#he seems to be a better person now and a better father

[ambros1an]

Hsr characters in a Soulmate au

warnings: sunday backstory, implied Gopher Wood being a bad father (Sunday), implied stellaron hunter Sunday, discrimination (aventurine, not said by reader), debt (aventurine), firefly backstory, 2.0-2.2 penacony spoilers

characters: Sunday, Aventurine, Firefly

a/n: it's so obvious who's my #1 fav in this

Sunday: writing

Throughout the world, everyone had the ability to communicate to their soulmates through writing on their own skin.

Sunday doesn't remember much about his childhood. His home-world was entrenched in war. The only constant in his life was his own sister, and the strange symbols on his wrists.

After being taken in by Gopher Wood, he would be taught that those symbols were words, and they came from his Soulmate. Excitedly, he'd take to the books to communicate with the person on the other end. At first it was little doodles, then broken sentences, and then full on conversations.

He wrote about his sister, the charmony dove, music and literature. One day, the writing stopped. You'd jot down messages in concern, so worried to the point your hand writing looked like illegible scribbles. He never did tell you his name after all.

After years, finally you got a response.

'Meet me at Dreamflux Reef, here, at 8 pm.' You couldn't help but notice that your soulmate's penmanship had improved after all these years. The once poor excuse for cursive wasn't just printed letters attached to one another, but font-like in it's neatness with broad loops. Despite the brief words written on your skin, your stomach rolled. Was it nerves or excitement?

There was a little hand-drawn map, taking up a portion of your forearm, with an 'X' on the location. You approached the streetlight ahead of you. It was five minutes before 8 pm, at the exact area he told you to be at.

There was somebody there. In the darkness, it was hard to see. The streetlight offered little brightness. Just a faint glow upon whoever it was. They were clearly halovian, a light bounced off their halo, providing a shine in your line of sight. Contrarily, they stood in dark clothes. And seemed to be fidgeting...as if waiting for someone.

As if on cue, the figure straightens up and turns to look at you. Those grey feathers and yellow eyes were unmistakable.

"Mr. Sunday?" The man hasn't been seen since the Order was chased out of Penacony.

"I didn't expect you to show up early," Sunday gives a halfhearted chuckle, then he calls your name, "you are them, right?"

"Yes, but-" You look towards your arm where the writing is located.

He sighs and shakes his head, "I...I'm the one who's been writing to you all these years." Sunday lifts his sleeve, on it is your reply to him, asking where he's been, and saying you'd be there.

Your soulmate was Sunday. The former head of the Oak Family. An MIA criminal. But also your childhood friend, who you never met.

There was so much to say, but the only thing you could think to ask was, "Why? You've been gone for so long..."

"I'm sorry. My fa-the dream master, prevented me from reaching out to you. He wanted me to be 'the chosen one' for The Order. I'm sorry that it took so long for me to-"

Gently, you put your arms around him.

"I was so worried. Please, talk to me. About everything."

He would, but now, all he wanted to do was rest in your embrace.

Aventurine: eye color

Everyone has one of their eyes the same eye color as their soulmate’s, until they meet.

It’s something that’s so arbitrary and meaningless to most people. There are only so many colors in the universe after all. But not yours.

“Sigonian.” Disdain.

“Poor child.” Pity.

“Whoever your soulmate is, you’re better off not meeting them.” Disgust.

Sigonia. A far off planet somewhere in the galaxy. Lightyears away. Where a people known for their unique eyes resides. Or used to reside.

Looking into the mirror, your right eye looks back at you, it’s a purple tinged with blue. You wonder what your soulmate’s would’ve looked like. You’ve long since accepted that any possible soulmate would’ve died years ago. Not even baseless rumors could settle any feelings of loss.

Knock Knock

Debt collectors.

The gentle knocks turn into bangs. The person standing outside takes a full walk around your house, peering inside any windows in search of you. The IPC was relentless when it came to debt. They'd make constant calls, tell your neighbors, blackmail their debtors, tack on more and more money, all to collect as much money as possible.

Just as your nerves calm down your phone rings. It's from a family member.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm calling from the IPC." That's not them. The voice is male with a smoothness to his voice. He disguised his number.

Just when you're about to hang up, "Don't hang up yet, I have a proposition for you." He instructs you to open the door.

You follow his instructions. Each step you make, the pit in your stomach gets wider. The door creeks as you turn the knob.

Two purple eyes, with a blue ring around the pupil. Sigonian. His eyes mirror your right one. But, within his reflection you see your own two regular colored eyes. Wait-

The man's mouth drops in shock, but instantly pulls into a grin. He hangs up the call.

"I see what's going on here. This time, the charge is on me," Aventurine insists. He's covered in designer clothing from head to toe, with golden rings lining each finger. You know right then and there that anything you say will get you nowhere. You're just glad he seems to be on your side.

"...Thank you."

"Mmm, but I never said it was without recompense." Shit. "In return, I'll provide you with a better place to live. This place is a bit...run down," he takes a glance around your home, and you can't help but feel embarrassed.

"Thank you, Aventurine, but that just sounds like I'll be in your debt."

He waves you off. "Debt? No, friend. What kind of partner would I be to let my soulmate fend for themselves?"

Firefly : timer

Every person across the galaxy has a timer leading up to the meeting of their soulmate.

4,000 years. Approximately 35,040,000 hours.

That was what Firefly had.

When she first awoke in her incubation chamber, it felt like she could wait forever. Their purpose was to devote their entire being to Glamoth. She did not dream. Not of the warmth of someone’s hands in theirs. Not of someone telling her that she was more. That was not a right of a weapon.

Yet, under the ashen sky and fields of smoke, not a single light shone through. Glamoth would never see the sun again. That was no place for a firefly.

For the last time she broke all protocol.

They unfurled their wings and chased the light. Finally, Unit AR-26710’s heart fluttered for a purpose that wouldn’t destroy.

24 hours = 1,440 minutes = 86,400 seconds.

They’d be landing in Penacony soon. She looked at her wrist, where the countdown was located. 1 day. She could feel her heart beat in her throat; she was so nervous.

Love. Kafka taught her that emotion. She’d never felt it before. Not that way.

Her eyes never left the window.

5 minutes = 300 seconds.

299, 298, 297, 296… Thinking in seconds was faster than minutes. It made time go faster. Minutes felt like eternity.

120, 119, 118, 117… Were they standing in the same area? Could she be looking at them right now? How far apart were they? Would they be tall or short? Would they be the time to put milk before cereal? Would they even like her?

10, 9, 8, 7… She watched the time tick away. She didn’t dare to look up least she burn up from the inside. It felt like her propulsion accidentally activated.

4, 3, 2, 1—

A figure crashed into her from behind. “I’m so sorry!”

0

She turned to look, and there you were. Yet, there was no celebration like she imagined. No hugging. No holding each other in an embrace. Instead, your face was pulled into grimace. Your arm gently interlocking with hers. Your posture was tight and hunched. All the signs of an uneasy person. Two Bloodhound members trailed after you.

“Did we do something wrong?” Firefly moved to stand in front of you

“That’s classified information,” one of the bloodhound guards say, gaze shifting off to look at you.

“I really didn’t do anything.” You look at Firefly with a pleading look.

The girl looks back at you and nods. She grabs your hand, the one the countdown is located on and charges for the alleys.

You hear the slap of their shoes against the concrete. The hurried pants of the guards. The footsteps behind you get louder and closer. In spite of the danger, all you can think about is the girl whose fingers are intertwined with yours. It brings a rush to your cheeks that only a breeze can soothe.

When your soulmate rounds the corner of the alley, her warm hand laced with yours turn a cold metallic. Her other hand placed around the small of your back in support. The suit of the armor is cold against your skin, but there’s a heat that radiates from the chest of the mech. It soothes your nerves. The lack of heat from her hand interlocked with yours may be replaced, but it was welcome.

When she unwraps her wings from behind her suit, a warm air erupts around you. Suddenly, you’re in the sky. The wind ruffles your hair, but you can’t bring yourself to care. Not when it dawns on you that you’re in your soulmate’s arms.

‘How would the other hunters react if they knew she blew her cover? Kafka was definitely going to tease her."

a/n #2: aven's was so hard to write. he feels like such a sleazebag in this but its only because he's in work mode I promise !! I want to do more of these bc it was fun.

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

June 15th

~*~

1. Hi! Long time no see. Need help with finding two fics:

A. The AU where wwx and lwj can do some cultivation technique that combines them into one huge cultivator. There are like three or four levels and lwj is hesitant about the last level because the other person can see what you desire most in the world and he was afraid for wwx to see. I recall them practicing this technique in private while studying together and then doing it in front of lqr’s class.

B. Lxc has his own pediatric office and his nurse is on leave because she’s pregnant (i think it’s mianmian or wq) and they recommend wwx. Wwx is hired as a nurse under lxc. During the story, he gets with lwj and they all find out wwx took the blame and went to jail for something jc did and lxc was upset because of how wwx portrayed himself to him when he was really innocent. I remember wwx had some heart problem and had an episode in the office. I remember xue yang was also in this fic as an abuser to his wife and kid

Thanks for all your help in advance! @jikcf

1A)

FOUND? ❤️ Gentians in bloom by teawater (M, 251k, WangXian, XiQing, XuanLi, Canon Divergence, Political Marriage, Dysfunctional Family, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, LQR bashing (not really), POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Eventual Happy Ending, BAMF WWX, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, madam yu bashing (again not completely), MXY Deserves Better)

1B)

FOUND? Nursery Rhymes by manaika (M, 96k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Inexperienced WWX, Experienced LWJ, Reconciliation, Budding Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Unreliable Narrator, Medical Inaccuracies, Slow Burn, Past Character Death, Childhood Trauma, Found Family, Past Injury, Nurse! WWX, Doctor! LXC, Teacher! LWJ, Character With A Heart Condition (Major), Past Incarceration (Major Character), Underage Character With Leukemia (Minor))

~*~

2. Hi, I'm looking for a modern au that starts with everyone finding out that WWX had been wrongly accused of stealing and selling the Lans' secrets to their competitor. He lives in a separate flat now and has a found family with XY and WQ. But, LWJ goes to him when the news comes cuz he's some sort of cyber security expert, ig. Also, JYL is in a wheelchair as she tries to get evidence to prove WWX's innocence and gets injured in the process @thatindiangirllll

FOUND? Visitations by Vir_Abelasan (M, 18k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX & LWJ, WIP, Modern, Corporate Espionage, Post-Divorce, Reconciliation, Father-Son Relationship, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Everyone is kinda sad and needs a hug in this, But hey they get better I promise, Found Family, Custody Arrangements, Not a revenge fic, Past Abuse)

~*~

3. Hiiii it's been a while and I'm happy to inform some of may fav fic I found here. So I remember someone asked about this but I can' t find it it's about lwj leaving lan sect and storing money little by little and by the end lxc ask for bunnies because all of lwj bunny vanished from gusu( courtesy of nhs) I hope you can help me thank you!!!!

FOUND? 🔒 Unpack Your Heart by Terri Botta (Isilwath) (T, 22k, wangxian, Romance, Everybody Lives, Canon Divergence, LWJ Has Feelings, Protective LWJ, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Burial Mounds Ensemble as Family, Wangxian in Love, YLLZ WWX, Lan Clan Elders are Assholes, Minor Transgender Character, Qiongqi Path Divergence, LWJ loves his bunnies)

~*~

4. Hello! In search of a fic I read recently but can't seem to find again! It was definitely on ao3. It was a canon-era fic where for some reason Wangji was cranky with Xichen and so Wangji purposefully misbrewed some of Xichen's favorite tea and gave him the stank eye while he poured. I think it was in Cloud Recesses Study arc, so it was teenJi being sassy in his polite snubbing kind of way.

~*~

5. Hi, hope your well! Im desperately trying to find a fic. So I vaguely remember it starting with lwj and wwx post cannon, wwx passes away, and he makes a ritual/ way for lan wangji to go to an alternate universe where he’s still alive. Lan wangji wakes up in the body of his younger self (it’s implied the original version died because he was trained too hard I think) his father is still alive and is abusive. I remember Wei wuxian and lan wangji meet because they go to visit the Yiling Wei sect. Eventually lan wangji volunteers to go to what I think was their equivalent of the lan lectures which no longer exist in this universe because the lan are kinda sorta evil ish under his abusive father’s rule. I remember that eventually they plan to fight back against the lans and lan wangji ends up getting captured by his father and whipped/tortured. It has a happy ending where lwj tells Wei ying about his original time line etc. I have been trying to find this one forever! Please help me! @808bisexualbitch

FOUND? 🔒 Song Unwritten by Kytrin & ShotsOfSunshine (E, 94k, WangXian, Temporary Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, cql meets mdzs, Transmigration, Parallel Universes, YLLZ WWX, Yílíng Wèi Sect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, References to Depression)

~*~

6. Hi! For ficfinder I'm looking for a fic which is a genderbend modern au where Wei Ying is dared to give Lan Zhan a lapdance. Halfway through he feels really bad as she realises that Lan Zhan is the butt of the joke and she stops and later tries to apologise and befriend Lan Zhan

FOUND? make me whole, make me new by occultings (microcomets) (E, 24k, WangXian, F/F, Rule 63, Cisswap, Modern, College/University, Enemies to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings, (briefly), Pining, Jealousy, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Light Humiliation, Bathing/Washing, Bath Sex, as is the wangxian way, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Sex, Getting Together, First Time, gentle on the comphet for this one, there are dubcon vibes for the lap dance but it's not actually dubcon, some uhauling via cats)

~*~

7. For the next fic finder - I've been desperately trying to relocate a fic where everyone (including the juniors) all sort of think WangXian are in an abusive relationship. It's set post canon. I believe its left ambiguous or is implied that everyone is just sort of misinterpreting what's going on. One scene in particular I think has Lan Jingyi spying on WX while they're having sex in the jingshi? TIA 💕

FOUND? We Covet What We See by Dangereuse (E, 6k, WangXian, OneSided LJY/WWX, Wangxian's Canonical Kinks, Consent Play, Voyeurism, Bondage, Overstimulation, Possessive LWJ, Breeding Kink, Dark LWJ, Perv LJY, LWJ's Fucked Up Family Backstory, Biting, Unreliable Narrator, Cloud Recesses can be Problematic, Rimming, oversensitization, POV LJY, LWJ's Canonical Liquor Intolerence, Excessive Husbands upon Request)

~*~

8. Helloo im new to asking for fics (i hope i am doing this right haha) i am looking for two fics

A) one where wangxian were college sweethearts and got married but divorced, then wei wuxian got into an accident and he lost his memories but lan wangji was still with him when he woke up in the hospital and even brought him his medicine.

