#temple of gluttony
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blackjackkent · 6 months ago
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Was tagged by @jennycalendar to do this a while back and completely lost track of it until just now. I'm gonna do this for both Hector and Rakha because I feel like it. XD
Tagging @writer86 @rhysintherain @acecasinova @the-night-wizard @eluvisen and anyone else who has an OC they like to do memes about. :D
SEVEN DEADLY SINS.
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HECTOR CARLISLE
LUST. desire for connection. pursuit of pleasure. emotional intelligence. obsessive. lovesick. one-night stands. seductive encounter. flirtatious conversation. erotic party. seductive attire. revealing clothing. passionate gaze. provocative makeup. sensual expressions. suggestive gestures. flirtatious smiles. lingerie. love letters. perfumes. provocative behaviour. love poems. erotic art.
GLUTTONY. indulgence in experiences. savouring moments. hospitality. generosity. hedonism. culinary expertise. wine-tasting. excessive snacking. overloaded plates. excessive portions. bloated stomachs. messy eating. greasy fingers. full tables. indulgent spreads. overflowing cups. satisfied expressions. wine bottles. just can't get enough. fast food wrappers.
ENVY. motivation. competitive spirit. strategic planning. observational skills. bitter rivalry. contest. envious gossip. resentment-filled argument. social media jealousy. furrowed brows. clenched jaws. side-eye looks. pursed lips. tense posture. whispering behind backs. crossed arms. gossip magazines. keeping up with the joneses. the grass is always greener. feeling inadequate.
GREED. resourcefulness. entrepreneurial spirit. negotiation. materialistic. aggressive investment. lavish spending spree. resource-hoarding. get-rich-quick schemes. auction-bidding war. property acquisition. piles of money. overflowing wallets. luxury items. locked safes. penny-pinching. rare collectibles. selfishness. unwillingness to share.
SLOTH. calmness. stress management. nonchalance. relaxation techniques. lethargic. apathetic. inactive. lazy weekend. binge-watching marathon. neglected chores. skipped workout. long nap. lounging on the couch. missed deadlines. unkempt appearance. messy hair. pajamas. blankets. slippers. procrastination station. self-care routines.
PRIDE. confidence. self-assurance. self-respect. dignity. public speaking. self-promotion. arrogant. conceited. egotistical. self-important. vain. boastful speech. puffed chest. raised chin. smug smiles. spotlight. tooting your own horn. showing off. refusing to admit mistakes. feeling entitled. personal branding. leadership development.
WRATH. assertiveness. decisiveness. strength. intensity. boundary setting. courage. indignant. heated arguments. road rage incident. physical altercation. angry outburst. clenched fists. glaring eyes. tense muscles. raised voices. reddened faces. aggressive gestures. stormy demeanour. intense frowns. destructive actions. broken objects. punching bag. out for blood. fists. simmering anger.
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RAKHA THE DARK URGE
LUST. desire for connection. pursuit of pleasure. emotional intelligence. obsessive. lovesick. one-night stands. seductive encounter. flirtatious conversation. erotic party. seductive attire. revealing clothing. passionate gaze. provocative makeup. sensual expressions. suggestive gestures. flirtatious smiles. lingerie. love letters. perfumes. provocative behaviour. love poems. erotic art.
GLUTTONY. indulgence in experiences. savouring moments. hospitality. generosity. hedonism. culinary expertise. wine-tasting. excessive snacking. overloaded plates. excessive portions. bloated stomachs. messy eating. greasy fingers. full tables. indulgent spreads. overflowing cups. satisfied expressions. wine bottles. just can't get enough. fast food wrappers.
ENVY. motivation. competitive spirit. strategic planning. observational skills. bitter rivalry. contest. envious gossip. resentment-filled argument. social media jealousy. furrowed brows. clenched jaws. side-eye looks. pursed lips. tense posture. whispering behind backs. crossed arms. gossip magazines. keeping up with the joneses. the grass is always greener. feeling inadequate.
GREED. resourcefulness. entrepreneurial spirit. negotiation. materialistic. aggressive investment. lavish spending spree. resource-hoarding. get-rich-quick schemes. auction-bidding war. property acquisition. piles of money. overflowing wallets. luxury items. locked safes. penny-pinching. rare collectibles. selfishness. unwillingness to share.
SLOTH. calmness. stress management. nonchalance. relaxation techniques. lethargic. apathetic. inactive. lazy weekend. binge-watching marathon. neglected chores. skipped workout. long nap. lounging on the couch. missed deadlines. unkempt appearance. messy hair. pajamas. blankets. slippers. procrastination station. self-care routines.
PRIDE. confidence. self-assurance. self-respect. dignity. public speaking. self-promotion. arrogant. conceited. egotistical. self-important. vain. boastful speech. puffed chest. raised chin. smug smiles. spotlight. tooting your own horn. showing off. refusing to admit mistakes. feeling entitled. personal branding. leadership development.
WRATH. assertiveness. decisiveness. strength. intensity. boundary setting. courage. indignant. heated arguments. road rage incident. physical altercation. angry outburst. clenched fists. glaring eyes. tense muscles. raised voices. reddened faces. aggressive gestures. stormy demeanour. intense frowns. destructive actions. broken objects. punching bag. out for blood. fists. simmering anger.
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yandere-daydreams · 9 months ago
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Title: Foxglove and Oleander.
Pairing: Yandere!Sukuna x Reader (JJK).
Word Count: 6.0k
Commissioned by the very lovely @letstalktea.
TW: Heian Era AU, Wildly Unbalanced Power Dynamics, Blood + Violence, Deliberate Manipulation, Obsessive Behavior, and Implied Cannibalism.
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Sukuna first arrived the night your chrysanthemums bloomed.
That was the only reason you weren’t in the temple when the fire reached it. Against your better judgement and the wishes of your superiors, you’d committed yourself to spending the night in the courtyard, carefully monitoring each delicate bud as they slowly unfurled and stained your garden with scattered blotches of bright, bleeding scarlet. In the morning, it would be your responsibility to gather each flower, dry their petals, and deliver them to the temple’s healers to use as medicinal herbs before you were allowed to get to your less seasonal chores, but tonight, the chrysanthemum belonged to you.
From your little corner of the courtyard, you watched as flames climbed the side of the side of the mountain, consuming the forest that surrounded your home before latching onto the servants’ barracks, then the outer sanctuaries, before finally reaching the main body of the temple. There were a few screams to accompany the fire’s first arrival, but they were quickly drowned out by the fire’s deafening roar, by the sound of buildings already mostly burnt away collapsing into themselves and putting their unfortunate occupants out of their misery. You could feel the heat, hear the others begin to flee, but it was only as the fire reached the peak of its gluttony that he emerged, entirely unscathed and painted with the blood of those you supposed you may have cared about, if you’d had more time. Sukuna, although you wouldn’t know to call him by that name, just yet.
It went without saying that he was hideous. Too many limbs, too many eyes, too many mouths – every part of him distorted with bulk and muscle and ink. His teeth struck you first, bared and glinting in the blinding firelight, then his clothing, the tattered and charred remains of what appeared to be a once fine kimono tied around his waist. He was carrying a spear, but he drove it into the ground as he stepped out of the inferno. There was something slung over his shoulder, too – a corpse, male and burnt beyond the point of recognizability – but that was abandoned just as thoughtlessly, left to rot on the outskirts of your garden. You were glad. Your chrysanthemums wouldn’t survive being crushed by such dead weight.
He didn’t notice you immediately. You stayed where you were, kneeling in the dirt, as he turned in either direction, taking in the devastation with a full-chested laugh. The noise was, in kinship with his appearance, unspeakably gruesome.  
Finally, he turned to face you, his eyes lighting up in spite of the stark shadows cast over his face. His spear was still within arm’s reach, but he made no attempt to retrieve it – holding out an open hand to you, instead. “Are you a monk or a maiden?” he asked, his voice more of a growl than anything proper, anything human. “I’ve already had my fill of the former, tonight.”
“A servant,” you answered, bowing your head by way of greeting. “I tend the gardens, among other things. Are you the one killing all the acolytes?”
“Among other things.” His tone had a mocking lilt, although he seemed far from vicious. You’d been warned about that, once, by someone very dear to you. You couldn’t remember the specifics, but the sentiment was still clear enough. ‘Do not fear the animal that bares its teeth, but the creature who lures you closer before it lunges’, or something like that. “I’m afraid I only have a taste for holy meat, tonight. Although, if you run, I’ll certainly take more enjoyment in striking you down.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but—”
“Lord,” he corrected. “Make that mistake again and it’ll be the last time I allow you the privilege of using your tongue.”
“My apologies, my lord.” Again, you bowed your head. “The high priest can be harsh with his discipline. My ankle is still healing, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to move quickly enough for either of us to get very much out of it.”
He grinned, and the fire raged on behind him. “Grovel, then. Perhaps, if you manage to please me, I’ll be merciful and kill you quickly.”
He was clearly a man (man? monster? beast?) of great ego. You pressed your tongue against the roof of your mouth, trying to block out the taste of something harsh and acidic rising up from the back of your throat. “If it’s all the same to you,” you managed, eventually, sparing one last glance towards your chrysanthemums. They really were beautiful. You could only regret that you’d never get to see them in the light of day. “I’d really rather not. It seems like it be easier, to just… uh, let you get the job done, as it were.”
In his defense, his pride overshadowed his shock. That, or you simply weren’t the first person he’d met to pay your own life such little regard. “I’ve cut down braver men for bolder suggestions.”
“But you cut them down all the same.” You swallowed, dryly. It’d been a while since you’d last had anything to eat or drink – the better part of a day, at least – but you supposed you wouldn’t have to worry about that for much longer. “I’m sorry, my lord. I would try to run, but my ankle really does make things difficult.”
He regarded you for a moment, as yet another wing of the temple buckled under its own weight. You decided, as you stared back at him, that his eyes weren’t so terrible – the pair he was supposed to have, at least. Although currently narrowed and creased around the edges, they had a pleasant color, a unique shade of red that seemed to glow when it caught the firelight. At least one part of him was bearable to look at.
Finally, he broke the silence, his resonant voice taking on a more authoritative cadence. “Come.”
He didn’t extend a hand, or gesture for you to follow, only trekking onward – towards the temple’s gates, left open in the panic of the exodus.  Gingerly, weary of your injured ankle, you pushed yourself to your feet and hastened to his side. Sukuna only paid you glance by way of acknowledgement, but you didn’t mind. “Are you going to kill me in the woods, instead?”
“Uraume’s been asking for another set of hands.” You weren’t sure what he was talking about, but you nodded as if you understood entirely. He spared you a small, thoughtless smile, and you decided that he was also the type of man who often enjoyed the luxury of never being questioned. “If they don’t care for you, I’ll kill you wherever I wish.”
“Ah.” You passed under the temple gates by his side. Not long after that, you heard the great crash of stone into earth, and knew that those, too, had collapsed. “I hope it’s somewhere with lots of flowers. I’ve always wanted to die somewhere beautiful.”
His only answer was another, more lingering glance in your direction, a low bark of a laugh. Satisfied, you let the conversation lapse into silence and walked into the night by the side of a monster.
~
“How do you choose where to go?”
He didn’t respond, not immediately. Instead, one of his spare hands brought yet another grape to your lips, and with a pleased hum, you accepted it, savoring the sour tinge that accompanied the sweetness. From what you gathered, he preferred savory to sweetness, sweetness to bitterness, and bitterness to all other flavors that followed. He rarely ate anything that wasn’t the strange, ambiguous meat prepared by Uraume, his ever-smiling mastress of rituals, but the last village you’d passed through had a surplus of fruit. It’d seemed like a waste to let all of it rot, now that there was no one left to enjoy it.
It was strange – traveling with Sukuna and Uraume. They seemed to be on a pilgrimage of sorts, the destination unknown and the purpose one of endless carnage. Not that either of them expected you to participate in the devastation. No, as far as you could tell, you were regarded more as a servant, meant to be of aid to Sukuna when Uraume was otherwise occupied. Except, Uraume never seemed to be very occupied at all, and Sukuna very rarely needed aid, and you were often left in a position more akin to that of a pet than anything else – kept around predominantly because Sukuna found it entertaining to do so. Not that you minded. Pets were cherished and coddled. Pets never went hungry. Pets weren’t expected to be anything other than endearing and obedient, which wasn’t totally dissimilar to the things you were always expected to be, regardless of what you were supposed to call yourself.
Currently, you were taking shelter in an abandoned shrine not quite dilapidated enough to be considered unlivable, Uraume tending the hearth while Sukuna stared absent-mindedly at a map pilfered from the shine’s stockroom, the colored ink nearly too faded to read. You paid little mind to either of them – content enough to remain sprawled across Sukuna’s lap, one of his arms wrapped loosely around your waist. This was the first time you’d spoken in minutes, reluctant to break the comfortable silence. Sukuna didn’t seem to mind the sound of your voice, and you didn’t want that to change. “I don’t,” he admitted, eventually. He only spoke for himself, but it was given that you and Uraume would follow. “I go where I please. I only like to know that, when I arrive, there’ll be something worth my time waiting to receive me.”
“So particular, my lord.” You felt something tap against your bottom lip, and opened your mouth to accept a perfectly sweet, perfectly ripe strawberry. “Tell me, then – what would please you?”
He seemed to think for a long moment. Finally, he asked, “What village were you born to?”
His intention went unspoken, but the implication was clear. Sukuna’s sole pastime was destruction, with the target of his ire being any person, town, or creature unfortunate enough to cross his path. Although you’d never seen him go out of his way to find prey before, you were sure willingly pointing him in the direction of vulnerable quarry would result in a predictable outcome.
“Oh, I wouldn’t know. Things like that can be so hard to remember,” you said, which wasn’t untrue. Your memory was a fickle thing – uncooperative on your best days and deliberately misleading on your worst. “You know, being a baby at the time and all.”
His fingers drummed thoughtfully against your side. “You must have family somewhere, servant.”
“Not necessarily.” You shut your eyes to stop yourself from squirming, sighing as you rested your head against his shoulder. “My parents abandoned me before I was old enough to learn their names. A scrap collector took me in some time after that, but he traveled quite often, and I lost track of him years ago.” You paused, shook your head. “Like I said, things like this can be difficult to remember. I’m sorry, my lord.”
There was a slight hum, a momentary lapse. Abruptly, you felt his hands shift to your waist, Sukuna repositioning your smaller form with all of the strength and all of the thought it might’ve taken an ordinary person to right a toppled-over doll. Your back came to rest against his chest as one of his spare hands cupped your chin, directing your attention towards the yellowed map. “Pick somewhere,” he muttered, his voice low and his lips close enough to ghost over the shell of your ear. “Anywhere. Before I pull your unhelpful little tongue out of your throat.”
“Of course, my lord.” Acquiesce came first, a real answer second. Your gaze fell to the map in front of you. It took a second, but you found what you were looking for quickly enough. “Here,” you said, pointing to an area north of your current location. “There’s a village in the eastern corner of this valley with a small population of young farmers and very little in the way of redeeming qualities. But, in the town square, there grows a cherry blossom tree tall enough to scrap against the belly of the sky with branches that stretch as far as the eye can seem. When it blooms, its petals are great enough in volume to carpet the surrounding acre in pink.” You straightened your back, decisively avoiding sinking back into his chest. “I… I wouldn’t mind visiting it again, if it would please my lord.”
It was a dangerous thing to do �� showing your hand so plainly. You’d grown so used to keeping your cards tucked snuggly against your chest, even talking this openly felt as if you’d been stripped bare and put on exhibition in front of him.
But, if Sukuna realized that he was the audience to your performer, he neglected to acknowledge it. He only looked toward Uraume, who perked to attention immediately. They were good at that – pretending not to listen. Not as talented as you, of course, but good nonetheless. “We start traveling east tomorrow,” he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m adding another leg to our journey.”
His primary attention remained on them, but a few of his unblinking secondary eyes – repulsive in their lack of necessity – darted to you, watching for any signs of satisfaction, of pleasure. You only schooled your expression, retreating into your own mind to count the days until the cherry blossoms bloomed.
~
It took a surprising amount of time for you to catch Uraume in the act. Not overly long, but more time than you would’ve expected with them making no particular effort to hide the evidence of their ‘ritual preparation’ and you making no exceptional attempt to avoid finding out why their snow-white sleeves were so often stained red. If allowed to, you might’ve gone on living in the bliss of plausible deniability until your time with Sukuna and his chosen companionship came to an end, but he was not so kind, and there was little entertainment to be had in such a passive participant.
Still, you would’ve liked another week, another month, another season. You’d never cared for kitchens, but you cared for them least when they reeked of rotting meat.
The stench was almost worse than the sight – almost, but not quite. Then again, you were struggling to think of something worse than Uraume, all practiced tranquility and iced-over smiles, elbow-deep in the cavity a long dead middle-aged man, his body bare and spread over the stone countertop. You recognized him not by his face, but by his features – his wealth-fattened face, his uncalloused hands, the lack of definition to his legs that those who toiled could rarely afford to go without. He must’ve been the lord who owned the palace you currently found yourself residing in – a sprawling, decadent structure that it’d taken hours to clean after the massacre. Sukuna would survive wherever his whims lead, but he preferred to be comfortable. You didn’t mind. You preferred it when Sukuna was comfortable, too.
 It was clear they hadn’t been expecting you, either. Their dark eyes bored into you where you lingered in the doorway, a wicker basket on your hip and your robes still dusted with soil. Most of your day had been spent in the palace gardens. Its former caretaker had planted their shiso along the garden wall, where it would only receive partial sun in the best season – a common enough mistake, for how easy it was to mistake for basil, and a tricky one to correct. An experienced caretaker should’ve known better, but as the herbs were still alive while their keeper was very much not, you could consider their negligence repaid.
You made the first move –bowing at the waist by way of greeting. “Lord Sukuna asked me to fetch his tea,” you explained, as you straightened your back. You didn’t feel the need to mention that’d he’d sought you out in your gardens to do so. “I thought I’d bring you a few herbs in the same trip. My apologies, it wasn’t my intention to disturb you.”
The corner of their lips quirked downward. It wasn’t quite a frown, but it was the closest thing to one that you’d ever earned from them. You weren’t upset. Even glowering, they would’ve been breath-taking. “He wanted you to see my—” They paid a glance toward the dismembered lord, their arm still buried in his chest. “My preparations.”
“It would seem so.”
“And he wanted to know how you’d react. There’s a good chance he’ll ask me about this, later on.”
“I’d say it’s more of a certainty.”
“I’d understand it, if you wanted to leave. I know there are few ordinary humans who can stomach tasks so—” Another pause, this one longer than the first. Clearly, they were making an attempt to watch their tongue. “—needlessly visceral.”
“If I did try, how long would you give me before telling Sukuna?” This time, they choose to hold their tongue entirely, their slight frown deepening into a full-blown scowl. It took everything you had not to let your own satisfaction shine through.
Rather, you paid them another shallow bow before the threshold and setting down your basket on the nearest length of empty counter. “It’s mostly shiso, but I found some usable ginger and garlic, too, and a few stalks of parsley. Is there anything I can do to help?”
After a moment of consideration, Uraume shook their head. It only took a few minutes to make the tea you’d been sent to fetch, but they were minutes passed in silence, undisturbed save for the quiet chime of ceramic against ceramic. They didn’t start their own work again until you’d left the kitchen entirely, which you were thankful for. They’d been right. There were few humans with stomachs so strong as to withstand such grisly tasks, and you’d never counted yourself among them.
Sukuna had claimed the master’s chambers for himself, of course. You let yourself in without knocking, immediately finding Sukuna sprawled across the wonderfully ornate futon that dominated most of the floorspace. He smiled when he saw you, but his expression fell as soon as you returned the gesture.
He didn’t mention Uraume, or the kitchens, or the thick stench of iron-tinged blood that now seemed to fill every corner of the vast estate. You hummed as you poured his tea, and remained at his bedside as he took a long drink, followed shortly by an approving nod. You tried to make your escape quickly, already fantasizing about retreating back to your secluded garden, but Sukuna caught you before you could so much as turn towards the door. “Attend to what you must,” he started, his tone simultaneously dismissive and attention-seeking. “But return here, when you’re done. Bring your belongings, too – you won’t be going back to your bedroom again.”
You didn’t falter, but not for lack of reason to. You’d chosen your bedroom carefully, surveyed the better half of the residential wing before finding quarters that suited you. It was sparse by way of comforts and furniture, but the sole window looked over the mountainside, the landscape stretching on for miles upon miles without interruption. You would’ve been pressed to think of a finer view.
“As you wish.” And then, with a chirp of a laugh, “You know, we spend so much time with one another while traveling. I thought you would’ve taken our stationary periods as an excuse to get away from Uraume and I.”
“If I had a weaker will, maybe.” He reclined, let his head lull to the side, as if inviting you to counter, to protest – or worse, to step closer. “Why? Do you have something to say, servant?”
“Only how pleased I am to be of service to my lord.” You could’ve bowed, but decided against it. This time, when you took your leave, Sukuna was kind enough not to get in your way. Then again, he didn’t have a reason to.
He must’ve known that you were always going to come back.
~
“Who gave you permission to leave, servant?”
