#Open Rate Optimization

[downupti]

Boosting Sales with Effective Email Subject Lines: A CRO Perspective

Explore how CRO-driven email subject lines can skyrocket your open rates and conversions.

Source: https://cro.media/insights/sales/boosting-sales-effective-email-subject-lines-cro/

In the competitive world of sales emails, subject lines are the first and most crucial point of contact. Whether your email will be opened or discarded depends on how well your subject line captures attention. At CRO.MEDIA, we recognize the importance of this first impression, as it directly impacts conversion rates and user engagement. A well-crafted subject line is not just about getting clicks; it's about setting the stage for conversions. By aligning email strategies with Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) principles, businesses can improve their email marketing effectiveness and drive better results.

The Role of Email Subject Lines in CRO

An email subject line is not just a tool for boosting open rates but plays a key role in the broader CRO strategy. A compelling subject line can increase user engagement, ensuring that the recipient reads and interacts with the content within the email. The higher the open rate, the higher the chances of the call-to-action (CTA) being clicked, which leads to higher conversions.

Key CRO Considerations for Crafting Email Subject Lines

Personalization Personalizing the subject line with the recipient's name or company makes the email feel less like a mass marketing campaign and more like a tailored offer. According to CRO best practices, personalization increases engagement by creating a sense of relevancy. As our research shows, personalized subject lines increase open rates by 20%, significantly impacting conversion rates.

Brevity The subject line must be brief to avoid truncation on mobile devices, which is increasingly where people read their emails. CRO-focused email campaigns ensure that each word counts by maintaining subject lines within 60 characters, making them legible across all devices and enhancing user experience.

Urgency Creating a sense of urgency in the subject line—without overdoing it—can push recipients to act. Phrases like “Limited-time offer” or “Only a few spots left” trigger psychological urgency, nudging recipients to open the email and take action before time runs out. In CRO terms, this increases click-through rates and conversions.

Value Proposition The subject line must promise value—whether it's solving a pain point, offering a discount, or sharing useful content. CRO practices emphasize clear, concise messaging that tells the recipient what benefit they will get from opening the email. For example, a subject like “10x your sales in 10 minutes” speaks directly to a potential business goal, making the offer more enticing.

Testing and Optimization Continuous A/B testing is a staple in any CRO strategy. Testing different subject lines, analyzing open rates, and measuring conversion rates from each can provide insights into what resonates most with your target audience. Over time, this iterative process improves subject line performance, boosting both engagement and conversions.

Examples of High-Converting Subject Lines

At CRO.MEDIA, we recommend the following subject line strategies to align with CRO principles:

“Feeling stuck with [pain point]? Let me help!” – This subject line is personal, empathetic, and focuses on offering a solution to a known problem.

“10x your [company name] sales in 10 minutes” – Specific and promising, it communicates immediate value and a quick win.

“Can I make your life 20% easier?” – This subject line taps into the desire for simplicity and efficiency, a key aspect of user experience optimization in CRO.

“This is a sales email, but I’ll be brief” – Playing on transparency, this approach breaks down the barrier of skepticism and aligns with an honest, no-nonsense style.

Crafting Subject Lines with CRO at the Forefront

When designing sales email campaigns for better conversion rates, remember that every aspect of the email—from the subject line to the call-to-action—should focus on creating a seamless, valuable user experience. By applying CRO principles, such as personalization, value proposition clarity, and urgency, businesses can maximize the potential of each email they send.

Incorporating these tactics into email subject lines will not only increase open rates but also align the entire marketing strategy towards higher conversions, ensuring every email sent is optimized for success.

[marketingprofitmedia]

10 Effective Email Subject Lines That Get Your Emails Opened: Unlock Secrets

Effective email subject lines grab attention and compel recipients to open your emails. Here are 10 subject lines that do just that.

Crafting the perfect email subject line is crucial for achieving high open rates. With inboxes overflowing, a catchy and relevant subject line can make your email stand out. It’s essential to understand your audience and what motivates them to open an email.

Whether you’re promoting a sale, sharing news, or providing valuable content, your subject line should be clear and enticing. Personalization and urgency often work wonders, but creativity and relevance are key. Explore these proven strategies to boost your email open rates and engage your audience more effectively. Mastering this skill can significantly impact your email marketing success

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The Art Of Crafting Email Subject Lines

Crafting the perfect email subject line is both a science and an art. It’s the first impression your email makes. A compelling subject line can significantly increase your open rates. Let’s dive into the intricacies of creating effective email subject lines.

Why Subject Lines Matter

Subject lines are crucial. They determine if your email gets opened or ignored. An effective subject line can grab attention instantly. A well-crafted subject line can boost your open rates by up to 50%. It’s the gateway to your email content. Without an engaging subject line, your email may never get seen.

Key Elements Of A Winning Subject Line

Several elements make a subject line effective. Here are the key components:

Clarity: Ensure your subject line is clear and to the point.

Urgency: Create a sense of urgency to prompt immediate action.

Personalization: Use the recipient’s name or personal details.

Relevance: Make sure the subject line relates to the email content.

Curiosity: Pique interest without giving away too much.

Length: Keep it short and sweet, ideally under 50 characters.

Below is a table summarizing these key elements:

ElementDescriptionClarityClear and concise subject linesUrgencyEncourage immediate actionPersonalizationInclude personal detailsRelevanceRelated to the email contentCuriosityEngage interest without revealing too muchLengthShort, ideally under 50 characters

Remember these key elements. They are the building blocks of effective email subject lines.

Leveraging Curiosity For Higher Open Rates

Emails can get lost in crowded inboxes. A catchy subject line can make a difference. Using curiosity can boost your email open rates. Let’s explore how leveraging curiosity can make your emails irresistible.

The Psychology Behind Curiosity

Curiosity is a powerful emotion. It drives people to seek information. When something piques our curiosity, our brains release dopamine. This makes us feel good and want to learn more.

Curiosity works because it creates a gap in our knowledge. We feel the need to fill this gap. Email subject lines that use curiosity can trigger this response. They make readers want to open the email to find out more.

Examples Of Curiosity-inducing Subject Lines

Using curiosity in subject lines can be simple. Here are some examples that can help:

“You Won’t Believe What Happened Next”

“The Secret to [Benefit]”

“What We Found Out About [Topic] Will Surprise You”

“Are You Making These Common Mistakes?”

“This Simple Trick Can Change Your [Outcome]”

“Unlock the Mystery of [Subject]”

“The Truth About [Topic] Revealed”

“Find Out How [Company] Achieved [Result]”

“The One Thing You’re Missing in [Area]”

“Discover the Hidden Benefits of [Product]”

These examples show how to create curiosity. They make the reader want to know more. Use these ideas to craft your own subject lines.

Subject LineReason It Works“You Won’t Believe What Happened Next”Creates intrigue and suspense“The Secret to [Benefit]”Promises valuable information“Are You Making These Common Mistakes?”Plays on fear of missing out“This Simple Trick Can Change Your [Outcome]”Suggests an easy solution

Using curiosity in your email subject lines can make a big impact. Try these examples and see the difference in your open rates.

Personalization Tricks To Stand Out In The Inbox

Email subject lines play a crucial role in whether your email gets opened or ignored. Personalization can make your emails more engaging and relevant. Let’s explore some tricks to personalize subject lines and make them stand out.

The Power Of Personal Touch

Adding a personal touch to your email subject lines can significantly increase open rates. People love seeing their names in the subject line. It makes them feel special and valued.

Here’s how personalization works wonders:

Builds trust with your audience

Grabs attention instantly

Increases email open rates significantly

Incorporating Personalization In Subject Lines

To make your subject lines personal, use the recipient’s first name. Mention something specific to them. These small changes can make a big difference.

Here are some effective ways to incorporate personalization:

Personalization TechniqueExampleUse First Name“Hey [First Name], check this out!”Mention Location“Exciting news for our friends in [City]!”Reference Past Interaction“Loved your feedback on [Product], [First Name]!”

Remember, the goal is to make the recipient feel like the email was crafted just for them. This approach not only grabs their attention but also fosters engagement and loyalty.

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Creating Urgency Without Being Spammy

Crafting email subject lines that evoke a sense of urgency can significantly increase your open rates. But, it’s essential to strike the right balance. You want to encourage your readers to act quickly, yet avoid coming off as spammy. This section explores how to achieve that delicate balance.

Balancing Urgency And Authenticity

Balancing urgency and authenticity is key to successful email marketing. You want your readers to feel a need to act but also trust your message. Here are some tips to help you achieve this balance:

Use actionable language but avoid exaggeration.

Incorporate real deadlines to create genuine urgency.

Avoid excessive punctuation like multiple exclamation marks.

Be clear and concise about what’s at stake.

How To Convey Urgency In Subject Lines

To convey urgency in your subject lines, you need to be strategic. Here are some proven techniques:

Use time-sensitive words like “today,” “now,” or “limited time.”

Highlight scarcity by mentioning limited quantities or availability.

Incorporate deadlines such as “Ends tonight” or “Last chance.”

Ask urgent questions like “Did you miss this?” or “Are you ready?”

TechniqueExample Subject LineTime-sensitive words“Get 50% off today only!”Highlight scarcity“Only 5 left in stock!”Incorporate deadlines“Offer ends at midnight!”Ask urgent questions“Are you prepared for the sale?”

Remember, your goal is to create a sense of urgency without misleading your audience. This builds trust and encourages quick action, boosting your email open rates.

Using Numbers And Lists For Clarity

Using Numbers and Lists for Clarity can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your email subject lines. Numbers and lists help convey a clear and concise message, making it easier for readers to grasp the content at a glance. Let’s explore how you can use these tools to improve your email open rates.

The Impact Of Numbers On Reader’s Attention

Numbers naturally draw the eye and grab attention. They provide a clear expectation of what the reader will find inside the email. For example:

“7 Tips for Better Sleep Tonight”

“5 Reasons to Start Your Day with Meditation”

Numbers in subject lines create a sense of order and promise a specific outcome. This makes them more appealing to the reader. A numbered list feels manageable and actionable, encouraging the reader to click and read more.

Crafting Clear List-based Subject Lines

List-based subject lines are effective because they set clear expectations. To craft a compelling list-based subject line, follow these guidelines:

Be specific and concise: Use clear and direct language.

Highlight the benefit: Make sure the reader knows what they will gain.

Use odd numbers: Odd numbers tend to perform better in subject lines.

Consider these examples:

Subject LineWhy It Works“10 Easy Recipes for Busy Weeknights”It promises a solution to a common problem.“3 Secrets to Boost Your Productivity”It offers valuable information in a digestible format.

Using numbers and lists in your email subject lines provides clarity and encourages engagement. This can significantly improve your email open rates.

Credit: selzy.com

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Questions In Subject Lines: Engage Your Reader

Email subject lines play a crucial role in catching the reader’s attention. Questions in subject lines engage your reader by sparking curiosity. This technique prompts them to open the email to find the answer. The right question can drive higher open rates and better engagement.

Asking The Right Questions

Asking the right questions in subject lines is key to grabbing attention. The question should be relevant to the recipient’s interests. It should also be intriguing enough to make them want to know more. Here are some tips for crafting the right questions:

Understand your audience: Know what they care about and what problems they face.

Be specific: Vague questions can confuse the reader. Clear, specific questions work best.

Use simple language: Complicated questions can deter readers. Keep it simple and straightforward.

Strategies For Effective Question-based Subject Lines

Using questions in subject lines requires strategic thinking. Here are some strategies to ensure your question-based subject lines are effective:

StrategyDescriptionPersonalizationInclude the recipient’s name or specific details about them.UrgencyCreate a sense of urgency or exclusivity to prompt immediate action.RelevanceEnsure the question is relevant to the recipient’s interests or needs.

