#Who is a Professional Midwife?

[cruelsister-moved2]

the manchester jewish museum is so cool btw i know i said before when i went but it's still pretty new and no one knows about her pleaaase go if youre in the area they just started doing concerts and performances in the synagogue building and they have like a songwriting club and a crafts club etc... society if the transpennine route was functional

[greensagephase]

Expectant Father!Miguel

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Fem!Reader Summary: Sweet Miguel who's a daddy to be and trying his best to support you and prepare for the baby's arrival! Word Count: 2.7k Warnings: none, just fluff Masterlist

Imagining a Miguel who after BTSV grieves and heals from his loss and trauma. He opens up and falls in love with someone, you, a Spider-Woman from another universe. The two of you eventually get married and after a few years of a beautiful marriage life, the talk about children comes up once more. You both talked about it early on in your relationship, of course, especially with Miguel losing Gabriella. You wanted to make sure that Miguel was open to the idea of starting a family in the future.

Even after marriage, the topic came up a few times here and there. Each time, Miguel always reassured you that he was open and ready for whenever you both decided to begin trying. And so, the talk eventually started again after a few years of enjoying your marriage. You both discussed it and reassured each other that you were both more than ready to start, so at last, Miguel and you begin trying!

Surprisingly, or may not so much, you soon begin to show symptoms and before you know it, there’s Miguel and you in your shared bathroom with pregnancy tests. Miguel holds your hand as you both wait for the result, both feeling nervous because this could be it. Trying to ease your nerves and his racing heart, Miguel peppers your forehead with kisses, whispering sweet words of reassurance.

“Te amo [I love you].”

“Don’t stress if it’s false symptoms, mi vida [my life]. We’ll keep trying.”

After what feels like forever, the tests reveal the results…

Expectant Father!Miguel, who tears up and wraps his arms tightly around you before kissing your face out of pure love and affection when the pregnancy test turns out positive.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who can’t sleep that night out of excitement! Miguel holds you close to his chest while you sleep soundly, planting tender and sweet kisses to your head to avoid waking you up as he thinks about the new and beautiful change in your lives, unable to believe that this is happening. He’s going to be a dad!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who wants to tell the whole world that you’re pregnant, but who agrees not to say anything for the first trimester, just in case. Despite wanting to scream the news to all of Nueva York, Miguel also loves being able to keep the news to yourselves. It’s your little secret!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who wants you to have the best midwife, doula, ob/gyn, or whoever you wish to treat you during your pregnancy. Miguel wants to make sure you and the baby will be well taken care off during and after the pregnancy in all aspects, especially medically, so he does research like his life depends on it with you to choose the right professional. This is especially important to him because he’s aware of how often women are disregarded when it comes to their own health, so Miguel wants to make sure that whoever you both work with, takes your concerns seriously.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who goes with you to every single appointment. No matter what. Miguel will schedule things around the appointments in order to go with you because he’s not missing one. His eyes soften up every single time he looks at the screen, seeing your baby moving around. He holds your hand, smiling and filled with happiness as the professional explains the progress. He may not say it at every appointment but he always thinks about how you both, “made that” happen.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who holds the ultrasound pictures after the appointment in his hands, looking longingly at them. At home, he asks if it's okay to frame them so they can be added to the wall of photos in your living room. He personally hangs it up!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who already keeps a stock of your favorite snacks in his lab, but now that you’re pregnant, expands it. As your pregnancy progresses and you start getting weird cravings, Miguel stocks up on a mixture of food items to be ready.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who will go anywhere and everywhere to get you food when you get cravings, no matter how weird they are. Miguel will travel the multiverse, even at 4am, to satisfy the cravings you and baby have!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who gains weight during the pregnancy, too! He doesn’t mind at all, but instead smiles every time he remembers, feels, or sees the new extra weight because “estamos esperando, mi amor [we’re expecting, my love].” He’s proud of it and he doesn’t let any little joke or comment about it get to him!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who massages your swollen feet to ease your discomfort! He tenderly massages them and rubs lotion to keep them soft. Talking about this, Miguel will do your toenails if you don’t get them done professionally. He surprisingly does a great job and he finds that this is another great way to continue pampering you in the future. Miguel also helps you put your shoes on, tying them when it's necessary when you find it too difficult as your pregnancy progresses.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who always tells you how beautiful you are, but especially now that you’re pregnant. Miguel thinks you’re absolutely gorgeous with your pregnancy glow, that's how he sees you, but he also knows that you could easily get ideas about your body not looking good or feeling self-conscious, so he makes sure to tell you often how stunning you are. Miguel wants you to know he loves you no matter what your body looks like!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who buys you the prettiest maternity clothes! He doesn’t care to spend money on clothes or anything else because he wants to you to feel beautiful and comfortable all throughout your pregnancy. Every time you go shopping, he always wants to buy you something, even when you tell him that you have enough clothes but again, Miguel wants you to feel beautiful and comfortable. Plus, Miguel is sure the maternity clothes will come in handy again in a few years!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who holds you tenderly and whispers in your ear how beautiful and strong you are when you have those moments of self-consciousness. He gently reminds you it’s okay to feel that, he knows your body is experiencing changes, but he also reminds you that in his eyes, you’re absolutely beautiful. “Eres una diosa, mi amor [you’re a goddess, my love]”, he whispers.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who starts reading books about parenting and babies! Miguel is an avid reader (you cannot change my mind about this; the man loves to read, but with so many duties as the leader of the Spider Society, our current Miguel doesn’t make much time for it, but he’s def a bookworm), so it’s no surprise that a neat pile of books always sits on his nightstand, but the difference is that his books suddenly turn from science and fiction genres to books about parenting, children, and childbirth to educate and prepare himself as a father. As the pregnancy progresses, Miguel stays up late reading while you’re curled up at his side, sleeping soundly. He rubs your back tenderly with his free hand, partly to comfort you in your sleep but also because physical touch is one of his love languages. Miguel takes little breaks here and there just to admire your sleeping figure, wondering what he did to deserve you and the life he has with you.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who loves cooking to spoil you! He already enjoyed cooking for you before but now he finds double the happiness because he knows you’re eating for two! Also, Miguel will cook anything and everything for you; from your favorite dishes to new ones you’re suddenly craving, even if he’s never cooked it before.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who has to keep his emotions in check during the first trimester because you both agreed to keep your pregnancy a secret to avoid raising suspicions. You both agreed to keep it a secret until the first trimester just in case there are complications, which thankfully do not come up. Despite both of you agreeing to behave normally, people at HQ begin to wonder why Miguel is suddenly extra smiley. Some spider members ask him about it, which makes him realize he’s not doing too great of a job acting normal (but like, you can’t blame him! Miguel is just so, so, so happy that you’re going to be parents!). During the first trimester, some spider members dare ask why he’s so much more cheerful, so he always hits them up with, “Can’t I just smile?” He then puts on a grumpy face for show and to quiet down the suspicions, even though he’s so happy he’d buy a holographic billboard to announce your pregnancy to the entire population of Nueva York if he could, which financially he can, but he’s certain you wouldn’t appreciate that too much.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who no longer bothers to hide his happiness and excitement once the first trimester has passed and you announce it to your friends and coworkers at HQ because the pregnancy is going well. He doesn’t care to hide his excitement when someone asks him how you’re doing or if he’s ready for possible sleepless nights.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who truly, and I mean truly, doesn’t care about the baby’s gender! You guys talk about it as the weeks go by, wondering and guessing for fun, but Miguel truly doesn’t care. Whether it’s a girl or a boy, Miguel is going to love, cherish, and protect that child until his last breath!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who is over the moon when your baby bump starts showing! His gaze softens every time his eyes land on it, his heart elated with happiness. Miguel loves to cup it in his large hands, filled with awe that a little being half him and half yours is growing in your tummy. He obviously knows how the process works but either way, Miguel is always filled with such awe as he caresses and cups your bump.

Expectant Father!Miguel, whose eyes widen and mouth parts the first time he feels the baby kick. He looks at you, his expression one of love and tenderness while he feels the soft kicks under his hands. He kisses you sweetly before he kisses your bump and whispers softly, “Mi familia [my family].” He laughs softly as baby keeps kicking and jokes about having “un futbolista [a fútbol player]” in the family, which only seems to fuel the kicks. This is how you both discover that the baby loves listening to him talk.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who talks to your tummy every day once you both discover that the baby loves listening to his voice. Miguel talks about how excited he is for the baby to arrive, about how loved they will be by both their parents. He often reminds the baby that, “I’ll always protect and love you.”

Expectant Father!Miguel, who is involved in a very part of putting together the nursery because he’s so excited about it. You catch him smiling to himself very often while you both work on the nursery little by little over the months. He builds the crib, making sure that it’s assembled properly for the baby’s well being, and every other piece of furniture that needs to be put together. Talking about furniture, Miguel makes sure there’s a bookcase included, one you both slowly fill with children’s books. He helps hang up the picture frames you both decided on with cute photos appropriate for a baby nursery. He buys the most comfortable chair/couch for the room so that you’re both always comfortable while tending to the baby. You try to keep a budget for the room, but Miguel tells you to not worry about that! Miguel has more than enough money to provide for you and the baby, and he doesn’t care to spend it on the two of you, so he has no budget when it comes to setting up the baby’s room because he wants to make sure you and the baby have everything that’s needed!!

Expectant Father!Miguel, who goes with you to every class you attend to prepare for the baby’s arrival. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the middle of the day. Just like how he schedules things around doctor appointments, Miguel also fits these classes in not only to make sure he’s there as a supporting spouse but also to learn and be prepared to assist and support you when the baby arrives.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who smiles warmly when members from the Spider Society throw you a surprise baby shower. He looks at the cute and small clothes with affection, filled with some amusement as well when he sees some of them are spider theme.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who reads to the baby and you because he learned from somewhere that this is beneficial for children. He does this late in the evenings when you’re both cuddling on the couch, his hand tenderly caressing your stomach. Due to his gentle voice, he usually lulls you to sleep right there on the couch. If you don’t wake up soon, Miguel carries you to bed.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who also plays music for the baby and you. Again, he read something about this having benefits, so he’ll play different genres but usually it’s calm tunes you both choose to play.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who sits with you to decide on a name once you find out the gender of the baby. You ask him about his opinion on the choices you’ve both selected, but he can’t settle on one. He never realized how hard it’s to choose a name, something your child will have forever. You think it’s cute how his eyebrows furrow in deep thought as he contemplates on his personal choice.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who sits on the floor while you sit on the chair you decided on for the nursery while the two of you pack the hospital bag when you’re in the last few weeks of your pregnancy. He checks the bag about a thousand times to make sure you and baby will have everything that’s needed while at the hospital, trying to make sure neither of you have forgotten something.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who makes sure your place is clean right before the baby arrives so that when you come home, the place will be spotless. He also makes sure that all the devices for the baby, such as the baby monitor, are ready to go.

Expectant Father!Miguel, who holds your hand as you’re about to have the baby and refuses to leave your side no matter what! He quietly and sweetly tells you how much he loves you, how strong and beautiful you are. He knows his words of encouragement might do little to ease your pain and discomfort, but the words spill from his mouth regardless because he truly believes what he’s saying. He brings your hand to his lips before he kisses the back of it with misty eyes, filled with so many emotions.

Papa!Miguel, who wipes his tears when the nurse hands you the baby for the first time. He gazes at you with so much love and affection while you hold your baby for the first time, noticing how gentle and natural you are at motherhood. He saves the image in his mind, knowing he'll remember that moment for the rest of his life.

Papa!Miguel, whose eyes spill more tears when you hand the baby to him so he can experience holding his child for the first time, too. His soft gaze captures every detail of his child’s face, searing it into his memory forever. He notes how light and small they feel in his arms, the warmth from their little body, and the beautiful scent coming from his child. He turns to look at you, smiling, and in that moment, he wonders if he’s dreaming all of this. If so, Miguel silently wishes that he never wakes up from this beautiful dream.

Finally got to post this one; it's been in my Notion vault since April 💀but anyway, thank you for reading!

Alondra❤️

[russellsppttemplates]

A red thread tying you to me (Charles Leclerc)

There was something pulling you to him and Charles was ready to act on it

Note: english is not my first language. I loved the blurb and now we have a big piece too!

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Tw: mentions the death of reader's father's and Charles' father's deaths

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog @hiireadstuff @c-losur3

"The congress is just outside of Milan, the exact city and details are in there", your colleague Lucia offered as she flickered though the pages, "I've been a couple of times before and it's really enriching, I just know you'll love the students and the department head - she was my supervisor for a couple of years".

