#Take some vampire anders

[comfortyart]

For the kiss prompts! how about a kiss after a bite for handers? 👀

I know exactly what you’re asking for, and how can I deny you? A post feed kiss, just for you lovely ☺️💖✨

[kittyoperas]

Blood mage Hawke and vampire Anders are still swimming around my head at all times. Take some more doodles I've done of them in hopes for you all to understand the vision.

( this au is ultravioletdisguise and I's brainchild)

[holylulusworld]

Kinktober vs Flufftober 2024

Like in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, I will post a kinky, fluffy, angsty or scary one-shot from October 1st till October 31st, 2024.

Please consider none of the stories are available until the set release date. Titles may change (all titles are working titles until the release date.). The release date may change at any time.

ANGST/SMUT/FLUFF

October 1st: Forbidden Lust (3) sequel to Forbidden Lust & Forbidden Lust (2)

Pairing: CEO!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Kink: Homewrecker kink

October 2nd: How deep is your love? sequel to Deepest love

Pairing: Dean Winchester x fem!Reader

Trope: Friends to lovers

Idea by: @elle14-blog1

October 3rd: Extreme tight places sequel to Cramped & Tight places & Very tight places

Pairing: Soulless!Sam x fem!Reader

Kink: Anal sex

October 4th: Colorful leaves sequel to Falling leaves

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Trope: Sunny vs grumpy

October 5th: Serve your Soldier (2) sequel to Serve your Soldier

Pairing: Soldier Boy x fem!Reader

Kink: Collars

October 6th: Snuggle and cuddle sequel to Snuggle time

Pairing: Lee Bodecker x Plussized!Reader

Trope: Huddling for warmth

October 7th: Good girls punch hard (1)

Pairing: Raymond Smith x fem!Reader

Kink: Lust at first sight

October 8th: A new life sequel to One autumn night

Pairing: Alpha!Dean Winchester x Omega!Reader

Trope: Nesting (a/b/o)

October 9th: The peach (2) sequel to The Peach

Pairing: Lloyd Hansen x Girlfriend!Reader

Kink: Spanking

October 10th: My car again? sequel to Not in my car

Pairing: Sam Winchester x fem!Reader

Trope: Cuddling & Snuggling

Requested by: @dawn-petrichor-world

October 11th: Breathlessness sequel to Breathless & Take My Breath Away

Pairing: CEO!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Kink: Boss kink

October 12th: Death or date?

Pairing: Lloyd Hansen x fem!Reader

Trope/Kink: Enemies to lovers

October 13th: Pour me some love (1)

Pairing: Biker!Dean Winchester x Plussized!Reader

Trope: Love at first sight

Idea by: @elle14-blog1

October 14th: Ashtray (2) sequel to Ashtray

Pairing: Jax Teller x fem!Reader

Kink: angry sex

October 15th: My lawn, my rules sequel to Get off my lawn

Pairing: Alpha (Teacher) Bucky Barnes x Omega (Teacher) Reader

Trope: Mating

October 16th: Howl like a wolf (Prologue)

Pairing: Alpha!Anders Lassen x Omega!Reader

Kink: a/b/o

October 17th: Bucky & Ducky (1)

Pairing: Mobster!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Side-pairing: Bucky x Ducky the duck

Trope: Best buddies

Idea by: @buckys-wintersoldier

October 18th: Pipsqueak & Grumpy (2) sequel to Pipsqueak & Grumpy

Pairing: Wolverine/Logan Howlett x Chubby(Short)!Reader

Trope: TBA

October 19th: Torn in two

Pairing: Mobster!Steve Rogers x fem!Reader

Trope: Unrequited Love

October 20th: Sweater weather sequel to Christmas Sweater

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x fem!Reader

Trope: Sweater weather

October 21st: The cabin in the woods (2) sequel to The cabin in the woods

Pairing: Winter Soldier x fem!Reader

Trope: Captivity

October 22nd: Lunchtime Delight

Pairing: Beau Arlen x Girlfriend!Reader

Kink: Edging

Idea: by @elle14-blog1

October 23rd: My annoying sexy neighbor (2) sequel to My annoying sexy neighbor

Pairing: Neighbor!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Kink: Semi-public sex

October 24th: Parallel Worlds (1)

Pairing: Negan Smith (TWD) x fem!Reader x John Winchester (SPN)

Trope: Daddy kink

October 25th: Unwanted mate (2) Bucky's version sequel to Unwanted Mate (Bucky's version)

Pairing: Alpha!Stucky x Omega!Reader

Trope: Triade

October 26th: Up his sleeve

Pairing: Mobster!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Kink: Hand kink

Idea by: @buckys-wintersoldier

October 27th: Breakfast for...

Pairing: Lloyd Hansen x Wife!Reader

Kink: TBA

October 28th: Their bride (Snippet 1) sequel to Best bridesmaid ever

Pairing: fem!Reader x Nick Fowler, Ari Levinson, Lloyd Hansen, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers

Trope: Post-Coitus moment

October 29th: His Bride (Prologue)

Pairing: Vampire!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Trope: Vampire AU

October 30th: Bound Tight

Pairing: Gus March-Philipps x fem!Reader x Anders Lassen

Kink: Ropes

Halloween Specials: ANGST/SMUT/HORROR

October 31st: His little red riding hood sequel to Little Red Riding hood lost in the woods

Pairing: (Alpha) Werewolf!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader (LittleRedRidingHood)

Trope: Monster-fucking

Find all other Bingos and Special Events here: Special Events

[anglophiletraveler]

The Night Is Still Young

Title by Billy Joel

*****

I’m lousy at figuring out titles for my fics, so I usually turn to inspiration from Billy Joel or The Beatles.  This fic came about for Deano Bingo.  I hope you enjoy it.

*****

Life was going swell for Mr and Mr Mitchell-Johnson.  At times the former Norse god and vampire felt like they were living the dream! They were in love with their new house, and the freedom and space of being homeowners.  They had christened every room with passion and sex several times.  Anders had found that working in the back garden had actually become something that he enjoyed.  And John aka Mitchell had made it his life’s mission to decorate the house and front garden for every holiday in such a way that it could be seen from the international space station!  And without the pressure of being Norse gods and the constant pressure to find the Frigg, the Johnson brothers were actually starting to …like one another?!

Things were going great with JPR.  John had been a calming and stabilizing influence on Anders which had filtered its way into his work at JPR.  Gone were the days of Anders coming in hungover, sleeping with clients, creating messes with clients that Dawn had to clean up.  Anders had even made Dawn a partner in the firm, which was working out better than Anders had imagined it would.  They’d hired a part-time secretary to free up Dawn so that she could start working with clients full time.  And the two partners had found that if one of them needed or wanted to be gone for a day for whatever reason, the other partner was able to cover them both.  This helped Dawn out a lot whenever she needed to take her daughter to the doctor or stay home with her.  

Mitchell was loving his new position in the hospital as Department Head of Labour and Delivery.  It could be a very challenging position with a lot of responsibility, and could be stressful. Mitchell wasn’t quite sure how to deal with this amount of stress, especially since he no longer had fangs.  Thankfully Ty had convinced Mitchell to start working out as a way to alleviate the stress.  He bought a gym membership and started running almost daily with Ty.  At first Anders wasn’t crazy about this fitness routine, until he started to notice in the shower the results from the weight lifting had on John’s arms and abs!  Arm porn!

It was no secret that Mitchell loved children.  It was something that he looked forward to before he was turned into a vampire, and then after that, well, he pushed it to the back of his mind because what kind of a father would a vampire make?  But now John believed it was a possibility again through adoption or via a surrogate.  It was a touchy subject for the couple.  Mitchell had tried several times unsuccessfully over the years to convince Anders of the idea of adoption.  Anders tried to avoid the subject as much as possible.  He had a very dysfunctional childhood and he just didn’t think he would be a good father because of it.  So Mitchell tried to pacify his need to be a father by babysitting Ty and Dawn’s daughter Mary, or having her spend the weekend with the two uncles.  Mitchell and Anders both enjoyed these weekends and would take her shopping, and then lunch at some ridiculously expensive restaurant, spoiling her rotten in the process.  

One weekend Anders and Mitchell were hosting a family BBQ when Ty tapped on his beer with a knife to get everyone’s attention.  “Hey, I’d like to have everyone’s attention… Dawn and I are going to have another baby!  She’s three months along, so in six months hopefully a baby brother for Miss Mary!”  Everyone was sooo excited for the couple and surrounded them with hugs.  Mary wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but she liked the excitement just the same.  Anders took a quick glance at John to see how he was taking the news.  He was smiling but not the kind of smile that was reaching his eyes.  It was good enough to fool everyone else, but Anders could see the sadness behind John’s eyes.  All of a sudden Mike spoke up, “Well I guess now’s just as good a time as any to announce that Michele has agreed to be my wife!”  That really made everyone scream.  It was a shock to everyone when Mike and Michele got back together after they all lost their god powers, but this was totally unexpected.  Axl asked the couple, “So are you going to tell us next that Michele is pregnant?”  Everyone looked at Michele, “No way in hell is this body going to get fat!”  Mike pulled Michele in for a hug, “We’ll see about that Mrs Johnson!”

*********************  

After everyone had gone home, Anders and John were finishing cleaning up the kitchen and the garden from the party.  Both were pretty silent.  Anders knew that the news from Ty and Dawn was going to stir up feelings and questions from John about why can’t they adopt.  It had been awhile since the subject had come up, but Anders knew that the subject was always bubbling just under the surface.  He didn’t know if he should bring it up or just let it go.  “Hey can you believe Mike and Michele are getting married?  I guess they’ve worked out all their issues, at least I hope so.”  Mitchell threw down the dish towel he had in his hand and ran upstairs.  Anders threw a glass against a wall and broke it in frustration.  He started pacing the living room when John came running down the steps in his running clothes, “John where are you going? It’s dark?!”

“I’m going for a run…” and he ran out the door.

“But it’s…8:00…Fuck!”  Anders collapsed on the floor and cried.  It had been a long time since Mitchell had run out on him like this.  In fact, he really couldn’t remember when or if he had run out on him before.  At least not since they were married.  

After cleaning the glass splinters up from the kitchen floor, Anders poured himself a rather large vodka.  He tried sitting outside with his drink, but that didn’t help.  He turned on the tv for some mindless television.  His stomach was in knots with worry.  He felt like the veins in his arms were jumping.  He didn’t know what to do or think.  It was getting dark and that worried him even more.  He tried calling and texting John but he never responded.  He actually had the thought to have Mikkel go find him, that is until he remembered that they weren’t gods anymore.  He poured himself a second drink and finally bit the bullet and called Ty.

