#layers of meaning ig. and so on
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Note
Do you have any thoughts on why Rick and Morty used a Ryan Elder cover of Live Forever over the montage of Fred's life in That's Amorte? Feel like you're probably one of the best people in the world to ask atm given the overlapping interests :)
Also I always felt like Time and Tide in the finale is kind of a Morty flavoured version of that montage too, and meant to be understood in that context, because it's so similar and what we're shown is basically the same thing (only with Mortys fear hole life instead of Fred's real one) what do you reckon?
FUCK I FORGOT TO ANSWER THIS so sorry...... ❤️🩹
i may not be the best person to ask because when i watched that's amorte and heard that song in it what i thought was. "oh that chorus is familiar i must have heard this before it must be a famous song" and i listened to the original and went "well i don't enjoy that much" and that was that for me 💀
anyway now that i have a relationship with live forever and with the band i think it's because it's universal, isn't it? simple lyrics about wanting to live. as they show you the infinite value of a single human life (and it got me tbh when i watched that, i think it worked)!
i'm not really good at like, deep analysis and i don't have an opinion on each line and my opinion is that the beauty of songs like live forever lies in not having an exact meaning. each line doesn't have to be crystal clear or involve poetic devices, it resonates with so many people because it's simple.. i just wanna fly. you and i are gonna live forever. what does maybe i don't really wanna know how your garden grows mean? who cares ! maybe it means i don't want to live carefully or wait for things to get better or maybe it has something to do with their mother's love of gardening or it's about wanting to break out of the banality of working class existence (etc everyone can figure and everyone does figure)
bc as i now know very well, the gallaghers, y'know, didn't exactly have it easy before starting out, council housing, no music education or anything, noel got battered by his father regularly as a teenager before they left with their mother and still he said he woke up every morning happy to live and he was always determined to make something of himself. and he wrote these songs about living forever and being a rock and roll star and feeling supersonic... i think there's a real power in that i think this makes it a fitting song for the scene. if anything, it's life-affirming!
annnd about time and tide, yeah i think they're similar in function and as i watched the season i umm noted that it had two montages with ballads (of sorts) over them and that's interesting, but to be honest i don't know what that context would be? what do you think, how do you think of/interpret that scene? what does this similarity add to the fear hole montage? i think maybe it's different in the sense that live forever is meant to evoke, this is not the best adjective to use but positive feelings, you know, gratitude and connection, while time and tide is more bittersweet. i felt it was about morty eventually outgrowing rick but never really letting go. there's a lot of love there and even more fear
but really what do you think of that specific part of fear no mort? ^^ do share your thoughts if you'd like to<3
#i don't knowww honestly i still haven't. cemented my idea of what that montage is saying exactly#like...... i wonder what the intention was and which thoughts and feelings they wanted to evoke#was it part of the message that even in the best available future (at that point) to morty his life is intertwined with rick's and he could#achieve things but there's no great goal or ideal path outside of rick anyway? or rather that because of the big age gap it's inherently sa#*sad. bc morty will have to move on#the 'i've become my dad' thing at the end surprised me but i think that was the point.. and that's an extra discussion in itself or the#continuation of this one‚ what does the montage say once you already know the ending and know the whole episode#layers of meaning ig. and so on#ask#rnm#thank you for the ask it's sweet of you to ask me<333
1 note
·
View note
Text
still being pretty inactive for a while but i found this in an old sketchbook from when i was maybe 6ish?? and its so odd thinking about how its been so long and im still just drawing transformers and i just wanted to share

and of course i wanted to draw them again just now bc i love them and its crazy to me thinking about how much has changed since then but im still drawing.but yea


#yall when i say on this blog tfa has a special place in my heart this is what i mean#started drawing little guys and creatures and still today nearly 21 still just drawing little guys and creatures#my art#i didnt have an orange so i had layered red and yellow like a genius of colour theory#plus at this point i had no concept of form or the idea of undersketching??6/10 proportion but 10/10 passion ig#100% i was copying another picture line by line but like seriously rawdogging it#tfa#bumblebee#sari sumdac
335 notes
·
