#and if that didn't describe neil to a T

[ivyinne]

who's gonna tell him

[agoodflyting]

Good Omens Historical Trivia That's Haunting Me Today...

So we all know A.Z. Fell & Co is located on the fictitious Whickber Street in Soho and was established in 1800.

Aziraphale has run the shop ever since then and was in contact with Crowley at least until the 1820's when they took their little jaunt to Edinburgh and Crowley got sucked down the tube slide to Hell. They meet up again no later than the 1860's, when Crowley asks for Holy Water.

Stands to reason that between the 1820's and 1860's Aziraphale was in Soho doing Aziraphale things. Running his bookshop. Eating tiny cakes

Yeah... you know what else was going on in Soho during that time?

The worst cholera epidemic in London history.

If you don't know, cholera is a deadly bacterial infection caused by drinking contaminated water. Prior to the 1850's humans weren't really sure what caused cholera, but they knew it was terrifying and also that it was absolutely epidemic in big cities.

TW: this is gross - The main symptoms of cholera are agonizing stomach pain and non-stop watery diarrhea, eventually leading to the skin turning blue due to the thickening of blood from severe dehydration. Patients can lose more than 20% of their body weight in hours as they quite literally evacuate every drop of water in their bodies until they die of heart failure. - OK gross part over

Cholera symptoms show up as short as 5 hours after infection and could kill within as little as 12 hours. Cholera was especially terrifying because of how quickly and painfully it killed you, and because the patient maintained mental clarity up until the point of death. More than half of the people who contracted cholera died within a few days after consuming the bacteria-contaminated water.

And guess what water had cholera bacteria in it?

The public water pump on Broad Street in Soho in August of 1854

And this wasn't one of those epidemics that starts slowly and drags on. It hit like a bomb. It killed 600 Soho residents in ten days.

That's roughly 60 people a day in a 3-4 block area. Most of them died at home because the disease struck too quickly for them to to make it to a hospital. Survivors described hearses stacked with coffins 4-5 high going down the street nonstop all day long during the outbreak. Entire families were wiped out overnight.

What does that have to do with Good Omens?

Aziraphale's book shop was right in the epicenter of this outbreak.

Neil Gaiman has been pretty free about the fact that Whickber Street is a thinly veiled expy of the real Berwick Street in Soho.

This is a famous map showing the 1854 Soho Cholera epidemic. I highlighted Berwick Street and the public water pump that was the center of the contagion. The black bars (I circled a few in blue) on the map designate deaths. The thicker the black bar, the more people died in that particular house.

51 people died the week of the cholera outbreak on Aziraphale's Street alone.

Cholera was one of those diseases that provoked a lot of panic, not just because of how fast and painful it was, but because of the way it didn't follow common conventions about class or age. Children died while the elderly survived (often because the elderly had no one to gather water for them). Lower class houses were spared while their middle class landlords died. Churches were packed that week, because people in Soho had no idea who would get sick next. The epidemic pretty much burned itself out in a week and a half, since by that point everyone who drank the water had already died. I have to wonder what our resident Angel was up to during that time. Obviously cholera can't hurt him, but that's his neighborhood. There's no way hundreds of people, including entire families with children, are dying painfully in his neighborhood and Aziraphale doesn't notice. That means that in between this scene:

And this one:

Aziraphale would have watched one of the worst disease outbreaks in London history play out right outside his front door. I feel like there's great potential for a good story there if anyone better than me wants to write it.

[dtmsrpfcringe]

I think the reason they'd rather believe in this being a ploy executed by t*rfs (which, might as well, but that doesn't make the things about Neil untrue, does it, it would just point to deliberate timing, which I still find unlikely, but okay) is really just to feel comfortable with their blind, sexist bias. And proves that they don't care about victims of SA/young people who have been pushed into a power imbalance by a guy abusing his status, as clearly, that's what happend at the end of the day.

Like. Both women in their very early 20s when he's, what, over 60 and either their idol or their boss? What they said on the pod, how they described him, it made me so uncomfortable and that doesn't even cover him threatening to, yk. I mean, holy fuck. How can you still want to support him, after that, do you really care so little about morals and so much about these men you Simply Do Not Know - as this recent discourse has proven once again...???

Genuinely not to mention the absolutely vile things they say about Anna, Georgia or even Billie Piper. They've proven time and time again that they hate women and are very pick-me r/notlikeothergirls type. It's very "I'm so quirky" and millennial-esque.

They're like the girl in your class that would draw southpark smut and show it to everyone no matter how much they go wtf.

Didn't Neil gaiman try to weaponize suicide against one of the victims? I actually don't know so if this isn't true I'll take this part out

[redheadgleek]

January 2024 books!

I had some vacation this month. I also had an entire week when I was stuck at home without internet due to the ice storm. So I read a lot, mostly very light, fluffy comfort read books.

What I read:

Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher. A novella about war as experienced by goblins. As usual from a TK book, a little gory, a lot witty, with some fun characters.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I've read so little of Neil Gaiman's books and I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was quite inventive and I liked how the passing of time was framed.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry. It's an odd experience reading a book written by a person who has died. He had a lot of mental health problems, and I'm so sad that the medical world failed him so much.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells (audiobook). I read the novella last year and have been wanting to read the whole series, but I had already forgotten details, hence the audiobook. It was a great way of seeing things through Murderbot's eyes. I just got the next book from the library, so that will be my next listen, I think.

Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson. A very charming book about a woman who scandalized her hometown by writing a book about them. Reminded me a lot of L.M. Montgomery's short stories.

Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson. A book of poetry exploring love and family and gender. So much emotion packed into every poem. Truly lovely.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. I've also not read much of Sir Terry's and everybody has recommended the Tiffany Aching series. It was a lot of fun and had some very unique characters.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. This is not high fantasy, but when the frozen world was coming down around me, this was exactly the kind of escape fiction I needed.

Weyward by Emilia Hart. Three stories woven into one about generations of women who are witches. There wasn't anything that really unique about the book, but it had great atmosphere.

An Unexpected Twist by Andy Borowitz. Not sure I should really count an 18 page essay as a book, but I enjoyed this perspective of the medical system from somebody experiencing complications.

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan. Okay, it mostly stretched credibility, but I enjoyed the banter between the love interests. And I especially liked the way the MC was dealing with her grandmother's dementia.

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn. I enjoyed this one. I appreciated that while it was a "going home to the small town" trope, it also didn't paint that as solving all of the problems.

Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver. I started reading this last year and it took me to finish. Some of the essays were gorgeous, some felt unfinished, and others felt like book reports.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Huang. I nearly DNF at 90% because I was so mad at the "chivalrous" macho possessive behavior of the male character. There was a lot of gender roles and conformity and casual (and not so casual) sexism throughout. Oh the other hand, the sex was plenty and pretty well described.

What I'm currently reading:

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. My sister recommended this. I'm about half way through and it's a tale interweaving people from the past and the future. It's at a point where it feels like bad things are going to start happening, so I'm a touch anxious, but it's been excellent so far.

