#i got my drivers license the second i was able to actually do it

[anantaru]

always remember, you don't need a drivers license to ride your fav🤍

[authorhjk1]

Two Rings

(Kim Minji X Male Reader)

@mintwithchoco thank you for the prompt and hosting.

You walk up to her from behind. Minji is sitting on a bench, taking pictures of the beautiful scenery. With two cups of coffee in your hands, you lean over her.

"Here you go, birthday girl."

Minji looks up at you. Her generous, loving smile makes your heart melt. You are lucky, since you get to see this smile almost every day. And yet, you can't stop looking at it. It makes you feel warm.

"Thank you, young man."

Her cheeky comment makes you chuckle. Minji doesn't ever waste a single opportunity to remind you that you're younger than her.

"Are you ready to go back?"

Your girlfriend nods and you offer her your free hand. The two of you turn your backs on the beautiful mountain range and start to walk back down on the path you came on earlier. Minji takes a sip of her warm beverage, a blissful smile on her face.

"How did you get here anyways? Isn't your car at the workshop?"

You smile, still happy that you were able to surprise her earlier.

Busily preparing for their comeback, the Dreamcatcher girls filmed their MV near here today. After their last trilogy ended, their new one will evolve around nature and climate change. Similar to their Apocalypse trilogy. That's why their filming site was outside.

"It is. I came on my bike."

"Your motorcycle?"

You don't have to look at her to know that Minji is sending a disapproving glance in your direction.

"Yeah."

"You know that I'd prefer it if you'd take the bus, instead of the bike. Especially in Seoul."

You silently walk next to her, while Minji keeps going. You can't blame her. Actually, it feels nice to know that she cares so much for your safety.

"...especially other drivers. And also-"

You shut her up with a kiss. Minji's lips taste like the coffee she is drinking. Sweet, a hint of bitterness. The two of you close your eyes. Within a second, the whole world has disappeared. The only people that exist are the two of you.

Once you and Minji finally reach the street, you walk towards your bike. It's an older model, but you already own it for years. You first bought it right after you got your license. But you don't drive often. Minji is right. A car is much safer in the city than a motorcycle.

"Here you go."

Minji's face lights up once more, when you pull out her helmet. It's all fury, decorated with bunny ears. You bought it for her two years ago, when she asked if you could take her for a ride for the first time.

The two of you both put your helmets on after throwing the empty cups into a trashcan nearby. Minji's appearance makes you laugh. Her beautiful, elegant white dress and that bunny helmet. A perfect combination.

Starting the engine, you feel her hands wrap around you.

"Where are we going by the way?"

You barely hear her as you drive off.

"Surprise."

Minji smiles into her helmet. Every birthday with you is special. No. Every single day with you is special. She loves it when you plan things like this for her. Taking her mind off work, just so she can relax a little.

It has already gotten a little darker, once the two of you reach the road at the coast you were looking for. You point to your right. You feel Minji move her head and you glance in the rear mirror on your left. Her white dress is flapping in the wind.

"Wow."

You made it just in time. Minji's appreciative gasp makes you smile. She watches the sundown with big eyes. The sun kisses the sea, disappearing in the orange sky behind her.

Ten minutes later, the two of you walk along the beach. Minji's fingers are locked with yours, her head resting against your biceps. Your leather jacket is draped over her shoulders.

Checking your watch, you make the two of you face the ocean.

"Twenty seconds."

"Huh?"

Minji looks up at you.

"This is already beautiful enough. You don't have to do more."

You can see a hint of guilt in her eyes.

"Trust me, you'll love it."

You squeeze her hand, pretending to be calm. Just like you did the whole day. But in reality, your heart has been pounding since you surprised her earlier. This is gonna be the highlight of the day. You hope.

A moment later, you hear the fireworks go off. You and Minji look up at the night sky. Slowly, red letters start to form. They sparkle in the night. You glance at Minji.

"I love you."

She whispers, reading out the text you've written. Your heart beats faster than never before. Your hands become sweaty. Taking a deep breath, you kneel. Minji is still staring at the fireworks with a wide open mouth.

"Oh my gosh, baby."

A huge smile appears on her face. You can literally feel how happy she is right now as you reach for the ring inside your pocket.

Finally, Minji turns towards you.

"Oh my dear god!"

Your girlfriend covers her mouth with her hand in surprise. She sees you kneeling in front of her. The ring in your hand.

"Yes! Yes, I will!"

You burst out laughing.

"That's not how this works. I have to ask you first."

"Right, sorry."

You see Minji pressing her lips together, her eyes beaming with love.

"Kim Minji. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, I will."

Your fiance leans down, cupping your cheeks and rests her forehead against yours.

"I love you."

You kiss her back, when her lips meet yours. The two of you lose yourselves in the moment once more. It feels like you've already accomplished everything you've ever dreamed off, now that Minji said yes. The realisation slowly catches up with you. You're engaged. Kim Minji is going to be your wife.

Once you calm down, you start to put the ring on her finger. It's not a big one, but it fits her perfectly. You push it along her finger, until it rests against the ring you bought her, when you asked her to be your girlfriend.

"Now I've got two rings."

Minji smiles down at you.

"Give me a kiss, Mr. fiance."

You get off the sand and hold Minji by her waist as you lift her up. Her giggles get silenced by your lips. Her hands go through your hair, giving it playful tugs as the two of you engage in another deep kiss.

You have to admit that you were a little scared. The possibility of her saying no was slim, but you never know. And the ring too. You're still wondering, if you shouldn't have bought her a bigger one. But then again, Minji didn't even look at it clearly. She seemed way too happy to care what type of ring you got her.

[goldenraeofsun]

Paging Dr. Dad

Bruce wakes up to his phone ringing.

He clears his throat, swallowing past the lump of dread. “Go,” he says by way of greeting. No time for pleasantries at two in the morning.

“I just got a notification Steph is in the hospital,” Barbara says without preamble because they are actually very alike, not that Barbara would ever admit it. “Everyone’s on patrol except you, and I’m tied up with the Birds.”

“Her status?” Bruce asks as he gets up from bed, grimacing as his ankle boot bangs against the bed frame.

“Stable, according to her hospital intake form,” Barbara says, and some of his tension uncoils. “But,” she falters, “she shouldn’t be by herself. Not there.”

Bruce glances down at his flannel Superman pajamas Clark got him for Christmas partly as a joke. He’ll only admit it to Clark upon pain of death, but they are surprisingly comfortable and warm. He could wrestle them off over his boot and pull on a pair of sweatpants with even more difficulty, for what, his image? Stephanie is in the hospital, alone.

He forgoes his crutches – they’ll just slow him down – and clunks out of his bedroom. “I’m on my way,” he says. 

“I think her com got knocked out during the fight,” Barbara adds, “so she has to be pretty bored by now.”

Despite himself, Bruce smiles. “Well, we can’t have that. I shudder to think of what a bored Stephanie Brown can get up to.”

“Why do you think I called you?” Barbara says, her voice wry. “Thanks, Bruce.”

“Of course.” Bruce grits his teeth as he painstakingly makes his way down to the entrance hall. “I’ll be there in thirty.” 

“Twenty,” Barbara corrects. “I already sent a taxi to the Manor. Look, I’ve got to go. Give Steph a hug for me. I know you can. I know your arms are working just fine.”

Bruce says dryly, “Thanks for calling, Barbara.”

“See you at the next crisis.”

He hangs up and focuses on not tripping down the staircase and joining Stephanie in the hospital. After scribbling a note for Alfred still down in the Cave, he grabs his coat and heads out the door.

He waits for the taxi, hands shoved deep in his coat pockets, breath misting in the cold winter air. He hasn’t been further than the front lawn in a week, laid up with his broken ankle.

He thumbs his dark phone screen, lips pursed. He could call one of his sons for a full rundown of what went wrong and why Spoiler ended up in the hospital, but who knows if they could afford the distraction. If one of them could have been spared, they would be on their way to her, not Bruce. 

* * *

An extra fifty to the cab driver, and fifteen minutes later, Bruce is rushing through the doors of Gotham General. He throws the tired receptionist at the ER a winning smile that once made Miss America herself swoon. “I’m here to see Stephanie Brown. She was admitted about a half hour ago.”

The receptionist taps a few keys with one hand as she lifts a truly massive thermos with the other one. “ID?”

Bruce fishes out his wallet and hands over his driver’s license. “Bruce Wayne.”

The receptionist doesn’t blink as pushes it back towards him, “You can go on back,” she says. “Next!”

Bruce hurries around the welcome station, scanning the people in the ER slumped over in chairs, their expressions a mix of boredom, consternation, and pain.

If Stephanie was badly hurt enough to be admitted to the hospital, she wouldn’t be able to sit up, so he starts on the curtained off areas along the left wall, where the beds are. 

The first has an elderly lady spitting Spanish at a chastised-looking young man, so Bruce just mutters a low, “Lo siento,” and moves on. 

The second has an unconscious teen surrounded by his parents. His mother pats his hair worryingly, while his father is bent over a rosary. Bruce passes them by without saying anything. 

The third has Stephanie, just clad in her black nondescript black undersuit. Ice packs are shoved against her left side, and her left foot lays against the bed all wrong, the arch flat against the bed.

A doctor is talking to her in a low voice as he taps away on a tablet. 

Her eyes widen as Bruce pulls the curtain back so he can edge inside. 

The doctor looks up – Dr. Douglas Woods, according to the ID hanging off his lanyard. He’s young, his early thirties at most, and doesn’t yet have that haggard look of most of Gotham’s medical professionals. “I’m sorry, man,” he says to Bruce, “but you can’t be in here. We’re swamped tonight, but we’ll get to you as soon as –”

“He can stay,” Stephanie interrupts. “He’s family. He’s,” she throws Bruce an inscrutable look, pausing infinitesimally, “my dad. But most importantly, he’s wearing Superman pajamas. Do you have no pride, man?”

Bruce glares, his irritation spiking. This is what he gets for rushing to her side. “They were a gift.”

“From who? A novelty store BOGO sale?”

“From Clark,” Bruce says through gritted teeth. 

Stephanie’s eyes dance, and Bruce’s rigid posture loses some of its tension. If she can sass him, she can’t be in too much pain. “That man must have balls of steel.” And then she winks. 

“Stephanie.”

Dr. Woods coughs. “As I was saying, Steph, you got pretty roughed up.”

“Turns out I shouldn’t have tried to fight a speeding Subaru,” Stephanie drawls. “Not after I skip leg day.”

Bruce suppresses a pleased smile. A car accident is smart. 

“Yeah, don’t do that again,” Dr. Woods says with a small smile. “Your hip is dislocated, and we’ll try to set that in a few minutes. If we can’t get it on the first try, we’ll put you under anesthesia and pop it back. Do you consent to that, if we have to?”

Stephanie’s gaze darts to Bruce, who nods. He has dislocated his hip before; from experience, it should get back in its socket as soon as possible. 

“Yeah,” Stephanie says, subdued. 

