#I learned enough of the features to make it work
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new neighbour
pairing: steve harrington x reader
summary: steve is down because of his dating life, or lack thereof. that is until the new girl captures his attention
warnings: literally none, nervous and sweet steve!!
a/n: i have been gone for 3 months but uni has finally settled down! also if anyone wants a pt. 2 with steve trying to help move r in i am so down! i have so many ideas!!!
A steady stream of gray light filtered through the wide front windows of Family Video, illuminating the rows upon rows of VHS cases. The day was uncharacteristically slow, the kind of weekday lull that left the store feeling hollow and cavernous. Steve Harrington stood behind the counter, leaning his elbows on the chipped laminate surface, tapping his fingers in a pattern heâd repeated so many times in an attempt to give him something to focus on.Â
His eyes hurt under the fluorescents, and though he tried to keep a casual expression, anyone who looked long enough could see the small, flickering signs of boredom crossing his features. On the other side of the store, Robin roamed the aisles, a small stack of VHS tapes in her hands, placing each one in its rightful place on the shelf. Every so often, sheâd glance toward Steve, as if expecting some lively remark, but he remained lost in his thoughts.
âHey,â Robin called, sliding a Night of the Comet tape onto the appropriate rack. âSo⊠Vicky and I were talking the other night, and we thought, maybe this weekendâŠâ She paused, drifting closer to the register so her voice wouldnât echo.
Steve raised an eyebrow, still drumming his fingers on the counter. âYeah, maybe what?â
Robin placed the last tape in her stack onto the shelf with a gentle thud. âWell, weâre making dinner. A real dinnerâyou know, in an actual kitchen, with actual groceries. Vicky wants me to learn her momâs lasagna recipe. The whole shebang.â Her bright eyes searched his face. âWhy donât you come over? Eat with us?â
To anyone else, that might sound like a friendly suggestion. But there was a flicker in Robinâs eyes that Steve knew well: an undercurrent of pity. After all, heâd gone on a date last weekend that hadnât exactly gone well. He was used to being the one with endless charm, the guy who always had a witty quip or a warm smile to keep a conversation going. Yet none of that had worked on Tanyaâno matter how hard he tried. God was he trying.
Steve sighed, pushing himself upright. âYeah⊠no.â
Robin visibly balked, confusion knitting her brows. âWhat do you mean, âyeah⊠noâ? You canât just respond to an invitation like that.â
âExactly how I just did,â he said, mouth tilting into a faint, lopsided grin that didnât quite reach his eyes. âThanks for the invite, but Iâm not interrupting your date night just because you feel bad for me. I know you guys are trying to, like, throw me a bone or whatever.â
Robinâs cheeks puffed out in a mock sigh. âI have no idea what youâre talking about.â She turned away, pretending to occupy herself by adjusting a crooked VHS case. The slight shift in her voice told him otherwise. She always was a terrible liar.Â
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. âYou know what Iâm talking about.â He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, though the memory of last weekend pricked at him more than he liked to admit. Tanya had been gorgeousâdark hair, lovely eyes, a laugh that could probably stop traffic. At first glance, she was the perfect fit. But after an hour of him asking question after question and receiving nothing but uninterested one-word answers, heâd realised that appearances weren't enough to carry a conversation. The spark was missing, that intangible something that made him want to stay, to laugh, to learn more. It just wasnât there. He was beginning to think it never would be, at least for him.
Robin finally turned back. âOkay, so maybe I know youâve been bummed. But itâs not pity, Steve.â She rolled her eyes. âVicky genuinely likes you. We both do.â
âSure,â Steve said, gently drumming his fingers again. âVicky likes me enough to let me crash her romantic, candle-lit dinner with her girlfriend.â He narrowed his eyes playfully. âYeah, thatâs not weird at all.â
Robin shot him a look. âItâs not weird if we invite you. And besides, itâs not like this is going to be some super fancy dinner. There might be candles, but thatâs only so I can see the food properly, okay?â
Steve snorted, though the weight in his chest didnât quite lift. âLook, Rob, I appreciate it,â he said, voice softening. âI do. But Iâm not sure Iâm up for third-wheeling on a Saturday night. I think itâs safer for everyone if I steer clear, especially given your experimental cooking.â
She pressed her lips together, fighting a smile. âWow, way to appreciate me trying to feed you.â Though she spoke jokingly, she studied his face for signs of deeper sadness. He was Steve Harringtonâhe was supposed to be the one with the perpetual easy grin. But ever since his dating and social life had crashed and burned, Robin could see the twinge of hurt in his eyes. He was insecure. He liked to feel needed, he always had. He had no problem giving himself to others. So watching everyone else find their person only made him more self-conscious. The truth was nobody needed him, and that knowledge was slowly eating away at him.
âYou know,â Robin added, resting her hands on the cart that held a few more tapes, âitâs not just about the date. I get itâyouâre lonely. Itâs okay to admit that. Weâve all been there.â
He opened his mouth, his gaze slipping away to look out the window at a slow-moving car. The driver was just a blur behind the glass, but it gave him something to focus on. Because she was right. He was lonely, and part of him wanted to accept Robinâs invitation so badly. The other part of him couldnât bear to insert himself as a third wheelâhe knew that feeling too well. Heâd spent years longing for something real, something effortlessly mutual. Maybe heâd find it eventually, but not if he was hanging around a couple who only extended the invite out of sympathy.
âOkay,â Robin said, exhaling the tension that had built up between them. âIf you change your mind, call me. Seriously, no guilt trip, no questions asked. Vicky wonât mind. Weâll have a plate ready.â
A genuine smile tugged at the corners of Steveâs mouth. It still looked like it held a bit of sadness but he covered it up to not upset her further. âYeah. Thanks, Rob. I promise, if I get the sudden urge for a crisp lasagnaââ
âHey!â
He grinned for real this time. ââIâll give you a call. Right now, though, I think Iâm just gonna stick to renting a movie and ordering takeout. Maybe keep my Saturday night simple.â
Robin nodded, accepting his declination. Her gaze lingered, and she wanted to push harder, but she knew Steve well enough to sense that pushing too much would only drive him further into his own shell. âAlright,â she said softly, reaching out to pat his arm. âYou know where to find me if you need to talk.â
âI know. And thanks.â He meant it.
Their eyes met before Robin moved off to shelve the remaining tapes. He watched her go, then slowly leaned forward on the counter again. Outside, the sun was getting a little brighter, illuminating the Family Video sign and casting reflections across the empty parking lot. He was trying to think about whatever movie he would undoubtedly be bringing home with him for the weekend, alone. That is, until he sees you.
Youâre walking at an unhurried pace, shoulders slightly hunched against the cool breeze, but thereâs something about you that holds his attention. The way your outfit matches in a way that feels effortless but intentional, the way your hair catches the light, styled just enough to suggest effort but not so much that it seems like youâre trying too hard.Â
You push open the glass door, and the bell above gives a soft jingle that seems to echo in the stillness. The warmth of the store envelops you, a cozy contrast to the lingering chill outside. Rows of tapes tower around you, aisles lit by bulbs that buzz quietly in the background. It all feels a bit nostalgic, not too intimidating.Â
Behind the front counter, Steve stands with his elbows braced on the worn surface. For a second, it looks like youâve interrupted him mid-daydreamâhis brown eyes are distant. The moment you step inside, he blinks, and you can practically see the switch flip as you catch him. Suddenly, heâs all awareness, standing straighter, swallowing once. A faint flush colours the tips of his ears, though he tries to hide it by running a hand through his hair.
He looks at you in a way that he hopes is welcoming, heâs not sure if he should say something immediately or give you space to browse. There is a gentle lift of his shoulders as he inhales, working up the courage to speak. You offer a polite nod and slide toward the nearest aisle before he can get a word out.
He exhales a shaky breath he didnât realise he was holding, mind racing as he tries to place you. He canât recall seeing you here before, and he was certain he would remember if you had. He drags his fingers over the keyboard, tapping random keys to pretend heâs busy. In truth, all he wants is to keep glancing your way. It was maddening forcing his attention to the computer screen.Â
You wander among the rows, taking in the titles. Thereâs something oddly comforting about the smell of plastic VHS covers. Occasionally, you catch sight of Steve peeking over from the desk, just for a moment, before he ducks back down to avoid being caught staring. You find yourself smiling at his obvious attempt to be casual.
He, meanwhile, is silently scolding himself. He knew he was being weirdâGod, he needs to get a grip. But thereâs a traitorous part of him that canât help noticing the delicate way your hair frames your face, or the look of your jacketâwell worn, well loved, taken care of. Even though your aura was disarming, he felt like he was in high school all over again, unable to stop staring at the pretty girl in the corridor.
Eventually, you settle on a tape, The Empire Strikes Backâsomething classic youâve been meaning to watch again. Taking a steadying breath, you head to the counter, the plastic case clutched in your hand. As you approach, he forces himself to appear relaxed, collected, though inside heâs buzzing with anticipation.
âUm, hey⊠Steve,â you look up from his name tag, placing the tape before him. His eyes dart down to the cover, then back up to you. âDo you work here?â
The moment you say it, you realise how silly it soundsâheâs in the company vest, with a company name tag on it. Heat flares across your cheeks.
A laugh bubbles out of himâwarm, kind. He shakes his head gently as if to say, Donât worry about it. âYeah, I do.âÂ
You nod, cheeks still burning from your awkward question. âYes. Sorry, I, uh⊠obviously you work here.â
âNah, no problem. Iâve gotten weirder questions,â his smile widens, softening around the edges. Youâre cute when youâre embarrassed. âGood pick, by the way.â
As he scans the tape, you notice the slight tremor in his hand. Itâs barely there, but you sense the sweet, nervous energy radiating from him. His gaze flickers to you, then back to the screen, then to you againâlike he canât quite decide which deserves his attention more. You, probably.
âSo, um,â he starts, clearing his throat, âI havenât seen you around before. Are you⊠new in town?â He tries to sound casual, but a hopeful note creeps into his voice, as though heâs crossing his fingers for you to keep talking.
You brighten at the question, happy to have something normal to say. âI am, actually. I just moved here a few days ago. The apartment is literally right across the streetâwell, I think you can see it from the window.â
His eyes widened with interest and with the knowledge of your close proximity. âYeah? Pretty convenient if you want a movie.â And maybe to see me, he almost adds. âSo, when exactly did you move in?â
âThree days ago,â you reply, letting out a breathy exhale at the memory. âIâve been knee-deep in boxes ever since. I finally decided I deserved a break, and what better way than a movie night to make the new place feel more like home, right?â
He nods fervently, excitement sparking behind his eyes. âThatâs true. Shame I wasnât working that dayâmaybe I couldâve, I donât know⊠helped haul a box or two?â He offers a tiny shrug, his words stumbling a bit as he realises how forward that might sound. âI mean, not that I⊠I just⊠you know,â he begins to backtrack.
A warm giggle escapes you, putting him at ease. âI appreciate the thought. My arms hurt for, like, the whole day afterwards.â
He huffs a little chuckle, feeling relief wash over him when you donât seem put off. âExactly.â
He glances around the store for Robin knowing sheâs probably lurking somewhere, listening in with a sly grin. But in this moment, he canât bring himself to care too much; he wants you to have his full attention.
âIf you donât have a membership yet,â he says, fishing around under the counter for a form, âyouâll need to fill this out.â He slides a paper and pen toward you.
âRight, Iâm totally new,â you reply, stepping closer to read the sheet. As you lean in, Steve notices the light scent of your shampooâor maybe your perfumeâand it makes his pulse skip. Heâs had customers before, obviously, but none have made him feel this flustered. It wasn't a feeling he necessarily disliked.Â
Fighting the urge to stare too obviously, he busies himself with looking at the returns papers, occasionally sneaking a glance your way. He notices the way your brow furrows as you fill in the different boxes, huffing to yourself when you wrote your previous address, crossing it out and starting again. It was so human, so endearing, he had to turn away fully or his amused smile would give him away.Â
Once youâve filled out the form, you pass it back. He types in your details, the corners of his mouth quirking up as he commits your name to memory. âPerfect,â he tells you, printing out a fresh membership card and sliding it across the counter.
âThanks,â you say, tucking it into your wallet. âFeels official now.â
He canât help but feel upset that this moment is slipping awayâany second, youâll thank him, smile, and leave. Then heâll be stuck behind the counter once again, replaying this conversation over and over until you come to return it, which could be a week from now. That would be unacceptable.
He clears his throat. âUh, so,â he begins, voice wavering ever so slightly. âYou got any big plans this weekend? Since youâre, you know, new here.â You could tell he was aiming for confident, but that casual tone of his falters as he seems genuinely invested in your response.Â
His smile drops as he hears your reply. âActually, yeah, I do,â his heart sinks, mind already going into overdrive. Youâre probably telling him politely to let him down. He knew he was being too brazen, but he couldnât stop the embarrassment from settling in his chest.Â
âI need to head into town and get some furniture,â you explain as his head looks up, stopping him from spiralling. âI heard thereâs a store a few miles away?â
He smiles at the fact that youâre still talking and didnât just shut him down, youâre just busyâand thatâs okay. âOh, yeah,â he nods eagerly. âThere is, um, itâs about a ten-minute drive, tops. Depends on traffic, I guess, but Hawkins isnât exactly wild.â He lets out a weak laugh. âWhat are you, uh, looking for?â
âMostly a bookshelf. I thought I could just stack my books, but theyâre already in danger of tumbling over.â
He is listening, but a large part of him is cursing how little attention he paid in English class. Wishing he could humour you more. âThatâs cool,â he says safely. âSo, youâre a big reader?â
You nod, eyes lighting up. âOh absolutely, I love getting lost in a story.â
He canât help but think how sweet you are, the warmth in your expression filling his stomach, urging him past his nerves to finally ask what he had been wanting to. âWell, if you need help lugging that thing up the stairs to your apartment, Iâm, uh⊠not working this weekend.â As soon as the words leave my mouth, he realises that, once again, it may have been too forward.Â
âReally?â You ask, face brightening before he had the chance to overthink. âThatâd be great! I was kind of worried about getting it back here on my own.â
His heart does that little flip at your acceptance of his offer. He nods enthusiastically, a few rogue hairs settling on his forehead, making his appearance more boyish.Â
âItâs no problem,â he tells you as he puts his hands in his pockets, trying to appear relaxed as if this wasnât the most exciting opportunity to happen to him all year. âIâve got a car thatâs⊠well, itâs big enough. Definitely more roomy than your average trunk. If yours canât handle the bookshelf, mine can.â
You break into a grateful grin. âWow, thatâs really nice of you. Seriously.â
A blush creeps across his cheeks at your kind words, his face turning bashful. âHonestly, itâs no big deal at all.â It really wasn't, if all it takes is transporting some furniture to spend more time with you, he would gladly do it.
