#but we don’t even have money for gas to drive out to FIND a place that has water

[bakuettes]

Catch My Drift 🏁 chapter 1

Street racer!bakugo x Street racer!reader

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: cursing, douche bakugo, slight misogyny, alcohol consumption, drug use, illegal activities etc

Kanjozoku; The term Kanjozoku is derived from the combination of the words “kanjo” (meaning ring) and “zoku” (meaning group).

Kanjozoku primarily consists of young car enthusiasts in cities like Osaka and Tokyo who have a passion for speed and a desire to showcase their driving skills.

Osaka was the place to be. Not where tourists go to take pictures and try japanese cuisine, maybe pick up a few souvenirs from the large amount of little gift shops that littered the streets but where a community of young adults with the passion for racing congregate. The night was still young, the sounds of tires screeching against the cold pavement and engines roaring was heard over the heavy base of 2000s club music. Girls dressed in scandalous outfits mingling with the guys posted up next to their pimped out rides. You could practically feel the vibrations of the noise in your head.

Three cars lined up with the drivers sitting on the hoods of their prized possession. A bright orange 1993 Mazda RX-7 FD on the far left. The car’s color was comparable to an orange or maybe even the warm sunsets that would settle over japan. The next car over was a 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo Mark IV. The bright colorful lights that surrounded the meet reflected beautifully off the cars mustard yellow chrome. The third and final car was a looker. Silver 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 with royal blue detailing along the sides and on the hood. A royal blue flexivity rear wing with matching led lights underneath the body.

It was Bakugo’s baby. Spent years modifying and perfecting it. He was a skilled driver sure but having a car like his? Most would be intimidated to challenge him. “Yo Mina, let’s get this race going!” the orange mazda driver shouted. it was hard to find anyone in this crowd but said woman emerged from the sidelines with a confused look on her face. “Woah woah, wait a second.” She looked around the lot, once overing the lined up vehicles. “where’s your fourth at? i’m counting only three.” mina crossed her arms, unimpressed. the yellow toyota driver spoke up first “it was supposed to be joaquin but he caught the grave yard shift man.”

once you were scheduled to race it was a hassle to find new drivers, the time and place was set in stone. it wasnt that often when scheduled racers were a no show but then again many get caught racing outside of meets or their car needed more time to be repaired. It was a waste of mina’s time. she was the flag girl, not their fucking coordinator. “Na, y’all either find a fourth or you don’t race. How’s that sound? Times ticking boys.”

By standers erupted in shouts of anger and disappointment. they wanted to see a race, most of them drove well over an hour to be here! gas wasn’t cheap and neither was Minas time. Hearing the crowds complaining mina sighed and pitched them an idea. “Alright! i hear you guys, relax. How about this, why don’t i find y’all a driver and we settle this now?” bakugo smirked, nodding in agreement. he never said much but he also never needed to. his aura spoke volumes. “bring ‘em on.” he wasn’t nervous, he knew his talents and was confident. resting the palms of his hands on the hood of his car, he tilted his head towards the other racers, waiting to see hear their answers. “Anyone i want?” mina questioned with a grin that would give the cheshire cat a run for his money. “anybody baby!” orange jululis shouted, raising his arms to the side. cocky bastard. mina rolled her eyes and turned away from the drivers, pulling out her phone from her bra. there was a whole list of people she could call but there was only one person she knew who could end this race quickly.

she could hear the static from the other end of the phone. “y/n, you wanna race tonight?” it was quite for a moment before you spoke in to the speaker “i’m always down, send me your lo.” your voice was smooth like silk but sultry like a vixen. it sounded like you’ve been up for a while so mina didn’t feel bad for calling you so late. she knew you came alive in the night anyway. your energetic friend squealed before gathering herself together. “you got 5 minutes hun!” and then the line went dead.

it never took much convincing to get you out. when mina called you it was 12:15 am, meaning you only had exactly 5 minutes to get there. the meet lot was about 20 minutes out. you arrived there in 4, only a minute left to spare. the sound of you engine had heads turning (a certain blonde as well) as you slowly pulled through the crowd, careful not to hit party-goers. the hot pink body of your 2000 Honda S2000 was hard to miss. everyone knew who was inside and that fact alone made them scream louder. you never really cared too much though, it wasn’t like you had vocals like mariah carey. you didn’t have the ability to move like michael jackson. you were just a damn good racer and that was enough for them apparently.

all three racers turned their heads in the direction of the obnoxiously loud honda, tensing up at the sight. well, all except for one of course. bakugo had no idea why everyone was so fucking hyped. who was that? and why’s everyone acting like they’ve never seen a pink car?? “Racers!” mina yelled excitedly “here’s your fourth!”. your black stiletto boots were the first thing he saw exit the car. then it was a black leather hat. he glanced over at the others to study their reactions and they all had excitement swirling in their eyes. maybe even a hint of nervousness? bakugo didn’t have time to be sure because before he knew it, you were leaning back against the hood of your car crossing one leg over the other. “oh shit, it’s y/n.” you weren’t new to this, you were true to this. the air was crisp and cold, you probably should’ve brought a jacket because this top (if it could even be considered one) with this miniskirt wasn’t doing you no type of favors.

from the corner of your eye you could see a blonde headed man with spikey hair almost looking annoyed as he walked over to mina who was standing in the middle of the road. “no offense but i’m not racing a damn girl. you never said it would be a girl.” you rolled your eyes, who the hell does he think he is? a race is a race. why did it matter who was behind the wheel? you best friend looks beyond over this shit, she’s been annoyed her this whole night and she’s about to lose her patience. “you said anyone i wanted, i wanted her! stand next to your car before nobody races.”

“you scared spikes?” he turned his head to the side, watching you push yourself off the car and strut to the middle where he and mina stood. he sized you up, shamelessly checking you out. “what the hell did you jus call me?” he wasn’t scared. why would bakugo be scared of some princess nobody? “can you even drive with those heels on?” your outfit was impractical he thought. a miniskirt that just barely covered the expanse of your ass (not that he really minded) and what looks like a triangle bikini top. if you were to bend over then— no. now’s not the time to thirst over you. even if he did think you were hot.

“i’m just askin.. why wouldn’t you wanna race me if you weren’t scared?” you’ve dealt with his type before, cocky, thinks they’re better than everyone and so on. he’s got sharp red eyes with a piercing gaze. you let your eyes trail away from his face down to the hardened muscles on his chest. clearly well built and his black tshirt was doing nothing to hide it. “man whatever,” your eyes moved back to his hearing the sound of his voice. “i’m not doin this, find somebody else.” he wasn’t scared, he just felt that he could be using this time to race against someone on his level. why’s it that the egotistical men somehow always find you? you would’ve just let him go but you hated the feeling of being looked down on. he’s no better than you, he doesn’t even know what you have to offer. do you did what you do best, you uped the ante.

“15 grand.” you raised your voice a bit. silence fell over the crowd. “i’ll give you 15 grand if you agree to race tonight and win, that applies to the other racers too” you say to the other two drivers still next to their cars. that made him stop dead in his tracks. were you insane? you’re acting like that’s pocket money. fuck, he doesn’t know if he should do it. he didn’t need the money, but his sister did. he tries to help his mother out the best he can, this would cover at least two months worth of bills. gritting his teeth he turns around starting directly at you “don’t start to regret this when you lose ma.” got ‘em, you thought with shit eating smirk.

you walked past him, shoulder checking the man who’s name you still don’t know. he looked at you, staring at your ass as your skirt rode up with every step you took. you must’ve felt bakugo’s stare because your hands grab them hem of the denim and pull it down, throwing him a flirty smile over your shoulder. the tips of his ears turn a shade of pink. he quickly looks to the side, licking his lips attempting to play it off as if the whole meet did see the interaction. all the racers start getting into there respective cars, starting them up. mina struts to the middle of the street once again only this time with a checkered flag. her brown skin was glowing, the lights reflecting off the body glitter she wore.

“Racers!”

mina exudes confidence. you hand your left hand on the wheel, the other hand tightly gripping on to the gear shift. foot tapping on the gas a bit. you were high off adrenaline, you lived for moments like these.

“Start your engines..”

bakugo couldn’t help but stare at you. the look in your eyes. ‘s like you got off on this, the wicked smile on your lips doing nothing to make him think otherwise. he wasn’t fazed though, he had this in the bag. maybe even after he wins he could take you out but that was something he’d ask later, he needs to focus. the flag drops.

“GO!”.

and you were gone.

𝐀/𝐍!!: okay why was this way harder than i thought? 😭 please bare with me ik im not that advanced in writing. i also don’t know a lot about cars but i research by chapter. lmk how u like it so far and i promise to produce better work as time goes on!

[harkermylee]

lee harker x reader | one bed trope :3 !!

warnings: none! besides lee being the cutest precious awkward angel there is?? HSNNDJEJDNSKA.

who knows how this happened, lee wasn’t really a people person. most of her days consisted of her going to work and coming back, always alone. she didn’t mind it though it’s what she preferred.

well.. that was until lee found herself with a crush. this was new! entirely new for lee. she never had crushes not once in her life and trust me she was definitely panicking when she found out she liked you in a different than she liked other people. her heart would skip a literal beat (sooo cheesy but this is how she explains it) whenever she laid her eyes on you. she would ask herself, “oh fuck why do i feel this way? i barely know her!” and then send herself into a panic.

you two grew close and close. mostly because you would strike up conversation and try your best to get to know her, and she would just sit there and reply. you didn’t think much of it and didn’t see it as something unlikeable, you thought it was sweet.

now the crush was obvious and gosh it made you giggle! i mean she would literally flinch or jump whenever you entered the room and you weren’t even trying to startle her. of course, no offense was taken and you just chuckled every time it happened.

her eyes would never stay on you when you guys talked, finding it incredibly and way more harder than usual to keep eye contact with you. once glance into your eyes and she was as red as a strawberry.

so, how exactly did this happen? you were hanging with lee at her house, just a normal and friendly hangout! but obviously she was freaking outttt. she hated people at her house but something with you was so different she didn’t want you to leave. a small frown on her lips as she would look at the time and see it was getting later.

the night was full of personal questions and answers, comforting and watching a movie before you had to head out. she walked you to the door until you stopped in your tracks, her body slightly bumping into you and followed by a quick apology.