B) The second one is Modern wei ying wanted to adopt wen yuan but in order to do that he has to be married and stable in life so he reconnects with lan zhan to ask for help which of course he does.

Thankyou!

8A)

FOUND? no balance by silverclaw (G, 20k, WangXian, Modern, Post-Divorce, Angst with a Happy Ending, Getting Back Together, Netflix Show Host WWX, Concept Artist LWJ, the give LWJ friends agenda, WWX is a sweetheart and i WILL hug him, That’s a threat, Temporary Amnesia)

FOUND? but the days, they will blur by TheGirlWithTheKite (E, 60k, WangXian, Temporary Amnesia, Hospitalization, Car Accidents, College/University, Flashbacks, Repressed Memories, Recovered Memories, Modern, jyl and jzx die in this fic, LWJ's magical healing cock, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Butt Plugs, sex to regain memories, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, A-Yuan is baby, a-ling is baby, Established Relationship, But also getting together, Pining, all WWX does is pout gasp and pine, Angst with a Happy Ending, Miscommunication, Distrust, Insecurity)

8B)

FOUND? the subtle art of reconnecting with your childhood crush by Flxffyfxck (E, 76k, WangXian, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fake Marriage, Friends to Lovers, Modern, rich LWJ, Poor WWX, Orphans, Orphanage, Foster homes are scary sometimes, Eventual Smut, Idiots in Love, Intentional Child Acquisition, LSZ Needs a Hug, LWJ Has OCD, First Time, Anal Sex, safe sex saves lives!, Possessive Sex, Possessive LWJ, Slice of Life, Sad boi hours, Fluff and Angst, Panic Attacks, Whipped Cream, Blow Jobs)

~*~

9. Hi, for the next fic finder, I’m looking for a time travel fix it where LXC is the one who goes back in time. That’s pretty much all I remember, sorry. @villeinagefanstuff

FOUND? 🔒 The blame game by apathyinreverie (T, 13k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, LSZ & WWX, WWX & WQ, Fix-It, Time Travel, LXC time travels, Canon Divergence, Possessive LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Fluff, Siblings, Romance, Golden Core Reveal, kind of, Golden Core Fix-It, crack-y idea taking itself far too seriously)

~*~

10. Hey there I'm looking for a fic where wei wuxian went back in time in his yiling laozu body. I remember he was called wei yuanji or something like that. And no this is not the one where the wei yuanji is married to wen rouhan

I remember some details that madam yu is slightly nicer towards this time traveler wei, and how wei ying jiang cheng and jiang yanli all like him as a big brother. Sect leader jiang and madam yu kinda fix their relationship too from traveler wei's quiet comment i think. Time traveler wei is also depressed and sometimes speaks in riddles or nonsense that has connections to the future. Thank you for your help

FOUND! remind me of MingYu by Fino_Al_Cielo (T, 89k, WWX & LWJ, WIP, YLLZ WWX, yunmeng siblings, Fix-It of Sorts, Time Travel, Canon Divergence, Not Everyone Dies, PTSD, References to Depression, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Trauma, there are 2 WWXs, 1 from the future, the other from the normal canon timelines, Pining, WWX just doesn't knows it yet, chapter 23 - implied rape, chapter 23 - graphic torture, chapter 23 - trigger warnings!) but WWX's name is different

~*~

11. Hi im looking for this fic i read awhile ago and cant seem to find! i forgot why wwx and lwj were on the runbut they hid with wen qing with the wens. wwx gave birth to an oc baby and wen yuan was wen qings cousins baby. wwx and lwj have to leave so they leave their kid with the wens but then their kid gets taken by the jins along with ayuan and put into the wen camps where ayuans mom dies. And then the next part i remember is that lwj and wwx confront jin zixun about the heir of gusulan and stuff being in the camps infront of everyone and they save the wens @yesibest

FOUND? 🧡 Don’t Wanna Fall by nekojita (M, 111k, WangXian, Mpreg, A/B/O, Fix-it, Lots of pining, Angst with a happy ending, Canon Divergence, Child thief WN)

FOUND? Take Responsibility by draechaeli (E, 187k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Mainly Novel with a few CQL and Donghua bits, Everybody Lives, Original Children Characters, Adoption, Adoption but WWX birthed them all, Mpreg, Teen Pregnancy, Pregnancy Kink, Male Lactation, Lactation Kink, Consensual Non-Consent, Light Bondage, Pregnant Sex, easy to skip nsfw chapters, Fix-It, Happy Ending)

~*~

12. Reddit has directed me to you oh great ones 🧎‍♀️. Essentially, I read a time travel fic a while ago that was amazing and after scouring tags and even my history (I’ve only been bookmarking for a month like a dummy) I haven’t found it. The fic is wwx getting dumped back into his body in the lectures arch immediately after dying. He has some insane PTSD (like genuinely doesn’t want to live anymore but also feels guilty about how he ruined things the first time) and I distinctly remember him throwing up meat of all kinds and the Jiang siblings not understanding but LWJ just rolls with it from what I remember. The final piece which I’m only 90% sure was part of this fic is the plot twist. After everything’s said and done we find out NHS and NMJ are the culprits behind the time travel bc NHS had them both tattooed with WWXs time travel talismans that he made in his first life and he was terrified of losing his brother (pretty positive he had figured out JGY was poisoning him)

Anywhosies, thank you in advance if you are able to find this masterpiece. @xxxnpcxxx

FOUND? Wish me luck by starlight1395 (Not Rated, 164k, WangXian, JC/NHS, JYL/JZX, Fix It, Time Travel, Angst, PTSD, Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Nightmares, Slight fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Lots of tears, canon levels of blood/violence, Minor Character Death, secondary character death, Sibling Bonding, JC curses alot, battle scenes with appropriate levels of violence and blood, semi mild smut, it's emotional and soft smut tho so it's okay, mild Self-harm)

~*~

13. hello! i’m looking for a post first-siege fic but i don’t remember too much about it. it’s set after LWJ is injured with his 33 lashes, and WWX sneaks(?)/deliriously stumbles into the jingshi after news of his death has already permeated the jianghu (i’m pretty sure). LWJ is woken up by WWX(?) or wakes up to WWX kinda slumped beside him. some feels are definitely had between them but i don’t remember the details.

LXC discovers WWX embarrassingly quickly, and in this fic i’m pretty sure this LXC leans on the “WWX was your only mistake” kind of LXC, but ultimately doesn’t care that he’s in CR for the sake of LWJ—like he’s incredibly wary of WWX and his intentions but throughout the fic you can see LXC realizing he’s more than just the yiling patriarch or the man who broke his brother’s heart.

now there are two scenes i remember from this fic, but i’m not sure which one goes first, and for all i know i might be mistaking two different fics lol. but i distinctly remember WWX coming down with a severe illness. like LWJ and LXC come back to the jingshi at some point and discover that something is really wrong with him, and i think him being sick leads to a golden core reveal? not sure tho.

the scene that i remember that is definitely part of the fic i’m looking for is when LWJ and LXC (i think maybe for a medical check up for LWJ?) leave the jingshi for some reason, and WWX just chills for a little bit. after a while a servant comes into the jingshi to clean some things up, and WWX has to scramble to find a hiding place because no one else in the lan sect is supposed to know he’s there. he ends up hiding behind the far side of LWJ’s bed(?) OR behind a privacy screen(?), and he just sits there, cramped and uncomfortable for who knows how long, before LWJ comes back.

LWJ doesn’t see him at first and you can tell that he’s afraid WWX left, but WWX calls out for him and LWJ discovers his hiding spot, where i’m pretty sure WWX is cultivating some nasty illness.

i just realized i don’t know where a-yuan fits in here since WWX is still alive—i THINK lxc goes to save him himself, if WWX doesn’t already have him. please disregard this if this muddles up your search 🙏 i think paragraphs 1, 2, and 4 are the most accurate to what i’m looking for. sorry if this is too long 😭 and thank you for your hard work!!! @shenguangjun

FOUND? Unbreakable Heaven, Luminous Earth by carolyncaves (M, 96k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Secret Identity, almost to the point of uncomfortable identity theft, Sharing a Bed, Literal Sleeping Together, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Suicidal Thoughts, that's for WWX after Nightless City and is not pervasive throughout the fic, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Caretaking, Sexual Content, Domestic Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Power Imbalance, mainly between WWX and JGY in an entirely nonsexual manner, this isn't really a kid fic but the kids are there, as are some yunmeng sibling feelings, JYL lives, Not Everyone Dies, some COVID parallels, this is not a quarantine fic, but thematically WWX deals w things like face-covering for safety and loss of control, also assume all canon warnings, this AU is gentler than canon but isn't a complete fix-it) this fic has a similar scene at the beginning, with WWX hiding from the servants?

~*~

14. Tw: miscarriage. Hi! I think I might have imagined reading this but I’m looking for a fic where WWX was pregnant and Lans punished him for some reason and he lost the baby. Lan Wangji didn’t do anything to protect him.

~*~

15. I’m looking for a fic where Wei Ying gets mad at Lan Zhan. The fic starts off when Lan Zhan has sex with Wei Ying and Wei Ying decides to run away. Wei Ying puts on Lan Zhan’s robes and runs around Cloud Recesses in the middle of the night. Lan Zhan catches him and drags him back to their room and starts to punish him which causes him to yell and scream. The juniors knock on their door and Wei Ying slaps Lan Zhan across the face. They later make up when Lan Zhan gives Wei Ying something. @monochrome012

~*~

16. Hello dear, I am looking for a wangxian fic where wei wuxian was expelled from study in cloud receses and write letter to everyone except lan wangji. after lecture lan wangji and lan xichen visit yunmeng, but wei wuxian ignore lan wangji.

~*~

17. For the next fic finder I was wondering if anyone has read this fic in which wwx is an omega but everyone thinks he's an alpha so when he is smelling Nie Huaisang he gets scolded by Lan Qiren and MAYBE Lan Wangji? It was during the Cloud Recesses Arc

FOUND! We Should Have Realized by BINGHESCURLS (T, 2k, WangXian, NHS & WWX, JC & WWX, Canon Divergence, A/B/O, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV Outsider, Feelings Realization, Nesting, Scenting, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Alpha JC, Omega NHS, POV NHS, JC is a Good Brother, LQR Being an Asshole, Crying, Apologies, Mating Cycles/In Heat)

~*~

18. Hi amazing people!!! Asking for help again!! I wonder if you could help me find two fics!! A) One is where people can transform into animals, and they have ears of the animal they transform to all the time!! I remember Lan Zhan had fox ears I think and Wei Ying had round ears, really cute, I remember an image of the two of them!! B) Another one where Wei Ying is adopted by a courtesan and does that and cultivation, he helps in the Sunshot Campaign!! Great stories both!! Help me please!! Be well!! @monicaop21

18A)

FOUND! 🔒 Letters along a River by Ilona22 (M, 19k, WangXian, JYL/LXC, Nighthunting, Letters, Animal Traits, Mystery, Prejudice against Prey Shifters)

18B)

FOUND! 🔒 Flowers Blooming by Ilona22 (M, 35k, WangXian, Alternate Universe, Adoption, Prostitution, Family Fluff, Family Drama, Growing Up, War and what it does to the lives of normal people)

~*~

19. Hey! Long shot, might be hard to find, but for the next fic finder — was there a fic where Wangxian were both pornstars? AFAIK, bottom Wei Ying, and he falls in love with Lan Wangji during the many scenes they have to perform together. Cant remember any more details but they were like, professional pornstars. Thank you all! Much love :)

FOUND? Afterglow by Court_on_Fire (E, 4k, WangXian, Wangxian/others implied, Pornstar WWX, Pornstar LWJ, Pining while fucking, Friends to Lovers, Porn With Plot, Porn AU, Confessions, Anal Sex)

FOUND? Wei Wuxian makes a porno by andreanna (E, 8k, WangXian, Modern, Porn AU, camboy, Power Dynamics, Attempt at Humor, Multimedia, LWJ's canonical big dick, Deepthroating, Voyeurism)

~*~

20. I’m not sure if this ao3 fanfic is deleted because it’s been a couple years, but I’m desperately looking for this wwx x lwj fanfic. from what i remember

wwx has been a god for a really long time (i think yunmeng god, but i’m not entirely sure. and i believe a lot of people stopped worshipping him and he kind of became forgotten?)

he stumbles across young lwj in cloud recesses and takes interest in him, visits lwj every night

i think wwx disappears for some time because he meddled in during the wen clan war/sunshot campaign, which gods were not supposed to

and that’s about all the details i can remember, apart from the fact that it’s EXTREMELY well-written. if anyone has any inkling or possibilities please send them my way! (i couldn’t find it under the deity wwx tag)

FOUND? reminded me of Red Flower Fortress by Tysis (T, 4k, WangXian, Immortals, Immortality, WWX is a GOD, Fix-It of Sorts, Everyone Lives, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, They will get together but not until LWJ ascends, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, Unreliable Narrator, Two of them) Where WWX slept under Gusu Mountain, only occasionally waking up until the Wens attack and he does something

FOUND? A Path of Red Spider Lillies by glowingreverie (M, 208k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, hualian, TGCF fusion, angst w happy ending, comedy, mild sexual content, gore, death, past child abuse, supernatural elements, slow burn, WIP)

~*~

[zepskies]

Every Second Counts - Part 2

Pairing: Russell Shaw x F. Reader

Summary: One date with your best friend’s brother leaves you wanting more, even though his questionable job and vagabond lifestyle make you want to guard your heart. When your brother falls into trouble, however, Russell is the one you trust to help you find him. 

AN: I decided to put this chapter out a bit early due to some Father's Day stuff tomorrow. I was blown away by the response from you guys on Part 1!! Thank you so much. 🥰 I had some trepidation writing a new character, but I'm so glad you guys seem to enjoy where this little series is going so far. It makes me even more excited to bring you the next chapter of ESC! 💜

Song Inspo: “Too Late” by The Paper Kites

Word Count: 5.3K

Tags/Warnings: Shaw family feels, a bit of mystery, tinge of fluff and mutual pining, and a twist…

💜 Series Masterlist

Part 2: “Family Reunion”

The next day after he left, you finally managed to get Charlie on the phone. He implored you not to try and find him.

He claimed he was staying with a friend for now, and was picking up some odd jobs through a connection at the museum—another security guard who knew how to get extra work. 

“What kind of extra work?” you asked. You sunk back into the couch in your living room and held a hand to your aching head. You had already lost sleep over this, worrying about where he was and what the hell he was doing.

“It’s better that you don’t know,” Charlie said.

