#and this is also the reason why i still haven't watched the good omens because i'm afraid i just won't see what everyone else see

[vidavalor]

Hello! I trully love your metas ♥️

And I want to believe… but how do you match the fact that they have kissed (even fucked) for so many time with the only kiss we have seen which is so clumsly, so fist-time-type, and so turbovirgin?

Thank you!

Hi @margotmignard-blog Thank you and nice to meet you. :) Ok, this is for you and the few Anons who have sent me more or less the same Ask in the last 2 weeks or so as some of my posts have circulated a bit more so yeah, alright, I'll take it on. All of you please help yourself to hot chocolate and holiday M&Ms, even if you are making me think about Every again to write this lol.

Why do I think Crowley & Aziraphale are long-time lovers when Every is an awkward kiss? Because you know what looks just like clumsy, first-time kisses?

Old-married argument kisses of desperation when all other communication is failing that then wind up failing, too, that's what.

Two people kissing in distress is clumsy and messy no matter what stage of their relationship they're in and if they're upset and think the other is about to walk out the door and conflicted about opening up to the kiss because of the argument then all of that makes for a truly gut-wrenchingly awkward kiss. It didn't read as a first time kiss to me at all but I can understand how it might to someone.

I actually think that's the insanely evil genius of it lol. This show is such a bastard worth knowing, I tell ya. :) Right now, they have everyone being all "they need to have a better second kiss!" and just well... if you were them, wouldn't you want that? Would seem a good way to bury the surprise of an older kiss, wouldn't it? Would be a good way to sleight of hand some doubt into *checks notes* apparently everybody but me and a handful of others lol and so help to have everyone flailing again but for a better reason when they throw in an older, better kiss.

It's also a bolder move, both story-wise and performance-wise. Sadly, it's still a big deal that they've even kissed at all and it shouldn't be but, thankfully, it's becoming more common. In a way, though, that makes the fact that they made the first kiss you saw less than ideal a better choice and a better story.

Some more thoughts on this under the cut below that is beneath some gifs of these two who haven't apparently ever kissed before moments away from sex in the wall slam scene in S1... which is Every's parallel scene. By design. To illustrate a contrast. The first kiss we saw is a mirror of oh, just the start of some casual public sex that got interrupted by SatanicNun!Nina. Haven't we all had that relationship where we let someone throw us against a wall before we ever kissed? I mean...

Look at Aziraphale and his little 'getting up to some sexy trouble' smile here... does he not look like he knows *exactly* what he's asking for here and does Crowley not know what the request is and give it to him in a way that screams that this is not the first time? The tone here is a bit... You know, Crowley, I've always said I wanted to fuck in an empty broom closet in a former satanic nunnery and luck of the devil, you just kicked in a door and found one so you are sooooo nice throw me against the wall baby let's go... oh terrific of course this is exactly when the damn nun shows up oh well at least I can enjoy you slurring your S's in sexual frustration for now...

Good Omens throws something down and then gives you context for it later on that causes you to revisit what you thought when you initially watched it, right? They do this all the time. The scenes themselves always work fine on first viewing but they change and morph into a different scene when viewed with the added context the show gives you later. If you're writing a show in that way, you absolutely would make Every the first kiss you showed the audience... *especially* if it was in a cliffhanger-y season finale. Your Ask is exactly the reason why. You and I and a bonkers number of others are engaging with one another on the topic and we're engaging with the show as a result. Some of us are apparently willing to fight to the death insisting that Every is their first kiss. Some of us are like how you appear to be from your Ask, where you're willing to keep an open mind but you're leaning towards it was the first kiss. Some of us are like me and are feeling that, when all is said and done, they are building a relationship that is millennia old and that the show will wind up illustrating an entire history of it by its end and the idea that we have scenes out there already like Rome and The Globe Theatre and 1941 and Tadfield Manor but people think that they just kissed for the first time in 2023 is kind of head-scratching to me.

I've had people ask me how an ancient times vavoom would advance the story and I've answered in other meta how I think it would but I have an ask back for you all: how, honestly, would 2.06 being their first kiss advance the story? They've written characters who have had a relationship of some form with one another since before the Garden of Eden and have shown us that story throughout different points in time. S3 is going to be, at best, set a couple of years out from S2 and is probably set a lot sooner than that, so we're going to end their story sometime before 2026 on their timeline, probably... and the first kiss was in 2023? When you have the opportunity to write an entire millennia-old romantic relationship with all of its highs and lows and show it in the flashbacks and how they inform the relationship in the present? Because that story is already there. That's the story I see watching this and have since the first time I watched it. I'm frankly kinda floored by the number of people who insist that it's their first kiss, especially two seasons into the show. The same show that gave you this before it gave you The Blitz, Part 2?

I got accidentally spoiled for Every like a lot of people and when I saw Crowley's glasses on, I had the feeling that it was probably going to be a terrible kiss. I was hoping that it wasn't the only kiss in the season but when 2.05 finished without it showing up yet, it became obvious that it was going to be a big thing in the finale (hahaha oh God, remember when we didn't know? simpler times lol) and that meant that it was likely the only kiss in the season and while it ripped my heart out like it did everyone else, I never saw it as a first kiss for a second.

If you've been with somebody for a long time and, like everyone else, you have your disagreements and your things to work through but you tend to be the kind of couple where you can always or almost always rely on a baseline of physical communication that helps you express what you feel for one another-- which is a wordy way of saying 'when you've been with someone forever and the sex is amazing' lol-- maybe the worst thing that can happen between you is if that feels like it's falling apart, too. That's what I see in that kiss and, in particular, Aziraphale's reaction to it.

It's not 'turbo-virgin', in an unfamiliar with kissing way, imo-- it's a situation causing conflict for Aziraphale over whether or not he wants to give into the kiss. We've all seen it from every damn angle by now lol. We see him unable to not give in, just a little. He kisses Crowley back a bit. He touches his shoulder and his side. He doesn't pull away because he just can't, really, because he never really wants to not be kissing Crowley, but he also can't just give in because that's the situation that Crowley's set up by kissing him the way he did. Crowley wants him to run away with him and that's not a solution to any of this, either, and everything is a total mess and if Aziraphale just gives in and opens up more and really kisses Crowley, he's saying yes to just running off with him and they can't. There's really nowhere to go.

Even with all of that, he still can't resist kissing Crowley a bit and touching him because Crowley and because what he really wants is for them to be literally anywhere else, somewhere safe away from all of it, without having to worry about Heaven & Hell, but they aren't and he can't pretend that they are. That'd be even crueler, really, to really kiss Crowley and then still go to Heaven, right?

It's not a first kiss and at a bad time panic-- it's oh God, I think we broke it. It's the heartbreak of suddenly being in this place together where they aren't communicating well on any level and that going past having a verbal disagreement and into the pain of having an absolutely brutally bad kiss with someone with whom you've had countless passionate ones and the terror that it might be the last one and you're never going to feel any of that again.

That's happened to them before.