“We’re going to get you to radiology to get that wrist looked at,” Dr. Wood says, “but it might be a while. They’re backlogged after that explosion in Chinatown.”

“I bet,” Stephanie deadpans, and ice wouldn’t melt on her tongue. 

Bruce’s gaze flicks up to the singed edges of her bangs.

“There’s not much we can do for your ribs,” Dr. Woods continues apologetically. “Just press the alert if your cold packs need replacing, and a nurse can help.”

“Thanks, doc,” Stephanie says as he gets up to leave. 

“How long until radiology will be able to look at Stephanie’s case?” Bruce cuts in before Dr. Woods can move on.

He grimaces as he glances down at his watch. “An hour?”

Two hours, then. 

As Dr. Woods pushes the curtain aside, Bruce asks loudly, “Are her ribs bruised, cracked, or broken?”

Stephanie shrinks down on her hospital bed, her expression darkening.

“Bruised, definitely,” Dr. Woods says. “But I wouldn’t rule out a few fractures from the impact. Regardless, treatment is the same.”

“What painkillers is she on?” Bruce presses.

“Just ibuprofen, but she’s also free to request aspirin from the nurse.” He frowns. “With her current injuries, I can’t prescribe her narcotics.”

“Will she need to be admitted overnight?”

Stephanie winces.

“It depends on that hip,” Dr. Woods says, clearly growing impatient at all the questions. “If we can’t set it without anesthesia, we’ll have to keep her, since it’s already,” he checks his watch, “three in the morning.” He more forcefully pulls the curtain back to leave. “I’ll stop by again soon.”

Once the curtain settles back in place, shielding Stephanie and Bruce from view, he turns back to find her glaring defiantly up at him, the fingers of her good hand tapping against the plastic bedding. “Well? Get on with it.”

Bruce frowns. “Get on with what?”

“The lecture.”

“What lecture?”

Stephanie huffs, “I don’t know. The You Took Unnecessary Risks lecture. The You’re Benched lecture. The You Fucked Up lecture. Take your pick.”

“I didn’t come here to lecture you,” Bruce says truthfully.

Stephanie makes a very skeptical noise in the back of her throat. “Then what are you doing here? Damian will report our run-in with the Ghost Dragons. Hopefully he’ll write in wherever he stashed my suit. Knowing him, the sewer, probably.” As Bruce just stares at her, her jaw takes on a distinctly mulish set. “Just get it over with, Bruce. My hip hurts, and I wanna pass out.”

“I didn’t come here to lecture you,” Bruce repeats.

Stephanie purses her lips. 

“I,” Bruce swallows, and why the hell did he race here, if Stephanie would clearly rather be alone? “I came here to keep you company,” he says, deliberately keeping his voice detached.

Stephanie chokes on air.

He surges forward, his concern spiking. “Stephanie –”

“I’m fine,” she coughs. “Just surprised.”

“Barbara called me,” Bruce says by way of explanation as he sits down in the chair Dr. Woods vacated.

“And you, what, rushed to my sickbed?” Stephanie asks, her tone still skeptical. “At three in the morning? Just to – what, make sure I can make it through the big bad ER?”

“Yes,” Bruce says helplessly.

Stephanie cackles.

Bruce feels vaguely offended.

As her grin fades, she says, “I didn’t – I would never have – what I mean is,” she squares her shoulders, meeting his gaze squarely, “Thanks, for coming. You didn’t have to.”

He scoots the chair closer. “It’s nothing, Stephanie. And, yes, I did.”

“But–” Stephanie cuts herself off as a distinctive voice from the waiting room doesn’t so much as float in but barrel through.

“Where is Brown? Where is my father? I demand –”

“No way,” Stephanie breathes.

Bruce barely has time to brace himself before Damian shoves the curtain aside. 

“There you are,” Damian says impatiently, but Bruce can read the concern in his youngest’s face clear as day, the pinched set to his mouth, the furrow between his brows, the way his eyes rove up and down Stephanie’s body, lingering on her ribs and hip.

“Hello, Damian,” Bruce says over the sound of rushing footsteps. “Dick,” he adds as his oldest skids to a stop behind Damian. “Where’s Tim?” Bruce asks because his family tends to travel in packs.

“Picking up Babs,” Dick says cheerfully. “Here, Dames, you forgot this.” He hands over a purple stuffed rabbit.

“I did no such thing,” Damian says, lifting his nose into the air. He makes no move to take it.

“Mm hm,” Dick hums, shaking his head. “This is for you,” he says, turning to Stephanie and tucking the purple rabbit against her good ribs. “Damian spotted it in the gift shop and thought you’d like it. He ran off while I was paying.”

Damian hisses, “You did not have to buy it, Richard.”

Dick chuckles, a broad grin spreading across his face. “Like I was going to steal from a hospital –”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Stephanie raises the rabbit to eye level. Casually, she asks, “What’s its name, Damian?”

Damian turns to her, his eyes wide. “I did not –”

Stephanie lowers the rabbit. “Seriously? You’re gonna lie to me when I’m wounded, suffering and in pain, could be dying –”

“… Antonia.”

Stephanie absorbs this for a long moment. “That’s a dumb name.”

Damian rears up. “It is not –” 

Bruce settles back in his chair, content to listen to them bicker. He keeps his gaze trained on Stephanie, though, watching as the tension eases from her face the longer she goads Damian, distracting him from his worry. 

As Damian and Dick get into an argument about Dick’s naming abilities – at least they keep their voices down as batarang, batcomputer, and batmobile get thrown down like gauntlets – Bruce leans in towards Stephanie. “If you’d like to pass out, now is the time to do it.”

“Roger,” Stephanie says, blinking heavy-lidded eyes. “You’ll take Antonia if I have to go to surgery, right?”

Bruce reaches over to rub one of Antonia’s soft ears between his thumb and forefinger. “Damian will probably guard her with his life.”

“And you?” she asks.

“To be honest, I’m far more concerned about you,” Bruce says. “You should get some sleep.”

With that, her eyes close, and Bruce settles in to wait.

[bad268]

Ik it says no specific character but I am on my knees for sebastian montoya (mans gen z personified)COuld we get a driver reader and him and the reder inviting him to go to prom maybe beause he couldnt go to his?(Ik this is oddly specify and i am sorry you dont have to tdo this )

Drive Me to Prom? (Sebastian Montoya X Driver! Reader)

Fandom: RPF/Formula 2/3

Requested: Clearly (yo so the whole specific characters thing was so people would stop requesting characters I don't write for anymore, but anything regarding f1/2/3 drivers, I will DROP EVERYTHING FOR THEM lol)

Warnings: cheezy promposal

Pronouns: First POV (I/me), but fem-ish reader (wears dress mentioned but not actually talked about)

W.C. 1605

Summary: The reader tries to surprise Sebastian with a Prompoasl, but it does not go according to plan.

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

~~(^Google/Multiformula)

It was something really random to find out. While Sebastian and I were filming a video for the team’s YouTube channel, one of the questions asked about extracurriculars in school. It was a harmless question, really! But somewhere, somehow, we got on the topic of school dances.

“I was able to go to homecoming this year, and I think my prom is coming up soon,” I answered enthusiastically. 

“I never actually went to my prom,” Sebastian admitted. My head shot over to him, confused. He looked even more confused at my reaction, “What?”

“Two things,” I started, “One, you wanted to go to your prom? And two, you just decided not to go?”

“I mean it’s a standard thing with high school. I would have liked to go, I guess,” he laughed in response. The disappointment in the second half of his response was easy to detect, “And two, I also had a race the week of my prom. Even if I wanted to go, I couldn’t.”

Thus, the plan began. Since I knew my prom was going to be on a week we did not have a race, and I knew I wanted to go, I was going to ask Sebastian to prom (not like I would want to go with anyone else, but y’know).

The first thing I needed to do was coordinate with his parents and friends. His parents were more than willing to help, and they even volunteered to take him suit shopping inconspicuously. I said they didn't need to because the dress I found was a dark navy blue that matched perfectly with one of the suits he already owned. Then his friends were easy to convince. They were already busy visiting family as the date fell while we were on a break, so they had no problem with not making plans with Sebastian.

Next, I had to plan with the team. There was no way I was letting them schedule us for another last-minute, meaningless meeting during prom. They were (surprisingly) okay with it, as long as we agreed to come in two days later for a promotional video and simulator work which I had no problem with. 

Finally, the last thing I needed to do was ask him. I should not have been nearly as nervous as I was, but I wanted it to be perfect. I has so many ideas for how to ask him, but I knew I wanted to be cheesy and try to connect it to racing. I ended up deciding on a sign that I would take to the next race since we had one more race weekend before prom. The sign read, “Can you drive me to prom? I don't have my license.” I also printed pictures of our cars to put on the corners. It’s in reference to the fact that Sebastian has his normal driver’s license while I only have my super license. 

The race I decided to ask him was at Imola, one of our favorite tracks. We both qualified well (him at P1, me at P3), and I won the sprint race with Sebastian in P2. It was the first 1-2 of the season! We had a break between the podium and the media panel, so we were able to head back to our team trailer after a brief photo shoot. We both split off to different sides of the trailer to take showers and change into comfortable clothes. 

Sebastian immediately laid flat on the floor once he was done, and when I came out, he pulled me to lie next to him with a laugh. A couple of the staff chuckled at our antics, but let us be. 

“That was a pretty good race,” he said quietly with a yawn, “I don’t want to do interviews.”

“It was a great race, and you don't have to, technically,” I responded just as quietly. He looked skeptical before I elaborated, “You could just pay the fine if you really don’t want to go.”

“No, I just like whining about it,” he chuckled, pulling me deeper into his side as he buried his face in my hair. “Plus, I would never turn down a panel with you by my side.”

“You mean you by my side,” I laughed pulling away to make eye contact. “Last I checked, I was the one that won the race, Mr. Montoya.”

“Ah, right,” he joked, “We should actually start heading over now. We can pick up a smoothie or something on our way over. My treat for you winning fair and square.”

“Is that supposed to be condescending?” I joked back, moving to stand up and brush off my clothes. I held out my hand to help him up, him immediately taking it and standing up but not letting go as he pulled me into his chest for a hug. “Is this your apology?”

“No, the apology is that I’ll also get you a smoothie and food,” he responded, placing a kiss on my nose. “Did you put my wallet in your backpack earlier?”

“Yeah, you asked me too,” I chuckled, pulling away slightly to kiss him for a moment before moving back to point toward my driver’s room. “I need to grab my phone if you want to grab your wallet from my bag.”

“On it,” he said as he kept my hand in his and led us to the room. We split off, him grabbing my bag from the desk and me going toward the bathroom where I had my phone charging on the counter. Before I head back out, I checked a couple of notifications until Sebastian called out to me, “Hey, Y/N, what’s this?”

I walk out and see him reading something and I instantly know what it was: the poster. I immediately reached to grab it from him, hiding it behind my back despite knowing that he’s already seen it and read it. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“You were going to ask me to prom?” He asked in disbelief.

“I was going to do it after the race tomorrow,” I admitted, “but now it’s not a surprise.”

