#maggie the apprentice

[pieandpaperbacks]

Monthly book wrap up - April

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty - The first instalment in a new series that follows the badass pirate Amina al-Sirafi. I thought this was a fun adventure, but at times the writing skewed very YA, despite the fact that this was marketed as adult.

A House with Good Bones, T. Kingfisher - I LOVE T. Kingfisher, and this books was no exception. A wonderful, short southern gothic that is as funny as it is unsettling.

The Raven King, Maggie Stiefvater - A somewhat disappointing end to the Raven Cycle. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, but I felt like the stakes lessened significantly at the end. Blue Lily, Lily Blue was my favourite book of the series, and significantly stronger in my opinion.

What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher - Another excellent book. I thought this was a great Poe retelling and delightfully grotesque and bizarre.

Assassin’s Apprentice, Robin Hobb - I have conflicting feelings about this one. While I believe Hobb's writing is wonderful, the pacing of this book was bizarre. For the first part, I felt like it was going nowhere, but the last 50 pages were full of a whole book's worth of action. I'll read the next book in the series, because I think Assassin's Apprentice was doing a lot of set-up for the later books, and I'd like to see how it pays off.

[meeghanreads]

Top 5 genre mash-ups

Hello friends!! Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday!! This week’s topic is top 5 genre mash-ups!! So, I completely forgot that I made this topic… Which is really only a shame when you think about my last top 5 freebie topic: top 5 historical fantasy rom-coms. Because you know what? Those are pretty classic genre mash-up books!! Anyway, today I’m going to try and find 5 completely different books than these.…

[starrydixon]

Lost & Found

*Requested from this ask :)*

Era: Alexandria (Pre-Negan) Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader Pronouns: None-Specified Word Count: 3.6k Warnings: grief, anxiety, comfort-fluff Summary: After losing the last remaining picture of your mother in a horde of walkers, Daryl takes it upon himself to get it back for you. 

You knew it wasn’t the smartest thing to do: go out on a run by yourself; but what else were you supposed to do? Daryl was outside the walls hunting for the day, and everyone else you were close with was doing their own thing around the community. Since you began residing in Alexandria (which at this point had only been for about a month), you hadn’t yet found your…thing. Daryl was the recruiter and hunter, Glenn the supply man, Sasha was keen about watch duty, Abraham had construction, Rick and Michonne maintained the peace, and Maggie was the apprentice to Deanna. You didn’t have a special thing to help contribute to the community, and the thought of sitting around in your suburban home doing nothing, waiting for either your boyfriend or one of your family members to finish their thing, irked you to no end.

Which is why you went off on your own to do a small run at a nearby convenience store to scavenge for any useful supplies.

Everything was going fine, swimmingly really; you had managed to find enough supplies in the rundown store to almost completely fill up your backpack. Maybe it was because you felt the need to prove something to yourself and to your community, or maybe it was your ego, but you wanted to return with an overflowing bag of supplies that you’d have trouble hauling back. So, you decided to check the stockroom that was in the back of the store.

And that’s when everything went to shit.

Unbeknownst to you, the storage room was filled with lurkers. Your knock on the metal door did nothing to gain their attention, so you advanced inwards with the impression that the room was clear. Before you could even turn your flashlight on, your fresh and alive scent had awoken the once stupor walkers, causing them to instantaneously lunge at you. There wasn’t time to fight them off with the hunting knife Daryl had gifted you; there were too many of them and they were moving abnormally fast. The only option you had was to run. With grunts and curses escaping past your lips, you pushed shelves and debris into the walkers path as you tried to get to the exit. The heavy backpack strapped to your back lumped painfully against you with each jolt of movement you made. At one point, you felt like a cartoon character; sliding around the tiled floor while trying to maneuver around the walkers that were now breaking out of line and beginning to crowd around you.

Eventually though, after barricading the exit door, you made it out of the store, unscathed. The last thing you wanted was for the walkers to follow you home, and you were not going to jeopardize your family. You ran into the woods until you couldn’t breathe anymore. Once at a safe enough distance away from the convenience store, you nearly collapsed against a tree; one arm pressed against the ridged trunk to keep you upright, and the other holding onto your hip. Breathy curses escaped from your mouth, feeling the ache of your heaving chest and burning lungs. Sweat lined your forehead, and you were sure the back of your shirt had a giant sweat stain on it. Without even having to look, you knew your hair had turned into an unruly mess, with loose strands either stuck to your sweaty skin or sticking out in odd places. 

Needing some comfort, the hand that was once resting on your hip rose to your chest. Blindly, your fingers searched for the familiar locket that hung from your neck. Inside held the last remaining picture of your mother, and you often turned to look at the beautiful picture whenever you needed a little pick-me-up. If you wanted to get back to Alexandria, alive and in one piece, you figured looking at the image of your mom would help get you there. 

When your fingers couldn’t locate the metal locket, you felt the blood coursing through your veins run cold, and your once heavy breaths get stuck in your throat. For a moment, you weren’t breathing, moving, or even fully conscious. Much like the walkers, you suddenly found yourself in a stupor of your own. Slowly, almost as if you were trying to evade the inevitable, you lowered your gaze to your neckline. When you saw nothing hanging from your neck, an electric shock shot up your spine, bringing you back to life.

Explicits spilled out of your mouth as you desperately felt yourself up and down with your hands, hoping that the necklace caught on the material of your clothes or even the straps of your backpack when it fell from your neck. Instead of panting breaths, you were now breathing rapidly in and out of your nose. It was borderline hyperventilating.

“Shit!” You shouted in a panic as you began surveying the surrounding ground when the search on your person became futile.

Unable to concede, you retraced your steps back to the convenience store. You knew you couldn’t go far, unless you wanted to get lost in a small—but deadly—horde of walkers, but you hoped—prayed—that the locket had fallen off you as you were running away from the store instead of when you were still in the store. You must have upturned every rock and leaf in your path as you trekked back towards your previous location. Desperation took control of your body now, and you pushed your luck by even scoping the outside of the store. The famished walkers pounded against the glass windows with their rotten hands and stalked you as you paced up and down the store. If you didn’t leave now, you feared the walkers would break through the glass.

Salty tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you stared at the walkers. For a moment, you thought about going back in and getting the last piece of your mother that you had left, but knew it would practically be suicide if you did so. With a heavy heart and tears blurring your vision, you turned your back to the store, and your mother, and headed back towards the direction of Alexandria. Wherever she was, you hoped she understood. 

By the time you reached Alexandria, the sun was already in the midst of setting. The suburban houses that resided inside the protected walls had a golden glow reflecting off of the vinyl sidings that protected them from the wrath of nature. If you weren’t still in a near debilitating stupor, you would have thought the sight was pretty. You were hoping to return with a pep in your step, proud of the bounty you had found for the community; but instead, you could barely hold yourself upright due to the massive amount of grief that was weighing you down.