Examples of effective question-based subject lines include:

“Are you ready to boost your productivity?”

“What if you could save 20% on your next purchase?”

“Do you know the latest trends in your industry?”

By asking engaging and relevant questions, you can create curiosity and drive your email open rates. Remember, the goal is to make the reader want to know the answer.

Testing And Optimizing Your Subject Lines

Testing and optimizing your email subject lines is crucial. It helps increase open rates and engagement. By refining your approach, you can discover what resonates most with your audience.

The Importance Of A/b Testing

A/B testing allows you to compare two subject lines. You can send them to different segments of your audience. This helps identify which performs better. Use this method to make data-driven decisions.

When conducting A/B tests, start small. Test one variable at a time. This could be the length, tone, or use of emojis. Use these steps to perform effective A/B testing:

Formulate two variations of your subject line.

Divide your email list into two equal segments.

Send each version to a different segment.

Analyze the results to see which subject line had a higher open rate.

Here’s an example:

Subject LineOpen RateGet 50% Off Today!25%Don’t Miss Our Special Offer!30%

Analyzing And Learning From Email Metrics

To optimize your subject lines, analyze email metrics. Focus on open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. These metrics provide insights into what works best.

Open Rate: Indicates how many people opened your email.

Click-Through Rate: Shows how many clicked on links within the email.

Conversion Rate: Measures how many completed the desired action, such as making a purchase.

Use these metrics to identify patterns. For example, if shorter subject lines have higher open rates, consider using more concise language. Over time, you will develop a better understanding of your audience’s preferences.

Here are some tips for analyzing metrics effectively:

Regularly review your email performance data.

Look for trends in open and click-through rates.

Experiment with different strategies based on your findings.

Credit: www.mailerlite.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What Email Subject Lines Get The Most Opens?

Subject lines with personalization, urgency, and curiosity get the most opens. Use the recipient’s name, create a sense of urgency, or ask intriguing questions. Keep them concise and clear.

What Are Catchy Subject Lines For Emails?

Catchy subject lines for emails include: “Don’t Miss Out! “, “Limited Time Offer! “, “Exclusive Deal Inside! “, “Your Free Gift Awaits! “, “Unlock Your Special Discount! “, “Just For You! “, “Act Fast — Only a Few Left! “, “New Arrivals You’ll Love! “.

How To Get Attention In An Email Subject Line?

Use a clear, compelling subject line. Personalize it with the recipient’s name. Include action words. Keep it short and relevant. Create urgency or curiosity.

How To Write Subject Lines That Get Opened?

Craft compelling subject lines by being clear, concise, and relevant. Use action words and personalize when possible. Create a sense of urgency or curiosity. Test different approaches to see what works best for your audience.

What Makes An Email Subject Line Effective?

An effective subject line is clear, concise, and sparks curiosity. It should also convey the email’s value.

Conclusion

Mastering email subject lines is key to boosting open rates. Use these tips to craft compelling and engaging emails. Experiment with different approaches to find what works best. Keep your audience in mind and stay creative. This will ensure your emails stand out in crowded inboxes. Happy emailing!

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Thanks for reading my article on “10 Effective Email Subject Lines That Get Your Emails Opened: Unlock Secrets”, hope it will help!

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Source : 10 Effective Email Subject Lines That Get Your Emails Opened: Unlock Secrets

[lenodrysalad]

"Eddie said he's straight! Buck said Eddie was straight! Buck said he's not in love with his best friend! They shut down Buddie in the show it isn't happening ya'll are delusional! Queerbait! Queerbait! Blah blah blah"

I feel like I'm going insane. I'm sure we're all tired of people shouting "media literacy" every five seconds, but like... Yeah, develop some media literacy, please.

I'm saying this as someone who doesn't usually like romance, despite being subjected to it in basically every piece of media. As someone who doesn't generally look for love stories. As someone who loved Buddie but didn't consider any serious possibility of it becoming canon before season 7/8, who refused to believe Buddie was truly happening until I couldn't deny it anymore: this episode is loud.

Please understand how narrative arcs work. How character arcs work. How character development works. How serial broadcast television works. Understand how writing works. Consider context; take the whole episode, the whole season, and the whole series into account instead of treating things like they exist in isolation.

I'm too tired to go through the step-by-step details of the episode to prove why these, "they said it on screen, therefore..." takes are shortsighted and ignorant; plenty of people have done that already.

But that episode, even if we do take it in isolation, is textbook. Do people really take everything characters say at face value? Do people not watch other character's reactions? Listen to what else is being said? Watch what is being shown? Consider the implications? Themes? Narrative devices?

Consider that maybe, just maybe, characters can be unreliable narrators, or believe something to be true only for that belief to change later. These things don't happen in one episode. There's such a thing as set-up, foreshadowing, the starting point of a plot. 911 is a serial drama, therefore it is going to have A) long-form story and character arcs, and B) drama.

Characters are not going to move in straight lines, or talk in therapy speak, or solve every problem in an hour. They are not always going to be right, or self-aware, or truthful, or rational. Direct dialogue does not equate to honest dialogue.

Also, saying, "well in real life, people do this, I do that, their feelings would be this, yadda yadda yadda" means nothing. Your experiences are not universal, and more importantly, this is a work of fiction. Realism is whatever the story says it is; it's going to do whatever creates the most dramatic, interesting, developmentally beneficial, or emotionally satisfying story. Whether you like that story or not is irrelevant to the fact that stories are not going to cater to all your expectations or real-world experiences.

To people pointing to Tim or the actor's interviews as "proof" they're shutting down Buddie: again, please understand how broadcast television works. They are not going to tell us everything that's going to happen before it happens. They are going to play the neutral zone, the "wait and see," the "will they/won't they." They are going to lie. That is television production 101. You can compare what they've said in the past with canon and list all the contradictions, misdirection, and twists you didn't see coming because they didn't spoil it for you. Watch the show. That is the canon.

They're also not catering to fandom--people they already know are devoted to the show, familiar with Buddie, and consistently tuning in. They're introducing the idea of Buddie to the general audience, people who likely haven't considered the possibility before. The GA has to see that Buddie is an option, so the show needs to manifest it as if it's a brand new concept. This episode pulled the pin on that grenade in a very obvious way; the idea that Buck could be in love with Eddie and that Eddie could not be straight has been planted. The next seed will be Eddie's feelings. Now the show needs to water it and let it grow.

One last thing. Been seeing a fair amount of hand-wringing and condescension over people interpreting this episode differently. As if this is some sort of "gotcha" for bad writing, baiting, or people being stupid. Listen, genuine complaints about this show's writing aside, different interpretations or inferences are completely normal. This isn't unique. That is how people interact with stories, through personal biases, experiences, emotions, and expectations. That isn't inherently a bad thing. It's totally fine to have your own views; media is all about interpretation.

However, it is also true that just because you have an interpretation, that doesn't make it true. Not all interpretations are equal in their validity, evidence, or warrants. The show has an intention, it has a story in mind. If you don't see it, sure, that could be a failure of the writing, but it could also very well be a failure of your analysis, especially when the show hasn't finished telling the story. Looking at one thing in isolation and forming your whole conclusion based around that makes for poor critique.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see who's right.

[bahadurislam011444]

Unveiling the Best SEO Worker in Bangladesh: Driving Digital Success

[sciativesolution]

Top 5 Must-Have Features in Revenue Management Software (RMS) to Maximize Hotel Revenue

Revenue Management Software (RMS) is a game-changer for hotels and businesses aiming to optimize pricing strategies, maximize revenue, and stay competitive in today’s fast-paced market. The right RMS uses AI-driven insights, automation, and real-time data to make informed pricing decisions and boost profitability.

However, not all revenue management systems are created equal. With so many tools available, it’s essential to understand what features truly drive performance. In this blog, we break down the five most critical features of effective RMS that help hotels and businesses unlock their full revenue potential.

1. Dynamic Pricing: The Ultimate Revenue Maximization Tool

Dynamic pricing software is the cornerstone of any modern revenue management system. Unlike static or manual pricing models, AI-powered dynamic pricing adjusts rates based on real-time market data, competitor pricing, customer demand, and inventory availability.

Key Benefits of Dynamic Pricing:

Automated pricing updates without manual input

Real-time responsiveness to market shifts and demand spikes

Increased profitability through intelligent, optimized pricing

This feature is essential for industries like hospitality, travel, retail, and airlines, where pricing decisions must be agile, competitive, and profit-driven.

2. Open Pricing: Maximize Revenue Across Segments & Channels

Open pricing allows you to independently set prices for different room types, customer segments, and distribution channels—unlike traditional BAR (Best Available Rate) models, which apply a single rate across all segments.

Why Open Pricing Matters:

Optimize pricing individually per channel and segment

Avoid revenue loss by never closing inventory

Charge different prices for high-demand segments or packages

Hotels using open pricing strategies can increase conversions across OTAs, direct bookings, corporate clients, and group sales.

3. Real-Time Price Optimization: Stay Ahead of Market Fluctuations

Real-time price optimization helps hotels react instantly to competitor rates, market changes, and booking patterns—unlike traditional RMS tools that run on scheduled updates.

Benefits of Real-Time Optimization:

Immediate response to market demand and competitor changes

Prevent revenue leakage due to slow rate updates

Maintain optimal pricing 24/7

For high-demand seasons or last-minute bookings, real-time RMS capabilities can make or break profitability.

4. Pricing Boundaries: Control Meets Flexibility

While automation is crucial, setting pricing boundaries (minimum and maximum rates) ensures your RMS doesn’t go beyond acceptable limits—protecting brand integrity and profitability.

How Pricing Controls Help:

Prevent erratic price fluctuations

Align pricing with business goals and financial limits

Maintain pricing stability during peak or low-demand periods

Hotels can automate intelligently while keeping a strategic grip on pricing decisions.

5. 24-Month Pricing & Forecasting: Long-Term Revenue Planning

The best RMS tools provide 24-month forecasting—allowing hotels to analyze trends and set future rates proactively instead of reactively.

Why Long-Term Forecasting Is Essential:

Capture early bookings and maximize advance revenue

Plan for seasonality, events, or economic trends

Drive smarter decisions through data-backed foresight

Long-range planning ensures your hotel stays ahead—especially during festivals, holiday seasons, or peak travel periods.

Why Revenue Management Software is Crucial for Hotels

In the hospitality industry, Revenue Management Software (RMS) is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. From room pricing optimization to inventory distribution, RMS helps hotels:

Boost direct bookings and OTA revenue

Optimize inventory allocation to prevent overbooking

Enhance guest personalization with data-driven insights

Reduce manual workload with automated decisions

Stay competitive in a price-sensitive market

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Best Revenue Management System

Selecting the right RMS software is a key investment for any business aiming to grow revenue. Look for a solution that includes:

✅ AI-powered Dynamic Pricing

✅ Open Pricing flexibility

✅ Real-Time Price Optimization

✅ Smart Pricing Boundaries

✅ 24-Month Forecasting tools

ZettaPrice offers all these powerful features, making it one of the most comprehensive revenue management platforms in the market. Whether you're a boutique hotel or a large chain, ZettaPrice empowers you with tools to make smarter pricing decisions, increase efficiency, and drive sustainable profitability.

Supercharge Your Revenue Strategy Today!

Looking to maximize hotel revenue and streamline pricing strategies? Ensure your RMS software includes these must-have features.

👉 Choose ZettaPrice – the intelligent, automated, and adaptive revenue management software built for the future of hospitality.

