#this turned out so long

[rodolfoparras]

Thinking about how Soap would never outright confess to you.

He likes you and he knows (hopes) you like him too. He’s funny, charming and handsome. What’s there not to like? (everything according to Gaz but he has no say in this) However, you two have yet to confess your feelings to each other, and truth be told Soap expects you to bite the bullet first.

The bullet must be thick as shit because woho boy is this taking too long for his liking.

So rather than doing the logical thing which is talking to you about it, he instead conjures up the great plan to make you jealous. He’s never seen you jealous before so he doesn’t know if this will work but he’s also never tried to make you jealous before. What could go wrong? (Everything if you ask Gaz but Soap has made it his mission to ignore the man)

He squishes down any doubts he might have a sets this great plan into motion.

However he quickly learns this plan is doomed to fail and Gaz has to bite his tongue so that the words “I told you so” don’t slip past his lips.

At one point he’s on the verge of ripping his Mohawk out because why aren’t you paying attention while he’s getting chummy with another soldier (sure you have to make sure the recruits you’re responsible for don’t shoot someone’s head off but still!) and why do you barley react when he mentions the name of someone back home (sure he may be talking about his pets or intimate objects here but you don’t know that) and why are you comfy with people feeling all upon him (sure they’re medevacs and he’s injured but hey how can you be so calm with their hands on his chest?)

But weeks pass and nothing has really happened. He’s starting to have his doubts and they only grow when you’re one day sitting with 141 in the mess hall and out of nowhere mention this one friend from back home. You had received a package from them and there’s no hiding how ecstatic you are about it. On top of that most of the conversation is about this friend and the fond memories you have with them.

Soap is quiet, unusually quiet; head in his hands and playing around with the food on his table (more than usual). Gaz nudges him subtly and gives him a look as if asking if he’s okay. Soap just shrugs in response and goes back to playing with what he thinks (hopes) is meatloaf.

You do notice he seems a bit off though especially when you’re going back to your rooms but when you try to talk to him about it he just shrugs you off and shuts the door in your face. You just chalk it up to him having a bad day and decide to give him space. But the bad day doesn’t last for 24 hours, instead it lasts for a whole week.

People think you look like two dejected puppies walking around on base but for some reason you refuse to talk to each other?

One more longing look from the two of you and Gaz is smashing his face in so he decides it’s time to step in, corners the both of you, shoves you into some storage room until you have resolved your issues.

There’s no use arguing, Gaz won’t let you out til you have resolved this so you decide your only option is to talk.

“So…”

“Soo..” he parrots back to you.

“How have you been?”

“Good” he says, while rocking back and forth on his heels.

“That’s good” is all you manage to conjure up in reply. You don’t know what else to say and he doesn’t look like he wants to talk anyway but all of a sudden you hear him say

“So how’s your friend?” He’s not meeting your gaze and you fear that if he keeps up with his rocking motion he’ll tumble over. “My what?” You say confusion dripping from your tone but your hand has subconsciously found its way to his shoulder in hopes of preventing the fall that’s bound to happen.

He stops his rocking motion, gaze falling to the floor and this time he speaks in a much lower tone “the one that sent you the package”

“Oh! Good..? Why-“

“Do you like them?”

You momentarily blink at him before you find the words to respond “w-what?”

“It just seems like you like them -“

“What? No! I like you!”

“What?” Now it’s his turn to be surprised, not only that but he almost falls back and you quickly grab onto his waste to hold him in place.

“I thought it was clear ?”

“Well you- you never got jealous when I talked about someone else or when I hung out with that one soldier or- “

You’re silent as you think back at all those moment that you had brushed off as friendly interactions and innocent mentions.

“Well I didn’t see why I should be jealous when I know I’m the one you like” you say, plain and simple.

He’s blushing, absolutely burning head to toe and he thanks everything under the sun for the weak bulb light because he probably looks like a tomato “o-oh alright”

His hands subconsciously raise to cover his face but before he can do so you grab onto them. Although you chuckle at his shy reaction you cant help but melt while looking at him. He looks up at you under those long lashes, cheeks flushed and eyes glimmering and you think that he just looks so pretty. “Can I kiss you?” You ask him. He has the mind to straight up rip out the light bulb because there’s no hiding how red he is. However all those thoughts dissipate when he sees the anticipating look on your face, the way your gaze shifts between his eyes and lips and the way you’re now standing a tad bit closer to him. “Sure “ he says, swallows hard before his lips meet your own.

