#someday they may see

[1introvertedsage]

People don’t realize how their own ill intent towards another increases poor outcomes in their life.

Moving with a pure heart and pure intentions will protect you from so much negativity.

[aherosoup]

PRINXIETY!!!!! anyone else agree?

[tategaminu]

rayla likes to whisper absolutely FILTHY jokes into callum's ear in public/professional settings to make him flustered. that little shit <3

I fee like Callum would go thru the worst most embarrassing moment of his life but also get really turned on, Rayla lil shite of the year

[mediaforanya]

fabian post shrimp party with his trashed house, comically large shrimp and milk

[yunamiudon]

Modern AU! Codywan👮‍♂️

I stole this design from my drawing last year lol

↑I drew this AU again...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27588466/chapters/67488583

I haven't decided what Cody does for a living in this fic, but I'm starting to think Detective Cody might be a good idea... 🤔

[coffeeghoulie]

Mushy May Day 12: First Time

Dew's entrusted with Aeon's first time Up Top.

Thank you to @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together, and to @ghuleh-recs for the divider <3

Contains t4t ghouls, discussion of boundaries, a little miscommunication that is quickly resolved, but no actual smut because this got long and it was very late lol

"I'm not him, you know," Aeon says tentatively, pulling away from the barrage of kisses, even as Dew keeps backing them against the wall of their hotel room. They're somewhere they've never been before, somewhere in the middle of the United States that they can't really remember the name of. "I don't know if I want it if this is just because he's not here."

"Voidling," Dew freezes, hands caging Aeon in. Something in his hungry expression cracks, softens, and Aeon stares with wide, nervous eyes as Dew brings a hand in, running his knobby knuckles over Aeon's cheek in a sort of caress. His brow furrows. "Did you think I wanted you because Aether's back at the Abbey?"

Aeon shrinks back as much as they can. It isn't a lot, their spine already pressed to the tacky hotel wallpaper. They can't meet Dew's eyes. The silence is enough of an answer. Dew hums, and Aeon squeezes their eyes shut. They bite at their already kiss-swollen bottom lip.

"Voidling, look at me," Dew says in a tone that Aeon's never heard from the fire ghoul before. It's shockingly soft, and it's enough of a jolt to their system that they glance up, mismatched eyes meeting copper. He sighs, and Aeon tenses up as he keeps touching their cheek. "I want this because it's you. Blow off some steam, yes, but because I wanted to do this with you. If you don't, if you think you're obligated to keep going, tell me to fuck right off, okay?"

Aeon blinks, a little shellshocked. They had played it up at the Ritual a few hours earlier, falling to their knees at Dew's feet and bending back so far their helmet had brushed against the stage.

Dew had stalked up to them after bows, spindly fingers around the back of their neck burning like a brand, whispering in a low, dark tone that they'd be rooming with him tonight. It had sent a spark of something hot down their spine. And when they had gotten to the hotel, and the door had barely latched behind them before Dew was pouncing, kissing them like he meant to devour?

It hadn't been a spark. More like a bonfire.

They've tried to make up for their inexperience with enthusiasm, pretending like they haven't been staring at him since the moment they arrived Up Top a few months ago.

"Voidling?" Dew asks, an undercurrent of worry filtering into his voice. "Hey, Aeon, you alright?"

Aeon shakes their head, not as a no but to clear their head. "'M okay," they say, trying their best to maintain eye contact.

"What's goin' on in there, Aeon?" Dew asks, hand still on their cheek. "Let me in."

"I want this, I do, I'm just-" They sputter, tongue too big in their mouth, unyieldy.

"Easy. Take a breath. 'M not gonna bite. Not unless you ask."

Aeon obeys, chest heaving as they inhale hard. "I haven't done this Up Top yet, not in a vessel. I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Oh," Dew's hands move down from their face, curling softly around their biceps. "That's okay. I'd be honored, voidling, that is, if you're sure you want it to be me. I haven't exactly been, ugh, the nicest to you."

Aeon flushes a dark violet, making silver freckles stand out on their cheeks. Their mismatched eyes go wide, hair falling over their forehead with how violently they nod. "Please, really want it to be you."

Dew smiles, something softer than Aeon's ever seen on the fire ghoul's face, and he reaches up to push a few strands back. The lamplight softens his sharp features, and he cocks his head. "Let me treat you right, voidling."

Aeon nods again, and Dew draws them into another kiss. This is like nothing Aeon's ever experienced, leagues of difference between this and the kisses from before, the ones that felt like Dew was trying to consume them whole. This feels almost reverent, the way Dew's lips move against theirs, the way he cups their cheek like they're something to be cherished. They don't know what to do with their hands, brushing over Dew's hair, down his arms.

