#the girl riding a bulldozer

[noosayog]

[Not just Nostalgia] ft. Miya Atsumu

wc: 2.3K

contents/warnings: exes to lovers

noos's notes: I love exes to lovers but I feel like I really didn't do it justice here :( i'm not the biggest fan of this but I spent so long writing this, I wanted to share. I hope at least y'all enjoy it :)

Often, when you return to your hometown in Hyogo, you can’t help but be swept up in nostalgia. It happens when you walk by the convenience store and remember eating popsicles with your classmates. It happens when you pass by the rolling green hills and remember riding your bike along the cherry blossom lined path. It happens when you pass by your high school and remember all the memories you made there. Somehow though, there aren’t any memories that outshadow the moments you shared with your then-boyfriend. You remember helping him bleach his brassy blond hair, sitting in the stands long after school to wait for his practice to end, and tutoring him despite your being one year younger than him. 

But nostalgia is just that and you know better than to let yourself be swept away by sentimentality. You know better than to let yourself forget the reason why you had to leave. Being back here for the summer is a risk, but surely you can’t spend the rest of your life avoiding your home, whether that be a home of rose-tinted memories or bitter heartbreak. 

– 

Your hometown is a small one and running into Atsumu is hardly an improbable outcome. It happens a bit sooner than you’re expecting, but it’s been over a year now and you have to muster up some courage. The only thing more pathetic than still moping about the break up is being the ex-girlfriend who can’t move on from the man who broke up with her. 

When you see each other, Atsumu doesn’t hesitate. There’s no prolonged staring match and no awkward silence. In fact, Atsumu seems to have completely forgotten what happened the last time you saw each other because he greets you with an unreserved hug and an excited “It’s so good to see you again!” 

You can’t deny the fact that it hurts that this is so easy for him, but you’d rather it be like this than the estranged limbo of being exes. Being with him, even in this capacity brings you back to high school and you’re swept along in his pace all over again. 

You never stopped, really. 

He asks about your family and reminisces about how much your mom used to love him. In the same breath, he invites himself over because he wants to see how she’s doing. In spite of his easy demeanor, you notice the slight flicker in his gaze, endearingly worried that he might be overstepping his bounds. Your longing for him returns in full force when he looks at you with those straightforward eyes, mixed with sweet caution. Like he still cares that he might be making you uncomfortable. 

So what’s a girl to do but let the object of her affection bulldoze through her plans to remember why she keeps the door to her heart tightly shut? 

–

“Hi, ma’am,” he grins at your mother when he walks through the doors. 

Your mom looks up from where she’s chopping garlic and welcomes Atsumu with a curt hello. Considering she’s ignored every friend who has ever visited, she’s making it pretty clear who her favorite ex of yours is. Turning back to her garlic, she commands you, “go take your boyfriend to the living room.” 

She still doesn’t like him enough to remember his name and you find comfort in that at least. 

“He’s not my boyfriend anymore, mom.” You remind her often when she asks about your blond, tall boyfriend. 

“Oh. He’s not?” she shrugs. “Well, go get him some tea.” 

“Yes, mom.”

Atsumu smirks when you meet him in the living room with tea. “She thinks we’re still dating?” 

You roll your eyes. “Don’t let it get to your head. She just doesn’t care enough to remember our history.” 

He wiggles his brows, “our history?” 

Insufferable. 

He keeps this up all night. Your mother, impossible to charm, continues to throw blunt remarks at him over dinner, but he lets them glide over his head. He even makes your mom laugh. 

It’s because he’s like this that you can’t let him go completely. He makes it too easy to imagine what could have been. 

–

For Atsumu, seeing you again was an out of body experience. He barely remembers the moment he said goodbye to you at his graduation ceremony with the flimsy excuse of wanting to focus on going pro. But he does vividly remember the day he came home a year later, only to find that you had left town the day you graduated. And despite his love for the sport, not even he could spend every waking hour playing. The hours that weren’t preoccupied by practice were spent thinking of you. Turns out, he proved himself wrong. Apparently, he really could balance going pro and being with you, because even though he didn’t have you anymore, you still owned the other half. 

Shameless as he is, he could not bring himself to pester your friends or your mom to find out where you had gone. It was the least he could do for you. For you. At least that’s what he tells himself.

Then he runs into you at the supermarket. He sees you first, lugging a basket around and looking perfectly fine while he’s in complete shambles. He follows you around for a good 5 minutes, never mind how creepy that is, practicing conversations in his head. It pays off when he weasels his way into your house, then all the more when he feels a flare of pride in knowing that he’s the one your mother remembers.

The remaining semblance of his composure comes crashing down when Kageyama, whom Atsumu has always found pleasure in competing against, shows up without warning. 

It’s a pleasant surprise, really, when he happens to see Kageyama in front of a vending machine with his signature scowl. Atsumu calls out in his jolly, pleasant facade, but Kageyama skips over Atsumu in favor of greeting you.

You smile. “What are you doing here, Tobio? You should’ve told me!” 

“You know each other?” 

You both turn your attention to Atsumu. 

“Yeah,” Kageyama nods. 

“We live in the same building in Tokyo,” you supply. 

“Oh.” 

Atsumu has read enough shoujo manga to imagine the worst. 

It’s no longer imagination when he hears you tell Tobio to swing by to see your mom. He watches Kageyama nod and then make this exit without fuss. The whole interaction leaves Atsumu confused and uneasy. 

–

You think the universe must be playing jokes on you when you come home and find Atsumu at your front door. You’re not sure if this is some sort of torture or Atsumu really just wants to be friends again. You sigh and let him in, walking past your mom in the kitchen again. 

“Oh?” your mom begins. “Here again?” 

He grins, all charm. “Couldn’t stay away for long, ma’am. Your cooking is too good.” 

She harrumphs. “I know you’re here for my child.” 

Atsumu laughs, but she’s already back to cleaning the vegetables in the sink. 

Atsumu’s halfway to the living room and you’re preparing the tea when she abruptly stops chopping and whips her head up towards you. “What about the other boy?” 

Atsumu freezes.

“What other boy, mom?” 

“The black hair one. Doesn’t talk, only nods.”

You ignore her and she just goes back to chopping vegetables. It was just a passing thought for her, but you can only hope Atsumu didn’t hear. 

–

“Doesn’t talk, only nods.” Atsumu hears your mom say. 

He freezes in the hallway, hoping to hear any elaboration you or your mother has. You say nothing though, and meet his eyes as you round the corner. He hopes you’ll explain but you don’t say anything and brush past him to the living room. He feels a hot flash of anger; doesn’t he at least deserve an explanation? 

But it cools quickly when he reminds himself that he does not. He does not deserve an explanation or anything from you for that matter. He’s just an ex-boyfriend. 

Atsumu used to tell himself that if you ever found someone else, they wouldn’t compare to him. What could that anyone have that he doesn’t? He’s tall, an olympian athlete, close with your mother, the list goes on.

He never thought it would be this easy for you to find someone who meets all of those requirements just as easily. Except, Kageyama had a leg up in that he didn’t break up with you because he wants to focus on his career.

Irrational, boiling hot, searingly stinging jealousy floods his gut. God, Atsumu has never been more aware of his decision to break up with you, that he somehow conjured up the thought that he couldn’t handle going pro after high school and maintaining his relationship with you. He has had moments like this, regretting his decisions and missing you to like crazy. Seeing you back here in Hyogo, he had tricked himself into thinking everything would be the same after all the time that has passed. Yet, in your time apart, maybe you have moved on and someone else has presented themself as the better option.

That was time he had practically gifted to someone else. 

He wishes so badly he could yell out that he isn’t satisfied with the way things are. 

I don’t want to be just an ex. I’m not just an ex. I can’t just be an ex.

It’s sometime after dinner, your mom urging you to at least walk “boyfriend one” to the door, when Atsumu finally asks.

“Am I just an ex to you?” 

You open your mouth to answer but Atsumu barrels on. Not because he has more to say, but because he can’t stand to hear your answer.

“Actually, no. Don't answer that. I can't just be an ex to you. I can't just be your ex.” 

You’re silent. 

“What-” do I have to do to make you choose me again. 

“How-” can I make you fall in love with me again? You were in love with me once. Why can’t you do it again? 

“Why-” him? 

Miserable, he blinks up at the sky, eyes heavy. 

“You were in love with me once, why can't you do it again?” he whispers.

Either you don’t hear any of his questions, or you choose to ignore them, but you do say, “Tobio and I went on one date in Tokyo.” 

Atsumu keeps his eyes averted. It’s the explanation he asked for but not the one he wanted. 

“And that was it. We’re just friends now. He ended up needing to visit Hyogo once and he came over for dinner as a friend. That’s when he met my mom.” 

“Then why does she remember him?” still trying to keep up some semblance of nonchalance, when he feels anything but. 

“She just likes tall men. You know that, Atsumu.” 

He doesn’t like the implication that he’s only a favorite because he’s tall. In that case, any one of his teammates except for Shoyo has him beat there. 

“What about you,” he whispers, fists clenched. 

“What?” 

Atsumu takes a deep breath. He needs to make a decision here. Is he going to lay it all out for you here or is it finally time to let you go for good? Would you even give him a chance after all this time? 

The decision is easy, selfish even, to make. 

“What about you,” he says, voice shaking, eyes watering, but he doesn’t hide it from you anymore. 

“Atsumu… what about me?” you ask, not understanding. 

“What about how you feel about me? Right now?”

Atsumu watches your expression shutter, exactly like how it did when he broke up with you. 

“Because,” he rushes out. “Because I’ve never stopped loving you. I made such a big mistake when I made the selfish, one-sided decision to leave you with that stupid excuse. If anything, with the amount of time I spent missing you, that proves that I can do both. 

“And I know it’s incredibly selfish of me to do this now. To want you to come back after all I did and how long I waited to tell you all this, but if there’s even a chance…” 

He’s practically giving a soliloquy now, so he doesn’t notice that you’ve stepped into his space until you’re grasping him by the forearms. 