As you neared your home, you could see that the lights of your front porch were on, and that Daryl was sitting in his usual spot on the wooden railing, sharpening his knives and arrows as he waited for you to return. Before gaining his attention, you tried to straighten out your posture and hold your head up just a little higher. Your seemingly neutral facade was nearly foolproof, but the archer was eerily intuitive, and knew by just once glance at you that something wasn’t right. Daryl couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly, and aside from the sweat stained shirt and messy hair, something just seemed off about your appearance. 

“Find anythin’ good?” Daryl asked as he watched you slump the backpack off your shoulders and plop down on the railing across from him.

For a moment, you could only shrug your shoulders as you were having a hard time finding your voice. Whether it was from shame or just the mere knowledge that you’d break the second you looked at him, your eyes couldn’t meet his. Instead, you kept your gaze planted on your clasped hands that were placed in your lap. “Got a couple of things…I’ll bring the bag to Olivia later.”

Daryl hummed in acknowledgment, taking note of the unusual weight in your voice when you spoke, and solemn demeanor. The archer let his eyes linger on you for a few more moments before turning back to his knives. Daryl wasn’t one to push touchy subjects, and knew you’d talk when you were ready.  

“Ya went to Cal’s?” Daryl asked, referring to the only convenience store he knew of that was within walking distance. You could only nod your head in confirmation as a response.

With each second of silence that passed, you could feel the protective walls within you begin to crack. Despite how comfortable the silence was between you and Daryl, it allowed the reality of your loss to set in. Slowly, you let your head rest against the column behind you, and stared up at the darkening sky. You didn’t know how much more of the silence you could take.

“I lost it.” 

Your voice was shaky and defeated when you spoke. When Daryl averted his gaze off his knives and to your face, he could see tears pooling in your eyes. Despite how vague your statement was, it suddenly clicked to Daryl why you seemed so off. When the archer lowered his gaze to your neckline, and didn’t see the locket, he felt his stomach drop. Daryl knew how much you valued that picture of your mother, and couldn’t even imagine what kind of pain was currently coursing through you. 

“It’s actually kinda funny…” You trailed off as an empty smile uplifted the corners of your mouth. With the back of your hand, you wiped at your eyes. “I had been meaning to replace the chain it was on, since it’s so old and felt like it was on its last leg…I just hadn’t been able to find any materials for it.”

You suddenly looked so small; with your knees held tightly to your chest, and your teeth biting into your quivering bottom lip in an attempt to conceal the cries you so desperately wanted to let out. Daryl felt pains shoot through his chest, and guessed it was just the physical sensation of his heart breaking.

“Do ya know where it fell?” The archer inquired with as much of a soft voice as his naturally gravelly tone could allow. 

“Somewhere in the store that’s filled with walkers.” Admitting it out loud caused you to inhale sharply, as your lungs felt like they were tightening and not getting enough oxygen.

The irony wasn’t lost on Daryl, and he couldn’t help but scoff at it. Setting his arrows aside, and placing his knives back in their sheathes, Daryl stood up from the railing with a grunt and shuffled over to you. He couldn’t take looking at that defeated and lost look in your eyes any longer. 

“C’mere.” With a shake of his hand, he motioned you towards his opened arms. 

At the gesture, your eyes and sinuses began to sting with oncoming tears. Without hesitating, you got off the railing and wrapped your arms around Daryl’s torso. Your face was buried in his shoulder, and you practically melted at the warmth that was emitting from his comforting embrace. Daryl’s arms were wrapped protectively around your body, and one of his hands stroked your hair. A few tears escaped from your waterline, and you felt the need to squeeze your eyes shut in an attempt to stop any more liquid from staining Daryl’s shirt.

“M’sorry.” Daryl empathized after placing a kiss on the crown of your head. 

“I’ll be okay…eventually.” You reassured him, and maybe even yourself, with a sniffle. Pulling a few inches away from the archer, you wiped your face with the back of your hand. “It just really sucks right now.”

With barely any sunlight left in the sky, the temperature was beginning to drop. The last thing Daryl wanted to see was your shivering body on top of your sadness. “C’mon—let’s get ya inside and somethin’ to eat, alright?” Daryl suggested in a gentle tone while jutting a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the front door of the house. Reaching down, the archer grabbed a hold of your backpack as you began to pull away from him.

After a final sniffle of your nose and nod of your head, you allowed Daryl to lead you inside. The rest of the night was quiet; you showered off all the sweat and tears that had dried onto your body, ate the leftovers from last night’s dinner, and turned in for the night early due to the mental and physical exhaustion from the day’s events. Daryl tried to do everything he knew of to comfort you, but how do you comfort someone who is freshly grieving the loss of their mother for the first time? To you, having that locket in your possession, and being able to look at her face every single day, made the pain of missing her just a little bit more easier to manage. Without it, it felt like it was difficult to prolong that sadness and grief.

Daryl couldn’t stand to see you so distraught, it kept him tossing and turning for most of the night. Selfishly, he wanted to see the bright smile on your face again that always made your entire essence glow. In order to do that, he’d have to go to the convenience store that was filled with walkers. It was risky, possibly even a suicide mission, but Daryl cared more about your happiness than himself.

It wasn’t uncommon for you to awake in the morning to an empty bed. Daryl was an early riser, and inherently, liked getting an early start to his day. A part of you wished he had stayed in bed with you, just this once so you didn’t have to be alone with only an empty house and your depressing thoughts to keep you company; but you also didn’t want to drag Daryl down into your sorrow. So, you tried to keep yourself busy around the house by completing mundane chores as you waited for Daryl to return from whatever Daryl-things he was doing. 

Although that empty feeling in your stomach, and heavy weight on your chest was still prominent, the chores did help distract you for a while. When the pang of missing your mother began to become too hard to ignore again, you decided to sit outside on the porch with a glass of water and a generic interior design magazine to flip through. You hoped the fresh air would help clear your head. 

Before you knew it, the familiar sound of a rumbling motorcycle engine began to sound from up the street. Jumping to your feet, you watched as Daryl pulled into the driveway. Squinting through the blaring sunlight, you noticed dirt, grime, and gore covering the archer from head to toe. Within seconds, you were jumping the front steps of your home and running over to him; worried that something awful had happened during his presumed hunting trip. “Daryl!? What happened!”

It felt like your heart was about to burst out of your chest, and it became difficult for your lungs to retain oxygen. You felt like you had just run a mile instead of only a few feet. With bated breath, you bounced uneasily in your spot as you watched Daryl slowly dismount from his bike. With the blood in your ears sounding like deafening alarms, you had to strain to hear Daryl’s grunts of discomfort as he walked towards you. Whatever had happened, it was clear that he had overexerted himself far beyond his limits. 