No one, but you’d hoped he wouldn’t notice until you were already gone. Stifling the urge to cringe, you turned on your heel and retreated back to the riverbank, not far from where Sukuna had left his robes, deliberately keeping your eyes on the ground. He rarely let you leave his side, but having you remain within eyeshot while he bathed was a newer development – and a tricker one to justify to yourself, at that. You were still allowed to remain more of a voyeur than a participant, but you weren’t naive enough to believe that he’d allow there to be such a great distance between you for much longer.
“I’m sorry, my lord.” Your eyes may have been downcast, but your voice was a light and as upbeat as ever. “I only hoped to catch Uraume before they finished. Servants have to bathe too, you know, and those of us with no limbs to spare can be rather hesitant to do so alone so deep into the forest.”
“Join me, then.”
Ah.
You should’ve been expecting that, honestly. You had no one but yourself to blame.
“My lord,” you managed with an airy laugh, feigning disbelief. “I’m just not sure if someone of my position should—”
Considering Sukuna’s size, he could move impressively fast. You’d only managed to take half a step back before you felt a hand curling around your wrist, pulling you off of the bank and into the river. You managed to take all of two stumbling steps forward before your foot caught on a slick river stone and you fell to your knees, ice-cold water immediately soaking through your thin robes. Sukuna made no effort to catch you, laughing as you tripped over yourself. He’d always seemed terrible to you, but you couldn’t remember the sound of his voice ever being so vile.
Biting back a sigh or some other, more telling show of displeasure, you started to push yourself to your feet, but stopped as soon as you felt Sukuna’s fist curl around your collar, another finding the back of your head. In a brief moment of blissful obliviousness, you thought he meant to help you – or, to restrain you and savor your humiliation for a few seconds longer, at the very worst. You almost thanked him, as little as your gratitude meant to Sukuna.
Then, your head was forced below the water, and you thought better of it.
It happened too suddenly to brace yourself. Your first reaction, operating purely out of instinct, was to open your mouth and try to breathe in – an idea as primal as it was unhelpful. Frigid water flooded into your mouth, your throat, liberating you from any amount of air you might’ve been able to hold onto and filling the now-vacant space with a chill that seemed to bite into your throat and leave everything it touched throbbing, numb. Your second was to thrash against Sukuna’s hold – which was, predictably, equally as useless. He was stronger than you could ever hope to be, than any real human being ever should be. Thick fingers threaded themselves into your hair, the hand holding the collar of your robes falling away only to find the nape of your neck, cementing your place at his mercy.
You tried to be rational, to exhale, to not panic, but something thick and solid seemed to be lodged at the base of your throat, and you couldn’t think about breathing without choking, and it was hard not to panic when you were hyper-aware that you were going to be drowned in some godforsaken river in some heartless forest at the hands of an unlovable monster. You were running out of air too quickly – you were supposed to have more time. He couldn’t have dragged you down any longer than a minute ago, but you could already feel an acute throbbing in your temples, make out dark spots dancing in the corners of your vision. Your body thrashed and stiffened in turns, but it was only when your form went limp in his hold that Sukuna jerked you back to the surface – hauling you back to the shore and letting you collapse onto the welcoming sand. He stood by, his grin the embodiment of mirth, as you hacked up acid-tinged water and blinked back tears, sucking in shallow breaths between coughing fits. Every inhale left your chest tense and aching, though, and every exhale felt like you were giving up something precious, something irreplaceable. You did your best to ignore the strain, to put it out of your mind. You had a feeling it would be some time before you could breathe painlessly again.
It took long, agonizing minutes for you to so much as begin to recover, but Sukuna remained by your side, waiting patiently. At some point, he lowered himself to your height – falling into a crouch and bringing a hand up to your back, rubbing circles into the apex of your spine as you coughed and clawed at the shore. He didn’t hum, or speak, or apologize, but you hadn’t expected him to. To initiate would be to taint what he sought so violently: your reaction. He wouldn’t do anything to spoil his prize, not so close to victory.
No, he wouldn’t dare.
The responsibility of denying him fell solely to you.
“My—”You tried to raise your head, to look at him, only to cut yourself off – another lungful of brackish water forcing its way past your lips before you could find your voice again. “My lord,” you managed, eventually. “If you’d like to bathe together, please give me a moment to undress, first. You know how long it can take cotton to dry.”
To his credit, his composure held. There was another throaty laugh, a sudden edge to his smile. “You should be more careful, songbird. One day, I’m going to eat you alive, and your last words to me are going to how glad you are to serve your master one last meal.”
“There would be no greater honor.” You managed an unsteady smile before dropping your head low, curling into yourself, and coughing up until your throat burnt and your rib cage seemed ready to burst. Sukuna only shook his head, taking you by the shoulders and leaning you against his chest, ensuring your stability before his attention shifted to your robes. With a surprising delicacy, he undid the sash bound around your waist, shrugging off your ruined yukata and carrying you back into the water. Your nails bit into his chest, but if he felt your involuntary resistance, it wasn’t enough to deter him.
Your body was lowered gingerly into one of the river’s shallower portions, and Sukuna kneeled behind you, one of his hands coming up to cup your cheek. You shut your eyes, but you could still feel his thumb tracing idly over your cheek, his chest reverberating against your back as he all but purred in delight. “I could hear your heart racing as I pushed you under.” And then, with a feather-light kiss to the top of your head, “It’s a relief to know there’s at least one part of you I can trust to be honest with me.”
You didn’t answer – only smiling as you melted into his palm.
~
The cherry blossom tree was larger than you’d remembered.
The village that surrounded it had grown, too. That made sense – it’d been years since you last passed through this area, and such a lovely corner of the world was bound to attract merchants and traveling warriors and those who, like yourself, simply found themselves drawn to beautiful things. You’d been able to see its wonderous branches rising above the horizon days before you were supposed to reach the village, started catching sakura petals on the breeze while you were still hours away from the nearest scrap of civilization, and a small part of you died upon being told that you would have to wait until after sunrise for your reunion, until Sukuna had finished glutting himself on blood and death and misery. Not that you listened. Uraume was tasked with looking after you, but they weren’t difficult to slip away from. They seemed to be fond of you – or, at least, surprisingly sympathetic to their master’s newest pet. Either way, they let you go without much of a struggle.
An hour or so after midnight, you made your way through fleeing crowds, maneuvering around mounds of disembodied extremities and between flame-eaten farmhouses, still in the early stages of burning down. Wherever Sukuna went, the fire seemed to follow, so you tried to stay where the light seemed the dimmest, where the smoke seemed the thinnest, focused solely on finding your way to the center of town – to the cherry blossom. You couldn’t make out its silhouette against the pitch-black landscape, but you didn’t need to. You would’ve been able to find your way to it on instinct alone.
That being said, now that you stood before it, you found it hard to believe that you’d come to the right village, let alone the right tree.
You didn’t remember your cherry blossom looking quite so… absent.
It was as if some great and wrathful deity had broken your sakura off at the base and spirited its body away, leaving only a charred stump behind. There was evidence that there had been more, at some point – pale pink petals littering the ground, a rope fence that had to have once guarded more than desecrated remains – but the cherry blossom was gone, as the village built around it would be by sunrise. It was cruel, really, when you could put your own despair aside long enough to use such tame vernacular. It was monstrous.
Speaking of monsters – yours was quick to rear his ugly head.
He’d never looked more terrible. Ash tainted the pale color of his hair, blood and gore staining his chest, his face, his hands. As always, he carried no weapon, and as always, he was entirely uninjured, untouched save for the byproduct of the devastation he’d wrought. You watched him approach in your peripheral, bracing yourself a moment before four arms wrapped around your smaller body and pulled you into a stone-hard chest. You knew better than to attempt to resist Sukuna, but this might have been the first time you were tempted to try.
“Songbird,” he muttered, the petname salt to a fresh wound. If he was surprised, let alone angry that you’d snuck away from Uraume, your disobedience caused him no strife. “I come bearing gifts.”
The upper of his two left hands uncurled, revealing a long, stick-like object. A hairpin, you realized, after a moment, the prong of a fine dark mahogany. It boasted only a single ornament: a small, expertly made glass flower. A cherry blossom, to be more specific.
You’d never been quick to anger. For as long as you could remember, in fact, you’d never found yourself angered by much of anything before.
You tasted blood before you realized you were biting your tongue; swallowing back a scream, or howl, or some other unsightly noise. It took you longer than you would’ve liked to regain your composure, but Sukuna was preoccupied, his attention dedicated solely to burying his face in the crook of your neck, to clutching onto you so tightly, you had to wonder how he’d ever managed to let go. It’d been inane to ever compare yourself to a pet, to something so cherished. It’d been inane to ever believe you were anything more than the favored plaything of a drooling, overgrown mutt.
With trembling hands, you plucked the hairpin out of his palm and held it up appraisingly. When Sukuna raised his head, his pointed teeth still lingering against your throat, you did the only thing you could think to – smiling as you leaned into him. “It’s beautiful.” And then, with a sigh, “It’s only a shame to have missed the real thing.”
For all of Sukuna’s faults, you could only be thankful that pride was among them.
“You don’t have to worry.” A hand found your jaw, holding you in place as he pressed a kiss into your temple. “I had more than my fill before you arrived.”
As you watched the village burn in his arms, you thought only of the color of chrysanthemums and the taste of iron, heavy on your tongue.
~
Someone had told you, once, that all the loveliest flowers bloomed under moonlight.
You watched the sky as you waited – your eyes never leaving the sliver of it you could see through small, barred window built into the opposing wall. He’d taken you to another vacant temple, tonight, claimed the head priest’s chambers as his den, and you’d followed lovingly, never uttering so much as a word of complaint. You’d let him rest his head in your lap, raked your fingers through his hair, and brought a cask of sweet wine laced with bitter herbs to his lips whenever he threatened to stir. Eventually, his eyes eased shut, his pulse slowing and his expression dulling into something calm, something docile. If you hadn’t known better, you might’ve started to doubt that he was a monster at all.
You didn’t move, didn’t shift, didn’t make a run for the door. You only reached into your sleeve, fetching the cherry blossom hairpin he’d gifted you weeks ago, now, the hairpin you carried dutifully ever since. You waited for him to turn onto his side, revealing the unarmored half of his face, before aligning the pointed tip with his ear, raising it above your head, and plunging it—
You felt his fingers dig into your thigh, another hand latching onto your hip. Your back slammed into the stiff futon with enough force to knock the air out of your lungs – leaving you breathless and paralyzed in an instant. When you recovered enough to think, you found Sukuna above you, straddling your waist, a hand planted on either side of your head. He was breathing heavily, as if excited. You knew it was impossible, but you found yourself wishing that he’d find a way to regurgitate his own lungs and choke on them.
“My lord,” you started, each word measured. You were careful to keep your voice low, your smile perfectly saccharine. “I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”
 His response was a manic smile, a bark of a laugh. “It’s too late to play innocent.” He lowered himself that much closer to you, his chest a hair’s width from making contact with yours. “How many times have you poisoned my wine, songbird?”
“Poisoned? Never.” You’d let go of your hairpin in the collision. Currently, it was lying against the wall to your right – just an inch or so out of your reach. There were other, more accessible weapons closer to you, but if you were going to kill Sukuna, you wanted it to be with that abomination. “If my lord is asking how many times I’ve treated his wine with herbs and spices, then twice. Once to see how he handled his drink, and tonight.”
You’d done him a disservice – writing him off as simply monstrous. He was more beast-like than anything, with his back arched and his talons dug into the bedding, with eyes so wide and so vibrant you believed, if only for a second, that he would manage to burn holes through your skull. “A day will come,” His anticipation was palpable. It was a wonder how such a glutton could ever sound so starved. “Where nothing will fall from you sweet lips but my praises, and I will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you mean every last word.”
For once, you could only say what you meant. “I’d rather fucking die.”
There was a change to his animal posture, a glint of white teeth in moonlight, and then his mouth was crashing into yours – all fangs and tongue and intensity. Mindlessly, operating off of your own sort of base impulse, you reached out, your fingertips just barely brushing against the prong of your hairpin.
It was only as you curled your fist around it that you kissed him back, unable to suppress your grin.
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killa-cookie · 4 months ago
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how wwould the beast cookies react to gluttony reader wanting to eat them simply out of adoration but doesn't want to kill them so they resort to things like biting or sucking
I'll be calling this one a lovesick gluttony
A bit suggestive in a way..?
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Oh how you ADORED (beast)
You just wanted to worship them, embrace them, maybe even try a little bit of them.. Would they be sweet? Spicy? Sour? Oh how you wanted to find out
REACTIONS
-
MYSTIC FLOUR
Oh my, when you were Temperance she knew you had at least some feelings for her... But now you have no self control, so you're just now ranting to her about how much she was so dear to you... She's enjoying the attention though. She finds it a bit endearing that the light of gluttony would hold back just for her.
If you bite her playfully, she'll let you be (as long as you don't actually bite her, but if you do she'd heal herself and probably send you somewhere you can eat as much as you want)
Don't. Lick . Her. She tastes bland anyway.
- you two were just chilling in the ivory pagoda, her listening to your rants as always. Your rants were rather interesting, they would always change topics at random times.
As she was peacefully meditating while you were talking to her, suddenly she just felt some sharp teeth digging slightly into her arm. She looks down to see your not so innocent face just nomming on her.
"...What is it are you doing dear?
-
BURNING SPICE
Holy shiagut he is SPICYY AFFFF
He's flattered, you ease his boredom whenever you try and bite him... (Definitely when you lick him augrhrhiej) he also laughs when you pull back from how spicy he is.
To be honest, he finds it cute that you bite him out of adoration. Although he knows that you can't handle his damn spiciness, he still kinda wants you to bite him more (think of this in the way you want to, or not.)
I'd advise you not to lick him, If you do the spiciness gets to you even more.
- you two were resting on a couch he had in his temple, he was ranting about the chaos and destruction he had caused. And slandering golden cheese cookie.
You were listening intently to every word he had been saying, not a single letter forgotten. You had thoughts racing in your mind, what would my dear taste like?
As he was ranting, he paused as he felt a mouth running along his arm. You were just kinda trying to get a taste of him. And shit he was spicy
" what darlin'? Too hot for ya?"
-
SHADOW MILK
Since canonically, gluttony still hates the shit outta this man... They would try to eat him out of anger, and spite.
But his lovesick fantasies THINK you're doing it out of adoration. But even though he thinks that he is not letting you near him. He's seen what you've done to other cookies. You would be trying to eat his legs and he'd be like -owhh you love me smile you wanna eat off my legs-
- you hated him so damn much, you don't remember why, but you just hate the hell outta this guy.
You were visiting the spire of deceit, just needing to give some things to him. And maybe try to eat some bits of him, does his hat taste good? Probably not
He sees you and immediately rushes to you. He's saying hi and all those cutesy shit, it was annoying you. Especially those dang nicknames of his.
You charge forward and try to bite his head off, but he quickly retreats back.
"Awhhh, do you adore me so much you wanna get a taste of me? Nom-nom nemesis over here showing their love in such bizarre ways!"
(Bizarre?.... ( jotaro menacing menacing(
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gottagetpig · 5 months ago
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Merry Christmass from your local lardass. Stuffing my piggy gut so much these holidays feels so euphoric. Just eating and eating like a good little fatty, being given all the food I deserve and more. Feeling the pounds on my swelling frame as I gorge. Getting to be pampered like the spoiled piggy prince I am with food, helping my soft and increasingly thick thighs and increasingly doughy belly grow. each day filled with oh so decadent high calorie delights I can never resist all too happy to shovel the next cake, turkey and pie into my fat addicted face as my ass strains, thighs and belly strain from my clothes, until through the frenzy of it all I feel my pants rip, my top burst and buttons pop, unable to stifle a moan at the pleasure of doing so before continuing to gorge with renewed vigour.  I deserve to be spoiled like the fat prince I am, through food, praise and worship
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My gorging won't stop after Christmas, as I grow more lazy and spoiled, as my desires for more fat, more food grow my soft squishy body will blossom with more and more lard just begging to be worshipped. My gluttonous belly becomes a dough apron constantly gurgling, demanding more food as slowly waddle over to the next feast shocking people with my delectably huge heft, wheezing and waddling my way to the door ready to grace the next lucky delivery boy or fast food cashier with my divinely huge heft. My marshmallow thighs and huge bubbly ass so swathed with fat they'd fill a couch with ease. Doorways a constant struggle needing to be pushed at points as my gelatinous rear presses and eventually dwarfs the doorway. My huge body deserves to be worshipped for the icon of gluttony it is. Growing heavier and larger as I grow all the more spoiled and gluttonous. Eventually waddling a few steps leaves me wheezing, drenched with sweat as I whine and reach for the next few burgers eager to break the bed and new boundaries of my weight... 
My body is a temple
So worship every roll
Spoil me rotten
Feed me more.~
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bamfkeeper · 11 months ago
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NSFW Headcannons: Nightcrawler // Sex
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a/n: I'm almost out of ideas for headcannons, I wanted to pump out a few more just because they're easy for me to write and get used to writing specific characters. I promised more of our favorite blue teleporter so, here he is. These are fairly basic, for more descriptive or specific things they won't be in this format, more as actual fics instead of quick headcannons. Written as a gender-neutral reader. I hope you enjoy <3 Not edited please ignore grammar mistakes.
Minors DNI. 18+ under the cut.
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Whether it's your first time in general or not, the first time sleeping with Kurt is something he takes very seriously. He wants to make sure you enjoy yourself, and he wants to make sure he doesn't hurt you.
He likes to make sure the set up is all done before you even come into the room. He goes all out for your first time, no hasty habits. He will keep in mind any preferences, but he will probably do something along the lines of candles or any scents you like in the room, soft mood lighting, and making sure everything is perfect.
"I did my best, liebling. Perhaps I have gone overboard..." he would mutter, a little embarrassed, but it was from the good of his heart.
Kurt likes to take his time with you, he begins with massaging you, wanting you to completely relaxed with him. His hands are soft yet firm and know just the right amount of pressure to do when he rubs you. "Relax, I will make sure you enjoy yourself tonight...just melt into me, ja?"
When he turns you on your back, he will lean down, softly kissing you. His lips are gentle and slow, feeling yours without the need to rush. Sensual kisses fill your senses as he continues to press into yours, his tongue shyly caressing your bottom lip before he pushes it inside.
His tongue explores your mouth, your tongue fights his with little force, you let him take the lead. He smiles against your lips as you try to playfully press against his tongue, finding it cute.
When he pulls back, those kisses increase and begin to travel down your body. He leaves hot kisses along your jaw and neck, suckling and biting lightly where he can, but being mindful of his sharp teeth.
The foreplay lasts a long time, he makes sure you have at least one orgasm before moving on to the main event of the night.
His cock is beading, gently rubbing himself up and down your entrance. "Are you ready for me?" he questions, placing a kiss to your temple, his cock head positioning and slowly pressing into you.
He inches slowly, hissing at the tightness, his cheek pressed against yours while his arms hold onto you. His tail cradles you as he sheaths himself to the hilt, he twitches and throbs inside you.
"Ah - mein Gott! You are squeezing so tight..." he rasps softly into you, his hips staying still for a few seconds so you can adjust to him before he pulls back and experimentally gives you one thrust. When he hears you moan, he takes that as encouragement and continues his thrusting at a steady speed.
His hands caress your hips and hold them as his own snap into yours. He lets out soft moans and pants, his thrusts are slow enough for you to feel every inch of him moving in and out of you. The feeling of him stretching you as he moves at such a perfect speed is intoxicating.
He leans over you, his legs press into the back of your thighs as his hips are driven a bit more, his cock pushing inside at a slightly rougher pace. He will go rougher and a little harder after a few minutes, or if you as him to.
"So needy, you have a gluttonous hole, you swallow me..." he looks down and watches himself disappear with each thrust. "You know, mein kleiner schatz, gluttony is a sin~"
He grins as he finds himself driving more and more into you, "Fret not, for I am a priest and I am more than capable of forgiving you of your sins..." he purrs, his fuzzy body gently grinding into yours as his thrusts increase.
He may flip you to a new position, he may not, depending on how intense the sex is becoming. For the most part, he does like to watch your face contort in pleasure, watching you blush and whine for him. He also likes getting the opportunity to kiss you whenever he can.
He makes sure you cum first. He will rub you or jerk you however he can. His hands gently massage your body and find those sweet spots that make you jerk beneath him. He goes until those pretty whines come from your lips and then he keeps it up until you are shaking through a powerful orgasm.
When he finally orgasms, he buries himself inside you and releases there, his jaw slack and his curly hair messy atop his head, his indigo cheeks blushed purple. Those pretty yellow eyes barely open as he stiffens with his orgasm, his back straining as he becomes rigid.
Two panting bodies, he looks down at you and smiles. His nose brushes yours as he shows you affection and love. "Ich liebe dich." he whispers, slowly pulling out and wrapping his arms around you, carrying you to the bathroom.
After some heavy clean up, he gives you a moment alone to do anything you might want privacy for, and he will make sure to ready the bedroom and clean up anything.
"This way, liebe...you were so wonderful...let me take care of you now." he whispers, guiding you to a clean bed and laying you down. He loves to hold you after everything is done, his hands rub up and down your body, any sore muscles taken care of by his gentle massages.
He can be quite fussy after sex, asking if you need a drink or something to eat, if you're comfortable, if you need anything at all. But you like how he is, it makes you feel all the more loved.
Eventually, the evening ends with you two sleeping with one another, you are tucked into his body as he holds you, his arms keeping you cradled against him, his nose buried in your hair or crook of your neck, and of course that tail is always wrapped around you somehow.