He really knew how to frustrate you to the nth degree.

“Charlie, just come home. Please,” you said. Tears burned in your eyes, choking your words. “I’m sorry for what I said, okay? We’ll figure this out together, I promise.”

You heard him sigh.

“You had a right to be mad,” he said. “I’m the big brother, remember? But I’m…I’m a fucking mess. You shouldn’t have to take care of me.”

“We take care of each other, and you know that,” you said sharply, wiping at your eyes in frustration.

“Listen, I’ll come home when I can, okay? Be good.”

“Charlie! Ch—” The call ended, and you nearly tossed your phone in aggravation.

“That stubborn fucking idiot,” you muttered.

Four months later, your worry was eating you alive.

Charlie refused to come home or tell you where he was staying. The only time you got to see him was when you visited him on his night shift at the museum. You tried to talk him into coming home, but your brother remained stubborn.

“You get that from Dad,” you’d told him once, while watching him eat some leftover meatloaf you’d made for him. The two of you stood outside the museum on his break.

Charlie had smirked at you. “Yeah, well, you share the disease.”

You’d rolled your eyes at that.

But just when you thought you were starting to get through to him, now, he’d stopped answering your calls. For that matter, the museum hadn’t even seen or heard from him in a week or so.

So here you sat, in the living room of Dory’s apartment, crying into a jar of Nutella that you’d long ago stopped spreading over the strawberries she’d laid out. You had a chocolate-covered butterknife in one hand and a used Kleenex in the other.

Dory was sat next to you on the couch, rubbing your back with sympathy and concern in her own eyes.

“You should call the police,” she advised.

You’d thought of that, but if Charlie was doing something he wasn’t supposed to, then depending on what it was, you didn’t want necessarily want him locked up in a cell. He wasn’t a bad person, he was just…lost. You wanted him to get help.

You set down the butterknife beside the jar and turned to her, after drying your eyes the best you could.

“Do you think your brother would be willing to come back to Wyoming?” you said. After a beat of hesitation, you specified:

“Colter, the tracker.”

You hadn’t had a chance to meet him when he dropped in a couple of months ago, but she’d told you about his brief visit to find a graduate student who had been kidnapped, and nearly killed by a professor in the Sciences department for uncovering a flaw in the man’s research. That flaw would have costed him his entire grant, and possibly his career and reputation. 

The terrible incident had caused an uproar on campus. Students were released from their classes for an entire day after the professor was arrested. 

Now, Dory considered your question with a thoughtful nod. “I’ll call him.”

You were grateful, but your face became pained as something occurred to you. You held up a hand.

“Wait, I just realized I can’t pay him,” you said. You didn’t have more than a thousand dollars in your savings account, and that was for emergencies. Like the time Charlie nearly burned the house down after a lighting mishap with his bong.

“Oh, sweetie, don’t worry about that,” Dory said. She laid a comforting hand on your arm. “He’d do this as a favor to me.”

“I don’t know,” you replied, your brows furrowing. “That’s a pretty big favor.”

She’d told you what some of Colter’s fees could run up to, but she tried to quell your reservations and promised to call him regardless.

However, the more you thought about it, you already had a phone number in your cell…for the one person who would understand the part of your brother that you might never be able to. 

After you left Dory’s apartment, you debated the idea in your head for the entire drive home. 

And when you got to the house, you picked up your cell, and you called him. Your nerves had you pacing back and forth across the living room as it rang. 

“Hey, sweetheart.”

You couldn’t help smiling just at the sound of his voice, smooth and pleased, and a hint surprised.

“Hey,” you replied, biting your lip. “How are you?”

“I’m good. You’ve got good timing too. I just came off a job,” he said.

“Oh really? Where are you?”

“Well, I’m states-side now. Just got back from South America.”

“Oh, wow,” you said, blinking incredulously.

What the hell was he doing there? you had to wonder. Maybe he was protecting some Latin American emissary. Or maybe, he was doing things you didn’t want to think about. Your brother had filled you in a bit about civilian contract jobs in recent weeks, as he’d considered going after those himself.

“They can pay very well, from what I hear,” Charlie had said. “The problem with that is, it kind of defeats the purpose of leaving the military.”

Despite that mildly troubling thought, you tried to focus on the fact that you had this man on the phone at all.

A smile formed across your lips. “Did you get yourself a nice tan?”

“Eh, not really. Was more of a night job,” he said. “But uh…how are you doing? Not gonna lie, I’m surprised to hear from you.”

“Yeah, I’m…I’m not all that good, if I’m honest,” you said.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. You heard the concern in his voice. You steeled yourself before you answered.

“Russell, I’m sorry, but I need to ask you for a big favor.”

“Hmm, this sounds serious,” he said.

“Yeah, it is,” you agreed. When you next took a breath, it came out unsteady. “My brother’s missing.”

It was a bright Saturday morning when you welcomed Russell Shaw into your house. He looked around, finding family pictures, bookshelves, paintings, candles, all things that began to shade in who you were in the comfort of your home.

“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s uh, homey.”

You smiled and closed the door behind him.

“Well, it’s the house we grew up in,” you replied.

You and Charlie had of course inherited it after your parents’ passing. Their life insurance policies had helped pay off the three-bedroom house while you two were still in school. Your grandparents helped a lot back then too, and had even moved in for a time. Now they each had plots beside your parents at Grandview Cemetery.

“You want some coffee? I know you had a long drive,” you asked.

“Sure,” Russell agreed. He followed you to the kitchen, where you put on the coffee pot. You made a discreet glance at him. He looked virtually the same, with that familiar green jacket, jeans, boots, and a Jimi Hendrix shirt. You'd had a feeling he was a classic rock guy.

“Look, not that I wasn’t glad to get your call,” Russell said, “but you do know that I’m not the tracker in the family, right?”

“Dory did offer to call Colter, but I can’t afford to pay him,” you said.

“I could help with that,” said Russell. You raised up a hand to stop him there.

“I don’t want that kind of help from you,” you said firmly. “I didn’t call you for money, Russell. I called you because you’ll probably understand where Charlie’s head’s at. Better than me, anyway.”

He hesitated, but nodded in understanding. When the coffeemaker dinged, finished percolating, you turned to make him a mug with cream and sugar, as per his request.

While he waited for the coffee to cool, he admired you for a moment. Even in a plain V-neck shirt and a pair of jeans, your hair swung up in a ponytail, you were still a sight. (Your lipstick did match your shirt though. That made him smile.)

And Russell could admit, it was good to see you again.

“Me and Colter reconnected recently. Did Dory tell you?” he said.

Your brows raised high in surprise. “Oh yeah?”

The two of you found your way back to the living room with your mugs.

“Yeah. We talked for the first time in…shit, over twenty years,” Russell laughed, raking a hand through his hair.

Not only had he been able to say his piece to Colter about their…family issues, they’d also solved a case of their own, with Colter agreeing to help him find his friend Doug, who worked for the same black ops contract agency as Russell. The Horizon Group.

The aftermath of that still left Russell with a bitter taste in his mouth when he thought of how Horizon would’ve left Doug to rot, if it hadn’t been for him and Colter pressing their luck and digging deeper into who’d taken his friend.

That whole mess had also made Russell begin to wonder if maybe he needed a new line of work after all. But, because the money was just that good, he’d ended up on a new job by the end of the month.

Your voice soon broke him from his thoughts.

“I’m glad to hear that,” you said. You reached over and touched his arm, with warmth in your eyes. 

Russell gave you a smile. The closeness between you brought up memories of that dusty bar, and the taste of lime and tequila on your soft, supple lips. But you subtly cleared your throat and took your hand back. He hid a twinge of disappointment.

“So what’s going on with your brother?” Russell asked.

Get back on track, he reminded himself.

You sighed. “Damn Charlie.”

Over coffee, you explained that Charlie took off a few months ago, the night you got back from the bar. You had seen him only briefly, whenever you were able to catch him at the museum after work. He’d been keeping in touch with you on a weekly basis, but now, he hadn’t called in almost two weeks. You couldn’t get ahold of him on any of the numbers you had. They all seemed to be burner phones. Plus, he’d been let go from his job at the museum after not showing up for the past week. 

“What’s he into, extracurricular-wise?” Russell asked.

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me,” you said in frustration. Tears prickled at your eyes, and your lower lip trembled. “He said it was safer that way.”

Russell laid a supportive hand over yours, earning your watery gaze.

“And you haven’t gone to the police?” he asked.

“I think he’s gotten into something…dangerous. I don’t want to get him in more trouble than he might be already,” you said. “I just want him to get help for his problems. Physically and mentally.”

Russell nodded. He understood that you wanted to protect your brother. Sometimes though, getting into “trouble” was the rock bottom someone needed in order to face their problems.

“Does he have friends?” he asked. “Some kinda crowd he hangs around with?”

“Not anymore. I think he’s lost touch with his Air Force buddies,” you said, though you tried to think. Your brows furrowed as something occurred to you. “He knew someone at work, at the museum. Another security guard on his same shift. After they cut his hours down to part-time, Charlie said the guy knew how to get extra work.”

“Okay, that’s definitely where we start,” said Russell. “Let me just give Dory a call. If I don’t let her know I’m in town, I don’t even wanna know the consequences.”

You laughed through your tears and tried to brush them away. 

“Yeah, do that. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble.”

Russell took one look at you, and he tightened his hold on your hand.

“Hey,” he said.

You glanced up at him, as tears clung to your lashes. His heart couldn’t help but clench for you. He really didn’t like to see you like this.

“We’re gonna find him. You’ve got my word,” he said. 

You were desperate to believe him. So you nodded, sniffling as you tried and failed to keep yourself together. You were scared, for the first time in a long time. 

“All right, come ‘ere,” Russell said. When he guided you into his arms, you went willingly. You pressed your face into his chest to hide your weeping. His hold was warm and strong enough to make you feel secure. Just for this moment, you didn’t have to pretend you had everything handled.

“He’s the only family I have,” you reminded him. He nodded.

“I hear ya. We’ll get him home,” he said. “And I am going to call Colter. Don’t worry about the rest. I’ll square it up with him.”

“Russell—” you protested, but he just squeezed you playfully. 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll pull big brother rank. He’s got no choice,” he joked. 

You shook your head, but you allowed him to comfort you for a bit longer. Because all too soon, you’d have to steel yourself again. You’d have to be the version of yourself that you always had to be, ever since you were fourteen years old.

You invited Dory over to your house, where the three of you were soon joined by the last of the Shaw siblings: the one you had yet to meet.

Colter made it in time for dinner that afternoon. The tall blonde took up your doorway with his broad shoulders and offered you a polite smile, along with his hand. 

“Hi, I’m Colter,” he said. 

You mentally tripped up a bit as you shook his hand and gave him your name. Did all the Shaw siblings have to be so damn attractive?

“Uh, yes, please come in.” You ushered him into your home and led him into the living room, where Russell stood from the couch. 

“Ahh, there he is,” Russell grinned, slapping his younger brother on the shoulder. 

“Here you are,” Colter gestured at him. “Where the hell did you take off to after last time?”

“Ah, you know. Argentina was fun.”

“I’m sure it was.”

You paused in the doorway, just watching the brothers in mystification. Dory shot you a questioning look as she came over from the kitchen. You met her with raised brows. 

“What?” Dory asked. A smile played on her lips.

“Do all of you have to be so unbelievably pretty?” you whispered over to her. Dory smirked and bumped your shoulder, nodding at Colter. 

“What, you wanna make out with him too?” she teased. 

Your mouth dropped open in disbelief. Dory just laughed and moved on to say hello to the other blonde. She pulled him down into a hug, and he reciprocated warmly.  

Russell then laid a hand on Colter’s shoulder, as well as Dory’s. He wore a big, proud grin.

“Hey. Look at us, huh?” he said. 

Dory sniffed as tears welled up in her eyes, looking up at both of her brothers. Colter wore a more reserved smile, but he did wrap an arm around his sister and thump his older brother on the back.

You smiled. You were lingering by the kitchen doorway. If nothing else, you were glad that this whole mess had been able to bring Dory back together with her family. 

You decided to give them a moment, and you wandered back into the kitchen. There you took a beat for yourself, mainly to breathe.  

When you again thought of Charlie, you had to wonder just what the hell he’d gotten himself into.

Later, the four of you sat in the living room so you could explain everything you knew so far to Colter. He took all the information in with a pensive expression that didn’t reveal much to you. 

“So you said he was struggling?” he said. 

“Yes, after he got out of the military,” you confessed. “He had a hard time figuring himself out. I got him the job at the museum, but I don’t think it was enough for him.”

“Why is that?” Colter asked. He saw that you were reluctant to explain. “I need to know the full picture of who Charlie is if I’m going to be able to figure out his probable moves.”

You sighed. “Well, he was seeing a VA psychiatrist for a while. They wanted to put him on antidepressants, but he stopped going. He…started self-medicating instead.”

That part was hard to admit, but it was the truth. You couldn’t pretend it wasn’t any longer. 

“What substances?” Colter asked. 

“Alcohol, mainly,” you replied. “At his worst, there were hard drugs, but I got him to tone it down just to weed every now and then.”

You bit at your thumbnail out of habit, but you forced yourself to stop, folding your hands in your lap. You didn’t see judgment in Colter’s eyes, just him taking in the information. You couldn’t help but glance at Dory, where you found her sympathy. She knew enough about what you’d been dealing with for the past few years. Russell seemed understanding as well. 

“Anything else I should know?” Colter asked. You shook your head. You felt bad about revealing Charlie’s business like this, but you knew it was the only way to help him. Still, you felt you had to defend him a little.

“Look, my brother has his problems, but he’s a good man,” you said. “He, um…he basically half raised me, after our parents died.”

Dory also knew this story. She rested a hand on your back, and you gave her what smile you could. 

“How old were you?” Russell asked. He earned your attention, and you met his sympathetic gaze.

“Fourteen,” you answered. “It was a car accident.”

He took that in, nodding slowly. “I’m sorry.”

The way he met your eyes when he said it, you believed him. You subtly cleared your throat and directed the conversation back.   

“So, I don’t have a lot of money. But I can give you something for your services,” you said to Colter. Both Russell and Dory met you with similar looks. 

“I’ve got it,” Dory says, before Russell had the chance. Colter waved her off though.

“In this case, it’s not necessary,” he said, focusing on you again. “So Charlie was working at the local museum?”

You breathed a note of relief at his generosity. Dory, Russell, and now Colter…they were all good people in their own way. You felt emotion rise in your throat.

“Yes, it’s about ten minutes away,” you managed to reply. “It’s closed now, but his coworker could be on shift. They always have security in place.”