He cuts himself off with a deep inhale when he feels your warm touch. You bore into his eyes, staying silent. He calls your name in reverent whisper. 

“Atsumu, do you know how much you hurt me?” 

He nods. 

“Do you really regret it that much?” 

He nods. 

“Then why didn’t you come to see me?” 

“I-” he has a number of excuses. He could say that he didn’t know where you went. That he wanted to give you your space. But he was just scared this whole time. Scared of what he’d find when he found you and it was only luck that he ran into you at the grocery store. He tells you the truth. 

You ponder this for a bit, eyes wide but unreadable. 

“Do you know why you’re my mom’s favorite?” you ask after a while.

“Because I’m tall?” 

You laugh, your hands that were still holding onto his arms sliding down to slip into his palms. Atsumu’s mind isn’t keeping up here, because surely this doesn’t mean that you- 

“Tobio’s tall too,” you respond. The suspense is killing him. 

“You’re her favorite because she’s my mom and she knows me. Atsumu, if I didn’t still love you, you would’ve never stepped foot in my house again.” 

His wheels are still spinning when he feels your thumbs brushing the tears in his eyes away. You smile, and it’s the same smile he remembers. You know you’re both thinking the same thing when your eyes finally meet. It’s definitely not just nostalgia, the way fireworks explode when your lips meet after all this time.

[wroteclassicaly]

Warnings: Mentions anxiety, hormones, sad situations, hurt/comfort, mentions smut, and fluff.

~*~

“You worryin’ about somethin’ again?” His gruff voice rouses you from your languid daydreams.

When you take notice of the man at your side, hand propped against his cheek, normal faux bravado on standby — your anxieties ease a little. He’s the only one that can do this for you, and it brims him full of feelings he’s been okay to accept lately, though, they remain unspoken between the two of you. You shrug a shoulder as his arm elongates, dropping a calloused trigger finger to ripple a series of touches across your shoulder and collar bone. You’re looking dazed, thoughts on impasse. He lifts up to scoot a little closer, because you won’t ask yet, but he knows you, and he is all too aware that you need him.

And god, do you ever. The nights when air is impossible, that his mouth can provide you with what oxygen cannot. How his hands can embrace you to bulldoze your physical reactions away. His mossy eyes glistening beneath fluttering lashes.

He sheds his khaki, all of the things that give him his shell, skin to skin with you. His bed, it always smells like you now. And his bedroom, it’s just a room, one that’s become littered with various gifts to him or items you have brought from your own place, including several photos of trips you managed to get him to go on with you. That momentous night at the cabin in West Virginia. Then there’s stuff he’s left at your place — clothes, his art set, a few weapons, some records, and more pictures of that time he took you riding in the fields.

His gentle is reserved for you. Just as it is in this moment. He waits patiently until you arrive at the conclusion of your words. You look up at him, his normal slicked back hair in chocolate strands of disarray. Every freckle, every mole — it causes you to speak from your heart, briefly off topic. “You’re so beautiful.”

He tilts his head, swallowing against that kiss littered jugular. He isn’t used to hearing this, especially from someone he was inside of not even ten minutes ago, a discarded, unopened condom at the foot of the bed. He’s just a regular guy, you’re just a regular girl. No guns, no rumors, no rules, no shouting, no violence, no parents. He can be who he wants to be with you, a different man that he’s finding he enjoys spending solo time with.

“You gonna tell me what’s buggin’ your noggin’, sweet girl?” His accent is thick, making you curl into his hairy chest, running your fingers through the drying perspiration, pulling on the chain.

“How much time have you got?”

“I’ve got unlimited time for you.” Is his automatic answer.

“Everything is just… a lot. I don’t know how to explain it to you. I feel…”

“Overwhelmed?” He can’t hide the slight distress, always worrying this bubble will pop and you’ll run away from him. No one ever stays.

You can sense it immediately, shaking your head. “Overwhelmed in my brain. Hormones and other shit. You’re the only thing that makes sense to me right now.”

“Would explain why you were climbin’ all over me the second that you got here.” That gets you to laugh. But his chest is on the verge of exploding with this feeling. The one that he’s too afraid to say yet, that he’s never said.

“I feel the safest when I’m with you. Like, all the bad shit can be dealt with, as long as you’re here.” You let it out, flicking his chain with your fingers, the confession what you can muster. And fuck, he gets it, he really fucking gets it.

You’ve replaced a majority of his nightmares, given him things to look forward to, confidence that is no longer misplaced, and he has to turn with a crinkling of his nose, sniffling slightly. He’s emotional. You know he doesn’t like to show, even around you, so you simple link your arms around his neck and tug him with you beneath the quilt — your breasts smashed into his chest. Your nose bridge nudes his own, lips passing him a feather light graze.

You whisper, “Gator Tillman, thank you for being my home.”

[incorrectbatfam]

what’s the stupidest/most embarrassing situation the batfam members have been in bc they lost a bet?

Dick: recreating the Jingle Bell Rock dance from Mean Girls on the side of the highway

Jason: patrolling Star City as Arsenal and gaslighting Ollie into believing he's actually Roy

Tim: going door to door selling Joker insurance

Damian: riding a tricycle to school and between classes

Duke: buttering every individual kernel of popcorn for movie night

Cullen: taking a line of increasingly spicy hot sauce shots

Stephanie: wearing a box to a gala

Cassandra: playing Nickelback on speaker in a crowded subway

Barbara: giving patrol instructions exclusively in rhyming couplets

Harper: grilling hamburgers in a parking garage and offering it to passing cars

Carrie: dragging a cactus on a leash

Kate: picking her date up on a bulldozer

Alfred: getting Gandalf extensions

Selina: dropping everything and doing 10 push-ups every time Damian goes "tt"

Bruce: cooking without a recipe or any outside help

[xbellaxcarolinax]

Congrats! Can I ask for Jake lockley and “use your words” pls and thanks, I feel like he would be so dirtyyyy

Love You, More

Jake Lockley x f!reader

Word Count: 2k+

Warnings: smut, p in v, lots of cum I guess, fluff too, Jake likes to fuck in his car (what's new), sappy Jake, I hope he's not too ooc.

Also, I'm trying out different ways in including Spanish translations. Do you guys prefer translations at the end of the fic or within the fic? Let me know!

Also, also, it's my first time writing Jake. Enjoy <3

MDNI

"Jesus, Jake," you flung his car door open, immediately greeted by his cherry-scented air freshener and spiced cologne, "I called you seven minutes ago! It's rush hour! Did you bulldoze through traffic, you loon?" 

Jake broke into a grin. He was calm and collected as ever, his left arm resting over the steering wheel as if he’d been waiting an eternity for you. He unbuckled his seatbelt as you shuffled into the passenger seat, letting you slam the door shut and toss your things in the back seat before snaking a gloved hand over the nape of your neck and tugging you toward him, giving you a searing kiss.

"No pasa nada," he muttered over your lips, his fingers gently sneaking into the roots of your hair, "fuck traffic. My girl needed me." (It's no problem)

Jake was dramatic, that much had been clear when you first met him. If you asked him for an inch he’d give you a mile. If he could, he'd fight for a way to give you the moon and stars if you asked.

But you hadn’t asked him for the moon and stars. You were a simple woman. You just wanted a ride home from work, too exhausted to take the tube. Either way, you were grateful.

He rested his brow on yours with his eyes closed, letting his knuckles skim your cheekbone down to your jawline.

“Missed you, princesa.” Jake hadn’t seen you in about a week, mostly fronting to drive around overnight (and deal with…Moon Knight-related activities) for some extra cash while simultaneously letting Marc and Steven rest.

“Missed you, too, baby.” You melted into his touch immediately, letting him work his tongue into your mouth. One thing about Jake was that he was a filthy kisser. He was all tongue and teeth and spit, and Goddamn was he good at it. But he took his time with you now, savoring your taste of mint mixed with the sweetness of the orange slices you had with your lunch.

“You didn’t kill anyone on the way here, did you?” You asked between kisses.

“Mm, don’t think so.”

You giggled, giving him a few well-deserved kisses. Your lip gloss left shiny smudges over his lips, cheeks, and the bridge of his nose, but he didn’t mind, growing fond of your little smooches to the point where it became an expectation.

"Thank you for picking me up." 

"Claro, amor." (of course, love.)

"Alright, fast and furious, take me home."

The drive was comfortable. Jake watched his speed this time, taking the local streets just to have you in his car longer. He had the radio playing low, a hand gripping your thigh while the other steered. You weaved your fingers through his before giving his hand a light squeeze. Every once in a while he'd release your hand, trailing his fingers higher up your thigh and settling into the crease between your legs, skimming your warm core, before moving back down to claim your hand in his.

You knew what he was doing. He was teasing you, warming you up for the inevitable. It's been a week after all. You indulged him, spreading your thighs just a little bit wider while watching the city pass by in a blur.

He drove into the private parking lot two blocks away from Steven’s flat, parking into his designated spot and cutting off the engine. The abrupt stop of the radio left you both in silence, Jake looking over at you with a look in his dark eyes that meant he was up to something. You smiled, unbuckling your seatbelt to plant a kiss on his waiting lips before attempting to open the car door.

“Uh, uh.” Jake reprimanded, stopping you. He quickly shuffled out of the car, slammed the door closed, and swiftly walked to your side, opening the door for you. 

“Ahh, what a gentleman.” You teased, grasping the hand he offered you before slamming the car door. Before you could make any other moves, he opened the door to the backseat.

“Get in, mami.” You brows furrowed in confusion.

“What—why?” 

“I won’t be answering questions at this time,” he said, playfully swatting your bum, “be good and listen.” You bit your lip with a nod, shuffling into the back seat and tossing your belongings toward the front of the car.

