#ch.009

[every-kakashi]

[skysaunter]

𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐏𝐈𝐍 : : 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐒. verse affiliated with: @techniiciian @tapalslegacy

nowadays, anakin skywalker can be found at his new york restaurant, azure angel. here, amidst the clinking of glasses and the murmurs of the elite, anakin presents himself as a simple businessman with a passion for cars and hell-bent on spreading the taste of his late mother’s cooking. but beneath this façade lies a man known by a different moniker—VADER: the widowed mechanic turned automotive tycoon, restaurateur, UNDERWORLD KINGPIN, ARMS TRAFFICKER, CONTRABAND DEALER, EXTORTIONIST, and COLD-BLOODED MURDERER.

[walkingshcdow]

@storyandscng | Anna and the Good Omens duo

Someone had once given Anna the impression that rent across the pond was cheaper. They might have said "healthcare" or "public transit" or something else entirely. What they said and what Anna's impression was were totally separate things. As it was, she was renting a room on this cute, little street in London. Her proprietor sold instruments, so he didn't mind her singing half as much as her roommates (or, as people here called them, flatmates) back in New York had. There was a cute coffee shop down the way called Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death, which, honestly, sounded reasonable. There was also a lovely bookstore that seldom seemed to be open run by the kind of man who looked like someone's very gay medieval literature professor. Parked along the street, just out of sight from the bookshop, was a Bentley.

Look. Anna didn't know a lot about cars. She grew up in New York City. Cars were as mystical to her as dragons were to other people. She was fascinated by its shiny, black finish that gleamed despite it being parked in the street. She daydreamed about riding in such a nice car, preferably through the countryside with the windows down and a breeze blowing through her hair. It looked like a car utterly at odds with her musical theatre training and she wondered what kind of music played in it and what kind of man (it was probably a man who owned it, right?) owned it. Santiago would have loved it. He might even have been willing to trade his motorcycle for a Bentley. She took a picture of the car once to send to him. He'd responded hours later with more excitement about the car than he responded about most anything. She didn't know how it was that he didn't notice as she most certainly did that there was a redheaded man in sunglasses, sleeping crampedly in the driver's seat. She assumed he had just drank too much at Justine's restaurant the night previous and didn't dare drive home. But this morning she saw him resting again. She didn't have a lot in this world - teaching voice in SoHo only made so much money - but she had enough to buy him an extra coffee and a scone from the coffee shop.

And, look, she didn't want to be rude and wake him, but men didn't scare Anna anymore. Maybe before she'd worked in an illegal detective agency for a werewolf, she would have had one hand on her pepper spray. Probably not, though. She didn't have enough hands for coffee, scones, knocking on the window, and pepper spray, after all.

She rapped her knuckles gently on the window.

"Hi? Sir? I hope you don't mind - I brought you a coffee and breakfast, I live down the way and I've seen you out here and- it doesn't matter. I didn't know what you liked so I got one with milk and sugar and one without. I mean, you look like a 'black coffee only' type of guy, but who am I to judge?"

In truth, now that she could see him better, he really did dress like Santiago: head to toe in black and the kind of face that looked made for brooding. She swallowed the homesickness and smiled, holding out her offerings and waiting for this to go about as well as giving a box of takeout to a panhandler back home.

Or worse. Because, you know, everyone said she'd be paying less rent or making more money or something by chasing her dreams here and London had been distinctly unremarkable thus far.

[c1tyhaunts]

I realized why I'm so hyperfixated on Jacket this past week: April 3rd passed, which is the canonical first day that Jacket got his mask from 50 Blessings and started his spree of terror at the metro!!

"Hi this is 'Tim' at the bakery. The cookies that you ordered should be delivered by now... A list of ingredients are included... Make sure that you read them carefully!" "The target is a briefcase. Discretion is of essence. Leave target at point F - 32, inside the dumpster. Failure is not an option. We'll be watching you."

ALSO FUN FACT: my Jacket / Ricky's birthday is also April 10th. So April is just the month from hell.

[epivanosilon]

chapter 9 note

i meant to post this before the name breakdown but it's fine lol. i've translated chapter 9's title as homecoming, and i wanted to briefly talk about why. the japanese title is おかえり. you might be familiar with this term. it's frequently translated as welcome home and is something virtually every japanese person has said before. someone comes home, they say 「ただいま」, and you respond with 「おかえり」. basic daily life stuff.

but おかえり can also be a noun, meaning return. given that the title is written in kana, i'm almost certain that the author meant おかえり in the welcome home way. but you could still interpret it the return way if you wanted to, so i am. in order to retain both interpretations of the title in english, i went with homecoming. it's a noun signaling a return and implies a warm welcome waiting for the returner. i also thought it had more emotion than the official english title, which is welcome back.

that's all i wanted to explain. i hope i don't have to do these too often, but i imagine i probably will. ah, the joys of translation.

