#had to choose them ofc

[starrynightsxo]

name a ship so good they got together at the end but you were ruined by the events of what happened previously

I'll start: jude x cardan (the cruel prince)

npt: @viivdle @thejudeduarte @agirlwiththoughtsandnegativity @ant-thebooknerd @bookish-phile @cookieswithforksandknifes @cromulentreader @fantasyfangirling4ever @graaaaaayy @highladyofterrasen7 @his-littlefox @jesyverse @kenjik1shimoto @kazbrekkerbitespeopleandsodoi @motherfeyre-archeron @sweetvillainjude @starlightbooklove @thenightmareinyourcloset @veswe

[xx-psych0-rabbit-xx]

cyn doodles+drew all the main guys in my style.ill miss them </3

[myoonmii]

I keep thinking about Merlin’s love for Arthur and how it’s so clearly portrayed in the show to the point that it practically drives the plot of the show. However when it comes to Arthur’s love for Merlin it’s more subtle and sometimes difficult to even grasp, and I started thinking why that was, aside from the obvious fact that Arthur has a lot of trouble expressing his emotions affection or otherwise. I think it also lies in the fact that Merlin knows Arthur intrinsically throughout the show; he is one of the closest people to Arthur, and sees him for who he really is. Arthur admits as much.

Sure, Arthur knows Merlin but the main part of the plot is that he really doesn't know Merlin. Merlin wants him to desperately understand him and “see me for who I am” but he can't yet. And I think this subconsciously creates a barrier in the way in which Arthur can care for Merlin, and how Merlin can let himself be seen by Arthur.

Which is why I think he was also so hurt when the magic reveal happens because more than the betrayal of Merlin having magic, it was the betrayal of Merlin not letting Arthur see him for who he really is and for hiding a main part of himself. Arthur says it himself “why did you never tell me” that’s what hurt him the most.

I think the most damning piece of evidence for this is the fact that while we see snippets of Arthur’s feelings for Merlin thought the show, the biggest signs are in the last episode after the magic reveal; in which he finally gets to understand Merlin, and this time REALLY know Merlin, and as the barriers of what held them back from understanding each other truly fall away, Arthur evidently “falls in love with Merlin all over again”. We see him actually express himself to Merlin.

This is another reason why I think if anyone was ever to create another season of Merlin after Arthur’s return, it’s physically impossible not to make it about Merlin and Arthur acknowledging their feelings for each other. Because there is no way forward without them acknowledging how deeply they care for each other, obviously anyone is free to argue what kind of love that is, but its impossible not to see the deep love there either way.

They always knew they loved each other, just maybe never realising how much and what that means, because its almost second nature to everything that they do.

[whetstonefires]

Underrated element of where Jiang Cheng is re: wwx after everything is that they always had a sort of dual relationship. Two different relationship premises, superimposed on one another.

There's the one where they grew up together, as close as brothers, beating each other up and complaining and being one another's closest companions, sharing a bedroom as kids and eating at the same family dinner table, actively encouraged by Jiang Fengmian to interact as equals.

And then there's the one where Wei Wuxian was in service to Jiang Cheng's family. Not as a servant--Jiang Fengmian absolutely refused to do that, even if he couldn't adopt him. But as a disciple of Jiang Cheng's father and recipient of his charity, as Jiang Cheng's future right hand and most trusted subordinate.

It's a vertical relationship, intimate in its own way but with very strict expectations about what obligations flow in what directions; they are not identical and reciprocal as between friends and equals.

(It's my opinion that Jiang Fengmian's core deal was a deep-seated discontent with the hierarchies he was at the top of, without access to any way to actually deconstruct them or even coherently articulate his opposition. Wei Changze was his dear friend, and no one thinks that's a good enough reason for him to treat Wei Changze's son like his own, because Wei Changze was also his servant, and you can't make that circle square. That's not a way you're allowed to love.)

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were like brothers; Wei Wuxian served Jiang Cheng.

The personal relationship was always the most important one. To them, in their hearts. But it was the other one that was real, that had weight in the world.