“Anders, what’s up?”

“Um, have you by any chance seen John?  I mean since you left here.”

“No? Why would I?”

“Well, you two are good friends, and he’s been gone for a while, so I thought maybe he stopped by or called you.”

“Fuck Anders, what’s going on?”

Anders swallowed hard and was trying to speak but he couldn’t quite form the words.

“Anders?  What happened?”

“Um…” his voice was shaking, “I think, well…I’m not sure.. He um went out for a run and he uh, hasn’t come back.”

“What the fuck Anders?  Did you have a fight after everyone left?” Ty asked his brother.

“Mm no, he was just really, really quiet after everyone left and uh, oh fuck Ty I think I’ve lost him.” Anders was crying now.

“Anders you’re not making any sense.  Tell me what the fuck happened?”

“Fuck Ty, I did! We didn’t fight!  He just got really quiet and I tried to make small talk because I had a feeling what was bothering him, and he just ran upstairs, and the next thing I know, he’s running out the door saying he’s going for a run.  Fuck, fuck, fuck!  Ty, I don’t know what to do!  I can’t lose him!  I can’t!”

“Shit Anders! What do you think is bothering him?”

Anders was crying so hard he couldn’t talk.

“Anders quit fucking around and talk to me damnit!”  Ty was really close with Mitchell and the more Anders cried, the more pissed off Ty got at Anders.

“Kids… adoption…you and Dawn having another… “

Ty sighed.  His announcement earlier in the day must have triggered Mitchell and sent him over the edge.  He and Mitchell were very close and he knew how much he wanted to become a father and adopt with Anders and Anders would never agree to it.  “How long has he been gone?”

“Three hours. And Ty it’s getting dark out.  Where could he be?”

“Have you been drinking?”

“Yes.”

Of course he has Ty thought, “Ok, I know a couple of his spots he likes to go to.  I’ll go look for him.  You call me if he comes back Anders!  And don’t say something stupid to him when he does come back.  And stop drinking!”

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

Ty went straight to the beach to look for Mitchell.  They didn’t often run there because it was around 10 miles one way, but they had done it, and they’d often driven there for a run on the beach.  Mitchell had told him more than once that it was his favourite place to go to think.  So he took a chance and drove there first.  His instincts proved correct when he found Mitchell skipping rocks into the water.  Mitchell turned around to face the car, squinting in the headlights.  Ty got out of the car and walked over to his friend, “I thought I’d find you here.”

Mitchell gave him a half smile, “You thought correctly my friend.  Anders send you?”

Ty nodded, “He’s very worried about you.”

“Then why didn’t he come look for me himself.  Oh let me guess… he’s been drinking.”

“Yep.  He said you were quiet and then ran off.  Something on your mind?”

Mitchell walked up to sit on a bench, “Kids.  Adoption.  You know, same old, same old with Anders.  Oh fuck Ty, I didn’t dare bring it up again.  I know what his answer is going to be.” Mitchell’s voice started to crack, “Christ Ty, it was hard enough when I was a vampire to deal with never being a father.  I knew it wasn’t possible, so that helped put it out of my mind.  But now, with the curse gone, it is possible, but Anders is too fucking scared to try.  Shit tonight I even thought of leaving him, and adopting on my own.  But then, something, someone would always be missing.”

“Anders.”

Mitchell nodded sadly, “So now, I have to face the fact that I’m never going to become a father. A dad.”

“I’m really sorry Mitchell.  You know he did get the worst of the worst treatment our parents doled out, so it doesn’t surprise me.  When I look back at the bruises that Anders went to school with, it’s incredible that social services never stepped in.  His clothes were always torn or dirty.  But he always protected me and Axl and made sure that our clothes were clean.”

“He told me once when he actually had a broken arm and was in A&E, that his dad sweet talked the social worker into letting Anders go back home with him.”

“Yeah I think I remember that.  You know what his deal is with the fish don’t ya?”

Mitchell nodded his head no.

“One year we all saved and saved our pocket change and any money that we’d find between the sofa cushions or find in the gutter, just so that we’d have enough money to go on one ride at the carnival.  It was during one of those times that dad was gone, so we didn’t have to worry about pissing him off.  Mum managed to give us each $1 in addition to all of the change we found.  So we each had enough for two rides and maybe a game or a cotton candy.  But Anders spent his money on winning a goldfish at the goldfish game.  It took him two tries.  He was so excited that he won that fish.  He loved that fish and took good care of it.  He bought food for it and everything.  He even named it Charlie.”

“No way, for Charlie the Tuna?” Mitchell asked

 Ty chuckled, “Yep!  Then a couple of weeks later, da came home one night in a raging mad drunk.  All of us kids were asleep and he came into our room just yelling and throwing things around.  Then he spotted Charlie.  He figured out right away that it was Anders’s.  He took that goldfish and dragged Anders out of bed to the bathroom, and flushed the goldfish down the toilet in front of Anders.”

“Jesus.  What a giant prick,” Mitchell said.  

“Right! Hence, the goldfish tank.  Look, I know that Anders can be a right arse, but he really does love you.  He’s terrified right now that he’s lost you.”

“He is?”

“Yes.  He was actually crying on the phone.  Let me take you home to Anders.  You know that’s where you belong.  For better or for worse.”

Mitchell snapped his head up to look in Ty’s eyes at those words.  He sighed and got up and went over to Ty’s car and got in.  

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

John quietly opened their front door and closed it behind him.  Anders jumped up from the couch and ran over to him, “I’m so glad that you’re back, I’ve been so worried about you!  Where did you go, love?”

John sighed and looked around trying to avoid Anders’s eyes, “I took a run down to the beach.”

“The beach! Christ that’s like…”

“Ten miles away, yeah I know.  You sent Ty after me?”

“John, I was worried about you.  It was getting dark and you didn’t return my calls.  I was worried about you!”

“So you’ve said.  Ty said that you were worried that I was going to leave you,” John said.

Anders started fidgeting, covered his face with his hands.  He was trying not to cry again.  He finally looked up at John, “Yeah, yeah I was.  I am.  So are you?  Going to leave me?”

John walked past Anders to the kitchen to get a beer and sat down at the island and opened it and took a long pull from it.  He wiped his mouth with his hand.  Anders walked over to him.  John finally looked him in the eyes and saw that they were wet from tears.

“I thought about it Anders, I really did.  I could adopt on my own and be the father that I’ve always wanted to be.”  He heard a gasp come from Anders.  “But then I thought something would be missing, and that would be you.  I love you Anders, but it also kills me that you’re not willing to adopt.  It hurts so much Anders.”  Mitchell’s voice was starting to crack, “I’d miss you too much…”

Anders grabbed John and pulled him into hold onto him.  They both let it out and cried in each other’s arms.  Holding on to each other in desperation.  Mitchell finally pulled back and put his hands on Anders’s face, “Would you please think about it some more…for me�� please?” his lips reached for Ander’s lips softly and left them there for a moment.  Anders looked up into John’s eyes, “What about my reputation as a womanizer, John?”

John furrowed his eyebrows, “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve hurt so many women throughout the years.  I’m ashamed of it now.  How do I talk to our children about that?  What if our child goes to school with kids from those women, and my reputation gets brought up?  How do I explain that?”

“I don’t know babe.  But we’ve all done something in our past that we’re not proud of.  I guess it’s just something that we work together on.  One situation at a time.”

Anders said, “How ‘bout i get you a dog.  You’d like a dog wouldn’t you?”

John huffed, “You egg, yes I would like a dog, but not right now.  If we got one now, it would feel like we’re replacing a child with a dog.  Later down the road, okay?”

Anders rested his forehead on John’s, “Okay, love.  Can we go to bed now?”

John smiled, “Yeah, we can go to bed now.”

A couple of months down the road, Mitchell and Anders started looking for a dog.  But of course the couple couldn’t agree on what kind to get, or if they should just go to a shelter and rescue a dog?  If it was going to be this hard to pick out a dog, how were they ever going to decide on a name!  Anders had done what he promised John, and had started thinking about adoption again.  He even started seeing a therapist about it, because his big question about dealing with his past reputation with any possible children messed with his head.  John made sure to let Anders know how proud he was that he was seeing a therapist.  He even volunteered to go with him if Anders thought it would help.

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

At JPR, Dawn looked at the time on her phone and grabbed her purse, “Anders I need to leave now and pick up Mary.  Are you doing okay over there?”

Anders looked over his computer screen, “Yeap, everything’s aces here.  Don’t worry about a thing and give my niece a big hug and kiss for me.

“I’ll be sure to do that.  Okay, have a good weekend.  Say hi to Mitchell for me,” Dawn smiled at her brother-in-law on the way out the door.

 He heard the door open, “I’ll be with you in juuust a minute while I finish something up.”  He didn’t bother to look up to see who it was.

“Hello Anders.”  The voice was familiar but he couldn’t place it.  He finally looked up and dropped the pen that he was holding.

“Gaia?”

She gave a weak smile, “In the flesh.”

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

[aurorawest]

Bargain of Blood and Gold by Kristin Jacques - 3.75/5 stars

Reminiscent of Jordan L Hawk's Widdershins series, but with vampires and werewolves. Also takes place in Maine, which isn't a very common setting. Unwittingly, I bought the second book in the series months ago, and I realized as it got to the top of my TBR that I didn't have the first book! I had to scramble to order it and I was happy I enjoyed it since, obviously, I already have the second book.

Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa - DNF at pg 2

Captive Prince by CS Pacat (reread) - 5/5 stars

Prince's Gambit by CS Pacat (reread) - 5/5 stars

Kings Rising by CS Pacat - 5/5 stars

I think I loved these books even more on my reread.

Gravity by Tal Bauer - 4.25/5 stars

Probably my favorite hockey romance that I've read.

The Modern Mythos Anomaly by Juniper Lake Fitzgerald - DNF at pg 132

I actually liked the story, the characters, and the writing in general, but this book just needed another few edits to slim it down a bit.

Lose You to Find Me by Erik J Brown - 4.5/5 stars

Leeward by Katie Daysh - 4.5/5 stars

The blurbs on this book are hilarious, because they're all like, tall ships people, and then Mackenzi Lee, hailing it as a lovely queer historical romance. This was a really lovely book and I'm excited for the sequel. Also hoping for more kissing in the sequel since this was a serious slow burn.

Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June - 3.75/5 stars

Starseer by Katya Hernández - 4/5 stars

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala - 5/5 stars

I loved this book so much!! Oh my god. Super funny, very romantic. It revolves around cosplay which is of course a special interest of mine.