“Thank fuck” you hear Gaz’s voice through the door. You even hear the celebratory sound of a fist hitting the door before he leaves the two of you alone.

“We’re still locked in..”

[mosneakers]

Hiiii not sure if asking anonymously counts but... I am shy. I am a lurker who came across your story and read from the beginning, (yes the whole thing) and I can't get enough. My question is- with Coraleye being Yellow's youngest child, is he protective over her at all? Also, how does he feel about all of the boyfriends she's had? I am curious about his opinion on them all. Thanks :))

omg I love this question! First of THANK YOU SO MUCH!! It warms my heart to hear you read the whole story, I know it's a lot. Sorry it took so long to respond, I wanted to do something fun with this😁

It is true that Coraleye is Yellow's youngest child and only daughter, and of course he's generally concerned for her well-being, Yellow also takes pride in being a very progressive parent and has definitely always strived to give Coraleye the tools she needed growing up to make thoughtful, well informed decisions when it comes to love.

With that being said, that doesn't mean Lo hasn't developed some strong opinions on some of the characters Coraleye has found herself entangled with over the years.

I tracked down everyone she's actually dated (not including just flings or love interests) so let's go over her history from Yellow's perspective!

Duane

Duane Talla was Coraleye's first boyfriend, and she was absolutely enamored with him right from the start. This made Yellow very wary, since they were only just teenagers at the time, and Coraleye was certain that Duane was her soulmate.

Yellow watched Coraleye experience her first heartbreak when the convoluted Shelbi story arc came into play. Duane, being so young at the time, didn't seem to know what he wanted, and this really messed with Coraleye's heart and strung her along. Yellow doesn't hold this against him anymore, though. Coraleye has forgiven him, and they were both just kids after all. Additionally, Duane seems to have settled down and matured quite a bit since marrying Shelbi. He and Coraleye still remain friends and Duane and his family are even considered family friends of the Darlings, especially to Frieda and Charm in Sulani who see Duane and Shelbi almost daily.

Lark

Lark McCloud was a classmate of Coraleye's, and while things were off during Coraleye and Duane's on-and-off-again romance, Lark offered a reliability that Coraleye took comfort in. Lark was Coraleye's first prom date, and while that was interrupted by Duane, the two shared an unforgettable experience, worthy of the sappiest of teenage rom-coms.

Yellow could also appreciate this relationship. Lark was a good kid, aside from skipping class now and again. Yellow couldn't deny he didn't really see Lark as someone Coraleye would go for, but maybe that's what she needed. They went on lots of adorable dates and finally made things official, but Lark reluctantly broke things off with Coraleye one night, after Coraleye introduced Lark to her beloved swarm of bees, which they later discover that Lark is deathly allergic to. Yellow agrees that this (the break up) was for the best. Lark was nice, but if it weren't for the bees it would most assuredly be something else. Lark's life seems to be too tame for Coraleye, and he didn't believe the two would be compatible for very long.

Maarvin

Coraleye was just beginning her magic journey, when she crossed paths with fellow spellcaster Maarvin Stonehart. He had a charming demeanor, a captivating smile, and a barely comprehensible Henford-on-Bagley accent that Coraleye found absolutely irresistible. They shared an intense attraction for one another and bonded over their pink-adjacent eyes and hair colors. Immersing themselves in the Realm, and one another, they dedicated most of their free time to training together, quickly becoming a teenage power-couple of sorts. Yellow never had the opportunity to meet Maarvin face to face, but he could already see many red flags emerging from the situation. Maarvin often attempted (unsuccessfully) to manipulate Coraleye or seek to exert dominance. He was highly competitive, and a sore loser to boot. Their relationship ended fairly quickly, but it didn't take long for Maarvin to enter and even longer and more toxic relationship with Coraleye's rather vulnerable cousin, Robin, which only just ended recently.