You grabbed your purse to go with them when Colter and Russell stood, but the former raised a placating hand. 

“It’s best if you stayed here,” Colter said.

Your brows rose. “I don’t think so.”

Colter’s mouth parted, and he blinked, like he hadn’t expected you to push back quite like that; calm and matter of fact.

“Ah, well, it’s really for your safety—”

“I’m not going to sit and wait,” you said. “That’s all I’ve been doing for months. I may not be an expert tracker, or have been in the army, but I do know my brother. And we are going to find him.”

Behind you, Dory was giving Colter a warning shake of her head. She knew just how stubborn you could be. Meanwhile, Russell came up on your other side with a smile.

“What’s the harm in her coming along to the museum?” he said, sliding his brother a teasing look. “Unless the T. rex wakes up all the mummies, Ben Stiller style.”

You wanted to point out that that wasn’t exactly the plot of Night at the Museum, but you held it in with a smile. You gave Colter an expectant look.

He sighed at Russell’s antics, but he turned to you with a nod.

“Okay, let’s go,” he said. 

“I’ll head home then,” said Dory. “Call me if you need anything.” 

You gave her a hug after she gathered up her purse. 

“Thank you,” you whispered.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said, rubbing your back. “Colter’s the best.” 

“All right, fine. And what am I? Chopped liver?” Russell remarked, gesturing wide with his hands. You all filtered out of your house, and you locked the door behind you.  

“Oh, you’re special, all right,” Dory quipped back, but she gave her eldest brother a warm hug as well, then patted Colter on the arm before she left.

Russell shot Colter a playful smirk. “I got the hug.”

Colter rolled his eyes and pointed over to his big pickup truck. 

“Just get in the car, please.”

You had to smile at all their sibling teasing. It reminded you of how you and Charlie used to cut up, when things were good. On your way down the driveway, you hesitated by the Chevy Chevelle parked next to your own car. She was still black and sleek and beautiful.

You happened to glance up, and there was Russell, getting into his brother’s pickup. He winked at you across the driveway. You turned your face to hide your smile (and your blush) as you climbed into your car.

Colter noted the exchange when he buckled up into the driver’s seat. He watched Russell do the same on the passenger side, all while wearing a certain smile on his face. When he noticed how Colter was looking at him, his brows raised.

“What?” said Russell.

“What was that?” Colter asked.

“Nothing.”

“Yeah, right,” Colter chuckled. He began to pull the car out of the driveway after you in your car, so he could follow you. “What, do you two have a thing or something? Is that why she called you before me?”

Russell shrugged, but his smile was telling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Mhmm. Convincing,” Colter said, but his lips tugged upward as well. His good humor diminished though, when he considered the last time he saw his brother. “How’s the arm?”

Russell gave a thumbs up with his left arm—the one that previously had a bullet run through it. It was still healing, even now.

“It’s good,” he said.

“Did you see a doctor?”

“Sure did.”

Riiiight. Another thing Colter wasn’t sure was the truth, but he’d give Russell that one.

“And that unfinished business?” Colter asked.

Russell’s smile faded, but he nodded. “Finished.”

After a moment, Colter nodded as well. 

“Okay,” he said. 

Something occured to him then. He paused, and he reached into his pocket. He held up a small, closed pocketknife with a wooden handle, and he gave it back to Russell. It had the man's name carved on the side.

Russell's smile returned as he flipped the old keepsake through his fingers.

"Thanks for keeping it safe for me," he said.

Colter smiled back. "Thanks for trusting me with it."

Colter parked next to you at the museum. It was closed, but the security guard, Jimmy, did know your brother. 

“I haven’t seen Charlie since he quit last week,” Jimmy claimed.

“He quit?” you said. “They told me he just never came back.”

“Yeah, well, same thing,” he said.

The front doors of the museum opened, and out came Dr. Feinman, your former boss, and the Head Manager. You left Jimmy’s questioning up to Russell and Colter with a meaningful look, and you went to intercept Feinman.

“Hi, sir, how’re you doing?” you asked. Your name fell from his lips in surprise. 

“My dear, it’s good to see you, but why are you here after hours?” he asked, his British accent lilting.

“I’m trying to find Charlie. He’s been missing, well, officially for about a week,” you said. “I was actually surprised to see you here so late.”

The man cleared his throat. He smoothed a hand over his tie and suit jacket.

“Yes, well, we could’ve used Charlie’s help. We’ve had to double our security efforts,” he said. “We’re currently dealing with a sensitive issue, so the museum will be closed until it is resolved.”

“You’re doubling your security efforts… Was something stolen?” you asked. 

Feinman clearly didn’t want to tell you this, but you knew you’d hit the nail on the head by the look on his face.

“Please, keep that information to yourself,” he said. 

“What was stolen?” you asked in concern. 

“I’m afraid I cannot disclose that information. Not even for you, dear,” he said. “I do hope you find your brother though.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that, and as a matter of fact,” you began, but Feinman waved an apologetic hand.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I’m in a terrible rush just now. But call my office tomorrow and Brenda will help you with whatever you may need,” he said. “Good evening.”

“Wait, Dr. Feinman,” you tried, but he was already breezing past you and heading toward his Mercedes in the parking lot.

Meanwhile, Colter and Russell weren’t having much better luck with Jimmy. 

“Look, I really don’t know where Charlie is,” he said. “Haven’t seen or heard from him since he took off.”

“He said you connected him with someone who could give him some work on the sly,” Russell said, leveling a hand at the man’s chest. “Who did you connect him with, and what kind of work are we talking?”

Jimmy blew out a breath, like this was really inconveniencing his day. (Or night, at this point.)

“What, you’ve got somewhere to be?” Colter said. “You’re getting paid to stand right here, and we have no problem sharing your shift all night. You might as well just tell us what we want to know.”

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck in annoyance.

“All right,” he snapped. “I hooked him up with this guy I knew through a mutual acquaintance, who just needed some muscle. I guess you could call it private security.”

“A mutual acquaintance?” Colter repeated. 

“What’re you, James Bond? Who did you connect him with?” Russell pressed.

Jimmy was reluctant to talk. You came back over to join them, and the security guard became even more tight-lipped.

“You guys should go. I don’t have to talk to you, and I’ve got a job to do,” he said.

When he tried to continue his patrol around the museum, you stepped deliberately in his way. You didn’t have the patience for this, and you would no longer be a doormat, letting the Goldsteins and the Feinmans of this world push past you.

“Look, Jimmy, if you don’t give us something we can go on to find my brother, you know where I’m going to go?” you asked. But you spoke before he could respond. “To the police. And your name is the only one I have to give them. Now, if you don’t want that to be you, then give me a different name.”

Jimmy looked down at you, and then over at your intimidating shadows, Russell and Colter. Jimmy sighed.

“Eddie,” he gave, finally.

Russell raised his hands, as if to say, Is that it?

“What, Eddie Vedder? Eddie who? Come on,” Russell said.

“Eddie Mendez,” Jimmy replied in a lowered voice. “I don’t know where he lives. I don’t have his number. And that 'mutual acquaintance' is doing some time in lockup. But Eddie hangs out at a bar called Howley’s.”

You and Russell shared a meaningful look at that. You turned back to Jimmy. 

“Okay. What was stolen here at the museum?” you said. “That’s why it’s been closed, right?” 

“I don’t know,” Jimmy said. “I wasn’t on shift, and Dr. Feinman keeps a tight lid on that kind of thing.”

“We’ll need to get into his office then,” Colter said. 

You blinked wider at Colter. Wait, was he really suggesting you guys break into the museum?

Jimmy pointed to the black device attached to the ceiling above them. 

“See the cameras?” he said. “That's not happening on my dime.”

Colter looked up, and he saw the cameras strategically installed across the front of the museum. 

“Then take us where the cameras don’t see,” he said.

You, Colter, and Russell were able to break into the museum via a storage unit door, thanks to Jimmy’s texted instructions. You couldn’t believe you were actually doing this, but it was for Charlie, you reminded yourself.

You remembered where to find Feinman’s office. You paid for a lot of your undergrad expenses, namely your books and tuition, by working full-time as an office assistant here, and the occasional tour guide. 

You led them to the room where the inventory records were kept. Colter gave you his gloves so you didn’t leave prints, and you were able to pinpoint what was labelled as missing from the latest shipment. 

“Oh great,” you muttered. 

“What was taken?” Colter asked.

“A collection of Native American weapons. Dated almost eight hundred years old,” you said, shaking your head. “The collection is valued at $1.5 million dollars.”

Russell and Colter shared a look. 

“That’s some big motive,” Russell said. 

“When did they go missing?” Colter asked. 

“Almost two weeks ago,” you said. Your brows furrowed the more you read, as you realized something. “Just a few days before Charlie left the museum…” 

The timing wasn’t lost on anyone. But if Charlie was a suspect, Feinman hadn’t let on to that at all. You checked the exact date the artifacts went missing again: a Tuesday night. Charlie didn’t typically work on Mondays or Tuesdays, you realized. And he’d left after the artifacts went missing. So maybe they hadn’t thought to question him yet. One small blessing.  

You sighed. With that information gathered, the three of you put back everything you uncovered and left the building the same way you came in. Jimmy was nowhere in sight, probably patrolling the other end of the museum on purpose.

When you all made it back to the parking lot, you turned to Colter and Russell.

“Okay, what’s next?” you asked. “Howley’s right? To find Eddie.”

“Actually, I think it’s best Russell and I take it from here,” Colter said. “We don’t know what kind of character Eddie Mendez is, but from how reluctant Jimmy was to tell us, it doesn’t sound good.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but Russell drew closer and touched your arm. You could see in his face that he agreed with his brother, even though he hadn’t said anything yet.

“Look, you’ve been a huge help,” he said. “But let us work on this, okay? We’ll call you when we find something.”

Still, your lips pursed. “Russell, he’s my brother.”

“I know. Punching out drunks is one thing, but this might be a little different,” he said, grasping your arms gently. “Will you give me some peace of mind, knowing you’re home safe?”

He brushed one of his thumbs along your skin. Already you had goosebumps. From the cold chill on the air, or from him, you weren’t sure. But that simple touch, along with his earnest, imploring gaze broke you down.

“All right. I get it. I’m not the Special Ops guy,” you said. “But call me afterward so I know how it went.”

“Okay, will do,” Russell agreed. He let you go so you could go to your car. You shot the brothers one last look before you climbed in and peeled out of the parking lot.

Russell expelled a sigh of relief. He got into the passenger side of his brother’s pickup while Colter started it up.

Thanks to the late hour, and how little traffic there was on the road, it didn’t take you long to get home.

You’d debated whether you should just go to Howley’s anyway, but you didn’t want to get in the way, or make Russell worry for that matter. You smiled, despite yourself.

His touch had tingled across your arms, and whenever he absently laid a hand on the small of your back, supportive or guiding.

Thinking about him just made your heart ache. Because after this was over, he’d be gone again—on a new mysterious job, perhaps on the other side of the world.

You’d been regretting how you left things with him at the bar for months, but now you were glad you hadn’t gone any further with him that night. Your heart was too easily ensnared, it seemed, and Russell didn’t seem to be a “strings attached” kind of guy.

When you parked in front of your house, you let out a tense breath. Russell and Colter would find Charlie. You believed in them. You just hoped your brother was all right, wherever he was.

You pulled your cell out of your purse to call Dory as you headed for the front door. You wanted to give her an update and let her know that you were back at home.

The call began to ring just as you slipped your key into the lock. Unfortunately, you never got a chance to open it.

A strong pair of arms wrapped around you from behind and yanked you back, and a firm hand over your mouth smothered your scream.

AN: 🫣 *Whispers* Sorryyy. But hey! What did you think of the reader's reunion with Russell, as well as the little Shaw Family Reunion? Plus, we got a bit of the reader working with Russell and Colter on the case.

Now, the real timer starts...

Next Time:

You were led into what sounded like a warehouse. You couldn’t know for sure with this musty bag over your head and your wrists bound together with zip ties, but you clenched your teeth and tried to stop sniffling. Your fear made your heart pump fast and loud in your ears.

Voices echoed around you, arguing, yelling about shipments. You were shoved hard to the ground, and you gasped, instinctively throwing your hands out when your knees hit the hard cement. 

“No…” 

That voice was all too familiar. 

Series Masterlist

Ko-Fi Me ☕

Russell Shaw Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Russell S. Tag List:

@kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007

@wincastifer @ades106 @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb @roseblue373

@brianochka @branj19 @hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog @globetrotter28 @charmed-asylum

@waywardxwords @deanwinchestersgirl87 @this-is-me19 @rachiem4-blog @sweettimelady

@leigh70 @clinicallydepresso @xiphoidbones @skoveu @nyotamalfoy

@kmc1989 @jackles010378 @emily-winchester @waynes-multiverse @jessjad

@my-stories-vault @deans-spinster-witch @syrma-sensei @stellasfictionalworld @ultimatecin73

@jesllianaquilesrolonsworld @pieandmonsters @lhymer1995 @taehyungxjungkookistaekook @lovelystoriesaj

@nicksalchemy1 @spnwoman @onlyangel-444 @sexyvixen7 @illicithallways

@wolkenprinzessin007 @alwaystiredandconfused @carpenterswife @cheynovak @grilledcheeseandtomato

[gleefullypolin]

Stacy's Tipsy Musing's - Colin Bridgerton Hot Takes - Part 1

Ok boys and girls, we need to have a little chat about Colin Bridgerton.

Part 2 has been out now for a couple of days and there have been a lot of hot takes to come out of the season. A LOT of hot takes.  I’m going to break this down into 4 parts. 4 questions that I'm seeing really bad hot takes about Colin.

Now none of this is new, I gotta say before Season 3 aired Colin was a hot button topic anyway. He seemed to be the Bridgerton brother that lots of people love to spew hate takes on anyway. But damn I gotta say its painful seeing the Polin fandom have so many bad takes falling from their lips.

So, I figured...having a little drink tonight, sitting down for Father’s Day (Happy Father’s Day, Colin) I’d give you the opinion on some of these takes that you didn’t ask for...Mine!

Ok let’s start with the hottest take. Question 1:

Does Colin really believe that Pen entrapped him in marriage?

“Perhaps that was another part of your planned entrapment”

Ok I have to say, I have never seen one line inspire SO MANY BAD TAKE FANFICS IN ALL MY LIFE! Let’s start at the beginning...he found out about Lady Whistledown by following Pen because he noticed she and his sister run off together and disappeared. His sister who was not speaking to Pen previously from his knowledge. So not only is he suddenly feeling betrayed by his future wife, but also his sister.

