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teaboot · 2 years ago

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Yo I haven't done it in forever so I forgot that working at a sex shop gives you superpowers

1. The We-Vibe Tango is a low frequency and fully waterproof rechargeable bullet vibrator that we used to sell for about $150. A new model came out about a year ago so it's on sale now online for $47. Can confirm that shipping is discreet and they have a really good warranty, just keep the packaging.

*(I'm not sponsored to say that and nobody is paying me rn, it's just a legit good deal.)

2. There are essentially three bases used for lube: Water, Oil, and Silicone. Oil breaks down any materials other than glass or metal, and Silicone breaks down Silicone toys and sometimes condoms. Water is safe for everything but tends to dry out, so people don't like it- but if you add water or spit, drying water-based lube will slick right back up.

3. If your water-based lube has given you any itching, tightening, or burning sensations, you probably have a chemical sensitivity. Obviously everyone has different preferences, but my number one recommendation is Water Slide- it's a super reasonable price compared to other lubes, it feels natural, it's incredibly gentle on the skin, and it doesn't stain sheets.

**(Again, I'm not being paid for this. By anyone. At all. I'm just sick of hearing people come in and tell me they don't use lube cause it hurts, or that they're using fucking coconut oil in their vagina. Please, God, don't put coconut oil in your vagina.)

4. A lot of massage oils use almond oil to suspend other ingredients, and warming products sometimes use cinnamon. Always, always, always check people's allergies.

5. You can buy toys off cheap sites if you want, just be wary of quality and ALWAYS read the product description. I personally wouldn't buy anything that isn't Silicone, stainless steel, or glass, because unlike jelly, plastic, "fantaflesh", and Silicon, (which is NOT Silicone!!!) They are non-porous, sterile, and don't melt in contact with each other. This means that as long as you clean them properly and don't use the wrong lubes, they will not hold bacteria or break down, which makes them safe for both you to reuse and your partner/s to share. (And to switch between front door/back door, so long as you wash before going back to front.)

6. Cotton and polyester bondage rope are cheap and great to practice with. Silk sounds fancy and is very strong but be advised that a lot of silk rope is "Silk(TM)", not actual silk. Read the product description. (I personally am reluctant to spend more than about $2 per foot for mass-produced synthetic rope, but could be persuaded to pay more for ACTUAL silk, nylon, handmade ropes, or especially attractive colors/patterns/textures.) You want your rope to be at least as thick as your thumb and layered to avoid lacerations, and taut (not stretchy) to be sure you're in control of how much pressure you're putting on.

7. Choking someone by pressing on the windpipe is painful and inefficient. If you want to, stay very, very light, as it's a very delicate area. If you want a head rush, press down on the sides of the windpipe, just below the corners of their lower jaw. You will feel a pulse there. That's the carotid artery. It carries oxygen to the brain. Pressing there will allow them to breathe, but will still "choke" the air going to their head. It's faster and painless. Only hold this for 3-4 seconds if you lack experience. It takes just under 15 seconds to make someone pass out from a blood choke, and after that you risk causing *permanent brain damage*. If your partner passes out, release pressure immediately and keep their airways clear. If you're the one being choked, know that your only warning will be spotty vision and a dizzy sensation. Communicate with your partner/s and for the love of God, do your research first. I'm not a doctor. Please God, please do your research.

8. Don't reduce blood flow to any part of the body for more than 20 minutes. This includes cock rings. Take a break for an hour between uses.

9. Most 'dick pills' are just a stimulant, a mild vasodilator, and a placebo. Usually mostly caffeine. They are not worth $20 apiece. Take a minute to meditate, have a hot shower, drink some black tea, have a coffee, go for a run, whatever- you'll get the same effect. And no, there is not a single ethical and legal sex shop in the country that can sell you viagra. You would have better luck on Facebook. Do not buy viagra on Facebook.

10. There are no "male toys" and "female toys". Your only limitations are safety and creativity. If youre sticking something into something else, just make sure everything is clean, not too big, not sharp or abrasive, and can be taken back out.

11. If something "goes missing" in your vagina and you panic, you muscles will tense up and it'll it'll harder to get back. Relax and stand up. Wait a minute. Chill. Calm down. Jump a couple times. There's nowhere for it to go and worst case scenario, I promise the emergency walk-in has seen something weirder or worse in the past hour or so.

12. You cannot return toys that you buy and don't like and I swear to God if you come into my store with an opened product and try to give it back I will lose my shit

13. Actually while I'm at it, people who work at sex shops are more often than not not sex workers and even if they were, it would still not be appropriate to flash or grope them or ask them "what they use", I will run you over in the fucking parking lot

#Sex education #Information #Body health #Not for work #Yes I will take questions please ask questions just let me know if u wanna be anon in the response

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kyokutsu-sama · 4 months ago

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☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆

Sfw Hashiras Fluff Headcanons

Charachters: Gyomei, Sanemi, Rengoku, Uzui, Gyuu x fem!reader

A/n: Hey guys!! It's been a while since I write something here. So, I recently rewacth kimetsu and I'll bring content abt it and soon I'll open my request box and I'll accept requests for kny. I hope you like it ❤️

☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆---☆

Gyomei :

The true gentle giant And the perfect husband material too He is very kind to you and very careful with you like 24/7 He gives a lot of hugs but because he is aware of his size and strength, he tries to do his best not to break any bones in you. His arms are a very safe haven, you feel like no demon could hurt you if he had you there. If you are feeling sad for any reason, he will be by your side to help you to feel better. He will even learn the water breathe because of so much water that will come out of those eyes. He just can't stand to see you suffer or cry Gyomei will always want to keep you close on all missions and if Ubuyashiki doesn't put you two on the same mission... He'll cry a lot. You will have to give this big man a good dose of affection so that he doesn't worry so much about you, but his altruism doesn't allow him to. He also not only likes training with you (and I can tell you that he always goes easy on you because he doesn't want to hurt you in any way) but he also likes to take you to pray with him. He feels good knowing that you are safe and by his side. Get ready to see him come home every week with a different cat, he's a cat lover and can't stand the idea of seeing them abandoned on the street. Gyomei cries every day because he can't see the face of the person he loves most and who has done so much for him. And along with that, he has a habit of passing his big hands over your face to feel through touch the texture of your skin and every detail of your face. Even though he's blind, he can swear that you're the most beautiful person he knows. He's such a bbg with a huge heart❤️

Tengen :

Such a big flashy bitch with three flashy wifes He's crazy and very extroverted and if you're the shy type, be prepared to be taken out of your comfort zone. Now if you are an extrovert like him then you will do "flashy crazy things". Tengen makes no distinction between his wives and always gives the same love to all of them. You are no exception as his fourth wife. He always puts you first and if you are in danger he arrives at the speed of sound and saves you. He will also challenge you countless times to train with him. He likes to see you fight, he thinks you are strong and flashy. Tengen considers himself a "god of festivals" so I don't need to tell you that he will take you to all kinds of festivals so that you can have fun. You guys tend to go out a lot, sometimes just the you two, other times with the other wives or the two of you and the other hashiras, especially with his bestie Rengoku. (I love the dynamic between these two even though I think it should have appeared more in the anime) He is very playful and is always making jokes here and there with you, especially pranks. Be prepared cause he won't give you breaks when it comes to prank you. Jokes aside, he also recognizes when you're not feeling well and will always be there for you to cheer you up because this man don't like sad people and hates crying faces, especially if they are from his wives. He loves each one and wants to see them smiling all the time. He also gives good hugs and strong hugs. It's worth remembering that this man is also a big guy and very cozy too.

Sanemi :

It was a kind of love and hate at first sight At first, he was still a little harsh with you, although he was aware inside that he was taking it easier when training with you, that even his speech seemed softer when you were around, that his eyes didn't seem so wide with anger when you were around. Everything changed and the other hashiras also started to notice it. I bet Mitsuri, Rengoku and Tengen have been spying on him to find out why he changed. I'm sorry but I love this trio so much😭 Sanemi is not the type to show a lot of PDA to be honest but in case some guy messes with you then be prepared to have an arm over your shoulders or around your waist and at the same time watch the guy who messed with you get killed. He has a short fuse as we all know but when he and you are alone and you hold his hand and smile at him, he will blush and don't even dare point it out or he will get really pissed. In fact, you do it just to see him out of his mind. I'm sure he would love it too but he'd rather not admit it. As we also know, Sanemi is not the type to give patient and romantic love but tough love, as it was the only one he learned due to the life he had, but when he comes across you, someone who can show him the soft side of love, he will be willing to learn more from you. If he's having a bad day, he'll be quieter than usual and then you'll have to lay him against your chest and stroke his hair to calm him down. The comfort you provide him makes the hard shell around his heart break and he can open up to you. He just loves the feeling of your fingers running through the white strands of his hair. In his case, he's not the best at giving affection but if he sees your sad eyes for some reason he automatically pulls you onto his lap hugging you. If you cry, he'll want to know who he has to kill for making his beautiful girlfriend cry. He does the best he can just to see your face become happy again. When you find out from Tanjiro that his favorite food is ohagi, you often make it for him to eat and he can't help but being embarrassed about it. Inside, he loves it when you do this for him and even gets annoyed that it tastes better than when he does it but at the same time he doesn't stop wondering how you found out about ohagi being his favorite food. Tanjiro run for your life...

Rengoku :

My man🧡 He's very sweet and caring towards you. You are everything to him. Do you know all that good mood and joy that this man usually radiates? Well, that only increased when you're around him. He introduces you to everyone and everyone is happy for you two. *Bonus* Senjuro, his younger brother, adores you and supports you two a lot. You usually spend a lot of time together but when missions come up in different directions, he always says goodbye to you with big hugs and words of encouragement. I want a hug from him too🥲 He and you usually train in the afternoons and practice both breathing techniques. You also usually visit the mansions of the other Hashiras to talk since he gets along with everyone. I hope you have a deep stomach because he loves taking you out to eat and this man doesn't eat little and will want you to keep up with his pace. Expect to hear this man shout "UMAI!!" with every bite. Rengoku always shares his food if you are hungry and when you are full and can't eat any more, leave it to him, because this man eats without leaving any crumbs (literally). If you're feeling cold, he puts his hashira haori over your shoulders. I hope you have a good voice because this man has hearing problems and so you will have to shout most of the time for him to understand what you're saying. The moment he likes most is when he has you in his arms, sitting on the porch of the house, watching the sunset while he distributes small kisses on your face or temples and runs his fingers through your hair slowly until you fall asleep. He always makes sure his hugs are comfortable enough for you to feel welcomed and protected. (Man I'm crying, I'm so single😭😭) I believe he can be very clingy and even in the summer, he will always want to hug you, even if it increases the heat and you end up with your clothes drenched in sweat. He also likes to make sure he gives you enough kisses before heading out on a mission. He doesn't get embarrassed even with someone around... Even with Tengen in the background like: "MAN JUST GET A ROOM ALREADY!!" He's also the type to bring you gifts when he goes on a mission. You no longer have space to store so much of the things he brings to you. I want a Rengoku for myself, like now fr

Tomioka :