Northranger by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo - 4.5/5 stars

Flying Without a Net by EM Ben Shaul - 2.75/5 stars

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (reread) - 5/5 stars

Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan - 4.75/5 stars

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. The graphic novels were good but changing to a novel format allowed for much deeper characters. Surprisingly devastating and also really funny.

The Old Haunts by Allan Radcliffe - 4/5 stars

The Gay Best Friend by Nicholas DiDomizio - 5/5 stars

Main character is the best friend of both the bride and the groom, and everything surrounding the wedding becomes a train wreck beginning on the weekend of the bachelor party, when the bride asks the MC, Dom, to keep tabs on the groom for her. As someone who is extremely conflict avoidant with friends but not family and romantic partners, I heavily related to Dom. There's also a romance that I really loved.

Romance Languages by AJ Truman - 4.25/5 stars

I think this was my favorite of the South Rock series. It deals with some more difficult topics—Julian's self-loathing over his body image is heartbreaking (and relatable), and Seamus's guilt over the way his gambling addiction hurt his ex was very well done. I'm a sucker for stories where a character learns to ask for help, not to mention difficult parent-child relationships, and this had both. I also appreciated Julian's arc re: sex and virginity.

Darkhearts by James L Sutter - 5/5 stars

Another bandmates-in-love treasure, with a twist—the main character, David, left the band right before they got famous. He ends up falling for one of his ex-friends/bandmates after they reconnect. The author is a musician himself, and it definitely shows (in a good way). I'm really a sucker for The Burdens of Fame, which this book definitely had, but there's actually a really good arc for David and how he deals with his jealousy and resentment over being left behind. Plus he wants to be a carpenter rather than go to college, which was cool.

Brute by Kim Fielding - 4.25/5 stars

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian - 5/5 stars

What can I say about this book? Why was it so lovely? Why did it make me feel so much? Why can I not rate things higher than 5 stars? It's a million stars in my heart. Aside from just being a gorgeous mid-century America m/m romance (my favorite), this one features an Italian-American main character. The stuff with Nick's family was spot-on. I just loved this book. I felt like I was wrapping myself in a big, comfy, historical gay romance blanket.

Drowned Country by Emily Tesh - 5/5 stars

The sequel to Silver in the Wood. Had a very mythic and sort of folk horror vibe. This one is from Henry Silver's POV instead of Tobias Finch's and takes place two years after Silver in the Wood, which is time that Henry has mostly spent sulking in Greenhollow Hall, sans Tobias. Really highly recommend this duology. Emily Tesh is a treasure.

The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro - DNF at pg 11

[albatris]

happy sts!

i've been listening to your a rental car takes a left down rake street and disappears playlists and i'm loving it! would you like to talk about wip it is for?

writblr: @vsnotresponding

hiii happy storyteller saturday!! thanks for the ask :D

yay I'm glad you're enjoying the tunes! the story is the first in a trilogy about a freshly-turned body horror mode vampire and an equally monstrous human bastard on their quest to kill the giant vampire hivemind known only as 'the Garble'!

the blurb for the first book is as follows:

Schizotypal loner Nat Finch leaves work one afternoon, and the next thing he knows, he's waking up on the side of the road covered in dirt with no memory of the past ten days. All attempts to return to regular life are quickly thwarted - whatever happened to him during his blackout has left him morphing into something strange and monstrous.

When his new condition reaches a bloody, ravenous breaking point, a human stranger steps in: Quinn Cooper, powerful and dazzling manipulator with a cruel streak, here to mitigate the damage and offer Nat safety under their wing... as long as Nat does exactly as he's asked and doesn't ask questions.

:3

other important characters include Alex Anders, rigidly moral vampire lawyer having ten existential crises at once, Yvonne Tozier, cheery video game fanatic full of barely-contained simmering fury (she works customer service, you get it), and Zeke Cunningham-Warwick-Lâm, romance novelist by day, vampire hunter by night, and full-time weird psychic, who desperately needs to stop burning herself out every other week and practice some self-care

I'm most excited abt my vampire worldbuilding! vampirism as a condition is sentient, it's one being spread throughout many different bodies..... the life force gathered by the many vampires flows to the centre of the hivemind to give it eternal life while the vampires themselves are left with mere scraps

the story itself is full of queerness and body horror and my barely contained rage abt existing as a disabled person under capitalism

n yeah! that's about all!

[silvermoon-scrolls]

No improving on perfection

Anders is in a bad mood, but Mitchell knows exactly how to cheer him up.

Content: Playing hard to get (not really), pre show(s) Pairing: Anders Johnson/John Mitchell Rating: Teen Words: 1200

Read on AO3

-

Anders kicked his apartment door closed behind him, dropped his keys on the coffee table, and threw himself down on the couch. His head draped over the armrest and his legs dropped nonchalantly in the lap of a slightly amused Mitchell – all in all, his form was doing a great impression of a wrung out cloth.

“Finally. It’s over,” he declared exhausted with all the bearings of someone who had vanquished the ultimate evil and saved the world with the smallest possible margin. In reality, the ‘beast’ that had been slain was ‘Christmas dinner with the Johnson family’. 

“Oh c’mon,” Mitchell said with a smile while putting away the book he had been reading. “It can’t have been that bad.”

“Trust me. I did you a huge favor not dragging you along.” Anders said, addressing the ceiling from his prone position.

“If you say so.” 

Anders frowned. It had sounded like a lighthearted comment, but Anders didn’t like the feeling of being questioned. He hadn’t even wanted to go. He might have been expected to show up, but he knew he wasn’t really wanted. The only reason he went was because Mitchell – stressing the importance of family – had insisted he’d go. Of course, Mitchell had also insinuated that he could come along, if Anders wanted to; but that was a firm ‘no’.

They had only known each other for about 3 months! They weren’t even really a couple. Were they? Surely, it was more of a long-distance, booty call sort of thing?

Annoyed by his own thoughts, Anders raised his resting head off the armrest – ready to defend himself. “Even if Mikkel likes to pretend he is a ‘regular, innocuous human’,” he said letting his disdain shine through, “he is still Ullr whether he wants to or not. I don't know if ‘vampire hunting��� is included in the Norse God of Hunting’s sets of skills, but personally I wouldn't be surprised if he could ping you as non-human right away.”

Mitchell looked like he was about to interject, but Anders had managed to work himself up into a temper and so he plowed on with a little more bite than he had intended. “And if you think that ‘surely he wouldn’t turn on his own brother’s guest without provocation’, then you should know that being my guest is likely all the provocation Mike needs. ‘Cause in his mind, the only reason I would show up to Christmas dinner with a vampire on my arm would be to purposefully stir up trouble. While I don't think he would stake you right then and there – with oblivious humans like Val and Axl present – I wasn’t keen to risk it.”

A lot of different emotions had played over Mitchell’s features during Anders’ heated monologue, but by the end a small smile appeared on his lips. “Careful there. It almost started to sound like you worry about me.” His teasing words were accompanied by a hand that playfully caressed the inside of one of Anders’ conveniently placed legs.

A grin spread across Anders’ face – his bad mood gone in an instant. But when he sat up, Mitchell withdrew his hand with a smug smile. Playing hard to get, eh? Anders thought, not at all discouraged.

“Forget about Christmas and my Anders-prejudice family.” He used a one-hand grip to loosen his tie – signaling that he was more than ready to take on Mitchell's offered challenge. “New Year’s is coming up. Now that’s a holiday much more in my speed.” He swung his legs down from his companion’s lap and with a grin seated himself next to Mitchell. “Booze. Partying. Girls in skimpy outfits.” He placed a hand on the other man’s thigh and squeezed while humming in his most seductive voice: “What more can you ask for?”

“How about some snow?” Mitchell said with a soft laugh pretending to ignore Anders’ advances by turning his head to look outside at the summer twilight. “Celebrating the new year during a heat wave seems wrong somehow. Does it even get dark enough for fireworks here?” The words might sound nonchalant, but the way the turn of the head exposed Mitchell’s neck was anything but. It was all part of the game. Anders should know; it was a move he had used numerous times to incite his guest’s vampiric cravings. And Anders had to admit it was doing a wonderful job on him too.

“Of course it gets dark enough.” Anders leaned in, placing several light kisses on Mitchell’s exposed neck. “But I’m usually busy creating sparkling fireworks of my own.”

Mitchell’s breath hitched pleasantly in response to the attention, but otherwise played successfully at being unaffected. “Have you planned any New Year’s resolutions?” he asked, still looking out the window as if he was determined to try to catch a glimpse of a small speck of frost in the New Zealand summer.

“No,” Anders snorted with a huff. “Why?” He was too busy nibbling on Mitchell’s earlobe to make any lengthy comments.

“I don’t know. Maybe you’ve got –ah– a change you want to make? To try to improve yourself?”

Anders congratulated himself on the wobble in Mitchell’s voice but decided that was enough subtleties. He grabbed hold of the other man’s shoulders and pulled himself on top of his lap, straddling him. “There’s hardly a need for improvements when you’re already perfect.” He smiled smugly from his new, superior position. “Or do you think I’m lacking?” His smile widened into a grin, and in case there was any doubt as to what his innuendo was referring to he slyly rubbed himself against Mitchell’s lap, making sure that all of him could be felt.

Mitchell laughed appreciatively. “Definitely not lacking.” He wrapped his fingers around Anders’ tie and pulled him in for a deep kiss before lightly shoving him back again. “And what about me?” he asked with a devilish grin, still with a tight grip around the tie.

The kiss left Anders hungry for more, but Mitchell’s sparkling eyes told him that they still weren’t finished with their little game. He angled his head and with a self-satisfied smile pretended to inspect the tantalizing body in front of him carefully before giving his verdict. “ You might be close to perfect,” he agreed, but then he scrunched up his face and pinched the sleeve of Mitchell’s washed out t-shirt. “But your clothing is anything but. If you really want a New Year's resolution you should let me take you shopping, get you some nice, tailored outfits to really show off your–” his eyes dipped low before coming back up again, “assets.”

“Since when do you care what I wear?” Mitchell laughed. “You're just gonna strip it off me anyway.”

“Can't argue with that.” Anders grinned, sensing that his persistent pursuit was about to be rewarded. “But think how stylish the pile next to my bed would look.” He hooked his index fingers in Mitchell’s belt loops, slid off his lap, and prepared to coax his willing prey with him to the bedroom when he was unexpectedly trapped by a long leg that wrapped behind him, pressing him forward.

Mitchell’s eager grin filled his vision. “How about a pile right next to this couch?”