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Thanks for reading.
*BAMF*
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dividers by @/adornedwithlight
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mrpenguinpants · 4 months ago
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Cat Distribution System [ Commissioned ]
— Recently, there have been reports of a large food shortage sweeping across Sumeru. The culprit? It's a...cat? Hang on- is this the right script?
Word Count: 4.8k
— Kaveh, Alhaitham, Wanderer + Cyno
Request: [ A platonic first encounter fic with a lazy/messy demon cat boy who is the personification of gluttony. ] Reader is based on an OC, so there are a few extra details/lore, but no OC names or physical details are mentioned. This is still an x reader fic. [Masterlist]
Thank you for commissioning me and trusting me with your OC again! While I didn't go as deep into the origin story as last time, I hope I did justice to his lore and character traits. I hope you like it!
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“So, let me get this straight,” Kaveh starts, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. His brow furrowed slightly as his eyes flicked toward the figure across the table, who was happily stuffing his face with bits of chicken and Baklava—a bizarre combination that made Kaveh’s stomach turn. How was that not the worst flavor combination? Sweet, followed by the lingering taste of meat? And was that the crunk of teeth grinding against bones as well? Absolutely revolting. “You went out to investigate the food shortages in the desert, and somehow, you returned with... that?”
“Correct,” Alhaitham replied, his voice calm and detached, not even bothering to glance up from the pages of his book. He was so absorbed in his reading that it was as if the entire world around him had faded into the background. The giant elephant in the room—wait, no, cat—was the more appropriate term, Kaveh realized, his gaze drifting to the source of his growing exasperation seemingly dismissed. With a resigned sigh, he cast a pained glance to the otherfg side, where two fluffy ears flicked back and forth in a way that might have been endearing, had the man not been in the midst of devouring half the dishes they had. He was eating through Kaveh’s body weight in food, and with each bite, the pile of empty plates grew, a silent testament to the chaos of it all. Who exactly was going to foot the bill for this little catastrophe?
Kaveh stared. He stared hard. “What… is that?”
It wasn’t as though Kaveh was unacquainted with people sporting animal-like features—after all, he’d spent a good part of his morning discussing dwindling resources with Tighnari, whose sharp ears and bushy tail were as much a part of him as his sharp wit. But this? This was something else entirely. Never in his wildest dreams—or nightmares—had Kaveh imagined the source of Sumeru’s mounting food crisis would manifest as two twitching ears, an equally fluffy tail, and a bottomless appetite housed in what could only be described as a walking, purring catastrophe.
“Looks like we bit off more than we could chew,” Cyno said, lowering himself into a chair with the deliberate weight of someone resigned to his fate. Arms crossed and tone as dry as Sumeru’s deserts, he added, “And now we’re all stuck digesting the consequences.”
A long, theatrical groan followed, drawing attention to the figure at the table who was steadily sliding downward like butter left out in the sun. Kaveh collapsed further into the wood, his head resting on folded arms, his posture and overall energy reminiscent of a melting slime abandoned after battle—defeated, formless, and thoroughly unappealing.
"If you can still joke like that, I’ll take it as a sign that everything’s perfectly under control?" Kaveh sighed, his tone soft but laced with a hint of exasperation as he rubbed his temples, as though the pun had somehow caused actual harm. He shifted slightly closer to Alhaitham, who despite already having checked out of the conversation leans in, raising one hand to his mouth like a makeshift shield. Lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, Kaveh added, "But seriously… if everything’s fine, then why exactly is the culprit here?"
“He followed us back,” Alhaitham said, his voice cool and dispassionate as if recounting a minor inconvenience rather than a monumental lapse in judgment. Kaveh blinked, his mind briefly short-circuiting as it tried to process the absurdity of the situation. The infamously meticulous scribe—who went out of his way to ensure his time card was never a second past overtime—took work home with him?
“He followed you back? And you didn't do anything to stop him?” Kaveh echoed, his voice tinged with disbelief as if repeating the question could somehow rewrite the reality he was hearing. The light-hearted atmosphere faltered, quickly replaced by a heavier silence as Cyno and Alhaitham exchanged a glance, one filled with a silent understanding Kaveh couldn’t quite place. Cyno’s expression darkened, his usual sternness sharpening into something far more severe, like a storm suddenly gathering on the horizon. His gaze flickered toward the corner of the table, where their... unwelcome guest lingered, before returning it to Kaveh with an almost apologetic weight.
“We didn’t exactly have a choice,” Cyno muttered, his voice edged with a reluctant resignation, as though the truth of the situation was one he was still struggling to fully accept. The words hung in the air, heavy with the uncomfortable reality of their predicament. The young man—cat? Kaveh paused, wondering if it was offensive to think of him as a “cat” in his mind. Maybe it was too soon to make that judgment, but the behavior was hard to ignore. The man gave a small huff, his tail flicking with a quick and irritated motion.
“You didn’t have to bring me,” he muttered, his voice laced with casual defiance, “I could’ve found more food on my own.”
“And left more skeletons in the rainforest?” Cyno shot back, his tone dry. The cat man shrugged, the movement causing his ears to twitch with a playful smile. No remorse whatsoever.
“I was hungry,” he said with a casual shrug, his tone almost too smooth, as though hunger itself were a completely reasonable excuse for his behavior, “It’s not my fault this place has no decent food.”
“Wait, hold on. You’re telling me that this kid—who, by the way, looks like he hasn’t seen a bath in weeks, and that’s putting it lightly—has been roaming around the forest, eating his way through everything he comes across, and leaving carcasses in his wake like some kind of... monstrous scavenger?” Kaveh’s eyes narrowed, his mind reeling as he tried to piece together the chaos of the moment. Cyno let out a quiet sigh, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the situation. He glanced briefly toward their uninvited guest, whose tail flicked lazily in the corner. Truly the embodiment of a menace, even the stray cats who knocked over flower pots had the same content look. As if they stood above the Archon's themselves.
“That’s... the gist of it,” Cyno admitted, his voice a reluctant blend of resignation and mild disbelief, as though he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around how things had gotten this far. Kaveh’s jaw dropped. His hands shot up in a dramatic gesture of utter disbelief, and he slowly turned his incredulous gaze back to Cyno, then to Alhaitham, and finally to the creature occupying the corner of the table like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“And you—you brought him here?! To our place?!” His voice had risen to the point where the last question practically exploded from his mouth, punctuating his growing sense of utter absurdity. He wasn’t sure whether to be horrified, exasperated, or just completely lost for words. Alhaitham exhaled slowly, his fingers pressing against his temples as if trying to stave off the headache threatening to bloom. At least he was starting to realize he couldn't avoid faking deafness to Kaveh's ever-mounting overthinking.
“He’s not a threat to the city. As long as we keep him fed, he won’t cause any trouble,” Alhaitham gestures with his hand, his voice steady, but there was an underlying weight to it. Kaveh, not at all convinced, raised an eyebrow, his skepticism practically radiating from him. He crossed his arms, looking from Alhaitham to their “guest” with barely contained frustration.
“That’s a big assumption,” he muttered, his words laced with more doubt than a stack of building materials. His eyes flicked toward their unwelcome companion, who was now happily licking the remnants of some forgotten dish off his fingers, completely oblivious to the growing tension around him, “What’s to stop him from eating his way through the city next? And I’m not just talking about food. Shouldn't you be more worried than I am Cyno!?”
“If he does, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, he’s just… a nuisance," Cyno glanced over, who, now finished with his meal, was lazily lounging in his chair tipped so far back that it would take the slightest breeze to knock him over.
Kaveh pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to process everything, “So, let me get this straight once more. You went out to solve a food shortage, and instead of fixing the problem, you brought home a cat with a black hole for a stomach? And before you even start Alhaitham, I know you said he "followed" you back.”
"Ah, so you do listen."
"You-!"
Kaveh opened his mouth to continue arguing but then paused, his eyes narrowing as the gears in his head turned, “Wait a minute. When you invited me out for dinner...was this your way of pushing your problem onto me?! Does this mean I’m stuck dealing with him now?”
“That depends,” Alhaitham hides his mouth with his book, the bastard, “Are you offering to take responsibility for him?”
“This has to be some kind of cosmic joke. I knew I shouldn't have trusted in your good faith! I didn’t sign up to be part of the accidental cat distribution system!” Kaveh's up onto his feet, the chair pushed back with his palms flat against the table in protest.
The visitor tilted his head, his ears twitching. “I don’t know what that means, but if you’re offering food, I’ll stay.”
“I’m not offering food!” Kaveh said quickly, almost defensively.
“It’s not a matter of being fine with it,” Cyno said with a weary sigh, “It’s a matter of necessity. If we left him alone, he’d cause more problems. Alhaitham is still the Acting Grand Sage, and I have to scout the forest for any other "visitors". You’re the only one we can count on, Kaveh.”
Kaveh stared at him for what felt like an eternity, his gaze flicking between Alhaitham and Cyno. His chest tightened, and his mind spun in circles, torn between his growing anxiety and the strange tug of responsibility. His heart twisted and twinged, at war with his brain, which insisted that he had no idea how to take care of a cat, let alone a full-fledged person. Hell, he couldn’t even manage to keep his own life together! But... the look Cyno was giving him was enough to make him falter, his resolve weakening by the second. How many times had Cyno helped him, without question? And technically, wasn’t Alhaitham also turning to him, a trusted senior, to step in? With how much of a brick wall these two were, they’d likely leave a bowl of water and food, lock the door, and pretend this entire mess didn’t exist. But even if the “cat” turned out to be some dangerous menace to Sumeru, he was still just a kid, wasn’t he? It was hard to tell with all the grime and disarray, but Kaveh could never turn his back on someone in need. It didn’t matter if he didn’t know what he was doing—he had a soft spot for lost souls. He sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration, resigning to his fate, “This is a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Perhaps,” Alhaitham, ever the picture of composure, stood up, brushing invisible dust from his clothes as though this entire conversation wasn’t nearly as catastrophic as it felt, “But for now, it’s your disaster too.”.
---
A few weeks had passed since Kaveh found himself reluctantly sharing his space with you—a strange, cat-like humanoid creature who seemed to have no sense of personal boundaries, let alone normal social conventions. Things, as he had feared, had barely improved. Kaveh leaned back in his chair, the creak of the wood echoing in the otherwise quiet room as he squinted up at the ceiling, silently counting the seconds until he would inevitably lose his patience. His life, it seemed, had morphed into an ongoing exercise in suppressing the instinctive desire to be a people-pleaser. Sure, he’d grown accustomed to dealing with clients who would endlessly revise their requests or scrap entire projects at the last minute, but this? This was an entirely different level. At least his clients didn’t sprawl across his desk or raid his fridge as though they were entitled to every last bite of food in the place. And they certainly didn’t follow him around like a persistent shadow, knocking over everything in their path.
Lately, your favorite pastime had been trailing after him, meticulously upending his carefully constructed systems. His drafting room—which had once been a sanctuary of messy but organized—had now become an unrecognizable battleground. Stacks of books, once aligned neatly on the floor, were scattered haphazardly, their contents not even spared the mercies of a half-hearted attempt at organization. More disturbingly, there were signs of clutter everywhere: empty plates left licked cleaned, crumbs scattered as though you’d been purposely grinding the bags into dust, and the occasional abandoned cloth or discarded paper—all remnants of your uninvited presence.
Today, Kaveh watched in silence, eyes narrowing as you sat cross-legged in the corner of the room, flipping through a book with the kind of careless disinterest that set his teeth on edge. Your tail swayed lazily behind you, brushing against the floor with a gentle brush, as though you weren’t inches away from toppling over a lamp if he didn’t keep a vigilant eye on you. It was frankly, unfair. Every time he glanced over, there you were—completely at ease in a space that used to be his own.
“You could at least sit in a chair like a normal person,” Kaveh said, his tone edged with the discontent that had been steadily building up inside him. He gestured toward the chair beside him, pulling it out with a theatrical flourish as though offering you a seat at some royal banquet, “I’m not asking for much here.”
“Chairs are uncomfortable,” you replied without sparing him so much as a glance, your voice casual, almost dismissive. How oddly familiar huh? “And besides, the floor’s warm from the sun.”
Before Kaveh could fire back, the soft sound of deliberate footsteps, accompanied by the faint clinking of bronze, sliced through the tension in the air. Oh, thank god—Alhaitham was home, so he could finally take you off his hands—
But when he turned to look, his words faltered in his throat. It wasn’t Alhaitham.
Instead, it was a young man with blue eyes, fair skin, and short midnight blue hair with choppy bangs falling over unimpressed eyes. Well, at least one of those details was right?
“You’ve certainly outdone yourself this time,” Wanderer remarked, his eyes sweeping over the room with a mix of bemusement and something Kaveh couldn’t quite place. Then his gaze landed on you, relaxed and utterly unfazed, lounging in the corner, “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve always had a remarkable talent for collecting problems.”
Kaveh’s eyes widened in confusion, his mind scrambling to process the unexpected sight. He had no idea what Wanderer was doing here, or why he’d chosen this exact moment to make his appearance. He didn’t even know the man all that well—certainly not well enough to waltz into his home and deal with the complete disaster Kaveh had found himself trapped in. Kaveh opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, he let out an incredulous laugh, his hands trembling slightly.
“W-Wait, what?” Kaveh spun around, his mind struggling to catch up with the scene unfolding in front of him. He glanced from you to Wanderer, and then back to you again, his confusion intensifying with each passing second, “Why you? Why—what are you doing here?”
“Me? I was under the impression you were in need of assistance," Wanderer’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smirk, his voice dripping with the same wry tone he always carried. He leaned casually against the doorframe, the sound of his hat ornaments clicking against each other rings in the room, “You do seem to have a knack for making things... complicated.”
Without missing a beat, his gaze shifted back to you, scrutinizing you with a sharpness that almost seemed to pierce through the haze of frustration Kaveh was feeling, “And this must be the stray I’ve been hearing so much about.”
“Stray? Careful with your words, I bite,” You echoed the word with a flicker of annoyance, the corners of your mouth twitching downward as your eyes narrowed. Kaveh, too caught up in the whirlwind of thoughts, barely registered the subtle shift in the atmosphere—until he saw it. Small flecks of dark energy, swirling and bubbling up from the surface of the floor like ripples in a disturbed pool, were slowly spreading outward. Kaveh had never seen anyone—let alone you—manifest something like that before. Even when he was hauling your limp body away from his paint water, you only acted as a limp body, “Bold choice of words for someone who looks like they blew in on a bad breeze."
Wanderer didn’t so much as flinch at the jab or the unsettling energy bubbling from the floor. His gaze remained steady, almost bored, as his hand flicked in a smooth motion, summoning a frenzied swirl of anemo that danced wildly in his palm, his expression betraying no sign of concern. Meanwhile, your ears flicked back, irritation flaring within the depths of your gaze, but a sly, almost mischievous grin crept across your face, as though you were ready for whatever came next.
"Spirited, aren’t you?" he mused, his voice as dry and unaffected as ever, "Usually, that’s just a mask for trouble."
"And you’re all business? What, are you his boss now?" You punctuated your question with an almost mocking tilt of your head, letting the tension in the air thicken.
"No," he said bluntly, voice devoid of warmth. Wanderer’s lip curled slightly in disdain, the sharpness of his gaze intensifying as he responded in a tone colder than before, every word clipped with precision, "I don’t have the time—or the patience—to monitor his poor decisions. I’m here because someone asked me to keep an eye on the bigger picture."
"Enough!" Kaveh barked, his voice ricocheting off the walls as he sprang to his feet. His finger jabbed accusingly toward Wanderer, the motion sharp enough to cut through the tension in the room, "If you two want to start duking it out, take it outside! I’ve had enough of this nonsense!"
Wanderer’s gaze remained inscrutable, his expression as neutral as ever, though there was a subtle shift in his eyes—something fleeting, almost imperceptible. The swirling anemo energy in his palm began to wane, dissipating in a controlled, deliberate manner as he flicked his wrist dismissively. The unspoken truce also retracted your claws as the dark elemental energy drifted back into the shadows as if it had never appeared in the first place.
"Overseeing you is hardly necessary," Wander replied, his tone returning to its smooth and cold tone, "The results of your decisions speak for themselves."
He stepped closer, his gaze sharpening on Kaveh, "Are you really prepared to handle the mess you've made? Do you have even the slightest idea of what you've invited into your life? Or are you just fumbling along, hoping it’ll all sort itself out?"
Kaveh’s jaw tightened, fingers twitching as if he might snap at Wanderer, but the words stuck in his throat. His room was a disaster—papers scattered like confetti, books in disarray, and an undeniable scent of half-eaten food filling the air. It was a mess, sure, but it was his mess. He glanced toward you, still sprawled out in the corner like you owned the place, and for a moment, his frustration wavered.
Sure, you were a walking, talking disruption, eating him out of house and home. But... you hadn’t been all that bad. At least you hadn’t burned the place down or knocked over any shelves yet. You were mostly quiet when you weren’t eating his food or moving things around in what he was starting to suspect was some bizarre attempt at helping. It wasn’t perfect, but somehow, despite the mess, things could’ve been worse. With a resigned sigh, Kaveh rubbed his temple and shot a glance at Wanderer. Regardless, Kaveh had taken on the responsibility to house you, even if it was a reluctant decision, but you were still his responsibility. Kaveh let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before waving a hand in Wanderer’s direction as if to brush off his concerns.
“Okay, fine. I’ll admit it—you’re right. I don’t really know who he is, where he came from, or why he insists on eating everything in sight like they’ve been cursed by a bottomless pit of hunger,” He shot you a pointed look, but there was no real malice in it, “But if he truly wanted me dead—whether for my so-called ‘poor decisions’ or because I’m his only source of free food—I think he would’ve made his move by now. I mean, he's had plenty of opportunities.”
He gestured vaguely toward the mess around him. “Like the first night, he crashed here? I was out cold. He could’ve done anything. Poisoned my food, set the place on fire, stolen my mora, or even used me as a chew toy for whatever dark energy nonsense he's capable of,” Kaveh waved his hand dramatically as though painting a dire scenario, then stopped, folding his arms with a huff, “But no. What did he do? He ate their fill, curled up in a corner, and passed out. Hardly the behavior of someone plotting my untimely demise.”
Kaveh turned to Wanderer, his tone shifting from exasperated to firm as he pointed a finger at him, “So, yes, maybe I don’t have all the answers. But at the very least, he's my responsibility right now. If anything goes wrong, it’s on me—not you. And as far as I’m concerned, this house has survived enough without you adding to the chaos. So, if you’d be so kind as to, I don't know, maybe don’t blow the place up, yeah? I’d very much appreciate it. I’m already stressed enough without adding structural repairs to the list.”
There was a brief pause as Kaveh adjusted the collar of his shirt and muttered under his breath, “Honestly, you’d think this house has a giant target painted on it the way things keep happening…”
Wanderer fixed Kaveh with a look that could only be described as utterly unimpressed, letting the heavy silence hang between them like a drawn-out sigh. His blue eyes bounced between the two of you and the tiniest hint of a smirk curled at the corner of his hips. Instead, he leaned back ever so slightly, his posture oozing casual indifference, and gave a shrug so languid it might as well have been an insult in itself.
“Choice,” he began, his voice slow and razor-edged with that detached condescension that always managed to crawl under Kaveh’s skin. Seriously, now that he thinks about it, where did Wanderer even come from to perfect that tone? “It’s the crutch people lean on when they can’t face the fact that they’re at the mercy of fate. A comforting little delusion, isn’t it? But you—”
Wanderer's lips curved into the faintest shadow of a smirk as he gestured vaguely up and down at Kaveh, “You’ve made your bed, Kaveh. Now get comfy.”
Well. That was a rather optimistic outlook. Really did wonders for Kaveh's self-esteem. Thank you for the pep talk—truly inspiring. He needs a better social life, he can only have one pessimistic realist in his life stomping on his poor little emotional heart.
"It’s not about optimism; it’s about reality," Wanderer continues with a new teasing edge, as if reading Kaveh's mind which he really hopes isn't possible, "Not everything goes according to plan, but hey—That’s the fun part, isn’t it? Keeps life… unpredictable."
The way Wanderer said it made Kaveh’s irritation spike, as though he genuinely took pleasure in the spectacle unfolding before him—or more specifically, Kaveh’s exasperation. For a moment, Kaveh paused, his frustration giving way to a fleeting sense of disbelief at just how far things had spiraled out of control. It didn’t ease his headache, but it did make him wonder if the universe was playing some elaborate joke at his expense.
"Fun? This?" he shot back, gesturing wildly to the room. Books were scattered across the floor, random objects you’d somehow decided were yours cluttered every surface, and the whole space felt like it had been turned into your personal domain of disorder, "If this is your idea of fun, I don’t even want to imagine what you’d consider a total disaster!"
Wanderer’s lips curled even further, a light yet equally heavy laugh escaping him, "Well, you could always take notes. You’re already halfway there."
He gave Kaveh a long, appraising look, his eyes flashing with a mix of mild amusement and something resembling skepticism. Kaveh stood his ground, still bristling with frustration, but there was a strange, unwavering conviction in his posture. While he didn’t seem to be particularly impressed by the show of defiance, but there was something in his gaze—a flicker of reluctant respect. It wasn’t approval, Kaveh knew, but it was something. Perhaps Wanderer had expected him to fold under the pressure, to back down in the face of the power difference between them all, but Kaveh wasn’t that easily swayed. Without a word, Wanderer gave a dismissive wave, his hat tipped once and his cloak swirling as he turned to leave. The faintest remnants of anemo stirred around his feet as he moved, but he didn’t look back. His visit, brief yet harsh just as the winds he uses, hung in the air, almost an afterthought. The door closed quietly behind him, leaving Kaveh alone once again.
