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insipid-drivel · 12 days

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Horses: Since There Seems To Be A Knowledge Gap

I'm going to go ahead and preface this with: I comment pretty regularly on clips and photos featuring horses and horseback riding, often answering questions or providing explanations for how or why certain things are done. I was a stable hand and barrel racer growing up, and during my 11 year tenure on tumblr, Professional Horse Commentary is a very niche, yet very necessary, subject that needs filling. Here are some of the literary and creative gaps I've noticed in well meaning (and very good!) creators trying to portray horses and riding realistically that... well, most of you don't seem to even be aware of, because you wouldn't know unless you worked with horses directly!

Some Of The Most Common Horse + Riding Mistakes I See:

-Anybody can ride any horse if you hold on tight enough/have ridden once before.

Nope. No, no, no, no, aaaaaaaand, no. Horseback riding has, historically, been treated as a life skill taught from surprisingly young ages. It wasn't unusual in the pre-vehicular eras to start teaching children as young as 4 to begin to ride, because horses don't come with airbags, and every horse is different. For most adults, it can take months or years of regular lessons to learn to ride well in the saddle, and that's just riding; not working or practicing a sport.

Furthermore, horses often reject riders they don't know. Unless a horse has been trained like a teaching horse, which is taught to tolerate riders of all skill and experience levels, it will take extreme issue with having some random person try to climb on their back. Royalty, nobility, and the knighted classes are commonly associated with the "having a favorite special horse" trope, because it's true! Just like you can have a particularly special bond with a pet or service animal that verges on parental, the same can apply with horses. Happy horses love their owners/riders, and will straight-up do their best to murder anyone that tries to ride them without permission.

-Horses are stupid/have no personality.

There isn't a more dangerous assumption to make than assuming a horse is stupid. Every horse has a unique personality, with traits that can be consistent between breeds (again, like cat and dog breeds often have distinct behavior traits associated with them), but those traits manifest differently from animal to animal.

My mother had an Arabian horse, Zipper, that hated being kicked as a signal to gallop. One day, her mom and stepdad had a particularly unpleasant visitor; an older gentleman that insisted on riding Zipper, but refused to listen to my mother's warnings never to kick him. "Kicking" constitutes hitting the horse's side(s) with your heels, whether you have spurs on or not. Most horses only need a gentle squeeze to know what you want them to do.

Anyway, Zipper made eye-contact with my mom, asking for permission. He understood what she meant when she nodded at him. He proceeded to give this asshole of a rider road rash on the side of the paddock fence and sent him to the emergency room. He wouldn't have done it if he didn't have the permission from the rider he respected, and was intelligent enough to ask, "mind if I teach this guy a lesson?" with his eyes, and understand, "Go for it, buddy," from my mom in return.

-Riding bareback is possible to do if you hold onto the horse's mane really tight.

Riding a horse bareback (with no saddle, stirrups, or traditional harness around the horse's head) is unbelievably difficult to learn, particularly have testicles and value keeping them. Even professional riders and equestrians find ourselves relying on tack (the stuff you put on a horse to ride it) to stay stable on our horses, even if we've been riding that particular horse for years and have a very positive, trusting relationship.

Horses sweat like people do. The more they run, the more their hair saturates with sweat and makes staying seated on them slippery. Hell, an overworked horse can sweat so heavily that the saddle slips off its back. It's also essential to brush and bathe a horse before it's ridden in order to keep it healthier, so their hair is often quite slick from either being very clean or very damp. In order to ride like that, you have to develop the ability to synchronize your entire body's rhythm's with the rhythm of the horse's body beneath you, and quite literally move as one. Without stirrups, most people can't do it, and some people can never master bareback riding no matter how many years they spend trying to learn.

-You can be distracted and make casual conversation while a horse is standing untethered in the middle of a barn or field.

At every barn I've ever worked at, it's been standard practice with every single horse, regardless of age or temperament, to secure their heads while they're being tacked up or tacked down. The secures for doing this are simple ropes with clips that are designed to attach to the horse's halter (the headwear for a horse that isn't being ridden; they have no bit that goes in the horse's mouth, and no reins for a rider to hold) on metal O rings on either side of the horse's head. This is not distressing to the horse, because we give them plenty of slack to turn their heads and look around comfortably.

The problem with trying to tack up an unrestrained horse while chatting with fellow stable hands or riders is that horses know when you're distracted! And they often try to get away with stuff when they know you're not looking! In a barn, a horse often knows where the food is stored, and will often try to tiptoe off to sneak into the feed room.

Horses that get into the feed room are often at a high risk of dying. While extremely intelligent, they don't have the ability to throw up, and they don't have the ability to tell that their stomach is full and should stop eating. Allowing a horse into a feed/grain room WILL allow it to eat itself to death.

Other common woes stable hands and riders deal with when trying to handle a horse with an unrestrained head is getting bitten! Horses express affection between members of their own herd, and those they consider friends and family, through nibbling and surprisingly rough biting. It's not called "horseplay" for nothing, because during my years working with horses out in the pasture, it wasn't uncommon at all for me to find individuals with bloody bite marks on their withers (that high part on the middle of the back of their shoulders most people instinctively reach for when they try to get up), and on their backsides. I've been love-bitten by horses before, and while flattering, they hurt like hell on fleshy human skin.

So, for the safety of the horse, and everybody else, always make a show of somehow controlling the animal's head when hands-on and on the ground with them.

-Big Horse = War Horse

Startlingly, the opposite is usually the case! Draft and carriage horses, like Percherons and Friesians, were never meant to be used in warfare. Draft horses are usually bred to be extremely even-tempered, hard to spook, and trustworthy around small children and animals. Historically, they're the tractors of the farm if you could afford to upgrade from oxen, and were never built to be fast or agile in a battlefield situation.

