#children and goats are not a good combination

[unadulteratedsoulsweets]

A DC X DP IDEA #46

Monks?

Imagine dis…

I don’t know if im late to the trend or what, but recently a feed came and it featured Batman’s ridiculous set of skills and when asked he always answered the Tibetan monks.

Like come on, I would understand if the sorcerer supreme taught you how to astral projection and the mental barrier against I don’t know against a species that have evolved telepathy,

But this isn't Marvel.

…..

The Tibetan monks, an enigmatic, unknowable, and allegedly not real, were the whispered origin of some of Batman’s more peculiar skills. Astral projection. Mental shielding. The ability to remain entirely unreadable even to a Martian. When asked how he learned such things, Batman only offered a cryptic, “I trained with the Tibetan monks.” He never elaborated.

That was all it took to spark a minor obsession in his children and allies alike. If the monks could turn him into Batman, surely they were worth finding. And so they searched from combining every high-tech gadget, satellite scan, magical locator, and favor they could think of. Damian even tried to guilt-trip his father using a technique called “puppy dog eyes” courtesy from Dick. Nothing worked. Every lead crumbled like dust. The monks, if they ever existed, were impossible to trace.

The truth? The monks didn’t exist.

There had only ever been one monk.

And he was not a monk at all.

Years before the cowl, before Gotham knew the name Batman, Bruce had limped and escaped out of the League of Assassins with more bruises than bones and a fresh set of enemies. Refusing Ra’s al Ghul and his daughter had not gone over well. He’d wandered half-dead into the snowy wilds of the Himalayas, not sure where he was going, only that it needed to be far, far away.

Then darkness. Cold. Silence. A silhouette. And unconsciousness.

When Bruce woke, he was alive, bandaged, and lying on a bed of hay that smelled suspiciously like goat. A fire crackled nearby. His host was tall, silver-haired almost white, and moved like a shadow in silk robes. He claimed to be a monk. He never gave a name. He also radiated the kind of energy that made even Bruce’s paranoia sit up and go, “Hmm. That’s not normal.”

Bruce watched him from the sidelines. The man sparred with the air itself, performing forms Bruce had never seen before effortless, fluid, almost theatrical in how they ignored gravity. Despite claiming to seek peace, he kicked boulders in half during his morning stretches. Bruce knew what a formidable warrior looked like. This guy wasn’t just good. He was absurdly good.

Eventually, Bruce asked to be trained.

The monk agreed but with a devilish smirk that should have warned him.

It started with traditional exercises. Then came... less traditional ones. One day Bruce was balancing upside down on one finger. The next, he was chasing wild goats through the mountains with a blindfold on. There was a week he still refuses to talk about, involving fermented yak milk and interpretive dance. No explanation was ever given. Just a barked command, followed by a smirk, and Bruce reluctantly obeying because despite everything he was learning.

And the monk? He never moved when Bruce attacked. Not once. Bruce would lunge, strike, ambush, even beg the man to just flinch, and every time, the monk would remain motionless. The result was always the same with Bruce face-down in snow or mud, groaning, while the monk calmly re-wrapped his bandages and offered nothing but that smirk. That infuriating, soul-crushing smirk.

Name?

Bruce had asked and rasped, wheezing after yet another humiliating fall.

The monk merely chuckled and replied.

When you land a hit.

Bruce did not land a hit. Not that week. Not that month. Not ever.

And eventually, it was time to go. Bruce bowed, still never having won, still never knowing the monk’s name and returned to Gotham.

He never forgot the man.

….

What Bruce didn’t know was that his “monk” had a name, Dan.

Or, more accurately, Dan Fenton. Known in his own dimension for blowing up timelines, developing catastrophic anger issues, and eventually retiring from ghostly overlordship after a few centuries of introspection and really intense therapy. He took a page from Ellie and become a traveler, He’d been vacationing across dimensions, mostly avoiding interdimensional politics and his own mess of a reputation as well to avoid his younger self of a king when he stumbled on Bruce half-dead in the snow.

On a whim, maybe redemption, maybe boredom, maybe the sheer novelty of it, maybe his younger self and clone had finally rubbed of him, he saved him. And since he had time to kill, not that he would ever hurt Clockwork, he trained him.

Using ghost powers very subtle about it, just enough to freak Bruce out and maintain the illusion that he was a living, breathing über-warrior with mystical vibes and killer reflexes. The smirking was mostly for fun. The cryptic one-liners? Also fun. No wonder Clocky liked to say weird shit to his younger self.

What Dan didn’t expect was to actually like the guy. Sure, Bruce was intense, broody, and had the emotional range of a brick, but watching him faceplant into snow every morning had been surprisingly somewhat therapeutic. There was something calming about teaching someone who didn’t know who he was, who didn’t flinch at his name, or whisper “Phantom” like it was a curse. It helped Dan heal too, in his own weird way.

Years passed. Dimensions that he traveled and went. Dan forgot about it.

Then he remembered.

He missed his “student.”

He remembered Bruce mumbling something about Gotham in his sleep, something about a cave and a promise and since Dan had nothing better to do, well other than to laugh at his younger self for winning and taking the crown of the Infinite Realms, he decided to pay a visit.

On foot. Across dimensions. Because why not?

….

Meanwhile, in Gotham…

Bruce was panicking.

A letter had arrived. Just a simple, handwritten note. No return address. No explanation. But the handwriting sent a shiver down his spine.

I’ll be visiting soon. Hope you’ve gotten better.

Bruce dropped his coffee.

His children thought it was a threat. Jason offered to shoot whoever it was. Tim tried to trace the paper’s origin with four different forensic tools. Cass read the note and signed something to the others about posture and unresolved duty. Damian called it a threat that someone could rattle his father with one sentence.

But Bruce knew.

He was coming.

His old teacher.

The man who once made him wear a llama costume for a full week to “teach humility.”

He was coming to Gotham.

Bruce wasn’t sure whether to install extra security or book out every gym in the city to train. He hadn’t stopped pacing in two hours. Alfred found him shadowboxing in the Batcave while muttering things like, “I’ve got better reaction time now,” and “Surely… surely I can land one hit.”

Across the city, chaos was brewing, but not because of the letter.

Gotham’s entire vigilante network, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan, Batgirl, even Signal were neck-deep in the investigation of the Joker’s sudden, mysterious death. Dead, now struggle no physical or chemical cause somehow. No evidence.

No struggle.

Just… gone. The only lead was a single blurry silhouette from a rooftop security cam. The figure was massive, hooded, and moved with a kind of fluid, terrifying grace none of them had ever seen before.

Nobody recognized him.

And Bruce hadn’t said a word, too busy to train or join Alfred in cleaning the manor.

While the rest of the Batfam poured over footage, mapped potential escape routes, and debated theories, Batman was notably absent, still in the Cave, still pacing, still trying to steady his breathing every time he glanced at the letter.

Because Bruce knew who it was. And for once in his life, Batman was torn between abject dread… and the tiniest, most humiliating spark of hope.

Maybe this time, I’ll land a hit.

Maybe I’ll finally learn his name.

Maybe I’ll even win.

…Or maybe he’d end up face-first in an alleyway again while his teacher laughed and handed him his own blend of yak milk smoothie.

Either way, Gotham was not ready.

And neither was Bruce.

…...

 PS: If someone out there wants to continue or make a fic about this, you are free to do so, don’t forget to tag me, though.

PPS: I felt like posting a bit early. How was it?

[sovietpostcards]

"The Wolf and the Goat Kids", Russian folk tale as told by Alexey Tolstoy, illustrated by V. Khlebnikova (1992)

Vintage children's book. Size 21 × 27.5 cm (8.3" × 10.8"). Paperback, 16 pages. Good condition, minor handling wear. The book is shaped like izba - a traditional Russian wooden house.

Available for $7.50 + $11 international registered shipping

Message me if you want to buy this! Other items in my shop. I combine shipping. How to buy.

[sweetlysimss]

► NOT SO BERRY x BERRY PASTEL RAINBOWCY - AN UPDATED VERSION

as some of you might know, I've written updated versions of the not so berry challenge and the berry pastel rainbowcy before. however, I keep wanting to switch between the two challenges or abandoning my one save for the other. so, on a random Monday evening I figured, why not combine the two for the ultimate updated challenge experience? my lovely fellow simmers over at @berrygameplay convinced me to write stuff down and... the NSB x BPR updated rules was born!

credit goes to @lilsimsie and @alwaysimming for the original nsb rules and @berrysweetboutique for the original berry pastel rainbowcy rules!