Jake was on you as soon as he got in, slamming the car door and pressing his lips to your neck, nipping and sucking on your delicate skin.

“Is this a good idea?” You breathed, your fingers sinking into his curls just beneath his hat. “Won’t we get caught?”

“Mmm, windows are tinted for a reason.” He hummed into your neck, his hand messing with the buttons of your dress shirt.

“But people are gonna be parking—”

“Let them park, don’t worry about it. Ven acá.” (come here) You yelped when his hands found your waist, his fingers digging into the meat of your hips as he helped you straddle his lap. “That’s better.” he grinned, tugging your shirt from inside your pants to let the soft leather of his gloves caress your sides.

You looked past him through the back windshield when a car drove into the lot, a panicked look in your eyes as your hands settled on Jake’s shoulders. 

“Mirame,” (look at me) He forced you to look at him with his fingers pressed to your chin, “focus on me.” You looked back at him, blinking owlishly. He brings you down for a kiss, a slow one that makes a noise when you separate. “I want you.” He whispered over your plump lips, licking them gently as he fiddled with the button of your trousers, dipping his hands inside to tug at the waistband of your panties.

You let out a shaky breath, your skin burning from his gentle touches as he pushed your pants down as far as he could, hands slipping under your panties to grab the globes of your ass. He squeezed them, capturing your lips again in a filthy kiss that was all tongue and spit.

You moaned, falling into his trap with little objection. You could feel his cock through his trousers, his large bulge twitching right under your sex. You moved your hips over his, grinding down against his growing erection. He groaned over your lips, his hands shifting to grasp your hips, moving you over him at the pace he wanted.

You could feel yourself getting moist, panties probably wrecked from the continual stimulation. Your fingers reached between your bodies, desperately fighting to loosen Jake’s tie. 

“Esperate, mami, you’re gonna choke me.” (wait) He chuckled breathlessly, slapping your hands away to loosen his tie and removing it, tossing it to the floor. You knocked his hat off, taking his face in your hands and kissing him fervently. He moaned letting you lead him for a moment before he tapped your thigh. “Up, baby, up, want these off you.”

You wasted no time, kicking off your shoes ans standing up as best you could while being cramped up in the back of his car, letting him slide your trousers down, revealing your damp panties. 

“Mm, look at that,” he grinned, shoving your pants down to your ankles, “already wet for me.” 

“Shut up, Lockely.” You muttered with no bite, clumsily kicking off your pants completely before taking a seat on his lap again. Jake groaned at the pressure, bucking up into your warm heat.

He carefully peeled his gloves off, placing them in the cup holder of the door, his fingers immediately tracing down your abdomen and then further down, pushing your panties aside to dip into your moist heat.

“Damn,” he hissed, “you’re fucking soaked.” You moaned when he pulled his fingers out, separating them to watch how your juices clung to his fingers. Your hands flew to his belt, fighting to release him from his shackles. You sucked your teeth in frustration, your fingers fumbling against the leather and metal that clung to his hips.

Jake chuckled, “What is it?” You whined pawing at his crotch. “No, mami, use your words, I wanna hear you.”

“Want your cock,” you breathed, “please, baby?” You fluttered you lashes, though that wasn’t necessary. He was easily convinced. 

Jake assisted you by lifting his hips, watching you yank the offending fabrics—boxers and all—down till they pooled around his ankles. His cock bobbed out, poking through his white dress shirt. 

“You want this cock, baby? Come get it.” He pushed his dress shirt out of the way, gripping his cock firmly in his hand. The swollen tip was bright red and leaking precum down the length. “Sit on it.” 

Your arousal flared at his words, and you wasted no time in pushing the soaked fabric of your panties aside, lining yourself up, and sinking down. You both moaned in unison, your hands flying to his shoulders to stabilize you while he held your hips in his warm hands, his mouth hanging open as he watched you move with lust-filled eyes.

You bounced on his cock, delicately at first, testing the stretch and the thickness of him, your cunt fluttering at the sudden intrusion.

“Estas mojada, mami,” (you're wet) Jake groaned, tossing his head back against the cushioned seat, “fuck your tight, always so tight. Missed this pussy.” He was submerged in your juices as you rocked your hips above him, moaning like you never had before. Maybe it was the location, something about having Jake fuck you in his car while potentially being caught had your dial turned up to a thousand.

“Y-you feel so good,” you mewled, back arching when Jake thrust his hips up, his cock reaching impossibly deep, “you fuck me so good.”

Jake suddenly brought you flushed against him, his arms circling your waist as he thrusts into you every time you slammed down on him. He was sweating, you felt the moisture when he buried his face in your neck, breathing heavily over your skin.

“Need you to come,” he groaned, the sound of your slick pussy the loudest thing in the car, probably in the entire parking lot, “need you to come first.” He snuck a hand down toward where you both were joined, taking his thumb and circling your clit in the way he knew you loved.

“Fuck, Jake,” you squealed, your pussy tightening from the added stimulation, “I think I’m gonna—” You threw your head back as your body convulsed, your cunt gushing over his cock and thighs. You cried, tears leaking from your eyes as he kept thrusting sloppily into you, you’re overstimulated sex squeezing tight as you came. “J-Jake.” You barely got his name out, your body trembling in his arms.

“I know, baby, I know, you did so well for me,” he cooed, his voice strained as he chased his own pleasure, “gonna fill you up so good—” he groaned, rocking his hips a final time as he held you close, filling you to the brim with his cum. He squeezed you tightly in his arms, his fingers digging into your back as he bit your neck, riding his high. You felt his cock twitching inside your wet walls as he kept coming, his spend leaking out of you.

You were both panting against one another, chests heaving as you searched each others mouths, kissing with more tongue than anything else. He cradled your face in his hands as he kissed you stupid, his lashes tickling your skin as he licked, and licked and licked. 

Every shift of your hips had his spend leaking out, running down his balls and onto the seat in a warm stream.

Jake’s heavy eyes blinked up at you, a smile curling on his lips.

“Love you, mami.” He muttered, bringing you in for a tight hug as if it was the last time he’d be seeing you. You made him sappy, at least, that’s what he always told you. He didn’t know he had a sappy bone in his body until you came along.

Now, he made sure to remind you how loved you are. 

You stayed nestled comfortably on his lap, his cock still lodge snuggly in your hole. You held him, your fingers threading in his sweaty dark curls. You closed your eyes, inhaling his scent.

“Love you, more.” You made sure to remind him, too.

[omgkatherine01]

Dream Girl: Chapter 6 - Step by Step

Series Masterlist

Chapter 5, Chapter 7

Pairing: Neytiri x female reader

Please comment, like and share

The days began to pass in a blur.

You rose early every morning, ate a quick breakfast before entering your link pod, and woke in your Avatar body, rising with the Na’vies.

Sometimes, you and Neytiri spent hours riding direhorses through the jungle or running through it, or either she would help you improve your na'vi language. Everyday you improve; you starting to trust your avatar body more, and Neytiri started to train you with their weapons, spears and bows that were heavy in your hands but became lighter the more you used them.

She also took you on small hunting with her or along with others, teaching you how to track. Other days you would spent with the Omaticaya, learning their customs and history, and even playing with the children.

You were at the moment back in the mobile home. You groaned as you got out from the link pod. Norm was there by the link pod and you looked at him.

You haven't really talked much since he that day. "You alright?" he asked, clearing his throat, "You been there a bit longer."

"Yeah," you muttered and slowly walked to the other room to see Grace and Trudy on the computer. You frowned as you stepped in and saw Jake was the one they were speaking to.

"What's going on?" you asked as Norm walked in. "Trudy answered," Grace said with a soft sigh and got up. "I was hoping we can talk," Jake told you.

"We'll be in the next room," Trudy said as she got up. She placed a hand on your shoulder in a comfort way as she walked past you. Grace hesitated to leave but then slowly followed to let you speak with your brother alone.

You let out a sigh and sat on the chair Grace previously sat on. "What is it?" you asked. Jake raised his eyebrows, "That's the first thing you asking me?" he asked and you gave him a look. He was playing with his fingers as he glanced at you again, "Listen, I'm... I'm sorry."

"For what?" you asked as you raised an eyebrow.

"Everything," he said. He glanced behind him and then quickly turned back to the screen, "Listen I--I can't speak much longer, at least not here, like this. Where can we meet up in our avatars?"

"I don't know," you answered, with a little softer tone, "I'm pretty much stuck in the village for now, so..."

Jake nodded a little, until you heard a voice speaking behind him, one of our doctors, "He's coming."

"I got to go," Jake said and quickly cut the video off. You let out a soft sigh and glanced to the other room before away. You stood and looked at the pictures on the fridge.

Grace walked in, letting out a sigh as she walked past, "What he said?"

"That he's sorry," you answered softly. Grace opened the fridge and pulled out something. She placed it inside the microwave and you frowned, "What you heating up?"

"Dinner," she answered simply, "Since you haven't notice, you're losing weight." You looked down at yourself and realized she was right, in your avatar body you ate unlike in your human body, which you hardly now eating. She placed a plate on the table, "Sit. Eat."

You sighed and sat down, before looking back at her, "What happened at school, Grace?" you asked softly. She froze and turned to you. "You never told me what happened."

She hesitated but slowly walked closer and sat down next to you, looking over at the pictures on the fridge. "Sylwanin stopped coming to school," she started, "She was angry about the clear-cutting. And one day, she and a couple of other young hunters came running in, all painted up. They had set a bulldozer on fire. I guess they thought I could protect them. The troopers pursued them to the school. They killed Sylwanin in the doorway. Right in front of Neytiri. And then shot the others. I got most of the kids out." She looked back at you. "But they never came back."

"I'm sorry," you said softly as you took her hand.

She let out a breath and glanced at you again, "A scientist stays objective. We can't be ruled by emotion. But I put years of my life into that school. They called me sa'nok."

