#I like to live dangerously | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ladytesla · 3 months

Text

Cowboy Halsin

I saw @aerynwrites musing about how Halsin would be as a cowboy or rancher. I thought I'd throw in my two cents, since I live on a farm myself.

There's more to it than just seeing Halsin speaking softly to horses, as awesome a sight as that would be. There's more to living out in the country than horses, believe me. This kind of morphed into Country Halsin and not Cowboy Halsin, but I hope y'all like it anyway. Let's go through a day in the life, shall we?

Halsin would probably be up before dawn, kissing your cheek before getting out of bed as carefully as possible, trying not to wake you. You have your own goals to accomplish today, he wants to let you wake up on your own.

Besides, he loves the stillness just before the sun rises. The nocturnal creatures are seeking their nests and burrows, the diurnal ones have yet to wake. This solitary commune with nature is one of the highlights of his day, listening to the wind in the leaves, the crickets and the frogs. It is a very referent time of morning that seems to stretch for ages and at the same time end far too soon.

As he reaches the barn, the day officially begins. Animals need to be fed. Mostly they graze in the pasture, but some need special treatment. An old swaybacked mare needs a little something extra to keep her weight up. Maybe there's a colt who managed to hurt himself somehow, and the wound needs to be tended to. Maybe it's cold outside, so he throws out alfalfa with the hay. Alfalfa is also called 'hot hay' because it raises an animal's body temperature, which is a great trick for winter.

He speaks to the horses as he works, maybe fondly berating the colt for being so clumsy in his excitement, or encouraging the mare to eat everything he's set out for her, smoothing a large hand down her side and smiling to himself when he feels her ribs much more faintly than he used to. One of the horses who is usually waiting in the mornings isn't there... that's a bit odd. He'll turn up eventually. The chickens milling around outside have heard his voice and know The One Who Feeds Them has arrived, so they peek around and wander into the barn themselves, waiting very impatiently. The goats in another small paddock nearby are just as impatient. They start yelling and bleating as if they're starving to death and He Is A Cruel And Unjust Father And They Are Going To Scream.

He likes hearing the chickens chatter as he scatters out feed for them. They don't have anything of real importance to say, but they never stop talking. Mostly it's "Food! Food! Food! Bug? Food! Scratch. Peck. Scratch. Bug!" in a dozen warbling little voices. He brought a bag of veggie scraps from last night's dinner with him to throw to the goats, which stops them yelling. "I don't think the neighbors heard you yet," he would say dryly as he throws hay to them as well. Sometimes they headbutt each other for access to the best morsels, and while he wants to prevent this to keep anyone from getting injured, he knows it's in their nature. He keeps an eye on the smallest and oldest, however, making sure they get their fair share. The twin kids born last week toddle after their mother like baby ducks. It seems like she has enough milk for both of them, though he still has powdered formula and bottles from the last kidding season, just in case they're needed once more.

Now that everyone's been fed, it's time to walk the fences, looking for that missing horse in the process. A lesser known but very important job when it comes to country life. Any breaks could not only let animals out, but predators in. He'd keep an eye out for signs of predators nearby. He hasn't seen any today, but he heard coyotes crying out in the darkness the night before. By this time of morning, though, he has company. You've made your appearance, bleary-eyed and handing him an insulated cup of coffee. You're already on your second.

The fog from earlier hasn't been burned off completely by the sun yet. It's a quiet time for the two of you to walk the property lines together. Halsin is a bit concerned about that horse. He hasn't shown up yet. Soon, though, he sees a silhouette in the last bits of fog, and sighs with relief. The horse isn't lying down from illness, he's just... trapped. The two of you look at this big strong chestnut gelding, eyes rolling and sides heaving, barricaded in the corner of the pasture because... there's a rabbit in the way. A fat little gray-brown bunny, nibbling delicately at the grass without a care in the world. Truly a terrifying sight to behold.

"Arthur we've spoken about this," Halsin sighs as he walks closer to the horse. "Rabbits can't hurt you. They eat plants, and they're tiny. Look!"

Still, Arthur isn't convinced. Halsin soothes him, stroking his nose and smiling to himself at the absurdity of it.

"My heart," he glances to you, "please convince our visitor to release Arthur."

You smile as you shuffle closer to the rabbit, gently shooing it back through the fence. Now that Arthur is out of mortal peril, he happily walks off towards the barn.