[eulcgizeme]

OPEN TO: @stayliquid for sawyer bettancourt MUSE: sullivan james, twenty-nine. lead singer and bassist for shelved saints. dylan o'brien fc. PLOT: the band gets a break in one city, and they all go off to do their own thing. sullivan lands himself in a bar with an open mic in the middle of the week, taking advantage to sing a song he never would on stage.

"Are you sleeping, still dreaming up, still drifting off alone?" Sullivan sang softly out into the bar. "We're not talking, there's no secrets, there's just a note that you have gone and all that you ever owned is packed in the hall to go." It was dull in the middle of week, patrons looking for a softer escape than a lively one. He found his place with ease away from the tension that cut him every night on stage and tour promotion. The guitar hummed against his body as he played, but it only justified what he wrote from his chest. He'd never play it anywhere else, but he needed to set it free. "And how am I supposed to live without you? A wrong word said in anger and you were gone." Sullivan's song had taken off from those words, meant for someone else who had left him so suddenly and lost. He thought Stevie had been everything, and it took time to accept that after that loss he had lost her, too. A memoriam for his best friend had turned into a eulogy to what he had sacrificed with Sawyer as a means of keeping his memory intact. He let them break as a means of keeping Stevie a saint, ignoring that the night that took his life had nearly taken theirs, too. "I'm not listening for your signals, it's all dust now on the shelf," He continued, guitar strums cutting into his fingertips with the softest sting of bliss. "Are you still working? You still counting? You still buried in yourself? And how in the world did we come to have such an absent love?"

[reachingyou]

[lcstpaths]

tag drop.

[ad0rechuu]

۪ ᝰ ۫ MY OH MY ୨୧

based on my oh my by girls' generation

SYNOPSIS. ━━━━━ Yn finds out that her whole relationship has been a bet. To get over her heartache her best friend Sunwoo convinces her to take revenge.

How you might ask? By breaking the culprits heart right back of course!

10jun23 | st. 31/12/23 / fn. ━━━━━ updates every tuesday, thursday & saturday (cet) | HIATUS

pairing. ━━━━━ Best Friend! Kim Sunwoo x Fem! reader (x Choi Yeonjun)

featuring. ━━━━━ the boyz members, kim chaewon, txt members + mentions of other idols

genre. ━━━━━ smau + written: humor/crack / fluff / angst / suggestive / childhood friends to lovers / college au / revenge relationship / relationship based on bet / slight slow burn

warnings. ━━━━━ timestamps/sm numbers/hair colors mean nothing, sexism/slutshaming, crude humor (kys jokes), mentions of food/sex/drugs/alcohol/cheating/mental illness, use of pictures of yn but only for reference, yn is a sone. more thorough warnings in the actual chapters, please let me know if missed something. this story doesn’t describe the idols in real life and is written with a dark skinned poc in mind!

notes. ━━━━━ the taglist is open, send an ask to be added. spam likes are fine but consider reblogging with comments of ur thoughts (not only on my work but on other authors work too! credits to the rightful owners of all the graphics. i’m not a native english speaker! and thank you to @ari-shipping-stuff for being my beta reader / writer <3

( please give this story lots of love & check out my masterlist )

PROFILES. ━━━━━ SONES INCORPORATED ᜊ DA HOMIEZ ᜊ MORE COOL KIDS ᜊ THE PLAYLIST

STEP 1. GET OVER HIM ›

ᝰ CH 000. prologue: THE NEXT BET

ᝰ CH 001. I H8 MEN

ᝰ CH 002. DON’T BREAK UP WITH THAT LOSER

ᝰ CH 003. THE PLAN

ᝰ CH 004. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

ᝰ CH 005. *INSERT EVIL LAUGHTER*

ᝰ CH 006. ANNOYING BRAT FOR SALE

ᝰ CH 007. DON'T WORRY YOUR PRETTY BIG HEAD

ᝰ CH 008. NOT OVER HIM

ᝰ CH 009. CLASSIC SUNWOO-YN-BFF-DATE

ᝰ CH 010. THE NERVE AND THE AUDACITY

STEP 2. MAKE HIM FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU ›

ᝰ CH 011. STEP UP MY GAME

ᝰ CH 012. SASSY CAT EMOJI

ᝰ CH 013. A NIGHT ON THE TOWN W/ YN & WOO

ᝰ CH 014. GOOD NIGHT

ᝰ CH 015. HOBBIES FOR SUNWOO

ᝰ CH 016. GRAND DISCOVERY (YN HAS AN IDEA)

ᝰ CH 017. JUNS UNAPPROACHABLE AND COLD GF

ᝰ CH 018. HANGING OUT WITH MY BFS FRIENDS

ᝰ CH 019. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

ᝰ CH 020. DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME

STEP 3. BREAK HIS HEART ›

ᝰ CH 021. CODE ORANGE

ᝰ CH 022. I FUCKED UP

ᝰ CH 023. HITCH IN THE ROAD

ᝰ CH 024. CONSIDER AND MAKE SURE

ᝰ CH 025. WHAT MAKES THE HEART GROW WHAT?