You lift your shoulders in a shrug, feeling slightly indebted. âWell, at least let me buy you a coffee or something afterwards, to say thanks. I insist.â
âNo, thatâsââ He starts to protest, but the look on your face tells him youâre determined. Itâs kind of adorable how your eyebrows pinch together.
âI insist,â you repeat, a little more firmly, and he laughs quietly. So you're stubborn, he can work with that.
âAlright,â he concedes, holding up his hands in surrender. âCoffee it is. How aboutâŠâ Think, Steve, think. âSaturday morning, I can meet you out front, say, 10:30? Unless thatâs too early?â In truth, heâd be ready at sunrise if it meant spending more time with you, but he doesn't want to sound desperate.
âThatâs perfect,â you say, beaming as you pick up your rented tape. âThank you again, Steve.â
âSure,â he replied, feeling a grin stretch across his face, so genuine it almost hurts his cheeks. He is shocked at how he managed to do this. Howâby some miracleâyou of all people had moved across the street.Â
You give a small wave, and the door shuts behind you, the bell chiming one last time. His heart is still hammering away as he stares at the closed door, trying to process that he justâdid that. He just set up what is basically a date⊠or at least a coffee situation. Either way, itâs something.
In the sudden quiet, he hears a muffled sound from behind him, and when he spins around, thereâs Robin standing in the break room doorway. Sheâs practically bouncing on her heels, eyes wide with excitement.
âOh, my God,â she says, not even bothering to hide the grin overtaking her face. âWas thatâdid you justââ
âYeah, yeah,â he cuts her off, rolling his eyes even though he canât keep the giddy smile off his own lips. âShut up, Robin.â
She doesnât shut up, but he doesn't mind. All he can think about is Saturday morning, and the way your face lit up when he offered to help you, and how maybe this is going to be the start of something really, really good.
#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington#stranger things#steve harrington x y/n#steve harrington imagine#steve harrington fluff#steve harrington fanfic#stranger things x you#stranger things x reader#stranger things x y/n#stranger things imagine#steve harrington oneshot#steve harrington headcanon
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Prada You Chapter 20
Summary:
In the summer of 1998, sparks fly between Nyeya and Jey.
Nyeya is an 18-year-old around the way girl. Jey is older, paid, and fine. He is also the leader of the infamous Prada Bois alongside his twin brother Jimmy. The two have chemistry. However, Nyeya has plans outside of her attraction. With a birthday around the corner and dreams of living a good life, Nyeya sets her sights on enjoying the perks of Jey's money and hood celebrity.
But baby girl has no clue what it takes to really be down. Nyeya is about to learn some hard life lessons at the expense of her 'Prada' priced dreams.
Pairing: Jey Uso x Nyeya (Nye) Green (OC)
Authorâs Note: This story is happening in an alternative universe. It features the current and original Bloodline members along with other WWE stars. So, the characters are themselves, but some things are switched around for the stories sake. This was originally written with all original characters, but I think it could work better this way. Hope you guys enjoy it and I actually finish it...
Warning: Please be advised that this chapter contains harsh/foul language, mentions of underage drinking, age gap relationships.
Disclaimer: This work of art is fictional in nature including the original characters created by me. I do not own any of the existing characters or lyrics from songs referenced in this story (if any). All rights belong to their respective owners with the exception of my original characters. This work is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to cause harm.
Chapter 20: Truth & Lies
August 4th 1998
The sun was blazing down, the humid summer air making the basketball court shimmer like a mirage. I sat at the picnic table under the patchy shade of a scraggly oak tree, fanning myself with a folded flyer someone had left behind. Kiyah and Natasha were across from me, chattering away, their voices weaving through the sound of kids shouting and sneakers squeaking against the blacktop.
Kiyahâs face lit up as she leaned forward, dropping her chin into her hands. "Okay, so let me tell yâall about Big Daddy Jacob."
"Ooh, spill!" Natasha said, her eyes glinting with excitement. "Yâall getting serious, or is he still just a good time?"
Kiyah grinned, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Girl, I like him a lot. Like, for real. And that lilâ night we spent together. Letâs just say⊠I did what needed to be done."
I let out a laugh, shaking my head as Natasha clapped her hands together, squealing. "Youâre too much, Kiyah."
"Oh, it gets better," Kiyah said, leaning back with a satisfied smirk. "Iâll be moving into his pockets shortly. I need them probation fees paid a.s.a.p."
The three of us burst out laughing, the sound carrying across the court. For a moment, everything felt light and carefree, like the weight of the past few weeks had lifted just enough for us to breathe.
"Alright, Nye," Natasha said, turning her attention to me. "Enough about Kiyahâs sugah daddy adventures. Whatâs up with your party? You ready?"
I shrugged, though a small smile tugged at my lips. "Iâm getting there. Jeyâs handling most of it. He already rented out a nightclub downtown and took care of the decorations, food, and music. Like I didnât have to do none of that. All I gotta do is find an outfit."
"A whole nightclub?" Kiyahâs eyes widened. "Damn. That shit gonâ be nice as fuck. Girl, you better show out. Thatâs gonna be a night to remember."
Natasha nodded enthusiastically. "For real. This is big. I just know everybody gone be there."
"Thatâs exactly what I was thinking. Party gonâ be full as hell especially with all the boys being there," I replied, my smile faltering slightly. Outwardly, I was as excited as they were, but deep down, something wasnât sitting right. I couldnât shake the feeling that something bad was coming, like a storm I couldnât see but could feel in the air.
I pushed the thought aside, forcing myself to focus on the present. "Itâll be fun," I said, my voice firmer this time. "We just gotta make sure our outfits is on point."
The girls squealed; their excitement infectious. Kiyah reached over to slap my arm. "Donât even stress it. We all gonâ look bomb. Thatâs our night to shut shit down."
---
August 5th 1998
The next day, I was standing at the sink, up to my elbows in soapy water, when I heard the front door open. Mamaâs voice floated in, tired but warm. "Nyeya, finish those dishes and come talk to me."
"Okay, Mama," I called back, rinsing off the last plate and setting it in the drying rack. Wiping my hands on a towel, I made my way to the living room, where she was sitting on the couch, her shoes kicked off and her hair tied up in a scarf. She patted the cushion beside her, and I sat down, the heaviness in her gaze immediately putting me on edge.
She reached out, gently caressing my face. "You been alright?"
"Yeah, Mama. Why?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. My stomach churned, sensing that whatever was coming wasnât going to be easy. The scratch on my face had begun to fade but I still felt uneasy under her watchful gaze.
Mamaâs lips pressed into a thin line. "Nat told me she heard you and Kiyah was fighting at the arcade Saturday night."
My heart dropped. Nat had been a family friend for as long as I could remember, but I hadnât expected her to run back to Mama with what sheâd heard. How did that even get back to her to know that? Michael was right, eyes were everywhere.
"It wasnât that serious," I said quickly, hoping to downplay the situation. "Just some girls running their mouths."
Mamaâs eyes narrowed slightly. "And whoâs this guy friend youâve been running around with, the one you were supposed to be with?"
I froze, my mind racing. "Heâs⊠heâs just a guy Iâve been seeing from around the way," I said vaguely, avoiding her gaze.
"Just a guy?" Mamaâs voice was calm but firm, the kind of tone that demanded the truth. "How old is this guy, Nyeya?"
I hesitated, my hands twisting in my lap. "Heâs⊠heâs 29."
Mamaâs eyebrows shot up. "29? Nyeya, thatâs a grown man."
"I know," I said quickly. "But heâs⊠heâs good to me. Jey donât mean me no harm. Like he not using me like other guys would be, Mama."
Her expression softened slightly, but her eyes remained serious. "Is Jey the one youâve been spending the night with? You shouldâve known it was going to get back to me eventually."
She knew more than I thought. I swallowed hard, realizing there was no point in lying now. "Yes," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldnât believe all my bones was falling out the closet like this.
Mama sighed, leaning back against the couch. "Nyeya, I was your age once. I know how easy it is to get caught up, especially with a man who makes you feel like the world is yours. But you have to be careful. You have to be smart."
"I am," I said, tears stinging my eyes. "Mama, I⊠Iâm sorry I didnât tell you sooner. I didnât want you to be mad at me."
I hated disappointing my mama. She did so much for us. I knew who Jey was and if she knew the whole story, sheâd definitely have good reason to be.
She reached out, pulling me into a hug. "Iâm not mad, baby. I just want you to be honest with me. Lies donât make things easier, they make them harder. And more than that, I want you to be careful. Iâve seen what this life can do. Iâve lived it. Your daddy⊠he was just like this man youâre seeing. And look where he ended up."
The mention of my father hit me like a punch to the gut. Mama rarely talked about him, but when she did, it was always a reminder of the risks that came with the life he chose. Slim had been the love of her life until a drug sting when I was two snatched him away. She had moved on, but the scars of that time still lingered.
"I know," I whispered, my voice shaky. "I promise Iâll be careful. And if it gets to be too much⊠Iâll leave."
Mama pulled back, her hands resting on my shoulders. "I just want you to be happy, Nyeya. Donât let no man dim your light. Donât give him that type of power. Youâve got a bright future ahead of you, and Iâm not gonna let anyone take that from you. You shouldnât either."
I nodded, tears slipping down my cheeks. "I promise, Mama. You taught me to want better, to expect better. I wonât let you down."
She smiled softly, brushing a thumb over my cheek. "Good. Now, when am I gonna meet this Jey? Time for you to stop hiding him."
The question caught me off guard, but I managed a small smile. "Soon," I said. "Iâll talk to him about it."
Mama sighed, her tone softening even more. "Nyeya, Iâm serious. If heâs the man youâre giving your time to, I need to know who he is and what he's all about. I donât want you caught up in something you canât get out of."
The conversation ended better than expected, but as I went back to my room, a heaviness settled over me. Mamaâs words lingered in my mind, a reminder of the fine line I was walking. Jey had made it clearâainât no leaving. And deep down, I wasnât sure I wanted to. But I couldnât ignore the growing sense that this life, as thrilling as it was, came at a price I wasnât ready to pay.
August 7th 1998
Friday night rolled around, and the air buzzed with the vibrant energy of summer. The Prada Boisâ car show was in full swing, taking over a sprawling parking lot at the park by the lake. The hum of car engines mixed with music blasting from the speakers that surrounded the DJ, and the scent of grilled meats and fresh panipopo hung in the humid air. Kids shrieked with laughter as they jumped in bounce houses, while groups of men hovered around their tricked-out cars, showing off gleaming paint jobs and customized interiors.
I arrived with Kiyah, Natasha, and Nataya. The twins had borrowed their motherâs car for the night under the guise of them going to some youth night at church, and Kiyah had wasted no time calling shotgun. I had squeezed into the back seat with Nataya, the four of us hyped for the night ahead. I wore my red bandeau top and favorite Tommy Hilfiger overalls, my gold bracelet from Jey gleaming on my wrist like a mark of loyaltyâor ownership. A reminder that it always held more weight than it probably should have.
The scene was alive when we stepped out of the car. Bright headlights from parked cars cast long shadows, and the glow of string lights wrapped around tents gave the whole place a festive feel. Kiyah spotted Jacob leaning casually against a shiny black Impala, his Prada Boi chain glinting under the streetlights. She shot me a grin before making a beeline for him. Natasha, always drawn to the music, drifted towards the DJ, her hips already swaying to the beat.
That left me with Nataya, who didnât even glance back as she marched straight to the food tables.
âGirl, you must be hungry?â I teased, catching up to her.
She shot me a grin over her shoulder. âYou already know. Donât act like you donât be eating too.â
I laughed, shaking my head. By the time I caught up, Nataya was piling her plate high with barbecue ribs, potato salad, baked beans, and a generous helping of sapasui. Then she grabbed another plate and added grilled chicken, panipopo, and fresh taro.
âTwo plates?â I asked, raising an eyebrow as we found a spot at one of the picnic tables. She was really taking advantage of the free food.
Nataya plopped down, balancing the plates with ease. âBaby, yes. Jimmy put me on to the island food. I gotta taste everything,â she said with a wink before digging in.
I sat across from her, my appetite gone as I watched her eat with enthusiasm. My gaze lingered on her oversized shirt and shorts, a far cry from Natashaâs mini dress. Her face seemed fuller; her movements slower. Something felt different.
âNye, you okay?â Nataya asked, noticing my stare. âWhy you not eating? You donât like it?â
I hesitated, the words slipping out before I could stop them. âYou on your period?â
I didnât mean to say it out loud but the thoughts tumbling in mind had me curious. I needed some answers.
Her fork paused mid-air. âWhat? Why?â
âYou just⊠seem different,â I said, trying to sound casual. âAnd youâre eating like you ainât had food all day.â
Nataya laughed, shaking her head. âGirl, I always eat like this. You know that.â
That much was true, but something about her felt⊠off. I decided not to push it. If she had something to tell me, she would, eventually. But for her sake, I hope it wasnât what I thought it was.
After we finished eating, I let the party pull me in. The music was too good to ignore, and I found myself bouncing in the inflatable castle with some of the kids, laughing like I didnât have a care in the world. When the DJ switched to a 90s R&B mix, Natasha dragged me to the makeshift dance floor. I let the rhythm take over, swaying and spinning, losing myself in the moment.