"They're majestic creatures," Halsin admits, "but sometimes..." He shakes his head, then keeps walking the fence. "Come on, my love... we're only halfway."

~~~

A round bale is delivered around lunchtime. The thing is as tall as you and just as wide and weighs an ungodly amount. But it needs to go out into the pasture somehow. Moving a round bale is a two-person job. Your job is to hold the gate open and keep the curious horses at bay... and to watch as Halsin, sleeves rolled up and muscles bulging, easily rolls it into the paddock as though it weighs nothing. He barely has time to set the feeder ring around it before the horses are nosing greedily at the fresh hay.

"I wish I could help more," you say as you close the gate.

"You help plenty," he replies, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Besides..." There's a faint glint of mischief in his eyes. "I've flattered myself into thinking you like to watch."

You grin and say he's being ridiculous, but you both know the truth.

~~~

As active a man as he is, Halsin isn't content to spend the heat of the day indoors. There are still so many things to be done. Bird feeders to fill. Eggs to collect from the chickens. The vegetable garden to water and weed. Water troughs to top up. Finally, there's a little time to take a break. Sometimes you have other things on your schedule, but today you decide to join him. The two of you find a shady spot under a tree and settle in with a book, some whittling, perhaps a snack, and you let yourselves get lost in nature. The afternoon sounds are different from the early morning ones. There are no crickets or frogs, no reverent stillness. Now there are raucous little songbirds fighting over birdseed, the chatter of a squirrel, the crow of the rooster, maybe even the far-off braying of a neighbor's donkey a quarter mile away. The windchimes you hung from the back porch. And underneath it all, the wind humming in the trees. Halsin leans back against the rough bark of the tree, closes his eyes, and feels the undercurrent of life running through all things. You can't help but admire the sheer expression of peace and happiness on his face, and set your little diversions aside to lean your head on his shoulder. His arm instictively wraps around you to pull you closer against him, and you enjoy simply existing as part of nature for a while.

~~~

The sun is about to set, casting mile-long shadows and lighting up the fields like gold. It's nearing time to go inside and help make dinner. But first the old mare and the colt need to be tended to once more. Another helping of special feed for the mare, sequestering her in her stall so that she can eat in peace without a certain someone (whose name may or may not be Arthur} attempting to share. The colt's wound is healing nicely, and Halsin digs in his pocket for a cookie in exchange for the colt standing still enough to be treated. He tosses another cookie to Arthur who protests that he too needs special food because he is a special boy.

He comes inside to clean up and help with dinner. He'll need to go back out in an hour or so to let the mare out of her stall, but in the meantime he's happy to be in your company as you maneuver around each other in the kitchen. If you're cooking, it may be a bit difficult with those big arms around you from behind. The two of you have been busy all day, and now that you're done with your work, he has decided to make things a little difficult.

"Love, please, I need to get to the spice cabinet." "I can reach it just fine. Tell me what you need."

"Halsin, I can't work with you right behind me like this!" "I fail to see how this is a problem, my heart. I'm having a wonderful time."

Halsin is normally a mild-mannered type, but his sense of humor sneaks out in sly ways from time to time. At least he hasn't broken out the horrible puns yet. And you have to admit, it's nice to be able to feel his deep voice resonate against your back.

Halsin is ready to sleep when it's time for bed (as long as you are too, of course. He's always up for 'extracurricular activities' if the mood is right). "We did well today, my heart," he says quietly in the darkness, pulling you close. "Pleasant dreams." He can hear the faint sounds of frogs and crickets outside your window, and that coupled with your soft breathing is enough to lull him into a deep sleep.

Was it a long day full of hard work? Yes.

Would he trade away any of it? Never.

#aerynwrites I hope you like it #I'm sick today so I'm writing when I should be sleeping #I like to live dangerously #never thought living on a farm would help me write fanfiction #no ducks on this farm because he thinks ducks belong in the rivers and ponds #so don't come at me with 'but where are the ducks'#they're in the lake not on the farm #no cows either because I don't know much about caring for them so.#halsin silverbough #my writing #bg3 fanfiction #halsin bg3 #halsin x tav #halsin x reader #baldurs gate halsin

143 notes · View notes

liviusofpella · 2 years

Text

part one: champagne problems

Pairing: Tyril x OC (Jude)

Word count: 2790

Warnings: cursing, alcohol usage

A/n: Very self-indulgent fic with the perfect amount of horny and drama. That's all I have to say.

inspo board | playlist (to be updated)

Tag list: honourable mention: @cashweasel (I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long), @brycesgirl @lazypartridge @watatsumi-island @sophie-summer (though feel free to skip this one if you're not interested :))