View notes
Note
Do you got any examples of your sketches? I like studying other artist’s sketches so I can consume parts of their style like an art vampire lol
swear this has been in inbox for months sorry toast... <crying emoji> thank you... uhhhhh have some rly unfinished ghost story stuff i'll likely never touch again (has been months)
#gist of it all was haha smoke things you could do 2d-specific medium wise#was oddly enamoured at the concept of seeing joey superimposed whenever the smoke of burning obscured jozef. because idea of smoke purifyin#from hao. and also the similar costumes. genuinely so !! at the idea. got a few frames done in colour then gave tf up but maybe i could#be persuaded to render this in grayscale + golden overlay layers for sepia tones. i kinda see it.#was talking to cc when i first got about to this floating mess of an idea abt comic? animatic?? and like. mystery never resolved ig#// for this to work i guess also you would Have to use the specific smoke artstyle i've been using for the ghost story work in which it's#somehow... opaque? yeah. rifts!#ask me stuff???#anyway. sorry again about not getting to asks i am Not Very Good at actively responding to them lately. hope u are doing well#melliotposting moment what do you mean it's almost adamandianniversary again! passing of time..#into the melliotverse#ghost story musical
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
i think light yagami is "socially adept" in terms of being able to reason out relatively well what to say and do to come off as a harmless and good and polite young man who is likeable to be around. however i do not think "socially adept" (or "neurotypical") typically comes with having to preface every other normal-passing action and statement with a minor crisis of "ah shit. quick, what would i say/do in response to this if i was light yagami, a normal and nice and respectable young man?"
everyone likes to talk about him talking about kira in third person but can we acknowledge that he also talks about LIGHT in third person. i'm not adding manga panels at 3:57am but y'all know exactly which ones i mean
#light is decent at masking but he is NOT coming off as perfect to anyone who looks at him with a critical eye. like L or near#it's just that a lot of people take him at face value#he's handsome he gets top grades his dad is the police chief his family adores him girls like him etc#and he gets to skate off of that a lot until someone comes around and questions the mask#he unravels so fast once he gets closer to L. he fucks up the misa thing so badly even HE has to admit to L's face#that kira probably didn't think things through with the second kira and kind of panicked#ughhhhhhhhhhh i have so many thoughts about him. he works very hard to come off as socially competent. it's a learned skill not innate#i firmly believe there is some shit going on w light in terms of mental conditions. HOWEVER#i also believe he was relatively 'normal' up until the death note sent a lot of that shit spiralling#lots of mentally ill people live pretty normal lives it turns out! a lot of us can get by and sort of manage!#even if it means masking and coping as needed#i don't think you have to be mentally ill to react to the death note the way light did#i do think it oiled some clockwork that was already ticking though#anyway. light is socially competent to some degree because he tries to be. sometimes it backfires. sometimes he misses. normal stuff#trying to say he is objectively socially adept or inept is futile though#but ig what is death note without black and white thinking and what is the dn fandom without diving into the nuances under the surface layer
44 notes
·
View notes
Text
'lestat crossed an ocean to save claudia and louis from the paris coven!!!'
..... im gonna hold your hand while i bash you over the head when i tell you this,,, that mans went to paris to be healed by armand,,, that mans went to paris to punish the people he abused for daring to fight back,,,
#blaa blaaa tv/book differences blaa blaaa#pls hop off lestat's dick for five fucking seconds and be SO FORREAL#also wild concept but more than one thing can be true at the same time#lestat /can/ choose to save louis while still having gone there with malicious intent#he could very well have been influenced by armand/the coven and in a fucked state (sam pretty much confirmed that)#while he still had fucked intentions and did bad things!!!#this media is way more complex and layered than just these simple broad assumptions that mean nothing#the pain of being a lifelong fan and understanding the fact everyone is an unreliable narrator is especially painful lately my guys :/#also: this is all coming from someone firmly sucking that french mans dick--#i've been writing him so so so long now#but like with armand. i still have media literacy to discuss flaws and all that shit!!!#pls stop bringing black and white morals into this piece of media holy FUCK#pls be gone with purity culture it has zero place here especially#should have posted this on my personal but here we are ig sighs#✞ — this place is fancy & i don't know which fork to kill myself with. // ooc.
