#coi headers

[kiwicidios]

ㅤㅤㅤ ᰍ 𓈒 🎧 ⸼ ᭝♡ 𝆬ㅤ

#⠀⠀⠀⠀subtwt don't use please #⠀⠀ 𓂂 ˳ ♱ Handsome don't be coy Come on fuck me emo boy #twitter layouts #messy layouts #messy packs #edgy #soft layouts #coquette layouts #resident evil icons #resident evil layouts #resident evil packs #resident evil vendetta #resident evil #leon kennedy layouts #leon kennedy icons #leon kennedy #chris redfield #chris redfield icons #horror packs #headers by me

[lee-kangin]

there’s a guy on r/coys who’s like 80 and is an st holder and goes to the games with his sons and i smile every time i see a comment of his on there

#he’s commenting on the citeh game rn and he’s just gone ‘great players great control . there must be something wrong with me i find the #controlled metronome football Boring . sidenote what a header by De Bruner. i forgot how you spell his name sorry.’ #he’s so wholesome and he always provides rly good perspective when we’re all doomposting #he once said ‘are we going to come unstuck sometimes well of course we are . are we going to occasionally get really stuffed probably . #at my age i want to watch us having a go at the opposition with the obvious intent to win . rather than defend with the obvious intent not #to lose . those of you old enough to remember the billy nick years will know that what ange is playing is the nearest to our glory years #under bill . COYS.’ #god bless you coys granddad we love you

[angel-of-the-moons]

Reversal

Miguel O'Hara x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: NSFW, Smut, Sex, Sex toys, Top(?) Reader, Bottom(?) Miguel, Reader being Nasty, Size Kink, Height Difference, Overstimulation (almost), Edging(?), Canon event: Miguel likes it up the ass from time to time

MINORS DNI: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT YOU CONSUME

A/N: Blame thank @oharaludes for this (Also I lied I should be asleep but I stayed up to write this now instead of tomorrow because akhdlhslhflhohofnsondlndlnc I couldn't afford to lose the spark™)

(Any Spanish spoken is in italics and is largely translated by Google. Header does not indicate reader's race. I really need to get more creative at making these asdfghjkl)

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Miguel O'Hara was a man who had to be in control at all times. He had to oversee who went on what mission, who to let into the Society, who to hunt down, what universes to monitor, which anomalies threatened the safety of the multiverse...

He was not known for willingly relinquishing his control.

But, being in control all the time, bearing all that weight had limitations. Sometimes, it just became too much and you would need to let it go for a bit, get the weight off your back and relax.

But then... Miguel had you.

You were probably the only respite Miguel had in the multiverse. And you were right under his nose the entire time. He convinced himself to go back to his universe, to visit his brother. He missed him.

But... he went back...

Just to find you. You were spunky, playful, and annoyingly gorgeous. And you happened to be one of Gabriel's newest best friends.

Poor Gabriel had a heart attack when he swung by your apartment to drop off the computer he was fixing for you, just to walk in and see you and Miguel on the couch in a rather compromising position.

You told Miguel you swore that his brother's brain exploded when he almost fainted.

But hey! Your computer worked again!

Not too long after, you decided to make it official. Official as in "he told you everything" official.

Gabriel just made you two swear you'd lock your front door next time.

Right now however, the nostalgia of that day lost its novelty as exhaustion and frustration crept into his body as he dragged his feet into your apartment, unlocking the door with your security code and letting himself in.

There you were. Gorgeous as the day he first saw you

One of his shirts hung off your shoulder, and down past your thighs. He couldn't resist the smile that snaked its way onto his face when he smelled you.

"Ah, Miguel! How is your universe saving thingy going, amor?" You said, flinging your arms around him as he gripped you tight, burying his nose in your hair to inhale the soft scent of you.

Coffee, chocolate, and strawberries. That's what you always smelled like.

"Exhausting." He sighed loosing his grip on you just enough to look down at you. You were so goddamn short.

It was cute, honestly.

You frowned up at him, those gorgeous lips of yours quirking down. "Ven y siéntate?"

Miguel let you pull him by the hand to the couch, where you sat down first and patted your lap.

Miguel smiled again as he accepted your silent request, lying on your couch (though mostly curled up due to his sheer size alone) and laid his head in your lap.

Your fingers dove into the soft chocolate locks on his head, massaging his scalp with your nails and he made a soft groan of contentment at the sensation.

"Now, tell me about it?" You hummed.

"Later... right now I want to relax. Olvida todas esas cosas." He mumbled softly, closing his eyes, his thumb caressing your knee softly.

"Just want to relax." He repeated, turning his face into the plus of your thighs.

He could smell you. And he knew that you knew it.

And you were never one for subtlety.

But you were one for playing coy when it suited you.

"Aw... Miggy." You purr, combing through his hair softly. "You really do need to relax, honey."

"I can think of a way." He growled, turning his head again, so he can place a kiss to the top of your thigh, making you giggle.

"Nuh-uh. How about we switch things up today, hm?" You grin.

He looked up at you.

"¿Qué quieres decir?"

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

He should have known.

Of course.

Of course you were waiting for the right moment to breach this subject.

And of course you knew he'd say yes, he almost always said yes to you.

It was... odd. Not unpleasant. But odd. Normally he tops in bed, pinning you down, biting marks into your skin, sucking hickeys here and there as he pounded you into the mattress until your eyes crossed and you were a babbling incoherent mess.

And of course, you also had everything planned out.

Because when you had a plan, you had all your bases covered.

Like right now.

Somehow, you talked him into letting you top him for the night. Taking control from him and just helping him enjoy it. And you assured him he would.

You anticipated the holes he'd tear into your bed with his talons, the curses he'd spit...

What you weren't expecting though, was the soft whimpers and deep groans coming from him. How absolutely pliant he became while you fucked him with the strap-on you had secured to your waist.

You would continue to apply more lube as you fucked him here and there, stopping to grip his hips for stability, the pillow under him helping keep him angled for you.

You half wanted to have him get on all fours so you could fuck him that way, but it would ruin the other part of your plan.

"So good for me." You purr, running your fingers up his abs, tracing the small scars he's picked up over the years.

You jerked your hips upwards, not hitting his prostate but enough to make his eyes roll and him snarl through hissed teeth.

When he cursed, he wanted it to come out harsher. He meant for it to sound more... authoritative.

But all that came out was a whiny, breathy gasp.

"¡Mierda!"

You giggled, and stilled your hips just a moment to grab the bottle of lube, squirting some onto your hand as you wrapped around his throbbing length.

Not that you ever needed to use lube when you jerked him off, the man leaked so much precum that he could just use it on its own.

But, you liked the lewd sounds it helped make when you drag your fist up and down his cock.

He was so big you could barely wrap your hand around him.

You dragged your hand up his shaft slowly, leisurely tracing each vein as you rolled your hips in a consistent pace, not quite giving him the relief he wanted, but edging him just enough that he slowly just became undone under you, like you had so many times under him.

"Awww, cariño..." You tut, jerking him slowly, twisting your hand as you went to the angry and weeping head of his cock, rubbing your thumb over the slit and applying a bit of pressure there.

"Tell me what you want, baby." You grin, giving another sharp thrust, sending a sharp bolt of pleasure up his spine that hit him so hard he audibly gasped and you could hear it as his talons shredded your bedsheets.

"¡Mierda!" He groaned, the noise deep and rumbling and oh so needy that the very sound sent a fresh wave of heat straight to your cunt.

"Use your words, honey." You hum, arching your hips again as his thighs flexed, the muscles taut as he let out a shaky exhale, one arm going to drape over his face.

You clicked your tongue and reached up, swatting his arm aside so you could see that gorgeous face of his.

"Let me see you, mi amor." You say to him, making one long stroke, followed by a few short, hard ones, making him cry out again.

"Again, use your words, baby. What d'you want?"

"Fucking--" He growled. "I want to cum! Mierda I want to--"

You frowned again and let his cock go, slowing your pace to an agonizing crawl.

"Miguel..." You scold.

"P-Por favor." He whined, tipping his head back so you could see his Adams apple bob as he swallowed.

"Thaaaaat's it. I have something for you..." You say, reaching for the small velvet bag that rolled to your knee thanks to the weight dipping the bed.

He looked up at you, his pupils blown wide and his irises glowing a gorgeous crimson as you pulled out a small vibrator.

You smirked with satisfaction when you saw his cock jump, a new bead of precum dripping down onto his abs, adding to the rivulets that flowed down his sides already.

You turned it on and it buzzed to life in your hand, surprisingly loud for such a tiny thing. But damn, did you get your money's worth. You turned it off again and pressed it at the base of his cock, where the shaft met his taut and heavy balls.

"All right, since you asked nicely, I'll allow it."

The moment you turned it back on he dropped his head back with a sound that you swore would shred any other man's vocal chords, especially when you started thrusting where you knew he so desperately wanted it.

You grinned and bit your lip, thrusting up and hard, guiding the toy up and down his bobbing length, not giving him any relief.

You could tell by how tense his abs were and how desperately his hands pawed at your bedsheets that he was close.

"Go on and cum for me, cariño." You purr seductively; you punctuated every word with a thrust.

"Just." Smack!

"Like." Smack!

"This." Smack!

You dragged the small vibrator up to the tip of his cock, and thrust hard one last time, as he practically bellowed out your name as he came, hot ropes shooting out of his dick and coating his abs, parts of his chest, and completely coating the head of the vibrator.

You giggle and switch it off, and pull the strap out of him slowly, amused at how badly he was twitching for you.

"My idea was a good one, huh?" You say smugly.

Without looking at you, he sticks up his index finger.

"This time." He said, his eyes still closed as he came down from his high, his belly painted white.

"Pff. Hey, hey Miguel. Miguel. Hey. Heyyy!" You giggle, looking down at him, tapping his thigh to get him to answer you.

When Miguel finally looked at you, he had a soft scowl on his face, which immediately melted away when he watched you wrap your lips around the head of that damned toy, and lick every bit of his cum off the tip, making direct eye contact the whole time, humming like you were simply sucking on a piece of candy.

"¡Mierda!"

You shrieked and giggled when he pinned you down, spreading your legs with his thighs as he bit down on your shoulder, growling.

"My turn now, chica."

#my writing #miguel o'hara x you #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel spiderverse #miguel spiderman #atsv miguel #miguel o'hara smut #spiderverse smut

[chickenparm]

Warm Enough (Wriothesley/gn!Reader)

header by @drawlypsy :^)

i said to myself "that fortress is all metal, ain't no way that bitch is warm!" and then i said "wait...warm......warmer............warming-"

---

AO3 LINK

Written pre-4.1

Wriothesley/gn!Reader (no pronouns, no body description) 1441 Words - NSFW Cockwarming, desk sex, a little bit of dirty talk, pre-established relationship

---

Wriothesley has a person for everything. A tool for every problem, a solution to most situations that would leave others frustrated or at a loss. 

There’s a man he knows that has an exceptional skill in metallurgy. It’s where he gets his cuffs from. A woman with connections in Liyue to obtain high quality ore. A man with hands skilled enough to turn that ore into the components needed for his gloves. And so on and so forth. 

Wriothesley is the Duke of Meropide; there’s no shortage of problems that need solving in one way or another. It just comes with the territory - he knew it when he somehow ended up with the title and position. Resourcefulness has served him well, he thinks. 

Meropide is surprisingly cold, despite the foundry inside. His office itself sits far enough away that often the coat over his shoulders is worn as it should be, the tea on his desk keeping his fingers warm when he wraps them around the cup. So, when you smiled at him disarmingly and asked if he’d like something to warm him up, he agreed offhandedly without a second thought. 

And he should have thought. 

Because thoughtlessness gets him here - sitting at his desk, fingers struggling to write as he shivers in a different way. Eyes unfocused and unseeing at the words swimming on the pages, the hair at the back of his neck sticking uncomfortably to his skin with an uncharacteristic amount of sweat. 

“I-I think I’m warm enough-”

“Are you? You’re trembling, poor thing.” You hum, tilting your head a little more so he can see more easily over your shoulder. “Let’s stay a little longer. Just like this.”

Like this? Wriothesley wants to laugh, but not out of good humor. Of course, he’s warm, but perhaps too much. Your hips shift, and with it comes a shock of pleasure that makes his brows pitch together and his teeth clamp down on his tongue. Only when a faint tang of copper touches his taste buds does he let it go and say, “Have I upset you?”

“What makes you say that?” Your answer comes with another roll of your hips, a quiet sigh leaving you as you enjoy both the sensation and the throbbing desperation of his cock inside you. Your next words are spoken a little lower, a little more heady, “Isn’t this better than being cold? If you want, I can do this all day.”

“Please, don’t.”

And his stomach twists in quiet embarrassment at how pathetic that sounded. At how your body shakes with your quiet, pleased laughter. At how you purposely clench around him until his breath leaves his lungs in a quiet groan. How if you tried to get off him and leave, he’d pull you right back onto his dick where you belong. 

Wriothesley has a person for everything - including you to satisfy his more personal needs. 

“I know you’re having fun,” he starts, knuckles white with his annoyed grip on his pen, “but just know what’s coming to you later.”

“Later?” Your voice is teasing as you lean forward a little, your elbow on the desk as if you needed to get comfortable for the long haul. “Why do I have to wait?”

With a quiet sound, Wriothesley sets his pen down very carefully. All things considered, he’s been very patient with this. Too patient, with how keenly he’s aware of your pulse from the inside, how it skipped when his hand just wrapped around your hip. As coy as you try to be, Wriothesley knows your tells. 

You want the conclusion to this as badly as he does. And with that knowledge, now he’s ready to drag this out, to meet you blow for blow if you don’t relent. 

“We’re not warm enough, right?” His fingers dig into your hip, hold you still when you try to shift once more. One simple movement shifts control, places it firmly in his palm and he’s not going to let it go so easily. “And besides, our bedroom gets rather cold, too. Doesn’t it?”

The line of your throat shifts as you swallow harder than necessary, and you look over your shoulder at him with an obvious pout, “Maybe some friction will do the trick for now?”

“Why didn’t you start with that?” Wriothesley asks, cocking his head to the side, mouth set in a line of disapproval. You don’t answer, but you don’t need to. It’s all a game, and playing along keeps you happy, but now he’s impatient. If you won’t let him win, then at least a draw will do.

With a sharp huff of air, your chest hits the desk as you’re pinned to it, hips digging into the edge as he leans his weight into you, pushing deeper into the warmth you so graciously tried to share. It’s easy to keep you there with a hand between your shoulder blades, easier still as he pulls back and thrusts forward once more. 

The sound you make echoes off the walls of his office, and he leans in to shush you, “Sh-sh-sh, don’t need anyone getting curious. You know how easily sound travels down the stairs.”

Rather than simply keep quiet, your palms slap over your mouth as if you can’t be bothered to completely hide how his cock feels inside you, fucking you open with slow, deep strokes. Faster might be better, it would make that friction you suggested, but the sweat beading at your temple makes him think that this is doing just fine. 

And either way, he likes doing it this way. Slow, methodical, keeping pace and hitting exactly where you need it to make your eyes roll behind fluttering lashes. The tips of your fingers dig into your cheeks, pressing into the skin and catching his eye. Subconsciously, his own fingers mimic that pressure into the skin of your back, keeping you still and prone for him. 

“You think if I made you scream, we could finish and get dressed before someone came to check on us?” He asks, a little grin cutting into his cheek as your eyes snap open to look at him. Quickly you shake your head, but he pushes for it anyway, picking up the pace and angling just right that you instinctively arch against it. 