~

Thank you for reading! Comments and reblogs are always appreciated ❤️

[triviareads]

Hello, how is it going? Just came across your page looking for novel recs. I just finished The Professional and The Player by Kresley Cole (The Master didn’t really caught my attention and I became obsessed with the other two because it felt a little Vampire Academy coded???)

The Professional was one of the best I’ve read so ever, made me hot from the first to the last page. Do you have any more recommendations on the same vibe? Thank you so much for your attention, take care

Hi! I loooove Kresley's Game Maker series because not only are the high heat, but the hero and heroine are equally WILD; truly some of the best examples of matching each other's freak. They're also highkey funny in a way not a lot of mafia romances are. So with that in mind—

I can't start this list by not reccing Mila Finelli's Kings of Italy series; very similar energy in that they're super hot, super romantic in a feral kinda way, and more unintentionally funny than anything. Mafia Mistress and Mafia Darling have that energy especially, Mafia Madman is a little darker but still uber hot, Mafia Target is actually quite a sweepingly romantic story, and Mafia Virgin is a little more toned down as far as humor, but again, very hot.

Pink Slip by Katrina Jackson: Katrina does have a mafia series as well but The Spies Who Loved Me is a top-notch espionage-based erotic romance series. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it gives you that Mr. and Mrs. Smith (plus Moneypenny because it's a poly romance) feel, it's racially diverse, queer, body-positive and really sexy.

If you want bratty heroine recs (because that is 100% Natalie) but not necessarily mafia, I liked Size Doesn't Matter by Jennie Kew. The heroine is a plus-sized model and she's actually older than the hero who happens to be her ex's brother, not that she knows it when they hook up. Excellent brat/brat tamer vibes.

From what I remember, Possession by Adriana Anders delivers on the brat heroine and I remember it felt quite lighthearted at times even though it's about a marriage of convenience where she's convinced he's not attracted to her except his sex tape leaks and he's fucking a woman who looks like her?? She flees to kink camp and the grand finale is, in fact, a well executed kidnapping scene.

[shadoedseptmbr]

love at first sight for your trope takes?

....

*do* i have any love at first sight stories...wanders off to my writing tag

i have a fair few *lust* at first sight stories for my sex drive driven characters and a few where it was clear there was some sort of connection between people who would eventually fall in love.

i think the only storyline i have that would be considered love at first sight is my Kieran Hawke/Anders 'verse that Small Gifts takes place in and i don't go into the "falling in love part" i don't think. Or...hm, the Hawke/Sebastian vampire au :D but that was probably obsession over love. if i was going to write it, i think it would have to be something similar to that, some gothically Romantic situation where someone young and impressionable was swept off their feet by the actions of the other, making them a rather heroic figure and someone it's easy to wind stories and hopes and dreams around. Kieran falling for Anders, as he reaches beyond where he should to save his friend, to enact Justice, then the next time she sees him, he's saving some kid's life in the sewers. YEah, she was a *goner*

[kal-theravenquing]

Nothing else feels like when you cut your wip folder down from 15 wips to 7 wips.

Still not 100% sure I'm going to keep all 7 survivors either yet.

But the current survivors are;

Crown Of Thorns - an AU were Hotis kidnaps Vax the night he comes to get his revenge on the rogue

Not My Mark - a messed up dad!Vax fic set in a A/B/O universe, featuring the Briarwoods being awful

Stars In Your Eyes - some Vax/Allura exploration, focusing on Allura's pov

Separation Burns - an au where Vax and Vex never reunited after Vex left Vax all alone in the woods when they escaped from Syngorn and Vax was picked up by Professor Byron Anders

Ring For Me - a story exploring Vex's feelings on her secret marriage to Percy during the year off, and everything that happened when the break ended

Thorned Feathers Make A Man - an au where Vax was killed by the Briarwoods in Emon and becomes a vampire after the fact

Present - a follow-up story to Kinship And Makeup, explores Vax's trauma some more and builds on the budding friendship between Vax and Cassandra

And the stories cut were;

A Red Dead Redemption 2 meets Vox Machina au - basically, a young Vax and Vex end up in the Van der Linde gang during the events of RDR2

A football au - a story following each member of Vox Machina struggle in the world of football before coming together and starting their own club

an apartment au - a multi-crossover slice of life fic in modern day exandria

vaxleth fluff - taking place during the year off, Vax and Keyleth take a stroll and think on everything that has happened and may happen

a rewrite of an old, weird multi-fandom crack fic I wrote as a teenager

a fallout au - modern day Exandria is turned into an irradiated wasteland and years later society tries to rebuild itself with difficulty

a stardew valley au - Percy arrives in Pelican Town after escaping the Briarwoods and meets some really interesting characters

psychopomp!vax au - this would have been a series of snapshots of Vax helping various CR characters pass on after a reader-insert introduction??? was also possibly going to have a sister fic exploring the idea of Vax getting an extra week to get his affairs in order before he ascended

If anyone has any questions about any of these stories, or about why i chose to cut the ones that i did, feel free to send in asks about them! 💕

[EDIT - somehow accidentally deleted the 8th cancelled fic idea before i hit post, whoops]

[breakthcnight]

BREAKTHCNIGHT. lyrics from f&tm's howl.

penned by kelly. 40+. she/her. eastern timezone. 20+ years of experience ( since 1997 ). 10+ of those on tumblr ( since 2012 ).

PREVIOUSLY stcllata. venusiiian, oxtaiiiled, tawruhs.

SIDEBLOG. pctrician ( elijah miikaelson ).

RULES. honestly, don't be a dick. common etiquette. anons are off. chemistry is key.

WORK SCHEDULE. sundays [ 2:00 pm through 7:00 pm ], mondays and tuesdays [ 8:30 am through 3:30 pm ] wednesdays and thursdays [ 8:30 am through 3:00 pm ].*

*AS OF 01/19/25 THROUGH 05/12/25. DROPPING TO LOW ACTIVITY DUE TO WORK. may date is approximate.

PROMPTS. PROMO.

muse list is under the read more.

IMPORTANT CONNOTATION. there are characters here that are either smuse list is under the read more.ired by a canon, or are the offspring of canons, if you happen to play one (or both), i will not now, nor will i ever assume you'll accept them.

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED. PLEASE ASSUME SOME LEVEL OF CANON DIVERGENCE. only face changes are listed otherwise they're the same as usual.

*CANONS.

9-1-1 + 9-1-1: LONE STAR.

CARLOS REYES.

EVAN BUCKLEY.

ARKHAM GAMES.

TALIA AL GHUL.

ARROWVERSE.

RAYMOND PALMER. the atom.

DESCENDANTS.

GILBERT LEGUME. son of gaston.

UMA. daughter of calypso.

DETECTIVE COMICS.

CASSANDRA SANDSMARK. wonder girl ii. sydney sweeney.

DONNA TROY. wonder woman.

JOHN CONSTANTINE. keanu reeves.

KON-EL. conner kent. superboy. joshua orpin.

KORIAND'R. kory anders. starfire.

LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR. david gandy.

GREEK MYTHOLOGY.

ARES. god of war and courage. arjun gupta.

ARTEMIS. goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation.

PASIPHAË. queen of crete; mother of the minotaur.

PERSEPHONE. queen of the underworld; accompanied by cerberus. sophie turner.

MARVEL COMICS.

CLINT BARTON. hawkeye. stephen amell.

STEVEN ROGERS. captain america. william levy.

POWERPUFF GIRLS.

BUBBLES UTONIUM. kiernan shipka.

BUTCH. froy gutierrez.

SMALLVILLE.

CHLOE SULLIVAN-QUEEN. jessica capshaw.

CLARK KENT. superman.

LOIS LANE. bryce dallas howard.

SUPERNATURAL.

SAMANTHA 'SAMMI' WINCHESTER. rule!63 sam winchester. phoebe tonkin. no demon blood. still has telekinesis and visions.

TEEN WOLF.

CLAUDIA STILINSKI. holly marie combs.

HEATHER. britt robertson.

SCOTT MCCALL. bitten by derek; not peter.

THE ORIGINALS.

DAVINA CLAIRE.

GIA.

HENRIK MIKAELSON. nicholas galitzine.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES.

BONNIE BENNETT. dewanda wise.

TATIA PETROVA. poppy drayton.

*ORIGINALS.

ACANTHA WAYNE. summer bishil.

summary: daughter of batman and wonder woman. early 20s. demi-amazon. trained by her mother. has her mother's looks but is definitely taking on her father's mannerisms. sexy but deadly. bisexual.

ALAYNA ROSTAGNO. lindsey morgan.

summary: human. hunter. mid 30s. she's quite combative, prefers using her hands though she's got quite the arsenal tucked away. fiery, assertive, passionate. you don't want to get on her bad side. pansexual.

ALFONS TRUMBAUER. lee pace.

summary: human. head librarian ( generally at the main branch or college ). mid 40s. a little too much of a workaholic. typically more actions than words. though a very soft toned man. almost legally blind without his glasses. bisexual.

BAZYLI 'BAZ' JACENTY STILINSKI. dylan o'brien ( as dave hodgman ).

summary: human. blind stilinski twin. younger by 10 minutes. quiet, sometimes withdrawn. likes to be as independent as possible. consistently believes he's the burden because of his blindness. turning him will not relieve this. pansexual.

BENTE LANGENBERG. luca hollestelle.

summary: witch. has power over fire, darkness, and night; practices dark magic. late 20s. apothecary. her powers are inherent of her lineage, which can be traced back to the 1600s. determined and hardworking, she embraces her powers and her bloodline, regardless of how others might perceive her. pansexual.

CHARLEIGH ROWE. jamie clayton.

summary: transgender. psychometric. human. book store owner. late 40s. doesn't touch without asking and generally wears gloves unless told otherwise. there could be some instances where she'll wear them regardless. quiet, reserved. though not detached. pansexual.

DELPHINE MESERVE. shay mitchell.

summary: werewolf. beta. bitten ( c. 2007 ). late 30s. she was left to die, abandoned. derek hale ( byeolyeou ) turned her to save her life . eventually, she joined issac lahey's ( /modernid1ots ) pack as one of his betas. typically a bit of a brat, though not always. bisexual.

DIONISIA ALTAMURA. amanda rose saccomanno.

summary: human. private security for giovanna crescenti ( since 2019 ). mid 30s. former bouncer and professional bodybuilder. still prefers to leave using her hands as a last resort. logically minded, sensual and hardworking. pansexual.

FINN WHELAN. myles clohessy.

summary: human. firefighter. early 30s. originally from new york ( same former station as tk and owen ). caring, resilient and a little too much putting others before himself. just got out of an eight year partnership, still rather broken from it. has a chocolate lab he rescued, named hazelnut. homosexual.

