So, someone asked me about my favorite crackship, and I thought it was the perfect moment to finally pour out a little of my love for Nesquin (Nesta x Tarquin). Let me start by saying it loud and clear: I’m a full ally of Nessian, that’s canon, that’s endgame, and I adore them. But in the universe of fanfiction, where we get to play with dynamics and imagine all the “what ifs,” Nesquin just lives in my head rent free. And honestly? I want more people to see what I see, because this pairing has so much potential and deserves way more attention than it gets.
What pulls me so much into Nesta x Tarquin is the way their values and desires secretly align, even though the books never really put them together. Tarquin has always been painted as a dreamer, a High Lord who isn’t content to just hoard power or follow tradition. He’s obsessed with freedom not just for himself, but for his people, for every species in Prythian. He’s one of the only rulers who openly talks about equality, about tearing down the old hierarchies and building something fairer, freer. That’s his heart: exploration, curiosity, knowledge, and a deep respect for life and then there’s Nesta. For all her thorns and walls, she has always carried a heart that is painfully, fiercely human. She knows what it is to suffer, to feel powerless, to be angry at the unfairness of the world. And she doesn’t bury that side of herself; it stays with her, shaping her choices. Pairing her with Tarquin creates this magnetic force because while he dreams of freedom in a political and cultural sense, Nesta embodies freedom in a deeply personal way. She wants to break out of the boxes she was shoved into, the roles she was forced to play, the cages she was born into. Together, they’d understand each other on a level that is more than romance it’s about liberation, both internal and external.
I keep imagining the scenes we never got: Tarquin taking Nesta onto a ship, not to impress her but to share his world with her. Teaching her about the stars sailors follow at night, showing her how to read the currents, telling her stories of the sea and of faraway lands. And Nesta, who grew up watching her father deal with commerce and trade but was never allowed to touch it, would finally get the chance to use that knowledge. She absorbed so much as a girl ships docking, merchants negotiating, the flow of goods and wealth but it was always kept out of her reach because she had to be a “lady.” With Tarquin, he’d admire it. He’d hand her the maps and let her chart the stars herself, and she’d thrive and I think Tarquin would be fascinated by her in return.
Nesta’s fire would clash with Tarquin’s water, but together they’d create balance, a harmony of opposites. I can see them standing side by side on the deck of a ship, wind whipping around them, maps spread out, arguing about constellations until the argument dissolves into laughter. I can see her surprising him with a clever observation about trade or navigation, and him looking at her like she’s the most brilliant person he’s ever met. I can see her curiosity about different cultures being fed by his desire to explore and connect, and the two of them building something new and beautiful together.
They’re such a small crackship in the fandom, but the more I think about them, the more convinced I am that they could have been one of the most powerful dynamics in ACOTAR. And honestly? I just want more people to fall into this ship with me. Because once you see them the way I do, it’s impossible not to love them.