Poverty. by America by Matthew Desmond (audiobook). I'm an hour in and it's utterly horrifying and gutting.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. It's a 20 year old book at this time and needs an update, but it certainly makes science understandable.

The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts by Loren Grush.

The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Key. I remember reading this in high school and really liking it (while also feeling dirty because there was some swearing and a sex scene in it). This time though? It's obvious he's channeling Tolkien, the writing is painfully stilted and the premise is weak and I've found out that it's a sort of King Arthur retelling, so I'm just not sure about it.

What I plan on reading next:

Emily Wilde's Map of the Underworld, Tom Lake (audiobook), and The Starless Sea are next on my list, I think.

[stranger-rants]

I keep seeing you say billy did nothing homophobic, but didn't he do like, baby's first hate crime in a flashback in s3?

Not saying he's homophobic, he obviously was super young and just parroting his dad when he did the tiny gay bash, but it's a valid interpretation.

First of all, I think it’s a choice that people use “hate crime” to describe bullying behavior when it comes from Billy and no one else. That is especially so when it’s a seconds long clip without much context other than the fact that Neil used the same language against him. It does not mean Billy is more or less homophobic than anyone else, but it does say a lot more about gender which I think Billy has internalized a lot more grief over than sexuality. We don’t know who Billy is attacking or why, but young boys calling other young boys a “pussy” when they’re fighting is such a common occurrence and more so a reflection of effemiphobia and hegemonic masculinity.

Second of all, while queer men may be subjected to this more often, queer men can also weaponize this language. We know Neil doesn’t limit himself to calling Billy a “pussy,” but also a “f*gg*t” which is used as an attack on Billy’s gender presentation. Billy may have lashed out at boys and men who he perceived as less masculine. At the same time, Billy doesn’t do anything to change his appearance to appeal to the masculine ideals Neil wants him to uphold. So, Billy may be tough and masculine enough to get by without being challenged but he can’t escape his father’s judgements.

Still, there’s no hard evidence that Billy is homophobic or that he seriously believes every bigoted thing his father believes. There’s no evidence Billy goes around “hate criming” people and I think it’s inappropriate to use that term loosely to describe any and every instance of bullying or violence. The intentional targeting of marginalized people for the expressed purpose to be hateful is what makes a hate crime to me. With Billy, every instance of violence is triggered by something unrelated to his attitudes towards other people. e.g. Neil threatening him or beating him. That doesn’t mean his own biases and prejudices don’t impact how that violence plays out.

Furthermore, I mention this not because I think people can’t interpret him as homophobic - though, why would you? It’s more so because Billy has faced this kind of violence, which is ignored. Billy has never used specifically homophobic slurs, which is ignored. Then there’s the fact that white queer people both speak over black fans of Billy to say that Billy would hate crime them and claim solidarity with black fans of the show who critically discuss Billy’s racist behavior, which is… a choice. Too many white queer fans want so badly to have a personal justification for hating this character so they build up this “Billy is homophobic” narrative that is just not there.

Also, it’s just ironic because one of the most beloved characters in this show is/was queerphobic and now they treat him like a queer icon…

[forffax]

1-3, 6, 14, 22-24, 28-30!

hehe thank you chase!! 1. three songs that come up when you put your phone on shuffle Roman - TOOBOE The Man - The Killers Blood Capsules - The Mountain Goats good songs! :] blood capsules is my fav mountain goats song i think and ofc. tooboe <3

2. three last songs you listened to Mass Destruction - Persona 3 OST Desire Drive - 東方神霊廟 ~ Ten Desires OST Squidy Holly - Chirpy Chirps that last one is just buddy holly by weezer but splatoon. i listen to a lot of game osts and related songs jshdfgs 3. three songs you were recently obsessed with Yoyuyoku - inabakumori Necromantic - 暁Records Entrusting This World to Idols ~ Idolatrize World - 東方鬼形獣　～ Wily Beast and Weakest Creature OST They weren't lying that doki doki sure can waku waku. yoyuyoku makes me think of my ocs and idolatrize world is just a really really good final boss theme <3 6. three songs you wish you could erase from history (because they’re terrible) I will be honest if I think a song is So Sucks it's just Gone from my brain forever unless I hear it again </3 Also generally i love it when things Sound Kinda Bad so I can't even say Temporary Secretary or smthn sdjfkgs. I guess taking this more as "songs that were just kinda disappointing" a lot of game osts for remakes of beloved older games r like this for me? they often sound "cleaner" but they really lose some of the Crust and Crunch that made the old osts so good (thinkin abt specifically the P3 remake's version of Mass Destruction and also some of the remastered tracks in the XC1 remake)

14. three songs you want at your wedding Together Forever - Rick Astley Smooth - Neil Cicierega Don't Let's Start - They Might Be Giants these are for goofs but that's the charm of them i think. rick astley jumpscare.

22. three songs you listen to when you’re sad Dramaturgy - Eve Leopard - Jack Stauber Anyone Who's Anyone - Fleet Foxes Kinda surprised it took this long for fleet foxes or jack stauber to show up (I am typing these up massively out of order) but they're both v dear artists/groups to me. fun fact I only found out that fleet foxes were a local band (relative to me) way after I started getting into their music :] their ep is my fav of all their stuff tbh! if i ever got lyrics tattooed on me it would be from anyone who's anyone i think. 23. three songs that never fail to get you pumped up Matoryoshka - Hachi Saudade - Porno Graffitti Blue Monday - New Order sjkdfhs Matoryoshka is here mainly bc it will pop into my head when I'm getting ready for work </3 also the version of blue monday i linked is a weird fuckin remix with what i can only describe as vaugely halloween noises and someone biting into an apple put in? but im obsessed with the synth bass line they added so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

24. three favourite old songs (Tried to go with specifically before 1970 for these <3) Sing Sing Sing - Benny Goodman (originally by Louis Prima) Tainted Love - Gloria Jones Take Five - Dave Brubeck me in a big t shirt that says I LOVE BIG BAND JAZZ <3 I would be remiss if I didn't also mention Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington... good stuff! I also inculded the gloria jones version of tainted love bc it rules and most ppl only know the soft cell 80s cover </3 26. three favorite non-English songs Higan (remake) - john Float Play - inabakumori Re:Re: - ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION was almost Whoops All Vocaloid but I wanted the self-cover of higan and also akfg my beloved <3 Also shoutouts to Bad Apple!! my friend bapple... I've been listening to a lot of japanese music recently (and in general) so I'd say my ratio of english to japanese songs is abt 40/60 sdhfgs

28. three best songs to get drunk or high to Michael - Franz Ferdinand Mouth Flash - Hakushi Hasegawa This fffire (New Version) - Franz Ferdinand i think i got really high one night and just listened to a bunch of franz ferdinand so i've got that association in my head sdjfhvs. don't know if I've ever gotten high and listened to hakushi but it would be An Experience i think!! (also had no idea this fffire was in that cyberpunk show huh. maybe make more ppl listen to franz ferdinand outside of Take Me Out skjdfbs)