It's the brutal 1862 scene. Aziraphale in 1862's comment about The Agreement is the most embittered you won't touch me anymore thing ever. They've gone from The Arrangement in their looser, flirtier Globe Theatre era to now what Aziraphale calls The Agreement in 1862. The difference between an arrangement and an agreement is basically where the future is concerned. An agreement is, well, an agreement lol but it tends to be more formal, more restrained, while an arrangement is an agreement that contains more of a view to the future. It's a plan. You agree to meet up but you arrange how, basically. They don't have The Arrangement in 1862 anymore, they have The Agreement and it sounds like the exact fucking opposite of The Arrangement. The Agreement is "stay out of each other's way. Lend a hand, as needed," according to Aziraphale.

Read that again: "Stay out of each other's way. Lend a hand, as needed." See a problem here? If we're just talking about helping each other out with work assignments then this literally just doesn't make any sense at all as how can you both stay out of each other's way but lend a hand as needed? It's one or the other. It can't be both. It's "stay out of each other's way" when it comes to work assignments. It's "lend a hand, as needed" in their love life and Aziraphale is bitter as all holy fuck about it. They're barely having sex anymore.

That scene in 1862 actually also parallels part of the scene that contains Every. Funny how alike "we have a lot in common, you and me" sounds to what Crowley says in 2.06, isn't it? Dude has got to stop asking for holy water or to run away when they're both a mess-- it not working lol.

The point is that they've been together a long time and they've also both experienced a lot of trauma. They've have times where miscommunications snowballed and it felt broken beyond repair but it's not and it's not because they love each other and they eventually figure it out. That's part of the pain of Every, though, because what happened after Crowley came back from Hell in 1827 was bad and it took a long time to get to a better place with it but they did and better than before and then this kiss that they think could wind up being their last is a complete disaster straight out of the mid-1800s on top of the fact that they're in what feels like in the moment irreversible disagreement.

It's a painful kiss. It hurts to watch. It's supposed to. Not because they've never kissed before but because they've kissed a trillion times and this is by far the worst of the lot.

And these bastards decided it was the first one we should see lol. It's okay, though. These are coming soon, in the past and present:

[galaxgay]

In this post about Aziraphale reveling in Crowley's trust, @ravenofazarath2 got me thinking about why Crowley is actually so different from all the other angels and demons. It's definitely something that has stuck out to me especially since S2 but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

(Apologies, this meta is gonna be unnecessarily long and also might be missing information because I need to rewatch S1 and haven't read the book yet. Also, this meta is just for fun so take it with a grain of silly salt 💕)

@ravenofazarath2 mentioned that maybe Crowley isn't brainwashed like Aziraphale (and all the other ethereal beings) because he bit the apple- The apple that contains the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And I am now going insane because wait a second-

When we see him in Eden he says this line, speculating on why it's so wrong to have the knowledge of good and evil. It's such an... interesting thing to say- especially for an ethereal.

Sure, he could very much be talking about Adam and Eve choosing to eat the apple and being kicked from Eden for it (Landlords and their obnoxious rules🙄), but for fun, I'd like to play with another idea.

To be a bit more philosophical, I want to preface this theory by saying "knowing the difference between good and evil" means understanding its many complexities. It means knowing there are times where good deeds are poisoned with malice or even have evil unintended consequences and evil deeds can be justified by means outside of one's control and have good consequences- and what is good for one person, may be evil for another.

Angels and demons do not have this "knowledge". They have their strict rules and codes that they follow almost compulsively and are all collectively in on this bit. Good and Evil are almost always about immediate action and never factor in consequences. They recognize good and evil based on their respective sides. Nothing more, nothing less.

Additionally, the phrasing of that line is interesting to me. It kind of sounds like "as someone who has bit the apple, gained that knowledge and can now see the difference between good and evil, (and perhaps fell/was punished for it himself) I don't get what's so wrong with that knowledge."

The reason I don't think this is too much of a reach is because sure, halo-hugging angels who are still apart of the "cult" are going to be brainwashed, but what's so strange to me is that demons, who are fallen angels and have supposedly seen both sides themselves, don't seem to share Crowley's sentiment. Not a single one. They seem almost as brainwashed as the angels are. Is that not bizarre? Not to be a nerd but statistically speaking, at least one other demon should be able to agree, right? Why is it only Crowley?

Because it's not about seeing both sides, it's about understanding both sides. Something you can only do, if you take a bite.

(Sure, one could say the demon's quest to ruin humanity could be an act of rebellion and revenge but again, why is it all of them? I feel like at least a few of them would in one way or another agree with Crowley, even the littlest bit and they don't.)

In S1, we get this beautifully dramatic frame where Crowley says "I only ever asked questions". Which of course, is a line that everyone has been scrambling back to after seeing angel Crowley in S2. Which makes me think of this ask that Neil Gaiman answered:

Crowley's implication of not deserving to fall and Neil Gaiman saying that Crowley isn't a reliable narrator when it comes to his fall are certainly opposing views but why can't they both be correct? (we're exercising DBT today for fun)

If we know anything about Good Omens, it's that the entire theme of the story hinges on perspective. How the same instance can be viewed dramatically different depending on who is watching and where their morals are aligned. For both of these things to be true, Crowley would probably see his fall as a punishment for having simple curiosity. To Neil Gaiman, a much more neutral, outside observer, Crowley's fall wouldn't have been such a random, out of place happening. Which leads me to wonder what the Great War was even about. (I'm assuming the Great War happened before Eden-)

Perhaps it was about asking questions and making suggestions.

It seems kind of silly to say but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. If the Great War is what caused many of the angels to fall, it would make sense that the center of that war would be a lack of faith. And the thing about faith is a lot of the time there's this idea that you should hang your questions aside and choose to believe- questions can oftentimes be seen as a threat or a lack of faith. Even more so are suggestions. I believe Aziraphale's reaction to Crowley's questions and suggestions in S2E1 are a perfect example of this being just the case.

I can imagine Crowley, and many of the higher ranking angels such as Lucifer and Beelzebub finding each other to all have the same questions and suggestions and doubts about the future of the universe. Having the rank they had, I could see them planning to go to God to ask questions- they, at this point, have no reason to believe anything should happen to them should they ask questions.

With them having those questions, I could also see there being a rift between the Angels who wished to ask questions, and those who strongly opposed it. And as they debated it, it snowballed out of control turning into a full-on war.

(Small note: sure maybe they became demons before the war actually officially starts but I still think this theory could hold pretty strongly.)

Crowley was on the side of asking questions and making suggestions. They did in fact fight with the other angels who ended up falling. Her questions and suggestions were viewed as a lack of faith. If you view faith as being able to hang up your questions and doubts, it actually was a lack of faith. To Neil Gaiman and katiebird2000's point, Crowley's fall was in fact just the consequences of his actions. To say "all I ever did was ask questions" is to negate all of the other things Crowley did.

(I'd also like to throw out there that faith in this circumstance is faith in God, not faith in doing good which I think explains a large portion of Crowley's morality throughout the story because God and good are not synonymous. Crowley believes in doing the right thing but does not believe God is the one to do it.)

And so Crowley fell. To his point of view, he fell for simply having questions. So when Crowley heard about the Tree of Knowledge, she had to go. When they heard the word "Knowledge" they probably thought taking a bite would answer their questions- provide her with the thing she was denied in Heaven. It was also the perfect first act of rebellion- to indulge in something he was not meant to indulge in.