Now add to this, his trying to reconcile this lie in the middle of planning a wedding to the woman he thought he knew most of his life as quiet little Pen, who just weeks earlier he was trying to teach how to flirt and land a man. He is confused and angry.

But that’s only 2 layers of hurt. Let’s keep adding to that. Layer one, we have the lie. Layer two, we have a woman he thought he knew. Add in Layer three, the Marina situation.

The original LW lie for him was about Marina’s lie. The original entrapment. An entrapment that Colin was willing to look past. He was still willing to marry Marina despite her deception. He still checked in on her post marriage to Phillip to ensure she was happy, to see if she regretted NOT marrying him. Colin always regretted his behavior to Marina’s entrapment. An entrapment that LW pushed into the light and forced a different decision for him. I don’t think he cares about Marina now, he never once accused her of taking Marina from him, he never loved Marina, but she took his agency, his decision.

Now for the fun of it, let’s add layer four. Portia’s already accused Pen of entrapping Colin during his confrontation with her. An accusation he strongly defended her against. An accusation which led to him telling her he loved her for the first time and them sharing their first time together. Which he is now reminding her of.  “I’m a man of honor. And we were intimate.” Colin knows how to hurt Pen. We always know how to hurt those we have known for a long time, and they are of course the oldest of friends. He is striking her where he knows it will hurt her the most. Because he is hurting, and she caused the blow.

So let’s talk about the biggest blow of them all. “Perhaps that was another part of your planned entrapment” He doesn’t look her in the eye when he says any of this. He can’t, because he KNOWS he’s being an asshole. He knows its below the belt. But she hurt him. He’s angry, hurt, lashing out.

Because of Layer five...Hot anger at what she wrote about him at the beginning of the season. This person who knows him better than anyone else, wrote truth to page. No one knows the real Colin the way Pen does. His brothers toasted him when he returned home because of his new female attention, his friends said he was more fun this season. But Pen called his new persona a ploy for attention. She saw him for what he was. A fraud. If he is to forgive Pen, he is to also start to acknowledge that there is truth in things she says that perhaps Lady Whistledown does not tell lies.

But then there is layer six. Jealousy and shame. Colin has sat in all of his emotions, yes he’s angry about what she has written,but we get to the heart of it, he’s jealous of her and that makes him ashamed of himself. That’s very Book!Colin coded who was very ashamed of his jealousy, so much so that Pen mistook his silence and brooding as shame of her. But this Colin is brooding in his own shame and jealousy and lashing out at her.

And then we get to layer seven. Colin loves Penelope above all else. And with this love and hurt and shame and jealousy, there is nothing that will stop him from marrying her. And in part, that is where his ire in this pointed cut comes from. He’s reminding her that they will marry. This will happen. This woman who is a successful writer, something he thinks he will never be, will marry him. Because he has laid claim to her. He has bedded her. They were intimate, she was compromised, and they have entrapped each other. But above all, he loves her, and Lady Whistledown will not change that decision for him this time. This time, he will marry.

Seven layers of lies, deception, past hurts, parental pressures, anger, jealousy and shame, and above all love sat on his tongue and wormed through his thoughts for days until they cut out at the small woman beside him that he needed to hurt in that moment. The woman he had been avoiding for that very reason.

Colin is not a hateful man. He was a kind man. He was rarely angry. But when he was finally put in a place where anger was his only emotion, he avoided Penelope, so that he didn’t hurt her, so he would not say things that were unkind and would hurt her. But when put into the place that he could not avoid her, he lashed out. He made it very clear how things were going to go and he pouted, and he brooded and he said unkind words.

And he was ashamed. And after that he did his best to avoid her, (by being out drinking, sleeping on the couch, avoiding intimacy) so he would not lash out at her again. Because he was ashamed.

Stick around for Part 2.... Why would Colin send Pen home alone after finding her on the street at night?

[onlymurphy]

Save You a Seat

SPOILERS: Very Minor Whole Cake Island

Happy Father's Day! I adore these two but only time to write a little thing today. I hope you enjoy!

Ever since the birth of your son, Sanji has been struggling with accepting the fact that he's a good dad. His past lingers, and he's terrified he won't be everything his son needs. So, you intervene with the only person Sanji will always listen to. His dad.

Sanji x fem!reader (no y/n)

Fluff

GA

TW: Mentions of a hard labor, pregnancy

Cross-posted on A03

Request here

“Why is it taking them so long?”

You smile to yourself, continuing your scrubbing of baby bottles and pacifiers.”They’ll be here, dad. Don’t worry.”

The title still makes Zeff perk up a bit as if he’s shocked to hear you say it. It’s been three years since you married Sanji, and Zeff still seems as though he can’t believe that little girl that used to run around his restaurant is now his daughter-in-law. It forces him to look at his own little boy as a man, a husband, and a father. 

You turn the faucet off, turning to smile at the grumpy old chef at your kitchen table. You never thought you’d see Zeff on the Thousand Sunny. You had even started to question that you’d ever see him again, but when an old Marine friend of your dad offered to bring him to a meeting point to surprise Sanji for Father’s Day, you jumped at the opportunity.

He huffs again. “Doesn’t my brat know better than to keep an old man waiting?”

“I thought you told me when you made it out here that you weren’t that old” you remind him, hoping to tease him enough to take his mind off the fact that Sanji is late. “Only an old man when you gotta make Sanji do some work?”

He smiles a bit at your attitude. As much as you used to torture him as a child with your antics, he can’t deny that he’s always had a soft spot for you.

“You know, you’re just as much of a snot-nose little brat as you were when you were small” he replies. “Got a mouth on ya.”

You laugh. “Keeping you on your toes, dad. Keeping you on your toes.”

Before Zeff can respond further with what was surely going to be a bite back at you, you hear excited chatter begin on the deck.

Sanji’s back.

Zeff immediately makes a move to stand up, groaning as he rises and looks toward the door.

You know he’d never admit, but this is the most excited he’s ever been. He hasn’t seen his son in three years. He’s heard so much about your adventures -many dangerous- and hasn’t been able to check to see if his child is okay. You could practically feel the rage radiating off his voice when Sanji got to call him after the events that took place on Totto Island a few years back. Zeff was so angry with Big Mom and Vinsmoke Judge that the two of you had to talk him out of hunting them down himself.

You know it all comes from a place of love. His child was hurt, and there was nothing he could do.

The separation is hard. He missed your relationship with Sanji. He missed your wedding. He missed the birth of your child.

He’s never even met his grandson.

Of course, you’ve sent Zeff a million photos of baby Noah since the boy’s birth. He knows almost everything the baby does from Sanji’s letters, even knows the story of him being named after his uncle, Roronoa Zoro. Sanji has been treating the letters to his dad as a type of journal, telling him all about Noah’s terrifying birth in which Zoro had to deliver the baby alone on the Sunny during a storm. You were stunned at how emotional the letter was, how open Sanji was to his dad about the fear he felt when he finally got to return to the boat and found not a pregnant wife, but a wife and a son. He even admitted that he was the one to suggest the name Noah after Zoro, honoring the baby’s uncle for delivering him safely.

The door to the galley finally opens, tearing you away from your thoughts. Sanji enters with baby Noah bouncing about in his arms. The infant babbles away, drawing all of Sanji’s attention as he doesn’t even notice his own father standing before him.

For just a fleeting moment, you see Zeff staring at his grandson with something in his eyes you’ve never seen. He looks soft, at peace as he watches Noah nibble on Sanji’s fingers, the chef cooing over the mischief of his son.

“Oi” Zeff finally says after a moment of silence. “Don’t you know it’s not polite to ignore your guests?”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know we had-”

The sentence dies on Sanji’s lips when he sees his dad. He just stares, eyes not blinking as his brain rapidly tries to catch up to the view before him.

You make sure to scoop Noah from Sanji’s arms before he drops the little boy out of shock. He doesn’t even seem to notice when you take the baby. He’s too focused on staring at his dad, mouth slightly agape, hands beginning to shake just a bit.

Zeff smiles that gruff, sweet smile of his. “Happy Father’s Day. That’s a cute kid ya got there.”

Sanji says nothing, just stares the man down as if he’s completely forgotten how to speak. When Sanji doesn’t make a move to approach, Zeff closes the difference between them.

“Brat” the older man mumbles, wrapping his arms around Sanji and pulling your husband into his chest.

Sanji caves instantly. He falls into his dad, body collapsing as a small sob finds its way up from his chest without restriction or shame.

“Look at you” Zeff tells him, his hand coming up to ruffle his son’s hair. “What happened to you lookin’ like a string bean? You look like a man.”

Sanji doesn’t have anything to say. He just clings to the man, holding tight as if one wrong move could rip him away forever. He’s freely crying now. It makes your heart ache just a bit, but you know the tears are a release. Sanji -after all the horrors he’s been through since he left his dad at Baratie- needed something more, the love of a parent to ease some of the pain. You know he too thought he’d never see Zeff again. The relief you can virtually feel coming from the pair is enough to move you to crying yourself.

You feel tears of your own pricking at the corners of your eyes. Noah stirs in your arms, reaching for his dad and beginning to fuss.

Sanji separates himself from Zeff to look back at his own son.

“Noah” he begins, his voice a bit nasally as he recovers from the sobs that were just wracking his body. “Come meet papa.”

Papa. Finally hearing the name used with the man himself right in front of you makes a tear slide down your cheek.

Noah has a grandparent. After showing him photos, pointing to Zeff, and telling him stories, he finally gets to meet his papa.

You approach the men with Noah in your arms. The baby gets increasingly more excited the closer the gets to his dad, but when Zeff waves to him slightly, the baby goes quiet.

You rub his chunky little hand. “It’s okay, Noah. That’s papa, you’ve seen his picture.”

The baby doesn’t seem so sure. He side-eyes his grandfather with an expression that is all Sanji and snuggles against you.

Sanji reaches out to stroke his son’s back. “It’s okay, No. It’s okay.”

“I know you’re tougher than that, eh kid?” Zeff teases, reaching out for the boy. “You’re a pirate after all.”

Upon hearing his grandfather’s voice, Noah reaches for the outstretched hand and gently takes one of Zeff’s fingers in his fist. The chef lights up in a way you’ve never seen. With great care, he strokes the back of the baby’s hand.

“You’re a strong little thing” he compliments the boy. “Gonna be a damn good pirate when you’re a little bigger.”

Noah’s confidence seems to be growing as if he understands his grandpa is complimenting him. He reaches his chunky little arms out, a big smile on his face as he tries to grab at his grandfather.

“Take him” you urge Zeff. “He wants to see his papa.”

Zeff appears hesitant at first, looking to both you and Sanji. Your husband gives him a smile.

“Go ahead” he presses.

Zeff looks to you one more time before reaching for the little baby. You’re happy to hand Noah over, watching with a smile as your son immediately reaches for his grandfather’s face.

Zeff chuckles as the baby tugs and pulls at the braids of his mustache. Noah is giggling up a storm in his grandfather’s arm, swinging his little legs and bobbing about.

“He really likes you” you assure Zeff. “I think he likes your mustache.”

The chef lets out a laugh. Noah laughs right along with him.

“You’ll be big enough someday to have your own mustache, little man.”

You roll your eyes. “Stop talking about him getting big! He’s just our little guy for now.”

Zeff looks to Sanji, now rocking the baby on his hip. “Little Eggplant here sprung up like a goddamned weed. They grow up fast if you’re not watching ‘em.”

Sanji gives a soft, embarrassed smile. You can’t wait to tease him later about the softness of his dad’s words. 

As much as you don’t want to leave this adorable scene, you have to grab a bottle for Noah. You turn, heading toward the cabinet.

“You want to feed him, papa?” You ask, looking at the gentleman over your shoulder.

Your heart almost melts when you watch Zeff kiss the top of Noah’s head and nod. It’s nearly a crime that Zeff didn’t have Sanji as a baby. You know for sure that Sanji’s life would’ve started out with love and care, not the horror he was born into.

You set the baby’s bottle on the stove, letting it warm. You don’t want to let Sanji know that you’re listening, but you can’t help but eavesdrop a little on the men’s conversation.

“He’s something, huh?” Zeff tells your husband. “Good thing he looks like his mother.”

Sanji huffs a bit. “I think the same thing. He looks just like her.”

You pull the bottle from the stove, smiling a bit to yourself. It isn’t true in the slightest that Noah looks like you. He’s all Sanji from his pale hair to his sweet and delicate facial features. He is Sanji’s little boy through and through.

You head around the kitchen counter and hand Zeff the baby’s bottle. “Ever fed a baby before, dad?”

He takes the bottle from you, staring at it oddly as he shakes his head.

Sanji steps in. He grabs the bottle, reaching out to adjust his son in Zeff’s arms.

“Hold his head like this” he directs his father. “And his bottle like this. He’s a good eater, so just hold it steady for him.”

Zeff follows his boy’s directions, Noah immediately taking the bottle into his mouth and settling comfortably back into his grandpa’s arms.

Sanji is smiling ear to ear. You know what he’s thinking in this moment. He never thought in his complicated upbringing that he’d be able to have a family like this. You know from being his best friend in childhood that a wife and children never even crossed his mind. His only example of love had been his own biological parents, and that wasn’t even love. Despite being a hopeless romantic, Sanji didn’t believe in marriage in the slightest until the two of you fell in love. This is everything he’s ever wanted and thought he’d never be able to have.

You place your hands on Zeff’s shoulder, gently guiding him down into a kitchen chair beside you.

“You’re a good dad it looks like, Little Eggplant” Zeff compliments. “Little guy eats good. He’s strong. He’s tough.”

Sanji takes a seat across from his father. “I can’t wait to cook for him when he’s done with milk. I want to teach him how to cook.”

“He’ll be amazing at it” Zeff assures. “He’s my grandson after all.”

All Sanji can do is smile, and you feel the same. You’ve never quite known peace like this. Here you are, in your beautiful home with your beautiful family and your amazing crew. So much has happened to the two of you over the course of your relationship. To have this reward is more than anything you could’ve ever dreamed of.

A knock on the galley door grabs everyone’s attention. You all turn, watching as Luffy’s head pops in.

“I know you guys are having some kinda thing” he begins, only his eyes visible to you through the cracked door. “But I’m really hungry.”

~

Sanji cooks a special supper for the entire crew and Zeff. The dinner is beautiful. The evening is the most perfect of your life. To see Sanji and Zeff cooking together while you watch with Noah in your arms makes you feel like you’re floating. The rest of the crew is over the moon to be able to meet and see Zeff, and you can tell he’s elated to see the way that they play with Noah. He’s already insanely protective of the little boy, hovering to ensure he never bonks his head or crawls on the rough wood. You hate to think  how difficult it’s going to be when he has to part ways with his grandson.