8 notes
·
View notes
Note
Do you think Brienne will also turn really grey in winds too like GRRM alluded?
i dont think brienne is intended to go that dark and i dont think this is the aim of her character thematically to be frank, nor do i think this is what is being set up ig. the one thing that i could imagine that would make her substantially morally darker in winds is if she eventually had to really choose between podrick and jaime in a way where jaime is actually in direct and immediate danger so not entirely like the feast scenario where that is not really the case and she picks jaime
#like this is not what the weirwood dream foreshadows tbh#and i mean put her in morally dark territory not in a dark headspace which will fs happen#like betraying cat atp is not that morally grey imo#like sure there r layers then but relatively nah#so this is the one thing that i would view as truly selfish and very dark#and ig it would mirror the things i do for love in some way but again i dont think its likely#but ye i think what george was doing was that he already put her in that scenario and she decided she will die trying#like a true knight no chance and no choice#but i think she will succeed tho there will be some tragedy in there like there has to be something massive#ask#talked about this before w someone briefly when we were talking about how insufferable winds will make the discourse#and the moralizing#so thats gonna be p funny#but i doubt thats the trajectory for brienne
56 notes
·
View notes
Text
skeledog Leander WIP

the skull here is actually modeled closely after a deer skull, just compressed to fit a dog's overall face shape. also tried to make the eyes a little less wide-set than a deer's without making them completely front-facing like a dog's. here's the rest of the (still un-rendered) body:
i'm testing out the screen recorder i just downloaded so if that ends up working the way i want it to i'll have a timelapse of this piece when it's done :)
#whump#i mean leander is unharmed#he is fine#but i would NOT put it past him to go whumping someone else while he's like this#or most any other time really#tor draws#original characters#oc: leander#leanimals#drawing#art#don't think this really counts as gore but perhaps i'll tag it as#horror#if of a milder sort#skeleton#bones#drawing wip#also fun fact! i am doing all the painting and rendering on one layer for the most part#like the rough sketch is on a separate layer but i'm painting completely over it and all that is being done on a single layer#i hate to do that with art of humanoid characters#it's just really difficult for me for some reason#but when it comes to animals and monsters and creatures and such i actually really prefer doing things on a single layer as much as possibl#which is weird bc for years i've been a steadfast 'has dozens and dozens of layers for a single drawing#so every little thing can have its own layer' kind of girlie#still can't get the hang of single-layer painting for humanoid characters tho#can't seem to get the hang of applying this same lineless painterly style to humanoid characters either#which causes me absolutely no end of grief#i WANT to#but it's so fucking hard lol#but ig that's what practice is for 😔
14 notes
·
View notes
Text
If I'd actually posted all my pjo art when I made it instead of hoarding it like a little goblin for no apparent reason today I might have been known as the octavian guy instead of the joffrey guy...scary thought...
#.txt#went thru my old pjo art the other day...man#I actually didn't draw him that much compared to how much I draw joffrey lol. ig i had more shame#but also there's simply less to his character. what am I even supposed to take inspiration from#'less to his character' there's NOTHING#woahhh a villain that poses no real threath has no depth and is just there to be laughed at how interesting#i say this as if I didn't make up 1048399574 scenarios in my head with him#when i wasn't into got yet but i was like. vaguely aware of joffrey I'd look at him like woah octavian fancast#now I'm like. um no??? they have a completely different vibe you idiot -_-#what did I see in this guy like genuinely#ok but the thing is that octavian enjoyers were so removed from the source material. I mean obviously they were. bc he's not well written#or even that much of a character tbh. ofc you'd have to make shit up#so like what im saying is that maybe I woulnd't have been actually. bc I enjoyed him in the evil rat bastard way#meanwhile everyone else was like 'aw poor baby :( rick sucks he doesn't understand him :(( I could treat him better'#once I did see someone say that about joffrey but they turned out to be a weirdo so. lol#'what did I see in this guy he's a nothing character...anyway I love tommen and myrcella my little meowmeows <3'#they're very layered TO ME. my beloved canon ocs
30 notes
·
View notes
Text
just smelt a bunch of perfumes 1. headache 2. wow some of these suck really bad
#oc#some r rly good tho#i very obviously have a taste when it comes to them#when i get into layering scents its so over for yall#tbh tho the one i wear most isnt rly a layering one... i mean ig it could but i dont rly feel that need
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Another quick drawing from last night