Morgyn

Ahh, Morgyn. Coraleye's relationship with Morgyn Ember was passionate, long, and turbulent to say the least. I'll try to keep it concise. Morgyn was Coraleye's first YA relationship. With Morgyn being the Sage of Untamed magic, as well as Coraleye's mentor, their relationship was forbidden and they vowed to keep it a secret. Yellow clocked this immediately and didn't care for Morgyn because of the power dynamic their relationship created. Despite the secrecy, Morgyn was devoted to Coraleye and treated her with love and respect as the relationship progressed. Yellow noted this, and even gave his blessing to marry his daughter, despite still harboring additional personal grievances. Morgyn and Coraleye experienced break ups, and make ups and Coraleye happily remained by Morgyn's side as they navigated their childhood trauma, a gender identity journey, the loss of Morgyn's mother, and the most impactful, Morgyn's own brutal death, haunting, and eventual resurrection through vampirism. Coraleye figured these things only made their love stronger. Unfortunately, Coraleye was proven wrong one New Year's Eve night when Morgyn betrayed Coraleye, by cheating on her with fellow vampire Caleb Vatore.

Coraleye continues to deal with trauma inflicted on her from this young relationship, but she strives every day to forgive Morgyn and put the past behind her. Yellow, however, will never forget the pain his daughter endured by getting involved with the Sage of Untamed Magic.

Tycho

Yellow absolutely loves Tycho. He sees so much of himself in him, both being incredibly clumsy guys and devoted partners. The Darlings have known Tycho for so many years now, dating back to when he befriended Sunglo in college. He's had his screw ups, but Yellow can see how happy he makes Coraleye, and he thinks they'd make a good forever pair. Yellow does recognize that Tycho unfortunately doesn't fit into the criteria for a valid co-heir to the Darling family legacy. However, Yellow strongly urges Coraleye to not let that stop her from finding her soulmate. The family has lived without magic before, and they could do it again. Yellow knows that the legacy is important to Coraleye and he can see her apprehension when it comes to taking things further with Tycho. He worries about that a lot, and hopes Coraleye makes the right decision.

Thank you again for this ask! Memory lane questions are always so fun. Anyone who made it through this whole post, let me know, I'm sending you flowers!

[wasabi-gumdrop]

local ladies man’s signature move totally useless against autistic monster enthusiast. more on Kabru’s fumble era at 6

[ciearcab]

gouache falin

[jacobglaser]

He's just an Angel... I know.

Good Omens (2019-)

[pangur-and-grim]

I updated the breeder on what's been happening, and she called Belphie out for being bald

[egophiliac]

crossing my fingers and wishing upon every star that chapter 10 finally brings us the tweel cards 🤞🤞

[fanaticalthings]

Bruce coming home one day to find Robin Jason clinging onto a chandelier with Dick below him cheering him on.

Bruce: Jason what are you doing?

Jason: Dick said that you missed his antics after he moved out and so he’s teaching me how to be a better son

Dick: After this we’re going to drive the Batmobile into the bay :D

Jason: We’re going to what? I mean yeah! Right into the water.

Jason trying to whisper to Dick: Dick I can’t swim though

This just further fuels the chaotic dynamic of Dick and Jason during a time where Dick was still going through his teenage angst and was absolutely not a benevolent role model LMAO

I mentioned it in this post, but it's just so funny to me to imagine a Jason who grew up with an absolutely WILD Dick Grayson as an older brother, while the younger batkids grew up with a more mellowed out and mature (arguable but when measured against the other kids, he wins by a landslide) Dick Grayson.

Robin!Jason era:

Dick: You wanna go out and get high?

Jason: I can't, I have homework.

Dick, sputtering: HOMEWORK?

----

Dick, about to do an elaborate (and totally not dangerous) acrobatic move in the manor: Watch this, littlewing

Jason: You shouldn't do that, it'll make Bruce upset.

Dick, on the brink of angry tears: Why are you like this.