“oh, this is embarrassing..” you spoke, chuckling and looking up at her. “i.. don’t have money for gas and i don’t think i can make it to my place before having to literally push my car..”

lee froze at these words, she stayed quiet and stared for a second before looking down at the floor. “i- uhm mm.. you could stay here for the night and i could drive you in the morning? or, i could drive you now. i dont think i have money uh.. if i did i would give you-“

“could i stay here? just for the night? i could sleep on the couch it’s fine really. i dont want to make you drive so late you seem exhausted.” you reassured her and enjoyed the offer of staying for the night.

“don’t sleep on the couch.” she spoke, almost sounding as if she blurted it out. “i mean- it’s not comfortable. you can sleep on my bed i can take the couch.”

she spoke in that small voice of hers, tugging at the ends of her shirt. she glanced at you for a second as she waited for your response.

“we can both sleep on the bed.” you replied.

oh! oh? oh!!! this made her heart basically LEAP! sharing the bed? with you? someone she’s had a crush on for months? oh she was definitely gonna fuck it up somehow. (she totally will NOT! she’s an angel but that’s definitely what her thoughts were.)

she slowly nodded, trying to keep her feelings contained as she turned around and started walking to her bedroom. you quickly following behind her.

you’ve seen her room before, it wasn’t decorated much and really just looked like lee rarely spent time in there. but it still had a cozy feeling to it and you seemed to enjoy it. you glanced around before sitting on the edge of the bed and kicking off your shoes.

lee watched you with nervous eyes and stayed quiet, taking off her shoes as well. she was already in clothes she could sleep in and didn’t have to change, she looked at you again. “do you need clothes?” she quietly asked you, fumbling again.

“ah no i’m fine, thank you. these clothes are okay to sleep in.” you replied and gave her a smile that would make her brain fuzzy. you scooted further onto the bed and got under the blanket. the room was cold and so were the sheets, very lee harker. you rested your head on the pillow and watched her, her movements and behavior.

lee got into the spot next to you and tried her best to stay calm, which she always did but for some reason it felt more challenging to do so in a situation like this. her head laid on the pillow and she stared at the ceiling, stealing small glances at you.

you chuckled to yourself and looked at lee. “it’s cold. i think, we should cuddle.”

lee swore she felt her heart leap again and she glanced at you again, she was quiet. she was scared and she was nervous and the way your tone sounded made her want to sink into the bed because why are you so bold and why is she going insane?!!!!

“oh.” was all you heard from her. you smiled to yourself and wrapped your arms around her, pulling her close to you.

she was as stiff as a board, her body tense and almost like she was frozen. she was screaming and panicking in her head, not knowing where to place her hands and not knowing what to say.

“g’night lee.” filled her ears and she looked at you, noticing how you already fell asleep. how long was she panicking for?? she gulped nervously (hehehehe) and placed her hand on your waist, holding you close. she slightly smiled and rested her head on your head.

she was still panicking but seemed to calm down, listening to the sound of your breathing. she didn’t know why she was so scared. she didn’t know why she didn’t try anything sooner. she wondered if this was platonic or if you liked her the way she liked you. these questions filled her mind but all went away as she just realized, you were in her bed. her favorite person was in her bed and in her arms.

and thats all she needed.

[2knightt]

Howdy knight in shimmering armor!! :DDD it is moi~ & I come humbly presenting my req ✨🥹

So. 👏🏼 We've heard of motherly!reader, right? And we got motherly!reader. We've heard of sister!reader, and we got sister!reader.

Now get ready forrrrr *🥁🥁🥁* daughter!reader! 🩷💫

can I get some hcs for our Sodapop with a daughter/daughter!reader? I feel like he'd be such a sweet and loving parent aaaa 😭😭 whether biological or adopted it's entirely up to you, darlin'! I just live for the sweet fluff; my brain is stuck on Darry and Pony and the rest of the Greasers as uncles akshdj it's driving me up a walllllll.

uncle/godfather (!!! 😱😭🩷) Steve—maybe her taking an interest in cars or working at the DX when she gets older?? or not and somethin' else has her best interests at heart!! but everybody loves and dotes on her endlessly still bc she's their princess UGH the potential is insanity.

Work your magic, firefly!! If it's what'chur into, I'd love to see whatcha got for me! 😚 If not, then don't worry a thing at all, m'kay? <33 Entirely up to you!

↳tell the angels no!₊˚✧

➬ sodapop curtis x daughter!reader

a/n; THERES MY FAVOURITE PERSON EVERRR!!! HIIIIII!!!! ALSO I MADE READER LIKE IN THE RANGE OF A PRETEEN..BUT I MADE IT PRETTY VAGUE ON THE AGE..SAUR.

you’re sodapop’s biological child, and he couldn’t be happier omfg.

he’s such a good dad :(.

he legit can’t say no to you so you can get away with literally anything.

you punch a kid because they were annoying you?

“aw, it’s okay. i bet she didn’t mean it.”

“your daughter punched the child 3 times in a row.”

“just like i taught her!”

you get caught stealing?

“just ask for money! or take some from uncle steve.”

if you ever tell him you have a crush on a kid, he’s telling everyone. shouting it in the streets fr.

“who is he? is he cute? is he nice? rich?”

“papa!!”

and if the gang finds out?? good luck.

“what? you’re way too young to even to be thinking about boys!”

“yeah, what uncle two-bit said!”

“guys she’s a child. let her explore.”

“shut up ponyboy, this is y/n we’re talking about.”

do NOT ask sodapop for help with any of your work.

as soon as your done with adding, it’s ponyboys problem.

each person in the gang probably has their own job or role in your life.

johnny is the uncle you go to for peace and quiet.

“johnny-uhh…let’s go to the lot!! i’m tired of this house.”

“alright, kiddo. go tell your dad where you’re going.”

johnny’s jealous that you have a better childhood than he ever had, but he’s happy that it’s you getting the best childhood you can possibly get.

ponyboy’s the one you go to for academic help, or just..help in general.

“uncle pony, what’s 12 x 2?”

“what’s 12 + 12?”

“24?”

“there’s your answer.”

two-bits the uncle you go to when you’ve had a bad day. he does ANYTHING to make you laugh.

he’ll tell you any story about anyone to make you smile with tears still in your eyes.

“w-well what about dad?”

“OH! your dad used to work at this gas station, the DX, right? and one day a guy came in to rob the place, grabbed the drinks, chocolate bars, everything and just RAN! so your father ran after him but he tripped and took the guy down with him! i swear he was the same shade as a tomato when the story came out!”

“really?”

you asked, in between laughs.

steves the uncle you go to for…literally everything.

you’re probably his favourite person so…he’s ‘round you a lot.

“uncle steve, i’m trying to go to school!”

“schools for losers.”

“uncle?!”

“but don’t drop out. drop out and i kill ya.”

darry is the one you go to for actual advice and a shoulder to lean on.

you probably call him grandpa for the laughs.

“an-and i just don’t know what to do, pa! it’s so..UGH!”

“just breath, y/n. you’re a strong young girl. you can make it, like you always do.”

dallas is the uncle you go to for actual fun.

he let’s you get away with anything and everything.

he might even be worse than your dad.

“can i have a cigarette?”

“just don’t tell anyone, kay? i ain’t tryna get the tar beatin’ outta me.”

i like to think that steve’s car work was acknowledged and he moved into a better paying job.

so if you show the slightest bit of interest into cars, he’s bringing you into work on the weekends.

“pop the hood, y/n.”

“sir yes sir!”

they’d be so loving but so annoying with you omfg.

they will barge into your room without asking.

“HEY Y/N!”

“TWO-BIT, WHAT DO YOU WANT?!”

“that’s no way to talk to your uncle.”

“so?? get out! i’m trying to play something.”

they all come into your room and drag you out to the dingo.

OMFG IMAGINE THEM PICKING YOU UP FOR SCHOOL IT’D BE SO EMBARRASSING.

sodapops driving, it’s his car, two-bit and steve are fighting across the seats, johnny and ponyboy and talking over the shouting, dallas is blasting music while darry tells everyone to behave.

all that while you stand infront of school, infront of everyone, as they shout your name out loud.

“Y/N!”

“Y/N GET IN!”

“HURRY UP PLEASE”

“i don’t know who these guys are…must be another y/n.”

“Y/N CURTIS. GET IN HERE NOW!”

“ah, shit.”

“WHAT WAS THAT, YOUNG LADY?”

“nothinguhh!!”

10/10 experience overall, would sell my first born to experience this.

may 27th, 2023. 4:41PM.

[skulla-rxcks]

Because you’re mine. {Chapter 1}

next chapter

Paring: bangchan!afab reader, ot8! Reader

Rating: explicit (eventually)

Genre: mafia au

Warnings: eventual smut but not in this chapter, kidnapping, slight yandere!chan

Thank you for 100 followers :) ! Ily guys sm

!THIS IS PURE FICTION, NOTHING IN THIS IS REAL ITS JUST A STORY!

Chapter 1: stranger

“Fuck!” I mutter stamping my foot, realising I walked in a completely different direction I was supposed to.

Hell, I guess that’s because there’s hardly any phone service in this area which means I have to find my way to a job interview so I can finally earn more money for myself; a cashier at a gas station, pretty lame but hey. Money is money.

As soon as the reception is back I go into maps and reload the page, my phone battery dying almost immediately. How am I going to get to this interview on time? What if they reject me on the spot? The questions jumble across my mind.

“Hey, are you lost?” a mans voice comes up behind me, his breath ticking my neck because of how close he’s getting.