Kaveh exhaled slowly, tension seeping from his shoulders, and for a brief moment, the weight of the situation lifted. The main source of concern had left, but there was a strange sense of having passed some kind of unspoken test. He didn’t know what Wanderer had seen, if anything at all, but Kaveh felt... a little more resolved. Even if Wanderer thought he was making a mistake, Kaveh had decided. He was going to handle this. He would handle it, somehow.
He glanced around his room, still a mess, still a monument to his questionable decisions. But it was his responsibility, and no amount of judgment was going to change that.
“Is he always this warm and fuzzy? Must be fun at parties.”
And he already spoke too soon.
You had been silent for what felt like an eternity, tucked away in the corner like a quiet spectator to the whole scene. The back-and-forth between Kaveh and Wanderer had been something to behold, the tension so thick you could almost taste it in the air. You had sat there, content to watch, half-amused by the spectacle and half-interested in how Kaveh would handle it. The way his frustration simmered, the way Wanderer barely seemed to care—it was all too entertaining. But now, the storm had passed. The tension had broken, and the silence in the room had settled into a comfortable lull. You could almost feel the scene winding down like a well-performed act. So, as the sound of Wanderer's footsteps faded, you finally pushed yourself up from the corner, stretching leisurely, and let a sly, mischievous grin spread across your face. The playful glint in your eyes returned, a clear signal that you were about to add your own touch to the show.
“You two have a weird vibe,” you remarked, still stretched out lazily on the floor, your posture an unholy mix of casual indifference and quiet mischief, “Are all your friends this charming?”
Kaveh gave you an exasperated glance, a thin line between his brows deepening as he muttered under his breath, “Not a friend. We're barely acquaintances.”
The words hung in the air, but you hardly noticed the growing tension. It only seemed to entertain you more. The silence between the two of you stretched for a few moments, thick and palpable until you broke it once again—oblivious to the discomfort you were causing. You propped yourself up on one elbow, looking over at Kaveh with a grin that was equal parts mischievous and playful.
“You’re a good guy, Kaveh. I think I might stick around longer,” you said, voice light and teasing, though there was an edge of sincerity buried under your usual nonchalance. However, in spite of your sincerity, Kaveh’s eyes narrowed, lips pressing into a thin line as if trying to will your words away.
“Not a chance,” he shot down bluntly, his tone more biting now, though the faintest trace of amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth, “This isn’t permanent.”
You let his words slide right off, your grin only growing wider, a silent challenge in your eyes. With a lazy flick of your tail, you topple the lamp that Kaveh had sent you too many warning glances at, completely unbothered. “Sure. Whatever you say.”
---
Hi, thank you for reading! I couldn't explore the full lore of this reader, but if you're interested in knowing more, please reach out to the original creator: @thezboss
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belokhvostikova · 1 year ago
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𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝
𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 | With the seed planted, Operation Eddie Munson Must Die falls into plan, as—despite your dismay—a double date is secured with Winnie Ambrose, and Small-Town-Hottie Steve Harrington.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | Swearing, tiniest mention of drugs, alcohol consumption, bits of arguing, insults, overall disrespectfulness, brief moment of a creep, mentions of past bullying, mentions of STDs, and explicit sexual content: oral (male receiving), cum eating, and protected vaginal sex.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 | Apologies in advance, I found that as I wrote it just kept getting shittier, and shittier. So if it's bad, I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing. Also desperately wanting to make Reader the villain, and have Eddie end up with a girlfriend... who knows :) Big thanks to these lovely anons (you, you, and you) for the plotline suggestions!
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 | 16.2K
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | One. Two.
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐃𝐨 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭.
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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐨: 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲
“God, I told you- I told you just how much of an asshole he was!” The front door shut with a slam, as Winnie’s handbag went flying to the couch in an adrenaline rage. 
Your bottom plopped alongside the discarded purse, where you made the rash endeavor to release your ankles from the tight imprisonment of strappy heels that left your feet sore beyond repair. “C’mon, Winnie, I knew since the first time he left you crying that he was an asshole.” 
With your fingers attempting to mitigate the soles of your feet, your tired eyes had a hard time keeping up with Winnie’s rampant pacing, as the concoction of a martini plus Eddie Munson had her on a buzzing thrill. 
“And you!” Her finger projected to you, tight hands coming to clutch onto your shoulders. “You were incredible! Waving him off, and whatnot! Truly, if it was me, I would have been in his bed by now!” Winnie violently shook your shoulders. “God, he was so desperate, a-and crazy- god, Y/N, you made Eddie Munson crazy!”
“Oh, please, c’mon, Win, Eddie’s not stupid.” You shoved her hands off. “You even said he does this to every girl-”
“Not chase them!” Winnie urged. “For the love of God, he ran into traffic! Eddie Munson doesn’t chase, we chase- I, embarrassingly enough, chased him! That’s his whole game, but you- he went after you!”
You exhaustedly sighed, shoving your fingertips into the skin of your temple. No matter how enthusiastic Winnie’s words came out, your rationale merely vindicated his motives as nothing but self-indulgent and the furthest thing from interest. “Winnie, what kind of girl doesn’t swoon over a big, really stupid gesture? Like I said, Eddie isn’t stupid.”
With a pop, Winnie sunk to her knees, reaching eye level, as her’s unsettlingly burned into yours. “Y/N, believe me, I know Eddie more than you do,” but you knew his type more than she did, “he wanted you. Hell, he’s probably thinking about you right now!”
“Oh, fuck, baby, feels so fucking good, pussy feels so fucking good.” Eddie Munson clinched his eyes closed, as his hips punctured each thrust with a sticky slap of wet skin. 
“Mm! Eddie! Please, don’t stop, ple-”
“Sh! Don’t talk, don’t fucking talk.” His voice grunted, as his heavy hand muffled Santina Rodrigo’s whines into the pillows of his bed. “Just let me fuck you- fuck this pretty pussy until you can’t speak.” The words rolled off his tongue like a studied script. 
If you weren’t going to be in his bed tonight, someone else surely was.
His thrust became harsher. Bumping into the ripple of her ass, as her back curved to the gluttony of her body that just wanted more, and more. Pounding breaths were ripping through his flared nostrils, with pellets of salty sweat bleeding into his mouth, as a firm bite to his lip kept his moans at bay. 
“Fuck, I’m gonna cum, baby. Eddie, I’m gonna-”
“Cream on my fucking cock, show me how good I’m fucking you. Scream it, sweetheart.” His stomach cramped with each fervent squelch of his dick ramming into her cunt.
You blinked. “You really think he’s thinking about me?” A shy smile unwarrantedly invaded your face. 
Winnie jumped with joy. “Yes! He totally is!” She squealed. “But don’t you dare let that get to your head.” Her hand suddenly came in contact with your forehead. 
“Ow!”
“That’s like strapping steak on your chest, and going into the lion’s den. If you’re not ready to fully face the charming wrath of Eddie Munson, you need to tell me now!” Christ, that accusatory finger was degrading you again with its vicious point. “Okay, you can’t fall for his shit!”
“I- no, n-no, I’m ready, like, so, totally ready.” Your face became stern under her glare. “Yeah, um, very much ready.” Your voice quieted. 
“Remember Y/N, it’s guys like Eddie that get girls to think they’re so datable.” Her eyes dragged to the back of her head. “Okay, all this ‘oh, you’re so special, I’m obsessed with you, I’d do anything for you’ is a little bullshit game that gets girls to fawn over him.” She mocked with such a guttural voice. 
“Fuck, you’re so perfect! Perfect just for me! Cum, baby, cum all over my fucking cock.” Eddie’s voice cracked through gritted teeth, as his hands painfully molded to the fat of her ass, squeezing until her skin was tender. 
“Yeah, baby? Fuck, I’m cumming! I’m- aughhh!” Santina mewled into the rumpled sheets that soaked with her perspiration. 
Eddie didn’t give her a minute to spare, as her scalp suddenly burned with the brutal grip of her hair in his hand. Her body nearly collapsed, as she trudged through the attempt of supporting herself on trembling legs, when Eddie forced her face to his body. The stretching of rubber slapped off his cock, as he haphazardly discarded the condom onto the expanse of the bedroom floor. 
“C’mon, baby, open up, lemme cum down that fucking throat.” Her head could barely confirm his request with a nod, before Eddie shoved his length down her airway, with a thick gag to harshly pair with his deep groans. 
Spit slung down the curve of her chin, doubling the stains that had previously bled themselves into his dirty sheets from a week of late night endeavors catered to different women, but always ended the same. 
And Santina Rodrigo was no fool, she was fully capable of grasping the reality of Eddie Munson. 
Which is why this night would end differently. 
“Yeah, I know, which is totally why this date isn’t happening.” You proclaimed. 
But Winnie Ambrose has other plans. “Oh, no, it totally is.”
“What?” You jumped from the couch. “What happened to the, y’know, ‘Eddie wants what he can’t have,’ going on a date with him is giving him exactly what he can’t have?”
Winnie sighed, a shake of disappointment came with the sympathetic look she burdened you with. “Oh, you poor, innocent thing.” Her manicured hand patronizingly caressed your head with pets. “Y/N…” her breath deepened, “…this is all a part of the plan!” She exclaimed. “Remember, you give and you take. Leading Eddie on will only grow his feelings, but never fully giving in will leave him wanting more! This is the basic principle of dating!”
“I don’t like this kind of dating.” 
“Well, it’s what’s gonna work! We have to take him down!” Her hands harshly dug into your shoulders, bulging eyes of crazy staring into your soul. “And we will not back down! Say it with me! We will not back down!”
“Our neighbors are going to think we’re crazy, Winnie.”
“C’mon!” She incited you. “We will not back down! Eddie Munson will come down!” Winnie Ambrose truly had to be drill sergeant in her past life. “We will not back down! Eddie Munson will come down-”
“-Your throat. F-Fuck, gonna cum down your throat. Just keep gaggin’ on my cock, baby.” Eddie held a tight grip to Santina’s head, her hair now in an irreparable state of dishevelment from his unyielding grip that gave him the leverage to pummel his cock down her constricting throat. 
With his balls tensing under the thick globs of spit that squelched his cock towards that buzzing bliss, Eddie suffocated Santina’s nose with the curls of his pubes, as his heavy grunts announced his orgasm, with streams of salty spurts invading her mouth. 
“Mm, fuck, yeah, better swallow that shit down, fuck.” He slowed his movements, until his cock pulled from between her raw lips, as her tongue lapped up the strings of saliva that clung to his dick. 
And here it came. Like clockwork.
“You okay, baby?” A caressing hand; pivotal for the illusion of caring. With his thumb gently stroking the breadth of her cheek, softly swiping the remanments of a blowjob from her lips, Santina Rodrigo melted into his touch. Next, words of affirmation. “Did so good for me, baby. Fuck, that was incredible.” Eddie Munson smiled. “Was that okay for you? Not too hard? You can tell me, sweetheart, want you comfortable, beautiful.” Something to flutter the heart, every person likes being cared for. And with a tired mouth too exhausted to confirm her contentment, Eddie went in for the kill. As Santina peered up at him with the roundest eyes to appeal to him, Eddie cemented this act of love with an intimate kiss on her gleaming forehead. 
It was quite profound, actually. 
Something about his large build hovering over, so easily chalked up to the roughness of man actually being vulnerable enough to express affection. It would have any girl swooning. 
Eddie Munson knew that, but more importantly, Santina Rodrigo knew that. 
So, as his back laid against the cushion of his pillows, his fingers reached for a cigarette to ease his mind of the inevitable downpour of cries that were about to be spewed his way. But the sudden movement beside him had his eyes connecting with hers, Santina. “Listen, sweetheart-”
“I’m off work Saturday.” With his sheets covering her once exposed breasts, she sat with her head held high, eyes unfaltering. 
“I-”
“I understand you put on the theatrics for your gain, but I don’t want it, unless you mean it.” Santina smiled. “Really mean it.” 
Eddie’s brows cinched to the center of his forehead, where his mind blanked at the unheard of bluntness from his—what was supposed to be—one night stand. “What are you getting at here, sweetheart?”
“I want a date on Saturday.” She asserted. “C’mon, you really think I would just let you fuck me, and move one?” Eddie’s face twisted with the laughter that smacked his face. “Grow up, Eddie. This act can’t last you forever.”
His thoughts were invaded with the tumultuous mix of unwanted astonishment that—as much as it pissed him off—sparked a little curiosity in his dazed mind. A laugh scoffed past his lips. “A date? Okay.” If it meant another easy fuck, who was he to give that up over a simple date. 
“And no bullshit, Eddie.” Santina affirmed. “If I’m going to be allowing you to fuck me, it’s just going to be me.”
Eddie laughed. “Hold on now, baby, this,” his finger maneuvered against the space between them, “has only been a one night thing, you can’t, um, you can’t expect me to just stick to one pretty girl, now, c’mon, sweetheart.” He proffered a sly smirk that had her rolling her eyes. 
“None of which will be as good as me.” Her confident stature had Eddie sucking in breath through his teeth-bitten lips. “And you’ll realize that quite quickly, but far too late for me to ever care for. So, Eddie, I suggest you clean yourself up nicely for this date. I don’t like anything cheap.” Stunned, he watched her naked body emerge from his sheets, as she quietly gathered her clothes. Her hand found itself wrapped around Eddie’s chin, nails digging into his skin to keep him face-to-face. “If I were you, I’d reconsider this whole ‘noncommittal’ act you like to screw girls over with.” She smiled, soft breaths against his lips. “I’m different Eddie, and you’re going to respect that. Goodbye.” Santina brandished her lip gloss to his lips with a wet kiss, before her heels clicked their way out of his apartment. 
Eddie Munson blinked, screwing his eyes closed, as he scoffed in disbelief. “What the fuck?” 
“Alright, alright, we’ll take Eddie Munson down.” You shoved your hand over Winnie’s mouth to quiet her voice, only for her muffled squeals of excitement to bleed through. 
“Okay, okay!” She jumped with adrenaline, a bright smile to pair. “We have to be methodical, Y/N. Simply going on the date with Eddie isn’t going to cut it. We have to make sure you’re the only one dating Eddie. He’s never gonna take this seriously, if he’s still seeing other women. We have to cut off the source.”
“The source?”
“The source that makes Eddie Munson so dateable!” She huffed so obviously. “We have to make Eddie undateable.”
“Right, make the tall guy with nice hair, who plays lead guitar of his own band, and just so happens to be known as the man who can make any girl finish undateable. Yeah, that seems totally plausible.” You deadpanned.
Winnie Ambrose sighed. “When will you learn to never underestimate me?”
Next day by brunch, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Winnie found herself sipping on one too many mimosas, and with the boredom of her lonesome company and the once baby blue polish that was mindlessly chipped to nothing, her endeavors brought her the social setting of Marie Ann’s Nail and Spa. “He gave you what now?!” Suddenly, the nail tech was hesitant to touch Winnie’s fingers.
“Mhm.” Winnie solemnly nodded, as the other women amongst her gasped. “At first, I thought it was just regular discharge, but then it just got worse, and worse!” She dramatically exclaimed. “And then suddenly, I was in pain, it hurt to pee, and I was getting these awful fevers.” Her acting twisted the faces of the fellow patrons to concern. “So, I did what any girl would do, and I went to the doctor, and what do you know it: the clap!”
“And Eddie Munson gave it to you?” Shirley Brinkle, with her toes soaking in the warm water of her chair, massage setting on, interrogated with her manicured hand clutching her necklace. 
“Yup! I mean, he was the only one I’ve ever been with.” Quite the act. “And it checks out, y’know, with all the girls he’s been with, and whatnot.” Winnie fought to hold back a smile, as the ladies around her nodded in agreement. “So, I’m warning you. Do not get with Eddie Munson. He’s, like, a total walking biohazard.”
And it had worked… for some time. With how notorious the playboy had been, word spread quickly through groups of girlfriends who once gossiped about the sheer size of his cock, now having hushed conversations to stay clear of said cock. So, that evening, when Eddie had found himself in flirtations with the lady at the gym, who just looked too good in her gymwear to pass up, his confidence faltered at her sudden departure, when her friend stared him in his eyes, and whispered to her friends. Like, so motion, Eddie heard the quiet word slip from her mouth, “gonorrhea.” Panic.
But rule number one in warfare: never underestimate your opponent.
That Monday to come, Winnie dragged herself through the streets of Indianapolis to clock in her hours at work, though when passing the empty bar that saw its busiest attendance on the particular Saturday nights Corroded Coffin would perform, her body halted. Retaking her steps back, her sunglasses raised, eyes squinting to see if she was really seeing what she was seeing.
Posted on the window, “END THE STIGMA: Let’s talk about gonorrhea.” Eddie and his stupid face plastered on a poster was enough to make Winnie scoff. “Saturday night STD fundraiser! Live show included, here at The Albatross!”
“That conniving, little bitch!” And, of course…
“While an advocate, I, Eddie Munson, do not have gonorrhea or any sexually transmitted diseases.”
And just to rub some salt into the wound, “So sweet, isn’t he?” A stranger—a pretty one at it, too—voiced her admiration to Winnie, as they gazed upon the poster. “He’s, like, the only guy I know who would care about a cause.” 
Damn it, the bar was in hell.
But while Eddie Munson may have gotten the upper hand in this round, he and his confidence in his system of juggling girls could not anticipate the events of Black Tuesday.
-
On Tuesdays like such, customers found little time to meander in the relaxation of the coffeehouse, as midweek work obligations called for the swift in-and-out transaction. 
You quite like Tuesdays like such. 
When little visitors frequented, your boss would tune up the small radio that allowed soft music to linger about, where it once would be drowned under the cacophony of shouting patrons, who took to vividly expressing their lives in conversations.
Spurt. Spurt. You hummed to the voice of Billy Joel, as the fragranced cleaner invaded your noise with lemony pinewood, providing that sleek gloss to the wooden table tops, as your damp rag smeared across the perimeter. Too ingrained with mimicking the tunes of “Vienna,” you hadn’t paid much mind to the chime of the door bell, simply throwing out the usual, “I’ll be with you in a minute,” as you continued the task of swiping away leftover crumbs of pastries that accompanied the light splatters of spilled coffee. 
But turning on your feet to reach the register fell short, when you were suddenly face-to-face with Eddie Munson. “You’re quite hard to get a hold of… Y/N.” Ever so slightly, the sardonic tone of his voice curled his lips upward. 
With a lump caught in your throat, you made the rash decision to merely walk away to the counter, screwing your eyes shut at the sound of following footsteps that stomped behind you. You cleared your throat. “What can I get you?” 
“A date.” He nonchalantly nodded. “As you agreed.” 
“Uh, no, I di-”
“Y’know, after asking you out, I came by Sunday to make plans for our date.” He interjected, as your eyebrows shot into the creases of your forehead. 
“Didn’t work Sunday.” You blunted provided.
Eddie hissed, shaking his head. “Yeah, much to my disappointment.” His hand came up scratching the shavened skin of his cheek. “Though, also kinda lucky.” He laughed off, leaning in close. “Had some mess to deal with, all fixed now, so if you hear otherwise, it’s a lie.”
Oh, Winnie.
You suppressed the bulging of your eyes, and waved off his attempt at a conversation. “What do you want, Eddie?”
“I already told you: my date.” 
“Can’t. Busy.” You turned your back to wipe off the counters that you had already cleaned before his arrival, though luckily, he didn’t know that. 
“Alright, so I’ll accommodate. When do you get off?” With his forearms against the counter, his biceps bulged against his constricting arm sleeves, and maybe, just maybe, Eddie tensed his arms to let those veins pop, as you faced him again.
Annoyance was beginning to bubble in your chest. With what few customers did visit, all seemed to have a stick up their ass with their disrespectful attitude towards you, and you weren’t exactly keen to play into Eddie’s games. “Look, you forcing me to say yes to date, because you did something absolutely stupid is not me actually wanting you, okay? So, unless you’re going to order something, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”
Eddie propped to his extended height. “Hey, alright, look, you’re right, I’m sorry.” His ringed hands landed on his chest. “That was real stupid of me, but I meant what I said Saturday, I do have this funny, little feeling that you’re special, so can you really blame a guy?” You wanted to slap that smile off his face. You probably wouldn’t even be able to count how many times that one liner was used on other women, and your face showed it with the scowl that took over. “Alright, so you can blame me.” He laughed. 
“Get out.”
“Hey, no, I’d like a latte, please. My usual, c’mon, Y/N, you know my usual.” Ugh, you did know his usual. 
“It’ll be $5.” 
A scoff chuckled out from his mouth. “What? It’s usually $3.10.”
“Not today.” 
Eddie laughed in disbelief, as he reached for his wallet, slapping two $5 bills onto the counter, and sliding them over. “The extra five is for you, feeling generous.” He cockily shrugged. Degrading and patronizing? To hell with it, you were a service worker, of course, you took the tip. You once again turned, given another distraction of actually concocting his order to find reason not to entertain him. “Think the universe is in my favor, no? Came in Sunday, you weren’t here. Came in Monday… you weren’t here. Why was that anyway?”