The large raindrops pattered loudly against the pavement, ruining the guests’ expensive hairstyles, and the sky responded to their curses with long rumbles. Tyril watched the guests arrive from the kitchen window, reminiscing while sipping a glass of champagne.

The one thing that nobody forced him to do as a child, and he found relaxing now as an adult, was cooking. As a boy, Tyril would spend long hours in the kitchen with Leilana, his family’s cook, who would help him with the homework, allow him to help with dinner and stay past her work hours just to accompany him. Tyril was a lonely child. Until Jude, he didn’t really have a friend, and while both of his parents were always away on a business and his sister too invested in her numerous extracurriculars, Leilana, now an elderly lady, was his only companion. He smiled, remembering how she tried to teach him baking macarons and that while she was not looking he added a lot of flour. Tyril’s macarons were not exactly edible, but they made for great hockey pucks.

His thoughts were interrupted by his mother and sister entering the room, talking loudly.

“What did I do to deserve this,” Vena Starfury pinched the bridge of her nose, having just heard that not only her daughter broke off her engagement but also her husband decided to postpone his retirement by a couple of months. She looked at Tyril, hopefully. “Tell me that at least you have good news.”

“That depends on your definition of good,” Tyril answered calmly before shoving down his throat a spoonful of red caviar. “Jude’s coming.”

Vena covered her forehead with her hand.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Adrina covered her lips with her hand, trying her best not to smile, and when their mother left the room, Tyril winked at her. Mrs Starfury rarely cursed, and when she did it sounded so unnaturally that it always made everyone smile. Tyril also seemed to have an innate talent for irritating his mother without trying.

“Good thing she doesn’t know about you and Julian,” Adrina commented, following her brother out into the main room, where most of the guests were already mingling.

“Depending on whether he took his medication like a good boy today, she might find out.”

“Well then, good luck.”

The soft tones of a classical piece blended with the resonant chatter of the guests, occasional laughter and the clinking of glasses. Swerving right as to dodge the waiter holding an ornamented silver tray with eight champagne flutes, Jude almost collided with Adeline, who watched his rapid actions in horror, fearing that either the champagne will spill onto her dress or Jude will step on it. It was only in the last second when he managed to regain his balance.

“Fucking hell,” she muttered, her hand landing on her chest involuntarily. Jude straightened his back, fixed his navy blue blazer and grinned at her.

“Ciao, sugar, how’s it hanging? Thought you didn’t swear, you prude.”

“That’s the effect you have on me, Julian.”

“Why so formal, Adelina?”

“Oh, shut up. Tyril’s waiting in the ballroom,” she instructed, narrowing her eyes slightly but trying not to show too much irritation. She hated being called by her birth name ever since in the eight grade someone told her that it sounds like a hooker name. Not knowing the true reason behind Adeline’s decision to slightly modify her name, Jude silently claimed his victory, flashed one more strained smile at her and turned left, wondering if he remembered the floor plan properly. As soon as he reached the end of the hall, he looked right and smiled, seeing a familiar silhouette within the sea of black suits.

Tyril was wearing a black shirt and trousers, his waist tightly hugged by a belt with a gold buckle, and an ivory blazer on top. Jude whistled once he came closer, drawing Tyril’s attention—he hid his phone into the back pocket of his trousers, and although he fought bravely he failed, and a sheepish smile crept up on his lips.

“Looking good, Starfury. Addie, always lovely to see you,” Jude bowed theatrically, making Adrina chuckle and Tyril roll his eyes. Using the opportunity of a waiter passing by, Tyril grabbed two flutes of champagne and emptied them within seconds.

Jude raised an eyebrow. Drinking under Mrs Starfury’s attentive gaze was unlike Tyril. “Which drink is it already?”

“Sec—"

"Fifth," Adrina interrupted, "so please have an eye on him tonight? I'd rather not piss mom off even more by not talking to the guests at my party."

"Wouldn't want you to be put in timeout, go. Oh, and congrats on graduating, by the way," Jude winked at her and once she was out of earshot, he addressed the man next to him. "Getting drunk without me?"

"If you had to listen to my mother tonight, you'd be lying unconscious under the table by now," Tyril shrugged. Given that they were standing in a room full of people, he couldn't embrace Jude, thus he didn't know what to do with his hands. He eventually put them in his pockets. "She found out about Adrina's broken off engagement and father's delayed retirement. Did you run across Adeline by any chance?"

"I did, she looked pissed. What'd you say to her?"

"That you'll be here. Somehow you made a lot of enemies, Jude."

The blonde shrugged his shoulders. His boyfriend’s ex-fiancee was the last thing he wanted to talk about, therefore, he took a look around the grand room, while Tyril sneakily reached for another glass.

