Another thing that wasn't accented on and was shown so quickly that it’s so easy to miss, but still so lovely and so... theirs?

The way how Yo-Han comes into the kitchen and looks at Elijah with a smile touching the corners of his lips, yet when he looks at Ga-On who is laughing sincerely and tinklingly while turning to him, the smile touches his eyes.

OP of the gif.

These little moments, packed in the nooks of the plot, have the most powerful impact. How he is moved by the little gesture of Ga-on cooking him a meal to make his nightmares go away somehow. But, he immediately masks it, by trying to cover the meal back without accepting the care which seems strange to him. Even so, on hearing Ga-on’s sweet message, his facade gives away, and you see a genuine smile on the face of the man whom they call ‘the devil’. And then he does this little dance around the butler, playful and enlivened, like he is truly happy for the first time after a very long while.

A modicum of love and care can be so transformative.

Yeah I haven't gotten over Yohan's soft "Gaon-ah" 🥺

I think about this AT LEAST once a day and go absolutely feral. I stop functioning and have to just lay down and froth at the mouth.

World’s Strangest Meet Cute

GUARDIAN ep 13

bonus:

I love him. Not sorry.

yo han + having a soft spot for ga on

Married life: being so sickeningly sweet and domestic that total strangers to the situation can't help but say "You seem to belong right in this family. You blend in perfectly." Gaon looking too pleased with himself that someone finally noticed and acknowledge it out loud, "You think so?". An amused Yohan serving his bae while Gaon does his role of a responsible parent and prohibits their minor daughter from drinking alcohol with the adults.

I love love love this scene for all the normal reasons, right? All the reasons outlined above.

However.

Now that we know Sunah was playing the long game and pulling all the strings from behind the scenes, this hurts. Because she is absolutely watching this domestic little family scene and internally crowing. She knows she’s won at this moment. When Gaon is in his element beside Yohan and Yohan can do barely more than smile lovingly and indulge Gaon. Even Elijah, the grumpy little rain cloud (affectionate) adores Gaon and doesn’t talk back to him. Gaon is undeniably part of this family.

And Sunah is doing everything in her power not to grin because she set these dominos up and she knows exactly how they’re going to fall. She’s outplayed Yohan and he has no idea. He’s playing house and feeling indestructible while thinking he’s out-planned god himself. But she knows better. And she’s going to enjoy watching him break.

the devil judge + memes ↳for @adithemadfangirl

Jiang Cheng Gets a Farm and Some Zombies

“We’re looking for a cultivator with two fierce corpses with him, have you seen anyone suspicious?” A cultivator in green asked, his rough voice carrying over the milling crowd and making the civilians jump in surprise. Behind him, more cultivators were making their way through the crowd and trying to intimidate the truth out of the merchants.

“These Hua sect assholes… I cannot fucking believe we have to deal with them-” A sharp faced man started to snarl only to snap his mouth shut and growl in the back of his throat instead. Purple light glowed around his wrist under his long gray sleeves and with an irate flick, it disappeared.

The two men next to him gave him sympathetic looks, turning away so their faces were hidden more from the market crowd. One pulled a straw hat out of a large blue qiankun sleeve and slipped it on the sharp faced man’s head, tilting it down slightly so he could still see but would be cast in shadow. Neither of the two silent men reacted to his freshly bared teeth, well used to his aggressiveness when provoked, and simply pulled their shoulders in to pretend to be moving the merchandise.

Jiang Cheng was not having a good day. Which wasn’t that strange for a Market Day, but that didn’t make him any more resigned and simply upped his irritation instead.

Excuse me as I go absolutely apeshit over this scene.

First of all, Ga On offering to die with Yo Han? With such calm acceptance? WOW. Okay. Second, Yo Han’s face when Ga On does? Third, and worst of all, is the look on Ga On’s face when he realizes that Yo Han won’t let him. Just look at that slowly growing panic and disbelief when he understands what’s about to happen. The amount of vulnerability and fear on his face just before Yo Han grabs him is nothing short of stunning.

And then we have the GORGEOUS slowmo as Ga On comes stumbling out the door. Followed by a wide shot to better let us appreciate how he immediately tries to claw his way back inside. The sheer desperation of that act is EXQUISITE.

But, best of all, is the lighting. Let’s talk about the fucking lighting. Like how the light diminshes on Yo Han’s face as the door slowly closes, eventually to disappear entirely, leaving him in darkness. That’s no coincidence, because this scene is the culmination of this drama’s EXPERT and consistent use of light as a method to enhance the storytelling and symbolism, especially where characters are concerned. It’s no coincidence that when Yo Han pushes Ga On out into the corridor, it’s brightly lit, almost blinding. Yo Han is not only pushing Ga On out to save his from the blast, but he’s pushing him back out into the light where he belongs, away from Yo Han’s dark influence. He’s willingly relinquishing his hold on Ga On and giving him his blessing to return to what he once was, before Yo Han started pulling him into the darkness. And the door closing, plunging Yo Han in darkness? That’s him accepting where HE belongs, not only relinquishing his hold on Ga On, but also his claim on the light.

But we can make it gayer than that, of course — and naturally will. Since not only does Ga On belong in the light, he also IS the light. He is goodness, kindness, and happiness, often bathed in light in several of his scenes. Yo Han isn’t just saving Ga On’s life and innocence, but he is giving up the light he knows isn’t his to keep — Ga On’s light. He knows he has to cut the bond between them in order to save Ga On and his light, and he doesn’t even hesitate, even if that means he’ll never get to see that light again. Which I guess could explain the look on his face as the door closes and he’s given his last couple of seconds of light. Not to mention the moments after, when he’s in darkness again (that aren’t featured in this gifset). Because HOLY SHIT that is a man who just made a very, very difficult decision but knows it had to be made.