“Had class. Got the night shift.” 
“Ah, so you go to university. See, look at us, we could be getting to know each other just like this, but on a date.” You despised the soft laughter that echoed through your nose, something Eddie surely had picked up on with the large smile that took over his face. “But then y’know what? Came in on this fine Tuesday, and what d'ya know? Third times a charm, here you are.” 
“Unfortunately.”
Eddie laughed. “Oh, you’re funny.” Oh, Christ, you were smiling. Thank god your back was turned. “You like the movies, got a favorite film.”
“Hate them, actually.”
“Alright, well, what about dinner?” Eddie proffered. “Got a nice restaurant in mind, could order you some nice steak, ooh, the lobster is always incredible. 
“Don’t eat meat. It’s disgusting.” You lied.
Eddie rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Y/N, sweetheart, you gotta work with me here.”
“I quite literally don’t.” You slid over the plastic cup of coffee. Winnie would be so proud of you. 
“Ooh,” he hissed, “I actually wanted this for here.” Eddie matched your movement, sliding back the latte, as his eyes never left yours. 
You sighed, shrugging your shoulders to match his considerably cool apathy, when in reality you were ready to hurl your guts over the mortifying experience of having to talk to a guy like him. “Well, you should have specified that. Too late now.” You shoved the cup back. 
Eddie smiled that sickly grin, leaning in close enough to have you cowering below him. But your eyes stayed staunch to the confidence you were trying to exude, never forfeiting the staring contest he forced you into. “C’mon, just tell me what I gotta do to get you on a little date with me. What’s it gonna take?” His head tilted with that devious smirk. 
“Well, maybe…” you sincerely sighed, “...if you would just leave.” You round eyes peered up at him.
A guttural laugh bubbled in his chest, as he blushed down with a suppressed smile. “I’m being serious.”
“And who says I’m not?” You smiled back. 
“Alright, look, it’ll all be on your terms. Your wish is my command. Anything you want.” Eddie laid his cards out flat on the table. 
You swallowed thickly, regulating yourself through the heavy breathing of a long sigh that escaped from you. Realistically, being one-on-one with someone like Eddie was a set up for disaster. As embarrassing as it is to admit, you’d only survive this far with the words of Winnie Ambrose playing into your ear, coaching you through the complexity that is Eddie Munson. You give and you take, and so far, the easiest thing was taking away, and even that had your stomach twisting with the gruesomeness of anxiety that left your mind on overdrive with intrusive thoughts. 
What did Eddie Munson think of you? How much of an embarrassment would you make out of yourself suddenly falling into his trap? No, you were better than that. This wasn’t going to be another Dalton Barron moment- ugh, Christ, you don’t even want to think about him. Okay, so you learned from your mistake, it won’t happen again, just don’t trust Eddie Munson. Yeah, don’t trust Eddie Munson. Surely, anyone would agree with you on that one. But what if not trusting him puts him off? What if that’s what drives him away, and Winnie’s plan ultimately fails, because of yo-
“C’mon, Y/N, I think you’re gettin’ a little too into your head here.” He swayed in his stance. Your face frowned, clearly not appreciative of how easily he read that. 
“I don’t- I just don’t want to go on a date with you.” You softly answered, watching his head drop in defeat. “At least, not alone.” He slowly peered back up in interest. 
Eddie nodded to your suggestion. Was it ideal? Definitely not, it’d be quite difficult making the moves on you with people around. But if it meant getting you out with him… “I got a friend.” His fingers snapped at the sudden revelation that hit him. 
“A friend?”
“Yup.” His lips popped with emphasis. “Pretty good looking guy, y’know, nice hair n’ all. Family’s loaded, too, he’s working at the law firm his dad owns back in my hometown.”
“You’re not from here?” You questioned.
Eddie smiled. “See, you’re totally interested in gettin’ to know me.” He teased an eye roll out of you. “But, no, to answer your question, I’m not. Hawkins, in fact. Pretty small town about forty minutes out north west from Indy. A little shitty- well, actually, a lot shitty,” Eddie chuckled, “but it’s quiet at night, which I’ve always liked. So, if it’ll make you a bit more comfortable,” he leaned over, “why don’t you and that roommate of yours come out to Hawkins to hang out with me and my buddy.”
Your eyes softened at the request, as your heartbeat slowly dissipated to the calm rhythm it once was pumping at, before Eddie ruined that for you. “You- you’d be okay with Winnie coming?”
“No.” He laughed. “In fact, I think bringing an old hookup—who just so happens to hate my guts—to a double date sounds absolutely miserable, but I’m willing to be miserable if it means getting to be with you.” No salacious smirk this time, spoken matter-a-factly even, which somehow felt more unsettling. “Hopefully Steve can entertain your friend enough for me.” Eddie shrugged. 
“Steve?”
“Harrington.” He finished off for you. “Quite the ladies man, in fact, so I’m sure he’ll have no problem agreeing to this.” Then, Eddie whispered close. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t steal you off of me.” He winked, before grabbing his drink to take a couple steps back. “You get off by, I don’t know, five?” You couldn’t even fathom words at the moment, only meeting him with a small nod that mindlessly controlled itself. “Perfect, then let’s say about eight. Real casual, nothing too crazy. The Hideout, it’s a little bar. In Hawkins. My treat.” He smiled. “Have a nice day… Y/N.”
Eddie Munson had become quite obsessed with saying your name. 
-
“Steve Harrington? Sounds like some boy-next-door sitcom name.” Winnie laughed, as her mouth crunched down on the handful of chips that stuffed themselves down her mouth. 
“Eddie said he was really good looking, though.” You sat by her propped feet on the coffee table. “And- and, he’s in the whole lawyer business thing.” You offered. 
“He’s a lawyer?” Winnie’s interest piqued at the sudden monetary value of Steve Harrington. 
“Well, Eddie said he worked at a law firm, not entirely sure what he does, but you could totally find out if you go, please, pretty please.” You begged. “Don’t let me go by myself, you know I won’t be able to handle it, I’ll probably panic and say something stupid, and this whole plan will come crashing-”
“Okay, okay.” Winnie gave in, folding over the plastic of her chip bag, as she rid herself the crumbs that stuck around her mouth. “You know what? You’re right, we have to get this date going.” She urgently stood. “We have to go all out. What are we thinking? Skirt? Maybe a dress? Ooh, I’ve been meaning to bust out my new Vivienne Westwoods-”
“Wait, no, Eddie said this was supposed to be casual.” You stopped her. “Just some bar, I think by the sounds of it, in his hometown.”
“Eddie’s bringing you to his hometown?!” Winnie halted, face contorting into the dozen creases of dumbfoundedness. “What the hell?! The first time I got with him, I asked for his last name, and he told me not to push it. Had to hear it from some other girl he was screwing. Holy shit, Eddie Munson’s whipped for you!”
“What? N-No, he’s not.” You tried appeasing her shock. “It’s just like a convenience thing, y’know? For his friend, I assume.”
Winnie laughed in disbelief, shaking her head to dispute your claims. “Oh, this plan is so going to work!” She cheered. “C’mon, we have a first date to ruin!”
By 5:45 P.M, your bathroom steamed with the hotness of condensation, as the aromas of scented body washes and lotions clung to your body. Unlike the preparations of Saturday night, ‘dressing casually’ proved difficult for Winnie, who opted to rummage through your closet. “Ugh, don’t you have anything lacey?”
“Is lacey really casual?” You wondered, as you hopped into your shorts with a shimmy to get them from around your ass.
“It is to me.” Winnie whined, flinging articles of clothing you knew she’d never clean up. 
“What about my maxi skirt right there?” You proffered.
Winnie examined the layered sheer material. It was a sage green. She quite liked green with her auburn hair. “It’s not too hot for this?” She hesitantly questioned.
“Totally not! Enough flow for some airway.” You sold. “Plus, pretty easy to slip off for Mr. Lawyer.” You teased, at least something funny enough to get her to smile.
“Oh, I shouldn’t- well…” You laughed at her contemplation, as you both fell comfortably in the pile of clothes in your disorganized bedroom. “Maybe if he’s, like, really hot. Like, River Phoenix hot. Ooh, that means I should definitely wear my push-up bra, wherever the hell it went.” You dug for a thin sweater to throw on. “No, but wait, would that make a slut?” You laughed at her question. “Like, royal slut for sleeping with two friends?
“Who cares, Win. Have your fun.” You offered in return, watching her shoulders relax. “Eddie’s doing it, anyway. Why can’t you?”
Winnie gasped. “You would sleep with Eddie Munson?!”
Your mouth fell open. “W-What? No, I didn’t say that, like, a-at all. I just- I meant dating.”
“Okay, but would you?” Winnie teased, poking at your belly to rile you up.
Your mind blanked, mouth falling dry through your stutters. “N-No, I don’t even like him like that. You- it’s you making me do this, remember?” You defended. “I wouldn’t have even talked to him if it wasn’t for this idea.” It’d be best if Winnie Ambrose never learned the identity of your mysterious coffeehouse crush that was discovered to be Eddie Munson. Even then, all those barely there, absolutely not deep, totally juvenile feelings vanished when learned that not only had he been sleeping with your best friend, but apparently all of Indianapolis. 
“Well,” Winnie sighed, trusting your word, “you’re stronger than most. Which honestly, is the only thing keeping this plan working, because let’s be honest here, Eddie is going to try to sleep with you sooner or later.” Your stomach churned. “But, remember we can’t let that happen. Best way to go about it is to be, y’know, calm and collected. Brush him off effortlessly.”
“Okay, calm and collected. Like I don’t care. Just be indifferent.” You detail your understanding. 
“Exactly, but don’t totally wave him off! The only thing reeling him in is your slight interest.” You felt like your head was about to explode. “So, just take notes and remember to be caring and passionate. He’s gotta know you’re feeling something, y’know?” No, you don’t know. “But then,” oh, Christ, “you gotta learn when to hit back, okay? Eddie’s an asshole. You know that, I know that, everyone knows that. And that filthy mouth of his is bound to say something gross to get a reaction out of you. So, stand your ground, be proud and aggressive. He’ll easily walk all over you if you’re meek.”
“Okay, well, I rejected him, now I’m going on a date with him, so he thinks I’m “interested,” I just don’t know what to do next.” You frowned in frustration. “This is all a lot, y’know?”
“C’mon, you’ve dated before-”
“Yeah. Though, it was only one, singular, y’know… Dalton.” You groaned, pressing the heels of your palms into your eye sockets to suppress the memories that were trying to hash out that anger for the closure you never got. 
“Exactly!” Winnie snapped with emphasis. “You’ve been down this road before, you know what to expect. And people like Eddie and Dalton need to pay up for what they’ve done! So, don’t strike yourself out, we are women! We are feminists! This is for feminism!”
You huffed out a sardonic chuckle. “I don’t think that’s what feminism means, Winnie.”
“Okay, well, we’re both young women, who are hot as shit, and are not going to let some gross dudes ruin us!” She declared. “So, when you go on this date, you play it aloof. Don’t give him everything, but give him enough.”
“Like what?”
“Like, if he compliments you, don’t shy away, you take it!” She explained. “Oh, and the three seconds rule! You wait three seconds to answer him when you’re talking.”
“Doesn’t that seem a little redundant?” You brows cinched in question. 
“No, it totally works for me!” She protested.
“Winnie,” you sympathetically sighed, “you don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Ugh, look, if I wanted to keep them around, I would, because that three seconds rule works! Makes me look cool, Y/N.” Winnie sassed in protest. Before you could retaliate a teasing comment to her skewed views of dating, a knock at the front door had cut your conversation short. “I’ll get it.” Winnie huffed, throwing your maxi skirt in the mountaining pile of clothes, before heading out. While you could, your shirt had shimmied itself off your body to find comfort in a sweater that would suffice for the whole ‘I don’t care’ look you hoped to exude with this forced upon date. Suddenly, Winnie’s feet could be heard shuffling as quickly as possible back to your room. “Fucking flowers?!”
“What?” You questioned, as you fixed your hair from the mess that de-clothing caused. 
In the crinkle of brown tissue paper and twine, a dozen stems of pastel tulips stood lively in Winnie’s hands. “He went full Netherlands on you!”
“Eddie?!” Your brows jumped in perplexion. 
Winnie scoffed in disbelief. “Who else would be E. Munson?!” She pulled out the small envelope that propped itself within the tangle of flowers. You stood from the floor, grabbing the pretty bouquet, as Winnie shuffled to slide the card from the paper encasing. “Ugh, ugh,” she cleared her throat. “To ease your mind, something as pretty as you, Y/N. Let me do things properly, give me a call to pick you up: three, one, seven, blah, blah, blah. Gag.” Winnie rolled her eyes. “Sending you flowers, while taking you to some dingy bar, how chivalrous.” 
“W-Wait a minute,” you snatched the card from her hand, “what? Am I supposed to ride with him now?” Your finger skimmed over the felt-tip pen that bled Eddie’s number to the cardstock of the note.
“No.” Winnie snatched the card, ripping it in half.
“Uh- Winnie! This was actually a little sweet, c’mon.”
“Remember, we’re playing this cool!” She urged. “You already agreed to this date, you can’t feed him more. You’re not accepting any of this- well, keep the flowers, they’d look quite nice on our mantel. But don’t call him, okay? We can drive ourselves. And, like, what the hell? Did he just expect me to tow behind? He, like, totally didn’t think of me at all.” Your brow slowly lifted at her. “Alright, alright, I’ll shut up about myself.”
-
Through the static voices of Skid Row over the radio, you turned about the creased map every which way, trying to read the barely eligible highways with their too tiny of a font names. “Oh, okay, it’s Exit 13A.”
“How far away is it?” Winnie held the steering wheel under a tight grip.
“Um,” you peered up. “it’s right there! Winnie, right lane! Go to the-”
“I’m trying! This slow bastard isn’t moving!” She screamed.
You reached over the console. “Your blinkers!” A quick flip to the handle clicked on the indicators. “They won’t know unless your blinkers are on!”
Meanwhile, Eddie’s foot had anxiously tapped to the ticks of the clock, as his thumb nail was facing the repercussion of his nervous gnawing. 
Where the hell were you? It was nearing a quarter to eight, and your expected phone call hadn’t come by. No bounce of his knee, no hand through his hair, no pacing around could ease the nerves that pissed him off, because he so ardently waited for your call. He stood from his couch, quickly making his way to the phone, but no matter how desperate that itch was telling him to call instead, it all fell into a lost cause, as Eddie didn’t know your number. Eddie didn't know Winnie’s number. Hell, Eddie didn’t know any woman’s number. They called. Not him. Never him. Well, he could go over to your apartment- no, that was on another level of desperation that Eddie felt was too pathetic to ever let his pride commit to. 
“Augh,” he groaned in annoyance, as those anxious nerves were beginning to be taken over by anger. “What a bitc- mm.” He restrained himself with a gruff. “What am I- what am I doing waiting around? Fuck this, I’ll get someone else.” Eddie raged under his breath, as he snatched his jacket, and stomped his way out of the apartment. 
Your eyes followed along the passing trees, as the prussian blue of nighttime was beginning to feed into the amber glow of the leaving sunset. Hawkins had been nothing but a straight highway of nonbeing, as Eddie’s words came into existence: it was quiet at night. Rocks skipped under the fast turning wheels of the car, as you approached the faded sign welcoming you into the solitude of Hawkins, Indiana. When rows of woodlands finally ended, you were met with the expanse of cornfields. 
“So…” Winnie dragged out. “How exactly are we supposed to find this bar?” She questioned, as her eyes fell on the long road ahead. “Maybe we should have taken up Eddie’s offer.” You shot her a look of disbelief. “Okay, I’m kidding, I’m kidding, but seriously.”
“Eddie said it was a small town, so I’m sure it won’t take too long. Just look out for bar, preferably with any sign at says ‘The Hideout.’” 
“The Hideout… The Hideout.” She ticked, as she drove wherever the roads guided her. 
Through the unintentional exploration of the suburbs and downtown areas, your destination was found through the environs north front of abandoned diners, lonesome laundromats, and a dilapidated trailer park where rusted car parts littered the dead grass against man made driveways. 
The neon sign buzzed through its draining power. “Some first date.” Winnie groaned, taking in the foundation of stained bricks. 
You shrugged with the bit of optimism you were clawing to hold on to. “M-Maybe it’s quaint.”
“Yeah, for a bunch of hillbilly, old dudes with beer bellies.” She grouched, as her legs dragged her out of the car. You swiftly followed, choosing to subtly cower behind her, as you both loitered the makeshift parking lot of what was just tire tracks and haphazard parking. “These guys better be here already.” Winnie rolled her eyes. Nothing but the running engine of a burgundy Bimmer buzzed through the chilled atmosphere.
And it hadn’t been until the engine was keyed off, with a figure slamming the door shut, that it finally caught your attention. “Hey, hey, wait, you think that’s Steve?” Your hand repeatedly smacked against Winnie’s arms.
Winnie squinted her eyes through the dark. Well, he did have the hair. Great hair, in fact. Totally walked like he could be some wannabe lawyer, especially with the white button-up he adorned; too fancy for a place like such. Could definitely see him being casted as the boy-next-door. And woah, was he pretty. Like, ridiculously pretty. “It better be Steve, fuck me.” Her glossed lips fell open. 
“O-Okay, so, we just, like, ask him-”
“Ayo, Steve!” Winnie’s deepened voice boomed to the likeness of a man, before harshly turning around to avoid being caught. 
“Oh, my god.” You quietly sighed to yourself in embarrassment, as Winnie’s efforts clearly fell short of subtlety, and the now identified Steve Harrington was looking right over. 
Winnie stood stiff, as if to appear invisible. “Well, did he look up?” 
“Yes, he looked up.” You deadpanned. “And right at us, in fact, because that was awful.” An incredulous chuckle scoffed out of you. 
“Aw, great, he probably thinks I sound like a chain smoker now.” She groaned, as you both awkwardly shuffled to his direction. 
He proffered such a boyish smile with a small wave to greet you both, before his arms crossed over his chest, hands tucking under his armpits. “Hey, uh, sorry, this is a bit confusing, you’re here to hang out with Ed and I?” He questioned with a small smile.
“Yeah, yeah.” You softly answered. “I’m Y/N.” You introduced yourself. 
Steve flashed you a warm smile, before pointing a curious finger beside you. “Ah, so you’re mine tonight?” He asked for clarification to Winnie, who blushed under his suaveness. 
“Oh, yeah, I’ll be yours any night.” She mindlessly responded, luckily rifting that first-meet-up awkward tension that now dissipated into sincere laughter.   
“Alright then,” Steve’s cheeks plumped under his growing smile. “Wendy, right?”
Winnie rolled her eyes. “That bastard, it’s Winnie.” She beamed.
“Winnie, got it, I apologize.” Steve offered, as she shyly waved him off, truly enamored through her school girl-like crush. “Well, uh, like I was saying, I am a bit confused, ‘cause Eddie had kinda told me you guys bailed on us.”
“What?” You mused over his words in confusion. 
Steve shook his head. “Yeah, I’m not sure, something about you not calling, or just basically canceling, I guess.” You and Winnie slowly looked at one another. “I don’t know, he called me before I clocked off work, but after a shift with my dad,” an airy laugh breathed out of him, “figured I could still go for a drink. So, sorry if I’m a little overdressed.” His hands panned over his suited body. “Yeah, so, I’m assuming some lines of communication got lost. You guys definitely didn’t cancel, right?” 
“No, we were trying to be feminists.” You sarcastically lilted. 
“Right, right.” Steve laughed along. “Well, uh, since this double date is definitely not canceled, why don’t we all head inside? I’ll call up Eddie, see if he picks up, and if not… well, I surely don’t mind taking out two pretty girls, so my treat.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m definitely keeping him.” Winnie whispered into your ear.
Where mandatory I.D checks made up The Albatross, it surely lacked at The Hideout, as nothing but spotted glass door—dirtied by a litter of sticky fingerprints—had fallen easily open to welcome any patron who chose to drown their stress with a bitter bottle of beer. Whatever Top 100 Hits Winnie had been used to listening to during her bar endeavors had been switched to bare the brunt of country rock, as older men and women spaced themselves accordingly, rather than the practical dry humping The Albatross was regularly accustomed to. 
Steve Harrington, the soon to be discovered paralegal, had situated you both to a lonesome table surrounded by four stools, where you received the chance to gaze about the rustic decor of American flags and sports jerseys that complimented the dusty deer head that hung against the dark wood. “Hey, so, you guys have any drink preferences?” His head gestured to the bar. 
“Two beers will be fine.” Winnie’s chipper voice answered, as you nodded in agreement. 
“Perfect, I’ll head up to get our drinks, and see if I can give Eddie a call.” Winnie froze under his innocent hand that landed on her shoulder, before Steve sauntered off. 
“Oh, Christ, I’m gonna marry him.” Winnie groaned into her hands. 
You giggled at her unease. “It’s barely been five minutes.”
“But it’s been a good five minutes.” She protested in defense. 
“Okay, so, um, while you get to enjoy your time with Steve, I mean, what should I do about Eddie?” You talked in hushed whispers, as subtle glances to the bar showed Steve in casual conversation with the bartender. “Like, what if he does come, y’know, he’s gonna be pissed? O-Or, uh, if he doesn’t show, does that mean he’s no longer interested?”
