[ Despite of the railway cutting through the green, this part of Ankata was actually quiet beautiful. Large, mossy trees grew thickly on either side of the track, their manmade demarcation creating almost a corridor effect. Overhead, their branches strained toward each other. Another decade and the whole clearing would be blanketed in shade.

Unfortunately, the closest Jake gets to appreciating any of that is when he bitterly scans their surroundings for a good throwing rock. ]

Egged you on!? [ It's impressive how even as a human, Jake somehow manages to growl. ] --I mean, whatever, maybe in the end, but come on. You freaked out over a joke. You're still freaking out over a joke! You're too old to be this bonkers sensitive, man!

[ Jake stretches his hand into a fleshy megaphone, which does nothing to amplify the sound of his voice but a lot to unsettle. ]

Newsflash, homie: nobody cares if you like guys!