29. three songs that influenced you most If I Ever Feel Better - Phoenix Soul Meets Body - Death Cab for Cutie Crystal Ball - Keane these all mean so much 2 me and were "my" songs during different parts of my life :]

30. three songs you really want your followers to know (for reasons other than all those above) o (__*) - Hakushi Hasegawa 春嵐 - john Black Burning Heart (demo) - Keane PLEASE do check out all of hakushi hasegawa's discography if u like the above song, their stuff is weird and loud and i've been obsessed ever since i first heard it... shun-ran is my pinned post 4 a reason! the song ever. and i'm not super big on most of keane's demos, but black burning heart & again and again are v good <3 Also didn't get a chance to mention these bands/groups but they're very important 2 me so here they are, in no particular order: I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, Depeche Mode, Junko Yagami, Arcade Fire, The Shins, GALNERYUS, Yes, Dog Blood, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Cure, The Clash, Charles Mingus, Red Vox, pinocchioP, 煮ル果実, Ado, COOL&CREATE, 魂音泉... and probably more im forgetting <3

[denimbex1986]

'Doctor Who viewers heaped praise on Neil Patrick Harris' performance as The Toymaker on the BBC show on Saturday night.

The American actor, 50, made his debut on the smash hit sci-fi show in the third and final 60th anniversary special, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

Neil portrayed devious villain The Toymaker, who last appeared on the drama in 1966, when he was portrayed by Michael Gough in The Celestial Toymaker four-part storyline.

Showrunner Russell T Davies previously described Neil's new version of The Toymaker as the 'greatest enemy the Doctor has ever faced' as the villain made his grand return in the episode titled The Giggle.

Putting his own twist on the character, viewers were left seriously impressed by his peformance as they took to social media to gush over his 'creepy' nature and eerie laugh.

Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - fans argued Neil was 'perfect' for the role as they admitted they were left with 'chills' watching his performance.

One said: 'What a gift to have Neil Patrick Harris on this episode,' a second wrote: 'Well, Neil Patrick Harris does creepy pretty good.'

A third commented: 'Ten Seconds into #DoctorWho and @ActuallyNPH has me in the palm of his hands! This is a villain!'

Another tweeted: 'Not even a fan of Neil Patrick Harris and he's already giving me chills as the Toymaker #DoctorWho,' and one added: Neil Patrick Harris is perfect as The Toymaker.'

'He is recognising me, are you not pleased Doctor, to see me again after so many years!'

The original Toymaker caused William Hartnell's first Doctor to become invisible for two episodes in 1966 and had a number of living toys as his servants.

The Toymaker was an enigmatic being from outside of time and time, and David Tennant's Doctor theorized that he had allowed the villain to break into reality by playing a game at the end of the universe.

In the second 60th anniversary special Wild Blue Yonder, the Doctor cast salt on the ground in a bid to trick two villains, which allowed The Toymaker to travel into the real world.

On Saturday, eerie scenes saw the Doctor come face-to-face with The Toymaker once again as the villain turned the human race mad and into puppets for his enslavement and amusement.

Upon meeting The Toymaker, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) asked The Doctor: 'Who is he?' to which The Doctor appeared terrified as he said: 'The Toymaker.'

'We meet again Doctor,' The Toymaker declared, before disappearing to play 'hide and seek' as his creepy laugh echoed around his toyshop.

As Donna and the Doctor tried to find their way around his toyshop, which became a maze of doors, Donna asked: 'Who is the Toymaker, what is he?'

To which the Doctor explained: 'When I was young, I was so sure of myself, I made a terrible mistake. I let the TARDIS fall into another realm... where science is a game and all of us are toys.

'He found his way into reality and I think it's all because of me. I got clever didn't I, I cast that salt at the end of the universe, I played a game and I let him in.'

The Doctor appeared terrified of The Toymaker as he tearfully told Donna that he didn't think he would be able to save her from the formidable villain.

The Toymaker had turned human beings on Earth mad, before challenging the Doctor to a deadly game - which put the planet at stake - forcing the Time Lord to accept to try and save Earth.

As well as his terrifying nature and ability to change reality on Earth, The Toymaker also brought an injection of song and dance into the episode as he invaded UNIT.

The villain suddenly appeared in UNIT's base singing and dancing to the Spice Girls' anthem Spice Up Your Life and proceeded to turn people and weaponry into toys to win the battle.

In a tense face-off with the Doctor, The Toymaker then shockingly shot the Doctor, forcing him to regenerate.

He said: 'I played one game with the First Doctor, I played the second with this Doctor, so your rules declare that I must play the third game with the next Doctor!

As his regeneration began, the Doctor said: 'It's time, here we go again! Alonzee,' however David's face remained as he seemingly didn't regenerate.

He then asked Donna: 'Could you, pull? It feels different this time,' and as she tugged on his arms, Ncuti Gatwa appeared alongside David's Doctor, making his debut in the role.

In an unexpected twist, both David and Ncuti's Doctors remained on screen, with Ncuti shouting: 'No way!' - his first words as the Doctor.

David said: 'You're me,' while Ncuti replied: 'No, I'm me. I think I'm really, really me! Oh-ho-ho I am completely me! Don't just stand there, push!'

When asked what happened, Ncuti's Doctor said: 'Bi-generation, I have bi-generated. There's no such thing, bi-generation is supposed to be a myth, but-!'

The pair of Doctors then faced off with The Toymaker together and managed to beat him at his own game, sending the villain out of existence.

David's Doctor said: 'Best of three, and my prize, Toymaker, is to banish you from existence, for ever!'

'No, you can't. But I - not fair, please,' the Toymaker said, before giving the ominous warning: 'My legions are coming.'

However, it appears that it is not the end, as a mystery hand was seen picking up the Toymaker's gold tooth as it was left behind - after The Toymaker had told the Doctor how he defeated villain The Master and trapped him in the tooth.

Elsewhere in the episode, Bonnie Langford made her hotly-anticipated return, over three decades after she originally boarded the TARDIS.

The actress reprised her role as the Doctor's former companion Melanie Bush, who was working at UNIT alongside returning character Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave).

Bonnie made her debut on Who back in 1986 as Melanie alongside the Sixth Doctor Colin Baker, and went on to be the companion for the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy.

She came face-to-face with David's Doctor as he was brought into UNIT to help figure out who was sending the human race into madness, with everyone becoming convinced they were right, causing havoc on the streets.

Laying eyes on Melanie once again, the Doctor grinned and threw his arms around her and said it was 'the best news' that she was working with military organisation UNIT.

Melanie told Donna: 'I was like you, I was one of his companions!'

She then revealed that she had spent time travelling the stars after leaving the Doctor, before deciding to return back to Earth.

She shared: 'I had to face up to the one thing I'd been running away from, I had nothing, my family all gone. But then Kate offered me a job, and here I am!''