ᝰ CH 026. BALLOON FLOWERS

ᝰ CH 027. REJECTION + ANEURYSM = WENT WELL

ᝰ CH 028. MAKEUP

ᝰ CH 029. BALLOON FLOWERS VERSUS ROSES

ᝰ CH 030. COMING SOON

ᝰ CH 00I. epilogue: COMING SOON

ᝰ CH 0II. epilogue: COMING SOON

ᝰ CH III. ASK THEM ANYTHING EVENT

ᝰ AFTER WORD

special thanks (& follow these awesome ppl). ━━━━━ to @yuyusuyu @kodzumo @tocupid @leo-seonghwa @seonghwaddict @felixsramen : i have to give you six an extra special thanks because you all motivated and supported me so much while i was stressing and being annoying, just so you know guys are my motivation! (the other message is also to you all ofc)

and to @yunstarz @nyukyujs @rieuvie @thelargefrye @i-luvsang @cybrsan @gyumibear @pocketjoong @jaehunnyy @nebulousbrainsoup @justhere4kpop @xpixie @atinycafe @brrrkdslek @phantom-webber @a1sh1teruu @starryunho @aestheticsluut @end0rchans @yourfatherlucifer @alixnsuperstxr @girls4cheol @cheollipop @mintgki @aoi-turtle @renstears @42e15 @alixnsuperstxr @mrowwww @hwaightme @paradiqms @starrysvn @tubatu-wari-wari @kitten4sannie @chokchokk @hee0soo @joong-of-gold @armysantiny @evilsailorsenshi @mundayoonimnida @aapplepii @juhakutie : first of all i don’t expect you to read or interact with this fic, you might not even stan the boyz or like this sorta thing but i tagged you all because of one reason and one reason only; to tell you that you all make tumblr such a lovely and inspirational place for me, whenever i see ur accs it brightens my day because i know what great ppl are behind them, i just wanted to say that i think that you are amazing and i want to use this post to thank you! happy new years and i love you everyone (and you who’s reading this)

my oh my © ad0rechuu, 2023. do not copy/repost.

[journeytomonkiekid]

CH 6 (Momentum) - Page 009 Previous || Next

[madelynraemunson]

CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT 𓆩♡𓆪

(strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove!x reader)

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐔 18+ minors LOOK THE OTHER WAY

Ch 007: Buckle Up, Baby

A night in the town with Eddie takes a spicy turn when an outfit on display catches your eyes. And what do ya know? It’s your exact measurement…

* = somewhat smut

** = smut

↳ chapters: 001, 002*, 003** , 004**, 005 , 006 , 007* , 008**, 009, 010, 011, 012* , 013**, 014**, 015, 016**, 017, 018, 019, 020*

word count: 3.5k words

disclaimers & warnings — dialogue heavy, arguing, trauma dumping again, angst, yearning, shy girl yelling at eddie (as she should), sexual tension, grinding, thigh riding, car canoodling 🫣

“She’s a black magic woman, she’s trying to make a devil out of me.”

♡

Spellbinding is the best word you can think of to describe Nocturna, a town spookier than Hawkins just 20 minutes inland. It sure lives up to its name, with the average closing time for restaurants, bars, and shops being 3:30 AM.

“This city is so cute,” you beam. “Love the late night vibe it’s got going on.”

“Right?” Eddie agrees. “If Hawkins were a Spencer’s, ‘Turna would be the back of it.”

Eds takes you to El Diablo Bar & Grill where you settle for a ‘TURNA Tossed salad’ and beer. ‘The Eddie Special’ may have left you full, but there’s no way you’d ever pass up free food.

Your boss helps himself to a couple of beers as well, both of them way too hoppy for your liking. And just as you predicted, downing two of those bad boys after smoking a shit ton of weed has its repercussions.

“Eddie, what the fuck are you doing?”

Personal space is a foreign concept for Eddie whenever he’s under the influence. Not like that’s any new information. You just didn’t expect him to be so tender, affectionately fiddling with your hair, using it as a mustache, and then attempting to braid it. You’re surprised because he actually does pretty well.

“Where’d you learn how to braid?” you ask.

“Taught myself,” he replies. “That way if Nancy ever calls out, someone at Hellfire would at least know how to do hair. Luckily I haven’t ran into that problem yet.”

“That’s really thoughtful,” you swoon as Eddie goes to braid your other side.

“I’m also learning how to curl hair,” Eddie adds. “If I could get past burning myself with the iron, that’d be great. Until then, I’ll always vouch for a traditional sock bun.”

You watch has he loops your hair around itself to secure the braid, just as he did the first one. Then comes the unpredictable. Suddenly, you’re taken aback when Eddie gives your hair a tug. Aggressively.