#keese draws#eternal gales#oc posting#oc#ocs#oc art#experimented a lil bit with giving her some more visible dark fur#I think I like it but Im gonna have to draw her a few more times to make sure I think#my main concern is that it might make her look a lil too similar to mason pattern wise#which is already smth Ive struggled with in the past lol#also yeah I <3 using brushes incorrectly#idc what the creators of any given brush intended if I can use it for funky lineart I Will use it for lineart#also yeah Ive been grabbing a bunch of free brush packs lately so thats why Im actually drawing shit again lol#tbf the glory drawing was me wanting to use a base procreate brush Ive been meaning to mess around with but I used some texture brushes too#with all my new texture brushes making bullshit backgrounds will be a breeze 👍#oh also Ive been trying to use those dumb layer filter mode thingies for the first time lately with my shading#idk how Im feeling abt them tho tbh multiply is nice ig but I kind of dont like how it dulls out the colors sometimes#like I know it makes the shading more coherent but idk sometimes I like the more grading shading#idk can yall even tell the different dndmdkdndh#I might just be being too picky with my colors or smth I always tend to assume the worst abt my colors#anyways sceduled and now eepy time from the past and good morning future me
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
i did like the hidden palace but (SPOILER if anyone hasn't read it?) i'm genuinely so annoyed at how Arbeely is handled like... I wish i could be sad but i'm just fucking irritated. I was overly invested in him and that's def why but i just feel like they did him dirty
#the golem and the jinni#i was scrolling goodreads and the take i kept seeing was 'oh I wish Arbeely could've had his family too bad the jinni FUCKED IT UP'#but idk that's just not how i read him. like thats not where i feel the problem is#his whole shtick is being content as the jinni's foil and like! things can change! but the way it's done leaves him totally unresolved#which in turn means the jinni's shit is also never getting resolved because there is like no way to#when Arbeely describes his future family in the first book it's all 'someday... vaguely...' and AGAIN! what you want can change!#and honestly it's really interesting and sad that he makes this sacrifice for the jinni#but it's a layer of complexity that like clashes with how little he is there for and how little the author's invested in him#and like the way the no marriage literally did not ruin his life at all... sure it sucked but the man is still like idk rich#what has continuously fucked with him throughout both books is that he wants (or at least spends half his page time thinking about)#emotional connection to the jinni in a human way#which is something the jinni cant\wont give him even though he's basically Arbeely's only close friend#(besides ig maryam who was rlly funny hinting at her dislike for the jinni like someone trying to get their friend to dump their toxic bf)#anyway the vibe in the first book is that he only thinks about wanting a wife when the jinni is being a dickhead#BECAUSE the jinni eases arbeelys loneliness by just being there because at the end of the day that's what humans need#but then it's made really weird in the second book by Arbeely getting 'trapped' by the jinni (and yet they just grow further apart)#which means that the only thing arbeely actually spent half his life discontent with and then literally died without is not a wife#it's emotional intimacy with the jinni. which is insane to me#arbeely is obviously already tragic but this seems TOO tragic entirely because the book doesn't give af about addressing it#if it was like a plot thing then all of the above would be fine and gutwrenching because it ties back into the jinnis self isolation#BUT IT'S NOT. like i get arbeely isn't that important to the plot but he was important to the jinni and the jinni was important to him#alsoo necessarily disclaimer i'm not trying to say he's in love with the jinni or anything like that#although a queer arbeely (divorced from the above idea) would also been interesting cuz I dont think the jinni has a grasp on homophobia#so idk theyd be keeping each others secrets (arbeely x the biscuit man? JOKE)#BUTTTT! I don't believe he needs romantic energy! him and the jinni having awful vibes up until arbeely's literal death is what bothers me#The jinni is a bad communicator ik but come on... not once? not even before the diagnosis? The jinni also thinks about how distant they are#could they not talk a little? for me? there are ways to do it within the bounds of their characters FOR SURE#im sure this is the point but i do dislike it either way. anyway sorry arbeely u remind me of my uncle#the hidden palace
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
The world isn't ready for me to talk about why fucked up characters are so good
#maybe the people I know are ready but like#I always forget there is a huge huge HUGE outside circle from my comfy little bubble#where people do not think about how bad characters are good for a story and COMPLEX ones @ that#and how they can be good and bad and they can help and hurt people there are LAYERS#and there are so many characters I would NOT like in real life but I absolutely LOVE the character they are in the story#because the story they tell is so good !! and I don't rlly mean villain characters all that much they are alright ig#but they are too much towards one side for me I love love LOVE morally grey characters and the more people hate them the more I defend them#not for their actions but for their importance in a story#anyway bet you can't guess who this is about. maybe like one person can actually but like hehehe#morally grey characters my beloved
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
kind of stupid how many of my posts are like Um guys im obsessing over something . and i feel compelled to do something about it to the point that my life is in disarray. out of order some would say. is there any possible explanation for this or do i just need to be shot in the head