More importantly, just because a horse is imposing and huge doesn't make it a good candidate for carrying heavy weights. A real thing that I had to be part of enforcing when I worked at a teaching ranch was a weight limit. Yeah, it felt shitty to tell people they couldn't ride because we didn't have any horses strong enough to carry them due to their weight, but it's a matter of the animal's safety. A big/tall/chonky horse is more likely to be built to pull heavy loads, but not carry them flat on their spines. Horses' muscular power is predominantly in their ability to run and pull things, and too heavy a rider can literally break a horse's spine and force us to euthanize it.

Some of the best war horses out there are from the "hot blood" family. Hot blooded horses are often from dry, hot, arid climates, are very small and slight (such as Arabian horses), and are notoriously fickle and flighty. They're also a lot more likely to paw/bite/kick when spooked, and have even sometimes been historically trained to fight alongside their rider if their rider is dismounted in combat; kicking and rearing to keep other soldiers at a distance.

-Any horse can be ridden if it likes you enough.

Just like it can take a lifetime to learn to ride easily, it can take a lifetime of training for a horse to comfortably take to being ridden or taking part in a job, like pulling a carriage. Much like service animals, horses are typically trained from extremely young ages to be reared into the job that's given to them, and an adult horse with no experience carrying a rider is going to be just as scared as a rider who's never actually ridden a horse.

Just as well, the process of tacking up a horse isn't always the most comfortable experience for the horse. To keep the saddle centered on the horse's back when moving at rough or fast paces, it's essential to tighten the belly strap (cinch) of the saddle as tightly as possible around the horse's belly. For the horse, it's like wearing a tight corset, chafes, and even leaves indents in their skin afterward that they love having rinsed with water and scratched. Some horses will learn to inflate their bellies while you're tightening the cinch so you can't get it as tight as it needs to be, and then exhale when they think you're done tightening it.

When you're working with a horse wearing a bridle, especially one with a bit, it can be a shocking sensory experience to a horse that's never used a bit before. While they lack a set of teeth naturally, so the bit doesn't actually hurt them, imagine having a metal rod shoved in your mouth horizontally! Unless you understand why it's important for the person you care about not dying, you'd be pretty pissed about having to keep it in there!

-Horseback riding isn't exercise.

If you're not using every muscle in your body to ride with, you're not doing it right.

Riding requires every ounce of muscle control you have in your entire body - although this doesn't mean it wasn't realistic for people with fat bodies to stay their weight while also being avid riders; it doesn't mean the muscles aren't there. To stay on the horse, you need to learn how it feels when it moves at different gaits (walk, trot, canter, gallop), how to instruct it to switch leads (dominant legs; essential for precise turning and ease of communication between you and the horse), and not falling off. While good riders look like they're barely moving at all, that's only because they're good riders. They know how to move so seamlessly with the horse, feeling their movements like their own, that they can compensate with their legs and waists to not bounce out of the saddle altogether or slide off to one side. I guarantee if you ride a horse longer than 30 minutes for the first time, your legs alone will barely work and feel like rubber.

-Horses aren't affectionate.

Horses are extraordinarily affectionate toward the right people. As prey animals, they're usually wary of people they don't know, or have only recently met. They also - again, like service animals - have a "work mode" and a "casual mode" depending upon what they're doing at the time. Horses will give kisses like puppies, wiggle their upper lips on your hair/arms to groom you, lean into neck-hugs, and even cuddle in their pasture or stall if it's time to nap and you join them by leaning against their sides. If they see you coming up from afar and are excited to see you, they'll whinny and squeal while galloping to meet you at the gate. They'll deliberately swat you with their tails to tease you, and will often follow you around the pasture if they're allowed to regardless of what you're up to.

-Riding crops are cruel.

Only cruel people use riding crops to hurt their horses. Spurs? I personally object to, because any horse that knows you well doesn't need something sharp jabbing them in the side for emphasis when you're trying to tell them where you want them to go. Crops? Are genuinely harmless tools used for signalling a horse.

I mean, think about it. Why would crops be inherently cruel instruments if you need to trust a horse not to be afraid of you and throw you off when you're riding it?

Crops are best used just to lightly tap on the left or right flank of the horse, and aren't universally used with all forms of riding. You'll mainly see crops used with English riding, and they're just tools for communicating with the horse without needing to speak.

-There's only one way to ride a horse.

Not. At. All. At most teaching ranches, you'll get two options: Western, or English, because they tend to be the most popular for shows and also the most common to find equipment for. English riding uses a thinner, smaller saddle, narrower stirrups, and much thinner bridles. I, personally, didn't like English style riding because I never felt very stable in such a thin saddle with such small stirrups, and didn't start learning until my mid teens. English style riding tends to focus more on your posture and deportment in the saddle, and your ability to show off your stability and apparent immovability on the horse. It was generally just a bit too stiff and formal for me.

Western style riding utilizes heavier bridles, bigger saddles (with the iconic horn on the front), and broader stirrups. Like its name may suggest, Western riding is more about figuring out how to be steady in the saddle while going fast and being mobile with your upper body. Western style riding is generally the style preferred for working-type shows, such as horseback archery, gunning, barrel racing, and even rodeo riding.

-Wealthy horse owners have no relationship with their horses.

This is loosely untrue, but I've seen cases where it is. Basically, horses need to feel like they're working for someone that matters to them in order to behave well with a rider and not get impatient or bored. While it's common for people to board horses at off-property ranches (boarding ranches) for cost and space purposes, it's been historically the truth that having help is usually necessary with horses at some point. What matters is who spends the most time with the animal treating it like a living being, rather than a mode of transport or a tool. There's no harm in stable hands handling the daily upkeep; hay bales and water buckets are heavy, and we're there to profit off the labor you don't want or have the time to do. You get up early to go to work; we get up early to look after your horses. Good owners/boarders visit often and spend as much of their spare time as they can with spending quality work and playtime with their horses. Otherwise, the horses look to the stable hands for emotional support and care.

So, maybe you're writing a knight that doesn't really care much for looking after his horse, but his squire is really dedicated to keeping up with it? There's a better chance of the horse having a more affectionate relationship with the squire thanks to the time the squire spends on looking after it, while the horse is more likely to tolerate the knight that owns it as being a source of discipline if it misbehaves. That doesn't mean the knight is its favorite person. When it comes to horses, their love must be earned, and you can only earn it by spending time with them hands-on.