“excuse me I’m talking to you.” He repeats.

“Oh Uh, I actually am, I’m looking for the l-local gas station around here, I’m late to a job interview and my phones dead.” My body trembles slightly as I turn around and look up at the man who’s talking to me.

“You know, you could’ve taken a short cut, tho it seems a bit late now doesn’t it, mmm? You did say you’re running late after all.. how about I give you a lift home? It’ll just take longer trying to find your way around..”

“I don’t know if I can trust you.. I-I don’t even know you!” My voice is shaky, eyes watery, scared about what to do.

“Shhh shsh.. first off; you can call me Chan or Chris, and it’s okay don’t worry, look if you’re that scared you can hold my pocket knife while I drive.”

The car ride is silent. My hands starting to get sweaty from gripping onto the pocket knife. It’s a bit too quiet so I decide to talk, asking a simple question.

“Hey Chris? What do you do for work? Your cars pretty nice and everything so I’m wondering.”

“It’s personal business.” he replies in a tone cold enough to send brutal shivers throughout my body.

Personal.. business? What the hell does he mean? I probably shouldn’t ask any further questions who knows what he can do to me, he’s just a random man who offered me a ride home.

“Hey uh. My house is that way…” I reassure him. “Chan, i s-said my house is that wa…” my body goes cold as I say that, a sharp and cold sensation thrusts into my arm; almost like a needle. I can’t see anything. It’s just black and red. Red and black, my whole body feels numb

A few hours later. I find myself waking up tied to a chair.

“oh so your finally up..” foot steps approach me.

“Chan..?Where am I..what did you do?” I say scared, feeling his hands on my face as he takes off my blindfold, finally letting me see where I am. It’s a dark room with one singular light bulb hanging from the ceiling, looking down I notice I’m tied to a chair.

“i had to do this, otherwise probably wouldn’t have seen you again, going out isn’t really my thing.. I could be caught..”

He reassures me, moving behind the chair and placing his hands on my shoulders.

“C-Chan.. w-why I am tied up.. please let me go.”

“Mmmmm… we were attacked recently and you could’ve got taken if I didn’t secure you in one spot..” his hot breath tickles my neck, making me gasp at how close he is.

He continues talking but I zone out, instead focusing on the way his breath feels on my neck, making my legs shaking under his touch. “What do you think I should do with you?” “what do you m-mean..” I mumble.

“you’re so easy..” I feel his lips move along my jawline. “I could kill you right now and be done with you like everyone else I bring back here.. but i want something else.” He continues.

His tongue traces along my neck, I swallow hard, unable to form words. “I like you, princess, you have a certain charm that intrigues me.. maybe I’ll untie you, but only if you stay here with me… hm?”

“Chan? Are you in there?” Someone pounds on the door, from the voice it seems like another man. “Yep, Just uh, give me a minute Felix.”

Chan turns back to me and whispers into my ear again. “I’ll be back soon, Okay? Stay here.”

He leaves a light kiss on my earlobe before opening the door and leaving me all alone.

Many questions run through my mind; what does he do? Who is he? Why is he treating me like this?

I want to get out of this chair, i need to. But I’m forced to sit down. I want to cry, i want to scream. I hate it. The sound of nothing fills the air, i look around for anything to help me get out. There’s literally nothing at all. Only the chair and a lightbulb.

I could yell, i have the ability to speak but who knows what this man is capable of? The only thing I can really do is stare at the empty space around me, as much as it is useless it’s better than overthinking about everything. After what feels like hours i hear the door click, a man with a mask enters, i can’t tell who it is due to the mask hiding all of his facial features, i can tell that his arms are buff and he’s fit though, with a similar figure to Chan.

“C-chan..?” I mumble out, lip quivering as i look at the guy in front of me.

“Yeah. Don’t move, need to take you out of this room.” He groans, untying the ropes around my legs and wrists, making me fall to the ground as he takes the chair away.

“H-huh? Why..?” I question, taking his hand and walking out of the room with him.

“Stop asking questions. I’ll explain it all soon” Chan snaps back. Once we’re out of the empty room the area around us changes drastically, red carpet, lanterns on the wall. Almost like a palace, enough to make me gasp in response to my surroundings.

“Follow me.”

[meggiejolly]

Making Memories (Stranger Things - Steddie)

Summary: “Let’s go to the ocean now. What’s stopping us?” “I don’t know, the what? four states between us and the ocean maybe?” Steve shrugged. “So what? It’s a 11, maybe 12 hour drive or something? We can go now and be at the beach by morning.” “You’re crazy.” ~ Steve takes Eddie on an impromptu 12 hour road trip just so Eddie can see the ocean. Tags: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Road Trip, Fluff, Eddie Munson lives Can be read as pre-relationship or established relationship This fic was inspired by the prompt "ocean" from the monthly writing challenge in my favourite discord server.

Eddie and Steve were sitting on the shore of Lovers Lake on a summer afternoon, far away from the place the gate had been, and dipped their toes in the water. 

“Someday I’d like to do this at the ocean.”, Eddie said out of nowhere. 

“Wait, have you never been to the ocean before?” 

“Steve, when would I have been to the ocean? I’ve barely left Indiana. Does me living in a trailer park scream family vacations to you?” 

“Sorry, I didn’t think. I hope you get to go someday.” 

Eddie hummed. “Sure, someday.” 

They sat in silence for a while until Steve jumped up suddenly. “Let’s go now!”

“Excuse me, what?!”

“Let’s go to the ocean now. What’s stopping us?”

“I don’t know, the what? four states between us and the ocean maybe?”

Steve shrugged. “So what? It’s a 11, maybe 12 hour drive or something? We can go now and be at the beach by morning.” 

“You’re crazy.” 

“No Eddie, I’m serious. Let’s go. The kids are all at camp or on vacation, Nancy and Robin are doing college crap, we have nothing to do.” 

“Don’t you have work?” 

Steve waved him off. “I quit when Robin did. There is no way I can handle working with Keith as my manager without Robin. Haven’t gotten around to finding a new job yet.” 

“I mean… I guess we could. But the gas would be so expensive. And where would we even sleep?” 

“You have government hush money and my dad sent me a nice sum for repairs on the house after the supposed earthquake. We can swing it. And I’m sure they have motels in whatever beach town we end up at.” 

“You’re actually serious.” 

“Yes! Come on, it’ll be fun. Let’s make some happy teenage memories for once.” 

“I’m not a teenager anymore.” 

“Eh close enough. Imagine the stories you’ll be able to tell about this one day.” 

Eddie stood up. “Fine, fine you convinced me. Let’s go see the ocean.” 

“Well we should probably pack some things. I’ll drop you off at home, go grab some stuff and then pick you up in an hour?” 

Continue reading on AO3

[hyperfixated-gvf]

Keeping Secrets

On the fifth day of Tropemas, hyperfixated-gvf gave to me:

A smutty Josh short about naughty Secret Santa shenanigans!

Christmas Song Pairing: “Secret Santa" by salem ilese

Trope: Secret Santa

~~~

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x Reader

Warnings: Language, smut, oral sex (f. receiving), masturbation

Words: 630

18+ / MINORS DNI

~~~

“I thought it was supposed to be Secret Santa,” you gasped, throwing your head back so that it could thunk against the wall as your face screwed up in pleasure.

Josh chuckled from his place on his knees, arms wrapped around your thighs as he ate you out with a fervor that rivaled the way he hit his notes onstage against a wall in the hallway of your apartment. He looked up at you with bright eyes and a wet mouth. “We could find a way to spin it if we really wanted to,” he said, even his breath making you twitch with the proximity. “No one else knows that I revealed myself to you three days early, so that’s a secret.”

You played along, humming when he went back to flicking your clit with the tip of his tongue, but groaned and felt your cunt clench around him when added a finger inside you as well. “They don’t know that you got down and got me off with your mouth for your final gift – that’s a secret," you offered.

Again, Josh smiled against you, and you thought that it might be in your best interest if you stopped talking so that he would stop interrupting himself. Each time he attached those perfect lips to you, you were wound up like a Christmas toy, only to be held back when he pulled away again to answer. “I’m glad that you have such faith in my skills,” he joked.

In a purposeful series, you rolled your eyes and then your hips, guiding him to bury his face into your core once more. “Well, it’s not like I agreed to move in with you for nothing,” you sighed, moaning softly as he motioned you to come to him with his fingers while upping the pressure of suction on your clit. “I get– ah…mmm– endless head whenever I want it.” Josh widened his lips and sighed in agreement, shifting on the floor as you suspected his hips twitched, looking for friction. “And that cock of yours, baby,” you gasped, unable to keep your hips from rutting into Josh’s ministrations as your peak approached, “I’ll get to ride it morning, noon, and night.”

While you had a healthy sex life, you were exaggerating for the sake of gratification; you would both appreciate having the other right there instead of having to drive across the city to see each other, mostly. And talk about saving a lot of time and gas money - that would be nice, too.

But yeah, it would be nice having the option of sex morning, noon, and night, at least.

You cried out as Josh brought you over the edge, pinpointing that little bundle of nerves with a rhythmic, powerful suction (he’d been taking lessons from your toy, you thought) and giving you something to clench around with his fingers. “Shit, Josh– oh god, baby, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes” you gasped. The spasms of your hips made you whimper as they jerked you right into Josh’s face. 

Slumped against the wall, you felt Josh fish his cock out of his pants, and he chuckled as he slowly pumped himself, forehead resting against your belly. “Besides, just because you know I drew your name, it doesn't mean you know what the final gift is.”

His words interrupted the soft scratch of your fingers against his scalp, massaging and tugging lightly as he was apparently too impatient to wait for you to recover and got himself off at your feet. You could roll with the punches, though. “There’s more?”