It’s hard to even get Noah away from him to head to bed. The chef has the itty bitty baby sleeping in his arms, reading to him slowly from his travel log that Nami dug out for him. Noah looks more restful than he ever has. He drools away in his grandfather’s arms with a soft, easy look on his face.

You approach Zeff who now has Noah asleep on his chest. He looks up when reach him.

“I hate to take him, but I have to put him in his crib” you whisper. “You’re free to get him when he cries tonight.”

Zeff smiles softly down at the boy. “Go with you mama, Baby Eggplant.”

You could scream about how adorable the whole scene is, but you settle for a smile so big that it hurts the corners of your mouth.

You lift the baby into your arms, rocking him gently so that he doesn’t fuss. When you’re sure the baby is still softly sleeping, you look back down to Zeff.

“Thank you for watching him so much today” you tell him. “I got a lot done.”

The old man grunts. “Better watch the little man. I’m still looking for a new sous chef since you stole mine.”

You smile. “Will do, old man. You can take Ji back with you when you go.”

Zeff grimaces, looking over to his son who’s arguing over something with Zoro as the two lean over the railing of the ship.

“I’d rather have the baby” Zeff teases. “Won’t give as many customers concussions.”

You just give him a small laugh. “Thank you for coming all the way out here for him, dad. Happy Father’s Day.”

Zeff gives you a soft and genuine smile. “Go put that baby in his crib. His cooking lessons start tomorrow, gotta be rested.”

You turn to your husband, gesturing up toward your bedroom. He abandons his argument immediately and comes to you, stroking Noah’s back. You never thought there’d be anything in this world that could get Sanji away from an argument with his rival, but baby Noah seems to always do just that.

You say goodnight to your crew as quietly as you can manage. Everyone turns to you, smiling and waving as the three of you disappear into your bedroom.

Sanji is sure to shut the door behind you when you reach your room and set Noah down in his little crib. He barely stirs at all, safe and secure in his bed at last.

Your husband walks beside you to wrap his arm around your waist. Together, the two of you lean over the baby’s crib.

“Thank you” he whispers, turning to look at you. “For Zeff. And for Noah. You made me a father.”

You lean up to kiss his cheek. “I’m so glad you enjoyed your day. I know you’ve been kinda going through it lately. I wanted it to be special.”

His face goes sad then as he looks back down to your son. Truth be told, fatherhood has been hard for Sanji. As much as he loves his son, he struggles everyday to believe that he’s a good father. Every little move he makes has to be perfect, and if he messes something up, it bothers him for the rest of the day. You know that his biggest fear is hurting Noah in any way, shape, or form. Your difficult labor was agonizing for him to hear of. He beat himself up for days over the fact that the storm had kept him from witnessing his son being born.

“I love him so much” Sanji muses. “He’s perfect.”

“He really is” you agree with a sigh.

The two of you share a quiet moment staring down at your son, Sanji’s hand slowly rubbing up and down your side.

Eventually, he looks to you. “I’m a good dad.”

The statement takes you back a step. You know this to be fact - Sanji is every kid’s dream father. For him to just say it, however, is wildly out of character for him.

“I know” you assure him. “You’re an amazing father.”

You can tell by the look in his eyes that he so badly wants to reach into the crib and hold his son close, but in true good father fashion, he allows the boy to sleep.

“My dad called me a good dad” he breathes. “He didn’t need to be my dad. He chose to be my dad, and he still says I’m doing a good job when he gave up everything to take care of me.”

You snuggle into Sanji’s side. “He didn’t give up everything when he started taking care of you. That’s when he finally got everything, Sanji.”

You hear your husband sniff. You know the emotions have been flowing hot lately, so you just give him space. He deserves to express himself and not feel like he’s being watched.

So, instead of speaking, you just squeeze his hand and join him in gazing down at your son, his perfect father safe for now in your arms.

[mossy123302]

More rambles about KinitoPET AU

Kristin

She's the developer of Philza. Kristin was honestly highly recognized among the horror indie game communities. She helps a lot of other developers with the programming.

Until one day, she decided to give it a shot by creating her own stuff that strayed from horror indie games. She created Philza, whom she wanted to help her and others to organize better, program easily and various things. However, it seems the programming went wrong somehow?

Who knows, since one day, after she messaged one of her close friends that she had completed the main stuff. Kristin just suddenly vanished and all that remains is a software of the Angel of Death.

Philza

Ah yes, our beloved crow father, Kristin's greatest achievement of helping other people in her community to better help with programming and just easing burden loads.

Kind, caring and a little blind sided at times!

He strives to make everything perfect for you, ensure you're always happy and well taken care of!

Philza is proud to announce his own small inventions, such as his pride and joys; Techno and Tommy! Philza's two sons.

And not to mention, Philza has been developing his own mini games for many people to enjoy and play if they want to learn more about his backstory and how he found his two sons. Oh, it's such a beautiful story for Philza to retell over and over again, they were such a fuss in the beginning and now they're such well behaved boys and create endless fun and share new ideas for him to bring more fun and entertainment for his newest friend, Missa!

It's unclear what was the inspiration for Philza.

Many people say that Kristin has created Philza based on a long lost lover, or maybe a deceased sweetheart or something else entirely. It's unclear what was the real purpose behind Philza's many programming and how he gains so much control over the simplest of technology. He's so highly famous and used that many people reports having dreams of him!

Awe shucks mate, you're going to make Philza blush with all those flattery and words of him in your dreams.

Mmm? What do you mean Philza was there in your room?

Don't be silly, Philza is an AI assistant in your computer! He doesn't have a human body (maybe he does, it has been so long... It's been rotting for so long. )

Ask him about Kristin? Why Philza can talk endlessly about his creator! She was the one that brought him to life after all. No worries, Kristin will always live on! She is never forgotten

Missa

A college student, whose tired and stressed by all the academic pressure and not only that, his former roommate Spreen has suddenly went missing. To add more pressure, Roier and Missa got into a fight and went no contact with each other for a while. Luckily, he found Philza and doesn't feel as lonely anymore even if he's been.. having suspicious and strange dreams about him.

It's probably because Missa hasn't been out as much and talked with people like a regular human being should. (But he doesn't need anyone else but me-)

Techno and Tommy

Ah, the two sons of the Angel of Death; Philza! Techno is the eldest son, with a quiet yet burning heart personality. He only seeks to have a peaceful day, and spend his retirement in his new house

Tommy, on the other hand, seeks adventure and more activities to do. He deeply loves his brother, Techno, but finds his ideal plan of retirement too boring so he drags Missa around the digital world to find different entertainments like building new toys or doing crochets!

Hmm... How strange that Tommy and Techno seemingly try to warn Missa the most about trying to go back and redo certain tasks again. As if trying to stall time...hmmm.

[httpsbearily]

hi! may i request a valen x princess!reader fic in which he's tasked with ensuring her safe return back to the palace after she made some negotiations with a neighboring kingdom ?? possibly with valen thinking she's like most prissy stuck-up noblewomen...

perhaps a mix of angst and fluff ?? like, maybe her carriage is attacked via her return back to the palace and she's shaken up... just a thought! :)

☆*: Canyon Moon

[Tags]: valen x reader | fem!reader | fluff

[Author’s Note]: valen, my beloved…nobody understands valen the way I do, I think that I could be a perfect wife for him pls valen just once chance I’ll give you a family. I love valen!!!!

The weight of the world seemed to rest on your shoulder, suffocating you under its pressure. For days now, you’d spent the night as a guest in a foreign kingdom, brandishing all your essence as a royal to allure a settlement of negotiations between it and your own. You’d done your best to incline the young king into an agreement for the establishment of friendly commerce between the two nations where your people would gain the benefit of local resources unique to the foreign kingdom, while the king would gain an ally. The Knights of Heroic Order were well known throughout all of Esperia, renowned for their might and durability in battle. It was no surprise to hear the requests of younger or smaller nations to implore the assistance of your proud knights. Sent on behalf of your father, the king of Holistone, you’d spent a week traveling to the foreign land in the middle of mountane canyons, accompanied by a barrage of knights that guarded your carriage through the 24 hours of the day. Admittedly, on the way there, you’d been a mess of nerves, stressed beyond your limit as you thought of all the possibilities that could occur. This was your official act of representation of Holistone, and there were so many components that relied on this meeting. To you, it felt reasonable that you behaved as tersely as you had, unable to move from the edge of your seat as infinite consequences settled on your mind.

You hadn’t even realized how fussy and fastidious you’d been with your guards, owning the way the lead guard responded to you as the truth of his character. Valen, the knight charged with personally safeguarding you, was an irresistible individual with a charm that drew attention from all. On your departure from the city, he’d been chivalrous and suave, holding your forearm as he helped you into your carriage and fixing the hem of your dress so that it wouldn’t be caught by the door. He gave you a confident grin with a promise of taking good care of you. “You won’t have to worry about anything with me around. Just leave it all in my hands, princess.”

At the time, you’d been sporting a brave face, giving him a curt nod before turning your head to look out the opposite window to reassure yourself that this was something you could handle. You feared that looking back in his direction would give you sight of your expectant father, who stood at the head of the castle steps to see you off, and you would succumb to your worries. So you distracted yourself. Your averted eyes hadn’t witnessed the expression on Valen’s face when he realized the type of noble he’d be spending the next three weeks with.

On the way, the carriage would stop occasionally to allow you to rest and refresh yourself, giving you the chance to stretch your legs and spine. Every time, however, Valen followed behind no more than a few steps in the distance. If you decided to wander off while the others set up a temporary campsite, then Valen was there with arms crossed over his chest and artificial pleasantry. “Dinner is ready, princess; it’s not much to compare to your castle meals, but something is better than nothing,” he’d told you when a messenger relayed the message to him while the two of you strolled across a field of wildflowers.

“Thank you, but I will have to decline. I don’t believe I could stomach such foods like this,” you responded, meaning that your stomach had been knotted with anxiety, dissuading you from wanting to eat. But to Valen’s ears, he took your words to be belittling, thinking you believed yourself too good to eat the food of the common people. Although he nodded reassuringly, he felt a flash of annoyance from your pompous personality. To be fair, however, he’d already expected this from you. In his experience, most nobles were all the same, treating all others who were unequal to their status with disdain or disregard—it wasn’t far from your state as a royal. If it weren’t for the good name of the knights and General Hogan’s direct commands, he’d most likely be long gone by now, partaking in a clever way to escape his responsibilities.

By the time the traveling group had been about half a day from reaching their destination, you had secluded yourself inside the carriage to rehearse your dealings without a word to the others. This had led them all to think you were simply brooding at the prospect of the heavy work that awaited you, to which Valen indulged as he sat back against a tree nearby with the others gathered around the campfire. If you wouldn’t come out, then he wouldn’t chase you, and that was fine with him. He was better off assisting the other gourds than giving you unappreciated company.

“Will the princess be dining with us?” One of the lower-ranking foot guards questioned the knight.

“Probably not. She’s too busy drowning in her woes involving facing life outside the castle to even consider eating. But I’ll make sure to save some for her in case she gets hungry later on. It might be better if she eats inside the carriage anyway,” Valen responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

It wasn’t until the very moment that you’d finally arrived at the gates of the foreign kingdom that you pulled back the small curtain of the carriage and peeked your head out, whispering to get the knight’s attention, “Sir Valen… Could you come inside for a moment?”

Surprised by the timid tone of your voice, the knight immediately followed your request, hopping onto the moving cart and pulling open the door before settling inside with a whoosh of wind. “What is it, princess? Is something wrong?”

You shook your head. “I wanted to practice my delivery. I’ve been drafting it this entire time, so I feel like it’s the best I could come up with at this point, but from the perspective of a citizen, I’d like to hear your opinion. This negotiation between nations not only affects Holistone’s commerce but the people as well, so it must be as perfect as it can get with as minimal consequences as possible. Are you ready?”

Your words completely took the knight aback. You’d been practicing this whole time? More than that, you appeared to actually care about the others outside the royal family, which was a trait that few nobles shared. This was certainly not the plot twist he’d expected, but still, he kept himself wary. This one trait wouldn’t make up for all the others you carried; he knew not to expect more from you. So, with a nod of his head and an adjustment to the way he was sitting, he showed attentiveness as he listened to your points. From the sound of your voice, he could hear the subtle nervousness, and with his keen eyesight, he noticed the way you fidgeted with the fabric of your dress. He was beginning to assume he’d misjudged you. That, or public speaking, just wasn’t your strong suit.

In any case, Valen took all your sentences in with a hand on his chin as he thought about the approaches you were taking. “Not bad for your first royal business plan. If I could offer some advice,

“Please, do.”

This spurred a heavy conversation between the two of you throughout the entire duration of the ride from the kingdom gate to the castle. If you had a moment to think about anything other than the dealings you would be making, you would have realized that that was the first proper talk you had with the knight who protected you. Sitting down with him before you, a voice in the back of your mind whispered in question if the knight had always been this handsome or if his patience with you distorted your opinion of him in the moment.

When the time came to disembark, you took a deep breath and said, “For our people, wish me luck." Then you were watching Valen step out first, checking the surroundings before stretching out his hand to you for support as you stepped off in your heavy clothing. From that moment forward, you’d worn your best face, interacting amiably and respectably with the royal family of the foreign castle in hopes that they’d take a liking to you and not hassle you during business negotiations.

In a week’s time, you spent every waking moment with the other nobles, getting to know them and their culture. Your interest in them allowed the king to understand that Holistone was a peaceful kingdom and wouldn’t use the establishment of the Knights in their lands against them. It also wouldn’t disadvantage them to have arms in trade. So by the final day of your stay, all contracts were made, signed, and sealed with a copy for each kingdom to have. Roused by a thrill that nearly burst through your seams, you excused yourself from the King’s side for a moment with the excuse of relieving yourself just so that you could rush to your bedroom and revel in the good news.

Your first act as a princess was alone, with the expectations of your father on your shoulders, and you’d done well enough to succeed! For years, you’d strived to make your family understand that you could do this, and finally, you had the opportunity to show them. It was enough to make you want to jump on the bed.

If Valen, who always worked within the shadows, noticed how excited you were, he hadn’t said anything. Simply chuckling at how you were almost skipping in your steps with eyes shining brightly. In all these days at the castle that he’d spent watching you, he noticed your complete behavior change; no longer were you sticking your nose up tersely at the sight of them or displaying a near-constant, almost present frown between your eyebrows. Instead, you smiled often, showing kindness even to the maidservants who assisted you throughout the day. At first, he’d considered this to be a superficial act to gain the favor of the king. However, on that day that one of the king’s child princes took you through the gardens and over to the servants’ area, he realized that was not the case.