-Horses can graze anywhere without concern.

This is a mistake that results in a lot of premature deaths! A big part of the cost of owning a horse - even before you buy one - is having the property that will be its pasture assessed for poisonous plants, and having those plants removed from being within the animal's reach. This is an essential part of farm upkeep every year, because horses really can't tell what's toxic and what isn't. One of the reasons it's essential to secure a horse when you aren't riding it is to ensure it only has a very limited range to graze on, and it's your responsibility as the owner/rider to know how to identify dangerous plants and keep your horses away from them.

There's probably more. AMA in my askbox if you have any questions, but that's all for now. Happy writing.

#horses #horseback riding #writing #writing tips #long post

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jaedreaminn · 3 years

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My Snack

Pairings: Reader x Jaemin ♡

Genre: Fluff, Crack.

Word Count: 2.6k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stupid. That's what you call yourself (Jaemin too and your parents and your friends and your neighbour and the lady down the street) on a regular basis.

There standing in front of you laughing his ass off was your best friend, Na Jaemin. You were standing in the middle of your school courtyard, covered from head to toe in your long awaited lunch- spaghetti. Such a pity.

It wasn't your fault that the loud sounds from Renjun and Haechan trying their best to taunt the other were distracting, or the fact that Jeno was near them trying to befriend a cat (where had it even come from) who kept hissing at him and was this close to scratching him had caught your attention, so you could help but slightly worry or the fact that the youngest two devils, Chenle and Jisung had brought a fake can of worms and were dumping them in Haechan's satchel and the thought of how Haechan (who hates any form of insects) would react was playing in your brain. Maybe it was also the way Jaemin had smiled at the two 'Angelic Devil's' as he liked to call them but then noticed your arrival and winked and blew a kiss towards your direction like the flirt he was, was what made you trip on your own feet. Launching your favourite dish of spaghetti high into the air and land straight on your head a second later. Nope, no you definitely didn't trip because of a kiss. It was the other thing distracting you, and it was gravities fault the plate fell back onto your head.

Somehow, you couldn't seem to get mad at the fact that Jaemin was laughing at you instead of helping you because of how his eyes lit up when he laughed and how his low chuckles calmed you.

So instead you did what anybody else would do in that situation. You stood there stuck to the ground and pouted.

Looking at your sulking state Jaemin beamed at you and made his way towards your spaghetti covered self taking off bits of it off your hair.

“You know,” he said his infamous smirk playing on his chapped but pretty lips “I get that your stubborn, but I didn't think you'd go that far t- OW!” As realisation on what he was saying dawned on you a punch to his gut was all you needed to shut him up. Maybe not. “You know what you said and now-ow ooowwwww ow ow ow OK I'll shut Ow OOW UP!” You glared at him as you threw a series of punches his way to make sure he shuts up. Plus, he was a dramatic ass, and you knew none of your punches ever hurt him.

“I know what you're going to say,” you said and Jaemin opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could “Don't you dare say that” you cut him off, venom in your voice and Jaemin knew better than to anger you more than he already had.

“Oh well,” Jaemin sighed in defeat as he wiped the sauce off your face. How romantic. “Lunch is coming to an end, and you need to get changed. So I'll buy you a sandwich from the cafeteria and sneak it to you during Maths” and he smiled. Cute you thought, in a platonic many years of friendship way of course.

You simply nodded and made your way towards your locker where your spare change of clothes was when you had a thought which made you smirk in victory crossed your head. You immediately turned on your heels and yelled in a devilishly sweet voice “Jaemin-ahh”

He looked at you confused and so did the rest of your friends who didn't do anything to help and just laughed at you and go back to the bickering.

“You're the first person to approach me,” you said, and you could practically see the screws turning in Jaemins head “You know what I said.” you said in a sickeningly sweet tone and Jaemins jaw dropped as low as Felix's jaw when he realised he's terribly screwed in the year-end UNO tournament, and Jaemin stood there dumbfounded finally realising what's happening.

“You know what this means” you sang out more than said as you waved at him and sent him a wink and a flying kiss, turning on your heels and skipping away. You liked to think that maybe after years of watching the master flirt you've learnt a good amount to have actually made Jaemin blush.

You definitely weren't affected by what you said AT ALL. If anyone said you tripped a bit more with each skip you took they were as blind as your principal Lee Soo Man.

Jaemin on the other hand did. He really did blush as you walked away.

Jeno walked up to the now shyly smiling Jaemin “So what did y/n say?”

Jaemin didn't answer staring off into the distance, so Jeno pinched him making him yelp and glared at the boy who glared back, and let's be honest no one wants to be caught in a glare down with Jeno so Jaemin simply sighed and said “She said she's a snack” and Jeno raises an eyebrow as if asking Jaemin to go on not convinced that just all she had said.

“So I obviously denied it and y/n being stubborn as she is said that guys would like her even if she's covered from head to toe in actual food” by now everyone was carefully listening to the conversation.

“I told her she's delusional”

“Then” Jisungs soft voice asked anticipating what was to happen next.

Jaemin sighed and looked at the floor “She bet that she would do it and the first person to approach her when she's covered from head to toe in food is the person she's going to date” there was a one-second pause.

And then the loud laughter coming from their group made a lot of heads turn. Chenle fell to the ground laughing, dragging poor Jisung who he was earlier leaning on with him too. Hyuck had tears in his eyes and was holding onto Jeno who was doing the same all while hysterically laughing. Renjun tried and failed not to laugh and instead tried to comfort Jaemin but his red face and watery eyes weren't exactly subtle.

However, between Renjun’s laughing or chocking no one could tell he managed to get out a “That's why the great flirt Na Jaemin was flustered” and somehow the laughs got louder. Jaemin just stood there turning all shades of pink and red.

Finally, when the laughter calmed down a bit Haechan looked at the pouting Jaemin “Aww poor Nana got himself into a mess again here let me give you some candy to cheer you up” and reached into his satchel. Jisung and Chenle sat up straight looking at Haechan in anticipation and Renjun and Jeno also looked.