[meowmeowbilly]

Billy Hargrove Bingo - C3 Fill

Bingo Fill for @billyhargrovebingo

Square and Prompt: C3 - Identity Erasure

Title: Billy Hargrove, The Lost Boy (Playlist)

Running Time: about 2 hours & 15 mins

Also created to accompany the playlist: Photo edit, brief blurb of writing; the blurb is below the read more.

Info for the Blurb

Rating: T

Word Count: 516

Ships: None

Major Tags: Canon Divergence, Vague Mentions of DPDR/BPD symptoms, Mentions of Child Abuse, Neil Hargrove, Vague Description of Suicidal Thoughts

Summary: A very tiny glimpse into the backstory of Billy Hargrove and why he's lost his identity.

People know Billy Hargrove, they see him, perceive him, and experience him, these events lead them to form an idea of who he is in their minds, so they believe that they know him. None of them know him, in fact, Billy doesn't even know himself. He hasn't known himself for a very, very long time. He's always been good at pretending, playing pretend was his favorite thing as a kid, now it's a constant, every day necessity.

He plays a different role, puts on a different costume, and reads different lines with different delivery for everyone in his life. He's done this for so long that he's not even sure if there's anyone under the masks he wears, inside the shell he calls a body. He remembers being a scared little kid, but that could describe a lot of people, it isn't who Billy is.

The story he tells to the people of Hawkins is far from the truth, but he's going to tell everyone what Neil tells him to say. He was a completely different person, his mother didn't let the abuse happen to him more than once or twice and she was fighting Neil for custody. She won, at least for a while. Things were alright, but he wasn't ever really allowed to be a kid. He was getting some chance to be a "normal" teenager, but then Neil started another custody battle and won, a couple moves and a few years later, he's in Hawkins.

"You've changed," Max will say, "I don't know what your problem is," and, "I think you were a lot different in California, it's like you're not even yourself anymore."

Billy knows that he should feel hurt or upset by her words, but he isn't, her words are true. He was a much different person in California, he had fun with Max, took care of her, he actually had friends, had real conversations, and enjoyed himself. Here? He doesn't have any of that. Hawkins is the town that he's stuck in, the prison he's been put in, and he knows that you've got to do what it takes to survive, even if it's shit you don't like.

He's been playing a character since the day Neil won custody, he's wearing a mask so frequently that he doesn't have much memory of who he used to be. He's missing chunks of memories, years worth of memories, and each day he pretends to be someone he isn't, he loses a little bit more.

He's not sure who he used to be anymore, he's not really sure who he is now, and he's absolutely terrified of who he's going to be in the future. If he was able to interact with his younger self, would the kid even recognize him? Billy doesn't even know if the 15-year-old version of himself would recognize who he's become. He's a player in the game, a piece on the chessboard, and an actor on the stage; Billy's ready for the curtains to close and the game to end, he's ready for it to be over.

[fructo]

❀ | my may reads

I'm starting this at the beginning of the month so I actually remember what I thought about a book; I'll see how this goes and if I even remember to update this throughout the month. I should be studying for econ right now but this is fun :)

so without further ado... (heed the spoilers below the break)

TW: mentions of sex, cursing, potential spoilers

Daisy Jones & The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid

I rated this a 4 out of 5 stars. The style/flow of the book was difficult for me to settle into throughout the book but I did appreciate how Reid broke it up into chapters and sections to clarify the timeline. That being said, this was my first book I've read by Reid and definitely loved the writing! I'm going to check out the show once I finish White Collar (revising this at the end of the month and I DID start the first episode after finishing White Collar) because I HAD to go listen to the songs as I was reading the book. I was really disappointed that this was just fiction because the songs they made in the show were so wonderful! This was also one instance in which I didn't predict the plot twist, which was interesting. Overall, I loved Daisy Jones and Camila Dunne (though I wholly believe she did deserve better).

Every Time You Go Away - Abigail Johnson

I rated this a 3 out of 5 stars, and this was probably higher than I normally would've rated it if I didn't relate to Ethan's part of the story. I liked Rebecca as a character, and I also identified with the amount of guilt she experienced; their stories were ones I identified with. I did knock off a star for the plot line with Neel (if I had a nickel for every piece of media I consume with a character named Neal [or other variation of the name] I would have two nickels which isn't a lot-) because overall it felt unnecessary to have him be in love with Rebecca. Sometimes, introducing a love triangle when there's already so much to the plot just wrecks the effect of the other parts of the story, and I think that was what happened in this instance. Ethan's grandparents also deserved better?

Today Tonight Tomorrow - Rachel Lynn Solomon

Throughout the entirety of this book, I was a little torn on how I felt about it. Going through a burnout phase this month I wish I had someone to motivate me the way Rowan and Neil (I NOW HAVE THREE NICKELS) so I appreciated that dynamic between the two. Enemies to lovers isn't my favorite trope, because for romance books I read, I like being able to see the character go through something together? I also felt that Rowan's embarrassment about liking romance novels was a bit silly (though in hindsight the way she keeps it a secret describes the way I hide my music taste from people). In addition, the sex scene at the end felt a little unnecessary. Overall, I'd give a 3 out of 5 because I did enjoy the idea! It was a fun little read :)

Solitaire - Alice Oseman

At the time of writing this, I haven't completely finished the book BUT this is my third read of the book and I've got less than a chapter left so I think I can comfortably say 5 out of 5. I hate saying I relate to Tori Spring because it feels like it dishonors her complexity as a character but every time I read this book I understand her perspective on the world more and more. Oseman writes complex characters so beautifully that every time I read this, I mark (with post-it notes) more and more. It's always a comfort to know that I can turn to this book whenever I need to, because ALL of Oseman's books are a comfort to me.

King of Scars - Leigh Bardugo

I read this in the midst of AP exam season so it took me longer than I would've liked to finish it. I also might've accidentally started the second book before the first book, but I quickly corrected THAT error. Anyways, I personally think Bardugo is a strong writer in the third person, and I absolutely adored the Six of Crows duology, and this one didn't disappoint either. I didn't particularly feel any which way for Zoya during the first series (that being said, I haven't read the third book in the "Shadow and Bone" series) but I did like her in this series. Nikolai was also an interesting character, seeing the way he was so passionate for his people. And Nina. Nina, my love. The portion in which she was hearing Matthias' voice in her head actually tore me apart, and I love the way she channeled that despair into good. It did start out slower than I would've liked, so ultimately a 4/5 stars.

Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5) - Marissa Meyer

If delusional were a person, Levana would be the perfect representation of it. I sort of began feeling pity for her (I have already finished the whole main series by this time, so I knew of her injuries and deformations) but holy shit the things she does in this book. I thought I was clueless about love but taking your crush's dead wife's facial features is next level crazy shit. It was nice to see that Winter was always just good, and seeing her involvement at such a young age put into perspective her relationship with Jacin Clay. Levana casually mentioning killing her niece just tied up how much I dislike her. I'm weak for morally gray characters (if it's not obvious) but she's not even in the gray. Nope, nuh uh. She deserved everything that happened to her, and that's a lot for ME to say.