►WHAT ABOUT THE RULES

as with my two other updated challenges, i've written the rules in a google doc (that you cannot edit! stop asking for permission to edit the file!). if you want to save the rules for yourself, go to file > create a copy and you're able to save the rules wherever you want and edit them. this will not change the original document.

there are disclaimers, a list of packs you need for this challenge (most packs are optional) and an index to move through generations quickly. each gen has their own introductory story (you don't have to adhere to these stories!), required traits - aspirations - careers, the generational rule (bpr), reward traits to buy, and the list of objectives catered to that generation. feel free to edit these objectives to your hearts desire! this challenge is supposed to be fun :)

► NSBxBPR

if you want to play this challenge, please tag your posts with #nsbxbpr so I can follow and share them!

so. let's get to it:

► SEND ME TO THE RULES

For easy access and to show an example of the rules, here are the first generation’s rules all written out. If you want to look at the other generations, click on the “send me to the rules” link!

generation one: white

coming from a long line of privileged sims, you’re ready to break away from your family and pursue your own dreams. you’ve only really felt close to your grandparent and never told anyone you were the sole heir to their old, rundown farmhouse. starting off with nothing, you pick up the hobby you were never allowed to put into practice: painting. you find it difficult to let other sims in and may come across as rude sometimes. you just need that one special sim to make you feel like it’s all worth it. slowly but surely, your own family starts to grow, but not without its ups and downs…

traits: creative, mean, [open slot]

aspiration: painter extraordinaire OR chief of mischief

career: none (sell paintings, produce, and harvestables)

spouses career: [open slot]

rules

GENERATIONAL RULE: paint a portrait of your heir REWARD TRAITS TO BUY: mentor, speed reader, super green thumb

move into a lot with the ‘simple living’ lot challenge (size is up to you)

max painting skill

max gardening skill

max mischief skill

max logic skill

have multiple different love interests, but do not settle before having a child

date with a purple, pink, AND/OR red sim

have only 1 child with purple, pink, or red sim and 1 alien child

become enemies with the spouse you decide not to go long-term with

optional: make at least 2 enemies

marry a purple, pink OR red sim

sell at least 5 masterpieces

have at least 2 different animals on your farm

choose from the following: horse, goat, lamb, cow, llama, bunny, chicken, cat, dog, rodent

if you choose a horse, max the horse skills: temperament, jumping, agility, endurance

become good friends with all of your children and animals

adult or elder: max the knitting and/or cross-stitch skill

adult or elder: become good friends with at least 1 grandchild

[scarfacemarston]

Bucky Barnes Emoji Hc's

Prompt here. If you enjoy this, please think about liking/reblogging - it’s what keeps me going, or feel free to request more!

💓 - What are some signs they’ve fallen for someone? How do they show their affection?

Younger Bucky had a pep in his step and a sense of bravado. He felt on top of the world like he could wrestle an alligator. He’s extra flirty, peppering in pet names, giving extra smiles, showing off, finding excuses for physical touch, and just radiating positivity. He brings his partner flowers and spends more than he should on them.  Bucky post-Azzano through today, he’s more subdued. However, he still holds his head a bit higher but tends to feel a combination of self-consciousness and self-confidence. It’s a weird dichotomy for him. It’s him worrying he’s going to mess it up. He’s a bit more dreamy, a bit more lovesick. He silently begins to hope more. He’s actually similar to his younger days except a bit more subdued and perhaps a bit more hesitant. He’s much more tender and takes things a bit slower, but the love is still there.

🤡 - What’s something dumb they’re embarrassed about? He’s lactose intolerant . One time, he snuck ice cream at an amusement park and threw up in front of the preacher. His parents were very unhappy.

🌱 - Do they have a green thumb or are they a plant killer?

His family on his mom’s side were farmers, whereas his dad’s side of the family worked in factories, so Bucky was around farms a lot before moving to Brooklyn, and his family would go to Indiana every year after. Bucky didn’t touch plants again until his time in Romania, where he had a single potted plant sitting on his windowsill that he kept alive - and did well with it! He also did well in Wakanda and would do decently with his own garden. He likes the idea of helping things grow and keeping them alive.  (Comic Bucky lived in Indiana before moving to Camp Lehigh. He doesn’t live in a house with a yard again until he buys a home in Indiana.)

📱 - What social media do they use the most? He canonically tried out at least one dating app. I don’t see him actually using social media unless it’s just a blank profile or something anonymous like reddit.

👪 - What’s their relationship with their parents like?

Comic Bucky was close to his mother, but she died when he was a child. His father was understanding and kind, but also strict. He wanted Bucky to be his best, but Bucky was an angry child and frequently got into fist fights. Bucky was of course devestated when he died. MCU Bucky - I imagine his mother as an overbearing mother who accidentally put too much pressure on him and gave him a lot of responsibility in caring for his younger siblings. She wanted Bucky to marry a good Irish Catholic girl and give her lots of grand children. His father was a WW1 veteran who worked, but didn’t pay a lot of attention to the family. 🐒 - What’s their favorite animal? He’s always loved dogs and owls. He also has a fondness for goats after working with them in Wakanda. However, he does not like horses after a childhood incident on his Uncle’s farm.

🧳 - What countries have they been to?

As an adult, Bucky didn’t have a choice but to travel most of his life, starting with him being drafted in WWII. However, Bucky accepted this despite his fear as he wanted to serve his country and make his family proud. In the comics, he was on both the European front and the Pacific front. In the MCU, he’s just in the Western Front in Europe. 

Afterwards, as the Winter Soldier, he was sent to numerous locations, but that’s not traveling. After freeing himself from Hydra, he traveled the world, but again, it was not for fun. Wakanda was a refuge rather than actual travel. His FATWS era did not enjoy traveling for fun, either. At this point, outside of missions, he would rather stay at home. However, if he had a partner who wanted to travel, he might be convinced. Comic Bucky wanted to visit the Grand Canyon.

🤔 - What’s something they’ll never understand? “Kids these days” and today’s dating scene.

[dragon-susceptible]

Do you have any casual headcanons about the assassins? Not big, life-changing stuff but little things like their favorite food, what they do in their free time, do they have any weird party tricks, etc.

Bless you for giving me an opportunity to talk about them. Absolutely yes.

Ram is a nerd. An absolute fucking nerd about the nature of magic and the moon arcanum and their people's history. He bonded with Runaan over studying assassin histories (an oral record kept with extremely strict accuracy) and comparing them to the histories and artifacts kept by the Keepers like his father. He's very "religious", in a sense, very aware of the spirituality of the moon arcanum, and even knows basically where the Moon Nexus is despite having never been there. He'd be a powerful mage if he bothered to hone the skill, but for him it's not about using the arcanum, he just wants to understand their people's nature and history better. He and Rayla are united on that front, as she also enjoys learning about Ancient Draconic (he's fluent in it) and the biological effects of magic, though her interest is broader to Primal Magic in general rather than their own arcanum. He's also blue-yellow color blind as a standard, which he discovered when he first achieved Moonshadow Form and nothing changed. (Moonshadow Form trades some color vision for light perception). His favorite color is red.

Andromeda loves kids. She's bisexual and genuinely does not really understand having exclusive interests, but part of the reason that her husband Elyrin got preferential treatment when he was courting her was because the Tab A Slot B biology of it makes children an easier prospect. They're both musicians (a shade that looks like Andromeda plays the harp in Lujanne's illusions), but it's Elyrin's whole career to be one; he's a bard and a teacher. They have an arrangement, they're both allowed to flirt outside of their marriage, though taking anyone to bed needs cleared with both of them first. Andromeda also likes to sing, though she's self-conscious about doing it around Skor sometimes as she's aware he used to and can't anymore. She's a good baker but sucks at cooking actual food, which is a constant rivalry between her and Runaan (who can Cook, but sucks at baking). She has a younger brother named Sirius who's about Rayla's age, and she took a few rotations as their Pride Leader before they got old enough that they didn't need one. She encouraged their nonsense, much to the chagrin of the older adults in the Silvergrove. Her favorite color is purple, and her husband wears a purple feather in his hair to match.