Then I felt itâa heavy, piercing gaze. My eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Damian. He sat near a lineup of cars, one woman perched on his lap and another leaning into him, her hand grazing his arm. But his eyes were locked on me, dark and unreadable.
A chill ran down my spine. I turned away, focusing on the music and Natashaâs carefree moves. Loyalty, I reminded myself. My loyalty was to Jey. Damian was just⊠history.
Kiyah joined us not long after, her hand clasped in Jacobâs. She leaned in close, her voice low. âTayaâs not drinking. She wouldnât take a shot with me. That ainât like her ass.â
âBut sheâs eating though,â I replied, glancing over at where Nataya was now chatting with a group of women. My only suspicion deepened.
Kiyah and I exchanged a knowing look. âHer ass bet not be pregnant,â Kiyah muttered. âYou know they mama, Ms. Deedria, donât play like that.â
âItâs looking like she is,â I said, my voice barely above a whisper. âAnd if she is⊠thatâs crazy. I thought it would be yoâ ass to have baby first.â
Before Kiyah could respond, the growl of engines turned our attention to the lotâs entrance. Jey and Jimmy had arrived, their cars gleaming under the lights. For once, Jey wasnât intoxicated. He looked calm, clear-headed, and⊠grounded as he exited his car. His eyes found mine immediately, and he motioned for me to come over.
I nodded to the others before sliding his way. My heart fluttered as I approached him. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. He kissed me, his lips warm and familiar. âYou look good,â he murmured, his voice low and smooth.
âThank you,â I said, smiling up at him.
We lingered in our own little world for a moment before he led me to a quieter spot. As he ate, he brought up something that made my chest tighten.
âWhen am I meeting moms?â he asked casually.
I had told him the day before that my mama knew who he was and that we were dating. I didnât expect him to be so eager to meet her though. I still wasnât sure if I wanted him to meet her.Â
âSoon,â I said. âProbably on my birthday. She always does something special for me.â We would normally celebrate along with my granny, Bernice, and some of my other family.
Jey nodded, his expression thoughtful. âThat works. But Iâve been thinking. After your birthday, you should move in with me. Ainât no point in you staying at your mamaâs place no more.â
The words hit me like a brick. âMove in?â I repeated, my voice shaky. âJey, thatâs⊠thatâs a lot. And a bit fast.â Jey was talking crazy.
He frowned, his brows knitting together. âHow is it a lot? You already spending nights with me. Got some of yoâ clothes there as well. Whatâs the difference?â
âThe difference is my mama and Michael,â I said. âI canât just leave them. Michaelâs heading to high school. And I be there when Ma work overnight to make sure he good.â
I did other stuff to make my mama life easier. She worked full-time and also did hair on the side. I couldnât just leave her especially for Jey who I only knew for two months. I loved Jey but that was too much of a commitment too soon.
Jeyâs jaw tightened, frustration flickering in his eyes. âMichaelâs damn near grown. He can take care of himself. You gotta let him be a man. And Iâm sure ya mama will be good.â
I shifted uncomfortably. âIâve been thinking about enrolling in community college this fall,â I said. âAnd maybe getting a part-time job. Just to have stuff to fill my time with.â
I had plans before I met Jey and I wasnât trying to change them just because I was his girl now.
Jeyâs hand brushed over the bracelet on my wrist, his touch both possessive and tender. âYou can go to school, but you donât need to work. Iâll take care of you, Nye. You know that. I need you with me though. I got us.â
His words shouldâve reassured me, but they didnât. I forced a nod, my mind swirling with doubts. We had been doing good. So, I choose not to argue.
As I glanced around the party, my thoughts wandered. The other Prada Boi wives and girlfriends seemed happy, but were they really? I watched Solo dancing with his girlfriend, Bronson laughing with his wife and kids, and Nataya sitting in Jimmyâs lap as he rubbed her stomach.
Was this truly the life I wanted? The question lingered, heavy and unanswered, as the party carried on around me.
---
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the parking lot as the streetlights flickered to life. The sounds of laughter and music filled the air, and the occasional rev of a car engine reminded everyone of the reason for the gathering. I leaned against a picnic table looking at nothing in particular, trying to shake the uneasy feeling that had been growing in my chest since Jeyâs earlier suggestion.
"Nye," Jeyâs voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see him standing a few feet away, his hand extended toward me. "Come here. Stop thinking so much. Go have some fun, baby."
I hesitated, then let him pull me into a hug. His arms were warm and firm, but they didnât ease the tension inside me. I wanted to believe in him, in us, but doubts still lingered. I told myself to let it go, at least for tonight. The party was winding down, and I didnât want to ruin the moment.
Jey kissed the top of my head before pulling away. He glanced toward the lineup of cars and nodded. "Iâll be over there with Damian. Come find me if you need anything."
I watched him stroll away, his confident stride unmistakable even in the dim light. He stopped by the hood of a sleek black car where Damian was already perched, a bottle of beer in his hand. My stomach twisted as I watched them exchange words. Their conversation looked serious, but I couldnât make out what they were saying. Curiosity burned inside me, but I stayed rooted to my spotâuntil Jeyâs eyes caught mine.
âNye, come here,â he called out, his voice loud enough to rise above the chatter.
My heart raced. I told myself there was no reason to be nervous. Damian wouldnât say anything. He wouldnât dare. His ass bet not. That shit happened a long time ago. Forcing a smile, I walked over to them, my sandals clicking softly against the pavement. As I approached, Jey reached out and pulled me into his lap.
âNot you being anti-social, girl,â he teased, wrapping an arm around my waist. His tone was light, but I could feel Damianâs eyes on me.
Damianâs expression was unreadable. He took a slow sip of his beer before speaking. âNyeya. Good to see you again.â
âYou too,â I replied, keeping my tone polite. My guard was up, though, and I could feel the tension bubbling just beneath the surface. Donât start no shit, wonât be no shit, sir.
Jey didnât seem to notice. He leaned back against the car, completely at ease as he spoke to Damian about somethingâ a deal, maybe, or plans for the weekend. I wasnât paying attention. My focus was split between the warmth of Jeyâs embrace and the cool detachment in Damianâs eyes. The moment felt like a game of chess, every word and gesture a calculated move.
Then she appeared. The woman from Tamaâs pool partyâthe one who had been in Damianâs lap. She sidled up to him in a barely there dress, her hand resting possessively on his shoulder. Damianâs lips curled into a smirk as he introduced her.
âThis is Dulce,â he said casually. âDulce, this is Nyeya. Jeyâs girl.â
âNice to meet you,â I said, forcing a polite smile. Dulce nodded, her attention quickly returning to Damian, who didnât seem to mind.
Jeyâs grip on my waist tightened slightly as if reminding me where I belonged. The conversation shifted to lighter topics as a few other Prada Bois wandered over, including Sami and Tama. They were laughing about something when Jeyâs voice cut through the noise.
âBy the way,â he said, his tone casual but loud enough for everyone to hear, âNyeyaâs gonna be moving in with me soon. My baby coming home for good.â
The groupâs reaction was immediate. Cheers and congratulations erupted around us, with Tama slapping Jey on the back and Sami grinning broadly. âThatâs whatâs up, man,â one of them said.
I froze. My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I forced a smile. Jey hadnât discussed this with meâ not really. Heâd brought it up earlier, but I hadnât agreed to anything. I mean I nodded but that wasnât agreeance that was a âokay, whateverâ type of thing. And now here his ass was announcing it like it was a done deal. I couldnât believe it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Damianâs reaction. His smile didnât reach his eyes, and the tension in his jaw was impossible to miss. When our eyes met, it felt like the air had been knocked out of me. There was an unspoken conversation happening between us, one that no one else could hear. I looked away quickly, feeling queasy.
Jey tilted his head to look at me. âYou good, baby?â
I nodded, plastering the smile back on my face. âYeah. Iâm good.â
The party carried on around us, the laughter and music ringing hollow in my ears. As Jey chatted with the others, I leaned into his chest, letting his presence ground me. But my thoughts were a tangled mess. Damianâs warnings echoed in my mind, and for the first time, I wondered if I was in over my head. Even if I was, Jey wasnât letting me go.
----
Want to read from the beginning? Click Here
If you wanna join the taglist for this story, just let me know! Taglist: @theusotwinzcom @nbanenefrmdao @queeny23 @punksyeet @partypoison00 @justazzi
#black fanfic writer#black oc#original character#the bloodline#wwe au#90s#jey uso x oc#jey uso#wwe fanfiction#jey uso x black oc#jey uso fanfic
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Taking a rest day but I have to doodle at least a bit, and. Currently agonizing over if Moe should also be equipped w the Breidablik for loadbearing canon lore reasons. Which, I have MANY grievances about, from "Gee Moe why do you get TWO weapons this isn't a main series title where you can do that" to "Moe is A STAFF USER. FULL STOP. ALWAYS HAS BEEN." to "oh fucking god I do NOT want to learn How To Draw That."
But. Looking at the artbook. I had a Vision
Very minimal mockup but. That little thing, there. You could put a keychain on that. You could put little charms on that. You could. You could...
#i'm not quite redesigning moe but i am playing w a few diff concepts.#one i wish i could make work is some kind of askran noise cancellors. worn like headphones/earbuds but in that Style#the ideas are cute but i don't think they really work on moe. and the piercings being the primary focus is important to me#still. it would be neat to have a chara who uses visible disability aids. esp in a setting like feh w all the context of feh#ultimately a lot of moe's most important design features would get lost if you added too much to the head area though...#beyond that i'm testing adding more practical elements. a way to carry items...#something that ties into how a lot of the charas designs esp the askr siblings have strappy belts ect ect#maybe even something that evokes kink imagery. while honoring moe's particularness about pants#has to keep the animal hind legs like shape and has to not cling to the thighs. ect ect ect#i'm def just throwing spaghetti at the wall though. focally has to be easy enough to draw too#esppp to mirco organism it. that is FOCAL w my art#but i have been forcing myself to learn how to do alfonse's leg armor....... so........#ect ect ect main point. consider my visions boy. ESP THE KEYCHAIN CHARMS IT WOULD BE SO CUTES#moe tag#summoner oc
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Moving out of concept art and into whatâs Actually Done! Showcased here are a couple expressions for both pets so far with their dialogue balloons - mostly pulled from NPC references, but I did get a screenshot of my pet in-game using it in reply, not just in Kinzchat! So cute <3
Theyâre both introducing themselves here with the names Iâve given them, but I really wanted the process to be as Webkinz-like as possible, with a few extras :)
Which started with being able to pick pet pronouns! Thinking about it now, Webkinz doesnât ask for player pronouns, does it? :0 But I wanted that to be an option too! It was...something of a process to go from one set of adjustable pronouns to three, especially as I havenât played with any Ghosts that give you the option to assign both the character(s)â and playerâs pronouns! I had to give it a fair bit of thought of what to check against and how to not have them interfere with or overwrite each other (which did happen early on lol), but I got it! Only took a couple hours of frustrated-sleepily hammering away haha
These screenshots were taken pretty much back-to-back - the only thing changed here is what shell is being used, and shell-checking has come in soooo clutch here ahh, thank goodness â„ Many and big thank-yous again to @cherryistiredââ for helping me troubleshoot menu shell-switching! Exactly what I needed, am very grateful :D
My original concept sketch of this process was perhaps a little overconfident in what I could accomplish for my first time playing in code lol; I have seen custom pronoun-setting though! And I think I probably could do that, but multiple pronouns... Again, I think I could, but... The name of the game was limiting my scope (lol) to see how many Different things I could implement in short order, so Iâll gladly take my three sets of pronouns and pet names vs. player name and go haha
Itâs also a bit funny to look back on this little Diamond - I really havenât drawn her much! Kind of loosely following Webkinzâ style, her face looks especially silly I think haha
Iâve also got my main menu balloon looking rather fabulous imo âš Technically thereâs two - More and Back - and most of the features are Very Much in the Coming Soon To A Ghost Near You phase lol, but theyâre all {bracketed} up to be filled in as I get their assets made :D Thereâs still a few placeholder pieces here and there - especially since I havenât gotten to inter-Ghost communication just yet. Everything in its own time!
I ended up having a lot-a lot of fun with naming and renaming, I went a little silly with Just How Many reactions the pets could have to their names haha
Theyâll refuse to be named after any of the Hosts directly, and theyâll give you a side-eye if the name is Close To but not Quite a match haha
The mischievous expression has gotten an awful lot of use already! Although Iâll probably change the âNu-uh!â expression to something else once I have an alternative that fits better - I need that gradient-to-mad expression set so bad!
And although they wonât accept NPC names, you can name yourself after a Host, and theyâll react! :D There really is so much flexibility for Easter Eggs like this ahh, itâs fun!
All told, I ended up playing the most in Bootend, Menu, Nameteach (hgh), and String, although Iâm realizing now that maybe a lot of the stuff I put in String belongs in Word...? Itâs all been OnFunctions anyhow, and itâs organized in a way that makes sense to me but is perhaps not as intended lol - nothing says I canât go back in and move some stuff around, as long as it continues to function properly haha. Iâve kept my error log neat and tidy!! As many times as Iâve broken something, Iâve fixed it thereafter! :D Itâs a very satisfying process âȘ
#My art#Ghostkinz#Diamond#Rocky#Webkinz#Ukadevlog#Probably the last one for the time being! I've moved on to the next Monthly Project so that's taking up my focus for the time being#Though there is more concept art for some of the unfinished features so I mean... I Could make another lol#And if I may have possibly chosen a monthly task I'm fairly sure I can finish before the end of the month so I can back to a bit of coding#Well I mean that would just be serendipitous I'm just giving myself a little extra wiggle room who knows what will happen#Lol#It really has been hard to Actively set down in favour of other things but I said I'd work on it for a month and that's that!#It was an enriching experiment and I can come back to it once some other things are in order âȘ#Much better to leave a project on an ''I can't wait to come back!'' than a ''Oh thank goodness I don't have to anymore'' haha#It really is something I'd like to see through; for my sake so I can actually have the satisfaction of Finishing Something#Constantly frustrated by my ideas not being in the state they deserve to be released it hh#I can see them in my mind's eye! They're beautiful and wonderful! I want everyone to see what I see!#And I know I /can/ do it!!!! I just - like here - tend to underestimate the scope#But now that I've given it my best go in this time frame I have a better understanding of what I'm up against#Of course I couldn't make something simple as my first go 'round lol - even simplifying as much as I can here it's still Very lol#But I genuinely am cutting corners so I don't stagnate in ''No it HAS to be like THIS!'' - since that's where a lot of my projects trip#It doesn't have to be perfect - it has to be Done Enough - and I fully intend to release it once it is#I have a lot of lofty hopes for this project - but if I can capture that electrifying Have To Make feeling into it#To keep pressing on and not give up and keep learning and growing - that's what I very very much want the most <3#Gonna keep at it >:3c Gonna keep learning and implementing! And gonna finish it!!!!!!