“Ask me now.”

“What?”

“I said,” he paused as he wrapped his arms around my waist, one arm pulling the sign out from behind my back, “Ask me now.”

“Seb, you didn’t get to go to your prom, and I have my prom next week. You have a driver’s license, and I only have my super license. Maybe you could drive me to prom?” I asked as I leaned back, still with his arms around my waist, and held the sign up. “And we can dance if you want to.”

“I could not imagine going with anyone else,” he laughed, pushing the sign down so he could kiss all over my face. We basked in the moment for a couple of minutes before hearing our managers calling our names. “I guess that’s our call, isn’t it?”

“I mean we could just not answer and sneak out the back,” I suggested, gesturing toward the door that lead to a staircase directly toward the pack of the paddock. “We could just take the fine.”

“Do you really want to pay the fine when we have no real reason to miss the interview?”

“Not really, but I am hungry, so I’m weighing my options.”

“Come on,” he chuckled as he pulled me toward the normal door, grabbing his wallet on the way and propping the sign up against the wall before walking out. When we got to the main section of the trailer, we found our managers talking on the phone. 

“Nevermind, we found them,” my manager said to the person on the call as they hung up. They both looked at us suspiciously before asking, “Do we want to know what you were doing in Y/N’s driver’s room together?”

“You say that like we did something wrong,” Sebastian pointed out. The look on our managers’ faces told us that they definitely thought we were doing something in there. “Wait, no we did not do what you think! The worse that we did was contemplate just taking the fine.”

“Okay, no,” his manager laughed, “we are not taking the fine. We were trying to find you because you need to do a post-race photoshoot and eat before the panel.”

“Oh, we already did the photo shoot,” I pointed out. “We did it before we showered and changed. Plus, we were just about to head out to get smoothies.”

“Make sure you get real food too, please? The last thing we need is one of you passing out during the interview. You’ve got 2 hours!”

“Got it,” Sebastian shouted behind him as we already started running out of the trailer toward the array of food stands. We slowed down once we reached a shaded table off to the side of one of the stands. Sebastian pulls out my chair, allowing me to sit first before pushing it in and taking the seat across from me. “Looks like we’ve got extra time to kill, so what do you want to get? My treat.”

“Is that supposed to be condescending?” I joked, leaning forward in my seat.

“Shut up or I won't buy you anything,” he pressed with an eye-roll. “Now, what do you want?”

“Well-” I started.

“No, don’t turn this on me,” he immediately interrupted, “I’m trying to congratulate you on your win.”

“And I want a smoothie, so you choose the actual food!” I retorted. “Second place is not easy either, so you choose the food.”

“You’re a menace.”