Haechan on the other hand was clueless and was just trying to pull out candy from his never ending stash of candy when “It should be right- AAAAAAHHHHH!” The bag flew five kilometres away from the way Heachan launched it across the ground upon seeing this 'slimy legless wiggling poop insects' as he likes to call them in his bag.

Chenle and Jisung immediately snickered and gave each other a high five giving themselves away as the culprits to Haechan who was glaring daggers at them. They realised that they were discovered when Heachan yelled and charged at them ready to strangle both, so they started running away from the very VERY angry Haechan yelling all sorts of profanities at them.

This time Renjun didn't hold back his laughter instead, he laughed so hard he fell on his but causing the demonic duo to stop and laugh but run as soon as they realise Haechan is still trying to murder them.

Jeno shook his head at the sight and smiled. He then turned and walked towards Jaemin who was zoning out again.

“So....” Jeno started and Jaemin looked at him “You and y/n are dating now?”

Jaemin sighed.

Jeno tripped and fell onto the floor.

Jisung had crashed into Jeno.

He was laughing at Chenle who had tripped over the Renjun who was laughing his ass off on the grass and fell face flat while running away from Hyuck.

Haechan couldn't stop himself from running.

He tripped over Jeno and Jisung too.

Everyone was on the floor.

There was lots of shouting.

And laughing.

And Jaemin answered Jeno's question as this all took place in sequence like Domino's.

He whispered a quite 'yes' and walked away.

No one noticed.

Everyone was now on the floor all tangled up yelling at each other to get up first.

No one noticed Jaemin's smile as he walked away either.

...

You got your promised sandwich in your shared math class with Jaemin. You felt a little too bold today, so you sent another wink and flying kiss his way.

You may have also overly enjoyed his flustered face, so you held his hand as you walked to your next shared class P.E. and you may have smiled in triumph when Jaemins cheeks turned pink and he got all shy.

You also may have been a little too bold so when no one was looking you kissed his hand and then skipped away. And maybe that felt a little more than Platonic to you.

That's the thing it was always maybe, you never had a definite choice of words because you were always confused, so it was always maybe.

School soon ended, and you waited for the only person who walks home with you because you go the same way- Jaemin. You knew that he would be late. He always was. Every Wednesday. He shared his last class with Oh Miri, and he always helps her pack up and carries her things for her to her locker. It's because he obviously likes her. And you think they'll be a cute couple and you'll be happy if Jaemin finally asks her out. You really will be happy for him. Really.

You bid goodbye to Renjun and Chenle as they both head home. You said bye to Jeno too as you pass the turf where he has his practices. You see Haechan at the gate and wave bye to him too. Jisung and you talk about a new way to prank Renjun this time before he too has to leave.

You frown now and look at the time on your phone, was Jaemin latter than usual? Turns out he wasn't late and the low voice that whispered “missed me?” which startled you a bit, confirmed it. You turned around to come face to face with Jaemins smile that you are convinced produces light because of how bright it was.

“So...babe, how was your day?” Jaemin asked cheeky smile on his face. You shook your head and chuckled slightly as you answered him “It was good Nana you can stop joking around now”.

You saw Jaemins smile falter for a second. Or maybe you just imagined that. Nope, no definitely did not imagine that because now he was full on pouting.

“You're already breaking up with me y/n? But I thought we loved each other” he said using his sad baby voice.

You roll your eyes at his antics and held onto his arm ready to drag him “Come on Nana we need to go home”

“Aww but today's our first day! Shouldn't I get a first kiss!” Jaemin protested still not moving as you tried to pull him. Thank god you were facing another direction so he couldn't see how much that made your face heat up and how flustered it made you. You knew he was only joking. Right. His tone didn't sound the least bit serious. You're just imagining things.

You gave him, what you hoped sounded like a small laugh instead of a strangled one “Seriously stop kidding I'm pretty sure it won't help with your Oh Miri situation”

It was weird to see Jaemin so confused, but maybe it was because he was confused about how you knew about his crush when he hasn't told anyone yet.

“What situation with Oh Miri...?” Jaemin asked still confused. Still keeping up the act huh.

“Oh please, I know you like her and chill I'll help you out if you want. I don't really see any reason for you to hide your crush on her. She's really sweet and you two would make a cute couple and if you keep up this act it might be misleading to her considering she's still around and will think you're taken” you kept in rambling but stopped when you saw Jaemins blank expressionless face.

The atmosphere felt awkward, so you said a “yea...” to kind of end your entire ramble and to cut through the sudden silence.

“Oh” was all that Jaemin said.

“Yep”

“So I win?”

“Huh?”

“I win don't I?”

“What?”

“The bet”

“Bet…?”

“You didn't date me, you owe me” Jaemin simply said shrugging.

Then realisation dawned on you, you bet him that you would date the first person that came up to you.

You sighed in defeat “Fine you win. Where do I treat you this time”?

“Not just treat me” Jaemin shook his head “Take me out on a date where you of course pay” he smiled that stupid smile of his and your jaw dropped.

“If you think about it you're losing without actually loosing” he smiled.

And you kept looking at him in shock. But what about Oh Miri...?

“See you didn't date me” he fake pouted “But I wanted to date you and since I won the bet and could ask for whatever I'm asking you to date me” Jaemin smiled his mischievous smile.

”I-” you started but couldn't form a single sentence.

“It's okay I know my genius left you speechless.” he said putting his hand on your head and leaning on it.

“I got a free meal and a girlfriend because you can't win bets” he smirked and ran for it because now you snapped out of your dazed moment and were ready to jump him.

Jerk played you like a guitar.

“THIS IS CHEATING” you yelled as you chased him all the way home.

You did catch up to him enough to throw your pencil case at his head. He whined. You smiled. He smiled. Things went good.

You went on that date. The two of you were official now.

You were always indecisive about your feelings and always stuck on maybe so Jaemin just made the right decision for you.

“You know you should ask me to be your girlfriend properly” you had said on your date.

“You want dramatic?”