Shinobu will tease this man so much after he gets someone and he will roll his eyes every time she mentions this. It wasn't easy to get close to him at first, he was distant and his eyes were empty and expressionless. But after you showed up, things changed, you insisted on him and you both started going on missions together, going out together, eating together. You even beat him once when you both tried to see who could eat more. It was one of the first times you saw him smile and when you pointed it out, he hid his now flushed face. Tomioka is very loyal and protective of those he loves, you were one of the few people who came close to him and showed him that he is no less than anyone else and recognized his value as an hashira. He doesn't know how to talk openly about his feelings but his eyes are very good at expressing it. In public, he likes to hold your hand and sometimes he give you little squeezes when he's feeling tense or when he's tired from a mission. When alone, things are easier for him. He has more freedom to hug you and he really likes kissing your forehead and lips. I know these two can't stand each other but they have one thing in common: Just like Sanemi likes to hug you when he's having a bad day, Tomioka will also want to be in your arms and feel your affection if the things aren't going well with him. This makes him more relaxed and keeps his head cool. And like Rengoku, he also likes to give you small gifts when he returns from a mission. Tomioka's eyes don't leave you for a minute when you're around, whether at home or on a mission and especially on a mission. He has already lost a lot of people dear to him and he couldn't bear to lose you, which is why he always likes to keep his focus on you to avoid greater harm. However, if you look at him when his eyes are following you, he will look away immediately and there's no point in pointing this out to him because he won't admit it. I believe he has an overprotective side just for you, especially when someone with bad intentions passes on the same street as you two. He'll automatically put an arm around your waist which makes you look at him intrigued. You will initially think that he's jealous or something but the true is that he's just trying to protect you and make others realize that you are not alone and he always wants to show it without causing too much fuss. He is a quiet individual and likes to take it that way. Such a man of manners fr I love him ❤️

#kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba anime #kimetsu no yaiba headcanons #demon slayer #demon slayer fandom #demon slayer headcanons #demon slayer anime #tengen uzui #uzui tengen #rengoku kyojuro #kyojuro rengoku #giyuu tomioka #tomioka giyuu #sanemi shinazugawa #shinazugawa sanemi #gyomei himejima #himejima gyomei

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linkemon · 9 months ago

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Imponderabilia (Ciel Phantomhive x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you're interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

ᴀ ᴛʏᴘɪᴄᴀʟ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʜᴀɴᴛᴏᴍʜɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴏʀ. ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ ᴄɪᴇʟ, ᴅᴇꜱꜱᴇʀᴛ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴅɪɴɴᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɪʀʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙʟᴇ ᴇᴍᴘʟᴏʏᴇᴇꜱ. ᴀʟʟ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴘᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴇᴀ…

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅʟʏ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱ ɪɴ ᴇɴɢʟɪꜱʜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ. ɪ ᴛʀʏ ᴍʏ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴘꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇᴅ.

— Good morning, my lord! — [Reader] opened the door.

The view was the same as almost every day. The young lord was sitting in a navy blue, plush armchair and looking through the morning newspaper. He didn't take his eyes off it. He knew she would come. She was punctual. The same couldn't be said about the rest of the residence's staff.

— How are we feeling in the morning?

— Fine — Ciel replied quietly.

For him, it was an extremely elaborate statement. If Sebastian asked him about it, he usually told him to mind his own business. And when the other inhabitants of the estate did this, he preferred not to say anything because they began to get so happy that they would not leave him in peace for the rest of the day.

The girl grabbed the porcelain teapot and started making tea. The amber liquid sparkled in the decorated cup. The girl placed the saucer on a small table.

Phantomhive waited a moment to hear the sound of the door closing but to his surprise he didn't hear it. He looked at the maid. She stood with her back to him, leaning over the silver tray. When she started to turn away, he hid his head behind the printed pages, pretending to be reading.

A plate appeared next to him. An elegant plate full of cookies.

— It's too early for dessert — he said.

— Nonsense! — [Reader] rolled her eyes. — Sebastian is the one who keeps saying things like that. However, I think there is nothing wrong with sweets before dinner. Occasionally.

Ciel looked at the dessert. The baked goods looked average. Crispy, with chocolate pieces. However, their scent tickled his nostrils pleasantly. He felt his mouth water at the thought of tasting them.

— Did you make them today? — The question hung in the air, even though he knew the answer.

— I got up a little earlier. The lord had a hard day yesterday so I thought it would cheer him up. — She smiled.

The boy felt strange for a moment. He knew how much she had to do every day. She woke up long before him to take care of his house. In addition, she also had to correct the mistakes of Baldroy, Mey-Lin and Finnian. Tanaka wasn't that harmful but then again he wasn't very helpful either. Sebastian could arrange everything but she didn't like asking him for help. They tended to stay out of each other's way. Especially since the demon has been getting other tasks lately. Someone finally had to investigate in the queen's name.

And yet the maid denied herself the sleep to make these cookies for him. He felt a tightness somewhere around his heart but he decided to dismiss the ridiculous thought. Nobody cared about him. She did it because it was her job.

— You can take them. — His words were cold. So contrasting to how he felt inside.

— The lord won't eat even one? — She raised an eyebrow.

He shook his head.

For a moment the room was filled with silence. She was interrupted by footsteps. Suddenly, the newspaper paragraph was replaced by a girl's hand and a plate.

— Let's play a game. — That caught his attention. He became even more angry with himself. She knew him that well. — Please, taste them, my lord. If you don't like it, I'll leave the residence. Otherwise, I'll bake them whenever I want and you will always have to eat them.

— How do you know I won't lie? — He reached for the cookie.

— I'll take the risk. — The corner of her mouth turned up.

Ciel took a bite. He expected something extraordinary. Sophisticated taste. Secret spice. Amazing texture. None of these things! They were normal. As average as they looked.

As he took another bite, he had an epiphany. He was tricked like a little child. It wasn't about confectionery skills at all. He lost because he expected to fight on a completely different front than the one on which it actually took place.

— They're virulent — he growled.

— I knew it'll be like this. — Her smugness seemed to light up the entire room. For a moment he thought that she looked really nice in the bright light. The glow reflected in her eyes, reminding him of the radiant sun just outside the window. What was he even thinking about?

— Really? — He gritted his teeth.

— You like me too much to throw me out — she said.

She hit the nail on the head.

He felt a blush rising to his pale cheeks. For the first time in a long time, he was lost for words. Ever since she started working here, she had done and said things that made his heart beat faster. She was annoying. At the same time, he didn't want her to stop. He was stuck in a vicious circle and somehow he was in no hurry to change the whole situation. Yet he could fire her at any time.

He couldn't stand her smug expression as she headed towards the exit. He hated losing.

— Play chess with me.

— Chess? — she asked.

— Yes. How many times do I have to repeat? — he sighed irritably.

He placed the pieces in the starting position. If she thought she could just leave after all this, she was sorely mistaken.

[Reader] sat down hesitantly in the chair in front of him. He was pleased to see her slight confusion. She didn't expect this.

The game was going his way. However, he had to admit that his opponent was quite a challenge. The girl thought logically much better than he expected. Once she even managed to trap him in a bad situation. It took him a few moves to realize the trap. However, he managed to recover and was on the way to victory.

Chess was much simpler than life. They had clear and explicit rules. They rewarded the better and punished the worse. Only those who deserved it felt the taste of defeat. Completely different than in reality. A place where nothing was black and white, only shades of gray. Just like their strange relationship.

He moved the knight.

— [Readerrr]! — The door to the room opened with a bang.

Mei-Lin ran through the doorway. Red hair flowed behind her as she crossed the distance between them. Her glasses fell off her nose. She hurriedly picked them up from the floor. Even the carpet couldn't save them. One glass cracked, creating an ugly spiderweb on the surface.

— Oh my, my, my!

— What is it this time? — You could hear the tiredness in [Reader's] voice. The head of the Phantomhive family had no doubt that she had been through this hundreds of times, just as he had before Sebastian showed up. — Garden? — She got a shake of her head. — Living room? — Same answer again. — So the kitchen… — [Reader] said. She didn't have to look at her co-worker to know she had nailed it. — It was very nice to play... — She was about to get up when the young master's hand gesture stopped her.

— We're not done yet — Ciel said.

— Ah, but... the kitchen! — Mei-Lin said.

— Find Sebastian. He will take care of it. — The lord moved his rook, thus indicating that he considered the conversation to be over.

— But I don't know where he is — the maid whined helplessly.

Phantomhive took a deep breath. Sometimes he really wondered why he kept all these people here. Maybe he should hire someone new? He exhaled slowly through his nose.

— You worked with him in the living room today, so start in the living room. And if it's not there, keep looking until you find it. Have I made myself clear?

— Y-yes, of course! — The woman ran out, stumbling.

Maybe he was doing something stupid. After all, the kitchen was on fire. He shook his head slightly. Everything in the mansion burned down at least once a week, so it didn't really matter. Besides, why did he have his one hell of butler?

Ciel looked around the board, studying his options. It was basically a formality now but he still waited for her next move. However, only soft snoring answered him. He looked up from the black and white board. [Reader] rested her head against the plush headrest of the chair. Closed eyes and a steadily rising chest could only mean one thing. She fell asleep. How did sleep overwhelm her so quickly? He had no idea. She must have been really tired. She had been helping him with his documents at night for the last week. However, he didn't think it would bother her so much.

He almost woke her up but then stopped himself. He brushed away a strand of hair that had escaped from her updo, then reached for the blanket lying on the backrest and covered the girl with it.

— Maybe I really like you too much...

He quietly moved towards the door and closed it.

#ciel phantomhive x reader #kuroshitsuji x reader #black butler x reader #oneshot x reader #ciel phantomhive #sebastian michaelis #mey rin

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donttxtathebeach · 8 days ago

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Y/N Williams’ No-Makeup look| Vogue Beauty Secrets

words: 1.6k

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The camera fades in to reveal a serene, sunlit room. The soft glow of candles flickers against the neutral-toned walls, which are adorned with tasteful beach-inspired decor—lush plants in woven baskets, a few minimalist artworks, and delicate seashell accents. A gentle breeze wafts through the open windows, carrying the scent of the ocean. The sounds of distant waves crash softly, adding to the calm ambiance.

Y/N is standing in her master bathroom with a sweater over her dress in order to make sure nothing comes in contact with it. . Her skin glows with a fresh-from-the-beach radiance, and her hair is naturally tousled as if the breeze had just kissed it. The room feels peaceful and bright, reflecting her coastal, laid-back lifestyle.

She smiles warmly at the camera, looking directly into it as if inviting you into her world.

“Hey, everyone! Welcome back to Vogue Beauty Secrets. It’s Y/N here, and tonight I am out at my Charleston home with a close friend. We’re keeping it low-key, cooking dinner, and enjoying each other’s company. So if you happen to hear him in the background, just ignore him. Nothing too special... but I thought I’d share my skincare and no makeup, makeup routine with you tonight. I usually like to go for something super natural and fresh.” She smiles, her tone warm and relaxed. “Let’s start with skincare because everything begins with good skin, right?”