His tone got real smug, real fast. “Sure is. But I can’t tell you what, Y/N,” he said, as steady as he could when you finally pulled him up and took over the friction on his dick. “It is Secret Santa, after all.”

~~~

Tag list:

@fleetsonfire @theweightofstardust @theatrekidjosh @fictional-duchess @greta-van-yeet @prophetofthedune @toothgapjoshy @gretavanfleas @gretavanfleetposts @doodle417 @razorbladekiszka @sammysvanfeet @s-u-t @lallisonl @hayley1623 @jakekiszkasleftnutsack @toxbexannouncedx @sammyslappers @alexxavicry @thecoldwind @maedesculpaeusoubi @jordierama @sarakay-gvf

[legend-the-dumb-jock]

Stereotypical: side story

The old man has just watched as his pas test creation walked of the apartment building. Ex dumb jock to the max. Dumb as a brick and as wrong as a bull. He clapped his hands together and grinned. He had plans for his final crew member at the construction site but had to find the right specimen for the job. He got in his mustang and drove off enjoying the wind in his stringy hair as he rode with the top down. He noticed he needed gas and pulled into the station. He was getting too old for this. At his age he was getting tired of these human contraptions that were just as demanding ad the people he created ! He got out of the car and made note of somebody the states he got from across the road. Being an old man man getting out of a car like this made the younger men jealous abs he just grinned showing his sharp teeth. But they couldn’t tell being so far away. He would see then soon enough when he was done with his construction workers. He pumped his gas and went into the gas station to pay. There was no one being the counter. He rang the bell several times but no one’s ever came to the counter to take his money. He could just be devilish abs drive off without paying but he wants to scope out the product that could be used if needed. Since no one was coming to the register he walked about the store. The only other person he seen was a man standing in the chip aisle with his arms crossed trying to make a decision on what he would be getting.

“My dear boy. Have you seen anyone working here ?” The old man asked catching the man off guard. Pulling his eyes from the chips he looked at the old man was shocked st first abs he seen the oldest man he’d ever seen right before. Stuttering he answered no. Then continued “ now that you mentioned it I havent seen anyone in here at all ….” The old man chuckled. And just clasped his hands together. “Well we’ll my dear boy. We have an issue then. You see I just got gas. But no way to pay. What do you do for work ?” The man was thrown off by this question. Abs was tanner if to respond when the old man just laughed and said “I know what you are ! You run this place!!” The man didn’t know what to think before he heard his stomach gurgling. “What’s….what going oooooooonnnn” he started to moan being brought to his hands and knees. His vision getting blurry as he felt a weird sensation. He felt as though he was sweeling. Everything went dark and did few moments the world didn’t exist. He felt warmer. He could smell the thick scent of cologne as if someone bathed in the stuff was near. He heard a bell chime several times and the old man was back at the counter. Hitting the bell and look right at him. “I don’t have all day. Are you gonna come up here and run this place or not!” The man didn’t know what to think as his body began to move on his own. Without him even doing anything. He lumbered to the front. Walking behind the counter in the small work space and took the man’s money. Right before the old man left he look cupped the man’s face in his hand “yes this suits you well. Now you just have to grow into you’re new role”. And as he walked out the man could feel his body changing more. He staggered to the bathroom. Feeling his body change. Hair growing in thick. And his muscles expanding. His lips puffing up and a thick beard growing across his face. A thick gut sticking out from his once thin frame as he took on all the characteristics of an Arab gas station owner. The final touches came as his skin darkened to a permanent tan. But the time his change was finished he was a walking stereotype of an Arab where he was just a slim Caucasian man moments before. And then he heard a bell ring again. And his body forced him to go take care of customers. After all, he was joe stuck running a shop. And he had a lot more growing to do to fit his new role.

November 11th, 2021 9:04pm stereotypical male transformation

[iiseult]

Day Off: Jerry Pascal x Vanessa Riggin (part 1)

Note: This is my first time writing anything for this fandom and probably nobody will gaf but i also dgaf so im posting it anyway!!! I needed a break from my other ongoing fics and im kinda obsessed w Jerry rn so this was an easy write.

CWs: Smut, fluff, oral, gas station sex, jerry is lichrally in love, mentions of alcohol consumption, idk just yeah man it's hot stuff

The first time Jerry met Vanessa, she was drunk on a Sunday afternoon. Not that he was judging.

When he heard the little bell above the front door jingle, he looked up from behind the counter and called his usual lackluster greeting of, “how can I help you?”, but it died in his throat and petered out into more of a “how can I- ha…” when he got a good look at her. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt and a pair of hello kitty pajama pants, and a pair of huge black sunglasses covered most of the top half of her face. She made a beeline for the alcohol aisle and, with her left hand, she grabbed the first six-pack of cheap beers she saw. In her right hand she held an empty coke bottle, which she placed in front of him on the counter with a grin.

“D’you think you could get rid of this for me? Couldn’t find a recycling bin outside.”

He kind of knew he was done for once he got a whiff of what was actually inside the coke bottle, and it sure wasn’t no coke. He was never one for professionalism, so he didn’t think twice about nodding dumbly and ringing her up without checking her ID, even though she was pretty obviously underage. He also didn’t think twice about shamelessly chatting her up– a conversation which ended in her appointment as a new part-time employee for the summer. Jerry didn’t actually have the power to hire anyone, but the way he proposed the idea to the owners on the phone later with such dignity and aplomb left them unable to refuse.

“Hey, please buddy, come on, I’m on my knees here! Look, I know you can’t see me, but if you check the security cameras you’ll see that I am literally… literally on my knees!” Jerry cried, tilting his head to the side and holding up prayer hands towards the camera, like a grotesque caricature of the Virgin Mary. Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned for what felt like the millionth time in the past hour, turning around to avoid watching.

“Jerry, besides the fact that she was drunk for the entirety of the… ‘employee interview,’” he air-quoted, “we don’t have enough money to take on another employee! How are they gonna pay her?” Jerry put his hand over the receiver and shushed Jack viciously, a little spit flying out of his mouth, before returning to his conversation.

“Uh-huh…uh-huh…yeah, no, I completely understand, no, totally. Right, right. Of course. For sure. Definitely. Indubitably. Could you just give me one second, please?”

Jerry slumped against the side of the counter and sulked, covering the receiver again and sighing. He looked up at his friend with kicked puppy eyes. “But she’s so hot, dude, I’d hate to disappoint her…we gotta figure something out,” he muttered, when suddenly another brilliant idea struck him. “WAIT! I have had…a thought!” He declared, suddenly jumping to his feet and uncovering the receiver.

“You can give her half of my paycheck!”

So about a month and a half into working side-by-side at the gas station most days of the week, Vanessa and Jerry had grown quite close. He started picking up extra day shifts on top of his usual nights to make it up to the owners, and to spend more time with Van. It sounded like a great idea on June first, but by the time the fourth of July rolled around, he was really starting to look worse for wear. He often worked 24 hours in a row and only had eight-hour breaks between them, during which he’d sleep on a hammock in the dry storage room, not seeing a point in driving all the way home just to come back as soon as he opened his eyes. Jack didn’t seem to mind; all he had to do was remember to knock before restocking the chips. And Van was none the wiser to the entire situation, clueless to the fact that Jerry was sacrificing so much to keep her around.

Despite the fact that it was her day off, Van swaggered into the gas station, cheering when she saw Jerry behind the counter. A goofy smile spread across his face. Even though it was the twenty-second straight hour of his shift and his eyes actually wouldn’t open more than halfway, he felt a warm tingly feeling spread through his body at her presence.

“Hey, what’s up, Van?” he called. She sidled up to the edge of his counter and leaned her elbows on it, gazing into his red-rimmed eyes absently.

“Thought I’d pay you a little visit since I got nothing going on tonight,” she drawled, and the fact that Jerry’s eyes were glued to the neckline of her low-cut top was not lost on her. In fact, it made her feel good inside. He nodded, and without looking back up he said, "Sure glad you did.”

Before she could say anything, the little bell rang and she turned her head to see an actual customer enter the store– a middle-aged man with a poorly concealed beer belly and a backwards baseball cap. She quickly walked around to the other side of the counter and planted herself next to Jerry, their shoulders brushing slightly. He shivered and glanced at her sidelong. She was staring ahead, watching the customer as he approached the counter with an assortment of items in his hands, a large grin on her face. He wanted to say something, to ask what she was up to, but that thought was dashed from his mind when the customer dumped his things in front of him with a loud ‘clunk.’

“Hey, how ya doin’ today,” Jerry said quietly. He rang up the items one by one. The customer grunted in acknowledgement. And below the counter, where nobody could see, Van slowly slid her hand up Jerry’s leg, starting at his knee and settling on his upper thigh. His breath hitched and his face began to heat up. Alarms were going off in his head, and he suddenly worried he had stayed up too many hours at a time and finally lost his mind, but when she gently squeezed his thigh, he swallowed hard. No, it was real. And there was really a customer in front of him, a matter of inches away, watching him attempt to do his job.

“Can I also get a pack of smokes?” the customer rasped, pointing to a pack of reds to Jerry’s left. Van squeezed harder, getting dangerously close to a sensitive area. Jerry cleared his throat and grabbed the cigarettes quickly, his hands shaking slightly.

“Yeah, n-no problem. That’ll be $17.80,” he replied quietly, accepting the twenty from the customer and handing him his change. The man gathered his things and grunted once more, turning around and heading for the door. As soon as he was facing the opposite direction, Jerry let out a sharp breath, his eyes fluttering shut, and discreetly shifted his weight, trying to hide the growing bulge in his jeans.

“Have a nice day!” Van called as the customer disappeared out the front door. As soon as he had, Jerry’s eyes darted around, making sure there was nobody else in the store. There wasn’t. He turned his body to face her, one hand gripping the countertop for dear life.

“Jesus, Van,” he muttered, and he could feel his pulse pounding in his ears. And also in his jeans. She turned so they were facing each other and her hands flew to his hips, holding him at an arm’s length.

“Aww, big boy, you’re so cute when you blush,” she said softly.