“I did somethin’ a little stupid.” Daryl rubbed the back of his neck as he stood in front of you. His eyes couldn’t meet yours, in fear of the scolding he was sure he would receive. 

“Clearly,” You deadpanned with crossed arms. Your once near debilitatingly worried demeanor had shifted to annoyed upon Daryl’s admission. Although you were relieved he was alright and back in one piece, you were upset he had put himself in danger for who knows what. “What happened?” 

You had expected him to tell you that he had willingly followed a buck into a horde of walkers, unable to accept the idea of coming back empty handed, or that some wild turkeys had unknowingly led him to walkers. What you didn’t expect was Daryl to hold out his hand with your locket sporting a new chain hanging from his fingers. 

Instead of being caught in a fear-induced stupor, you were now in a stupor of shock. You could only stare with unblinking eyes as the locket dangled in the air, the metal glistening due to the sun’s reflection. You couldn’t breath, move, and you weren’t even sure if your blood was pumping at the moment, as your brain tried to process how your locket was in Daryl’s possession.

“I made sure the picture of your mom was still in there ‘fore leavin’…wasn’t sure if the locket broke open or not when it fell from ya.” Daryl explained while scratching his blood stained beard with his equally blood stained hand. When you remained unresponsive, Daryl felt the need to say more. “And—uh—I found a pawn shop nearby n’snagged a new chain off some kinda diamond necklace. I know it don’t match the locket, but I can go to a jewelry store or somethin’ and-“

Before the archer had a chance to finish, you practically threw yourself at him and held on to his broad frame for dear life. An onslaught of salty tears streamed down your cheeks and uncontrollable sobs filled with relief and gratitude fell from your mouth. Slowly, Daryl felt his muscles relax, and he carefully wrapped his arms around your shaking frame. Letting his chin rest on your shoulder, the archer kept his gaze on the locket; which he tightened his grip around as he didn’t want to risk it becoming lost again.

“H-How? Why?” You stuttered against the fabric of his shirt once your cries had subsided and the flow of tears had been reduced.

“A whole lotta willpower s’all,” Daryl shrugged his shoulders as he took a moment to re-scratched that invisible itch on his chin again. With a bashful look overtaking his usually stoic face, Daryl tightened his hold on you as emotion suddenly swelled up his chest. “I just…couldn’t see ya so sad anymore. Anything’s worth seein’ ya smile again.”

“Even fighting through a horde of walkers?” You asked while looking up at his handsome face. There was a lightness to your voice, and a smile began to twitch at the corners of your mouth as you wiped the tears from your face.

“Two actually…” Daryl trailed off as his gaze averted yours once again. “One at the convenience store and the other at the pawn shop.”

“Daryl Dixon! I am not worth two hordes of walkers!” You exclaimed while lightly swatting his chest with the palm of your hand. Despite the scolding, a smile was beginning to break through the permanent frown that was once glued to your face. 

“Sure ya are…worth ‘bout a hundred really.” Daryl stated matter of factly as he puffed his chest in pride. With a roll of your eyes, you took a step away from him.

“Come on my knight, I think inhaling all that walker stench is making you delusional.” You teased while lightly nudging him towards the house.

“Hold up–” Stopping you with a hand on your arm, Daryl gently turned you so your back was facing him. Your knees almost gave out from under you as you felt the familiar weight of your locket drape around your neck and rest on your chest. Once you heard the clasp lock, your hands flew to the locket and your fingers tentatively opened the pendent. A lopsided smile graced Daryl’s face as he took a moment to admire the locket being back in its rightful spot again once he positioned himself in front of you. “That looks ‘bout right.”

Your teeth bit down on your bottom lip as it began to quiver as you looked down at the picture of your mother. Even though it had only been less than a day, it had felt like an eternity since you had last seen her face. Fresh liquid welled up in your eyes again as you took in the identifiable facial features that you shared with your mother. With the locket still grasped in your hands, you brought your gaze up towards Daryl. “Thank you, Daryl…I-I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

A scoff escaped past Daryl’s lips and he shook his head fiercely. Taking one step towards you, Daryl placed both of his hands on your shoulders and gave you a squeeze with each hand. His earnest stare seemed to be looking into you until he reached your soul. As comforting as it was, it was also incredibly daunting. “Ya got nothin’ to repay me for, alright?” With the serious look he was giving you, you couldn’t help but nod along in agreement.

“Good…now tell me again ‘bout those delusions ya think I got?”

With a laugh and lighthearted shake of your head, you nudged Daryl forwards towards your home. Your hand remained clasped around the most valuable object you owned as you ventured back inside. As Daryl began to strip himself of his soiled clothes (which you were going to burn later that day) you made a silent oath to yourself that you’d never lose the irreplaceable locket again. 

-

-

A/N: I was pretty much melting as I was writing a good portion of this, since Daryl is just so sweet! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!! <3 

[magpiefngrl]

halfway through 2024 book review

June isn't over yet but I'm looking at a couple of very busy weeks so it's unlikely I'll read a gazillion new books or something by end of month. So we do this now!

books I enjoyed so far

Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen series, set in a post-apocalyptic Paris with fallen angels and magic and dragons in the Seine. I didn't quite love the three main novels, but I enjoyed how unique the world-building was. However, I REALLY loved the last two novellas about Asmodeus and his husband Thuan, who are a delicious pairing. The novellas are: Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances and Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders.

Pacat's Dark Heir, which I enjoyed so much that I went back to reread Dark Rise and then again, Dark Heir. I liked the second novel a lot more than the first (and I actually ended up appreciating the first novel more on my reread). Needless to say, I am very, very impatient about the end of the series.

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel. KJC has done it again. The sequel to her Doomsday Books series is fantastic, with a vivid cast, an excellent main pairing, and superb pacing. Couldn't put it down. A great historical m/m romance.

The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'd heard a lot about Miles and it was fun seeing him bullshit his way across the galaxy.

The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold. A novella in the Vorkosigan saga. Very touching and emotional and a great character study of Miles. Really loved this.

Newcomer by Keigo Higashino. This dude is seriously amazing at crafting unusual murder mysteries. This one is structured as vignettes of shop-owners in a Tokyo neighbourhood and, as the stories progress, more light is shed on the mystery of a strangled woman.

Faithful Place and The Secret Place by Tana French. Fantastic prose, absorbing murder mysteries that are more like deep character studies as well as an incisive portrait of contemporary Ireland.