“Eddie!” you cry out.

He spirals into an outrageous belly laugh.

You shove Eddie away from you in a playful form of disgust, his dramatics launching him right out of his seat. Customers start to look your way. You hide your face in embarrassment.

“I think you’ve flown off the handle,” you accuse.

“No,” he denies. “Just comfortable that’s all.”

“Yeah and a bully,” you hiss, undoing your braids out of spite. He knows you’re kidding around.

“What?” Eddie questions, reeling you in via bar stool, smirk growing more and more prominent the closer you get. “You don’t like that I pull hair?”

“That’s enough, you little freak.”

Eddie stops, jokingly wincing at your harsh words. "Thought you were into freaks."

"...Shut up,” is all you can think to say.

"Come on..." he taunts, giving your side a soft pinch. “You know I'm right."

He is right.

You poke his stomach with one of your pointy fingers.

"Okay, and what if I was? Does that get you off? Mr. Know-It-All?”

Eddie clears his throat and squirms in his seat.

"No, actually,” he shakes his head, leaning into your touch. “Cuz that's just not true.”

Your eyes find each other again.

An apology lingers in the air. Eddie bites his lower lip as he stares, closing the gap between you two with a slight turn of his knee. You explore his dark irises, his wide pupils. When fixated on you, they emit what appears to be sorrow, with just a pinch of regret.

"Sometimes I'm wrong. And I fuck up,” he admits. “Whether I like to admit it or not."

Eddie chugs the remainder of his pint before slamming it.

You shrug. “Yeah. Like when you told me to get off my phone today but stayed on yours the entire time.”

Eddie chuckles away from you.

“Playing music…” you persist, leaning into him a little more. “Texting people…”

“You jealous?” he questions, tongue rolling around in his cheek.

“In your dreams,” you lie.

You’re so close to him now you can practically smell the beer. He inches closer, the front portion of his curly locks tickling the side of your face.

“In your dreams.”

Your thighs clench. In your dreams, indeed. Eddie winks at you like he knows.

“Whatever you say,” you scoff. “Freak.”

———— 🌹————

After dinner, you and Eddie decide to walk around the shopping strip. Eddie walks closest to the street, leaving you on the innermost part of the sidewalk like a gentleman.

“So who’s Wayne? Heard you and Henry talking about him before we left.”

“He's my uncle,” Eddie answers. “Pretty much raised me since I was a kid. I owe a lot to him.”

You continue to walk. Somehow along the way, you and Eddie end up strolling with your arms around each other. He turns to ask,

“Who is Max?”

“Max?” you’re stunned to hear that name roll off his tongue. Despite him helping with her YMCA membership, you had always registered them as being worlds apart from each other. “She’s my sister.”

Eddie slowly nods in understanding.

“Her full name is Maxine,” you explain. “Max for short.”

“No wonder,” Eddie chuckles. “I always hear you mentioning a Max and have been wondering who that is.”

“You jealous?” you echo him.

He sneers, “You wish.”

You take this time to admire Eddie. His wanderlust eyes. His pronounced Cupid’s Bow. His thick, wavy locks. The tiny freckle at the crook of his neck that you were sure a lover left for him in a past life. The way his dark clothes always seem to hug him so nice. He’s breathtaking. The hottest thing you’ve ever seen.

"WHOA!" Eddie brings you back. "That's the hottest shit I've ever seen!"

There he goes again. You race after Eddie as he scampers across the street, leading you to what appears to be a lingerie-slash-sex shop. On display is a beautiful scarlet red two piece with fluffy wings behind it to match.

DEVIL WOMAN, is what the set is advertised as.

"Whew, lord," Eddie whistles, pressing his hands against the plexiglass.

He turns to you desperately.

"You can make SO many tips with this on," Eddie insists. "I'm telling you right now woman, you need to seize this opportunity."

"Are you gonna pay for it?" you joke, batting your lashes seductively.

"Sure!" Eddie exclaims. "A-anything you want tonight, you'll get."

It sounds too good to be true.

"Not you trying to spoil me..."

"Definitely me trying to spoil you,” a sneaky smirk forms across his face yet again. “Especially since I’ve been an asshole lately.”

It’s a fair bargain. Not like you can deny it either.

You two shake hands, deal, and make your merry way inside Madame Sédutrice’s Love Boutique.

Time to make his pockets — and heart — hurt.

————💋 ————

It fits you like a glove.

Everything is just right. There is no free space, but there is some real estate to breathe. The set is also squat and split proof. Perfect for a good show.

You strut in front of the mirror like a Victoria’s Secret Devil, relishing over how well the fiery red set accentuates your bust, hugs your hips, and highlights the cheekiest parts of your ass with just enough coverage to have the men wondering.

To leave Eddie wondering.

You’re parading around some more, taking selfies at all angles while Eddie talks to the cashier about guitars. Eventually he does circle back around, as you've been in here for a long period of time.