To know more-https://sciative.com/research-articles/5-must-have-features-in-revenue-management-software

[digitalrhetoricpune]

The Role of Open Graph Tags in Optimizing Social Media Shares for Better Engagement

In the fast-paced world of social media, where every post competes for attention, standing out is crucial. Open Graph tags, a protocol introduced by Facebook, play a significant role in enhancing how your content appears on social media platforms. When implemented effectively, Open Graph tags can increase visibility, click-through rates, and overall engagement. As a social media marketing services in Pune provider, Digital Rhetoric leverages Open Graph tags best practices to ensure clients achieve optimal engagement on social media platforms.

What Are Open Graph Tags?

In today’s social media marketing environment, using OG tags effectively can enhance your social media share optimization efforts. This simple addition can lead to significant improvements in how people perceive, engage, and interact with your brand’s content.

Why Open Graph Tags Matter for Engagement

Open Graph tags can greatly influence how your audience engages with shared content. Here’s why they’re important for social media engagement optimization:

Enhanced Visual Appeal: OG tags allow you to specify the exact image that appears when content is shared, ensuring the visual is impactful and relevant to your message.

Clear and Concise Information: With an OG title and description, you control the message, ensuring that the content aligns with your brand’s tone and voice.

Increased CTR: Well-crafted OG tags can significantly boost social media click-through rates (CTR) by providing enticing previews that make users want to click.

Consistent Branding: OG tags provide consistency across different social media platforms, reinforcing your brand identity and messaging.

Key Open Graph Tags to Use for Optimal Engagement

To make the most of Open Graph tags best practices, here are the essential OG tags you should implement:

OG Title: This is the headline of your shared content. Keep it under 60 characters for clarity and impact.

OG Description: This provides a summary of your content. Aim for around 200 characters to ensure it’s concise yet informative.

OG Image: This is a powerful visual element that draws attention. Choose high-resolution images (at least 1200 x 630 pixels) that align with the message.

OG URL: This links back to the original page, driving traffic directly to your site.

OG Type: Specify the type of content (article, website, product, etc.) for better indexing by social media platforms.

Open Graph Tags Best Practices for Social Media Success

As a company providing social media marketing services in Pune, we follow a set of best practices to optimize our clients’ content for social media:

Use Compelling Images: Visuals play a key role in boosting social media CTR. Ensure your OG image resonates with the target audience, is of high quality, and has an aspect ratio optimized for social media.

Craft Engaging Titles: The OG title should be straightforward yet engaging, compelling users to click. Avoid clickbait but make it interesting enough to attract attention.

Keep Descriptions Concise and Relevant: A well-written OG description can increase engagement by giving users a clear reason to click. Focus on highlighting the value or main point of the content.

Optimize for Mobile Users: With a large number of users accessing social media on mobile devices, ensure your OG tags display well on mobile by testing previews.

Avoid Duplicate Content: OG tags help avoid duplicate content issues by setting specific content to be shared on social media. Make sure each page has unique OG tags relevant to the content.

How Open Graph Tags Improve Social Media Engagement and Branding

As an experienced social media marketing services provider in Pune, we understand the nuances of maximizing social media share optimization. By employing OG tags effectively, you can expect the following improvements:

Increased Visibility: Properly formatted OG tags can make your posts more likely to appear in users’ feeds, increasing reach.

Higher Click-Through Rates: By capturing users’ attention with customized titles, descriptions, and visuals, OG tags encourage more clicks.

Stronger Brand Presence: Consistent and attractive posts reinforce your brand’s voice, making it more recognizable and trustworthy on social media.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Open Graph Tags

Avoiding these mistakes can help improve social media engagement optimization:

Leaving OG Tags Blank: Not setting OG tags leaves your content at the mercy of social media algorithms, which may not display your content in an ideal way.

Using Low-Quality Images: Low-quality or incorrectly sized images can reduce engagement, as they may not display well on social platforms.

Reusing the Same OG Tags Across Pages: Each page should have unique OG tags tailored to its specific content.

Overloading Descriptions: Avoid cramming too much information into the OG description. Keep it succinct and focused.

How Digital Rhetoric Can Help

At Digital Rhetoric, we specialize in social media marketing services in Pune and understand the intricacies of social media share optimization. By leveraging Open Graph tags best practices, we help brands like yours achieve higher engagement and better brand visibility on social platforms.

Our team crafts unique, well-optimized Open Graph tags for each content piece, ensuring it appears at its best when shared on social media. This approach not only boosts social media click-through rates (CTR) but also fosters a consistent and compelling online presence that resonates with your target audience.

Final Thoughts

Implementing Open Graph tags may seem like a minor detail, but it can make a significant difference in your social media engagement optimization. For businesses looking to enhance their online presence and connect more effectively with their audience, optimizing Open Graph tags is a crucial step. By partnering with Digital Rhetoric, a trusted provider of social media marketing services in Pune, you can ensure that your brand’s content is always displayed to its best advantage, encouraging more clicks, shares, and engagement across platforms.

[scum-belina]

Trying to get my old job back😕. it's far from great there but it's just my best option rn bc I have one car and take my mom to work and back every day, and if I get rehired there I'd have the same schedule as her so it'd also save me on gas money while I make way more money than i do just doing odd jobs and basically part-time caretaking my maternal grandma.

[beloveds-embrace]

(p2 of mail order soldier könig)

Despite everything, you really weren’t ready for how big he was.

Sure, his profile had mentioned it- “tall” in bold, all-caps, like a warning label or a selling point, depending on your preferences alongside his equally intimidating name. And his vibe? Absolutely screamed haunted clock tower. You had expected “tall” in the way NBA players were tall, or the way celebrities looked tall on red carpets but were actually like 5’10” in real life. But this? This was different. This was architectural: König didn’t just walk into a space; he filled it like a cathedral with opinions. You stood next to him and felt like a misplaced LEGO figure who’d been granted custody of an ancient war relic. Every time he moved, you felt the displacement of air like God was adjusting a chess piece.

You had thought all of that because the trip back to your temporary apartment had been… an ordeal. König didn’t drive. You hadn’t even gotten far enough to ask why. It could’ve been a moral objection, a PTSD trigger, or just the fact that his knees probably touched his chin in a Toyota Corolla. You didn’t drive either (personal trauma plus urban nihilism), so rideshare it was. When the driver pulled up and caught a glimpse of König, who stood beside you like an executioner summoned from a darker, angrier timeline, the man audibly gasped and his foot started to inch toward the gas pedal.

You leaned in through the passenger window with your brightest, most deranged smile. “Five stars and I’ll make sure he doesn’t flay you.”

The driver nodded- poossibly blacked out. And drove like the devil was behind him, which, to be fair, he kind of was.

Arriving at your building was when the spatial tragedy truly began. König had to duck to get into the lobby. Not in a cute, awkward way, but like a kaiju visiting a dollhouse. The fluorescent lights buzzed uneasily overhead, dimming just slightly as if reacting to his gravitational pull, and you became hyper-aware of everything you owned and how none of it was rated for the stress test of Austrian death cryptid.

The elevator? Out of the question. Your third-floor apartment? Suddenly way too far from the ground. König climbed the stairs like a war machine from a documentary about siege tactics, each footstep a dull thud that you were certain would cost you your damage deposit, but at least he seemed to have no complaints… though you were sure he was unhappy with how you had to stop to catch your breath lseveral times while he remained military-commercial ready.

When you opened your apartment door and gestured grandly, the words that came out were: “This is… home. Temporary. Probably. Until you accidentally break the building and we need to live in a cave.”

König said nothing. Just paused in the doorway, ducking under the frame with practiced effort, and lingered there for a moment. His eyes- somewhere behind that hood, surely?- swept the place with a slow, methodical awareness that made you wonder how many exits he could already map and how many sniping points your living room offered.

You gestured to the couch with the fatal optimism of someone about to learn a lesson. “You can sit. If it holds.”

It did not. Or rather, it gave one last dramatic gasp of life. There was a creak, a pop, and then a long, soft crunch that felt less like furniture collapsing and more like it was filing for a legal separation. König, to his credit, looked apologetic. Or maybe he didn’t; it was hard to tell with the hood, but his shoulders hunched slightly, and that seemed like the body language equivalent of a Canadian “sorry.”

“…Okay. Floor’s fine too. Floor is classic.”

He lowered himself with all the elegance of a collapsing war monument, folding into a sprawl of limbs that somehow took up more space despite being on the ground. He sat cross-legged like a monk, if monks were built like tanks and radiated a kill count.

And then- the doorbell rang an unwelcome, familiar tune that made you freeze.

Not the good kind of freeze, and not the surprise-party kind. The fight-or-flight-oh-god-it’s-him kind. That sound- that arrogant, familiar, triple-tap of someone who thought your doorbell was a buzzer for attention? That was him.

Your ex-fiancé.

You turned slowly to König, who had stilled completely. His body didn’t move, but his attention locked onto the door like a predator scenting blood. He was suddenly alert, dangerous, like a loaded gun that had remembered it had a purpose.

“Okay,” you whispered, as if trying not to disturb a spirit. “This is a test. A dry run. Like a fire drill, except instead of fire, it’s a narcissistic man with commitment issues.”

König tilted his head slightly, and though you couldn’t see his face, you were 90% sure that meant, Shall I gut him or just remove the legs?

You held up one finger. “Let’s just… see what he wants first.”

You cracked the door open, just enough to peek through and block most of König’s terrifying silhouette. And there he was. Your ex-fiancé, smug as ever with his hair gelled within an inch of its life, shirt unbuttoned just enough to reveal a gold chain that you were pretty sure had been repossessed twice.

“Hey, babe,” he said with that smirk that had once seemed charming and now just looked like he was trying to seduce his own reflection. He completely brushed over the fact that he had followed you all the way here, to this supposedly hidden apartment you got until you had König with you. “You haven’t been answering my texts.”

“I changed phones,” you replied instantly. “And numbers. And species.”

He gave a little laugh like you were just being coy. Leaned on the doorframe with the forced casualness of someone trying to win you back with zero self-awareness and all his tricks learned from BookTok. “Look, I know we’ve had our differences, but I’ve been thinking-”

And that was when König rose. Not stood, but rose.

The doorframe went from well-lit to eclipsed in seconds. A gloved hand slid into view and gripped the edge of the door, the fingers longer than your ex’s attention span. Your ex’s expression did a full software reboot.

“…Who the hell is that?”

You offered a cheerful shrug. “Oh, that’s König. My security system. He came with knives and trauma.”

König took one slow, deliberate step forward. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. The pressure of him, the sheer atmospheric density of his presence, did all the work. It was like standing in front of an oncoming avalanche and realizing the snow hates you.

Your ex-fiancé made a sound- a half-choked, half-whined hiccup that suggested his ego had just herniated. Still, he tried to rally. Puffing his chest. “I’m not scared of him, okay? You think you can threaten me with some… some cosplaying lunatic?”

König stepped forward again. Just one inch. Just enough.

The air grew heavy.

Your ex backpedaled so fast you almost heard cartoon sound effects. “Y-you know what? This is toxic. You’re toxic. I was trying to be the bigger person!”

König tilted his head again. Just enough to reveal a single glint of eye behind the hood, and it made your ex scream.

Actually screamed. Like a man encountering the consequences of his actions for the very first time. And then he was gone. Fled down the hallway like the answer to a prayer you hadn’t had time to finish.

“We’ll talk later!”

No, we won’t.

You shut the door with the satisfying click of sealing a tomb, you grin slowly stretching.

König turned back to you, then, silent and still waiting. .

You reached up and patted his arm- gently, because you were fairly certain that bicep could be registered as a medieval weapon. “A+, no notes. Extremely threatening. Ten out of ten cryptid vibes. You are great!”

He made a low soun that was not quite a grunt and not quite a sigh, and you took it as a thank-you.

Later, after the adrenaline had faded, you handed him a mug of tea- which looked comically small in his massive hands, like a Barbie accessory. He held it delicately, reverently, as if you’d handed him a precious museum piece instead of an herbal infusion from a grocery store.