“No-”

“I'll give you dramatic” Jaemin had replied with a smirk.

You should have known not to trust that smirk because trouble (for you) always followed it.

Trouble happened Friday morning.

There in the center of the hallway stood your boyfriend with a shit eating grin. The reason for that grin being the hallway that was entirely covered with posters of your face poorly edited onto a burger with the wordings 'My Snack' on it.

You shut your eyes and slowly inhaled and slowly exhaled through gritted teeth.

Your eyes snapped open.

“I'M BREAKING UP WITH YOU JAEMIN NA”

“YOU CAN'T YOU LOVE ME” was heard at the end of the hallway form Jaemin who had already bolted.

“Then you better run cus I'm breaking your Legs!”

“Already running!” The now barely audible voice of a rapidly retreating Jaemin was heard.

Bonus:

You brought Jaemin coffee because you felt bad for attacking him.

“I can kiss you now but what more has changed” Jaemin sat pouting with his coffee in his hand after being attacked by you.

You laughed and kissed him.

#nct #jaemin #jaemin imagines #fanfic #nct imagines #fluff #idk what this is #first imagine #okay i really dont know how to tag

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addictofsupernatural · 4 years

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Spidey Senses (pt. 1)

Peter Parker x reader

Summary: You have a big secret about your life, and so might your crush.

Word Count: 2253

Chapter 2

You woke up, looking around at the apartment to yourself, and got ready for school. You made yourself some scrambled eggs; they were quick enough to make. You ate and cleaned up, not that anyone was expecting you to. You went to the bathroom, looking at yourself one last time. You frowned, but smoothened out your shirt.

Peter liked this shirt. He once told you that at lunch, when you brought him cookies made cookies for him and Ned. It was a Bowsette shirt, and this time instead of wearing it lose you tucked it in. Maybe he'd like that? Not that it was doing much for your body. You did read somewhere that having confident vibes was attractive, so maybe you just needed to act confident, and he'd notice that you wore the shirt he likes? It was stupid, but you were doing it anyways.

You locked up your apartment and walked to Peter's nicer apartment complex, where you sat down on the untagged steps outside. A few minutes later Peter came rushing out with a piece of toast in his mouth. You turned and smiled, perking up.

"Morning Peter." You chirped. No matter how bad you could feel sometimes, you couldn't help but have the best of attitudes around Peter.

"Morning." He said, voice muffled. He took a bite and ripped off a piece of toast, silently giving it to you. You took it and ate with him. "So I just got a text from Ned, and we have to pair up in biology for a project on the genetics of different forms of life."

He sounded pepped up, and so were you. You loved doing projects. It was a stress reliever from working at nights, and you got to spend some time after school with Peter. To you, projects were amazing. "So, who're you gonna pick for your partner?" You teased.

"Of course only the one person I know who can keep up with me." He nudged you, and you giggled. "I wish Liz was in that class. She's really smart."

Then there was that. Peter's crush on Liz. Though it made you feel terrible about yourself, you couldn't help but constantly compare yourself to Liz. She was so much prettier than you, smarter, actually popular. Not that you really cared about popularity, but it seemed like everyone adored her, Peter included. You didn't dislike her, you just wished you could be more like her. But if she's what makes Peter happy, then you would try to be the most supportive friend you could be.

"I bet you do." You did your best to smile. "Are we still on for joining the Mathletes?"

"I don't know. What if I get too nervous around Liz and start messing everything up? Then I'll look like an idiot."

"First of all, never call yourself an idiot. You're a genius, own it. Second, me and Ned are gonna join with you. We'll have your back Peter. We'll all have some fun, and you'll get to spend more time with her. We'll be in the back for support if you need us."

He nodded and put an arm around you, squeezing your shoulders as he side hugged you. "Thanks y/n. I can always count on you and Ned to be really awesome friends."

Though it took a blow to your feelings and self esteem, all you responded with was "Of course." as you walked into school and met up with Ned.

Sometimes, keeping things to yourself was just the better option. There were two things you kept from Peter. One, you were completely and undoubtedly in love with him. Only Ned knew about this, since he's just as close to you as Peter is. Two, the day you went to the Stark museum field trip and got bit by that spider changed your life forever.

As the day went on, so did your anxiousness. It was good this time; you didn't have work today at Delmar's Deli-Grocery, meaning it was time to suit up. Queens always needed help, and you were happy to do it. So was this other guy with similar abilities, but you never met him, so you didn't worry about it.

Mathletes went pretty much as expected. Peter was adorably awkward around Liz, but a genius none the less. You actually had some fun with Ned, goofing off as well as being able to get some work done. Peter would come back to you two every now and then to give updates. "You okay?" Ned quietly asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." You rested your chin on your hand and leaned over. "What about you? Like anybody right now?"

He gave you a goofy smile. "Nobody specific, but I'm hoping being in the Mathletes will show girls how smart I am."

You gave him a toothy grin in return. "I'm sure they will. Girls who are worth your time are suckers for nerds." Ned nodded his head eagerly in response.

Peter caught a glimpse of your conversation with Ned about girls liking nerds, and it sounded like a really tempting topic to over and listen about, but he had to focus on Liz. Giving her his main attention will show her that this is just as important to him as it is to her.

When Mathletes was over, Peter went over to you and an excited Ned, trying to ignore that nagging left out feeling he was having. "What'd I miss?"

"Y/n's gonna paint the Millennium Falcon and Death Star on my walls!" Ned said excitedly.

"Woah, really?"

You shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, it's not a big deal. I like painting, and it's not like my landlord would let me do it on my own walls. His parents are gonna take me to buy the paints and pay me for doing it too, so it's really just me getting all the benefits."

"It's gonna happen next week, so we should have a marathon over the weekend." Ned proposed.

"I love that idea!" Peter said, getting pumped up and excited in a very cute way he does. "We should do it at your house!" He said to you.

"I'm so down!" You excitedly said. "But right now I have homework to do, so let's walk home."