When you don’t relent right away, he goes for it again - and again, and again, your body tensing and one of your feet kicking against the desk in either protest or reflex. It doesn’t matter which, he thinks, you’d be more upset if he stopped now, anyway.

“C’mon,” he urges, leaning closer, his chest aligned with your back as he gets down to your level, “just a little one? For me?”

Your head shakes. Wriothesley makes a sound of disappointment with his tongue behind his teeth. “If you don’t do it now, I’ll make it twice as worse later. Then you’ll have to look everyone in the eye knowing they’re aware I fucked you stupid.”

Maybe you’re too close to the edge, or maybe you realized that there’s no winning this one, but your hand slips and you cry out your release, palm slapping against the desk to push back against him in greedy ecstasy. 

Having been teetering on the edge for over an hour now, Wriothesley digs into your skin with his grip and finds his own pleasure in you. As you shudder beneath him, his breath rushes against your ear with each of his thrusts until you receive a much quieter sound of his satisfaction in return and the pulsing fullness that comes from him fucking it deeper with a few purposeful jerks of his hips.

Footsteps ring out on the metal stairs, and Wriothesley snaps back to reality with a huff and a chaste kiss beneath your ear. Something soft after all of that. With shaking hands, you fix your clothing and try to make yourself presentable. The sweat on your forehead is wiped off with the sleeve of Wriothesley’s coat, and he frowns but says nothing. 

There’s no time for admonishing when one of the guards knocks on the door and asks if the two of you are alright. Clearing your throat, you answer that everything is just fine, that the two of you are arguing. The guard laughs and leaves; it’s not the first time you’ve disagreed with him on something. 

Only when the footsteps fade away do you turn around and slap at his shoulder half-heartedly. And he laughs in return, a soft little thing as he holds his shoulder in mock-pain and taunts, “Another thing you’ll answer for later.”

#mind the a/n for content tags #wriothesley #genshin impact #genshin #fic #fanfic #fanfiction #wriothesley/reader #wriothesley x reader #gender-neutral reader #gn!reader #reader is not described physically

[burningupp]

header made by my favorite human @bunnypig18! ily quentin and thank you thank you thank you for making this for me 💕

skz masterlist | main masterlist

pairing: hwang hyunjin x reader

genre: smau, strangers to enemies to lovers, angst, slow burn

status: ongoing

summary: hyunjin always completely struck out when it came to makeup artists. they all took advantage of their job being close to hyunjin to hit on him. the last few years, kyeongmi has been in charge of his makeup, and it's been great - but now she's going on maternity leave, and he is left with someone new.

one - maternity leave

two - normal

three - paranoid

four - I need a moment

five- projecting

six - clown

seven - talking

eight - breather

nine - searching

ten - apologies

eleven - pimple

twelve - the eyes

thirteen - grounding

fourteen - situation

fifteen - coy

sixteen - insane

seventeen - this messy bitch

eighteen - victory!

nineteen - don't psychoanalyze me

twenty - japchae

twenty-one - nostalgia for a moment not yet passed

twenty-two - new brain

twenty-three - you can tell me anything

twenty-four - you have DISAPPOINTED ME

#skz smau #skz social au #skz social media au #stray kids smau #stray kids social au #stray kids social media au #hyunjin x reader #hyunjin x y/n #hyunjin x you #hyunjin smau #hyunjin social au #skz fake text #skz fake texts #skz fake chats #stray kids fake chat #stray kids fake texts #hyunjin fake texts #hwang hyunjin x reader #hwang hyunjin x you #hwang hyunjin x y/n #skz texts #stray kids texts #smau #social media au #hyunjin social media au #skz x reader #skz x you #skz x y/n #stray kids x reader #stray kids x you

[citrus-moonlight]

Woven

- a Bringin' Home the Rain Interlude -

"Bringin' Home the Rain" Master List: [ Part One ] 🌹 [ Part Two: "Salvation is a Deep Dark Well" ] Fandom: MCU - Age of Ultron, Black Panther Pairing: Ulysses Klaue x F Reader Chapters: 1 of 1 Word count: 3.9k Rating: Explicit

Summary: As winter begins to settle in, the darkening days are unexpectedly brightened when you end up with the chance to spend a little more time with Ulysses Klaue.

Summary: Explicit! Rating, Fluff, Christmas Fluff, Smut, Public Teasing, Semi-Public Touching, Yes There's a Bed and Breakfast, Hotel Sex, Dirty Talk, Praise Kink, You Have to Be Quiet, Klaue is Still a Menace But He's a Soft Menace, Fingering, Being Held Down, Reference to Edging, Unprotected PIV, Creampie, Multiple Orgasms, Overstimulation

A/N: So I seem to have written some fluff, and holiday fluff, no less. I mean, it's still smutty fluff, and while I did go back and forth a bit with this, I really just wanted soft!Klaue, and finally reminded myself it's my story and I can write what I want (and apparently in whatever order I want 😂).

Also, yes, this this falls between the next two chapters of "Salvation is a Deep Dark Well" that as of this telling haven't been written yet. However it doesn't affect the rest of the story, it's more of a very self-indulgent interlude, and while I may come back to edit in a few details once chapter two is published, it doesn't change the narrative.

As always thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this slightly late holiday fluff. ❤️

Header by me, banners/dividers by the lovely @saradika-graphics. ❤️

[ A03 Link ]

Shades of early December silver and grey are rapidly setting over the landscape, the dark even faster.

Although the sun doesn’t set much earlier than it would if you were in New York City (ten minutes to be exact), being in the mountains makes it seem as though it does, and as the days tick by you find yourself craving a bit of light.

The holidays are coming, so you take the excuse to drape a strand of lights over your dresser, the soft glow helping to warm the nights a little. 

Still, you’re quickly becoming bored of winter, and it's only exacerbated by the new loneliness that works its way between your ribs when Klaue is gone - which is, of course, most of the time. You can only fill your days with so much work, and now that snow is settling into the mountains your options for distraction are growing limited.

Among your searches for things to occupy you, holiday festivals come up, and after a little more investigation you discover that Bucharest has a Christmas market that happens to be the largest winter festival in Romania, with the opening night and tree lighting ceremony this coming weekend.

Klaue wasn’t supposed to be getting back for a couple more days and while you’d mentioned your plans to him, when you step onto the train platform you nearly trip over your boots when you recognize a familiar form. 

Your stomach flips and something else swirls lower when you see him standing among the other passengers, hands in the pockets of a heavy black wool coat.

He hasn’t seen you yet so you make your way over to him, staying just behind his shoulder.

“Come here often?” 

Klaue turns with a start, appearing as though he’s about to say something but his words falter when his eyes catch on your bundled form.

A coy grin slowly curves your lips at catching him off guard.

“Got in a little early, came here straight from the airport to see if I could catch you.” he finally explains “I’ll still need to make some phone calls, but I’ve freed up the rest of my day. If you’d like some company. But if you- ”

“Of course, yes!” You assure him, a newly familiar warmth in your chest that he met you here, that he’s offering. “How could I not take advantage of you being back early.”

As eager as you are, there’s still a layer of uncertainty. 

It’s the first time you’ve spent any time with Klaue outside of the compound. Not to mention that very little of the time you have spent together has passed while you weren’t desperately wrapped in one another - certainly not a full day.

Though maybe it’s better this way; less time to overthink, less time to anticipate, simply having to adapt to a new situation. You’re good at that, you remind yourself. 

It doesn’t mean that your thoughts aren’t tinged with frustration, because even though he’d only been gone a few days this time your body is already humming with desire as you board the busy train and settle into your seats against the window. 

You manage to watch the scenery for a while, focusing on the mountains and the forests interspersed with other, smaller cities as you approach the capital, but your gaze is steadily drawn back to Klaue while he works across from you. 

Your eyes drift to his mouth, the memory of his growl when you nip and tug at the pouting curve of his lower lip leaving you shifting in your seat.

The motion draws his eyes to your hips before sliding up your body with a knowing look.

The full train douses any chance of much more than heated glances, but as you look around you, you note that the passengers across the aisle seem to be thoroughly engrossed in their own conversations and devices.

And you get an idea.

Appearing to casually adjust your things, you move your coat to your side facing the aisle, bunching it so that it blocks your legs from the view of anyone not standing over you. 

Or sitting across from you.

Klaue’s posture stiffens when he catches the movement of your hand along the seam where your crossed legs meet. 

You keep your arm still so that just your wrist slowly flexes, shivering as your fingers sweep up and over the place between your thighs that’s already warm with arousal, before retracing the path back down again. 

He's utterly still except for the muscles tensing in his jaw, eyes intent on the slow drag of your fingers. 

When he licks his lips your breathing becomes shallower. The gentle tingling in your nerves spreads through your thighs to swirl deep in your core, and you realize you’re rapidly becoming more aroused than you anticipated, and as much as you had thrilled at a chance to tease him you’re going to need to stop.

You hand stills and you take a slow breath to collect yourself, reaching into your bag for your phone hoping to distract yourself for the rest of the ride. But even before you can unlock it a message notification pops up on your screen.

>Who said you could stop?

Your eyes widen, finding Klaue’s gaze sparking blue and expectant when you look up at him. 

Patiently waiting for your phone to disappear back into your bag.

For your fingers return to their activity.

Clearly pleased that your tease has been turned on you, a smug grin on his lips when your eyelids flutter. 

The light touch isn’t enough to get you close, but it’s enough to make you ache, to leave you fighting to suppress the shivers that roll through you with the slick clench of your cunt as you watch his eyes darken.

Glancing down between where his hands rest on his broad thighs you can see the fabric beginning to strain there, the ache deepening at the thought of his stiffening cock, but you’re satisfied at least that he’s not unaffected by your state.

Wrapped up in the haze of sensation you start when the conductor’s voice comes over the speaker to announce that you’ll be coming into Bucharest in less than ten minutes.

Hitching a sigh, the world around you filters back in, and you bite your lip at the realization of what you had been doing, of how easily he once again had you giving in to him, even here.  

Eventually you take your phone back out, trying to calm yourself down before you reach your stop.

It’s late afternoon by the time the bus drops you off at the outskirts of the market grounds, only a brief glimpse of sun left as it slides between the clouds and the horizon, but you still have plenty of time to explore before the tree lighting.

Making your way through the busy streets you take in the festive decorations, a popular restaurant absolutely dripping with evergreen boughs and giant candy canes, innumerable strings of lights already illuminating the streets as dusk settles over the city

As you make your way through the streets, you begin to think that it might have been a better idea to book a hotel room rather than taking the late train back tonight, but it’s too late now, everything is likely booked solid in the area.

If it had just been you then you would have figured something out, found a cheap place on the outskirts of the city, but since Klaue is with you you’re hesitant to ask. On top of not wanting to be presumptuous of his time, while you’ve spent as much time together as you could since that first night, you haven’t woken up next to him before.

You don’t dwell in your conflicted thoughts for long, though, because you nearly get taken out by a group of Hora dancers as you round the corner of a cobblestone street. 

Klaue quickly maneuvers you out of the way of the oblivious dancers lost in their steps, your arms instinctively reaching to tighten around his waist as you laugh at your lack of awareness.

“I've got you,” he chuckles, not letting you go. “Are you alright, darling?”

“Yeah, no, I’m good.” You assure him. “Apparently I need to pay a bit more attention around here. ” 

Being pressed against his body warms you and your eyes can’t help but flick to his mouth again, startled by how badly you want to kiss him right now. 

But you’ve never kissed him when you weren’t, well, naked - or about to be. A heated press of lips when you have to say goodbye, sure, but although you’ve both opened up a bit you’re aware this isn’t exactly the kind of relationship (not that you’re sure you could call it that, exactly) that allows for moments of casual affection.

So instead you smile and tip your chin down, and both of you take a wide berth around the circling dancers. 

But your heart still races when he doesn’t let you go, keeping you tucked against his side as you approach the bustling Square.

The delicious smells of festival food wafting over you are a quick reminder that you haven’t eaten since breakfast, too distracted on the train to think much about it, so as soon as you arrive you make your way to food cottages. 

Spiced kebabs for him and a steaming vegetable stew for you, followed by plum dumplings and papanasi, a kind of cheese donut that has no right to be as good as it is, and the time you’re standing in the square awaiting the lighting of the tree, you’re warm and satisfied. 

A light dusting of snowflakes begins to swirl as the crowd counts down, one section briefly faltering until with a rousing cheer they all light up with the rest, glittering bright. 

It’s bright and beautiful and exactly what you needed, but when you glance up to see Klaue’s reaction you find yourself wishing for a little less light, your cheeks growing hot against the night air when you see that he’s looking at you instead, the glint in his eyes perhaps not entirely a reflection of the lights that surround you.

Afterwards you peruse the eclectic mix of Christmas ornaments, stoneware and other handmade items, sharing a little about your days as you wander between vendors. 

You describe a type of welding certification you’re thinking about getting, even though you’d really only need it if you were working in aerospace tech, and Klaue mentions to you that he’ll be away for an additional few days next month for a conference in Vienna. 

Disappointment jabs between your shoulder blades at the fact that he’ll be gone for longer than you already expected, but there’s a sense of relief, too, that he’s still letting you know about his plans - as much as he can, at least. 

You hadn’t really planned on making any purchases tonight, but at a cottage selling embroidery and needlecraft a crocheted patchwork blanket catches your eye, the woven pattern making you think of tea and honey, of coming in from the cold and being made warm on a dark winter day.  

After collecting your find, Klaue makes a phone call while you double back one more time to pick up some handmade cards to send to a few friends, pocketing the device as you make your way back towards him.

“Ferris wheel, then?” He asks, tilting his head towards the brightly lit ride.

“Yes! Oh, wait..” Pulling out your own phone you ucheck the time. 

“Oh,” you deflate a little. “Actually we should probably start heading to the train station, it’s getting pretty late. Can’t say I’m looking forward to how busy it’ll be.”

“Well, if you wanted to - everything near the market is full, but there’s a place on the other side of the city that has rooms available.”

You stare at Klaue for a moment. Having already dismissed the idea of staying somewhere in Bucharest tonight you’re unable to hide your surprise that he’s suggesting it. Still fighting the thought that you’d be imposing on his time, you mentally point out that he wouldn’t have bothered finding something if he didn't want to.

He raises an eyebrow.

“You really don’t want to take the train back tonight, huh?” You try to joke in an attempt to disguise your eagerness.

He steps slowly toward you, leaning in until the scruff of his beard brushes your cheek.

“I really don’t want to wait much longer to make you come, darling.” 

He must hear the hitch in your breath as you shudder at his words, pulling back to give you a knowing grin.

“Ferris wheel it is, then.”

***

The glittering view as you start to rise is stunning but neither of you manages more than a few cursory glances out the window before you’re moaning into his mouth and he’s sliding a hand between your legs. A pleased sound gritted from his throat when you rock eagerly into his touch, his lips tasting of frost and spiced wine when your tongue slips between them. 

Your own fingers tighten around the heavy fabric of his coat to steady yourself, one hand sliding above the collar to brush over the warm skin there, short shorn hair prickling beneath your fingers when they curl around the back of his neck to pull his mouth more firmly against yours.

Unfortunately it feels like no time at all before the wheel is slowing and Klaue is reluctantly removing his hand from your now aching sex, your hips bucking when he gives you one last firm caress as you come to a stop at the bottom once more.

“I’ll call us a taxi, then?” He breathes against your lips.

“God, yes.” 

A gentle but steady snow is falling by the time you arrive at the small bed and breakfast, the thickening blanket of white softening the glow of multi-coloured lights on the trees outside. 