"It sounds great", you looked at the panel information and then the travel details, "it's such a shame you can't come with me though, but I also wouldn't want to risk your little dude showing up and have me as your midwife", you chuckled as Lucia rubbed her baby bump.

"You're capable of many things, Y/N, but I would prefer if the fate of my baby and my underparts was in the hands of a professional!", she bumped your shoulder, "and the area is really nice too, I'm sure you'll find something to keep you busy during the weekend".

"I have plans, actually, I'll be fine I think", you smiled.

Like Lucia predicted, you had a great time in the conference and the guest lecture you gave was applauded and discussed for nearly an hour after you showed the last slide of the presentation, topics going back and forth until everyone had to absolutely leave the room before the next lecture began. For now, you'd get to enjoy the region, drinking some wine and taking in the views you recognised.

The park where your father used to take you didn't look too different. The slides didn't look rusty anymore, and the swing was a bright red colour as you sat on it once you didn't see any other kid around who might want to use them and let yourself feel the breeze on your face and hair as you kicked your legs in and out. Your father used to make you feel like you could touch the sky with how high he helped you go, "you're going to touch the clouds, mia piccola stella", he would say and you would laugh loudly.

You missed him every single day, but over the years, your grief allowed you remember all of the happy moments you lived with him, cherishing them close to your heart. Spending the whole weekend in Monza and attending the race was something you hadn't done without him since he passed away. The circuit was your father's favourite - "it's the fans, Y/N, there's a thrill in the air that no other circuit has - Tifosi cover the streets, they're all you can see around town and it's magical almost" he would say to you, so when you noticed the conference was in the area and coincided with the Grand Prix weekend, both you and your mother agreed you should take the opportunity.

On your way back to the hotel, you stopped by the track, wondering what the preparations for a race weekend looked like after so many years. You still followed the sport, but you never got the chance to catch this on television.

"Oh my, oh my", you heard someone say beside where you were standing, "I can't believe my eyes, it's Y/N Y/L/N".

Turning around you spotted Salvatore, one of the mechanics your father worked with. He also had kids around your age and you would often play together whenever you were both in the garage for the weekend.

"Salvatore!", you cheered, giving him a big smile after kissing each of his cheeks, "you better believe your eyes then".

"It's been so long since I've seen you last", he recalled, rubbing your back softly. You and your mother had gone to Maranello for a tribute ceremony the team had for your father - that had been the last time he saw you.

"It has been, yes - I'm sorry", you apoligised. You told the team you'd be around and so much had happened since and you only watched it through a screen instead of living it in the flesh.

"It's okay, it was the time you needed - What brought you to Monza this weekend?", he wondered as he walked inside the paddock with you, scanning his card and getting you both in.

"A work trip actually - I finished a conference yesterday and I also gave a lecture at the university", you nodded, "and my father always loved Monza", you smiled at the memory, "he knew how cliché that sounded, but he always said there wasn't a better weekend on the calendar. And I've missed the rush, too", you offered, letting the tears flow freely and accepting them even though you were in the middle of the paddock, loud noises coming from every angle as the teams prepared the finishing touches for the upcoming race.

"He's very proud of you, I'm sure", Salvatore comforted, "and everyone will be happy to see you here - the little girl with the high pigtails is a grown woman now who attends conferences and gives lectures, who would've known?", he joked as you stepped inside the garage.

"Is this little troublemaker Y/N Y/L/N?", one of the oldest mechanics said after he applied a sticker to the halo.

When your father took you to the races, everyone knew they had fun guaranteed with you, always pulling pranks and laughing loudly, "my troublemaker days are over, I'm a responsible woman now", you chuckled, giving a quick wave to everyone before greeting everyone individually.

"Do you have tickets for this weekend?", Fred asked. Even though he had just met you, it was clear to him how much you mattered to everyone who worked with your father, "we can get you a pass, I'm sure".

"I have grandstand tickets", you stated.

"Silvia!", the team principal called the woman, making her approach him and rub your arm kindly, "do we have any guest passes left?".

"Let me check", Silvia mumbled, "we have one left, actually! Charles didn't even notice he asked us to save a ticket for his mother twice - I'll get it for you, it's in the meeting room upstairs", she smiled.

"Charles will also be very happy to see you around, did you tell him you were coming?", Salvatore mentioned.

"I haven't actually - I've been really busy", you mumbled.

You met the monégasque driver when he was Scuderia Ferrari's development driver and Prema Racing driver in Formula Two, accidentally running into him in the dining area of the hospitality and ending up spending most of his free time there throughout the whole weekend.

Quickly, it became a tradition to do so whenever he was over and whenever he was done with his Formula Two duties and you happened to be at the same track.

When you stopped attending races because the memories were too painful, you lost contact, opting to react to eachother's Instagram stories every now and again and sending quick messages through the social media app.

"The boys arrive today, but they're only coming to the track tomorrow", Fred added, "you'll have plenty of time to catch up".

Charles had finally arrived to the hotel after all the flights and drives, thankful that there weren't many fans around already and he could get inside without a hitch, checking in and getting his room keys.

"Hold it, per favore!", he said to the person on the lift, dreaming of the changing from his travel outfit and the bed waiting for him. When his hand helped him inside the metal door, he couldn't believe his eyes, "Y/N?".

He could remember the last time he saw you. He had just started his first season as a Formula One driver for Alfa Romeo and you had come back to the paddock for the first race of the season like you promised you would. He sat with you whenever he had a little break, you caught up with him and his early days as a driver with a seat rather than just watching from the sidelines.

"Charles, hi!", you gasped, hugging him and feeling him squeeze your body against his.

"I- what are you doing here? Are you here for the race?", he wondered. This couldn't be a mere coincidence. He hoped it wasn't.

"I had a work trip here that coincided with this weekend, and I thought of it as a sign", you explained, "you're staying in this hotel too?".

"Yes, the team are at the one where we usually stay for the weekend, but until Thursday, I'm staying here, yes", he smiled, "Goodness, I feel like it's both been forever and like it was yesterday", he chuckled, "do you want to get a drink? I have a nice selection in my room whenever I stay", he offered.

"I'd love to, Charles", you said, hoping that the tingly feeling on your tummy mirrored Charles' own excitement at this unexpected but valued encounter, "are you sure though? You just arrived".

"No, don't worry about that! My room is... 705", he checked on the card he was handed, "so you can join me now or maybe you want to set those things down first and meet me there?", he pointed to the bag you were carrying.

"Yes, this is quite heavy actually", you blushed, "my room is on this floor, so I'll meet in your room in fifteen? I need to freshen up because I've been walking around town all day".

Leaving the elevator on your floor, Charles waved at your before the doors closed andyou headed to your door. Stepping inside, you left the totebag with the books you bought in the chair before heading to the bathroom, brushing out any tangles in your hair and splashing your face with water to freshen up.

After getting yourself ready to go, you went up to Charles' floor, knocking on the door and waiting for him.

"Come in, come in!", Charles offered after he opened the door, "I've unpacked but kept it very organised still", he chuckled as you walked inside the room. It looked the same as yours did, only a different colour pallette for the decoration.

"How have you been?", you wondered once you sat down and shared some sparkling water, neither of you really feeling like drinking anything alcoholic.

"You surely know more about me than I know about you", Charles smiled, "but it's been good, this season has been great so far, I feel like we're in a really good path and things are working well", he took a sip from his cup, "the team have done such an incredible job".

"And the driver on the car doesn't have anything to do with that?", you squinted at his ever so modest take on things.

"I suppose I do", he blushed.

"I may have not been here, but I've watched every race - minus some of the ones at daft o'clock, I only watched those when my sleep was all messed up", you joked, "you're an essential part of this team, Charles, everyone can see that so you should give yourself more credit", you touched his arm.

Even though it had been years since you last saw eachother, you hit it off immediately and it seemed like no time had passed.

"And you? What is this work trip that brought you here?", Charles nodded.

"You're not the only one who gets to travel for work, alright?", you tsked, "I had to do a presentation on a conference and then the department invited me for a lecture, nothing big".

"Who's being ever so modest now, hm? That is fantastic, mon ange!", he congratulated before he noticed the words coming out of his mouth.

"When I noticed it fell around this weekend, I told my mum and she said that I should try and dip my foot here - I've been wanting to come to race sooner but...", you trailed off.

"I get it - it's hard going to the places that remind you of them", Charles took his hand in yours and squeezed it, "he was so cherished by the team, I'm sure everyone will be very happy to see you".

"Actually, I walked to the track today so I could see it up close before the race - I hoped it wouldn't be such a big shock once I got there on Friday -, and I bumped into Salvatore", you smiled, "he let me go into the garage and I saw everyone, it was really nice", you looked up so the tears on your eyes wouldn't fall.

"I can get you a pass, let me just text Silvia!", Charles said as he got his phone from his pocket with his free hand.

"She already did", you chirped, "apparently you booked two for your mother, so they had a spare one".

"You see, a couple of years ago, my mum was too late to tell me she was coming to the race and I was out of the guest passes, so I always have one on hold for her and I sent the list with her name on it as well", he admitted, "but it seems to have turned out just fine - meant to be even".

You ended up requesting room service for the two of you for dinner, neither feeling like going out of the room after feeling so comfortable there. Conversation was steady, vulnerability was easy to show and the butterflies were happily dancing on your tummy.

"I better get to my room, then", you stated once Charles told you about what he needed to do tomorrow once he was at the track.

"I didn't mean it that way - I'm fine!", he said after doing his best attempt at containing a big yawn, "I'm fine!".

"You're tired, and frankly so am I", you admitted as you got up from the bed.

"Would you like to come with me to the track tomorrow? If you don't have other plans that is", he mumbled the last part.

"I don't - I was just going to work a little bit, but if you find me a spot in the hospitality, I'll happily take my stuff there", you smiled reassuringly as you put on your shoes and headed to the door.

"I can take you to your room", Charles got up from the bed and followed you.

"No need, my room is just downstairs", you reasoned, kissing his cheek in a silent thank you still.

"That's right - so we'll go tomorrow after breakfast?", he rested his body on the door once you opened it.

"Yes, that works for me! Good night, Charles", you smiled before walking up to the elevator.

.

Walking inside the hospitalitynwith Salvatore and the rest of the team, he was quick to show you where you could set up.

"Charles likes to spend as much time as possible with the fans and it's right about now that they start becoming more and more and they're everywhere, too", he explained as he helped you in the table on the lounge area, "there's food and coffee in there if you need anything", Salvatore smiled, "if you need anything, just ask someone".

"Thank you - this is perfect", you assured, sitting down and working on your laptop and reading some of the books you had bought.

Charles and Carlos finally arrived at the hospitality, greeting the team and talking to them for a while before they headed upstairs for a meeting.

"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend and you were bringing her here", Carlos told Charles as he poured some coffee on a mug after the meeting.

"I don't - I haven't brought a girlfriend here", Charles quirked an eyebrow at his team-mate.

"So who is that young woman you just smiled at and are pouring coffee for after giving her the heart eyes?", it was the spanish driver's turn to raise his eyebrows.

"Oh, Y/N!", Charles smiled as he mentioned your name, "she's an old friend! Her father was a mechanic before he passed away a few years ago - the older team members have known her since she was little, everyone loves her", he mused.

"Everyone loves her - I can see that", Carlos chuckled as he followed Charles to the table.

"We don't want to interrupt or disturb you too much", Charles announced as he set the mug next to your laptop.

"It's fine, sit sit!", you encouraged as you closed the books you no longer needed to make room for them, "I'm Y/N", you told Carlos.

"I'm Carlos", he smiled back, "nice to meet you", he said before you dove into conversation, discussing anything that popped into your minds and getting to know eachother.

"Don't let her fool you into believing she has always been a responsible, put together girl because she used to steal and hide all of our tools!", Antonio, one of the engineers pointed at you after he got himself a bottle of water, "Charles knows her tricks already but you, Carlos, don't fall for that!".

"You loved it every time I was on the computers and drew on Paint! You even had one of my drawings as the background for almost an entire season!", you threw at him as he approached you, patting the top of your head protectively.

"I'd like to see that! I've only known her since she was way older", Charles pouted.

"Jealous much?", Carlos teased, his voice above a whisper as Charles seemed to get flustered.

"Is it really that obvious?", the monégasque driver mumbled once you got up to get something to eat, "I've had a crush on her since I was a development driver".

"Why have you never said anything? She seems like she really cares about you too", Carlos mused as he thought to a few moments before where you too gqve him heart eyes. He would have to be blind to not notice it, and even then the energy between you too would still be felt.