“I try.”

~~~~~

© BAD268 2023. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[sirowsky]

--The Beauty of Mechanics--

This is the final of the Birthday Stories!

Description: Frankie's working away in his shop when an unexpected arrival makes him pause. Frankie Morales x Original Female Character.

Rating: Teen Warnings: Meet cute, a bit of shop-talk, fluff, Frankie's just a lovesick puppy. Mechanic!Frankie. AU. Word Count: 1500 Author’s Masterlist

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   The car sounded like it had swallowed a nightingale as it rolled up to the open garage doors of the workshop, and Frankie grabbed a towel to wipe some grime off his hands while he slowly walked out there to greet what was sure to be a new customer.    He didn’t recognize the car or the license plate, so it wasn’t one of his regulars, but he did recognize the make and model of the machine.

   A classic 1967 Mustang, one of his favorites. And this one was in mint condition, all black with silver detailing and tinted windows. An absolute masterpiece.    It looked almost alive and somewhat menacing when it was so well polished and it was clear that a lot of thought had gone into the styling, which was still true to the classic look, but utilized modern materials.

   When he got to the front left corner of it, the driver’s door opened, and his eyebrows shot up as he watched a woman step out and come towards him.    Not because he couldn’t believe, or for whatever reason felt, that women didn’t belong behind the wheel of such a car, but because this particular woman was even more gorgeous than her choice of vehicle.

   She was wearing dark brown worker boots, tight black jeans, and a black silk blouse to compliment the vehicle, but her short Pink!-style hair had a deep purple shade, fading into pale blue at the ends, a look which seriously suited her.    He also noticed that she wasn’t wearing any jewelry but had a Sinn watch around her wrist, a brand which boasts some of the toughest watches on the market, all of which gave him the feeling that this was no delicate flower of a woman.

   “Hey, sorry to drop by without an appointment,” she said while pulling off her sapphire blue Oakley sunglasses, revealing almost golden colored eyes.

   “That’s okay, I’ve got time. She sounds terrible,” Frankie replied, nodding towards the machine.

   “Yeah, I don’t know what happened, she was running fine five minutes ago.    Think you can take a look?” she asked, and he couldn’t help but smile.

   “She’s absolutely beautiful, I’d love to look at her all day. But yeah, pop the hood and I’ll see what’s going on.”

   She did as he asked, and the first thing he noticed was that this engine was custom built and by someone truly talented.    But at first glance, he couldn’t find any obvious cause for the racket, so he asked her to start it up so he could listen to the noise more clearly, and after just a few seconds he signed for her cut the engine again.

   “I’d say it’s probably coming from the exhaust. I’ll need to lift it up to know for sure.    You want me to try and fix it for you right now, or do you wanna make an appointment?”

   “If you have the time to take care of it right away, you’d be making my day,” she chimed, sounding absolutely astounded that he might actually be able to fit her in immediately.

   “Sure, I’ve only got a standard service scheduled for today and that customer is abroad, so it can wait. A beauty like this shouldn’t have to roll around sounding like a freaked-out crow,” he offered, and that made her smile, damned near taking his breath away.

   He asked her to drive it onto the ramp, letting her step out before he raised it, and she remained right next to him when he got to work. He noted that she was careful not to get in his way, though, and she didn’t attempt to criticize anything he did.    Instead, it seemed like she was just eager to learn more about the car and how to take care of it, which only made him enjoy her company all the more.

   “So, you were just out driving when it suddenly started sounding like this?” he asked, both to carry on a conversation, and to learn more about the problem.

   “Yeah, there was no indication at all that anything was out of order, it came out of nowhere,” she elaborated. “Normally, I’d have taken it to my regular mechanic, but he’s on vacation and I don’t trust his colleague with my girl. He’s way too sloppy.”

   “So, no pressure, then,” he chuckled drily.

   “Oh, I already know you’re a better mechanic than that guy, so you can relax,” she reassured him, which really did calm him.

   So many customers, and especially those with fancy cars of any kind, would get so uptight about him not putting a scratch on their expensive toys, that they’d deliberately try and put as much pressure on him as possible.    But this lovely woman was just concerned about him actually fixing the problem, and seemed to understand that adding any tension to the situation was only going to make that harder.

   “Have you done any work on it yourself?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the fact that she was rapidly becoming very attractive, in every possible way.

   “Pretty much the entire exterior,” she started, and he was mildly surprised by that. “I’ve never worked with painting cars, but I’ve been doing it as a hobby since my teens.    I’ve ordered, but sometimes also made custom detailing, like the new headlights and the grill. I love that sort of thing. Tweaking tiny details to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing look, but without taking focus away from the beauty of the entire machine.    I’ve always wished that I could somehow do that stuff for a living, but I’ve just never been able to.”

   Seriously?    With that level of talent she should’ve been working at a custom shop a long time ago.

   “Wow. It’s actually kinda hard to believe that no one’s taken an interest, because the first thing I thought when I saw this car, was that it looks fucking perfect.    You’ve got a really good eye,” he complimented, meaning every word, and she seemed truly grateful to hear it.

   “I just love to make cars look their best. Like stylists do with people, or real estate agents with houses. It makes me feel all buzzed to look at a gorgeously styled car, or motorcycle, or anything on wheels, really,” she elaborated, and for the first time since he met her, she looked a little shy, or unsure.

   As if she wasn’t used to being able to say these things without getting laughed at.

   “Well, I’m just a small business grease monkey, but I’m pretty good at what I do too, and I’m telling you, if I’d only had the means, I’d have hired you on the spot.”

   She smiled so warmly at him as she heard that, and it made something very pleasant spread through his blood.

   It turned out that the problem was just the air intake tube on the catalytic converter, so it was an easy fix, and Frankie was almost a bit annoyed at that, because it meant that he would lose her company much too soon.

   “Okay, all done,” he announced once he’d lowered the car and had her start it up again to make sure that his diagnosis had been correct.

   “Great, I’m so glad it wasn’t something serious.    How much do I owe you?” she chirped, but he just shrugged, suddenly feeling quite unhappy.

   “Nothing. It took me less than fifteen minutes and that tube costs like a dollar,” he said, showing his hands in his pockets to keep them from moving around nervously.

   He really wanted to ask her out, but he felt like there was no way in hell she’d agree to that. He wasn’t nearly cool enough to hold the interest of a woman like that.

   “Oh. Okay…” she replied, suddenly looking so misplaced in his garage, with her quiet but strong confidence and overall powerful look, against the backdrop of clutter and dirt. “Well, if you ever need a paintjob, let me know.”

   “Sure. But I’d need your number for that,” he cheekily pointed out, thinking there was no chance he’d ever get it.

   Which was why, when she stepped over to a really dusty old car-door, standing leaned against the end of his workbench, and wrote her number in the dust, he just dumbly stared at her, unable to say a single thing.

   “I’ll look forward to hearing from you,” she said with a soft curve to her lips, and then she got back into her car and left.

   He stood there, still staring after her, unable to process what had just taken place, when his cellphone started ringing.

   “Morales,” he answered without even looking at the screen to see who was calling, because he was still staring outside, listening for the sound of that gorgeous engine.

   “Hey, Frankie,” he heard Pope on the other end, and the familiar voice broke through the stunned silence in his brain.

   “Santi… you’re not gonna believe what just happened at the garage…”

THE END

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Thank you for reading and helping me celebrate! I wish you a wonderful day <3

Tagging a few people who I think might wanna read these stories: @startrekkingaroundasgard @deadhumourist @tintinn16 @suttonspuds @tanzthompson @shsoba05 @f0rever15elf @justnat15 @lowlights @dornish-queen @radiowallet @spishsstuff @harriedandharassed @i-love-movies @tiffanypooh @chaoticfestninja @insomniamamma @pedrostories

[ironheartwriter]

For the ask game! 💜

🎬Best season finale? ALSO 🐙 for TK?

Hi! Thanks so so so so much for the ask. I'm such a massive fan of your gifs! 💜

🎬Best season finale? I am really partial to season one's finale 'Austin, We Have a Problem'. (I know, shocker, season 4 wasn't my answer 🤣). Honestly I just love that episode as a whole, like TK's whole journey of trying to figure himself out and the realization that he belongs at the 126, and with Carlos. The season as a whole just felt like it rounded out really well. I will say, though, that Lone Star doesn't exactly do bad season finales, thankfully.

🐙Popular headcanon for TK that you don’t subscribe to. Oh, TK, my favorite sunshine golden retriever. You make me so happy when you ask about him and I get to answer. Soooo let's get to it shall we? There are actually two widely accepted headcanons that I don't subscribe to and one I've spoken about on here, and one I spoke about in the Tarlos server last night actually. And I apologize in advance if these are your headcanons, but these are my opinions on them. Don't hate me. I mean no harm. I swear!

But the first one I don't agree with is TK not being able to drive or being a bad driver. TK can drive an ambulance. TK was learning how to drive a fire truck. Do people really believe he'd be able to do either of those if he wasn't a capable driver on his own? I know the whole 'New Yorkers don't get their licenses because they don't need them with the public transportation options in the city' thing, but really, I am a firm believer that he is a good driver and just prefers to be Carlos's passenger princess when they're together.

The second headcanon that I don't agree with is that when Carlos mentions that he remembers the fifteen minutes after they met that that means TK got on his knees for him in the bathroom of that honky tonk bar. I love this ship with all my heart. Anyone who's scrolled through my blog can see that, but I truly believe that means that they got the hell out of that bar and went elsewhere for happy fun times. I don't believe that Carlos 'Control Freak' Reyes is getting it on with anyone in a probably public bathroom. I can't see it.

911 Lone Star asks!

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

This is based on a scene from the Netflix series Spinning Out, since Kat, Serena and their mother remind me of Sirius, Regulus and Walburga.

*********

"Maybe you should just leave everything there..." James said with a concerned voice "We can buy new stuff"

Sirius shook his head. There were some valuable things in there. Things that were irreplaceable. Like the collection of records he had received from Alphard. His books, his drawings, his pictures. Some other stuff.

God... Ok... Sirius hadn't told James that maybe the real reason he wanted to go back to that house was to see Reggie. He had been worried for the past three weeks, having terrible nightmares of Orion doing to him the same stuff he did to Sirius. He couldn't stop imagining Reggie all alone and scared. Like he used to be when he was a kid. Sirius had to see him. He had to ask Reggie if he wanted to come with him. Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe Sirius could convince him. Maybe Sirius could rescue him from that hellhole.

So they told Effie and Monty they were having a nice drive to celebrate James' new driver's license. But in reality, Sirius dragged him here.

"I'll be quick, Prongsie. I promise" Sirius said, trying to keep his voice steady. Keeping the bad memories from that night out of his mind. That was the last time he had been at Grimmauld Place.

"You can wait outside if you want" Sirius added.

James shook his head, then he smiled comfortably.

"I'll come with you"

Sirius smiled back. He couldn't do this without James by his side.

The guards were very stupid to let them inside the property. Perhaps Sirius' parents hadn't forbid him the entrance. Or perhaps they were expecting him to come back. Maybe it was all a trap.

James parked the car just outside the mansion. Both boys looked at each other and nodded encouraging each other to move. They got out of the car, and walked to the door quickly.

Sirius knocked before he hesitated. But once he did so, he started shaking.

"Orion is probably not here" Sirius said nervously "Let's hope she isn't as well"

James nodded with a comforting smile.

Sirius hoped Reggie was the only one home. Sirius really hoped Reggie was at home. Sirius wanted to see him.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Reggie who opened the door. Not even one of the maids. It was Walburga herself.

Sirius took a few paces back. So as James.

Walburga looked furious, but also very tired. She wasn’t wearing any makeup or elegant clothes. She was actually in jeans and a sweater which made her look younger and weird. She had bags under her eyes. And she had a cup of wine between her fingers, like always.

She took a nasty glance at Sirius and then at James. Then she smiled evily.

"Look who is back from the death"

Sirius remembered the last words she said to him. 'Nobody is going to love you. You are nothing but a burden. Who is going to stand your temperament?' But he tried not to act scared or intimidated.

"I am here to get my stuff" Sirius announced as confidently as he could and pushed his way through the door.

"Hi Mrs. Black" James added nervously before following Sirius inside.

Sirius realized it was the first time James actually visited his house (ex house). When Sirius had visited his so many times he had always been welcome. He even lived there now.

Walburga didn't try to stop them. She just followed them with her gaze. And as Sirius and James climbed the stairs, Walburga followed them too.

Everything was the same as it always was. But at the same time, it felt so wrong being there. Sirius felt like an intruder.