The owners quickly realize that you have no bags with you, and they’re kind enough to offer some pajamas for you to borrow in the form of sweatpants and shirts.

Unfortunately on the ride over Klaue had received a call about something that requires his attention for a while longer, so you’re currently still clothed and sitting next to him on the bed, your new blanket draped over your legs, 

You’d picked up “Jurassic Park”, the only english book on the small shelf in the common area, and you try to read a bit while he wraps up his business, stealing the occasional glance at him while he works. 

When a hand slides over to squeeze your thigh you shift instinctively into his touch, able to feel the heat of his palm even through the woven fabric.

“Patience, my darling.” He hums, his teasing smile deepening the creases around his eyes.

“Oh, you have no idea how patient I’ve been, Ulysses,” you reply, biting your lip at the soft growl that betrays his own restlessness has you biting your lip. 

As antsy as you are, and while it’s unlikely you would have been able to name it, exactly, you also feel content. Lulled by the shape of him at your side, the sound of Romanian Christmas choir music drifting through the walls, and the electronic tapping from his phone.

Your eyes wander around the room, amused by the volume of kitschy knick knacks and holiday decorations spread across the shelves, including a candle in the form of three Victorian carolers that looks to be many faded years old, yet seemingly never burned. 

While you’re wondering whether the tiny bust paintings hanging by the door are family of the owners or just thrift store finds, Klaue shifts to face you. 

Lifting the edge of the blanket he nudges you over so that you’re both lying on your sides beneath it.

“All done?” You ask as his arms wrap around you, pulling you against him, letting out a pleased sigh when you feel the already stiff ridge of his erection against the swell of your ass.

“Finally.” The word vibrates through you as a hand slides down between your legs, curling around your clothed mound.

You immediately arch into him, reveling in the twin sensations of his fingers pressing damp fabric against your cleft and the slow grind of his hips behind you.

“Even like this I can feel how warm your cunt is.” Klaue rumbles softly. “You’re wet, too, aren’t you?”

“You know I am,” you sigh, trying to keep your voice low. Aware that if you can hear music through the walls it won’t take much to be able to hear you. 

“I should take my time with you. Especially after your...bahaviour on the train.”

HIs hand finds its way under your shirt, and you note the jut of his hips against you when his palm slides over your bra to cup the soft swell of your breast, thumb and forefinger plucking at the stiffening peak of your nipple beneath the fabric.

“Should run my fingers over every inch of your body,” he rasps, an urgency filtering into his movements, into the rough, whispered rush of his words as his fingers reach back down to tug at the waist of your pants. 

Quickly you move to unbutton them, working them down along with your panties as you feel him shifting behind you, and then the hot length of his cock is sliding against your folds, slicking himself with your arousal.

“Should tease this needy little pussy until you're ready to beg.” 

Klaue bites back the last word as he presses the thick head of his cock against your entrance.

“But fuck, I need to feel you come.”

Normally so thorough with you before letting his control slip, Klaue’s bare need has you unraveling and your moan is deep and unexpected when he suddenly sinks into you, a response to the sweet desperation in his voice as much as from the relieving stretch of his cock.  

“I know how much you love to make pretty sounds for me,” he pants in your ear, his large hand kneading the flesh of your hip and thigh. “But you’re going to have to be quiet tonight. Can you do that for me, darling?”

Half-stretched and aching, you somehow manage to swallow your moans, taking a few deep breaths to steady your voice enough to speak.

“Yes.” You finally breathe in a low, half-whisper. ”l’ll be good.”

He nudges deeper and you bite your lip to hold back the sounds that want you to make, that he draws from you so easily now.

“Yes, you will.” Klaue hums against your neck.

The only sounds in the room now are your panted breaths intertwined with the slick sounds of his cock slowly thrusting into you, the gentle creak of the bed frame beneath your shifting bodies.

Suddenly pulling the blanket off of you he grips your ass, pressing you open so that he can see where your tight hole is stretched around him, and while he normally takes his time to relish the sight he only lasts a few more deep strokes before he’s shifting you onto your stomach, his weight and his cock pressing you down into the mattress.

With your pants still bunched around your knees Klaue impatiently nudges your legs apart as best he can before working a hand beneath the curve of your hip and you buck, a squeak slipping from your throat when his fingers find your clit.

His chest heaves against your back, the tight, circling pressure of his fingers firm and insistent as your body swiftly draws taught beneath him. 

Instinctively you try to respond, to roll your hips into his touch as you chase the rough crest of your orgasm but you’re trapped, the broad warmth of Klaue’s body holding you in place as his fingers relentlessly work your clit until your muscles begin to flutter and tighten. 

”There you go” A rough whisper clenched between his teeth. “Let me feel you. Come on, darling, squeeze my cock.”

You try to stay quiet but you can’t help the tremulous whine that escapes your throat as your climax surges through you, Klaue letting more of his weight press into you as your body spasms beneath him, every muscle trembling as you clench hard around his cock.

“Christ you feel so good. Fuck, you’re going to make me come, oh fuck- ”

The tight grip of your cunt seems to be all that he needs tonight because with a sudden hard jerk of his hips you feel the blissful throb as he comes, muffling his own moan against your shoulder as spends himself helplessly inside you.

Klaue continues to grind into you as the pulsing of his cock slows, making sure his cum stays plugged deep in your cunt exactly where he knows you want it, the stroking of his fingers not letting up even as you twitch and gasp beneath him.

“One more, Mot. Please. For me.” 

Your clit flutters at his pleading words, and barely able to hold back your cries, your hand flies up to cover your mouth as he continues to work your swollen bundle of nerves, his hand slippery with your release that leaks out around where he stays buried in you.

Aching and breathless, feeling the muscles of his forearm flexing against your hip, your body finally succumbs to the needy slide of his fingers, muffling your half-swallowed whimpers behind your hand as he expertly coaxes a second, softer orgasm from your oversensitive sex, gravelly praises whispered against your ear as you stiffen and shudder beneath him.

Klaue stays pressed against your back as you both slowly recover, the weight of him warm steady, calming the tremble in your limbs as you float down through the afterglow. 

Eventually you let your fingers fall away from your lips.

“I’m sorry…I couldn’t- I tried to be quiet,” you stammer. “Wanted to be good, I- ” 

“You’re always good for me, darling.” Klaue soothes, pressing his words and lips against your neck, behind your ear. “Always.”

***

After a quick shower you both change into your makeshift pajamas, then turning off the bedside lamps you settle back under the knit blanket, the lights filtering through the curtains casting a warm glow on the walls of your room.

“Come with me.” Klaue mumbles into the crook of your neck.

You were almost asleep, and it takes a moment to realize that he’d spoken.

“Come with…where?” 

“The conference. Vienna. There’s a gala.”

“Are…are you awake?” 

“If you’re asking whether I’ll remember this in the morning, the answer is yes.” Klaue chuckles softly. “You said you’d never been. Beautiful city. Wear a beautiful dress for me.” His voice drops as he pulls you more firmly against him.

You pause, considering, unable to ignore the soft thrill in your chest that he’s willing to share this with you. 

Another thread of your life intertwining with his, invisible threads looping over one another and knotting tight, tugging together into a pattern you’re still trying to bring into focus.

“Alright.” You sense a notch of tension release from Klaue’s body when you finally give him your answer. “I’d like that.”

It’s difficult for you not to overthink, especially when thoughts of what you’re going to do when your contract ends are becoming more persistent every day.

But knowing that you’re going to have to return to reality tomorrow regardless, right now you allow yourself to relax against him. With the tops of his thighs fitting against the backs of yours, soft music floating at the edge of your consciousness and his hand resting warm against your hip, eventually you find yourself caught in a net of sleep and dreams.

A/N: I was looking a little wistfully at all the lovely holiday fics that were coming out, and thinking that I didn't really think I had anything that would really work. Then I got to playing around with a mood board and accidentally inspired myself with Christmas market thoughts, and now here we are!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you get through the remainder of the holiday season with as much light and little stress as possible. ❤️

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you lovely people!

#ulysses klaue x reader #ulysses klaue x f reader #ulysses klaue x you #ulysses klaue smut #ulysses klaue #x reader #bringin' home the rain series #salvation is a deep dark well fic #woven #holiday fluff #fluffy smut #mcu fanfiction

[tatterings]

Lamentable is the Autumn Picker Content with Plums - Chapter 10 - "Buds Bursting into Blossom"

AO3 LINK HERE

Pairing: Astarion/Halsin

Rating: Explicit (A lil bit of sexy but not much)

Tags/warnings: 18+, horniness, trauma discussion, druid tiddies

Word count: 8,400

Header art by @solmesia. Proof/beta read by @bloodlessbhaalbabe.

Restorative, deep sleep did not grace Halsin that night, though his muscles cried out for respite and recovery. The druid’s body screamed in protest as he refused to slip into true slumber. 

Halsin, who had spent at least 100 years in hibernation while wildshaped as a bear, despised the idea of sleep for the first time in his life. Sleep would rip him from this moment.

If he slept, he couldn’t brush his fingers along Astarion’s ivory skin. He couldn’t memorize the peaks and valleys of his hip bones, his stomach, his neck. 

While unconscious, he would have been deprived of Astarion’s intoxicating scent. Bergamot, rosemary, and the ever-tempting allure of brandy made his head spin and heart soar.

Halsin could not allow sleep to steal him from Astarion’s cool touch, which acted as a heat sink for Halsin’s intense body heat. 

He did not want to be robbed of the reassurance that Astarion was enjoying a night of true sleep himself. It was the first time Halsin had noticed that the vampire actually slept.

And so, in a middling compromise with himself, Halsin tranced for a few hours to allow him to harness his healing magic. He could tolerate minimal rest, as long as he could admire the man in his arms for a few more hours. 

His fingers traced the maroon circles dotting Astarion’s neck; the marks of their intimate evening. Halsin’s eyes crinkled in delight as the pale elf’s curls were ruffled by his hot breath. His hand drifted downward, along Astarion’s sleeved arm. Halsin brushed his thumb along the velvety skin on the inside of Astarion’s wrist, where he had kissed so many times that night.

As he had scorned true sleep, Halsin had several hours to fill while holding his partner. Fortunately, he quite enjoyed allowing his mind to wander. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, deciding that this act was meditation in itself. His eyes drifted along Astarion’s reclined form against his body. Astarion was nestled into the crook of Halsin’s arm, head laid on his chest. The vampire's slender fingers twitched occasionally against Halsin's broad chest as he dreamed. Those skilled fingers had felt better than the hands of any lovers Halsin had ever had before.

After both men had climaxed, they had collapsed together, their arms and legs intertwining as they clung to one another. Neither had minded the musk of the other, or the slick of sweat and semen between them. Halsin had curled around Astarion’s smaller frame as they reeled together after orgasm. He had felt whole. Complete. Satisfied.

They lingered there awhile together, both men gathering their thoughts and their breaths. Astarion had shifted first, to remove his trousers and tuck himself back into his underwear, a coy smile on his lips. 

Astarion had lifted his torso enough to plant kisses along Halsin’s stomach and help his partner remove his trousers. Halsin had tilted his head in curiosity when Astarion had declined his offer of his large tunic as a sleep shirt; his ruffled shirt was a little crusty with the dried spend and sweat from the night before. However, Halsin did not push further for Astarion's reasoning behind remaining mostly clothed.

Regardless of the amount of skin against which he could press himself, Halsin was grateful to relish in the post-climax bliss with his lover. It pleased Halsin that Astarion seemed equally relaxed and content with resting in his embrace. After tucking his head beneath Halsin's chin, he had fallen into a trance, and then quickly into a deeper, true sleep. Halsin took it as an immense compliment that the smaller elf had felt comfortable enough to do so. 

He knew that to enjoy intimacy, especially after such hardship as Astarion had faced, was a significant step in healing one’s soul. Wounds such as Astarion's were susceptible to a proverbial "rot"; the type of wounds whose foulness crept into one's sense of self. Even as a skilled healer, Halsin never developed a magic capable of cleansing them. 

Halsin frowned as his mind wandered. How often had Astarion experienced a deeper connection with others besides carnal pleasures? How often had he led strangers to his bed and not experienced pleasure at all? How often was there only disgust and anguish? The druid’s heart felt constricted by thorny vines. He gently embraced Astarion with one arm, and felt a cool puff of air escape from his lips. It ruffled Halsin’s chest hair. The vampire slept on.

It was not simply Astarion’s saccharine touch that had pulled Halsin over the precipice of climax. The wood elf could only assume that Astarion had truly enjoyed their intimacy. He seemed to, anyway, after Halsin’s gentle reassurance and willingness to cede all control.

Halsin whispered thanks to the Oak Father to have been able to serve Astarion, to allow him the pleasure and peace he deserved, and for restoration for his body and his soul. Before he opened his eyes, he also pleaded for forgiveness from Silvanus for having no gods but Astarion in the bedroll. The Oak Father understood natural passions; Halsin was confident that he would forgive a little light blasphemy in the name of exploring nature’s bounty. Especially when the beauty and resilience of nature took the form of Astarion Ancunin. 

Instead of the lewd facade which Halsin had seen Astarion act out thrice, he’d shared a night of vulnerable intimacy with the pale elf. There was no act nor mummer’s mask that evening. Astarion had been confident, but not blustery. In control of their motions, but not power hungry. In the moment, instead of in his head. It was what Halsin had hoped it would be; it was also a tantalizing promise of what the future could hold for them. Tenderness, fulfillment, and a true partnership in which they could depend on each other. 

Halsin was pulled from his thoughts by the crackle of firewood in the center of camp. Gale was prepping for breakfast. Wyll’s voice echoed through their camp in a groan as the warlock bemoaned his soreness from the prior day’s battle. Scratch whimpered faintly from Thaniel’s tent. Halsin did not rise, despite the gnaw deep in his gut telling him to move; nagging him that it was time to search for Thaniel’s other half. The boy was stable for now, and not all the party members were prepared to set off yet, anyway.

Certainly not the beautiful vampire still nestled in Halsin’s arm. He frowned as the sun peeked through a slit in the tent flap, its bright rays painting a white stripe across Astarion’s cheek. Halsin raised his hand to block the sunlight. 

The reliability of the sun's rays would cut their peace short soon enough; no reason to delay his healing spell. Halsin twirled his fingers in the pattern required for a healing spell, mouthing the incantation silently. A viridian glow engulfed his hand, before the magic settled on his skin. It crept along his bare arm then onto his chest, painting a green cast to his skin not unlike the sunlight that dappled the forest floor. His wounds ached less; his heartbeat grew stronger. It must have restored some of his lifeblood; perhaps he could offer sustenance to Astarion in the evening. The magic seemed to melt into him, and Halsin’s chest felt warm. 

Astarion stirred at Halsin’s increased warmth, his pale body twitching with a slight shiver that began at his head and continued down to his toes. He released a long groan, rolling his face to press into the crook of Halsin’s arm. It was delightfully cool and soft. Halsin chuckled at Astarion, lifting his hand to rub lazily on the vampire’s back through his tunic.

“Good morning, my heart,” Halsin murmured, pressing a kiss onto Astarion’s head.

The vampire grunted in response; Halsin felt his eyes squeeze shut harder, eyelashes flitting against his skin. Another laugh shook Halsin’s broad chest, causing Astarion’s white curls to bob about.

Astarion raised his head to meet Halsin’s gaze and curled his arms on top of his broad chest. Halsin’s eyes flitted to his angular jawline as the vampire rested his chin on his crossed arms. “How is it that you manage to be so obnoxiously pleasant all the time, darling?” Astarion said, his words heavy with grogginess and affection. He scrunched his white eyebrows, blinking quickly to adjust to the increasing light levels in the tent.