You smiled softly, "Mother," you translated, and she nodded, smiling lightly, "Mother." She let out a shaky breath, "That kind of pain reaches back--" She placed her hand on your chest where your heart was, "--through the link." She stared at you with a worried expression, "Don't get to much attached to Neytiri."

You shook you heard a little, "I'm--I'm not, and I'm not going to." She seemed not to believe your words, but didn't say it. "It's a job, remember it, okay?" she said, "Learn what you can, but don't get attached."

You looked down and she placed her hand on your arm. You looked at her, "Do you want to go back there?" you asked, "To the village?"

She smiled a little sadly, "Yes, to be honest. But, that can never happen. Not after the school." You looked away, thinking of a plan.

-

When you got back into your avatar, you started to mention Grace in your conversation with Neytiri while she was training you.

When you looked over at her, she was gazing into the distance, looking at nothing. You hoped you didn't upset her or made her angry by that. "And... my friend Norm would have love to meet the people," you said softly, trying to ease her up.

She seemed to be taken his name easier. She let out a soft breath, "How is Grace?"

You took a moment to reply, you didn't want to say the wrong thing and ruin this. Not after everything Grace had done for you all these years.

"She's sad," you said softly, "She misses you, and everyone else." She blinked as she looked away, her eyes seemed sad. She frowned and looked at you, her sadness had disappeared, "The Sky People killed my sister."

You nodded slowly, "Grace told me what happened." You glanced at your bow in your hand and let a moment pass before speaking again, "My brother, Tom, was murdered by a Sky person too. But, that was from where I came from."

Neytiri stared at you for a moment before looking on the ground. There was a moment of silent until she spoke again, "Tell Grace that I am sad, too. And that I... we miss her, too."

You let a small smile appear on your lips and she looked at your bow, "Aim." You let out a soft chuckle and shook your head lightly before aiming your bow with the arrow. Neytiri stepped behind you, adjusting your position as you drew your bow.

Only now her hands were gentle as they move on your arms and up to your shoulders. Aware of her touch, your focus was broken quickly and you glanced over to her. When she looked back at you, and saw you looking at her, she moved away quickly, nodding to look forward.

You blinked, and turned your head back to the tree in front of you. You let out a soft breath and released the arrow. It shot forward and hit the middle of the tree.

Bullseye

-

It was night when Neytiri took you to a clearing filled with chest-high ferns. Neytiri signaled you to move slowly and you approached a creature on one of the ferns. An ugly, stick-like lizard thing perched on a frond. As you approached and moved your hand forward to it.

Snap!

A long spine whip in a circle, unfurling a bioluminescent membrane a disk a meter across, opening like a Chinese fan and flying the lizard across the clearing.

Neytiri ran among the ferns with a call, and an explosion of color as dozens of fan lizards take flight. Grinning widely, she hopped around until they are all flying. You moved closer, smiling as you looked around the fan lizards, laughing along with her.

You turned to her, smiling again as you watched her enjoying herself. It was the first time you saw her smiling like that, and having fun.

After Neytiri brought you back to the village to rest for the night, you were back in your human body.

You looked at grace when she was there as the door of the link pod opened. You sat up and glanced at her again, "Hey," you started and she looked at you.

You smiled a little, "Neytiri misses you too." You got up and looked at her again to see she was still staring at you. She blinked and smiled a little.

-

A day after, as rain started and you were back in your avatar body. Neytiri took you to hunt, this time she gave you the chance to make the kill.

She observed you as she followed you behind; watching you tracking and using your nose to find a scent. She was proud when you tracked down a Hexapede on your own without needing her help.

You drew your bow quietly as you stared at the Hexapede, and released. The arrow hit its body and it fell on the grass. You and Neytiri walked close and kneeled beside it.

You pulled the arrow from the twitching body of the Hexapede. You pulled out your hunting knife, and spoke to the Hexapede, in Na'vi, "Oel ngati kameie, ma tsmukan, ulte ngaru seiyi irayo." I See you, Brother, and thank you.

You stabbed the knife into its body, killing it. You continued, "Ngari hu Eywa salew tirea, tokx 'ì'awn slu Na'viyä hapxì." Your spirit goes with Eywa, your body stays behind to become part of the People.

"A clean kill," Neytiri said softly as she watched you with approval. You looked at her. "You are ready."

You blinked, thinking back.

"To become taronyu, hunter, you must choose your own ikran and he must choose you."

"When?"

"When you are ready."

You were ready to choose your own ikran. You smiled a little as you looked back at Neytiri, and she couldn't help but smile back.

Taglist:

@ara-a-bird, @imthefunniestpersonalive, @mistyyyy, @lovelyspecs, @octavias-next-meat-bite, @redwitchredspeedster, @fanboyluvr, @simp-erformarvelwomen, @maxinej, @smol-book-nerd, @philiasoul, @lisajeongyeon, @stupendousbananajudgeshark

[bettyfrommars]

Love the new theme!! It’s giving Holiday Horror where a family gets snowed in at a motel in a small town somewhere off the beaten track 🎄

Close, Holiday Hallmark, but this is for you:

A Very Hawkins Christmas

18+

towtruck!eddie x f!reader

no horror, just something random in honor of the Holiday Romances I watch with my mother this time of year. This is as cliche as it gets.

Reader is a big city girl who has worked hard to scrape and claw her way to the top of the company. Your boss is a soulless scrooge who loves to bulldoze whole communities to build parking lots and strip malls, and guess where his eye lands next? That's right, Hawkins. He makes you trek out there the day before Christmas eve to scope it out, since you're the only one of his employees without family. You roll into town hours later and find out that the only room available is at a quaint Bed & Breakfast owned by Joyce Byers. Jonathan, the guy working the desk, asks if you'll be staying to see the Lighted Farm Implement Parade on Christmas night, but you are like, absolutely not, just one night please (you can't wait to get out of town.)

You're told that the two best bars in town are the Hideaway and the Hideout, and you frown, wondering why the names are so similar, but it doesn't matter, the Hideaway is in walking distance, so you bundle up and go there. The only other person sitting at the bar is a guy named Jim, you find out he's the Chief apparently, and with one glance, he knows you are new in town. He asks what brings you to Hawkins, but you give a vague lie and says you're just passing through. He buys your drink. You overhear Jim talking to the bartender about the fundraisers people are doing to keep the small businesses of Hawkins from going under when the new strip malls and chain stores come to town.

Morning comes and you wake up to a snowstorm the likes of nothing they've seen since January of 1964. But you're determined to get out of town regardless, hoping to be able to catch a flight home, at the earnest protests of Joyce who is sincerely worried about you. You don't have snow tires, so your car slips around, only to find out that the roads are closed and, yes, you are stuck in Hawkins.

You have a little frustrated cry behind the wheel, and then become defiant, and try to cut through a backroad to evade the roadblocks. Unfortunately, your car goes off the road and nosedives into a ditch.

Good thing a guy behind the wheel of a big towtruck with Munson's Garage on the side happens to be rolling by on his way home. You flag him down, relieved, and he playfully gives you shit for being a "city girl" and not having chains or snow tires.

You think he is crass; he thinks you are a snob. He reminds you that there is no way out of Hawkins unless you grow wings, and he offers to tow your car back to the dry safety of his garage until the storm subsides.

When he drives you back to the bed & breakfast, you offer to buy him dinner, to thank him for everything (he refused to take any payment from you. The people of Hawkins are just generous and hospitable like that.) But he tells you he can't, his band is playing a show at the Hideout that night, and he invites you. You tell him you'll probably just go to bed early, but of course you change your mind.

The phone lines are down, so you can't call your boss or check in with anyone. A girl named Robin overhears you asking if there are any Taxi's in town that could take you to the venue. Robin laughs and says there are no Taxi's in Hawkins, but she's going to the same place, and you can ride with her in her truck.

You make friends that night, enjoy yourself, and think Eddie the towtruck driver is sexy as hell. The bar is an actual dive, and initially, you're afraid to even touch anything, but the booze and the people loosen you up.

You walk around town the next day, to buy some warmer clothes, and visit all of the quaint little shops, including the bookstore that Robin owns. She tells you that when Barnes & Noble comes to town, she'll go out of business, and how sad that makes her. Eddie sees you trudging around in the show, and he asks you to have lunch with him at the diner that Murray Bauman owns. At lunch, you find out how much the two of you have in common.

On Christmas day, you find out that Joyce bought a present for you, a festive sweater, because she didn't want you to feel left out. Joyce's business is also at risk of tanking when the big hotel chain comes to town, but she tells you that she'll find a way to make it work, she always does, she doesn't want you to worry. At this point, you've been vague about what you do for work, so no one suspects that you are at the root of their problems.

At the Lighted Farm Implement Parade that night, you and Eddie get close. He takes your hands in his to keep you warm, and some tender moments happen. A guy named Steve is dressed up as Santa for the kids. You meet Wayne, Eddie's uncle, who is at risk of losing his job at the mill when it closes. You and Eddie have hot chocolate and make snow angels.

The next morning, the roads open, but you don't really care because you're no longer in a hurry to leave. You like Hawkins now, and you love the people in it. You're going to tell your boss that this town is the wrong fit for his company, that you will find him some place else that suits his needs. You're also realizing that you hate your job, and you haven't felt this light or happy in a long time.

But your boss is already downstairs, he came because he hadn't heard from you, and he is ready to buy out some buildings and get to work with that wrecking ball. You see him in his expensive suit introducing himself to Joyce and Jonathan---they know his name, everyone received official letters about the possible liquidation, and it's all anyone has been talking about for weeks.

The cat is out of the bag now. You see the sadness and disappointment in Joyce's face when she looks at you. Head hanging low, you go with your boss in his posh SUV, and then it's time for the big reveal at the town meeting in the old Methodist church.