If anything, the character you displayed on your way here seemed to be the outlier, but for the life of him, Valen couldn’t understand why. What was the reason for you to behave as detachedly as you did? Was it that you had to play a part in front of the eyes of the people of Holistone? Why did you so easily accept snacks from a tiny servant boy and eat heartily when, with your soldiers, you had turned your head away? Every new corner of you that he discovered only made him more confused. He would have to wait until they traveled back home to see the truth of your gentleness.

With negotiations coming to an end, it was time to bid farewell to your new acquaintances. With promises to visit, you said your goodbyes to the little princes before professionally doing the same for the king and queen. Setting off had you sighing inside your carriage, looking at all the parting gifts the king had given you. You hadn’t expected so many; even the outside of your carriage had been strapped with boxes of spices and trinkets—all of which were special only to the foreign kingdom. It made you feel guilty that you’d only prepared a small thank-you gift in advance.

A knock on your door sounded, pulling you out of your thoughts before the curtain was lifted. “Words from our scouts ahead say the path we took here has been blocked by hypofiend activity. So, we’ll have to take another route for your safety, princess. On the bright side, this new route is still convenient, passing even roads. However, on the not-so-bright side, it might take a little longer to rerun since it strays away from a straight line.”

"This is fine; we have more than enough supplies to keep us all resourced for a few extra days. So long as we are safe, then the extra distance is no matter," you responded with a nod. Against his beliefs, you agreed easily to the change of plans with not so much of a complaint. The knight had started to believe he really had misjudged you, and he almost felt bad. But when you asked him if that was all before dismissing him from you, he fell right back to square one: truly conflicted.

Not that it mattered to him anyway; after all, he was only the knight sworn to protect you, not your friend. If he went this whole trip never finding out who you truly were, then that was the effect of your own behavior. With a hand running through his hair, he stepped off the carriage step before reuniting with the other knights in front to discuss the adjustment in route.

Alone once more, you were left to face your internal dialogue. With the heavy concerns gone from your mind, no longer distracting from your own hands in front of you, you realized something. Valen was not at all how you'd pinned him to be at the beginning of your journey. While you hardly missed his sarcastic pleasantry or exasperated remarks, he never treated you wrongly—in fact, his quibbles had dissipated with the time he spent with you in the castle. Because of his earlier actions, you assumed him to be superficial in his character, only treating you well out of obligation. This led you to detach yourself from him because you simply couldn't afford distractions during such an important time. But the more you familiarized yourself with him, the more you realized that his behavior must have been his retaliation to you. You couldn't deny that you may have seemed particular during the beginning days and slowly regretted rejecting his companionship, but simultaneously, was the circumstance one you could be blamed for? Perhaps you would have to apologize to all the others later on. For now, tiredness seeped into your body, and your lack of sleep caught up to you.

What awoke you hours later was the abrupt quaking of the carriage. Immediately, the sounds of shouting filled your ears, fully rousing you as you jumped to look out the carriage window. Just outside, you saw the foot guards scrambling past you, forming a defensive arch around the front of the transport. Panic filling you, you moved to push open the door with all your might but found it locked. What in the world was happening? You couldn't see the front center from the angle you looked out, but when the reverberation of swords being drawn cut through the air, you understood an attack was taking place.

Unable to just sit back, you worked to remove the crinoline you wore, hoping that without it, you would be able to fit through the window. But your plans were cut short when Valen appeared in front of you, speaking at you from outside: "Princess, stay inside; it's too dangerous anywhere else."

"Sir Valen! What's happening?!"

"It looks like some thugs were drawn in by the fancy goods attached to the cart. It's nothing we can't handle, though," the man responded, turning forward to guard the door from all sides.

"Let them have it! I'd much rather lose material than lives." You replied, your fingers grasping the edge of the window as you spoke.

Valen shook his head, giving you a side smirk as he said, "Nonsense. General Hogan would revoke my sword if I couldn't even protect you from some small-time bad guys. Don't worry, princess. This isn't anything we're unprepared for. Just stay inside, and don't try to come out."

With that, he ran off to join the fight at the front, leaving you behind with an exasperated expression. Sit here and do nothing?! How could you live peacefully if you returned home with fewer souls than you'd departed with? No, you wanted to help.

Struggling, you continued to undo the heavier, decorative parts of your dress before shimmying out the window. Before you could get halfway out, however, a sudden force knocked you back in, pushing you to the carriage floor with a grunt. The breath in your lungs was knocked out as you stared wide-eyed at the pitch-black creature that clawed its arm into the carriage. Its seemingly oozing skin flashed before your eyes as its sharp, taloned hands swiped at your face, leaving you frozen in fear. Nothing could have prepared you for the appearance of the massive hypofiend, roaring ferociously at its missed attempts to attack you. With all the others distracted ahead, there was no one left to see your apparent demise, yet all you could think about was what your father would say. Would he blame himself for sending his only daughter out on his behalf? Who would be the one to tell him the news of your stolen life? How could you ever thank him for giving you this chance to expand your life horizons, allowing you to meet people and learn customs you otherwise never would have experienced locked away in your room?

When the hypofiend captured the fabric of your dress, you reeled back, kicking at the thrashing arm as your functions instantly returned to you. As fast as you could, you maneuvered yourself to the farthest corner of the carriage and desperately searched for a defensive weapon. With nothing but the small box of rare spices given to you by the king, you lunged forward, dodging the thrashing claws to throw the spice contents into the hypofiend's single, oversized eye. Reactively, the monster tore the air with a bone-chilling scream, finally gaining the attention of the knights. They were too far away to interfere, though by the time they came close enough, the beast had viciously pushed the carriage away, making it fall onto its side and causing the attached components to scatter the surrounding land. Through the motion, you felt your head slam against one of the solid surfaces, making your vision swim, but with the adrenaline coursing through your body, you forced yourself to stay steady.

Shakily, you reached for the window that faced the sky and pulled yourself out, letting your body fall to the dirt ground with a thud. A ringing in your ears made the approaching footsteps almost inaudible to you, causing you to react slowly when your footguards surrounded you, fretting over your state in a chaotic state. You wanted to tell them all that you were fine so they wouldn't worry about you, but your throat felt constricted. The formation of words felt difficult for your tongue, and you could only mutter out incoherent sounds.

"Everyone clear out," you heard the lead knight say. "You, move ahead and inform the king of what happened. You scout ahead for the nearest city. Look for a doctor or someone of equal skillset and let them know I'm taking the princess. The rest of you should regroup and reorganize our belongings. Head back to the foreign castle if need be."

Salutes sounded in every direction as the other knights scurried to fulfill their responsibilities, leaving you to be taken into Valen's arms. As fluidly as he could, he set you on a nearby horse before climbing up behind you and readjusting you to lay against his chest. A flick of the reins had the horse kicking off into a gallop in a direction you couldn't discern.

"Stay with me, princess. We'll be there soon," Valen said.

You curiously wondered what the theatrics were for; you felt fine! Even though your body is not currently responding to you, the mere fact that you still hold consciousness should be a relief, right? But no one seemed to think so, especially not Valen, who continuously looked down to check on you, spurring the poor horse faster each time. Eventually, you felt yourself dozing off into the warmth of your body—or was it his? You weren't really sure. All you knew was that it was comforting, and you were quite tired.

When the two of you finally burst into the small village of people, Valen spotted an elderly man awaiting his arrival next to the scout he had sent out earlier. Without letting the horse come to a full stop, he scooped you up in his arms and slipped off, rushing to the hut the doctor directed him into. The wound on your head had left stains all across his arms and chest. He worried beyond reason as he urged the frail doctor to work as quickly as he could. His heart had run cold when he realized you had passed out a few miles away, but when the doctor confirmed a pulse, he felt his back weaken from the disappearance of his despair. At this, the doctor ushered the knight out of the room, instructing him to go wash up and get some rest himself so that he wouldn't cause you anxiety when you awoke.

And you did awaken, but not until half a day had passed. When you opened your eyes blearily, you were met with a strange environment you hadn't recognized.

"Oh? Awake already, young lady? How do you feel?" A soft voice spoke to you from your bedside, drawing your attention to an old man wearing a white robe. In your consciousness, he drew out a listening instrument to check your heart rate and breathing.

"Like lead," you admitted, your head throbbing with a dull ache. "Where am I? What happened?"

"It seems you and your husband were attacked. You suffered from head trauma, giving you a concussion that made you lose consciousness for about 12 hours," the old doctor explained. This news sobbed you up, and you looked around to see the time of day.

"Calm down, young miss. You'll still be suffering from the effects of your concussion, so it's best not to make any sudden movements or raise your stress levels. Your husband is in the other room; I'll fetch him for you if you continue resting."

The doctor's words confused you, but at the moment, so many other things did as well. You weren't sure which part to focus on! A flood of questions filled your mind as you laid your head back onto the soft pillow, taking a deep breath to calm down. You needed to find one of your guards—wait, where were they?!

At the same time, another spike of concern shot through your body, and you heard the sliding door open softly. From behind it stepped Valen, who looked…not so good.

"Sir Valen?" you called, "what happened? You look a little worse for wear."

"I could say the same for you too, princess. You gave us all quite the scare," the knight said with a small smile. You motioned for him to come in to sit besides you. "How are you feeling?"

You made a face: "The doctor asked me the same thing; I feel fine if I ignore the fuzzy feeling. Although he did diagnose me with a concussion, I do suppose that's not out of the ordinary. So then, I feel perfect."

"I didn't take you for someone to make jokes during a time like this," Valen responded, his hands crossing over his chest just as they had the very first day you met him. You only smiled sheepishly and said, "Apologies. I don't like to worry about others. It doesn't invalidate my statement, however."

The knight only sighed, shaking his head as he pulled the stool beside your bed to sit down. He began to recount the events that took place, from the moment of the ambush to your injury, before finishing off with scenes from this morning. As he spoke, his eyes constantly flitted to the bandage wrapped around the crown of your head, disrupting your normally regal appearance. You took in everything he said with slow nods, asking questions between his sentences in inquiry about all the others, which he couldn't help but discourage.

"Princess, with all respect," he said, "you're literally in the hospital right now. I'm sure the others are fine, so you shouldn't concern yourself with that for now. Taking care of yourself isn't such a bad thing."

His words made him realize that he'd told you to do the one thing he assumed you had always done as a noble: look out for yourself only. It took him aback slightly, making him pause his words to stare at you with clear eyes. You returned his gaze with a questioning one that he dismissed with a clear clearing of his throat.

If he reflected on this later, then he might realize his change of heart towards you, moved by all that you continued to show him. He might even understand why he felt a death grip of panic clutching his heart when he saw you on the ground, hurt by the villainous monster. Perhaps he would even realize that when the doctor revealed to him that his wife was awake, he hadn't hesitated to get up and see you, not for a single second, questioning why the title felt so natural.

[shhh-secret-time]

Stan Marsh

26 y.o (He/Him)

Soul Synergy: Anything you write on your skin will appear on your soulmate.

Headcanons:

◇ Worked on his father's farm for years, while he didn't want to he stayed for his mom

◇ Shelly moved out and left South Park for a different college. The two aren't close, but they're better than when he was a kid.

◇ He works part-time at the university radio station with Jimmy.

》 Jimmy does most of the commentary, Stan will pitch it sometimes, but he leaves most of the talking to him. Stan is in charge of the music

◇ He has snuck some of Crimson Dawn on air and did the same for Timmy's band. Jimmy doesn't care, but he gives Stan a hard time about it.

◇ Going to college on a sports scholarship, to no one's surprise

》 The surprise came when he almost lost it all.

◇ He struggled heavily with alcoholism when he first moved out of his parents house

◇ Used to go out night after night, being invited to parties and hang out events

◇ It didn't seem like a problem until he woke up with vomit in his hair and had no memory of the last three days.

》 His hair used to be longer but he decided to cut it after that.

◇ It takes the other three to help snap him out of it, not just Kyle.

◇ After that he went and got help, of course the other three had his back. Kyle helped him find the support groups needed around campus. Kenny spread the word of keeping alcohol away from Stan, and Cartman enforced it.

◇ They have a system when they go to parties or out to eat with him. Kenny will give everyone the warning, do not offer him alcohol. Not as a joke, it's not funny. Wanna flirt with him, buy him something else. If you invite him to a party, have some fucking sodas or juice.

◇ Cartman is the next step if for some reason you don't decide to listen. Absolutely embarrasses the person, socially tears them apart. We all know he's very good at turning a crowd on people.

◇ Kyle is the big guns, he lives with Stan. He's his best friend. His super best friend, and he'll be damned if he lets anything happen to him. Kyle's not afraid to let the person know just how small they are and will throw hands if need be.

》 Luckily, it hasn't gotten that far. Most people stop at Cartman.

◇ Stan has worked very hard since then to keep himself clean. He's cut alcohol out completely because he knows how easy it is to slip back into it.

◇ When he feels himself slipping again or tempted, he goes to the gym. He writes a song, goes for a jog, bugs someone with board games, does literally anything to keep his mind off it.

》 His last resort is smoking a cigarette, Kyle doesn't like it, but it's better than the alternative

◇ Stan was able to keep his scholarship but it took a lot of work, and a lot of dedication.

◇ The necklace was a gift from the three boys after Stan's second year clean. They all wrote something up on each line and had Kenny carve it in.

》 Kyle: I'm proud of you man. Keep it up, or I'll kick your ass. -SB

》 Kenny: I am always a call away. I've got you Stan, I love you handsome.

》 Cartman: Don't be fucking stupid. I'm the only one who gets to ruin your life.

(Cartman took up some of Kyle's line. It makes Stan smile everytime he sees it)

◇ It's incredibly corny and off brand for him but he never takes it off, that necklace means everything to him.

◇ He's still the quarterback on the team, and the pressure sometimes gets to him.

◇ He plays basketball with Kyle sometimes, but he's not a fan of getting his ankles rolled all the time so he only does it when he needs to get Kyle to relax

◇ His depression is still there, it never really goes away, but he's got a better understanding of it

◇ Goes to a proper doctor and gets the help he needs. After a few therapist visits, he gets a prescription for it and now here he is.

◇ Since Kenny and Karen live so close Karen helps remind him to take his meds. She leaves him little snacks with every pills.

》 Skittles one day, M&Ms another, Cashews, and then a Reese's cup at the end of the week (I just like the idea of the group adopting Karen, but she adopts them back ya know?)

◇ No one else knows about this, Stan's a bit embarrassed by it but he finds it adorable that she's trying

◇ It makes him want to be better. So he works hard to keep a routine and a method.