Ned said his goodbyes as he got picked up. You and Peter walked home together talking about Star Wars and how he would love it if you painted for him sometime. You promised him you would and said your goodbyes, watching him walk up his apartment complex steps and disappearing. You then quickly ran home to put on your super suit and head out.

Meanwhile, Peter came home to see Mr. Tony Stark in his very own living room. "Aunt May, I'm ho–"

The two heads turned to see the suddenly out of breath teen. "Oh, hey! Mr. Stark was just telling me how you got accepted." Aunt May smiled.

"W...wha–how–um, hi." He breathed out.

Tony smiled effortlessly as he got up. "I was just talking to your Aunt May over here about your acceptance for your application into the Stark internship." He winked. "Can we talk privately in your room?"

"Ye...uh, sure. Course." They both went into his room and Tony closed the door, looking around the room.

"So your aunt seems nice." Tony said nonchalantly. "Really doesn't look like an aunt."

"Um, why are you here Mr. Stark? I never filled out an–"

"She's cute." He picked up a framed picture of you and Peter, you hugging him while you both smiled. Tony instantly recognized you as the other person he was going to recruit.

"Y–uh, I guess." The question was very flustering for Peter.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"Woah! No, we're just friends. There's actually this other girl–"

Tony set the picture down and went on to his phone. "Okay, I'm bored with this story now." He then pulled up a video of a disguised man stop a car from crashing into a bus. "This you?"

"No! I don't know who that is."

"Yeah?" He looked up and got the broom that was against the wall, pushing one of the air vents out of the way and watching Peter's suit fall while tied to a rope. "Tell anybody about your powers?"

"No! Not even Aunt May, I promise. It's been a secret since I got them."

Tony nodded. "I'll cut to the point. I need you to come with me to Berlin. There's something you can help me with. Think of it as a mission. Are you up for it?" Peter only nodded his head. "Good, we got one more stop to make."

You got home to your apartment after stopping a robbery at a fast food restaurant. You took a shower and finished your homework fairly quickly. After backing some double brownie cookies for the weekend, you started pencil drawing to pass the time. That's when you heard a knock at the door. Your hair was still a bit damp as you curiously got up and answered the door. In front of your very eyes was the infamous Tony Stark.

"Woah." Was the first thing to drop out of your mouth. You wanted to slap yourself. You quietly said, "Hello."

You stuck out your hand for a hand shake, trying to make it as firm as you could while feeling nervous around the celebrity. As he shook it, you swallowed your nervousness down and remembered that everyone has flaws and he's just a regular person.

"Hi, can I come in?" You forced a smile and nodded, stepping aside as he came in and walked around your house. In all honesty, it was kind of making you uncomfortable how much observing he was doing. He noticed the same picture Peter had was hanged up on your wall. "Is this your boyfriend?"

You nervously laughed at the thought of that fantasy. "I wish." You blurted out. He raised his eyebrows and looked at you, feeling that this was going to be fun to tease about over this mission. "But I've been friend zoned, so yeah." You quickly said. "Anyways, would you like something to eat or drink?"

"Got any sweets or something? I am kind of hungry." He didn't look at you and kept wandering around your apartment. You silently nodded and took out the container of cookies you just put in the cupboard. You made those for the Star Wars binge, but if you had to sacrifice some for Tony Stark, so be it. You opened it from the kitchen counter, and he took one while inspecting your kitchen. "Oh wow. These are good. Make them yourself?"

"Yeah actually. Thanks." He opened your finance drawer with your bills, newspaper coupons and food stamps. You quickly closed it. "Um, please don't look at that!"

He looked you in the eye for a second before nodding and looking at another picture of Peter and you, this time with you trying to cover your face from the selfie. "So, I've read your personal file."

He was so straight forward that you didn't know how to react. "Oh. Are you even allowed to do that?"

"I'm allowed to bend the rules a bit sometimes." You huffed in response. Rich people. "Emancipated at 15. That's a lot."

"Yeah, I guess. I'd like to think I've adjusted well." You put on a smile again.

He leaned against the kitchen counter. "You miss your mom?"

"Um, she needed to learn how to take care of herself before she could take care of anybody else. I'm okay with that." You rocked on your heals.

"That's very mature of you, but you didn't answer my question."

You really didn't know why you felt so open with him. Maybe it was all that internet stalking. Damn. But you weren't about to spill out your life to this man and scare him off. No matter how well you felt like you kind of knew him. "Mm, it's complicated."

"And what about your dad?"

You truthfully never really think about him. "What about him?"

"You don't want to meet him? Know anything about him?"

You let out a laugh. "The only thing I want to know about him is his address, so I could file for some child support."

Tony smirked, deciding that he liked you. "Can you even file for yourself."

You sighed. "Probably not. Sometimes the government can suck."

He nodded his head, his eyes averting to your room. Shit. "What're those?"

"Oh, um, you don't need to see that!" He walked a lot faster than you and went into your room. You silently cursed your small legs. "Wow. These are a lot of drawings. And there's a lot of Thor. Do we have a little crush on a certain God?"

"Maybe!" You blurted out, much to Tony's amusement.

There was a small desk over a bulletin board full of your drawings. You got the desk when you saw pieces of wood being thrown out of a Home Depot because of chips and scratches, and you volunteered to take it off their hands. You built it yourself, wobbly and uneven, and painted some of it with the paints Aunt May got you. It made you look like the help, but it was nothing compared to the drawings you had of the superheroes.

"So what if I do? I know a ton of people who have fake crushes on you!"

"And you're not one of them?" He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Should I be offended?"

You smiled, genuinely smiled, and shook your head. "People have fake crushes on unrealistically perfect people. Thor, Thor is unrealistically perfect. You have a ton of flaws but are essentially a good person at heart... With all respect."

"What makes you think I'm not just perfect?" He was truthfully interested in hearing your take on this.

"Because it takes a person with anxiety to know a person with anxiety." Tony uncomfortably shifted his weight onto his other foot.