Halsin raised his hand to comb through his partner’s hair. It was like silk as it slipped through his fingers. “I outgrew cynicism over 100 years ago,” Halsin replied, a smirk pulling at his laugh lines, “Silvanus blesses us with another day; it is difficult to feel poorly when a bounty of opportunities and adventure awaits us. And when I begin the day with you in my arms.” 

“Your optimism is exhausting, Halsin,” Astarion replied, his comment an obvious attempt to distract from the redness rising to his cheeks. His ruby eyes rolled as he shot a wry grin at the druid. “I swear, you’d go on forever about your Oak Father unless Gale cast Silen-”

Halsin lurched forward and captured Astarion’s mouth in his own; he did not need a spell to steal away Astarion’s words. His lips pressed against Astarion’s, firm and heated, as strong and passionate as his affection for the other man. His tongue flitted across Astarion’s bottom lip, pleading for entrance, for acceptance. The vampire’s mouth parted, his lips quivering in anxiousness and excitement. Halsin took the opportunity; his tongue moved against the smaller elf’s as though he could pour his heart and soul into Astarion. 

Astarion claimed Halsin’s bottom lip between his fangs, nipping enough to pull a grunt from Halsin’s lip, but not enough to draw blood. The pale elf hummed softly as he slid the slender fingers of one hand into Halsin’s auburn locks. His other hand cradled Halsin’s face, his fingertips faintly grazed the druid’s tattooed cheek. Halsin’s hand covered Astarion’s, pressing the coolness to his face before interlacing their fingers. 

His heart skipped a beat as the vampire hungrily returned his passion. Astarion's kisses were tender, pliant, excited - the type of kisses Halsin had experienced when he was a younger man who enjoyed the freedoms of the wood elf community. Halsin's breath escaped him, and he pulled away to inhale.

Astarion gazed back at him with a smirk, his plump lips reddened from the friction of their kiss. He looked flustered, but composed. And now, wide awake. 

“Well darling, I’ll never be too exhausted for that,” Astarion said, his laughter ringing like a wind chime in the breeze. 

A slow grin spread across Halsin's face. He hoped it would always be that way.

*******

Astarion’s stomach flipped as he had returned Halsin’s kiss. He had been groggy, his mind weighed down by the fog of a confusion that occurs when one experiences deeper rest than expected. Halsin’s kiss shot energy through him, like the teas Halsin sometimes enjoyed. 

"I thank Silvanus for that, for I will never tire of the taste of you,” Halsin said, his voice soft and low with sincerity. Astarion felt the warmth radiating from his partner's intense, affectionate gaze. Halsin placed a light peck on Astarion's forehead as if to prove his point.

The vampire's hands drifted from Halsin's face to rest against his chest; Halsin’s heartbeat fluttered against his palms like a pixie captured in a moonlantern. Halsin's pulse was much stronger than it had been yesterday. Astarion’s head tilted as he made out the sound; the druid must have concentrated his healing spell on his blood. The vampire traced his fingertips near the fine stitches he had placed last night; the surrounding flesh was no longer inflamed, and had taken on a warm, pink flush.

"Feeling better this morning, darling?" Astarion asked, partly out of genuine concern for the man, and partly out of his gnawing hunger for blood. He had not fed for two days now; after the exertion of the battle, he was ravenous.

"Physically better? Immensely. Mentally? I am of course concerned for Thaniel, and eager to restore his strength," Halsin said, turning his head towards Thaniel's tent; as if he could see through the walls of his own tent.

"Although I can imagine you're faring worse, considering it has been several days since you have last fed," the druid said, tucking Astarion's curls behind his ears. The vampire's ears flushed hot at Halsin's touch; and his kindness. 

"I'll admit I'm feeling peckish," Astarion said, flipping his delicate hand in the air to de-emphasize his hunger. The throes of battle, mixed with the tempest of anxiety into which he was thrown when Halsin had disappeared had sapped both his mental and physical energy reserves. After their night of passion, weariness weighed Astarion's body down like lead. As if on cue, Astarion's stomach gurgled, the pain twisting his insides.

Halsin arched an eyebrow smugly. "Please, my heart. Drink from me, and restore your strength. I cannot claim to know what challenges we will face on this day," he said.

"You're right," Astarion muttered, nodding slightly, "of course."

Halsin tilted his neck to the side, displaying his well-tanned skin as though pulling the silver dome from atop a serving platter. His large hands wrapped around Astarion's waist, nearly touching together, to assist the vampire in adjusting to a proper feeding position. It sent an altogether different sensation to Astarion's stomach to be lifted so easily.

Astarion bent his head to Halsin's well-muscled neck. Fine brown baby hairs curled about Halsin's ears; a decorative garnish, to one who sups on blood. Halsin's peach fuzz tickled Astarion's plump lips as he kissed his sun-tanned skin. The vampire inhaled deeply, relishing in Halsin's scent; a mix of cedar and petrichor, as well as their own lingering musk.

Astarion's lips curled upward in satisfaction as Halsin's skin prickled at the caress of his lips. The siren song of power once more called to the vampire. Heat rushed to his groin at the recollection of their night of intimacy, of Halsin's large form squirming beneath him. His hips furiously pressing into Astarion's grasp. His moans of worship. His fulfilled promise of self-restraint. 

Astarion was equally intoxicated by the control in this moment; he was a predator, his prey held in his clutches. Halsin's muscles rippled underneath the ministrations of tongue, just as lowly creatures had fought against the vampire's feedings in the past.

But Halsin's movements weren't fearful. Far from it. Astarion's leg had been draped across Halsin's body. It crossed over the junction of the druid's thighs. Taunted by the teasing of his tongue, Halsin's cock had begun to press against Astarion's inner thigh. It sent another rush of need to the vampire's groin. 

Astarion opened his mouth wide, lips pulling back to bare his pearly fangs. Halsin was still interested in him physically, though he had gotten some satisfaction the night prior. The thoughts assuaged none of Astarion's anxieties. 

And yet, Halsin had seemed to be fully enraptured with his touch, both intimate and otherwise. Astarion's distaste for his own longing bubbled within him; his lips curled back further. His fangs pierced the druid's skin, pulling a grunt from Halsin's chest. Astarion lifted his mouth, just enough to remove his teeth from the two freshly bleeding divots. 

Calloused fingertips of one of Halsin's hands dug into Astarion's ribs. His other rose to rest on the vampire's backside, squeezing slightly.

Astarion lowered his mouth, plump lips smeared with scarlet, to seal over the bite wound completely. He lapped at the lifeblood, unable to hold back the moans that were louder even than the rumbling of his empty stomach. 

The heat of Halsin's lifeblood coated his tongue. Its thickness washed over his palate. Its warmth was nearly scalding against Astarion's cool throat, and he pulled away briefly to cool his mouth. 

His cock twitched as the fresh blood rushed to it, turning his mild arousal into a full erection, thick and throbbing. Astarion breathed intentionally as he swallowed another mouthful of blood. He did not need to breathe, but perhaps the slow inhalations he so often saw Halsin perform would dull the throb in his shaft and his sac. 

For the first time in 200 years, Astarion had enjoyed intimacy. Halsin's touch was electric, sending shockwaves of pleasure through his skin. His touch was hot, almost burning; not like the sun. It was more like a warm towel after a fresh bath. Halsin was comforting, both in body and in his words and actions.

He was a dream of a partner, and it knotted Astarion's insides to dwell on it. His abdomen tightened in anxiety and in need. His underwear seemed agonizingly constricting. Astarion rolled his hips against Halsin's bulging erection, which was free from the confines of clothing. Halsin whimpered in response, lifting Astarion's lower half from the bedroll. The druid's desire was palpable, and his grip on Astarion's ass grew firmer. The vampire was sure his partner would leave five purple bruises where his fingertips dug into his muscle. 

Astarion swallowed again, his eyes rolling backward as he savored Halsin's blood. What a queer concept. "Partner", he thought. For how long would Halsin consider him a partner?

I am deluding myself to think Halsin truly cares for me, Astarion thought. I'm just a novelty for him; wood elves have experience enough to grow bored with the same horizontal dance. His heart 'doesn't stir lightly' he says… but a vampire and blood play must be new for him. And what was the definition of a partner, anyway? A partner in crime? A partner in the bedroom? Or a travelling partner? Halsin did not delineate which it might be. Or, if their partnership was a different kind altogether. 

Astarion shuddered at the thought, but could not refuse his body's call to rub against Halsin's larger member, his curly pubic hair, and his warmth. He wasn't sure if he heard Halsin moan his name into the cool morning air, or if he was just imagining it.

The vampire dove back down to Halsin's throat, dragging his tongue along the crease created by the druid's collarbone and muscle. Blood now coated his chin and his nose. It was more tantalizing than any filet mignon, more flavorful than any aged red wine. He sealed his lips again around the divots he had pierced, damming the rivulets of blood from escaping from him. 

Halsin groaned again beneath him, his hand kneading Astarion's ass over his underwear. Two of his thick fingers slid into the cleft between Astarion's cheeks. He nearly choked on a mouthful of blood. Again his body betrayed him once. It had kept the score, and recalled Halsin's gentle touch, his saccharine sensitivity to the deep scars it bore. His hips raised to Halsin's fingers; he felt them press atop his underwear, onto the pucker between his ass checks. Halsin's fingers rubbed gently, firmly, over his entrance. Astarion swallowed his last mouthful of blood to allow himself to moan Halsin's name as his body went rigid. Though his cock pulsed in need, and he wanted nothing more than to feel Halsin on him, in him, everywhere and all at once, Astarion's warring desires threatened to split him in two; body and mind.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed his desire down. He knew that in this moment, he would be but a phantom, lost in his thoughts, responding purely by instinct to Halsin's ministrations while a million realms away. 

The druid knew how to make a man feel good; that much was clear during their lovemaking the evening prior. He had no shame, no fear as they had rutted against each other and swam in the blissful afterglow of passion. How was it that he could be so confident, so present, during each moment? 

Halsin seemed to sense the sudden rigidity in Astarion’s body; he pulled his hands away and rested them on the bedroll. The larger man exhaled, his hot breath sending a shiver down Astarion's spine.

It was nerve-wracking how easily the druid seemed to read his body language. Astarion felt as though he were a book laid open for Halsin’s perusal, its spine creased so that it lay flat on the table. The fresh blood churned in his belly as he made eye contact with his partner. The druid only smiled softly, his crow's feet wrinkling in the corners of his hazel eyes.

“Do you feel any better, my heart?” Halsin asked gently, running his thumb under Astarion’s lip to wipe his own lifeblood away. He held his large thumb in front of the vampire's mouth. Astarion’s tongue darted out to lick it clean. He flushed in embarrassment at the instinctual action; Halsin did not mention it. He traced his thumb along Astarion's cheekbone, then grasped the pale elf's hand in his own. Halsin placed a firm kiss on Astarion's palm.

“Yes, much better actually,” Astarion admitted meekly, “thank you again. For this.” 

“Anything for you, Astarion,” Halsin replied. His smile changed; the concern faded, and it spread to his eyes as the druid seemed more cheerful. He raised himself up on his elbows to place his lips on Astarion’s forehead. “Now, I believe we ought to get ready for this morning. The others are breaking their fasts without us."

Halsin did not mention, nor seem frustrated by, the abrupt halt of intimacy. Nor did he pry into Astarion's thoughts or probe about with questions. Relief. Astarion felt a genuine smile tug at the corners of his lips despite himself.

*********

Astarion’s blood-moon eyes were round and soft. The dark circles below his eyes seemed to have faded with the nourishment of Halsin's lifeblood. If the druid didn’t know any better, he’d think Astarion genuinely seemed happy. And, it seemed, a little confused at the emotion.

It tugged at an unidentifiable emotion deep within Halsin and caused an ache in his stomach. He squeezed the other man’s smaller hand and placed a kiss on his partner's wrist. He felt the goosebumps rise along Astarion’s arm.

"I need to check on Thaniel, my heart," he said, grazing his thumb across Astarion's porcelain wrist; Halsin's large hands could wrap around it completely. "Please take your time to get ready; I have fresh tunic in my pack, if you'd like?" 

Without waiting for an answer from Astarion, Halsin lifted him gently from atop his body and guided the vampire to sit beside him on the bedroll. Free of Astarion's relative featherweight, Halsin crawled on all fours to the corner of his tent and rummaged in his satchel. 

He plucked the tunic from his pack and turned to present it to his partner. It wasn't as finely adorned as his usual camp clothes, nor his leaf-embellished armor. But, it was knit of an olive-green sateen that was soft to the skin; Halsin rarely wore it, for fear of damaging the fine material. But it was one of his few material belongings, so he'd packed it when setting off with Astarion and his party.

Halsin placed the tunic in Astarion's lap and squeezed the vampire's thigh gently. Astarion peered wordlessly at the tunic in his lap, before grazing his hand across Halsin's and muttering a soft, "Thank you."

His sudden reservations that bubbled forth during his feeding worried Halsin; but for the well-being of Astarion, rather than an unfulfilled lust. As Halsin pulled on his trousers, he prayed to Silvanus.

Oak Father grant me the fortitude to be a monument of strength for those important to me. Astarion deserves your healing, your blessing; he has experienced so much harm. Thaniel deserves your healing, your blessing; this curse ravages him so harshly. Hear me Oak Father, and let your will manifest through me.

Halsin ducked to leave his tent and needed only a few footsteps to clamber into Thaniel's. Scratch had not left the boy's side and was licking the boy's fingers. Thaniel's palms and hands seemed warmer, at least; he was stable.

Thaniel was resting in uneasy slumber; it was as though he was in an elven trance; half of himself present in body, but the other half of him communing with his past lives in spirit. Halsin was struck by how apt his analogy was; this was what remained bodily of Thaniel in the Shadowfell. But the missing part of him must be trapped somewhere in the lands itself. His comrades in battle had been dragged into the darkness; could it not have been so for Thaniel as well? Nausea settled in Halsin's gut at the thought of anguish and agony Thaniel must have experienced as he was rended in two. How he must be holding on by a mere thread, with his essence split in half and overtaken by shadow curse corruption.

Halsin inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, patting Scratch as he did so; the touch of another living being always helped to soothe his nerves. Scratch's tail flopped onto the ground in sync with their heartbeats.

"Good boy," Halsin said, ruffling the soft, downy fur behind the dog's ears, "Will you keep watch on Thaniel for me?"

Scratch's tail flopped harder on Thaniel's bedroll. "Of course, friend!" Scratch replied; his whimpers and barks, a puzzle to those who couldn't communicate with animals, were easily understood by Halsin, "Thaniel is a very good boy, too."

Halsin's stern expression broke into a weary grin. "I appreciate you, Scratch. I do hope you'll enjoy playing together when he wakes." The druid patted the dog's head gently and exited the tent. How fortunate he was to have been rescued and befriended by the tadpoled adventurers; how uncomfortable he was to ask them for help, once again. 

By the time Halsin had checked on Thaniel and spoken with Scratch, Astarion had made his way from the druid's tent. The pale elf was perched on a stone near the campfire, his fingers absentmindedly pulling at the excess fabric of the olive green tunic. Astarion gazed at nothing in particular until he seemed to sense that he was being watched. The vampire's ruby eyes met Halsin's. They seemed to flicker with pleasure as he luxuriated in Halsin's oversized tunic. 