"The timing wasn't right, I guess - her father passed away almost right after as I became a driver for Alfa Romeo, and she hasn't been in the paddock since. We have texted every now and again over the years and now she happened to be here for the race too", Charles offered.

"I'd say you should take a shot - trust me, she likes you back", Carlos patted Charles' shoulder after getting up, watching you go back to the table with a big smile on your face.

.

After Charles took pole position in qualifying, the team stayed a bit longer for the debrief, going over a few points of the discussion and the changes they still needed to make before the race.

"Y/N! We're having dinner at one of our favourite restaurants in town and I'm counting you in, okay?", Charles said as he spotted you in the garage, followed by Andrea, who had been keeping you company along with his brothers, Charlotte and Pascale.

"Your family is here for you, Charles, I don't want to intrude", you said as you got up, unaware of the Leclerc matriarch behind you.

"Chérie, of course you won't be intruding - we'd love to have you there!", Pascale chirped in.

"Well, in that case...!", you smiled, "just tell me where I should go and at what time, or are we going straight there?", you wondered.

"I was thinking we could go straight there if that's okay with you - you can can come with me and Andrea can ride with my brothers", Charles suggested, "unless you need to go back to the hotel", he quickly scrambled.

"No, I'm fine! Unless this outfit is not restaurant appropriate", you muttered as you looked down. Against all odds, you managed to not get any food stains on your dress. It was a midi skirt cut, flowy to allow your body to feel cool considering the warm Italian day.

"It's fine - you're fine, you look beautiful!", Charles was quick to assure you.

"Good, that's good then", you smiled before excusing yourself to go and get your things.

"You have to tell her, Charles - your affection is no use to either of you if you keept it in here", Pascale tapped her son's chest.

.

"Y/N", Charles called you before he had to go and get ready for the race, "I have something for you - we do", he said as some of the mechanics, including Salvatore, followed him.

"Oh, what is it?", you smiled.

"We commented with some guys back at the factory that you were here with is this weekend and they found something we thought you'd like to have", Salvatore said as he handed you a bag.

Looking inside, you noticed an old Ferrari cap and some embroidered lettering on the side, recognising it immediately. When you were a teenager, you decided to try different hobbies and hand embroidery was the one that stuck the most, so much so that on one of the race weekends, you embroidered caps for everyone on the team that asked you.

"My wife remembered the one I have at home and then the guys at Maranello found your father's and apparently one you did for Charles' as well", Salvatore offered as you took them both out.

"Dad always said he had plenty of embroidered things at home and this one was the one he had to travel with him", you chuckled as tears welled up in your eyes, feeling Charles soothingly rub your back.

"I remember getting this and loving it - I thought I had lost it!", Charles said, unaware if how close he was pulling you together so he could get a peek at the old caps.

"There's some loose string here", you chuckled, wiping the tears and fiddling with the red thread, "I didn't know how to properly tie it at the start, I kept losing it - I think I even glued it down at some point. Thank you for bringing this out", you smiled.

"Would you mind if I wore this for the driver's parade?", Charles asked you.

"I was planning on wearing my dad's while I watched the race", you offered, testing the fabric and placing it on your head before doing the same with Charles, fixing it on his head and looking up at him.

You never got over how handsome he was. The little scar on his cheek, his mole, the smile that never failed to make you smile, his beautiful green eyes. His kindness, his gentleness, his talent - there wasn't a way to deny how much you liked it. How much you liked him.

"We will be matching then!", Charles squeezed you against him before going to his driver's room.

Only when Charles was headed to take P1 on the grid did he hand the cap back to Salvatore and put on his helmet, giving you a wink before he left.

"How are you feeling?", Pascale asked as she sat next to you to watch the race. Over the last couple of days, she had grown close to you, not only because you had captured her son's heart and she wanted to get to know you, but also because Charles had told her how emotionally charged it was for you to be at the track, in Monza nonetheless.

"It's a lot", you admitted, "everyone has been so kind and warm, so all of the heavy feelings have been slowly infiltrating the good ones and it's been easier to deal with them like that", you blinked away a few tears.

"I get it", Pascale nodded, "losing someone is not easy, and I can't imagine what it feels like for you - the boys and I talk about my late husband every now and again and it gets easier to talk about it, I think that's what it is anyway".

"Yes, definitely like that. My mum and I have reached the point where we don't cry at every mention - despite what you might have noticed this weekend", you chuckled.

"It's emotional, chérie - I, for one, always cry whenever the boys achieve their goals. Hervé isn't here to see them, but I know he knows, and the boys know how proud he is of them", Pascale smiled, keeping some tears at bay too.

"You raised amazing young men, don't doubt that", you let out. At this point, you were sure she had noticed or had at least an inkling. As any mechanic for the red team who knew you since you were a kid would say, you were never a good liar - anytime you said you didn't touch something, they knew to look in your backpack first.

"Thank you, dear", she added, "you know, Charles is quite careful in who he lets in, but he's never been good at hiding how much he cares about someone and I can tell he cares a great deal about you".

"I care a lot about him too", you smiled before you were handed a pair of headphones each with the race about to start.

When Charles successfully kept the cars behind him away with a good gap, you clapped and watched the remaining laps number get smaller and smaller until there was only the current lap left.

Charlotte held your hand together with hers as you watched Charles be the first driver to see the checkered flag and when Xavi yelled "And P1!" into the radio, you did your happy dance, not having a care in the world about what others thought as you watched the Tifosi erupt in cheer.

"He did it! He did it!", Pascale clapped for her son, Arthur hugging her while Lorenzo did the same with his girlfriend while you softly touched your father's embroidered name on your cap with your fingers.

Running up to Parc Fermé, you stood in the sea of red, waiting for him to come back and hug them.

"You did so well, congratulations!", you said as you pulled Charles for a hug.

"Had my good luck charm with me!", he smiled back, kissing your cheek as he took advantage of you being shielded by the mechanics and engineers.

The team celebratory dinner was going really well, everyone happy with how the weekend panned out with both drivers on the podium and enjoying the meal on the restaurant's outside patio.

"If you guys want dessert, they're going to set them out on that table and you can grab as much as you like", Fred spread the message as you could see all kinds of sweet foods being brought out, a pudding catching your eye along with some raspberries.

You and Charles got the dessert plates and served yourselves, noticing the staff was already clearing up the tables, meaning you'd have to move to the bar area, many people opting to skip dessert and get some drinks instead.

"You can see the stars so clearly tonight", you mused as you looked up at the sky, setting your plate on the high table.

"My father always said that the stars did shine brighter here, and tonight the sky is very clear", Charles hummed in agreement, looking at your face. The moonlight and the dim lighting for the lamps and fairy lights illuminated all your features perfectly - your smile as you looked up formed the dimples on your cheeks, your eyes that were a tiny bit squinty and the way your whole body seemed relaxed.

The goosebumps on your arms caught his eye though, "here, have this", Charles said as he offered you the cardigan he had carried around all night since according to him his mother made him do it because it would be cold.

"Thanks", you smiled as you pulled the sleeves and folded them around your wrist so they would fit better, "this is really comfy, I might steal this if you don't ask for it back", you joked.

"I don't mind if you keep it, you have had my heart all these years", Charles stated. There it was.

"What?", you faced him, heart beating fast inside your chest.

"It's true, I've had a crush on you since I first met you, and these past couple of days have been amazing, and I can't believe it took me all these years to realize how I truly feel about you Y/N", he told you, no stutter or sign of regret on his face.

"I haven't been around, really, it's my fault", you fiddled with your thumbs before looking at him again, "but I can't lose you again".

"You never lost me, amour", he smiled as his eyes flickered between your eyes and your lips, his hand cupping your cheek your mouth pressed on his, ignoring everything and everyone around you.

Interrupting the kiss for air, Charles giggled as you hid your face in his neck once you heard the cheers and whistles, your lashes tickling him as his arms circled your waist and pulled you closer to him.

"He wins inside the track and outside of it, Charles Leclerc, P1 to Y/N's heart!", Carlos shouted before whistling again.

"Just so you know, I want an invite to your wedding!", Salvatore pointed his finger at you, "I still remember when you invited me for your wedding with Vettel!".

"You and Seb?", Charles chuckled once you pulled away from his neck.

"Sebastian was my favourite when I was little", you giggled, hiding your face on Charles' chest this time, "when he was back in RedBull still, I asked my father to ask him if he could take a photo with me and I cherished that for so many years - it was my most prized possession!".

"I can't promise you Seb, but I can promise you the very best of me", Charles said as he kissed the top of your head.

[funishment-time]

i was talking about this with The Boys(tm) on Discord already but let's pretend Tsumugi's V3 plot was the real thing for a second. Makoto sent those kids into space without a Medical Professional but with Kokichi Ouma. he expected them to repopulate the human race without even a midwife but was sure to include an Insecure Robot who has few useful functions out of box. he accidentally brain damaged Rantaro and didn't check for Kuma stowaways. there's like 9 kinds of poison in Shuichi's room and porn in the AV room.

i get that they were the only people immune to Space COVID except surprise one wasn't but like. a meteor must have hit the Kirigiri-Togami polycule household specifically because otherwise i think Makoto must have been like

at the Danganronpa Survivor Board Meeting.

you're telling me Kyoko and Byakuya didn't know about Actual Murderer Korky Shingu and signed off on throwing him up there, thus ensuring the future of our species comes down to Maki Harukawa and Miu Iruma only. and Maki's probably out so it's just Miu. it's just Miu forever. Miu as far as the eye can see.

Makoto Naegi doomed us to a long slow extinction of HEEEEEEEs and HEHs and BETA BITCH BOY and SENSITIVE LIKE THESE BIG BOOBS OF MINE. actual villain

[vidavalor]

Odegra and The Language of The Dark Priesthood of Ancient Mu

Let's decode Disco Tony's hilarious work presentation. On the known history of The Dark Priesthood of Ancient Mu under the cut.

Right, so, a few of you have requested word nerdery on the Odegra scene so here we go... For a refresher, here's the dialogue with the wordplay-significant bits that we'll look at bolded:

Crowley: So, thanks to three computer hacks, selected bribery, and me moving some markers across a field one night, the M25 London Orbital Motorway, which was supposed to look like this, will, when it opens in 1986, actually look like this [shows a terrible picture of, more or less, the same thing lol] and represent the dread sigil 'Odegra' in the language of The Dark Priesthood of Ancient Mu. 'Odegra' means 'Hail the Great Beast, Devourer of Worlds.' Can I hear a wahoo?

[Some of the demons have enough energy to half-boo; most just continue to sit there looking miserable. Of all of them, only Beez looks like they might be getting how bullshit this all is and, either way, they still have no idea what Crowley is actually saying and really couldn't care less.]

Crowley: Once it's built, the millions of motorists who grumble their way around it are going to be like water on a prayer wheel grinding out an endless fog of low-grade evil that will encircle the whole of London. [Hastur raises his hand with a question.] Yes, Duke Hastur?

Hastur: What's a computer?

---

A lot of the humor of the scene comes from the fact that, unlike the demons, we know that a word as short as 'Odegra' cannot possibly mean something as long as 'Hail The Great Beast, Devourer of Worlds'... and 'Odegra' isn't a word familiar to many of us in the first place, adding to the feeling that Crowley is b.s.-ing the demons. The scene ending with Hastur asking for a definition of 'computer'-- basically, the first word Crowley said in what we see of the presentation lol-- exists as the punchline to the presentation and the scene as a whole, showing us that Crowley is correct in believing that there is no one in the room who can really tell that he's playing them.

Still, we know that language is a big thing on Good Omens (and that's an understatement) and Crowley is saying something... so, can we use the rules of Ineffable Husbands Speak that we've been looking at to figure out what, exactly, Crowley might be saying? Seems we can and, as you'll see, when we do, it becomes apparent very quickly that this presentation to Hell about the highway that Crowley describes as a demonically evil masterpiece exhibiting reverence to Satan and all things satanic is actually about Aziraphale and their world together and Crowley is getting a kick out of watching that fly over the heads of his audience. Crowley definitely performed this presentation for Aziraphale at some point, though (maybe rehearsed it a la Aziraphale's magic show?). Aziraphale enjoyed it a great deal more than the demons of Hell did, since it was written to amuse him.

Odegra: Odegra, a word that doesn't exactly exist in this form... but that Crowley didn't entirely make up either. Professional midwife that he is, Crowley used rules of human language to birth it into existence from a pre-existing word. If odegra did exist (and, honestly, Crowley using it and it being in Good Omens means it now does exist in both his and our worlds), it would be derived from the only word like it that does exist-- the Polish odegrac. What's hilarious is that odegrac means... to get one over on someone (not kidding lol)... as well as: to put on a performance and to play act a role.