"Shy Girl," Eddie checks on you from outside. "Did you die in there?"

You put your phone away.

"No, but you're about to."

He laughs. "I love the confidence. Let me at her."

You pull the curtain over so that Eddie can see.

“Jesus fuck.”

Eddie sinks down to his knees, the tips of his fingers trailing from your hips to your thighs, down to your calves. He’s being dramatic again, you think, evident by the three bows of resignation he gives you as he continues to take in your beauty.

"What do you think?" you ask him.

"Simply out of this world," Eddie gasps. He stands to spin you around like he once did before. "You look... like an absolute fantasy. Destined for some alternate dimension."

His breathing heightens as his rough hands trail down to your birthmark. And soon, you’re up there with him.

“I can already see you on that stage,” Eddie gushes. “Doing your thing, stealing the show, driving customers wild. The spotlight soaking in all your beauty...”

“The version of me living in your head sounds pretty damn cool,” you giggle.

You snake your arms around the nape of his neck. Eddie blushes. “She’s a lot like the girl in front of me, actually.”

Either of you can let go now. But you both don't.

“Wanna get out of here?” he asks.

"Mmm… I don't think I'm done just yet," you bat your eyes once more. "What’s a set like this without some accessories?"

You grab his hand and he watches in shock — almost starstruck by you — when you manually wrap his hand around your neck.

“Like a necklace of sorts,” you continue. “A choker, maybe?”

“A choker,” Eddie nods. “Yeah, I can do that.”

He gives you a teasing, gentle squeeze. You’re an absolute puddle.

He grins at you connivingly, playfully.

"Lead the way, m'lady. Anything you want tonight is yours.”

———— 🔥 ————

Satisfied is an understatement. You’re strutting back to Eddie’s van now as he trails closely behind, hauling shopping bags that belong to you in each hand.

“Thank you Eddie,” you say as he manages to open the door for you too.

“Anytime, Princess,” he insists.

You get settled on the passenger side while Eddie starts the van back up again. He waits for a while in his seat.

“You looked stunning in that piece,” Eddie raves, the image of you strutting around still living in his head. “I almost don’t want you to wear it anymore.”

You raise an eyebrow. “What? Why?”

“I wanna be the only one who gets to see you in it,” he explains.

“Gatekeeper much?”

“No, I’m just selfish,” he says. “Especially when you look like that.”

Eddie takes it upon himself to fasten your seatbelt for you.

Your eyes trail along as he clicks it in place, adjusting the seatbelt so that it laid perfectly and untangled, protecting your hips…shielding your chest…

“My eyes only, you know?”

“Just yours?”

“Mhm,” he strains. “Mine and only mine.”

His gentle eyes are begging, glued to your lips like bees to honey. His tongue pokes out again, and you watch as he licks his lips in lust. Fuck. You can’t help it anymore. You decide to lean into him and try again.

But hostile air stops you in your place. There's fear in that man's eyes the closer you get and he pulls away from you.

OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE.

You swat the rest of him away. “You’re doing it again.”

Eddie sighs in defeat.

"I know."

The fact that you didn’t have to elaborate is very telling. Eddie is not stupid. He knows the game he’s playing.

You watch with zero sympathy this time as Eddie pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He lifts a hand. You flinch. Then you relax again when you realize the man isn’t trying to hit you.

“I’m VERY aware of what I’m doing, Hargrove. Okay? That’s the worst part.”

“And you think it’s okay? You like stringing me along, is that it?”

“There’s MORE TO IT, alright?” he groans. “I just don’t know how to explain it to you just yet.”

Eddie starts up again.

“I…” he says, his haunted eyes sparkling. “I just. CAN’T. get. involved. with a coworker. Let alone someone who works under me. Think of all the legal issues that can rise up.”

Bullshit.

“That is a FUCKING LIE!” you scream. “A fucking LIE, Eddie and you know how I know that?”

He looks back over at you.

“It’s because you didn’t think twice about it when you were hooking up with Chrissy.”

You’ve had enough of his excuses. Startled, Eddie shies away from you, surprised that you knew of what he so desperately wanted to conceal.

“Who told you that?”

“Who else would know?”

“Everyone at Hellfire, basically,” Eddie laughs pettily. “I just hoped it wouldn’t get around to you.”

Frustrated, Eddie turns off his car. He tosses his keys onto the center console between you both.

“Chrissy and I happened like two or three times. Is that what you wanted to hear?” he asks you. “She was horny, I was horny. She never gave me the time of day in high school so I got all excited. One thing led to another. Thrill eventually wore off. Now she’s just one of my good friends.”

You cross your arms and glare out the window.

“But the reason I was soooo okay with the Chrissy thing is because I only saw her as a fling,” Eddie continues. “End of story.”

“Where exactly are you going with this?”

“The difference with you is that a part of me actually wanted this to go somewhere.”