But when he took a bite, something completely different happened. The wool over her eyes had been peeled back and suddenly the universe became so much more complicated. Perhaps tempting Eve to eat the apple was originally about temptation but then became an act of setting them free- to give them the right to choose just like the apple did for Crowley.

And everything from there on is history.

I think that's why Crowley not only loves humanity but also why Crowley himself is so human: that is the one thing he shares with humanity- the knowledge and understanding that good and evil are not mutually exclusive. Knowing that good and evil are tied by a red string of fate, destined to dance circles around one another eternally.

[a-victorian-girl]

Do you think Loki queerbaited the audience? Asking you 'cause you ship Sylkie, I think. You're also a Johnlocker, so you know what queerbaiting really is.

I haven't watched the show but I've seen the ship wars in the Loki tag. I was curious to know what you think about all that.

Hi Anon!

Look, I'm gonna be honest with you, and I know that what I'm gonna say probably won't be liked very much (sorry, but it's my opinion and I have the freedom to express it): I don't see any ship in Loki. Just because I reblogged that kiss doesn't mean I ship it :) It's my friend's account, and I support her by reblogging (and because I love how she created that gifset, nothing more :)

In my opinion, that kiss between Loki and Sylvie wasn't a romantic one. You haven't watched the series yet, but if you do, consider the context in which that kiss happened, and keep in mind that both are gods of deception. What I'm about to say is not a spoiler, and it'll make it clear why I don't see ships in the show: towards the end of the first season, Loki revealed his feelings for Sylvie, and she used that emotion in the last episode as a strategy to distract him and steer him away from her main mission (you'll know what it is when you watch the series). That's why Loki stares so bewildered when he realizes it (the god of deception was deceived), and for that reason, a romantic situation between them didn't unfold in S2. She doesn't care.

And (I'm sorry), but I don't see the Lokius ship. I watched both seasons twice, and at no point did the show depict clear sparks between them. So, in my opinion, Loki is far from queerbaiting.

Characters don't always have to be romantically involved, do they? :)

Unlike Loki, in Sherlock was very visible. Whether you like it or not, it was there. I'm a Johnlocker because it was tangible, they made it very noticeable (despite what the producers may say), they gave too many signals... and maybe they enjoyed playing with that, idk.

That's why I detest queerbaiting. It seems like an act of cowardice and a lack of respect from the show's producers towards the Community. You can't play with that to gain more audience. Giving so many signals -as a traffic light- between two characters, and then not developing a romantic relationship between them? Is pathetic and cowardly.

Personally, I don't usually ship arbitrarily. Doesn't always have to be romantic involvement in shows; it seems too forced to me. I prefer to enjoy the show as it is, but I'm not stupid, I notice when there's flirting or hints between characters. Still, I don't think it should be a requirement for writers and creators to create ships… at least it shouldn't, I believe.

And I'll be honest with you: for a moment, I thought Good Omens was also heading towards queerbaiting too, but… in this case, they grew some balls and showed on screen that there is indeed a romantic relationship between the two main characters (well, at least one of them demonstrated it by acting).

Damn, I made the response so long!! So sorry!!… 😅

[whatspastisprologue-blr]

At this point, I think a substantial reason why I dislike Netflix's Witcher is because it's sort of love-hate. Or like-hate.

Like, with the bizarre adaptation choices, the confirmation that there's people (or was people) in charge of the show who hate the source material, and Henry Cavill leaving presumably due to the first two points, I kind of want to just hate it. I kind of want to just walk away, like I've more or less done with the MCU.

And then they had Joey show up in Blood Origins. And then they decided to expand his part. And they release stills where he's in his sort of pirate ensemble from season 2 and where it looks like he gets his lute back. And he's all scuffed up and feral and bloody but also just really soft (like asking whether he's the right person for the job).

And then I'm just, like: *heavy sigh* *gritted teeth* Fine, dammit, I guess I can't abandon the sinking ship just yet. I recognize that they're just dangling Jaskier in front of us to trick us into walking into what could just be a trap, but dammit, I'll trudge along anyway. I'll be along for the ride but I'll reserve the right to bitch about it.

And then I just hate Netflix's Witcher a bit more for getting me to stick around. And that all it's taken so far is the blatant manipulation of more bard content. Like that little light thing that anglerfish use to lure prey, like in Finding Nemo.

I sort of hope the show tanks after season 3. Then I can walk away. And Joey can walk away. And get a role where people care about the adaptation and his character. (And, y'know, more TAD content would be wonderful.)

I've said it before but I'll say it again: I think he (and Madeline) would fit really well in a Neil Gaiman adaptation. (Currently going are Sandman and Good Omens, both of which Neil is actively involved with.)

However, based off the one (1) episode I've so far watched because I haven't yet caved and got an AMC subscription, I think Interview with the Vampire might be a good fit, too. He could wear different historical clothing styles, be scruffy and feral and wild, and be full-tilt fruity. Like, a show like that, with such high camp and drama? And where, frankly, it appears that everyone is one shade of the rainbow or another? Just hand the guy a script and set him free on set.

(Also, let's be honest, I wouldn't complain about seeing Madeleine as a vampire, either.)

What sort of role would ya'll like to see him in? Could be a general concept, could be something specific. I'm curious about what my fellow unhinged Joey/Madeleine/TAD fans come up with!

[a-case-of-the-ace]

Fic writer interview :D

Thank you @eoinmcgonigal for the tag!!

Welp let's see how this goes. I've been doing the writing thing for a little over two years, I think? Time has flown and I have done... little.

How many works do you have on AO3? 21.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 57,611. None of which have reached over the 12,000 mark.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Something, Old, New, Broken and Blue at number 1, followed by Something Precious, a Bold Beginning, My Soul Says Ouch and Match Made in Vain. The top 3 are for Stranger Things, and the 4th and 5th are for Mafia: Definitive Edition. I reckon the top ones are at the top mainly because they're a bigger fandom.

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do, I'm always so happy when I get them, but I worry I sound like a broken record. there's only so many ways to thank someone for reading and commenting, even though I'm overjoyed every time it happens.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Possibly Ready for Table for Doctor Who's The Two Doctors, since that doesn't end in a good spot for the main character, but the canon story has a good ending, so you know it's going to be ok. Probably Bon Appetit, for Mafia: DE, since it's a dark yandere cannabilism fic.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? That's a tough one, most of mine have happy endings. Possibly My Soul Says Ouch, since the characters spend so long pining over each other before getting together? Also my only polyam fic, (or at least where it's not just implied) so 50% extra love?

7. Do you write crossovers? I haven't, none have really occurred to me. I don't usually read them either, but if it's done well, I'll read it.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic? Not hate per se, but I did have one commenter who didn't like some things, and told me I could change things, and didn't need to stick to the canon. I quite liked my choices, though, and so did other kinder commenters. I do the fic for me, first and foremost.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Not in anything I've posted, but I'm currently writing a Galavant fic that has some, for angst reasons. I did have a tad in A Bold Beginning, but I danced around the subject so much that I don't think it counts. I'm ace, which I don't think helps much, I'm basing most of it off of what I've read.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope. Wouldn't mind if someone did though.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nope.