The Lady of the Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski. This is pretty grim at times, ngl, but it has a daring structure with lots of POVs, switching between numerous timelines, a frame device, lots of found materials (essays and chapters from fictional books). All that worked for me very well. I love some experimentation with craft. I wouldn't say it was my fave read, but I'm happy that I finally reached the end; completing a series always gives me a dopamine rush so yay

progress on my reading goals

A reminder that my two goals for the year are:

to read (some or all of) the Vorkosigan saga

to read less or no US authors

I'm doing pretty well on those two scores. Read a few installments of the Vorkosigan saga, and (besides Bujold and a poetry anthology by Maggie Smith) have read no other US-based authors. My intention was to diversify my reading and, indeed, so far, I've read French, Japanese, Polish, UK, Australian, Irish, and currently reading a Ukrainian author.

fics I loved

I've not read as many books as I normally do so far, esp in the last couple of months, but I read a lot more fic than recent years. I've read some fab stuff in a variety of fandoms. The fics I'm going to rec below are the longer ones that I read on my ereader:

Tarnished Gold by Prim_the_Amazing (bingqiu/svsss, M, 118k) Inventive premise. Couldn't put it down.

Memory (T, 23k) and Out of the Dead Land (M, 62k), both stucky, both orphaned by one of my top authors ever. The second one gave me the worst fic hangover I had in ages. I had to go and rewatch Captain America.

contrapasso by damagecontrol (jegulus, E, 41k) Very horny. I like that.

Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble by pastapug (jegulus, E, 40k) Lush language, fascinating setting.

Beholden by Faith Wood (faithwood) (drarry, E, 123k) Gave me all the drarry feels.

Shout out to @hoko-onchi-writes's WIP: To Hold You in the Earth's Unholy Din, which I am loving <3

That's all, folks. Here's hoping for more wonderful reads till December!

[mimisempai]

Fragments of happiness

Summary

That morning at the bookshop, Aziraphale and Crowley are surprised to find a new shelf lined with photos. Apparently, some little bookseller's apprentice seems to have discovered Aziraphale's old Polaroid...

Notes

Aziraphale and Crowley through Muriel's lens...

On Ao3

Rating G -  1830 words

Crowley pushed the bookshop door open with his shoulder as he returned from the coffee shop with his hands full of a plate of Eccles Cakes, a coffee for himself and a cappuccino for Muriel.

Surprised to see that Aziraphale wasn't at his desk, he called out, "Angel?"

He replied from the back of the bookstore, "I'm here. Could you come to me, Crowley, please?"

Crowley set down his load on a small table and joined the angel, whom he found standing in front of a shelf he'd never seen before. He approached it and saw that there were framed photographs on it.

He asked curiously, "Did you do this, Angel?"

Aziraphale turned to him and replied, "I was going to ask you the same thing."

Crowley shook his head, "Nope. Not me. First time I've seen that."

He looked more closely at the photos and chuckled softly, "Angel, I think our little bee found your old Polaroid."

Azirphale rushed over to an old trunk not far from them and after rummaging through it, he straightened up and nodded, "Yes, you're right, it's gone."

But Crowley wasn't looking at him anymore, staring at the shelf. He asked Aziraphale, "Did you see what's on the photos?"

Aziraphale came back to him and said, "No, I had just discovered the shelf when you arrived. Why?"

Crowley whispered, "Look."

Aziraphale moved closer to be beside him and looked at the first photo.

He gasped as it showed the interior of the coffee shop, Nina and Crowley arguing while Maggie and Azirapahle looked on, laughing.

"Don't tell me that you, the quintessential grump, have seen so many Richard Curtis movies that you thought all we had to do was find ourselves face to face in the rain and we'd be head over heels for each other?"

Aziraphale chuckled, "And Vavoom..."

Crowley turned to him and muttered, "Angel, you're not helping."

Nina then pointed at Aziraphale and continued, "And you, you thought you'd get the same result by forcing us to dance a la 'Jane Austen'. Seriously, it makes you wonder how you ever got together."

Maggie put her hand on Nina's to calm her down and said with a half smile, "The important thing is the outcome, isn't it? All's well that ends well," she interlaced her fingers with Nina's and raised their entwined hands.

Aziraphale felt Crowley's hand slide over his, which was resting on his knee. He turned his, palm up, and their fingers instinctively intertwined as he said softly, looking lovingly at Crowley, "Yes, all's well that ends well. For all of us."

"Oh, I remember that day so well!"

Aziraphale was jolted from his thoughts by the demon snorting at the next photo. 

He took a closer look.

It was him, eating with obvious delight. He examined what was on the plate and murmured, "The crepes..."

"Angel, how about a little snack?"

Aziraphale's eyes lit up and it took him only a few seconds to join the demon at the table in the back. He saw that there was a plate covered with a white napkin and two bowls of golden liquid. He sniffed a little and said in a voice of wonder, "Cider..."

Then, his face brightening, he grabbed the napkin and murmured, "That means these are... crepes!"

Sitting down at the table, Crowley added, not a little proud, "And from Paris, my dear angel."

Aziraphale sat down next to him and said in a tone of wonder, "So this is where you disappeared to this morning?"

Crowley nodded with a smile and replied, "I heard you when you were talking so longingly to Muriel about the crepes we had in Paris."

He picked up the fork, picked up a piece of crepe and held it in front of Aziraphale's mouth. The angel instinctively opened it and immediately closed his lips on the bite, unable to contain his expression of delight.

"It's true, the crepes from Paris are the best," Aziraphale murmured, almost feeling the taste in his mouth just remembering it.

Crowley put his arm around the angel's shoulders and gave him a light kiss on the temple before whispering softly in his ear, "Anytime you want, I'll get you some."

But instead of the angel's thanks, he saw him start to chuckle and realized he was looking at the third photo.

The demon leaned closer and saw himself smiling softly at one of his plants that he was watering.

He grumbled, "That cheeky little minx," then reached for the photo and continued, "I can't leave this here."

Aziraphale's hand gripped his wrist as he said softly, "Don't worry, it's not like half the street doesn't know you're a soft-hearted grump."

Crowley exclaimed, "Angel, you can't say that!"

Aziraphale raised Crowley's hand to his lips and kissed the palm before saying softly, "You saved half those people the night of the attack. You stopped Nina and Maggie from being turned into salt statues by Saraqael, you're the one who wanted Muriel to come back here with you. You're the one who told me you'd do anything to protect them. So don't be surprised if people see you as a hero."

Crowley huffed and then muttered, "That's ridiculous. Me? I'm no hero."

The angel said gently, "One day you'll believe it," then added firmly, "And this photo will stay here with the others."

He looked at the next one and exclaimed, "Awww..."

Crowley, still a bit annoyed, growled, "Now what?"

Aziraphale pulled him closer, "Look."