GABRIEL KINGSTON. regé-jean page.

summary: warlock. born in the 1840s, looks to be in his mid 30s. fluent in both french and italian. very much the lover more than the fighter type. a gentleman through and through. he is a lover of arts, particularly paintings and sculpture. bisexual.

GIOVANNA CRESCENTI. emilia clarke.

summary: human. heiress. daughter of the head of the crescenti crime family. late 30s. stands to inherit billions when her father passes. lives her life independently of her father, logical and unafraid, smooth and sensual. she will make you regret disrespecting her. homosexual.

GRANT ROGERS. william moseley.

summary: son of captain america and beth. late 20s. skilled at illustration, avenger-in-trainjng. very much his father's son in both mannerisms and looks. he's not infused with serum. he's got a logical though bright mindset. homosexual.

JEBEDIAH CAMPBELL. henry cavill.

summary: born in 1948. mary winchester's older brother ( six years older ). uncle to dean and sam. demon hunter. nomad, almost reclusive. lives in the cheyenne mountains. definitely a gruff type, shoot first and ask questions later. heterosexual.

JINAN. zeeko zaki.

summary: dragon. immortal. 1200+. looks to be in his mid 30s. he has lived as a dragon for 1000 years, preferring to be in his human form. he has a pair of large unmistakable horns in his humanoid form, along with pointed elf-like ears. they'll be cloaked if he senses panic. arrogant, though not quite cocky. he's very much actions speak louder than words type. bisexual.

KELLY SAVARESE. floriana lima.

summary: alpha werewolf. hunter. big sister ( italianexotiicbeauty ). packless. early 40s, but can be traced back farther ( some records indicate to the 1900s ). prefers not to instigate, would rather be civil. however, she will fight as a last resort. protective and nurturing. pansexual.

MALAKAI AGPAOA. joshua samuel fatu.

summary: human. ( koa ) warrior. early 40s. well built and muscular, he takes his duties pretty seriously. however, he does have a caring side to him. though it's rarely cracking through the surface. he will always fulfill his obligations. bisexual.

MINA LEE. chloe bennet.

summary: human. slayer. early 30s. she's been active for about ten years, having died twice already. she's sassy and isn't afraid of anything. she's got a bit of a soft spot for vampires, but crossing her isn't wise. she'll easily wipe the floor with you. bisexual.

SAJA CHON. ko woo-rim.

summary: vampire. 380. turned in 1644, looks late 20s. sired yuri lim. quiet and polite, he prefers to feed monthly rather than daily. he will break necks and defend his fledgling if necessary. his temperament is quick if you disrespect her. pansexual.

SILAS WILD. bill kaulitz.

summary: immortal. 230+. looks mid 30s. illustrator and classical painter. he's learned to accept being alone most of his lives. a calm and talented artist, he enjoys each day at a time. he doesn't like to be rushed. he is very open minded and understanding. homosexual.

THADDEUS NORWOOD. timothy olyphant.

summary: human. skip tracer. late 50s. incredibly hardworking and likes the job a bit too much. partners quite often with zdeslav ( kurjaks ). enjoys the thrill of the hunt and isn't above getting down and dirty for the sake of finding others. bisexual.

VALERIAN MUNTEANU. sebastian stan.

summary: beta werewolf. packless. 500+. looks early 40s. he's been reclusive since the 1500s, detached, preferring to be alone than in the company of others. he's watched too many die to think he's worth the effort. so he will push people away. pansexual.

WILLA HARVELLE. dominique provost-chalkley.

summary: daughter of jo harvelle and dean winchester. demon hunter. named for her maternal grandfather. on the road, out there to have fun. one day at a time. very much the love them and leave them type. rebellious to the core. mid 20s. homosexual.

YASUHO OTANI. haruna kojima.

summary: human. geisha ( meiji era ). late 30s. talented with a shamisen. she is the daughter of a powerful lord. graceful, polite. she offers genuine companionship and a listening ear. she also has a modern era. bisexual.

YURI LIM. roseanne park.

summary: vampire. 351. turned in 1673, looks late 20s. sired by saja chon. very much reckless, prefers to chase danger wherever it can be found. respects her sire to a point, but doesn't always play by the rules. she's not afraid to show her claws or fangs. pansexual.

ZHEN LIU. xiao dejun.

summary: demon. 1400+. looks mid 20s. summoned to earth by ritual to destroy the tang empire ( specifically during the reign of wu zetian ). this didn't come to pass due to unforseen circumstances and he has been wandering the world since. boiling with the itch ever since. pansexual.

ZOYA BACHVAROVA. nina dobrev ( as katherine pierce ).

summary: human. russian intelligence officer; based off of red sparrow. mid 30s. daughter of a bratva boss, former spy. charming and cunning, she doesn't trust easily. she prefers to work alone, as she's lost two previous partners. she will execute her revenge flawlessly. pansexual.

[anglophiletraveler]

The Monster Mash

Just a fun little fic with Anders and Mitchell celebrating their first Halloween as a married couple.

Ever since Anders and Mitchell married and moved into their new home, Mitchell has been bouncing at the chance to decorate for holidays.  Anders just rolls his eyes at the former vampire and lets him ramble on and on about what he was planning for their first holiday in their new home.  All of the remodelling on the house had been done so now there was nothing standing in Mitchell’s way.

It began in August.  Every couple of weeks a couple of boxes were delivered to their door.  Whenever Anders would ask his husband what they were, he was just given the “You’ll see,” answer.  Mitchell would open the boxes, see what’s inside and close them back up again and use either a red marker or an orange marker to mark an ‘X’ on the box.  Then he would smile and giggle like a child at Christmas time.

By September Anders had to go through a tunnel of boxes in his home office in order to get to his desk.  “Jooohnnn Mitchell-Johnson!”

Mitchell knew he was in trouble if Anders was using his full name.  He followed the bellowing to the office, “You rang? Anders? Where are you?”

“I’m right here,” a wall of boxes came down revealing Anders behind them.  “John, what the fuck is going on with all of these boxes?  You’re getting out of control here!  Are these Christmas gifts or what?”

Mitchell leaned against the door frame, “Nooo.  You said you didn’t care about decorating and whenever I tried to explain to you what I was going to do, you just blew me off, soooooo “

“So these are decorations?”

“Yep.  Halloween and Christmas decorations.  I have two more deliveries and then I can start putting up the Halloween decorations.”

“You have got to be kidding me Vlad!  I thought when you talked about decorations, you meant some pumpkins, some flowers and a few scented candles.  What the fuck did you buy?”

John got another grin on his face, “Would you like me to show you?”  He moved some boxes out of his way so he could  walk over to the desk and opened the laptop.  After some scrolling he showed Anders a picture of Halloween decorations.

“What the hell?  Are you really? John this is ….” Anders finally smiled, “fucking awesome!  And it’s going to take forever to get all of this set up!”

“That’s why I’ve been ordering it all ahead of time!  And with the two of us and maybe Axl and Zeb’s help, we can get it all set up in time!”

More and more, Anders' face was getting a shit-eating grin on it while looking at John’s plan. “But wait a minute.  John, I thought you didn’t like Halloween?”

Mitchell sighed, “Wellll that was before!  Before when I was a vampire.  Before we bought this super cool house.  I want to go all out this year!  But I also don’t want it to be so scary that it scares kids away, so that’s why I went with those,” Mitchell pointed to the Halloween pictures.

“Oh and this…” Mitchell said, “is for Christmas!  Whaddya think, love?”

“Wow.  I have to say I’m impressed, babe.  It looks like a Christmas wonderland!  I love it!  But THAT is going to take a lot of work.  Especially after having to take all of the Halloween shit down first,” Anders was getting pumped just thinking about it all.

“I know, but we can handle it,” Mitchell leaned down and gave Anders a big kiss.

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

After weeks of decorating, the big day finally arrived. Anders left  work early so he could get home and help Mitchell with any final touches, and start passing out candy to all of the little trick or treaters.   

Anders was trying not to speed to get home, but he was in a hurry and wanted to see the house all lit up and spooky. He never really got into Halloween as an adult because it was something which he was never able to do when he was a kid.  He always made sure that Ty and Axl had  costumes so that at least they could enjoy the holiday.  He was lucky if Ty decided to share his candy with him.  Anders and Mitchell had actually carved out their own pumpkins this year. He thought it was a dumb idea, but John insisted on it, so he went along with it.  It was actually really nice doing something like that as a first time for the couple.  New memories to replace old ones. 

He was getting a  kick out of looking at all of the houses decorated for Halloween on his way home.  He was amazed at the lengths some of them went to, well, including themselves. Mitchell had taken the day of Halloween off work to put the finishing touches on the house.  Zeb and Axl were supposed to help which worried him if they would even show up.  

He turned on his road and slowed down when he saw an orange and purple glow coming from where his home should be.

There were orange lights in every window of their house with witches, skeletons, ghosts and monsters in the windows.  All of the bushes and trees were wrapped in orange and purple lights which glowed under cob webs with fog coming up from behind the bushes.  “What in the world have you done John Mitchell?” Anders mumbled to himself. He didn’t know about the fog machine and all of the lights.  His favourite part was on one side of the house there was one skeleton on the roof helping pull up two more skeletons onto the roof!! 

He saw the giant spider in one part of the yard that had green lights for eyes on it that he and John set up the week before.  And there were ghosts hanging in the trees that they had hung up as well.   Another spot in the lawn was more skeletons with cowboy hats on, posed sitting in lawn chairs in front of a campfire made from sticks and orange and yellow lights.  The skeletons were holding sticks with marshmallows on the end like they were roasting marshmallows!  He pulled in the garage so that his car wasn’t blocking anything in the driveway.  He came out of the garage while the door was shutting and stopped dead in his tracks at something he had missed.

“What the hell John!  You made an archway to the porch!  I hope that doesn’t scare away the little monsters,” Anders kept looking amazed at what John had done.

“Do you like it?  I found it on Pinterest.  It’s made out of pool noodles!!!”

Anders gave John a big hug and kiss, “I can’t believe I heard the word Pinterest come out of your mouth.  But, this looks amazing!”

“Hey, what about us? We spent all damn day helping Mitchell put all of this stuff up.  It’s pretty cool isn’t it?” Axl said.

“Oh whatever Axl, it’s not like you had anything else to do.  I think the pumpkins we carved are my favourite things,” Anders smiled at Mitchell.

John smiled at his husband, “Mine too. I put them next to our chairs on the porch for when we pass out candy.”

They heard a siren go off to signal that trick or treating can start.  The kids had 90 minutes to enjoy going from house to house dressed as ghosts, goblins, witches and vampires.  