“Your house looks exactly the same as ten years ago, but somehow even more like a museum.”

Even your mother looks even more like a statue, he wanted to add, but bit his tongue before the words could escape his lips. Jude chugged a glass of champagne and placed the flute on a table, then wiped his upper lip with the back of his hand.

The amount of white surfaces surrounding him was blinding, the marble and white stone brought about the association of mortuary and Mrs. Starfury’s piercing, adamant gaze provoked an uncomfortable churning in Jude’s stomach. Standing straight in the middle of the group in her black, satin jumpsuit with her long slender fingers wrapped around a champagne flute, watching him intently as if trying to drive him away with the sheer force of her gaze, she looked intimidating. Tyril’s mother emanated an aura of ethereality, nobody could deny that she was glamorous and moved as fluently as the blades of grass in the wind, but Jude was convinced she looked like a ghost of an upper-class Victorian lady haunting these halls and wailing for her lost youth. Given that Vena and Valir’s marriage was arranged, Jude’s theory did make a bit of sense there. Unwillingly, Jude took his eyes off the black-clad ghost.

Tyril hummed. The Starfury heir refused to drop his father’s gaze, despite people stopping by him to greet him. “This house is just for show, like this whole family.”

“Unsurprisingly, they’re not happy to see me. Not that I care,” Jude added, sliding his fingers into the pockets of his trousers. “I didn’t expect to be greeted like the plague, though.”

Tyril's lips curled when his father decided to focus his attention on the guests, the only visible sign of the resentment that squeezed his heart, clouded judgement and clenched his fists. Seeing that, Jude stepped in, regretting he couldn't take his partner's hands into his, trying to soothe him. "Meet me in your room in an hour?"

“Finally!” Jude exclaimed excitedly, picking himself up from the bed. Once Tyril turned the key in the door’s lock, St. Clair wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s neck and locked their lips together in a searing kiss. A quiet, surprised moan escaped Tyril’s throat, but his body reacted automatically, forcing him to embrace the man in front of his and part his lips with the tip of his tongue.

The room filled with short, ragged breaths and shy moans as the men slowly made their way towards the palatial king-sized bed. The downpour outside intensified, pattering loudly against the windows, while the indistinct chatter of the extravagant banquet one floor below quietened, soon fading into oblivion. After what seemed like an eternity, Jude pulled back to take a breath, too overwhelmed by the ecstasy to open his eyes—instead, he rested his forehead against Tyril’s, his hands sliding down to blindly unbutton his blazer. In the background the bell tolled twelve times and a crowd of people cheered almost as if they were welcoming the new year. Soon after, indistinct tones of a classical piece reached their ears.

“Dance with me,” Tyril said into his ear.

"Always, my love."

Julian, suddenly overcome with a wave of exhaustion, nestled up to his lover, for once feeling grateful for their height difference, and hummed feeling the warmness of the taller man's body. A fist seemed to clench around Tyril's heart at the sight, making it hard to breathe and most certainly impossible not to blush. Wrapping his arms around Jude, Tyril pressed a kiss to the top of his head, smiling at the thought of Jude choosing to appear at a formal banquet with his trademark messy nest on his head.

And despite Jude not being the best and most certainly the most supple dancer, the men rocked their bodies softly from left to right, not saying a word as no word was needed. At that moment, although short and bittersweet, they felt grateful that the universe granted them a second chance.

"I'm grateful to have you in my life," Jude said softly, raising his chin to look his lover in the eyes. "Even if it's just for a moment."

The corner of Tyril's lips quirked almost unnoticeably.

He has a sparkle in his eyes when he looks at me, Tyril thought ten minutes later. Leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed on his chest, Tyril reciprocated the burning gaze of his lover who was watching him from the other end of the balcony, illuminated by the soft yellow wall light. He smiles, seems to be looking at my lips, but his mind is somewhere else.

“Fuck it,” the blonde murmured, having pondered long enough, and lit up the cigarette he’d been rolling around in his fingers for a few minutes.

Tyril watched him pull at the cigarette, hold the smoke for a couple of seconds with his eyes closed and eventually blowing it out. Jude wasn't a regular smoker, but he always had a pack of cigarettes on him just in case and as much as Tyril hated the smell he couldn't help but find himself fascinated with the way Jude's lips closed around the contraption, the way he always looked so focused and stunning creating perfect circles with his lips.

Having caught Tyril staring, Jude smiled at nodded at him.

"What's up, handsome?"

"You should spend the night at my place."

A quiet, somewhat mocking "oh" escaped Jude's lips. It wasn't very often that Tyril invited anyone to his penthouse, the posh, extravagant two storey apartment that he barely spent time at. "And how are you going to entertain me?"