As Halsin approached him, Astarion hummed in what the druid could only assume was satisfaction; his delicate fingers traced the stitching on the olive-green shirt. It was far too large for Astarion. The sleeves extended well past his fingertips; he had rolled its sleeves up to bare his forearms. The shade of the shirt suited his pale complexion; he was a carefully carved marble statue, veiled before its grand debut, and draped in the most calming of nature's colors. It could almost pass for a dress, with how low it fell on his legs.

Halsin could not help but grin at the sight. He again counted his blessings for having a partner who could provide respite to his weary mind in such a dark place. Regardless of whether that respite was of intimate or sexual nature, or purely as a much-needed laugh, Halsin did not take Astarion for granted.

The large elf settled beside Astarion on his stone, and placed his hand on the small of the pale elf's back. He felt Astarion lean into the heat of his palm, and he pressed back slightly, softly.

The other companions didn't remark on their closeness; perhaps they knew better than to taunt Astarion and draw out his dagger-sharp tongue. Halsin noted, in the orange glow of the campfire against the darkness of the shadow curse though, that Astarion blushed nonetheless. 

It was Halsin who spoke first, beyond the usual "good mornings". The adventurers were quiet, enraptured by his findings: Thaniel must have had another half that was torn away from him when the shadow curse took hold. And, being a spirit of nature and not mortal, that other half must still be lingering in this realm. Halsin had glimpsed fresh blooms pushing through the infertile soil when they had entered these lands, but hadn't grasped their significance. 

The druid's heart raced as he asked for the aid of the adventurers. Astarion immediately slid a hand onto Halsin's thigh and gave a squeeze. His heart would join him; the others discussed logistics and their plan for the day. 

Everyone besides Wyll agreed to join Halsin in both his trek to Last Light Inn. The handsome warlock, ever the hero, insisted on staying by Thaniel’s side to monitor his condition in case. Halsin's eyes watered at the kindness Wyll showed towards his childhood friend, and rose to wrap his large arms around the warlock. He bashfully hugged Halsin in return and patted his back, before retiring to Thaniel's tent to keep vigil. 

Gale, Shadowheart, and Astarion had offered Halsin their aid on searching for Thaniel; Shadowheart rose to don her armor, and Gale to gather his scrolls. Karlach and Laezel would accompany Halsin to the Inn, but could not join him to find Thaniel. Karlach had an appointment with Dammon to see what he may have discovered about her infernal engine; Lae’zel needed the tiefling smith’s expertise on repairing her armor, which had been severely damaged in yesterday’s battle.

**********************

Their travel to Last Light was uneventful, the well-worn path having been largely cleansed of encroaching shadow creatures over the past week. Lae'zel and Karlach split to the right to visit Dammon. Karlach's ear-splitting shout of the fellow tiefling's name made Astarion flinch. Gods, he was fond of her boisterousness and enthusiasm but sometimes he wished he could cast Silence. Gale wandered off to speak with the Harper quartermaster about provisions; he was weary of cooking gruel. Shadowheart was as well, and having been introduced to vegetarian recipes by Halsin, joined Gale to procure animal-free ingredients. She and Halsin had chatted at length about her wishes to have a farm. A few evenings ago, he revealed that he could speak with all animals, including chickens. Shadowheart had gently set down her bowl of chicken broth and her complexion turned green whenever anyone mentioned eating meat since.

Astarion tagged along besides Halsin. He never was fond of leading a troupe, preferring to stick to the shadows and enjoy a little fun (or "ruckus", as Gale sometimes called it) along the sides. So when Halsin had strode into the Inn with a purpose, it suited Astarion just fine. Halsin wasn't completely healed post-portal battle, and wanted to request additional aid from Jaheira. But Jaheira was not at her usual post near the entrance to the inn.

"Do panthers enjoy sleep just as much as bears? Or hibernate?" Astarion teased, elbowing Halsin gently.

Halsin grinned at his partner and shook his head. "Not that I am aware of, my heart. She is normally an early riser. I do not mind waiting a little longer for her, if that is acceptable for you?" he asked, guiding Astarion around the corner with a hand on his lower back. 

Any downtime the adventurers were able to enjoy at Last Light was generally spent in the library-like corner, which held a desk and hundreds of books. The vampire's skin prickled at Halsin's touch, even through the finely-crafted Drow armor he'd picked up on their adventures. It was slightly unsettling that even without directly caressing his skin, the druid could affect him so. 

As the pair rounded the corner, Astarion's fine, downy arm hair continued to stand on end, even after Halsin removed his hand. Astarion's stomach twisted further, and his brow furrowed in confusion as to the cause. It was almost as if his body was reacting, like a prey animal being stalked by a predator.

Halsin was no threat, though, and Astarion blinked away the thoughts. As he surveyed the room, his eyes focused on a handsome man who reclined in an armchair, swirling a glass of wine as he observed Astarion and Halsin. The man's brown hair was slicked back, his strong brow knit together and a wide, toothy smile graced his lined face.

He was being stalked by a predator. He dug his heels into the wood floor and grabbed onto Halsin's arm. Not for security, but to wrangle back the unwitting druid.

Astarion had met the cambion Raphael once before, when the devil offered a deal to remove their tadpoles. He disliked the idea of being owned once again, and had declined the offer; he'd already suffered a pseudo-pact with Cazador, and was not about to partner with another devil.

"Astarion," Halsin said, before bending to speak closer to his ear, "what is going on here? Something…is not right here." Astarion met Halsin's gaze; his eyes were glowing golden. Perhaps he wasn't unwitting after all; Halsin too had noticed something was amiss in the inn. His arm hair, too, was standing on end; a bear preparing for a threat.

The vampire inhaled and exhaled intentionally, preparing himself to pull on his mask of nonchalance. It would not do to speak with a devil while visibly unnerved. "Well, lots of things aren't right here," Astarion drawled, feigning counting on his fingers, "A tadpole in my brain, a curse warping the lands, Thaniel being comatose.. but if you're referring to specifics, the man over there is Raphael. And he's actually a devil." He giggled uncomfortably.

Astarion was sure Halsin nearly broke his neck with how quickly he jerked his head to face him. "Shall we escort him out, my heart?". The vampire didn't hear Halsin growl, but he could feel a rumble vibrating the druid's body.

"No thank you, darling, I actually…need to speak with him," Astarion explained, giving Halsin's arm a squeeze before pulling his hands to his hips.

"Devils cannot be trusted," Halsin growled, stooping lower to whisper in the pale elf's ear so his voice wouldn't carry.

Astarion's plump lips pulled into a thin line. "Then trust me, Halsin. Please. It's… important that I speak with him."

Halsin seemed to deflate at Astarion's words; his eyes darted about the vampire's face, as though he were searching for answers. "I trust you with my life, my heart. I do not trust this Raphael. I must insist on joining you," he said, his voice raspy with a low growl.

"Delightful, it's settled then," Astarion said, clapping his hands together and interlacing his fingers. "I could always use some muscle, anyway." He nudged Halsin playfully, a show of false confidence and bravado as they were being dressed down by Raphael's intense gaze from across the room. Astarion was determined to at least pretend that the cambion's stare didn't cause his hands to shake with anxiety.

Astarion hooked his thumbs into the leather belt slung about his hips and sauntered closer to Raphael. "So, how did you find us this time, devil?" Astarion asked, his voice effervescent with false lightheartedness.

The devil, ever the showman, rose from his armchair slowly, without the grunt or groan one would expect of a man who appeared to be middle-aged. A small tell that Raphael was more than he seemed.

"Oh, I have my ways," Raphael replied, his deep voice rumbling with amusement. He took a sip from his wine goblet and set it down on the table beside him. "I'm like a bloodhound, my fanged friend. I can spell desperation from realms away. And you absolutely reek of it."

Astarion's mask of indifference slipped; he took one step backwards in offense and shock. The vampire's mouth turned downward in a frown. Raphael wasn't wrong. And he hated it. He felt Halsin's broad torso press against his back, but the druid was silent.

"You've gained a new friend, Astarion," Raphael murmured, tilting his head. He raised his fist to his chin, feigning interest and deep thought. "But he is not who I have come to see; I sense there is something you want to ask me?"

Astarion's eyes darted to the floor as he gathered his courage. "I do. I have a proposal for you." He took one step forward. Halsin's hand darted to Astarion's shoulder; the vampire shook it off. 

Raphael burst into laughter, raising a hand to his neck. "A proposal? If you're hoping to taste my blood, little vampling, think again. It burns hotter than wyvern whiskey." His grin was a taunt.

The vampire's nose crinkled in a sneer. "This is serious business, devil," he spat, taking another step forward. His hands balled into a fist. "My old- well, a long time ago, someone carved a poem into my back. I'd rather like to know what it says."

Halsin's body again pressed beside Astarion. "My heart, what do you mean? The scars, I.." his voice trailed off, crushed under the hurt of not being privy to his partner's secrets. The druid seemed to grow small behind him.

Astarion flinched and squeezed his eyes shut. His scars were physical evidence of his baggage; for as long as Halsin was ignorant of them, he could not cast judgment. He would not know how heavy Astarion's burdens truly were.

Raphael's ever-present smile grew wide. His eagerness sent chills down Astarion's spine. "You haven't told him? And you've kept your clothes on this whole time? How unlike you," Raphael sneered, his teeth bared in a predatory grin. Halsin's hand rested on Astarion's waist. His thick fingertips dug into the vampire's sides. The druid's grip was protective. Possessive. Neither man spoke.

The cambion raised his hand with a flourish. "Why not let them see, then? Don't be shy." Raphael snapped his fingers with an audible pop. 

The cool air of the inn rushed onto Astarion's bare skin; the armor on his torso, and even his undershirt had been instantly magicked away. His skin prickled, almost on fire, as he felt the gaze of the other patrons of the inn, who had heard the unusually loud snap of Raphael's fingers. Astarion was too stunned to move beyond holding his arms at his sides.

Bile rose to his throat from the humiliation. Once again he was literally dressed down, as he had been so many times by Cazador. Stripped to nothing and exposed for all to see. 

*****

Halsin had been struggling to not shift into his bear form since he had begun to smell the stench of sulfur as they rounded the corner of the inn. Once he had confirmation from Astarion about Raphael's true nature, the bear clawed against his insides in protectiveness.

He refused to hold back the beast as soon as the cambion snapped his fingers. To threaten or shame his partner, his Astarion, was unforgivable.

Golden light sparked along his arms and legs; his arm hair lengthened into true fury. His teeth elongated into fangs, gnashing fiercely as he bared his snarling maw at Raphael. Each fingernail grew into a curved claw, several inches long, that tapped onto the wooden floor of the inn as he reared to his hind legs. His ear tips brushed the ceiling, before he slammed his front paws onto the ground. While on all fours, his shoulders were equal in height to Astarion's.

The patrons of the inn shrieked, a handful diving from their seats as Halsin's yell morphed into a roar. Astarion stood stock-still as Halsin pressed his furred side against him. The druid was now large enough to nearly wrap around Astarion; one front leg crossed in front of the vampire, and his other front paw raised as if he were ready to charge Raphael.

He felt a hand press onto him; Astarion gripped onto the shaggy ruff about his neck. "Gods damn it Halsin, no!" Astarion hissed, "It's fine, please. Don't." Halsin released a low growl of acquiescence. The vampire pressed himself against Halsin's ursine body, as if he was wrapped in a gigantic fur shawl.

Raphael chuckled again, his deep voice like thick honey, dripping from a honeycomb; except it was threatening, as if hundreds of drone bees were prepared to defend it. 

"Very wise, my fanged friend. It won't do you much good if your teddy bear attempted to end me before I told you exactly what those scars are. After all, it's something of great importance to your master," Raphael teased. His voice was low with promise and threat. It pulled another grumbling growl from Halsin, who placed his paw onto the floor. His claws dug into the weathered flooring. Raphael continued his taunts. "But is this scar a love letter, a warning, or a deed of ownership? I'll give you all the gory details…soon."

Raphael brought his fingers to his face again and snapped. He was gone.

The smell of sulfur disappeared along with him; but the smell of Astarion's fear remained. Halsin hadn't detected it as an elf, but the perspiration that accompanies fear has a distinct odor. He felt Astarion relax against his side.

The bear opened his large maw and closed it around Astarion's lower arm gently, using his lips more than his teeth to pull the vampire to the corner of the room.

"Excuse you, druid, now I'm naked and wet. And not in the good way" Astarion spat, rubbing Halsin's bear saliva on his pants leg. Astarion's shoulders were up to his pointed ears, his back slightly bent as he curled into himself as though he were trying to hide and make himself small.

The cave bear lowered his massive head as a golden aura enveloped him.

"I'm sorry, my heart," Halsin said, now shifted into his elven form. One of the few things he missed while in bear form were his vocal chords; he rarely cursed, but would have liked to have thrown a few at Raphael. Astarion was enveloped in Halsin's shadow as his broad form still blocked the rest of Last Light from scrutinizing Astarion's half-bare form.

Halsin pulled his armor upwards, over his head, and threw it to the floor with a clunk. Astarion's head tilted as he observed his partner's movements with curiosity. "Halsin, what in the realms.." he muttered, his face scrunched in scrutiny. The wood elf disregarded his question, and pulled off his sleeveless tunic. He held it out to Astarion. 

His ruby eyes darted from the tunic in Halsin's hands, to the druid's now-bared chest, to his eyes. "Oh," Astarion sputtered, his long fingers reaching out to grasp Halsin's shirt, "Well, thank you darling." Astarion slipped it on. His curly white hair popped from the neck hole first, and his ears were flushed scarlet as he pulled the tunic over his head.

Halsin managed a tender smile. Astarion was precious when wearing his clothing; just as he had been at camp this morning. How unfortunate that this instance occurred due to less-than-ideal circumstances. Satisfied that his partner was no longer laid bare before curious eyes, Halsin rounded the corner, glaring daggers at nosy onlookers. The others in the inn, Harpers and tiefling refugees alike, all cast their eyes back to whatever they were doing before Halsin's ruckus.

Astarion was still in the corner when Halsin returned to him, nimble fingers manipulating the hem of the shirt. He fastened it into a knot at his waist so it no longer fell to his knees. 

"If I was certain the bastard would have fought only me and no one else, I would have helped him return to the hells," Halsin grumbled, placing one large hand on Astarion's shoulder.

The vampire shrugged his hand off; the druid's heart ached as he did so. "I know what you would've done, you oaf. You would have charged in and played the hero again," Astarion said, a little sharper than his normal barbed tone. Halsin's anger deflated and he felt his shoulders sag. When he met his partner's gaze, Astarion's eyes almost seemed hazy.

"I'm fine, it's fine," Astarion muttered with a dramatic wave of his hands, "I just…need a moment."

Halsin's lips set firmly into a line. "Then a moment you will have. There is an unoccupied room on the other side of the inn. You can rest there until I can track down wherever that devil relocated your armor, or until I can find a replacement," Halsin explained calmly. He bent to pick up his leather armor and tucked it under his armpit in a calculated tactic: an unusually tall and broad wood elf, shirtless, was bound to catch attention. It would prevent any other curious glances from falling on Astarion.

Halsin jerked his head towards the room, holding out a hand to Astarion. "Come, my heart," he said.

Astarion reached outward and traced his fingertips along Halsin's to grip the druid’s hand momentarily. He let his hand fall to his side as he walked beside the druid. His touch felt like soothing ice against a burn; Halsin was still livid about Raphael's dirty trick, and his skin felt like it was on fire.

They strode across the inn silently, with no one sparing a second glance at Astarion; as planned and predicted. Halsin ushered his partner into the room first, and closed the door behind them. His lips pressed into a frown as he dwelled on how he'd like to have had Raphael’s fragile throat clenched between his own set of fangs. 