Jerry could feel his face getting hotter, could feel the entire room getting hotter. Despite this, he scoffed.

“I do not blush. I just… overheat sometimes. It’s a guy thing- a, a man thing,” he clarified, looking down at her sternly. She only smiled and patted his hip affectionately.

“Yes, you do, Jer, and I love it. Such a pretty boy,” she cooed, rubbing her thumbs over his hip bones. He let out a small sound that was something between a grunt and a whimper.

“Stop it, Van, you’re driving me crazy,” he complained, his voice tinged with amusement. In response she let out a groan, which turned into a low laugh as she noticed how his pants had magically become at least two sizes too small between the legs.

“Aww, pretty,” she chuckled, looking up into his half-lidded blue eyes through her lashes. He blushed deeply, trying not to look into her eyes, his heart stuttering in his chest. This is what he’d wanted so badly since the day he met her, and yet he was paralyzed. He couldn’t tell if she was just playing with him or if she actually wanted him to make a move, but he was betting on the first one.

“Van, please don’t tease me like this,” he pleaded, his voice coming out croaky and low. He stared down at the ground, his golden hair falling around his furrowed brow. She felt a pang of guilt and decided to change tactics, gently sliding her hands up from where they had previously been resting on his hips, and finding a new spot around his slim waist.

“But I’m not teasing you, honey…”

His heart skipped a beat and he shivered, his skin breaking out into goosebumps under her touch. She called him honey, and it left his head spinning. He wanted to believe her, to touch her back the way she was touching him, but he wasn’t yet totally convinced he wouldn’t be making a fool of himself.

“You… you’re not? 'Cause I don't really wanna act like a fool right now,” he replied, his throat dry, and she shook her head. She, on the other hand, loved when he acted like a fool. They did it together all the time! She considered saying as much but decided against it, thinking that maybe she should save that one for later. Instead, she squeezed his waist and urged him to take a step closer, whispering, “No, baby, I’m not teasing.”

There was only a little sliver of space between them now, her chest bumping up against his, and the tent in his jeans brushing almost imperceptibly against her thighs. His hands hovered awkwardly at her sides, unable to decide if he should ask permission before touching her or just do it. He started to speak, to ask “then what…” but the words died in his throat and all that came out was a soft, “Huh?”

She grabbed one of his hands and placed it on her own hip, looking up at him darkly and all but confirming what he so desperately needed to hear– that she wanted him, too. He moved his thumb experimentally up to the hem of her low-rise jeans, brushing the pad of it against her flawless skin, and both of them sucked in a sharp breath, simultaneously experiencing the same shock of electricity. Her reaction filled him with a wave of confidence. He knew he wasn’t just imagining things, that she really wanted him, and that by the looks of things, it was pretty bad. He gently tugged her hips forward, pressing them against his own and grunting softly at the contact. He thought he was ready for it, but he was so hard it was almost painful and he couldn’t stop his hips from bucking into her soft, yielding flesh. She let out a harsh breath through her nose and closed her eyes.

“Jer…”

He craned his neck down and got in her face, breathing heavily and looking at her through his lashes. Those pretty blond lashes framed his big blue eyes so well and she just melted when he looked at her like that.

“You want me, pretty?” she whispered sweetly, gripping his hips a little tighter, possessively. He clenched his jaw and nodded rapidly, whispering back,

“Please, can I have you?” She grinned and nuzzled her face against his neck, pressing kisses to his scruffy jaw and the skin around it. Her lips brushed his ear as she murmured,

“Yeah. Take me to the storage room,” and Jerry sucked in a sharp breath and dug his fingers into her soft hips. When he spoke again, his voice came out rough and strained.

“Y-yeah? You mean it? You want me… right now?” She slid one hand up under the hem of his t-shirt and spread her fingers out over the warm, bare skin there. His body was aching for more, practically vibrating with the need to be closer to her, so he grabbed her smaller hand softly and led her to the dry storage room where he slept. Thankfully, it was only a few steps away, and she quietly closed the door behind them. Jerry leaned his back against it, his chest heaving as his breath came in shallow gasps. Vanessa pressed her body against his, practically draping herself against him, and cupped his face softly.

“Jer, you’re gonna have to be quick,” she muttered. He laughed heartily.

“Oh, trust me, I don’t need much time.” She bit back a goofy grin and slid her hand down to his collarbones, feeling the tingle of heat as it radiated from his skin and invaded her own. He groaned and leaned his head back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.

“Van, lady, please…” his voice rumbled deeply in his chest, and she felt the vibrations against her bosom. She shivered and sucked in a sharp breath.

“Do you want me to touch you now?” she whispered, cradling his stubbly cheek in her hand and letting the other one fall to rest on his waistband. Jerry nodded frantically, eyes still closed, jaw clenched. She took one last deep breath and blew it out before leaning forward and capturing his lips in a deep, passionate kiss, moving her mouth against his slowly and languidly. His arms instinctually encircled her waist and he held her carefully as he furrowed his brows and kissed back. All the tension, all the months of pent-up frustration and need poured out of him suddenly.

He moaned into her mouth, and she took the opportunity to lick past the seam of his lips and slide her tongue against his, making sure he couldn’t go anywhere by grabbing the back of his neck. She breathed his scent in deeply and pressed every inch of skin she could into his body, and all she could think about was him. In her mind’s eye she saw him, the last expression she had seen him make, his face flushed and brows furrowed. In a frantic attempt to get closer to her, he pressed one palm against the small of her back and another between her shoulder blades. Every flick of her tongue sent a wave of heat through his already overheated body.

When the kiss finally broke, they were both panting, and Jerry had a strange expression on his face, like he was using every ounce of his concentration to make her clothes turn see-through.

“God, Van…” he said, his voice deep and rumbling. She pressed one more short kiss to his lips before dropping to her knees in front of him, and his heart jumped into his throat.“You don’t have to…” he protested weakly, even though his hips were pointing towards her like a magnetic force. She swatted away his words and scoffed, already fussing with his clothes, swiftly unbuckling his belt and undoing the button of his jeans.

“I’ll do a better job later, but this’ll work for now,” she said, grabbing his pants and pulling them all the way down to his ankles in one swift motion. Jerry’s breathing was ragged and desperate, and the promise of there being a ‘later’ to look forward to sent a pang of lust ripping so strongly through him that the room momentarily spun.

“God, Van, I’m so…” he began, his cheeks flushing even deeper as he looked down at her face hovering only inches away from his throbbing need, “…hard,” he finished. He was painfully aware of how badly he wanted her, how sensitive he was, and he was glad this was only meant to be a quickie, because he’d be done for in a matter of minutes. Van kept one hand planted firmly on his hip, and with the other she palmed his bulge through his boxers, unable to look away from it.

“My God, Jer, what is this, like, seven inches? Fuck,” she swore, her mouth already watering. He shivered, already so sensitive that the slightest touch set his nerve endings on fire, threatening to overwhelm him. His length bobbed and strained against the thin fabric, leaving a small wet spot on it.

“Y-yeah,” he managed to gasp out, “About that, I guess.” He was suddenly slightly embarrassed at how much her words obviously affected him, when normally he would have had no shame at all about his body, but there was no way for him to hide his reaction. She pulled down his boxers quickly, his rock-hard cock springing up against his stomach, and her jaw dropped as she finally laid eyes on it, pink and swollen and fat. Jerry’s skin burned under her gaze, the way she was looking at him making him crazy. His hands balled into fists at his sides, but as her eyes widened at the sight of him, that confidence from earlier came back and he couldn’t help but reach out and run a hand through her hair and mumble, “You’re so pretty.”

She grinned and wrapped a hand around him firmly, spitting on the tip, and Jerry couldn’t stop the strangled moan that escaped him, or the way his hips bucked into her fist. He couldn’t believe she was actually smiling, actually volunteering to blow him. It was like she was a wet dream come to life. She pumped him a few times just to get the blood flowing before bringing her lips down and pressing a wet kiss to his tip. As soon as her soft skin made contact with him, he let out a filthy, pornographic moan, his head falling back against the wall. He felt his legs tremble, and he was sure he’d collapse by the end of it if she didn’t stop, but he was also sure he never, ever wanted her to stop.

“Van, ah, that feels so good,” he gasped as she flicked her tongue around his sensitive head, drawing more and more sounds from his lips.

“Good, honey, so good,” she whispered, flattening her tongue against his shaft and dragging it all the way up to spread around the moisture. Once she was satisfied that he was properly coated, she looked up through her eyelashes and swallowed about half of him, keeping her hand curled firmly around what didn’t fit. The way his cheeks flushed and his knees buckled encouraged her to start bobbing her head up and down, her lips still wrapped around him firmly. Jerry had to press his back harder into the wall to keep from falling.

“Ohmygod you’re so pretty,” he repeated, unable to tear his eyes away from her face and the way his cock completely filled her mouth. As a thank you, she started moving her hand in tandem with her head and sucked hard, creating the max amount of friction she possibly could without hurting him. His breath was coming in ragged gasps, his whole body tense with pleasure, and with the effort of forcing himself not to buck into her mouth. Though his hands were buried in her hair, he was gentle, never pulling on it too hard, only holding it to help ground himself. Vanessa began picking up the pace, moving her head faster and continuing to swirl her tongue around the head, occasionally letting it flick across his sensitive slit to make him yelp.

“A-ah!” he cried breathlessly. She hummed around him and tried not to smile, bringing up her free hand to play with his balls. Her finger accidentally grazed his perineum in the process, making him moan out her name, long and deep. She pulled off him for a second and couldn’t help but grin.

“Oh, you like that?” she asked, gently dragging her finger against the area again. His legs wobbled and he groaned, and she squeezed her hand a little tighter around his base, starting to pump him again as her mouth went back to work. She was going fast now, gagging a little as she swallowed as much of him as she could and continued stimulating him with her finger.