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finally finished all of one character's entire quests/optional dialogue/questions/etc.... 100,000 words... .... aughhh
#Given some of it IS lines of code and stuff but like.. minus all that it's still probably at least 85 - 95k words hhhhhh#AND I have to do this for another 3 characters. Then a few partial quests for 3 others. THEN the other random misc stuff in the game#(like there are public areas in the city like a park and a forest that you can go and do a few things at. and chat with a few random#townsfolk that aren't actually full characters or anything. And there's a community board where you can#browse some of the random job advertisments or silly things that happen to be posted around#and also pick up a few odd jobs of your own to help earn coin to buy gifts for the npcs. etc. etc.)#Originally I was thinking like 'ah I'll make a short little game just to try it out! :3 It'll take maybe a few months!''#haha........................hee hee........................................hoho#Also evil that it would have been done already if I didn't totally drop itand stop working on it for like 5 years randomly#i could have made 5 years of steady slow progress gradually. instead of like 'one initial idea dump + about a month of art and writing'#...... 5 year break..... 'sudden mad dash to try to get probably 400.000 words written in a year or less' lol#I just really want to be done and have something out there already so it can lead to doing other things in my world..!!!!!! T o T#Like this can be an introduction and then maybe from that I can make other games. or short story anthologies. or other such things#But there needs to be some initially not very complex easy to interact with starting point first I guess... if that makes sense#That's part of why I stopped posting worldbuilding lore dump stuff as often because its' like.. massive walls of novella length#text are much more inacessible to engage with than like.. ooh a game! and there's characters! so its more approachable! and theres#visuals! oo! and the text is broken up in small bits line by line with other things in betwen! oo! etc. etc. lol#Not that THIS is even very accessible. I think dialogue heavy interactive fiction/visual novel type stuff is pretty niche and considered#boring or tedious compared to something with more ''gamplay'' like where you can actually move around in a world#and shoot things or whatever lol. But its an inbetween point. something SLIGHTLY#more accesible for now. Since i just dont have the budget or means or ability to make some skyrim type thing obviously LOL#Though maybe if theres any interest in the visual novel that could lead to making other things too. or at least I hope. I have a VERY cool#idea for a more ''gamey'' type of game that is a super fun concept and etc. but I would need to hire at least 2 people to make it.. ough..#I could do all the writing and probably half of the art. But I think I'd inevitably need a 3d artist and someone who can Code For Real hbjh#the system for ren'py (the thing I'm making a visual novel in) is not that complicated if you stick to just simple dialogue and stuff.#Making a whole moderately sized 3d game with minigames in it and a bunch of quest features and etc. would be out of my simplistic scope#''just learn it yourself!!' ... i barely manage to eat and sleep reliably every day lol... i do not function well enough to spend months#learning that many new skills. I already have a lot of of things I'm good at (not in a braggy way but just factually like.. i already have#a wide variety of different things under my belt).. at some point I have to just be happy with what i CAN already do and focus on that#and admit I need to get outside help sometimes ghjbh... NO more new skills/hobbies!!! ... ANYWAY
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its entirely possible cathals horrible facial hair isnt returning bc im having such a hard time understanding how the new graphics work OTL
goodbye sad pathetic facial hair o7 u will live on in drawings alone
#im weighing if its even worth it to learn how to add....#bc i do like the fact im seeing what everyone else sees but also. he needs to be kind of ugly all the time#before it was so easy for me to fuck with textures bc they were low quality enough it didnt. entirely matter if they looked good.#and also bc some features were just like. bit-mapped (i think ) so it was rlly easy to edit the 'sclupting' for them#but now its like man idk. idk how the hair works at all#and if i make a new mesh. how do i attack it to the bones . to make sure it actually works as part of the face.#idk. i dont think its worth it#but im asking around anyways
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CAN YOU PLEASE, PLEASE ON MY KNEES WRITE ABOUT BITCHY!READER X RAFE AND IT'S SMUT?? I FEEL LIKE YOU'LL DO IT JUSTICE!!! thank you
you literally read my mind because i was just thinking of this prompt that works so well with bitchy!reader!! hope you'll enjoy <3 (if itâs bad, look away!!)
WHATEVER SHE WANTS | Rafe Cameron
MASTERLIST (Blurb) | x Bitchy!Kook!Female Reader
Content â 18+, power/dominance play, p in v, doggy style, orgasm denial, and dirty talks
Word Count â 2.2K
lıllılı Whatever She Wants by Bryson Tiller
You always wanted Rafe.
It's your right. Since you were a child, you demanded the best in everythingâtoys, clothes, boyfriends. They had to be perfect. Had to be yours. And yes, it may come off a little superficial but who cares? It's what you deserve, and it'll be hell if you don't get it.
Since the first look, when you caught Rafe lounging on a chair with his friends, tipping the rim of his beer onto his lips, while his eyes scanned over the room in an attractive lazy way, you knew you had to have him. It didn't help that you were competitive, and Rafe garnered attention with women. They flocked to him and begged for a minute of his time. It became a game to you, and that heightened your need.
Everything was calculated. The makeup you wore, the outfits you curated, the glances. You always timed your arrivalsâwhen you knew Rafe would be watching the doorâand marked your exits. You knew exactly what to wearâdresses that tantalizing exposes your ass, but only as a previewâand the cosmetic style he liked. Rafe's the type of man who believes he wants a bare-faced woman, but truly, he wants something natural that enhances your features.
You came with friends. You left alone. You drank enough to loosen your nerves and danced with the crowd, but not enough to make a fool of yourself. You knew your tolerance and knew Rafe didn't like a messy girl.
At least, in public.
You caught his gaze a couple of times, flashing a flirtatious smile over your shoulders, but never lingered longer than three seconds. Rafe can't know how easy he can have you, because Rafe, like most boys, loves a chase. You're not easy, you're spoiled. He had to come to you.
And he did.
Rafe tried to introduce himself on several occasions. On those nights when you're leaving earlyâas plannedâRafe would cut to the door to pay a parting remark. "You're leaving so soon?" he would ask, "Alone? Again?" He would add. You always told him it was because no one caught your eye, and Rafe took that as a personal challenge. He would then try to tell you his name, as if he were different, to which you nodâdetachedâas if it didn't matter.
It drove him insane.
Because you didn't offer the same courtesy. You kept him guessing. He had to finally ask around to learn your name, which he would use to tease you the next time he saw you. And he did. And you laughed. But you acted like you didn't care. Like all the trouble he went through didn't prove a thing. That's when Rafe knew he needed you.
Tonight's no different. Just as you're about to leave, Rafe catches you with another smooth pick-up line. You just giggle. He studies how your eyes crinkle with amusement, the curve of your lips painted in his favorite shade of lipstick, and the lithe tilt of your head to the side as you ask him with your gaze, is that the best you got?
It isn't. But Rafe's determined to get further with you tonight. He continues to talk, asking about which men disappointed you and the reasons for your constant disappearances from these parties. And, for once, you're answering his questions with little resistance. Perhaps, it's because of the amount of cheap wines you consumed, or maybe youâfor onceâare tired of the games and want it to come to a fruitful end. Because when Rafe finally asks to take you home, you don't say no.
The walk to his truck is brisk. His arm wrapped around your waist, directing your path, while his fingers trail over the backless cut of your dress, producing a buzzing feeling beneath your skin. He's whispering something in your ear, but all of it is incomprehensible as you revel in the feeling of his touch and his touch alone. The feeling of your game coming to a conclusion.
And, just as you're about to reach the car, Rafe slams you into the side of the vehicle with a searing kiss.
His mouth catches yours and everything feels perfect. As if the buildup leading to this precise moment had been worth it, and every needy emotion rises to the top. His hand travels down the length of your body, to your hips, pulling you closer, and needing to eliminate all the space and wait you made him do.
Rafe's movements are swift and controlled. One of his hands props open the backdoor of his car, pushing you inside, and laying you against his leather seats. All without breaking the kiss.
"You don't know how long I wanted this, wanted you," Rafe blubbers between wet kisses. "Seeing you at every party, in these tiny dresses, not being able to touch," he rasps, bundling the hem of your dress into a tight fist. "Tell me you wear them for me."
"And if I did?" You say with a moan, tipping your head back to grant him access to your neck. "Did you like them?"
"Of course I did," he murmurs against the curve of your neck, the vibration of his words sending heat straight to your core. "You dressing up for me like my own perfect doll."
You want to retort that it's him who's in the palm of your hand, but Rafe sucks on a sensitive spot, causing your eyes to roll back and a whimper to escape your lips instead. He grabs your wrists with one hand, throwing them over his shoulder as he pulls you flush against his chest.
"So pretty, so fucking untouchable," Rafe kisses down the length of your throat, his fingers collecting the spaghetti straps of your dress before sliding it down the slope of your shoulders. "I'm going to fuck you so good."
His words snap you out of your haze. And while Rafe continues to expose more of your body, lamenting each reveal of flesh with a kiss, you withdraw enough to grab his attention.
"You're not fucking me in a car."
"What?" Rafe breaths, unable to snap out of the trace you had him in. Delirious with want, his mind warped around the idea of you being so close to attainable, that all rational manners left his system. He tries to kiss you again, to resume the moment, but you pull enough to send him a deadly glare, pouty and spoiled.
"Rafe, take me somewhere nice or we're not fucking at all."
He can't believe what he's hearing. He can't believe he's contemplating it. But Rafe doesn't understand that you have it all planned out to result in a perfect moment. You won't let it be disrupted just because Rafe can't drive the extra mile to take you somewhere nice. You'd rather leave him with blue balls.
"Are you serious?" He asks slowly, his eyes drawn to your swollen lips, the little pout, and the desperation to have them back on his. Sure, Rafe's had girls who wanted something more than a casual fling. He had them ask him for a better spot, but he never obliged. He never cared. But you're different. He wants you, and it's been a hell of a chase to get you here. He'll be damned if he lets it slip away because of a pretentious standard.
"Does it look like I'm joking?" You cross your arms over your chest, pushing your breasts further up. He nearly groans at the sight. "We're not having sex here."
"The nearest place has to be at least a fifteen-minute drive," Rafe argues. And it makes you upset, brows pinched together. "We can justâ"
"I don't care," you snap. "Take me somewhere nice or I'm leaving."
You're serious. He sees it on your face. Rafe can't risk that, despite wanting to protest, because he knows he if he messes this up, he won't have another chance. Swearing under his breath, he drags himself out of the backseat and into the driver's side, pulling the car out of the parking lot.
Dangerously, Rafe speeds down the road, while you're sitting in the backseat with a self-satisfied demeanor, fixing your makeup through the rearview mirror. Occasionally, Rafe spares a glance through the same reflection, connecting with your gaze, and while there's subtle bitterness coiled in his chest, he recognizes the bigger prize at hand.
And what he can do with it.
Because, despite your bratty attitude, Rafe is a person who wants control. You want perfection. You two can have both.
That's how you find yourself in a newly-booked penthouse suite at one of the bougie hotels in Kildare, your head digging into the soft comforter of the bed, your ass in the air, as Rafe drills into you from behind.
When you reached the room, everything moved frantically. Rafe slammed you against the nearest wall to kiss you againâneeding your lips, needing your tasteâwhile his hands roamed over your dress and pulled down your cleavage, revealing your tits. Your hands wandered down his pants, unbuttoning them hurriedly, needily, and he assisted you by pulling them off alongside his boxers. His cock was big, slightly red with a pearly bead of pre-cum that rolls off the tip. And you could tell by the look on Rafe's face that he wanted you to suck it.
But you told him, "I don't do blowjobs."
So fucking pretentious.
It didn't matter. He hauled you over to the king-sized bed and pushed you onto the mattress. You landed with a soft thump, while Rafe hauled you up to your ass, pushing up your dress, until it became nothing but a bundle around your waist. His movements were urgent, and he wantedâno, neededâto be inside you because a bratty girl was going to be a great fuck.
And he was right.
You're perfect. The way you wrap around him, the way he sinks inside you. He doesn't know if it's because of the delirium of wanting you so desperately, of chasing you for so longâbut he never had better pussy. And it doesn't help that your moans are sweet, breathy, and loudâbegging him to go faster.
"Such a pretentious brat," Rafe grabs your throat, hauling you upwards till your spine rest on his chest, airway constricted by his harsh grip. "Making me wait this fucking long."
"RâRafe," you mewl, eyes rolling to the back of your skull at the way he's angling his cock deep into your cervix, bullying the sensitive spot over and over again until you're seeing stars.
"Had to get the princess treatment, did you?" He murmurs hotly into your ear, nibbling a spot on your neck as you rest the back of your head on his shoulder. His thrusts grow more erratic. "Had to make me earn you, didn't you?"
"You weren't going to fuck me in a car," you persist, and despite how cockdrunk you became, and how much of an attitude you're willing to sacrifice to feel good, you were still adamant about receiving what you deemed enough. He respected that. "I'm not one of your whores."
"But I'm fucking you like my own personal slut. Is that any better?" He bites the lobe of your ear, and his other hand wanders up to grab a handful of your breast, squeezing the fat before rolling your perked nipple between his fingers. You moan louder. "What does that make you?"
You can't seem to answer him, can't seem to find your senses. The words Rafe uses are vulgar, but thereâs still no regrets about this entire thing. Rafe wanted you so badly, that he was willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a hotel he probably won't even stay the night in. All because you demanded it.