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship? Mega tough one. Good Omens got me into it, but I haven't read much of them. Stobotnik, since I only watched the films for them? Two/Jamie? I read a lot of Johnlock, but that was ages ago. Geraskier? I think I just binge a ship and return to it if I really liked it. Depends if the ship's small or big, I guess.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? I had a mermaid!Tommy au I tried to get going for a long while, but kept getting stuck on logistics. An omegaverse mafia fic, an angsty guilt fic, and even a fic for Forever (TV show from 2014). Plus a bunch of ideas that hit while I was writing something else, and I'd lost the fixation by the time I finished. There's still a few sticky notes with ideas in my phone, from inspo at work. I think I get a lot more ideas than I manage to write :(

15. What are your writing strengths? Beginnings. I love nothing more than going "Bang! Here's what's happening." Otherwise, I dunno what my strengths might be. Writing in full sentences for the first draft?

16. What are your writing weaknesses? Hanging on to the motivation to finish a fic. Not using a variation of the phrase "All they could do was hope." Nearly put that in thrice in three chapters by mistake, I'm sure it's getting old. Motivation for sure though, I miss the days when I was writing tropey one-shots, at least they were one and done.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I haven't really had a need to do it, and would worry about formatting if I did. Closest I've had to this was a heavily accented character, but I didn't really know how to write an accent and so I didn't write it in. Not sure if I'd do it that way again, but it made it easier.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Mafia: Definitive Edition. Wrote my first fic in one of my last year 12 math classes. Also the fandom that made me switch from looking at tumblr on Pinterest to actually being on tumblr. There wasn't enough content, so I had to go searching, and then make my own.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to? Really want to throw my hat into the ring on Wez/The Golden Youth, from Mad Max 2, but the only ideas I have for them are really long. Other ones I've considered writing include Forever, Red Dwarf, Sportarobbie from Lazytown, Johnny/Reg from SAS Rogue Heroes and Jude/Cardan from The Cruel Prince.

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written? I'm really liking the Galavant fic I'm writing at the moment, mainly because it's shamelessly self-indulgent. Probably one of my Mafia fics, Chosen by the Life, Choking on my Love or Bring Me Home. It's been a while since I've read my own stuff, this has been a real trip down memory lane.

Desperately trying to remember people who write so I can tag them... I'm so bad at names, if I miss you I'm sorry. And I may not know you at all well so I apologise if you find this weird.

@feline-ranger @iiep-wop @lilies-in-a-vase @somethingaboutamagpie @ihni

[squish--squash]

Thanks for answering my ask......If you don't mind me asking (again), what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

lol hello again, ty for asking me this! I promise I'll give you more than 7 answers this time lol

Tian Guan Ci Fu/tgcf (book series, donghua) - I stumbled upon this randomly back in 2021 through its brand new donghua and I've loved it ever since. I adore the characters and the plot is both extremely complex and absolutely wild. it's roughly 750,000 words but I was able to read it in a week despite having school because I was so invested in it!

Moriarty the Patriot/mtp (manga, anime)- I think this is funny bc I tried watching bbc sherlock once and did NOT like it, so I just thought I wasn't into the sherlock holmes stuff. WRONG! I just had to discover this. I call this the "best sherlock holmes adaptation" for a reason (check my current pinned post, you'll find many reasons why I love mtp; I don't want to sound like a broken record so I don't plan to repeat them). I can't wait for when (or if) the manga comes out of its break/hiatus

Good Omens (book, show) - both the book and the miniseries/show are so near and dear to my heart. I always have a soft spot for watching supernatural entities fall in love (with each other and) the world around them. also, it's funny as hell

Promare (movie) - goooood I love Promare it's so neat; love the colors and the shapes and the plot is fun despite its simplicity. I could rewatch this movie every day for a month straight and not get tired of it

Arc of a Scythe trilogy (book series) - this is not something I've talked about a love, but this is one of my favorite book series! found it back around the same time I did tgcf; it's fucking insane I loooove the worldbuilding and the main cast, and by the second book every other page was like a plot twist gutting me in the best way possible; it's made me ponder about life and death on more than one occasion too

Matched trilogy (book series) - I started reading this in either 5th/6th grade but didn't really get it so I kinda forgot about it until around 2021-2022 (what? I actually had time to READ that year!) and managed to reread it and it was like a third eye opened. I really enjoyed the mystery unfolding in the trilogy! it's pretty cool imo, even tho I think (?) it was meant for teenagers to read

Not So Shoujo Love Story (webcomic) - this webcomic is so fucking funny AND it's wlw! I've been a fan for years it's so good

Bee and Puppycat/Bee and Puppycat: Lazy in Space (show) - a comfort show of mine (one of many); I'm in love with the atmosphere of the show and how awkwardly real the dialogue tends to be (plus I've been slowly rewatching it with my gf with is always a plus <3); I love both the og and its "reboot" equally, and would recommend people watch both

Snow White with the Red Hair (anime) - I haven't read the manga for this one, but I've seen the anime and it's another comfort show of mine. It's so sweet and cozy and the entire cast is lovable; even the "bad guy" in the first season is someone you grow to root for by the end of the second season. it's great!

Supernatural (show) - even tho I haven't finished the show and idk when/if I ever will, I still consider it a favorite media of mine. not bc I think it's great (it's good in most places, lacking in other), but bc I pretty much grew up with it. I have a core memory of watching the first handful of episodes when I was younger with my dad on the couch with the first time and being hooked on this strange show about supernatural creatures (I was that kid that enjoyed the supernatural! I read ghost story books, I binged every Goosebumps book I could get my hands on in fourth grade, I had a creepypasta phase, etc); even now in 2024 I've been sitting down with my dad to rewatch it with him before I go back to my college dorm and start back up classes. it's less so one of my favorite medias because I think it's good but because I associate it with my family <3

[basuralindo]

M, S, and U for the ask game?

Hi! I'm writing this with a migraine so sorry if it's not super coherent, I tried lol

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Okay I'm gonna assume this is for twst since, yeah. So, I think Lilia would be the most fun and low drama to hang with

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Ooh, this one's a challenge, partially because I have a headache and don't completely understand it -the wording is kinda weird. Uhhh the first one that comes to mind is that I'm choosing to believe that all the overblotters are actually related to the great seven. Like, it's already confirmed for Malleus and Idia, and they described the beastmen as having specific animal dna yeah? So if Leona has lion dna and is from the royal family of the savannah where the king of beasts ruled, that could imply a blood relation to Scar. Kalim said he has relatives in the royal family, which implies he could be a distant descendant himself, and the Vipers have been serving his family time out of mind, so it's not a long shot that they could be the same family Jafar was from. Azul's species and appearance is really unusual among mermen, and also exactly like the sea witch, and he comes from a line of mages including a grandma who was described as having a similar role in their town to Ursula. So like, why not? I have no direct linkup to make with Riddle and Vil, but it's not unusual for royal families to have a bunch of offshoots well into the modern era, so it's definitely plausible. 乁⁠(⁠ ⁠•⁠_⁠•⁠ ⁠)⁠ㄏ