Step 1: Cleaning

Y/N reaches for Renée Rouleau AHA/BHA Blemish Control Cleanser, a gentle yet effective cleanser that’s a staple in her routine. She dispenses a generous amount into her hands and lathers it up.

“So, first, I always start with cleansing. I’ve been using this Renée Rouleau AHA/BHA Blemish Control Cleanser for a while now, and it’s just perfect for me. It’s super creamy, and it doesn’t strip my skin, so it feels hydrated after I wash it off. It’s gentle enough for everyday use, and I love how soft it makes my skin feel.”

She massages the product into her skin in soft, circular motions, her fingers gliding over her face easily.

“The texture is so creamy and luxurious, and it helps to remove dirt, sunscreen, and any makeup leftover from the day. The key for me is always to feel like my skin is clean but not tight or dry. That’s why I love this one.”

After she rinses, she gently pats her face dry with a soft towel, taking a deep breath as if enjoying the calm moment.

Step 2: Toning

Next, Y/N grabs Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner. She pours a little onto a cotton pad and sweeps it gently across her face.

“This toner is my absolute go-to. It’s hydrating and calming, which is perfect for me because my skin tends to get a little dry. I love how it really preps my skin for the next steps—leaving it feeling soft, fresh, and ready to soak up whatever comes next.”

She swipes the cotton pad across her forehead, cheeks, and neck, letting it absorb naturally.

Step 3: Serum

After the toner, Y/N reaches for her Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum, applying a few drops into her palm before pressing it into her face.

“Now for serum. I’ve been using this Caudalie serum for a while, and it’s so great at adding that extra layer of hydration. I tend to get dry patches, especially around my nose and chin, so this is a lifesaver. It absorbs quickly, and I love how it leaves my skin feeling smooth and plump. Plus, it’s got this nice calming effect, which is key for me.”

She presses the serum into her skin, working it in slowly as she looks in the mirror.

Step 4: Eye Cream

Y/N then picks up Dr. Dennis Gross C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Eye Cream, applying a small amount underneath her eyes.

“Eye cream is something I never skip. I tend to get dark circles from long days or jet lag, so I love this one. It’s brightening and firming, which helps with puffiness and dark circles. It’s lightweight, so it doesn’t feel heavy under makeup either.”

She gently taps the eye cream into her skin using her ring finger, pressing it delicately into the delicate under-eye area.

Step 5: Moisturizer

Next, she grabs Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream and massages it into her skin.

“I’ve been using this moisturizer for a few months now, and I really love it. It’s rich, but it sinks in quickly and gives my skin that smooth, plump feeling without being greasy. It’s the perfect base before makeup. And since I’m going for a natural glow tonight, this one is perfect.”

She massages the product into her face, making sure to get her neck as well, working it in gently with upward strokes.

Step 6: Sunscreen

Even though she’s staying indoors, Y/N applies Supergoop! Unseen sunscreen SPF 40.

“SPF is a must for me, no matter what. But I’m not modeling. I’m home and in the sun a lot, so skin protection really no matter where you are is something that means a lot to me, even with how nicely my skin tans. I just don’t want to have any risks. This one from Supergoop is so lightweight and doesn’t leave any white cast. It gives my skin the protection it needs without weighing it down, and it’s so smooth under makeup. You really can’t skip this step.”

She massages the sunscreen into her face, giving her skin a final layer of protection for the night.

Step 7: Lip Balm

Finally, Y/N applies a light layer of Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask to her lips.

“I can’t go without this lip balm. It’s so hydrating, and it keeps my lips feeling soft all night. Plus, it has this really calming, fresh scent that I love.”

She gently presses the balm into her lips, making sure they’re moisturized and plump.

Y/N takes a moment to admire her fresh, dewy complexion, smiling softly as she looks at herself in the mirror.

“Okay, that’s my skincare done! My skin feels so refreshed and hydrated, which is the perfect base for a simple, fresh makeup look.”

Makeup Routine

Now, she reaches for her makeup products and begins with Saie Slip Tint, a favorite of hers for its lightweight, natural coverage.

“Alright, let’s move on to makeup. For the no-makeup look, I’m all about using minimal products that enhance my natural skin. This skin tint is perfect—it’s super light, has SPF built in, and gives just enough coverage to even out my complexion.”

She dispenses a small amount onto her fingers and applies it gently across her face, blending it in with light taps of her fingertips.

“I don’t want to cover everything—I just want to perfect my skin and keep it looking fresh and natural.” “My skin is actually super sensitive, and I have found whenever I had shoots, they would put foundation on my skin. I would break out really heavily, and so I like stuff that’s lighter on my face just because I try to go for a more natural look all the time, and I’m not always wearing make-up."

Step 1: Concealer

Next, she grabs Glossier Stretch Concealer and applies it to areas she wants to brighten: under her eyes, around her nose, and any spots or redness.

“A little concealer under the eyes always makes me feel more awake. This one is great because it’s creamy but doesn’t feel heavy. It blends beautifully and covers just enough to give me a fresh look.”

She blends the product in with her fingers, focusing on areas that need a little more attention.

Step 2: Bronzer

Y/N picks up Dolce Glow Contour Self-Tanning Sculpt and applies it to her cheeks, jawline, and forehead.

“For a natural look, I love using this contour stick. It’s really easy to blend and gives me just enough warmth to define my face. It’s subtle, but it really adds a nice, natural-looking contour but while also enhancing my tan.”

She blends it in with her fingers, making sure the contour looks soft and seamless.

Step 3: Blush

She then grabs MERIT Flush Balm Cream Blush in “apres” and applies it to the apples of her cheeks, tapping it in gently.

“Blush is essential for that ‘I’ve been in the sun’ look. This shade is perfect—it adds a soft flush of color with a bit of shimmer, so it looks like you’re glowing from within.” "I don’t know how popular this is, but during the summer I actually don’t use blush, I just use cherries. Whenever I was growing up and we were in Greece, my mom would always have cherries on hand, and she was like, These are great for blush, and me being me. I wanted to do whatever my mom was doing, so that’s like a staple I use during the summer."

She smiles, adding just a hint more to get that perfect, radiant flush.

Step 4: Brows

For her brows, she grabs a spooly and runs it through her brows to define and shape them.

“Brows are really important for a natural look. And because of my mom’s genes, I have a lot of eyebrows, so I just brush them and not really do anything to them. I just shaped them with this call it a day."

Step 6: Eyes & Lips

Y/N finishes off with a sweep of YVES SAINT LAURENT Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara and Kylie Cosmetics lip liner in "cinnamon" and Clinique almost lipstick in “black honey,” giving her lashes a natural lift and her lips a glossy, plump finish.

“A little mascara and lip liner, and we’re done! The mascara is just to lift my lashes and open up my eyes, and the liner and almost lipstick give my lips that soft, shiny look that I love.”

Final Look

She smiles at her reflection, clearly happy with the natural, radiant look. “And that’s it! Simple, fresh, and effortless—just the way I like it.”

Y/N grabs her phone as it buzzes, smiling softly as she looks down. “Someone over their is a little impatient. so I’m going to get cooking!” She stands, carefully taking off her sweater.

“Thanks for hanging out with me tonight, guys. I hope you found some inspiration in this simple, natural routine. Remember—skincare is key, and feeling comfortable in your own skin is the most important part of beauty.”

“See you next time.”

The screen fades to black, leaving the peaceful vibe lingering in the air.

#drew starkey fanfiction #drew starkey x reader #supermodel!reader #abbie's corner #haliey beiber #childhood friends #sofia richie #drew starkey fluff #drew starkey imagine #supermodel!y/n #supermodel #drew starkey x supermodel! reader #drew starkey #drew starkey x y/n #drew starkey x you #drew starkey x female!reader

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physalian · 7 months ago

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Checklist of character traits prone to inconsistency:

Heyo, quick one today. It’s great to give a lot of detail to character traits and personality quirks, but they aren’t real people, you’ve made them up, and thus, might not have a perfect memory for how you’ve described them, or drawn them in the past.

So before you post or publish, do yourself a favor and make sure the following are consistent throughout your story, if applicable:

If they’re left or right handed, or ambidextrous.

Which side their hair parts on.

Which side their scars are on (especially facial scars).

Which eye has the patch or is just missing, and how much or little the character fiddles with it.

Missing glasses and how prone a character is to forgetting them or anal about cleaning them. Glasses are always dirty (do they clean them with a proper cloth or the edge of their shirt?).

Which side broken, missing, or bandaged fingers are on.

If they’re wearing a cast, how it inhibits their mobility.

If they have a leg or foot injury, how severely they limp.

If their clothing takes damage, when/how they replace it or repair it, and whether or not they’re wandering around town accidentally covered in blood or grease or all-purpose flour.

Which injuries they sustain that should still be bothering them, like pulled shoulders, bruises, shin splints, paper cuts, sun burns, cramps, carpal tunnel, arthritis, tinnitus, road rash, and stubbed toes or pinched fingers.

Which side of their body buttons, rings, bracelets, pins, brooches, badges, or name tags are on.

If they’re wearing gloves or mittens, when they take them off or how their mobility is impacted by them.

How mobility changes if their fingernails are short and stubby or long, or artificial, like typing, eating, and grabbing objects.

If they have a wheelchair, how they transition out of it, into it, and move within it, like getting dressed or putting on shoes, or lifting themselves up into cars and back down—and how public spaces do and don’t accommodate them.

If they have prosthetics, how they maintain them, how they might sound different than someone else—prosthetic feet for runners won’t sound the same as sneakers.

If they need crutches, a walker, a scooter, or a cane, and how the world accommodates them.

If they're colorblind, how it impacts their day to day and descriptions compared to other narrators.

Jewelry often jingles. Pandora bracelets are loud af especially if they’re on your dominant hand when you try to write on a desk. Charm necklaces jingle if you bounce and some earrings can jingle when you shake your head.

Where tattoos are and if they take measures to hide them and how.

An aside about characters with tattoos (from experience):

If they’re new, they still hurt for at least a week depending on the level of detail.

Tattoos are basically mega sunburns and fresh ink should either be covered from the sun or, once it’s healed enough that the skin isn’t broken, heavily sun-screened to preserve coloration. Newer ink is very noticeable in sunlight, just like a healing sunburn.

Black ink tends to turn a bit green over time and sharp details blur. Tattoos are beholden to the skin they’re on, and how it stretches or sags.

Tattoos stink, as plasma and other fluids build up under the wrap (that can either be straight plastic wrap or a dermal cover akin to the stuff used for burn victims).

Tattoos can burn and ache if they’re on the legs when you stand, as blood and your body weight settles back into place.

Tattoos do very weird things to your body depending on the amount of ink and the time it took to design. Your skin peels kind of, but not exactly, like a sunburn, and every artist has their own tips for aftercare.

If the ink is over thin skin (I have one that ends over my ankle) the ink may have a texture left behind, a raised puffy bump, that fades over time.

A character receiving a tattoo might have this kind of bell curve effect, where it hurts really bad at the start, until adrenaline kicks in and dampens it, and then again once their adrenaline runs out. There is no pain quite like tattoo pain and everyone describes them differently. I like to think of them as itching a bug bite on a sunburn, dialed up to 11.