You win.
"Shut up," you stammer, your stomach tightening. "Shut up and just fuck me, Rafe."
Rafe grins. The hand playing with your tits slips between your thighs to assist, finding your clit easily as he rubs it with his thumb in sync with his thrusts. Breathy moans escape you as you arch into his palm, while he pistons deeper inside of you, bottoming out.
"You sound so pretty, doll," Rafe murmurs against your heated skin, "Come on, take my fucking cock."
Everythingâs so dirty. The way he handles you, the way your wetness drips down your thighs, the way his words breathe onto your skin and tighten your core. But you love it. You do, but you're not willing to give in so easily. No matter how good it feels. No matter how much he feels like a prize.
"You don't deserve me." You whisper with a mewl, body tightening with the familiar wave of your undoing.
Yet, Rafe merely grins.
"But you're sucking in my cock like you need me," Rafe taunts, pleasure coursing through his body at the way your walls grip him in a vice. The way your words spark challenge and invitation. He knows, despite your spoiled attitude and pretentious demands, he'll do anything to get another chance like this. "Now, behave like a good girl or you're not coming tonight."
IMPORTANT: if you want to follow my fics and updates, follow @zyafics-library and turn on notifications!
tagging @starkeysprincess bc she saw it first <3
#rafe cameron#rafe obx#rafe x reader#rafe outer banks#rafe imagine#rafe smut#rafe fic#rafe x you#rafe fanfiction#rafe cameron fic#rafe cameron smut#obx fanfiction#obx fic#obx x reader#obx smut#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron x y/n#obx#rafe cameron x female reader#outer banks#rafe cameron x you#rafe cameron and you#rafe cameron and reader#rafe cameron and y/n#rafe cameron fanfiction#rafe cameron fanfic
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Horses: Since There Seems To Be A Knowledge Gap
I'm going to go ahead and preface this with: I comment pretty regularly on clips and photos featuring horses and horseback riding, often answering questions or providing explanations for how or why certain things are done. I was a stable hand and barrel racer growing up, and during my 11 year tenure on tumblr, Professional Horse Commentary is a very niche, yet very necessary, subject that needs filling. Here are some of the literary and creative gaps I've noticed in well meaning (and very good!) creators trying to portray horses and riding realistically that... well, most of you don't seem to even be aware of, because you wouldn't know unless you worked with horses directly!
Some Of The Most Common Horse + Riding Mistakes I See:
-Anybody can ride any horse if you hold on tight enough/have ridden once before.
Nope. No, no, no, no, aaaaaaaand, no. Horseback riding has, historically, been treated as a life skill taught from surprisingly young ages. It wasn't unusual in the pre-vehicular eras to start teaching children as young as 4 to begin to ride, because horses don't come with airbags, and every horse is different. For most adults, it can take months or years of regular lessons to learn to ride well in the saddle, and that's just riding; not working or practicing a sport.
Furthermore, horses often reject riders they don't know. Unless a horse has been trained like a teaching horse, which is taught to tolerate riders of all skill and experience levels, it will take extreme issue with having some random person try to climb on their back. Royalty, nobility, and the knighted classes are commonly associated with the "having a favorite special horse" trope, because it's true! Just like you can have a particularly special bond with a pet or service animal that verges on parental, the same can apply with horses. Happy horses love their owners/riders, and will straight-up do their best to murder anyone that tries to ride them without permission.
-Horses are stupid/have no personality.
There isn't a more dangerous assumption to make than assuming a horse is stupid. Every horse has a unique personality, with traits that can be consistent between breeds (again, like cat and dog breeds often have distinct behavior traits associated with them), but those traits manifest differently from animal to animal.
My mother had an Arabian horse, Zipper, that hated being kicked as a signal to gallop. One day, her mom and stepdad had a particularly unpleasant visitor; an older gentleman that insisted on riding Zipper, but refused to listen to my mother's warnings never to kick him. "Kicking" constitutes hitting the horse's side(s) with your heels, whether you have spurs on or not. Most horses only need a gentle squeeze to know what you want them to do.
Anyway, Zipper made eye-contact with my mom, asking for permission. He understood what she meant when she nodded at him. He proceeded to give this asshole of a rider road rash on the side of the paddock fence and sent him to the emergency room. He wouldn't have done it if he didn't have the permission from the rider he respected, and was intelligent enough to ask, "mind if I teach this guy a lesson?" with his eyes, and understand, "Go for it, buddy," from my mom in return.
-Riding bareback is possible to do if you hold onto the horse's mane really tight.
Riding a horse bareback (with no saddle, stirrups, or traditional harness around the horse's head) is unbelievably difficult to learn, particularly have testicles and value keeping them. Even professional riders and equestrians find ourselves relying on tack (the stuff you put on a horse to ride it) to stay stable on our horses, even if we've been riding that particular horse for years and have a very positive, trusting relationship.
Horses sweat like people do. The more they run, the more their hair saturates with sweat and makes staying seated on them slippery. Hell, an overworked horse can sweat so heavily that the saddle slips off its back. It's also essential to brush and bathe a horse before it's ridden in order to keep it healthier, so their hair is often quite slick from either being very clean or very damp. In order to ride like that, you have to develop the ability to synchronize your entire body's rhythm's with the rhythm of the horse's body beneath you, and quite literally move as one. Without stirrups, most people can't do it, and some people can never master bareback riding no matter how many years they spend trying to learn.
-You can be distracted and make casual conversation while a horse is standing untethered in the middle of a barn or field.
At every barn I've ever worked at, it's been standard practice with every single horse, regardless of age or temperament, to secure their heads while they're being tacked up or tacked down. The secures for doing this are simple ropes with clips that are designed to attach to the horse's halter (the headwear for a horse that isn't being ridden; they have no bit that goes in the horse's mouth, and no reins for a rider to hold) on metal O rings on either side of the horse's head. This is not distressing to the horse, because we give them plenty of slack to turn their heads and look around comfortably.
The problem with trying to tack up an unrestrained horse while chatting with fellow stable hands or riders is that horses know when you're distracted! And they often try to get away with stuff when they know you're not looking! In a barn, a horse often knows where the food is stored, and will often try to tiptoe off to sneak into the feed room.
Horses that get into the feed room are often at a high risk of dying. While extremely intelligent, they don't have the ability to throw up, and they don't have the ability to tell that their stomach is full and should stop eating. Allowing a horse into a feed/grain room WILL allow it to eat itself to death.
Other common woes stable hands and riders deal with when trying to handle a horse with an unrestrained head is getting bitten! Horses express affection between members of their own herd, and those they consider friends and family, through nibbling and surprisingly rough biting. It's not called "horseplay" for nothing, because during my years working with horses out in the pasture, it wasn't uncommon at all for me to find individuals with bloody bite marks on their withers (that high part on the middle of the back of their shoulders most people instinctively reach for when they try to get up), and on their backsides. I've been love-bitten by horses before, and while flattering, they hurt like hell on fleshy human skin.
So, for the safety of the horse, and everybody else, always make a show of somehow controlling the animal's head when hands-on and on the ground with them.
-Big Horse = War Horse
Startlingly, the opposite is usually the case! Draft and carriage horses, like Percherons and Friesians, were never meant to be used in warfare. Draft horses are usually bred to be extremely even-tempered, hard to spook, and trustworthy around small children and animals. Historically, they're the tractors of the farm if you could afford to upgrade from oxen, and were never built to be fast or agile in a battlefield situation.
More importantly, just because a horse is imposing and huge doesn't make it a good candidate for carrying heavy weights. A real thing that I had to be part of enforcing when I worked at a teaching ranch was a weight limit. Yeah, it felt shitty to tell people they couldn't ride because we didn't have any horses strong enough to carry them due to their weight, but it's a matter of the animal's safety. A big/tall/chonky horse is more likely to be built to pull heavy loads, but not carry them flat on their spines. Horses' muscular power is predominantly in their ability to run and pull things, and too heavy a rider can literally break a horse's spine and force us to euthanize it.
Some of the best war horses out there are from the "hot blood" family. Hot blooded horses are often from dry, hot, arid climates, are very small and slight (such as Arabian horses), and are notoriously fickle and flighty. They're also a lot more likely to paw/bite/kick when spooked, and have even sometimes been historically trained to fight alongside their rider if their rider is dismounted in combat; kicking and rearing to keep other soldiers at a distance.
-Any horse can be ridden if it likes you enough.
Just like it can take a lifetime to learn to ride easily, it can take a lifetime of training for a horse to comfortably take to being ridden or taking part in a job, like pulling a carriage. Much like service animals, horses are typically trained from extremely young ages to be reared into the job that's given to them, and an adult horse with no experience carrying a rider is going to be just as scared as a rider who's never actually ridden a horse.
Just as well, the process of tacking up a horse isn't always the most comfortable experience for the horse. To keep the saddle centered on the horse's back when moving at rough or fast paces, it's essential to tighten the belly strap (cinch) of the saddle as tightly as possible around the horse's belly. For the horse, it's like wearing a tight corset, chafes, and even leaves indents in their skin afterward that they love having rinsed with water and scratched. Some horses will learn to inflate their bellies while you're tightening the cinch so you can't get it as tight as it needs to be, and then exhale when they think you're done tightening it.
When you're working with a horse wearing a bridle, especially one with a bit, it can be a shocking sensory experience to a horse that's never used a bit before. While they lack a set of teeth naturally, so the bit doesn't actually hurt them, imagine having a metal rod shoved in your mouth horizontally! Unless you understand why it's important for the person you care about not dying, you'd be pretty pissed about having to keep it in there!
-Horseback riding isn't exercise.
If you're not using every muscle in your body to ride with, you're not doing it right.
Riding requires every ounce of muscle control you have in your entire body - although this doesn't mean it wasn't realistic for people with fat bodies to stay their weight while also being avid riders; it doesn't mean the muscles aren't there. To stay on the horse, you need to learn how it feels when it moves at different gaits (walk, trot, canter, gallop), how to instruct it to switch leads (dominant legs; essential for precise turning and ease of communication between you and the horse), and not falling off. While good riders look like they're barely moving at all, that's only because they're good riders. They know how to move so seamlessly with the horse, feeling their movements like their own, that they can compensate with their legs and waists to not bounce out of the saddle altogether or slide off to one side. I guarantee if you ride a horse longer than 30 minutes for the first time, your legs alone will barely work and feel like rubber.
-Horses aren't affectionate.
Horses are extraordinarily affectionate toward the right people. As prey animals, they're usually wary of people they don't know, or have only recently met. They also - again, like service animals - have a "work mode" and a "casual mode" depending upon what they're doing at the time. Horses will give kisses like puppies, wiggle their upper lips on your hair/arms to groom you, lean into neck-hugs, and even cuddle in their pasture or stall if it's time to nap and you join them by leaning against their sides. If they see you coming up from afar and are excited to see you, they'll whinny and squeal while galloping to meet you at the gate. They'll deliberately swat you with their tails to tease you, and will often follow you around the pasture if they're allowed to regardless of what you're up to.
-Riding crops are cruel.
Only cruel people use riding crops to hurt their horses. Spurs? I personally object to, because any horse that knows you well doesn't need something sharp jabbing them in the side for emphasis when you're trying to tell them where you want them to go. Crops? Are genuinely harmless tools used for signalling a horse.
I mean, think about it. Why would crops be inherently cruel instruments if you need to trust a horse not to be afraid of you and throw you off when you're riding it?
Crops are best used just to lightly tap on the left or right flank of the horse, and aren't universally used with all forms of riding. You'll mainly see crops used with English riding, and they're just tools for communicating with the horse without needing to speak.
-There's only one way to ride a horse.
Not. At. All. At most teaching ranches, you'll get two options: Western, or English, because they tend to be the most popular for shows and also the most common to find equipment for. English riding uses a thinner, smaller saddle, narrower stirrups, and much thinner bridles. I, personally, didn't like English style riding because I never felt very stable in such a thin saddle with such small stirrups, and didn't start learning until my mid teens. English style riding tends to focus more on your posture and deportment in the saddle, and your ability to show off your stability and apparent immovability on the horse. It was generally just a bit too stiff and formal for me.
Western style riding utilizes heavier bridles, bigger saddles (with the iconic horn on the front), and broader stirrups. Like its name may suggest, Western riding is more about figuring out how to be steady in the saddle while going fast and being mobile with your upper body. Western style riding is generally the style preferred for working-type shows, such as horseback archery, gunning, barrel racing, and even rodeo riding.
-Wealthy horse owners have no relationship with their horses.
This is loosely untrue, but I've seen cases where it is. Basically, horses need to feel like they're working for someone that matters to them in order to behave well with a rider and not get impatient or bored. While it's common for people to board horses at off-property ranches (boarding ranches) for cost and space purposes, it's been historically the truth that having help is usually necessary with horses at some point. What matters is who spends the most time with the animal treating it like a living being, rather than a mode of transport or a tool. There's no harm in stable hands handling the daily upkeep; hay bales and water buckets are heavy, and we're there to profit off the labor you don't want or have the time to do. You get up early to go to work; we get up early to look after your horses. Good owners/boarders visit often and spend as much of their spare time as they can with spending quality work and playtime with their horses. Otherwise, the horses look to the stable hands for emotional support and care.
So, maybe you're writing a knight that doesn't really care much for looking after his horse, but his squire is really dedicated to keeping up with it? There's a better chance of the horse having a more affectionate relationship with the squire thanks to the time the squire spends on looking after it, while the horse is more likely to tolerate the knight that owns it as being a source of discipline if it misbehaves. That doesn't mean the knight is its favorite person. When it comes to horses, their love must be earned, and you can only earn it by spending time with them hands-on.
-Horses can graze anywhere without concern.
This is a mistake that results in a lot of premature deaths! A big part of the cost of owning a horse - even before you buy one - is having the property that will be its pasture assessed for poisonous plants, and having those plants removed from being within the animal's reach. This is an essential part of farm upkeep every year, because horses really can't tell what's toxic and what isn't. One of the reasons it's essential to secure a horse when you aren't riding it is to ensure it only has a very limited range to graze on, and it's your responsibility as the owner/rider to know how to identify dangerous plants and keep your horses away from them.