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) - Cassandra Clare

This is another reread; I had originally read this series in I believe 2020? It wasn't as good as I remembered the second time around, but I'm still in love with this trilogy. The dynamic between Jem, Tessa, and Will is wonderful, and your heart aches for them; you can't help it. I didn't realize that Charlotte was as young as she was, but for some reason I can't remove the idea of her being older out of my head. The plot twist was also sort of easy to predict before it was actually revealed, but it was still a good twist. I'm a sucker for automatons/steampunk/anything along those lines, so the idea of grotesque automatons in Victorian England makes me feral (not being dramatic). I love Tessa, yes, and JEM. You sweet, tortured soul. And Will. I die a little inside for the tortured, smoldering characters.

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2) - Cassandra Clare

I take back what I said as it not being as good as the first I read it. This book killed me. The dynamic between Tessa, Will and Jem slaughters my very being. I am weak for trios in media, apparently. I'm sure that if I went back to read the Mortal Instruments, I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I did this trilogy. I really enjoyed the way Sophie was developed, too, as well as a bit more elaboration on Henry and Charlotte's relationship. I disliked Nathaniel Gray (Will was SO real for that) but his death scene with Tessa is heartbreaking. I also love Clare's use of certain words that have such a specific definition but work so perfectly in the context of the scene. I can't wait to (re)start Clockwork Princess :)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

Sometimes, when you ask me about a specific book, I will simply respond with "If I hadn't finished this book in school, I would've cried." Any book that meets this standard immediately gets 5 stars. Perhaps this is a skewed way of rating, but I have yet to find a book that makes me cry because it's so bad. OKAY ANYWAYS, this book was an assignment for English class, but it was still wonderful. I was appalled when my classmates said that what happened was justified for the revolutions in medicine, and perhaps it was just for the sake of argument, but I can't understand how one could justify the way the family was treated. My heart broke during the third part. If there's any book that you should read on this list, it's this one. The amount of research and effort that Skloot went to show the world the family and woman behind the infamous HeLa cells is beautiful, and it makes you think about questions you may not have considered before. Definitely worth the read.

---

Throughout the entirety of writing these reviews I had to caution myself against writing too much. I'm trying to keep them general without too much scene detail to avoid spoilers, but I could rant about the books I've read for hours if given the opportunity.

I'm hoping to check out more nonfiction over the summer, particularly some things surrounding criminology; whether or not I hold up to this, we shall see :)

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Why do you continually insist that a particular random street preacher didn't exist when you have no interest in archeology or knowledge of how historical documentation works before the age of the printing press?

Two reasons:

Firstly, you can't tell me anything about him that isn't in the bible, a book with a man made from dirt, a woman made from a rib, a magical fruit, a talking donkey, a talking snake, a magical zoo boat, demons, witches and other literal magic, and justifies them with absolutely nothing. Jesus is said to have been seen by over 500 people after his death... but can't name them, say what they saw, how they knew what it was, and all of them were believers anyway.

This is literally the entirety of what it says:

1 Corinthians 15:6

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

This is not how history works.

The bible is not a historical document, which is even stated so at times by the authors. Paul, for example, openly states that he lies - he becomes like one of whomever he wants to convince. The author of John, in a section literally called “The Purpose of John’s Gospel,” claims to have written it so "that you may believe," not to state reliably what happened.

Philippians 1:18

But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Secondly, I can concede some Jewish preacher roaming about the region roaming about the land preaching about one thing or another without any discomfort. Hell, spend the day walking around the streets of any decently sized city and you'll find dozens of street preachers doing exactly that. Exactly the same thing.

But that's not what you're supposed to be doing, is it? The bible is specific about what it says happens. What you're doing is intellectually dishonest. It's called "playing tennis without a net."

This one relates to the existence of a god, but it's the same principle. You're aiming to get the ball over a net on the far left. Instead of "Timeless first mover" it's labelled "particular random street preacher." You're welcome to get your ball over that net, but you're supposed to be getting it over the one at the far right end.

You need to show that your Jesus/Yeshua existed as described in the bible, in the real world. That he defied physics, history, medicine and death, as described in the bible.

Neil Patrick Harris appears in "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," drugged out of his brain and looking for "poontang" (his word). H&K Neil Patrick Harris is a fictional version of the real Neil Patrick Harris. H&K NPH doesn't exist, and never did those things. Pointing to a real world Yeshua-equivalent - and none of you can actually find him, let's be clear about that - does nothing, literally nothing, to substantiate the specific claims in the bible. We know NPH exists, so the logic you're using actually means that H&K is more historical than the bible.

It's up to you to prove your thing. The whole thing, as described. And I know you can't. Because it's full of holes, contradictory and claims things that never happened. The crucifixion, for example, is historically inaccurate, and the crucified were left up to rot as a warning.

“When we crucify criminals the most frequented roads are chosen, where the greatest number of people can look and be seized by this fear. For every punishment has less to do with the offence than with the example.”

– Quintilian, Declamations, 274.13, English translation in Quintilian: The Lesser Declamations, 2 vols; ed. and trans. D. R. Shackleton Bailey; Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2006), 1:259.

The Romans would never have been concerned with Jewish sensibilities, and Jesus’ carcass would have rotted on the crucifix just like those of everyone who was ever crucified. The entire entombment is ahistorical.

The Cleansing of the Temple violated an important rite of Jewish worship - it allowed pilgrims traveling from afar to buy an animal locally for sacrifice from their own currency, rather than having to drag one all the way from where they came - and was profoundly antisemitic, and would have been as scandalous among the Jews of the time as Harvey Weinstein or Jan 6. And yet it's written nowhere else. No one else noticed this gross, public - and let’s not forget, theatrical - violation of Jewish practices; essentially a hate crime.

Nobody ever heard of or wrote about the bible character while he was alive. And that's the problem you have to solve, not "particular random street preacher."

It's funny how much we do know about everything else prior to the printing press, though, as well as how we came to know it and what evidence we have for it.

[aziraphales-library]

Do you have any docs in which Crowley owns a bar? I think a lot of people (myself included) would love to read some after Neil’s tweet yesterday :)

Here are a few fics in which Crowley owns a bar. Hopefully there will be more soon!...

Whiskey on Your Lips, Temptation in Your Hips by ranguvar82 (M)

It's the Roaring Twenties, and Prohibition is in full swing. Anthony James Crowley, ex-Demon and owner of Eden's Serpent, the only neutral speakeasy in the town of Tadfield, is living his best life. Really. He's not lonely or miserable at all. So when he finds a man bleeding on the steps, he's prepared to offer sanctuary. He's not prepared for a literal Angel to fall in his arms. Aziraphale Fell, reluctant Angel, is in trouble. A lot of trouble. He's heard that Eden's Serpent is safe. He's expecting sanctuary. He's not expecting to fall hard and fast for the owner, an ex-Demon with golden eyes and hips that could tempt a priest to sin.