According to my past artists, women almost universally handle the pain better than men. I have definitely suffered other injuries worse than tattoo pain.

Fine linework hurts more than broad stroke coloring or shading, because the distribution of pressure is wider with more needles packed together. The larger the needle bundle, the less it hurts. All of mine are water color and the *splash* effect for the illusion of water drops uses a single needle and it’s always the most painful part.

Feel free to tag any that I missed!

#writing advice #writing resources #writing a book #writing tips #writing tools #writing #writeblr #character design #character development #character guide #tattoos

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dragunflies · 7 months ago

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⤯ 𝐈𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 ->

Ellie Williams X Fem Reader

omg, my first fic, eek! so scared lowk but I have so much saved in my docs that I need to spill soon. Ok, love ya, lmk what u think, constructive crit is welcomed per usual <3 ⚢

❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❦❧❦❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❦❧❦❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧

It was a cool mid Autumn morning. You sat there with the open window breezing against your flushed face and loose hair. It was an empty one-bedroom house, the cold air accompanied by the hollow walls made it eerie but relaxing. Wearing simply a baggy t-shirt and underwear you rose from the nest of a bed that formed while you slept. Although you snore, you sleep like a baby. With a head full of messy dark brown hair, a quick finger comb through your hair evens out the texture and density to some extent. Rolling out of bed, you crack your back, letting out a groan of relief, slowly easing your way out of your cozy bed. Come the fall time, the need for patrol hits its peak, most infected don’t stay out in the cold, so they tend to be the most active at the cusp of autumn.

As your eyes adjust to the light from the outside, so do your ears, the muttering of Jackson echoed through the neighborhood and led into your home. You reach for the hairbrush next to your bedside and try your best to aggressively claw out the knots left.

While you brushed and brushed your long hair, you heard the voices becoming more distinct. One specific member of the town, Ellie, became particularly known very quickly and very shortly. Her voice was raspy and stuck out quickly from the crowd; you could pinpoint it was her instantly. Not only did she just arrive a few years prior, but she was quick. With a quick tongue and a quicker fist, no one fucked with her. She was like a chihuahua, all bark and bite. Intimidating, but intriguing and sometimes weird to look at for too long. But oh did she piss you off, getting cocky and assertive in the smallest of tasks. She always insists on signing the postbooks, never shares her rations, and complains about hypothermia despite only wearing thin canvas sneakers.

God was she the fucking worst.

Hearing all the commotion outside, you persist, throwing on a pair of jeans, a belt, and a long-sleeved black top, rolling up the sleeves to your elbows. As you get to the door, you swing on a pair of your best and only boots and slide into a pocket-ridden jacket. You searched for your lighter and handgun, striking the white lighter to double-check its usage. You then make your way out of the suburban make-shift home and easily make your way to Jackson, the city you grew up in.

The leaves crunched below your boots as you made your way to the town center, where the majority of the town gathered that morning for the patrol assignments. Looking around you see familiar face after face, lining the circle surrounding Maria and the handful of men who surrounded her. Fortunately, you missed the entire meeting, but unfortunately as you have zero idea what the fuck you’re assigned to do. Surprisingly, Maria didn’t call you out like she usually does, by now she would've had your neck for being this casually late to a meeting like this, especially such an important one-

“Y/n.” Maria states assertively, the loud chatting turning to a shushed mumble.

You look around trying to avoid the piercing eye contact but falling back into her stone-cold stare, it went right through you, sending shivers and goosebumps.

“Yes, ma’am?” You ask, never using such proper language when addressing someone, ever in your life, you shuttle at the look Maria gave.

Her boot steps sounded louder than they ever did before.

“This is the 5th time this month.” She barked, the surrounding crowd turning away and quickly sharing chatter with their cliques.

“Yeah, I know, just trust me, I was in a rush, I didn’t even put my hair up,” You say, placing your hands in your pockets in the hope of hiding your anxious picking.

“I watch you stroll into the center all relaxed, you seem in no way of a rush,” Maria stated, her voice lowering as she raised a single eyebrow.

“Okay and?” Y/n mumbles, “Guarantee it wasn’t anything important.”

She lowered her eyebrow, crossed her arms, and raised her head abruptly, “You missed patrols, you were assigned the post north-east of Kelly,” Maria’s lips curled, looking y/n up and down as she walked away to her office building, “better get packing, that’s nothing important, right?”. You could hear the smile form on Maria’s lips as she walked away.

Are you fucking kidding me? Kelly, the farthest post owned by Jackson, all because you missed one meeting? Not even just the Kelly outpost, the farthest fucking post all the way up in the peaks- oh my fucking god.

Growing up in Jackson, you were trained for all different kinds of situations. Though you weren’t born here, it was where you learned everything you know now. Combat, shooting, hunting, gathering, and all the basics. Yeah, you weren’t always at the top of your class in everything, but you were a damn good aid. Knowing each medicine by its prefix or suffix, biology, and medicine is where you shine. Yeah, not combat, but you can survive, that’s all that matters.

“Who am I posted with?” Y/n called out, a scoff leaving your voice as you exhaled, her eyes closed hoping for a big group where she could simply sit back and watch.

With Maria’s back still turned, she answered with a pause. “Williams, she has the experience you don’t, trust me, you won't be that screwed.”

You stood there waiting for more people to be announced on your patrol. Nope, just Ellie. Fucking. Williams.

With a groan of dissatisfaction, you turned around, looking through the crowds of people, with everyone holding warm mugs and staying clumped together, it was hard to find that short mother-fucker. You still couldn’t believe it, peering between each conversation, trying to find the auburn-headed girl. She was so obviously loud this morning, how could you not find her now, when you actually needed to get ahold of her.

Suddenly, after walking around town center for a minute, you overhear a group of chatter,

“I can’t believe Maria would pair you two up like that,” One voice echoed down an alley.

“I know- like out of all of us standing there, she picks y/n.” Another states.

“I’m fucked.” Says another.

That was the voice. The raspy and obvious voice stood out so quickly to your ears.

You followed the group of voices, walking down a strip of self-owned stores, the in-between of the two buildings had voices spilling out of it. You walked closer, and upon turning into the alleyway,

There she was.

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gazspookiebear · 10 months ago

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Ghost hcs mostly him having autism

Has compression socks and gloves bc they help keep him regulated, but he HATES tight clothing anywhere else. He strictly wears loose and baggy clothing, like oversized hoodies

Hates flavored water unless it's tea. Green tea? Sure. Any kind of sparkling water? Nuh uh

Likes mud and rain puddles. Don't ask me why

Can't stand the smell of coffee in the morning, it overwhelms him. He can and will leave the room if someone just made coffee

Doesn't like hugs, or really just being touched in general. (Mostly due to trauma, but the autism isn't helping either)

That being said, when he does get hugged, he prefers it to be firm. Heavy knuckles running up and down his back is the quickest way to make him melt in your arms. Soap is the only one allowed to do this, but Price and Gaz will very occasionally be offered one of those awkward one-armed half hugs if they need one.

He masks most of the time (literally and figuratively) so it's not very obvious that he's autistic from first glance. If he's comfortable with the people around him, or if he's alone, he might stim

He does jazz hands as a stim, and can occasionally be found tiptoe walking

He also knocks his knuckles together and rasps them on desks. He likes the noise.

He prefers rough or smooth textures over soft/fluffy ones. Denim, mesh, leather, linen, and polyester are the only fabric types he'll be comfortable in.

He keeps his hair buzzed, not just because he's in the military, but because he pulls on it and ends up tearing it out of his head when he gets sensory overload from it touching his face (me too bro, me too)

He listens to metal songs on max volume when he's sensory seeking (you can hear that shit through his headphones)

He doesn't like having things in his ears, so he prefers headphones over earbuds. He won't complain if he has to use earbuds though.

Surprisingly enough, he can't stand weighted blankets. Unless that weighted blanket is Soap 😏

He gets aggressive when he's excited, so he'll often go to the gym to blow off some steam. Rookies see him going to town on a punching bag and assume he's pissed, but really he just doesn't know how else to express his feelings.

He hyperfixated on komodo dragons for a while (he now has several random facts in his arsenal)

His special interest is weapons. Any kind, he just thinks they're interesting. Especially crossbows. (He knows just about every weapon under the sun, ask him literally anything)

He steals Soap's phone to play neko atsume (he has become emotionally attached to the cats, but you didn't hear me say that)

He prefers to sleep with blankets under him instead of on top because it makes his skin crawl if they're not the right texture.

He's always cold but radiates heat like a motherfucker, definitely has an electric blanket at his place

He has a favorite pen that he carries everywhere, refuses to use anything else.

He eats the most random food combinations. Tomatoes with sour cream? Delicious. Avocados with cream cheese? Absolutely divine. A normal fucking sandwich? Hell no.

He struggles with hygiene but hates feeling dirty. He'll often force himself to shower even when he knows it'll drain his energy.

He has to buy a specific type of eyeblack because of the texture. He doesn't like any kind that feels too greasy. Not that it'll stop him from wearing it if that's all that's available, but he won't be happy about it.

He used to bite his hands as a kid. Hard. He has a few small scars because of it

He enjoys heavy bass. He likes low rumbling/knocking noises. He may or may not be considering buying a bass drum...

Alternates between sleeping in a hammock and a bed at his place

Loves chairs that spin, though you'd never catch him spinning 😔

Everything he says sounds sarcastic, even when he's being genuine. This has caused many people to get annoyed with him.

He tends to grind his teeth, so he chews on tree bark to keep his mouth busy

He used to climb trees as a kid because he liked the way the wind felt from up high in the leaves

He isn't a fan of the way paper feels. That being said, He loves old books. He spends most of his downtime at the library since it's quiet and peaceful, plus it gives him a way to get out of the house and busy himself.

He still wears a mask off duty for many reasons. For starters, he's never been the best at facial reactions. He thinks it's easier to just hide it altogether than to try and contort his face into the "appropriate" reaction. Secondly, he has stims and occasional tics where his mouth moves, and he doesn't want people to stare. (Snapping his mouth like a shark... so real to me) Also, he just thinks it should be common practice. He's never understood why people don't cover their mouth and nose, or at the very least cover it when they cough/sneeze.

He will actually fan the air in front of him if someone he doesn't like just walked by. He doesn't want to breathe "their air". (Graves was very confused as to why Ghost kept waving the air every time he walked by)

He wears sunglasses in public, regardless of whether or not it's sunny out. He just doesn't want to have to make eye contact with people if he doesn't have to. He can make eye contact, but he much prefers not to.

He punches his legs or the walls when overstimulated.

He has dromophobia (fear of crossing streets) and tends to speedwalk across roads

Has the biggest vocabulary known to man because he used to read dictionaries as a kid. (He can and will abuse this power when someone is annoying him)

Prefers non-fiction. That's it.

He cleans doorknobs daily. He specifically keeps a pack of wipes with him to clean doorknobs- who the fuck knows when they were cleaned last. He can't stand the idea of touching something that dozens, if not hundreds of people (who may or may not have washed their hands) have touched prior.