#whenever im disclaimer connor i need you guys to imagine me gently flittering down from above the stage and ive got a really obvious like#harness on this is how im up in the air ig its a stage production visual alright. and i flitter down and im wearing a beautiful pink slash#opalescent pearlescent whichever one of those is the one i mean. okay. and then i do my disclaiming. with the visuals tackled disclaimer#connor here i do ummm. I know that my symptoms r very similar and i promise im not stupid like ik DJFNJFNF im not in denial i just struggle#with ummm. feeling like im faking it very hard my journal is full of pages of me just like writing e ery single explanation for how im#actually faking all of it to trick people and all of that . and its not that i dont think i have it But its that when i say that i have to#disclaim that a very common thing i worry about is that i am just pretending to have it and subconsciously mimicking it so i whenever i#acknowledge i might be ocd i have to come in and be like WELL either i have ocd OR im a horrible horrible horrible person and im just trying#to find some reason to justify that and grt pity for it <- THAT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE I THINK HAVING OCD MAKES YOU EVIL i dont i dont i just#mean a lot of the things i worry about Most of them r abt checking to make sure im a good person and also as sort of a second layer#convincing myself im a bad person Bc i worry so much abt being a good person which could only mean that im bad and trying to hide it and#trick everyone . okay. does this make sense to you guys or do i sound like a crazy and evil person im trying to phrase it...#i feel like i just come off stupid but i promise i know that it sounds like ocd and ik that it probably is its judt that my brain is coded#to talk in circles so i cant Outright say i have ocd bc thats faking* and its just me trying to find a reason to be lazy abt being a good#person* by making my worries abt morality out to be a bad thing. you know#*These are nonsensical rules my brain made up and not applicable to anybody else except for me of course . deeply selfcentered person#anyways sorry i realized ive just rambled and restated the same point 8000 times i hope what i am saying is understandable. but i dont like#it basically but idrk what to do abt it so i try to just not think abt it at all but the issue is that its pretty much all i think abt#pretty much always im thinking about all the ways i might be being evil and every single thing i do i have to worry about all of it#and im really just ummm. tired. and ik its my fault and i need to just get over and stop being weird abt everything but its hard for me to#tell what are things i should be thinking abt and minding and like. what do i need to be checking myself on vs what doesnt matter and doesnt#mean anything . so yes . its like theres supposed to be a Fast thinking option in my brain but the sorting is broken so everything only gets#sent to morality examination and panic area you know. if this makes sense...
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
trying to be so normal takes such abnormal amounts of effort. disgusting
#via txt.#every day i have to grapple w my own delusions and confirmation bias#ig it's nice to be a bit self aware. but sometimes i feel like a child being denied sweets#at the candy store. i want so badly to believe things mean something but they likely don't#how do people live#the added bpd layer of feeling things to such obscene degrees is not doing me any favors#things feel good for as long as the delusion holds#and then i come back to earth and i'm like#none of that meant what you wanted it to mean and you're actually insane for assigning#it meaning. and you're the only one who thinks it could mean something. and you're weird for that#every day i berate myself like i'm still a catholic conducting my own sermon to my own audience#alas...#the price of seeming normal is a lot of screaming and crying and throwing up behind the scenes#i'm so tired but i need to keep going#bc the only way out is through
1 note
·
View note
Text
if i was able to articulate everything in my head,,,, u guys would start unfollowing me bc of how much i'd talk
#kat talks#mf bet she does#actually so annoying though bc i ???? idk how to explain it#SOMEONE LMK IF THEY GET WHAT I MEAN but like#i don't always think in. words.#like do people actually think in words#i think in ???? vibes and feelings and abstract (?) thoughts that like#make PERFECT sense to me in my head when i don't think too much about it#but when i try to explain it im like ???????? i cant explain it but i know what im trying to say#this applies to the majority of my thoughts but in different ways depending on the context#(was i asked a question? is it just my 'inner dialogue'? am i trying to theorise/make sense of something?)#as a result i think easier (?) when i start talking out loud? or like when i make the thoughts. uh. tangible ig.#so yeah talking about loud or writing/typing#this isnt to say i cant communicate but like sometimes it makes it harder to communicate to others#also makes it WAY harder to engage in class discussions or other social contexts because i cant always properly articulate my thoughts even#though i HAVE the thoughts#but ig theres also another layer/factor here that impacts my ability to engage/communicate etc#like to an extent its just anxiety or discomfort but i also have the same problem when im talking to people im comfortable with#im just more comfortable with talking my way thrugh my thoughts bc i know they get it#okay anyways. much work to do. not much time to do.