Crowley could only soften as he saw the scene Muriel had captured. It was the two of them sharing a glass of wine on the terrace of Madame Justine's restaurant.

"Crowley, please let me order."

Crowley rolled his eyes and shook his head, "No, no, no; not your terrible French again. Why do you insist when Justine told you she speaks and understands English?"

He continued in a lower voice, "She even speaks English better than you speak French."

The angel pouted and protested, "Crowley, I heard that, and it's not very nice."

Crowley raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'I told you I am not nice,' but their argument had to stop because Madame Justine was at their table ready to take their order.

"Ah Madame Justine."

"Bonjour, Mr. Fell and Mr. Crowley. What can I get for you?"

“Est-ce que... nous pourrrions avouar oune non, non deux verres de Château Neuf du Papeu?”

Crowley saw the woman hold back a smile as she nodded before answering, "I'll get that for you right away, gentlemen."

As she walked away, Crowley sighed, "Angel...can you please stop with the French? I'm begging you."

Aziraphale leaned toward him and, with a small smile on his lips, he whispered so only they could hear, "Shall I really stop, my dear? Even if I tell you, Je t'aime..."

Crowley stammered, "Wh... what?"

Aziraphale's smile widened as he repeated, "Je t'aime, mon amour..."

When Madame Justine returned with their wine, if she was surprised to see Mr. Crowley with flushed cheeks, she didn't show it.

"Why are your cheeks so red, my dear?"

Aziraphale's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and from the angel's teasing gaze, it was clear that he knew exactly why Crowley was blushing. The demon turned to him and wrapped his arms around him, leaning in until their lips were only a breath apart before he whispered, "You know damn well."

Aziraphale chuckled slightly and murmured, "Je t-" but didn't have time to finish his declaration because the demon had pressed his lips to his in a kiss that made the angel forget all about his French.

The sound of the bell jingling as the door opened caused them to hurry apart as a familiar voice exclaimed, "Hello, hello, hello!"

Crowley put a finger to his mouth to signal Aziraphale to be quiet, whispered something in his ear, and then walked silently over to Muriel, who had just entered the bookshop.

"Good morning, nosy little bee."

Muriel, by now accustomed to Crowley's teasing, replied directly, "Good morning, Mr. Grumpy."

Crowley held out his hand to them and said, "I believe you have something that belongs to Aziraphale. Can you give it to me, please?"

Pouting, Muriel thrust their hand into their bag and asked, "Didn't you like my surprise?"

Aziraphale, who had also approached them, handed the angel their cappuccino and replied, "On the contrary, it was very thoughtful of you and we are absolutely delighted. Just give the camera to Crowley, he'll give it back to you afterwards."

Muriel, a little confused, obeyed before Aziraphale led them to a bookshelf and assigned them their task for the day. Since they, like their "teacher," loved books, Muriel quickly forgot about the camera and got to work. Aziraphale walked back to Crowley and kissed him on the cheek, taking the opportunity to whisper in his ear, "Wait ten minutes and it'll be perfect."

"Are you sure?" murmured Crowley.

"Absolutely." the angel replied, before walking over to his desk with his Eccles cakes.

Crowley, for his part, sipped his coffee and waited, as Aziraphale had told him, for about ten minutes. Then, camera in hand, he approached the corner where Muriel sat cross-legged on the floor, reading one of the books they had to catalog. So focused that they were oblivious to their surroundings, let alone the click of the Polaroid and the photo that was already coming out.

Silently, Crowley turned back and walked over to Aziraphale. He put his hand on the angel's shoulder, and when he looked at him, the demon raised his thumb to show that everything had gone perfectly as planned.

A little later in the day, Muriel made their way to the small kitchen at the back of the store to make themself a cup of tea, passing the shelf they'd set up and looking at it with pride. Suddenly they stopped.

There was a new photograph in the middle.

They moved closer and gasped because it was a photo of them sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading. That's when they understood why Crowley wanted the camera.

They murmured, "But...why?"

"Well..." Aziraphale began. 

Muriel was startled because they hadn't heard them arrive, each on one side of them.

It was Crowley who continued, "You've been taking pictures of all these little fragments of happiness for us, so it would be a shame if you weren't a part of it."

"Oh..." was all Muriel murmured before stepping up to the photo and touching it with their fingertip.

Aziraphale and Crowley looked at them fondly, then moved closer. Crowley put his arm around Aziraphale's shoulders, and the angel leaned his head against the demon's chest.

As they watched Muriel arrange the frames on the shelf, they were both filled with the same certainty.

No matter what happened to Heaven and Hell, they would do anything to protect these fragments of happiness and those who were a part of them.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : here (After season 2)

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Hold on, anon. Someone will get you a explanation (maybe future me) but for now have mine of random ones because I am tired, so sorry if I miss anything/if these aren’t the best explanations

Teddy!verse: Jason’s a single dad after someone close to him dies, leaving behind her son, Teddy. Jason takes in Teddy who’s a fan of Reader. The boy very much chose his mother. Reader is a voice actress who runs her own podcast company. Her ex is a jerk, that used to work with Reader. Jay and Reader end up together and expand the family. She’s very much a mama bear.

rabies!verse: Werewolf Reader, who helps Bruce, triggers something in Jason and he just suddenly gets “baby rabies”

Thirst Trap Thursdays: Ari just write thirst on Thursday sometimes.

BFF!reader: Bruce’s BFF gets pregnant and the dad isn’t really the best so Bruce steps up. Little Dick is also here. Said BFF eventually gives birth to a little baby girl named Emma.

hotmess!Jason: This verse is dead, so don’t request anything from it. Jason and Roy are stupid and upset Reader. That’s all you need to know honestly.

apprentice!reader: Reader is John Constantine’s daughter and he’s forced to take her in and he trains her. She shows up in place of him one day for some magic issue Bruce is having and Jason’s also there and ends up falling in love with her.

Internet friend!reader: Tim and Reader are online friends and are a popular duo honestly. They fall in love at some point and start dating. Don’t remember if that was before or after they met up irl. I think before?

softdom!Diana: What it says on the tin.

sugarbaby!Jason: Jason is Reader’s sugarbaby. He’s a pianist, she has a thing for artists. He gets nice things and so does she, they’re both less lonely, it’s good for both of them.

cowboy!Jason: Reader runs a farm after her dad passed and looks after her three younger sisters. Jason’s supposed to just be laying low after some trouble with Black Mask and passing through. After Reader gets a lift from him and lets him stay in the barn she ends up capturing his heart and vice versa though which makes things so much harder.