Your boss is very friendly and fake as he addresses the crowd, basically letting them know what a "good thing" these new additions he's planning to bring in will be for Hawkins, and he's "looking forward" to getting to know all of them. You try to explain yourself to Eddie, but he refuses to even look at you as he gets in his van and drives off.

Your heart aches, and you realize you have to think fast.

You decide to confront your boss and tell him he can't have Hawkins. When he laughs in your face and reminds you that he can have anything he wants, you pull up all of the proof of all of the affairs he's had over the years, all of the emails, the flower deliveries, the lies to his wife, you kept a record of all of it.

He's says he'll sue you blind--he'll ruin you--"you'll never work in this town again"... but you tell him it might be hard to follow through on that since his wife will take him for everything he has. In fact, she'll probably be on your side, and it's her family money, so it will be his ass on the line.

He tells you you're fired, and you say, "too late, I already quit". You go over to the garage to find Eddie, but one of the mechanics named Jeff tells you that he's not there, so you take your keys and go. What you don't know is that Will, Jonathan's little brother, overheard the conversation you had with your boss, and he tells his mother after you are gone.

You're just about to pass the sign that says "Leaving Hawkins" when Eddie's tow truck pulls out in front of you, blocking your path. He says that Joyce told him what you did, and that he doesn't want you to go. He tells you that he hasn't felt this way about anyone in a long time, but also, you still don't have snow tires, and he can't let you drive in these conditions.

Then, you're standing under the mistletoe back at the B&B, in the sweater Joyce gave you, and you and Eddie kiss while everyone cheers.

The End

[blackmarketfruitrollups]

There, All Better (Brand Walsh X FemReader)

Warnings: Swearing, but if you've watched the movie I doubt you're surprised

A/N the lack of Goonies fanfic is absolutely appalling

Amazing how life can get turned on it's head so suddenly, isn't it? One moment life is routine and mundane, and next thing you know, your life is falling apart.

This was the unfortunate reality for Y/N L/N, and by tomorrow her family would be leaving the home she'd spent her entire life in, so that rich douche Troy Perkin's father could bulldoze where she'd spent her formative years, the Goon Docks.

Unfortunately there was nothing to be done. Both her father and Mr. Walsh had both done everything they could to convince Mr. Perkins to change his mind, but the old leather shoe had decided that countless people's lives and memories were unimportant when compared with his personal agenda. And Troy Perkin loved to rub her face in the fact that she had to leave.

The same Troy Perkin dating her best friend, Andi. And loathing wasn't a strong enough word to describe the mutual feelings between her and her friend's boyfriend.

Nonetheless, here she was in the back of Troy's convertible next to Steph, Andi riding in the front passenger seat while Troy kept angling his rearview mirror to look down Andi's shirt.

"You disgusting pervert." She snapped, reaching across Steph to cuff the back of the jock's head. "Stop thinking with your crotch and watch the road before we crash and die."

"Jeez, Andi tell the buzzkill in the back to chill. You don't mind, do ya babe." Troy grunted, taking another peek down her shirt.

"Hey, who's that?" Steph interrupted, pointing down the road where someone was riding a comically small pink bike.

"Is that-?" Andi started, when Troy suddenly slowed down next to the figure.

"Brand?" Y/N leaned forward from the back seat, peaking around.

"Oh uh, hey Y/N." Brand stuttered, leaning his hand up on the car.

Brand and Y/N had known eachother a long time, grown up together in fact. Their fathers had worked together at the museum, quickly becoming close friends. One thing lead to another and next thing you know their families were never apart.

Whether it was barbeques, meeting to swim at the beach, or Y/N babysitting Mikey, they were always together, and over time both Brand and the girl had feelings for eachother. That being said, neither of them were going to do anything about it, terrified of ruining their lifelong friendship if the other person didn't feel the same.

Unbeknownst to them, their mothers had been convinced they were going to get married since they were both five, hopefully making the girl into Y/N Walsh.

But in the meantime, Y/N never expected to see Brand in sweats on some small child's bright pink bike, and Brand had never expected to see her sat in Troy's car, but here they were.

"Brand, can we give you a ride somewhere?" Y/N asked, Troy shooting her a scathing look while Steph and Andi wiggled their eyebrows at her.

"Uh, no." Brand panted. "Thanks anyway though."

Troy turned, looking at Y/N with a twisted grin, before starting the car again. "Yeah Walsh, let us give you a little ride."

Troy then grabbed onto Brand's hand on the car, before making the car move. "Hold on, here we go!"

"Hey!" Andi and Y/N shouted in unison, as Steph started smacking Troy's arm.

"Troy stop!" Y/N yelled, hitting Troy repeatedly as he continued to pick up speed. "Let him go!"

"Stop!" The other girls shouted, trying to help.

"Hey let go of my hand Troy!" Brand yelled, looking between Troy and the road as the bike started going faster than it was built to.

"Hold on!" The jock cackled, as Y/N continued to smack the back of his head.

"Let go!"

Suddenly there was an odd screeching noise, and turning around Y/N saw the training wheels that had previously been attached to the bike, laying in the middle of the road.

"Troy stop, you're gonna kill him!" She screamed.

"Let go of my hand!" Brand repeated, and this time Troy listened, releasing his hand to put them both on the steering wheel.

But it didn't matter, they had already been going to fast and despite Troy not holding him to the car anymore, Brand was going so fast that he kept up with them as they sped down the road. Until the curb on the side of a massive hill, the drop from the road being so steep and covered in rocks and trees injury was inevitable if you fell.

And Brand was speeding straight towards it with no brakes.

Steph and Y/N reached for him, but it was to late.

"Brand!" Y/N screeched as he was launched through the air.

"So long, sucker!" Troy shouted, continuing to speed down the road until he was smacked across the back of the head with a bag.

"PULL OVER."

"Holy shit, what's wrong with you?" He groaned, clutching the back of his head as he stopped the car.

"You're such an asshole!" Y/N yelled, jumping out of the car with her backpack. "If he's dead I'm calling the cops! Steph, Andi, I'll see you at school." She stormed off, running in the direction they had just come from.

"Yeah whatever." Troy spat, flooring it before either of Y/N's friends could do anything.

She ran back to the curve, finding the bike all mangled down the hill, and Brand having almost made his way back to the top, looking all dirty and torn up.

"Oh my gosh." She jogged down to where he was, cupping his face in her hands. "Are you hurt? Well, duh obviously, don't answer that."

He just stood there and blinked at her before she was pulling him by the wrist back to the top of the hill where she'd left her bag.

"Sit down, sit down." She pushed him to sit on the ground, recieving no resistance. Y/N knelt on the ground in front of him, digging through her bag for her makeshift first aid kit.

He watched her for a moment, feeling kind of ridiculous in his workout headband, but more focused on the pain in his face and the pretty girl in front of him.

Pulling things out of her bag she wiped at his face with a tissue before putting what he assumed was some antibiotic all over his wounds. She glanced down at her bag, then smiled at him sheepishly whilst raising her hand to show him a bright yellow bandaid with a smiley face on it.

"It's the only type I have."

"That's fine," he grins. "I'll take whatever you've got."

She returns his smile and puts a few bandaids on his face, neck and arms, leaning down to kiss the one on his forehead when she was done.

"There." She smiled. "All better."

Suddenly they were kids again, eight to be precise, riding their bikes in the middle of summer, when Y/N ended up face planting into the gravel. Brand, panicking, started digging through her backpack looking for bandaids (because even at eight her mother insisted she carry some).

Once he found some he placed them on her forehead, but was disheartened when he looked down and saw her eyes full of tears.

"My mama always kisses them better, but she's not here so what do I do?"

Brand looked around, before his eight year old brain decided that the most logical course of action was to kiss them better for her.

So leaning down, he left a big sloppy kiss in the middle of her forehead, before stepping back and smiling, proud of himself.

"There, all better."

[x-heesy]

Swag a la Italy 🇮🇹

Hey

Mixer T, there

PK

I jump on Italian rap like a trampoline

Brother, I've been at it for a while, you scream

She gets wet when I rhyme

To do it better I found the algorithm

The flow weighs one kilo

Like the Migos necklaces

I'll smoke you in one hit

You're a Chilum in the park, I ride it with the widest filter

Then I enter precisely, bro, archery on the sample

When I hear you you're like the wind if I'm turning it around

No, I don't feel like a deaf man sleeping

Bro, I win gold, platinum and silver

With her in the hotel, bro, more stars than Hokuto

I go, straight cash like Coccoluto

Her pussy is Newton's apple

I smoke it whole bro in a minute (wooo!)

We are artists

We seem happy but then we're sad (hey)

We write records (ha!)

These rappers go home then diss us (wooo!)

I have the black box, you a package (ha ha!)

I'm a goal in the final with the heel

With you it's like boxing with the bag

When I hear your music it comes down to me

I don't care if it sounds good or if it sells

We are us and we don't change anything

We are us and we don't change anything

Emme!

I smoke from morning to night, bro

I'm having dinner with my girlfriend

Crazy panther kitten, bro

Guajira Guantanamera

I'm going up the stream

Brother, no, no, I don't have a dick, I have a propeller

His face white, hungry, anemic

Fievel landing in America

Sometimes, sometimes I inhale such a quantity that I pass out

I watch her ass go, they are so high that it seems like they are going up

You're on a pedal toilet

What a toilet, what a rate, with an ass that looks like a hexagon

Maybe it was better if you remained a bachelor

It's getting late, let's talk, I'm running bro!

I'll take a shot of ice cream, bro

Then I smile at you like a triceratops

Wanted flow machine gun, bro (hey)

Matrix change I'm regenerating it (hey, hey, hey, hey)

Die of envy, yes, you are triggered (seh)

Bad language, the beat is eviscerated

The feat is refined, the drink is mixed

What a fucking life, bro, I was a hermit! (em!)