There's probably more. AMA in my askbox if you have any questions, but that's all for now. Happy writing.
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Soon-to-be Single!Price sending this to his soon-to-be cheater wife to show her how good the new babysitter is taking care of him (đœ link)
Johnâs intentions with bringing you into the house as a babysitter were genuinely pure. He wanted you to help fill the void inside his twin daughtersâ hearts ripped open by their absent, whoring mother.Â
One night he finds himself scrolling through the Au Pair website looking for the suitable candidate and he finds you. A foreigner, good with kids, previously working as a tutor and now currently on a gap year from studying at university to give a helping hand mouth and pussy to families like his. And that is how he brought you into his home.Â
Johnâs wife seemingly did not care, as long as her kids didnât bother her, she couldnât care about whoâs taking care of them.Â
Day by day, John becomes enamoured by you. The way you took care of his kids was pulling at his heart strings, daring him to get closer to you, to get to know you better and possibly become friends so that he has someone to take to. That is his intention, right?
He learns your favourite colour, food, the flowers you like, the designer items on your wishlist hoping to be rich enough to buy them. He memorises your features. Your perfect lips, manicured hands, your prim and proper appearance in front of him is almost like a facade to protect yourself.Â
And it is, you try to protect yourself from John, to keep a distance and always be polite with an air of professionalism. You canât let him know that your head over heels to hear his gravelling voice, to stare at his cerulean eyes or even just to get close enough to smell his cologne. You definitely didnât want him to think of you as a strange au pair that he regretted choosing.Â
Often you and John would find yourselves alone in the home after tending to the girls and putting them to bed and going to the kitchen to enjoy a snack before bed. Tonight, you find John leaning against the kitchen counter sipping on a glass of whiskey as you go to open the fridge. You know, politely acknowledging his presence.Â
âCare to share a glass with me?â Johnâs smooth voice engulfs your presence.Â
You turn back looking at him as you give him a soft smile, âThank you for the offer Mr Price, but-â
Before you finish, he puts his hand up signalling you to stop talking and sighs before taking another sip of his drink.Â
âTurning down a man going through a divorce?âÂ
Your eyes widen at his question, âYou and Mrs Price are-â
âThat slut doesnât deserve to be called by my last name.â He says curtly.Â
You nod, making your way next to him and pouring yourself a drink and taking a sip, the liquid deliciously burning down your throat.
âIâd appreciate you not telling the girls, I donât want them worrying.â
âOf course, sir-â
âJohn. Just John is fine.â
âAlright, John.â You say and John swears that you were a siren in disguise at that moment. Your sweet voice calling his name like a holy man being lulled in by a succubus.Â
A few too many drinks later, you find yourself in such a predicament. On the floor, watching yourself in the mirror as you sloppily makeout with Johnâs cock as he records you. Suckling his head, you drool onto the floor, laving it as your tongue prods at his slit, guttural moans spewing out of his mouth encouraging your ministrations.Â
You let go of his tip with a âpopâ noise, making your way down his length. Long wet drags on your tongue along Johnâs veins cause him to shiver in delight, begging his body not to cum too early on.Â
His voice cuts through the air of whimpers and wet sucks as John addresses his wife in the video.Â
âYou could never suck my cock like this and youâve given yourself wrinkles from the amount of dumbfucks you blew after work.â
John forcefully takes your mouth off his cock, halting the momentum of pleasure inside of him. He grabs your chin harshly, making you face the camera. Your lips red and bitten from his kisses, drool staining your chin as you look at the camera doe-eyed and needy.
âThis sweet little thing takes care of the girls better than you do. Sheâll be a better wife than you, ya slag.â
#john price x reader#cod smut#john price#john price cod#john price smut#captain john#tf141 smut#captain price#john price x you#price x reader#captain price x reader#price x you#price x y/n#price smut#price cod#captain john price x you#john price x y/n#captain john price smut#captain john price x reader#captain john price#captain price x female reader#captain price smut#captain price x you#captain price x y/n#captain john price x female reader#cod x reader#tf 141 x reader#links#spicy links#twt links
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Vaguely inspired by that one post where Danny gets summoned by the JL and keeps throwing his shoes and stuff at them bc HE might not be able to leave the summoning circle but his clothes sure can!
I think the twist for that was that the circle doesnt effect him at all because hes a halfa and he was just goofing with the JL.
But imagine if the summoning and containment WORKED.
Like, he gets summoned and its startling, but once he realizes hes been summoned hes mostly annoyed.
Its a school night! He has work to do! Sure he wasnt DOING it, but it was still a possibility!
And hes trying to banter with the JL. Which for him just means being vaguely-obnoxious-but-somewhat-charming.
But then he tries to leave.
Maybe hes worried about his friends reaction to seeing him disappear.
Maybe the JL are saying some anti ghost/demon/whatever they think he is nonsense.
Maybe he changed his mind about doing that homework.
But either way, it doesnt work.
He drags his hand along the edge of the spell. It doesnt give, and he realizes hes not sure what this spell is supposed to do.
Its all along the floor beneth him, he cant fly through the floor.
He tries to get away from the walls and floor, worried whatever spell makes up the container can be triggered to hurt him or brainwash him or SOMETHING.
Its not his best guest, but he has never been summoned before, at least not with this type of barrier, and he doesnt know what to expect.
He barely gets a few feet off the ground when he hits the spells invisible roof.
And he is trapped.
And now this fourteen year old child is caged in a room with clearly dangerous adult strangers.
After hes been more or less kidnapped.
Heâs suddenly regretting insulting them.
And its not his first time beimg kidnapped. Or his first time being in danger in general (obviously).
but its usually some ghost! Or Vlad âLoser, I hardly know her!â Masters!
Both of whom explain literally everything they plan in long ass evil monologues! It usually takes danny five minutes tops to learn their entire life story Dr Doofenshmirtz style!
He knows most of them personally! They hang out sometimes! Heck! even the local ghost hunters are either literally related to him or someone heâs dated!
He knows their powersets, their strengths, their weaknesses.
Most importantly, he knows their goals
But now hes trapped. In a room of clearly superpowerd strangers. With magical abilities strong enough to trap him for real.
And has no idea what they want
And Danny just freezes up
This could be super angsty if the JL were told that he was evil and think his panic + young features are only done to manipulate them.
You can also add angst with a language barrier/translation issue
I imagine the JL would be trying to get information about ghosts/ are trying to get someone to fight a villain they canât defeat
Its going to scare the shit out of Danny either way- like imagine fourteen year old you gets kidnapped by strangers and they start asking you about your weaknesses or say they will only let you out if you agree to fight this monster.
And if Danny doesnt know this villain or how tf hes going to fight them he might feel like hes being sent off to get his ass kicked.
I can just imagine Danny being told he has to fight this supervillain and being like ââŠif i like..dieâŠtrying to fight this guyâŠwhat are you going to do with my body? Like will you send me home? Cause my family will freak if my corpse is teleported into the living roomâ
JL would not be happy about any of his responses.
Im begging someone to write this please have a nice day
#danny phantom#dp x dc#justice league#justice league x danny phantom#not a ship#dc x dp#dc x dp crossover#dcxdp#dpxdc#misunderstandings#angst potential
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Tie my tie, marry me
Summary: The moment Nanami knew he never wanted to tie his tie by himself ever again and wanted to spend the rest of his life by your side. fluffy, nanami x fem!reader, nanami already loves everything you do but something about tying his tie was so intimate and special to him
It had been a year since Nanami officially asked you to be his girlfriend, but you had just started staying over during the weekdays. If either of you would stay at each other's houses, it would only be during the weekends when you both knew the next day could be dedicated to each other. Only recently had that unspoken rule changed.
You had both gone to the mall to shop for your new professional wardrobe and Nanami asked if he could buy a few extra things for you to keep at his house. You both knew what that implied and told him he could buy it, only if you could buy some stuff for him to keep at your house. You had both never been happier to spend more time and money at a crowded mall.
Nanami woke up a bit later for work than usual because of a power outage that turned off his alarm clock and did not charge his phone. You went into work after he did so you make his coffee and pack his lunch while he took a quick shower. You run into the bathroom to let him know he had less than 15 more minutes.
He steps out of the shower and grabs his razor to shave. You reach for the hairdryer he bought for you to keep at his house and start to dry his hair as he quickly shaves. You run out and start to rummage through his closet to set his clothes on the bed. Nanami finishes shaving and follows you out to get dressed.
"Shirt first, hurry," you take the shirt off the hanger and throw it to him.
Nanami begins to button the shirt when you get in front of him and start pulling his collar up and putting his tie around his neck. He looks at you with a questioning look and you quickly explain, "My dad taught me how to tie a tie. Never thought it'd come in handy since I never knew anyone who regularly wore a tie before you." You laugh at the memory but continue what you were doing to avoid making your boyfriend late.
Nanami however... his fingers stop buttoning his shirt. He looks at you, concentration and rush covering your features, but your fingers gently grazed his skin as you looped his tie. She's the first person to ever tie it for me, Nanami thinks. He had to learn how to do it from a video and was later corrected by some older male coworkers who showed him with their own ties.
The events of that morning finally dawn on him. You jumped out of bed right after you felt him jump out and started rushing around the apartment with him. He hadn't even mentioned that he was late, but you opened your eyes and knew what to do. He could smell the coffee from the room and heard the clanking of the leftover containers being opened and slid across counters from the shower. You dried his hair knowing that his route to work was not long enough to let it dry itself, and you took out exactly what he would have worn that day while he shaved. And now... there you stood before him, helping him tie his tie so his hands could do other things.
It seemed so... small. It was so small, so truly insignificant in the scale of life, something that could not hold weight in the world or change anything in the universe. But it changed his life, it was his favorite view in the world, and it would become his universe.
You look up at him and see him staring... and his hands not moving?! You move his hands away from the buttons and rush to finish buttoning it down. He takes your face in his hands and leans down to kiss you slowly. So very slow and soft. It stops you completely and you wrap your arms around his waist, relishing in the smell of his aftershave and body wash. Nanami deepens the kiss and moves an arm around your waist to pull you in closer. As much as you love when he pulls you in, the movement pulls you out of the kiss trance.
"Oh my god, Kento, hurry!! You're late, you're late!"
You step back and shove his pants into his arms. You tell him to hurry and that you'd grab his shoes to put by the door. You start yelling across the apartment that it would rain the entire afternoon and he needed to take the umbrella.
Nanami listens as you rustle through the closet looking for the umbrella and the light thud of what might have been his lunch bag and coffee thermal on the entryway table. He walks out the room putting on his suit jacket and sees you lightly jumping while telling him to hurry with his shoes.
Nanami leans down to tie his shoes but pauses after he's done. He goes to touch your bare leg since you hadn't even gotten dressed after waking up. You only wore his large shirt and underwear. He kneels and carefully lifts one leg to kiss your knee. He looks up from his kneeling position and says, "Thank you for helping. You really didn't have to."
His loving eyes close slightly while you lean down to give him one kiss as your response. "You're late," you whisper against his lips.
Nanami stands and takes his things while waving bye to you and your bed head. He heads out the door and begins a light jog to catch his regular train.
Yeap, she's the one, Nanami thinks.
Nanami spent his lunch break at the jewelry shop looking at rings that would look beautiful on your finger. There were so many engagement rings that would look gorgeous on you, but one caught his eye as he imagined that ring slightly moving on your finger as you tied his tie.
"I like that one. Do you have a size (your ring size) in stock?"
Nanami buys the ring at that moment and texts you to ask if he could come over to your house after work. He does not plan to propose on a regular Tuesday evening with no special plans, but he wants to hug you, smell your lovely perfume, take you some flowers, and give you a special thanks for helping him. And maybe, maaaayybe (most likely), stay over at your house to help him with his tie again the next morning.
#nanami kento#jjk nanami#jjk nanami kento#nanami#nanami x reader#jjk#jujutsu kaisen nanami#jujutsu kaisen nanami kento#jujutsu nanami#kento nanami#jjk nanami x reader#jjk nanami kento x reader#nanami kento x reader#nanami kento x fem!reader#jujutsu kaisen#jjk fluff#jjk x you#jujutsu kaisen fluff#nanami kento fluff#nanami fluff#nanami jjk#nanamin#jjk nanami kento x fem!reader#nanami x fem!reader#nanami x you#nanami x y/n#jjk x reader#nanamin fluff#nanami kento tie#jjk nanami kento tie
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đ„ older brother!soonyoung vs. boyfriend!jihoon.
@choco-scoups -> "what do we think about brother's best friend jihoon, but your brother is soonyoung"
â cussing, good-natured sibling bickering, suggestive joke. headcanons under the cut.
đ„ jihoon's notes on surviving the kwon siblings .á
The Kwon siblings are sulky as hell. Jihoon had thought that Soonyoung was the king of brooding, but then he met you. If he weren't dating you, he might even be impressed. As it is, though, he can only focus on managing the two of you's moods. Sure, Jihoon is a little biased. He thinks you're cute when you get all pouty; it makes him want to pinch your cheeks and hold you until that frown is gone from your face. When it's Soonyoung, though, he's a lot more exasperated. "You're a grown man, Soon. Get over it," he might grouseâ right before turning to a sullen you and asking if you want a kiss.
The Kwon siblings bicker. A lot. Jihoon doesn't have any brothers or sisters of his own, so he spent quite a bit of time worrying if the two of you were normal. He quickly learned that most siblings tend to butt heads, though you and Soonyoung tended to be a little more... over the top than the average pair. One too many times, Jihoon has been caught in between the two of you's screaming matches. His three-step plan to coming out unscathed is to 1) not take sides, 2) only step in if/when physical altercation occurs, and 3) try not to insult either of you. Even if he is inclined to believe that you're right, more often than not.