So, the word Crowley is claiming means something in an ancient human language that doesn't exist is actually a word he made up that is of a word that does exist... and that word means to fool someone, to put on a performance, and to act a part. That is both how Crowley performs "demonicness"-- with the Odegra scene itself a perfect example-- and also how Crowley and Aziraphale behave performatively together in public to fool Heaven and Hell and hide their relationship.

Additionally, performance and act are words that can be, on another level, sexually euphemistic, and Crowley and Aziraphale both use act in that way in the Chateauneuf-de-Pape scene of The Blitz, Part 2. It somehow gets even better, though, because hiding their relationship is not the only reason why they have a secret language. Another way Odegra can also be defined gets into that and that's when we take into account how their wordplay is big on the words contained within words-- something used not just in their language but in the show itself, beginning with, as we've looked at in other metas, its opening shot of the word 'war' within the word 'warning'.

Odegra contains ode and gra. An ode is a lyrical poem and a poem is wordplay. Odes are specifically written in tribute to someone or something. That is what they're doing when they use their secret birdsong and why they use it when alone in addition to in public; its born both out of the need to be able to speak to one another in a coded way when they might be overheard and out of flirtation and combines the two. One of the most famous odes in existence is Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale," which is also a word that we have seen that they use as shorthand for their language and for how they feel about each other.

As for the gra part of Odegra? It's a Polish word for game (as in, to play a game... like, say, a wordplay game.) But, also...

...gra is an Irish word for love.

Odegra, in Ineffable Husbands Speak, actually means secret love language.

Some demons torture and murder-- Crowley hijacks plans for Freeways of Love out of transportation-related innuendo amusement, remakes them into a soppy apple-heart-looking thing for his boyfriend, and passes them off as an evil work assignment, ok? 😂

The M25 in image forms "the dread (a subtle suggestion for the demons in there *snicker*) sigil Odegra in the language of The Dark Priesthood of Ancient Mu" aka Nightingale Speak/Odegra/Whatever They Actually Call It, if they call it anything at all... what we've been calling Ineffable Husbands Speak. For why Crowley is jokingly referring to their secret language in this way, let's start with Mu...

If, in the GO universe, dinosaurs basically don't exist and The Earth is only a little over 6,000 years old, it's doubtful that there's anything to the Lost Continent of Atlantis, sometimes referred to as Mu or Lemuria. Crowley would know, since he's been on Earth since The Beginning and, since he's trolling the demons with this presentation, he's likely pretending that Mu existed, knowing that the demons won't know the difference.

When referring to The Lost Continent idea, Mu comes from Lemuria, which is what the theorized continent was named because it derived as a way of trying to explain fossils of lemurs that were found in spots people didn't think fit with what they knew of history at the time. All of this was discredited scientifically prior to when Crowley is making the presentation but Lemuria is popular with occultists. It sounded satanic to reference it in the presentation, which is probably how Crowley arrived at using it-- but it seems he really did for the demonicness on the surface but for its other meaning on a hidden language level. Mu/Lemuria/Atlantis is not the only definition of Mu and it's really the other one that Crowley is referencing. The Ancient Mu to whom Crowley is really referring is him and Aziraphale-- extremely old beings with a fondness for the other Mu-- the Greek letter that became what we now call today the letter M.

Mu evolved from the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph meaning water and, then, the Phoenician word for water. Anything related to water/the sea/fish, etc.., as we've looked at before, is a sexual metaphor and related to orgasm in Ineffable Husbands Speak, rooted in Aziraphale using oysters euphemistically to ask Crowley to bed for the first time in ancient Rome. The ancient Greeks eventually turned Mu into the letter M, which Crowley and Aziraphale use often and with a lot of intentionality as a word that has existed in basically all languages since the beginning of time: mmm, the sound of human pleasure and satiation, as we looked at in the Crowley & Plosives meta. The Ancient Mu = Crowley and Aziraphale, who are really old, longtime sailors together on The Sea of Mmm.🐟

[An aside but M is also the name of James Bond's boss. Crowley is a big Bond fan and, we speculate, was likely an allied spy during WW2 so maybe there's something in here as well to add to the idea that Crowley influenced Bond a bit.]

Mu has had different pronunciations but the most common one is homophonic for moo, which is the sound of the milk-producing cow. I don't think further detail is really needed on that one...

Mu can also be pronounced at times like the French moue, which comes from an early meaning of lips and evolved into meaning someone pouting. Crowley busts out a moue a lot-- sometimes genuinely, sometimes in jest.

Finally, mu is the Greek root of the word for something Crowley and Aziraphale both enjoy (and both like to speak about euphemistically at times): music.

The Dark Priesthood bit is pure blasphemy. Crowley and Aziraphale are, technically, members of opposing religious orders. Aziraphale is an angel of God, which is more or less akin to a human priest, while Crowley is, technically, a dark priest/diabolical minister. Religious trauma and conflicts for days aside, they're both more pagans of the good times, as Irish God Hozier would call it, with a yen for equating the sexual with the spiritual in their wordplay.

In S2, we have a parallel to the Odegra scene and others like it with entries shown to us in a publication of Hell--'Demon's Guide to Angelic Beings Who Walk the Earth'-- in which Crowley and Aziraphale wrote each other spicy love letters in their language and published them under the noses of Heaven & Hell without anyone ever catching on. In those entries, they both refer to each other using different religious terms (guru, different ancient gods, a particularly 'hot priest' turn through the etymology of bishop...). There's also, of course, that priests in many religions take a vow of celibacy, which then makes it more amusing to refer to themselves as a priesthood in wordplay referring to themselves as lovers.

Etymologically, the word priest comes from the Greek presbyteros, which means elder/old/venerable so, like their use of ancient, it's also something of a play on how they are quite literally older than dirt and also that they've been a thing for awhile now.

In addition to signifying a group, a hood is also both clothing that shields one from the rain and what we call the canopy covering of a car.

Crowley is making it sound in his presentation to the demons that Odegra means something evil and demonic in an ancient language of satanic priests when, really, it's a word he made up for his and Aziraphale's spicy and romantic little language and they're not devil-worshippers but devout members of The Church of The Vavoom.

The Dark Priesthood... Dark is a fun word by their rules because it's a word they could probably say a lot in public since it sounds all demonic but we have seen that their language is built, in part, around words within other words and also uses a lot of French so Dark = Dark and D'Ark. It actually refers to The Ark or is Of The Ark, which we can take as a reference to the events of The Flood. Since The Flood is referenced in S2 in the Job minisode and keeps coming up in other places (and since we've seen precious little of it so far), it's potentially another hint that all that rain-sheltering canopy vavooming Crowley was going on about in S2 was he and Aziraphale during The Flood and that we might see that in S3.

It sounds like if one of them says dark, they're actually referencing-- at least, in part-- The Vavoom kiss. Like Crowley was, on one level of what he said, in 1941:

In the book, the Odegra stuff is the same but for the word dark-- it's The Black Priesthood of Ancient Mu instead. The word black is also in their wordplay in the show, though, and shows up in the same scene in 1941 as Crowley saying "shades of... dark grey." The word black contains the word lac, the substance secreted by an insect that is used as shellac. Lac is also the French word for lake. One of you asked me to word out The Blitz, Part 2's Chateauneuf-de-Pape scene so we can talk more about how Crowley uses black in that scene in that meta down the line. We're actually not yet done with Odegra, though, because...

Odegra also can be pronounced like "Eau de grah." Eau is French for water-- so, it would be "water of grah"/"grah water" when mixing French in. Grah is a fascinatingly Good Omens-y word... In German, it's a variant word for gray. In Slovenian? It means pea. (Frozen peas!) In Croatian? Beans and bean soup. Peas and beans are both seeds, which occur a lot in their speak and are going to be their own meta at some point, since quite a few of you want me to write about the 'Seeds of Destruction' scene in S1. In Hindi and Nepali, it means planet-- akin to world...

The especially damn one, though, is that, in Albanian, grah means *both* to rattle and to roar. Serpents rattle. Lions roar. Crowley is both. Rather hilariously, he even roared as a lion once while shapeshifted into a snake which.... isn't quite to what this wordplay would be referring lol... but it adds additional humor to that scene.

So you say, Crowley... Anyway, lastly, in Sanskrit, grah also means: to seize, to take, and to hold. Mmm...

Hail The Great Beast, Devourer of Worlds:

Hail: Besides hailing someone in the worshipful way Crowley suggests here, there's hail-- hard rain. Within hail: hai, a kind of keelboat and also the word for shark in several languages (Finnish and Estonian, among them) and ail, homophone: ale aka alcohol. You also used to (pre-Uber/Lyft, etc.)-- and can often still-- hail transportation, like a cab... an extra funny pun since it's used during Crowley's M25 presentation.

Great: The original meanings (some of which obviously still exist now) were big, massive, thick, and coarse. Rooted in ghreu, which meant to rub and to grind.

Great: Contains gre and eat. Gre, in Welsh, means all of these: a stud of horses, a flock and a herd. So, there's the horses, ducks, birds and other animals that show up in their speak and the show itself. In the Old French, gre meant pleasure and goodwill and, in Middle English, it meant kindness, understanding and satisfaction. It's also connected to the word gray in Old Scottish Gaelic. The eat bit is self-evident-- a nod to all the food used euphemistically in their speak (and the real food they do enjoy together as well.)

Crowley also uses great in summary of he and Aziraphale in S2 when he dryly tells Maggie how much he and Aziraphale talk-- but uses their language, which she obviously doesn't understand, to do so because, honestly, Maggie telling Crowley that he doesn't know how communicate in a relationship is about the same thing as it would be if Muriel sat him down and said he needed to listen to them when it comes to their superior knowledge of sexual innuendo. It's ridiculous. ("I say something brilliant and he says something unintentionally funny back. It's great." Rill = a stream; tent = canopy, etc..)

The Great Beast... Beast: Contains be, homophone: bee, and east. Bees, as we learned in S2, are angels. Aziraphale is Crowley's angel and The Angel of the Eastern Gate, whose desk is in the Eastern part of the compass bookshop, which is also the direction of the arrow being pointed by the bookshop's Cupid sculpture in S1. The Great Beast = Aziraphale.

"The beast with two backs" has also been euphemistic for sex since the 1500s and was immortalized by Shakespeare in Othello... and, by that, we mean was probably immortalized by Crowley in Othello lol... A beast has also long been a flirty thing to call someone who uses lewd and lascivious language.

GIF by aftermath-meme

Devourer of Worlds:

Devourer: We know what this is lol but just to fine print it here... Devour comes from the Latin devolare, meaning both to swallow down and to accept eagerly. Earliest forms contain the same meanings we have today for the word: to entirely consume; to eat ravenously.

By the early 1600s, devour evolved to also mean to take in hungrily with the eyes. I suppose here is where it might be funny to also point out that both ravenous and swallow are words that are also related to birds.

World: Often relates to the state of existence of human beings. Sometimes used in religious settings by humans to differentiate between the secular world and Earth versus Heaven and the world of the afterlife-- the "worldly affairs" of Earth. Can sometimes refer to the celestial-- "other worlds." The universe is another name for the world-- a system of created things, one started by Crowley and Aziraphale themselves. Also: homophonic for whirled: a swirling of something-- usually, of a mind or of water, like a whirlpool.

A world, though, can just be a person's own life and the people in it, and a romantic way of referring to your partner. You could, for instance, toast the world of the planet you just helped save and also be toasting one another-- your own, mutual, private world-- at the same time, as many of us suspect was the case here:

Crowley also says that the motorists, as they "grumble" along the highway will be "like water on a prayer wheel, grinding out an endless fog of low-grade evil that will encircle the whole of London." There is a bit of wordplay in here as well.

Grumble: Means to complain in a low voice but also originally had the additional meaning of the word within it that evolved into a separate word-- to rumble, as in to make a low, rumbling sound or murmur. While these hypothetical motorists are rumbling their way around The Freeway of Love, they're doing so like water on a prayer wheel.

Crowley knows that not a soul in the room knows what a Tibetan prayer wheel is or what it is meant to do. It just sounds like stuff the demons would think is an appropriately evil way to feel. The other part of the joke is that the term prayer wheel is actually misleading and a mistranslation of the Tibetan. Mantras, not prayers, are put on paper inside the wheel (which is cylindrical, not really even round-wheel-shaped, though it does go around) while a mantra or two is usually printed on the outside of the wheel. It's more about visualization than prayer-- which goes with how this flashback scene is tied to Crowley literally visualizing and willing himself and the burning Bentley through the M25 ring of fire.