You curled up on the wrecked edge of your couch, eyeing him across the room.

“Y’know,” you murmured, half to yourself, “this might actually work out.”

He didn’t reply, but he did lean a little closer.

“What d’you want for lunch?” You finally remembered to ask, standing up with your hands on your hips like you were Superman awaiting orders from Batman and not actually one of the miserable civilians that need to be saved regularly.

“We gotta keep you big and thick, König! So just say what you’d like.”

…he was staring a little too intently at you, actually. You kind of felt like you were kinning your ex-fiancé in this moment.

[reasonsforhope]

"The existence and consumption of coffee has many advantages in human society, but perhaps the lesser reported advantage is what it can offer the environment.

There is arguably no other monocrop so capable of thriving in an intact, natural ecosystem, and in Ethiopia, where coffee is a major export, the adoption of climate-compatible and conservation strategies among coffee growers recently proved a major success, with over 5,000 acres of land reforested, 45% increases in household income, and a 70% increase in exported coffee.

Coffee is a major lifeblood of Ethiopia’s economy (we’re talking about a quarter of the whole), accounting for around half of the livelihood of 15 million people, 95% of whom are small landholding growers.

In the ecologically critical Ilu Ababor Zone of nation’s western region of Oromia, where Coffea arabica is native, Farm Africa led a project on sustainable agriculture among coffee growers inside 19 local forest management cooperatives totaling around 4,000 people between 2021 and 2024.

The results were better than a hot cup of coffee on a cold early morning, as the residents took to the skills, incentives, and even stakeholder meetings with great interest and dedication according to a report on the project entitled Coffee for Conservation.

Of the project aims regarding forest management and conservation, the objective was to instruct the landholders and growers in ways to get everything they needed from their forest homes without felling too many native trees.

For example, locals were shown how to cultivate fast-growing trees optimal for firewood in small plots, as well as methods on how to maximize the growth cycle of these fuel trees. Six tree nurseries were opened and staffed by around 60 people taught to sell seedlings for reforestation of native woodland in the area.

By the end of the project, over 300,000 seedlings had been planted over 5,000 acres of forest, and they enjoyed a five-year survival rate of 85%. Climate-smart practices such as cultivating bamboo for making the mats on which the coffee beans are dried, removed the need to truck in bamboo from other regions, while 66% of homes were able to be convinced to switch to energy-efficient wood stoves to reduce fuel consumption.

Most of the landholders growing coffee or managing the forest had plots for vegetable and fruit production to feed their families and those of their communities through trade. Percentages of these Ethiopians who adopted climate-smart farming techniques increased from 49% to 76%, while 10% more began growing fruit and vegetables. Income generated from the increased production amounted to around 280% more than what was made before the project, adjusted for inflation.

Coffee production, marketing, and returns, have all improved. 73% more coffee from the Ilu Ababor region is now export-quality than in 2021, and 44% meets the standards for specialty grade, which is up by 20% from 2021.

Connections with national financing intuitions have allowed some of the co-ops to buy proper equipment for drying and storage, as well as support by city marketing agencies who could work directly on behalf of the Ilu Ababor growers to carve out a space in the national and international markets.

“Prior to the project, our limited knowledge meant we had to sell our coffee to local traders at lower prices,” said Abde Musa, a member of the Abdi Bori forest management cooperative. “Now we’ve taken control and are the ones negotiating and determining the coffee prices.”

Co-op leaders received training in business management, quality control, and certification processes, which majorly improved their incomes. One of the 19 co-ops in particular grossed $58,500 on their coffee sales.

Project wide, incomes and access to financial services almost doubled, with the latter now reaching almost 100% of the community.

Lastly, deforestation plummeted in the area to just 0.08 acres a year.

There’s so much good news to read in the report on the project’s success beyond the headline data, like the Abdi Bori co-op’s incredible rise which saw coffee revenue increase by a multiple of 20 from 2018 to 2023, or Solomon Mekonnen’s story of turning his land into a forest farm that produces export-grade coffee, firewood, and organic honey, or the tremendous involvement of women at all levels of the education and participation.

It’s a document that captures the very real phenomenon that African problems are best solved with African solutions."

-via Good News Network, May 17, 2025

[digitalmarketingbizz]

The Power of Email Marketing: Why It's Essential for Your Business's Success

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, where social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and influencer marketing often take center stage, it's easy to overlook the tried-and-true method of email marketing. However, don't be too quick to dismiss this powerful tool – email marketing remains a cornerstone of successful business promotion. In this blog, we'll delve into the reasons why you should market your business with email, and we'll also explore some trending keywords to keep your content in tune with the latest industry developments.

Unlocking the Potential of Email Marketing

In an era dominated by instant messaging and social networking, you might wonder whether email marketing is still relevant. The answer is a resounding yes! Email marketing remains a crucial strategy for businesses of all sizes, and here's why:

Direct Communication: Email marketing offers a direct line of communication to your audience. Unlike social media posts that might get lost in a sea of content, emails are delivered straight to your subscribers' inboxes, ensuring that your message is seen.

Personalization: With advanced data analytics, you can tailor your email campaigns to specific segments of your audience. Personalized content resonates more with recipients, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

Cost-Effective: Compared to other marketing methods, email marketing is incredibly cost-effective. There are minimal expenses involved, and the potential return on investment (ROI) is substantial.

Drive Conversions: Email campaigns allow you to guide your subscribers through the buyer's journey, from awareness to conversion. Well-crafted emails with compelling calls-to-action can drive sales and boost your bottom line.

Analytics and Insights: Email marketing platforms provide detailed analytics that allow you to track open rates, click-through rates, and conversion metrics. These insights help you refine your strategies and optimize future campaigns.

Building Relationships: Email marketing enables you to nurture relationships with your audience. By consistently delivering valuable content, you can establish trust and loyalty over time.

Trending Keywords in Email Marketing

To ensure your email marketing content remains current and relevant, consider incorporating these trending keywords into your campaigns:

Personalization: Tailoring content to individual preferences is a hot topic in email marketing. Mention how your business utilizes personalization to enhance user experience and drive engagement.

Automation: Marketing automation streamlines your email campaigns, saving time and increasing efficiency. Highlight how automation can help deliver timely and relevant content to subscribers.

Segmentation: Segmented email lists improve targeting by sending the right messages to the right people. Explain how your business categorizes subscribers to provide them with content that aligns with their interests.

AI and Machine Learning: These technologies enhance email marketing by analyzing data and optimizing campaigns. Discuss how AI and machine learning contribute to your email marketing strategy.

Interactive Content: Interactive emails, such as polls, quizzes, and GIFs, are gaining traction. Describe how your business employs interactive elements to make emails more engaging.

Mobile Optimization: As mobile device usage continues to rise, optimizing emails for mobile screens is vital. Emphasize your commitment to delivering a seamless mobile experience.

Conclusion

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, email marketing stands as a stalwart strategy that continues to deliver impressive results. Its direct communication, personalization options, and cost-effectiveness make it a must-have in your marketing toolkit. By incorporating trending keywords and staying up-to-date with industry innovations, you can harness the power of email marketing to drive conversions, build relationships, and propel your business towards greater success.

[sexhaver]

Marvel Rivals does two very weird things with matchmaking. the first one is where, instead of skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), they use a method they literally invented named "EnMatch" (link downloads a pdf of their research paper), which builds on an earlier rudimentary version of the same idea referred to as engagement-optimized matchmaking (EOMM).

to summarize: it still uses a traditional Elo-esque system to quantify the skill of individual players, but unlike SBMM, which aims to balance these Elo ratings between two teams to ensure a fair match (under the natural assumption that players want to play fair matches), EnMatch instead uses a literal AI to predict what win-loss ratio every player needs to not ragequit at that exact moment and then attempts to give players easier or harder games as appropriate. the difference isn't massive, something like a 45% expected winrate instead of 50%, but it's there and it's on purpose. if you read between the lines of the section about influencing factors, they even leave the door open to stuff like cosmetics purchases influencing matchmaking

the second weird thing builds off of that and is thankfully limited to quickplay (unlike EnMatch which is present in ranked): if you lose enough quickplay matches in a row, you get put into a game against 6 easy bots, with 2 bots on your own team to autofill healers/tanks to avoid team composition issues. there are a few tells that let you know you're in a bot game once you know to look out for them, but the insidious thing is, the game never tells you you're playing against bots! there's a separate "Practice vs AI" mode, but this thing im describing happens in the normal quickplay queue! and the reason it sucks so bad, other than still getting the full leaver penalties if you leave, is because it results in posts on the subreddit/discord of people either posting a clip of them "popping off" against literal easy mode bots, or posting clips of a Punisher bot aimbotting them down and asking people to report them for hacks (because they are in fact literally aimbotting). obviously this feature is in the game for the exact kind of player who would never notice it and is there to give them an easy win to discourage a ragequit after a loss streak, but it just feels kinda scummy imo

[oatmealwrites]

Catch Kira, NOT Feelings! Ch. 8

Ch. 7 | Ch. 9

Series Masterlist Here | Regular Masterlist Here

Synopsis: You pick up where you and Ryuzaki left off... and things get steamy. Right after a peak moment of climax, you're interrupted by an apologetic Matsuda who leaves behind a very interesting set of documents. The next day on campus, you run into Light's new....girlfriend?!

Tags: Hickies, french kissing, men yearning, ORAL(m receiving, mentions of f receiving), L is a virgin, caught in the act [almost], L is a YEARNER, he's down horrendous for u, some fluff moments, Light is a manipulator, mentions of death, Misa appearance, makeout once again, NSFW, 18+

a/n: at the end!