0 notes
Text
trinket



rafe thinks his maid is just the sweetest little thing...
prince!rafe x maid!reader
c/w: rafe being a menace, him flirting (?) w her, some royal cameron family angst ig, brief descriptions of him having sex w another woman, 18+ mdni!
wc: 2.3k
also this is by no means historically accurate which is why i’m not gonna name any specific era for this xx
moodboard & introduction
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Every mid-December, the palace comes alive in an entirely novel way with the bustling preparations for the annual winter ball that the king and queen host to celebrate ‘another wonderful year’.
The once quiet and calm castle transforms into something colorful and vivid with the mouthwatering smell of cakes and pastries cooking in the ovens of the royal kitchen, along with maids and other servants whirling around the long hallways as they place intricate decorations and shiny ribbons all over the broad staircases and windows.
She’s grateful she doesn’t have to partake in the hustle and bustle all that much since her primary duties include taking care of the prince and ensuring he has everything and anything he could possibly need.
Although right now, she sort of wishes she could be stringing up polished ornaments or garnishing elegant baked goods because apparently, being the prince’s personal maid sometimes means sitting quietly in his bedchambers (as per his request to keep him company while he’s reading) with her own thoughts and the sounds outside the door her only source of entertainment.
Therefore, she’s elated when he suddenly turns to face her in his armchair— flitting his eyes over to her from the hefty book that seems to have made him exasperated rather than enthralled.
“Will you join me for a walk? All this noise is makin’ m’head hurt.”
There’s enthusiasm in the nod of her head; a yearning to see the fresh layer of snow covering the trees and painting the entire kingdom with its powdery whiteness— the aftermath of last night’s blizzard. She doesn’t think there’s anything more beautiful than the crystalline snowfall glittering under the touch of the afternoon sun— or maybe a certain pair of aquamarine eyes, but that’s beside the point.
“That would be my pleasure, Your Highness,” she easily agrees.
“How many times do I have to tell you how much I despise that name? There’s no need to use it when s’just me,” he scolds her before he’s straightening up and stretching out his arms over his head.
“My apologies, it’s a habit,” she rises to her feet as well; trying her hardest not to let her eyes linger on the sliver of his stomach peeking out from underneath the silky fabric of his shirt.
“I don’t want your apologies, want you to use my name,” he says before stepping closer— standing tall before her and forcing her to blink up at him in order to meet his eyes. “Go on, sweetheart, say it,” he practically orders; eager eyes fixed on her face.
She hesitates under the sudden attention. He’s always seemed so fascinated by her and she doesn’t know why.
“Um…Rafe.”
He lets out a hum of approval. “That’s good. You ready to leave?”
“Y— yes, uh, Rafe.”
“Good job. Not so difficult, is it?” he coos at her almost mockingly— fingertips grazing the skin of her cheek when he tucks a loose tendril of hair back behind her ear.
She merely shakes her head— a warmth dusting over the apples of her cheeks when his touch lingers on the side of her face afterwards. And for a moment, she thinks she’s going to drown in the lagoons of his eyes, but then he clears his throat and offers the palm of his hand for her to take.
And it’s rather unusual for someone of his status to do; a prince who’s bound to wear the crown one day holding his maid’s hand isn’t exactly something that’s written in any book regarding the royal etiquette. However, he’s never been one to allow for dreadful rules and traditions to dictate his behavior, especially not towards her.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Are you looking forward to the winter ball?” she asks when they stop by the stables to check up on his horse, Jupiter.
