Step up !

         ╰ · 𝘹 › HE COULD NOT believe that the young girl in front of him was actually talking back to him. it was as if none of the parents here in sunnyside had done quite good enough of a job parenting their children. they were all disrespectful, crude and inconsiderate. and that, was the sole reason that hook would remain alone his whole life. children were only nuisances that grew up to be assholes. “ you have a lot of nerve talking to me like that, muttonfudge. didn’t anyone ever teach you to respect your elders? or anyone for that matter? “ he laughed sarcastically, shaking his head. “ of course not. you children have no respect. boarding school. that’s where all of you should have been sent the minute you were old enough. “ he shook his prosthetic hand as he spoke, pacing the hard wood deck as he spoke. 

Unfazed by Hook’s little diatribe, Taff remarks back unperturbed. “I guess that’s bark then.” A small, taunting grin curves along the corners of her lips only to be swept off by his next jab. “Oh! Right. Because abandoning your kid is so easy, right? We’re just inconveniences you can’t wait to rid yourself off.” There’s a higher pitch to her voice, a bitter sort of sarcasm spilling over. That deep rooted problem marginally awakening within its encaged chambers. And with a fierce fire she spits back. “is that what your parents did with your grumpy ass?”

Though there was no bone or muscle in his body even doubting to move from his chair at the alarming message, Felix tried to stay collected and keep it cool. He knew he could get a little overbearing, especially around his favourite Sunnyside sugar sweets. “Hey laffy taffy, what kind of help you’re looking for?” She’d called him on his personal phone, after all, so it was easier to detect who was calling rather than why. Then he did the most stupid thing one could do - he took a guess. “Is it a school thing? No wait, school ended - did someone call ya mean names because I will call their parents for ya right this instant or, or… is it a girls thing? Gosh no, you wouldn’t call me for that, I reckon. Uh,” He couldn’t stop the doom scenarios from racing past him though as he lost his cool and let the questions roll out before Taffyta got as much as a chance to explain herself. “Is it a medical thing? Are ya hurt? Do I need to come over right now because I am putting on my jacket as we speak alrighty, everythin’ will be fine.” Okay, he had officially lost his cool.

The nickname, given to taff at one point by the always chipper man, earned its usual eyeroll. No matter how often she’d proclaim or remark on it cynically, it stuck. But before she could even utter out a single syllable, felix appeared to sweep on. His rant an agitatedly long string of questions with seemingly no pause in between them. Drawing her lips together within a thin line, emerald eyes fluttering closed in irritation, taff waits until he’s finished. Her head shaking slightly and her patience thin. “Are you finished? Or should I hold?” Sarcasm drips off her tongue in a heap. Her demeanor changes swiftly, though, as she finally reveals her troubles.  “ It’s my car. I... It broke down and I.. can’t get her back up running again.” There’s a soft sort of hesitance that stems from admitting defeat. 

*:･ 𝘹 open starter

╰ · 𝘹 › james hook was not the kind of person that enjoyed festivals, or anything really. the town was already obnoxiously ‘ too much ‘ for him, now it was even more unbearable. even the usually quite harbor was crowded with townsfolk, ready to celebrate the ungodly heat of summer. it seemed that no matter how tightly he looked his cabin doors, no matter how loudly he played his 80′s rock, he couldn’t drown out the sounds of happiness. laughter and the scent of fresh food filled the air and finally drew the reclusive man up onto the deck of the jolly roger. standing there, arms crossed over his chest, the titanium from his prosthetic hand shining in the sun. “ believe it or not, this is a residential area so if you could maybe … keep it down? and don’t even think about making me ask again. “

@sunnysidestarters

It seemed entirely ironic. The fast changing tides of this town’s sentiment towards the disappearance of a claimed ‘beloved’. While utter shock had assumed just a week ago, over the news of new evidence, it appeared altogether to be forgotten with the summer heat blazing. Taffyta, thudded along the side of the water, her toes bare and paddling through the liquid, watched as the festival activities continued in a blur of excitement. Her friends had suggested cooling off, the pure blue glistening of the sea perfect for their proposition. She, however had backed out with a quick lie. Because truth of the matter was, Taff, little miss ‘i want to be good at everything’ couldn’t swim. Not that anyone ever needed to know of course. The rough sound of a voice piercing through the laughter and music has her flutter up her lashes. “I’m quaking.” Deadpans taff, her sarcasm always a little too swift to rear its head. ”Are you gonna follow up on that threat, hook? Or is your bark still worse than your bite?”