Skor also loves kids, to this day, though he doesn't take rotations with the cubs anymore because he'd need help to talk to some of them. While singing is painful now, he still writes songs and poetry and keeps them in a book similar to Callum's spellbook. He's a good cook and a good baker, which he hangs over both Runaan and Andromeda when they start to bicker too much, and provides snacks for the other assassins. He has unique signs for each of the other assassins in shadow sign - Runaan's is Master of Blades, but with his hand in the shape of an R for the word master. Rayla's is Little Blade, which is derived halfway from Runaan's nickname for her and halfway because she is the daughter of the master of blades. Ram he just uses the sign for "Goat", which made Ram sigh the first time, so he's kept doing it because it amuses him to be a Mild Annoyance. Andromeda's is "Sparkles", because her jewelry and other ornamentation makes her Moonshadow form so bright and colorful. It's a combination of affectionate term and warning. The one he usually uses for Callisto is "The Glaive", as it's a fairly unique weapon among assassins, more suited to outright combat than assassination, but in private he's been known to use "love". He's pansexual and autistic, and his favorite color is orange - coincidentally, Callisto's eye color. Callisto has not noticed this. Baking and making food for his friends is a hobby of Skor's. He cultivates a vibe of being cool, collected, kind, sometimes distant when at work but warm at home, and then his sense of humor is people's shock after he delivers a searing roast.

Callisto didn't get along with other kids when they were a kid, and finds it awkward as an adult, but they do think children are cute and want the best for them. Despite being pretty much on their own since they were old enough to live alone, they can't cook for shit, and Skor and Runaan regularly just take their food away and hand them something better. They have a broad sense of humor that covers everything from Dry Gay Humor to stupid dad jokes, and they like to laugh. They wouldn't specify it like this, because these terms don't exist in their world, but they're genderflux between masculine and nonbinary, using both 'he' and 'they' as needed. They're also demisexual, and were genuinely startled by the attraction to Skor starting up in their mid-twenties. They use a glaive out of sheer spite because someone told them it wasn't practical when they were a teenager. They're an introvert who genuinely doesn't need all that much social interaction and tends to avoid large gatherings unless they're allowed to keep to the fringes, but despite their own insecurities about it, their awkwardness and humor make them a big hit with the kids of the village when they're on guard duty. They don't really have a favorite color - "I couldn't even pick a gender, why do you expect me to pick a color" - and the fact that their earrings have a tiny gold inset has absolutely nothing to do with Skor's yellow eyes.

Ram's favorite food is roasted ruby potatoes, and he Will fight over the last of them with the energy of a neglected middle child despite having no siblings.

Andromeda makes an excellent Moonberry Surprise, but her favorite is actually starseed biscuits, especially with dewflower jelly.

Skor just likes food, frankly, but he's fond of star plums without anything done to them, and loves the summer months when he can actually get them.

Callisto doesn't tend to like food all that much, hence why they still suck at cooking, but they enjoy anything Skor gives them and most things Runaan does (look, the man really sucks at baking). Their favorite is probably just Xadian oranges, though, for the ease of eating them.

Ram is one of the fastest assassins the Silvergrove's ever seen, and he used to run races with other kids in the grove. It frustrated him when Rayla started matching his speed at 15, but he grudgingly admires her for it.

Andromeda taught Rayla how to climb using her butterfly blades, as her sickles can be used the same way. She's fond of curved blades.

While Callisto is quite strong, they're mostly lean and don't have all that much weight behind their glaive for their size, and they tend to use it to keep a distance from their targets.

Skor isn't much taller than Callisto (it's debatable, depends on their horns mostly) but is significantly stronger and heavier, and throws his weight around with as much savagery as his blades. He doesn't like the convertible weapon nonsense that most Moonshadow elves use, as he doesn't trust the mechanisms to stay sound to allow the conversion in tight spots. Swords are swords.

Of them all, Callisto has the foulest mouth, and sometimes reminds Runaan of Tiadrin with it.

Ram is a catty bitch who likes to criticize people for fun, and he and Rayla are an absolutely savage duo when they're judging the same person together. Runaan suffers from this combination regularly.

Skor has complicated feelings about Rayla's parents, because he knows they didn't have a choice about leaving her, but he can't imagine being willing to leave his own child behind and never even visit her - he landed solidly on the opinion that Runaan and Ethari should just claim parenthood officially when Runaan had to stand in for Lain at her coming of age ceremony.

Callisto didn't think much of it, in contrast, as the head of the assassins' guild stood in for their late parents at their coming of age.

Andromeda doesn't really do nicknames based off of her name - Skor's "sparkles" is fine with her, but no shortening of Andromeda really passes the vibe check. Elyrin calls her "moonlight".

Callisto also doesn't really do nicknames, but isn't close enough to most people to bother with them.

Ram's name is Ram, there's really no shortening it, but he's been called "Speedy" by his pride growing up.

Skor's name is also too short to bother with nicknames.

There's more I'm sure I'm forgetting, but here's a little bit of it lmao

[dragonbadgerbooks]

May Music Book Photo Challenge

As promised! Another book photo prompt challenge! This time, based around song titles!

The titles of the songs serve as the prompt. You are welcome to interpret them using just the title without knowing the song, using the lyrics, or using whatever your heart tells you will be best. If you'd like to listen to each song, I have compiled them into a Playlist on Spotify and each song is listed under the cut with its artist if you would prefer to look them up on another platform.

If you are curious where the songs came from, it's a combination of my most listened to songs over the last 12 months and the last 4 weeks, with a few newer favorites thrown in, then all shuffled together to create something new. I tried to use songs that I thought would also make good prompts and avoid songs that were just letters or seemed like bad prompts. But as always, they are open to interpretation and there's no wrong way to interpret them. You can also skip days or take multiple pictures if you want. I'm not your mom.

Note that several of these songs are explicit and some may be sad.

Looking forward to seeing what y'all do!

May 1: Crystalline by The Midnight May 2: Friends We Won't Forget by Brent Morgan May 3: Take the Reins by Vinny Marchi May 4: Green Green Grass by George Ezra May 5: Save You a Seat by Alex Warren May 6: Live Long Enough to become the Hero NateWantsToBattle May 7: Seasons of Love from Rent May 8: Out There from Hunchback of Notre Dame May 9: Wake Up by Llunr May 10: What We Live For by American Authors May 11: The Prophecy by Taylor Swift May 12: Labour by Paris Paloma May 13: Highland Girl by Nathan Evans May 14: Dandelions by Ruth B. May 15: Loser Baby from Hazbin Hotel May 16: Pulp Fiction by Motion City Soundtrack May 17: StopRewind by NateWantsToBattle May 18: Soldier Poet King by The Oh Hellos May 19: Dead on Arrival by Fall Out Boy May 20: Too Sweet by Hozier May 21: two by bbno$ May 22: Come Clean by Hilary Duff May 23: Uptown Girl by Billy Joel May 24: Everything is Alright by Motion City Soundtrack May 25: Caramel by Sleep Token May 26: Heather on the Hill by Nathan Evans May 27: I'm Just Ken from the Barbie Movie May 28: Would That I by Hozier May 29: No Children by the Mountain Goats May 30: Plead the Fifth by Cooper Alan May 31: Go Big or Go Home by American Authors

[drconstellation]

Dr Constellation's Good Omens Master Post of Metas

(Updated 4 June 2024)

See my Google Doc for a full list of Tumblr posts of interest.

Future Echos of the Past

The story of the Great War in Heaven as it appears in the present

#1: The Great War of Tadfield Manor #2: The Newton/Crowley Mirror/Parallel in S1 #3: "Not Even At Gunpoint"

Archangel Gabriel

Supreme Archangel Gabriel often stands on the demonic left-hand side in scene blocking, rather than the angelic right. He’s also fond of taking center stage! Gabriel as a Shoulder Angel: S1 Study S2 Study Part 1: Ep.1 The Arrival and Ep. 2 The Clue S2 Study Part 2: Ep.3 I Know Where I'm Going and Ep. 5 The Ball S2 Study Part 3: Ep.6 Every Day First-Order Archangels Part 1: Maybe You'll See An Archangel

Gabriel and Crowley act as both parallels and foils to each other in S2. In Part 1 we look at some of the ways they are alike.

First-Order Archangels Part 2: Foils of War

Part 2 takes a look at where Gabriel and Crowley oppose one another, as well as highlighting some parallels between their respective partners, Beelzebub and Aziraphale.

First-Order Archangels Part 3: Seeing Eye To Eye

Gabriel and Crowley both have an interesting connection to time.

The Assistant Book Seller

Jim’s knitted vest holds a wealth of symbolic information - and a surprise nod that you didn’t expect.

Giles the Herald

An interesting parallel to Gabriel at the end of S1.

Aziraphale's Edinburgh Journey

Part 1: Detective Aziraphale

One of the reasons Aziraphale goes to Edinburgh is because it is a narrative parallel to Crowley’s trip to Heaven. There are also a couple of other things we need to consider, too.

Part 2: Aziraphale-Beelzebub Parallels

While Gabriel is Crowley’s mirror in S2, Beelzebub is Aziraphale’s. And there is a third character that makes an interesting mirror-triangle analysis that combines and reflects both major characters together as well.