It's the height of irony because the idea is that anytime someone turns a prayer wheel and focuses on the positive energy they are generating from doing so and thinking on or saying the mantras it contains, they're actually sending out positive energy to everyone around them. Crowley is giving a presentation in which he's claiming that these motorists on the M25 would be spreading negative energy because they'd be stuck in an exercise as pointless as spinning a prayer wheel when, in actuality, he's thinking about how the grumps in Hell could use some prayer wheels being spun in their direction.

On an euphemistic level, though, Crowley, is in his happy place being metaphorical water on a metaphorical prayer wheel. More sexuality-as-spirituality blasphemy at play with that and also a nod to how a lot of how he and Aziraphale are living is closer in line with Buddhist teachings than with other religions. S2 highlights that a bit, showing both Crowley and Aziraphale employing mudras (both inside and outside of performing miracles) and the lotus flower mandala rug they have on the floor to cover up The Heavenly Zoom of Discorporation, etc...

These motorists will be grinding out (does not need further explanation lol, other than to point out that you also grind seeds/pulses and coffee)...

...an endless fog (fog in a sense of headspace with relation to sex; etymology ties to damp, in a possible nod to the 597 AD scene; endless potentially hinting loosely at edging, which is in another 32 scenes more directly so not really a reach; also: endless, in the sense of viewing how they are and feel as eternal...)

...of low-grade evil (original definition of evil pertained to "sin" and still does-- "low-grade evil" would be akin to mild "sin"; grade repeats gra and also contains ade: as in, a drink made of fruit, like lemonade. Homophones: aid and aide-- so, care and support)...

....that will encircle the whole (both whole, as in: all of, and hole, as in: yeah, I'm pretty sure ya got this one...)...

...of London. London is wordplay, you ask? Oh, yes, seems to be. It's also in 'Demon's Guide...' as well, likely because...

London: contains lon and don. A don, among other things, is the formal Spanish title for a gentleman. Lon is an Irish word for blackbird and a Norwegian one for a gently-flowing creek. (Yes, they are that specific in the definition on the water movement.) The word London as a whole comes from the Proto-Celtic Londinjon, meaning: place that floods and, for a little ocean-themed destructive sexual metaphor fun, the Proto-Indo-European lendh, meaning: to sink.

So that endless fog of low-grade evil will be encircling the whole of London forevermore, thanks to Crowley's demonic design of the M25 orbital motorway. After all of that, it's clear to see why Crowley dryly thought that a wahoo (a positive yay! response but, also, a kind of fish... so, an orgasm) was in order. Some jolly good wordplay, that. Instead, at the end of Crowley's presentation, Hastur asks a question:

"What's a computer?"

In fairness to Hastur, while computers had existed for awhile by the 1970s, they weren't in everyone's houses yet and he didn't get up to Earth that often. (Good on him, actually, for even asking a question in the first place, when most of them didn't.) While the joke exists to highlight the fact that none of the demons got a single lick of what Crowley just said because Hastur's back with a question on what was only about the fourth word of many that Crowley said, there's also that it highlights that Hastur and the other demons lack the language ability to work out, through language comprehension and/or context, what a computer might be. They can't compute what a computer could be, basically.

Crowley and Aziraphale have been on Earth since the start and have been a part of the evolution of language. They understand how it's a living thing. They know the relationships between root words, which many of us also do just instinctively from living, speaking and reading and they do on a level of being walking, talking etymological dictionaries. The angels and demons technically speak all the languages of the world but, because they don't live in that world, they don't really understand language... and they are definitely miles away from Crowley and Aziraphale's capability of playing with it to the point of having created their own language out of the languages of the world.

Hastur's question is the meta joke of the scene and so we're going to finish up here by looking at it, too, even though it's not part of Crowley's wordplay. Ironically for Hastur, the word computer comes from the Latin putare which means, quite literally, to think, as well as to prune, in a way that means to filter and discern information. The 'com' part of it related to the Latin cum, meaning with and together.

What's funny about the question from a Crowley and Aziraphale's language speak perspective is that the reason why Aziraphale must have lost it laughing when Crowley told him what question Hastur asked is because their approach to the word would be to compute it by taking it apart and remaking it into also having a different layer of meaning within their language.

The first bit of com and its connection to cum and to come is something they already use all over the place, for obvious reasons. As for the rest of it... puter, depending on accent, can pronounced as puta, which is derogatory Spanish slang for a woman who has many sexual encounters and/or is a sex worker.

To compute to Crowley and Aziraphale would mean to think and discern, sure, but in Ineffable Husbands Speak, could be used to mean spending some quality time with a fellow seamstress.

So Hastur, who didn't understand much of anything in Crowley's presentation, asked for the everyday English definition of the one word in it that Crowley wasn't using in his sea of wordplay... but which, when used in Ineffable Husbands Speak, would ironically be defined as a short version of exactly what Crowley was on about for the entire presentation.

And this is probably why if you asked Aziraphale in Crowley's presence if he was ever going to get a new computer, he'd likely tell you he prefers to stick with his classic, first gen apple. It's the only one that's ever truly been great.

[litnerdwrites]

Can we talk about Madja for a sec?

Reading the war between Nesta antis and Nesta stan in the comment section of a tiktok, seeing similar arguments; "Rhys didn't tell Feyre because he didn't want to stress her out. Madja told him not to stress her out." or "Rhys is a morally grey character and this is a morally grey decision."

The first thing that came to my mind, though, was that Madja told Rhys about the risk, and not Feyre. Is that Ethical? Can a midwife/ healer/ doctor/ medical person, tell somebody other than the patient about risks to their health, and just never tell the patient? Even if they know she's dying.

Last I checked, she told Rhysand first, as if Feyre isn't her patient. As if Feyre isn't the one who Madja should've told first. Did SJM think that doctors just casually chose who to give out medical information to? Especially conditions severe enough to risk someone's life, with anybody other than the patient. Even if it is the patient's spouse, which still isn't okay when the patient themselves is conscious and without any indication of being incapable of making informed decisions regarding treatment.

It would be one thing if she told them together, at the same time, but she just told Rhys. Did she tell Rhys to tell Feyre or just let him decide if she should know? On top of that, Madja really carried out Feyre's remaining appointment without mentioning it to her.

We can argue all day, every day, about if Rhys was right to keep the pregnancy risk from Feyre or if Nesta should've told her or not (the tags should be a good indication of my stance on this but it's a longer discussion for another day), however, the one person I believe should've been honest with Feyre, not out of love for her, or as a champion for her right to chose (though she should've been) was Madja. As her patient, Feyre should've been Madja's priority, not Rhys.

If we go with the theory that Madja was scared to tell Feyre before Rhys, and then threatened/warned/scared to tell her later, when she realised that Feyre wouldn't be told, then Rhys is a straight up villain. There's no way you can argue Rhys is a good person if the doctors of his court are scared of him.

If she wasn't scared of him, then it's even more messed up that she didn't tell Feyre before Rhys, or at least at the same time, as soon as Madja herself found out. Why is Nesta more guilty than the woman who's job it was to tell Feyre but didn't. I'm no medical professional, but isn't the fact a trusted healer/medical professional feels fine to keep such information from a patient really concerning, right?

Call me crazy, but it seems to me that no matter what Nesta said or didn't say, Madja feels like the bigger concern in this situation, right? I, for one, would be pretty scared if my doctor kept a life threatening condition from me after telling my spouse without my permission, because what else would she keep from me? How could I trust her with my health again? What has she kept from others?

[bowtiepastabitch]

Let's Talk Costuming: A Very Professional Midwife/Cobbler!

At last, the long awaited sequel to Avaunt! aka my post analyzing Aziraphale's (and by extension the other angels as well) costumes from the Job flashback!! I knew Bildad's robes reminded me of something but it has been hiding stubbornly in the back of my memories for weeks, and I was doing myself a little doodle and it came to me, so here we are, friends, buckle up.

For better or for worse (depending who you ask), Crowley's costuming for this bit does not mirror Aziraphale's Renaissance-inspired aesthetic. That is, he is neither buff nor naked, as demons are often shown, nor is he a fucked up little guy

Scene from Michelangelo's Last Judgment, Sistine Chapel altar wall fresco, 1534–41 (featuring buff, naked, fucked up little guys)

The historical evidence that we have for the clothing of ancient Israel is spotty to nonexistent. To my memory, there are no real descriptions of clothing in the Old Testament aside from the instructions for priestly garb. (Note that I'm using "Old Testament" simply because Good Omens is based on a Christian interpretation of religion) None of the art from the period and surrounding time/geographic region, of which there is very very little surviving, depicts clothing anything like what we see in this episode either.

And then it fucking hits me.

It fucking hits me like a sack of bricks.

Weirdly specific Children's bible that stirred up childhood memories so I stole a photo from Amazon; published in 1972

We had this one as a kid, as well as several others, and THAT my friends is what Bildad the Shuhite reminds me of. Modern illustrations of bible stories, especially those used in children's materials. Now Christians are god-awful about giving credit for art, so please forgive me when these don't have sources.

Goodsalt.com has a lot of this stuff labeled as 'religious stock imagery'

This is why the style felt so familiar yet unplaceable: I grew up expecting this as the default outfit for bible stories. If you grew up christian, you're probably at least a bit familiar with this weirdly specific style of art. (Side note: if you have any idea where it came from please let me know, but I can't find any older styles of religious art like it. Anything pre-20th century harkens more to Renaissance style than anything, which in turn is a refresh on Medieval) This is, more than anything, in fact best described as religious stock imagery. It bears a lot of resemblance to clothing worn still in areas thereabout the historical region where this takes place, but it has a distinctive flair that the costume is definitely emulating.

The stripes and colors both feel deeply reminiscent of that art style, and it makes total sense considering this is in fact intended to have the feel of a bible story more-so than any other flashback in Good Omens has. Even the odd floofiness of his beard and hair make sense when put into this context and compared against the beards in the illustrations!

We even see that 'illustrated bible' inspiration right in front of our noses, but my brain didn't even process that because again, this art style is so pervasive it doesn't feel out of the ordinary. It was everywhere in the church I grew up in: posters on the walls in the children's wing, in our bibles and our coloring sheets, all that jazz.

The cheery bright colors, which certainly would not be available as textile dyes for another almost 4500 years, add a definite stylistic flair that makes this not only inspired by modern imaginations, but historically impossible. This of course contributes to the larger theory of how the costumes betray the unreliable narrator which I explore in this post and will almost certainly expand on when the impulse strikes me. The angels can be excused as miraculous, but this is definitive proof that what's happening here is at least in part fictitious, and more importantly for our analysis, that its heavily influenced by MODERN biblical stylization.

Those reds and yellows would have been available sooner, though not 2500 bc soon, but that shade of blue wouldn't be achieved until the industrial revolution and the invention of synthetic dyes in the 19th century. It is, however, very popular in biblical illustrations.

And so, friends, lovers, countrymen, we come to everyone's favorite part. What does this MEAN?

When we talked about Aziraphale and his Renaissance-angel-drag-queen era, the biggest emphasis was on the accentuation of his angelicism and holy glory. He's set apart from the humans in a way we've never really seen the angels before, and he also fits in with the other angels in heaven, who are also dressed ostentatiously to the nines. Crowley, on the other hand, does not have his demonic nature highlighted but downplayed. Instead, he fits in among the humans *almost* flawlessly.

Aside from his incredibly amazing and goofy glasses, which I think are an obvious anachronism of memory, he's dressed in pretty much the exact style as the human people around him, a style hugely shaped by latter 20th century aesthetics of biblical times. From a storytelling perspective, it makes total sense for Crowley to be fitting in among the humans, since he's sympathizing with them and even passing himself off as a human midwife/cobbler right under the angels' noses. He even takes a human name!

From a meta perspective, the modernity of the stylings tells us that whoever is narrating is having their memories shaped by somewhat recent events. However much is true remains under question, and there's tons of fascinating time-fuck theorizing to go around, but whatever is being remembered here is being re-evaluated through the lens of the last fifty or so years max, a mere blink in the eye for our angel/demon duo.

Whether it's the not-pocalypse, the arrival of Gabriel, or something that happened we haven't seen yet, SOMETHING has caused our narrator to reshape these memories recently. The overall character arc of Season 2 belongs to Aziraphale, as he struggles with himself to bring to terms the part of him that sees his own good as an extension of his being an angel and the part of him that can see how awful heaven is, so I think the importance of Crowley being more human than ever while he is more separated from than ever plays a big role in the story we're being told and that will hopefully carry over into season 3.