----

Jason, dejected: Listen, I know you don't approve of me because you think I'm not good enough as Robin, but-

Dick: Not good enough as Robin? I don't care about that, I just think you're a little bitch

----

Dick taking Jason out on a hangout for the first time: OK, looks like I got my work cut out for me. Take out a notepad and write everything down. I will NOT have my successor embarrass me like this. So what you wanna do to piss off Bruce-

---

[Years later, Jason returning to Gotham with the fury of a thousand suns and the chaos to match it]: I'm gonna make your life a living HELL, Bruce

Dick, older and relatively more chilled out: Okayyyyy, maybe let's just– calm down a lil, haha, no need for the theatrics

Jason, betrayed, observing a Dick Grayson who is teaching his new younger siblings to behave and be mature: Dick, what the FUCK

-----

Present!Dick, mentoring Tim: Make sure not to be too impulsive, don't wanna raise Bruce's blood pressure

Red Hood!Jason spying on them from afar: Who even ARE you??

-----

Jason: So you teach me ALL of that, only to turn into the ONE thing you despised so greatly all those years ago

Dick, sweating: Well-

Jason: I'm ASHAMED. How can you be worthy of being called my PREDECESSOR?

[anna-scribbles]

and what if he was happy!!!

[bloominglegumes]

i love normal guys doomed by the narrative

[thecindercrow]

Nimona (2012-2014) and Nimona (2023)

[lilybug-02]

Pain is a great motivator…

Part 26 || First || Previous || Next

—Full Series—

Meanwhile Toriel:

(Loud noises don't wake her up usually.)

Artist note: I’m so proud of this :))) I know it’s a lot of dialogue and reading, but dialogue is grueling work for me. I’m glad with the art and for the amount of pages I made in such a relatively short time span -w- page 5 was super fun to work on. A lot of blood, sweat, and hours here... :) The backgrounds were a big bore tbh, but I finished them! Yippie!

[terracottakore]

doomed from the start 🏹

[these illustrations are inspired by @silverskye13's incredible writing -> 📝! everything about it is so special, and i just really wanted to draw something for it (^_^)]

[sunderwight]

SV fic where Luo Bingge discovers that Shen Jiu had a long-lost half-brother or something, and subsequently decides that he's going to infiltrate the minor sect which this "Shen Yuan" belongs to in order to get close to him and then indulge in revenge fantasy 2.0 when it inevitably turns out that Shen Yuan is like Shen Jiu (i.e. a horrible abusive scum teacher).

So Bingge uses some magical object or technique or other, makes himself look like a scrawny 12-14 year old, then puts himself in Shen Yuan's path in hopes of convincing the man to take him on as a disciple. The idea being that after Shen Yuan abuses him, Bingge will be justified in reenacting his Shen Qingqiu Revenge Arc again and maybe finally feeling some closure about the whole thing.

Yes, this is a very deranged plan. No, no one is going to tell the emperor of the three realms that. Bingge also wants it to be clear that this has nothing whatsoever to do with his recent escapade in an alternate universe, except that he was inspired to find Shen Jiu's relative as a consequence of that. But he's absolutely sure that this guy is going to turn out just as rotten as his brother, given the opportunity. That is definitely the only reason he is doing this!

Flash forward about four years. Bingge's retainers are begging on their knees for him to actually come back and do some administrative work. The harem is running itself at this point and they're all very terrified of the situation with Liu Mingyan and Sha Hualing (i.e. ruling with lesbian iron fists) and whatever the heck Ning Yingying is up to (no one is certain but it's something). The outer provinces are rebelling. Mobei Jun's somehow found another weird human surnamed Shang to cavort with, except this one is basically running admin for the entire northern kingdom now and no one's even sure if they're fucking or if it's some kind of mind control situation or what.

Bingge is annoyed. He doesn't have a good explanation for why a bunch of demon lords would be showing up on the doorstep of Tiny Cultivation Sect to beg him for anything. They're going to spoil his cover! And they're interrupting his schedule! It's already four o'clock and he hasn't started on Shizun's dinner yet! Shoo! Get lost!

Anyway, eventually some of his demon followers get desperate and dramatically kidnap him. Shen Yuan is horrified and grieved when it seems that his precious disciple, so like white lotus Luo Binghe from the novel, has been captured by demons. He tries to track the assailants down, but they've covered their tracks too well. In the end, there's only one path left to him to pursue: taking this matter to the protagonist!