And it's important to understand that neither can be held up as more factual than the other, even though they conflict. Both relationships existed, and had power.

So then when Jiang Cheng chose to hate Wei Wuxian and articulate his grudge against him, he chose to do it in the language of fealty. Because as far as he knew, his case there was secure, watertight, and it wouldn't expose him emotionally or politically.

And those are the terms in which he's been condemning him all this time: for abandoning the Sect, for ingratitude, for lack of loyalty.

For fuckups, too, and poor judgment, but some of that now turns out to have been justified and some of it was mostly the fault of enemies behaving badly, or even Jiang Cheng himself allowing himself to be pushed into making unworthy choices.

And it was all for his sake.

The thing, the thing in my opinion, about what Wei Wuxian did, about the core transfer and his silent self-destruction around keeping it secret, is that that is a hideous thing to have done between two people who love each other, as an act of love. Beautiful, but awful. As the man who was like a brother to him, Jiang Cheng has a great deal of standing to object to it.

But as an act of vassalage, it's basically perfect.

If Wei Wuxian were only what he formally was to Jiang Cheng, if he is interpreted through a lens of fealty and obligation, he did exactly what he should have done, and went beyond what duty actually required. And went to his death silently, allowing himself to be judged, taking all the burden on himself rather than let harm come to his lord.

Like, obviously Jiang Cheng was harmed by the part where Jin Zixuan got manslaughtered and Jiang Yanli walked into the line of fire in situations where Wei Wuxian was resorting to violence and probably shouldn't have, but those are one step removed from the core issue. In terms of Wei Wuxian's intentional choices around Jiang Cheng himself, at the times he was feeling betrayed and abandoned Wei Wuxian was in fact being impossibly, poetically loyal, an absolute cliche about it.

But only in terms of the hierarchical form of their relationship.

Which means that even though Jiang Cheng has a lot of reasons to still be mad at Wei Wuxian, his actual complaints that he's centered for thirteen years are basically wiped out by the revelation of Wei Wuxian's sacrifice.

Wei Wuxian was in fact doing the tragic hero loyal vassal thing, which very much includes being misunderstood and slandered by the world. (Chenqing as a name choice absolutely references this expectation, and the idea that Jiang Cheng specifically will never understand that Wei Wuxian was trying to help him first and foremost all along; he is not subtle.)

The debts Jiang Cheng has been spitefully calling in and considering defaulted were already long paid.

So if at this point Jiang Cheng keeps pursuing that same line of rhetorical attack, now that he knows, he'll be putting himself morally in the wrong, and he knows it. But if he pivots to something else, he'll both be signalling the shape of that secret to the entire world and looking like a prize idiot.

Which is already how he feels.

To actually address the remaining grievances between them, which are considerable, would require releasing those safe, open grudges to Wei Wuxian's face and then reclaiming him as a loved one. Which is, one could fairly say, more than anyone could expect.

Which is why Wei Wuxian told him he didn't have to.

Which leaves Jiang Cheng at something of an impasse.

[clambuoyance]

[DC] doodled these two a lot this week

[lyculuscaelus]

Thinking about how Menelaus talked of his good old friend Odysseus in book 4 of the Odyssey

Thinking about how he would’ve offered Odysseus an Argive city and asked him to move in along with his wealth and his son and his people, how they would’ve met each other frequently, delighted in each other’s company, until death enfolded them both

Thinking about the possibility of him actually doing that after Odysseus’s return and Odysseus actually going there with his family and people. Once again Penelope would return to her homeland for a visit though oftentimes she would just chill with Helen, and Telemachus would be able to visit Pylos once in a while, and Odysseus would be thrilled to meet up with all the friends he had made during the war, Menelaus, Nestor, and especially…Diomedes. Yes, Diomedes—but as he found out his dear friend was no longer in Argos. Now what would happen if Odysseus went on another journey to seek him out, maybe taking Telemachus along perhaps Peisistratus too— (Diomedes’s exile probably didn’t happen in the Epic Cycle but nevertheless…) Anyways everybody reunites with their friends and they all happily live ever after—

I need to see this so bad.