“Okay, shh.” Winnie interrupted your panicked speech. “Look, alright, we kinda did screw over Eddie, but, I mean, who were we to know he thought that was us canceling. If anything, we deserve the right to piss him off, especially me.” She scoffed. “That ‘Wendy’ bullcrap. What, do I look like some freckled, red-head child with braids slapped on some burger wrapper?”
You peered back at the revelation. “Oh, my god, wait, with your hair, you do kinda look like-”
“Shh, lalala, I’m hearing it, that wasn’t the point!” You wiped off the spit that flung from her harsh whispers. “Circling back,” her lips emphasized, “Eddie’s going to come, okay? He’s like every other dude, alright, they can’t take rejection, always have to bother you as to why you don’t want them. So, he’s going to come, and when he does, you have to stand your ground. Alright, no apologizing, no feeling bad, no ‘oh, let me make it up to you.’” She mocked her damsel-in-distress voice. “You better give him the cold shoulder. Anger is still very much an emotion, and if he’s angry that means he cares. It means he has feelings, feelings which you hurt! Like. A. Bad. Ass.”
You chuckled incredulously. “Don’t really think being mean makes me a badass-”
“It does in the case of Eddie Munson, alright?” Winnie cemented. “Clearly, people haven’t been mean enough to him.”
Steve Harrington had given Roger, the bartender, the grace to prioritize the other patrons on their refills, after opening his tab to the orders of you, Winnie, and him—alongside an additional order of generic greasy food—as a phone call to Eddie Munson was surely to last a bit more than a quick ‘hello.’ After gaining permission to use the establishment’s phone, Steve had propped himself against the wall of the back storage room, with the ringing, red phone against his ear.
Perhaps Eddie Munson was trying to overcompensate for the bruised ego caused by your rejection, as he resulted in swallowing the mouth of Jenny Albridge in the center of his living room couch. And I mean really swallowing. Their lips smacked hungrily with too much saliva, forcing Eddie to endure it if it mean fucking his frustrations out. 
And poor Jenny, while she’s heard of the eighth wonder Eddie had added to the world from underneath his pants, she hadn’t actually been with him. It just so happened to be faith that their shoulders collided, while she left her evening pilates class. And hell, after an intense, sweaty workout, she wanted another—albeit slightly different—intense, sweaty workout, especially after the numerous five star ratings. 
Though, maybe she’d just caught him on a bad day. Like, a really, really bad day. But maybe she was supposed to like it? The whole aggressive, teeth clashing, tongue invading, spit drenching make out that would hopefully finally lead to the good part. There was going to be a good part, right?
Ring, ring, ring, ring…
Oh, thank god, Eddie thought, as he finally had an excuse to detach from her lips, giving Jenny the go ahead to catch her breath with a deep gasp of air. He shifted quickly from the couch, walking to the phone, pulling it abruptly to stop the incessant shrilling. “Hello?”
“Ed, man.” Steve stood straight. “Hope you know the girls are here.” He snickered into the phone. 
“Girls?” Eddie wiped the spit from his lips. “What gi-” The revelation backhanded him in the face, as his mouth stooped low with confusion. “What? No, they canceled!”
“I think that’s what they had you thinking, but really they just drove themselves. And now, I’ve just ordered them beers and some food, so unless you’re giving me the grace to talk up your girl and her friend, I’d suggest you come down here as quick as possible.” Steve laughed. 
While he may have lived a couple towns over from the big city, Steve Harrington was no stranger to the name Eddie had given himself in Indianapolis, as periodic visits would consist of his friend recounting the newfound experience he gained with women, to eventually being one another’s wingman. 
In fact, Steve regularly joked about Eddie ‘decrowning’ him as king, as he now flaunted the hookup culture he, so very actively, participated in, thanks to the “bell bottom hippies, who were so desperately horny, they made it a movement.” His words, definitely not any history books’ words. 
“They’re fucking there?! Are you- ugh!” His fingers shoved into his eyes in frustration. “I fucking sent her flowers with the number, and everyth-”
“Woah, you sent her flowers?” Steve interrupted with shock. “Since when do you ever send flowers?”
“I don’t know! This girl is pissing me off, I- I’ll be there, alright!” Jenny Albridge scrunched her face in heavy judgment. “J-Just make sure she doesn’t- I mean, them. Make sure they don't leave!”
Steve chuckled at the stutter of his voice. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep them entertained.” He laughed. 
Eddie scoffed. “I’m serious, Harrington, no funny business! She already thinks I’m some asshole, and her friend is probably feeding her some more bullshit about how terrible I am.”
Steve playfully rolled his eyes, as he recalled the panicked phone call that transpired a couple hours prior, with Eddie imploring him to agree to a blind double date. Something about fucking some girl, but now wanting said girl’s friend, but said girl’s friend doesn’t want him, because said girl told her friend about him fucking other girls. Whatever it was, it was a big, jumbled mess, and Steve wondered why Eddie ever involved himself in the first place. Though, apparently, it was important enough if Eddie had to send you flowers. “Well, you did kinda screw over Winnie-” 
“Okay, that's not the point!” Eddie spat out in a rush. Maybe it was how alike Winnie Ambrose and Eddie Munson had been that repelled them so harshly from one another. Jenny Albridge was quietly shuffling on her shoes. “Look, I-” He took a deep breath, regulating himself. “I’ll be there. While I’m not going to force you to do anything, it would be greatly appreciated if you helped a friend out, and talked me up.”
“Alright, alright.” Steve agreed. “Just hurry up, I highly doubt you cruising around is gonna better any impression this girl’s already got for you.” With that, Steve cut off any response Eddie had prepared with the buzzing of a dead line, as he hung up the phone. 
Eddie sighed, running his hand through his hair. Turning around, he flinched at the sight of an awkwardly smiling Jenny, as he’d genuinely forgotten about her presence amidst the phone call. Both blinked back-in-forth to one another; a mutual consensus silently understood.
“Yeah, you need to leave.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.”
-
A basket of chicken tenders and fries had interrupted your conversation short, as they were placed against the table, with Steve arriving with his hand clinging to the necks of three beer bottles, each tucked between the space of his fingers. “Sorry, I know it’s not Michelin Star-esque, but it’s the best this bar’s got, so hopefully it’s enough to satiate any hunger.” He smiled. Steve was hit with an influx of ‘thank you’s’ from the both of you, as the stationary centerpiece of condiments were beginning to fill up the tiny containers that came with the meal. “Oh, and Ed’s on his way, as well.”
“He’s coming?” You questioned.
“Yeah, yeah, told him to come as quick as possible.” Steve answered, as he took his seat next to Winnie. 
Winnie squirted an aggressive amount of ketchup onto her tray, leaving Steve to smile at her antics. “Wait, did he sound mad over the phone?”
“Uh, I mean, he was a little worked up, y’know, in his usual dramatic self.” His answer came with the hesitation of wondering how to play the best wingman to people who clearly hadn’t established the best opinion of him. “But, he’s coming, dropped everything and is on his way.”
“See, I told you.” Winnie nudged your shoulder. 
Steve popped a ranch covered fry into his mouth. “Told her what?” 
“That Eddie being angry means he’s totally into her.” Winnie proudly beamed. 
He laughed. “Oh, yeah, I heard about the whole flowers thing.”
You fervently shook your head. “I’m not exactly trusting anything Eddie does to be in good faith.” You proffered a delicate smile. “I mean, I know what he’s like, so not really trusting him to be this great person.”
Steve’s eyebrows furrowed. “So, then, can I ask why you agreed to date him? Like, especially after what he did to you.” 
Both you and Winnie took a second to stare at one another, before she leaned in close. “I know he’s your friend, but you promise not to say anything? Y’know, to him?” Now piqued with interest, Steve stood straight, nodding in agreement. “Okay…” Winnie sighed, “we’re basically trying to take him down.”
Steve laughed, quite amused, and very happy with accepting the request to go on this blind double date. “Wow, okay. A feminist thing?” He chuckled, “How’s that going?”
“Well, we’re only in the beginning stages, but it’s working great so far!” Winnie gloated. “I mean, he was literally begging her to go out on this date! I am a genius!”
“So, then what’s the follow up?”
“Well, I’m sure you know how Eddie is.” Steve confirmed it with a shake of his head. “We are just trying to make him feel how we, as women who have fallen victim to him, feel.” Winnie held her head high. “So, if all things run smoothly, then hopefully he’ll learn to not be such a douchebag.”
“Yeah,” Steve sighed, “I mean, he’s a good guy.” Winnie raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Well, at least, he used to be.” He clarified. “I think moving to the city was very much a way of letting go of his old life here, which, y’know, I’m proud of, though, I’m sure he’s probably not making the best decisions most of the time.”
“What was he letting go of?” You curiously asked, leaning against the table.
“Well, Eddie hasn’t always exactly been a ladies man.” He breathily chuckled. “Uh, in fact, probably not the most liked guy in town. By girls, or people in general. Just unfortunately got tied to a bad reputation, because of how close-minded Hawkins can be. Y’know, the whole metalhead gig isn’t exactly what the church goers of our town prefer.”
Concern etched across your face. “It got that bad that he wanted to leave?”
Steve nodded. “I mean, people are assholes, gave him grief just to take the piss out of him. I know he didn’t exactly want to leave- or, actually, leave the people in his life behind. He’s got an uncle over here, me and our other friends, his old band members, his little DnD club.” Eddie Munson, the cocky lead singer, played Dungeons and Dragons? You softly laughed, truly believing Eddie was an enigma; such juxtaposition within himself. “But, y’know, he had to do what he had to do. For himself.”
“And now he really does just do everything for himself.” Winnie playfully scoffed. 
“Well, I’m sure he’ll have a change of heart if he continues “seeing” you.” Steve smiled. “I mean, think the last I ever heard of Eddie giving anyone flowers was for this cheerleader he had some crush on, before her boyfriend got wind of it. It turned into this big blow out, Eddie, of course, had already gotten into his fair share of fights before, so pretty easy to say this kid got beat up, until his basketball buddies joined in. That only worsened his image, and pretty much humiliated him, so…”
“Yeah, no wonder he turned into such an asshole.” Winnie inferred, as a deep pit of sorrow buried in your belly for Eddie. Something you severely tried to ignore, given his background had garnered no justification for his current actions. 
“But maybe he’ll turn a new leaf.” His friend felt optimistic. Or, at least, hoped. “He still working down at that tattoo parlor, right?” 
Was he? Despite how much Winnie fed you, you actually knew nothing of him. “Probably.” Winnie’s face stuffed with the crunch of a juicy tender. “What about you, though? Eddie mentioned something about a lawyer?” She sweetly smiled.
Christ. Perhaps bailing on Eddie’s chauffeuring offer only forced you to become a third wheel for the time being. “Oh, definitely not a lawyer, just a paralegal for my dad who is one.”
“Still impressive, though.” She batted her lashes. “I’m sure you’re great at it.” Truthfully, Winnie Ambrose had no clue as to what a paralegal was, but if it made him flash his smile, then she’d gladly continue. 
“What about you two? You guys work?”
“Yeah, just as a barista, while I finish up college.” You concisely answered. 
“Oh, and I finished cosmetology school not too long ago, started working as a hairstylist, so I could totally do your hair, which by the way, you have great hair.” Her fingers delicately played with the few strands that framed his head. 
You hadn’t seen yourself suddenly wishing for Eddie Munson to appear sooner. It was on the sixth chicken tender that you were beginning to lose patience. While Steve Harrington had been the farthest from rude and included you in conversation, you weren’t socially inept to understand that his preferences laid in speaking with the girl he blindly agreed to date. But on the upside, you’d been surprised as to how entertaining it was to dip from between ketchup and ranch to please your taste buds. And washing it down with a cool beer? Surely, this was heaven-
“What happened to you not eating meat?” You felt his hot breath against your ear. 
Your nose nearly bumped his, as your head spun to meet his squinted eyes that scrutinized you through his glare. You had no other choice than to smile, and pop the last bit of the chicken tender into your mouth with a glorious crunch and moan that pissed him off with a smile searing onto his face. 
“Hey, man, you made it.” Steve Harrington had brandished Eddie Munson’s hand with the typical boyish handshake, before Eddie’s jacket met the table, and he took his seat next to you. 
Eddie incredulously chuckled. “Well, y’know, would’ve come sooner, but…” his glare twisted to you, “...apparently reading is a little hard to comprehend for some.”
Gobsmacked, you were ready to smack that smirk off his face, but Winnie had chimed in. “Actually, we did read it, we just didn’t care.” She placed a fry into her mouth. 
“‘We?’” Eddie laughed. “C’mon, Wendy, don’t you know by now no guy would ever give you flowers? That note was for Y/N.” Eddie hadn’t even cared to notice the look of offense that stunned her face, only focusing on whispering into your ear. “And I thought I told you by now to have a mind of your own?”
Your stomach became agitated by his words, and suddenly those six chicken tenders and fries felt like a bad idea. “God, you see how much of an asshole your friend is?” Winnie’s voice felt so distant in your hazed mind. 
“Hey, Ed, c’mon, knock it off.” Steve mediated. “Look, let’s just all start on a clean slate, alright? No more bickering.”
“Alright, then.” He sighed, switching his full attention to you with a sly grin. “It’s nice to see you again, Y/N.”
The most you could mobilize out of your mouth was a simple, “hi,” in return.
Eddie’s tongue lolled around the inside of his mouth. It was clear you were going to be short with him. “So, uh, new to Hawkins, huh? How’re ya liking it?” Winnie’s words of advice were burdening your overthinking head. Three seconds. One… two- “Uh, okay, I’m glad you could make it. Glad that you agreed most of all. Even if you got here without me.” You gulped. One… two… thr- “Can I get you another drink?” You blinked down at the half filled beer bottle you’ve been nursing. One… two… t- “Okay, don’t answer.” Eddie gave up with an exasperated sigh. 
“Hey, if you two would like another round, I can grab it for you?” Steve proffered, and you watched Winnie subtly nod her head to you in secrecy.
You stuttered back quickly. “Oh, yeah, t-that’d be great. Thank you, Steve.”
Eddie glowered in disbelief, watching as Steve whisked himself away towards the bar. “Y’know, if flowers weren’t your thing, you could’ve ringed me up to let me know?” He suddenly shoved himself in your face. 
“Oh, they are.” Winnie punctuated. “Just not from you.”
Eddie ignored her. He knew what she was doing, and he wasn’t falling under any trap that would subscribe him to that asshole attitude he surely acquired.
So, Eddie Munson’s eyes glued to yours. “Was it the type? Not your favorite? What is? Or, are you into those weird fruit bouquet things? I can get you those if you are? Hell, chocolate even-”
“No, Eddie.” You stopped his questionnaire. “I just- I just felt more comfortable riding with Winnie, s’all. Thought it’d be best. For me.”
For you. Was that enough to, at the very least, show him you did, in fact, totally, very much have a mind of your own…?
“Alright, then.” Eddie sat back, actually accepting your words. “Fair enough.”
“Plus, she just didn’t want to be stuck in a car with some pervy jackass.” Winnie smiled, mindlessly dipping her food into the condiments. 
Eddie chuckled. “Y’know what? I think we kinda got off on the wrong foot here.” He smiled, as she rolled her eyes. “So, I’m here to say I’m sorry. There it is. My formal apology. See? Growth.” Eddie winked over to you. 
“Oh, you’re sorry?” Winnie incredulously laughed. “For what is it exactly, Eddie, that you’re sorry for? For being an asshole? For lying? For leading me on? For having sex with me, then ditching me?”
Eddie pretended to ponder on that thought. “Yeah, sure.” He shrugged, as Winnie scoffed in disgust. “All of the above.” 
“Ugh, you little, piece of shi-” Steve set the bottles of beer down.
“Hey, everything alright here?” He hurriedly intervened. 
Winnie took a deep breath. “Fine, then. Apology accepted.” She ardently sat up straight. “So, how do you guys know each other?” She looked between both men. 
Eddie had been quite quick to answer. “High school.” Bluntly so, too.
“Oh, you mean back when you were a loser?” Winnie smiled.
Eddie’s face dropped. “You told them?!”
Steve exhaustedly sighed, running a stressed hand through his hair. “Dude, I didn’t mean- look, it just came up in conversation, I was just trying to explain things.”
Eddie fell back with a look of unease, shaking his head in disbelief. His expression had vividly written the discontent he had with Winnie bringing up his past, it clearly being something he hadn’t wished to be disclosed to people he barely knew. “Hey, okay, look, we don't have to talk about that.” You interrupted, watching Eddie preoccupy his discomfort by mindlessly picking at a napkin. “Um, Steve said that you worked at a tattoo parlor, is that right?” You softly pried, but your endeavors fell short with his blatant choice to ignore you. “Hey, Eddie, you said you wanted us to get to know each other better, right? Well, now, we’re on a date, so we can.” Your genuine smile was enough to have him slowly eye you. Throwing his words right back into his face, he hated it. 
Eddie slowly began sitting up, even choosing to discard the napkin. “Um, yeah. Alchemy Ink.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s the one down the-”
“-Street from the coffeehouse, yeah.” Eddie finished for you. “It’s, uh, why I go down there for my breaks.” He tried to shrug off.
“Oh, that notebook- the one you, uh, drew those cute, little bats in- the really good ones, is that where you draw, like, your tattoo ideas?” Damn it, you were making it really hard to stay angry with your sweet conversation. His lips twisted inward to suppress his fighting smile. 
You just had to fucking remember those damn bats, huh?
“Uh, yeah, t-the beginning sketches. Just, y’know, to get some ideas flowing, get a feel of what I can work with.” God, with you staring at him, Eddie really wished he had a beer to drown his stupid thoughts. But with how much you hated him, the rational part of his brain crossed off any idea of becoming a drunken asshole on a first date. 
“That’s really cool.” Fuck you for flashing that smile, Eddie thought. “You should tattoo some law scale on Steve.” You joked.
Eddie chuckled. “Already poked ‘KING’ into his ass.”
With Steve shaking his head in disbelief, Winnie gasped, as the act of hiding his face within his hands confirmed Eddie’s words. “You got the word ‘king’ tattooed on your ass?!” She laughed. 
Fair play to Eddie. “Hey, hey, in my defense, we were drunk high schoolers, and it was just some shitty stick-and-poke.” He laughed. “Plus, you have no room to talk, given ‘FREAK’ is permanently on your ass!”
“Freak? Why that of all things?” You questioned through your fits of giggles. 
Eddie flashed you that devilish smile that had you instantly regretting your words. “I can show you more than I can explain it to you.” And his winked was merely met with the annoyed roll of your eye. 
“No, no,” Steve laughed, “it was just some bullshit high school thing.” 
Luckily, any tension of hostility was able to dissolve through the bubbling laughter that naturally came around. Through the round of beers, the stories of which Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson held were animatedly shared in strides to get their dates to laugh. And to their credit, they surely did accomplish such task with recounting the juvenile trouble they encountered during their teenage years, while not stepping too deep into the territory at which Eddie was still visibly uncomfortable with. A part of you had been curious to understand the complexity as to why Eddie hated his past to such a degree. But your mouth stayed quiet, apart from minimal conversation, as you, too, would feel uneasy if anyone had brought up your past.
Which is why you grew stiff when the topic of conversation switched to how you befriended Winnie Ambrose. 
“Much like Harrington and I, you guys seem quite different.” Eddie interrogated. “So, how is it exactly you guys became friends?”
“Um,” Your brain went numb with the racking thoughts that were trying to spew out of your mouth to find anything, literally anything, to not mention him, Dalton…
“Same like you, y’know, high school.” Winnie briefed concisely enough to save you. “Nothing too crazy, really. Definitely not by some third-party freshman.” She joked to derail the conversation.
But ever the curious one, Eddie hadn’t stopped with the prodding, as he became quite serious with his task of getting to know you. Especially given the circumstance that he couldn’t thoroughly do so to his preferred degree, with two people hijacking this supposed date. “So, what? Through a class? A club? Were you in any clubs, Y/N?” You hated how ardent he’d become with eye contact. 
“Uh, n-no, never really was.” You stuttered out. “We just kinda met through friends, I guess. We, uh, knew the same perso- people.” 
“What person?” Eddie had clocked it, and his interest had skyrocketed. 
“Uh…” You swallowed thickly. “Just some ex-boyfriend s’all.” You adamantly tried to brush off with a giant swig of the beer in hand. 
But, of course, with the mention of an ex-partner, Eddie was never going to let it go. “‘Ex-boyfriend?’” He smiled sickly. “Someone I’m gonna need to fight to get to you, huh?” Eddie teased. “What was that relationship like?” He relished in the invasive nature that had your squirming in your seat. 
“Uh, I-I don’t, um-”
“Jeez, they broke up, and moved on. He’s irrelevant.” Winnie interrupted for your sake, as Eddie quietly scoffed to himself. “Are you currently seeing anyone else, Steve?” She turned the focus away. 
“Oh, uh, no, not seriously.” Steve answered. “Just a couple’a first dates the last few weeks, but most of which we’ve agreed to just keep it as such, no second.” 
Winnie flashed an overly bright smile. “See, it’s so attractive when guys actually communicate, and don’t blow off girls.” She couldn’t have been more obvious. “Right, Y/N?”
“Huh?” Suddenly, her elbow was connecting to your rib. “Ugh-um, right, right, so attractive.” You powered through the pain. 
“Respectable job, communicates, respectful, and has incredible hair,” Winnie gushed, “you’re really just, like, the perfect man, right?” She turned to you. 