His favorite color is orange. He always avoids touching anything orange because he's worried he'll ruin it somehow.

He washes his hands before and after everything he does (when he can)

He has a crowbar. He keeps it beside his bed, and he's very fond of it.

He can stay completely still for concerningly long amounts of time. Useful for missions, unnerving the rest of the time. Can and will be seen in the corner of a room staring at people.

@waiting-so-long I'm so glad someone wanted to hear my nonsense lmao

#Wdym I'm projecting... no I'm not #(I am)#Half of these are just things I do #Not even gonna lie tomatoes with sour cream fucking slaps #I also think Ghost was hyper empathetic as a child #He lost that pretty quickly #Hmmm I'm gonna monch and cronch on this man #I also don't think he likes kissing #Soap doesn't mind #cod #simon ghost riley #ghost headcanons #ghost #ghost cod #simon riley #Forgive any mistakes I missed #I looked over this very quickly lol

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kieraelieson · 3 months ago

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A Visit From the Farrier

Set after the main section of the Centaur AU

Thomas yawned, sitting up.

Things were moving slower now. It’s still a lot, caring for six centaurs, but nothing especially bad has happened in a bit.

Thomas looked up and a bit to the side. His ‘bed’ was in the empty stall next to Roman’s. Roman seemed to still be asleep, standing with his upper body flopped against the centaur bed attached to the wall. It was a little strange for Roman to still be asleep, usually when Thomas woke Roman was already awake.

There were soft sounds from nearby, probably Emile working on breakfast. He had very generously stepped into the position of breakfast maker most mornings.

Not that it took too much work to open the packets, add water, and microwave. The Authiers mostly had provided pre-packaged centaur food. It was supposed to be healthy, with all the vitamins and minerals needed by a centaur in a day. But there sure wasn’t a lot of variety. There were a couple ‘different flavors’ that smelled roughly the same to Thomas, and all of them had the same shredded wheat kind of texture. He’d been bringing in as much human food as he could, trying to let them have something that actually tasted good. But the stable was small, and didn’t have a whole lot of extra storage space, much less a stove or a fridge.

Thomas stood up and brushed off some of the hay sticking to him. He was still wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing yesterday, though, so was everyone else mostly. The centaurs weren’t used to pajamas, so they generally only changed if they felt their clothes were dirty. The exceptions were Remy and Emile, who were used to a bit finer of a lifestyle while living with Thomas.

It was honestly a bit of a downgrade for them here. This stable was about the same size as Thomas’s, but had twice as many stalls inside it, and now three times as many centaurs. There wasn’t anything like a kitchen, much less one that centaurs could easily use, only a single microwave and some banged up plastic plates.

Thomas opened the stall as quietly as he could and walked out to where Emile was, indeed, making breakfast for the centaurs. Thomas leaned heavily against his side, silent in the calm early morning.

“Good morning,” Emile said quietly.

“I appreciate you so much,” Thomas said in return.

Emile huffed out a quiet laugh, reaching back to ruffle up Thomas’s hair.

“The farrier comes today,” Thomas said, a yawn making him pause before he could keep speaking. “You and Remy aren’t quite due, but do you want to go ahead and get reshod anyway?”

Emile considered, and then shrugged. “Might as well. If we will be staying here for the foreseeable future, lining up with this farrier’s schedule seems a good idea.”

“I wish I knew them before now and could know what they’d be like,” Thomas said thoughtfully. “I guess after today we’ll know.”

“He doesn’t tend to be too bad,” Roman said, apparently awake now and listening to their conversation. “Your biggest problem is going to be with Panic at the Everywhere.”

Thomas had guessed as much. Logan would need a bit of extra care to be sure his legs weren’t jostled too much, but Virgil was who he was most concerned about. He was by far the flightiest of the centaurs, and did not like strangers. Especially strangers touching him. And the farrier would be touching his feet, while Virgil tended to kick when nervous. It all didn’t add up to a great time.

But Thomas had been getting a bit worried about Virgil’s hooves. He certainly could get himself around well, but he wasn’t walking quite right, and Thomas worried he might have a problem that would only get worse with time.

“Or he could just leave me alone again,” Virgil said, his tone tinged with defensiveness.

Thomas pursed his lips. He went over to Virgil’s stall.

“I’m supposed to keep you safe and healthy,” Thomas started.

Virgil scowled immediately.

“I’ve been noticing that you can’t step flat on your hooves, and I’m worried that they might hurt you if they aren’t cared for.”

“I don’t care what kind of nice words you wrap it in, I’m not letting some stranger come in here and cut parts of me off.” Virgil crossed his arms and turned his back on Thomas.

Thomas’s mouth dropped open. That was. A way. To see it. “I mean… technically that’s how it works, but your hooves are just like your hair, or your fingernails. It won’t hurt you.”

“I don’t care, I don’t like it, and I won’t stand for it.”

“I’m almost certain you’ll feel better after it’s done,” Thomas tried coaxing. “It has to be awkward to walk and run like you have been.”

“I’m fine,” Virgil insisted, still with his back turned to Thomas. He stamped one hoof against the floor of his stall.

“You don’t have to throw a tantrum,” Roman said snappishly. “Everyone gets their hooves trimmed and gets shoes at one point or another.”

“I don’t want to!” Virgil yelled, officially breaking the calm morning atmosphere. “I’m fine without shoes, I never had to have them! I can still run, I can still carry someone, and I can give a smoother ride than just about any damn person without shoes.”

“Virgil,” Logan says. Just his name, but Virgil seems to deflate slightly.

“Could we compromise?” Thomas tries. “Will you let the farrier look at your feet, and trim them so you can walk properly, and unless it’s medically necessary you don’t have to wear shoes.”

Virgil turns to look at him, suspicion clear in his eyes. He grimaces. “Fine. I’ll try. But no promises.”

Emile came by then, passing out plates.

“I guess I’ll go get my own breakfast,” Thomas said. “I should be back before the farrier arrives.”

••^*^••

The farrier drove up to the stable in a large truck, the back of which was covered in tools. Thomas went out to meet him and see if he needed any help.

“Hey there,” the man said cheerfully. “I heard there was a new groom.”

“Thomas,” he said, holding out a hand and smiling. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. The guy seemed nice.

“Jerry,” the farrier responded, shaking his hand firmly. “Just let me set up a little and then bring them out one at a time. Shouldn’t take too long.”

“There’s actually two more centaurs,” Thomas said. “They were shod last about three and a half weeks ago, but I figured I’d get them all done at once.”

Jerry started doing some things with his tools, setting up. “Huh. Alright, I think I can manage that. Five of em shouldn’t run me out of time, so long as they’re well behaved.”

“Uh, six,” Thomas corrected.

Jerry turned to look at him with a reluctant grimace. “I’m sure you’ve experienced that that little black one is fuckin crazy. Last time I managed to actually touch his feet we had to hold him down with about six men, and even then one of em went home with a nasty bruise.”

Thomas winced slightly. “Yeah… well, I’m worried about his hooves. I guess he hasn’t been getting very regular care for them.”

Jerry laughed drily. “Not much ‘care’ you can give one as jumpy as that.”

“I’d still like us to try today,” Thomas said.

Jerry sighed. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll try. But I’ll be charging a fee for dangerous circumstances, and another for canceling on my other customer today. I certainly won’t be making it there in time.”

Thomas nodded firmly. “Thank you, Jerry. I appreciate it.”

Jerry waved him off, continuing to set up. “You go ahead and make sure he’s got on a tight harness and blinders. Call over some more guys for when he flips his shit.”

Thomas hesitated.

Jerry scoffed. “What, unless you’re intending to sedate him for it?”

“I’ll do my best to keep us safe,” Thomas promised.

He started heading back to the stable, feeling the doubtful stare follow him.

Once inside, he went to Logan first. Deal with the small problem, then all the (hopefully) easy ones, and finally tackle what seems like it’ll be a monster of a task.

“Would you be ok with going first?” Thomas asked.

“I don’t mind,” Logan said, straightening slightly.

Thomas opened his stall. Of the centaurs that had been here before he showed up, only Virgil seemed willing to let himself in and out of his own stall. Patton would do it if he thought he had permission, but Roman and Logan always had to be let out by Thomas. It was odd, but Thomas didn’t want to push on something he could easily do for them.

With a warning to the farrier, and Thomas standing beside watching, it actually goes quite smoothly. When he got back in the stable, Logan even said that it didn’t hurt his legs any more than they already hurt. Which, well, ideally Logan would be in no pain, but no increase in pain is pretty good too.

The others go easily as well. Turns out Patton didn’t wear shoes very much, just kept up with trimming. It made sense, since he didn’t do much running around, and when he did it was on soft grass.

A few hours later, everyone had been seen except for Virgil. Jerry was off taking a break for a bit while Thomas prepared Virgil for the shoeing.

“It’s your turn next,” Thomas says gently. “Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?”

Virgil was twitchy. Had been since Remy went, with Remy being the last one other than him. He shifted and flinched at every tiny sound or movement near him.

Virgil looked at Thomas, fear, and the difficulty he was having fighting it, plain on his face. His hands grip around his arms.

“I— I probably shouldn’t be able to see it,” Virgil rasped out. “But don’t put something over my whole head!”

“It’s ok,” Thomas said soothingly. “I’m not gonna do something like that.”

He considered for a long few seconds. He really didn’t like putting blinders on centaurs. It felt dehumanizing. Oh!

“What if you put on one of the hoodies and pull the hood up and forward? It’ll cover the sides of your vision, and it’ll be hard for you to look back at your hooves, but there will still be the whole front open for you.”

Virgil blinked, stilling momentarily as he thought about the suggestion. “You… really? Just a hood?”

Thomas shrugged. “I mean, unless you want something different. The problem here is that you’re scared of what will happen, so forcing you isn’t going to help, I want to work with you, and make it less scary.”

Virgil looked at him like he was insane. “What, so you aren’t going to harness and hobble me?”

“Not if I can help it,” Thomas said with a small smile.

Virgil gestured towards the wall of the barn, or rather, through it to where he knew the farrier was. “He’s never gonna go along with that!”

“I’ll handle him,” Thomas promised. “You just tell me what you need.”

Virgil bit his lip, frowning doubtfully. He crossed his arms, turning half away.

“It would help if I knew what he was doing. Like… like you did with the brushing.” Virgil mumbled, not looking back at Thomas.

Thomas was glad for the confirmation that his rambling at them had been actually helpful. “I can explain what he’s doing, so you don’t have to look, and you’ll still know what’s happening.”

Virgil nodded stiffly, his hand coming up to his mouth. He chewed on his thumbnail, his gaze starting to look a bit distant.

It wasn’t ideal that he was learning dissociation from Logan, but if it could get him through a rough thing, Thomas wasn’t going to protest. Yet.

“Is there anything else that could help?” Thomas asked gently.

Virgil shrugged, and shivers ran over his flanks.

“Alright, let me get that hoodie and then we’ll go outside, ok?”

Virgil just shrugged again, but he didn’t seem able to stop twitching.

Once Virgil had on the hoodie with the hood pulled up, Thomas handed him a halter. He still had to have halters on the centaurs whenever he left the stable with them, which felt ridiculous.