[laundrybiscuits]

Note: this is not a Stancy story.

“Say it,” he bites out. He’s pushing too hard, being too mean, and he doesn’t fucking care. “Say you love me.”

Nancy’s eyes slide off to the side and she—she laughs, like he’s making a joke, but he can see in the way she’s got her arms wrapped around herself that they both know it’s not a joke.

“Steve, come on,” she says.

There’s a hot, buzzing feeling in him like a hurricane.

The words peel out of him: “But…we’re soulmates.”

He’s gripping his forearm, holding it out in front of him even though he’s wearing long sleeves. It doesn’t matter. They both know whose name is written there in careful, neat cursive, like a puzzle piece slotting next to the blockier name scrawled on Nancy’s wrist. 

Nancy reaches out to push his arm down and out of the way, out of her eyeline, but she laces her fingers with his like she’s trying to calm him down. Like an apology.

“Steve,” she says. “Let’s just—can we focus on the important stuff, here?”

This is important, why don’t you think that nothing could be more important than this. Steve doesn’t say it because he’s trying to be better. He can be better for her, for Nancy, his soulmate. So he swallows it down and nods, gripping her slender fingers tight in his. 

———

It takes him a while, but he figures it out. It’s fate. It’s gotta be. It’s all a big part of their story, the one they’re gonna tell at their wedding, about the time they broke up and made bad decisions and were really unhappy. When you find your soulmate early, sometimes you have some growing up to do, he’ll say. Or maybe Robin will say it. He can’t imagine a wedding where Robin’s not his best man. Best lady?

It’s so stupid, but there was a moment, back in ‘85, when he thought maybe Robin could be his true soulmate. Like maybe there was some giant cosmic error, and the smart, funny, beautiful girl he’d been overlooking all summer was really the one he was meant to end up with after all. 

When she tells him about Tammy Thompson, it’s almost a relief. The universe isn’t wrong after all. He actually feels really sorry for Robin, because without a name on her arm, how’s she supposed to know who to pick? And with the gay thing—it’s gotta be tough even just knowing who’s an option. He doesn’t think he could handle that kind of uncertainty. 

It’s a good thing he doesn’t have to. All he’s got to do is hang on until his story and Nancy’s story bend together again, and become their story. He thinks it’s kind of romantic, even: like he’s been given this time to learn to be a better boyfriend. 

So he’s in good spirits, especially when Eddie Munson gives him a heavy look that shoots through his veins like lightning and says as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen. If even Eddie can see it after spending about five minutes around them, probably not even knowing about the soulmate thing, it must be true. 

———

Afterwards, he finds himself unexpectedly alone with Nancy in the hospital, waiting their turn to see Max and Eddie. It’s not exactly the stuff of fairytales; even though they’ve had a chance to go home and shower and get some sleep, they both have Upside Down gunk caked into their fingernails and purpling shadows under their eyes. The fluorescent lights overhead are way too bright. The flimsy plastic chairs are digging uncomfortably into his thighs. 

But he’s not gonna get a better opening than this quiet moment, with Nancy slumped against his arm, tired and lovely.

“Hey, are you—” He clears his throat and tries again. “Hey, Nancy. Did you…think about, uh, what I said? About…you know. The future?”

She goes tense.

“Yes, Steve. I did.”

Maybe something in her tone should be warning him off, but he’s on this road now, careening down the fast lane with no exits in sight. 

“And? What did you think?”

Nancy takes a deep breath, then lets it out after a second in a heavy sigh. “Steve, I…I’m with Jonathan now. You know that.”

“Yeah, but that’s—I mean, you know it’s not the same.”

“No.” She slips a thumb under the cuff of her sweatshirt and rubs it over her wrist. It looks like something she doesn’t even know she’s doing. “It’s not the same, no. It’s…Steve, it’s better. This way is better.”

He ducks down, tries to meet her eye. “Nance, I know I was kind of a shitty boyfriend, but—things are different now, right?”

Finally, she turns to him. Her back straightens, shoulders square, like she’s bracing herself. 