“Holy shit, Van!” he moaned, threading his fingers tightly through her hair as his thighs began to shake. “I’m- I’m gonna c-” His sentence was cut off by a loud cry ripping through his throat, and the sound of Van moaning in pleasure around his shaft as he shot his load into her mouth. His entire body shuddered and he had to catch himself before his knees completely gave out. She slowed down a bit but kept going for a few more seconds despite his whines and gentle tugs to her hair, wanting to make sure she milked his cock for everything. She didn’t hesitate to swallow everything he gave her, sticking out her tongue to show him afterwards. Once again, he had to fight to stay upright after seeing that.

“That was…I’ve never…it’s been so long since…” he gasped, looking at her with pure adoration as she got to her feet and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. He could taste himself, musky and slightly bitter, and made a mental note to include some more pineapple in his diet.

“You taste pretty good, huh?” she teased, running her tongue along his bottom lip.

“Ugh, fuck,” he moaned, face going slightly red at that. His heart was beating a million times a minute, his body still buzzing with pleasure as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He wanted to give her some of the warmth he was feeling, show her what she really did to him. He closed his eyes and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. “Van, you’re so good at that…” he mumbled stupidly, a mindless grin plastered on his lips. Jerry was drunk a lot of the time, but somehow this was not one of those times, no matter how much it seemed like it. Maybe he was drunk off lust, or desire. Or something else. Who knows what kind of chemicals one could inhale while working at the shitty gas station at the edge of town. Van melted into the hug, relishing the feeling of his thick arms caging her in, keeping her warm and safe. But she knew he was in a time crunch.

“Break’s over, sugar,” she whispered, and he made a noise of discontentment and buried his face into her shoulder.

“Don’t wanna,” he mumbled against her skin, his voice half-muffled. She laughed quietly and stroked his dirty-blond hair, almost petting him. He pressed his face into her neck and breathed in her gentle scent, the scent he had come to associate with tenderness over the past month and a half, and a sense of contentment washed over him.

“Didn’t I tell you I’d do a better job later?” she cooed.

“Yeah, but now I don’t think I can wait,” he muttered. Van gently let go of him, pulling back a little so she could look into his eyes.

“I’ll make it worth it,” she promised, “I’ll come by your place after your shift.” Van knew where Jerry lived, and she wasn’t averse to the fact that it was quite literally in the back of an abandoned school bus that was probably illegally parked behind the old Mathmetist compound. She’d been there to play shitty knock off video games and grill various meats a few times before, and it really wasn’t so bad once you got used to it. Especially once Jerry brought out the beers.

He gently released her, his body already missing the feeling of her against him. His mind had already conjured up at least three different scenarios about how the night would unfold later, and at least two of them involved a blindfold and cherry flavored condoms. He gave her a lopsided grin and nodded.

“You better,” he said, his voice still a little raw from earlier. He couldn’t wait for his shift to be over.

[somegiantmess]

Sometimes I tell myself that I may be a bit obsessed with planes. With the consequences planes have on climate, I mean.

And so I was trying to pinpoint the reasons why. Here’s my trail of thoughts.

As said in the introduction of this study, aviation is one of the most energy-intense forms of consumption.

Let’s take a round trip between Paris and New York. The distance between them is about 11,700 km (7,270 miles). The average time to do that seems to be 7 hours and 50 minutes, twice, so about 15 hours and 40 minutes. Let’s round it up to 16h.

The amount of CO2 that’s directly emitted through the combustion of kerosene for this round trip? About 2 tons. Not for the entire plane okay, just for yourself (which is obtained by dividing the emissions of the plane by the number of passengers).

Let’s compare with other ways of emitting 2 tons:

by watching streaming videos, you would need about 30,000 hours

by car, you’d need to drive about 10,000 km. Can’t really give a time for that but, in France at least, this is the distance an average person does over one year.

by eating red meat once a day over 275 days. Or ~3900 vegetarian meals (more than five years of meals if you eat vegetarian all the time).

2 tons is also the carbon footprint one human should stay below, per year, by 2050, to reach carbon neutrality and not warm the Earth beyond 1,5°C (compared to pre-industrial era; that’s the goal from from the Paris Agreement). It should also be 5 tons by 2030 already.* (Those deadlines don’t mean that it’s fine to emit to the levels we do today. Every ton of greenhouse gas counts and warms the climate.)

So, just for a 16 hours flight you’ve reached those 2 tons. Your carbon budget is closed. But you still have the rest of the year to live. Today there is no way you can live one full year without emitting greenhouse gases directly or indirectly.

So that was the first point. Now some other things:

Flying is a privilege to a minority of people. The fact that we’ve had ~4.5 billions of plane passengers in 2018 doesn’t mean that they were different passengers each time. That year, only 11% of humanity took the plane, including 2% to 4% that flew internationally (see the study linked above).

The injustice is even bigger when you think that 1% of humanity is responsible for about 50% of aviation emissions (note: the people that are less responsible for climate change are also the ones to deal with its worst consequences, aka people from poorer countries)

Unless you have close family members who live somewhere that requires long flights to go, simple breaks and personal holidays can happen in places closer to where we live. IF we really want to go somewhere. Being able to take the plane to discover a new country for personal enjoyment once a year and more isn’t something vital, it’s a comfort and a privilege**. Again, good times can happen in closer places around us.

So around summer and some other holidays, I often find myself hearing people talking about the plane and fly on a regular basis as if it was a normal, common thing. And often times I like those people/coworkers. And I think that overall it’s not like they don’t care about climate change or other environmental issues. I think they’re earnest and even believe that they’re already doing well for the environment by, for instance, sorting their waste in their daily life. Except they probably don’t realize that the plane’s impact is so harmful that the positive impact that was gained through their waste sorting is completely wiped out. By a lot. What I see is that once you’ve taken the habit of regular flights, and as long as you have the money for that, it’s difficult to see and accept that it should be seriously questioned.

Those are the main reasons for my obsession out of my head. Thank you for reading. :)

-

*Note that the average carbon footprint of a French person is 10 tons/year and about 20 tons/year for a North American person. You can check this source for comparisons and see the numbers for any country. But be aware that the numbers are lower because only the CO2 is counted, and not the other greenhouse gases. When counting for all GHG and converting them in CO2 equivalent, France should be above China, and the USA should be above Belgium for instance. It also seems that international aviation isn't counted because of attribution difficulty.

**When I was a teen I used to dream of traveling everywhere and visiting as many places as possible. Questioning that may feel like a slap to some of us, but some desires can definitely change over time, especially with a broader view of what they imply. I had the huge luck to travel to Japan three times in my life. It was amazing, but I’ve decided that it was enough. It's hard at first. And I can be nostalgic, but most of the time now I’m fine about it. I know that I still have a lot of possibilities even without that, and my desires have become simpler but still fulfilling.

Q&A:

- Clean plane is coming! -> See point 2/ in this paragraph - The plane will leave whether I’m in or not -> See point 3/ in this paragraph - I’m just an individual, it won't change anything -> Do you use your voting right for elections? Yes? Well, you’re only one voice, right? But you still do it. (Bonus; read only the "last word" at the end if you want.) - What about private air travels? -> They’re definitely a problem, both from a greenhouse gases and justice perspective, and they should be reduced to the lowest. But changes must happen everywhere, and about 70% of the fuel used by aviation is estimated to come from commercial flights transporting people.

[lunawritingspaceoxoxxx]

Hello I hate doing this.

Midway January of this year, I was living with four other people who were in entangled in their own issues and it would get to the point where I felt unsafe. I had called my parents, who I haven’t spoken to in over six years, begging them to allow me to move in and which they gave me a list of rules and I gladly accepted them. They had my third oldest brother drive back home since I do not have my license and once we arrived, we went out for drinks and once we came back, he berated me for over an hour bringing me to tears. Basically saying that I was just a lazy, spoiled child who wanted everything and that wasn’t the case, I just wanted a family that would actually listen to me.

While I was staying with my parents, it took me over a month to find a job and it was the heb 30 minutes away from me and I was excited because I’ve worked at heb before, but it was part time so I was typically working on two to three days a week. That’s just how grocery stores work, but fast forward a couple of weeks later and my mom is in a major accident, flipping her car and breaking her spine along with major damages to herself. At that point, my father knew he couldn’t help me anymore and my second oldest brother offered that I moved in with him. But prior to the accident, my father and I spoke about how I would need to help them in the future, claiming that I would have to be their caregiver which I told him that wouldn’t be the case because I do not plan on staying here forever. I only wanted to get my license and save up for another apartment.

So I got transfer to an heb closer to my brother’s job after a month of silence. During that month I was off, my brother and I came to the agreement that I would pay him 250 for the rent, which I agreed to. He also stated about gas money which I assumed that would be included into the rent. Until it wasn’t, his girlfriend had texted me last week asking when I can pay them their gas money back and I had asked her, why? I already paid y’all 250 for the month and that’s when I was informed that gas money wasn’t included and each trip would be 5 dollars but here’s the catch, if my second oldest brother had to leave the house. It would count as one trip and the trip back was another 5 dollars and I told her that I feel like you’re taking advantage of me because I get paid weekly and at this point I was trying to reduce my debts and I was able to finally get groceries for once. Groceries take a massive chunk of my money because what I do is absolutely energy draining and I go through food like it’s nothing. It lead us to getting into a massive argument and I told him that it’s not right and that since he doesn’t want to teach me how to drive the end of his bargain is useless. Driving school for an adult is close to a grand, I already have bad driving anxiety and this wasn’t helping me. I also asked him if I wanted to be taught how to drive, would you charge me gas money and he said yes. I wouldn’t win in this situation, so I was like I’m gonna cool off and then we’ll talk more and then this man texted me saying that I would need to pay an additional 65 dollars because his girlfriend’s mom will not pay for the WiFi anymore and that’s 130 dollars.