AI!reader: Reader dies and Tim tries to recreate her as an AI to cope because he’s Tim. But the AI and Reader are different in some many ways and he’s not very happy about that either.

teacher!Jason: Reader is a single mother and a college student, Jason’s her professor. Sometimes she brings her daughter, Lena to class. Jason doesn’t mind and she’s thankful for that. Jason’s also kind of into Reader.

werewolf!Jason: Reader and Jason both get taken and experimented on. Both of them get turned into werewolves. Reader used to be a kindergarten teacher in Chicago. Also both of them are now connected to each other for werewolf instinct reasons and keeping each other company during capture.

handyman!Jason: Jason leaves behind Gotham and the vigilante lifestyle. Instead fixing up random things in a specific area, including Reader’s Aunt Maggie. Maggie’s tries to set them up and succeeds quickly honestly.

circus!Reader: Dick’s childhood friend that comes to visit occasionally. They grew up in different circuses. They’re currently on a road trip together.

-signed, that one person who’s read most of Ari’s verses completely and occasionally re-reads some

Blessings on your house.

I hope you find the perfect pair of jeans in your exact size. On clearance.

[francisofgotham1]

Catholic Bat Family HC (inspired by @incomingalbatross)

This is inspired by @incomingalbatross's posts on the same subject that I absolutely adore because of all of the complexity around it (and how similar his code is to Catholic Christian teachings), and being a Catholic myself, I identify with it. Her works can be found here, here, here, here, and here (as well as a couple of asks).

Okay, here we go. First, a synopsis of the posts and asks:

Bruce was raised Catholic (and yes, Martha is Jewish, which is not the same thing as religiously Jewish). He drifted away in adolescence, but came back during his Training Abroad. He starts Confession with "I'm Batman" and added a chapel to the Manor.

Alfred is Anglican, and while he and Bruce have agreed to disagree, they strive for common ground.

Dick is "umbrella" Christian, i.e read the Bible to him, was taught pray, attended services, and was baptized, but it was never formal. When he came to the Manor, Bruce never pushed to convert because he's very sensitive to the "making a kid go against his dead parents' wishes" idea. He remained a believer, went to church w/ Bruce and Alfred, and deeply respects Bruce's faith, but he never had a deep connection with it all.

Jason, on the other hand, is FIERCELY Irish-American Catholic, has a battered rosary, and has a strong devotion to the Holy Family. He and Bruce click on this immediately, both how Bruce understands his troubles and how much Bruce wants to help him. And maybe Jason wants to become a priest? (aka Father Todd).

But then, of course, Jason dies and Bruce mourns hard. However, his faith is the only thing that keeps him sane and going. ( he prob. comes back bc of Superboy or Bat-Mite? But not solely the Pit).

Then Tim shows up, and things change again. Tim is Protestant (maybe), and so he starts debates with Bruce when things get quiet. It reminds him of Jason sometimes, and the contrast can be jarring, but it's good. Tim is also earnest about his faith, and somehow becomes church friends with Clark (who of course, is Midwestern Protestant). They probably end up converting Kon together.

Then, Jason comes back and he is angry at both Bruce and the Church because he's "struggling to reconcile what he used to believe with the tremendous, staggering injustice he's been put through and that he sees others going through." (copied from here). It is also a given that his relationship with Bruce and the Church are very intertwined. It means, though, that any progress in mending one leads to progress in the other. It all begins with Jason dipping himself in Lourdes (HEAVY symbolism there), and as it goes on, he and Bruce start to bond: helping in the field, trusting each other with territories, Bruce giving him the rosary back, going to Mass on the same church (but never speaking), etc. It's gradual, but it works.

Then Cass, Steph, and Damian comes in, and WHAM! Bruce is sent back in time, or "dies".

Dick comes into the faith fully in deeply regrets not having Bruce there with him when it happens. Damian goes along and becomes passionate in his own way. This acts like a beacon for the other siblings to come into the faith fully (except for Tim).

Jason keeps going with his journey, and eventually becomes the spiritual leader of the family (in a way).

Also, Selina starts kind of antagonistic, but thanks to a nudge from Bruce and her sister (Sister Maggie), she develops her faith independently from others

Father Brown is referenced as Bruce's spiritual adviser; Flambeau is also referenced to.

Now this leaves us with a couple of areas/characters to play around with: Tim, Steph, Cass, Duke, the Rows, Barbara, and more....

Which I will do in another post because this is way too long. Once again, go check out @incomingalbatross, she has some amazing work that goes beyond Batman (for example: Doctor Who, Dracula, Ranger's Apprentice, Catholic things in general, Psych, and more). Anyways, have a good one!!!

[thelastofthebookworms]

When the other polls will be out, they'll be in my 'fantasy polls' tag.

I forgot to mention I also have a 'sf polls' tag with difficult choices to make in the first polls.

[randomsebs]

I’m gonna say this to all of the shippers about Annabelle.

1. Annabelle does need a PR contract, she only gets into movies during her relationships and she is known ON ARTICLES as: “PR girlfriend/beard”. She only gets attention/fame when she is with a more famous guy. Most of her screen time was cut out of King Arthur (The 31-year-old actress reportedly left filmmaker Guy Ritchie "disappointed" with her portrayal of Maid Maggie in his upcoming movie, so he is having to rework a large part of the film, resulting in the recently-announced delay to its release. And here’s the link: https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/movies/movie-news/annabelle-wallis-role-king-arthur-cut-back-920715.html )

2. Sebastian has BAGS (sometimes) under his eyes when he’s around her, they both look like they’d rather eat dog puke then be with each other, and he just looks stressed in general around her.

3. Annabelle is rich and “successful” because of her rich family. She grew up like this, she knows how to do it right.

4. If she “supports” her “boyfriend”, then why doesn’t she show up to his awards? Congratulate him? No. She just posted the trailer of the apprentice, ignored Normandy. She picks and chooses what she supports because she knows with Sebastian fans, she’ll get more attention and fame. It wasn’t the same way with Chris pine, she wasn’t getting traced back to every little thing of Chris’.

5. They don’t look like they have chemistry unlike his other private relationships. In fact, she baits him if he’s around. Remember when she posted his shoe in her story? Or when her friend “accidentally” recorded them at the concert? That was not accidental. That was for more attention and talk about their relationship.

Here’s a blind item:

The wannabe cannibal planning a comeback reached out to this foreign born B List actress famous for her contract relationships to see if she would be willing to be his ‘girlfriend’ once her time is up with the foreign born alliterate superhero. The foreign born actress almost played ‘girlfriend’ to the permanent A+ lister so she’s okay with crazy if it gets her attention. (Link: https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2023/04/blind-item-1_10.html?m=1 )

There is more blind items! I couldn’t find them on my end, but if you’d look back onto one of my previous posts, someone has posted the blind items. ❤️

[sharpfamily]

***Compiled and written by Tea and Tess***

Clarence Aesop Sharp

A few weeks after their honeymoon, Aesop and his wife find out they are expecting their first child. They are overjoyed at the prospect of being parents, however in a cruel twist of fate the boy is stillborn. After months of intense grief and healing, they are finally able to make peace with losing their firstborn.