Does he think you’re stupid? Surely Eddie can’t think you’re just going to fall for his words instead of his actions.

You scoff. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I?”

You muster up the courage to look over at him again. And there he is, his big brown doe eyes glimmering under the full moon.

“I’ve never met anyone like you before, Hargrove,” he mumbles softly. “That shit’s terrifying. For the first time in an incredibly long time I feel like someone gets me.”

You attempt to look away again. Eddie cranes his neck over towards you to meet you where you’re at.

“Someone who gets what it’s like to have a shitty, absent father,” Eddie continues. “Someone who also had to learn how to navigate grief before getting a fucking learner’s permit.”

“You can stop,” you choke. “I get the picture.”

But Eddie continues.

“…Someone who also has to be the bread-winner of the family, not by choice, but by necessity. And someone whose now got a shit ton of trust issues cuz somebody else had to go and fuck ‘em up THAT badly.”

Your throat begins to burn. A soul cry marinates at the pit of your stomach.

"I'm so infatuated with you, Hargrove,” your boss insists. “Okay? You have no idea.”

You tsk.

“You’re infatuated with me,” it’s more of a statement than a question of yours. “Yet you push me away.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Oh, come on, like you don’t have trouble accepting things you so rightfully deserve?”

He reaches over to grab your hand. You let him.

"There's nothing scarier than falling for someone who is your literal mirror," Eddie whispers. "Especially when you don't like anything about yourself."

“I know.”

You two fall silent and end up staring ahead for quite some time.

Both of you observe a couple cross the street together. The smitten pair are taking a stroll on the sidewalk, hand in hand and falling into one another like missing puzzle pieces. The guy kisses the girl's forehead, his silhouette reminding you so much of Steve.

“I also didn’t wanna get in between you and Harrington," Eddie mumbles.

“I told you we’re just fuck buddies.”

“But he really, really likes you.”

“Yeah, but if he’s not over Nancy, then what’s the point?”

It’s been a decade since Steve and Nancy broke up and he’s still lovesick over her. When you realized that she couldn’t ever be replaced, you stopped trying to pursue Steve romantically. Eddie falls mute again.

"I'm just his lil pocket pussy for all I know," you break the ice with a laugh.

"Don't say that," Eddie disapproves. "You are more than your body, Shy Girl."

“Then tell me what I am, Eddie,” the wounded part of you speaks. “Since I don’t seem to know.”

His gaze softens. “Well, it’s easy.”

You look at him.

"Corn ball alert,” Eddie prefaces. “But you’re the conversations you have with your regulars, asking them about their day and if they have any updates for you… You're the friendships you make with girls that you don't see a need to compete with. And you're that silly little dance you do when Argyle makes you food. And you’re also the destructive parts of yourself that you keep hiding from but little do you know that even those parts of you tell a story."

The sound of police sirens divert your attention. You shudder at the noise. Eddie seemingly makes note of it and clears his throat as a placeholder.

"…I didn't think you paid attention to any of that, Eds."

"I'm more observant than you think."

You believe him. After all, there are instances when you catch him sneaking a glance at you, turning away too late because you’re caught by his eyes to do the same.

A sigh escapes your body. You interlock your fingers with his.

“I don’t know what... this… is,” you begin. “But all I know is that I really enjoy your company. And that I’ve had a crush on you since the day I met you. If it wasn't obvious already."

Eddie snorts. “Even when I was freaking out over kegs and ground chili?”

“Especially when you were freaking out over kegs and ground chili.”

And now forgiveness is in the air. Monkey see, monkey do, and soon both you and Eddie are grinning at each other from one side of your faces to the other.

“Please,” Eddie requests politely with a gulp. “Will you let me kiss you?”

“Yes.”

To your surprise, Eddie leaves a peck on your cheek out of all places. This fucker, still so polite. He doesn’t touch or graze anywhere else while he does.

“Thanks,” he says as he pulls away. “I guess.”

But you only want him closer now.

“Oh don’t be stupid,” you giggle grabbing his face with both your hands. “Just fucking kiss me.”

You rest your hands at his chin when you pull him closer. And with Eddie’s permission, you sink your lips onto his. His warm breath circles you as your lips attach to one another.

There’s no turning back now.

Eddie’s lips are as soft as a cloud, and they seem to know yours very well. When he’s latched on, Eddie synchronizes with your rhythm almost immediately, getting a few more kisses in before his tongue begs you for entrance. You deny him access and push him back.

“Oooh,” you taunt him, causing him to laugh. “Someone likes me.”

“Maybe,” Eddie blushes, cupping the side of your face with one of his rigid hands. He gives the back of your head an endearing little scratch.

“But you…can’t get involved huh?”

Eddie shakes his head, doing his very best to stand his ground. He’s back to staring at your lips. “No. Definitely can’t…get involved.”

Of course not.

“Not even if I do this?”