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Oof it's so hard to pick just one character from each story, but let's see. I'm watching castlevania at the moment, and there's so many good characters, but it's season 3 and Isaac is really stealing the show, so, Isaac. I really love the growth throughout this season, the way he grows, and the reason for changing. I'm enamored by the idea of him setting out for revenge with enough hate to condemn all humankind, and being met with little acts of human kindness along the way until he's inspired to look at himself as something worth valuing who deserves to want things, and by the time he reaches his target, he's run out of hate and replaced it with a will to live. Not to mention his personality, which is hard to break down into highlights, he's just a good and interesting character, I adore him. Crowley from good omens, moreso the book than the show. When I first read it back when I was like, 10 or so? I think? It was one of my first encounters with a character who was slated to be the badguy categorically, would always be perceived as the badguy because of what he is, and isn't trying to fight it, but is just a compassionate person anyway. It meant the world to me at the time and is still really important, he was a childhood hero to me and supportive fixation. Aaand kinda obscure pull but Miles from the Miles Vorkosigan saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. I haven't read since I was a kid, but I remember him being a fun complex action adventure gremlin, and the series itself was really engaging with a lot of social concepts that I hadn't been exposed to before in stories, including the first time I'd ever heard about a trans man! And Miles himself was a protagonist dedicated to defending the marginalized, rather than the trope of hero who vanquishes the strange and scary. I had a massive crush on him for a while there.

[owlbelly]

withthingsunreal

i was incredibly dubious of the good omens casting but oh my god. michael sheen. he's so good he's so cute i could fucking cry. audible made a full cast audiobook and he was aziraphale and i bought it just because i needed more of him forever.

yeah i've never really seen him in anything but he DOES make good faces in all these gif sets...it was mostly that i had such a distinct mental image for Crowley & Tennant is sooooo far from it haha. like i'm sure he's funny! i never watched any Dr. Who so i also have hardly seen him but i hate...all the hair they've given him...what. why. that's a petty reason not to watch something & it's not the only reason but i still can't! get over it!

slettlune

augh, same! same for everything. i even watched the first ep of go s1 when it came out, and realized like no that did not work for me. i know i probably should have given it a fairer shot but i still haven't watched any more of it

i know so many people who fall somewhere on a scale of "loved it unreservedly" to "enjoyed it while thinking it was pretty eh" but i just couldn't be assed i guess! maybe i can be assed now but if i also can't get through one episode of it, i will just content myself with the fact that Gaiman was eventually pressured into going back on all his bullshit about why they couldn't be gay (angels are sexless? GAY BY DEFAULT skill issue etc.)

[krankittoeleven]

Rules: list eight shows for your followers to get to know you better.

Tagged by @ainulindaelynn. This took a minute cause I couldn't think of more than 3 shows. Most of the TV I "watch" is just on in the background while I'm doing almost anything else except reading or writing.

EDIT: after posting i realized I completely forgot about Start Trek TNG. Unforgivable on my part.

M*A*S*H - I've still never figured out why this resonated with me as much as it did (I mean, aside from the obvious), especially since the last episode aired when I was a year old. There were a lot of reruns, though, growing up, so I guess it just stuck at some point. I'm not sure if it still hold true now, but there was a time in the 90s/early 00s where there was an episode of M*A*S*H airing somewhere in the world every 30 minutes. Impressive that is resonated so clearly, everywhere.

True Detective (Season 1) - I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is the single best season of a tv show, ever. The other seasons are good, but they don't have anything to do with each other aside from a call back or two, so I feel fine about treating it as its own thing. If you like detective/procedural with a light supernatural bent, plus a cult inspired by your friendly neighborhood King in Yellow, well this is the show for you.

Vikings Valhalla - strangely I haven't even watched Vikings yet, and this is a great example of mutuals being great advertisers because one of mine was hyperfixating on King Canute and I was like 👀👀 who are you? So yeah, I'm watching this for the "wrong" reasons. LOL (SRSLY THOUGH ALL I SEE IS A LIVE ACTION UBBA *snickers*

4. Hannibal - I was hooked from the beginning, before they started throwing all that sexual tension around (not complaining tho lol). This was one of the few shows that my ex partner and I watched together all the time, our tastes and schedules often conflicted, but we were always around for the murder husbands. XD

5. The Haunting of Hill House - another one the X-misses and I used to watch together. I really enjoyed this one though it took us forever to get through it because we'd stop every few minutes to figure out if we'd spotted a ghost or not. LOL I quiet enjoyed it overall, and I also very much like how they changed things up over the original novella. I like Shirley Jackson, but I think some of her other stuff is better.

6. Any Dinosaur TV show - especially Walking With Dinosaurs and Dinosaur Planet and Prehistoric Planet.

7. Severance - This show knocked me out. I heard about it on Tumblr one day and I'd binged it all within the next couple days. LMAO What nonsense I love it.

8. Good Omens & Sandman - putting these two together because they fill the same space in my heart: respectable adaptations of things I grew up with and am very fond of and I'm glad to see getting a wider audience/more attention/more love. :D

I will tag @brasideios @macavitykitsune @theinkandthesea @vdk-hellscape and anyone else that wants to cuz I'm not sure who has or hasn't been hit by this one yet.

[unpopularly-opinionated]

Random update on my journey to become a pretentious film buff:

I've been trying to push for a movie a day, at least. Sometimes two if I'm lucky. Sometimes none if I'm lazy. But after my last post where I watched the entire Alien Franchise (sans AvP and Romulus), here's what I've been watching:

Psycho: Yes, I finally watched the original Psycho. To be honest, I've always had a problem watching older movies, so I was surprised at how easy it actually was to watch this one. It was pretty good, though perhaps for the wrong reason. I was honestly laughing through most of it over just how bad these people were at committing crimes and getting away with them. Like that girl was acting so incredibly sus in front of that cop for no good reason. Anyways, 4/5 stars I guess (I'm using Letterboxd to keep track of this).

X & Pearl: In case you don't know, those are two separate movies but they're related via the main character. I watched X first, and Pearl second. Not sure what the intended order of it actually was though, but whatever. It wasn't too bad in that order. Both I thought were pretty good, though I kind of preferred X to Pearl because I thought the "antagonist" motivations in X were...let's just say unique. I can't recall a time where I've seen that particular motivation used. I gave X a 3/5.

Pearl was still pretty good, I just liked X better. Unless you're an idiot like me, the connection between these two movies is pretty obvious, but it tripped me up at first so I didn't wind up understanding it until the very end. Anyways, this movie's good. 3/5 stars (these are arbitrary lol).

Boy Kills World: The one and only non-Horror movie I watched recently. I'm not exactly trying to focus on horror, it's just sort of accidental at this point. I'm in a horror mood so I'm just bingeing horror movies I haven't seen. I swear I watch other stuff too lol.

Anyways, this movie was about as good as one could probably expect it to be. It's just a cheesy, dumb action flick. The plot is middling, but it works. The plot twist is alright. I didn't see it coming exactly, but I also wasn't like "omg no way, what!?", it was just a thing that happened, ya know? Overall, I think my only criticism is that it felt like it was missing a second act. Bill Skarsgard is insanely nice to look at throughout the entire movie though so that's a plus. 3 1/2 stars.