They kiss like that until Aeon's dizzy with it, pulling back to pant desperately. There's a warmth blooming deep in their gut, knees shaking. Dew laughs, not unkind, and begins to herd him towards one of the queen beds. Their eyes go wide as the backs of their calves bump against the mattress, collapsing back onto the bed.

"Again, voidling, if you don't like any of this, tell me to fuck off. Those words. Okay?" Dew looks more serious than he has the entire time, a small furrow between his brows that Aeon has the impulse to kiss away.

"If I don't like it, I'll tell you to fuck off," they repeat, nodding. Dew's lips quirk up in a smirk, and it sends a bolt of heat down Aeon's spine, tail flicking as they prop themself up on their elbows.

"Good boy," he purrs, crowding closer before pausing. "'Boy' a good word for you?"

Aeon chews on their bottom lip, the pupil of their good eye probably dilated to the size of a quarter. "Very much so," they breathe.

Dew nods curtly, visibly filing that information away in his brain. "Let's get you stripped down, want to see what you're hiding under those hoodies, voidling."

Aeon obeys, tugging the hoodie up over their head. "You've seen me changing, though," they say, struggling not to tangle the hoodie in their horns with how eager they are to get rid of it. "We share dressing rooms."

Dew leans in, a glint in his copper eyes. "Yeah, but I've never looked. Let me see."

Aeon swallows hard, tossing the hoodie at the corner of the room, blush spilling down their chest as they feel more than see Dew's eyes on them.

"Pretty," Dew hums, gaze raking over the swell of Aeon's chest. The chill of the air conditioning makes their nipples pebble, a pretty lavender against the rest of their skin, and they fight the urge to cover themself with their arms.

Dew notices, because of course he does, ever perceptive, and tugs his own hoodie off, revealing skin covered in silvery scars, matching sets along his ribcage and two much more prominent ones underneath his pecs. Aeon swallows the saliva pooling on their tongue, staring unashamedly. "That's better, right?" Dew laughs, pressing closer until Aeon can feel his body heat radiating off of him.

"Yeah," Aeon says, chest heaving and all they've done is kiss. "Dew, please." It's not something that they meant to say, but it slips past their lips on a whine.

Dew absolutely lights up at the sound. "What, voidling? What are you begging all pretty for?"

Aeon tries to turn their head away, but then Dew's fingers are on their chin, gently making them keep eye contact. "Please fuck me?"

Dew leans in, pressing a soft kiss at the corner of Aeon's mouth. "Of course, voidling. I'm going to take such good care of you, I promise."

[strangeweirdgirl]

Thinking about how pb&j sandwich and koolaid aren't even Luke's favourite. It's just what's easier to make and less dangerous. He does not want his unstable mom in the kitchen making full course meals with knifes and oven and fire. She can turn anytime and he's terrified of her hurting him or hurting herself.

And cookies. May made them once when she was in a somewhat better condition (they were still kinda burned) but Luke loved them but oh does he regret showing that. Now all May wants to do is bake him cookies. She wants to make the dough from scratch, go out to buy the ingredients and worse cookies means working with the oven. Cookies mean a potential to burn herself or something down. Especially since it seems to be registered in May's mind that Luke likes burnt cookies and so she's cooking them overtime. And Luke's terrified of it. He's terrified his mom might burn herself turning on the oven. He's terrified his mom will forget them in the oven and a fire would start. Along with her unstableness, the smoke, the weird voice telling him his horrible future, now he has to worry about her accidently hurting them making him cookies. And he hates it. He tries to reverse his reaction, to say to her he hates them, to do anything to make her forget he likes them. But all May remembers how happy her son looked when he saw the plate of cookies on the table. And that's enough for her to cook them again and again. Nothing he say register in her, all she remembers is baby Luke's huge smile and how fast he finished the plate and so she convinced herself it's his favourite and she will make it again and again.

[dontyoulistentome]

Today years old when I realised Alecto liked Harrow's face so much because she resembles her ancestor, Anastasia.

[petitincendie]

also i really appreciate the fandom has kind of absorbed the idea that pre-reanimation, the creature can hear and maybe feel but not see, like he’s in some sort of limbo

[midnight-mourning]

MUHAHAHAHA Trick or Treat me!!! I accept all!!!

Oh! What a great costume!! looks familiar somehow… wonder why

Anywho,

Trick!

Have this sketchy thing I made based off my promptober day 21 post

And also this assortment of plastic spiders, do with them as you see fit

[ehh-is-the-name]

Watching ii-17 right before bed was a mistake

So gang I'm crying.