Part 3: Stocktaking in the Basement

Aziraphale does a lot of reflection about the past while he’s on his trip to Edinburgh. How can this help him in the future?

Part 4: Judgement Day

Aziraphale's trip to Edinburgh - and most of S2 - is filled with hints and references to the Second Coming. Gabriel's statue is one of them, but it has another role as well (and it's not for hiding anything under, sorry.)

Part 5: I Know Where I'm Going

Named after a Powell and Pressburger film, and an old Scottish folk song, this title sets the theme for Ep. 3 in S2. It's a discussion about Fate versus Free Will, the dangers of trying to escape fate, and looking at things from a different angle.

Archangel Rings

All the Archangels have golden rings, as well as Aziraphale. Find out what they reveal about each character.

The Golden Lions of Heaven (includes Aziraphale's Lion ring) Michael the Watchful Uriel's Star Ring The Brutal Truth about Sandalphon's Ring

A Companion to Owls minisode

Goats, Crows and The Flood

Crawley turns Job's goats into crows to save them. Why crows? And how does this link to the Flood?

Angelic Sheep and Demonic (Scape)Goats

Understanding the link between goats and demons gives you a deeper insight into Crowley's story - and also some of Aziraphale's.

Come Back When You Can Make A Whale

Take a deep dive into the Book of Job - and find out what it might be foreshadowing for S3

Aye, a Newt

Why Job’s children are turned into geckos, and a S1 connection.

Crossing the Threshold

Inside the Dirty Donkey

We’re going to the pub! What secrets does the Dirty Donkey hide behind its name?

Lifting the Veil on the Bentley

Peering behind the meaning of the Bentley’s number plate.

Memento mori

This is one of the major themes of the series - Remember that you die.

Obligatory Reminders and Crossing the Lines

Have you been wondering why Shax tries to do a mail delivery to Crowley as he escorts the shop keepers to safety from Aziraphale's Eldritch Ball? It seems a pretty random thing to do at that moment.

Stand-Alone Metas

The Ineffable Ducks

What are all those ducks doing? Ever got the feeling that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you…?

The Altar of Eccles Cakes

The Eccles cakes don’t look like they are doing much, but they are there for a reason - so is some of the other food you see.

The Cupperty Ceremony

Every bit of food and drink in both seasons has a metaphorical significance. Tea is no exception. It’s one of the few times an eastern philosophy creeps into Good Omens, but still meets with a western ideal.

When Crowley Met Jesus, and The Other Demon at Golgotha

Aziraphale suggests not one but two demon names to Crowley when they meet at Golgotha. Together they make a clever joke about the Third Temptation that most people miss.

Being Kind to One Another

Some clever and subtle word play on kind, linked between two scenes in the S1E3 Hard Times cold opening.

Once and Future Royalty

There’s a King Arthur and Camelot sub-theme running through parts of S1 And S2. Grab your coconuts and saddle up for a crazy ride through time and space!

Portable People

Crowley's yeeting them around while stress-cleaning the bookshop, Jimbriel is trying to sell them to the investigating archangels, and Muriel just wants to read them all. Should we give a second thought to any of these books?.

Bebop and the Book

Why can Anathema always put her hand on the right card at the right time?

Chiastic Structure of S1

Chiastic structure is a literary device where the story line is mirrored in reverse around a central point. S1 has an amazingly detailed chiastic structure, which actually reveals and confirms some meta speculations!

Chiastic Structure of S2

S1 was a fantastic example of a mirrored story line. S2 …isn’t. But there are still a substantial number of chiastic pairs to be found.

Liberty versus the Tree of Life

A philosophical look at the choices between coffee, freewill and death compared to access to the Trees of Knowledge and Life in the Garden of Eden.

Taking Things At Face Value

How our internalized values influence the way we judge people, often based on their outward appearance alone.

The Rules of Engagement

The Technicalities of Licenses, Permits and the Limits of Authority in Good Omens

A Tale of Two Peacocks

A look at the relationship between Gabriel and Michael: what they think of each other, and how they act as foils to each other.

If you are looking for more metas there is a group effort on this google doc here: Good Omens Crackpotting Theory Tracker This brings a lot of ops together in the one place.

[mackenzieesims]

Not-So-Berry (Taylor’s Version) 

I have loved Taylor Swift and the Sims for as long as I can remember so I thought that combining them only made sense! Here is my spin on Not-So-Berry but make it swiftie! A little side note before we get into it! These generations are not meant to be Taylor they are simply Traits and storylines that either fit the vibe of the corresponding albums or fit within the colour scheme i.e. Speak Now or the Purple gen is a nod to the I Can See You music video, and the traits are purple which matches the album cover! Also, I have no intention of taking credit for Not-So Berry, Lilsimsie and Alwayssimming are the original creators of the challenge and this is just my fun spin on it! I will tag the original challenge also! Thank you, I hope everyone enjoys this little Swiftie challenge! <3 

Play on normal life-span, minimal cheats and your Sim should wear and decorate their houses in their corresponding colour/album just like the og Not-So-Berry! (: 

Debut/Taylor Swift (Green/Teal) 

Aspiration: Musical Genious 

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Perfectionist, Music Lover. 

Likes: Colour: green/blue. Music: Americana + Singer-Songwriter. Fashion: Country. Activities: Guitar/ singing. Writing, and Piano. 

Rules: Finish Aspiration. Max Musician Career, Max Guitar and singing skills. 

A Place in this World: a small-town young artist breaks onto the music scene trying to find A Place in This World but it will take a lot of blood sweat and tears to make it happen, good thing  you are determined! 

Fearless (Yellow/Gold)

Aspiration: Friend of the World 

Traits: Ambitious, Loyal, Clumsy. 

Likes: Colour: yellow. Music: Americana + Singer-Songwriter. Activities: Baking and wellness. 

Rules: Finish Aspiration. Max Doctor Career. Max wellness, gourmet cooking, and cross-stitch skills. Host parties at your house with all your friends weekly from teen until elder. 

The Best Day:  your parent taught you to be kind to everyone and now you want to share that with the world by helping others and making friends along the way! You know that The Best Day is when you’re surrounded by friends and making memories. 

Speak Now (Purple) 

Aspiration: Painter 

Traits: Genius, Paranoid, Cat Lover.

Likes: Colour: Purple.  Music: Singer Songwriter + Classical. 

Rules: Finish Aspiration. Max Secret Agent Career. Max 2 skills of your choice. Have an enemies-to-lovers storyline. 

I Can See You: your parent was so nice to everyone and you guess you are too. Although you have a HUGE secret… You’re a spy! You are unsuspecting which makes you perfect for the job! You’re unsuspecting because of your shy nature and value for knowledge. You may be a bit paranoid always worried you'll hear someone say "I Can See You" but that's just because you’re good at your job. 

Red (Red) 

Aspiration: Master Chef

Traits: Romanic, Self-Assured, Art Lover.  

Likes: Colour: Red. Music: Americana + pop. 

Rules: Finish Aspiration, Max Culinary Career, Max Knitting and cooking skills, Live in the countryside and own a goat… if you know you know. Have an on-again-off-again relationship with your children's other parent. 

We are Never Ever Getting Back Together: you guess some of your parent's paranoia rubbed off on you because you just cannot seem to settle down with your partner but you can't let them go either. You love cooking as it is the only time you feel a sense of calm in your crazy life along with Knitting. Oh and what's that noise?? Oh,  that crazy goat is screaming again! 

1989 (Light Blue)

Aspiration: City Native 

Traits: Cheerful, Goofball, Noncommittal

Likes: Colour: Blue. Music: Pop. 

Rules: Max Social Media Career/ Influencer when teen. Live in San Myshuno from young adult until you die. Never Marry. Max Photography Skill and Dancing Skill. Go out to Bars and parties on weekends. 

Wonderland: You moved to the city to escape that screaming goat your parent had but once you got here you absolutely loved it… you could say you found a wonderland in the city! You’ve made a name for yourself on social media and it pays the bills too which i great. You never want to settle down and don’t understand all the fuss about it. If you’re not out with friends on the weekends you're playing video games online with them! You are living your best life surrounded by the city lights and close friendships! 

Reputation (Black) 

Aspiration: Public Enemy

Traits: Loner, Geek, Good.  

Likes: Colour: Black. Music: Pop + Hip Hop. 

Rules: Max aspiration, max criminal career, live on a secluded lot and only leave for work or aspiration tasks. Have a small group of close friends. 