Yes, the protagonist! Because the thing is, Shen Yuan noticed the similarities between his disciple and the book character he so admired. Not only that, but he did manage to glimpse Bingge one time from afar. It wasn't anywhere near to a real interaction, but it was enough for him to notice the strong resemblance between the protagonist and the mistreated little lamb who showed up at his doorstep. A resemblance for which there can only be one explanation:

Shen Yuan's disciple is one of Binghe's kids!

Yes, he had it figured out since fairly early on. Not only was there a resemblance, and not only were their dispositions quite similar, but also the boy showed a lot of signs of some demonic heritage. Shen Yuan was just working up to broaching the subject, partly because he had been trying to avoid any direct or even indirect interactions with the emperor, and partly because he... became somewhat reluctant to part ways with his student. Sue him! He got attached! And anyway, he knew how missing child plots usually went. There was probably someone in the harem who was out for his disciple's blood, and it wouldn't be safe to send him back into that mess until he was strong enough to look after himself.

But as is inevitable, the plot seems to have reclaimed Shen Yuan's student all on its own.

He just... needs to make sure that it isn't a tragic outcome. It seems it falls on him to make the emperor aware of his son's survival, and subsequent peril, and help launch a rescue!

Which also means approaching Luo Binghe in person, which he knows is very risky indeed, due to his connection to the infamous Shen Qingqiu! He'd been avoiding the protagonist at all costs for that exact reason.

But if it's his only hope of rescuing his disciple, he will simply have to take the risk, and hope that enough time has passed that Luo Binghe doesn't read too much into a shared surname and a passing resemblance. Or that restoring the emperor's long-lost son to him will be worth seem lenience for the crime of being connected to Shen Qingqiu. Maybe if he's lucky, he will even be allowed to continue visiting his disciple! (Ha, yeah right! More likely, Luo Binghe's going to take his head for hiding his own kid from him for so long!)

Anyway, cue Luo Bingge running around swapping between his Emperor and Disciple forms, dramatically trying to orchestrate a situation where he can fake the emperor's death and go back to the sect with Shizun as his disciple, or something, only for it all to blow up in his face because Shen Yuan keeps flinging himself between Bingge and potentially fatal threats that could plausibly kill him???

[baeshijima]

thoughts on being engaged to duke!sunday, the head of the oak family, an incredibly influential figurehead within society, the close subordinate of emperor gopher wood who brought him and his sister in and raised him like his own, and the villain who faces a tragic ending in a novel you recently finished — the very same one you just so happen to find yourself transmigrated into. he is as cunning as he is blinded, a trait which brought ruin to many in the empire, and one which ultimately brought ruin to himself at the hands of the protagonists.

as luck would have it, you became a barely mentioned side character from a marquis family, whose role was to be the villain's wife stuck in a one-sided love who, too, would get caught up in the tragedy alongside him. however, now that it's you who is stuck in this position, you're determined to try any means necessary to deter him from going down that path, all in an effort to escape your predestined doomed fate!

of course, you didn't expect it to be easy. the day of your arrival in this world was already the night before your wedding, so you had little time to prepare yourself for the nonchalance of your supposed family, how they viewed you as but a means — a tool — to boost their influence and prosperity, the dismissive mannerisms of the household servants, and the absolute beauty of a man you will be married to.

(seriously. the novel descriptions did not do him justice. he was like... like... like he was handcrafted by god himself! and not to mention his sister, robin, was the very epitome of an angel! perhaps you're destined to perish by the god-tier visuals instead...)

to say the least, the wedding ceremony went by quickly. safe to say you didn't spend the night; he was cordial and gentlemanly upon letting you know that he won't do anything until you're ready, that you can take this relationship slow, but somehow you ended up feeling a tad insulted. like, who leaves their newly wedded alone in a big cold bed as they walk out on their own? a sick bastard that's who!

well, whatever. it's not like you need nor want to consummate with him! besides, you have bigger things to worry about — things such as your impending death. and, of course, the only way to stop sunday that you can imagine working is by chipping away at his resolve bit by bit, and opening his eyes to reality.

he is a tragic character, one who cares more about the well-being of penacony and its people than anyone else, but was manipulated into getting his hands dirty in the emperor's stead. you knew this. you sobbed over his story, cursed out the protagonists, and even fought internet randos on novel forums about sunday's motivation and how,

no, he is not just a stupid villain. he is a complex character with flaws and humanity and was cruelly taken advantage of by someone he considered family. he was deceived through the suffering the emperor wanted him to see to make him easily manipulated, creating a rift between him and robin to have that prominent separation. you know what? maybe you're just a !%#@ who can't even #@?"% read properly!