Brightburn: I'm gonna be honest, I didn't care for this movie. It tries to go with the whole "bad guys win" ending that, to me, just fell flat because I don't really give a shit about the bad guy. I'm not sure if I'm meant to feel for him inherently because he's a child, but he's a pretty boring as fuck child so I wound up not caring when he inevitably won. 2/5 stars.

Smile: This movie was OK, but it really felt like that scenario when someone asks to copy your homework and you tell them to just change a few of the details. The one who's homework they're copying of course is It Follows. They have very similar premises, only instead of the monster passing through sex like a shitty STD, this monster passes through trauma like a shitty ex. Personally, I think It Follows did it better. 3/5 stars.

The First Omen: The last on this update, I just finished this right before writing this and it was alright? So, perhaps controversially, I've yet to see The Omen (watching it literally as I type this) so this movie didn't do much for me. I understand it's setting up The Omen though, so that's where the supposed payoff is, but I personally think movies should be able to stand up by themselves, even if they're connected to a franchise, and I'm not sure this one does.

This movie left me confused. It focuses hard on this young girl, leading you to believe she's vitally important and you reasonably assume she's the key figure or "MacGuffin" in this movie, only for us to find out that she's not, and it's actually the main character who's the important one. But then I'm left wondering why I spent the last hour and a half of this two hour movie focused on a red herring.

Not to mention, there's a lingering question I had by the end when everything is burning down which is... if y'all have the actual fucking Devil chained up in your basement as your demonic sperm donor, why the fuck do you need the antichrist so bad?

I'm also just kind of curious about their overall motivations here. Like, we're told that they belong to a different sect of the church who believes that they need to make bad things happen so that more people are drawn to the faith, which at face-value I'm like okay cool, reasonable motivation I guess. But then what is the plan with the antichrist then? They have him get raised by some well-off politician (to set up the Omen) but then what? Presumably you intend to kill him at some point? Is the idea to let him get powerful enough to show everyone he's the legit antichrist, but not so powerful that he doesn't wind up destroying the world like he's meant to? It's just confusing is all, I don't know. Hopefully the Omen explains it. Or the Omen II. Or III. Or IV lol. Anyways, 3/5.

[i-turn-characters-2-warrior-cats]

The Pantheon

The original Warrior Cats, while good in many ways, lacks much substance when it comes to worldbuilding lore. As such, I couldn't resist adding my own in many areas.

As such, I present to you, the Pantheon! The generalized names for cats or other entities who have become powerful enough that they have gathered their own sort of following, always some kind of spirit or deity, these spirits are shared among my characters to warrior cats AUs. They're called 'Pantheonic Spirits' if they do have a following. Other spirits who haven't gained this following are not referred to with a title, but are just called by the name they feel like using.

The Pantheonic Spirits are represented by animals, and I always have a reason for those specific animals. This may be a connection to the inspiration of those spirits, general cultural symbolism, or just because it felt right. They also have specific domains they specialize in.

For gender, LGBT+ stuff, and pronouns, assume that the spirits prefer pronouns that are dependent on the physical forms they choose, and don't have romantic preferences unless I say otherwise.

There are four types of relationships that a normal cat has with a spirit.

1: Worship. A cat worships this spirit, asks for guidance regularly, and lives life with at least some accordance to the ideals or stories attached to the spirit.

2: Honor/Acknowledge. A cat believes that this spirit exists, and gives some deference to it and may pray to it in times of extreme need, but otherwise does not follow it.

3: Disbelief. A cat does not believe in this spirit.

4: Dishonor. A cat actively goes against this spirit, and sees it as evil and horrid.

As of writing this (11/29/2023), I have five fully realized members of the Pantheon, one mostly planned out, and one who I need to add more, as well as others who I have not worked on yet but do plan to add.

Here's a list of the members, starting with the fully realized and going down the list in order of information that I decided on.

Lightwalk, the Spirit of Death. Inspired by Mumza, she's represented in stories as a crow. A notable associate is Crowskull, also known as "Death's Right Claw". She represents one facet of Death, and guides lost spirits to the respective afterlives.

Rainsoul, the Spirit of Bad Endings. A completely original character, he's represented by a vulture. He's seen in stories as both a hero and villain, an omen of death, but at the same time one who gives closure to those who have lost loved ones. He answers to Lightwalk if there's a direct order from her, but does his own thing mostly. He watches over those who's lives end unfairly, painfully, sadly, and too soon. I imagine he's not as powerful as other spirits, which is why he brought Specterwalker back to life in exchange for using him as an anchor to the living world.

Goldengleam, the Spirit of Tricks. Inspired by Bill Cipher, he is often seen in stories as a coyote, and the better alternative to Blackrabbit. He's seen as a more neutral figure, friend and foe to villains and heroes alike. Goldengleam specializes in tricks, puzzles, fun in bad things, and jokes!

Blackrabbit, the Spirit of Chaos. Inspired by Habit, he is only ever seen as a rabbit. Being the WC version of Habit (I will give a lot of information eventually alongside a post, I can't resist doing his WC version eventually), he's pretty obviously a morally terrible cat. The baby eating is still getting carried over obviously. In stories, it's rare that he's seen as good in any way, only helping others if it's self serving to him. He is a spirit of bloody endings, violent death, evil fighting evil, sadism, knowing too much (based on a personal headcanon), curiosity, and surprisingly enough laughter. He has a long history of hosts, including Clawcry (WC version of Evan, poor guy).

And we have Snickers! The Spirit of Wonder, and the 'guardian' of Limbo, an afterlife for kittypets and loners. Limbo itself takes a lot of inspiration from the Backrooms! Alongside Limbo and wonder, Snickers represents nostalgia! Not seen in stories very often at all, interestingly enough. Wispfoot (WC Dream) is one of his worshippers, and prays to him pretty often.

Now, we have the ones I haven't finished yet.

Bloodyhunt, a boar, inspired by my Star Wars/DSMP AU idea of the Blood God.

A lion, Spirit of Control, inspired by my ideas for The Founder in Generation Loss.

And for the ones in the works....

A moose, a leopard, a bear, a sheep, a secretarybird, a owl, a goat, a tapir, a hampster, a lemur, a aardvark, a cougar, a shark, a iguana, and a snake.

Oh, I can't wait until I get to show you guys more.