WC: 9.4k

~~~~~~~~~~

If you had to guess the exact tempo, you would put his heart rate at a speeding 170 bpm as it pulsates beneath your lips. For a man of relatively few words, the sound of his voice fills the room as you bite and suck on the flesh of his throat and grind down on his hips. Gruff sighs and moans spill from his mouth as his head tilts further back to urge you even closer to his neck.

You hollow your cheeks and increase the suction on the sensitive part of skin while your nose tickles the area under the gonial angle of his jaw. One hand is flat on his chest to keep him relatively still while the other is pushing away long strands of dark hair that fall in thick tufts around his nape. While your torsos are relatively stable, L’s hips are twitching and squirming as you sit on his pelvis angled over him.

“Nnghh.. Ahh!-- t-that’s…!”

He bucks his hardening erection up into your fully clothed cunt and furrows his eyebrows; eyes squinted shut as his mind seemingly melts from the new sensations flowing through him. 

After a few more moments, you run your tongue flat over the bruised skin in a silent apology for the abuse and pull back from his neck to admire the work. The radio is still playing idly in the background, but the pants from Ryuzaki’s lips are the real music to your ears.

As quickly as you pull away, his eyes are shooting open and pouring into yours; black pupils dialated to dissolve the gray irises, he searches your face for reasoning of the pause.

“You.. finished?” he asks, hands keeping you firmly planted on top of him as his voice shows obvious signs of disappointment. 

You shrug and smile to yourself, tracing the outline of the blossoming dark purple and red bruise that glows against his pale skin. “Mmmm, I can leave a few more if you want.”

Ryuzaki blinks once and immediately nods before peeling his eyes down to where his hands dig into the plush curve of your hips. Swallowing, he leans his head back down and stretches it back a bit more to open up the entirety of his throat to whatever you have in mind. 

The protrusion of his Adam’s apple bobs once in anticipation as you swing back down and run a flurry of small kisses around the other side of his neck. Lips moving and pecking every square inch, Ryuzaki lets out a mixture of nearly giggles and gasps as you tickle him with the action and shifts in his laid out position.

“Gonna be hard to leave another mark if you keep moving around.” You murmur against his throat before sinking your teeth into a chunk of flesh and sucking on it. 

Fingers dig into your waist from the sudden action and Ryuzaki shudders with his head back as you continue the assault on his neck. “C-Can’t necessarily.. haaa help it– …. This position isn’t optimal for… ngh critical thinking… “

Ah yes, his explanation for the strange sitting positions was to help him optimally think– to cut off circulation to his limbs to prioritize blood flow to the brain [so he claims.]

You run your tongue against the chunk of flesh in your mouth and move to another spot on his throat before grinding down slightly. 

“Ahh-!”

So now that he’s all sprawled out beneath you…that means the blood is finally running to the other parts of his body. The raging hard on in his jeans jerking up into the crotch of your sweatpants is more than enough evidence. 

Pulling your lips from his neck and sitting upright once more, Ryuzaki lays beneath you panting as if he had just run a marathon. Cheeks flushed pink and chest heaving as he attempts to ground himself, he only peels his eyes open once the radio cuts to a run of advertisements. 

“You ok there?” You tease lightly, enjoying the way he seems to melt beneath you. 

L swallows and drags his blown out eyes over the bummy outfit adorning your body as if it were the most sexual arousing pieces of fabric he’s ever seen. Hands that lingered on your waist tug to the kangaroo pouch of your hoodie before pinching the lower hem of the article. 

“It’s my turn, right?”

Your coy smirk falters slightly as Ryuzaki pushes himself up onto his elbows and slowly grinds his boner against your cunt as the angle of the position changes.

You blink slightly, taken aback. “Huh? O-oh..”

He sits up all the way and leans against the armrest to keep himself upright before leaning his torso to essentially hug you. Still sitting on his lap, his face is eye-level with your breasts as he tilts his head up to stare into your eyes; his chin and part of his cheek are essentially squished into your right tit. 

“Yea…you can leave some on me now.”

Sharp canines poke from his lips as Ryuzaki smiles up at you with eyes glazed over before he turns his attention back to the oversized fabric that keeps him from your flesh. Slender fingers tug the hem once more. “So…can I take this off then?”

You suck in a breath and admire the image of him so patiently sitting beneath you; the dull sound of the radio and the food on the table long forgotten as Ryuzaki looks up with his neck littered with a variety of markings you left on him. 

“Of course, L.”

Ryuzaki pauses slightly but swallows it before you can notice the small shift in his demeanor. The fabric of the oversized hoodie bundles together as he pushes it up and you take the folds to pull it over your head completely. 

Your bummy ‘at home outfit’ isn’t risqué by any means, now sitting on his lap with uni sweatpants and a tank top, but the exposure of flesh makes you shiver as he takes it all in. To be fair, it’s the most exposed version of you he’s ever seen.

Dark eyes trail from the band of your sweatpants up to the soft skin of your biceps, to the dip of your collarbone that pokes up from your basic tank top. You squirm slightly in your position, feeling so vulnerable despite the layers of clothing you both still wear; the shift of your hips grinds against his erection once more.

As if snapping back to the task at hand, Ryuzaki sits further upright to shift you lower in his lap to point where his head is back at the same level as yours. Slender hands raise to push a few strands away from your face before tilting his head forward to mold his lips into yours. 

The objective is to mark up your neck, instead he rocks his head in a waving motion to keep his lips attached to yours. Ryuzaki pulls back once to tilt the opposite direction and reconnect your mouths over and over again as if he needed it to live. Nearly every kiss you share feels ‘different’, as if more emotion is being poured into the action from the last. 

He kisses you like it’s the most natural thing in the world to do– as if the stress and worry of the task force doesn’t exist; as if you were simply two twenty-something year olds with nothing else to do but enjoy each other’s presence. 

Ryuzaki pulls back first but keeps his eyes shut as his lips trail to the soft perfumed flesh of your neck. He breathes deeply through his nose, the light air gust making you giggle at the sensation, before he latches onto the same pulse point you had marked on him. 

The sensation is one you haven’t felt in a while, and you can’t help but lean into desire for more. Tangling your hands in his dark hair, sighing when he pinches his teeth around the skin, and rocking your pelvis against his erection with craving. 

“I thought you said we weren’t supposed to move” He teases before trailing his lips to another spot and running his tongue along it. 

You chuckle and let out a slight groan when he begins to suck another large bruise on your jugular. “Ahh– would you rather me stop?”

The moment you pause to dry hump against his crotch, Ryuzaki bites the skin a little harder and groans into it. Reverberations making you shiver, L slides a hand from your waist to the under plush of your thigh to pull you back into the rocking motion on his lap. 

“N-Never said…” he murmurs along your neck, placing far more hickies on you than you got to on him. “Never said to stop…”

Ryuzaki continues biting and twitching his hips up into you until he’s effectively left an exponential amount of bruises against your flesh. From just under your jaw, to the ridges of your collarbone, to the very seam of your neckline above your breasts is covered in bite marks and hickies. 

The raw feeling makes you shudder, pulling his hair slightly to tug his mouth away from its current position on your shoulder. 

“I think you’ve done enough, no?”

Ryuzaki’s hooded eyes barely look into yours, instead he finds more focus on all the other parts of your body that seem to call his name– waiting to be signed with his mouth. 

He pouts his lip when you keep his head a safe few inches away. “Mmmm, but there’s a few more areas not covered yet…”

It’s a strange sensation to see such a renowned detective effectively pouting at being denied biting your shoulder, but there’s bigger issues at hand. 

You run a hand to push his hair away from his face and smile to yourself at the way it messily refalls to cover his eyes, before pushing a hand flat on his chest to lay down flat once more. With a short sigh, you stand on your knees to kneel between his splayed on the couch, watching the way he tilts his head in careful attentiveness to the action.

Ghosting a finger over the swell in his jeans of his throbbing erection, any hesitation you’ve been harboring over the past few days is thrown out the window. You need this.. And with a stressful lifestyle of solving the world’s most difficult cases, you’re more than certain he probably needs this too. 

Pinching the hem of his baggy white crewneck, you look up at L and silently tug it; he blinks once and places his hands on top of yours for a moment before nodding and guiding the fabric up and off. 

The material hits the throw rug of your living room floor in a silent fall as you take your time to admire the open canvas of his torso. He’s pale. Like.. REALLY pale. His skin is fair enough that the blue and purple veins that tangle inside his body can be traced rather easily with your fingertips.

Ryuzaki stares at your face, trying his hardest to read your mind as you drink in the physique he always keeps hidden from the sun and everyone else’s gaze. Years of sitting inside in front of screens and paper documents have left him with a nimble build with a low body fat percentage, but not necessarily boney. 

It’s obvious he’s athletic of sorts, hearing a few stories of his tennis match against Light before you joined the task force, but he’s not sporting muscles like a gym bro. There’s a softness to his belly when he breathes deeply, and touching the faint outline of his abs makes him tense to reveal the beginning of an Adonis Belt. 

L squirms slightly as you silently trace the swell of his pecs before finally trailing down his navel to the very obvious beginning of a happy trail that disappears into his jeans. His erection throbs in ache the moment your fingertips even ghost the copper button of the denim restricting it. 

“Is it… ok for you?” He whispers. 

You blink once and turn back to him with a reassuring smile on your lips. “Oh, yes! Yes… its– you’re perfect.”

Ryuzaki lays as still as a cadaver, unable to move as your praise for his physique renders his mind completely blank for the first time in a long while. Though he doesn’t dislike the feeling of being out of control. If it means his physical senses get to be at 100% performance then he’d gladly lay beneath you whenever you call for it. 

You smile down at him and lean to place a slow kiss to his lips as Ryuzaki regains the ability to move and places his hands gently on your shoulder blades– unsure of exactly where to put them at a time like now. 

Dragging your lips away from his mouth, you graze further south from his neck, leaving nips and kisses to his erect nipples, the upper swell of his pecs, until you reach the soft flesh of his stomach. Hovering and crawling down lower and lower, your lips plant small pecks to the light ridges of a V-line while your chest is flush against his clothed cock. 

“Oh…” a low grumble escapes L’s lips as his head tilts back into the armrest and digs his hands into your hair out of primal instinct of wanting you to go even further. “Ngh..that’s good…feels good..”

You blush at the praise and continue until the pubes that litter his lower navel tickle your nose and your breath is ghosting the most sensitive area of his body. 

It’s hot. Everything is hot. 

The mature resolve of a genius has melted into the pathetically yearning man beneath you. The way your thighs stick together as your arousal soaks through your painties in a pathetic need. How, despite all the stupid pretenses you both use as an excuse to see each other, your bodies both know how genuine the desire is. 

Tracing the belt loop of his jeans, your gaze falls on his erection once more before his hands are tugging your head up and away from his cock. 

“W-Wait.”

Immediately you pause and sit upright, cursing yourself for letting your stupid hormones get in the way and moving too fast for his comfort. 

Rocking back, he winces slightly when you tug your hands away and raise them in apology. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to pressure you at all… we can stop–”

“No–!”  L swallows his rushed answer and sheepishly looks down at his discarded shirt. “I mean… trust me I want to keep going…”

He pauses to make a gesture to his very obvious arousal with his chin before tracing the elastic waistband of your sweatpants absentmindedly– as if not touching you would be the cause of his death. 

“I don’t want this or anything further to happen under the explanation that you’re doing it to ‘show me what you did with your ex’ or ‘because it’s part of the job’.” He states, slowly working out the sentence as it processes in his mind. 

You wet your lips and look at him, all of him, beneath you as he continues. “I know the little stunts we’ve pulled in the past were for protection, and I still stand by their usefulness. But… I don’t think I can lay here and spend time with you and be fine with pretending it’s all part of an act when I think there’s something more going on.”

“I agree.”