Empty Orchestra by Fallinfromgrace (E)

Ezra has never been a fan of modern music, it just didn't have the same feel as classical music. That would all change when he meet his best friend, Anathema, for drinks at a local bar with an Open Mic night to meet her new boyfriend. The moment the first singer steps out onto the stage Ezra was entranced. Who is this beautiful man, and why does he look so sad?

Crowley was not in a good place and he knew it. He loved his work, especially since it allowed him to do the one thing keeping him sane, sing. But he's been out of the game for a few weeks now. Ever since his boyfriend betrayed him, leaving Crowley feeling broken and all alone. But things start to look up when he sees a beautiful Angel sitting at the bar.

When he sees him again the next week he can't help but wonder what he might be like. Could he be the one to help Crowley mend his broken heart?

i'll be your man if you got love to get done by mygalfriday (T) (Part One of the blind date au series)

Tucking his sunglasses into the neck of his black t-shirt, he scans the crowded space for the man Anathema had described. Blond, she’d said. A bit old-fashioned. Crowley had taken that to mean no shagging until the third date but his eyes land on a man who looks like he just returned from tea in the Victorian era and he just knows he’s found his date. Ezra Fell.

Alpha Centauri by apliddell (G)

We’ve altered each other. I don’t think I could have been a. Good person. Without you, dear. You keep me on my toes.

- Mod D

[aftgficrec]

Hi hi, is there a fic where Andrew gets jealous of Neil giving the cats more attention than to him? I would really want to read that. xx

I found one that is just as you described, except Neil is the one who is jealous. It’s ‘Kitty Betrayal’ by Marmeladeskies, listed last. The others here are a little bit different, but I think you will like them. I would also recommend ‘under the kitchen lights (you still look like dynamite)’ by ephemeralsky, recc’d here. It’s a no-exy au where Andrew’s cat, Bastard, seems to prefer the company of their new, red-haired neighbor. Also, I’m featuring lesser known art of andreil and the cats. Me-ow! xx - A

Shared Custody by DeyaAmaya [Rated G, 1383 Words, Complete, 2019]

In which Andrew and Neil met over a stray and kept bickering about who gets to keep it. Nicky takes the liberty to name him Princess Pawsome. Neil thinks they could share custody. Andrew has a better idea.

Shared Custody (The Blame the Cat Remix) by ennui_ephemera [Rated G, 3326 Words, Complete, AFTG Remix 2019]

When Andrew accompanies Nicky to the carnival, he didn't expect to meet a stray cat and an attractive stranger. He certainly didn't expect to enter a custody battle over the cat with said stranger, who just so happens to work for his cousin.

We can’t tell Andrew about this by The_GrxyWxrxn_9 [Not Rated, 1178 words, complete, 2019]

Andrew is with Bee for morning coffee when he gets a call from Neil, what is Andrew supposed to think when Neil starts telling someone to stop taking up the whole bed?

Unannounced surprise by Lover_of_Fairy_Tails [Rated T, 7234 words, complete, 2018]

This takes place the first year that Neil is a pro athlete.

He plays for the Boston Rebels, while Andrew lives and plays in Denver.

Andrew decides to make an unannounced trip to visit Neil. Things do not go as smoothly as he thinks they will

With Neil Josten involved when do they ever.

Neil Jealous of King

All for the Game Prompt Fills (drabbles+oneshots) by Marmeladeskies [Rated G, Collection, Updated 2019]

Chapter 3: Kitty betrayal - prompt: Neil being jealous.

Art

andreil adopting cats comic by @beautifullycrystalqueer, you told me to stay art by @spideychaidoodles for @aftgfamilyzine, small preview of my piece art by @bonzarr for @aftgfamilyzine, King as a Turkish Van art by @natrenwal, Andrew, Neil and King art by @parrisshadam, Andrew and King Fluffkins art by @homosexualhooligan, Cats art by @kiveriah,  Exytober art by @still-waiting-for-godot, Are you coming? art by @fornavnandexy, some much needed cat time art by @jojen-hewitt, little exy jerseys art by @severelynerdysheep, curiosity killed the cat art by @cats-are-assholes,

[shinahbee]

November Favorites 2020!

 Hello!

So as you may have seen I have been uploading a bunch of art all of November, not every week because of my crippling job at the moment taking away my sanity.lol. But i did try my best to update whenever I can. I do have so much more to complete so please look out this December for more digital art being pumped out

How are you all doing?  I'm holding up decently, I'm trying to avoid talking about covid since that's all i've been hearing from work and home and it's really making me anxious since i'm not able to work from home due to the nature of my job. I hope you all are holding up hope and taking care of your selves, let's all remember that there is a time after this and we will get through this.

with that being said I will have a lot more time to spend on my art after January since my work term is going to end and I don't plan to stay for an extension, so maybe then I'll catch up on all of my previous art that I was supposed to upload, a.k.a my hero academia ones.lol

also I'm still chugging along reading more manhwa (web toons ) from korean and chinese artists, i'm so disappointed in myself for not discovering these sooner, these stories are really good and so much effort was put into the art panels, as I have said all I've read was manga so i'm used to just seeing black and white panels, so i never really dove into web toons though I have appreciated the work put into it, now that I'm down the rabbit hole I am discovering really good story lines that are different from the manga I've read thus far and I'm really enjoying it!

so i'm excited to share my thoughts on everything I've been liking

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                           Manhwa/Manga/Webtoon

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so previously in last months recommendations I have talked about a few of the manhwa I've been reading so I'll briefly list those below since they are all still ongoing

1) who's baby is it

2) to be or no to be

3) social temperature

4) salad days

all of them are still ongoing and i'm still in the process of reading them so I can't give a full review till it's completed but so far I am still enjoying them, that's definitely a good sign since i tend to just drop something after I don''t find it interesting anymore at some point in the story. If you have not read my October favorites journal please do so for my initial thoughts on these manhwas. Now i'm actually going to talk about some of the ones that are completed   , so you can definitely read all of them without waiting for the an update from translators, lol

this is in no particular order, just fyi

1) Path to you

"When almost college dropout Jensen attempts to drink away his problems, unemployed Nathaniel( Neil ) suddenly pukes on him and ruins his night. As an apology, Nathaniel offers to help Jensen with his studies. Despite Jensen's difficulties in getting along with people, the two become friends and something deeper begins to grow between them...”

this is the summary from one of the manga websites I was able to find, it does not even describes the emotional plot line that goes along with this later, this is ones of my absolute favorites! I love this manhwa so much, its a great depiction of a coming of age story for collage students going through their life journey and slowly getting though life's difficulties  and challenges, one character is going though emotional trauma and trying to over come it for years and another character is going through anti social disorder and discovering his sexuality, it's a plot line that portrayed human aspects in life quite well. I love the relationship between the two main character and how their relationship developed over time from being friends to being a couple. there is a lot of relationship building and minimal drama, which is really refreshing from mangas that I've read, so if you are just starting to delve into BL webtoons, please read this first! you will not be disappointed

with that being said, I love Neil, so much.... you don't even know. lol. He's so precious, literally like an actual cinnamon roll. LOL. i'm exposing myself ...so i'll leave it at that, i’m also wondering why his name is neil instead of nathan or nate...? lol.