As he spun around to face Astarion, floorboards creaking under his steps, Astarion spoke. "I feel like I owe you an explanation, Halsin," the vampire said. His eyes met Halsin's face and he visibly flinched.

Halsin's heart ached again, and he performed a mental scan of his own body; it was a trick he had learned to remain in control by identifying his tension, his anger. He realized his face was still pulled into a scowl. He allowed his muscles to release, and his anger melted away like wax from a candle. It still pooled low inside him, but the flame that burned in Halsin now was of compassion, not fury. 

"You owe me nothing, Astarion. But when I said that I wanted all of you, including your scars, I meant it," he said softly, his expression now soft with concern. Astarion's eyes were large and round, like a prey animal in fear of its life. "I will listen to whatever you are comfortable sharing with me."

Astarion's eyes fluttered closed, his pale eyelashes kissing his cheeks. How Halsin wished to kiss them; how hard it was to resist, knowing that Astarion needed to act first, with how fragile he was at this moment. The vampire finally spoke. "You did say that," he confirmed. "Well, then…Yes...you can see them."

Halsin nodded just slightly, his braids bobbing at his ears. Concern still caused his brow to furrow, creasing his forehead scars and tattoo. He stepped closer to the vampire, the inn's wooden floors creaking again from age. 

Astarion stepped forward to meet him and placed his cool fingertips on Halsin's bare chest.

The druid's calloused fingers traced Astarion's collar bones that peeked out from the too-large tunic. Halsin’s touch was gentle, delicate; he felt as though he were opening a gift that had been wrapped in threads of gossamer, a gift whose covering was so precious that the act of removing it became a treasured memory. Astarion seemed to relax while under his attention, relishing in the sensations. The pull of the linen shirt against the back of his neck. The waxed hemp cord slipped from the buttonholes. The heat of Halsin’s wide fingers scorching his now-bared chest. 

Halsin's gaze did not miss Astarion's body language; how fiercely Astarion bit his lower lip, leaving indentations in the plump skin. He noted how tense the vampire's muscles still were, and how he swayed slightly in place despite bracing himself against Halsin's broad chest.

“May I?” Halsin asked softly, tugging gently at the hem of his shirt. The smaller elf nodded almost imperceptibly; Halsin did not consider that consent enough. “Only if you are comfortable with it,” he insisted.

“I..am,” Astarion whispered softly, his expression so tender, so vulnerable, that Halsin’s whole being ached with longing to protect his lover. Astarion lifted his arms above his head.

The larger elf lowered his head and placed chaste kisses along Astarion’s collarbone, then slid his fingers under the hem of the shirt to remove it. The cloth whispered along porcelain skin as it slipped from his shoulders. Halsin kissed him; just to kiss him. Not in some act of seduction, but in one of caretaking. This act, too, caused passion to stir in Halsin's loins. But as with his bear, Halsin pressed down the urge. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Now was not the time.

His fingers traced along Astarion's shoulders as the vampire turned around. Halsin allowed his hands to fall, then took a step back to better see Astarion's scars. They were gigantic. Circular runes took up most of his partner's back, along with writing that Halsin recognized as Infernal, although he couldn't read it.

"These scars are…incredibly intricate," Halsin said, his mouth suddenly dry. "And they're not a brand, but-"

Astarion cut him off. "They're cuts. Slices of my flesh. A brand would have been kinder. Quicker. But Cazador was neither." His head tilted forward; the vampire must be looking at the floor. Halsin ached to comfort him, but the tenseness in his body, Astarion's hands balled into fists, indicated his need of space.

"He spent one exceptionally long night carving this ‘poetry’ into my back," Astarion continued, his voice steady. It didn't quiver; it was as though he were reading aloud from a book, with how distant he seemed to be from the source material. "He worked on it from dusk until dawn with an ancient blade he called his ‘needle’…starting over if I screamed or winced too much." The pale elf's head shook slowly back and forth.

Halsin's flame of concern flashed back into anger at the cruelties Astarion had survived. As soon as the shadow curse was lifted, Halsin vowed to himself that he'd rip Cazador's throat out himself. He struggled with his words. "Astarion. I am so sorry, you didn't deserve this," Halsin said, his voice soft and low.

Astarion slowly turned around to face Halsin again. He met the druid's gaze, his eyes flaring with what had to have been grief and anger. The vampire raised his arms and hands out to his sides, as if in an exaggerated shrug. 'It was a rough night," he said firmly, "And what’s done is done."

Halsin's instinct told him to drop it there, to press no more. He obeyed. No words could heal Astarion's scars nor his soul. But he would remain by Astarion’s side for that journey regardless. He stepped forward to his lover and raised his hand to cup Astarion’s cheek. The pad of Halsin’s thumb caressed the pale elf’s high cheekbone. His features were breathtaking; he could have been carved from the finest marble by the most skilled stonemason. The druid’s hand slid to the back of Astarion’s head, and his fingers carded through the soft white curls. Halsin released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

Astarion leaned into Halsin’s body, quivering hands finding rest around the druid’s large waist. Astarion pressed his face into Halsin’s broad chest. The druid's other hand rested on the center of Astarions’ scars; Halsin’s gentle fingers brushed along the vicious ridges carved there. The smaller elf stiffened momentarily at the sensation of Halsin’s hand drifting up and down his back; Halsin realized that Astarion had trusted him with holding his scars, both psychic and palpable. 

The vampire’s arms tightened around Halsin’s waist, and his body shook slightly as a cool exhale washed over the druid’s chest. Astarion was fighting back tears.

“I don’t deserve this,” Astarion mumbled, his voice muffled against Halsin’s body. His shoulders trembled, but no sob fell from him. Halsin was again amazed by Astarion’s resilience - and his resistance.

Halsin shook his head, his braids falling to brush against the top of Astarion’s head. “My heart, the only thing you don’t deserve is the past haunting you; for your scars to be secret, and to live with them alone,” he said softly, and pulled his hand from Astarion’s soft curls to cup his face. The pale elf’s head tilted upwards; their eyes met, and Halsin’s heart raced as his partner’s expression grew anxious. Astarion blinked furiously, his face was flushed. He was visibly embarrassed, vulnerable.

“Astarion, I am yours.. Against the curse, against the Absolute... anything. You are my partner. In all things: adventure, passion, and shouldering burdens,” Halsin continued. Astarion’s eyes dropped downward. His white curls bobbed in the air as he nodded slowly. The vampire’s quiet confirmation was all Halsin required. The druid pressed his lips on the top of Astarion's head and laid his cheek against his crown. They stood together quietly, goosebumps prickling the skin of each man, the only sound the racing of Halsin’s heart and their soft exhales.

Until a loud rapping knock at the door startled both men so intensely that Halsin lifted Astarion from the floor in his arms, and their nervous  laughter filled the room.

#astarion #baldur's gate 3 #halstarion #astarion x halsin #bg3 #halsin x astarion #bg3 astarion #halsin/astarion #astarion bg3 #astarion ancunin #bloodbear #blood and honey #ursaminor #ursa minor #astarion/halsin

[rin-bellatrix]

Some Things Are Meant To Be

"Take my hand, take my whole life too. Oh, for I can't help, falling in love with you." - Haley Reinhart

Exploring a near dilapidated building in search of anything worthwhile with her boyfriend, sister and brother-in-law, Fiona nearly ends up empty-handed, but leaves with a little more than she expected.

Written for Rhyiona Week 2023 with the prompt "trick/treat"

Header art by AnnaSabiNoKami 🌌

Purple galaxy dividers from this post. Purple glitter divider from this post. Purple reblog and feedback divider from this post.

Enjoy and Happy Halloween! 🎃

"Hey! Can you believe it? It still works!"

Fiona stood from where she had been hunched, sifting through a chest of knickknacks, turning to face Rhys who was handling some type of electronic device as he showed it off to Sasha on the other side of the room. Her sister stepped closer and observed him manipulating the cracked interface, and she tilted her face up to his with a question and his grin widened.

The sight of them in such a moment would have wounded her heart in the past, but now it made her smile in private satisfaction. Her boyfriend and her sister getting along so well always soothed some broken part of her, one that always wanted love and safety for the most important people in her life. Sasha welcoming Rhys so readily into their small family was a balm to her soul, just as Rhys had when securing Sasha as another best friend. They got along so great, and the sight softened the most jaded parts of her. Her two favorite people were happy and healthy and honestly, what more could Fiona ask for.

Sasha scoffed, taking a step away from the company man, idly running a hand over her hair as she pointed out a latch in the back. He turned it over and inspected it as the younger Pandoran walked away at the call of her husband's voice. August complaining about something, as was his usual, his grousing mutters making the young woman smile in affection as she sought him out.

Even newlywed, Sasha couldn't resist a good treasure hunt.

Rhys tapped against the outer shell of the device, his face showing clear confusion as Fiona sidled up beside him.

"What cha got there? Anything worth selling?"

He turned towards her, his bi-colored eyes falling down to her face. "If I'm right about what this is, this has the potential to be either a removable hard drive which could contain all kinds of secrets, or... It's a handheld video game system. Can't really remember right now, I've gotta take it back to HQ to run a more thorough scan." His lip twisted into a pout as he considered the retro machine in his hand.

Fiona reached up and brushed off some dust from his lapel, her hand moving up to the slope of his broad shoulder and down his arm, the expensive material of his suit gliding beneath her fingers. By the time she lifted her eyes back up to his, his pout had disappeared and his face had softened as he looked down at her.

"As long as it's not the digital remains of a megalomaniac, I'd consider it a successful heist," she joked, her lips kicked up in a playful smirk.

He huffed out a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head at her coy words. "Yeah, never wanna deal with that again. I'm good. Uhm, but hey..." he began, his mood suddenly shifting.

The vault hunter tilted her head, allowing her lover to take hold of her hand and pull her away from the room they were in. The distant sounds of Sasha's amused tones and August's loud curses faded gradually as he lead them further into the abandoned building they were rummaging through.

They walked down a long hallway, past other rooms that had already been ransacked, Rhys all the while holding her hand gently in his own. He finally slowed as he reached an overturned bench, releasing her hand to right the piece of furniture and dust off the old cushions. He sat down and patted the space next to him, his smiling face bright in the dingy light.

Fiona felt herself mirroring his expression as she sat next to him, her knee knocking against his. "What's up? Found something special?"

He grinned, and he looked so boyish in that moment that she had to resist reaching over to pinch his cheeks. "Actually, yeah!" He slipped his mechanical hand into the breast pocket of his blazer, pulling out what looked like an old, curved metal piece. "I think it's some kind of wrist guard. It looks like it might fit you, what do you think?"

He handed it over and the vault hunter took it, turning it over in her hands to inspect it. Intrigued, she removed the wrist brace on her left arm and tucked it away, fitting the new one into its place. It fit pretty good, a few adjustments and she'd actually be able to wear it comfortably. Tapping a turquoise nail on its tarnished metal surface, she determined that it was probably most effective when parrying bladed attacks.

"Hey, not bad. Seems like you've got a good eye for this."

"There's more, actually."

Fiona looked over at him and he was already holding out his hand to drop something into hers. She cupped her hand beneath his and he loosened his grip to let something light fall into her waiting palm. Bringing it closer, she noticed that it was a pair of earrings, giant gems glittering in the center. It was certainly an older set, the setting around the jewels had warped slightly due to age, but it was still beautiful even in its diminished state.

"Wow, not bad Rhys! Clean these up a bit and you've got a pretty penny sitting in your pocket." The Pandoran felt oddly proud in this moment, knowing her lover had scored a decent haul from the remains of a long-ago abandoned facility.

So far, she hadn't found anything of note, but the thought of leaving here knowing her boyfriend had found some treasure left her somehow satisfied. It's not often that he can leave his company and come meet with everyone like this just to enjoy some time together. This was a much needed break, not just for him but for all of them.

She handed him the old jewelry back, watching in contentment as he pocketed the set, before shoving a hand down his pants pocket. He fidgeted for a moment, before dragging his eyes up to hers. She lifted her brows in silent inquiry.

"So there's also... This other thing that I found..."

"Yeah?" she prompted when it looked like he was struggling to continue.

He seemed to hesitate, before drawing his hand out and reaching for hers. He held her left hand gently in his own as he fumbled with a small object, finally securing a hold on it and singling out her second to last finger. He slid a circular object onto her digit, nestling it past her knuckles until it sat comfortably at the base of her finger.

Fiona immediately zeroed in on the shine to the item, her critical eye noticing that it was new, unblemished like the other trinkets Rhys found before. It was a ring, precious stones flashing brightly even in the slightly darkened room. She lifted her hand and inspected it further, impressed with the fire inside the gems and the quality of the overall expert craftsmanship. This piece of jewelry was truly remarkable, and it definitely cost more than a pretty penny.

She looked up meeting her boyfriend's eyes, finding him watching her intently. "Rhys, where did you get this? There's no way you found this here," she asked, watching him curiously. This was a long ago abandoned facility, the chances of something worth while being left here, untouched by grit and grime was far too low.

He shifted in his seat, his knees bumping against hers as a blush reddened his cheeks. "Well, I did find it, but not here... It was actually in a shop on Dionysus... A jeweler to be exact."

"So... You brought this here from Dionysus?"

Atlas' ceo was watching her intently, and she felt like he was trying to tell her something without using his words. When she only responded with a perplexed hand gesture, he nearly rolled his eyes.

"I found it, at a jeweler's, as in, I commissioned a professional jeweler to make this especially for me, because I was planning on giving it to you..."

"Oh..." Fiona glanced down at the beautiful ring again. The ring Rhys had ordered to be made especially for her. The ring that was sitting on her ring finger, on her left hand. Fiona was typically as smart as a whip, but she had suffered a concussion not too long ago (the perils of being a vault hunter), and it took a minute for the gears to start turning. "...Oh!"

Snapping her gaze up to his, the focused look in his eyes now made sense as he waited for her answer. She swallowed down a rush of adrenaline, feeling the pounding of her pulse all over as she realized that yeah, this was really happening.

Knowing his lady love well, the company man knew that Fiona was currently battling a fight or flight response. Remaining calm, for both of their sakes, he reached over and gently took her hand in his, lightly running his robotic thumb over her knuckles in a slow, repetitive arc, brushing over the engagement ring with every pass.

"You don't have to answer right now, you don't even have to say yes, I just wanted-"

The vault hunter vaulted over his lap, crashing into his body with such force that it knocked the both of them off the bench, tumbling into a heap of ripped up carpet. It was incredibly dusty, smelled a little bit like mildew, but the young ceo was fully preoccupied with trying to meet the many kisses his girlfriend (fiancé?) was trying to suffocate him with.

"Is- is this- a yes? Are you- saying- yes?"

"Yes you idiot," she grinned, her lipstick smeared over her mouth in a truly ridiculous but endearing way, and the Atlas president knew from past experience that his lips were not fairing any better.

"Oh okay, that's good, because for a moment there, it kinda felt like you were gonna snap my neck and hide the body under these rugs here... Do you smell that by the way?"

Fiona was laid out over her lanky boyfriend (fiancé?), her armor and sharp accessories poking him uncomfortably, but her eyes were soft and her smile was wide, and Rhys really counted himself fortunate enough that such a stellar woman allowed him into her heart. She leaned down and kissed him again, this time slowly, allowing him to cup the back of her head and close his eyes, enjoying the plush shape of her lips. Her hat tumbled off, but she didn't seem to mind as she tilted her face to taste his mouth from a different angle. Her hands cupped his face, thumbs sweeping over his cheeks as his free hand smoothed down her back to settle in the dip of her waist.