You swoop over to press down on the button of Eddie’s seat belt to unbuckle it. Click. He restrains himself, but there’s wonder in his eyes.

“Or this?”

Your hands travel to the side furthest from you as you lean to crank the lever, lowering the head of Eddie’s driver seat to a 30 degree angle.

Amused now, he furrows his brows together and rests his hands behind his head, manspreading as you play that agonizingly long game.

“You’re pushing it, Hargrove…”

Using his unavailable hands to your advantage, you climb over him and assert yourself on his lap. A low groan escapes Eddie’s nose. You make sure to strategically situate yourself right on his crotch. Eddie’s breath hitches, hand hovering over your birthmark as you sink those hips into him. He bucks his up in return, trying to keep up with you.

“What about this?”

“Oh, that’s not fair…”

His hands are back at your waist.

A protruding essence grows in size as you continue to ride Eddie’s thigh. Soft, low whimpers escape from his chest, his dark eyes now beseeching at his mercy. Eddie’s fingers curl, enclosing themselves tightly around the fabric of your baby tee. His available hand gnaws at the seat below him.

“I don’t like playing fair,” you whisper huskily. “I just like getting even.”

Both of yours eyes are glued to what you’re doing, where you’re grinding, and how.

“Why do you do this to me?” he whispers longingly.

“I think it’s safe to say that you’ve been edging me for quite some time, Munson,” you shrug angelically. “Now it’s my turn to give you a taste of—”

You squeal suddenly when Eddie’s hand flies to your throat. The grip he has on you tightens hastily, long before you can even process it.

Shock overpowers you as Eddie studies you eagerly, with flared nostrils and a hot chest. You peer down at him with glossy eyes and yearning lips.

“Back of the van,” Eddie orders. “Now.”

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tag list: @battymunson , @the-fairy-anon, @ali-r3n, @corrodedcoffincumslut, @bebe07011, @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe @hideoutside , @motherfckerrr , @jxpsi , @munson-magic , @lindseyj23, @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking , @nymphetkoo , @m-chmcl-rmnc , @holabeans00, @ahoyyharrington , @keepittoyourselftellnobodyelse

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author's note: i'd be lying if i told you guys i didn't play imaginary barbies in my head in order to map out the argument between eddie and shy girl dfsjklfdkgfgsg would you say I’m a puppet master?

[every-kakashi]

[skysaunter]

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 : : 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐒.

verse affiliated with @techniiciian, @tapalslegacy. cw: dark themes, character death, crime.

          𝚂𝙺𝚈𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝟸𝟹 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂 𝙾𝙻𝙳 𝚆𝙷𝙴𝙽 𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝚆𝙸𝙵𝙴 𝙳𝙸𝙴𝙳 𝚄𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁 𝙼𝚈𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙾𝚄𝚂 𝙲𝙸𝚁𝙲𝚄𝙼𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂.    he was knee-deep in debt, juggling two jobs—not all of which were on the right side of the law—and deeply paranoid that his beloved wife and mother of his unborn children had done the unthinkable.  padmé had betrayed him.

at least, that’s what senator sheev palpatine told him one night over drinks at his estate.  palpatine claimed she had taken matters into her own hands after stumbling upon a trove of evidence linking anakin to multiple illicit activities operating under the law’s radar.  his wife had gone behind his back while he toiled away, struggling to make ends meet and keep the lights on.  padmé didn’t understand the painstaking hurdles anakin jumped for the sake of their future, their future family, but it was fine.  palpatine’s kindness had given him a chance to speak sense to his wife.

all he needed was to talk to her, and she would understand that this wasn't permanent; the jobs palpatine assigned him were merely a means to an end. corruption was synonymous with the modern landscape of politics, a necessary climb up the ladder.  moreover, on top of a promised loan with no interest, palpatine had given his word that if anything were to happen, he would leverage his influence to spare anakin from a life behind bars.

soon, they could leave, move to a new town where anakin could open up an auto shop like he’d always dreamed.

           padmé didn’t listen.  shortly after their heated argument, she went into labor.  then, she died.  doctors stated her death was a quick-onset and unforeseen mortality.  their children survived, but now they had no mother, and anakin had only himself to blame.

distraught, he threw himself into the criminal underworld, no longer wavering in his acceptance of the tasks palpatine assigned him.

months into his new position working as palpatine’s enforcer, anakin’s world shifted when he chanced upon audio recordings revealing palpatine’s indirect admission to murdering his wife.  while padmé’s interference might have cast suspicion on her husband, anakin was never her primary target.  it was palpatine.  she had devised a plan to expose his political corruption and the multitude of illicit enterprises he conducted for personal gain.

it had taken the death of his wife for anakin to finally see palpatine for the monster he truly was.  palpatine had poisoned padmé, nearly killing his children in the process, and viewed anakin as nothing more than a pawn, a scapegoat with equally unclean hands.  anakin swore he would never again be a victim.