Sirius was walking through the second floor corridor, when Regulus came out of his room. Sirius stopped on his tracks. Reggie!

His brother looked skinnier, paler, sadder. Could that be possible? It hadn't been so long since...

Sirius remembered Regulus' expression as he left that night. Tears on his eyes, scared, sad but also angry. Very very angry. Sirius hadn't been able to shake that image out of his head.

"You're back" Regulus said.

His voice sounded different now. He wasn't angry. There was hope in his voice. Hope. It broke Sirius' heart. Sirius felt an inexplicable urge to close the gap between them and hug his little brother. God, he had missed him so much.

"Sirius won't be here long" Sirius heard Walburga's voice behind him. Regulus' eyes turned to her with fear "I bet his new mommy and daddy would be expecting him for dinner..." she turned to James "Isn't that right, Mr. Potter?"

James didn't dare to say anything.

"Go back to your room, baby" Walburga said to Regulus "And close the door"

Sirius wanted to beg Regulus not to leave. But he didn't dare. Besides, Regulus' expression changed with Walburga's words. He became angry. He gave a nasty look at James. Then a nasty look at Sirius before getting back inside his room.

"Fucking hell, Walburga" Sirius snapped furiously.

At least Regulus was alright. At least Sirius saw him again. Now all he wanted to do was pick up his things and leave.

He got inside his own older room, followed by James. He was surprised to see everything had been moved or stored away in boxes. That hit Sirius in the guts. Sirius had ran away before, but when he was back, everything was always the same. But not this time. It meant one thing. It was over. It was really over. Sirius wasn't welcome anymore this time.

"Here" James passed him a bag he found on the floor.

Sirius tried to avoid the knot on his throat as he started putting in the bag everything he could. James helped as well.

Walburga was watching them from the door, arms crossed. Then she rolled her eyes and buffed.

"What do you think you are doing, Sirius?"

"I am moving out with James... So I am talking my stuff"

What Sirius didn't know was that Regulus had popped out his head out of his room to hear their conversation.

"Your stuff?" Walburga snorted "It's not your stuff unless you pay for it. And you didn't. They are my stuff. And you're not taking my stuff out of my house!"

Sirius was willing to ignore her. He just wanted to be out. He felt like he couldn't breathe in there. But Walburga walked towards them, he pushed James away and ripped the bag out of Sirius' hands.

"Are you fucking serious right now, mother?"

She squeezed the bag between her arms like a kid.

"You're acting like a child!"

"Who is the child here, sweetheart?"

Sirius and Walburga stared into each other's eyes defeintly, like they always did. They fought and fought until they tasted blood. They both had the same temper. They both wanted to win.

But out of the sudden, James sighed.

"Come on, Walburga..." he said "Why do you always have to be such a fucking bitch?"

Sirius was surprised to hear those words coming out from his best friend's mouth. He would've laughed if he wasn't so scared and stressed.

James was surprised of himself too because the minute he said that, he started blinking hard and he went bright red.

Walburga was taken aback as well. She blinked in surprised and ducked her head to the side.

Then she frowned furiously.

"Why did you just say to me?" she asked.

James was still frozen, so Sirius decided to act quickly. He grabbed the bag out of his mother's hands who gave in easily, still processing James' words. He took James' arm and dragged him out of there.

Regulus retrieved back to his room.

"Sorry, Mrs. Black" James finally said as they were climbing down the stairs. Walburga behind them "I always wanted to call you that... This might be my only chance"

Sirius and James got out of the house and Sirius inhaled the summer air outside. He had been holding his breath. But there were not quite out there yet. They needed to climb to the car and drive away from the property. Fast. Now.

Walburga was still behind them.

"Come on, Sirius. You don't even know how to wipe your butt. How are you going to survive on your own?" she said as Sirius put the bag in the back seat "Are you going to depend all your life on The Potters? Let me tell you, they are not going to last long"

Sirius saw James frowning as he got into the driver's seat.

"Fuck you!"

"You're not going to last very long without all the luxury from this house" Walburga added "You're a spoiled brat. And the Potters are not going to stand you!" she shouted "With your changing moods and tantrums..."

"I don't care!"

He didn't want to waste his breath explaining to her how The Potters had been everything she hadn't. How they were so amazing with Sirius. How he felt comfortable with them. How they felt like home and he wished they could be his real parents. They would never leave him, or get tired of him. Right?

'But what if they do?' A voice said inside his head 'Walburga knows you longer. She is your mother and she knows how insufferable you actually are. How you ruin things. How explosive you are. The Potters hadn't met that side of you'

Sirius shook that voice away.

"As long as I don’t have to live with you anymore!" Sirius added.

Walburga looked at him.

"Fine!" she said as Sirius got into the car, next to James "Fine, do what you want"

Sirius didn't know if he should feel relieved. He was about to close the door when she added.

"Just know you won't be back in Regulus' life as long as I have anything to do with it"

Sirius froze at those words. No! Reggie! Did this mean he won't be able to see his brother again?

Walburga walked back inside the house with a wicked smile.

Sirius took a look at the mansion in front of him.

Regulus was in there. Regulus was still in there.

"Come on, Pads!" James said, getting Sirius back to reality "Let's get out of here before your father gets home. He gives me the creeps"

Sirius closed the door in defeat and James started the engine, when Sirius saw Regulus himself getting out of one of the first floor windows.

"Wait!" he said.

Regulus was carrying a bag. Why was he carrying a bag? Did this meant he wanted to come with him?

"Hang on!" Sirius told James as he stepped out of the car.

"What are you doing, Reg?" Sirius asked as he approached him.

Regulus took a quick look at James' car before answering.

"You cannot leave without Rufus"

Sirius gasped when he saw the little teddy in Regulus' hands. Rufus was Regulus' teddy bear when he was a kid. He used to go everywhere with it. One night, when Reggie couldn't sleep, because of his nightmares, Sirius had told him that Rufus was magical. Like an amulet, he said. That every time he held him, he won't have  nightmares. Regulus believed it. So everytime, Sirius woke up with nightmares or couldn't sleep, Reggie would lend him Rufus.

"We can share him" little Reggie had said "I don't want you to have nightmares as well"

Sirius tried not to tear up as he grabbed the teddy from Regulus' hands.

"But he is yours" Sirius whispered.

"I bet you are going to need him more than me"

Sirius smiled but Regulus didn't. He sounded angry.

"Plus, I am a grown up now"

Sirius hugged the teddy between his arms as Regulus grabbed the bag from the floor.

"Your precious records" Regulus put the bag on Sirius' arms "Mother wanted to throw them away but I rescued them, in case you came back" he looked down now. Like those words hurt him "You're welcome"

Sirius didn't know what to say.

"Now go" Regulus added.

"Come with me" Sirius' voice broke. He was begging and pleading with his words, with his eyes.

Regulus looked up at him.

"We can live with James now and then get a flat of our own..." Sirius continued, he felt his eyes were full of tears "Come with me... Please Reg"

"No" Regulus answered. Just like that.

Sirius frowned and shook his head. He didn't understand. Why couldn't Regulus come with him?

"Reg..."

"You took your decision and I took mine" Regulus interrupted "I want to stay"

"But..."

The car's honk made Sirius jump.

"Pads! Let's go!" James shouted.

Regulus was looking at him with disgust.

"You don't want your new brother waiting, Sirius"

Regulus spoke with the same venom as Walburga had spoken minutes ago. Sirius realized how much Regulus resembled her. The same sarcastic tone. The same frown. The same way she twisted her mouth. He even had his arms crossed. Just like her.

"Reg..." Sirius tried "Can I see you at school?"

Regulus took his time to answer.

"Goodbye, Sirius" he finally spat before returning back to the window.

Sirius had lost his chance. His heart felt small. His body felt cold. He wiped the single tear that felt down his cheek.

"Sirius!" James called now more gently.

Sirius walked back to the car like a zombie. He got in without saying a word. And James didn't insist. He drove away.

The whole drive back Sirius was silent. James didn't insist on talking. He turned on the radio instead. The further they were from Grimmauld Place, the more Sirius felt he could breathe. But he also felt so small. So vulnerable. He held Rufus between his arms as if the teddy was his brother himself. He couldn't believe Reggie didn't come with him. Was there anything more he could've done? Some more convincing? Perhaps just dragging him against his will until he understood?

Sirius looked out of the window when he felt he couldn't take it no more. And tears rolled down his eyes. He didn't want James to see him cry.

Regulus was all Sirius thought about. He didn't know if Regulus hate him or not. He didn't know if he would be able to see him again. He didn't know what Walburga would do to stop him. All Sirius knew was that he wanted his brother back. This was so fucking unfair. Why didn't he come with him? Why did he choose them? After everything....

When they got back to the Potter's property, Sirius felt more safe. But he wished his brother was here. So he hugged the teddy tighter. Regulus was right. Sirius would need Rufus more.

James turned off the engine and looked at Sirius with concern. Unsure of what to do. Sirius didn't want to worry him. He had done enough.

"I can't believe you called my mother a bitch"

Sirius smiled. James too.

Sirius and James began laughing at that, breaking any tension.

"I can't believe it either!" James giggled now more relaxed "It felt so great"

"I bet" Sirius smirked "She is actually a bitch"

They laughed a bit more. Then James smiled at him.

"Hungry?"

"Starving!"

James nodded.

"Let's eat some of mum's pastries before dinner"

James rubbed Sirius' hair before getting out of the car. Surely after, Sirius got out too.

He was back home.

[pranks-all-day-everyday]

What are 50 facts about you, Travis?

Woah, 50 facts? Didn’t realize someone wanted to know so much about me. Wait until I tell Connor I have a fan.

I’m the older brother, not the older twin, Connor and I are not twins.

I once pierced my ears with a safety pin, I was trying to, ah, impress someone. Let’s move on

So, funnily enough, I hate strawberries. I’m around them so much, ate them nearly every day with every meal for years, I just can’t stand them anymore.

I’m terrible in close hand combat. I’ll be on the floor three seconds top.

But I am pretty awesome at surprise attacks if I don’t say so myself

Dyed my hair for a few months last year, it was nice but I hated having to keep on top of it, especially since I have to be super careful with my curls. So I stopped dyeing it.

Im bi bi bi, apparently this was a super big shock to most people? Not Connor of course, and for some reason neither was Katie.

I absolutely definitely most certainly do not have a crush on anyone and have never had a crush on a fellow camper. Nope nope nope. (Shut up, Connor)

Favorite color is green, any green if I’m honest, the specific green depends on my mood.

My fingers are double jointed, it grosses Katie out.

On my way to camp for the first time I twisted my ankle, but I didn’t know anyone so I never told anyone, it’s been so long that nothing can heal it so every now and then it acts up.

I actually hate wearing jewelry, it feels restricting, which sucks because jewelry is really pretty. I’ve only been able to wear our camp necklace, and even then I don’t wear it as often as everyone else.

I can do a cartwheel, Drew dared me and I did it. I’ve never tried doing one again

For a hot minute Connor and I were kinda the go to head camp counselor’s for anyone our age or younger, I guess the older ones scared everyone off by being…older? And Anniebeth wasn’t always around since she was usually on some worldending quest or trying to stop the world from ending.

I have an okayish relationship with my dad. Better than Connor at least. Sureeee we don’t talk or anything, but I’ll pray to him every now and then.

Speaking of parents, I dunno where my mom is. She just left one day and we haven’t seen her since.

When I was little I had this stuffed snake, it kinda got eaten by a monster, I saw one that looked exactly like it in a store once. I was very tempted to ‘buy’ it.

I don’t actually own a pair of running shoes! I have one pair of converse and another pair of flip flops but that’s it. There’s not much opportunity for year rounders to go out and buy whatever they want, so I’m stuck with whatever Chiron finds for us and we have to make that stuff last.

I once tried to throw Katie a surprise birthday party, well, not tried because I did. But someone else took the credit so I never bothered to correct it. She probably wouldn’t have believed me anyways.

When I was 13 I tried to straighten my hair, it did not go well. Let’s just say I’ve only just been allowed near electrical hair tools things, whatever you call them.

Connor and I came to camp just months after anniebeth did. I was about let’s see, she was 7? Connor was seven too, but only by a few months, then I had to be 9? Yeah, I was 9.

I have no idea what my middle name is, I know Connor’s, but mom never told me mine and I don’t know where our birth certificates went, or if we even have any.

That reminds me, Chiron thought it was super important for us to get a drivers license so I and everyone my age went with him for our turn, turns out he couldn’t use the mist to make me a fake birth certificate, so then we had to forge an actual one and that’s how everyone learned I don’t know what my middle name is

We did not end up taking the test, we got him bombarded by like ten different monsters, this was when people were only just realizing a war would be happening. Let’s just say a lot of words were said that day

My first kiss was with Ethan Nakamura. We never really figured out what we were before he ran away and then was on the opposite side of the battle

I lost a bet with Drew a while back, now I have to let all the new Aphrodite kids try out makeup ideas and stuff on me, by new I mean whatever kid has been around for less than a month, after they reach that first month mark they can’t try anything on me. Connor, traitor that he is, finds it hilarious