"I believe the ideas will appear in my head once I have you naked in my bedroom, leaning against the window with the rising sun shining at your body and the awakening city watching us."

Jude bit his lip and put out his cigarette. "Careful, your horny poet side starts to show."

Adeline was easily the most stunning woman in the room, not just that day, but any day in any room, and if anyone dared think otherwise Tyril would call them a fool. He loved her, a bit too much even, but not the kind of love that he loved Jude. Love for Jude was pure, natural, easy, loving Adeline required patience and often times felt one-sided. Adeline Perillard was sweet, intelligent, dedicated and loyal, but she had one flaw that's been heavy on Tyril's heart—she was becoming more and more selfish. It was half of the reason why he broke off their engagement.

And if that wasn't enough, there was also Selene—innocent, troubled, undecided, yet something in his heart was telling him that she's the one. His best friend, confidant, lover, his finite and ultimate zing. There was one issue, though—he didn't know anything about her.

"You're missing steps," Adeline said quietly, raising her head to look into her partner's absent eyes. Tyril hummed in response, not bothering to meet her gaze, and She quickly realized that it was a futile effort. Tyril's mind was somewhere else, partly in his room with Jude, partly arguing with his parents. Having given up on grabbing his attention, the brunette rested her head against Tyril's chest again, in the exact spot where Jude's head had been resting just minutes before, and feigned a smile at Tyril's parents when the dancing couple entered her sight.

Seeing that Adeline was still wearing her engagement ring, Vena smiled faintly at the thought that perhaps not all is lost and despite her son's reckless "city break" with a random girl as she decided to call it, Tyril and Adeline decided to start over. Little did she know that them being together was purely promotional, and both had already found another significant other.

Unlike Jude and certainly unlike Selene, Adeline was an incredible dancer. Her moves were fluent and charismatic, in her red, sparkling dress she looked as if she was floating above the ground, holding the hand of her lover. In reality, though, she felt a knot in her stomach and a wave of sadness crashing into her heart. Burying her face into Tyril's body, Adeline tried to blink away the tears, but failed miserably as the sudden movement drew Tyril’s attention.

"Adeline?" he hummed, dropping his gaze to the woman in his arms. When she didn't react, his hand slid up into her hair and his cheek rested against the side of her head. "Do you want to step outside?"

Once a weak confirmation reached his ears, Tyril left the room, shielding Adeline from curious glances.

"Are you alright?"

"Obviously not," she murmured, blowing her nose. Despite her best efforts, the tears just wouldn't stop ruining her make-up. "Pretending to be your fiancée again is one thing, but seeing you sending loving glances at the man I've always been worried about is another. You have to stop hurting me,” she wept. “First you run away with some whore instead of trying to fix our relationship! And then you get back with the guy who’d apparently always been on your mind when you were with me? I know I fucked up, Tyril, I know I wasn’t there when you needed me, but I do not deserve to be treated like this.”

Tyril clenched his jaw. Deep down in his heart, he knew Adeline was right, but in that exact moment when he felt that he was truly happy with Jude, his mind clouded with anger. Feeling as if Adeline was trying to ruin his happiness, his brain frantically looked for the best, the most hurtful comeback.

“Then why did you agree to this stunt?” he asked. “I have a hard time believing you care about the media’s attention, so why?”

Perillard laughed ruefully.“God, you’re so imperceptive! I love you, idiot! Believe me when I say I tried my hardest to hate you, but I can’t. I was stupid and naive enough to believe that perhaps we could try to pick up the pieces of our relationship, but now, having watched you and your new toy for long enough, I think I know what’s your problem,” Adeline continued, her desperation turning into anger. Tyril not responding, infuriated her even more. “You fall in love easily, but are unable of truly loving. You run when there’s the first sign of trouble. You’re pathetic.”

Tyril laughed involuntarily. He hated that she was right.

“We’re done,” she added, calmly, wiping the tears off her cheeks. “I’m done.”

Adeline twirled around and headed towards the exit, running upon Jude as she went. Despite the urge to stop and tell him how much she hated him, the woman straightened her back and raised her chin. Jude, confused and alarmed by the screams resonating in the empty hall, came out of the main room.

“Take me home,” Tyril asked with his hands still balled into fists. Suddenly, as if waking up from lethargy, he felt all the alcohol he drank, the lightheadedness and exhaustion, which ironically made him feel as if a massive weight was just lifted from his chest. “Please, take me home.”

#so i finally wrote something? it's time to give myself another 6 months of vacation #sorry if this is shit i swear the next one will be a smut #tyril starfury #tyril x oc #choices tyril #blades of light and shadow #i like to live dangerously #so i'm not proofreading for the 10th time

27 notes · View notes