You know the drill, bad spoilers under the cut.

Im gonna try to go in order..? Maybe I don't know. I'm so serious when I say I've lost the will to live. They pulled the plug and it's all gone. Show's over.

I'll try to relight my inner flame and have more energy as I go through the ep piece by piece, but please understand I am literally crying while I write all this.

Starting strong

Knife just doing what we wish we could </3

This is gonna be Cobs and Mephone centric- ok. You already know I'm a Meeple head and this actually is gonna torment me forever and ever and things are never going to be ok ever again, I can't belive this is actually the end guys I'm spiralling hel-

Did I ever say how much I hate this cob of corn?

I don't even have the energy to explain the parallels here, if you've been watching you get it. You know how this corn shucker is. The "Don't talk to them like that" being a response 'cause that's how he's always been talked down to.... the generational abuse did stop at this ep I guess. Not how we wanted tho.

Actually heartbreaking- like that whole thing. I'm glad he got out of the closet and tried to help but... I'm so sorry y'all all I see is the grass field with him sitting in it and I can;t stop thinking about it. He can't go back. He can't- It's supposed to get better for him. things are supposed ot be ok. they were all supposed to be fine I don't know why it's like this I cna't belive this is how it's ending. I know there might be more but also the possibility there;s not is overwhelming I don't i cant-

IS THE PHENOMES A SLUR FOR THE SHIMMERS???

I got into convo with a friend over this, but think about it. Cobs is literally known as their oppressor, and "the phenomes" is "what he always calls them", even though they so clearly go by the shimmers, and he DEFINITELY knows that by now.

Same friend I was arguing with was telling me that:

The word “phenom” means something/someone with a really talented skill. Perhaps this slur means something like real useful tool or something

Which, if their name to Cobs is specifically about being a tool of his then... idk man. Sounds kinda derogatory to me! Though I think anything this cob of corn says sounds derogatory to me. I keep trying to not just be a cob hater, but guys I think I'm a little justified in blind hatred now. I mean come on-

He litterally does this, and then practically begs Mephone to scream and cry and explode and-

Like is that not evil behaviour? Is that not behaviour justifying this reaction?

When I say this show makes me crazy- AOUGHGh.

On a different note before I get into the ending. I was telling this friend that like... just look at this frame

Like he actually looks insane. Like think about it y'all. Years poured into this and he's laughing to himself as he tries to make two "fake" people fight to the death. His glasses are broken, he's up on some abraham lincoln ass booth watching this all go down with a crazed smile. This man has gone inanimate insane. Inanimate insanity has made this man insane.

.

...

.

I would also like to say before I get into the next part, I have such a visceral reaction to this because mephone is was my hope (cringe and sad I know), but quite literally me but with mephone himself

He gave me hope for a future but I fucking guess not </3

The fear in Mephone's eyes as Cobs just so plainly says to come along, like everything wasn't just shattered.

I've seen people say it's like a kid being told to pack it up and start heading home, but it's more than that. God. Please tell me you see it's more than that. This guy ran away from a terrible situation, tried to cope with the trauma (not in a healthy way but still tried) and his abuser's bringing him right back home.

Just... Just look at him in the gif, that's not just "some kid being sad" there's more to that. This whole interaction solidifies the fact there's nowhere safe for him. Even in the world he made, nothing- Nothing could stop his abuser from reaching him. He couldn't run far enough, he couldn't hide well enough. He just has to accept his fate. He has to go "home", even though his was destroyed.

I don't know how to stay hopeful after this episode, but I'll try to stay alive just for the chance of an act 3 or epilogue or something. It's 4 am as I type this. I started this ep at 12:30 am. This show has proved to be the reigning champion of my mental spiralling. I beg this phone can leave but.... you know how it is-

and ironically enough the ad that I got on this episode...

Anyway,

Closing thoughts: Can't believe Adam, Justin, and Brian are fake, and homophobic for killing off most of the bright light polycule. I mean, that's just classic bury your gays trope right there and smh. Thought they'd do better. Gonna go fall off a waterfall Airy-style since we just can't help having hfjone parallels now. Night, everyone.

[lavleyart]

[nosebleed-inglishera]

What if the reason N!Nightmare is so closed off is because he is afraid of hurting people he could potentially be close to so he pushes people away by being super guarded and generally unfriendly.

Who knows really? :]

Atleast 2 and 1/2 of your words are correct in your analysis

But i do love your other words tho!

[nightmun]

Couple small drawings of Ian and Ada in my normal style

[sysig]

Time Loops are they/them culture (Patreon)

Bonus of my little guy in ISaT style:

[ziracona]

I thought the ending to The Untamed was perfect.