“You know I hate dancin’,” he mutters out as he watches its teeth grind on the carrot he brought with him.
She smiles because she does know, before letting out a wistful sigh. “I wish I could attend.”
“You do? Why?” he’s perplexed by her enthusiasm towards something he considers as more tedious than anything— having to plaster on a smile for an entire night and socialize with people he doesn’t necessarily care for in order to humor his father never being something he’s particularly taken delight in.
Especially when Sarah is going to be the one receiving all of their father’s attention anyway. Not that he cares (he does) but he would appreciate it, if for once in his life, his old man would show him even an ounce of the care he seems to so easily shower his sisters in.
“Well, I’d love to wear a ball gown, but mostly for the food,” her feather-light voice brings him back to the moment.
“I’ll make sure to bring you a plate ‘n you can eat it in my room then, yeah?” he promises as he runs his fingers through Jupiter’s black main.
“You would do that?”
“If you promise not to tell the other maids or they’re gonna accuse you of gettin’ special treatment,” his tone is playful.
“They already do that,” she points out. “They think we spend too much time together.”
“And what do you think?” he asks, genuinely curious.
“I don’t mind. I quite enjoy your company,” she answers truthfully. After all, she has grown quite fond of Rafe throughout the years. Sometimes she just wishes he wasn’t so overwhelming, in every sense of the word.
“Yeah?” a smirk pulls at the side of his mouth, seemingly pleased with her answer.
She’s certain he’s well aware of the effect he has on her— the effect he has on everyone. And she thinks that he enjoys it; relishes in toying with her for his own amusement simply because he can. He can practically do anything he wants since his father is oftentimes gone for long periods of time; fulfilling his duties for the kingdom and whatnot.
And she knows Rafe doesn’t particularly mind the fact that his father is rarely home because he’s always been hard on him, much harder than on his sisters because whether he likes it or not, he’s set off to be the new king one day. And his reputation of having female guests over more often than not whenever his father is away doesn’t necessarily help with gaining his approval.
After all, rumor travels fast around the palace.
Rafe once admitted to her that he often felt like a disappointment, and that the pressure of everyone’s expectations sometimes made him wish he was nothing more than a stableman. After all, he does get along with horses better than he ever has with his family— it’s not exactly a secret amongst the royal court.
“Would you wanna go for a ride with me? Think Jupiter’s gettin’ bored,” he suddenly asks.
“Oh, I would love to but I’ve never, um, ridden a horse before,” she timidly admits.
“No? You wanna know how it feels? You could jus’ sit behind me, don’t need to do anythin’, yeah?” he coaxes her to say yes with a seemingly sincere smile; already walking Jupiter out of its stable and leaving her no choice but to follow them outside.
“Really?” the frosty air causes a shiver to crawl up her spine when she eyes him, hesitant.
“Mhm. Promise nothing’s gonna happen, I’ll take care of you. ‘N I know you’ll like it, s’very freeing,” he assures her as he’s already saddling up the horse, seemingly aware that she could never refuse him of anything.
“Okay...if you insist,” she tentatively agrees with a nod that he rewards with a beaming grin; the icy snowflakes sticking to his hair making him look like something straight out of a fairy tale.
Then, he’s lifting her up to straddle the entirely too big of an animal that sort of still scares her— strong hands gripping onto her hips and leaving her momentarily starstruck at how effortlessly he does it; as if she weighs nothing more than the carrot Jupiter was just chewing on.
He follows soon after, settling down in front of her with ease before looking at her over his shoulder. “Need you to hold onto me unless you wanna fall,” he instructs, seemingly reveling in the fact that he gets to be the one teaching her something new.
“Oh, yeah, of course,” she says, gingerly setting her hands on his waist, movements uncertain.
“Gonna need you to hold on tighter, promise I won’t bite,” he huffs out a laugh before he’s grabbing her arms and wrapping them around his middle more firmly— forcing her to fully lean against his back when the sudden clip-clopping of Jupiter’s hooves against the snow-covered cobblestone causes her to let out a surprised shriek.
“Good?” he asks, seemingly amused at the way she’s practically clutching onto him as the cottony snow prances around them.