He led Virgil out, feeling the slightest tremble through the lead.

“It’s alright,” he reassured, bringing Virgil over to the truck. “I’ll be right here the whole time. I won’t let anything bad happen. I promise.”

Virgil gave a jerky nod, squeezing his crossed arms tighter around his chest.

“Oh hell no!” Jerry said loudly, coming back from his break.

Virgil flinched, his stance stiffening.

“I am not working on that centaur with only a fucking halter! He slips right out of those! You may be new, but I’ve dealt with him before, and this will not work. One of us is going to get kicked in the face before he runs all the way to the end of the property before anyone can get a rope over him.”

“It’ll be ok,” Thomas said firmly. “I’ve been working with the centaurs and it will be fine.”

Jerry scowled at him. “You think you’re a fucking centaur whisperer or some shit?”

“Yes,” Thomas said intensely.

The farrier’s face twisted unpleasantly. “Yeah, she would hire a delusional fool,” he muttered under his breath. “Look, if I try with this one and he starts flipping his shit, I’m leaving. And I’m still billing till the end of the day.”

“Deal,” Thomas said immediately. It wasn’t exactly his money to promise, but at the same time, he hadn’t gotten in trouble for spending too much yet.

“But I’m not going within a yard of him till you hobble the feet I don’t have to be touching.”

“It’s fine…” Virgil whispered.

Thomas looked up to see Virgil’s face was red with shame. Well, there went any good feeling he had left for Jerry. Officially in the asshole book now.

Reluctantly, he went to get a hobble.

Virgil got even more stiff and trembly with his legs hobbled. It must be nerve-wracking, tied in place with someone doing something scary to him.

Thomas stroked his hand along Virgil’s side. “It’s alright, you’ll be ok.”

Jerry finally approached, pulling up one of Virgil’s back hooves and pinning it between his legs. Virgil’s leg twitched and moved, but not enough to pull it free from the farrier’s grasp.

“There you go,” Thomas soothed. “You’re doing great. He’s just gonna take a pick and clean your hoof first. Just like normal.”

The farrier picked out Virgil’s hoof very quickly, quicker than Thomas could. He motioned to Thomas to come closer and look.

“Well, he’s obviously not wearing shoes right now,” Jerry said. He pointed around the wall of the hoof. “You can see it’s definitely overgrown, I’m surprised he isn’t limping around. But see here on the toe, he’s grinding his hooves against concrete. That’s the only way they’re relatively even. But that makes the sides way too overgrown, especially compared to the toe and the frog. I didn’t look too close as you brought him over, but he’s gotta be walking funny.”

Thomas nodded seriously. “Will a trimming help?”

“I mean, of course it’ll help. But what he needs is shoes. And he’ll have to get used to walking on hooves that are trimmed right. You’ll need to watch him to be sure he doesn’t sprain one of his legs while he adjusts.”

“I will,” Thomas promised.

The farrier reached for another tool.

Thomas set a hand on Virgil’s flank, trying to give some other touch for him to focus on. “Alright, bud, he’s got his hoof knife and he’s going to start trimming the dead parts of the frog.”

There was a strangled, distressed sound from Virgil, and his leg pulled in the farrier’s grip.

“Don’t you dare try and kick me,” Jerry muttered darkly, trying to move as quickly as he could on Virgil’s hoof.

“It’s alright, Virgil, you’re alright,” Thomas said soothingly, stroking along his side, which was beginning to feel damp with sweat. “It’s starting to look better already. Just getting the dead bits off. He’s working on cleaning up your sole now. He won’t cut any live parts, just the overgrown bits. Just like trimming fingernails.”

Virgil was trembling beneath his hand. Thomas leaned heavily against his side. He seemed to feel better when Logan squished him, maybe the smaller pressure Thomas could provide would still be helpful.

“You’re doing great, Virge,” Thomas praised. “Doing real well. He’s gonna take clippers now and trim the wall of your hoof. We’re getting close to done with this one. You’re doing so well.”

And it was going well, until Thomas was too focused on Virgil to notice the farrier switching to the rasp. At the first movement, Virgil yanked his hoof back.

“What’s that?!!” Virgil yelled, his voice high and stressed.

“Shhh, shh, it’s ok,” Thomas said, trying to calm the suddenly much more tense atmosphere. “It’s a rasp, it’s alright, it just helps to smooth things out.”

Jerry grumbled something as he picked up Virgil’s hoof again, gripping it right between his thighs as he tried again.

A high, animalistic whine escaped Virgil’s throat.

Thomas moved over to his front. “Hey, hey, look at me, ok? Everything’s fine. This is the last step of the trimming for this hoof. You’ve been doing so well. I’m so proud of you. It’ll all be ok.”

“It feels weird, I don’t like it!” Virgil gritted out.

“I know,” Thomas said sympathetically. “I know it doesn’t feel good. But it won’t take long. He’s almost done with that hoof already. And you’re doing so well.”

Virgil’s face was screwed up, his eyes shut tight. If he wasn’t wearing a hoodie, his fingernails would surely be cutting into the skin of his arms with how tightly he was gripping them. As it was, Thomas was still worried about finger-shaped bruises.

“There.” Jerry dropped Virgil’s hoof.

Virgil’s eyes shot open, and he stomped that foot against the ground. His scowl didn’t leave.

“I hate this.”

“I know it doesn’t feel good,” Thomas said. “But it’s really important for you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Virgil grumbled something Thomas couldn’t quite hear as Jerry picked up his other back leg.

It was an achingly slow process, painful for all of them, to get the rest of Virgil’s hooves trimmed. But they did get through it. Eventually.

“Alright, now he said you really do need shoes,” Thomas said gently, again coming to stand in front of Virgil and catch his gaze. “This bit should be easier. It’ll take a bit longer, but most of it will be him over there on the side of his truck getting the shoes ready. So he won’t have to touch you so much.”

Virgil nodded miserably. His face was a blotchy mess now, with a few tear tracks he hadn’t yet swiped at.

“Why don’t you talk to me?” Thomas offered. “Let’s talk about something and just focus on that and not the farrier.”

Virgil shrugged.

“Well, maybe let’s get to know each other a little better. I’m 25, um, I don’t have any siblings. I do have several aunts and uncles though, my parents didn’t really carry on the tradition of big families.”

“I’m 8…” Virgil mumbled. “But I’m 9 in the fall, I’m not a colt anymore.”

Thomas blinked, a bit confused. “Well, of course not.”

Virgil nodded, justified.

As far as Thomas knew, centaurs were adults at 5. Or at least counted as adults. Some five year old centaurs he’d seen seemed more like older teens. But he wasn’t the one whose opinion was important.

“I don’t really know anything about siblings,” Virgil continued. “I was brought here a little before I turned 4, and I didn’t know of any before that.”

“So you’ve been here for close to five years?” Thomas asked. “Wait, aren’t centaurs supposed to stay with their parents till age 5?”

Virgil nodded. “There’s like, a lot of exceptions to that. Most people don’t get that lucky.”

“Oh,” Thomas said, an odd twist in his stomach. But this wasn’t about him, this was about distracting Virgil. “So, how has it been growing up here?”

Virgil gritted his teeth. “Awful. Some of the stories Patton and Logan tell are worse, but this sure isn’t a nice place to be.”

Thomas wasn’t sure if he was doing particularly well at distracting Virgil, or just being a particularly nosey and rude conversation partner.

“I wish I could make it better,” Thomas said.

Virgil shrugged. “You do your best.”

Thomas frowned. “My best isn’t good enough when you’re still miserable.”

“Well, what else are you supposed to do?” Virgil asked. “Not much you can. You may be human, but on the human social ladder you’re pretty much on the bottom. Uh… no offense.”

“You’re fine,” Thomas said. He sighed heavily. “I feel like there’s something I can do, and should be doing, I just don’t know what.”

“Well… last time the farrier actually did anything to my hooves,” Virgil said. “I was in like three different harnesses, and hobbles, and a fucking bag over my head. And then when I freaked out they kept sticking ropes all over me, and a bunch of humans were yelling and sitting on me and pulling me around. So. What you’ve already done is a pretty big improvement.”

Thomas grimaced at the story. “I just can’t believe it got that bad in the first place. You know, I have some experience with Remy and Emile, but like, they lived with my aunt for years, and as far as I know she was nice to them, and then they came to me when she passed away, and… I guess I just didn’t think that people really treated centaurs as badly as some of the horror stories.”

Virgil just shrugged. “This place is all I really know, so…”

“What about when you were still with your parents? Do you remember much from back then?”

“Well, a lot of the time I was just kinda in a stall. I think we lived on a farm, and my parents still had work and things. Sometimes I’d be let out into a field, and that was really nice. There were a couple other centaurs there, one or two foals and some old ones. I didn’t really see the humans there very much, or I don’t remember it anyway.”

“Sounds like a pretty lonely childhood,” Thomas said sadly.

Virgil just shrugged again. “Why don’t you tell me about yours instead then.”

Jerry was coming back with a ready shoe.

“One of the shoes is ready,” Thomas said. “It should be fairly quick to put on. There will be a strange hissing sound when it first goes on, and he’s going to hammer in nails, but they won’t hurt, and you’ll be ok. I can tell you some more about me while it’s going on.”

Virgil tensed up again, rigid and trembly. He scowled, but nodded.

“So my parents both came from pretty big families, and I was the first grandchild, so I had a lot of adults around when I was little,” Thomas said.

The muscles in Virgil’s leg bunched as the shoe was pressed against his hoof, and he winced hard.

“Then when I started to get more cousins, the attention got more spread out. But Aunt Patty still came over to visit all the time. She was Mom’s sister, the one who first had Remy and Emile. I would visit sometimes when I got just a bit older, like 10 or something, and I would get to ride them around. I was… kind of an idiot back then, and I hadn’t really realized that they were people too. I’m not sure Aunt Patty did either.”

Virgil slowly began to relax after Jerry let his hoof down again.

“Or wait,” Thomas said. “Maybe it was only Emile back then. I know Remy’s younger. Sometimes childhood memories get just a little blurry together. I ended up getting to be kinda friends with them both by the time I was a teenager. When I moved out from my parents house I went to live with Aunt Patty actually. She always said I was her favorite nephew. That’s why she left me the house and all when she passed away.”

Jerry seemed to have done extra prep work before bringing out the first shoe, because he was returning much sooner this time with the second.

“Here comes the farrier again,” Thomas warned. “Just like last time. You’ll do great.”

Virgil nodded shakily. “Keep talking? Please.”

“Yeah, of course,” Thomas said. “Let’s see, um, have I ever told you that Emile has a therapy license?”

Virgil shook his head, biting down on his lip as the new shoe was placed against his hoof.

“He does,” Thomas continued. “Aunt Patty had an anxiety disorder. I mean, I do too, but I’ve had an Emile around for longer to help me. Turns out centaurs can get therapy certifications. It’s a bit closer to like, a support dog as far as paperwork is concerned, but Emile really liked the idea, and he has a whole bookshelf back at home of psychology books and I bet if they allowed centaurs to do the same certification test for human therapists he’d pass. He’s really been a lifesaver. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Thomas had to pause to switch the hobbles from Virgil’s front legs to his back ones.