2) Here U Are

"Orientation of  the newcomers is a task for YuYang, and he ends up helping the unsociable and towering LiHuan, the kind of person that does everything to be disliked. But after better knowing each other, he discovers that the giant isn’t that bad of a person at all...”

I really wish I could find better summaries, lol. but it's to the point without giving away too much so i'll take it. This is one of the most popular series and I can totally see why after reading it, this story has every possible human aspect and relationship building  between the two main leads, I actually teared in some parts of this manhwa and I've never done that before! such a good story and plot line, if I were to pick any series in a web toon to be animated then I would choose this series hands down. There's also sub plots between different characters as well and how they deal with their interpersonal relationships and relationships between the two main leads, I love it! This is everything I want in a story, so please check this one out

also yuyang looks a lot like miyuki Kazuya from Daiya no ace and that just made me drawn to him.I really liked his personality and in the manhwa he has girls and guys in love with him and dude...I get it.

3) BJ Alex

"Every night at 10, Dong-gyun locks himself up in his room, grabs a box of tissues, and watches a live cam boy show hosted by Alex, a BJ (broadcast jockey). Timid Dong-gyun admires not only Alex’s ripped body, but his candor in sharing his sexual experiences with viewers. One night, Dong-gyun downs too many drinks at a school networking event and passes out. When he wakes up, he’s in bed staring up at a shirtless hunk. A hunk who looks an awful lot like...Alex.”

so um...this is more yaoi than shounen ai cause of all the graphic scenes in the manhwa, if you are veteran you may have already read this one cause its really popular. It also has a lot of comedic elements to it too so it's not too serious, but the relationship developed between the two characters later on is really sweet despite the infinite amount of sex scenes. Not much else to say about this story, it's easy to follow and the only abuse in here is the emotional kind

I'm not really entirely sure how i felt about it in the beginning but the end is really good

4) No way, vampires don't exist

"Four college housemates — Juwon, Eunho, Seongjae, and Gyumin — are in desperate need of a fifth person to fill a vacant room in their place. But their main concern isn’t about paying rent: they’re ravenous vampires, dying to sink their teeth into a fresh, live human! So they can’t believe their luck when Dongha, who grew up isolated from society, eagerly moves in with no idea of what awaits him. To the vampires’ dismay, however, Dongha doesn’t weigh enough for them to suck his blood! As they shower their unsuspecting new housemate with food and attention to fatten him up, have they gotten too attached to their would-be prey? And is there more to sweet, naive Dongha than meets the hungry vampires’ eyes?”

I have to preface by saying that ever since my twilight phase, I didn't consume anything that had to do with vampires for a very long time, for obvious reasons, but this one I just came across after reading path to you and thought I would at least check it out. It started off really comedic and I was like...what am i reading?  but it gets really light hearted and wholesome later on in the story. What I like about this is the character juwon, If you look at him he's that type of character that would look like the stoic a-hole of the story and those characters never appeal to me. But turns out he's the sweetest person most decent person of this story, it makes you want to route for him  and another thing I like about this story is that it looks like a harem but you can tell that there’s only one person the main character doungha treats differently from the rest and how the two are compatible with one another.  in these kind of stories, it’s always treated as every character is a possible route that leads to their own story but in here....there's only one...let's be real. This is one that is an odd ball cause it's technically completed but the translations are not...so i had to read the rest in korean, which makes it a good practice for me since i'm learning korean at the moment, it’s a good exercise...lol

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                             Anime/ Drama

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                         

Not going to lie this department is lacking...lol. I have only been watching Heavens official blessing as mentioned in the last journal

but I have just found out that there is a remake of Shaman king in the making....and my little girl heart is screaming cause I loved shaman king when i was younger...so I can't wait for that

as for dramas, I've tried watching Start Up but I didn't like it so I dropped it, I might try watching crash landing on you since my best friend was obsessed with it, I watched a little of it but I left it since I was busy so i may get back to watching it from the beginning

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                             Music

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i'll put together a play list for you when you read these manga/manhwa...lol. cause that's what i've been doing

Playlist

Crush- No words

Sam kim - Breathe

Crush - let us go

Kim feel - falling

Paul kim - Dream

Kim feel - Hallelujah

Davichi - please don't cry

Yoo mirae - say

taeyeon - a poem called you

baek yerin- Here I am again

I wish tumblr has a way to play music on your page, without copy right..lol. I would share all of these songs cause they are so good

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so that's it for the month of November, lets' see what i get up to for December, I will be updating as frequently as possible so please look out for more art from me and follow me on my social media , I will see you all next time

bye!

Sheena

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     Social media      

Devianatart: she-be.deviantart.com

Instagram: shinb_art

Tumblr: shinahbee

[dr-mizmix]

More than art

(full fic with footnotes)

(without footnotes)

Crowley noticed something. Thought the last few decades some of his feathers had been falling. This was not a problem in the sense that in a few days he had brand new feathers replacing the once just lost but he'd never heard of such thing as a demon molting his wings.

At first, he thew them out of embarrassment but over the course of the years, he'd gotten into the practice of making pillows with them and for some uncomprehensible reason he really wanted to give one to Aziraphale. He thought of doing it in so many occasions, if he recalls correctly in each gifting occasion since it became a thing. Is just that, deep down he knows it's probably not socially acceptable to gift something like that.

But that wasn't the only thing he'd been doing. He wasn't aware of this but his apartment had become a treasure trove for mementos of his encounters with the angel.

He'd gotten into the habit of talking something from the places they met: a chair from the castle he worked on the kingdom of Wessex, an authentic Roman mosaic he placed next to his shower, the horn of the last unicorn, the eagle statue from the nazi church… He also retrieved books during his demonic assignments. His library was filled with rare first editions he knew Aziraphale would enjoy.

Each time he looked at them he couldn't help it but smile. A warm feeling invaded his body as if someone were giving him a hug.

Sometimes he would take some of his his homemade pillows and sleep on the Wessex chair. What was dreamt on the chair, stayed on the chair

Aziraphale always got flustered when he entered his flat. He felt good when that happened though the reason why was still unknown for both.

“I love what you've done with the plants, my dear” he proclaimed “Getting more sunlight does not only benefit your little garden but also adds to the overall atmosphere”

“You see, sometimes you have to be permissive to these little brats so they can reach their full potential”

“That could be said about your too, my dear”

“Hey” Crowley protested

Aziraphale giggled “You know what I mean”

The demon gave the angel a friendly punch as their eyes locked on each other. When these two supernatural beings touch, the greatest power explosion can be felt leaving the room filled with silence.