[blkdaddie]

My life as a midwife has been moreso a calling than a career. As the years passed, countless births etched themselves into my memory, yet four particular moments stood out with an unparalleled intensity.

I remember Ethan, his trembling hands clutching the birthing chair, his eyes wide with a mixture of anticipation and fear. He had carried his child for months, his body adapting to a burden that was once reserved for women. The birth was long and arduous, but the moment his newborn daughter was placed in his arms, the pain melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of joy.

Then there was Liam, a young college student who had kept his pregnancy a secret. As he lay on the birthing bed, his body writhing in agony, I saw not only his physical suffering but also the emotional turmoil within him. The birth was premature, the baby underweight, but we fought tirelessly for both of them. Liam's courage and resilience in the face of adversity were a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dared to break societal norms.

I recall Aidan, a professional dancer whose career seemed threatened by his unexpected pregnancy. Yet, he refused to relinquish his passion. He danced throughout his labor, using the rhythm to ease his discomfort. And as he cradled his newborn son, the joy on his face radiated like a thousand tiny stars, proving that even the most unexpected of circumstances could lead to a symphony of life.

And finally, there was Marcus, a single father who had lost his wife in a tragic accident mere months prior. He was determined to bring his daughter into the world as a tribute to her mother. As he sat in the birthing chair, his hands clasped together, I sensed his profound love and unwavering resolve. The birth was quick and relatively painless, but the emotions that surged through the room were palpable.

These four men, each with their unique journeys and challenges, had forever changed my understanding of birth. They had shown me that the ability to give life was not merely a biological function but a transcendent experience. Each birth was a reminder that even in a world that was constantly evolving, the human spirit remained an unyielding force, capable of transforming adversity into triumph and love into life itself.

[orcasoul]

Oh Daddy! A Conclusion of Oh Baby

Summery: It's time to finally meet your precious baby. Pedro is the perfect boyfriend as he comforts and encourages you every step of the way through your labour.

Warnings: Swearing, fluff, descriptions of labour pain, use of Y/N.

"Come on! Arrgh, fucking red light again!" Pedro grumbled in frustration as every set of lights was against you. The low hum of the engine and smooth motion of the car does little to settle you as yet another contraction closes it's cruel fist around your abdomen, and all you can do is clench your teeth, squeeze your eyes shut and grip onto the seat. Pedro's warm hand on your thigh brings you back to the present.

"Remember to breathe through them, baby," he coxed, soothingly, trying to remain calm. You didn't even realise you'd been holding your breath. "They're getting worse," you whimper as the contraction begins to ease. Sitting upright in the car doesn't help either as all you want to do is lay down. Your waters had broken hours ago but the receptionist at the hospital had instructed you to wait until the contractions are only five minutes apart before coming into the ward.

Well, they're five minutes apart now, and they hurt like a bitch! What began hours ago as mild period like pain has become a crippling, muscle seizing, air stealing, nerve shredding symphony of cramps, dull aches, and sharp shooting pains. "Phew, phew, phew....," It has become easier to breathe again but you know the respite won't last for long. "That's it, that's my girl," Pedro smiled as he stroked up and down your thigh.

He hates that you're in pain and right now he can't even support you as he'd like to. "Finally!" he muttered under his breath as the lights changed. It only took twenty minutes to get to the hospital but it felt like a millennium. Pedro quickly switched off the engine and grabbed your hospital bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He hurried around the car to open your door. "I've got you, sweetheart," he soothed as he placed two strong hands under your armpits and slowly pulled you to your feet, while you gripped onto his shoulders.

He laced one arm around your waist, encouraging you to lean into his body for support, while locking the car behind him. You couldn't be more thankful that the latest contraction has passed. Walking while feeling like your uterus is being twisted mercilessly would not have been much fun. But even though the pain has eased greatly, the walk is still quite draining. "Here, sit down," Pedro said as he grabbed a wheelchair by the hospital entrance. With a sigh of relief, you happily oblige.

Entering the maternity ward is like entering another world. The pastel blue colour of the walls, the smell of disinfectant and the professional atmosphere instantly eased some of the tension in your shoulders, lulling you into a sense of relief. You feel so much better being surrounded by people who know what they are doing. You hear a few babies' cry from different rooms, the sound bringing a smile to your lips and your hand to your rounded belly, knowing that very soon you'll be hearing your own baby's cries.

Another contraction grips you, each spasm and cramp becoming more intense. As you both approach the front desk, the midwife walks towards you with a big smile stretching from ear to ear. "Hi Mr and Mrs Pascal, it's so good to meet you," she beamed, looking at you briefly, then turning her attention to Pedro. Obviously a fan and under other circumstances you'd wait patiently for the encounter to end, but now is not the time. Not when you feel like your insides are being pulverised!

The wave continues through your lower stomach, eliciting a low groan from you. Pedro rubs your back gently, as you ride it out. "Right this way please. We'll take good care of you," the midwife smiled at you as she led you to the best birthing suite on the ward. It wasn't lost on you how Pedro hadn't corrected the woman when she'd referred to you as Mrs Pascal and honestly, hearing that name in regards to yourself made your heart skip a beat. It just felt.... right. But that's a thought for another time.

The suite is amazing! A double bed for both parents to sleep in, another bed with detachable leg stirrups (which hopefully, won't be needed), a birthing pool, a birthing ball, a large settee, a little cot for the baby next to the bed, top of the range equipment and machines, and even a 50 inch smart TV on the wall. Hell, there is even a mini fridge! Pedro has gone above and beyond for you, again, making sure you have the very best money can buy.

"We'll give you a few minutes to get settled in and come back to set up the monitor," the midwife informs you and leaves the room. Pedro slowly helped you up from the chair to the bed, crouching down so he's face to face with you, one hand tenderly stroking your enormous bump and the other cupping your cheek. His warm, mahogany eyes sparkle with unshed tears as he looks at you like you are the most precious thing in this world to him.

The raw emotion displayed on his face cuts right to the core of you, settling in your heart, your bones, your... everything, every part of you thrumming with the surety of his love for you and yours for him. "You've been doing so well, baby," Pedro cooed, sweetly. You huff a lighthearted laugh. "It hasn't even properly begun yet, Ped." "Still...," he replied with a gentle firmness, "I'm so proud of you." You sigh and close your eyes, pressing your forehead to his with a delirious smile. "I love you," you whisper, feeling like your heart might burst from the sheer amount of love you have for him and your baby. "I love you, too," Pedro whispered then kissed you deeply.

*****

Twelve hours have passed agonisingly slowly, sixteen since your waters had broken and still no baby. On your last check you were only 8 cm dilated, much to your frustration. Your patience has been waning with every passing hour. Seeing you waddle around the room with your hand on your lower back, groaning and puffing in extreme discomfort, Pedro has never felt so useless. If only he could do it all for you. All he can really do is make sure that you're hydrated, offer comforting words and be your personal squeeze toy.

"I can't... take much more... of this!" you pant through gritted teeth while gripping onto Pedro's shoulders. You're sure he's going to be sporting bruises there tomorrow. His hands softly caress your lower back while you double over as yet another contraction courses through your uterus. Now you wish you'd had that bloody epidural. Refusing it because you wanted to fully experience labour is the dumbest idea you've ever had! But it's too late now. You have no choice but to go through it naturally, like millions of women have done since time immemorial.

"You're okay, sweetheart. You're doing great. Deep breaths now," Pedro hummed into your ear as you wait out the heavy-vice like sensation for the thousandth time. The midwifery team enters the room, one of them asking you to lay on the bed so she can check your progress. Why bother?, you gripe inwardly, I don't think this baby's ever going to come out. "Good news!..." the midwife exclaims with a grin, "you're at 10 cm. Time to meet this little one. Now, the next time you feel the need to push, you just go for it."

"Okay baby, you've got this," Pedro encourages while holding your hand in his. He feels about ready to burst from both nerves and excitement. The heaviness you've been feeling in your lower back and rectum suddenly becomes too much and an irresistible urge to push overtakes your body. "I think I need to push!" you gasp, nervously. "That's right...," the midwife sitting at your feet responds in a soft voice, "just do what your body wants you to do." So you push... and push... and push... time and again for what feels like forever, the heavy cramps and sharp jabs becoming far more intense as the baby slowly moves lower.

Heat radiates from your flushed cheeks and your jaws ache from the strain and tension of pushing and screaming. Pedro sits beside you wiping the sweat from your brow with one hand while his other is being mangled in your surprisingly strong, white knuckled grip. It hurts but he'd never tell you that. He figures it's only fair, considering what you are going through right now. After the latest contraction, you feel exhausted, weak and jellylike. Your eyelids fight against the need to keep them open.

Oh, how you'd love to sleep right now. "I can't do... do this ... anymore," you cry wearily and allow your head to fall back on Pedro's shoulder. "Yes you can," he reassured you while kissing the top of your head, "You're the strongest woman I know, Y/N. You can do it. I'm right here with you, I've got you." Before you can answer another blinding wave hits you, causing you to scream and grasp Pedro's hand so tight, you're afraid you'll break his fingers. If he feels it - which of course he does - he hides it well.

"Good girl, I can see the head," the midwife shouts over your screams. "You can?!" you pant, tiredly. "I need to see!" Pedro burst, enthusiastically, rushing to see his little miracle. His eyes widened in both shock and awe at the sight. "What do... you see?" You ask between laboured breaths. "Baby has dark brown hair!" he smiles, sitting back down beside you and reaching for your hand. "Okay Y/N, a few more pushes and baby will be here," the midwife instructs with finality. You're in the home stretch now!

You bare down with all your might, pushing so hard, you feel like your ringing ears are going to pop. Pedro places another kiss atop your head as you endure it all. "You're doing great, sweetheart. You're doing so great. I'm so proud of you!" "YOU!..." you seethed as you gripped Pedro's shoulder, bringing his face to within an inch of your scornful glare, "Don't you EVER touch me again, Pascal! This is all your fault!" Tears are now coating your eyelashes. Pedro looks at you with glistening, puppy dog eyes. It kills him to see you in so much pain. "I know. I'm sorry, baby," he sighed with a sympathetic smile. He knows when you call him by his surname that he's in trouble.

"I mean it!" you yell in frustration. "From now on we are celibate!" Cupping your red cheek in one hand, Pedro looks at you adoringly. "That's fair. I understand," he indulges your threat. "They all say that," the midwife offers him an amused smile. Another urge to push wracks your body. "No more!" you cry desperately. "You're almost there Y/N." You know the midwife is doing all she can to encourage you but you're just so exhausted at this stage. "I ca- arrrgh!!!" Without warning, your entire 'area' feels like it's on fire! You've never felt anything like it in your life. The impossible, agonising stretch and furious burn becomes too much to withstand.

Pedro has his arm around your shoulders, allowing you to crumple what's left of his fingers through your torment. "The head is born. Just one last push Y/N!" "Come on, baby. Just one more and it's over." Pedro's voice is shaking as he begins to cry with you. You take the deepest breath you've ever inhaled, brace yourself and push! The pressure is instantly gone as you feel a large lump and a rush of fluids leave your battered nether regions. Drained and shattered, you fall back onto Pedro's chest, panting heavily. "Well done," the midwife cheered with a big grin, "It's a girl." "A girl!" Pedro exclaims, breathlessly.

You begin to cry. Tears of joy, of exhaustion, of relief, of love. "We have a daughter, Mama." Pedro cries happily, his forehead resting against yours. A piercing cry fills the room as your daughter decides to make herself known. "Is she okay? you ask as she is taken to a table to be inspected by the team attending to you both. She's perfectly healthy," another midwife smiles softly, "but I think she wants her mother now." You look on in amazement as your tiny baby is placed on your bare chest.

Now you know what they mean when they say a mother's love is like no other as a rush of tender, unconditional adoration sweeps over you like a warm blanket. Her skin is so soft and delicate under your fingertips, smooth like silk. You can feel her small rib cage expand with every little breath and a tiny heartbeat beating in time with yours. Her cries have stopped and she is now looking at you. She's beautiful, mesmerising even, with a mop of brown, curly hair, her dad's wide expressive eyes and your lips. A beautiful amalgamation of two people who love each other deeply.

"She's perfect," Pedro purrs as he strokes her plump little cheek with his thumb. You are both crying now. "We're a family." You look up at the man you love with a smile so big it might split your cheeks. "We are," he agreed as he kissed you tenderly. "Thank you, sweetheart. You've given me everything I've ever wanted." You place your hand on his cheek and he turns to kiss your palm. "And thank you... for everything," you gush, feeling an intense joy you could never have imagined.