"I've seen some bad stuff too, not as bad as you, but I know that memories creep up when things get too much to handle. You have a ton of things to handle. I've seen some interviews that get to you. Some things that people say. The rude reporters. Even though a lot of people say bad things about you, your company, and even your family, you still have it in you to fight for everyone. That's amazing. You're not unrealistically perfect, but you are realistically perfect to me."

He paused for a moment, absorbing what was said. "If you're not in love with me, then why do you take the time to know so much about me?"

"Because, while I don't think of you as the fake love of my life, I see you as someone I look up to."

"Believe me kid, you should look up to someone else." He tried to joke it off.

You shrugged. "I don't have anyone else." You felt embarrassed suddenly, looking down at your desk. You then smiled again and searched through your drawings, picking up one of Tony smiling. "Just think of me as your number one fan. You can have that."

"Huh." Was all he said as he looked at it.

"What? Not used to seeing yourself smile?" You giggled. "Anyways, why are you here?"

"Oh, right." He took out his phone, showing you a video of you suited up, stopping a moving car full of robbers until the police showed up.

You sighed. "Okay, you found me. What now?"

"You're not going to try and lie for your secret identity?" Tony smiled again.

"To Ironman?" You giggled again. "No."

"Well, there's a mission in Berlin I need you and the Spiderman's assistance for."

"Is that what he calls himself?"

"Yeah. You met him?" You shook your head, and Tony knew he was going to enjoy this. "Well, you're about to. Ready Spidergirl?"

"Um, shouldn't I pack or something?"

"No need. I got you provisions and clothes for a few days. Especially considering that's probably the only kind of things you have."

You clutched your baggy shirt. "Rude, but true."

"Okay then, stay here." He then left the apartment for a bit and came back with a nice looking shirt and ripped jeans. "I don't want people thinking I found a homeless girl off the side of the street."

"You're so mean." You breathed out a laugh. "Thank you though. I'll be out in a bit." You stepped out a minute later uncomfortably. "Ready?"

"Look at you, looking like a girl." He teased.

You laughed. "Who'd have known? Let's go."

"You ready to meet the Spiderman?" Tony asked as you both stepped down from the apartment complex.

"Should I be? I don't even know who that is." He winked at you before opening the door for you. You slid in the back seat and looked at a surprised Peter dead in the eye. "Holy shit!"

#marvel #marvel fanfiction #marvel fandom #marvel fanfic idea #mcu fic #mcu #peter parker x reader #peter parker #peter parker mcu #peter parker marvel #marvel peter parker #mcu peter parker #peter parker x you #peter parker x superhero!reader

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addictofsupernatural · 5 years

Text

The Southsider (pt. 4)

Sweet Pea x reader

Chapter Summary: Now that an old secret is out, y/n's life takes some emotional turns in different ways, but Sweet Pea is there for her every step of the way.

Word Count: 1966

Chapter 1 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 5

You stared blankly at the jacket, before trying to give it back to FP. "I don't know what you're talking about. My mom wasn't in the Serpents."

FP didn't grab the jacket. "She was, kid. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"No she wasn't. She couldn't have been." You felt your anger rise.

"Why is that?" Jughead asked. He sounded slightly offended, but you didn't care at this point.

"Because when we were getting beaten and bruised up, where the hell were the Serpents, hm? I didn't see them, or anyone, lift a finger for us. Isn't it one of your laws to protect one of your own? Clearly that can't be true because, guess what, she's dead." You were tearing up, your voice cracking. You hated people watching you cry, but today had been too emotional for you. You couldn't help it.

"She didn't tell us anything. She made it seem like nothing was wrong. Whenever we'd ask about you, she just said you were shy. She was always smiling we didn't think..." FP trailed off, tears in his eyes.

If you weren't so confused with your feelings, you would be comforting him right now. But you were, and so you didn't hold back what you wanted to say.

"Four years, FP. You kept this from me for four years. All this time I thought I had no one except you and Jughead, but even then I didn't want to be a burden. I could have had a family to go to, but you kept this from me. You took away an option that my mom could have wanted for me-"

"You don't think I know that?!" FP yelled. You flinched, backing up. You backed up into Sweet Pea, tears flowing down your cheeks. Sweet Pea unconsciously grabbed onto you. FP calmed down, instantly regretting yelling at you. That's something your dad must have done a lot. "Kid, I'm sorry-"

You slipped out of Sweet Pea's arms and opened the trailer, not looking back as you began to walk away. Sweet Pea bolted after you. "Y/n wait!"

You turned around, tears flowing down your face. He grabbed you and held you into a tight embrace. This caused you to just let go. You clung to him, letting all your tears out. He put his nose in your hair, kissing the top of your head.

When you calmed down you looked up at him. He wiped a tear from your eye. "Why are you still here with me?" You said in a hoarse whisper. "You see how broken I am, so why do you stay?"

"You're not broken. I don't care what you say about yourself. I like the way you can make me laugh, and the way you're so nice to everyone, and I like the way you get back up after being hit with something. You see something in me that I can't even see, and I do the same for you." He grabbed your chin, pulling you in for a kiss.

You then rest your head on his shoulder. "It's starting to get dark. You want me to take you home?"

"Sure." You said quietly.

"Good. I kinda like it when you hold onto me." He smirked, causing you to smile. You two drove to your house, both seeing the paper that was taped to your door.

You both walked up and saw that someone had written Southside Skank on it. It was coincidentally in Reggie font as well. You sighed. "On second thought, maybe you should stay the night at my place. I don't like you being here alone tonight."

And with that you packed your toothbrush and a pair of clothes with you, riding back to Sweet Pea's trailer. When you got there you both sat down on the couch and Sweet Pea started asked you about your likes and dislikes, wanting to get to know you better. Once you answered a question, you asked one right back to find out more about him.

"It's getting kind of late, we should go to bed." Sweet Pea suggested.

"Sure." You looked into your bag, and wanted to slap yourself. "Dammit."

"What's up?"

"I forgot to bring something to wear to sleep."

"Just wear some of my clothes. It'll be hot." He smirked. There was a knock at the door.

"I'll go find something to wear." You said, after seeing his worried expression. He didn't want any more drama to happen to you today.