“Yes, things are different,” she says slowly. She reaches out to take his hand in both of hers, soothing. “This hasn’t changed for me, though. It’s not about—I just can’t be with you, Steve. Not like that. I’m sorry.”

He doesn’t say but we’re soulmates again like a child, but it lives in his throat, in the thump of his heart. Maybe she just needs more time.

Maybe not, though.

(ETA: continuation here!)

[skrunksthatwunk]

this could be kuwameshi if you guys would like. take my hand and trust me

[unordinaries]

presented without comment

(chapters 280 + 344)

[thret-rhett]

Adam, Eve, and Lilith. they’re my ocs now more lore in tags

[postmanlinksbootyshorts]

Tag game: pick 4 characters you love and then ask your friends to tell you which one reminds them most of you.

ty for the tag @thesentdowngirl 🖤

tagging: the girl reading this <3

[emocatkeith]

day 598 of thinking that a bloodborne/dark souls-esque dark crystal game would go hard as fuck

[slverblood]

I haven’t even started the pt but I’m getting attached to this bhaalspawn. Might make then an NPC on here

[bwaldorf]

also alicole's self-flagellation as foreplay (born out of their guilt & seeing their own desire as sinful) was such a crazy fun concept i ate it up sorryyyyy 🫣

[deus-ex-mona]

rage is a ✨way of life✨

[frostise]

7 + 16

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄   ┇   accepting ♡

7. Would your muse ever get married?

omfg this is a hard question! uhm...i think louise has thought about marriage at random times of the day but it's not a top priority right now because prioritizing her vengeance against firestorm will always be her ultimate life's goal (as depressing as that realisation is). but of course, louise has other important things to do in her spare time then try to kill him because there are a bunch of his other villains trying to end his career too. mostly her life involves T.A.B since she works for them on a daily basis until death arrives at her doorstep.

however, i do imagine it starts to get pretty lonely entering her various penthouses with nobody to greet her and it would explain why she's super close to criminals or monsters she befriended over the years and hangs out with them frequently just to fill the emptiness she's been feeling ever since crystal's death. louise's pride wouldn't admit it but she's actually lonely in the love life department because of her abandonment issues plays up in most of the relationships she's been in the past. there's never a moment where she thinks a long-term relationship will result in a marriage. it has always been casual relationships frost was familiar with over the years.

so personally speaking—i don't think she's ready for marriage. at least not until firestorm is eliminated. the concept of marriage does sound rather enticing, serene, a happily ever after if you will. well...that's if she was still young and carefree. i do think there's a alternative version of louise who never lost crystal. she would've actually considered marrying her on the spot but unfortunately crystal never felt the same way about her, so louise would never marry anyone who never really saw how monstrous she can get and accepted that nature with open arms.

in other verses where firestorm is dead, she will stop obsessing over him and refocus on working on her second goal which is to be happy even if it's without crystal and her own family. this will eventually lead to marriage at some point with someone she deems worthy of her time and trust. my current version of kf is just a conflicted mess of emotions and riddled with major abandoned, trust and commitment issues she's still trying to resolve even though it's a slow, arduous process to cope with. this doesn't mean she'll cheat! she just has doubts and paranoia about her partner leaving the marriage if they show a single hint of rejection.

16. Does your muse believe in soulmates?

that actually reminds me of her canon quote: "in a world where aliens can fly and regular men stand up to the gods. what are the rules of physics? is it now so tough to imagine them bending...to imagine them breaking?"

from louise's perspective, anything is possible in a world full of gods, monsters, magical gateways and metahumans cosplaying as hero/villain amongst the multiverse. she would believe there are soulmates out there somewhere in the world but she personally never experienced 'meeting the one' and even if it was a real thing? louise would rebel against fate. she would prefer to meet someone on her own accord, not follow a red string blindly just because the all mighty 'god' of whatever chose to seal their fates. plus, gaining 'true love' for a mere stranger is very unsettling as you can imagine lmfao. louise would want to actually know the person first! she hates it when people rush a relationship!