The Kwon siblings can be clingy. Before he was your boyfriend, Jihoon was Soonyoung's best friend. And so Jihoon had grown used to Soonyoung's insistences for meals out, Soonyoung's need to be responded to lest he thinks it's the end of the world. When it turned out that you were more or less similar, Jihoon could only shake his head and sigh to himself. He should have known what he was getting into. Really, Jihoon has the patience of a saint in balancing your overthinking and Soonyoung's peskiness. It's a whole love language, and Jihoon is fluent.
Soonyoung loves you. It's not something he says often. Call it the tendency of brothers to brush off emotion or downplay their own sentiments. But Soonyoung loves you in a ride-or-die kind of way, in an if-anything-happens-to-you-I-don't-know-what-I'd-do kind of way. Jihoon knows this. He knows it well. When you and Jihoon had started dating, Soonyoung had been fully supportive. He made a couple of 'jabs' here and thereâ "If you break their heart, I'll never forgive you!"â but Jihoon knew from the look in his best friend's eye, the set in Soonyoung's jaw, that it wasn't that much of a joke. Jihoon knows that Soonyoung trusting him with you is no small thing. He makes sure not to take it for granted.
You love Jihoon. You love Soonyoung. You would neverâ not in a million lifetimesâ choose Jihoon over Soonyoung. Even though you've threatened bodily harm on Soonyoung more times than can be counted; even though Jihoon is everything that you could want and more. Blood runs thicker than water. Jihoon knows that, too. That's why he never makes you choose. He's content to share the spot of 'favorite person' with your brother, the same way that there's no one else in the world that he trusts more than you two.
+ When the three of you are able to get it together long enough to go somewhere without gauging each other's eyes out, it's those moments that Jihoon secretly adores the most. He sometimes falls quiet, letting you and Kwon fill the conversation at the table, and he thinks of the time you forced him to watch that one Disney movie. Looks like the princess was right; Jihoon is spoken for. Everyone he's ever loved is here, within these walls, at this table, and he couldn't be more happy about it.
âïž jayyy! i know you said i could "keep this for a while," but when the req features two people on my bias line.. well! (áášá)
âș scroll through all my work àŽŠà”àŽŠàŽż ËÍÌêłËÍÌ )⧠ᶻ đ đ° .á my masterlist | @xinganhao
#jihoon smau#jihoon imagines#jihoon x reader#woozi smau#woozi imagines#woozi x reader#soonyoung smau#soonyoung imagines#hoshi smau#hoshi imagines#svt x reader#seventeen x reader#svt imagines#seventeen imagines#ââ á”ᔠ⊠mine#ââ á”ᔠ⊠reqs#[ whenever i do brother x bf smaus i always go kinda insane over what to tag LOL ]#[ also: i got this req and couldn't stop giggling ab it days after ]#[ so i just had to. god ily soonhoon ]#[ ALSO: i miss writing ab woozi :( ahuhuhu ]
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asia kate dillon (voice acting and guest starring) as LOS-307 in moon girl and devil dinosaur 1x04 "check yourself"
("part one" only referring to posting the audio, b/c the mp3 file size is too large for a single upload here or on discord, and i refuse lossy compression) (part two)
#asia kate dillon#LOS-307#i.e. the episode is not a ''part one.'' though i suppose it's possible for them to feature again; presumably just Guest Starringly again#they work at your school now....you're friends 100%....spoilers but i mean. cmon lol#meanwhile their design is that [large black immobile rectangular prism] with a Cyan or Red geometrically expressive light / screen display#the design of which is very fun But their expressiveness is clearly allll through their voice so conveniently the audio rly stands alone#especially given that ofc audio of theatrical performances is limited....you love the recorded roles that get to be so Vivacious#as this one extremely is. they're simply very open / directly earnestly expressive through voice. works great =)#but also tbh while we get the Elevated & Boisterous & Theatrical side of the range; the vivacity also includes thrilling [unusually quiet]#nothing recording every wavelength of your voice / picking up on quieter delivery than anything done in a recording booth#e.g. their lively but so quiet ''casey?'' here like omggggg. kisses them on the prism#also ofc went into this like ''i presume the computer's nonbinary but not necessarily that that will be specified''....Well#going Gasp the narration said they Gasp they said nonbinary Gasp they introduced themself w/pronouns Gasp this is understood & related to#the human experience of gender / human nonbinary person / Everyone having a identity relating to gender & to pronouns....#the supercomputer Would Not Necessarily be nonbinary....their identity is presumably formed by themself here....#contextualized within human experiences of gender rather than ''oh you're nonbinary b/c you're a computer so ofc'' boo hiss#''whoever says computers don't have feelings hasn't met LOS-307'' = ''whoever says computers don't have genders hasn't met LOS-307''#i Do love them thank you. context is probably clear enough but they're a chess supercomputer wholly uninterested in the chess lol#and we are learning ''it makes it a bad time if you're overcompetitive / neglect the Amicable Social Component of a friendly game. b/c like#if everyone did that; what makes it a friendly game instead of just straightup trying to kill each other huh. & it'll be a bad time anyway'#& obv the tone is light enough but it's terrible this computer who wants friends Has to play chess & is left alone all the time cmon#but it's nothing like ''oh they're secretly evil b/c they're a computer'' or the lesson would mean nothing? they're Simply A Person here#also there's that Slight veneer of [computery sound] to their voice always but the glitching effect use is fun & creative imo#like it's just Varied and a bit Different. especially in part two here. the way words / several words get to Fully Repeat sometimes...#which; tumblr's help section (which still says beta editor doesn't Yet support audio uploads) doesn't say but if they have some like one#audio post per day limit or something i'll be exasperated
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hey i want to talk about how you should be promoting your work as an erotic author/illustrator
i'm writing this up because the marketing aspect of my work as an erotic author/illustrator is a science to me, and also because i'm the guy who gets unreasonably annoyed when i see other creators not properly advertising their work. you presumably want to make money off your work. this post will be written under the assumption you want to make money off your work but are doing a bad job at it. it will be very confrontational. if you read this and feel attacked you're right and i am attacking you.
this is geared toward selling erotic comics/writing/books/art as products. i will probably write more than one post about this subject so if i didn't touch on something you want to know more about, comment/send me an ask and i'll keep it in mind for the next one.
i will start with my first and least specific but most important point:
DON'T GET FUCKING CUTE
hi are you paying attention. i'm gripping you by the sides of your face. do not get fucking cute with what you are trying to sell. you are not a big enough property to get cute, nobody LIKES it when big properties get cute, and you are selling porn. you have to own this. you have to be up front about this. don't be tongue in cheek, don't be all teehee i wonder what this could be~, don't be secretive. you are selling a product. you have to fucking act like it. you are an adult selling pornography to other adults. i am GRIPPING your HEAD you NEED to understand this.
and to be clear when i say 'cute' i mean coy. i don't mean cutesy, as in the aesthetic. you can be as hello kitty pastel ten emojis a post uwu as you like when you're building your audience and generating hype. but when you start trying to sell, don't be vague, don't be sarcastic, don't mislabel your work as a joke and assume everyone is on it. because they're not.
you must always assume 75% of the people seeing the thing you are advertising have no fucking idea who you are. and that includes a huge chunk of the people who already follow you. they do not know who you are or what you've been working on for two months or why they should care about it. they just got here. somebody just reposted it. they are seeing it for the first time. most people are only looking at social media for a tiny chunk of their day. they are not keeping up with you. you cannot get cute about what you are trying to sell because nobody knows what it is until you tell them.
okay are you still with me. we are going to talk about clarity now.
YOU GOTTA TELL ME WHAT IT IS
good lord the amount of times i have gone to buy somebody's comic or book and had no idea what's actually in it or what it's about. who are the characters? why should i care about them? what do they do in it? what is the premise of this thing you want me to spend $5 on? why would you not tell me? i'm shaking you again. please i have to know what i'm buying i only have so much money to spend on porn.
porn, arguably more than any other genre, relies on knowing exactly what is in it. you do not want to surprise your readers with a kink they were unaware of! and on the flip side, you do not want to miss out on your target audience! if your book contains a hot spider babe laying eggs in an elf, you have to say so. not just so people who don't want to read about eggs know it isn't for them, but so the people who are egg crazy can see that and go "oh fuck YES i love EGGS here is my $5 and an extra $2 tip for catering to me specifically". a contents/features list is as much an advertisement as it is a warning!
as for re: who the characters are and why should i care, i'm sorry but you need to learn how to write sales copy. you have to write blurbs. you have to get good at the shit that goes on the back of a book. we all hate it but we have to do it. i want to know who the characters are and what the context is. i, personally, am not interested in contemporary stories as much as fantasy and historical. please tell me what genre this porn exists in so i know if it aesthetically appeals to me. pull some books off your shelves and see how they do it. hell man go look at mine.
while you're there, note that every single book of mine has a sample of what's in it. this feels like such a no-brainer to me but again! the amount of times i have gone to buy somebody's work and they don't show me what their work looks like! you gotta give me the first page or two! just enough that i know if i like the way your writing sounds, or the way you draw your comics! i don't know you! i am not going to trust that you're good at what you do just based on a cover. the cover is to get me to this step, it is not the only step. you have to show me that you're worth spending my money on!
to put it less cynically, you want to catch my interest. you want me to go 'oh i want to see more of this', you want me to go 'ahh i want to know where this goes!' you need to get me invested and craving more. earn my $5!!!
YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT EASY TO GIVE YOU MONEY
hey go look at your bio right now. go look at your pinned post. do you have a link to your patreon there? do you have a link to your itchio/gumroad/whatever? do i have to click more than once to get to the places you want me to go to give you money? why? why are you making me click twice? have we learned nothing from every website making you click an extra time when they make some stupid UI update and how much it pisses us off? i have already given up, i have forgotten you, i am not giving you my $5 today. put your links in the easiest places to get to them.
god literally as i was writing this post i went to go find somebody's itchio to see how they described their work and it was not anywhere on their profile. grabbing you and shaking you PUT THE LINK WHERE I CAN FIND IT. don't make it hard! make it easy! i am a dickhead sitting on the toilet scrolling, saw your post, and was interested enough to read further. but you made me go to your bio to find your linktree and oops i have already gone back to my timeline to look at the boobies in the next post. stop wasting precious bio space on DNIs and put your fuckin links there!!!
this is more for the twitter people, but: just put the link in the damn post. just say the word commission. just say it's for patreon. "wuh wuh the algorithm" it is not the damn algorithm it's that everybody hates advertising and nobody wants to retweet ads. putting slashes in the words doesn't do anything and you look like a fool. i have posted so much art that says it's 'a commission for ___" and it did exactly as good as any other art despite having the word commission in it. and by doing the slashes you just made it impossible for anybody to search your account for your commission information (which should be at the VERY LEAST in a post under your pinned tweet if you're not actively posting about them being open).
okay that went on a tangent i'm going to back to the point of putting the link in the tweet. put it in the first post. not in the first reply. don't tell them to go to your bio. put it in the post people are actually going to share. it's fine to put more information in the thread but people are only ever going to share the first post. so put the link there. you have to make it easy. putting links in tweets can hurt you algorithmically, even in the replies. so you're better off having it in the post that actually gets seen and shared. i don't want to open the tweet and scroll to get to your sales page where i ASSUME you will have put all the information anyway. put it in the tweet that just got retweeted by itself onto my dash!
also you have to share it a ton of times. i repost my shit every few hours when i'm trying to push a new product. as i said before people are not 24/7 looking at their timelines. they missed it the first time. they missed it the second time. they didn't get paid yet that week but they were after the eighth time and you reminded them again so they finally bought it. that i will still get sales every time i repost a book ad weeks after release says there are always people who missed it, or who only just showed up.
abandon your pride and shill. shills pay their bills. anyone who gets annoyed about it isn't giving you money in the first place. don't worry about looking like a sell out. don't apologize for plugging your own work. post about it often, post about it in different ways. post about it. post about it. you are not going to make money if people don't know you have something to sell them. if you want to make a career out of it, you need to act like it.
I DON'T HAVE A FOURTH POINT
kisses your forehead. i'm sorry for yelling at you. i've been making and publishing and selling adult art for the past two-three years and have got myself to the point where it pays my rent, and i got there by paying attention to what does and does not work.
please do your best to make money. i want you to make money.
as i said above i plan to write more posts on this subject, such as cover design, how to actually write sales copy, and best practices with running a patreon, but if there's things you would want to hear more about leave a comment or send an ask! i will probably be less aggressive on future topics. these are just things that have grinded my gears for a grip.
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Hereâs a breakdown of my animation.
Once I created the cave set in 3D, I retextured all of the blocks to be a wireframe so I could more easily keep the proportions correct as the camera moved through the scene. I began with a simple box person body. Not only did this help me make sure the proportions were correct but the different angles and sides of the character helped me eventually keep the characters features in the right places later. Itâs very rough, but it was a good indication that I was on the right track.
Then began the tedious process of refining the animation. I did a new pass over the original animation with all the features of the character. Itâs more detailed, but itâs just as rough in a lot of ways. I wasnât trying to ensure elements were consistent frame to frame, so you can see a lot of the linework is very wobbly and inconsistent.
Once that was done I went back and did a cleanup phase. This helped smooth out all those inconsistencies and I worked on making sure the animation was smooth and flowed nicely. This became the basis for the final inks and color.
When Iâd gotten far enough into working on the scene I went back to the 3D model and rendered it out in multiple passes. I did a flat lighting pass which you see here, and then a shadow pass. I combined the two in Premiere, added some color adjustments and then rendered it out to be used as the background for the final product.
I imported the finished rendered background into Procreate Dreams and began the final coloring. Iâd already previously decided on the desaturated colors that would make them fit in this cave environment, so coloring was actually a breeze.
The final two elements that really brought it all together was a shadow layer and a glow layer for the torch. The shadow layer was tricky, but it definitely helps make it seem like the character is interacting with the environment.
As previously mentioned I thought I was going to import this into Procreate and animate it there since I like the Animation Assist tool in Procreate more than I do with how Dreams works. But ultimately because so much of this animation was tied to the movement of the camera I ended up animating ALL of this in Procreate Dream.
Iâm really proud of my work here. If thereâs anything you wanna learn more about how I worked or anything please feel free to ask, Iâd be more than happy to talk about the process more!