[g33ktragedy]

hey its me, lemonade anon from that aita post who referred to themself as an absolute hummingbird of a person. thx for thinking u might be in love with me (i quite enjoy it when people think im funny enough to consider being in love with) and i do hope youre having a nice day.

honestly the lemonade from the breakroom fridge doesn't taste great. i havent checked in about a month but id wager it's probably still there (along with a single-serving bottle of orange juice). ive begun carrying liquids on me simply because my own drinks taste better.

it seems silly to me how upset some people got at the simple idea of theft. one even implied i must not have a sibling because otherwise i would know better. on the contrary, my sibling and i steal from each other all the time. there's a reason petty theft is called petty.

in any case, i hope this message finds you well. normally i would not find myself speaking in such a formal manner, but i have just watched some of good omens and as such seem to be mimicking aziraphale's speech patterns to some degree. i do hope it is not too hard on the eyes.

toodles!

oh my god my brother recently lambasted me for being a snack-stealer and i was like. so what if i am. if you put snacks in the communal pantry and then leave for college, other people will eat them. everyone knows if you want to keep your snacks to yourself, you put them in a drawer in your room. that's the real sibling lesson. also i'm a big proponent of the expiration date rule like if someone obviously isn't eating their food and it is getting all gross in the fridge or hard on the counter, it is a public service to help them with it. they don't want that gross stuff. they're just going to throw it out in two days, and so why shouldn't i eat it now.

i'm glad you figured out your own drink situation though, i never have my own beverages. i kind of forget that beverages are fun because i only drink them for utility purposes (ie caffeine or alcohol). then someone else gets a juice and i'm like fuck i want a juice. also juice is a great mixer

p.s. good omens was pretty good but the book rules !! if you haven't read it. or i guess if you have read it, it also still rules

[lenievi]

reading about the confirmation bias and thinking about how fandoms and shipping and fandom fave/hated characters work is actually quite interesting

[lilac-5ky]

Takasugi is just like a butterfly (minor theory, more like observations)

"The things that change the world, according to Chaos theory, are the tiny things. A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian jungle, and subsequently a storm ravages half of Europe." -from Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

Now, I haven't finished Gintama yet, but I've seen how Takasugi operates in three different arcs, the Gengai Arc, the Benizakura Arc and finally the Shinsengumi Crsis Arc. After watching his impact and role in these three arcs, I came to the conclusion that Takasugi being linked to butterflies is actually extremely befitting, not only because of the whole reincarnation thing but for a couple of more reasons.

Starting with his involvement in the Gengai arc.

What did Takasugi do in this arc? Did he get his hands dirty? Not quite. Although he doesn't think that he personally motivated Gengai to act up, there is no denying that he influenced him with his words. He simply told him to sharpen his fangs, seeing the potential in him and because of that Gengai caused the whole incident at the festival.

Moving on to Benizakura arc.

In this example, we have two people whose paths merged with his and the influence he had on both of them is unmistakable. Nizou wanted to protect Takasugi with his blade, making him forget about his comrades from the war, while Tatsuya's aspiration was to create a powerful strong to be yield by a powerful man. Although Takasugi didn't quite tell Nizou to pick up the Benizakura, nor did he create Tatsuya's desire, his mere presence was enough to spark the two of them to reach out towards their personal aspirations, making them act up. Perhaps if it wasn't for him, neither Nizou would wish to become one with the Benizakura, nor would Tatsuya lend his power to a rather sinister cause, without even assessing the situation.

Finally, the Shinsengumi crisis arc

There is a reason why I chose this specific moment between Ito and Takasugi. The same similiarity between this arc and the previous arc exists, aka Takasugi aiding Ito in his coup d'etat but there is a minor difference. This time, instead of his influence being "negative", his very own words at the end are what made Ito realize his faults and what he really wanted. If Takasugi hadn't spoken to him like this, then Ito most likely wouldn't have realized that he already had people around him who mattered and wouldn't have ended up aidint the Shinsengumi. Once again, therefore, Takasugi's influence managed to turn the course of events.

What is my point when it comes to these three arcs and Takasugi's influence in them? Although he could personally get his own hands dirty, although he could step up and actively affect the action, he chose not to. Instead, he acted just like a butterfly. His wings, so to say, flapped around all these men -Gengai, Nizou, Tatsuya, Ito- and because of that, he managed to orchestrate a series of events, whether it was intentional or not. Some people could argue that Takasugi is just messing around at that point and it wouldn't actually be wrong. He aids people whose goals align to his and by doing so, their actions end up being completely dependent on his own influence, as he is triggering the butterfly effect. It's so subtle but it's still there, even if Takasugi isn't the protagonist of Gintama, his influence is always there, without him the show just wouldn't be the same.

A final observation I have to make about butterflies and their relation to him is their very own nature, their elusiveness. Instead of sitting around to watch what happens with Gengai, he left right after his conversation with Gintoki. Instead of fighting Gintoki and Katsura head on in the Benizakura arc, he let them leave while he went with the others. Instead of being there in person to witness the events of the Shinsengumi crisis arc, he sent Bansai off. Just like a butterfly, Takasugi is always there, yet he is also out of touch. You can see him, you can try to catch him but he won't let himself be captured, unless he wishes to flap his wings yet again, bringing about a storm of his own.

These are basically some of my thoughts up to the episodes I've watched. Now I'm doing my best to catch up okay, so my theories and thoughts my change but if I come up with anything further to say on Takasugi, I'll update my theory for sure. I only know bits and bits about what happens later on so I'd rather not speak of events I haven't experienced as of now.

[holycatsandrabbits]

Love’s Endless Light: A Good Omens serial romance

READ FROM THE BEGINNING

PREVIOUS

NEXT

Note: this chapter reveals Aziraphale's secret. If you haven't read the previous chapters, you might want to do that first.

Chapter 10: Your Truth Confessing

1967, Soho, London, England

“Needed a word with you,” Aziraphale said. He had appeared in the passenger seat of the Bentley, with a smile on his face that didn’t make him look happy. It was odd how much more balanced Crowley’s beloved car looked with Aziraphale there, a pale passenger in a darkened space, like a star in the night sky.

Crowley had made sure Aziraphale would hear about his scheme to steal holy water from a church. Crowley was far too afraid to bring up the subject of holy water again with Aziraphale, but he wanted the angel to know that the plan for their defense was moving along. He just wasn’t sure what Aziraphale was going to do about it now that he did know.

“I’m not a fighter, like you,” Crowley said. “I can’t conjure up a flaming sword. This is just me being careful. Of course, Heaven is a likely danger too, so we should talk about you having access to hellfire somehow. I was thinking maybe if we could find a witch— I just met this guy who might know of a few.” Crowley trailed off, watching Aziraphale stare out the window at the street beyond, the crowds of people, the passing cars.

“Crowley, you know that holy water won't just kill your body. It will destroy you completely.”

“I do know that.”

“I thought it was going to. In Eden.” When Aziraphale turned to look at Crowley, he was as ashen as his white coat. “We— we met on the wall, if you remember—”

“Of course I remember.”

Aziraphale looked wistful for a moment. “We shouldn’t have, really. You should have been afraid that I would hurt you, strike you down for what you did with Eve and the apple. You didn’t know I wasn’t armed at the time, that I’d just given my sword away.”

“I’ve never been scared of you, Aziraphale.”

This revelation, which was not really a revelation but something immensely obvious, seemed to shake Aziraphale, making him tremble and breathe unsteadily. “The rain,” he said. “I thought it might be holy water falling from the sky. God’s punishment for what you did.”

Crowley shivered. “I didn’t know if it was or not. Scared me either way.”

Aziraphale’s eyes were now full of tears that sparkled with all the colors of the neon lights out on the street. “I put out my wing to shelter you, but you were already coming close. Why? Please tell me why.”