She manages out a hum, wondering if he can hear her poor heart loudly thumping in her ribcage when he decides to pick up the speed some more, as if she wasn’t already terrified.
“Rafe! Can you slow down?” she squeaks out when Jupiter seems to only accelerate further underneath them.
“Where’s the fun in that?” he lets out a hearty chuckle in response, apparently finding amusement in her utterly frightened state while she wonders why she let herself think for even one second that he had pure intentions.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Y/N? Will you go look for my son? I fear he’s once again escaped his responsibilities to God knows where,” the king requests with an exasperated sigh while she’s crouching down and helping a servant clean up the sharp pieces of a shattered wine glass— the sound of laughter and dancing flourishing around them.
And she could swear she saw Rafe conversing with a guest only a few short moments ago. However, as she looks around in an attempt to locate the missing prince, he’s nowhere to be found.
“Right away, Your Majesty,” she’s quick to answer with a polite smile.
“Thank you,” he nods gratefully, seemingly fed up with his son already.
She ensures that the poor girl who accidentally cut her finger on the broken shards is not going to faint before tiptoeing up the broad flight of stairs in order to reach the higher levels of the palace— the loud music and blooming celebrations echoing around the halls.
“Your Highness? Are you in there?” she knocks softly on the mahogany door leading to his bedroom.
However, she isn’t granted a response.
“Rafe?” she tries once more before pressing her ear against the wood separating her from the muffled sounds she can now hear from the other side— brows furrowing when something akin to a whimper reaches her ears.
It sounds nothing like Rafe; it has a higher pitch, something more feminine than his usual drawl. And as she stands there, contemplating whether something is wrong or if she should just leave, the volume only amplifies.
And in a moment of cloudy judgement, she finds herself pushing down on the handle.
However, she curses her curiosity the moment the door cracks open and she’s faced with the view of some woman’s naked back. Her long, beautiful hair reminds her of lady Lydia (a daughter of one of the dukes invited to the ball) with none other than the prince himself underneath her sweaty form.
The sheets that she changed this morning are crumpled and creased around them and without the barrier of the door, she can now hear Rafe’s low grunts as well— can see how his big hands guide her movements. And they’re both panting heavily, seemingly lost in some haze— maybe the same one that forces her to stay rooted to her spot in the doorway.
With her eyes as wide as saucers and mouth parted, she’s not entirely sure how long she stands there for. Until out of the blue, she notices Rafe’s eyes flickering over to her— a smirk tugging at his mouth when he catches her staring.
She tries to move her legs but they won’t listen; making his lazy grin only grow in tandem with his strained groans that seem to only increase in volume as he locks his eyes with her.
And she can’t breathe; the air clogging her lungs instead of flowing through as her dazed mind tries to get her to do something, anything to get her to leave the room but his heady gaze seems to have hypnotized her— compelled her to stay right where she is.
All at once, a gravelly noise rumbles from his chest— his head dropping against the cushion of his fluffy pillows, seemingly reaching some sort of a peak in his search for pleasure as the woman above him begins to slow down her movements. And that’s when she’s finally able to step away; shutting the door behind her before scurrying down the stairs with bated breaths and heart pounding in her ears.
When she reaches the bottom, she accidentally stumbles into someone holding a golden serving tray— causing it to topple over to the floor with a loud clatter.
“I’m so sorry,” she apologizes before her wobbly legs are scrambling off in an attempt to locate the nearest escape route to the garden.
And once she’s managed to make it outdoors, she feels like she can finally breathe— the crisp December wind granting her heated skin an opportunity to cool down as she sits down on one of the wooden benches with a sigh.
#i literally wrote this last month idk why it took me forever to do the final editing ugh#prince!rafe#maid!reader#rafe cameron#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron imagine#rafe imagine#rafe obx#rafe outer banks#rafe x reader#outerbanks rafe#rafe cameron outer banks#rafe fic#obx rafe cameron#rafe fanfiction#rafe fluff#rafe cameron fanfiction#rafe cameron fic#rafe cameron fluff#rafe cameron x y/n#rafe cameron x female reader#rafe cameron au#rafe cameron fanfic#rafe au#rafe cameron obx#rafe cameron and reader#rafe cameron and y/n#rafe cameron series#rafe cameron concepts#rafe x y/n
1K notes
·
View notes