“Mhm.” You sweetly smiled, choosing to turn your back to Eddie Munson to gaze your full attention to Steve. “Very perfect.”
Had Steve not been notified of this so-called ‘Take Eddie Munson Down’ operation, he surely would have cocked an eyebrow at the weird behavior you both were beginning to show. But the man was merely left blushing behind his hand, with a smile that held back amused laughter.
Because while Steve smiled, Eddie had scowled at your unexpected response.
It became quite evident he hadn’t been all too keen on sharing this night with others. While he understood he suggested the invitation of a stupid double date, it was only spoken as a last resort to finally get with you. And even then, it didn’t mean he had to like it. Especially, when all of sudden, any chance of a potential romance was abruptly shot down with Winnie Ambrose’s interjection to somehow turn the conversation to Steve Harrington, who you suddenly took a liking to?!
If it was the weather, suddenly you both were drooling over how Steve would “totally be, like, the hot weatherman you’d turn on the news for just to gawk over.”
If it was your studies, suddenly you’d exclaim about how Steve “looked just like that one sexy professor in the psychology department.”
If it was Eddie’s job, suddenly both of your attention was turning to Steve to detail “how hot he’d look with tattoos.”
I have tattoos, Eddie screamed in his head. His nostrils were flaring with deep breaths, as he felt his body boiling over the sight of you leaning over the table just to speak to him. By 10:02 P.M, the date had irreparably turned into some flirt fest starring Steve Harrington, and any attempts at having a one-on-one conversation with you had pissed him off to no avail, as you casually shrugged him off as some old pal. 
Eddie’s knee was bouncing by the second, eyes jumping from person to person, as the conversation carried on without him. Had any of you even noticed that he hadn’t spoken a word in five minutes?
“Well, I spent most of my time working with a close buddy of mine at a movie store, just a couple blocks…” Eddie didn’t even try to listen to Steve’s backstory, he couldn't even if he wanted to. His eyes had trained themselves to your side profile, the one that hadn’t looked at him in six minutes and twenty-three seconds in counting—crazy, he knows, but that wasn’t the topic of conversation—as you were too entranced with listening to Steve’s boring story. Eddie Munson had had enough. “...But my father was really hammerin’ on me to pursue something-” The grating noise of chair legs scraping across the floor had interrupted his speaking, as Eddie made the rash decision to pull you closer. 
With the close proximity, his hand secured itself around the back of neck to pull your head close, as his lips brushed against the shell of your ear. “Finish your food, I’m taking you somewhere else.”
You froze, as Eddie cleared his throat as though nothing happened. “What’s up?” Winnie worriedly questioned. 
“Nothing.” Eddie shrugged, finishing the last bit of his food. “Just taking Y/N somewhere, so we’re,” he gestured to the both of you, “wrapping this up. You lovebirds do as please.” As everyone was slowly accepting the abrupt ending of the double date, Eddie was casually reaching for his wallet to slap the table with a couple of bills. “I asked, so I’ll cover it, Harrington.”
Oh, shit. Winnie hadn’t prepared you for alone time with Eddie Munson. It’s when he strikes best!
“Yeah, thanks, man.” Steve offered in return, before turning to Winnie. “Um, would you be okay with wrapping up as well? You got quite some ride back to Indy, don’t you?”
“Oh, yeah.” Winnie solemnly agreed to, as she mentally cursed Eddie for ruining the only good date she’s been on in the last few weeks. 
You stood from your chair, finishing the last swig of your beer that you had left, before Eddie’s hand circled around your waist. “Hey,” he came in close, “It’s been a minute, so I’m just gonna say hello to Rog, and the couple’a people I haven’t seen in a while.” You nodded along, as you took into account the stories he recounted about his days of being a barback. “Here,” his keys dangled before you, “just make yourself comfortable, okay? I won't be long. It’s just the van out front.”
With two pats on the small of your back, all you could muster was a soft, “okay,” before you shuffled to Winnie.
Watching Eddie walk away, you clutched to her arm. “He told me to go to his car, I’m internally panicking right now!” You aggressively whispered.
“Okay, just calm down and go, alright? I’ll meet you out there in a second.”
With Winnie’s words, your legs worked fast to drag you out of the bar, where the gentle breeze slapped you with the needed composure to locate the large van parked a couple feet away. Unlocked, and strapped in, you took a deep breath in the passenger seat of Eddie’s car.
Though, that deep breath was unwarrantedly invaded by the pungent smell of weed and cigarettes, and while you were sure that may have come as a speedy remedy for stress, you weren’t too pleased to be suddenly struck with it at this moment. 
You jammed the key into the ignition, revving the van to life to hopefully clear the smell with the much needed air conditioning, but all you got in return was the thrashing clash of some metal band screaming into your ear from the abrasive volume Eddie chose to listen to his music. 
Jumping to turn it down, you finally settled back against the car seat with a heaving chest. But like clockwork, your nerves were shot with the adrenaline of being horrified from Winnie suddenly opening the car door.
“God, Winnie, you scared me half to death!” You screeched, as she clambered into the front seat. 
“Look, we have to make this quick, Steve’s using the bathroom, and who knows when Eddie’s coming back.” She underlined. “We gotta prepare you, okay? Being alone with Eddie is nothing like being on a double date with Eddie! This- this means he’s really into you!”
“O-Okay, so what now? I wait four seconds to respond?”
“‘Four seconds?’” Winnie looked at you as if you were crazy. “There’s no four seconds, you’re practically seeing Eddie Munson now! This is basically dating!”
“I don’t want to be dating, though!” You implored through round eyes. 
“Well, you’re just gonna have to suck it up!” Winnie set you straight. “Just remember, confidence is key, alright? Don’t let him walk all over you!” She coached. “You be straightforward with your responses, don’t let him intimidate you.”
The panic was beginning to settle too deep. “W-Well, what if he tries to make a move? Is he going to make a move?!”
“Look, just whatever he does, keep it to a minimum. Nothing more than a kiss, alright?” You nodded in agreement. “Are you a good kisser?”
Your brows furrowed in confusion. “Well, I-I don’t know, h-how does anyone know if they’re a good kisser?”
Winnie dramatically sighed. “Well, do you guys tell you you’re a good kisser?”
The sudden revelation hit you like a truck. “Oh, my god, I’m a bad kisser!”
“Sh! Sh!” Winnie tried to calm your trepidation. “Y/N, look, it’s really simple, okay?” She mounted over the center console to set your head straight. “It’s just effortless movements. Light touches, okay? Light.” Her hand gripped to your jaw. “Just lock onto him, nothing too crazy. Grab onto that gorgeous head of hair, but no passion just yet, you have to build it up.” Her face came closer. “Be in control, hold his gaze, it just has to be the temptation,” her breath fanned across your features, as you felt weary as to where this was heading, “just a light brush to leave him wanting more.” Suddenly, Winnie’s lips were planted against yours, and you made your truest effort to follow her guidance, until-
“Holy hell, kiss her again. Do it!”
You and Winnie instantly pulled apart to witness the gross man who stood watching in amusement in front of Eddie’s parked van. “Get out of here, you perv!” You flipped on the headlights to scare the man, who quickly scurried off, when suddenly the beaming headlights showed Eddie coming over. “Oh, shit, Eddie’s coming!”
Winnie freaked, suddenly choosing to scale over the front seats to scramble her way into the messy den that was the back area of Eddie’s car. You sat abnormally stiff once Eddie stepped foot into his van. “Hey, you okay?” He asked, as he settled himself in. 
“Mhm.” You hummed out. 
He took a second. “Um, look, I know it’s probably not the most ideal situation, but I promise it won’t be anything terrible.” You slowly peered at Eddie, who sat cautiously in his seat. “I-I just,” he sighed, “I just want to, at the very least, get a chance to actually speak to you. W-Without Harrington or your friend. Just you.”
“Okay.” You softly nodded to his request, which eased a deep breath from chest. “That’s okay.”
A small smile etched upon Eddie's face, and you hadn’t decided whether to take it innocently or sinisterly. With Eddie Munson, it was almost always the latter. With your approval, Eddie pulled out of the parking lot—unbeknownst to him, with Winnie in tow—to head along the long stretch of highways that traveled along the breadth of Hawkins, Indiana. 
Though, unfortunately, forgotten within the walls of The Hideout, Steve Harrington was flinging his hands dry from water due to the lack of paper towels that were never refilled within the men’s restroom, as he sought his way outside to a dead parking lot. “Win- Winnie?” He turned about. “Eddie? Anyone?”
Eddie’s fingers slowly turned the volume up of his radio. “Did you have a good time, at least?” He asked. 
“Oh, yeah, I quite liked the bar; a lot less crowded, which made it more enjoyable than the one from Saturday night.” 
“Yeah?” He lilted. “Not really into that scene, huh?”
“No.” You chuckled. “Definitely not, but it is yours, no?” You interrogated back, almost accusatory in Eddie’s eyes. “You go there a lot, I’m assuming?” Spoken as if to find a definitive reason to not let this “date” prolong any further than tonight. 
“I, well, um, wouldn’t say a lot.” He searched his way around the words. “Just when needed. For the band.” 
“Huh, okay.” Eddie thought you relented. “Not the best reputation with that band though, right?” You smiled so sickly, Eddie was scoffing out a laugh. 
He hadn’t seen such feistiness from you yet, he was honestly relishing in it. “We just- we just like to have fun, s’all. Don’t you? Unless you’re, like, some total buzzkill.” He smirked back. 
“No, not a buzzkill.” You protested. “Just have self-discipline, you know? Or, wait, do you not know?”
Eddie kissed his teeth with a dimpling grin that was becoming permanent on his face with. “Oh, no, I know.” His finger aggressively tapped against his steering wheel. Because, truthfully, if he hadn’t known, he would have immediately pulled the car over, and shut you up the way he knew best… and, well, did best. “Just, y’know, like to live my life to the fullest with everything accomplished.”
“And everyone apparently, huh?” 
Eddie’s knuckles were fusing white with the tight grip he clutched. “You’re walking on thin fucking ice here, Y/N.” He huffed a laugh from his buzzing body. 
“Why?” You feigned. “I thought you liked having fun?”
Oh, Eddie Munson was so fucked. 
Winnie Ambrose couldn’t have been more proud with the dedication shown by you, as she pushed through the pain of holding back her laughter that threatened to spill with every bump Eddie carelessly passed. She wrestled around the displayed blankets that she felt icky even touching, wondering what unfortunate crusted stains she may have been laying upon. Winnie shifted uncomfortably, as she reached beneath her to wedge out a bra that slung from under. Winnie silently gasped. “That dog.” She mouthed, until her nimble fingers suddenly felt the cushion of thick padding that invaded the bra.
Oh, great… it was her’s, she shamefully tucked the bra under her arm. 
Lover’s Lake had been nothing but a ten minute drive for you and Eddie Munson, but somehow, the tension you both left untouched with silence seemed to make it last an eternity, as you both suffocated in the teasing friction that consumed the air between you two. 
You peered out the window, watching worriedly as Eddie took a turn into a wooded path that left you viewing nothing but dark trees. “It won’t be anything terrible, huh?” You hid your anxiety through forced giggles. 
“Yup.” Eddie did little to denote any further. “There’ll be a time when you’ll finally trust me.” 
You head slumped against the cold glass. “Yeah, doubt it.” You whispered to yourself, unaware of the smile that ate at his face, as he quietly heard your words. 
Much to your dismay, Eddie Munson proved you wrong—though proving your right could have left your name attached to some true crime murder case—as his van parked along the clearing that showcased such a scenic view of a sparkling lake that reflected the crystal tranquility of the moon and stars. Too enthralled, you hadn’t taken notice of Eddie leaving the car, until he approached your side to guide you out. “Is this too terrible for you?” You shook your head. “Perfect, then. One of my favorite places, in fact, so it would have pissed me off if it was.” With the slam of the car door, Winnie peeked up from her hiding place, watching as you and Eddie began walking down west. 
“Do you come here often?” You pondered, taking in the scenery, as your shoes sunk into the mush of muddy grass and moss.
“When I lived here, yeah.” Eddie hopped over strewn branches. “For being so shitty, I gotta admit, this place sure does have some nice hiding spots. 
“You gonna take me to see all your secret hideouts?” You peered up at him. 
Eddie smiled. “When we get there, absolutely.”
“If.” You insisted. 
“When.” He retaliated. 
You rolled your eyes at the tongue-in-cheek attitude he liked to flaunt around, where he found nothing but mirth with every irk he managed to tick out of you. Silence settled through your stroll, until Eddie decided to break it with his unheard of vacillated voice. “So, uh, hey, you said you enjoyed tonight.” You nodded along. “Was that because of Harrington? Did you, like, I don’t know, like Steve?” 
His hands balled behind his back, as his peripheral glued to your face intently. “Oh, yeah, I liked Steve, he was really nice!” You sincerely spoke, as his teeth began sinking into the cracked despair of his bottom lip. 
“Oh,” was all he could proffer in return.
“I feel like it’s my duty to now push Winnie to continue seeing him.” You had no clue how much your giggles eased his mind. “He seems like he could be really nice to her, very sweet he is.”
Eddie huffed out a heavy sigh. “Y-Yeah, it’s nice those guys could hit it off… like us.” He smiled up close to your face, which had you stopping in your tracks.
“Are we hitting it off, Eddie?”
Standing before you, Eddie kissed his teeth with a grin. “I’d say we are, no? Got you out on a date, actually speaking to me, conversing well.”
“Okay.” You simply noted, continuing your walk, as he scurried to follow.
“‘Okay?’” Eddie repeated with the need of elaboration. “I don’t like that I don’t know what you’re thinking, Y/N.”
“Oh, maybe we are hitting it off, I feel the exact same way about you.” You joked through your soft laughter. 
“No, no, I say what I’m thinking.” Eddie maintained his stance. 
You incredulously laughed in return. “But Eddie, everything you say has quite the history of being a lie.” Your reprisal disseminated over any argument he was willing to divulge to support himself. Eddie Munson could only laugh at himself. How stupid of him to believe he could weasel some smooth talking to a girl, who quite literally witnessed him being kicked out of her apartment for being an asshole. “Kinda got my proof with Winnie-”
“Y’know,” he immediately interjected, “I think… you rely too much on her opinion.”
“And I think you’re a jackass.” You defensively snapped back. You hadn’t even expected it to come out so rash. 
Eddie mockingly laughed in your face. “Oh, yeah? You think I’m a jackass? Alright, I’ll be a jackass. What’s up with that ex-boyfriend of yours you got so weird about? He a jackass, too? Hurt you real bad? Did something to make you lose some bullshit trust, so now you rely on your friend to help you through everything? 
You loathed Eddie Munson. “Screw this.” You scoffed back, choosing to turn away from him, and make your steady way back to the van. 
But he had taken a hold of your hand, forcing you back to his vicinity. “Hey! We’re not done here.”
“Okay, fine! What’s up with your past here? You got really worked up over Winnie bringing that up. And I tried to be nice, and not talk about it, but since you’re such an asshole, I truly don’t care anymore.” You retorted. “Steve mentioned how much people hated you here, and honestly I can see why! You are so conceited, and full of yourself. You’re not considerate of anyone’s feelings, and god, you just say the meanest things. I’m pretty sure most people are happy you left this town, since it meant never having to be near you again.”
No longer was this the banter of any light teasing. Eddie had flung your hand from his, as he stared you down. “You don’t have a single fucking clue as to what you’re talking about.” His heavy breathing had to be manually controlled by his self-control, as his aggressive breath blew into your face.
“Oh, what, but you do?!” You derided so scornfully right back at him. 
Nothing but both of your heavy breathing could be heard against the empty lake front. With such intense eye contact that neither of you ever planned on breaking, Eddie was suddenly drawn in with temptation, and inched his head close against yours, as you lured yourself in…
Until your hands slapped against his chest. “What the hell are you doing?” You shoved him away. 
Your push had snapped some sense into Eddie, and his mouth had fallen open with the words that couldn’t be found, as he held his chest with a sincere hand. And it only worsened his case for a cocky grin to creep upon his face towards you. “You so wanted to kiss me.” 
Your mouth dropped at the absurdity of his ridiculing laughter. “Are you insane?! No, I didn’t!” You’d rather drown in Lover’s Lake than ever let him think so. “Christ, would you just get off your high horse for two seconds, and learn that not everyone wants you?”
You stomped on your heel, walking away from him once more. “I don’t have a fucking horse!” God, you could slap the stupidity out of him. “Hey, alright, c’mon, I shouldn’t have done that! Y/N!” His hand latched back onto yours. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?” Eddie turned you around. “My dad was some absent crook, who ruined my life with his schemes, and everyone in this shit town fucking took it out on me, alright? So, sorry, but it pissed me when you fucking said that shit.” Your brows furrowed at the sudden dump of information he expelled onto you. All while Eddie simply waited. “Well, go on.”
“What?” You questioned. 
“Your turn.” He made it seem so obvious. “You go, say something about that little boyfriend of yours.”
“W-Wha- no, I’m not gonna-”
Eddie dragged his hands over his face. “Oh, my god, just do it!”
“Fine!” You exasperated. “Yes, Eddie, he was a jackass. After two years, he just laid it all out that he never loved me like I love-” Your mouth clamped shut, as your face hid away with humiliation. “Look, I really don’t want to get into this.” You tried to get away, but Eddie had held back your movements. 
“Alright, so we won’t get into this.” He proclaimed. “What’s your favorite color?” 
“What? What are you doing?” You tried to walk around him.
But Eddie was there to keep his pace with you, only to fervently reiterate, “Just like you said, not getting into this. What’s your favorite color?”
You abruptly stopped with a defeated sigh. “Green.”
“Cool, mine’s black. Surprising, huh?” He sardonically smiled. You shook your head, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of a tiny chuckle. “Alright, let’s see what else… oh! What’s your favorite food? And I already know you eat meat, so don’t fuck with me with that.” 
That, unfortunately, had you quietly giggling, but only at your own humor. “Um, I don’t know, uh, pesto pasta.”
“Ooh.” Eddie snapped his fingers. “I love buttered noodles, close enough, huh?” Christ, that got a laugh from you. “Hell, I’ll even make us some for our second date.”
“We are not going on a second date.” You chuckled, as you began walking away. 
Eddie was quick to follow along your steps. “Sure we are. How else am I gonna find out your favorite hobby?” You had to give him credit, it was quite the perfect invitation for a conversation. 
“I like puzzles.”
Eddie snorted. “Okay, grandma, I can get down with that.” He smiled. 
“Oh, shut up.” You rolled your eyes. “I know your favorite hobby.” You spoke matter-of-factly. 
“Oh, yeah?” Eddie grinned. “And what’s that, Y/N?”
“Dungeons and Dragons, you nerd.” You laughed, as Eddie shook his head in disbelief. It wasn’t exactly the number one thing he wanted women of his interest to know; not exactly the greatest chick magnet out there. 
Eddie feigned anger. “Fucking Harrington. The mouth on that one.” 
Though, with complete transparency, if airing out his so-called embarrassing secrets was needed in order to keep you happy, he was ready to dish out the time his uncle found a number of women’s underwear when visiting his apartment in Indianapolis. Even sat him down with a heart-to-heart to remind Eddie that he’d love him no matter who he was. 
It was cripplingly mortifying to notify his uncle that he, Eddie Munson, was, in fact, just a whore. 
-
Winnie Ambrose had mindlessly pulled apart all the split ends she managed to find in her head of hair, before she exasperatedly sighed with a heavy fall against the van floor. 
It felt like an eternity waiting for you to return. She’d only hoped you’d come with your dignity, and not as another notch on Eddie’s belt. It was only when her entertainment was finally being satisfied through her nosy curiosity of ruffling through Eddie’s belongings did the passenger door finally open.
Winnie laid so stiffly, as she heard you mutter a “thank you” to Eddie’s chivalry. Your eyes briefly connected for the couple seconds it took for Eddie to reach the driver side, with you nodding to the consensus of the thrown up thumbs up Winnie proffered. 
“Ready to head home?” Eddie asked. 
“Mhm, yeah.” You politely answered. 
The forty minute drive to Indianapolis was thus embarked upon, with Winnie having to endure the detailed lore behind Eddie the Head, when one- one, singular Iron Maiden song played. Where Winnie rolled her eyes, you were quite taken aback with how much information he was ready to elaborate upon, just because it was “totally sick that we share the same name!” In the wise words of Eddie Munson. 
Apparently his only motivation to learn anything. 
Rolling into the parking lot of your apartment complex, the sky thundered with the trudging storm the spring season had welcomed. 
Eddie had turned off the rumbling ignition of his car. “Um, w-would you mind just, like, walking with me?” 
Desperately wanting to jump over to your good side, Eddie had no issue with quickly agreeing to your request. “Yeah, yeah, of course.” 
Winnie slowly moved to the back double doors that would become her escape route. With Eddie whisking you away, you subtly peered back to catch glimpses of Winnie inching her legs out of the car, holding her breath, as every movement caused the old thing to creak from the rust. 
“Okay, um, I know things weren’t necessarily ideal, but I still really enjoyed being with you, and um, I’m just really glad you endured staying with me for this long.” He sniffed out a laugh that you followed along with. 
“Y-Yeah, um, I think everything managed to work out okay in the end.” You softly smiled.