“Ya right, I honestly don’t know why I was expectin’ anythin’ different from a guy.” Roxanne huffed before her face lit up. “Would ya really let me borrow somethin’? I can’t go around town lookin’ like this.”

“They’re --remarkable beings that we have yet to comprehend.” Her tone edges on playfully snarky and her features dissolve to a grin. “Sure. I mean it’s no big deal.”

{ @sunnysidestarters }

“Ugh!” Roxanne stared down at her skirt, which was covered in coffee, and stopped trying to pat the napkin against the stain. Her eyebrows pinched together and she threw her hands up in exasperation. “This guy had the audacity to blame me for runnin’ into him–causin’ him to spill coffee all over me–and then try to flirt with me instead of apologizin’! Can you believe that someone can be so vain and oblivious?!”

Her own starbucks cup in hand, Taff peers down at the stain splattered skirt. “I mean, they’re guys, so.” The audacity of men is astonishing, yet no longer surprising. Scrunching up her nose, her hues flutter up to meet her companions in light compassion. “I have a skirt like that if you wanna go get changed. My apartment is down the block. It’s really not that far.”

A frustrated growl, soft and high pitched, seemed to travel with the dreary summer air. Following the sound was the defeated thud of Taffyta leaning against the hood of her car. Her blonde locks fluttering within the wind and her green hues rolling to the back of her lids. While it didn’t happen often, ‘Pink Lightning’ had stuttered and croaked until finally breaking down in the middle of nowhere. And Taff, usually fine handling some tools, couldn’t fix it. Her arrogance had driven the sporty GT to its final point, and her pride now had her stuck on the side of the road. She stayed like that for a little while; Agitated, determined to figure it out herself. Until finally, with a sigh, she dialed the only one who could fix anything, anywhere. “I need your help.”

“With modifications eh?” Thomas laughed, shaking his head. “And that’s just to keep up with your normal bike? Jesus, I guess ‘m not challenging you gals to a race any time soon.” He teased. “Do you work on your bikes yourself or do you have a garage you go to?” He wondered curiously.

Her grin lingers, the sparkle within her green hues twinkling. “I mean, you could always try.” Taffyta coaxes. Her nose scrunching up, cutely. “We’ll go easy on you.” Adds she, teasingly. “Both. But I usually work with them if I do go.”

Thomas arched his brows, chuckling a little and shaking his head. “Join the Sugar Racers? You gals would leave me in the dust. Hell, I’d thank ya for it.” He chuckled, shaking his head as he pushed a hand through his short hair. “Think she could go as fast as one of yours?”

His admission has her grin. Rosy lips flush and curved in a mischievous and knowing way, her lashes fluttering downwards for a second. “I don’t know. I mean, she’s a Harley, right? Maybe with some modification she could almost keep up with my normal bike.”

@sunnysidestarters

Though Thomas did love walking around town or hopping rides off the backs of trucks, even he had to admit that it’d be nice to have his own ride. Now that he had the dirty money to afford it, he found himself at a local dealership a few weeks prior, taking riding classes and working on earning his license. Now he could ride his new to him Harley wherever he wanted. He smirked to himself as he pulled up onto the curb, loving the looks and the attention he was getting. He took off his sunglasses and helmet, catching eyes with someone and flashing a playful wink. “You goin’ my way?” He asked playfully, gesturing towards his new bike. “Whatcha think?”

It’s the sweet sound of an engine, demanding to be heard as it roars through the street that captures her attention. And, as it pulls to a stop, Taffyta allows her lips to curve just slightly. “Sweet ride.” She admits, stepping closer. Her green hues fluttering up to meet the man’s. “You should uh, come join us sometimes. See how fast she really goes.”