It’s the only words you can find in this very sexually tense moment to describe the mutual understanding he’s just put on the table. Is it a proclamation of love and a devoted long term relationship? No. Well.. if it is, then you aren’t really able to gauge that level of commitment without something a bit more clear.

But it’s an acknowledgement that whatever tension you were feeling, he was too. A shared agreement of exclusivity which opens the door for a face-to-face chat of a real label. For now though, it’s enough to feel comfortable moving forward.

Ryuzaki places his hands back on yours and places them idly at his navel once more. “You agree?”

“Yea...” You run a soft graze along his knuckles before looking up at the half naked man on your sofa. “I want this because it’s with you. Not just because of the case, but because I like this– I like us.”

Ryuzaki half undressed with a raging hard on isnt’ the ideal scenario to sit and have a proper conversation on something more official, but this mutual understanding is more than enough to calm both of your anxieties it seems. 

L smiles gently and blinks a few times to himself, no doubt processing not only a new wave of physical simulations he may have never previously felt– but also experiencing the feelings of something more than friends for the time ever in his life. He seems to be taking it well, drinking in the information before swallowing thickly and releasing his grasp on your hands letting you continue taking the lead. 

You let out a small chuckle of air, as the erotic scene is acknowledged by you both, before you lean down to pepper a few more kisses to his torso. The light sighs and twitches that escape the man beneath you are more relaxed and natural as his body loosens up to the pleasure coursing through him. 

Peeking at him one more time, you turn your attention to his jeans and release the button and fly before shimmying them down. Ryuzaki raises his hips on your command to tug the material to his mid thigh before groaning loudly when your hands ghost over the very large saturated stain on the front of his boxers. 

It looks nearly painful. Light gray boxers host a sopping puddle at the peak of the tent as his cock throbs and twitches at being one step closer to freedom. You trace the outline of his swollen tip once, then twice– enjoying the way he squirms in anticipation for more, before moving to grasp the flimsy elastic of the material. 

“Ngh.. t-that’s nice..”

A smile adorns your lips as you trace the length one more time before tugging the fly of the boxers open just an inch to let his cock slip partially through. The change in temperature makes him suck in a shallow breath as you admire the scene in front of you. 

Though not totally freed from the fabric, you can tell he’s decently long with an average weight; his tip is a warm pale blush color [#d1a19b] that shines with pearls of precum dripping from the slit. Smearing the drippings with your thumb down to his frenulum and rubbing slightly, Ryuzaki throws his head back as his hands clench the sofa cushions below. 

“You ok?” You soothe, releasing the slight pinch on his tip to rub a bit more of his own lubrication down the throbbing vein that sits underneath his shaft. 

“Y-Yea, of course.”

If it weren’t for the way his mouth hung partially open and his voice was wavering with sensitivity, it would almost look like Ryuzaki was in pain. His eyes are wired shut and his knuckles are pure white from their grip on the cushion– though the way he profusely leaks and twitches makes you wonder if he’s so hard that it actually does hurt. 

You hum once and remove your hand, to which he immediately cracks an eye open, until he feels you shimmy his boxers down to join his jeans. Now fully freed, you can take a better moment to enjoy the complete sight.

7, maybe 7.5 inches, throb against his navel as a thick and untamed patch of pubic hair covers his base and most of his balls. His cock is thrumming in an eager desire while his balls hang heavy, most likely undrained from days without the time to jack off. 

How often does a guy like him even masturbate? It’s not like he sleeps often either… so when's the last time he could take a moment to himself?

You shake out the meaningless thoughts and can feel your nipples hardening against your bra and your panties becoming uncomfortably sticky. L can feel you’re taking an extra moment, but before he can question himself again, you lean forward and let a long string of saliva drip from your lips and land on his cock. 

Smearing it with his precum, you give Ryuzaki a few testing pumps and gauge his reaction before leaning down to place a few licks to his tip. By the time your lips wrap around him fully and begin to suck, the man is gone. 

“Haaaa oh my– ngh…!”

There’s not a thought in his head as you inch down lower and lower until your nose is tickled by the long strands that litter his pelvis. His hips twitch beneath you, edging up into your mouth until you gag slightly at the pressure of his tip rutting against your throat.

“Ah s-sorry, just ngh feels…. Haaa”

The lack of a coherent thought process is made up for with physical sensitivity as his hands leave the sofa cushions and tangle in your hair. His cock throbs against the flat of your tongue as you take turns between hollowing your cheeks and sucking, and spitting against his length and jacking him off when your jaw begins to ache. 

Ryuzaki’s jaw is slack and open wide as moans shamelessly fall from his lips as his head is tilted over the armrest and hanging idly. It fuels your ego at seeing him unravel so quickly under your control, and a hand leaves your hair to shakily cover his mouth as the sounds increase in volume.

It’s as if you were sucking the soul out of this man– you’re not even sure it’s your best performance given the angle and your own pent up desires, but Ryuzaki squirms and sighs beneath you as if he’s viewing heaven’s gate. 

This is what he’s been missing his whole life. 

At this point his pubes are saturated in a mixture of saliva and precum, essentially matted to the flesh of his base and balls. It’s an erotic mess of moans and bodily fluids as Ryuzaki’s twitches get more and more impatient and his cock throbs within your mouth. Heavy balls pulse in anticipation as your hands move to massage them and your tongue ruts against his frenulum a few more times.

Babbles and incoherent phrases leave his lips in a volume louder than his normal speaking level as saliva dribbles from your lips, down your chin, and drips onto his thighs. 

There’s a mix between a sharp inhale and a choked moan before Ryuzaki’s hips jerk forward and he’s cumming. Hard. 

“Oh my– AH–”

One hand is still tangled in your hair, ensuring his length keeps pouring hot seed down your throat, while the other is between his teeth as he bites down to muffle his own sounds. It’s barely been 3 and a half minutes and L has already come completely undone, panting as if he’s just run a marathon. 

You swallow what you can– it’s obvious he hasn’t cum in the last day or two given the amount of ropes pouring from his cock– and a few drops escape your mouth and trickle down the sides of your lips. The viscosity is a bit thinner than honey and the taste is relatively neutral with a twinge of sweetness to it considering the amount of sugar that must be coursing through his body.

Ryuzaki seems lost in his own world before you cough slightly at the lack of airflow and he immediately removes his hand to allow you to slide off his length. 

“O-Oh sorry! I didn’t… haaaa… didn’t mean to cum so early… would’ve given you a better warning..”

You wipe the few drops from your chin and rock back onto your heels, swallowing the rest of the thick viscosity in your throat and shoot him a reassuring smile.

“No it’s alright… actually kinda fuels my ego a little.”

Ryuzaki nods once but keeps his gaze on the ceiling as he takes several deep breaths. His erection slowly softening, a mixture of cum and saliva dripping from his tip down to his balls, and sweat beads forming on his forehead. 

You rub a reassuring hand on his thigh as L comes down from his high, leaning down to plant a soft kiss to his chest right above his heart, before getting up to grab a glass of water. You take a few gulps before refilling it and padding back to let him rehydrate; he chugs nearly half the contents before looking up to you and tugging your hand.

It’s a silent plea that you answer, tilting at the hips to plant a slow and soft kiss against his lips; the remaining taste of his own seed tingling on his tongue as he molds his mouth against yours. 

“Thank you…” He mumbles quietly. 

You smile and unconsciously clench your thighs together, wondering if reciprocation was in the cards, before sliding back next to him and watching the way he tugs himself back into his boxers. 

“How are you feeling?”

L sits upright, still shimmying his jeans, “Well, I think it goes without saying but–”

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Hey! Are you home?”

….

You’re silent. The slight smile on Ryuzaki lips dies immediately as the metal front door to your apartment rattles against the hinges. 

You glance down at L with a worried expression which he returns with a questionable look. “Are you expecting someone..?” He barely whispers.

Before you can answer there’s another set of knocks at the door as whoever is on the other side is obviously getting impatient. Staring down at Ryuzaki for another moment, you slink off the couch and take a few quiet steps over to the kitchen; L stands up and follows suit with a shrug and obvious confusion. 

You pause beside him and usher him to the door which he responds with a head tilt. It’s a semi-silent whisper/telepathic argument for him to check the peephole. He may be half-naked and covered in hickies, but he's the guy, so you usher him forward to the shoe rack by the front door. 

Ryuzaki gets maybe another 4 steps away from the peephole before the metal rings out again with another series of knocks.

“Come on, I know you’re in there! Watari told me L already stopped by to drop a few things off–” the voice rings out. Matsuda’s voice. 

Immediately you both scramble to swap the positions as quickly as possible; sliding on the wooden floorboards in your socks as you rush back to the living room to throw on your hoodie and scoop up the clothing articles of Ryuzaki. 

Erection still deflating in his boxers, you bundle up his crew neck and shove it into his arms as you coerce him into the coat closet next to the entrance. Fluffing your hair and throwing the hood up to cover the sides of your neck, you rush over to the door and swing it open to reveal Matsuda’s hand raised in preparation to knock once more. 

“WOA– Ah!” Matsuda startles back slightly. “Geeez, give me a heart attack while you're at it! What took you so long to answer?”

You awkwardly step back and swing the door open wider to invite him inside, taking note of the small bag in his hand as you try to calm the pounding in your chest. 

“Ohh, just uh.. Took a shower!”

He watches you shut the door and raises an eyebrow at your very dry hair. 

“It was a rinse! Hahah.. Just took a run and rinsed off…”

Matsuda shrugs but doesn’t bother it any further before sliding off his shoes and noticing the obvious other pair of men’s shoes sitting at the entrance. This, he has to comment on. 

“Is there someone else here…? Ryuzaki–”

“Just a spare pair of his!” 

He pauses at the entrance to your kitchen, just briefly passing by the coat closet, completely unaware of the hidden presence of his boss in your apartment. It’s clear Matsuda is a bit confused by your behavior, but he doesn’t have the motivation to pry much further.

“Right, well I don’t want to take up too much of your time.” He shuffles to the kitchen counter and places his messenger bag on the surface before turning back to you with the small paper bag in his hands. “It’s nothing big, I just wanted to apologize.”

You peel your eyes away from their cautious glance at Ryuzaki’s hiding spot and blink once at Matsuda. “Huh? Apologize for what?”

He places the bag in your hands, and peering down you can briefly make out what seems like a small pastry box. “I know that it took a lot of courage to be open with the group about you and L… and I also know that you both probably don’t appreciate that your relationship becomes the but of a lot of jokes– so I wanted to apologize.”

Ah! He’s so sweet you could probably cry. 

Sure, a lot of the off-handed comments are annoying, but that’s all they are at the end of the day. Especially since the remarks are about a relationship that barely fits the definition of an ‘official’ one anyways. 

You smile at Matsuda nonetheless and thank him for the goodies regardless. “Was there anything else that you needed?”

He exhales slightly and shifts his attention back to the messenger bag he usually carries with him, taking a moment of silence to stare at the contents before deciding to turn and face you once more. It doesn’t take a trained detective to catch on to the nerves eating away under his skin.

“Well there is one more thing… but it’s not exactly my position to explain it entirely.”

You raise an eyebrow and reach forward to grab the manila folder in his hand, scanning the documents with a frown. Each page seems to be a list of contacts, addresses, and connections to a variety of police organizations scattered across the globe. 

Matsuda awkwardly rocks on his feet and organizes the rest of his belongings in an eager desire to leave.

“What…. Is all of this?”

You flip through a few more until a heavy feeling forms in your chest. Emergency contact papers. Though they aren’t for Matsuda– instead it’s a variety of the world’s next best detectives and agencies that can be contacted for assistance if a crisis were to happen. 

“It’s from the NPA. Just… a few traditional outlets for help if–” Matsuda looks at the corner of the kitchen and hunches over slightly in a forlorn expression. “If things don’t quite work out under L...”

“Huh?!”

You don’t mean to get mad at him, he’s just the messenger after all, but the tension in the room is palpable. 

“So what does this mean? They don’t trust Ryuzaki or us enough to let us make our own decisions?”