Crowley tried to speak gently. “I know you killed demons in the War in Heaven. I understand. That was your job. And I’m glad you did. They would have hurt you! Demons aren’t— they were your enemies. That doesn’t mean you’re a cold-blooded killer who’d strike down a demon for talking to you. You don’t come across that way, you don’t seem threatening. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you be threatening unless you have to be, and even then, you— Look, the reason I’m not scared of you is because you’re a good angel. Not good by Heaven’s standards, maybe. Just— good.”

“There’s not supposed to be a difference,” Aziraphale said, wiping his eyes. “There cannot be more than one kind of good angel.”

Crowley huffed out a dark laugh. “Well, maybe you’re just ineffable, then. An angel who won’t kill demons outside of a war. It’s not just me, I’ve seen you chase off plenty without hurting them. Even that one who attacked you in 1143, the Florentine Republic. Remember him, with the tail? You injured him in the War but then when you met him again, you let him go. Of course, you did stomp on the scar of the tail wound you’d given him all those millenia ago. He didn’t appreciate that.” Crowley laughed again, and it was just as unnatural-sounding as the first time.

Aziraphale had rested one hand on the door handle to the car, but otherwise, he made no move to leave. He just looked at Crowley with a misery that made Crowley feel sick. “His tail,” Aziraphale said, in a quiet voice. “It didn’t fit under my wings. The rain— there was holy rain in the War in Heaven, and a drop— splashed him. I couldn’t quite heal it, there wasn’t time. Or room, really, with all the— with all the rest there.”

“Holy fucking Hell,” Crowley whispered. “You didn’t kill demons in the War. You protected them.”

Aziraphale smiled sorrowfully. “From holy water. Twelve of them.” Now that he had gotten started talking, the words began to flow rapidly. “That was all I could fit under my wings. Some were very small, you know. It started because I saw this little one— he looked like a sort of cat-thing, but rather more teeth than anyone would ever need. He tried to bite me, that was all he could do. But he missed and so he started to back away. And then it started to rain. I could feel the drops of it on my body, cold in that way that holy water is, pure and sharp and heavy. I put out my wing to cover him. I just— I just did. I’m a guard, Crowley, it’s instinct, I cannot just—”

Crowley reached across the seat and pulled Aziraphale into his arms. Aziraphale buried his face against Crowley’s shoulder and sobbed.

Aziraphale hadn’t been in Crowley’s arms since the kiss in 1941, and it felt to Crowley like he’d never left, and also like he couldn’t stay. Like they were two pieces of a whole who were desperately holding themselves together across a crack that ran all the way through.

“They all trusted me,” Aziraphale said, muffled into Crowley’s jacket. “They came from everywhere, trying to shield themselves from the rain until they made it to my wings. I picked up two of the little ones, and the rest of us squeezed together until the rain stopped. It felt wonderful, Crowley, it felt right.”

Aziraphale pushed back, out of Crowley’s arms, wiping his eyes. He held out a hand and materialized an object from the air: a flask, decorated in a pale tartan design. “The humans don’t know what the holy water will do to you,” he said, his voice still shaky. “Your plan to rob a church is stupid, and your plan to use holy water in self-defense is probably right, but at the same time very stupid. And dangerous. But I cannot let you go unguarded. Not— not from your ridiculous caper, and not from Hell. So— so here. Don’t go unscrewing the cap.”

“Angel,” Crowley breathed. “What this must mean to you—”

“What you mean to me,” Aziraphale said, with a bit of a leftover sob.

“Do you know what you mean to me?”

Aziraphale smiled, just a little. “This isn’t over, Crowley. It’s not fixed. It’s not safe. You and I— we have to be careful not to go too fast.”

READ FROM THE BEGINNING

PREVIOUS

NEXT: Y'all ready to find out the rest of Aziraphale's secret?

Read on Ao3

Updates Fridays on Ao3 and Tumblr.

Want to create fic, art, or other works based on this series? Please do! Just dm or tag me.

My previous Good Omens serial: Mr. Fell’s Bookshop

Coming August 20: "Tollense," my next serial romance. A history professor falls in love with his best friend, a 3000-year-old vampire.

My Carrd

*********

Image text: Love’s Endless Light by Dannye Chase (HolyCatsAndRabbits) Chapter 10

As Aziraphale and Crowley slowly fall in love over the millennia, Crowley discovers that Aziraphale is keeping a very dangerous secret.

[ingravinoveritas]

New to GO fandom Anon.Sorry that happened to you.Yes, you are the first one who welcomed me.Thank you. I love the gifs you posted,there's so much love in M's eyes. I haven't seen Staged,I'm not from the UK,but I've seen some gifs and videos. I also know about the things they say about each other(David's hips, MS shaped hole etc).I love watching them, cause they're cute and flirty with each other. It really makes people question what kind of relationship they have. My friends say they're in love.

Hi, Anon! Thanks for re-sending your message, I truly do appreciate it. And oh, I’m so thrilled to hear that I was the first one to welcome you to the GO fandom! I’ve never been anyone’s first before, come to think of it. And absolutely yes to all of the points you’ve made here. I also love watching Michael and David, and how they seemingly can’t not flirt when they’re in the same room together (or even when they’re not, as we saw in Staged).

One of the things I keep coming back to is Michael calling David his “lover.” Just the fact that it was so weirdly unprompted, no provocation whatsoever, right in the middle of a discussion that had absolutely nothing to do with Good Omens. There was literally no logical reason for Michael to call David his lover, and yet...he did. Why? What the heck was he thinking? And how did David react if/when he found out? I’m dying to know.

“Lover” is such an old-fashioned type of word, too. It’s not “significant other” or “partner,” which are not inherently bad phrases at all, but they are much more sedate than “lover.” Lover evokes a sense of passion--meeting in hotel rooms and steaming up the bathroom mirror and memorizing the curves of bodies--in addition to the domesticity of a relationship. It’s horny but also endearingly heartfelt--which to me sums up Michael to a fucking tee, bless him--and is why it potentially encapsulates his friendship/relationship with David so well.

I also keep thinking of the GO press tour interview with Michael, David, and Jon Hamm where they recited sides from Hamlet. It’s a hilarious interview, to be sure, but when when Michael and David are going back and forth doing the speech and playing off of each other so perfectly, you can literally see the moment where poor Jon becomes a third wheel (a rare occurrence for him, no doubt!). He actually has to remind Michael and David that the interviewer is still there because they’ve just completely gone into their own little world:

The same seems to be true for this interview as well, in which Michael hardly takes his eyes off David for nearly five full minutes. He stares at David so intently that it’s almost distracting, and he’s got his arm around him and is leaning in close to boot. (I’m pretty sure that if someone saw this screencap out of context and had no idea who they were or what was going on, they would think Michael and David were about to kiss. Because why else would you stare at someone’s lips and mouth for THAT long?)

So, yes. Michael and David are cute and flirty with each other and it is delightful to watch, and it does raise questions about their relationship. Anon, you mentioned that your friends think they’re in love, but what’s interesting to me is that neither Michael nor David seem to mind people thinking that they’re in love, regardless of whether that’s actually the case.

Whatever the reality may be, I am just happy that their relationship is so personal and meaningful to them, and that we get to enjoy these little flirty flashes that they mercilessly tease us with...