I want to be a teacher, it’s what I’m going to school for. I haven’t really told all that many people

A dare I once did was to eat a cup of malic acid two times a day for an entire week, it was very painful and my taste buds have never been the same since

I like to paint my nails

I never take off the old nail polish, only repaint over it, this is apparently the wrong way

I can surf!! Kinda. I can stay on the board and get past the waves. I just can’t come back. Or stand up. Or ride the waves.

I can’t surf

But I can roller skate, all the year rounders shared like two pairs and learned together.

I broke my first bone (my arm) from roller skating

Demigods don’t need mortal vaccines, we can get them, but we don’t need them

We do need demigod vaccine though, ages ago a kid of Apollo and Hermes got together and realized hey! We need vaccines!! And now we have vaccine specifically for us

Connor and I want to get matching tattoos, we just don’t know what to get. Any ideas anon?

Don’t tell anyone, but I can’t whistle.

I’ve accidentally handcuffed myself to a car and then had to remove the car door and go back to camp like that.

I don’t think I’ve ever received a birthday from either of my parents since I was five. It’s the only reason I even know my birthday. Connor hasn’t either, well, kinda, I would get him two gifts up until we came to camp and tell him one was from mom and the other from me, I think he knew but he never said anything.

I once lost a tooth from getting in a fight with Clarissa. But it was okay, I gave her a bloody nose back. After that we became friends.

Up until Percy made sure other gods got their own cabin, I had gone about five years without an actual bed in my cabin.

When Will was first learning to become a healer I was basically his test subject, I got hurt a lot because I was clumsy and stupid. We became pretty good friends from it

Nico might not realize it but Connor and I consider him an honorary child of Hermes and therefore our brother.

My favorite milkshake flavor is strawberry even though I hate strawberries

ACTUALLY I don’t really like milkshakes in general, gotta be in a very specific mood for them. They’re just so Thick, don’t go down the throat easily, kinda hard to suck through a straw

Dark chocolate is the best chocolate for end discussion.

I can’t dance, don’t tell anyone, it’s the real reason why I’m over by the food whenever there’s a party.

I once had a goldfish for an entire week but then someone swallowed it when they grabbed the fishbowl to drink the water because they ate something hot.

I lied earlier. I do have a crush on someone. I just won’t tell you who.

There’s the 50 facts anon. Sorry it took so long, you know how the demigod life is, running for your life, fighting monsters, stealing things.

[rabbitmeals]

why i need to lose weight:

- to get my cholesterol under control. second puberty really do wreck your blood :’(

- SO MAYBE THE PHLEBOTOMIST WILL BE ABLE TO FIND MY VEINS FOR ONCE. IM SO TIRED OF THEM DIGGING AROUND IN BOTH MY ARMS AND EVEN MY HANDS AND STILL NOT GETTING ANYTHING

- to look okay on my passport photo. which i need if i’m ever going to get a nice job out of this country

- to finally get my damn tits chopped off. or better yet, not have to bc i’ll get flat-chested enough to not care.

- to attract a husband. no man wants a fatass

- to actually look professional

- to not have to hide behind my work. i want to be able to stand there proudly at show openings

- to be able to actually dress in my style. have you ever seen a fat goth guy? no? that’s bc they don’t exist

- to not be embarrassed to give the waitress my ugly ass double chin drivers license when she cards me

- to grow out of my “baby face” im not twelve i just have a fat fucking face

- to be able to get in the zone during class and not worry about what i look like to my classmates/professors

- to give myself a pair of pretty hands that i can make asmr videos and art tutorials with. and a pretty face so i can make coffee vlogs too

- to not have to think about the surgeons cutting through layers of fat whenever i get surgeries ever again

- to pass. no amount of t is helping me when i’ve got big meaty thighs and a round face with no jawline

- to be able to go to the gym, hike, or play sports with my friends without being embarrassed

- to go swimming without being embarrassed. my apartment complex has a pool and i just can’t use it bc they don’t allow you to be there in the early morning or late at night

- to start on my tattoo collection. i want a million and i don’t want them to be on fat stretched out skin

- to make it stop hurting :’( fat hurts so much i can’t stand the chafing i can’t stand how the rolls feel when i slouch

- to be loud, flamboyant, and attention grabbing and that’s okay

- to earn their respect. to earn My respect

- to make me worth their time

- to be taken seriously for once in my life

[professorsaber]

McFly July 8. Driver’s License

AO3 is down as of this posting, so I’m retroactively putting this on Tumblr as well—my McFly July entry for the 11th is a sequel to this one, so I want anyone reading that one to have context!

Thursday, March 7, 1996 3:40 PM      

Emmett Brown sat on the sign at the Hill Valley DMV.

Clara hadn’t yet learned how to drive an automobile, and her learner’s permit had almost expired when she woke her husband in the middle of the night and told him she needed to get an actual driver’s license now.

In the subsequent few weeks, he had given her a—no pun intended—crash course in how to drive. She had been a harder student than Marty, which was not only unexpected but almost impossible to believe. Her moods since that night had been incredibly erratic, and she had been prone to snapping at him at seemingly random moments—especially when she was behind the wheel.

It was all very strange.

She had taken the actual, DMV-supervised, behind-the-wheel test twice now. The second time she had done everything right—except when she hit the curb while trying to park the car when the test was over. That had been heartbreaking, even for Emmett. His wife, uncharacteristically, had broken into tears.

The first test was worse. The instructor had grabbed the wheel while a car was passing them in the opposite direction, and flunked her for it. Clara said she was certain there was enough room, and she had nearly—again, uncharacteristically—gotten in a fistfight with the instructor. Emmett had certainly been sympathetic, seeing as he not only trusted his wife’s judgment but had seen the instructor fail every single student she had that day. But he’d been able to convince Clara to drop it.

This was Clara’s third test. And, since the state of California apparently thought everything was baseball, a third failure would mean she’d have to start over from scratch.

He hopped off the sign and began pacing. He checked the watches on both wrists.

“What the hell is taking them so long?” he muttered to himself. He glanced at the payphone hanging by the door. They’d had to wait for an instructor long enough that he’d had to call Jennifer to pick up their children from school. She’d taken them back to the ranch with Marty, but she had to be wondering where they were.

He looked up, and saw his Ford Contour pull into the lot. With bated breath, he watched Clara pull the car expertly into a parking space—and stop three feet short.

Oh no, he thought. She’s failed the test!

Then, Clara turned off the car, got out, and raised her hands in triumph.

“Emmett!” she shouted as she ran to him. “I passed! I passed!”

“Thank goodness!” he said as she pulled him into a hug.

After they’d gotten everything sorted with the DMV, and after Emmett had used the payphone to call his children, Clara had insisted that he be the one to drive them home.

“Sorry,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “I’m suddenly so exhausted.”

“I understand,” he said. “I was so sure you’d failed the test. Because you parked so oddly.”

“I didn’t notice,” she said. She looked out the window. “I’ve been terrible these last few weeks.”

“Oh? I haven’t noticed.”

Clara gave him a look. “Emmett, I owe you an apology. And—oh, lord, pull over!”

Emmett slammed on the brakes. They had stopped along a country road. Clara opened the door, took off her seat belt, and threw up on the side of the road.

“’Mfine,” she said, waving away Emmett’s outreached hand. After some dry heaving, she sat back in her seat. “Sorry.”

“I didn’t realize you were sick.”

“Not sick,” she said. She sighed. “You’ll be glad you’re sitting down for this.”

TO BE CONTINUED ON THE 11TH

End notes:

Yes, to be continued.  Some of you may already know what's happening with Clara, and if you do please let me know if I've handled it insensitively.  But I've never actually ended something on a cliffhanger before, so when I realized I could do that here, I had to do it!

Also, Clara's DMV experience was pulled from mine—except for what's happening with her.

[auxiliarydetective]

Yoooooooo can you write something with Face being hurt / not able to function in any sort of way (you choose) and Kit having to take care of him? Idk if thats the type of stuff you write so if its not feel free to not write this!!

Your wish is my command! I'm not really in an A-Team brainrot right now, but I hope this still turned out good enough.

Face drifted back into the waking world only very slowly. His head was thumping with pain and, to make it even worse, he had no idea where it came from. Same could be said for the pain in his ankle.

“You’re finally awake!”

Kit’s familiar voice made Face open his eyes. He found himself lying in the back of the van, his head cushioned by Kit’s jacket. Kit herself was leaning against one of the seats, watching him with furrowed brows.

“Do you remember anything?” she asked. Her tone was awfully cold, even for her.

“I, uh… No”, Face stammered. He slowly sat up, fighting the dizziness.

“Well, long story short”, Kit sighed, “you and I got into some trouble with some very friendly henchmen. Not the best place for a battle and you were too stupid to defend yourself, so you got pushed off a ledge. Knocked you out cold. I had to carry you back to the van all by myself. - You’re heavy, you know that?”

“I’m not, you just like to complain.”

Kit scoffed at this. She pulled a water bottle from a bag and almost shoved it in his face.

“Drink some water. If you’re drinking you’ve gotta be quiet.”

Face took the bottle and did as he was told. He knew that Kit knew he was right. She liked to complain, it was her main hobby, besides making snarky comments. For a while, Face really was quiet.

“Where are the others?” he finally asked.

“Getting the job done”, Kit said curtly. “They went to chase that Mr Miller out of town.”

“But you didn’t go?” Face remarked with a knowing smile. “You love delivering justice and you stayed here?”

“Hannibal’s orders. Someone had to stay with you.”

“Hannibal’s orders, sure, sure… I think you stayed willingly.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because you care about me, kitten.”

Immediately, Kit’s cheeks flushed red. “Don’t call me that!” she blurted out. “I should’ve just left you there.”

“You couldn’t do that.”

“Shut up. Drink some more water and be quiet.”

Face grinned triumphantly. He liked teasing Kit like this. It was a dangerous game sometimes, but a very fun game. Kit sighed heavily. She moved away from the seats and sat down on the floor next to Face.

“Does anything else hurt?” she asked. “Looked like a nasty fall.”

“Yeah, actually”, Face admitted. “My ankle.”

“Which side?”

“Right.”

Swiftly, Kit crawled to Face’s foot and lifted it into her lap. Then, she started untying his shoe and carefully slid it off. This made Face whimper quietly. What was in Kit’s eyes now was genuine worry. She had been able to hide it before, but now it was very clear.

“That bad?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

No accusing him of whining, nothing. Kit pulled off Face’s sock and grimaced. His ankle had turned a nasty combination of green, purple and blue.

“We’re going to see a doctor”, Kit declared.

She gently put his foot back on the floor and headed for the driver’s seat.

“Wait, hang on”, Face cut in, “are you seriously trying to steal B.A.’s van right now?”

“I’m not stealing it, I’m borrowing it.”

“Yeah, but it’s B.A.’s van. He doesn’t let anyone else drive it for a million dollars. If you drive this thing, you’re dead. - Besides, Kit: You can’t drive.”

“I can drive!” Kit protested. “I just don’t have a license.”

“If you don’t have a license, you can’t drive.”

“What are you, the police?”

“No, but if the police catch you driving B.A.’s van without a license… Let’s just say B.A. won’t be very happy.”

Kit let out an annoyed sigh and got off the driver’s seat again. “Fine”, she scoffed. “He took the keys with him anyway.”

After a few seconds of staring at Face’s foot, Kit pulled out the van’s first aid kit. She settled back into having his foot in her lap.

“Tell me where it hurts”, she said, then started pressing her fingers in various places across his foot.

He didn’t need to say anything after all. Wincing when she found the correct spot turned out to be enough. In silence, Kit applied an ointment to the spot, then wrapped the entire foot in a bandage.

“There. That should be enough until the others get back and we can get you to a doctor.”

Face smiled. “Thanks, Kit.”

“Don’t mention it.”

For a while, they just sat in silence, awkwardly staring at each other because Kit hadn’t moved from keeping Face’s foot in her lap. Probably for elevation purposes.

“Do you have any stories to tell?” Face finally asked.

“Stories?” Kit echoed. “What kind of stories?”

“Well, y’know, you’ve been with a travelling circus for a while. There’s got to be some interesting things that happened, right?”

A good thirty seconds went by with Kit sitting there staring into nothingness. But then, a smirk crossed her lips. Face loved that smirk. It wasn’t the mean smirk she sometimes had but the genuinely happy one.

“Well”, Kit started, “there was this one time we were in Nevada. We had just finished setting up our wagons and wanted to get started on the tent when…”

[thehumanexperience8b]

September 7th, 2024: GOOD MORNING WORLD!

Hey guys!! I know it’s been sooo long since posting… The last time I posted something normal was May 1st showing off the baby leaves on my maple tree! Now it’s September 7th and the leaves are falling off the trees. I decided it was time to return and give a LIFE UPDATE!! It’s 3 o’clock in the morning so that’s probably why I have so much energy! 