Getaway Car: For some unknown reason the world has it out for you, so screw it, give them what they want. On the outside, you’re a cold-hearted criminal but only the real ones know it's all an act. On the inside, you’re sweet and caring and loyal to the ones you love and trust. The world calls you a monster so suit up and get the Getaway Car ready because there will be no explanation just reputation. 

Lover (Pink)

Aspiration: Soulmate 

Traits: Party Animal, Outgoing, insider. 

Likes: Colour: pink. Music: Pop. 

Rules: Finish Aspiration, Max Style Influencer career, Max 3 Skills of your choosing. Own 3 cats at one time. 

Paper Rings: Your parent was hiding away from the world but you embrace it and want to show off the life you and your partner made. You love your friends and most of all your partner who you’d marry with Paper Rings even though you like shiny things. You like your friends but also are fine to just have a quiet night at home with your partner and the cats… yeah all three of them. 

Folklore (White/Grey) 

Aspiration: Best Selling Author 

Traits: Gloomy, Bookworm, Creative.

Likes: Colour: white and Grey. Music: Alternative. 

Rules: Finish Aspiration. No Career just sell books for money. All published books must have a Taylor Swift-themed name i.e. a song, album, or reference to a song or album or thing she has said. Live in a cottage in Hemford on Bagley and be close to nature. Max Gardening skill. 

August: Raised constantly around people you have decided to slow down a little and smell the roses. You love writing and your lifelong dream is to be a best-selling author. When you’re not writing you’re tending to your garden and enjoying the outdoors. Your favourite time of year is august because that's when your favourite plants bloom. 

Evermore (Brown) 

Aspiration: Championship Rider 

Traits: Horse lover, animal enthusiast, Active. 

Likes: Colour: brown. Music: alternative.  

Rules: Finish Aspiration. Make money only from Horse competitions. Live on a functioning ranch. Max riding and nectar-making skills. 

Cowboy Like Me: you appreciate nature and the simple life from growing up in a cottage with your parents and being close to nature. You appreciate taking care of animals and ever since you can remember you loved riding horses. You hope to have so many medals from riding that one day you won't know where to put them all. When convincing your partner to run the ranch with you you said “Buckle up and become a Cowboy like Me.” 

Midnights (Navy Blue) 

Aspiration: World Famous Celebrity  

Traits: High maintenance, Dance Machine, Kleptomaniac. 

Likes: Colour: Blue. Music: pop. 

Rules: Finish Aspiration. Max Acting career, live in a mansion in Del Sol Valley. Max acting and charisma skills and one other skill of your liking. 

Bejewelled: after two generations of hiding away and living a simple life you have decided you can’t take it anymore. You are Bejeweled and the whole world must know! You hope to be famous and live next door to the biggest names in Hollywood... Simmywood? Anyway, no more of this quiet cottagecore ranch life we’re moving to a city and going out with a bang! Nice!

I really hope you had fun! share with your friends! <3

if you end up doing the challenge let me know how it went or tag me in screenshots! <3

[fulltragedywerewolf]

tf2 ships as songs

ok so. this is tf2 ships as songs. like. the vibes of them. or also the lyrics. like. what i think the tf2 ships sound like. this is very self explanatory.

i wont do all of them because theres a lot of them and i dont have that many songs to match them so sorry if your favorite rarepair isnt here ill try to do them later or something ok maybe not like later later but at some point maybe ill do then ok so here we go

Sniper/Spy: "Gallery Piece" - of Montreal

The song talks about wanting multiple, contradictory things at the same time. Wanting to hurt and heal, uplift and upset, admire and destroy; all things provoked by simply witnessing. It also has this very temporal aspect, almost dated. Like it only exists due to specific circumstances, frail variables. Any other "gallery piece" won't create the same impulses. It's all very circumstantial.

Spy/Spy: "No Children" - The Mountain Goats

Doomed. It's been happening for a while, and it's long due it's expiration date (ha). However, none of them will move or accept that it's over. Both are so dense and stubborn with their pride that they prefer to sink together rather than admit defeat. Obnoxiously, together is the last thing they want to be. And they have no children lmao.

Engie/Soldier: "Are we still friends?" - Tyler, The Creator

I like how the song is both calm, thorough and constant and jumpy, on edge, aimless. It's the calm before and after the storm, and the eye of the hurricane. It's a permanent question that goes unanswered, or answered many times, yet inconclusive. That what their relationship feels to me: sharp-detailed and blurry, with a constant reassurance that it's real.

Engie/Pyro: "Feminine Effects" - of Montreal

Reminds me of a lullaby. In some aspect, their dinamic has a sense of childness, but not in an infantilization way: in a comfort way. They cancel each other's manics, leaving a sated state between them, much like this song. They contrastedly lull. And when the songs says something about being "a teenager when you took me from my mama's bed", let's say it's figurative in their case :)

Medic/Sniper: "Sails, Hermaphroditic" - of Montreal

I like to think of the lyrics as a joke between them, about how they're both too eccentric to be edgelessly compatible and would be easier if any of them were more rational. The music also feels to me like a description of them, fun and erratic.

Demo/Soldier: "Banana Man" - Tally Hall

Any talk between them. Can be from silly and joyful to deep and darkheartened. Anyhow, a good time. They're both outlandish, an alcoholic and a patriotic screaming eagle, and combined they give absolute tomfoolery. Gargantuan gibberish. Gigantic rapscallioness. And they might drag you with them.

Heavy/Medic: "1812 Overture" - Tchaikovsky

A classic. Everyone knows it. It's the tale of how the french troups were reaching Moscow (i think), and when it boiled down to the end, the russians bombarded the city, leaving the famished enemy unvictorious. The told story of triumph, even when outnumbered. It's also a little cliché, but still, it stands out.

Pyro/Soldier: "Firework" - Katy Perry

Hear me out. I know the song is overplayed, but the theme though. Just being yourself. No strings attached. Exploding like a firework. Fire? Rockets? Hello? No more questions, your honor. To me, they're being extremely true to each other with each other, to a point that's concerning. Like the shot of a rocket that explodes into thounsands of colorful sparks. Someone might get their eyes burnt.

Engie/Scout: "Cars" - The Honeysticks

It's the boistering and egotism with the pride and proudness. It's showing off you're the best and being content with what you got, not wanting more. They're also very keen on cars. Scout for being a showoff, Engie for being obsessed with machines. And exactly that: they're letting everyone know that they're joyous, one way or another.

[petite-guignol]

was at the doctor yesterday and kept thinking about this particular topic for whatever reason so

Cecil was abandoned shortly after being born and obviously did not die of malnutrition in the intervening time, and also the king of Baron does not seem to have a wife or biological children for whatever reason, which means one of a few things has to be true. in roughly descending order of plausibility:

Cecil had a wet nurse, and probably has some tenuous familial connections through this depending upon cultural norms. given he was found by an actual monarch i think this is probably the most likely, like i can't imagine they couldn't find SOMEBODY to take care of him, but i do wonder if she's like. still around.

the setting in general, or possibly Baron specifically, has something equivalent to reasonably reliable baby formula

half-lunarian children are just really resilient and/or have different nutritional requirements than humans, so he got by perfectly fine on broth and goat milk or something (theoretically possible for a human baby i think but the odds are very bad). there are many weird things about the king's changeling son who mysteriously appeared under a tree one day, so this doesn't necessarily stick out

any combination of the above + Cecil did actually struggle as a child and white magic is just really good at countering infant mortality

[paperclipninja]

Ok, I don't know exactly where this is going but I can't stop thinking about the fact we got the Crowley/Aziraphale meet-cute in the opening of season 2 and the way the layers of storytelling utilised the same literary conventions our fave demon and angel were inspired by when trying and get Nina and Maggie together.

We get to see Aziraphale and Crowley's understanding of romance and love, or more importantly, their understanding of what they think it should look like, through their misguided set up attempts, and this primarily reveals to us, a) they're both hopeless romantics and b) they have no idea about the subtle and real indicators of love or a burgeoning relationship between two people. But that's ok, they're celestials whose only reference points are books, films and each other (the most unreliable sources of all, exhibit a: Aziraphale telling Crowley Maggie has a 'pash' on Nina).

You know who does know about those subtle indictors of love and blossoming romance? The very human people watching the show. And so throughout the season we witness a series of tropes and moments that indicate Aziraphale and Crowley are indeed the ones whose love story is unfolding, and as viewers we are drawn into certain conventions that we are conditioned to assume will play out and resolve in a particular way. The nebulae creating meet-cute, the ongoing forbidden relationship that continues to build, the friends to lovers dynamic through the centuries and of course, the comfortable and cosy present-day lives, with 'our car' and 'our bookshop' and drinks at pubs and a relatively open existence together.