Eddie’s hand found its way to the back of his neck, a classic move that not only let him appear nervous for your sympathy, but tactfully allowed his muscle to bulge for your pleasure. “I’ve gotten quite the understanding that you’re not exactly the type of girl to kiss on the first date… much to my dismay.” He dramatically sighed to make you laugh. “So, Y/N,” your name rolled off his tongue so languidly, “actually give me a call, because I’m not above tracking you down for a second date. But I mean it, have a great night, darling.” 
Slamming the door behind her, Winnie’s breath hitched at sudden cause that halted her escape plan. The heavy door closed on the damn maxi skirt you suggested she wear! “Oh, no. No, no, no, no!” She pulled against the threads that refused to stretch any longer. 
Watching her struggle, you panicked with how quickly Eddie was about to turn away, and your mind unanticipatedly resulted to your hand turning his face towards your own.
Nose bumping, breath fanning, you stared into his eyes. “Um,” your throat went dry. Eddie took your unwarranted invitation with his lips coming down slowly to ever so gently graze against yours. 
“C’mon,” yank! “Let,” yank! “Go,” rip! 
Winnie’s skirt clung from Eddie’s back doors, as she quickly scrambled to cover her exposed self. Seeing her scurry into the gated pool area of the complex, you suddenly diverged from the kiss, planting the tiniest peck to the corner of his mouth so quickly. “Okay, um, thanks for tonight, Eddie!” You hurriedly began walking away. “Have a good rest of your night!” You waved, while Eddie stood stunned. 
Utterly frozen. 
“Wasn’t even my date, and he still managed to get me out of my skirt.” Winnie cursed herself. 
A fluttering smile flushed on his face with heat, as his fingers graced on the phantom touch of your lips still lingering on your face. 
His confidence strides led him back to his van, as he felt on top of the world. There wasn’t any girl Eddie Munson couldn’t get, and his ego was relishing in the extra boost from your kiss. But with it came the frightening reality that he wanted more than what you were giving. 
He wanted you.
Revving up his engine, there wasn’t anything stopping in the way of Eddie Munson. Not even Winnie Ambrose’s skirt that slapped along the asphalt of the road with each foot Eddie drove up.
Your mind refused to focus on anything, but your apartment door, as one thought about Eddie was going to make your head spiral out of control. You wielded yourself to swallow away those nauseating butterflies that were exploding in your tummy. 
This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. You hated Eddie Munson. 
“And my car is still stuck at some dingy bar. Ugh, I hate Eddie Munson!” Winnie exclaimed. 
There was only one thing for certain: Eddie Munson must die!
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𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 | If I forgot anyone who asked to be tagged, please let me know, so I can include you in future chapters. This goes for anyone who wishes to not be tagged, just inform me! And, of course, everyone 18+ is welcome to be included <3
It would also help greatly if anyone who asked to be tagged would reblog my work :) @darknesseddiem @tlclick73 @ezzynf @hereforshmut @babez-a-licious @madelynraemunson @nope-thanks @catherinnn @sunshineandwitchery @meowforluv @bellalillyrose @eddieslooneymoonie @honey-flustered @therealgothamguardianfr @fishwithtitz @corrodedcoffincumslut @ohmeg @superas1an @maraudersforlife2005
I sincerely apologize for any user that wouldn't tag, I'm not sure how to fix that :(
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summitprinter · 2 months ago
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Lara Croft's Expansive Expedition
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Seems world famous adventurer and tomb raider Lara Croft has discovered yet another old ruin filled with priceless artifacts. This time however, she may have been a touch too greedy. Locals tried to warn her but Lara didn't listen, something she would come to regret. As she tried to leave the temple ruins with a mysterious, supposedly cursed idol said to represent the Goddess of Gluttony, she found out that the curse was unfortunately true. In an instant, her body that she spent her lifetime building in her personal gym, suddenly swelled up with thousands of pounds of fat, ripping through her clothes and leaving her immobile in the middle of the jungle. Before she could even fully understand what had happened, a local tribe made up of only woman thought to have been long extinct, discovered what had become of our poor tomb raider. Lara begged for help, screaming as hard as her lard covered lungs could muster, but it was futile. No one was going to hear her pleas for help. Lara could only watch in desperation as the local tribal women readied themselves to move her massive body back to their secret village. Plans of a endless feast were made for poor Lara and the tribal women began their transportation of the now fat blob that was once a great adventurer... No one really quite knew what happened to Lara. When she didn't return from her expedition, most assumed the worst and her legacy quickly faded away. Curiously, stories began being passed around near where she had disappeared. Tales of woman as large as a whale being fostered somewhere deep in the jungle. Of course these are just silly rumors made to stir up trouble and keep tourist away... Right?
ALTS:
Crying Alt:
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Sweat Alt:
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Crying and Sweat Alt:
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Gassy & Sweat Alt:
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Gassy, Crying, & Sweat Alt:
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jollmaster · 7 months ago
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design trivia: Eisheth Zenunim
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the second of Lucifer's wives, mother of spirits
was born on the evening of the sixth day of the week of creation
a spirit without physical body
can take any form, but prefers an appearance that combines woman body and sacred fire
clothes who
burns when touched, even if she didn't mean to do so
turns blue when angry
has own huge temple where she dwells most of the time
patronizes old women and temple prostitutes, most of all; in Eisheth's home sinners of that sort live out last days
Charlie is afraid of her
CHARLIE'S GANG: Charlie, Vaggie, Angel Dust, Niffty, sir Pentious (and egg boiz), Cherri Bomb, Husk, Alastor (+ gang as humans)
HEAVEN: Adam, Eve, Lute, Emily, Sera
ADAM AND EVE'S CHILDREN: Cain, Abel, Seth, Awan, Azura
HELL: Lilith, Lucifer, Seviathan, Helsa, Razzle and Dazzle, Baxter
SINS: Asmodeus [Lust], Beelzebub [Gluttony], Satan [Wrath], Mammon [Greed] (and Fizz), Belphegor [Sloth]
LUCIFER'S WIVES: Naamah, Agrat bat Mahlat
VEES: Vox, Valentino, Velvette
OVERLORDS: Zestial, Rosie, Carmilla Carmine (and her daughters, Odette and Clara), Flaming Skull Guy
FRIENDS AND RELATIVES: Mimzy, Arackniss, Molly, Alastor's mom, Alastor's father
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gottagetpig · 5 months ago
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Wishing you all a fatty new year from this greedy hog! I've done nothing but be a spoiled little fatty, constantly stuffing their face like a good little piggy these holidays, Feeling my body swell from the onslaught of fatty food and junk I stuff into my mouth. With each decadent feast I've had, I can't stop myself, pigging out moaning softly as my unabashed gluttony draws the eyes of onlookers. The ecstasy I feel as my moobs grow more larger and more grabbable, belly growing softer, expanding like dough with soft grabbable fat that I can't keep my hands from feeling all the while my need for more continues to grow, making piggy greedier and more demanding. Fat piggies like me should be spoiled, fattened just like they deserve and every new roll worshipped. The straining of my clothes as  my calorie addled body grows bit by bit, threatening to burst as I continue to pig out, feeling the addictive euphoria as my thighs and ass strain against my jeans, my belly rising more and more over my lap for the world to see, until a sudden pop as buttoned jean suddenly have none, my soft flabby belly rolling further out causing me to whine and stuff myself with renewed vigour, in heaven stuffing my increasingly gelatinous body. I can't and won't stop myself from stuffing my fat face whenever i can, after all a piggy like me deserves all the food, praise and belly worship they want,. The people around me giving me seconds, thirds, just to satiated me. Some giving their own meals knowing im just such an insatiable hog and deserve so much more...
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Even as the holidays draw to a close I won't stop, can't stop stuffing myself like an uncontrolled hog. Feeling my body swell as hazy, addicting desires for so much more gluttony and flab pervade my piggy mind. Weeks become months of constant gluttony. Months become years as every gluttonous desire is fulfilled unabated. The hedonistic spoiling spiraling as my weight climbs higher and higher still. Sounds of huffing and wheezing fills the room as I struggle to waddle forward immense apron of dough that is my belly swathed in countless folds and fat. Every inch of fat jiggling with every lumbering step, massive mounds that make my moobs and belly obstruct my view. Wheezes give way to moans as I shove whatever huge snack I can into my gurgling ever demanding stomach. The desire for more food grows as i slowly waddle over to the counter, rolls of fat flowing over the counter, leaving the cashier in awe as I order feast after feast. Before waddling slowly over to the table shocking everyone with my size and unabashed gluttony, taking hedonistic pleasure at how much of a huge piggy I am. Months pass again and the sheer heft of my massive bubbly ass and dangerously soft thighs break all but the most heavy duty of chairs, until eventually I become too heavy to get up myself, whining and wheezing as I'm helped up to my fat buried feet only to be unable to fit through Doorways. Flabby rear and gelatinous belly pressed against the frame, free from any constraint of clothing. Eager hands of my doting feeders worship every fold and inch of fat, eagerly placing greasy foods into my mouth stuffing me more and more.  And it'll not be enough for me, it'll never be enough. 
Fatten me until my flabby belly hangs to my knees. When every part of my body becomes swathed with flab and gelatinous. Every fold worshipped as a temple gluttony.~
Spoiled more and more until the word loses meaning, every hedonistically gluttonous desire I have fulfilled. Pampered and praised as I gain countless more pounds.~
Turn me into a wheezing blob of lard constantly fattened, crushing everything from beds to couches beneath a growing ocean of flab. Moaning and wheezing demandingly for more~
Fatten your idol of gluttony~
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largegirl25 · 25 days ago
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My size has become a burden upon my life, yet I don't care. For matter of fact, it's a wonderful feeling to become slower, heavier, stupider. All I care about is gaining more weight. I want to eat more, stuff my face, my gut, and over stretch my body. My wonderful "stripes" cover my body as I eat so much and force so much fat onto my frame that my skin can't keep up and needs to stretch. My joints have started to ache, and my breasts are growing heavier and heavier and heavier. My body is a temple to gluttony and lust and greed and I it's curator.
Every day my friends and family see me, which is becoming more rare as trips from the house become more difficult and cumbersome, they comment on my growing fat;
"Come on, you walk so slow."
"You wanna go on a bike ride? No? Why not it's a wonderful day out! Oh, your knees? Again?"
"What do want to eat for dinner when we go out? Fast food? Again?"
"Have you tried Ozempic? It could help you loose weight!"
"Are you sure you wanna stay in? This party's suppose to be amazing! I- Well, ok... If you wanna order in food again, I guess you can..."
"Do you need to- uh -go clothes shopping? Oh, no reason... It's just those pants look a little tight..."
I know what they are doing, their little signals, their jabs at me, their incessant questions; they're begging me to stop, to turn around, to loose weight. They can see the path I'm on, the one where I end up 600 pounds, stupid and helpless. They're dumb enough though to not see the real truth; I want to like that. I want to be so fat that sitting or standing up hurts. I want to have my heart pound from waking up. I want to wheeze and huff when I do anything. I want to be so fat my body becomes an impossible weight for me to lug around, leaving it to pin me down to my bed. I want to become a wonderful fatty for my girlfriend, my feeder! Making me drip with sweet sweet sweat and smell like the prized pig I was born to be!
It's too late to avoid at this point, the only way to go is become the massive fatty I already am inside!
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degeneratefae · 3 days ago
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Such a perfect portrait of beauty… and yet, can one resist that temptation in the back of the mind. To watch such beauty unwind, and spread as the softness spills into the confines of your clothing, brimming as the button begs for a sweet relief from the pressure of your gluttony, as your brain relishes the comforting feeling that washes over it with a press of a sip through your lips, and a puff past them. If one could kneel before her, they would show her only worship and adoration… but behind their eyes, the silent truth— that each offering to the temple of her body will only bode the hastening of decay, of destruction. But while the marble confines of her clothing may crack and tear, the sharp edge of her mind may fade, only a fool would deny the beauty of the overgrowth, of what will succeed such limited ideals by leaps and bounds. So, let her feast. Let her shine like a diadem in the sky, and give her a toast. May she grow, may she prosper, fat and happy, forever, the most!
-🦭
im so bad at remembering the asks section exists oops sorry for the delayed response but hbngndnfnfndn 😵‍💫. i will never understand how people are capable of writing stuff like this omg thank u thank u thank u. although idk if i’d describe my body as a temple, i feel like its more of an overflowing bin at a fun fair. heheheee thank you anonymous seal 🦭
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rainbowolfe · 2 months ago
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A crescent moon replaces the star of Bethlehem as a topper on the Christmas tree, which would mean that the "angel" that guided the Bishops to the birth of "jesus" (either a Narinder or a Lamb) was either Shamura or the other (missing) crescent moon. It also means that their associated colors are white and red.
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The stars are instead grouped with the eyeballs. Particularly, Damned eyeballs. The gifts under the tree are full of blood and guts. Sooo, something to do with Chemach. Or Gluttony (cannibalism). Or both.
I think it's notable that Ratau's symbol is different. That could be chalked up as artistic error though.
What's notable and isn't a potential error are the details on the Lamb snowman(waxman?). The fact that they're putting an orange Crown on it. The "scratches" over one of the eyes. And especially. That it only has a single horn.
A horn that looks like the depiction of the Nature Lamb. Long, thin leaves for ears. The waxy texture looking similar to the leafy texture.
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But I digress. Finally, there's the flowers. Oh, the flowers. They're seen in the Nature Aesthetic temple and on the Lust Ritual decorations (very sparingly).
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... *pats hands*
And also they're the flowers that bloom on Shamura's relic.
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templetogavage · 11 months ago
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Weekly Weighing (07-07-2024 to 07-13-2024)
As with (most) weeks, here are 7 posts I enjoyed from around the gaining and encouraging Tumblr sphere:
1. https://www.tumblr.com/whopper-t/755423176496971777
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I love a good face gain. @t-thicc is a great example- in the left photo, he looks like he could grace the cover of a magazine, and in the right photo, he looks like he would buy one as he loads his grocery cart full of snacks. Thanks to @whopper-t for sharing this post.
2. https://www.tumblr.com/bearlygaining/755379001346981888
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Love a good highlighting of contrast. Watching fit, athletic men perform feats while I stuff my face is one of my favorite activites, and I’m glad to see @bearlygaining agrees. Including this in large part because of that caption, to be honest.
3. https://www.tumblr.com/roaminghog/755640377804046336
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@roaminghog has decided to provide us with this excellent peek into a classic gainer fantasy- being fed via funnel by an attentive admirer. Click through if you’re curious to see the full video.
4. https://www.tumblr.com/sandwichfella/755848719349563392
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A welcome sight, if you’re in these circles. I would love to see this waiting for me when I come home after work. @sandwichfella serving gaining gamer to the hungry masses.
5. https://www.tumblr.com/zangtang/755778182727270400
Need I say anything at all? There’s nothing hotter, in my opinion, than a fat man enjoying food while showing off his size. I could watch this video of @gordoguapoofficial all day. Glad that @zangtang reblogged this one.
6. https://www.tumblr.com/sumbellies/755837143965941760
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Contrast is one of my favorite aspects of this kink, which is probably clear to anyone who follows me. So this was a necessary inclusion. @johnthegainer looks incredible next to this musclebound figure. Wonderful photo.
7. https://www.tumblr.com/whopper-t/755673453136363520
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Another gift this week from @whopper-t. This photo of @jim852 shows a man who knows exactly how much more he deserves your food than you do. Go give him your lunch money, he’s obviously hungry.
And that is this week's Weekly Weighing!
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memethebum · 1 month ago
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Snippet Sundayyy
Thanks for tag @silluuuu
Working on day 1 for SoMa week lol
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“I have come to hear the answer to my request priestess,” Soul Eater barked, probing Maka’s harsh demeanor to show the faintest sign of breaking.
“NO MAKA DO NOT-“
“You swear to keep your word if I become your bride?” Maka spoke over Kid’s shouts while he watched her bare feet descend from the temple steps.
“I plan to keep my word…” Soul Eater chuckled as Maka finally made contact with the packed dirt below them, all while Kid wondered if he’d imagined the slight tremble of her polished sword as the demon inched closer towards her.
“And don’t ya’ worry, I don’t plan to eat you…” the monster then added, allowing an air of confusion to ring through the air before his fanged hands dug into Maka’s neck.
“After all, there’s only one thing I like better than gluttony and that’d be lust,” Soul Eater boomed, leaving Kid to still his erratic heartbeat as he barked orders at the terrified soldiers and noticed Liz fire Patty towards the abomination that held their friend’s life in the palms of his hands.
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lullabyalikpoptarot · 5 months ago
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Hwang Hyunjin Perspective Reading
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It has been a while since I connected with a Stray Kids member. It is time for me to get to the next member I want to do. His energy tends to confuse the hell out of me, so hopefully I get more clarification in this reading. The song he gave me was The Story by Brandi Carlile.
You see the smile that's on my mouth It's hiding the words that don't come out And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed They don't know my head is a mess
I feel these lyrics can resonate with his story and what is going on in is life. I get this sense when I read for him energetically. I feel this story fits with lots of idols, but it seems to resonate with his energy the most right now, since I got this song for him. I will now get to the cards.
So, before I pulled the card, I did get the message disgruntled soul. I do feel it fits with the cards I am getting here. We start with the is this me? card. Is this all he is, he may think, now we go the temple of my body card, yeah, never like seeing this. I just hear, am I just a sex object, or used for pleasure. Now, this could mean for the public and not in a sexual favor's way, but not too certain with that one. It is like he may see himself as just his body, like what is he in the inside, he may not know.
I am not sure he was able to define himself, even at a young age. I am not sure he knows who he is. Does he show his body off a lot? I get a sense his body is shown a lot. It is there to entice others. Now, to the anger and chains card, he has a lot of frustration and anger about things. But I also get chaotic energy, like he may like to create chaos. I am not really sure why he wants to create it, to rebel in some sense. To let out his frustration possibly.
Now, the final card is the envious gluttony card. The number on it is 9, which makes me think of the 9 of swords, lots of tormented thoughts he could have, and he may drown that in addictions he may have, what that is, I don't know. Or I am getting a sense that he is there for pleasure, to the eyes of others, how sinister that is I don't know. It could be for the fans or in private. It is like people take away a part of him. Or drain him. They suck away the true essence of himself.
This one card came out in reversed, and it shows a person feeling free and at peace. The number on it is 8, which makes me think of the 8 of Swords. I can see this as him wanting to be freer, to let go of the mask he has and to take action on what he chooses to do, but he tends to constrict himself and silence himself. I look at this card that states, focus on higher truths and I hear, the truth will set you free. I feel he may have to mask a lot of himself. There is a lot of anxiety he deals with and struggles with. Which can be reduced if he allows himself to just be and let go. I know easier said than done but constraining himself doesn't really benefit him.
There are energetic ties he must release, if that is to people or to situations, I am unsure of. A need for him to let go and release things. If he is able to ground himself and stabilize himself. He may need to work more with his root chakra energy. He will have the ability to evolve and grow. He may not have had much security growing up, maybe a lack of a stable childhood, which can lead him to be so confused as an adult. There are aspects of himself he doesn't really like to accept and could feel shame for it. But he's got to work on healing those wounds and learn to embrace all parts of himself. There could be things about his body he may not like and can't accept, not sure why that came up, but going with it.
I don't particular feel as a child he was very nurtured, so his inner child stays strong in him and maybe still longs to be nurtured and cared for. I also see him wanting to protect that part of himself from being seen. He's got to work on finding a good strong support system to help him during challenging times and work on repelling negative energy around him. He could be susceptible to that energy and may need to work on clearing that from his life. I see a lot of cards of success for him in his life but working on removing negativity and this anger he may have would be important, because these can be blockers to his success. This could also mean his focus should be more on his blessings and success he has rather than focus on the negative aspects of things. It is like he can have all these good things happening around him, but this one little thing tears him apart.
Once again, getting that he did not have a comfortable homelife or upbringing or he was brought away from the home way too soon. So, he wasn't able to get a strong sense of self. He just seems out of his element most of the time. He may also feel like an outsider as well. Now, with this cave card and shadow card, both talk about hiding in the shadows, keeping things hidden. There could be a challenge to address his shadow side. There is a mystery to him, things he prefers to keep hidden, but there are also things he represses and doesn't address. I feel there is more to him than he shows. The power of his words is important, he can use them as weapons, can be brutal and harsh with his words. But he can also use his words to inspire and bring light to others. He seems very good at communicating what he wants to share and can be good at getting his messaging out. He can help, but he can hurt. I feel he may have a desire to defend himself and others as well with his words.
So, we end with Tarot, and start with the Devil card, as I mentioned he can have the tendency to have some addictions or toxic patterns and could be someone who has strong attachments to things or people. We also have the 3 of Swords, and as I mentioned above, one of the keywords here, is hurtful words, but there could be hurt, frustration and he may be someone who wants to communicate all that pain he may have felt, but it could be hard. I just hear shh, don't say that, so either he says that to himself or others do so.
Now, we end with the Hierophant, this could indicate he is frustrated with the higher ups or people who have power over him. He may feel constrained to follow orders or what has been done. Now looking at this combination of cards as a whole. I take as he is very confined to the powers that be, his company and higher ups and it frustrates him, how he manifests that frustration and hurt I am not too sure of. He feels he is limited on what he can do and does he really have a say in anything.
Okay, that was interesting. I thought this would be a lot harder on me to do this one, but this helped me understand him a bit more and I enjoyed getting to know a little more of who he is and hopefully you do as well. Sending him healing energy.
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