He opened the door. It was Jughead. "Look man-"

"I know she probably doesn't want to see me. I just want you to give these to her." He gave him the serpent jacket, the letter, and the camera. "I might have borrowed the camera for a bit." He said quietly.

He took all the stuff, not knowing what to say. "Could you tell her that I'm sorry, and that, uh, she does have a family?" Sweet Pea nodded in response.

He closed the door. You came out of the bedroom in just a big t-shirt, long enough to be just above your knees. He stared at you in awe. You were so beautiful to him. "Pea." You said sweetly.

"Yeah?"

"Eyes up here please. This is already embarrassing enough."

"Sorry." He gave you a shit eater smile. "You look pretty. Who knew you'd look so cute in my clothes?"

"Ha ha." You giggled. "Who was at the door?"

"Uh," he looked at you, unsure on what to say. You smiled and nodded, reassuring him that you'll be okay. "It was Jughead. He wanted to say that he was sorry and that you have family. He also brought some stuff."

You nodded and walked over to the table. "He took my camera?" You opened the camera, looking at the pictures in it. They were of you and your friends, including FP and Pop.

"Is it important to you?" He asked, wrapping his arms around behind you.

"Yeah. My mom gave it to me." You went to the very first picture. It was of a girl with a woman. They were both smiling. "That's me and her."

"Am I important to you?" He asked quietly against your neck.

"Mhmm." You smiled.

He then took the camera. "Then I think I should be in here." He turned the camera around kissing you on the cheek. You giggled. He then checked to see how the picture turned out. "You look good."

"You look better." You gently say. He gave you a peck on the cheek and went to change into his pajamas. He came out in pajama pants and a plain grey t-shirt, carrying a pillow and a blanket. He set the pillow down and laid down. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to bed?" You didn't want him to be uncomfortable because of you.

"What? No, c'mon." You took his hand, pulling him up. You lead him to the bedroom. "Lay down." He complied, intrigued. You got under the covers, facing the other way. "Good night."

He stared at you for a moment. "Night." He mumbled. You were so adorable to him, he couldn't help but stare at you.

His mind then began to wander to that note. He knew he shouldn't be nosey, but he couldn't help himself. After a while he waited until he knew you were asleep, then slipped out of the bed and went to the table in the kitchen. He opened it, reading every word. He smiled, thinking about how this could have a good effect on you. He hoped you took your mom's advise.

He went back to bed, to see that the covers were kicked off. The shirt was hiked up, and he saw your star wars panties. He held in a laugh. He looked at you, perfect as can be. He gently pulled down the shirt and put the blanket back over you, getting into bed next to you and holding you as you slept. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."

You woke up to Sweet Pea holding you as you were snuggled up near his chest. You smiled, slowly getting out of his arms and off of the bed.

You sat down on one of the chairs at the small table in the kitchen. You took notice in the letter that was meant for you. You grabbed it, taking a breathe before unfolding it.

Dear Y/n,

Now that you're reading this, I didn't make it. I am so sorry for letting you live with the burden of your dad. I thought I loved him, but he changed. I should have told somebody what was going on. He threatened me using you if I told anybody, but I could have figured out a way. I'm sorry for that.

I was and will always be a serpent. My tattoo is on my ankle, in case you were wondering. I joined the Serpents when I didn't have anyone else to go to. They are my tribe. My family. Don't blame them for my death, they didn't know. I hope you accept this jacket and join the family that I loved as much as I loved you.

I will send this letter to FP, my best friend. I don't think I have much time anyway, your dad is drinking more often. FP will give this to you when he thinks your ready to join.

You have a very important choice to make y/n. Think it over, because it could be a best one you'll ever make.

Love, mommy

You folded the paper back and sighed. You weren't going to cry over this, you were done crying. The Serpents. They seemed important to her, and every Serpent you knew were full of trust and loyalty. The Serpents. Maybe you should join.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Sweet Pea asked, his voice thick from barely waking up. His hair was in a cute mess as he scratched his stomach.

"Just thinking." I gave him a small smile as he took out two bowls onto the table, pouring one with cereal and giving the cereal box to you.

"About what?" You poured the cereal, giving it to Sweet Pea, in exchange for milk. You poured yourself some, and he put the stuff back.

"About that jacket." He sat down and nodded. You two ate in comfortable silence. After you finished you got up and washed your bowl and spoon, heading for the bedroom.

"Star Wars, huh?"

"Oh my God! Sweets!" You slammed the door shut, changing into your clothes. Sweet Pea smiled. You came out in your regular clothes and pony tail. "Not cool." You gave him a kiss on the cheek, heading to the bathroom. You heard him laugh.

You both got ready, smiling to yourself as you saw Sweet Pea do his hair. It reminded you of Grease. He was just too cute in your eyes. He opened the front door, holding it open for you. "Ready?"

You hesitated, looking at the jacket. You couldn't help it. You let out a sigh and quickly stuffed it in your backpack after folding it. "Yeah." You looked at Sweet Pea, who had the biggest smile on. "Don't." You bit back a smile.

You two rode to school, and you were about to walk to class after hopping off, but a hand grabbed yours. "Wait!"

"What's wrong Sweets?" You asked sweetly.

"Nothing, I, uh, was wondering if you'd want to go on a date with me, tonight." He looked down at your held hands.

You leaned into him, wrapping your arms around his neck as he leaned against his bike. "I'd love to." He smiled, and was about to kiss you until the warning bell rang. "Gotta go." You pulled away.

"What?!"

"I'll see you later!" You said as you rushed away to your class, leaving Sweet Pea feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. He'll have to get you back for that.

The rest of this school day was about to be horrible for you. Just as you thought, the people of the Northside did not take kindly to those who are not their own.

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Author's Note: I was going to leave this on a bigger cliffhanger, but I figured I could push that for a little later in the story. For now let's focus more on fluff.

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Tag List:

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#riverdale fanfiction #riverdale fandom #riverdale #riverdale sweet pea #sweet pea fluff #sweet pea fanfiction #sweet pea fic #sweet pea x reader #sweet pea #the southsider

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