With each insight into the past, we catch the cues that indicate the developing affection, trust and care between the two; the way Aziraphale looks at Crowley when he realises the crows are goats, the way Aziraphale and Crowley cover for each other with Job's children, the bullet catch ('nough said) and the drinking of wine afterwards. When humans engage with literature or film, we understand the subtext of such moments, something angels and demons seem to miss as they focus on the overt gestures of romance and love in storytelling as confirmation of its existence.

In the present day, its the perching on the same chair, Crowley knowing the angel's different tones, the way they pop into the room at the back of the shop for private conversations, Aziraphale grabbing Crowley's arm, Crowley answering the bookshop phone with, 'Fell's bookshop, we probably don't have what you're looking for and we wouldn't sell it to you anyway'. While these are only a few of the prompts we are given, our brains piece together this storytelling along with the body language and expressions throughout, understand that all these aspects combined flag a romantic relationship developing and so we are swept up in the love story.

The way the flashbacks are interwoven with the present day is disorientating, because we are simultaneously seeing the sweetness and complexity of the developing relationship over time while in the present, Aziraphale and Crowley begin to fall out of step. Yes it starts with Gabriel's arrival and Crowley vs. Aziraphale's reactions and responses (there are many excellent posts that discuss this in great detail), but any misalignment isn't happening all at once, it in itself is like a dance; they move apart but then move together again, as an audience we think oh no, tension! oh good, that's resolved! However the neat trick here is that with each move apart as the individual characters undertake their own journey within the story, the distance grows a little greater. Meanwhile the interactions between the two characters do not necessarily shift dramatically and the set up through the storytelling still suggests that any threats are ones they will face together and it will be ok in the end.

Even the ball, I wanted to be all *swoon* and swept up. Everything that was happening on my screen told my brain that it should be feeling excited and full of all the feelings of seeing these characters finally starting to make a move, like I should be feeling giddy like Aziraphale seems to be because, just like the attendees at the ball and the very literature that inspired it, there's the music and the soft lighting and the smitten little angel face. But it's all those things and also none of those things, because as has been so brilliantly pointed out in this insight, this is all juxtaposed with the demon invasion happening outside and Crowley's futile attempts to convey the seriousness of the situation to Aziraphale. Crowley is doing the movements but he's not part of their dance in that moment, the dance they've been doing for centuries, and as a viewer it feels off kilter.

But we've seen their story unfold, we know that the love and the relationship is all there, and once again we see Aziraphale and Crowley fend off Heaven and Hell, both taking individual risks to do so and protect each other. Heck, we see that an angel and demon can put their differences aside and disapparate off into the universe together, our brains are poised, but also wary at this point because it can't be this easy, can it?

Crowley has to have it explained to him why their plan didn't work, Maggie and Nina sit him down to do so, and in that moment we are also being told that you can't just be pushed together, the timing has to be right (cue small alarm ringing in the back of my head). Despite this, and we know Metatron is never good news, we, as viewers, are held precariously in the hand of the storyteller as Crowley's emotional declaration clashes with Aziraphale's news in a way that side steps the expectations that have been building throughout the season. The final moment of Aziraphale leaving hits SO hard because the expectations many of the storytelling conventions set in motion are subverted at the very last minute. And it's absolutely brilliant.

Just to be clear, I know there is far more complexity in the show, the characters and the storytelling, and tbh I don't even know if any of this rambling makes sense. But the fact is, my tiny mind is just awestruck at the layers of meta in the way our no.1 angel and demon are calling on literary conventions to try to make two people fall in love, while we're watching these conventions in action showing us two people falling in love. The result?

The most incredible tension, yes between the characters and their sudden divergence (which was actually not so sudden after all, we were just a bit distracted), but also tension in the storytelling as the duality of the love story and the individual character stories collide head first in that final moment and we are left trying to untangle our expectations from the reality of what has unfolded.

(that last paragraph should probably have been the whole post honestly)

[meangreenbeanz]

When I was a kid there was this thing my church did every couple of months where we’d spend a Sunday singing old hymns for hours.

For the very last song, we’d turn off the lights and everyone would hold a candle, and we’d pass the flames from person to person till the room glowed with soft song and flickers of warmth. We all had different pacing so the words were incoherent, and there was never really a key, but it was still beautiful. Something about coming together and making music, not caring how good it sounds. Just the act of creating, of collectively rejoicing in something greater than ourselves.

And I don’t believe in that stuff anymore, and was honestly never super religious, but as a kid, I’d get literal chills. I thought that was God speaking. I remember trying to hide my candle from my parents so I never had to extinguish the flame. I’d pour the wax into one of the little collection envelopes so I could take the memory home with me. I wanted to live in the warm moment forever.

But the flame went out, and I grew up, and forgot. It has been so long since I’ve sung just for the joy. Too long since I’ve gone to church and felt that unique combination of reveling in glory and religious guilt that I still haven’t processed. Too long, much too long since I’ve felt like a part of something more.

I’d forgotten that specific type of joy until tonight at the Mountain Goats concert when the speakers broke but the crowd just kept singing and the JD walked off the stage to join us in the floor and we just…sang

It was so simple, but beautiful. We were singing “You were cool” a capella and just kept repeating the chorus and people started crying and JD reached out and comforted this one crying girl and then transitioned to singing “No Children” right as the speakers came back on and I remembered what it felt like to be a kid in church again

Something about singing a capella, taking a pause to breathe whilst in the crowded concert hall

Something about being an individual with my own interpretation of the lyrics related to my own specific experiences, but also a part of the whole. We are all here, singing, rejoicing, exalting. We all matter.

Something about the collective happiness despite the difficulty, how complete strangers were crying together, how we all got swept into the magic… if that’s not religious glory then I don’t know what is

[superbfirnacho]

What is dreamtale Ivy's species?

What is her connection towards dream and star sanses?

What is her relationship with the other bad guys

.. how would she react to Bluu?

What are her magical capabilities

How did nightmare meet ivy?

What's the difference between canon nightmare, and ivymare nightmare?

Are her children canon to the main story

What is her favorite food?/ Drink?

.. Since it's pride month, is she a fruit bowl or is she able to drive a car straight..

What is her least favorite sans au?

Thoughts on Error, Ink, Or lust?

Has she ever met a monster kid before?

Does she have any toxic qualities?

Has she ever been to a zoo before? And if so what was her reaction to seeing the goats?

Opinion on Toriel?

Has she ever been outside of her AU and went to the omega timeline? If so opinions on core?

What was she like when she was little?

Have nightmare and ivy ever.. k.. k-kissed..?!

Finally, How does she think of me? Interview sans!

*[A very short skeleton bugs you with millions of questions.]

I love these questions!! (Note this will be about Dreamtale ivy unless I say otherwise) 1. Ivy is herself an immortal being, her mother (the goddess of fertility and nature) combined the souls of monsters and humans along with the seed of a blessed willow. So ivy technically has monster and human inside of her.

2. Ivy was friends with Dream, though not as close as him then with nightmare, she think he’s a good person. She met ink and Swap and though ink was….an interesting person (she’s okay with him) and enjoyed being a lil ADHD gremlin with Swap.

3. She likes playing pranks on killer and they have a frenemies relationship. She doesn’t bother dust. And she occasionally asks horror to teach er how to cook things (she’s ass at cooking) they get along best. 4. She would think bluu is adorable and would want to ask them questions/ play with them if they’re a kid.

5. Ivy has the ability to control plants with her soul energy, it acts as sort of a puppet to control the plants. She can also heal herself and others with soul energy. She had a limited amount and if she run out of Soul energy there’s a risk of death and extreme vulnerability. Her magic gets stronger as she ages.

6. Nightmare met ivy when they were young kids, she found her way into the town he was at, heating of a bad omen on the top of the hill, she figured she would eliminate it (despite being like 7) and gain favour from the townsfolk. To her surprise to was a young skeleton her age and they started talking. Eventually growing to be close friends after she protected him from bullies.

7. Really the only difference between the canon nightmare and the one in this story is the fact he had ivy growing up, and that passive is this nightmare, they aren’t separate beings. I don’t want to make him super different then the canon.

8. They are! I may draw angst art/ what would happen if they got in a big fight but it’s all (mostly) non canon.

9. Nearly anything sweet, also cheese. It’s because when she was a kid (5 centuries ago) sweets were uncommon and only eaten by wealthy and rich people.