I told him give me until the 15th of May to find another place to live because I’m not gonna sit here and allow you to take advantage of me. He had also mentioned off handed that once I did get my license, I would put him and his girlfriend on my insurance because they’re not legal anymore. Both of them have no licenses and got into wrecks beforehand. I have two options, I can rent out an Airbnb for a couple of months or I can put a deposit down on a room. I truly don’t expect much help, but even sharing this would make me happy. I want to be able to write again without the fear of being homeless because my second oldest brother just takes and takes until you’re nothing in his eyes. This situation has caused me to slip back into harmful ideology and I’ve already attempted once and I would like to avoid it again. There’s a room close to my job that’s cost in total 1100 for the deposit and first month’s rent. You don’t have to donate just reblog and thank you so much

[self-loathing-angel-of-thursday2]

Beautiful Spouse’s Rewatch Thoughts SPN 08x13 Everybody Hates Hitler

🎶1944🎶

“I don’t get it.” He was late because he was getting fucked by the shoemakers daughter, and the other guy wanted him to get the clap

“Oh” “Those little submachine guns aren’t going to do shit”

Gross 

“Is that his head splitting in half?”

I think so

“That’s a lot of fake fire” “Oh it’s this shithole” “How many seasons since Kripke left?” 3 but he’s still executive producer

“So he signed off on this shit?” Yeah

“God it looks so fake. At least pump some of the money back into the set” “some of the sets are amazing. Some are ok. We’ll never see this again” “That’s some strong ass cowboy coffee. Didn’t even bother straining the grains out” “As if” “Sorry but electronics from that era just didn’t last. Some did but not most” “T.E.P? Who’s that guy? Is that whoever’s room he stole?” “It’s Nandor” laughter

“Who the fuck is T.E.P?” “Is he at a university or something?” Library

“What’s in the book?” “excellent screen shot. New model” “the fuck” “that’s unfortunate” “That 1940s wifi working good” “I mean, he could be on a cellular modem but he’s underground so I doubt it” “what does fkn sketchy mean here?” “What the hell is that goddamn telescope doing there?” laughter

“It’ll be empty or did the book magically reappear?” laughter

“Very federal” laughter

“Uh huh” “the boonies? Is that a place on campus or something?” “is that snow on the ground?” “looks like snow” “They really got to put some better glass on that thing” “I assume that’s not a gay thing” laughter

“Always with the round glasses” “Real deep backstory here /s” laughter

“I mean it could be his own furniture. It’s obviously not” “uh huh” “Is this letting college boy do his thing?” “It’s not a spell? It’s a dart?” Maybe it’s a magical blowdart

“Oh you’re right” laughter

“That’s cool” “Or not” “That’s a really random unit of measurement” “Is this the first time they’ve used plastic red gas cans? Pretty certain it is” laughter

“Warming their hands off the fire. That’s pretty funny” “They should teach the golem about leg day” laughter

Laughter

“HTR - is that short for Hitler?” “Are they going to find one strand of hair or something?” “Is the tool society a union for drag queens? They unionized” “Lot of good that’s going to do. Cover it up” “That’s a neat trick. Probably shouldn’t have smoked that book, eh. You’re fucked now” “how original” “Oh that’s weird” “Did they both shoot at the same time?” “Are we going to sign our name on the thing yet?” “Are the Thule the big bad for the season?” “Those books are out of order. Drives me nuts. It shouldn’t, but it does” “still don’t know what the telescope is doing. Just hanging out with its balance cock out”

[restforthe-burdenedsoul]

Financial venting/ranting/complaining ahead

I’m so tired of this.

We re-did our budgets and the only thing we have left to cut out is date nights/friend hangs. Because I can’t cut out therapy totally. And we can’t cut out melodys training. It’s been too positive of a change.

In the meantime, I still can’t afford to see any doctors or schedule my adhd assessment. I don’t know where the money goes. The only thing I see when I break down our spending is going out to eat. Like, 100$ a month. And we can’t anymore.

All my friends live hours away, can’t go see them anymore either. It’s too much in gas and they won’t make the drive to me. So I guess I don’t have friends again haha.

Just never gonna leave my house again apparently. If we get to have a house. Because right now it’s looking like we can’t afford the rent increase. We can’t afford to save for a down payment even with the assistance programs.

And I just want to give up. What did i do wrong in life to end up here? Why does having a bachelor degree make me no money? Why can’t my job give us raises so we can fucking afford to have our own place and eat. Because even groceries are getting to be too expensive. We’ve cut back a lot on what we eat. I like to cook a little fancy/multiple ingredients.

Tonight is just chicken rice and beans. We did pasta with chicken the other night. I’m trying to use up the rest of the pasta we have right now but that’s really all we’ve been eating. Which I’m thankful for. I’m just aggravated. We’re in our mid 30s and have nothing to show for it.

We are inviting M’s friend/ex over on Saturday (her wife can’t join us until like, end of May and we need to let our apartment know about our least by mid May) to ask her if we can live with them for a few months.

I hate this. I hate that as two adults with full time jobs, we have to move in with another couple to afford to have something over our heads. The plus side is that it’ll allow us to save and hopefully I will find a higher paying job in Orlando.

I’m sick to my stomach with this move. I’m so scared I won’t find a job. And we’ll have moved away from my steady job. I can’t commute from her house. It’s two hours away from my schools.

I could potentially live with my parents during the week tho. They’re the same distance, possibly closer, to my schools. But that would leave M living with his ex without me during the week.

I think we are at a good place emotionally with all that but living with her and her wife is a whole different ball game and I’m not a fan. But the other option is to renew the lease- not be able to afford anything extra (therapy, dog training. And of course the stuff we can’t afford now) and never get ahead. Like literally just never get ahead. We can’t save anything right now. We could never save for a house down payment like that. And we can’t afford the rent out there. And I can’t get a job out there without having a place secured. My car is not reliable enough right now for that kind of commute.

I just wanna crawl into a hole and never come back out. We shouldn’t be pay check to paycheck. I shouldn’t have to cancel doctor appointments and therapy appointments becsyse we can’t afford it.

I just spent 250$ for my eye exam and lenses. I don’t think I can afford to buy contacts after that. Even tho I did the contact exam too. I haven’t had the extra funds for contacts in over two years. Granted, I do prioritize things over the contacts but it shouldn’t have to be contacts or date night, contacts or melodys training, contacts or Groceries. I’m sick of it.

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

Tw abuse, maybe? Bad parenting. Threats.

So this morning was all fine and dandy. Got up, had breakfast with my mom, and we were watching The Last of Us.

She finds a pen on the ground. One of the animals chewed up the pen and got ink on the carpet. She’s also found that one of the litter box mats has pee on it.

I’ve been screamed at and threatened before but today in particular was bad. I shouted at her and told her to stop yelling at me. She threatened to kick me out of the house, and when I made a move to leave, told me she’d kick my kittens out onto the street.

I had them in my car along with my keys and purse. I was contemplating leaving. She marched out, demanded my credit cards, and said she would destroy my truck if I left. She also made threats to kick out my older sister too.

I don’t know what to do. I know I should leave but I’ve got nowhere to go and my dad lives 3 hours away from my college campus. Mom pays for my gas, my car, my college tuition, my phone, almost everything I own. She refuses to let me get a job because she “doesn’t want me concentrating on my degree and a job.” so I don’t have the money to even leave.

I know my sister and I can be kind of messy and untidy but we do try! Mom doesn’t get a whole lot of days off and while she was screaming at me mentioned that she feels like some sort of house slave. I know we could probably try harder to keep the house clean, and I do feel bad that she sometimes has to clean on her days off.

This has happened before and we’ve usually gotten past it, but today was particularly bad. It was the first time I’ve actually made the attempt to leave (sort of). I don’t think I was actually going to leave, maybe just drive off somewhere to cool down. And she was fully prepared to let me leave too (not without taking everything I own of course.)

What should I do in this situation? Am I being overdramatic? I’m 19, so I should be able to handle this right?

Hi anon,

I'm sorry you've been going through this.

Your mom's behavior is unacceptable. It sounds like your mom is not only verbally and emotionally abusive but financially abusive as well.

Here are some tips on how to respond to someone who is being verbally abusive. The article essentially describes how it's important to emotionally disengage, remain neutral, set firm boundaries, and leave when necessary. It may also be necessary to report this to someone if you're in danger. Here is also a forum discussing financial abuse.

I don't know what college you're going to or what services they offer but my college has counseling free with tuition so if that's the case for you, I would strongly recommend looking into therapy.

I don't think you're being overdramatic. I also just want to say that it's hard for someone regardless of age to endure abuse. It's almost impossible to deal with on your own, and more often than not, it's necessary to seek external support, especially in reaching safety.

I hope that you can find a safe place to live soon. Please let us know if you need anything, or if there's anything we can do to help.

-Bun

[barerootbar]

Mutual Aid Request-Car/Gas/Surgery

Hello Tumblr! I know you might be getting bombarded with requests for help but please hear me out.

I’m in a terrible place financially this year. After paying off most of my medical debt and continuing college, I don’t have anything left in emergency savings and I could really use your help. Unfortunately the only method I have to receive money is Venmo @Amelia-Melcher and if I’m publishing my real name online then I am extremely in need of help.

My boyfriend was laid off from the same company I work at a couple weeks ago, so now we’ll need two cars in order for us to get to work and gas will cost double.

My boyfriend has also been in dire need of dental surgery for several years in order for him to chew and swallow properly, but insurance has determined the surgery elective given that technically he can still eat mashed potatoes and soup. Out of pocket this will cost $50k which is more than both of us make in a year.

Why does he need dental surgery? He was driving an ambulance when a truck t-boned him, killing the patient and severely wounding him. He has far too much trauma from the accident to make a gofundme and workers comp will only pay for a temporary fix, and then he will still need the surgery.