“Yeah so,your plants.” he cleared his throat “I believe they are contest worthy”

Crowley snapped “Don't say that it will get on their hands”

The angel laughed “I don't think they have heads. Nor ears. Nor brains”

“That's what they want you to think” he protested.

Aziraphale rolled his eyes, finding a new teapot in the place where there used to be a blank and white photograph of Crowley hugging Bentley the day he bought it with the caption "Forever yours"

“Did you thow away that picture, dear?”

“Angel, Bently is the third thing I love the most in this world. I could never thow it away” Aziraphale looked down. 3rd thing he loves the most? Where does he rank on the list? “But I noticed you didn't like to have it around so I thought I might as well get a nice teapot so we can have fancy tea the proper way”

“I already have a teapot at the bookshop, is there anything wrong with it?”

“No no no. Of course there's nothing wrong with your teapot. Is just… Is nice having you around the flat” Aziraphale blushed “Don't you dare making a big deal out of this”

As a response the angel giggled “Why don't we put it to use?”

“Well of course”

Crowley gided Aziraphale to some kind of living room. He was about to sit down when…

“No! Don't use that chair” the angel seemed confused “I know you prefer things made by humans than the ones miracled into existence” He brought his red and golden chair “Here”

Crowley acomodated Aziraphale in his seat. “Isn't this Alfred the Great throne?”

“I didn't know it was a throne. But so I suppose. The only decent piece of furniture in all Kingdom of Wessex.”

“That's because it was made for a king to sit on it.”

“We can agree you're a tad bit holier than that”

“Dear, you perfectly know most kings weren't holy at all”

Crowley smirked pulling out his tongue “That's precisely why I am saying it”

He shook his head “You willy old serpent”

“I'm gonna go make the tea, as always feel free to make yourself at home”

Once he left the room Aziraphale's eyes examined the room. Crowley have done several changes since the last time he'd been there. He loved the way the demon decorated his apartment, it felt like all the places they've been together which always puts a smile on his face. His curious instinct lead him to explore the room. Examining the bookshelves he found one that particularly cough his attention: Aristotle book on Comedy.

The kettle whistled “Tea is ready!”

Without thinking it twice, in an impulse, he tried to grab it.

In the distance, Crowley shouted “No! Wait!” as the teaset dropped to the floor breaking into a million pieces.

The book returned to its original position but the bookshelf itself moved like a door unlocking a secret room that seemed to be an art studio with canvases of all shapes and sizes, oleic paints of all colors in the conceivable spectrum and each little thing he'd gifted the demon through the year displayed across pillars in top of what seemed likely homemade pillows. An in the center of the room a pillar slightly bigger that the rest with a tartan pillow displaying the book the was trying to get.

Scanning the room he realized the sketches and paintings on the wall were of him in the most beautiful places of the universe: smiling, contemplating the stars, flying…

It was the most beautiful thing Aziraphale had ever seen

“Crowley… ”

“You weren't supposed to see this.”

“Crowley this is… I'm speechless.”

“I'm so sorry, I know, I shouldn't have done this.”

“My dearest boy, what are you talking about?”

“No one has ever done something like this for me, this is beyond perfection. For it to be perfect it should have achieved some kind of standard but darling, my love, you just redefined what means to be loved for me.”

Crowley approached Aziraphale and cupped his face with his trembling hand “May I?” “Please.” the angel gasped.

Crowley closed his eyes with strength as he surrounded his Angel with his free arm behind his neck. He leaned kissing Aziraphale desperately with passion as if this was the last kiss ever allowed to be had before the end of the world. Aziraphale held Crowley's back as he replied immersed in the intensity of his feelings.

They kept on kissing for almost an hour exploring each corner of each other mouth with the passion and care that should be expected after 6000 years of mutual pinning. They felt how their heartbeats reached a speed never achieved for a human heart.

When they separated their lips they couldn't untangle from a hug. Aziraphale whispered “I should have known. You've told me so many times before. At the glove, in Paris, in my Bookshop, at the church…” “Yet you didn't need to say a word, how can you do it?”

Crowley pulled him closer “Because when I look at you and I see your eyes, your hair, Lord save me! Your sweet sweet smile, my entire body can't stop thinking about how much I love you”

Aziraphale's eyes filled with tears of passion “Oh Crowley, I love you too!”

Crowley smiled turning on a gramophone which for his delight started playing Earth Angel.

Aziraphale offered his hand and so they started dancing.

Earth angel, earth angel

Please be mine

My darling dear

Love you all the time

I'm just a fool

A fool in love with you-ou-ou

And so the angel and the demon kissed for the 2nd time in 6000 years. This time as they knew they had all the time in the world (and more since they averted the apocalypse) they kissed with a whole new different bunch of feelings. Tenderness replaced passion as the magic of forbidden romance invaded the air. And so they kissed and they kissed and they kissed each time giving the phrase I love you a whole new meaning for love wasn't enough to describe all the reasons why they were meant for each other.

“There's something I've wanted to give you, for a really long time.” he shyly handed Aziraphale the tartan pillow. His eyes glowed.

“You made this for me, my love?”

“Well yes the thing is…” He fidgeted nervous searching for the right words.

Aziraphale felt its softness “It's made of you…”

“Is it too weird?”

“My love, for how long have you been nesting?”

“Nesting?”

“My lovely boy, your flat. Look around.” he spinned around himself with open arms.

“I'm afraid I don't understand.”

“You know” he made a wing motion with his arms “like birds do.”

“Oh.Ohhhh. I didn't, I didn't do it on purpose”

The angel giggled “Of course you didn't”

The demon blushed as the angel placed his hand on his chin. He tilted his head pressing against the hand “I love you” The angel closed his eyes then smiled “And I love you too”

Taglist from people who reblog my previous post:

@theineffablewasinevitable

@thegratergood

@neireleldridge

[aftgficrec]

There are two fics that I’m looking for. One is where Andrew ends up getting deaf after an accident(I think exy-related? I’m not sure) and it has multiple chapters and is incomplete. The second one is one where Neil is deaf and Andrew is blind(I’m pretty sure) and Neil is a painter(I’m pretty sure). Thank you!!!

We’ve got you covered, friend!  Here are both fics. - S

Can You Hear Me? by Alexmonroe [Not Rated (we say M), 7577 words, incomplete, last updated 2018]

also available here

Andrew gets injured during a game and ends up deaf. If the others didn't know how to act around him before, they're even more confused now

Basically Neil and Andrew get to talk shit about every one and Andrew is secretly soft

tw: violence, tw: serious injury, tw: implied/referenced rape

NB: The violence is a serious in-game injury and retaliation punches. The rape tag is for canon/past–referenced but never described on page. This is NOT a dark fic.

Paint On My Fingers, Your Hands In Mine by lipsstainedbloodred [Rated T, 1682 words, complete, 2018]

also available here

He’s twenty one and he’s got paint on his knuckles the color of coal dust, flecks of white smudging up his wrist like tiny snowflakes, a dash of fire red splashed across the bridge of his nose where he pushed his glasses up.

tw: scars, tw: implied/referenced character death