10. She’s Bisexual and Demisexual! Also she can drive for ass so no way.

11. She hates a lot of the Aus that have killed aus of her, for example Killer and Dust, they have killed their Ivys.

12. I already said inks so I’ll say error and lusts, she finds error annoying and he has canonically stolen her kids before. She thinks lust is chill and asks him for advice sometimes.

13. Dreamtale hasnt, original has. Og thinks they’re pretty cool and and funny.

14. Ivys only really “toxic” traits are that she lives in the past, has trouble excepting large changes, and sometimes struggles to keep secrets. She carries a lot of self hate and guilt.

15. She has been to a zoo before, tried to free all the animals. She would kind of laugh at the goats but doesn’t associate herself that much with them. She loves all animals except for parasites.

16. Og Ivy has met Tories and Tories is like another figure to her, If dreamtale met her she would be shocked because her mother, Ren, was very emotionally abusive. She would be frightened if Tories tried to keep her with her, though, because that’s what Ren did.

17. She has been outside of Dreamtale after meeting Nightmare again. She thinks core is silly and they get along.

18. She was (is still very) ADHD coded (one thing her mother hated about her) , very rambunctious, forgetful and all over the place. She loved to explore nature and catch animals. She loved playing pretend with nightmare. Ivy didn’t know how to read until nightmare taught her.

19. They have. He Immediately Stated it was a mistake however. She’s knows he feels something for her and she still cares about him.

20. “I like your outfit! You seem very nice! :3”

-ivy

sorry for any typos.

[galaxythreads]

How do you feel about Odin, because I saw lots of posts saying odin messed big time with all three of his kids but then you say you only said because it’s fun

In Thor 1, and only Thor 1, with ONLY the context of Thor 1, I can argue that Odin was just trying to reach out to his kids and couldn't quite manage it. That he was a good, but flawed father, who tried. That opening scene where he grabs their hands is extremely soft. Odin couldn't fight the Odinsleep and he had been putting it off, but rather than immediately go to sleep after Thor was banished he finds Loki to make sure he's okay. I genuinely think that if Odin hadn't fallen asleep, he could have talked Loki down from the rest of the chaos of the movie. When you add in all the movies after Thor 1, that's when I'm like "hmmm. no. with more context, you're actually a terrible person and father."

I've read so many fics where Odin is a good parent. I've written a few myself. I actually started a one-shot series, now deleted, of times where Odin was a good parent. I love the idea of him being a good parent, but I just don't see that as canon reality. With how he's treated his children, the combined evidence of how all of them turned out speaks volumes for how loved they felt. Even if we got to see Odin's perspective, that doesn't matter to me. Odin doesn't get to decide he isn't the bad guy to his children. What he did affected them permanently. Are his children biased in how they view him, so the audience is too? Yes. But again, Odin doesn't get to be the good guy just because his motivations are muddled and more complicated than we usually think of them as being. His children were victims of him and you can see that time and time again. That is something that I personally can't look past. Even if he had the most loving, deeply caring reason in the entire world to treat them like that, Thor, Loki, and Hela deserved better than what they got. They are not okay and if Odin had been a good parent, they would have felt loved and more secure. Being a bad parent is different than being a bad person, but Odin manages to get 2/2 with the context of later movies.

I said in the tags of a post I reblogged discussing Odin not being as horrible of a person as we consider him to be, the post you tagged me on, that "I write him as abusive because I find it interesting" and to be clear - I do think that Odin, with all the context of every movie we have, is abusive. I do not think he is physically abusive, and I didn't clarify that. There is little to no canon evidence of that, but THAT is what I put into my fics because I find it interesting. Physical abuse. It's not that it's the Worst Type of Abuse or that I'm trying to play everything up just because I can. IT's just one type of abuse that I want to explore. It's fanfiction. I am exploring the possibility of what Thor and Loki would be like if they were physically abused. I wrote a fic where Hela was the victim of human experimentation and like. I had fun. People love that story. It isn't canon and I know that, but that doesn't mean I can't write it. It's very canon-adjacent.

But, regardless of that, emotional neglect is abuse. Thor, Hela, and Loki in canon absolutely have symptoms of being emotionally neglected and somewhat have some of being emotionally abused, You can see Frigga being emotionally neglectful to Loki in the TDW, and the way Loki reacts to it suggests that he's not surprised and he is used to it. Odin tells Loki his birthright was to die as a child on a frozen rock and that he should be grateful to Odin for not killing him. You know. As a baby. Odin is extremely dismissive and emotionally neglectful of both Thor and Loki in the TDW. He compares the woman Thor almost died for to a goat and you can see that it hurts Thor, but he says nothing in his defense. Thor is severely depressed in TDW and you can see it everywhere, and Odin doesn't care. Frigga doesn't care. They ignore it because it's easier. Sif is really the only person to ask if he's okay, and that's at the end of Thor 1. That to me suggests that their home environment was not very healthy. You know that entire conversation of "reassurance" between Frigga and Thor in Endgame? That is a master class of emotional neglect. She didn't help him. She didn't listen to him. Not a healthy environment.

I think deep, deep, deeeeeep down in canon, Odin and Frigga wanted to be good parents - to Thor and Loki, they would leave Hela in prison for a 1000 years and be cool with it, oh wait they actually did - but they didn't have the time/energy/mental health to manage it. They're both the rulers of nine worlds, they don't have time to raise kids. Thor and Loki are vying for their attention constantly which suggests that it's a very rare thing to receive from their parents. Thor is the most attention-starved person in MCU in the first Thor. Emotional neglect!! I genuinely think that Thor and Loki more so raised each other than their parents.

So no, I don't like Odin. I think he's a complex character and I'm happy to discuss him in depth, but I think he is an awful, awful parent. Like I said, there is a distinction between parenting and the person, and Odin is a TERRIBLE parent. He's not an amazing person either, but I think he tried. Odin didn't decide to stop collecting realms on a whim, something must have happened that made him value peace over bloodshed. He told Thor and Loki that "a wise king must never seek out war, but must always be ready for it" so he was trying to be a better king and not leaping at things with his teeth bared. He tries to stop the war with Laufey. Idk. It's complicated. Canon is complicated. People are very rarely black and white and Odin isn't an exception to that rule.

There is a reason that him being physically abusive doesn't feel ooc, AND why him trying to be a good parent also doesn't feel ooc. A complicated man, to be sure. I don't really discuss Odin as a character that much, but I do think about him. He and Frigga are fascinating to me.

[avelera]

So I really thought the plot of S2 of Good Omens was going to include a beat where either Crowley went back to being an angel or Aziraphale accidentally Fell, and I wanted to walk through some of the moments I thought were leading to such a Side-Swap between Aziraphale and Crowley, in part because some of them revolve around mysteries that still haven't been fully explained:

When Crowley went out to the street and had his lightning strike "freakout", I truly thought that was maybe a hint that he had flipped sides (accidentally?) back to being an angel

One reason being the "tiny miracle" he and Aziraphale perform later. Why did it fail so dramatically that it set off the klaxon alarms in Heaven?

One theory I had was that Crowley had already reverted back to being an angel, without realizing, so their miracles didn't cancel each other out. Instead, two heavenly miracles occurred which, combined, created that huge outpouring of power visible from Heaven.

The other theory I had was that the miracle to disguise Gabriel was a tiny, quiet miracle, that it totally worked as intended. The alert Heaven got was Crowley's lightning strike, which was also on the same street, right next to Aziraphale's shop. I thought there'd be a twist around that location confusion, and we'd learn that the power outpouring was from Crowley becoming an angel again. Sadly, no dice on that front (the timing didn't quite work either, and I did enjoy the smash cut to their "quiet" miracle not being so quiet)

Note: We still don't have clarity on why their "tiny miracle" failed so spectacularly!

In the second episode we had so many scenes of Aziraphale questioning his faith in God. Of treading the line. Of lying. Of doing all this behavior that felt just a sneeze away from him Falling.

We have that famous book-based line where Crowley wonders aloud if they got it wrong the whole time, wouldn't it be funny if he did the right thing and Aziraphale did the wrong one? Aziraphale doesn't think that possibility is funny at all, but there are so many small indications and subtle hints that Aziraphale acts in a demonic manner and Crowley in an angelic one.

Note: We still don't have a resolution as to whether Aziraphale's questioning of God will lead to anything. Could be an S3 thing.

Not just in the Resurrectionist plotline where Aziraphale truly does not understand how his nitpicking over the corpse sale led not just to Elspeth and Morag possibly starving, but it directly led to Morag's death. All for the want of a corpse they couldn't even return? Aziraphale's actions were wall to wall evil in that episode. In contract, Crowley not only does favors for Aziraphale this season, he explicitly does not ask for repayment for them. They are truly selfless acts. This is in addition to saving the goats and Job's children.