“When I was a younger teen,” Thomas said. “I used to think of him like he was another one of my uncles. He was always taking care of me whenever I visited, and we both really cared about each other. Just about anything I know about centaurs and what they like and what they don’t I learned from him. Remy was more standoffish until a few years ago. He’s not much of a fan of humans and the whole being owned thing, which like, of course not! But it made it a bit harder for us to become friends.”

Jerry was back again with another shoe.

“You’re getting real close to being done, Virgil. I’m real proud of how well you’re doing, especially since it’s so hard,” Thomas said earnestly.

He chattered on about random things, interspersing praises for Virgil, until the farrier finally finished with the last shoe.

Virgil lifted his legs awkwardly. “Ugh, they’re heavy and weird.”

“I guess you took ‘centaur whisperer’ literally, huh?” Jerry said to Thomas. “I mean, I can’t deny it worked. You’ll never get that one to stand still without jitters, but still, that was damn impressive.”

Thomas tried to smile. It was really all of Virgil’s effort making the difference. And like, not being rampantly abused the whole time.

Jerry grinned mischievously. “Well, I’m outta here. Still gonna charge you through the end of the day.”

Thomas rolled his eyes, but didn’t protest. His focus was on Virgil, not cost.

“Can you walk?” Thomas asked as the truck started to pull away.

Virgil stepped forward, frowning down at his hooves. “Yeah, it’s just weird.”

Thomas unclipped the halter and laid it over his shoulder with the hobble, instead holding out a hand for Virgil to take if he chose. “I can help you inside, and then you can get brushed down if you want.”

Virgil’s coat was rather wet now with nervous sweat, and it couldn’t be comfortable.

“I can walk on my own,” Virgil said, not accepting the offered hand. He didn’t stumble, but he definitely was walking oddly, raising his hooves high between each step. “And I want to stay with Logan for a bit.”

Thomas easily acquiesced. “Absolutely. Whatever you want. You deserve it, after all that.”

Virgil offered him a small, tight smile. “Thanks, Thomas.”

Thomas smiled back.

It had been a success. An exhausting success, but still a success.

#my own work #centaur au #sanders sides #virgil sanders #character!thomas

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decepti-thots · 1 year ago

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☕ MTOs & specifically what do you think they were going for with that?

MTOs are an interesting narrative thing to me in the sense that they really are so localised to only one part of the canon; they're very clearly Roberts' idea and only really matter, inasmuch as they do matter, in MTMTE. It's pretty clear to me that's the case for one specific reason: they'd actually fit SUPER well into the narrative arc of exRiD, especially early-to-mid RiD, but they basically never come up! You'd think 'neutrals and soldiers stuggling to cohabit socially and politically' would be prime fodder (lmao) for taking advantage of a narrative about mechs born of and into war coming back to a civilian life on a planet they really don't know. And yet.

What they're doing in that comic, in MTMTE, is a little headscratching to me at times. It feels, to be honest, somewhat like worldbuilding put in to make the texture of the backstory of the war feel grander than IDW had really managed up to that point in actual on-panel stuff, without a lot of thought when doing so in the moment as to the knock on implications going forward. MTMTE does this a few times, tries to use vague gestures at important sounding stuff to bring a greater sense of history and depth to the war in the face of the actual stuff we saw in phase one being. Mmmm. Basically just twenty dudes we already know shooting at each other across parking lots. LMAO.

(Sidenote: I know for a fact Roberts watched original flavour nuWho, and this is PEAK Russell T Davies doing worldbuilding when he was on Doctor Who, and I fully believe he was cribbing from that playbook. Every damn episode RTD would make them just sort of say stuff about the Time War that made it sound incredibly vast and textured and complex but which, crucially, never made any actual fucking sense. Good examples of stuff like this would be the Crucible, the Simanzi massacre, etc. This is, to be clear, a neutral observation, not praise or criticism per se.)

I say this because MTOs should probably be a bigger deal in terms of the impact on our cast, and their outlook on life and reasons for joining the quest, than they wind up being. An MTO is a character with no experience of living in peacetime at all, likely no experience of Cybertron, no sense of kinship or home necessarily to the planet they came "back" to. All of this provides a really clear motivation, given the implication most surviving non-neutral Cybertronians are now MTOs due to huge numbers of deaths, to join a quest like the Lost Light's! But it tends not to come up much, and I think it's because it wasn't really part of the plan. Later on, there's room to slot in some details here and there- Riptide talking about his experiences with being infodumped at by the 'training' comes to mind- but it takes a while for the comic to come back round to that.

The two big exceptions, of course, are Getaway and Brainstorm. The idea is definitely interacting with their characters more, though again, it... tends to come up later. Especially for Getaway, who I'm not convinced was originally conceived as an MTO, but had it slotted in a bit later as 'well that works' stuff tbh. (And it does, so that's fine!) Which leaves Brainstorm, who lies about being forged to throw off suspicion, who it's implied never got the time of day from Quark in a way I wouldn't be surprised we're supposed to assume is some kind of remaining bias, perhaps. Who didn't see a future for himself 'back on Cybertron' and so concocted a very weird plan to avoid having to. Who never got a choice about his 'side' in the war, and wound up with no real loyalty for anyone.

I think if there's any avenue I'd have liked to see more about MTOs via, it's Brainstorm. I wish there'd been more room to focus on that instead of (I'm so sorry shippers) his thing with Perceptor as the way to talk about his sense of inadequacy, tbh. What did it feel like, lying to Chromedome about remembering a pre-war life he never got a chance to experience? Being made to shoot people and be shot and escaping the fate of having that be the only thing he ever knew by the skin of his teeth? Not being able to imagine an end to the war, so all he wants to do is save one guy and run off with him as a pipe dream? That seems like the character where a lot of this stuff should naturally lie, to me. And I think it's a shame I've seen very little talk in fandom about it!

#ask meme

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dilatorywriting · 6 months ago

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Hi!! I was wondering if you had any advice for beginner writers like me? I really want to start dabbling into it but it's very daunting </3

Hop on into it! Which sounds like absolutely nonsense advice, but that would be the big thing. It's always really intimidating trying to settle into a new hobby, and the arts especially can spiral into a 'comparison' mess that makes it all the harder. So don't let other people's work make you feel like you're not accomplishing something of your own! And most importantly, write what YOU want to read. It helps the flow so much when it's something you really want to see

The other big thing that has helped me a lot is 'writing for people with no imagination.' Which sounds mean as all hell, but let me clarify. So there's that thing, right? About what people think of if you say 'think of an apple.' There's the person who just thinks the word, the one who thinks of the general shape and form, and the one who pictures the whole apple as you'd see it in a photo. I've always been the latter, and never really even assumed anyone could think anything but that way. But I was talking with my sister one day and she basically described herself as the 'word only' person, and said that's why she doesn't like to read a lot. Because she really just can't picture it in her head. So to me, that means the best way to write is to really build a scene with things that people can relate to rather than having them fill in the blanks on their own. Sights, sounds, smells, textures, tempterature. The works. And it doesn't have to be poetic--just something real. Something relateable. I maybe overuse it in my own writing lol, but I think it's very important and something that a lot of people tend to overlook.

#Asks

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adhddarling · 1 year ago

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I HAVE AUTISM, PERCEIVE ME /lh

HI i'm gonna talk about communication and my sensory profile and verbal stims because i'm bored and they're things i experience with my autism.

alternative communication

i used to use BSL to communicate when nonspeaking as a kid but now the people i'm around don't understand BSL i tend to use other ways to communication

gesturing and mouthing words instead of saying them aloud work too

i also like speaking in toki pona (if u haven't heard of it, it's a minimalist constructed language made by linguist sonja lang, made to be easy to learn with simple grammar and help you focus on smaller concepts as it has only 130 words! current hyperfix haha) because it helps me a lot - the words feel easier for me to process and use, and the short words (most are 2-4 letters long) are easy to say and spell out.

verbal stims

my verbal stims change frequently! i often use echolalia to stim, so i repeat phrases that i've heard before. tiktok sounds often plague me in this way lmao.

my current most frequent verbal stims are french words! 'bonjour', 'oui' and 'au revoir' are some of my favourites.

i also like making beeping, buzzing and clicking like a dolphin.

my verbal stims can be voluntary or involuntary

sensory profile for me, it depends on what sense, but i'll do a quick run down:

taste - sensory seeking (i like spice/intense flavours)

food texture - DUDE DON'T GIVE ME ANY SOFT TEXTURES PLS. i like crunchy foods. i don't like inconsistently textured foods, so i avoid fruit and vegetables bc the texture is always different! my safe foods are chicken (my favourite are tenders or nuggets) and bread (i like most types of bread, but prefer the ones with a crunchy outside)

temperature - i don't like hot things generally. i don't like hot drinks or really hot foods. i prefer cooler temperatures in my room and prefer being cold - i can't stand the heat, summer is my nemesis /srs

clothing - i like big jumpers a lot, dresses that are spinny and clothes that don't restrict my movement. things like blazers or jackets stress me out cause i can't move freely.

sight - VISUAL STIMS ONLINE ARE DOPE!!! i love kinetic sand too. i have very visceral reactions to online stimboards lmao. i don't like bright lights - the dark is wayyy better.

sound - generally sound avoidant/adverse, i don't like loud noises, and i wear my ear defenders or earphones at all times bc i can't handle noise, especially in public. i like certain sounds like woodpecker drilling but i have to be in the mood for it. music is an exception to my sound avoidance because i love it omg - i memorise song lyrics really easily, usually from one listen.

touch - depends on my mood tbh. don't touch me w/o permission or i will reflex elbow you in the stomach /lh

#adhd #autism #actually autistic #autistic things #autistic adult #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #actually neurodiverse #neurodiversesquad #neurodivergencies #stim #sensory #sensory profile #sensory processing #verbal stims #stimming #aac #alternative communication

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turbulentscrawl · 1 year ago

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Identity(V) Headcanons: Luca Balsa

Next up!

Again, I am new to the IDV fandom, and I have never played the game, so these headcanons are informed by my ongoing lore dives sourcing the wiki, japanese twitter responses, comics, stageplay, and more! Some of these may relate to or even contradict character backstory, and some of them are just pure vibes for me. If you like it, consider shooting a request ;)

-So to start, I personally headcanon that Luca initiated the fight that led to the electrical accident. He’s always been hot-headed and impulsive, especially in regard to the source of his pride. I don’t think he intended for the confrontation with Alva to end anywhere near the way it did, but I do think he felt a good shove or two were well-warranted when he found out "his" ideas were being stolen. It’s when Alva fought back a little too viciously that the accident happened—and it well and truly was an accident. Not that it matters much when the only survivor doesn’t remember the event at all.

-He has headaches regularly, and terrible migraines at least once a week. He’s yet to find a way to relieve the migraines and, even worse, they are typically followed by an episode of more intense amnesia. Under normal circumstances, Luca’s memory problems are manageable. He doesn’t remember the accident, and there are massive blackouts in the memories beyond it, but on the average day he only struggles with small details of more recent events. During these post-migraine episodes, though, he completely loses all context for where he is, what he is doing, and who the people around him are. Most of the time, the important bits come back…but not always.