So, important news! I graduated high school, and moved onto college! It’s a nice community college a few towns over, and I’ve been able to drive there all by myself! Yep, that’s right I got my official driver’s license! I don’t have my own car though… and I lost my job; but that’s okay because we’re working things out. I finally got my FIRST PHONE that actually makes calls! And even a laptop for college that I already put stickers on... I also have my own bank account and made $50 on Snapchat last night so I wanted to go to HOBBY LOBBY but the closest one is in Rhode Island… so I don’t think so! But I’ve been feeling sooo FESTIVE and I just NEED more autumn stuff-- the autumn equinox is on the 22nd this year! I’ve also been getting more into paganism and spending lots of time thinking and reading about magick, which is something I found hard to find time to do! My school has a big library and you can just… GO INSIDE and you don’t have to ask for anyone’s permission; you can also just WALK OUT OF THE BUILDING and don’t get chased down by security! 

So it turns out I might have ADHD, and I only found out because you need proof of diagnosis to get disability accommodations for class so I was gonna try and get a diagnosis for funsies so I can stop having mental breakdowns in math class, but instead my therapist said I might ACTUALLY have it so now I have an upcoming appointment with a psychiatrist. Thursday morning, the day of my second day of algebra class, I decided I had enough and I was going to change my major and get out of math class once and for all. Even though having to quit pursuing environmental science is heartbreaking. I stomp my way down to the “guided pathways” office and make an emergency get-together with an advisor. That day I dropped the class to exchange it for regional geography!! How fun, I love geography! I’ve never felt better about school. 

My mama told me this winter is gonna be hard because the state is cutting $300 off my dad’s disability check, so we won’t have any extra money. But that’s okay, because I already lost 6 pounds this month from cutting out sugar and too many snacks! Well there’s just so many things I wanna talk about, I will have to write them down and make new posts about them! I’ll definitely try to update you more frequently because I love my blog and I love writing!

Don’t have a good day, have a GREAT DAY!!

[marlettpines]

I just need to vent a bit

Tw: car accident mention.

So here's a series of events.

At 16, my mom tells me I should get a driver's license and that my step-dad will teach me over the summer break. Okay, cool.

No one explains to me how that works until the summer is over and no driving lessons happen. When I ask why, I'm told 'well, you never read the driver manual'.

I thought it was going to work like a textbook in class, where we read a bit, practice a thing in the manual, read some more, and so on. Again, up until this point, all I knew about getting my license was that I was legally able to start practicing driving, and at a certain point, there would be a test that I have to pass to get my license.

Throughout the rest of my high school career, it becomes obvious that even if I DID have a license, it wouldn't be possible for me to actually USE it. At any given moment, neither of the household vehicles would be accessible to me. Plus, my city allows students to use public transport for free, so I just didn't see the point.

Anyway, after graduation, I move in with my bio-dad and continue using public transport to get to and from work. His car breaks down, so he goes to buy a new one, bringing me along to 'make sure we pick a car that the whole family likes' (looking back, I think he really only brought me along to use me).

He finds a car for $3500 and decides to buy in cash. Using my money.

He promises to pay me back, and that the car will be mine one day, once he gets a vehicle of his own. Good deal, I think.

We move cities, and the car breaks down after 5 months.

A family friend gifts us an old car, which breaks down within 3 months.

Same family friend gifts us a SECOND car, which is an absolute trooper, tbh. This is a Buick Sedan.

My Uncle offers to pay for driving lessons, so I head off to drive school, which is mostly online, due to Covid. I get 6 hours drive time with the school, everything else must be done at home. All the people I can drive with are either

A) Too busy

B) Extremely anxious/extremely road-ragey

I do not obtain my license at this point.

My father's behavior declines from neglectful to outright abusive, and I move in with my Uncle, who gives me one year to move out.

I find a full-time job and work my butt off, saving every penny I can. In the meantime, he practices driving with me. He tells me I need to be more confident, but I am doing so SO well, and I'm a great driver!

Hooray!

Except, then I make a mistake. I turn right on a red light (which is legal, and actually very common where I live). Nothing happens, no one is hurt, no vehicles are damaged, and we proceed with the drive like normal.

Once we get back to the house, all previous praise immediately dissolves, and Uncle tells me I am simply 'not ready' to get my license. He refuses to drive with me anymore because I 'ran a red light', which 'absolutely mortified' him.

I spend the rest of the year riding my black bicycle to work in the dark in an area with no sidewalk, bike lane, or street lights.

I get my own apartment and move out, continuing to bike to work. When I need groceries, I ask a friend to take me to the store. It's not great. It's not ideal, but it works.

I do keep moving forward with my license, first practicing with my mom, and then my step-dad.

I get a better job offer in another city. One that's too far to bike to, so I use this as motivation to finally get my license.

I got my license about 2 weeks ago. I bought a beautiful little Prius using my savings, and brought her home the day before Halloween.

Everything is going great!

I drive to a friend's house a week later, and we talk about how great things are going! I've elevated my adult freedoms. I'm starting a new job with fantastic career opportunities. I have a car that I absolutely love.

We talk about how I've worked so. Hard. To get here, and how it was all worth it.

And then.

And then, on my way home, I get T-boned. No one is hurt, but my car...

My lovely Domino's passenger side airbags all go off. Her back passenger door is crumpled in on itself, and idk if they're going to be able to save her.

My insurance company hasn't finished the evaluation, or determined fault yet. They also don't cover rental vehicles.

I start my new job tomorrow morning, and I have no vehicle, and no money to buy a new vehicle. I bought the Prius with the intention of keeping her for the long-haul. I planned to baby her, keep her for 10 years or more.

I had her for one. Week. Exactly.

I am just. So tired. I feel like giving up.

I worked so freaking hard for YEARS to do this, and it's all gone in an instant. In the months leading up to this, I was dreaming about the adventures I'd have in my car. We were going to go to the beach, travel the US and see all the National Parks, collecting a pin/sticker from each one, maybe drive up to Canada, or down to Mexico! Finally make use of that Passport I've had for 5 years! I put together a watercolor palette and bought a sketchbook SPECIFICALLY to use on our travels!

Domino and I were going to do SO MUCH together.

And now she might be gone before we even got the chance.

None of this even feels real. It's almost like I just DREAMED I had a car. But I know I didn't make it up, because I have pictures, and I have her paperwork, and my actual card license came in the mail last night.

Honestly, I'm heartbroken. I'm not sure how to move forward now. Obviously, keep working with the insurance company and stuff, but like.

I keep giving my all, and my all keeps not being good enough.

[la-appel-du-vide]

08•11•23 - Nashville, Beach Bach Day 1

Day One

We knew this was going to be a full and exhausting weekend, but it is somehow still surprising to me how jam-packed it was. It didn't help that Beach was in Lake Powell until the day we left, meaning we had to take a later flight than I wanted, plus there weren't any direct flights at that time. But it was her party, of course, so we worked around it. Kena decided to go out early, to be there longer and spend time with an old friend. I get it, but it did suck that she didn't come with us, because she missed the big reveal. Beach obviously knew we were going, and knew we were flying somewhere, but I didn't want her to know where it was going to be until we got to the airport. So of course it would have been more fun to do that together. But don't worry, I made the most of it. When Beach got to my house, I first gave her her sweatshirt for the weekend. Hers was white and said "Here comes the bride" on the back, with a cute little ring icon. Kena and I got maroon ones, trying to match the wedding colors, that say "Here comes the party" on the back, with a disco ball icon. I figured it would be the perfect way to kick things off, and a great plane outfit. Meanwhile, Kena was already in Nashville, and having a really hard time getting into the Airbnb. The hosts weren't responding, we didn't have the codes, and it was a little scary for a minute. I was dealing with that, while trying to pack and realizing that I couldn't find my driver's license - which is obviously a huge problem when you're planning to be in bars all weekend. So it was chaotic and stressful for a bit, but everything panned out. I found my ID, I got everything packed in time, and Kena was eventually able to get in to the Airbnb. Problems solved.

When we got to the airport, I made Beach sit to the side while I got checked in, so that I could do a more dramatic reveal. I was nervous that she had suspected Nashville, so I'd been trying to throw her off for awhile, by telling her lies about what the weather would be like, and things like that. So when I did decide to do the reveal, it came to me last second to play it like Atlanta (which was our layover) was our final destination. I had her close her eyes, then I handed her the Atlanta ticket. She actually did seem excited, despite what a random, weird choice that was, although she did say she'd always heard about "Atlantic City" being a great time hahaha. I was dying. I had to inform her that that is different from Atlanta. But then I gave her the real ticket, and that was even more fun. Even though she'd been suspicious, she was super excited, and so was I! It didn't take long before we were on the first plane and on our way. It didn't leave until midnight, so I was super exhausted after a long work day especially, but I still didn't sleep all that well. We didn't get to sit together, and I always hate that, but oh well. We do what we have to do I guess. After a quick layover, we flew the last hour out to Nashville, where Kena picked us up and we were ready to start our busy day!

We made a stop at Walgreens so Kena could get some supplies for her first (which really was falling apart, and super gross), and then went back to the Airbnb to get ready for day one! Despite the trouble, the Airbnb was super cute, modern, and comfortable. We were really happy with it. Day one's theme was "Last Hoe Down" - meaning, dress like a cowgirl. Everyone killed day one outfits! We looked GOOD if I say so myself. I had printed out our itinerary for the week, and covered each line with a thin sheet of paper, so that Beach could reveal one activity at a time. First up? Brunch at Stateside Kitchen! It was fun to drive through downtown Nashville for the first time. Stateside Kitchen was an adorable place, and a great start. Kena and I split a breakfast burrito and an omelet, and while the burrito was my personal favorite, everything was great.

Next, we headed over to American Paint. I was super excited about this one! We got to make our own, authentic cowgirl hats. You pick a hat base, decide what wraps, charms, and feathers you want on it, put custom burn marks or stitching in, decide how to shape the brim, and can even add branding! It was hard for me to make decisions, since I'm super indecisive, but I had a blast. I went with a traditional brown hat, burned it up good to make it darker, left it's original leather wrap and clothespin on it, added some fabric wraps, added a small letter A charm, and then had them brand a small flower on the back. It turned out so good - and so did Beach's and Ken's! We all did something very different, and that's what made it so fun. We noticed Five Daughters Bakery next door, and even though we were supposed to stop there Sunday morning, it made sense to just try it while we were already right there. So that's what we did! We all tried a doughnut and specialty soda. It was good, but not my all-time favorite for sure.

We made a visit over to Centennial Park, for some pictures with the iconic Parthenon, and to see the bench that the Mayor built and dedicated to Taylor Swift when she was in town for the Eras tour. That's because the first line of invisible string says, "Green was the color of the grass where I used to read at Centennial Park." So the bench says, "For Taylor Swift - a bench for you to read on at Centennial Park - Welcome home, Nashville." Too cute! We made Beach play a game where we'd play a song related to the next activity and see if she could guess it. So we played her Invisible String, and she guessed things like "greenery" (lols), yogurt shops, bookstores... she claims she said the park, but she sure didn't hahah. She also probably didn't know that Centennial Park was in Nashville before, but it's just like Central Park in NYC. Nashville is HUMID, and we know how I feel about that. Pictures were so hot. We were all absolutely dripping sweat out on the grass. It got more tolerable when we went up into the Parthenon columns, but still. Hot, hot, hot - but beautiful. And the pictures were worth it.

Then it was time to cool off at dinner, and the restaurant was Hampton Social! It was so, so cute. I can't get over how everything in Nashville is just so girly, and decorated, and artsy. It is SUCH a bachelorette party destination, and they are just everywhere! I loved that is felt like our own little Barbie world. Everyone was so sweet to each other, and it made it feel more safe hahah. Beach fell asleep on our way over there, and who could blame her? We really had to rally all day long, despite being so tired. Dinner was great- especially the mac and cheese!!! Ugh, I loved it. It was more like cheese tortellini in a creamy cheese sauce, and I was obsessed. We had a great view of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, and Nissan Stadium.

Beach's next clue was the song, "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." She obviously guessed a Thunder Down Under type of show, but we messed with her telling her she was off, and guiding her in random, fake ways to get her all turned around. But really, it was Cowboylesque! Nashville's favorite bachelorette party show! This ended up being Beach's favorite part of the whole trip. It really was a blast. The men were hot, shirtless cowboys in blue jeans, the music was mostly country favorites, and there was even some comedy and singing as part of the show! While I think the Thunder Down Under men were more attractive, I liked this show better because they spent a lot of time out interacting with the crowd, rather than always pulling people up on stage. So everyone got more personalized attention hahah. It's just so fun.