She hummed pleasantly, kissing the corner of his mouth lightly as footsteps neared their position.

Fiona pulled away to gaze down at him with all the love she usually held in reserve, and Rhys found the he couldn't look away even if he wanted to. The old facility didn't exist, nor did the smelly carpet at his back, not even the sight of Sasha rounding the corner in his peripheral could get him to break away from his future bride's eyes.

Sasha stopped when her eyes landed on the couple laying in a pile of dirty rugs, and after a moment of assessing the situation, she turned right around and started heading back. August was following her, a curious expression crossing his face as he watched his wife back track towards him.

"Hey, you found 'em?"

"Yeah, let's go, they're fine," she answered, taking his arm and turning him around.

"What, were they like, indecent or somethin' like that?" he snorted, still not over the fact that a string bean nerd like Reese could get any action, period.

"Mmm, something like that," Sasha quipped, a secretive smile on her face.

The blonde snapped his attention down to her, his icy blue eyes wide with shock. "Eh?! No way- tell me, what arm was he usin'?"

The younger Pandoran leveled him with stoic lifted brow, her expression less than impressed.

"Sash, be honest. Was it the fleshy hand or the robo hand?"

She rolled her eyes, stepping carefully over some fallen debris littered on the floor. "You realize you're talking about my sister and best friend, right?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"August, darling?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up before I file for divorce."

"..."

When Rhys and Fiona had reunited with the couple, Sasha snagged her big sister in a tight embrace, congratulating her sincerely, and as the sisters quieted down, from the other side of the room they could hear August ask Rhys, "Since we're gonna be future brother-in-law's, how about you answer somethin' for me..."

"August!" The youngest sister shouted, shaking her head as both men jumped at the sound of her voice. "I swear, sometimes I feel like I gotta keep him on a leash..."

Fiona grinned, bumping her elbow against the smaller woman as she said, "Looks like you've gotta domestic him a bit more."

"Yeah? We'll see how you fare domesticating yours," she teased, poking her sister in the ribs.

"Rhys doesn't need..." The vault hunter trailed off, both Pandoran women watching as the company man wiggled his mechanical fingers, gesturing with his left hand towards it as he explained something in a low tone towards the blonde man, who was listening intently and nodding occasionally.

Fiona felt her face burn with a sudden heat as her fiancé flicked his wrist and a soft whirring of low vibrations filled the room. She felt her sister's pointed stare and realized that yeah, maybe Rhys did have some more domesticity training due... In the very near future.

If you're looking for a spookier Halloween tale featuring our favorite otp, then may I offer up "A Man After Midnight" which features Rhys and Fiona facing off against some supernatural evil~ Also it's like five times longer than this so it should satisfy any creepy cravings you might have 😈

©rin-bellatrix 2023

☆ borderlands masterlist ⋆ main masterlist ☆

#rhyiona #rhyionaweek #rhyionaweek2023 #rhys strongfork #rhys the company man #rhys the ceo #fiona borderlands #fiona the con artist #fiona the vault hunter #rhys x fiona #borderlands #tales from the borderlands #tftbl #rin's fic #sasha the kid sister #august the brawler #august the guy with the key #saugust #is that their ship name?

[monzamash]

just don’t understand why u keep saying you’ve gone off daniel because of ‘what he said/did earlier in the season’ yet ur perfectly happy to write for lando who also made questionable comments idk just feels hypocritical. what made landos comments ok but daniels so horrid lol it makes no sense 👍 if u want to be a daniel hater just come out and say it instead of being all coy about it and pretending like ur not being weird about it cause u say u won’t write for him and then u update ur layout and put up a picture of it lmao so which is it

i don’t know if this is the same anon that’s been sending me shit every second day for months about this - i’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say it’s not because of the way you’ve typed this out but the message is still the same and this is the last straw.

i don’t hate daniel. if you look at my last post i said that he’s a big part of why i fell in love with f1. he was also the reason i started this blog so just because i’m not writing for him now, doesn’t mean i hate him. it’s not as black and white for me as it seems to be for you.

writing doesn’t define my blog - its something i do when i feel like it and most of the time i’m either chatting with you guys on here or supporting other writers. it was a fun escape but lately it’s been the opposite of that.

people may not like this but in my opinion daniels comments were significantly more damaging than landos vague response to a question that nobody could factually corroborate. i don’t think i’m alone in thinking that. daniel straight up said the one thing i personally hate the most when someone’s defending an abuser which is, “well [insert name] has always been good to me so…” that’s what upset me the most and now i have no desire to write for him. that is simply how i feel and if you don’t agree/understand, it’s all good. try and find other blogs who do share your views. makes life a lot easier.

anyway, did daniels comments make me want to erase every trace of him from my blog? no but i made it clear that i wouldn’t be writing for him for the foreseeable future and if anything changed, i would give people the heads up. what i absolutely won’t be doing is caving in to bullies who hide behind a shadow on the fucking internet who say i that i should delete my blog and myself while i’m at it.

so the context of why i made a header with daniel in it was that i thought including him would allow people the chance to bounce if they don’t want to read any daniel fics or interact with a blog that had a lot of daniel content in the past - people hate him and have made sure to tell me how fucked i am to still have his fics in my masterlist. thats the sort of hate that really gets to me because i’m so proud of some of those fics and spent a lot of time on them. that’s one reason why I won’t ever delete them but it’s also because there are daniel fans out there who hopefully feel like they can still interact with me even if we don’t share the exact same opinion. i don’t want that to change.

another thing to note is that this header was up for like two seconds and the fact you saw it must mean you’re just stalking my page? are you checking in to call me out the second i do something wrong? and you think i’m weird? alright lol

lastly, saying i’m being coy and weird isn’t fair - i’ve been honest about where i stand and even when i’ve been unsure, i was still being upfront and owning the fact that i didn’t know what direction this blog would take after all that. so if what i’ve said in this post or in the past isn’t enough for you, then just leave please. literally leave me alone because i don’t want to do this anymore.

#monzamail

[thatcoyperson]

hey. hey coy

check my header :]

OH MY GOD-

#HELP YOU ACTUALLY DID IT #coy answers #friend shit

[gofiber]

Link Juice la gi? Cach toi uu hoa Link Juice cho lien ket tren website

Trong lĩnh vực tối ưu hóa công cụ tìm kiếm (SEO), khái niệm "link juice là gì" đã và đang trở thành một trong những thuật ngữ quan trọng. Đối với những ai mới bắt đầu làm quen với SEO, khái niệm này có thể gây khó hiểu. Tuy nhiên, nó lại có vai trò quan trọng trong việc xây dựng sức mạnh và tăng xếp hạng cho trang web của bạn trên các công cụ tìm kiếm. Trong bài viết này, chúng ta sẽ tìm hiểu về "link juice là gì" và cách tối ưu hóa nó cho liên kết trên website của bạn.

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Nhận thêm Link Juice

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Guest posting trên các trang web có liên quan: Viết bài cho các trang web khác trong lĩnh vực của bạn và đ

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Để đảm bảo rằng chiến lược tối ưu hóa Link Juice của bạn hiệu quả, bạn cần thường xuyên kiểm tra và theo dõi hiệu suất của các liên kết. Dựa vào dữ liệu và kết quả, bạn có thể điều chỉnh chiến lược để tối ưu hóa Link Juice một cách hiệu quả và liên tục.

Kết luận

Link juice là một yếu tố quan trọng trong việc xây dựng sức mạnh và tăng xếp hạng cho trang web của bạn trên các công cụ tìm kiếm. Bằng cách tối ưu hóa lượng link juice hiện tại và nhận thêm link juice từ các nguồn khác, bạn có thể đảm bảo rằng trang web của bạn sẽ có khả năng xếp hạng cao hơn và thu hút được nhiều lưu lượng truy cập từ người dùng. Hãy áp dụng các chiến lược tối ưu hóa Link Juice để cải thiện hiệu suất SEO và đạt được thành công trên môi trường trực tuyến.

Xem thêm bài viết liên quan: Tất tần tật về link juice và tối đa link juice cho liên kết website

Đọc thêm nhiều thủ thuật SEO tài Gofiber.vn.

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[dichvupbncom]

Direct Traffic là gì và cách theo dõi khi tăng đột biến

Cùng tìm hiểu về direct traffic là gì và cách theo dõi sự biến động của GG analytics của lượng traffic website cùng dịch vụ pbn

Direct Traffic là gì

Direct traffic trong Google Analytics được định nghĩa là lưu lượng truy cập đến từ các URL được truy cập trực tiếp trên thanh địa chỉ mà không thông qua bất kỳ trang web trung gian hoặc công cụ tìm kiếm nào. Điều này bao gồm các truy cập từ bookmark, các trang yêu thích hoặc từ dữ liệu lưu trữ trên thanh địa chỉ. Google Analytics cũng coi các truy cập không có dữ liệu về cách session bắt đầu hoặc khi công cụ này được cấu hình để bỏ qua referring source là direct traffic.

Theo dõi dữ liệu direct traffic trong Google Analytics

Để theo dõi dữ liệu direct traffic trong Google Analytics, bạn có thể đăng nhập vào tài khoản Google Analytics của mình và chọn Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels. Tại đây, bạn có thể xem các thông tin về direct traffic và tìm hiểu về các trang có lưu lượng truy cập trực tiếp cao nhất.

Sự tăng đột biến xảy ra khi nào?

Sự tăng đột biến của direct traffic xảy ra khi lưu lượng truy cập tăng một cách đáng kể trong một khoảng thời gian ngắn.

Sự tăng đột biến kéo dài bao lâu?

Sự tăng đột biến của direct traffic có thể kéo dài trong một ngày hoặc hai, hoặc có thể kéo dài một tuần hoặc lâu hơn.

Trang nào nhận được lưu lượng direct traffic nhiều nhất?

Thông qua việc xem xét danh sách các trang đến từ direct traffic, bạn có thể nhận được một số gợi ý. Bạn có thể xem xem direct traffic đến từ một bài đăng blog, trang chủ hoặc trang giới thiệu doanh nghiệp. Thông thường, trang chủ và các trang giới thiệu doanh nghiệp nhận được lưu lượng direct traffic nhiều nhất.

Loại thiết bị nào được sử dụng bởi người truy cập?

Việc xem xét loại thiết bị mà người truy cập sử dụng có thể cung cấp thông tin quan trọng. Bạn có thể xem xét xem người dùng truy cập trực tiếp có sử dụng cùng một loại thiết bị hay không.

Nguyên nhân tăng đột biến direct traffic

Sự sai lệch trong cách Google Analytics định nghĩa direct traffic

Google Analytics có thể gán nhãn sai traffic tới website của bạn là direct traffic, dẫn đến sự tăng đột biến không thực tế. Ví dụ, traffic từ email marketing như Outlook hoặc GMail, traffic từ các ứng dụng di động native, traffic từ "Dark Search" hoặc referral traffic từ các trang web HTTPS tới trang web HTTP đều có thể bị gán là direct traffic. Để giảm dark traffic, bạn có thể sử dụng UTM Tracking Code hoặc thiết lập chính xác các nguồn traffic trong Google Analytics.

Doanh nghiệp/trang web được hưởng lợi từ earned media

Một nguyên nhân tích cực khiến direct traffic tăng đột biến là doanh nghiệp/trang web được đề cập trên các trang web phổ biến hoặc bởi những người có sức ảnh hưởng. Điều này có thể là kết quả của các hoạt động Marketing hiệu quả hoặc xuất hiện trên Google Discover.

Có thể bạn sẽ hứng thú với nội dung kỳ tích về Marketing ngành sữa Việt tại bài viết sau

Spambots

Spambots là một nguyên nhân phổ biến gây ra sự tăng đột biến trong dữ liệu direct traffic. Spambots có thể gửi các yêu cầu HTTP giả mạo đến trang web của bạn với các referer header giả mạo, dẫn đến việc Google Analytics báo cáo là direct traffic. Để phân biệt spambots và người dùng thực, bạn có thể xem xét các dấu hiệu như cùng một địa chỉ IP nguồn, bounce rate cao và thời lượng session thấp.

Pixel đo lường của Google Analytics bị lỗi hoặc thiếu cài đặt

Một nguyên nhân khác có thể khiến direct traffic tăng đột biến là do các pixel đo lường không chính xác. Điều này có thể do các pixel theo dõi bị hỏng hoặc cài đặt không đúng. Để kiểm tra và sửa lỗi, bạn cần đảm bảo rằng tất cả các trang web của bạn đã được cài đặt mã theo dõi Google Analytics hợp lệ.

Bị đối thủ chơi xấu

Nhằm hạ bệ thứ hạng và bị phạt lỗi thao tác thủ công, một số đối thủ cạnh tranh có thể chơi xấu bằng cách dùng các tool bắn traffic và bot traffic bẩn để hạ thứ hạng website của chúng ta.

Trên đây là 5 nguyên nhân có thể khiến direct traffic tăng đột biến. Việc phân tích và hiểu rõ nguyên nhân này sẽ giúp bạn đưa ra các biện pháp và quyết định phù hợp để tối ưu hóa hiệu quả của website.

Hy vọng bài viết này đã giúp bạn hiểu thêm về direct traffic và cách phân tích tăng đột biến của nó trong Google Analytics.

Theo dõi các bài viết khác về Marketing và SEO tại blog Tumblr của dichvupbn:

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[dichvuseoheroseo]

Textlink là gì? Cách sử dụng Textlink an toàn và hiệu quả trong SEO



Textlink là gì? Textlink là một yếu tố rất quan trọng trong SEO. Website của bạn có tăng hạng hay không cũng là nhờ một phần cách sử dụng textlink an toàn, hiệu quả. Vậy sử dụng textlink như thế nào? Hãy theo hướng dẫn cách sử dụng textlink an toàn cho SEO trong bài viết này.

Tìm hiểu vai trò của Textlink

Textlink là gì?

Textlink (hay còn gọi sitewide link) là một đoạn văn bản chứa liên kết trỏ đến website khác. Textlink thường đặt ở header, footer, sidebar hoặc chuyên mục.

Thông thường, số lượng backlink trung bình trong một ngày là khoảng từ 100-200 link. Tuy nhiên, với textlink, một ngày bạn có thể đạt vài trăm, thậm chí vài nghìn backlink. Đây là một trong những lợi ích hay nhất mà textlink mang lại.

Nhưng bạn cũng cần lưu ý rằng số lượng link về website trong một ngày quá lớn sẽ gây ra những hậu quả về sau.

Textlink là đoạn văn bản chứa liên kết trỏ về website khác

Nhìn chung, khi đặt một textlink trên website thì có những lợi ích sau:

Tăng lưu lượng truy cập cho website

Tăng thứ hạng từ khóa mục tiêu

Giúp duy trì và ổn định thứ hạng từ khóa ở một vị trí nào đó

Tăng độ uy tín của website trong mắt Google

Hướng dẫn sử dụng Textlink an toàn, hiệu quả cho SEO

Textlink mang lại rất nhiều lợi ích cho website, không những về mặt thứ hạng từ khóa, mà còn về traffic, mức độ uy tín.

Do đó, để sử dụng Textlink an toàn, hiệu quả cho SEO cần chú ý những điều sau:

Tần suất sử dụng liên kết

Không nên sử dụng Textlink liên tục trong khoảng thời gian ngắn, bởi nó sẽ làm cho website của bạn mất tính tự nhiên với những liên kết trỏ về. Việc sử dụng Textlink một cách tự nhiên sẽ mang lại hiệu quả SEO tốt nhất cho website của bạn.