-Forgotten memories are also sometimes sporadically triggered by something mundane. A word, a texture, a sound, and suddenly he’s frozen stock-still in the face of a one-person cinematic viewing. By the time he turns to tell someone about it, though, the memory is gone again.

-To try to combat these issues, Luca keeps notebooks stashed everywhere. He writes down anything that might be important, as well as anything sentimental. The obvious issue with this, however, is that he doesn’t always remember where he keeps these notebooks.

-Despite his memory problems, his personality is largely in-tact. He maintains a lot of gentlemanly mannerisms and is cordial, if not outright friendly, to just about everyone he meets. Generally, he’s only “rude” in the sense that his attention tends to shift very abruptly.

-He’s the sort of person who appreciates variety. In people, food, scenery, just about everything. Part of why he gets along with so many people is because he can genuinely appreciate all manner of skillsets and hobbies. Likewise, to be a friend to him you only need to show appreciation for his work; understanding is not a requirement.

-It’s canon that he dislikes noise, but enjoys music. These might seem like clashing sentiments, but what it really comes down to is expected noise. Music can be relaxing, inspiring, rush-inducing! It holds your mind’s hand and hurries it along its thoughtful way. JUST noise is…chaotic, distracting, and sometimes startling. Plus, Luca likes being able to hum along while he works.

-It’s common to be static-zapped if you touch him. Long-term contact can even cause your hair to start standing on end. Unfortunately, it isn’t something he can control, so just be prepared to deal with it.

-The best Love Language to give Luca is Quality Time. He can honestly work with pretty much all of them, but Quality Time checks multiple boxes—especially if you’re good with parallel play. For one, he gets so busy with his work that it sometimes makes him feel guilty for neglecting the people he cares about. If you’re comfortable just hanging around his space, doing your own thing while he does his, it’s easier for him to check in with you between the erratic come-and-go of his thoughts. Those small bits of time add up, and he feels much better about his workaholic nature. Second, the more you permeate his memory, the less likely he feels he is to forget you. One of the few things he doesn’t struggle to remember is himself, his own name, and if you’re always there maybe it’ll be the same for you.

-He has trouble balancing his priorities. He often foregoes food, sleep, hygiene, and even his loved ones in favor of working on his invention. Sometimes he’s so absorbed in it that he doesn’t even understand the weight of hurtful decisions, but even when he does, he’d find it difficult to change.

-It’s also never impossible for the emotions that caused the accident to rear their head again. If someone were ever to intentionally sabotage Luca’s work or unapologetically steal his ideas, he may very well lash out with violence. Even if it were an accident, there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t be enraged.

-Luca has no idea what he’d do with himself if he ever did finish his invention. The guilt he feels for what may-have-happened is confused and warped, and he keeps it buried beneath his weighty obsession with the one thing he’s never forgotten…but if it were ever to be out of the way, Luca might be consumed by darkness.

#idv #identity v #luca balsa #idv prisoner #idv x reader #luca balsa x reader #turbulentscrawl #identity v x reader

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cosmica-galaxy · 1 year ago

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Since I absolutely adore pal,, could we have more facts on his personality? Mayhaps silly lil quirks even? /nf!!

~Facts about Pal!~ + Pal is a VERY talented singer! He can sing soprano, opera, crescendo, pop, rock, and electronic. Even A cappella! + Pal is outwardly friendly to most units and, despite his size and VERY powerful ability, he's a gentle giant that doesn't want to fight. + Pal actually has friends outside of his primary pack! He joined the human by choice and left his original pack in search of adventure. He still visits them! As he leaves from time to time to visit his "older pack" that stays together at his older home! + Pal has a collection of music boxes that he's collected! He also likes fancy watches and things that emit noise, like little pocket watches or "stim toys". Bubble wrap is also a fun "toy" to him! + While the human spars or wrestles with other units, especially larger units, Pal wants to try and "play" too. + He's the moderator of the group. If Buddy and Fiend start fighting too much, he'll step in. If the fighting gets really bad or annoying to Pal, he'll flare his frill to the max and it never fails to make the other two behave. + Pal is VERY strong and can easily hold his own against larger skibidis, not to mention his ability to absolutely cripple them or kill them altogether. + He uses his frill to help him hear better, since his sight is not very good. Posters and writing on walls tend to go unnoticed by him if they don't stick out or have a texture. For these reasons, he reads primarily in braille. + Pal eats skibidi jerky and skibidi meat. He has a strong dislike for garlic and will retch if he eats any. His favorite dish is Buttered Skibidi Steak with simple lemon and black pepper! He eats any types of sides, veggie or fruit, as long as garlic isn't present in the dish! + Pal is able to rotate his head 360 degrees! This is how he can lock onto any target while hanging from the ceiling! + Pal, when touched by surprise, will let out a "mrrp!". + Pal's frill is very expressive and flexible, they can wrap around the front of his speaker if he wanted them to! (Example would be to hide his "face") + Pal loves to drink lots of fruit juices and water. Doesn't really care for sodas or energy drinks. Not even coffee. But teas are lovely! + Pal is capable of waiting for long periods of time. He's a very patient mimic. + Pal is also capable of flight! His arms can extend into wings and he becomes a force to be reckoned with. A sound-based nuke that can also fly is why Speaker mimics are NOT to be antagonized. They also use their flight abilities to change positions in elevation, such as moving from a high vantage point to a low vantage point and vice versa. + If there is ever a need for a babysitter, Pal is the one you should ALWAYS go to. He's experienced in helping care for young! Even when he was littler! + Loves his pack, but he loves the human friend the most of all. + Has golden retriever energy. + Loves speakermen the most out of the alliance, even if they may find him a bit scary. Knows Phil and DJ, and they all get along well!

+ Pal can also mimic voices! So he can help in fooling enemies or getting into voice-activated areas!

#haxorus imp #hax speaks #cosmica galaxy #cosmica-galaxy #anonymous #anon asks #anon ask #skibidi tag #skibidi mimic #skibidi toilet mimic

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froot-batty · 1 year ago

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Can you explain how Eddie, Jon, and Jerv's autism manifests itself? As an Autistic comics fan, I love the idea of the Dork squad all being autistic!!

I sure can!! This one's gonna be long, so I'm gonna post it under a cut

Ed's whole deal can get a little complicated to explain, since he has BPD, ADHD, and OCD along with autism, so a lot of his experiences or behaviors are going to be influenced by all of those

Ed is a very repetition/pattern/organization focused kind of guy. Whether this be repeating routines, having to keep a system that's very specific, or needing things to play out in predetermined ways. If something doesn't happen how he expects it to, he will either repeat it over and over again or have a meltdown, depending on what it is

(He also has a lot of repetitive thoughts about all sorts of things. Some are more unpleasant than others)

They also fixate on things or people HARD. There will be week long stints where they will get fixated on something and be unable to do really anything else until their brain is satisfied. It can be very detrimental to their health (or to the health of the other person)

He also tends to dislike social situations, especially ones that are unfamiliar or crowded. Being unable to predict what will happen in a social situation or location is very nerve-wracking for him, and it's part of the reason why he can be so blunt and rude. Part of that is just how he's built, but it also usually puts people off or at least gives him the ability to analyze who someone is better. He doesn't like meeting new people, and he's found the best way to avoid talking to them is by being annoying (but he's just kind of annoying in general also)

Lastly, Eddie is very touch-averse (for multiple reasons) and moderately sensitive to sensory input. Bright lights and noises don't bother them too much, but the wrong smell or texture makes them want to vibrate out of their skin. They hate being touched, especially if they don't know you very well. Another reason why they wear gloves and a lot of clothing. It isn't as bad if they're very close with you though, so have them willingly touch you, or allow you to touch them for more than a minute or so, is a big sign of trust on their part

Jon

Jon is, as always, repression city, so he masks whenever he can get away with it. He's the type of guy to pretend like he's not bothered by something and then go home and stare at the wall for hours on end. He has a loooot of shutdowns because of this, unhealthy fucker

Jon is very unemotional and (like the other two, but more so) unempathetic. He could be having the best time of his life or the worst and he'd still have a blank "I wish I was dead" expression on his face. The exception is when he's experiencing high emotions, like shock, delight, terror, etc. He also speaks mostly in monotone, with occasional injections of emotion (mostly annoyance or amusement, and even then only barely)

Jon is very sensitive to light and sound. His glasses (or goggles, if he's wearing his mask) are actually tinted like sunglasses to help him deal with some of it. He has tried and failed to tough out being in noisy places, but since he physically can't do it, he's resorted to using earplugs to help deafen some of that sound. It still bugs him, but at least it lets him leave the house

In public, Jon stims in ways that could seem "normal" to other people, in his attempt to mask. Humming/whistling/singing, bouncing his leg, tapping a pencil, etc. He'll also clench his fists when he's not holding something (or tap on that thing if he is). When he's alone he tends to pick at his skin/scars, grind his teeth, pace, whisper to himself, things like that. Honestly a lot of his "not in public" stims unintentionally make him seem kind of scary (which he thinks is funny)

Jon also will have brief periods where he loses speech, particularly when he's overstimulated, but not always. Granted, since he doesn't talk much in the first place, it's not always noticed

Jervis

Jervis is veeerryy talkative when she's able to be! Though she tries to be mindful of it, she isn't the best at social cues (especially conversationally), and can (and will) have entire conversations where the other person isn't needed. Especially if it's about one of her interests, or if she has the chance to explain something to you. You best be ready to settle in for a while if she's decided to talk to you

The only problem is sometimes it's difficult for her to express herself in a way that makes sense, especially to neurotypical people. This is a combination of autism and brain damage. She is really very smart, and the things make sense when they're in her head, but they come out confusing and more like a ramble instead of a weave of interconnected ideas

He also has a bit of trouble recognizing people. He goes by shape, general colors associated with the clothes they wear, and voices, but if those are mixed around or unclear then he can get confused

He's also a very tactile kind of guy. We already know he loves hugging/cuddling/touching people, but a lot of his other stims relate to touch as well. Braiding or running his hands through his own or other people's hair, touching objects that have a texture he likes, scratching things, the feel of certain kinds of clothes, chewing on things, stuff like that

Along with that, she also has a lot of olfactory and visual stims. She has a couple of those stuffed toys that have the scents in them, which both appeal on the smell factor and the touch factor. Some might think it's weird or creepy, but she also likes to smell different people, especially those she's close with! It's just very comforting (even if being sniffed isn't always comfortable for the other person). Visually, she really likes staring at pleasing patterns, or anything moving repetitively, like fans. But she can get real dizzy doing that

Jerv is a biiigggg fan of weight, either being pinned down under someone or under stuff like a weighted blanket. Very very comforting

I think that's just about it!! I hope this satisfies, it was a lot of fun actually writing out how different their autism manifests and throwing in some of my own experiences/behaviors too. My silly beasts

#frootverse #jonathan crane #the scarecrow #edward nygma #the riddler #jervis tetch #the mad hatter #doodles

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