#procreate dreams#procreate#animation#2d animation#procreate animation#hand drawn animation#dreams#procreatedreams#classic animation#minecraft story mode#mcsm#Minecraft movie#animator#minecraft#a minecraft movie#female jesse#mcsm jesse
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Writing Profoundly Intellectually Disabled Characters
[Plain Text: Writing Profoundly Intellectually Disabled Characters]
While there is a glaring lack of intellectually disabled characters - except maybe big, physically strong, white men who canât âtell right from wrongâ or have a personality - in all sorts of media, specifically profoundly intellectually disabled characters are next to non-existent, with the existing ones being used more often as plot devices rather than portrayed as human beings.
This does make a degree (and not more) of sense considering that 85% of ID people have it mild, 10% moderate, 3.5% severe and only 1.5% has profound ID, the larger group inevitably gets more representation (which doesnât make it good, but it does exist). However, it hopefully doesnât need explaining that minorities deserve to be represented too (...and represented well), so this is what this post will be about.
Please donât treat this as your only source on writing a character like this (even though Iâm willing to bet itâs the only one like this, at least on tumblr), do your research and always check other sources.
Also, for clarity: intellectual disability isn't an umberalla term for "mental/brain disability". It's a specific, singular diagnosis that used to be known as "mental [r slur]". It's not the same as brain damage, autism, dementia, dyslexia, and anything else that's not specifically "intellectual disability". It's something that you are either born with or acquire early in life.
How do I Include Them in the Story?
[Plain Text: How do I include them in the story?]
A profoundly ID person will spend the majority of their time either at home or in some sort of care facility since they will require 24/7 help. The easiest role to put them in is probably a family member of another character. I've mentioned on this blog before that the "ID characters always end up as the annoying younger sibling" thing is overdone, but none of these necessarily have to be true for this suggestion to work (especially not the "annoying" part).
A non-ID character could have an intellectually disabled older sibling, twin, cousin, uncle/aunt, the sibling of a grandparent, etc. Seriously - a severely disabled person can be an adult, or even an elder. Just not as a parent, since a profoundly disabled person can't consent (a lot of ID people very much can, but this is the one disability where your level of functioning is baked into the exact diagnosis - profound ID comes with the inability to consent/understand the consequences enough to consent).
"They're a family member" is basically the easiest "excuse" to include a profoundly intellectually disabled in a story (and, as a bonus, you don't have to figure out how the other character would react to meeting them for the first time, since they probably knew each other for a long time already).
If your story isn't about the profoundly disabled character and instead just features them as a character, it would be much easier to not make the other character their primary caregiver. It's simply a ton of work and the character wouldn't have time for fighting dragons and whatnot - it'd be easier to have the abled character spend time with the disabled character at home (or care facility; you can very much visit someone in one) hanging out rather than actually doing the caregiving part.
Outside of a home and a care facility, there are also day care programs that some people might attend. This is the rarest solution out of the three mainly because of financial reasons, but also these resources arenât as common for people who canât walk, learn self-care, etc. Going to one takes time (the profoundly disabled person isnât gonna walk there by themselves) and probably requires a specialized van (that you can bring a wheelchair in, which is incredibly expensive). Most day care programs are focused on people who are moderately or severely ID at most. One made for profoundly ID people would require 1:1 aides, which generally means the programs are much smaller for logistical reasons, but also even more expensive. For most people, too expensive without funding. Basically, this is an option, but you have to consider your characterâs financial situation and/or what kind of financial support do disabled people get where they live.
Another way is having the disabled character in some sort of high position - in real life there were quite a few cases of profoundly and severely intellectually disabled royalty. Depending on the place and time there might have been pressure to not let the public see them, but this wasn't always the case. The biggest example of the latter was probably Emperor An of Jin (the first Jin, Eastern one) who was, as his title suggests, crowned at some point. He didnât actually rule (his uncle did) but yes, you can have a severely disabled person as the head of a monarchy, itâs not without precedent.
In fiction you can do whatever you want anyway when it comes to ableism, you can have it be there, or you can have it not be there - and if it does exist then there are still different kinds of ableism you can portray that aren't the "literally killing-the-disabled-baby/hiding-them-in-some-dungeon level of eugenics" kind. Maybe a rich family who cares about their image would actually be unable to shut up about their kid to show how "saint-like" they are for caring for the disabled - it is unfortunately realistic, and can be a potential way to have the character exist in public, not ignore ableism, and also not go the aforementioned literally-just-murder route that writers usually do to show an ableist family.
Characterization
[Plain Text: Characterization]
Warning; the bar here is somewhere in the Earth's inner core. If your character has a single characteristic beyond aggressive/loud/unmanageable*, they're automatically at the top of most complex fictional representation of severely/profoundly ID characters. Congrats.
* - Some people are those things but, unsurprisingly, they're other things too. A lot of profoundly ID people can actually be completely quiet - you notice people who are loud because they're loud.
As with literally every character, you need to figure out what they like and not like. This can be quite literally anything, but try to think of the basic stuff. Do they have something they really enjoy eating (and conversely - something they refuse to eat)? Do they have some sort of comfort toy or object they don't want anyone touching (and maybe showing them playing with it with a different character could be a way to show how much they trust them)? In more modern settings, do they have a favorite show they always bug everyone to put on? Are they really clingy or do they hate physical contact (again, maybe they only enjoy it from a specific character)?
Another characterization could be comfort objects. A lot of profoundly ID people are autistic (which I'll touch on later) and will have an object that they bring everywhere the same way that non-ID autistic people might. There's nothing really specific here, just another layer of "this character is a Person". Maybe they have a blanket they really enjoy chewing because the texture feels good or some sort of plushie they like to throw around because it makes a sound they find funny. Lots of options. Maybe they have a personal âtellâ to let others know they want their comfort object brought to them.
Keep in mind, you have to show this all in non-verbal manner. A profoundly ID person is probably not using any sort of AAC device (the most robust one I remember seeing right now was a low-tech one with "yes" and "no", but there are probably ones who operate on a larger amount of singular words). This is basically another opportunity for characterization - what do they do when they're happy - laugh, flap their arms, make sounds? - and when they're upset - scream, hit themselves, make different sounds? Obviously, you'd have to take other disabilities into account (e.g. many profoundly ID people won't move much, some might not be able to make much audible sound, etc.) but almost anything helps.
This brings us toâŠ
Communication
[Plain Text: Communication]
An important thing (concept?) I'll throw here is "total communication", which can mean different things in different contexts, but here I'll use it to mean "using everything you can to communicate with someone who cannot do so in a âtraditionalâ way".
Communication can be categorized as having two sides; expressive and receptive. For most intellectually disabled people in general, receptive skills tend to be significantly higher than expressive ones, though there are specific disorders where itâs reversed or equal. As mentioned before, most profoundly ID people wonât speak orally, wonât use sign language, and wonât use AAC (though out of all three, AAC is the most likely one). Some might say single words, but thatâs about it. Itâs not a âphysically mute but can write perfectly grammatically correct sentencesâ situation, itâs more of a â[single noun]â one, if anything. Receptive skills however are pretty decent (in comparison) and they would probably understand their name, the name/title of their carer(s), names of things they see every day, events they have some frame of reference to (e.g. if they grew up Christian, they would probably know what Christmas is), etc. Your other characters could (and should) talk to them like they can understand, even if they donât catch everything or even most of it. I say a lot of âprobablyâ there, but the people who canât do so usually have other comorbidities, which Iâll mention later.
To go back to expressive communication, eye pointing can be used to figure out what the character wants. A change in breathing can be used to tell that a character got stressed. Throwing an object can be used as a hint that the character wants to play. Maybe them reaching towards person A means they want to eat, but reaching towards person B means they want them to sing a song for them. Maybe them making a particular face means they just had a seizure and need to be comforted. Whatever their "tells" like this might be, other characters who know them would probably be able to tell more-or-less what's going on - you don't have to go really in-depth, especially if it's a minor character, but figuring out the ways your character communicates with others will make it feel more like a person and not a Disabled Lamp (âif you can replace a disabled character with a lamp or a sick dog, theyâre not a characterâ).
If you read some of these and go "that's a thing that a child would do" then you're not necessarily wrong. A profoundly ID adult might enjoy activities that primarily kids partake in. This is, I can't stress this enough, not the same as "mentally being a child". Otherwise, a whole bunch of adults on this very website would be "mental middle schoolers" based on the shows that they watch - but they're obviously not. A profoundly ID adult doesn't have the "mind of a baby" if their favorite game is throwing a toy, they have the mind of a profoundly intellectually disabled adult. Sometimes people assume that since ID people aren't mentally [incorrect age], they always "act their [actual] age" and essentially end up downplaying how much some people's ID affects them, when the point is that no matter what you do, you are your age. An ID character who is 26 years, incontinent, constantly puts their hand in their mouth, can't speak, whatever, is mentally 26 years old the same way that they would be if they had a wife and a mortgage.
For the last thing from this section I'll circle back to the assumption that all severely/profoundly ID people are loud, aggressive, etc. - as I said, some of them are (just like abled people). The thing is, this is not always an unreasonable response to being unable to communicate with the people who are caring for you. If you had a pressure sore but couldn't explain it to anyone you'd be pissed off and screaming too. That's an extreme example, but still applies. If someone is severely stressed out (for an abled person, this might be inheriting a ton of debt, for a profoundly ID person it can be a change in daily routine), they can lash out. It's an unpleasant but very much human reaction to have, even if what's behind the ID person's behavior is significantly different from what an average abled person might consider "a good reason".
So I guess my advice is, try to show some empathy to the character, even if they genuinely are loud and/or aggressive. Intellectually disabled people - including the profoundly disabled ones - aren't some alien species that is just mean and hates their caregivers for no reason, some just can't process their feelings the way an abled person might because of their disability. That's not to say that caregivers aren't allowed to feel frustrated - because they are - but that very severely disabled people aren't purposefully evil. As mentioned in the earlier parts, all behavior has a cause, just like for literally everyone. So if the character is being "unmanageable": maybe they aren't some cursed burden, maybe they're just stressed out of their mind and now someone they don't know that well is trying to do *something* to them, which they can't figure out because of their disability affecting their receptive language skills.
Resources and What to Keep in Mind
[Plain Text: Resources and What to Keep in Mind]
Some resources you might read about ID can be potentially misleading. Even if you specifically look for causes of the profound severity of intellectual disability, you will get results for mild ID. That's mainly because people with mild ID make up >85% of intellectually disabled people and those with profound ID make like 1%, so they're a minority in a minority.
Basically:
Down syndrome is a very unlikely cause. It's always listed as the main genetic cause of ID, but that's only true for mild and moderate severities. If you choose any of the common causes of ID make sure it actually has the symptoms you're looking for.
Most profoundly ID people will have either severe brain damage early in life (and this can come with cerebral palsy), cephalic disorders (e.g. microcephaly), genetic conditions that you've never heard of (e.g. Pallister-Killian or Emanuel syndromes, 3p deletion), genetic conditions that you've never heard of for a very understandable reason (e.g. X-linked intellectual disability-limb spasticity-retinal dystrophy-arginine vasopressin deficiency⊠there are hundreds named in this way), or just have it without a known cause. The last one happens much more often than people tend to assume.
For a reason I'll probably discover at some point, most disorders and syndromes that come with ID are said to have "autistic-like features" rather than being "comorbid with autism". In practice, it's the same thing. Your character is probably autistic.
In the same way, a lot of practical resources will assume that ID = moderate ID (since most mildly affected need no or minimal support, and severely/profoundly disabled ones are a small minority) so pay attention if you're looking at the right things. If it's talking about having a job, travelling alone, etc., then you got clickbaited.
Another subsection here will be comorbidities because there are a lot of them. Iâll mention the biggest ones.
Brain damage is the most common one (except autism) and can vary a lot. There is barely anything I can say about this one, itâs an enormous spectrum that for some people causes disability and for others barely affects their symptoms. Cerebral palsy, especially quadriplegic, is seen a lot and might affect the characterâs mobility a lot. Some people might be unable to breathe or swallow and need a breathing or feeding tube.
Deafness and blindness are comorbid with a surprising amount of causes of ID. The thing is, you could take advice for deaf/blind characters as-in for a character that has both (e.g.) glaucoma and mild ID and not change much, but this doesnât really work for a character whoâs profoundly disabled like this. The situation that can happen here is that itâs not actually known if the person is or isnât deaf or blind because they canât tell you. As mentioned earlier, some people will have absent receptive communication skills. How do you verify if theyâre deaf or just not reactive to language? Some people wonât react to even extremely loud sounds, even if they can hear them perfectly well (besides, a lot of deaf people can still hear some). Same for verifying if they are blind - obviously, sometimes thereâs something visual going on, but often there isnât. Especially since the main causes of both blindness and deafness will be brain-based, not ear- or eye-based. Another character not being sure if the disabled character is blind or just very uninterested in visual stimuli is a possibility, especially with less advanced medicine. This is also why you might see those weird statistics of "between 5-90% of people with [condition] are deaf" kind.
Mobility is almost always severely affected. Some are fully mobile, but thatâs simply not common. The average person will be unable to walk independently. Itâs not always a muscle or nerve problem (though it absolutely can be), itâs mostly an issue of coordination. Because of this (and understanding physical space), operating a wheelchair (...successfully) might be impossible. This doesnât mean you should just drop your character in a hospital wheelchair for them to get wheeled around because they will probably need a wheelchair that will actually support them - a headrest, ability to tilt, a harness, all that. This could be done with a powerchair (they can have controls on the back for a second person to operate), a manual wheelchair, or an adaptive stroller.
Now for resources;
One good resource I can recommend is SBSK (which I shared before), to my knowledge this is the only place that interviews severely and profoundly ID people (+their families) and the interviewer is great at actually interacting with many of them.Â
Most resources on the practical things only ever talk about caregivers (who are very important) but completely ignore the actual person being cared for which IMO kinda defeats the point.
Good luck writing!
mod Sasza
#mod sasza#intellectual disability representation#writing resources#writing ideas#writing disabled characters#writeblr#writing advice
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