Số lượng liên kết trong một bài viết

Bạn có đang băn khoăn rằng nên xây dựng bao nhiêu liên kết backlink và bao nhiêu liên kết Textlink không? Số lượng các liên kết trong bài viết cũng là một yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến SEO.

Theo khuyến cáo thì tỷ lệ sử dụng Textlink là khoảng từ 10-15% và còn lại cho backlink sẽ chiếm một tỷ lệ nhất định trong nội dung website.

Sử dụng đa dạng các liên kết

Không nên chỉ sử dụng từ khóa chính trong Textlink để trỏ link về website. Thay vào đó, hãy sử dụng đa dạng các từ khóa đồng nghĩa hoặc mở rộng trong Textlink của bạn. Sử dụng đa dạng Textlink và backlink sẽ giúp website của bạn trở nên uy tín và chất lượng.

Bên cạnh đó, sử dụng Textlink là các hình ảnh hay video cũng là một lựa chọn phù hợp. Textlink càng đa dạng, Google càng đánh giá cao website của bạn.

Những lưu ý cần biết để sử dụng Textlink hiệu quả

Textlink có ảnh hưởng rất lớn đến SEO trên nhiều khía cạnh. Tùy vào mục đích sử dụng mà mức độ ảnh hưởng của Textlink sẽ khác nhau.

Những Textlink liên quan đến nội dung trang web của bạn thì sẽ được Google đánh giá cao. Ngược lại, những Textlink không liên quan sẽ bị Google coi đó là spam và kém chất lượng.

Sử dụng Textlink chất lượng để đạt hiệu quả SEO cao nhấ

Do đó, để phát huy tối đa sức mạnh của Textlink, khi đặt Textlink hãy lưu ý các vấn đề sau:

1. Website cần phải có lượng backlink vừa đủ. Để xây dựng được vài nghìn backlink chất lượng, bạn mất khoảng 2 tháng. Sau đó, bạn mới đặt Textlink được.

2. Không nên đặt Textlink trỏ về các bài viết mới với các Anchor Text chính xác. Thay vào đó, bạn có thể đặt Textlink trỏ về trang chủ, categories, label hoặc tag. (Nếu bạn SEO từ khóa chỉ có trong bài viết thì nên đặt Textlink sau một vài tháng đăng tải. Lúc này, bạn cũng cần xây dựng backlink cho bài viết này trước).

3. Để mang lại lợi ích của Textlink tốt nhất, hãy chọn đặt textlink ở những site có lượng traffic tốt. Tránh đặt Textlink ở những trang rao vặt, mua bán hay những trang có nhiều link out. Những trang này có thể làm giảm sức mạnh của backlink.

4. Bạn cũng có thể mua Textlink ở những site chất lượng để đảm bảo Textlink của bạn là hiệu quả nhất. Trang web tin tức là một sự lựa chọn tốt nhất để mua Textlink, vừa giúp bạn tiếp cận khách hàng, vừa đảm bảo chất lượng Textlink.

5. Ngoài ra, bạn cũng có thể hoàn toàn chủ động thiết kế một site cùng chủ đề để xây dựng Textlink. Lúc này, bạn cần phải xây dựng các bài viết chất lượng để đặt link. Đây sẽ là nguồn link chất lượng hơn nhiều so với việc mua link.

Tham khảo bài viết: >> Anchor Text là gì? Mật độ Anchor Text bao nhiêu là hợp lý? >> Traffic là gì? Cách tăng lưu lượng truy cập website đơn giản thông qua Textlink

Phân biệt Textlink và Backlink

Liên kết là một trong những yếu tố rất quan trọng và cần được chú ý khi làm SEO. Trong đó Textlink và Backlink là 2 thuật ngữ rất dễ nhầm lẫn. Vậy Textlink và Backlink có điểm gì khác nhau?

Backlink là liên kết trỏ về website của bạn từ một website khác, blog, diễn đàn, mạng xã hội,…Backlink là một trong những yếu tố xếp hạng quan trọng nhất trong SEO. Càng nhiều backlink chất lượng trỏ về thì trang web càng lên top cao. Backlink được đặt trực tiếp trong bài viết và có nhiều dạng như văn bản, hình ảnh, video,…

>> Xem thêm: Backlink là gì? Vai trò của Backlink chất lượng trong SEO

Vai trò của Backlink chất lượng

Textlink là một siêu liên kết hiển thị dưới dạng văn bản và không nằm trong bài viết. Khi người dùng click vào văn bản này thì sẽ được trỏ đến một trang web khác.

Về cơ bản, Backlink và Textlink là 2 thuật ngữ khá giống nhau. Thay vì đặt trực tiếp đường dẫn như backlink, thì Textlink được thay thế bằng một văn bản. Nói một cách dễ hiểu, backlink bao gồm cả Textlink.

Backlink và Textlink đều có khả năng thúc đẩy thứ hạng từ khóa trong SEO. Tuy nhiên, nếu bạn lạm dụng Textlink thì sẽ gây ra những ảnh hưởng tiêu cực đến kết quả SEO.

Tùy vào từng thời điểm mà Google sẽ có những chính sách phạt khác nhau. Do đó, bạn cần lưu ý khi sử dụng các liên kết.

Tìm hiểu kiến thức về Textlink là gì

>> Đọc thêm: SEO là gì? Những kiến thức SEO cơ bản cho người mới bắt đầu

Trên đây là những kiến thức từ A-Z về Textlink và gì và cách sử dụng Textlink hiệu quả. Cả Textlink và Backlink đều là những yếu tố xếp hạng quan trọng. Vì vậy, bạn cần đặc biệt quan tâm và có chiến lược phù hợp với hai dạng liên kết này để đạt hiệu quả SEO cao nhất.

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "Textlink là gì?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Textlink (hay còn gọi sitewide link) là một đoạn văn bản chứa liên kết trỏ đến website khác. Textlink thường đặt ở header, footer, sidebar hoặc chuyên mục." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "Hướng dẫn sử dụng Textlink an toàn, hiệu quả cho SEO", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Không nên sử dụng Textlink liên tục trong khoảng thời gian ngắn Tỷ lệ sử dụng Textlink là khoảng từ 10-15% và còn lại cho backlink sẽ chiếm một tỷ lệ nhất định trong nội dung website. Sử dụng đa dạng các liên kết" } }] }

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Điểm trân trọng

I write to make friend with myself. And it's nice to write randomly on a casual place. I need it to be casual.

Sẽ không cần paragrahp. Sẽ không cần header. Sẽ không cần phải nối từ câu này sang cau kia. Sẽ nghĩ gì viết đó. Như thế.

Sau mỗi lẫn gặp sẽ thấy một tình yêu sâu đậm hơn. Thật lạ, vì hầu hết các mối quan hệ hân thiết của tôi đều không trụ nổi một vài lần va chạm; nhưng có 1 cái đã trải qua hàng trăm lần break-up mà vẫn ựt hàn lại một cách tự nhiên. Thật đã khi có thể cãi nhau maximum mà sau đó không nhớ gì hoặc refresh i như mới. Nếu không được cãi thì không thật nữa.

Điểm hòa vốn

m. khoe đã đạt điểm hòa vốn kinh doanh sau một thời gian mở cửa hàng. Là một mốc đáng nhớ. Làm cho tôi liên hệ tới cái áo adidas màu cam. Trừ lúc mới mua mới cóng đem về, thì hầu hết tôi thấy nó thật bèo nhèo. Ai ngờ xài tới hôm nay nó chuyển qua điểm trân trọng, không phải ép mình trân trọng, vì như vậy rất giả. Mà tự nhiên nó chuyển. Tự nhiên sao thấy nó xịn dữ, trừ nhìn cũ đi thì nó không bị xù lông, không bị chảy, lớp vải vẫn y như vậy, cotton bình thường. Tự nhiên à há, vậy là cái gì cũng phải dùng tới một điểm chuyển mới thấy nó xịn hay không. Còn mới mua về chỉ là infatuation mà thôi, được vài bữa là thấy bèo bọt chỉ muốn đem đi cho. Bao nhiêu lần muốn cho mà do còn ít đồ nên chưa cho được. Cái áo muji xám kem đang mặc đây cũng là mặc theo thói quen, chưa đạt tới điểm trân trọng. Mỗi lẫn chán ghét một món nào đó, lại nghĩ tới giây phút đầu tiên thấy nó trên móc trong cửa hàng, thấy nó trên kệ mới cứng, thấy nó nằm trong giỏ trong phòng chờ thử đồ, thấy nó ướm trên người mình, và lúc đang checkout chưa kịp quẹt thẻ, lúc chưa gỡ các mạc ra, lúc chưa giặt và lúc chưa mặc lần nào. Mình đã cảm thấy nó sang xịn ra sao. Cứ nhớ về những lúc như thé. Hoặc lúc viết nhật ký trong phòng trọ bao nhiêu năm ước ao có người yêu. Bao nhiêu điều ước ao đã thành hiện thực trong căn phòng này. Số món đạt được điểm chuyển chưa tới 5 đầu ngón tay.

m. luôn có khả năng kiếm được những thứ mình thích và cần. Quái lạ! And I know when he loves me, he would take photos of me. Cảm thấy mình là một người bình thường được yêu mến vì mình là mình chứ ko phải vì mình có gì hay là gì, cũng không cần phải đẹp hơn, chỉ cần kiếm tiền nhiều hơn để tự lo cho mình. Cũng không bắt mình phải làm dâu vì nói mình không đủ khả năng giao tiếp.

Khá nghiêm khắc, đôi khi hơi quá.

Phát hiện ra rằng để cho một mối quan hệ sâu sắc và tiếp tục trưởng thành theo năm tháng, cần trung thực với chính mình và với nhau. Sẽ có những lúc gần và những lúc xa. Nếu biết giá trị của các chu kỳ gần xa thì cả hai sẽ cùng nhau đi tiếp. Cần rất nhiều thời gian bên cạnh và rất nhiều chuyện trò, rất nhiều cãi vã, rất nhiều chia sẻ mới tới điểm "hòa vốn" (point of appreciation). Từ điểm này trở đi thì mới có lời được. Trước đó thì phải ráng chịu lỗ, bỏ sớm thì phá sản. Tôi cũng không bao giờ coi đây là mục tiêu phấn đấu. Không thể. Là lương duyên! In the beginning, it is called attachment, later bonding, and much later a sacred commitment. Nếu khao khát thấy sự trưởng thành của nhau và muốn chia sẻ hành trình này với nhau thì mọi thứ sẽ là trải nghiệm. Có lẽ đã chia sẻ rất nhiều cuộc đời với nhau, vì ngày n vẫn có cảm giác như lúc mới gặp, và lúc mới gặp cũng cảm thấy đã biết nhau rồi.

Break-up/divorce has a bad rap. Thái tử Tất Đạt Đa sau khi lấy vợ có con nhỏ cũng bỏ vợ con đi biền biệt mấy năm mới về gặp lại yasodara. Giờ mình thấy ko tách ra mới là lạ. Có khác là sau đó người ta có cùng giá trijg sống và trân trọng nhau đủ để get back và tiếp tục trải qua những thử thách như vậy nữa không thôi. Respect, appreciation and love. Không dễ mà. Một cái áo mặc bao nhiêu năm mới phát hiện ra nó tốt huông chi là con người. 8 năm cũng chỉ mới là bắt đầu.

[falsebooles123]

Dairy of a Horror Buff 8.18.22

ugh so my boss was just being super fucking bigoted towards unhoused people and it was just totally not the vibe. I really don't want to talk about it but yeah this has been a stressful day. Also I am listening to one of the best hyperpop songs ever. When I Rule The World by LIZ. ugh this song makes me want to have a hot dom girlfriend slap a pink dog collar on my neck. Hello I'm a freak.

let's be honest kakegurui is for bottoms.

now that I've revealed my degeneracy lets get into it.

The Ash-Tree dir. Lawrence Gordon Clark

so to be honest I was only have paying attention to this one. Local rich boy like bruh I got this sweet missus so lets talk about expanding the family burial plot because thats a thing people were obsessed with in the olden times apparently.

essentially as hes doing this he keeps getting flashbacks to ancestor RIchboi who is condeming a woman as a vvitch. *le gasp.

usually I would love this and if I watched it again I probably will but for now i kind just know this exists and I've seen it technically so yeah.

I love that bitches be obsessed with Misha Collins, I'm Bitches.

ok so because it sounds like fun lets watch PSA's that are listed as horror on Letterboxd. a PSA isn't an official category but theres a few list we can look at. Also if your PSA isn't a glorified snuff film is it even good just saying. I watched a woman get hit by a train as a child and I have never played on the yellow line. also theres like no passenger trains in my area which is ironic given my towns history.

Electrical Substation, Stay Safe Stay Out (1989) dir. Unknown.

first I am annoyed that apparently Tumblr does have header capabilities. Second yassss child murder. this is what makes PSA's fucking terrifrying.

Forklift driver Klaus - The first day on job (2001) dir. Jörg Wagner & Stefan Prehn

How to know if your fave is Forklift certified. also this is only a minute in and I am already terrified of the stabby forks that are fork lifts.

So apparently this is a "fictional educational film" which like I definetly get it because this is full of garish Final Destination Humor but also at the same time this has some legetimetly good advice about Folklift Driving. I could honestly see a film like this that is legit but also teaching me about these things.

Robbie (1979) dir. Ronald Dunkley

wow imagine your country investing in public transportation and actually being able to use trains. #couldn'tbeme.

Ok so this film leterally starts with our tituler character Robbie. being like heys I'm a train nerd and you know whats cool are newly expanded public infrastructure. Thanks Thatcher.

ok so like I was making a joke but Margaret Thatcher was elected in 1979.

also this is a pretty standard PSA's some children are like hey lets do dumb shit and then Child Mutalation. ugh theres something so fucked up PSA's. also this one was like what if we literally just filmed a mother have to come to terms with her children becoming parapelegic. Also apparently there is three different versions of this were they hurt Robbie in three different ways.

OK ok they literally were just like see this dog and this baby. Dead if you ever cut a hole in a railray fence. God I love PSA's there so extra.

COI: Lonely Water (1973) dir. Jeff Grant

A FACELESS SPECTRE TO HARINGE YOU OF YOUR CRIMES.

JK this is a short PSA were the spooky grim reapers like hey bitch swin with a friend don't be an idiot.

Lynx-The Scavengers (1987) dir. Unknown

so this is a short Anti-Fur PSA by what I assume is by the Lynx Educational Trust for Animal Welfair. This one is lynchian and bloody. Don't wear real fur folks or at least source it ethically.

Set Yourself Free (2014) dir. Unknown

ok this has such late 2000s music video vibes and I love this. Also I wasn't fucking expecting land mines. Like who was expecting fucking land mines.

Julie Knew Her Killer (1998) dir. Unknown

so this is one of my favorite PSA's of All Time. Theres something so sinister about it. the way its phrased the horror of being in that situration. How suddenly it happens. theres a reason why we remember PSA's and this is one of them.

The Haunted Mouth (1974) dir. Unknown

OK I want to mention this was produced by colgate which I find personally hilarious.

BREAKING NEWS: THE SHADE OF PESTILENCE IS UPSETTIE SPAGHETTI THAT YOUR BAD AT FLOSSING AND HE'S BEING UNDERSTIMULATED.

I legetimetly love the concept of a ghost whos like yaaas teeth but also bestie like its not fun if you don't fight a little let me show you how to floss.

Ok folks I think that is enought PSA's for today. I may come back to this during the month. I may not we'll see.

#diary #letterboxchallenge #horror #letterboxd #horrormovies #horror shorts #Youtube