John looked around for Zeb and Axl, “Guys!  Go start the music!  The kids will be around soon. C’mon Anders let’s go sit up on the porch and wait for the onslaught!”

Axl had turned on the scary music that could be heard a couple of houses down.  Zeb had started popping popcorn in the huge popcorn machine that they had rented.  John had plugged something else in that turned out to be a bubble machine.  The bubbles looked really cool along with the fog rolling around the yard.

Anders was looking at the bowls of candy that John had bought, “John, you bought full size candy bars!  You know once word gets out we’re going to kids from miles around!” 

“That’s the hope!” Mitchell said.  “Look.  I made sure to buy candy bars that don’t have nuts in them for those with nut allergies, and I also bought bags of candy that was safe for little toddlers.”

Anders was shaking his head at his husband, “How much did all of this candy cost?”

Mitchell just mumbled something and turned his head hoping to avoid the question.  “Okay, let’s sit down. I think I heard some kids coming!”  Mitchell’s whiskey eyes sparkled with anticipation like a child on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa Claus, and Anders couldn’t deny him this excitement!

The first couple of kids stopped at the beginning of the sidewalk with their parents.  You could tell that they were looking at all of the decorations around the house.  They slowly made their way up the sidewalk with wide eyes and their little mouths open. There was a timid “trick or treat” from the two boys. The parents of course were smiling, taking everything in, “Wow, you guys did great decorating the house!”

Mitchell was busy with the kids picking out what candy they wanted.

Anders answered, “Thanks.  My husband did most of the work.  He couldn’t wait to decorate for the holidays after we moved in.”

“Well, welcome to the neighbourhood.  I’m Scott, this is my wife Becky, and these two superheroes are Cooper and Tate.”

Mitchell and Anders stood up to shake hands and introduce themselves to their new neighbours, “Very nice to meet you!” Anders offered.  

“Are those real skeletons climbing up your house?” one of the little boys asked.

Mitchell smiled, “Nah those are just plastic decorations.  They won’t hurt you.” 

The mother spoke up, “Boys what do you say to the nice gentlemen?”

The boys were still looking at their full size candy bars when one of the boys said, “Wow, these are the big candy bars!  Thank you!”

Anders and John both laughed, “You are very welcome!  Have fun!” John had the big smile on his face that Anders loved.  After the boys had headed back down the sidewalk, Anders gave John the look of wanting to drag him to bed.  John knew exactly what the look meant, “Oh no, you’re going to have to wait until later tonight for that, babe!”

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

It didn’t take long before more and more trick-or-treaters were coming in droves.  Apparently the word about the full size candy bars had gotten out, and John couldn’t be more happy about it.  They were both enjoying watching all of the kids walk up the sidewalk in various costumes.  Whenever there was a vampire dressed up in front of the couple, Anders got a chuckle at watching John interact with the ‘vampires’.  There were the other typical costumes like ghosts and witches and princesses.  They even had a couple of Thors visit them!  Axl and Zeb decided to have a little fun of their own and had pulled up a couple of chairs next to the skeletons at the ‘campfire’ to scare the kids whenever they wandered over to check them out!

Towards the end of the evening, two beautiful women and two young princesses came strolling up the sidewalk towards Anders and Mitchell.  Anders was impressed with the dresses the princesses wore.  It was obvious they weren’t the usual costumes bought at a store, and were hand made.  “Wow don’t you two look gorgeous in those dresses!  Who are you supposed to be?”

Mitchell looked at Anders like he was out of his mind, “You seriously don’t know who they are supposed to be?”

“No! I don’t.  Do you?”

The girls were giggling at Anders.

“Of course I do.  Duhhh!  This lovely lady here in yellow is Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and this lovely lady is Rapunzel from Tangled.”

“Yeah duhhh,” the little Belle laughed at Anders.  Now the moms were giggling at Anders as well.

The brunette mother spoke up, “You two are new to the neighbourhood aren’t you?”

“Guilty as charged!” John said, “I’m John and this is my husband Anders.  It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.  I’m Stephanie, and this is my wife Camilla.  We live a couple blocks down on the other side of the road.”  Stephanie was obviously scoping out Anders, which Mitchell wasn’t too crazy about.

“You’ve definitely won the best house decorations of the neighbourhood.  Very impressive boys,” Camilla, a striking redhead, was making her intentions known as well.  

Anders caught Mitchell looking at him out of the corner of his eye.  He cleared his throat to try to clear the air a little, “And who are these royal princesses?”

“Oh, these are our daughters, Juliet is Belle, and Isla is Rapunzle,” Camilla offered.  

“Isla, huh?  That’s a beautiful Irish name,” Mitchell offered.

“You talk funny,” Isla noticed.

“Oh lassie that’s because I’m Irish,” Mitchell winked at the little girl, which made Isla giggle even more.

“My grandma is Irish too!” Isla reported excitedly.

John’s eyes grew wide, “Really! Well, maybe we’re related somehow.  You never know!” John couldn’t but fall into Isla’s blue eyes.

Camilla made sure the girls said trick-or-treat and thank you after Anders gave them their candy.  The foursome headed back down the sidewalk when Mitchell and Anders noticed they had stopped and the two moms were whispering to each other.   Camilla turned around and came back to the porch. 

Anders thought maybe they forgot something, “Hey did you forget something?”

“Well uh, Stephanie and I were wondering if the two of you ever play around?”

Mitchell choked on his beer that he just took a swig of!  Anders turned and looked at Mitchell and patted him on the back, “You alright there babe?”

Mitchell just shook his head.

Anders looked up at Camilla, “I’m afraid not.  You’re both beautiful women and I’m sure you’re a lot of fun to hang out with.  But, we’ve fought really hard to be together, so we’re pretty happy with the way things are, and we’re not looking for anything else.  But it’s flattering that you asked.  Maybe sometime the four of you can come over for a bar-b-que or something.”  John looked lovingly at his husband with what he said.

Camilla was watching the two of them and could see the love in their eyes, “Well, that’s a shame, we could have had a lot of fun together.  But I totally get it.  And we’d love to bring the girls over for dinner sometime.  Enjoy your evening boys.”  She winked and turned around and walked away.  

Anders and Mitchell watched the family walk away, and then looked each other in the eyes.  Mitchell grabbed Anders’s hand and kissed it gently.  “Thank you for saying that.  It really meant a lot to me.”

“John, let there be no question about how I feel about you and how I feel about our marriage.  There is no room in this marriage for anyone else besides the two of us.  Well, unless we get a dog.”  

Mitchell smirked at Anders for that remark, “Or two dogs.”

“Don’t push it!” Anders leaned up to give his husband a kiss.  Just then the siren went off to signal the end of trick-or-treat for the evening.  “Ohhh finally. I’m getting stiff sitting out here.   What do you say we take this inside?”

“Sounds good to me,” Mitchell looked over at Axl and Zeb asleep in the lawn chairs next to the skeletons, “but what do we do about those two.”

“Oh, just leave ‘em there.  They’ll eventually wake up.”

John furrowed his brow, “Are you sure?”

Anders opened the door for his husband, “Yeah, what’s the worst that can happen to them? Get attacked by a werewolf? Now get inside so I can take you to bed, Vlad.”

Mitchell took one more look at Axl and Zeb snoozing away before taking Anders’s hand and pulled him inside with him.  Anders turned off the porch light to signal that trick-or-treating was over.  “Now then Mr. Mitchell-Johnson,” Anders reached up to give a seductive kiss to Mitchell, “shall we go upstairs?”

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

Axl woke up choking on a fly, “What the fuck!  Zeb, what the hell time is it?”  He shook Zeb’s shoulder, “Zeb, wake up egg!”

“Hmmm, wha? What’s happening?”

Axl finally found his phone and looked at the time, “Shit!  It’s 1:30 in the morning!  They let us fall asleep out here and didn’t wake us up!”

“Bullocks!  But I was sleeping rather well though.”

“Zeeebbb!”

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

[albatris]

Wait wait I'm new here (this blog), what's rentalcar?

hi!! :D

rentalcar is my current writing project! it's a campy queer horror trilogy about a freshly-turned body-horror vampire and an equally monstrous human bastard on their quest to murder the giant vampire hivemind god known as "the Garble" :3c

book one is called "A Rental Car Takes a Left Down Rake Street and Disappears" and book two is called "There Is Nothing to See in Lot 17, Foxtrail Lane". book three has no name yet ahaha

a little description is as follows:

schizotypal hermit Nat Finch leaves work one afternoon, and the next thing he knows he's waking up on the side of the road in his rental car, covered in mud with no memory of the last nine days. all attempts to return to regular life are quickly thwarted - whatever happened during his blackout has left him morphing into something distinctly inhuman. when his new condition reaches a bloody, ravenous breaking point, a human stranger steps in: Quinn Cooper, powerful and dazzling manipulator with a cruel streak, here to mitigate the damage and offer Nat safety under their wing... as long as Nat does exactly what he's told and doesn't ask questions

the story in book one is mostly Nat trying to solve his little mystery (What Happened During His Blackout And Why He Got Vampired) while slowly uncovering the grim secrets Quinn is hiding. book one mostly lays the groundwork and foreshadowing for my "vampirism as a condition is just one giant hivemind" worldbuilding, while books two and three rip it open and explore it properly :3

other MCs include Alexis Anders, rigidly moral vampire lawyer having ten existential crises at once, Yvonne Tozier, cheery video game fanatic full of barely-contained simmering fury (she works customer service, you get it), and Zeke Cunningham-Warwick-Lâm, romance novelist by day and vampire hunter by night, who desperately needs to stop burning herself out every other week and practice some self-care

and that's about it!

[abookishidentity]

Even Great Mistakes: Stories by Charlie Jane Anders

It's hard to rate a whole ass book when its comprised up with several stories. Some are better than others. I shall rate them here.

As Good as New- 4/5 stars. I like this one a lot. Main character is just in a bunker after the end of the world watching tv shows until she decides to go out and then she finds a genie. I liked her conversations with the genie. Much discussion about what to wish for. Apparently the world has ended several times and the one who finds the genie has wished the world back.

Rat Catcher's Yellow- 3.5/5 stars. I think I have read this story before in another anthology book? It's interesting how this one game system affects those who essentially have dementia. Cool ass idea.

If You Take My Meaning- 5/5 stars. This one is quite intriguing. I like it when aliens and humans work together. Or blend together. I like the discussions in this story.

The Time Travel Club- 3/5 stars. I like the club aspect of people coming together to talk about how they are a time traveler. Its a fun idea. The main character just needed to be with a group. Glad she got one.