Clarence is named after his maternal grandfather, who is one of the only biological relatives of his mother’s that she has fond memories of.

Magdala Dinah "Maggie" Sharp

Slytherin

When her parents started to make peace with losing their firstborn but a little bit before they were ready to actively try again, little Maggie decided it was her time to join the family. Named after her paternal grandmother and her father's closest friend.

She is a natural leader and if you tell her something can’t be done, it’ll just make her want to do it even more! Fiercely intelligent, confident, but also quite humble. The ringleader of the 4 Sharp children. She’s also the one who butts heads with their mother the most, she doesn’t understand why her mother is so anxious at having a daughter who wants to explore the world and have adventure after adventure. She doesn’t know a lot about the adventures her mother had when she was in school, but she guesses something must have happened to make her this resistant…

Maggie has had a lifelong passion for beasts, and as an adult she moves to America to study beasts native to the continent where she settles down and has a family of her own.

Eleazar Sebastian Sharp

Ravenclaw

Aesop and his wife were actively preventing pregnancy, however even potions masters make mistakes when brewing, and a little too much powdered bicorn horn rendered this month’s contraceptive potion useless. Anyone who can count knows that Eleazar was conceived during Aesop’s final week of employment at Hogwarts.

Eleazar is named after his mother's late mentor as well as one of her closest friends. Eleazar is quiet and a little shy, as well as very kind and compassionate. He demonstrated a knack for potion making practically before he showed signs of magic, and is the only Sharp child to have never received detention.

After graduation he apprentices with his father works for the family business, growing and eventually inheriting Sharp & Son, potions and draughts for all occasions. He eventually marries a muggle woman who, despite her lack of magic, takes the reigns of the business aspect of the shop so her husband can focus solely on brewing.

Theodore Ashley Sharp

Slytherin

Theodore is the oldest of the twins, a mere 15 minutes but he never fails to remind his sister of it.

He has wanted to be an Auror for as long as he can remember, which should come as no surprise as he is named after his late paternal grandfather who was a muggle policeman, as well as his father’s late partner. Theodore is intelligent, charismatic, extremely sensitive and while also very talented, doesn’t pick up on things as easily as his siblings do which sometimes makes him feel self conscious.

He’s the one of the bunch who has served detention the most, starting with week one of attending Hogwarts, where he got in a duel with three older students, attempting to defend a muggleborn first year from the pureblood supremacist older students.

Theodore is the one who butts heads with his father the most and when Aesop confides in his mother his frustrations, fears and worries regarding his youngest son, he is promptly reminded that Aesop was exactly the same when he was that age.

Theodore has a couple exciting years in the field as an Auror before he and his partner decide it’s time to take a promotion in the Ministry that would entail better pay, more stable hours, and a less dangerous job. There’s someone his partner wants to marry, you see, and she won’t humor a proposal from an Auror working in the field.

(F/N) Natalie "Natty" Sharp

Slytherin

Natty is the youngest of the children, but only by 15 minutes! She really doesn’t see what all the fuss is about!

Unlike her siblings, she didn’t really know what she wanted to do career wise while she was in school, not wanting for her entire identity to be able to be summed up by her career choice.

She is named after her mother as well as one of her mother's closest friends. She went by her first name as a child, however during her sorting ceremony, the Sorting Hat told her that she was in fact named after the “Hero of Hogwarts” and this combined with her exceptionally strong magic (she almost decapitated Professor Ronen the first time he had them play Summoner’s Court!) made her feel like she was under some sort of pressure to match her mother’s exceptional accomplishments. So during winter break of her first year, she confided in her twin and together they talked to their parents. It was her mother’s idea that she use her middle name and from that moment on she was known to the world as “Natty Sharp”.

A master negotiator with a quick wit, she can spot a lie from a mile away. She can usually keep her brother in check, and is the one responsible for him and his partner leaving field work in exchange for something more stable and safe. As much as she loved his partner, she wouldn’t accept his proposal while he was still in such a dangerous job.

She takes a job working at the Ministry upon graduation and climbs the ranks, eventually becoming the British delegate to the International Confederation of Wizards.

(Dad would never admit it, but he doesn't want to lose his potion lab in the cellar, as it's the only room left that could become a bedroom! -T)

If any of you have any questions about us or how it's been growing up with the parents we have, please feel free to send us an owl and one of us will try to answer as best we can! Just... no gross stuff about our parents, please!

Magdala, Eleazar, Theodore and Natalie

[lboogie1906]

Seaman Reby Cary (September 9, 1920 - December 7, 2018) educator, community activist, politician, entrepreneur, and WWII veteran he was born in Fort Worth to Reverend Smith and Maggie B. Cary. He has a BA in History from Prairie View A&M College. He completed the requirements for his MA in history but WWII interrupted his studies. He returned to Prairie View and completed his MA.

He enlisted in the Coast Guard, becoming one of the first African Americans to be commissioned in the ranks of apprentice seaman. He became a Radioman Second Class and was assigned to the USS Cambria. He noted that thousands of other Black women and men in WWII still had to ride on segregated trains.

He found that vocational training programs for veterans were restricted to white former servicemen only. He co-founded the McDonald College of Industrial Arts for African Americans

He was a counselor and history/government instructor at Dunbar Middle School. He became an assistant professor of history at Tarrant County Junior College and became the first Black professor hired at the University of Texas at Arlington. He led a successful crusade to remove Confederate symbols from the UTA campus.

He established a successful real estate company. He was a noted local historian who authored several books on African American history in North Texas.

He became the first African American elected to the Fort Worth School Board. He ran for the Texas State Legislature, becoming the first State Representative elected in District 95. He introduced the bill to create the Texas Commission on Human Rights to fight racial discrimination across the state. He became a Republican.

He was a member of New Rising Star Baptist Church and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He served the Boy Scouts of America, the United Way, and the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce.

