing alone, blind. Biting down on your lip, you wait a few measures. Okay. One-a-two-one-a-two, rock-step.
“You’re too stiff.” You feel a pressure against the back of your knees, and you bend them. A hand on your lower back encourages you to tilt forward a fraction, another hand on your stomach stopping you.
And then he’s gone again. Okay. Step-together-step, step-together-step, rock-step.
“The rock-step is a shift of your weight. You don’t need to move your whole body.” Tom stops you, hands framing your waist. The Andrews Sisters keep going on about the bugle boy as your boyfriend rubs his thumbs in small circles over your waist, the motions slow and out of place with the music.
“Put your foot back.” You oblige, feeling his foot nudging yours back forward. “It doesn’t have to be so dramatic.”
“Maybe I feel like being dramatic,” you quip. His smile is tangible.
“Now shift your weight back, towards me,” he states.
You do so, the motion feeling natural. There was a lot of crossover between fighting and dancing. Except in fighting you were basing your pace on that of an opponent, an irregular and imperfect rhythm. There wasn’t this need to try and fit three movements in two beats, or whatever it was that Tom had been trying to teach you.
“That’s it,” he praises. It’s a small thing, but the pleased note in his voice makes you flush. “Now try again, the whole thing.”
Yet again he vanishes, and you have to stifle the huff of annoyance. This was not the romantic evening you had in mind.
The song had started over, and after taking a few seconds to focus on the beat, you move. It’s easier this time, and you can feel yourself grinning as you repeat the basic step and Tom doesn’t stop you to correct anything.
A gasp escapes you as your hands are carefully lifted so they rest on Tom’s. For someone who works in an office or a bar, his hands have a touch more callouses than you expect. Elegant fingers though, ones that were quickly familiarizing themselves with your body, finding out where a light touch would have you sucking in air just a bit too quickly to be casual.
“Keep doing the footwork.” Trying not to stiffen up, you focus on the pattern of steps, trusting in Tom.
One of his hands leaves yours, causing a moment of panic from the loss of sensation. Abruptly the blindfold is being removed, and you blink rapidly, trying to orient yourself. Tom tosses the strip of fabric aside, reclaiming your hand and pulling you towards him.
You follow, doing your best to keep your eyes on his face and not your feet. It’s not as hard as you thought it would be, the soft smile he’s giving you making you feel like a live-wire. The song clicks over into another repetition as you feel yourself drowning in his eyes. Their brown is warm and inviting, a touch of gold giving them an exotic stare.
“You’re doing it,” Tom murmurs, keeping his voice low to preserve the intimate atmosphere.
“It’s rather boring,” you respond.
The way one corner of his mouth lifts spells trouble. You’ve seen that same grin on Josie’s face too many times to mistake it for anything less.
The next moment he’s twisting your arms, you stumbling along in a valiant attempt to keep dancing until your back is snug against Tom’s chest.
“That’s just the beginning,” he says in your ear, maintaining the steps with you in his arms. “Forgive me for boring you, but I find dancing to be a sensual act. Even teaching you is a bit of an aphrodisiac,” he adds, grazing his teeth over the side of your neck.
And then he spins you back out, away from him. You narrow your eyes, trying to ignore the way your blood races. “Teaching me how to dance to get laid. Wouldn’t have suspected you of that,” you tease.
A small squeak escapes you as once more you are being led by your hands with no idea what’s going on. You stop, hovering just above the floor, Tom holding the dip with ease.
“I don’t hear a complaint,” he says, centimeters above your lips.
“I can fix that,” you say back, locking eyes with him. “Maybe you should make sure I have other concerns.”
The kiss he lays on you is slow, tender. It’s unhurried and self-assured, Tom letting you be the one pushing for more, licking at his lips until he opens them. All too soon it’s over, Tom having moved you upright without your awareness.
“We should get going,” he says, his eyes drifting to your lips.
“Why?” you ask, fingers tangling in the front of his button-up shirt, tempted to start opening them.
“Because we have dinner reservations,” Tom replies, taking your hands in his and removing them. “Patience,” he adds, kissing your forehead, which is a few inches above where you want his lips.
“I’m fine with skipping dinner and going straight to dessert,” you respond, even though you know the battle has already been lost. Tom likes to have proper dates, and that means a good meal.
“Anticipation will make it all the sweeter,” he says, going into the hall closet and retrieving your coat, holding it out for you to slip into.
“I’m going to hold you to that,” you grumble.
“You’ll learn as you get older,” he says against your ear, reaching around you to do the front of the coat up.
It’s difficult not to respond with the truth when he makes statements like that, but at the same time, it’s endearing at times. Besides, you’re still trying to figure out how to break it to him that you aren’t human at all, much less far, far older than him.
“With you as a teacher, I don’t doubt,” you say instead, lips brushing against his throat. The small shiver that wracks his body reassures you that you won’t be the only one waiting until dinner is done. Satisfied, you bounce out of the house while Tom locks up behind you.
Does Tom's 'you should find someone older' fall more on the side of insecurity or advice?
I think you mean “you should find someone younger” (if I said older that was a mistake; it should be younger) as he has had a life and wife. To him, you haven’t had the chance for a relationship of that depth, and choosing some ‘old’ widower may not be right for you. He doesn’t perceive it as insecurity; he knows who he is. For him, it’s just advice.
How many times have Tom and Marie tried polymory, and has it been with female's over men?
Answered over here and here (both are sinday asks, NSFW). Did not require multiple experiments, Tom would never be comfortable in that situation with another man as he experiences 0 attraction to men, and frankly, I’m not going to keep answering this question. Not happening, isn’t happening.