Six Months, Three Days- 4/5 stars. A man who can see the future has a relationship with a woman who can see many possible futures. I would imagine that would be a very angsty relationship. I like how this story is written.

Love Might be Too Strong A Word- 4/5 stars. Oh this one is quite interesting. Neo pronouns are used and such. The class system in this story is quite intriguing. I like the main character a lot.

Fairy Werewolf vs Vampire Zombie- 5/5 stars. I liked this one a lot. If this was an urban fantasy book I would read the hell out of it. I liked the world in this one. The aspects of fantasy were quite intriguing as well.

Ghost Champagne- 5/5 stars. I also really like this one too. A woman sees her older ghost everywhere. It's very interesting. I love the ending. The ghost was clearly commentary on something.

My Breath is a Rudder- 3/5 stars. i don't have much to say about this story. The setting is cool though.

Power Couple- 5/5 stars. This story felt like it could be a twilight zone episode. Either there was an episode similar or I have seen something similar. I like suspended animation. It's cool. A couple does this. Things don't work out at the end.

Rock Manning Goes for Broke- 3/5 stars. This story is way too long. It has cool concepts in it though. At some point a disaster hits and no one in the world can hear anymore. That was pretty interesting. It had a very distinct voice. Quite different from the other first person stories

Because Change was the Ocean and We lived by Her Mercy- 3/5 stars. This story had quite interesting world building and commentary. Not much else to say.

Captain Roger in Heaven- 3/5 stars. Woman accidentally starts a sex cult. The characters are interesting. Relationships are intriguing. There is machine that tells you where you go after you die. That was intriguing.

Clover- 5/5 stars. I think it's entertaining when cats are sentient or at least aware enough to affect the story. The cats are interesting in this story. Realistic relationship between two men.

This is Why We Can't Have Nasty Things- 3/5 stars. Not much to say about this story. I like the inclusivity though.

A Temporary Embarrassment in Spacetime- 5/5 stars. Oh I like this one a lot. If there was a novel about these characters I would read it. I like the world building and such. It reminds me of other space traveling books I have read.

Don't Press Charges and I Won't Sue- 5/5 stars. Oh this one is heartbreaking and it clearly has social commentary. I love the ending though. Fighting with all your worth.

The Bookstore at the End of America- 5/5 stars. I like stories about bookstores. This story is quite entertaining. A bookstore in the middle of two countries. I can totally see California being a different country than the rest of the USA someday. Good social commentary

The Visitmothers- 3/5 stars. This story is quite short. There isn't much to say about it. Glad the main character is happy at the end.

[dndfantasygirl]

Little Red Rogue (Chapter 5: Soul Meets Body)

Rating: Mature Word count: 3.2k Pairing: Astarion x Female Tav (named) Warnings: violence, strong language, innuendo

Summary: The party gets even bigger. Astarion scares Ruby as she swims in a secluded pond.

*Link to AO3 Post

*Link to Previous Chapter

I want to live where soul meets body And let the sun wrap its arms around me And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing And feel, feel what it's like to be new

~Soul Meets Body, Death Cab for Cutie

-------------------------------------

After some sleuthing and investigative work, it became clear to Wyll and the rest of the group that the elusive 'devil' he had been pursuing was none other than Karlach, a tiefling whose menacing reputation belied her actual demeanor. In fact, Karlach seemed relatively harmless unless provoked, and her true intentions were revealed to be far more complex than initially assumed.

Unraveling the layers of Karlach's story, they discovered her true connection to Zariel, the fallen angel. Karlach, it seemed, served as Zariel's loyal follower, although her loyalty was laced with a desperate desire to break free from the infernal grasp. This revelation stirred conflicting emotions within the group, particularly in Ruby, whose compassionate nature couldn't turn a blind eye to Karlach's plea for freedom.

Despite initial reservations from Wyll, Ruby's empathy and persuasive arguments gradually softened his stance. Through heartfelt discussions and a growing understanding of Karlach's plight, they came to view her not as a threat, but as another soul yearning for redemption and liberation from a dark past.

As if fate were intent on testing the group's capacity for companionship, another unexpected addition soon followed. This time, in the form of a ball of fur named Scratch. Despite the undeniable allure of Scratch's adorable appearance, Astarion and Lae'zel stubbornly refused to acknowledge the creature's cuteness, much to the amusement of the rest of the group.

Ruby promised Karlach they'd take out the fake paladins of Tyr who were hunting her down. So, they set off.

As the dhampir stepped into the crumbling structure, she adopted her usual guise of innocence, her features arranged in an expression of gentle sincerity.

Astarion observed from his concealed vantage point beside the door, his keen eyes tracking every movement as Ruby engaged with Anders, the leader of the fake paladins of Tyr. Despite the tense atmosphere, Ruby's demeanor remained remarkably composed.

As Astarion watched Ruby step into the fray, his gaze was drawn irresistibly to the glint of sunlight dancing off her newly acquired scale mail, which he effortlessly dyed in hues of white and scarlet. The armor seemed to accentuate her figure, enhancing the aura of strength and determination that radiated from her with each step she took. It was a sight to behold, a stark contrast to the innocent facade she often wore, and for a moment, Astarion found himself captivated by her transformation.

As Ruby drew her shortsword and dagger, ready to face off against Anders and his cronies, Astarion felt a surge of admiration mixed with a twinge of envy. There was a raw power in her stance, a primal ferocity that seemed to emanate from her very being. With each clash of blades, she growled with a feral intensity, her sharpened canines gleaming menacingly in the sunlight.

It was a stark reminder of the difference between them. While Astarion spent centuries concealing his vampiric nature, always wary of revealing the truth of what lurked beneath his charming facade, Ruby embraced her true self with a fearless defiance. There was no need for pretense or deception, no fear of judgment or rejection. She fought with the unbridled fury of someone who had nothing to hide, nothing to lose.

Astarion found himself utterly mesmerized by the transformation unfolding before his eyes. The sweet and innocent facade she often wore seemed to evaporate in the heat of battle, replaced by a ferocity that was both awe-inspiring and chilling to behold.

Gone was the timid dhampir who once hesitated to harm even the smallest creature. In her place stood a force of nature, a relentless warrior tearing through her adversary with a ruthless efficiency that belied her gentle demeanor.

As he observed her fighting with a savage grace, Astarion couldn't help but marvel at the way she seemed to draw strength from her pain. With each lethal blow she landed, he could almost see her channeling the anguish of her past, transforming it into a weapon to be wielded against her enemies.

It was a stark reminder of the horrors Ruby had endured, the trauma of discovering her parents' lifeless bodies etched into her very soul. In the heat of battle, she seemed to relive that fateful moment, her every movement fueled by a potent mixture of grief, rage, and determination.

Despite the brutality of the scene unfolding before him, there was a haunting beauty in the way Ruby fought. Her movements were fluid and precise, each strike landing with devastating accuracy. Yet, beneath the surface, Astarion sensed the turmoil raging within her, a storm of emotions that threatened to consume her if left unchecked.

The adrenaline surged through his veins, heightening his senses and sharpening his focus on her until all else faded into the background. It was in this state of rapt fascination that he failed to notice the looming threat charging at him, oblivious to the danger until it was almost upon him.

Suddenly, Ruby's swift reaction snapped him out of his reverie, her keen instincts saving him from a potentially fatal blow. With a grace born of desperation, she flung herself behind him, her blades flashing in the sunlight as she dispatched the would-be assailant with deadly precision.

Their eyes met in a brief moment of shared understanding, and for an instant, Astarion glimpsed something unexpected flickering behind Ruby's intense gaze. Amidst the chaos of battle, a hint of sassiness gleamed in her eyes, the usual playful defiance that spoke volumes of her resilience and spirit.

As Ruby gestured for him to join the fray, Astarion felt a surge of admiration mixed with amusement at her audacity.

Without hesitation, he shook off his momentary lapse and donned his mask once more, his smirk widening into a predatory grin as he prepared to rejoin the fight.

As Astarion fought alongside Ruby, a profound realization washed over him like a wave crashing against the shore. In the heat of battle, amidst the clash of steel and the cries of the fallen, he felt something stir within him, a string of emotions long buried beneath layers of cynicism and self-preservation.

For a fleeting moment, it was as if a fragment of his lost humanity returned to him, igniting a spark of fondness in his cold, undead heart. As he watched Ruby fight with a ferocity tempered by compassion, he couldn't help but marvel at the depth of her character.

From the moment they had met, Astarion had sensed that Ruby was different, her entire being suffused with a warmth and humanity that belied her vampiric nature. Unlike his own siblings, who would betray him without a second thought, Ruby had shown him nothing but kindness and loyalty, risking her own safety to protect him from harm.

It was a stark contrast to the cold, calculating world he had become accustomed to, a world where trust was a rare commodity and betrayal lurked around every corner. Yet, despite his skepticism and wariness, Astarion couldn't deny the genuine bond that had formed between them and he felt a flicker of something akin to gratitude swell within him.

As they faced the remaining 'paladins', an unexpected harmony settled between Ruby and Astarion. Each movement flowed seamlessly into the next, as if they were performing a carefully choreographed dance rather than engaging in a life-or-death struggle. They moved as one, their actions synchronized with a precision that belied their limited time together.

With every strike and parry, they anticipated each other's movements with an instinctual understanding that bordered on the supernatural. It was as if they shared a silent language, communicating not with words but with the fluidity of their combat.

Their adversaries were caught off guard by the effortless coordination between them. Where one faltered, the other was there to provide support. Together, they danced through the chaos of battle, their blades flashing in the sunlight beaming through the doorframe as they fought side by side.

Despite the dangers that surrounded them, there was a sense of exhilaration in their synchronized combat, a thrill that transcended the fear and uncertainty of their situation. In that moment, they were more than just two individuals fighting for survival; they were a force to be reckoned with, a duo bound by a shared purpose and a mutual respect for each other's skills.

As the last of their adversaries fell before them, Ruby and Astarion shared a moment of quiet satisfaction, their breaths coming in unnecessary ragged gasps as they surveyed the aftermath of their victory. When they turned to face the rest of their companions, they were met with jaws dropped to the floor.

"Holy fuck...that was beautiful," Karlach quipped before sending herself into a flaming hot rage to burn the tollhouse to the ground.

-------------------------------------

As the weary adventurers returned to their camp under the gentle glow of the moon, the air was filled with a sense of tranquility, a welcome respite from the chaos of battle. While the others tended to their gear and prepared for a well-deserved rest, Ruby slipped away into the depths of the grove, drawn by the allure of a secluded pond hidden amidst the tranquility of nature.