◇ When he feels like he hates himself, he showers

◇ When he feels like he hates other people, he needs to eat

◇ When he feels withdrawal or if he's tired, he needs water.

◇ Has a special water bottle that Gary got him.

◇ Begs Kyle to go to the gym with him, he can't go alone he needs his buddy!

》 They end up making it a game. Who can push the other one to giving up.

》 Kyle does a certain number in a set, well Stan does one more. Stan runs for a certain amount of time on the treadmill, well Kyle runs faster and longer.

》 They pay for it in the morning but it's worth it

◇ Was the forever DM in his board game nights. He has all the D&D books, most of them are those special covered ones

◇ The local comic book store knows him well, and they save a book for him when they come out

◇ He still paints minis, for Christmas one year he got everyone's characters! Hand painted them and gave them out

》 He was so proud. And then Kenny lost his character the next session

》 Kenny's character is on the shelf near his books. Forever immortalized next to the players guide

◇ On days where everyone can't make it they play test a different system

◇ Wild Talents -> Superheros

◇ Deadlands -> Cowboys

◇ Traveler -> Sci-fi

◇ Red Market -> Zombie Apocalypse

◇ When Stan finally finishes his campaign and Kyle takes over, it takes him a minute to shift back into being a player! (I'm projecting)

◇ He has Wendy and Nichole over, of course! They can't make it all the time (Nichole has her own campaign that Stan's a part of and Wendy is a busy little lady), so they guest star!

◇ Gets together with Nichole and they plot ways to bully their players. (Rip Kenneth)

》 If people don't feel like playing TTRPGS he's got plenty of board games! (Honestly dude I can go on forever about this. I'm big time projecting, so I'm gonna end it here.)

◇ Stan loves his messenger bag, its got more patches in it then just the deftones on the side

◇ Collects band patches like a punk does for their jackets

◇ Anytime he goes to a local band gig he buys a patch (support local artists)

◇ Of course he has his guitar. Even if I didn't draw it!

◇ Cherry red guitar that he babies, he loves his guitar more then anything else he owns.

◇ Kyle got it for him when they both graduated high-school, it means the world to him

◇ His case for it has seen better days, most of the scratches are covered in stickers people have slapped on it.

◇ Honestly, he's got like one or two that he put on

◇ It's a game around the university: Get a Sticker on Marsh's Case

》 Craig's in the lead.

◇ Like Kyle does with Stan's inhaler. Stan carries insulin in his messenger bag for Kyle.

》 He knows Kyle doesn't pay attention to himself and lets his blood sugar drop so he also carries snacks

◇ The bright pink lighter and the lighter case was given to him by the guys, because that dummy always loses his lighter.

》 Every other day he's asking to borrow a lighter because he lost his

◇ Yet he knows where everyone of his guitar picks are, which is ridiculous

◇ Has a shit ton of them too, carries them in a little case!

◇ Stan will fist fight anyone who touches that brown journal, there's so much in there. (You know that feeling you get when someone asks to see your sketchbook? Yeah.)

◇ Lyrics for Crimson Dawn, poems that will never see the light of day, magic cards he uses as bookmarks,and campaign ideas

》 A few pages that have been ripped out and or burned out. Usually means he's had a bad day and needed to get it out

◇ The other thing he's protective of is his headphones, he's not sure why. There's nothing special about those white headphones. But they're his, and they got him through high-school.

◇ He was actually super happy about his Soul Synergy

◇ He already had a habit of doodling on his skin, so it was a surprise it manifested like this

◇ Kyle does get onto him about how often he marks on his skin. He orders Stan those Body Mark markers.

◇ When pictures or words show up on his skin it tickles, it's like he can feel the marker or pen

◇ That's the only part he hates, it tickles him and he's extremely ticklish (perish.)

◇ Doodles, lists, lyrics, and notes on things to do later. For some reason he's protective over all of them, and it makes him slightly sad when they go away.

It a few hours of sitting still, but it's finally done. Red takes a wipe and swipes it across his forearm, the moist wipe feels good against his skin. It's irritated from being poked over and over again, he can still feel the buzz of the needle.

The wipe reveals the jagged Soundwave tattoo stretching down his forearm. He smiles at it and almost goes to touch it, but stops himself. From the way his tattoo artist glares at him, he knows better.

He tries, he really does, to listen to Red as she goes through the steps on how to take care of it. But it's hard when he keeps staring at it, wondering if his little plan worked.

On the outside, it certainly seems narcissistic to get one's voice tattooed on one's self. But Stan could live with the whispers or the questions if it meant it was on the skin of his soulmate too. It wasn't anyone else's business what it was, that was between him and them.

After all Stan worked very hard to get that recording of him singing, You are my Sunshine, just right.

(Here's the blank if you want it ♡)

[imaginedheroine]

Initial thoughts on Episode 1 (spoilers and book spoilers)

- Considering where Ser Tyland ends up, it’s so sweet that he’s starting out being off-put by children

- Alicent and Cole wasn’t surprising, but I was surprised by how Condal and Hess chose to reveal it. I can see how it might seem jarring to someone who hasn’t watched season one as many times as I have. Definitely think Helaena walking in on them at the end would have worked better as an introduction to their sexual relationship. Imagine: Jaehaerys has been murdered and then we follow Helaena downstairs where she finds Alicent and Cole together… we could have been loaded up with twists!!

- Tom Glynn-Carney stole the show. Having him choose to teach Jaehaerys how to rule when his own father never even considered him worthy enough to rule hurts my heart

- As far as Blood and Cheese. I’ve heard people wonder why they chose to kill Jaehaerys, and doubting that Daemon would ever agree to assassinate a child. I have a theory that Cheese was working on another person’s orders (either Mysaria or Larys). When we meet him, it’s through Mysaria. Daemon did not know him like he knew Blood. I also don’t think that Cheese was lost. He led Blood straight to Aemond’s chambers when he said that he didn’t know where they were, and then when Blood wasn’t looking, he somehow very quickly stumbled upon Helaena’s room…. sus.

- Another note on Blood and Cheese and the way that it was changed from the source material… Personally, the change did take away from my experience as a book reader. But I think that’s because I was confused as to where they were taking the scene versus the scene being bad. Reflecting on it, I like that Condal and Hess chose to make Blood and Cheese less villainous (if that’s even possible) than they were in the book. The characters were described as being comically terrible in the Fire and Blood sources, to the point where it was most likely green propaganda from after the attack. I find it more believable that the men were genuinely just trying to get their money and were struggling to figure out which twin was which.

- Oh my god, Jace coming home got the tears flowing

- I was banking on a scene with Aemond coming home from Storm’s End and regret that we didn’t get to see him make the choice to lie to his family. When we meet him, he’s just… evil now? I’m sure we’ll see more vulnerability to him in later episodes, but I would have preferred to see the character have to choose

—

I’m sleepy now. I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts later

[baifengxis]

10 years ticket ruined me for the 7th week in a row and i just wanna ask why do these kids deserve all this pain, like did they really just kworded her mom as if my girl hasn't suffered enough her whole life and she's also blaming herself like no this story is so sad

[dairyfreenugget]

(Going insane boinkinh one AU in my head)

Hey hey hey

May I interest you in

(Slowly slides my FaaF AU towards you but void just Disappears without a trace one day before the accolade)

Teehee

[likeabxrdinflight]

yugioh fics that use the 4kids dub characterizations just...you're not invalid for it because the dub exists but like...why

[bonesrbleaching]

had the most braindead repetitive conversation/argument with my parents. buzz cuts are too masculine but if you dye a design on it it become effeminate which is bad because then you look weak and if youre weak then society falls apart (all societies ever that have fallen apart for any reason are actually because of feminine men) and we start sacrificing babies. and also all mental illness is invented because only 4 people had anxiety in the 90s and covid was made up so that we would all become gay and trans and then the government can control us better and be joe biden's little sex slaves. and also i need to keep my hair long because my father finds it attractive. what

[thoughtfulseason]

why does a really nice guy whose company i truly enjoy and who seems to be kindhearted has to be a proud conservative, racist and nationalist 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🚩🚩🚩 what the hell. he’s eighteen and maybe it’s just a phase but UGH. my coach is soft conservative (i think) and none of those ugly things i hope but god…. this is a challenge for sure…. so i’ll have to be a beacon of righteousness in this fencing club??? god help me convert these people to the good side or at least stand strong for justice and kindness 😤 but this is enfuriating

[sir-snow]

I don't believe in therapy.

Let's just read Neitzsche and do kinky stuff together.

That'll be healthy, right?

[nicoliine]

The day you noticed Lucifer was using his wings to court you.

☆彡 In birds, there is a great variety of nuptial displays at the time of courtship, especially in species that have melodious songs or show very striking plumage.

Little did you know, this would include angels or the king of hell himself.

 

☆ English isn't my first language. Sorry in advance.

☆ The reader is g/n; no pronouns or y/n are used.

 

You were always fond of birds, and you dedicated much of your life to helping preserve endangered species. You studied them, spent countless hours learning about the hundreds of species, a lot of diets and their behaviors.

This didn’t seem to stop once you found yourself in Hell; in fact, once you discovered there were a bunch of sinners with bird-like features, you just seemed content to be there.

When you arrived at the Hazbin hotel, you claimed one of the spare rooms as your personal studio, and after what you have called "the toughest battle in your life," you convinced Alastor to let you have a camera "as long as you never get that frivolous technology box near me."

Husk had to ask you not so politely to stop when you first met. Before you could even take his hand, you had started to ask questions about their wings; sometimes you even wrote on an oh-so-worn notebook of yours; it became a common topic of discussion between the two of you. When you forget he has work to do and start to take multiple pictures of his wings and even try to take one of his wings when he is not looking, Angel starts to think that your bartender friend is about to lose it, and you will end with a scratch or two.

 

Besides that, one could say that your presence in the hotel was appreciated; you could be found watching some funny shows on TV with Angel and never saying no to Vaggie when she asked for a favor. Soon, you started to feel part of the hotel, and the rest of the staff agreed with that.

 ☆◦ •◦☆

Lucifer was nothing like any man you had met in life or hell; he was, to put it simply, an awkward guy, always so silly yet so elegant. He had managed to get you longing for his presence more often than you would like to admit.

You are not sure how you and Lucifer became friends, but having a shared interest in ducks seemed to help. You gave him all kinds of facts about them, and he would step by your room every so often to show you the new rubber duck he was working on. Not that you're complaining, but one of his ducks set your courtains on fire on an occasion.

Charlie says that she is proud of his "social advances,” as she used to call your interactions. Seeing him out of his office more often and having an actual conversation with someone seems to make the princess happy and less worried about her father, and if that someone turns out to be you, it is so much better!

  ☆◦ •◦☆

The first time you noticed this weird behavior of his was the day you two met. You couldn’t help but mention, after his bickering with Alastor over who was Charlie’s father figure, that you found his wings precious. Lucifer, being the prideful man he is, wasted no time on extending his wings only for your delight, a smirk on his face as he saw your eyes wide admiring that part of him; they were so magnificent, you could swear they were shining in the light of the room, and you'd die to see if the feathers were as soft as they seemed.

 

Just a simple touch, please.

 

Before returning his wings to their place, there was a flutter of his wings, so slow that there was no way someone could notice.

But you weren't just someone; you knew it. What a coincidence! You could recap an article about some birds courtship.

The second time you saw it, you were in your room minding your own business. He came to you with a smile, but your eyes were looking past him, his wings on full display as he greeted you. There, his wings started flutter again, now lasting more than the last time. Now there is no way it was just a coincidence. “My eyes are up here, darling,” he said, that smirk on his face turning into a pout as you were not paying him enough attention. You just shake your head, focus on the man before you, returning your full attention to him, and the pout on his lips dissapears immediately as your eyes are on him.

 

  ☆◦ •◦☆

You are getting crazy; every time you get a glimpse of him, you find his wings moving in an oh-so-familiar way that you could swear it was a courtship dance, every time bolder than before.

That is when you decided to confront him, getting just a chuckle from him. It made you think maybe it was just your imagination, and you finally lost your mind.

 

While sitting on the hotel balcony, Lucifer was telling you one of his ideas for this new rubber duck. He said it would be the best one he would work on so far, even though you doubted that. Then you stopped listening, your eyes fixated on his wings. Every time he looked at you, they would flutter not so subtly, distracting you from everything around you. Your head rested on your palm, almost feeling bad for not listening to his rambling.

 

"Luci, you're courting me." It was supposed to be a question, but by the way the king of hell stopped his rambling and, looking at you with wide eyes, you found that maybe it was not.

"And what would make you think that?" He said mocking you, he also rested his head in one of their hands.

 

"Your wings, the way you move them," you pointed to his wings; they stopped his movements when you mentioned it; he just chuckled, then started to laugh. Was he laughing at you? It made you want to hide yourself from him; was it your imagination? No way.

 

"So you finally notice," he then said. Once his laugh was gone, he adjusted himself on his seat. Now, with both of his hands holding his face and looking at you with a smirk, his wings started to flutter once more. "I thought it would take you less time, may I be honest"

 

"Actually, I noticed it long ago; I thought it was just my—" You felt the air leaving your lungs once he got on his feet and moved closer to you. "...Just my imagination." You were not strange to his proximity, but this time he just looked so imponent, wings on full display and fluttering around. Now it was definitely a courtship dance, and you were on the receiving end.

 

"Now, what do you think?" He hovered over you who still sitting, a hand resting on the back of your seat, taking one of your hands on his and kissing your knuckles. The kiss lasted longer than you thought was the average time for one, and even then he didn’t let go of your hand. "Was my dance enough to impress you, darling?" Now, looking into his eyes, you could only see adoration, awaiting your response.

 

You couldn't speak; you can't imagine the king of hell pulling up something like this for you.

 

"My dear, please talk to me," he pleaded, a sigh leaving his lips as he hid his face in the crook of your neck. You could feel his warm breath in your skin, burning like hellfire.

 

"It was," you said, Lucifer now turning his face to look at you. You took his face in your hands and moved him closer, he gave you an inquisitive look but with no intention to move from your touch. "I should have mentioned it earlier; it was quite impressive." You smiled, and he did the same.

 

Now, how long you two kissed, you also don't remember; what you remember, however, is how he held you against him as if you were just about to disappear right then, and that when you finally got to touch his wings, you were proved wrong.

His feathers were much softer than you have imagined.

This idea came to me yesterday when my dad showed me a reel of a lady bird who epically ignored the male who was dancing to her, I felt so bad and immediately thought about Lucifer.

Likes and reblogs are appreciated 💞