Matsuda winces and rubs a hand against the back of his neck. “I’m not sure to be honest, and you had the same reaction as Aizawa. He thinks the NPA is just trying to save face after the death of the FBI agents– if something goes wrong, they want to have jurisdiction again.”

“They were the ones that cut off task force funding in the first place. And besides, what do they even mean if something goes wron–”

You pause and look back down at the names and a heavy silence falls back into the room. Matsuda slings the bag back over his shoulder and inches forward, unsure if he should give you space or offer a reassuring pat on the back. 

“It’s unlikely to happen, ok? The only way the NPA can weasel back in is if L lets them.”

If it weren’t for the pair of shoes peeking in the corner of your vision, you would’ve completely forgotten that Ryuzaki was still in the coat closet listening to every word. Matsuda holds your gaze in a mutual understanding that ‘L letting them take control over the investigation’ was synonymous with ‘if L were to die’.

It’s an uncomfortable topic, especially considering your position, and you pity the short straw Matsuda drew to be the one to deliver this information. The list of contacts has a variety of names redacted and edited for everyone’s safety, but a location southwest of London catches your eye. The entirety of the name is blacked out with the only information being the town. There's nothing significant about even the lack of phone number, but your attention lingers on it for a moment regardless.

For a fleeting second you almost feel the same way you did the first night you joined the task force; a feeling of uncertainty on who L really is. Sure the man at the hotel introduced himself to you all as him, a mutual trust formed, but who’s to say that’s really ‘him’. Or if L is an idea, a group, or another person and the man in your closet is merely a vessel or placeholder for that. 

Matsuda shifts side to side in an awkward anxiousness and adjusts the straps of his bag. “Well that’s all I’ve got for now. Do you already know where you’re posted for tonight?”

You take a breath and place the folder on your counter before tightening the strings of your hood. “Mmm I’m on PR duty for Misa’s manager– drafting up documents for arrest charges for assumed drug possession. Not like I really know when we’ll be detaining her though…”

“Ah lucky, I’m supposed to be with Ryuzaki reviewing her most recent marketing campaigns for anything that could link her in a better timeline to Light.”

You stifle a laugh and he raises an eyebrow while sliding on his shoes. “Maybe you’ll wind up liking her content.”

He rolls his eyes at you and replies sarcastically. “Ha. Ha. Veeeery funny. Mogi and Aizawa are on call for the transportation of her arrest while I’m stuck in a room with L watching dumb advertisements.” He pauses for a moment. “Ah, that reminds me, I should probably give Ryuzaki a call and let him know I’ll be at our observation spot a bit early.”

You refrain from egging him on even more, knowing full well that the said ‘dreaded activities’ would be taking place with company currently hidden, and push his cellphone back into his chest. “Maybe wait a bit; he messaged me earlier about having to make a few international calls and won’t be available until early evening.”

Matsuda doesn’t question the information and instead heads out the door with a grateful smile. “Thanks for the heads up! Would’ve been awkward if I interrupted something haha.”

You offer a shrug and wave him a ‘goodbye’ before shutting the door and placing a soft knock against the coat closet. 

Ryuzaki slides it open a crack before peering at the front door and then looking up at you expectantly. “Is reviewing her materials that much of a dreaded task? I thought it would’ve been rather relaxing for him.”

His shirt is on backwards given the darkness of the closet but his boxers and jeans are back to their usual low position on his hips. Ryuzaki’s neck is still covered in bruises, but the fact that this night’s meeting will be split positions means you won’t have anyone giving you grievances.

“Mmm well consider this his payment for actually interrupting.”

Ryuzaki scoffs in a partial laugh and swings his crew neck around to face the correct position and pads over to skim the documents that Matsuda delivered. “I don’t take this as hostility, but their sudden interest is inconvenient. This isn’t just a list of emergency contacts in case of my absence, but could essentially serve as a hit list for Light.”

You watch him skim through them and shrug. “I doubt it’s information he doesn’t already know considering he probably has access to all the files his dad has. It’s also not like there’s names or photos listed.” 

Ryuzaki keeps his gaze on the papers a moment longer before his phone pings with a message from Watari for their agreed pick-up time. 

L wanders back over the shoe rack and awkwardly shoves his feet in his own sneakers but doesn’t make an effort to leave. You walk to the edge of the kitchen floor, his baseball hat and sunglass disguise in tow, and hover slightly behind, the list of addresses still fresh in your mind. “You wanna talk about England? I don’t know of any investigation groups near Winchester.”

The man blinks and stands back up, his back against the wall and his shoulder slightly angled away. “At a later time perhaps. Though I was surprised you caught it considering the many  notable agencies listed.”

It’s the answer you expect, a dodge with a small compliment thrown in there to appease your curiosity enough to stop prying. You purse your lips indifferently, already aware you weren’t going to get a straightforward answer. “It just stood out to me is all…. Not like I know what half of those contacts actually are.”

Ryuzaki hums to himself with a faraway look in his eyes and gnaws on the corner of his lips, as if making a mental to-do list and organizing them in order of priority. He waits an extra moment until satisfied and turns his full attention back to you. “I’m sorry to leave suddenly, I was hoping we’d have more time.”

A pink dusts your cheeks and you shrug as casually as you can, as if your panties weren’t plastered to your cunt in arousal from the shared moment only minutes ago. “It’s fine… you can just pay me back next time?”

“Huh? Oh, yes! Yes, I would like to return the sentiment if that’s alright.” He snaps the elastic of your sweatpants against your hips once. 

You laugh at his phrasing and nod in approval as he slightly beams in excitement. He moves to slip on the disguise and take the door handle but pauses to give you another glance; Ryuzaki is silent but peers at you through the corner of his eye like a dog.

Despite him not wanting to say it, the look is written all over his face that he’s clearly waiting for ‘ahem’ something. Shaking your head and sighing lightly, you step down to the genkan and lean in to plant a small kiss to his lips. 

The exhale he releases through his nose tickles your cheeks and when you finally pull back, he chases forward to plant just oneee more peck and spin back around to the door. “Alright, now I’ll be off!”

*****

The evening meeting is split up with varying tasks, members fulfilling a variety of different positions for the upcoming arrest. Matsuda is with Ryuzaki reviewing Misa’s content to ensure the timeline of her and Light match, Mogi and Aizawa are solidifying the transportation method given the threat of apprehending a Second Kira, and Mr. Yagami and Light are at the monthly NPA meeting to give updates on the investigation– of course to also ensure Light’s uninvolvement with Misa’s arrest. 

It’s hard to concentrate, though the task at hand doesn’t require much brain capacity anyways. Filling out legal forms, ensuring police warrants are in line, and filing an array of suspected evidence for when lawyers eventually come calling isn’t the most entertaining job, though it’s relatively straightforward. 

You almost feel guilty everytime your mind wanders back to how little you really know about the man who reciprocates your interest. For every lingering touch, breathless kiss, and moment alone with him, there seems to be an equal force shrouding him in more mystery. 

Part of you doesn’t care at this point, not bothering to get hung up on trivial matters when the connection between you both is so solidified. Who cares if his identity is a mystery that literally only… one[?] person knows the truth of? You enjoy spending time with him and he feels the same… so why should it matter?

You fill out the next line of signatures on paperwork and flip the page, gnawing at your lip and sighing. Of all the times to have what seems like the beginnings of an actual relationship, of course it happens during an investigation for a world-wanted serial killer and with your communicationally void boss. 

Whatever, you can settle down officially later…once you catch Kira….graduate…get a job, and a good income… the list is impossible. Maybe you’re doomed to rot away in your apartment alone for the rest of your days.

The evening is relatively dull, with occasional updates from the members before you finish the task and begin to wind down. To you it doesn’t matter who Ryuzaki is, just having him around, alive, is enough to satisfy. 

*****

Summer classes are a scam. 

Even if you get an additional set of credits that are ‘supposed to put a competitive edge on your resume’, the amount of brain power it requires is not worth it. Most of your friends are enjoying the warm weather on vacation, tanning at the beach, picnicking in parks, and getting some well needed rest after a grueling academic year; you are standing in the cold-ass lobby of the criminology building shivering in a sweatshirt. 

The AC is on waaay too strong for the relatively mild weather outside and you're torn between ditching your desire for a diet cola to get a hot coffee when the automatic doors swing open. Too focused on the string of vending machines, you barely register another person on a relatively desolate summer campus until a hand is waving in the corner of your eye. 

“Sorry! I was wondering if you could help me–”

You blink and turn to face the voice, immediately dropping your hand from its position at tapping the buttons of ‘A6’ for a compromise of an iced coffee container. Long blonde hair is pulled into partial ponytails while intense evening makeup adorns her features despite the time only being half-past 2pm. Her eyes seemingly flick upwards to a space above your head before her voice pauses in surprise with the same shocked expression you both wear. 

Not realizing the two of you indirectly know each other, neither of you make a move until Misa blinks in remembering her request for help in the first place. 

“Ah sorry miss, you just look familiar is all haha! I was wondering if you could help me out?”

Her eyes dip to the tattoo of bruises on your neck with an intense scowl, eyes nearly turning red, before she swallows it and continues. “I’m looking for the criminology building.”

You adjust the floppy collar of the hoodie and sheepishly point to the ground. “Oh, this is the criminology building.”

SHIT. 

Shit. Shit. Shit. This is exactly what you DIDN’T want to happen.

Misa blinks in embarrassment and turns to face the large floor to ceiling windows of the lobby that open to the courtyard of the eastern part of campus. There’s not too many people walking around, especially during summer classes, aside from a few tour groups guiding potential students around. A certain figure…s.. catch your attention though. 

A young man walking casually towards the building with a woman right beside him; the two pause for an extra moment to talk and Misa takes a sharp inhale and begins to sputter an excuse to leave. She barely gets two steps away from your position as the woman who was just speaking with Light waves him goodbye and a man sitting on a nearby bench waves him over instead. A man with terrible posture and tacky looking sunglasses on. 

Ok, was there some sort of meeting you were unaware about? 

“Light?” “Light?”

You say it at the same time and sheepishly smile at each other before Misa runs out of the criminology building and you scurry after her. 

This is bad. REALLY bad. If she’s the Second Kira and gets a glimpse at L’s face… the only thing she’ll need to kill him is a name. 

The drink falls to the retrieval area but you’re already out the door and running across the courtyard to bother mourning the wasted beverage. Misa arrives there a second before you, though you bypass her to step directly in front of Ryuzaki and shimmy off your sweatshirt to throw at him.

Both men, partially stunned at the encounter of both of their girlfriends, exchange a look before glancing at the company. You stand with your back to Light and Misa, focused on trying your best to cover his appearance as quickly as possible. 

“Ah, you left your hoodie at my apartment!! Better take it now or else I’m keeping it!!” 

L lets out a half chuckle but doesn’t protest your attempts at dressing him in your own clothing nonetheless; he lets his head be guided through the hood and tugs the oversized fabric to fit a bit more comfortably. His eyes lighten at your appearance as his gaze traces the bruises that are now on full display from the t-shirt neckline that leaves them exposed. 

“Thank you, I was beginning to wonder if you were holding it for ransom as a reason for me to come over.”

Misa, who was previously gushing over seeing her boyfriend, spins around at your conversation and relaxes slightly. L’s gaze is still locked on you, even when you side step to remain in front of him and away from the other woman’s stare.

“Perhaps it’s time for introductions?” Light offers through grit teeth, a hollow smile and empty eyes crinkle at the forced civility. 

Ryuzaki leans from over your shoulder, his breath tickling your ear, “A wonderful idea Light! I would love to meet your girlfriend.”

A happy pink flushes Misa’s cheeks at the ‘g-word’ and she steps forward with her hand outstretched. “I’m Misa! Light’s girlfriend.”

There’s an awkward tension between everyone else at that phrase, but no one feels like addressing it. L side steps past you, despite your intentions to keep him hidden, and meets her hand. “I’m Ryuzaki, and this is my girlfriend.”