She shed her armor and clothing, leaving behind the weight of her responsibilities and the burdens of the world as she immersed herself in the oddly warm embrace of the water. The pond shimmered in the moonlight, its surface rippling with the gentle caress of the evening breeze as Ruby waded in, her laughter echoing through the stillness of the night like the tinkling of wind chimes.

For a moment, she seemed to have allowed herself to forget the dangers that lurked beyond the safety of their camp, to revel in the simple joys of being alive. As the water enveloped her, it appeared as if the cares of the world melted away with each stroke and kick as she swam with the abandon of a child at play.

Emerging from the water with a playful chuckle, Ruby's eyes sparkled. Settling herself against a nearby rock, she let out a contented sigh, her skin tingling with the residual warmth of the water and the soft caress of the evening breeze.

Beneath the surface of the tranquil pond, unseen by the playful dhampir frolicking above, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed with amusement. Astarion had been silently observing Ruby's antics from the depths below, waiting for the perfect moment to make his presence known.

With a mischievous grin, he rose from the water like a specter, his form materializing before Ruby with a suddenness that elicited a startled scream from her lips. Before she could fully recover from her surprise, Astarion found himself on the receiving end of a playful swat from Ruby's hand.

"Asshole," she chided, though the hint of a smirk betrayed the genuine amusement she felt at his sudden appearance.

Undeterred by her playful reproach, Astarion couldn't help but revel in the thrill of catching her off guard. "So, my dear," he began, "may I inquire as to why you find yourself in this pond when we have a perfectly serviceable stream right beside our camp?"

Ruby shot him a mock glare, her lips twitching with suppressed laughter as she considered his question. With a casual shrug of her shoulders, she offered a playful retort. "Maybe a girl wanted her privacy."

Astarion arched an eyebrow, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Maybe I beat you to it," he countered, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Maybe," Ruby conceded, her laughter bubbling forth in a soft chuckle.

Astarion couldn't resist teasing Ruby, and he watched with amusement as her eyes widened and a blush crept across her cheeks at the sight of him shirtless.

"Like what you see, darling?" he quipped with a sly grin.

Ruby's cheeks flushed even deeper at his comment, but she quickly regained her composure, a hint of irritation coloring her response. "Friends, Astarion," she reminded him firmly, though her attempt to mask her embarrassment only seemed to amuse him further. "But I don't disapprove, if that's what you're wondering."

Astarion chuckled at her response, his smirk widening as he basked in the attention. "How can you not?" he retorted. "I am the most handsome elf in the camp, after all."

The dhampir couldn't help but release a small chuckle at his shameless self-assurance, her irritation melting away in the face of his undeniable charm.

"You're not denying it. Even if you would, we both know you'd be lying," Astarion purred.

He watched as Ruby froze, betraying a hint of uncertainty that briefly flickered across her features. For a moment, he wondered if he had pushed too far, if his teasing had struck a nerve that threatened to fracture the fragile camaraderie they had built.

Yet, to his surprise, instead of recoiling or retreating, a mischievous smirk blossomed on Ruby's lips, her eyes sparkling with their usual playful defiance. Without a word, she disappeared beneath the surface of the water, leaving Astarion momentarily bewildered by her sudden disappearance.

"What are you doing?" he muttered under his breath, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he awaited her next move with eager anticipation.

Moments later, Ruby resurfaced before him with all the grace of a nymph emerging from the depths of a mystical spring. But instead of words, she unleashed a playful assault, spitting water at him with all the precision of a mischievous sprite.

Astarion blinked in surprise as the cool droplets cascaded over him, momentarily catching him off guard before he responded with a devilish grin of his own. "Oh, very mature," he remarked as he wiped the water from his face with a flourish of his hand.

As the vampire spawn watched Ruby's eyes widen in anticipation, he couldn't help but admire her quick thinking. It was as if she had anticipated his retaliation, her instincts kicking in as she darted away from him through the water like a fish evading a predator. And retaliate he did, moving with a slow, deliberate pace that mirrored the patient approach of a seasoned hunter closing in on its prey.

Despite the playful chase, Ruby didn't accelerate, maintaining a teasingly leisurely speed as if inviting him to catch her. And catch her he did, his arms wrapping around her waist as they both plunged beneath the surface of the water. For a moment, the world above disappeared, replaced by the tranquil embrace of the underwater realm.

As they swam around each other in a playful aquatic dance, their laughter mingling with the gentle rush of water, Astarion found himself once again mesmerized by Ruby's presence. There was a genuine joy in her smile, a warmth that radiated from her like sunlight filtering through the depths of the ocean. And in that moment, as they twirled and spun through the water, Astarion couldn't help but feel a sense of peace settle over him.

As they emerged from the water, the vampire spawn found himself instinctively pinning Ruby against the very rock she had leaned on moments before. It was a subtle shift in their dynamic, a moment of intimacy that left him feeling strangely vulnerable. For a brief second, he allowed his mask to slip, revealing the raw vulnerability that lurked beneath his carefully constructed facade.

As he gazed into Ruby's eyes, he couldn't help but be struck by the contradiction she embodied. Despite the hardships she had endured, the pain and loss that had shadowed her past, she exuded an undeniable vibrancy, a zest for life that seemed to defy logic. It was a mystery that had long intrigued him, a puzzle he had yet to solve.

"How do you manage to be like this all the time?" he murmured. Crimson met violet as he searched her gaze for answers.

"What? Happy?" Ruby whispered, her gaze unwavering as she met his stare with a quiet intensity that belied her youthful appearance. Astarion sensed a depth to her words, a wisdom beyond her years that left him feeling oddly humbled.

It was then that he noticed the way her hands rested lightly against his chest, the lukewarmth of her touch stirring something within him. Despite the gravity of their conversation, it seemed as though Ruby remained oblivious to the subtle intimacy of their proximity, her attention focused solely on their exchange.

Nevertheless, Astarion couldn't help but cock his head in genuine curiosity. "Why would I want to feel shittier than life has already been to me?" she continued, her words ringing with a quiet resolve. "That's why I always look for the sun on a rainy day."

As Astarion leaned in closer, he couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in Ruby's demeanor. Her breath hitched in anticipation, her eyes fluttering closed, and her scarlet lips pursed ever so slightly in anticipation of his touch. It was a moment charged with a heavy tension in the air.

But just as he was about to close the distance between them, Ruby tensed up, her body stiffening beneath his touch. In an instant, her hands ripped away from him as if burned, the suddenness of her movement jolting him back to reality.

"Friends," she panicked, the word falling from her lips with a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation. It was as if she was trying to remind herself as much as him of the boundaries she had set. "We're just...friends," she whispered the last word, her voice barely above a breath as she gazed sadly into Astarion's eyes.

In that moment, he saw the pain etched into her features, the conflict raging within her like a tempest in the night.

As Astarion watched Ruby climb out of the water, a sense of frustration and confusion gnawed at him from within. Why wasn't his usual charm and seduction working on her? It had always been so effortless before, a dance of wits and desires that left his conquests spellbound and eager for more. But with Ruby, it seemed as if his usual tricks were falling flat, leaving him feeling disarmed and vulnerable in a way he hadn't experienced in a while.

It wasn't as if she wasn't attracted to him; the lingering glances and subtle flirtations between them had made that abundantly clear. And as he took in the sight of her dripping wet form, her hair cascading in golden waves around her shoulders and her skin glistening in the moonlight, he couldn't deny that she was a vision of beauty.

Yet, despite the undeniable chemistry that simmered between them, Ruby seemed determined to keep their relationship strictly platonic. It was a baffling contradiction, one that left Astarion grappling for answers in the depths of his own uncertainty.

Perhaps she truly did just want to be friends, he reasoned, but the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Would friendship be enough to keep her by his side when she discovered the truth about him, about the cowardice and fear that lurked beneath his charming facade? Would she abandon him, leaving him to fend for himself in a world that had shown him nothing but cruelty and betrayal?

The prospect of losing Ruby's companionship filled Astarion with a sense of dread unlike anything he had ever known. For in her, he had found not only a confidante and ally but also a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that had consumed him for so long.

[icharchivist]

lmao i dont have astarion in my party because hes strong. i keep him because hes eye candy and because of the snarky remarks. also so he can do all the lockpicking for me. play to your strengths. even though hes a vampire hes been eating nothing but rats for 200 years. hell real life me could probably take him in a fight yk

dFLKJDFKLDJ

i mean yeah, rogues are important for a party and especially eyecandy rogues!!

That's why this poll was so funny, it's not to say Astarion is no use to a party, it's literally pitying against one of the strongest warrior in Dragon Age in a FISTFIGHT?

I think i know how OP came to this conclusion, since Anders and Gale were put against one another in another poll and those two are both mages with a feral edge, so i would actually not be confident at all about replying to this poll because there i'd genuinely need to know more.

So OP then looked for the other da2 character who might compare to Astarion, and i know Astarion and Fenris fall under the same "traumatized, snarky and cynical white hair elf made magical against their will because of their evil master who was mistreating them for decades", so they probably thought it was evenly matched.....

if not for the fact you're pitying a rogue with 8 str against a warrior who was forced into becoming a living weapon, specializes in tanking, fights effortlessly with a sword bigger than him, and who specializes with murdering people with his bare hands, thing he did on his first introduction by ripping someone's heart out while the guy was still wearing an armor, and thing we know he did to an entire group of powerful warriors once. Like what sort of match up is that.

At least set him up against other Dragon Age's rogues, here i would probably have nothing to comment on because it would play on details i don't have!!!

I would say, geez, have him fight Zevran! both sneaky rogues, both bloody, both pretty elves with trauma, both prefering when you don't play things fair and when you're more selfish..... and at least no matter the outcome i can joke that at least Astarion is better at lockpicking than my boyfriend who lied on his resume after he failed to murder me. (but yeah Zevran would probably still knock him out, but at least it'd be a real fight???)

People in the tags mentioned that the real "even" match would be Isabela and this is so funny to me because this might be the one pair where fighting would turn into flirting so easily that they wouldn't finish this fistfight. (ok and maybe against Varric since he's too reliant on his crossbow. I have no way to defend him he couldn't even flirt his way out of it.)

meanwhile other people commented more on putting Fenris against Lae'zel or Karlach to be evenly matched.

But on all of those pairing i would say i need to know more (and i'm not that interested) to really be able to figure them out (and i have my favorites already so it's a difficult task)

but pitying a rogue who's affinity are in sneaky attacks against mister "rip away people's heart effortlessly" in a FISTFIGHT is the most hilarious mismatched fight i've ever seen.

Doesn't mean Astarion isn't worthwhile in some way!!! just what the fuck are you doing pitying him against my boyfriend, do you have a deathwish.