*****

Pedro is besotted, entranced, utterly in love with his baby girl. Everything has changed for him now. Looking down at her precious, tiny form asleep in his arms, it all becomes so clear to him; His life is now about her. He slips a finger into her dainty palm, her fingers gripping him with a surprising strength and he's suddenly overcome with so much emotion, he feels like it will physically burst out of him at any moment. Looking across from where he's sitting, he smiles at the sight of you sound asleep, peaceful and safe. God knows you need the rest after a long and arduous labour, and it melts his heart to know you're no longer in pain.

Bringing his attention back to his daughter, he whispers - so not to wake you - " Your mama is amazing, princess. You know that? She kept you safe for nine months and fought so hard to bring you into this world. I love you both so much." He kisses the top of her head, basking luxuriously in the 'new baby' smell. "My girls!" he exclaims with such love and conviction. And that's what you both are; His girls. His to love, to cherish, to protect and to provide for. He'll happily spend the rest of his life becoming the man you both need and deserve.

His life is now complete. Well, except for one more thing, and it's something he's been wanting to do for a while. Hearing the midwife refer to you as Mrs Pascal filled Pedro's chest with warmth and pride. He too wants to be able to call you Mrs Pascal. He'll wait a little longer, until the three of you are home, settled and comfortable. Then he will ask you the most important question he will ever ask.

[magicxc]

Stork Visits

Pairings: Survey Coprs x Black Reader - do they want babies?

Word Count: 1137

Warnings: baby fever?

A/N: Here’s what I think in regard to the guys wanting babies. But tell me what you think! Is there someone who you feel would react differently than I imagined?

Headcannons Masterlist

Eren  - oh absolutely. I think he’d love to see a miniature him running around causing mayhem. He’s the obsessed dad, telling everyone you meet that you’re pregnant and watching literally everything you eat to make sure that it’s safe and healthy for the baby. Eren becomes a nutritionist, a midwife, and security guard all in one; and while you are grateful, he could definitely use a chill pill. 

Levi - I wanna say no, but he can be convinced. More of a soft no, or Levi’s idea of a soft no. He doesn’t really develop relationships or connections with others because of everyone around him dying and for that reason he’s really against the idea of raising a child. But once he finds someone special, I think he’ll view it with a different set of lens and even come to anticipate the idea of another Ackerman.

Erwin - very neutral. He isn’t actively for a child or against it. More of a if it happens, it happens kinda fella. Understand that work WILL be a priority and will often take precedence. Erwin is absolutely taking care of his family but it’ll be more in a financial sense. Although he is emotionally available as well it’s his physical presence yall will have to tussle with. However, he is making sure at the very least yall wont need for much. I'm talking a house in the best neighborhood, the best schools, the best clothes, etc. And he absolutely loves his family but when that job calls, it's toodles. 

Connie - also neutral to the idea. Connie doesn’t really take life seriously to me. I consider him to be in his playboy era lowkey. He doesn’t really live for the future, but more so the present so if you get pregnant he’ll be supportive of whatever choice you make. And if it does happen, he’s that overwhelming dad who’s plastering his child on all the socials. They’ll be in matching outfits, taking professional pictures for every milestone, and he’s stacking those presents high under the Christmas tree for the holidays. That child will have him wrapped around their finger so it's safe to say that you’ll have to be the bad cop for a good chunk of their childhood cause Connie is mostly concerned with being the cool and fun parent. 

Jean - yes!! He’s that military man that enlists straight out of high school, meets a girl, marries her two months later, and starts a family of five. Maybe even get a pet for the sake of it. Jean strikes me as very traditional in the family sense. His children will be honor students and he’s plastering his bumper sticker with all their future colleges. Their report cards get put on the fridge and while Jean does start off his parenting a little strict in the disciplinary department, he eventually learns to take it easy. 

Onyankopon - yes, but when the time is right. He wants to try and solve all the worlds problems before settling down to start a family. Soon enough he’ll realise that as much as he wants to he cant help everyone so he goes on to focus his energy on creating a life with his lover. Ony’s so adorable. Literally there at your beck and call. He’s taking you to all your doctors appointments, sitting through all your lamaze classes and designing the baby's room from scratch. Ony is the hands on father who’s spending weeks tryna figure out how to assemble the crib and he’s signing the kid up for every extracurricular activity possible as soon as they can walk - ooh and he’s never missing a practice. 

Reiner - idek with this man. I genuinely feel like the pendulum can swing either way, though I am leaning more towards no. I think Reiner carries way too much guilt to ever feel deserving of children and so he’s content to just have a wife while playing the role of cool, rich uncle. Mans is honestly just happy to be alive, and barely even that, so he’s not too interested in starting a family. He’ll babysit in a heartbeat and is sneakily feeding his nieces/nephews/godchildren ice cream for breakfast after their parents explicitly said no. He’s the one they call when they need a ride home from a party they weren't even supposed to go to and he’s providing an alibi if need be. Reiner is sliding $20 in their hands at every function and bringing them gifts from his latest excursion around the globe. While he greatly enjoys his time spent with the kiddos he loves handing them back to their parents even more; and greatly enjoys having his lover all to himself while doing things he never dreamed he’d reach the age to see and simultaneously healing the child within. 

Armin - yes!! I think Armin is gonna be the poster dad for kids lowkey. You ever meet those parents who run their household like the navy? Like in a scheduled sorta way? That’s gonna be Armin. Kids are in bed no later than 8pm. Their breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be balanced to each portion of essential nutrients based on the food groups of the plate. They're drinking 8 glasses of water a day and flavored milk yuck during snack time. Their juices are diluted with water so when they hit their first party and experience 100% juice for the first time they’re literally bouncing off the walls. I really feel like Armin would have that perfect cookie cutter type family who celebrates and decorates for every holiday. They brush their teeth before bed every night and must bathe with their special bubble bath soap or else they’ll lose their shit. He’ll raise kids you avoid in primary school lmaoo but get cool with during high school who eventually becomes a more chill version of their younger self. 

Floch - not really. He wants to run wild and sow his oats. Floch doesn't care for kids in my opinion. He’s in his selfish era which turns out to last a lot longer than he anticipated. Floch is an intelligent guy and while he enjoys practicing for a baby, he’s come to realise that he wouldn’t enjoy the responsibilities of said baby. He’s not actively in his nieces/nephews/godchildren everyday lives but instead is that uncle you only see at the family functions which is like twice a year. Once he’s there though they can ask for anything and he’s giving it to them. Money, a lil sip of beer, hell even some dating tips. He doesn't go out of his way to be present so it's really one of those you just gotta be there moments. Floch has always been on his own timing and enjoys living his best child free life. 

[noodletea]

Crowley, the one who sees life through tinted glasses, turns out to be more clear-headed than those without them.

(And no, Aziraphale wearing glasses to read doesn't count.) Think about it: Hell is low-tech and outdated; Heaven is conservative, overly rational, and impractical; and Aziraphale is afraid of change. Only Crowley, from the beginning to the present, consistently offers very reasonable, logical, normal, and human-like arguments. A typical example is this quote from the novel on page 32:

"Don’t tell me about genetics. What’ve they got to do with it? Look at Satan. Created as an angel, grows up to be the Great Adversary. Hey, if you’re going to go on about genetics, you might as well say the kid will grow up to be an angel. After all, his father was really big in Heaven in the old days. Saying he’ll grow up to be a demon just because his dad became one is like saying a mouse with its tail cut off will give birth to tailless mice. No. Upbringing is everything. Take it from me."

Not to mention, Crowley often says things that sound ahead of their time. “Well that went down like a lead balloon,” even though balloons hadn’t been invented yet.

“I am a professional midwife slash cobbler,” in whichever century—I haven't researched yet—but clearly before the 6th century.

Additionally, there are theories suggesting that Crowley was a Seraphim ("fiery flying serpent"), which, according to many sources, symbolizes divine knowledge, enlightenment, and clarity.

So I think Crowley wearing glasses clearly isn’t just a design choice to look cool but also carries a satirical meaning, reflecting the irony throughout the show.

[anjelicawrites]

Do you have any modern dad!aemond headcanons?

Of course I do!!!

He falls in love with his child when you tell him that you're pregnant. Your child is still growing in your belly, and he's already calling himself "Kepa" in his head.

He's always with you when you go to your doctor's/midwife's appointment. He reads all he can about pregnancy and puericuture and becomes the kind of person who thinks they know more about the matter, than the professional they're talking to. Sometimes there's a bit of posturing with your gynecologist, because he only wants what's best for you and the child.

The only reason he doesn't faint during the first morphological scan, it's because he's sitting on a chair. You notice his eye is misty and he is, suspiciously, blowing his nose on the way to the car.

He talks High Valyrian to your growing tummy and falls asleep with a hand on it, making sure that the baby knows kepa is there to keep them, and you, safe.

Right before birth, you make him promise he will not posture with the team taking care of you and he'll let them do their job. Helaena has, gently, threatened him with her bugs and telling him she'll make sure he'll find them on everything he owns, if he doesn't let the hospital personnel do their job.

He is terrified for you, during birth, even though everything goes smoothly. He stays by your side and lets the professionals do their job, without voicing his opinions. He trembles when the midwife places the child in his arms and barely manages not to cry with happiness.

His schedule starts rotating around the child and he doesn't care that Aegon makes fun of him: Viserys had been such an absent father, that Aemond makes his primary goal to be the complete opposite. ( He might get a bit intense, when there's other parents involved, other parents who don't see how great his child is).

Yes, he goes flying on Vhagar with the child strapped to his chest and when the child's dragon his big enough to ride, the two go fly together.

Aemond taglist: @fan-goddess

[mariacallous]

In 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration made an unprecedented recommendation, advising that women should receive a lower dosage of the insomnia drug zolpidem than men. The rationale behind it was that medication seemed to affect women for longer periods, which could become a safety issue.

However, in 2019, research conducted at Tufts University concluded that the differential effect of the medication had nothing to do with sex. Rather, researchers found that what determined the rate at which the person cleared the drug from their system was their body size. The report concluded that the reduced prescribed dosage for women could in fact lead to underdosing and a failure to effectively treat insomnia. “They were using sex as a proxy for body size because we tend to collect data about sex; we don’t collect data about body size,” says Angela Saini, author of The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule. “This is the perverse way that sometimes medicine works: You base your diagnostics on the data you have rather than the data you need.”

Indeed, Saini argues that many of the prevailing gaps in health outcomes between men and women have nothing to do with biological sex. “It can be so tempting for scientists to look at a gap and want to find a simple biological explanation for it, but when it comes to gender and health those simple explanations often don’t exist,” she said.

Of course, sex differences do exist in aspects of health, such as reproductive health and physiology. However, what research suggests is that, in most cases, the health-related difference between men and women—from disease symptoms to drug efficacy—is really quite marginal. “The differences that do exist are down to gender,” Saini says. “Differences in the way people are treated and thought about and the assumptions we make about them.” That, according to Saini, is what explains many of the failures when it comes to women’s health.

Consider, for instance, the common misconception that women present atypical heart-attack symptoms, different from men’s. This prevailing myth was quashed by a 2019 study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, at the University of Edinburgh. The research, which involved nearly 2,000 patients, showed that, in fact, 93 percent of both sexes reported chest pain—the most common symptom—while a similar percentage of men and women (nearly 50 percent) also felt pain radiating from their left arm. “The problem of underdiagnosis of women is because health professionals and even the women themselves who are having a heart attack believe heart attacks are something that mostly happens to men,” Saini says. Estimates indicate that differences in care for women have led to approximately 8,200 avoidable deaths due to heart attacks in England and Wales since 2014.

“It’s not about men discriminating against women; this is often about women not being listened to—sometimes by other women,” she says. Another example that starkly illustrates how gender can affect health outcomes came from a 2016 Canadian study about patients who had been hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome. The research showed that the patients who experienced higher rates of recurrence were the ones who performed gender roles stereotypically associated with women—like doing more housework and not being the primary earner at home—independently of whether they were a man or a woman. “This was because people who carried out a female social role were more likely to be anxious.” Saini says.

If these disparities are caused by the way patients are perceived and treated, the solution, to Saini, is clear: “We need to be careful to diagnose the problem where it is, not where we imagine it to be.” She highlights the successful work of Jennie Joseph, a British midwife who, in 2009, founded the Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery in Orlando, Florida, to support women without access to maternal health care. Research has shown that Black mothers, both in the US and in the UK, are three times more likely to die than white women.