The rest of the night was just dedicated to getting wild on Broadway! We started at Nashville Underground where we could ride a mechanical bull - a must-do for the bride if you're going to be in Nashville, especially if your bride is Beach haha. It was confusing trying to figure out where to buy a pass and where to wait in line, but we made it, and we all got two chances. Beach went first of course, and she killed it. On my turn, I was very nervous, but it went ok! I held on so tight that it hurt my finger and bruised my inner thighs, but I did better than I expected. I did make it at least 8 seconds the first time hahah.

Broadway was similar to the Strip, but smaller and more compact. It feels SO CROWDED, because there are less places to spread out. It might have been the heat, but I've never had so many people throwing up all around me. The smell was pretty horrific at times hahah. Vegas feels SO clean in comparison. We went over to Jason Aldean's and had to wait in line for a hot minute even to get in the door. But it was like that for every bar. What's fun about bar hopping in Nashville is that it's free to get in, and there is always live music. We hung around Jason Aldean's for awhile because there was a cute girl performing cover songs, and it was such a vibe. We went up to the rooftop bar, which was also a miserable experience waiting in a huge line, and sweating to death, where Beach had her first Broadway drinks, and Kena attemped (but completely failed) doing a shot. That video of Kena ended up being one of Beach's favorite things hahah. We made our way over to Luke Bryan's side and hung out for a bit, and then went down and across the street to Ole Red's - which is actually Blake Shelton's bar. We hung out there for awhile, and Beach got a little trashed by the end of that one, so we decided to call it a night and head back. I was able to find the car, which is a miracle, and then I drove back to the hotel. Beach was just going off about so many topics - she never stopped talking. She texted Jason how important she was in her sash and hat about 6 times, and her favorite topics of discussion in the car were how responsible she was, and how much she loved us. She did try to plug her seatbelt into a soda can opening for quite some time, so that's silly. She wanted to navigate us home, which would not have been possible in her state, but she could see the maps on my phone hanging on the dashboard. She was looking at it, and asked how long until we were back. It said 1 minute, and I knew she could clearly see that, so I said, "20 minutes." But apparently, she was not registering what she was seeing, because she was shocked by that. She asked if we could stop at a gas station so she could use the bathroom, and I said sure. Obviously, we pulled up to the hotel right after, and she was blown away by how fast the 20 minutes had passed haha.

When we pulled in to the parking garage, it was nearly full. I was scared to park the car in the one remaining space, because it was so tight. Kena said she could do it, because she felt fine, so I got out and let her. I'm not sure if the small amount of alcohol she'd consumed affected her, or what else it was, but she proceeded to run right into the car next to us, and then into the wall. That was an unfortunate part of the day. It had all gone so well up to that point. Beach was wandering around the parking lot at this point, since she couldn't get into the building without us, so we decided to take her upstairs and come back to deal with it. We took some cleaner down with us, and Kena was able to get all of the black paint marks off of their white car. It had left a small dent, but she didn't want to leave a note and didn't think it was that noticeable. I claim no part of her decisions. Luckily for me, she rented the car. So if they notice any damage to ours, that's on her. There was a bachelor group in the garage when we went down again, in the same situation. One friend was not doing well, and was throwing up RIGHT in front of us. Lovely. We went back upstairs, and I couldn't have been more excited to shower. I had been sweating ALL day, and my clothes were so uncomfortable at that point, and I was ready for BED. We tried to get Beach to shower, but she was already passed out. I got some of her uncomfortable clothes off and left her there for the night. After I went to bed, I woke up to running water at like 3 AM. I went out to see what was going on, and the bathroom faucet was just running. I turned it off, and went to check on Beach, and she was just standing behind her door. She told me she didn't feel good, and was going to go sit in the bathroom for awhile. I told her not to leave the water running, and then called it a night and went to sleep. So yes, definitely a rough ending to an otherwise perfect day.

[seafoamchild]

i am so exhausted. i got back from ecuador more than a week ago and then went straight back to work, and it's just been Go Go Go ever since. today is finally my day off and i want to do absolutely nothing. yesterday i worked a double while the winter storm was going on, so no one came out and i barely made any money in a 12 hour day. but oh well. i got to hang out and drink with my friends at least.

ecuador was a really eventful trip. it's hard to describe. i felt so happy there - to be traveling again, and trying new foods, and speaking spanish with a level of fluency i didn't even realize i had. i felt so cared for by all the people around me. i don't know, i just felt like people were looking out for me and were genuinely curious about me. one of my favorite memories was taking a taxi from ambato to baños because i couldn't find the right bus, and the taxi driver picked up his son and then we all talked for the whole 90 minute drive. just getting to know each other and stuff. it was so wholesome. they bought me a sugar cane juice and took pictures of me standing in front of the entrance to baños. it was so nice to find connection with strangers like that.

and i loved my horseback riding day, too. it was just me and the guide. we rode our horses up into the cloud forest and it was so mystical and fun. we talked so much. he used to work in restaurants too, so we bonded over that. we just talked and talked and talked as he showed me all these beautiful moss-covered trees in the forest. i was able to have somewhat complex conversations for five hours in spanish! i am so proud of myself. i've never taken a real spanish class. i literally just learned an entire language on my own and i worked really hard to do so. and i did it!! i actually did it!

i went rock climbing in baños and it was incredibly challenging. i really didn't think i would make it. but i did! my second time climbing outdoors! it was a beautiful place, all green and lush with a little bit of rain. my guide was really encouraging and sweet. he bought me a sugar cane juice too and kissed me on the cheek when we said goodbye. and then i went paragliding, which was just really relaxing and not scary in the least. i wish i could have stayed up there longer, hanging out in the sky and looking down at all the little farm animals.

i rode a bike down this road full of waterfalls in the distance. it felt really freeing. and the big waterfall at the end was fun too - it was really touristy and there were tons of people there, but that made it fun somehow, like it was a big party. i also stumbled upon this random museum with the worst taxidermy i've ever seen and it cracked me up, i spent so long in the taxidermy room just looking at everything. it was fun. and i went to the hot springs too.

so i also got attacked by dogs when i was hiking along quilotoa lake, and then after baños i got mugged while i was getting into an uber and got my phone, passport, and wallet stolen. so i had to deal with that and go to the embassy and get my parents to wire money to random people i met and stuff. that was annoying. but it makes a hell of a story. when i tell people that though, it overshadows the fact that the trip was actually really fun and i was really happy for most of it. like i went to mindo after i got my new passport and it was so nice to just go birdwatching and walk around in the forest and see waterfalls and eat chocolate and stuff. i met a lot of fun people in the hostels and on my tours and it was nice to just meet travelers again.

it sucks that i got mugged and it's been so draining coming back and immediately having to work and then dealing with getting a new drivers license and insurance card and filing insurance claims and collecting receipts and stuff and using a ziploc bag as a wallet. and i've been socializing a lot too. i hung out with charlotte, whose ex owes her 12 grand, and liz, whose mom died suddenly. everyone is going through some shit. i hung out with coworkers tonight and it was honestly draining, they spent almost the entire time bitching about work and gossiping about this person and that person and how you can't trust this person and that person is a snake and this person did this petty thing and i just wanted to scream YOU GUYS!!! let's talk about ANYTHING else. i think i'm realizing that a lot of my coworkers are petty and love drama and that's all they talk about. it's toxic.

i'm thinking about the bigger picture of my life and it's still hard to make out. but traveling again reminded me that i love to travel and i love trying new things and i love telling stories. traveling has given me so many crazy stories and i love telling them and making people laugh and adding humor to my misfortunes. like THAT'S what i wish i could do for a job. i should write more. i'm good at it but i'm out of practice. if i could figure out how to write about my travels somehow in some cohesive manner, i think that would be a fun project for me. i don't know. for now i'm just stacking money and trying to have fun, but i'm tired. i've been tired for a long time. the past year has been a LOT. i went through two breakups, went crazy from depression twice, got my car stolen, flew off my bike into a brand new lexus, got attacked by dogs, got mugged, etc. i'm building character i guess lol. but i don't want to be so exhausted anymore.

[wastefulreverie]

“no one has brown eyes in amity park”

The DMV just outside of Amity Park was a small, red-bricked building with poor air conditioning and a waiting room full of broken chairs. Eva stood by the wall, stiff, waiting with her uncle for the results of her driver's permit test. After almost twenty minutes, the woman at the counter called her name and she followed her uncle with bated breath.

Oh God, what if she didn't pass? Then she would have to wait and take it again and she wouldn't be able to get her license when she turned sixteen and she'd be the last of the A-Listers to drive and—!

"You passed," the woman said. "You were one point from failing."

Her uncle clapped her on the back. "See, I told you it would be fine."

The woman at the counter began entering in more information into the computer, having her sign a few papers here and there. She paused on the question about organ donation—sending a pang through her heart. It hadn’t been more than three months since her mom passed. Died on the list for a new liver.

Her uncle’s eyes softened in understanding. “Eva, you don’t have to—”

“Yes,” she hissed. “Yes. I’ll do it.”

The rest of the questions were standard.

"Height?"

"Five-four."

"Weight?"

"One-hundred fifty."

"Eye color?"

"Brown."

The woman stopped typing and looked up from the screen. She met Eva’s gaze with her own light teal eyes.

"Pardon?"

"I have brown eyes?"

"What, so you wear colored contacts?"

"Uh, no. My natural eyes are brown. The most common eye color?"

The woman blinked a few times before turning back to the keyboard. She squinted at the screen, a little put off.

"How strange," she murmured. "Brown eyes."

Later, she left the DMV with a temporary paper driver's permit in her wallet. Her hair was frizzier than she'd like because of the heat and her pupils were constricted from the camera flash, almost lost to her caramel-colored irises.

—

Her uncle needed his eyes dilated. She couldn’t remember what for, but she was more than eager to get more experience behind the wheel.

She found a chair near the corner of the waiting room and settled down with her phone.

One of the optometrists walked through the waiting room and stopped in front of her. His brow furrowed in confusion.

Had something gone wrong with the dilation? How did someone mess that up?

“Um,” he said, “I couldn’t help but notice your eyes.”

She raised a brow. “Aren’t you an eye doctor?”

“Yes. Well, I mean—” he stopped “—I noticed your eye color. It’s peculiar. Is it real?”

“You’re asking if my brown eyes are real?” she said slowly. It wasn’t the first time she’d gotten a comment like that in Amity Park and it was starting to weird her out. No one in her old town had spared a second thought about her eyes. “Yeah. They’re real.”

He paled. “I’m sorry if that was a rude question. I just, I’ve been working here for almost two decades now. I don’t see many people with brown eyes.”

“How’s that? It’s the most common eye color.”

His lips formed a straight line. “Maybe outside. Amity Park is different, though. I had a patient eight—maybe nine—years ago. He moved here from Vermont. His eyes were brown too, the first time he came in for an appointment. I saw him a year after that, and his eyes had faded to hazel green.”

“And this was an adult?”

He nodded. “The strangest part was that he didn’t remember. Insisted his eyes had always been hazel green. Spooked out all of us.”

“I just moved here a few months ago,” she admitted, a little shaken. “That won’t happen to me, will it?”

The optometrist shrugged. “Stranger things have happened in Amity Park.”

His phone went off and he fumbled for it, swearing.

“I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

He ran out of the waiting room, giving Eva far more than she would like to think about.

—

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Eva’s uncle let her drive them both to the DMV. They got breakfast on the way there, sharing fast food breakfast sandwiches in the parking lot.

When it came to the actual driving test, she passed with flying colors. She adjusted her mirrors and her seat, buckled up, drove a circle around the DMV, checked her blind spot before she merged lanes, and showed the instructor she could parallel park.

When she went inside to officialize her license—her actual, full-fledged driver’s license!—the woman at the counter confirmed all her information. She’d gained an inch in the past half-year and she insisted she was still the same weight, even though she was a good five pounds heavier. Although, what confused her was her eye color.

She frowned at the “BRN” stamped on her permit.

“My eyes are green, though.”

The woman at the counter hummed. “Must be an error. I’ll change it.”

“Hm. Yeah,” Eva eyed her photo from her learner’s permit on the counter, bright green eyes and all, “don’t know how I didn’t notice it before.”