The thing is, I just couldn't tell if those moments of Angelic Crowley and Demonic Aziraphale were plot points or simple character quirks along the lines of "Just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing" - were we just being reminded that these two are both gray? It felt like Crowley did too much good and Aziraphale did too much evil for it to be a quirk rather than a plot point, but then... it wasn't a plot point. Like at all. There was no Falling this season.

When we saw Crowley in Heaven, I really wondered if the fact he could hack into Muriel's files wasn't just a poor password but because Crowley had already, accidentally, Redeemed himself or Risen or whatever you want to call it. I wondered if it was a Clue.

Note: We never got answers as to why or how Crowley was able to hack through Muriel's system. Probably it's been left for S3 but at the very least we got new questions raised around Crowley's power level as an angel and what his power level is currently.

(On that note, did the Gabriel statue ever fucking matter? What was the point of that whole thing? Just a weird statue, that was all??)

When Aziraphale took off his halo, I was excited for the possibility that THIS was it, THIS was when he would reject his angelic nature SOMEHOW, perhaps by necessity to save the shop and Nina and Maggie. Instead it was just... a weapon??? Somehow?? I thought he was doing the same thing as proverbially ripping off his own wings.

Basically, I wanted an ending where Crowley and Aziraphale kiss an reunite and realize they really are so important to one another, they've connected, they've inspired each other, they've changed each other... all at the absolute worst possible moment. If either had Fallen or Risen first, they could have been on the same side, instead I wanted to see them figuratively or literally torn in opposite directions into a Heaven/Hell that they loathe but can't escape because technically, all that you need to do is trust or distrust God in order to Fall or Rise, and it can't be easily or quickly faked, because it's about faith and it took them millennia to find or lose their faith, they can't just go "Whoops, never mind, actually I don't trust/I do trust God after all!" just to get out of it.

Frick I just really wanted to see Angelic Crowley and Demonic Aziraphale absolutely fucking miserable at their situation just as yet another Apocalypse kicks off, so they have to navigate that and the fact they're totally out of their depth in their new lives and they miss each other desperately.

Maybe I'm just too much of a angst muffin but damn, there were so few stakes, so little that was lost or threatened this season. Literally, Aziraphale could turn around right now and do the silly apology dance and really, it would all be a wash, Crowley would take him back in a second. They're not in peril, nothing was truly lost, they're barely separated at this point what with Aziraphale's new status there's really no reason he couldn't even visit Crowley. Barely anything has changed - Crowley always knew that Aziraphale was faithful to Heaven, he just has a promotion now that technically gives him more latitude to call the shots, which could easily mean a lot of time spent on Earth with Crowley too.

*Sigh* I'd probably be less bothered if I didn't feel like there were signs everywhere that some sort of Fall/Rise was coming, unwillingly, for one of them. Maybe it'll still happen in S3! Who knows!

[fructidors]

HI so i'm thinking about burning a CD with live versions of mountain goats songs, however i am not well-versed in the world of the mountain goats so. what would you recommend? (the CD can be up to 80 minutes long :))

YEAHHHH so as you're probably aware the world of mountain goats live recordings is unimaginably expansive and i am by most standards an amateur at traversing it BUT i do have lots of advice :D

there really is no such thing as a bad mountain goats show. even the ones with awful crowds or where the band isn't doing so great are bound to have some very very bright spots. at the same time, the mountain goats have a 30+ year touring history, with lineups varying from john alone, to the full four-piece current permanent ensemble, to the five-piece current touring ensemble, to on one remarkable occasion john with a medieval a cappella quartet, to absolutely everywhere in between, so everyone is bound to have their own tastes.

as such, a really good way to find tmg shows is to just look through the mountain goats wiki! they have over 1500 shows listed, the general majority of which have archive.org recordings. they also have every live show any particular song was played at listed-- most of my favorite shows i've found through looking through all the various performances of my favorite songs. there are also a lot of great recs over on r/themountaingoats. but here are some of my personal favorites:

the bottom of the hill shows!! the bottom of the hill is a small venue in san francisco that the mountain goats have played at quite a few times over the years, and for some combination of reasons the shows there always turn out ridiculously special. any mountain goats fan will point a new tmg live listener to the bottom of the hill. the rather infamous recording of no children sung entirely by the crowd took place there in 2006. the recording of california song i sent you was from a show there in 2014-- which by the way contains the entirety of transmissions from horace (an early tape that was later released as part of the compilation ghana), which is why there might be a lot of songs you don't recognize, and also why they played so many fan favorites to close it out (as compensation)(denton AND you were cool. WHAT A NIGHT). everything from no children on in that recording is pure gold. the show there from the next night is roughly the same in content but the rendition of the best ever death metal band in denton they close with is one of my favorite live tracks of all time. and finally a show there from 2008 was videoed in full by paste magazine!! (here is the archive.org version for audio files) this is SUCH a good show oh my god. the two really standout numbers in my opinion are not actually by the mountain goats-- one is ace of base's defining europop number the sign, which has been. drastically reimagined by the mountain goats. the bottom of the hill performance is punctuated with stories about john's own personal history with the song (which, if that appeals, check out this version too), and is just generally iconic. and also intense. SPEAKING OF INTENSE the other is houseguest-- which is a song by franklin bruno (who john was/is in a band called the extra glens/glenns/lens with) that john has played live quite a bit. this particular performance is really just my favorite because you get to watch john stalk around and lean out over the crowd like a vulture or perhaps some kind of crow. for the audio alone honestly i would recommend the version from this 2008 show. (fun fact about me personally the first time my mom ever left baby me alone with my dad overnight was to go to this exact show!! i am still mad at her for not taking me)

the fall 2005 tour!! the really cool thing about this tour is that at the time, the mountain goats were still comprised of just john darnielle and peter hughes (bassist), so typically live shows were very stripped down and a far cry from the aforementioned five-person full band they tour as now. but on this tour, their opener, the prayers and tears of arthur digby sellers, joined them for a few songs each set, which meant they had much fuller band (DRUMS!! MORE GUITAR!!) while also still being very much sunset tree-era mountain goats and BOY is it special. highlights include: the version of tollund man from toronto which doesn't feature the larger band, but john does incorporate a mangled paraphrase of the final couplet of shakespeare's sonnet 73 (this thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong / to love that well which thou must leave ere long) into the song; the performance of palmcorder yajna from the same night where john replaces the "send somebody out for soda" line with "send somebody out for ATIVAN;" and of course, against pollution knitting factory halloween 2005 (audio). you probably noticed me posting the youtube video of this every day of october. it's my second favorite tmg live recording of all time (after bottom of the hill california song). john is in a priest costume which adds the most je ne sais quoi ever to the song (which is about going to church and shooting a guy. amongst other things). the video and audio are not clear at all but you must understand that is what makes this performance SO. it's SOOOO. in conclusion:

(do christians have high holidays. i'm so jewish i'm sorry)

the webster hall 2009 show!! this show's from the life of the world to come tour which is why there are so many songs named after bible verses (unsure how familiar you are with the life of the world to come but i feel like it has some you vibes). they were touring with violinist owen pallet at the time which means we get going to bristol & hebrews 11:14 with string accompaniment!!!! this show literally never fails but the absolute highlights for me are deuteronomy 2:10 (although deuteronomy 2:10 is one of my favorite songs in the entire mountain goats canon so it's rare to come across a version i dislike), enoch 18:14 (which is actually an unreleased outtake from lotwtc-- the version you see online the most is from the lotwtc film but this one is full-band and prefaced by a long john story about video games)(if the latter appeals, i'd check out thank you mario), quito (which is probably best appreciated as part of the larger we shall all be healed album but the full-band version here SHINES), and of course full band going to georgia!!! i understand solo going to georgia purists so so well and there really is nothing like shouting the words back to just john and his guitar but there is SOMETHING in full band going to georgia that i suspect is rather close to real actual apotheosis. if the former appeals more though i am emotionally attached to the version from last august because i was there (one of only 7 times he's played it since 2012!) and it was the best day of my life but objectively this 2007 version is probably better.

also!! i've done something very similar with a tape! it's probably the most care i've ever put into a tracklist and remains one of my favorite tapes i've ever made-- finding tracks for it is how i found most of what i just recommended :) here's the setlist:

ignore the blank spot i tried to put in abandoned flesh from the aforementioned august show i went to but it turned out really bad for some reason so i wanted to put in shower from the show two days before john got married but then i forgot. anyways YEAH THAT'S ABOUT IT! lmk if you want more specific reqs or about any mountain goats thoughts ever anytime :DDD