At work, bro, I'm still a rapper

Even though I'm handsome, I'm an influencer

We are us and we don't change anything

We are us and we don't change anything

Ouch, ouch, tremble when you hear Lebon on the mic (Lebon on the mic)

Alright, 24/7, all night (all night)

When do you make wheat? Tomorrow (yep)

I'm Jimmy Iovine bro (yep)

Without the styles where do you go? Goodbye

God gave me the flow, he said 'go (go, go, go)

I do not know how

You don't know what

You know it well

That you are not what

You can make foam

You're a soda girl

A slap on the head when you're posing (pshh)

Music is a drug (hey)

And I always have the best one

Moment, moment, moment

I rock anyway and the microphone is off

I sing and you can't hear the accent

And you don't hear the jungle until I turn it on

Well done, take the bulldozers against the blacks and the Vatussi

I swear I can't do it like you do (yeah)

I should sell envelopes at Russian weddings

And be in the red like the Tunes (wooo!)

Life as an artist is sad, especially if you live in Italy

How to get a flat earther pregnant and raise her kids in Australia

It's like a prison, they condemned you

You want an hour of air, but conditioned

Out of the box forever @ombrabrontok 🇮🇹 @kattywompuss @bigbonzo @cumpletelyhappythesecond 🤪😜

We are us, we don't change anything (Ah!)

Esagono (Hexagon) (feat. Salmo) by Gemitaiz, MadMan,

[sirtaehyunsalot]

What’s His Deal? (pt 1)

pairing: Thomas Valles x fem!reader 💀

one-sidedish love, crack if you squint really hard

warnings: cursing, some racist remarks from white fam 🧍‍♀️, my horrible Spanish, lmk what else

word count: 988 💀💀

AN: im so embarrassed lmfao; i know this movie takes place in the 80s but i didn’t center it arnd that 1) bc i don't know shit about the 80s and 2) bc now u can visualize it in any time period you want. And if you’re not white then you can just act like you were adopted by the White family lmao

You reached into your locker and hung up your bag. Just when you were about to close your locker you heard 3 pairs of footsteps running in your direction. By the time you turned around to see what was happening, it was already too late as one of the boys plowed straight into you, causing you to fall backwards into your still open locker, dropping your things all over the floor and twisting your ankle in the process. Some people who witnessed the whole scene unfold were nearly peeing themselves laughing (you probably would have laughed too if it wasn't for the fact that you were the one experiencing this) and others were looking at you in surprise.

Today was your first day at school in McFarland, California. You already hated this place because it was hot, musty, dirty, noisy, and boring. You and your family had to move here after your dad lost his temper at one of his football players at your old school. Now here you were, in a town where almost everyone spoke Spanish, and roosters woke you up at the ass crack of dawn.

One of the running boys had stopped and turned around to see what had happened to you. When he saw you trying to get out of your locker he turned back around to push the guy that had bulldozed you into the locker.

“Look what you did, ese! Didn’t even bother to apologize” He exclaimed before walking towards you. “Here, lemme help you,” He pulled you up from your locker, closed the door, and started helping you pick up your things.

“Gracias,” You blurted out. You had no idea why you said “thank you” in Spanish, you already knew full well that he spoke English.

“You’re welcome,” He answered with a smile before walking away.

You thought that boy was kinda cute. But you knew a little bit better than to fall head over heels for a dude you had just met and didn't even know the name of just based on looks alone, but you still couldn't get your mind off of that boy. You thought about him so much that during first period you almost didn't hear the teacher telling you to introduce yourself as the new girl in class, which led to you standing in front of the classroom in silence for a good 10 seconds before you realized what you were supposed to be doing. You thought about him in class, at lunch, while you were waiting for your dad to pick you up from school, and even during the ride home.

“Hellooooo, (nameeee), earth to (nameeee),” your little sister Jamie called out to you from the backseat of your dad’s car.

“What do you want?” You sighed, slightly annoyed that she had interrupted your daydreaming session.

“Who’s that dude?”

“Why would I know anyone in McFarland? We’ve only been here for like 3 days”

“Because he’s really fast!”

You finally looked out of the window to see what this girl was talking about, and what you saw was honestly something out of a superhero movie. The guy that helped you earlier was running. Running as fast as the car you were in!

“But we’re going-” -you pause to check the speedometer- “12 miles an hour-! And he’s able to catch up to the car??”

“Like I said, really fast!”

“Oh, I know him! That’s Thomas Valles, he’s the one that gave me a tour around the school today,” said your other sister Julie, around the same age as you.

“Thomas?” you became flustered at the mention of his name.

“OOOO! (Name) likes him!! Dad!! Get closer, get closer! (Name) wants to be closer to her crush!!” Jamie screamed

“SHUT UP JAMIE! I don’t like him, it’s just that he helped me get myself together when I fell ass first into my locker after one of his ‘amigos’ mowed me down while running in the hallway,” you huffed in annoyance as you remembered all the people that were looking and laughing at you.

Unbeknownst to you however, Thomas had stopped running because he noticed your family stalking him and went to stand in front of your car (not the smartest move on his part.)

“Why are you following me, blanco.” he demanded rather than asked when your dad stopped the car.

“Do you know how fast you were going?” your dad questioned.

“What are you a cop?”

Your father was quite taken aback by Thomas’s reaction to this. The guy didn’t even seem fazed by the fact that he was going 12 miles an hour!

“You were running at 12mph, that's pretty fast, Valez,” your dad quipped

Thomas chose to ignore the fact that Mr. White had butchered his name. “Well I obviously don’t have a car, right?”

“Can I give you a ride..?”

“No, but you can stop following me.” Thomas replied before he turned around and continued running off to wherever he was going.

“What’s his deal?” Julie scoffed at the whole interaction. “We were only trying to be nice to him, is this how everyone acts in McFarland?”

“I know right?” Jamie agreed.

“In his defense, I think I would be pretty creeped out too if I was a Mexican boy being chased by a van full of random white people,” you half-joked.

Your family let out a loud laugh at your little joke and moved on to other topics soon after. Although, you on the other hand, were still thinking about Thomas for the rest of the way home. And during dinner. And while you were watching TV. And before bed. And even when you were in bed he still managed to creep back into your thoughts. You were also thinking about the question Julie asked during the ride home. “What’s his deal?” What was Thomas Valles’s deal? You had no idea, but you immediately knew that you wanted to find out.

------------------------------------------------------------

This was wild 💀 lmao pt 2 will be coming soon shoot me an ask if you want to be in my taglist

[iheart-nana]

v. sudden shower

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER FIVE ─ sudden shower.

❛ she looks just like a dream, the prettiest girl i've ever seen ❜

Narrator's Perspective

"Thank you for your time," she expressed her gratitude to the Jagam High swimming team. Her smiling face reflected contentment with the outcome of their interview. The boys broke out in chatter on hearing a final note of conclusion and began biding their goodbyes to Eunyoung as well as to each other. Their coach gave Eunyoung a polite smile and a bow before taking his leave, his kind gesture returned by Eunyoung. She switched off her recorder, gathered her stuff and began her walk home.

Reaching the bus stop, she took a seat, a satisfied sigh leaving her mouth which seemed to say "It's over, and I did my best." Just as she looked out the window, she heard someone sit down beside her. Turning around, she couldn't believe whose face she saw. Eunyoung's eyes widened, her pupils constricting into tiny black beads. Her jaw slackens, and a breath hitches in her throat, momentarily stolen by surprise. She blinks rapidly, once, twice, willing herself not to be hallucinating.

"Choi Eunyoung?" Sunjae's voice fell on her ears, "So, you take this bus too?"

Pretending to look at his name tag, Eunyoung said, "Ryu Sunjae?"

"Hmm, that's me," he said rather cooly. His wandering gaze betrayed his faux composure, which went unnoticed by Eunyoung, who was too caught up in processing this new information.

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

Sunjae and I sat in silence for the first half of the bus ride. I had to fight my instinct to fidget with the hem of my skirt or press the buttons on my MP3 recorder, both of which would make me look like a nervous disaster, not to mention serve no purpose to calm my racing heartbeat. It took all the strength in my body not to look at Sunjae, as I knew that if I did, I doubt I would ever be able to look away. My favourite idol was sitting next to me on a bus, oblivious to his future that I was painfully aware of. After about ten minutes, I thought it was a good opportunity to talk to him privately, and I mustered up some courage to say something.

"The coach was telling me you recently came back from rehab after shoulder surgery," I started as he turned to face me, "How is it that you were able to bounce back so quickly?"

"It feels as if I'm still being interviewed," he said with a cheeky chuckle.

"Sorry to put you on the spot," I apologized quickly with an embarrassed smile, "You don't have to answer that unless you want to."

"I don't mind," he smiled politely, "I think my determination played a major role. During rehab, all I could think of was the day I could swim again. I wanted to start as soon as my doctor said it would be okay."

My lips curled into a smile, which surfaced despite my efforts to conceal it. I recalled the time he said that the day of his last swimming competition was the most heartbreaking moment of his life. He must have been so dejected. The realization hit me like a bulldozer, that Sunjae loved swimming with his whole heart.

"I might not be in the place to say this, but wouldn't it be better to rest a while longer, so you can return when you've regained your strength?" I suggested gently, "Taking time off might do you some good."

"I appreciate your concern, but I feel ready," he argued, "I've rested enough."

Just as I began to speak, the bus came to a screeching halt, the announcement of my stop breaking my train of thought. Sunjae rose to his feet before I could say anything, "I need to get off here."

I sat hesitantly in my seat, trying to comprehend his declaration. I snapped out of my trance and rushed out of the bus. Sunjae stood before me with his back to me.

"Sunjae!" I called out to him.

He was just as surprised to see me, "This is your stop too?"

"Yeah," I said through laughs. We could only chuckle at all the coincidences we realized within about thirty minutes. A fat, cold drop of water spattered on my face, missing my right eye by less than an inch. I flinched in surprise, looking up at the grey skies, darkened by the dense sea of clouds that floated around, threatening to unleash the rain at any moment. 