“Joseph lowered maternal mortality rates among minority women simply by improving the quality of their care, listening to their concerns, and responding when they say they’re in pain,” Saini says. “We don’t need technology to solve this issue. We just very simply can’t allow our biases and prejudices to get in the way.”

[headlessmage]

Heqat Rebirth Heka

Heqat is often viewed as a frog headed goddess who presides over birth (as well as rebirth). She sits with Khnum at His potters wheel, and breathes life into His creation. She is also present at birth, and acts as a midwife to the Netjeru.

In terms of rebirth and recreation, She is often tied to the resurrection of Wesir and the dead. She is there for us in death, just as She is at birth.

This heka focuses on the rebirth and recreation aspect, to have Her assistance in facilitating change and growth within our lives. When approaching Her to do this heka, I would recommend having a clear idea of what rebirth and change means to you, and how you wish for it to come in your life (whether it is in terms of personal, professional, or other matters).

As with all heka, I recommend cleansing yourself beforehand. Speak the words aloud, and allow your magic and strength to be behind each word.

The magician approaches their shrine with offerings and a glass of cool water. They call upon Heqat, and present the offerings while speaking aloud.

Words to be said:

"O' Heqat, Mistress of Creation, You who were present at my birth, I come to Thee as Thy beloved child!

O' Heqat, Great Mother, You who are constant in my life, I come to Thee for Thy assistance!

I have brought [name of offerings], May they please You, May they nourish You, May You hear my prayers now!"

The magician then focuses on rebirth and recreation. They pray to Heqat, touching on what they need assistance with, while praising and thanking Her for Her help in such matters.

They then take the glass of water, and hold it above or within the shrine.

Words to be said:

"From the waters of the Nun, creation was born. From the waters of the Nun, all is created. I too was created and born within the Nun, at the hand of Heqat.

She has brought me forth, born anew! She has brought me forth, in strength and prosperity! She leads me now, to my future! She leads me now, to my desires!"

The magician may now 'revert', or drink the water. The offerings may sit upon the shrine if nonperishable, or 'reverted' as well if a perishable food item.

[vidavalor]

Ok fine, I brought milk and chocolate chip cookies this time 🥛 🍪 and also some eggs from my lovely chickens! 🐓 🥚

I hope you accept this apology, and I’ll try my best to behave 😜

So, I wonder how you interpret 1.03 where, just before the flood, one of the unicorns makes a run for it and Crawley says ‘you still got one of them’? Some people seem to believe this means she didn’t understand the process of procreation (at the time). Do you have any thoughts on that?

Please don't behave. Why would you want to do that? Would make this all very boring lol. 😂 Thank you for the very fun ask. I love this question.💕

I think the scene you're talking about is more than a funny aside about whether or not Crowley had finished reading Demon's Guide to Reproduction of Beings on Earth yet... and that might not be the question the scene is really asking. I think it also has a ton to do with the Final Fifteen of 2.06, too, so *slices pie* let's get into the unicorns and the professional midwife/cobbler and what, imo, these two moments have to do with one another:

In S1, in the scene set just before the beginning of The Flood, we have two questions emerge from Crowley's dialogue, both of which are then picked up again in S2. One is what Crowley meant by "kids" when he said "you can't kill kids" after looking at a group containing both small goats and children. The second question is the one you're talking about, which is whether or not he understood at the time how human reproduction works. The question is born out of the fact that, on the surface, he might appear to not exactly be grasping the concept of Noah's Ark when he says that Shem's "still got one of them" after one of the pair of unicorns takes off and doesn't get on the boat. Both things show back up together again in S2 in the Job minisode and that sort of continuation of story, in a way, might suggest that there's going to be a third layer to this that emerges in S3 as well. I think, though, that we might have enough to look at some potential answers already.

While the "kids" bit is, essentially, answered and was always more of a language joke anyway-- Crowley wishes to kill no kids, be them goats or humans-- the fact that this question returned in S2 and was tied once again with a plot centered around sex and reproduction shows that the questions raised in The Flood scene in S1 are interrelated and pretty important overall. The entire Job plot ultimately comes down to who knows what about human reproduction. Saving the kids comes down to fooling Gabriel and fooling Gabriel can only be done because Gabriel, at least at the time, did not have the first clue how human reproduction normally works. He had only seen this one, initial, very atypical version of it that has basically never happened since and because he didn't spend time on Earth at that point in the story, he didn't know he had it all wrong. This whole story is built around what someone's understanding of reproduction of another species is and it isn't Crowley who doesn't know how it all works by 2500 B.C., it's Gabriel. But what does this have to do with The Flood and Crowley and the unicorns?

In the Job minisode, we are told that Gabriel was in The Garden at the start of it and witnessed Eve's birth from Adam's rib. We find this hilarious because we know that this isn't how sex works and this time, in this scene, Crowley is more than in on the joke with us. What makes the scene funny is actually Crowley's knowledge in it of how human sex and reproduction work. Unlike Gabriel, he wasn't there for Eve's super-weird birth and so he's visibly trying not to be like what the actual fuck? this is how Eve was made? at Aziraphale as Aziraphale's gestures lead Crowley to telling Sitis to pull out one of Job's ribs-- absolutely not a feature of any sex Crowley has ever had or seen. Aziraphale then is flirting with a Crowley who totally gets the joke when Sitis pulls the ox ribs "out" of Job. It's very evident between this scene and the prior night in the cellar that, circa 2500 B.C. at least, Crowley absolutely knew how human sex and reproduction worked.

The key bit here to understanding what Crowley was saying about the unicorns back during The Flood is actually in the reminder in the Job minisode about The Garden that the minisode gives us through making the plot equally about what Gabriel saw in The Garden-- Eve's weird conception and birth-- but also about what Gabriel didn't see-- Adam and Eve have more human-typical sex-- which is something that Crowley set into motion and then something that he and Aziraphale both witnessed.

By bringing up how Gabriel doesn't know what human sex and reproduction normally look like because of what he saw (and missed) in The Garden of Eden, the show is also reminding us that, after Gabriel left, Crowley was sent up into The Garden and tempted Eve into eating the apple. Eve then shared the apple with Adam. Adam and Eve figured out sex not long after that, during a period of time in which both Aziraphale and Crowley were also in The Garden and Eve's pregnancy was one of Aziraphale's motivations for giving them his flaming sword.

Mah point is that Crowley absolutely knew about sex and sexual reproduction during The Flood because Crowley and Aziraphale essentially watched the first humans have sex on Earth in The Garden of Eden.

The show also has about a half-dozen jokes about Anthony J. "Can I watchchch?" Crowley's voyeuristic tendencies and roots some of it to the fact that he's the Serpent of Eden and gets off on watching his temptation labors bear fruit. (It's been a long day. I have earned that joke😂). Ya know, such as:

This whole unicorn and sex thing is also part of the Job minisode by way of the ox ribs, further making it all kind of part of the same story. The inclusion of unicorns in ancient history in GO feels like a nod to the re'em, an animal mentioned a few times in The Bible (including in The Book of Job), which has been frequently translated as "unicorn" and is part of the origin for from where our idea of unicorns comes in the first place. The same word has been translated as meaning other animals-- among them? The wild ox.

Making things even more interesting is unicorn lore. The unicorn was said to be a wild, secretive creature who lived in the forest and who could only ever be captured and tamed by a virgin maiden. Aziraphale, in 2500 B.C., is shown to not eat or drink before the night in the cellar began so odds are also good on the food-and-alcohol = sex show that Aziraphale definitely qualified as a virgin maiden when he went to absolute town on those ox ribs. Anyway...

...what I'm saying here is that it feels extremely unlikely that, by the time of The Flood in 3,004 B.C., that Crowley didn't know how human sex and reproduction worked when he saw it play out in The Garden. Other than Eve's speedy stages of pregnancy meant to get the ball rolling on humanity, Adam and Eve's sex was typical of humans. So, Crowley knew about sex and sexual reproduction when he made the comment about the unicorns... but then how does that make sense, right?

In order to think that Crowley didn't know how reproduction works during The Flood scene we've seen, you would have to assume two things are true: 1) that unicorns reproduce via sexual reproduction and 2) that unicorns went extinct as a result of one of them making a run for it and not making it onto Noah's Ark, right?

The thing is... the show might be subtly trying to show that unicorns do still exist in GO. But before you say 'but, Vida, seriously?! We've never seen an unicorn after The Flood!', I'm going to argue that maybe we actually have one as a major supporting character and this S2 scene might be hinting in that direction:

The parallel to the "Oi, Shem!" scene is Nina-as-Crowley telling Aziraphale-as-Shem that that unicorn (The Bentley) is running of its own accord. Unicorns are magical beings. How magical beings present, as God pointed out in S1, is up to them. Human forms are just one option, right? I don't know exactly where this is going but this bit in S2 was a direct tie to The Flood's unicorn moment and it would explain a thing or two about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang if it were somehow tied to the unicorns. Can Crowley actually make them, the way Beez can make flies? Can Aziraphale? We really have no idea how the unicorn thing works in GO so we can't really use it as an example that Crowley didn't know about sex when it's more that we don't know about unicorns...

The unicorn that we saw during The Flood tracked with what we think of as the mythical being of an unicorn in our real world so we could make the assumption that some of the same aspects of them are/were true in GO. Unicorns are magical horse/donkey-like beings (which couldn't possibly be more Crowley and Aziraphale if it tried.) They are few and far between, are hard to spot and mostly keep to themselves. Human beings have no real actual proof that they ever existed in the first place and generally consider them mythical beings but Good Omens shows us that they at least did exist in GO ancient times-- and might still. In modern times, unicorns have become a LGBTQIA+ symbol and, for that reason and that reason alone, it seems unlikely that they actually went extinct in the world of *Good Omens*...

So, let's presume that Crowley said the existence of unicorns would continue even if Shem only had one of them on Noah's Ark because he knows that unicorns are not like other beings on Earth. Think about what else Crowley is then saying here with this line to Shem:

Noah's Ark, to us, is a story about continuing the existence of life for beings on Earth, right? It's about pairs, about mates, for the purpose of continuing species on earth via sexual reproduction. That's why we consider what Crowley's saying in this moment of this scene through the lens of it being entirely about sexual reproduction. When it comes to the unicorns, though, you could argue that Crowley is not actually talking about reproduction but about romance. We don't actually know how unicorns work-- but Crowley does.

What Crowley is actually telling us in this scene is that paired unicorns can survive the death of one of them because they're a part of each other. What Crowley is actually saying is that the pair of mated unicorns in the scene are two beings who share a single existence.

You couldn't permanently kill one of a pair of unicorns without killing both of them. So long as one of them still exists, they both do.

One unicorn could make a run for it for any reason and bolt away from his mate and die in the storm but Crowley knew the bolting unicorn was a part of the one that Shem got on the boat and so could be brought back.

In S2, we see something like this with other magical beings-- Ineffable Bureaucracy.

Oi, Shem, that purple-eyed unicorn's gonna make a run for it...

It's too late, too late...

Oh, well, you've still got one of them...

The Fly is Gabriel and Beez together; it's their shared existence. Without it, Gabriel would not have survived. The one of them still left-- Beez-- is the one who can put it together and bring Gabriel back into a full existence.

Ineffable Bureaucracy are unicorns who parallel our main two, though, and Oi, Shem...

...that bow-tied unicorn's gonna make a run for it...

Oh, well, you've still got one of them...

[aughtpunk]

I've been meaning to ask for a while, how is your writing going? Did you find a publisher for Echo of the Larkspur? Any other major stories you've worked on?

Oh boy, I've been sitting on this ask for awhile.

For those new to my Tumblr I've been working on a novel called 'Echo of the Larkspur' for many a year now. While I wrote it ages ago I've spent so much longer trying to get it traditionally published. I've sent out countless queries to agents and publishers only to get nothing back. The biggest feedback I ever received was when a published author told me to take out the queer romance to "make it normal" because it was "too confusing" for a general audience.

Well, fuck that.

After a long discussion with my editor I've decided to give up trying to get Larkspur traditionally published for good. Instead I'm now getting ready to have Echo of the Larkspur self published because my fans have waited long enough for this novel. But in order to make sure the novel is the best it can be I'm doing a fundraiser on GoFundMe to cover the cost of a professional editor, a cover artist, lettering, and hopefully some money left over for advertisement.

You can find the GoFundMe here! If you can't donate then please share the link across the socials and discord!

Also if you want to check out what else I've been working on you can find my Midwife Fable Collection on Amazon here!

Thank you everyone who's supported me over the years. I wouldn't be where I am without you all.