and yet you still find yourself at a loss when faced with the walls he has in place. your initial efforts went as well as it possibly could have; you trying to earnestly help him, while he "kindly" dismisses your offers! well, "kindly" being more condescending since you could read between the lines of his mannerisms and amiable demeanour, but that's fine! you expected this! that just means you have to double down on your sincerity, get through to his heart (somehow), and help him realise humanity isn't as weak as he's led to believe!

you have three years until the novel's plot officially starts, and another year after that until your demise. that's plenty of time to get him to warm up to you!

it was easier said than done, but after your valiant effort and abundance of time put into this relationship, which admittedly you could do with some of that lost time back, you could give yourself a pat on the back with the progress you made! while you definitely could have done without a lot of the headaches, it's safe to say sunday has significantly warmed up to you in comparison to your wedding day. he now willingly eats all his meals with you with some real conversation, takes garden strolls with you in the early evenings, invites you out for dinner at a restaurant at least four times a week, hell he's even joked and laughed with you more frequently! but most importantly, he has begun asking for your opinion before finalising any decisions he is required to make. and he actually listens and considers your side! now, that certainly is the best outcome you could hope for after all this time, and it most definitely will help in your endeavour to save you both from the protagonists!

however, you've noticed he's been more... affectionate? well, at the very least he now willingly holds your hand when in private (not just in moments when you're in the public eye and he has to make sure the family's reputation is spotless), sometimes he will hug you out of the blue ("i just need to... recharge. you have a way of calming me down. i hope you don't mind." ...how could you say no to his supreme god-tier face card? that's just a losing battle you won't even bother fighting against.), oftentimes he opts to just gaze wordlessly at you (robin had mentioned over one of your tea times how it almost appears as though there is no one but you in the world when sunday gazes at you with, in her words, "the eyes of a man so deeply in love!" ...whatever that's supposed to mean...), but a more recent development has been his sudden interest in kissing you; well, more specifically giving you a kiss to the back of your hand or on your forehead — certainly not anywhere near the lips! (besides, he's probably just gotten comfortable with you, enough where he can freely act without judgement. nothing more, nothing less.)

well, either way, development is development! soon enough, the time for the main plot to start has arrived. it of course follows what you remember, from the organised balls to the protagonists meeting to the political aspects of it all. the only difference is sunday's less active involvement in all the schemes and the emperor's ploy. rather, he seems more focused on you and the future of your marriage and even displayed a sudden interest in your practically non-existent relationship with one of the foreign diplomats, aventurine— wait...

"[name]," he calls your name out so sweetly you nearly disregarded it as someone else he was talking to. well, perhaps you would have done had he not suddenly appeared before you, a tight-lipped smile tugging the corners of his lips as he steadily approaches you.

oh. he doesn't seem very happy, if his tense figure is anything to go by. you wonder if one of the nobles grated his nerves a little too much this time?

sunday comes to a halt a step away from you. "i don't like that... gambler being so close to you. it... it brings me a rather unpleasant feeling." there's a slight, trembling pause. not a moment later does he close the gap between you, one knee on the ground as he matches your seated height on the fountain rim, your hands gently enclosed in both of his.

you idly wonder if this is what robin meant by the so-called "eyes of a man so deeply in love" she constantly gushed about, for the way in which he gazes up at you is enough to render you breathless.

"tell me, [name]," he begins once more. there is an underlying desperation woven within his tone, one which has your head spinning and heart thumping wildly as his trembling gaze holds you in place. "tell me, what am i to do with this fervent love and overwhelming adoration i hold for you?"

oh.

...oh.

perhaps your impending doom should be the least of your concerns when you now find yourself in the arms of a clingy husband...

(though, it's safe to say you did, in fact, manage to prevent him from succumbing to his tragic fate! you just gained a loving, yet slight slightly emotionally challenged husband along the way.

well, you can help him work through it; you have the rest of your lives now to figure it out, after all.)

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The musical episode.

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