In short, if this isn’t some spectacular symbolism at work, I don’t know what is.

Seriously. If anyone ever wants me to write an essay on this drama’s use of light in its composition, storytelling, and symbolism, just let me know. It is INSANELY good and there’s so much to unpack. I just love it. This drama, man.

i felt like tumblr needed to see this

Some gorgeous ladies for the dash.

Ugh. I miss this show, too.

Someone should tell Chu Shuzhi that insulting Changcheng fools absolutely no one when he does it in the tenderest fucking voice while touching him as softly as he fucking can

It’s so tender.

Look at that second gif. Look at how Jiang Yuelou stares so openly, so blatantly at Chen Yuzhi. Look at how fond he looks. That soft almost-smile on his lips, the barely-there head tilt. It’s all in the micro-expressions for Yuelou. Because he’s so repressed but still so smitten.

And Yuzhi isn’t much better! Look at his eyes in the third gif! Look at how the rake down Yuelou’s body and Yuelou turns away from him. His eyes pause at the sexy leather jacket and! then! keeps! going! down! Like. Yuzhi! You are in public! Can you be a little chill, please? (With Yuelou looking super fine in that leather vest and jacket, I understand the answer to that question is a big fat nope. But I digress…)

Just. They’re both so in love with each other. And the time that they’re together isn’t super conducive to a happy homo partnership, but it doesn’t stop them from wanting. And even acting on it sometimes, actually... (Don’t get me started on the tie scene!)

// Can we please talk about this scene?? Amazing spectacular incredib-

This is all I see: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33370936

Not my story, it’s just one I keep re-reading.

Parallel from beginning and end of Episode 15 (requested by @laowen)

This makes me feral. It highlights one of my favorite things about these two: that Gaon holds all the power. He always has. Since the moment he showed Yohan kindness by shielding him from that bomb after bugging his office, Yohan has been hooked. Whatever Gaon wants, he gets.

But Gaon doesn’t know it, which is the tragic part. He sees the person Yohan projects to people and he thinks maybe that’s just how Yohan is. Gaon sees the softer underbelly when they’re at home, but even then the cat has claws and he’s not afraid to show them. And I think that’s why Gaon doesn’t get it. Because Yohan will flex. the metaphorical claws, but he wouldn’t actually use them. Yohan will push him against a wall, will raise his fist as if to punch him, but he won’t actually hurt him. Because he just can’t. Yohan is so totally wrapped around Gaon’s little finger. And Yohan knows it. So he might posture more around Gaon to make up for this weakness that he has. But people (Sunah, K) see through the act, even if Gaon doesn’t.

Back to the gif set, it perfectly illustrates this. Gaon is beging held by the neck (again) after pulling the rug from under Yohan and discrediting him. Gaon has no reason to think Yohan has anything but ill feelings toward him. And even so, he stands calmly, hands by his sides, face turning red from lack of oxygen. And Yohan stares, tears practically in his eyes, at this silly boy who hurts him so much. And Yohan knows he won’t actually hurt him. But Yohan also knows it’s probably the last time he’ll get to be this close to Gaon, to touch him and see him. And so they just stare at each other.

And the second set of gifs, where Yohan is about to be stabbed. Yohan is the cam one this time. Not because he knows Gaon won’t hurt him, because that’s not true. Yohan is holding a literal knife in his hand as proof. And yet! Yohan is still calm. Because even if Gaon does want to stab him, that would be okay. If it’s Gaon, it’s worth it. To be so important to Gaon that he’s willing to murder him? That’s okay. Yohan still sees himself as a monster and if Gaon slays him, it will be poetic justice. So Yohan stays calm, hand by his side, calmly looking at Gaon. And it’s Gaon’s turn to stare at Yohan with tears in his eyes. Because these idiots are two sides at the same coin. They are made of the same stuff. And Yohan knows this. Which means he knows Gaon—and only Gaon—is his equal in all things. Equal and opposite. And who else could slay the beast?

Not, of course, that Yohan would let Gaon do that. Because Gaon is full of rage, but he’s also full of compassion. And he’d hate himself later. But that’s a different rant. Gaon holds the power is my point. Whatever Gaon wants, Gaon gets. Even the mighty Kang Yohan is swayed by him.

Ugh, my heart. I’ll be over this show eventually.

They’re so fucking smitten with each other. Like. If they thought about it for just one minute, they would combust on the spot from it. These idiots. These utter buffoons. Besotted.

I would go to jail for you. I would get revenge for you.

I would defend you in front of the whole world.

I would die for you.

The last gif gets me every time. Because Ga On really told Yo Han he’d die with him. In. Front. Of. The. Entire. World.

Ga On thought Yo Han was dead, like, 20 minutes ago. And he sees Yo Han getting ready to blow himself up and Ga On is like “Not without me this time.” And he runs to Yo Han. And with the whole thing being streamed on the Dike App, he really announced to the world “I’d rather die than love without you again. I did it once and I nearly blew myself up. Not again.”

And Yo Han looks at Ga On with such a heartbreaking face. Because this is Ga On choosing him. And not just saying he’d be on Yo Han’s side, but showing it. In front of everyone. And Yo Han doesn’t know what to do with that information for a minute. His brain blue screens. Because he had hoped for a while that this would happen, but after everything he had given up on that dream. But Ga On is always surprising him, and Yo Han is just. Floored.

And then his mine catches up and he has to get Ga On out of there, but that part before that just breaks my heart every time I see it.