Another drop fell on my face, the water cool against my flushed face. The little droplets were followed by a whole downpour of them, startling me as well as Sunjae, who jumped back. It felt like the sky had opened up and decided to dump its entire bucket of rainwater on us. The wind whipped up instantly, yanking at my hair and sending loose flyers skittering across the sidewalk like startled pigeons.

"What now?" Sunjae shouted over the drumming rain.

"Run!" I yelled back. An unknown instinct took over my body as I reached for Sunjae's hand, which felt twice the size of mine. Warmth filled my body as I clutched his hand tightly and looked up at his face, eyebrows raised in surprise, eyes wide and full of confusion. "Huh?"

I pulled him along as I broke off into a run. I felt his shock too, as his body couldn't react to my impulsive action soon enough. At first, it was as if I dragged him along, but then his feet began to pick up pace, our footsteps splashing against the wet street as we made our way through the narrow lanes leading me home.

For a moment, I looked back at Sunjae, his right hand still clutched mine and his other hand was risen in a desperate attempt to shield his head from the rain. A chuckle escaped my mouth on seeing him struggling. Since smiles are contagious, he began smiling, hesitantly at first, then flashing his dimples in a real laugh. Our voices muffled by the rain rang through the air, drowning out any thoughts I might have had then. His hair flopped atop his head like a puppy's ears, the creased corners of his eyes lighting up his entire face.

Ryu Sunjae's Perspective

I watched in awe as Eunyoung pulled my hand through the streets of a series of familiar narrow, winding lanes. Our hands clutched each other tightly, not letting go for reasons to which we were oblivious. The rain had always felt bothersome; I hated being drenched after spending long hours swimming. It exhausted me, as I drowned in feelings of resentment for it.

Today, this moment, was nothing like anything I had felt before. Adrenaline rushed through my veins pulling me towards Eunyoung as our feet splashed against the wet streets. My gaze wandered to Eunyoung's face. Her long, black hair was getting soaked by the minute, little water droplets running down her face. She looked back at me, laughing heartily at my surprised face. Her lips extended into a bright smile, the creased corners of her eyes expressing happiness I hadn't felt in god knows how long. Unknowingly, I joined in the laughter, the melodies of our voices resounding in my ears, muffled by the rain.

Something about her aura pulled me in, refusing to let me go. It felt like we had become intertwined in a few fleeting moments. I didn't know how long we had been running when her surprisingly tight grip dragged me into a restaurant nearby.

Is this what they call love at first sight? 

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nayoung's notes: no matter what universe sunjae is in, he can't escape his loser identity. this scene plays in my head every time it rains 🤧 this is my probablly my favorite chapter(so far) hope you liked it!

delphi's notes: SONAKI BITCHESSS. Not the love at first sight tho. 

@the-one-and-only-delphi

next chapter: saturday! (out now) list of chapterss here!

[itsthemysterykids]

Clone High AU

Coraline- Clone of Amelia Earhart

Goes missing a lot

She’s always riding on someone’s shoulders

Hangs out on the roof

Wybie- Clone of Mansa Musa

Giving his money away, it comes right back to him

Student council treasurer

Surprisingly, not very popular

Norman- Clone of Nostradamus

He’s always making these wild predictions no one believes… Until they come true

Will tell you your astrological sign

Member of the weirdos club with Agatha

Neil- Clone of James Creighton

Trying to get the school to fund a hockey team

Until then, he’s cool playing in the halls

Always the butt of Canadian jokes

Dipper- Clone of Ivan T. Sanderson

Obsessed with all things cryptids

Suspicious of the school’s intentions for the students

But no one listens

Mabel- Clone of Coco Chanel

The school’s top trendsetter

“NO CAPES!”

Dramatic outfit change in the middle of the day

Raz- Clone of Jules Léotard

Wears a leotard under his clothes. You never know when a performance opportunity might come

Vent gremlin with Eggs

Sitting anywhere other than a chair

Lili- Clone of Margaret Mee

Will chain herself to a tree about to be cut down

Puts up fliers about deforestation, and they’re graphic

Can and will take control of a bulldozer and chase after people trying to cut down a tree

Kubo- Clone of Sanada Yukimura

Has different blades hidden somewhere on his person

Kinda emo

Gets along well with Agatha

Eggs- Clone of Floyd Collins

Vent gremlin

Always digging for something

Tracks in dirt

Winnie- Clone of Marie Antoinette

Has a lot of wigs

LOVES cake

Has a ton of fancy gowns

Agatha- Clone of Sarah Good

Terrified of fires and pilgrims

Not a fan of modern slang, but likes cellphones

That one loner girl

Kat- Clone of Harriet Wilson

Always writing in her black journal

Tunes people out with her studded headphones

Hangs out with Wybie and Raúl

Raúl- Clone of Wifredo Lam

Never leaves home without his spray paint and a gas mask

Creates angsty art on any wall he can find

Gets along well with Lili. He designs most of her posters

Stan: So, how’d the kids take it when you told them they’ve been frozen for twenty years?

Ford: Oh, I think they handled it well.

*Earlier*

Ford: For anyone who thinks it is 2003… You are wrong!

Clone Kids: … *Freaking out*

Coraline: *Holding up a cellphone* WHAT IS THIS?! *Points to a laptop* WHAT IS THAT?! *Points to Ford’s sneakers* WHAT ARE THOOOOOSE?!

Ford: Ah, you’re catching on already.

Lili: This isn’t real! *Hits herself over the head with a chair*

Neil: Why is the world so warm?!

Norman: Guys! Guys!… Blockbuster is gone!

Raúl: NOOOOO!!

Kat: WHERE IS DESTINY’S CHILD?!

Wybie: There was a brother in office?!

Mabel: I CAN’T HANDLE THESE CHANGES!

[deanstrickland]

❝ WHAT CAN I DO BUT FEEL THE WEIGHT I'M UNDERNEATH AND GRIT MY TEETH ❞

STATS:

Name: Dean Strickland

Age: 35

Face Claim: Ben Robson

Occupation: Owner of Dutch's Pawn & soul surfer

Neighborhood: South Hills

Gender & Preferred Pronouns: Cis male & he/him

BIOGRAPHY:

trigger warning: alcoholism, robbery, car accident

When Dean Strickland was born into the world it came as a surprise, with his mother’s water breaking two weeks early and not quite making it to the hospital. He was born in the backseat of his dad’s Camaro two blocks out from medical services. Since then his mother claimed Dean bulldozed his way into the world, which seemed to remain something of a personality trait throughout his life. His father, known around town as Dutch, owned a pawn shop and was the old tale of someone that completely peaked in high school. The man couldn’t let go of his glory days, when he was a football star and could have any girl he wanted, destined for something far greater than what he eventually became. Which was a gruff alcoholic with a bad temper and an affinity for blaming the world for his problems. Out of all the girls he had his pick from, Dutch chose Dean’s mother because, in his eyes, she was the prettiest. But really, she was just the most cunning. Connie saw a mealticket in Dutch, a way out and likely place somewhere on the west coast. She’s always had dreams of California and in high school it was easy to promise the world when universities were knocking on your door. Then Dean ruined everything when Connie’s pregnancy test their senior year announced that he’d be joining them in nine months. The offers seemed to whittle away and the young couple had to find a way to support themselves and the baby that was about to demand so much from their lives.

As a kid, Dean was often called Tarzan because his mom liked to keep his hair a little longer and he usually ran around everywhere in just shorts or jeans. No shirt, no shoes, just a wild and unruly boy that never said no to an adventure. He began surfing and swimming young, his above average height aided his natural abilities — he had his father’s athleticism and his mother’s agility. The wild boy was reeled in by his father who saw a potential to relive his greatness through his son, which meant that Dutch had Dean out on the water nearly every day and ripping apart youth competitions when they came. Everyone, even the big sponsors and the big names in the sport, seemed to recognize that there was something spiritual in the way Dean could surf. Like he was a demigod, given a gift from Zeus himself. Competitions just really didn’t do a damn thing for the kid. All he cared about was running wild with his friends, climbing things and getting into trouble, not being tamed to some structured routine where he had to practice and then compete against other kids he assumed had no lives because they were too busy training.

Something that was amazing as Dean grew up, aside from his size and stature, was that despite hardly attending school and classes he managed to pass every single one of them. He was smart, read a lot, but school was boring as hell and there was too much fun to be had out there. When he should’ve been in math class he was at the corner store shoplifting something just for the hell of it. English class? No, he was off stealing one of his neighbor’s riding lawn mowers and then using it to write messages in the school’s football field. Dean was arrested and tossed into cells more times than anyone could count or seemed to keep track of. Somehow his punishments never went further than a few nights in juvie. Dutch had a lot of friends about town, being a business owner and a former town hero, and that bought a lot of mercy. Maybe people even felt sorry for the family, given that Dean was looked at as some wild and unruly teen that wasn’t being raised or controlled, and his mother was in and out of rehab for drug use. She also struggled with bouts of depression, surely sad for the life she could’ve had and missed out on because she ended up with a baby at 18 and a significant other that never amounted to anything. Dutch, needing to do something with his life and support his child and baby mama, opened up a pawn shop. It became fairly successful but he couldn’t let go of all he should’ve been and all life had taken away from him. So he drank a lot and spent most of his time at the shop because it kept him from his reality at home.