I knew it would be different from the book, because of censorship. And I thought they couldn’t have done a better job.

You’ve got this story about a broken society with prejudices of class and sex and background, and how the way things are, you can’t be truly happy within the system. In the book, Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan leave the system together to get married, because they can’t stay within the cultivation world and be gay and live the same, and find happiness outside it. In the book, you get this lifetime of pining from Lan Zhan, and slow realization from Wei Wuxian, and a bond that goes through and overcomes death itself. And in the show, they give you as much of that as they can too. They have to make it subtext, but boy does every single actor hit that gay shit hard. Every single reaction shot to Wang Yibo is him carrying the gay subtext on his back like Atlas.

It’s absolutely still a love story about two men. One who fights to keep the other alive, and fails, then fights not to lose him again when gifted a miracle. The other, trying to do the right thing and being punished and demonized every step of the way, because right doesn’t coincide with ‘accepted.’ It’s often directly opposed.

But they aren’t allowed to make it canon. So they follow that thread. They can be in love, if they don’t say it. They can have the intense feelings, if an audience can pretend they’re friends. But they can’t get together. So they don’t. They go ‘if they can’t, then what happens?’ and they don’t give you the emotional out of letting them go off together as ‘friends’ so the audience can be happy, because that’s not a reading of the relationship. They aren’t friends; they’re in love. Because he’s not openly gay, Lan Zhan can be asked to run his sect, which means he has to stay. If he can’t choose to go with Wei Wuxian and run away, then Wei Wuxian is forced to return to his fate and be alone. It’s heartbreaking. But it’s supposed to be.

Denying an audience what they want is one of the most powerful tools media has. A whole story about fighting the entire world for a man you love as another man, 50 episodes, and then you don’t get to be happy together, because it’s being shown to a world that won’t allow that end.

Wei Wuxian is heartbroken. They go to part ways, and he tells Lan Zhan next time they meet, he better have a name for the song he wrote them. A song that has always been called Wangxian, or Wuji. A song that is literally the ship name, their names combined. Both in world and metatextully, he’s telling him to make a choice.

And they leave, and Wei Wuxian starts playing Wangxian on the flute. They’ve parted, and Lan Zhan stops because he can hear the song that’s literally written by him about loving Wei Wuxian and named after their ship, being played after him as a call of the life they could still choose to have. The call to run away together.

And it’s called not The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, but The Untamed, after that quote. “At best, you’re the untamed hero; At worst, you offend people wherever you go.” - “Wei Wu Xian! Don’t you understand? When you’re standing on their side, you’re the bizarre genius, the miraculous hero, the force of the rebellion, the flower that blooms alone. But the second your voice differs from theirs, you’ve lost your mind, you’ve ignored morality, you’ve walked the crooked path.”

Because that’s what it’s about. It’s about the disconnect from society and right. Again and again. The way people are treated for their birth, their love, their affiliation. The fate of the Wen remnants who didn’t fight, Jin Guangyao’s entire reason for being there, all the broken relationships and tension, even the very reasons people hate Wei Wuxian and kill him the first time. And in the show, allowed to exist for the book’s overwhelming popularity and success, but not allowed the freedom of the book—only allowed in the closet, it seven more about that in regards to the core romance itself. It’s a deep, beautiful gay romance, not allowed to show a gay romance to their audience.

And so they lean into that. You can’t have ‘MDZS without the gay romance.’ It doesn’t exist. It wouldn’t be the same story. It’s a story about, and in every step and nuance, only possible because of, the romantic and sexual feelings of deep connection between two men. So the story is MDZS with the love, but you can’t show it. You can’t let it out of the shadows. You can’t let it be seen. And you can’t have the happy ending MDZS earns, without the freedom to love each other and live the life they want together, that makes it possible. — They can’t have them get married, so they make you see what a world where being gay and together isn’t allowed looks like for those characters, because that’s what this story is being forced by censorship to be. And it fucking sucks. It hurts. It’s agony and disappointment, after all this, that death can’t beat you but the world can.

But they have him call out to Lan Zhan to reconsider. To choose Wangxian over the end they have to have. And he does. And you see Wei Wuxian look overjoyed that he heard Wangxian and answered. But they never show the reverse shot. We hear Lan Zhan, but we can’t see him, because it’s not allowed. It’s censored. They literally don’t ‘show us’ him changing his mind, because they’re not allowed to, and they make a point of that. It cuts immediately to “We thank the author Mo Xiang Tang Xiu for bringing these characters to life.”

We thank the author for letting them truly live.

“May their wishes in the future come true.” May the system change. May the last frame be allowed.