senator sheev palpatine went missing on a mundane thursday afternoon.

two weeks after his disappearance, law enforcement discovered a male torso discarded in a ditch precisely 81 meters from the senator’s opulent estate.  dna analysis confirmed the severed body part belonged to sheev palpatine.  investigators speculated the evidence had been deliberately placed.

sheev palpatine’s body was never recovered.

having been sheev palpatine’s close friend for most of his life, then his secret attack dog for the better part of a year, it was no surprise to the public that anakin skywalker emerged as the primary beneficiary of the senator’s estate.  the apparent connection seemed self-evident enough, escaping scrutiny from all but the most skeptical observers.  following a brief public expression of sorrow and an appeal for privacy, anakin skywalker quietly vanished from the public eye.

three months later, skywalker opened up his first auto shop in new york.  within six months, five additional establishments sprang up across different locales in the state.  after securing partnerships with numerous independent car dealerships, skywalker’s enterprise, the 501st, broadened its scope to encompass luxury automobiles, catalyzing a nationwide expansion of the chain business that rapidly spread throughout the united states.

nowadays, anakin skywalker can be found at his new york restaurant, azure angel. here, amidst the clinking of glasses and the murmurs of the elite, anakin presents himself as a simple businessman with a passion for cars and hell-bent on spreading the taste of his late mother’s cooking. but beneath this façade lies a man known by a different moniker—VADER: the widowed mechanic turned automotive tycoon, restaurateur, UNDERWORLD KINGPIN, ARMS TRAFFICKER, CONTRABAND DEALER, EXTORTIONIST, and COLD-BLOODED MURDERER.

[yuziyou]

时光  ༘♡

LINK CLICK | 时光代理人 (2023-?) - manhua ch. 009. 答案 ・ answer

[c1tyhaunts]

So ya boy is remixing Ricky's / Jacket's interpretation just a wee bit - I've often compared him to a brick wall: an emptyman without a personality to speak of. Ricky barely exists outside of the day to day, only feeling alive when on the rush of his spree kills. Ricky's an everyday person, invisible in the crowd.

But, that's not true; in reality, Ricky's the boy next door, and although the traumas of war and PTSD haunts beneath the surface of the man's hollow appearance, he does have masks he dons as well to ignore cope with his issues.

Ricky, day-to-day, is the suburbia dream of what a young man should be. Ideal masculinity; quiet, relaxed, polite. He'll walk the old ladies across the street, he'll offer a hand, albeit lazily, and he's casually cool like he was built like it. This breaths normal; he feels normal here. His state of existence is hollow and low energy.

Then he dons the mask, and he's back to Jacket. That's the implacable man he truly is. More machine than human, acting strictly off impulse & instinct. When he's on his spree kills, murdering Russian gangsters without question, he sees it like one of his football games - one wrong move, and he loses. And with a winning streak like his, baby, he's not going anywhere.

Then comes the remnants of that, Ricky, on the high of adrenaline, let's the true colors fly. The cockiness, the selfishness, and the aggression - all clear as day. It's when he smiles like bared fangs, ready for another fight to win. Reckless and rude, that's the feelings he loves; all until it dwindles into nothing, and he's just hollow again. Empty, empty, empty.

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 9 grammar notes

title: おかえり || homecoming

official english title: welcome back

どの～も – a construction meaning whichever, every... it signifies that the rest of the statement being made applies to every thing just mentioned. tanjirou uses this construction on his way home from final selection. he says that even though he met eight demons, every one of them was in no state to be able to converse; they all tried to kill him without talking to him.

聞かん – contraction of 聞かない (きかない), to not listen. this kind of contraction is very casual and common in spoken japanese. other examples of this type of contraction are 知らん, from 知らない, to not know; and いいじゃん, from いいじゃない, literally good, isn’t it. contracting things so that syllables end in ん is in general quite popular in spoken japanese, so make sure to keep that in mind when doing listening practice.

urokodaki uses this contraction when thinking to himself about haganezuka. he muses that as always, haganezuka is a man who doesn’t listen (聞かん男). the term urokodaki uses is almost the same as another term, 聞かん坊 (きかん��う), which refers to a naughty, unruly, or disobedient child (lit. a child who does not listen).

～によって – an expression meaning according to, by (means of), due to, because of. you may see this expression appear in other forms, such as による, により, and によると. it comes after the word or phrase to which the speaker is attributing the rest of the sentence. haganezuka uses this expression when explaining why the color of a nichirin sword changes. he says that each sword changes color according to its owner (and their innate talents)--「持ち主によって」.

～わけではない – an expression meaning it does not mean that..., I don’t mean that..., it is not the case that.... in more casual language you may see it as わけじゃない. わけ can also be written as 訳. urokodaki uses this expression when replying to tanjirou after his sword changes to black. tanjirou asks if it’s unlucky, and urokodaki says no, that’s not the case, but such a pitch black color is not seen often.