By the time he had graduated high school, miraculously, Dean hit the road off and on, loosely following the pro surf circuit but never engaging in competition. He supported his little brother, gave him all the ins that were meant for him and watched him achieve success and dreams that he had actually wanted. Dean just wanted to travel, see things, surf in different spots around the globe, and of course find some trouble wherever he landed. It seemed a given in his life. But it all came to a halt when Dutch got into a drunk driving accident and suffered some brain damage as a result. Letting his brother go on and live the life, Dean came home and took up the pawn shop and eventually became owner when the power of attorney stepped in. The shop suffered to stay afloat since most of the money went to his father’s care, now that he needed it around the clock and Connie wasn’t capable. Nurses, especially the live-in kind, weren’t cheap. So, for a while, Dean supplemented the income with winnings he’d get from surf competitions. When he began to hate that, he started stealing and selling, even eventually graduated to robbery. Never once were any of those crimes committed in town, he wasn’t stupid no matter what public opinion of him may have been. He also kept things reasonable, never going out and doing anything flashy or buying something extravagant. It’s become just about living and surviving, doing what he has to for the old man and woman until they croak. Which, some days, he hopes is sooner rather than later.

[x-authorship-x]

wild west (or wild west spinoff? cyber wild west?) au

instead of ninja they are cowboys(gender neutral) dramatic shootoffs

horse economy (laser horses in cyber wild west???)

shisui being a fast draw with a faster horse, trailing dust along his path as he rides

Shisui's horse is pure black with four white socks and she's called Koto 🥹 my inner horse girl is losing her SHIT

Omg Fugaku is the sheriff dealing with an outbreak of crime so he's starting to be treated like the bad guy because everything is so tense...

Sarutobi is the useless old mayor stuck in his ways

Danzo is absolutely trying to bulldoze the whole region for business

Inoichi runs the saloon-!!!!! 👀👀

Sakumo was a rancher who was mysteriously killed off and Kakashi went on the road for a long time only to come back swearing to avenge his father's murder-!

Kakashi reconnects with Shisui for his help (including Shisui's baby cousin, Itachi, who is supposed to be learning herding from Shisui but shhhhhh these are all life lessons)

Genma is a smuggler whilst Raidou is the apprentice of the town doctor (Hiromi) and they band together and find out it's all Danzo's doing trying to get the land turned over to him and THEN they get in a shoot out with Danzo's lackies, cue amazing horse chase down slopes and stuff etc which ends when Shisui jumps from his horse and knocks one guy into a river.... ITS TENZO! they convert him :3 they get the bad guy in the end ofc ofc

It's like an adventure hero murder mystery gang but cowboys!!! Whatcha think, Anon, eh?

If this is somehow a cyber Wild West then the horses HAVE to have laser eyes that glow red I don't make the rules ✨

[bonefall]

are there any cats youve assigned music to/assosciate with certain songs?

What you mean like, the fake AMVs that play in my head on long bus rides? Sure why not, I'll bite and have some fun. Bonefall Rewrite playlist lmao

I'll try not to share music that I picked up from AMVs because hopefully you guys know that Firestar's actual, factual theme song is Bones Shatter

(Below the cut is 10 videos worth of music. Most of my music tastes involve killing and stabbing and murder and biting, be forewarned.)

I wrote a whole essay once on how To The Blade by Everything Everything is the perfect song for Ferncloud and Cloudtail in the wake of learning that Ashfur is the imposter once, but then deleted it lmao. The song is about the limitations of empathy in understanding the actions of a monster, how you'll drive yourself insane thinking of everything you could have done differently, and the intense feelings of helplessness and shame in losing someone you cared about to extremism

It's lost a little bit in the Rewrite... though I am thinking of making Cloudtail Ashfur's mentor to preserve it a bit because I really sitting there and thinking about this song with them in particular.

I think Whole Lotta Rosie is just a delightful song for Tangleburr, and AC/DC in general. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, also. She's just my little hard AC/DC girl I love her, this kinda rock music just fits her so perfectly

Literally every single time I think about Reedwhisker, the beat of Hard Knock Life (2014) comes into my head... and also the Spiderman video. Reedwhisker is my favorite butt monkey.

For Brokenstar I imagine a lot of different things, Barbarism Begins At Home by the Smiths is a common one, but I also gravitate towards Goat by Man Man for how the whole song feels like a chaotic fever dream. Something about it captures the way his whole life feels desperate and overwhelming, like something is deeply wrong and he knows it, but can't figure out what it is until after he's dead.

And on that note, Runningnose, all his schemes with Brokenstar, his whole story, I literally can imagine the animatic in my head to Snuff Out the Light, the villain song cut from Emperor's New Groove. I can see the ENTIRE thing. God had to nerf me by preventing me from being able to focus on anything because the minute I can do one task for more than 30 minutes it's over for the entire world

Breezepelt just after Bonefall OotS and how he's desperately looking for meaning in anything, how he DOESN'T settle down with Heathertail right away, him joining The Kin and getting himself in trouble and feeling like he dug himself into a deeper and deeper hole....... Beat Down by Mr Heavenly

Darkstar and Little Dark Age by MGMT also lives in my head

I vibe with Cruel Summer by Bananarama of all things for Hollyleaf so hard that I am actually considering changing the season of the last book of Bonefall Po3 to Summer. I don't share every reason for all my random worldbuilding changes because sometimes, it really is just "this song made me imagine something so vividly I've Gotta Do It Now"

Uhhh Aro/Ace Rosetail and love related songs my beloved. I don't even have a deeper reason. I just associate this song with Rosetail.

This one's for canon Tawnypelt as well as Bonefall Tawnypelt; do you guys realize the untapped potential of Tawny and Lady Gaga? The fact she denies all Tigerstar's attempts to get in contact with her?? How she shows up in a dream ONCE to yell at Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw about how much of a bad idea it is??? BEYONCE???? Come ON, GAY PEOPLE, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THIS LIKE 10 YEARS AGO

Tawnypelt x Telephone by Lady Gaga my beloved

Aaaaaand also, there is an internet where they were supposed to put my brain so I did listen to Dark Souls boss music when I wrote Speckletail's Bulldozer.

[nctsplug02]

a little spoiler or like.. summary or whatever people call it. the fic is with none other than johnny suh! reader and johnny use and say cringey shit that include cowgirl/boy stuff but it’s also their first date!

that’s all i want to say since it’s kind of short.. so.. yeah haha!

edit: here are some of the lines in the fic!

- “alright, cowboy. i’ll show you how i ride a bull.”

- “c’mon, baby. thought you were gonna show me how you ride a bull?” johnny taps your ass and challenges you.

[citrusreadstoa]

Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 3 (SPOILERS)

"Some old lady drops the mic / And kills everyone" That's a much larger mic than I expected. Or the people are a lot smaller. Maybe both.

"I volunteer for death!" Insert Katniss jokes. Apollo, I understand the situation was dire, but...

"What would you consider yourself, Calypso? A Titan? A demi-Titan?" Exactly what I've been wondering since she was introduced in The Battle of the Labyrinth. She exists in, like, a weird limbo zone (Hey, just like her island!). "Calypso cleared her throat with a noise that sounded suspiciously like idiot." So she considers herself an idiot? Got it.

"You're breaking my rhythm." Oh gods, is he singing this? "most worthless of teens!" Every time they repeat this, I am reminded that they're trying to make this somewhat musical and I just. I can't keep a straight face.

"making his way toward the bulldozer under the guise of an interpretive dance routine" I'd love to see this. I can guarantee you that what he's doing is so painfully obvious that the only reason he hasn't been called out yet is because the blemmyae don't want to accidentally insult his "dancing."

"Vary your adjectives" Cut her some slack, she's halfway into shock. She's doin' her best.

"stapled the bulldozer operator . . . right where his actual eyes would be." AAAAHHHHH my worst fear being realized! "Our friend is only giving you a dramatic interpretation of how we beat the Cyclopes." HAHAHAHA this poor little pathetic excuse--

"They're getting away!" "No, not at all! . . . You see, we traveled for many weeks like this..." I am fully laughing now. Also, many weeks? Half of it I chalk up to Apollo's exaggerated interpretation of events which he admittedly does all the time and not a single word out of his mouth when he's recalling a story can be trusted, and the other half I attribute to Festus being wonky. "Imagine you are Camp Half-Blood . . . and we are traveling away from you." HAHAHAHAHAAAA

"our getaway ride shuddered to a halt." Wow, I expected the bulldozer to last a lot longer. More than a page, at least. All that interpretive dance for nothing...

"The naming celebration is in three days" Is someone being born? Is a new building being opened? If it's a baby, I hope the baby doesn't end up dying or something. It's innocent in all this! "the main attractions in his slave procession!" Meg got demoted by a lot, huh?

"Suddenly an arrow" ARTEMIS. Don't even finish your sentence. It's Artemis. "A shrill whistle" NEVER MIND, IT'S HER HUNTERS. I don't need to read further. It's the Hunters. Every time a whistle sounds in these three series, I swear, it's the Hunters. Every time they describe the Hunters of Artemis entering a scene, it's gradual and dramatic with clue after clue in separate sentences or even paragraphs like, first it's an arrow. Then there's the whistle. And the wolves. And then some girl does a dramatic pose in an iconic parka like jumping down and landing in front of them or epically lowering a bow from on top of a tree far away. It's the moviest cinema thing ever.

"this woman was at least sixty years old" What??? I was so convinced. There wouldn't be any Hunters this old, right? I know they've made some exceptions for older teens, but this seems pushing it.

"sweeping red targeting lasers in every direction." Awfully modern technology for them.

"And that ghost you saw--that was Agamethus." Agamethus? I only know Brieanna. Is this some kind of underground resistance against the Triumvirate? Have we officially met the communists?

"the bomb-diggity." "Thank you.. I think." Hey! You never question when someone calls your crossbow trinkets the bomb-diggity! It's the highest of compliments.

"'If you knew Zoë, then you must be one of my sister's Hunters. But you can't be. You're...' I stopped myself before I could say old and dying." Good job, Apollo. OMG is this an ex-Hunter who broke her oath? Did she fall in love with someone and have to leave? If she is, it would explain the dramatic entrance. Holy geez, what if it was Apollo? 'Cause he keeps flirting with his sister's Hunters, it wouldn't be surprising if it worked at least once.

"Come, I'll take you to the Waystation." Holy guacamole, this is an underground resistance. It's all about the principle, baby!