Of course there are other financial needs we have to worry about (such as rent increasing), but those are our most urgent concerns. If asking about details would make you feel more comfortable donating then that is totally fine and encouraged! If there’s a reasonable service you’d like to ask for, I can also try to do that (please DM me for questions or requests).

We are trying to do what we can with side hustles to make things work and I will not be attending school next semester to try to decrease the bills and find a second full time job. Even if it’s just $5 or $10, or just a reboot, it’s still money I can put towards gas to get to work (or write-off the $10 Blaze to get ppl to see this). Please, we’re only in our 20s without any family to ask for help.

Venmo @Amelia-Melcher

[mrmonster459]

Werewolf in the Desert

By mrmonster

Location: Southern California

“Forty bucks worth of gas at pump twelve.” I said to the teller.

“That all?” The teller asked.

I thought for a moment and said “And a pack of Marlboro, if you promise not to tell my wife.”

“I don’t make many promises.” The teller said. “But that one, I can keep.”

I should clarify where we were and what I was doing. My family and I (aka my wife Jade, our thirteen-year-old son Ricky, and our eight-year-old daughter Deven) were driving towards Anaheim to take the kids to Disneyland. Even though the sun was starting to set, we were nowhere near any places to crash that wouldn’t be roach motels, so we decided to just power through for another hour to get into Los Angeles County. We could’ve already been there, but Jade wanted to go through a more remote route to pass a “hidden gem” natural site out in the desert she heard about. Anyway, our last stop that night was a Native American reservation to get enough gas to make it all the way.

“You know, it’s a full moon tonight.” The cashier commented as he got me my cigarettes.

“Yeah, I heard.” I replied.

“Things get weird around here whenever there’s a full moon.” He said. “There are myths of an old curse, a supernatural disease that white settlers passed onto our people generations ago. They say it manifests every full moon, and that our land isn’t safe until the sun rises. If I were you, I’d drive far tonight; if the myths are true, you may regret being here once it gets dark”

He then scanned the cigarette pack and said “Your total is $48.56. Paying with cash or card?”

______

When I went back to the car and started filling up, my wife immediately noticed something was up.

“You okay?” She asked from inside the SUV.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I said. “The teller was really weird, that’s all. Said there was some kinda curse around here on full moons.”

“Calm down, tourist traps love to tell ghost stories to travelers.” Jade said. “It brings in money. Back in New Orleans, my sister and I couldn’t go to a single bar without being told about all the ghosts that were haunting the place.”

“Yeah, that’s probably it.” I said as I waited for the car to fill.

____

After getting gas, we hit the road again. Unfortunately, about ten minutes or so after leaving the gas station, we got a flat tire and I had to pull over.

“Aw fu…” I started to say, before remembering my kids were in the car. “Fudge. Aw, fudge.” I then said.

The kids looked worried, but I said “Relax, we have a spare. It’ll be a bumpy ride, but it’ll get us into town.”

As I started changing the tire, I heard some kind of growl, almost like a dog’s howl but much louder.

I reached into the trunk, and rummaged through it to find something I was desperately hoping I never unpacked after our most recent family camping trip. “Oh thank God.” I said to myself after I found my bear spray. It wasn’t much, but I figured it would stop whatever animal was out there. I continued trying to repair the tire until I heard it again, but much closer.

I got in the car, locked the doors, and rolled up the windows. “Jade, check to see if the 9MM is still in the glove box?”

She opened it and said “It is.”

“Good, keep it close.” I saw that the kids were scared, and said “Don’t worry. It sounds like there’s some kinda animal loose, but that’s all. If we just stay in the car and…”

Moments later, we felt something crash into the side. Then, there was a horrible sound of metal being scratched.

And then, it jumped onto the hood. I shined my phone flashlight at it, and what I saw horrified me.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was not expecting the monster I made eye contact with. It had a human-like torso but had the face and paws of a wolf. It roared when I shined a light on it, and then used one of its paws to smash through the window.

Before it could enter the car, I shot it with bear spray. It retreated in pain, and Jade fired a shot that grazed its shoulder. The monster then fell off the hood, and ran off.

“What the Hell was that?” Jade asked.

“Shit, I don’t know.” I said. “But we’re getting out of here.”

I got out of the car, lowered the car jack, and quickly tried to reattach the new tire. However, when I heard the monster growl again, I simply got back in the car, and decided to take a chance on a car with only three functional tires. I turned the car around, and slammed on the pedal to get us back to the reservation. Sure their hotels would be shit, but at least we’d be safe from that thing.

“Jade, we gotta call the police.” I said.

“I’ve been trying.” She said. “But I’m not getting any signal.”

Just as I thought we were getting away, the car stalled.

“Oh no.” I said. I popped the hood, and used my phone as a flashlight.

“The battery terminals are damaged.” I said. “That thing must have ruined them when he jumped onto the car.”

“What are we gonna do?” Jade asked.

“I don’t know, I really don’t.” I said.

I thought for a moment and said “We’ll continue on foot. Hopefully someone will spot us.”

_______

We walked for over an hour in the dark, sticking close to the road in case anyone was there to see us. Unfortunately, there were none, it appears we were alone that night.

And then, we heard a familiar noise.

“Shit.” I muttered when I heard the monster’s roar.

“KIDS, GET BEHIND YOUR MOTHER AND ME!” I ordered.

Jade had the gun, and I had the bear spray. We were both out of our depth, but never underestimate two parents trying to keep their kids safe.

“IT’S COMING!” I shouted when I heard the beast running towards us. Jade fired two shots, but both missed.

I then shined my flashlight at it, and saw that the light alone was enough to keep it at bay.

“JADE, IT HATES LIGHT!” I shouted. Once we had it on the run, Jade fired another shot (one that grazed its stomach), and I hit it with another round of pepper spray to the face.

Jade tried one last time to shoot it, but missed again. I then grabbed the gun, ran up to the beast, and hit it in the face. Unfortunately, the beast retaliated by slashing my chest.

At first, it seemed like all hope may have been lost, until a car came approaching with its high beams on. The monster was so frightened by the light that it just ran off. When the car got closer, I could see that it was a Tribal Police cruiser.

“You folks alright?” He asked.

“We need help.” I said. “We were attacked by…a bear.”

"A bear? Okay." The officer said, but I get the sense that he knew I was lying. "I'll radio for help, once we get you to the rez we can get you to the urgent care."

______

We spent the night in a shitty motel across the street from a casino. First thing in the morning, we called for a ride to bring us into the city.

As we were waiting for our driver, I realized that I lost the pack of cigarettes I bought the day before, so I went back to the gas station to buy another. Believe me, I needed a smoke break more than ever.

I walked right into the gas station and said “Another pack of Marlboro please.”

“Welcome back.” the cashier said as he turned to grab a pack. “You look like you had a rough night.”

“You do too.” I said, as a joke at first. But as I approached the counter, I could see that he looked worse than I did.

He had a black eye, almost like he was hit in the face. And I could see some kind of bandage underneath his shirt, around his shoulder, right in the area where Jade shot the beast. At first I couldn’t believe it, but I also could see what looked like blood underneath his fingernails.

He clearly caught onto what I was thinking, and said “Like I said, strange things happen in these parts when there’s a full moon. Don't say I didn't warn you. Your total is $8.56. Cash or card?”

[odysseywritings]

Making Friends in the Ruins

I killed the child today and everyone left is old

It falls on me to be the future yet I see no point

Are there even others my age still in the village

Not even to make children with, but just to talk to

/

I get tired of the ones responsible for the apocalypse

To lecture about how better it was while doing nothing

While younger adults kill each other with bullets

And the middle aged by the needle and black air

/

I hear the talk of shallow history and rambling pleasure

I talk and it feels like someone else controlling my tongue

Too sanitized for honesty, too dirty for compassion

I need real friends, by God, real friends for loving

/

Would you recognize me without the gas mask on

Would you scorn me for saying naughty, dangerous things

Would you okay if bringing in kids here is immoral to me

Would you kill me if I said hell exists for no one but oil barons

/

There's nothing prideful or shameful about surviving

I just need someone strong so I can do live with weakness

Someone smart so I don't worry about the future

And someone who can drive me out of this place

/

Nothing can bloom here without it being stripped away

The water is partly piss and slurry going into us

Maybe it's what makes everyone so miserable

And makes me bald, impotent, and unable to have kids

/

What's the fun we can have other than shooting around

Get adrenaline from killing warlords who only know fighting

And would rather create bodies than opportunities

They want only conflict so we'd have nothing to lose sleep over

/

Racing to nowhere until hitting the roundabout

Hunger for excitement but too scared to leave

Too much freedom away from sick and dying relatives

Throwing away valuable money in the vicious wilds

/

Maybe the extra heads would give me ideas

If we can make this better with our creative zest

Or if it's better to starve the beast and hightail it

Loyalty or blind stubbornness. Freedom or running away.

/

Could we stay friends if we weren't united?

Going to the beginning if one stayed and one left

If one can find more love here than I can fathom

Is it delusional and better to just cut them off

/

But if one wants to leave so bad then I can't help think

Do you know something that makes you rich

Are you smuggling a dream or a slave with you

Is your calmness a ruse, thoughtful, or detached

/

Is it a paradise over there or just easier to live under

Away from skull cracking, brain numbing gladiator games

Black air filling the ocean of freeways suffocating me

Foggy mysticism replacing education for the newborn

/

I don't know if tomorrow exists if I stay lonely

It's desperate to hang a sign wanting friends

But give me a signal so I don't drop in a chasm

Or fling into turbulent toxic tides taking me away

/

Do I have to fight for respect with blood as proof

Do I have to smile to show I'm not an effete weakling

Do I have to show sexual prowess for the bloodline

Do I have to know everything despite my fucked brain

/

I can learn to be one or all if you gave me a chance

I want to sing before black air fills my lungs completely

I'd want to share and make love without fear or mockery

I want to say what I think of the pointless warfare

/

Just talk to me to prove I'm not crazy or weak

Every god knows the sins and toil I've done for life

I can survive here but I need to know if it's worth it

Tell me the child's death was not in vain