Misa pauses with a confused expression, her eyes once again glancing upward before laughing slightly. She smiles at the reason for the hickies littering your skin not being because of Light while the aforementioned man scowls deeply at L. You take Misa’s hand next and offer your name and brief working relationship with Light and his father while the campus gets more and more crowded. 

A hand now casually holding your waist, Ryuzaki has an uncanny grin plastered on his lips while Light’s brows are furrowed. Before you can shove an elbow in L’s ribs at what his genius plan to get out of this situation is, he tugs you tightly behind himself and protects you instead. 

“You know I’m actually a fan of yours, Miss Amane.”

Light steps forward slightly but Misa cuts him off and beams at him. “Really?!”

“Mhmm, my girlfriend here follows your social media. She showed me your movies and the little cafe spots you recommend.”

Despite the response being for her, Light knows the entire meaning is directed for him– a not-so subtle way of letting him know how close an eye he’s been keeping. If Light wants to stalk your ex-boyfriends, why not dig up dirt on his ‘current ‘relationships’?

Misa expectedly turns to you. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“Oh! I just didn’t want to make a scene…”

A scene that was very much happening right now. 

Despite there not being ample reason for a crowd, a small circle of students and visitors begin crowding around the four of you and whispering. 

“Isn’t that Misa Misa? What’s she doing here?!”

“Woa and with the most popular guy on campus…?”

“And there’s Ryuga… that guy barely shows up to classes at all so what’s he doing?”

“Kyahh~ that emo guy is totally my type!”

“You need better standards…”

“The two smartest guys on campus each have a baddie?! Maybe I should start studying…”

Misa doesn’t seem to mind the crowd, instead she flourishes within it and takes the time to offer selfies and promotional content for her big movie or tv show or whatever magazine she’s going to be appearing in. However, the more she entertains the crowd, the busier it gets.

As the group becomes more and more squished together as the onlookers crowd in closer, the grasp on your waist is replaced with a quick squeeze to your hand. Ryuzaki steps slightly to the side and is immediately lost in the sea of people fawning over Misa, with calls for autographs and photos drowning out your voice. 

You stumble through the crowd slightly, grabbing onto Light’s forearm for balance when you bump into him; there’s a mixture of excitement in his eyes but a frown plastered on his face when his gaze drags over your neck. 

“I should grab Misa and get out of here” he offers with an energetic smile. 

Despite the idea of having peace and quiet sounding more appealing than anything, the change in his tone leaves you nervous. Before you can offer a response, a shriek rings out through the crowd and several people back away when Misa screeches out.

“Hey! Someone just grabbed my ass?!” 

She looks over to Light with a pout, recognizing his far distance from her meant it wasn’t her boyfriend getting frisky, but instead a pervy onlooker. Several men raise their hands in defense, but when the circle around her clears slightly, there’s a very conveniently placed Ryuzaki standing too close for comfort.

Misa stomps the ground and throws her hands onto her hips while he sheepishly smiles and slowly backs up. “Uhh… I’ll get to the bottom of this! I won’t rest until the culprit has been found and dealt with!”

He slinks further backwards and you frown as the crowd squeezes him out to regain their proximity to the celebrity. 

Ok, it’s obvious he has a plan. … right? Not like you’re mad or anything…. 

…. But why the fuck did he need to touch her in the first place anyways??

Before you can let the anger fester, Light tugs you away from the crowd once he sees a very angry management team pushing through people to reign Misa back in. Ryuzaki waits by a bench idly, stepping forward when he sees you and reclaiming the spot beside you as Light scoffs at the business of the campus. 

There’s a bit of a scuffle as Misa’s manager essentially drags her away from the crowd of fans and berrates her about an intense schedule she’s threatening to ruin. Misa doesn’t pout much, she offers a small apology and waves frantically to you all in an eager attempt to offer a future ‘double date’ when she’s not busy. 

The crowd slowly filters out and when Ryuzaki makes an effort to grab your hand, you pinch the flesh on his knuckles and shoot him a sideways glance. A pout forming on his lips, he stays silent and takes your pinky finger between his index and thumb to soothe any tension; Light sighs as he watches her disappear, though there’s a faint smile on his lips.

“Well, sorry about the commotion, everyone. Especially you, Ryuzaki, I know how much you hate crowds.” Light’s voice is void of genuine sincerity. 

Ryuzaki shrugs. “Not at all. Her surprise appearance is certainly interesting, but I’m glad to have met her regardless.”

There’s an unspoken tension between you three, and before Light can open his mouth again, you cut between them. “I’m going back to class. Walk me there, L?”

His gaze lifts from Light and instantly relaxes when you finally take his full hand in your own; fingers intertwining and tugging him back towards the criminology building. You both give a slight wave off to Light, but before you can question Ryuzaki, a cute ringtone pours out from the front pocket of his jeans. 

L shoots you a small smirk and flips it open. “Heellloooo?”

…

You pause. And apparently down the pathway, so has Light; he stands motionless with his phone pressed to his ear. 

“What are you doing, Ryuzaki?”

“Oh wow! I guess in the middle of the chaos she must’ve dropped her phone! That’s rather unfortunate.”

The exaggerated voice from his lips makes you think back to the time he called you, when you were on a lunch ‘date’ with Light. It’s coy and way too energetic to be natural; you drop your hand from his to cover the laugh escaping your lips and Ryuzaki looks up with the same pout as when you refused his hand earlier. 

Light has stopped responding at this point, and L leans into the phone repeating ‘hello?’ and wondering if the service dropped until there’s a tap on his shoulder. 

Pissed off doesn’t begin to describe the emotion dripping off of Light, but Ryuzaki doesn’t seem phased in the slightest. Instead, he shuts the cellphone and slides it into the other man’s hand with a petty smirk. “Ah Light you’re still here! Maybe it would be best to give that back to Misa since you’re in close contact.”

“Right. I’ll do just that.” Each word is spit out and Light doesn’t bother waving goodbye to either one of you before turning west towards the main quad. 

Before you can watch him walk off or look around to see if anyone suspicious might be lingering, Ryuzaki reclaims your hand and tugs you into the lobby of the criminology building once more. He walks over to the large windows and flips the blinds down one by one while you pad over the vending machines to see if your iced coffee might still be sitting at the bottom. 

It’s not. 

Pushing the air out of your lungs, you reach around in your pockets to search for your coin purse until Ryuzaki grabs your arm to steady it. 

“I only did it to grab her phone.”

You don’t need a definition of it to know he’s referring to grabbing Misa’s cellphone. “I know.”

He looks like he wants to say more, but settles on silence instead; he looks at the wall clock and tugs the hood of the sweatshirt off. 

“Wait, what if Misa isn’t the Second Kira? And maybe there’s someone waiting nearby to get a glimpse of you–mpfh”

Soft lips cut you off as L rocks his head against yours and wraps his hands around the curve of your waist. The shut window blinds make the lobby dark as the LEDs overhead haven’t been turned on yet given the early time of day; the irises of his eyes are darker than usual.

You pull away when there’s the sound of commotion and people yelling echoing across the courtyard, but Ryuzaki takes your chin and kisses you again. Everytime you try to break it to speak, he molds his mouth back to yours and slips in his tongue to play with your molars and silence you. 

After the fourth attempt at prying him back, you raise an eyebrow and turn your attention to the windows; his hands are still firmly on your waist to keep you pressed into him. He doesn’t let you move, instead he pivots to shelter your face entirely from view of the windows with his back to them and your head in his chest. 

“Ryuzaki– what’s going on?”

“Do I still need an excuse to kiss you..? I can think of one quickly if you give me a moment.”

Before you can roll your eyes, he tugs you back to his lips and groans slightly when his cock begins to stiffen in his jeans and grind against your pelvis. Parting for air, he takes a hand from your hip to trace the hickies that litter your neck and frowns when one or two of them seem to be already half-faded. When he doesn’t answer, you pinch his bicep and peer up. 

L’s gaze remains on the open spaces of your neck for an extra moment before thinking. “Well… it’s nearly 3pm? It should be nearly finished.”

You pause and look up at the clock with an intense expression. Outside the windows there’s a few more muffled shouts and the sound of police sirens gets louder as a new crowd forms to witness the arrest of Misa Amane. 

a/n time: OMGGG

it's getting SMUTTY YIPPEE

it's gonna get to sum p in v later [probably next chapter or so -> i just had to eassseee into it] ALSO sorry this one took so long pookies, i had some school work but i hope it lived up to ur expectation hehe

I wanna post like a small head canon to go with this series this week as well...

-> hex code: [#d1a19b]

-> ch.9 will most likely be a full blown porn with some plot SORRY [no im not]

-> im still debating on the ending of this series, but i'll most likely break the canon and have L live

likes/reblogs/comments all appreciated!

LUV U POOKIES

-oatmeal <3

taglist: @lechatparle24 @irissfoot @iheteeaifs @automaticpatroltragedy @greenapplesaucepi @thesimpnovao @leiiilaaaa @duckydee-0 @dija200 @cherry-san @hanakokunzz @maribellaaaaa @love-of-less @bakugouswaif @kakamixoxo

[mrsjellymunson]

Need A Ride?

Written for the @steddiemicrofic March prompt ‘ride’ | WC: 453 | Rating: T | CW: Vague allusions to masturbation and arousal, light swearing | Tags: pre-S4, flirty!Steve Harrington, oblivious!Eddie Munson

“You need a ride?”

Eddie stops bouncing his knee and chewing his thumbnail as Steve fucking Harrington peers at him through his Beemer’s passenger window with charmingly-squinted eyes.

Asshole.

Eddie doesn’t need this today, not on top of his van breaking down outside Melvald’s.

“Nah. Jeff’ll be here soon.”

“Tall guy? Hendrix shirt?”

“Umm, yeah...?”

“Just saw him at Family Video. He’s running mom-based errands, I said I’d relay the message.”

Steve blows his bangs off his forehead, dashingly handsomely.

Such an asshole.

“You getting in, or what?”

Initially Eddie ignores Steve’s conversation, not wanting his day to get any worse now he’s trapped in an enclosed space with his secret crush. Resigned, Steve flips on the radio to a report of an overturned tomato truck causing delays. He mumbles,

“Everyone’ll have to… ketchup.”

Eddie snorts. Rapidly camouflaging his amusement, he frowns, hard.

“My god, Steve, that was awful. I’m actually kinda embarrassed for you.”

Steve cackles as Eddie’s seriousness falters, breaking the tension. Talking, they discover new things about each other. Steve takes an occasional toke, Eddie doesn’t hate blue jeans, and there’s surprising overlap in their music tastes. Eddie eventually confesses to enjoying the Super Bowl, and internally buzzes when Steve admits he’s read The Hobbit.

To his astonishment he feels like they might even be connecting, until Steve, apparently from nowhere, starts sharing his dating frustrations.

“I mean, sure, I’ve had plenty of partners. And my hand’s fine ‘n’all, though it’s not as good as actually being with somebody. I’d just love to find someone who really gets me. Y’know?”

Eddie doesn’t know. The closest he’s got to dating is seeing a face in the Hideout crowd after their dingy bathroom hookup the week before.

Irrationally incensed at Steve’s ignorance of his privileged position, Eddie blurts, bitingly,

“Maybe you need to expand your horizons, Steve. Ask someone out who you’ve never considered worthy before.”

Steve’s hooded eyes regard Eddie’s increasingly reddening features for far too long. Smirking, he slowly raises an eyebrow.

“You got anyone in mind?”

Eddie’s brain shrieks Yeah! I do, actually! A tall, long-haired metalhead!, but his jaw clamps. His mind, however, roils, and he has to subtly adjust his position to hide his horrifyingly inappropriate chub.

At Eddie’s, Steve turns off the engine and slowly turns. Eddie’s not great at reading people’s intentions, but his expression might be… humility? Fear? Pensive optimism? Whatever it is, there’s something in that hot hazel gaze that flips Eddie’s belly. But can he really trust King Steve? After all, he’s a total assho—

Abruptly, Steve clears his throat and drops his tone low.

“You know what? I think you might be right. So, um, Eddie. You, uh… need a ride?”

Thanks so much for reading! And thanks to everyone at @steddiemicrofic for all their continued hard work 🙏🙏

A/N: Yes, I got the ketchup idea from Pulp Fiction, sue me 😜

You can find more Steddie and Eddie on my masterlist 😉

Tagging my usuals (list is open), ILY all: @joejoequinnquinn @jamdoughnutmagician @guiltyasquinn @madaboutmunson @airen256 @sunshinepeachx @the-unforgivenn @skrzydlak @comeonatmebruh @jamiecb66 @80s-addict @abellmunsonmovie @definitionwanderlust @sheneedsrocknroll92 @munson-blurbs @wonderlanddreamer @daisy-munson @maedesculpaeusoubi @kurdtbean @mediocredreams @in2tswft @micheledawn1975 @littlebebebunny @12thatsanumber @alastorssimp @the-baby-angel @eddie-is-a-god @wolfqueenxxx @losingmygrasponreality @richter-raccoon @1deverland @evileyeandthecattywhumps @3rd-conchord @bellalillyrose @katethetank @justalotoffanfiction