He married Nadine Spencer Cary (1945-2013). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha

[thequeerlibrarian]

Read in 2023

January

1. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian - 5/5 ⭐

2. The Silmarillion by Tolkien - 4/5⭐

3. Seide und Schwert by Kai Meyer - 5/5⭐

4. Lanze und Licht by Kai Meyer - 5/5⭐

February

5. Drache und Diamant by Kai Meyer - 5/5⭐

6. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo - 5/5⭐

7. The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller - 5/5⭐

8. The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis - 4/5⭐

9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis - 5/5⭐

March

10. Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare - 5/5⭐

11. The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis - 2.75/5⭐

12. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - 5/5⭐

April

13. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo - 5/5⭐

14. One last stop by Casey McQuiston - 3.5/5⭐

15. You Deserve Better by Anne-Marie - 3.75/5⭐

16. Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian - 5/5⭐

17. Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia C. S. Lewis - 5/5⭐

18. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader C. S. Lewis - 5/5⭐

May

19. The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis - 5/5⭐

20. The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis - 4.75/5��

21. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo - 5/5⭐

22. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo - 5/5⭐

June

23. Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Book by Suzanne Collins - 5/5⭐

24. Summer poems by Hermann Hesse - 5/5⭐

July

-

August

25. Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen - 4/5⭐

September

26. Harry Potter 1 reread for work

27. Harry Potter 2 reread for work

October

28. Harry Potter 3 reread for work

29. Babel by R.F. Kuang - 4.5/5⭐

30. Poems ll by Hermann Hesse - 4/5⭐

31. Poems by Shakespeare - 4/5⭐

32. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio - 5/5⭐

33. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - 4/5⭐

34. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - 4.75/5⭐

35. Coraline by Neil Gaiman - 4/5⭐

36. Watership Down by Richard Adams - 4.5/5⭐

37. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - 4.5/5⭐

38. Star Wars: Stealth by Karen Miller - 5/5⭐

November

39. Star Wars: Wild Space by Karen Miller - 5/5⭐

40. Crush by Richard Siken - 5/5⭐

41. Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno - 4/5⭐

42. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers - 4/5⭐

43. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee - 5/5⭐

44. Was fehlt, wenn ich verschwunden bin by Lilly Lindner - 5/5⭐

45. Dracula by Bram Stoker - 4/5⭐

46. Hamlet by William Shakespeare - 4/5⭐

47. Die Farbe der Rache by Cornelia Funke - 4.5/5⭐

48. Star Wars: Siege by Karen Miller - 5/5⭐

December

49. The girl who decided to go for it by Alice Bromell - 5/5⭐

50. Pride and prejudice by Jane Austen - 4/5⭐

51. Star Wars: Jedi Quest - Path To Truth by Jude Watson - 4.5/5 ⭐

52. Macbeth by William Shakespeare - 3.5/5 ⭐

53. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - 5/5⭐

54. Murtagh by Christopher Paolini 4.5/5⭐

55. Star Wars: Jedi Quest - The Way of the Apprentice by Jude Watson 4/5⭐

56. Star Wars: Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray 4.5/5⭐

57. Just eat it by Laura Thomas 5/5⭐

58. The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 5/5⭐

59. Star Wars: Padawan by Kiersten White - 5/5 ⭐

60. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Graphic Novel - 4/5⭐

61. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Graphic Novel - 4/5⭐

62. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Graphic Novel - 4/5⭐

63. Star Wars: A New Hope Graphic Novel - 4/5⭐

64. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Graphic Novel - 4/5⭐

65. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Graphic Novel - 4/5⭐

66. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - 5/5⭐

67. Star Wars: The Trail of the Jedi by Jude Watson - 4/5⭐

68. Star Wars: The Dangerous Games by Jude Watson - 4/5⭐

69. Über mir die Wolke by Clara Louise - 4/5⭐

70. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - 5/5⭐

71. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater - 5/5⭐

Dnf:

✖️ Star Wars Episode I

✖️ A Court of Thrones and Roses by Sarah J Maas

✖️ A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

✖️ Luft nach unten by Aron Boks

[gritsandbrits]

Rewriting Secret of NIMH 2: My Style

Issa mess but here's my rewrite of The Sceret of NIMH 2. First let's change the title to something more adventurous because Timmy to the Rescue sounds lame. How does "Salvation of Thorn Valley" sound?

Second let's remove that dumb prophecy, it makes no sense and tbh Timmy didn't do anything to warrant the Chosen One. Instead his rivalry with Martin is given more focus.

The tone is still serious like the first movie but with more hints of romance. Dr. Valentine is the main villains overseeing all operations and a very intense final battle amidst a burning building. And lack of Jeremy until the finale also shows the darker tone compared to the canon sequel.

The new story is a blend of the movie's plot and the novel sequel Racso and The Rats of NIMH.

Just like canon the movie takes place 7-8 years after the original. Mrs. Brisby is a storyteller who doesn't care for pomp over her adventures. Her sons Martin and Timmy pursue different interests. Martin wants to be a warrior and spars a lot, while Timmy spends his time out exploring the woods collecting plants and rocks. Because of these differences the brothers tend to butt heads.

After a particularly rough argument ruins a ceremony meant for their mama, the frustrated woman sends her sons away for a few weeks in Thorn Valley so they can learn peace from Justin.

Thorn Valley is now a city populated by the mice of nimh and other intelligent animals. Timmy and Martin meets three other teens: Racso, a streetwise rat; Jenny a feisty female mouse, and their shy friend Maggie (an OC). These three work like a well oiled machine, unlike Martin and Timmy.

Timmy manages to adjust to Thorn Valley quite well but Martin's attitude makes him unpopular with the class, and even more unpopular with Racso.

Martin arrogantly assumes Maggie for her supposed boringness. During a fencing class Martin and Maggie are set to spar, Maggie shows great talent with a sword and beats martin. She goes over to him to help him up, but he ejects her, ashamed over losing to a girl. Maggie leaves disappointed prompting Justin to intervene and tell Martin he has to learn to work with others.

With Timmy while he adjusts to the city, he is problem to be something of a know it all, much to Jenny's annoyance. However she softens up after hearing about Timmy's past. She opens up about her own past as an orphan, her parents being the rats who died in NIMH.

The Thorn Valley council receives word that NIMH plans to build a dam. Justin and Brutus goes to stop them, Martin tries to go but is told to stay home. Justin tells them it be best to stay because martin's temper is a liability. That night Martin sneaks out of his dorm but is stopped by Timmy. Martin explains that he wants to prove his stuff but timmy said they need to follow orders. The two start bickering but then they see a weird shadow and run to see who it is. The shadow turns out to be Jenny, who also planned to sneak out. She wants to find her parents who she believes is still trapped in NIMH. Racso agrees to go with her since he knows the human city well. Timmy resigns and agrees to go on the condition that they need a medic. Maggie is the last to go because she fears for her friends' safety (and to spite Martin).

In the forest the five encounter threats like birds of prey and a rabid fox. At one point, martin and Maggie saves each other, resulting in mutual respect. Timmy also learns to trust Racso and Jenny and rely on his own strengths by identifying plants that could be useful for their journey. Jeremy takes them to see Cecil the Caterpillar. Cecil was an apprentice of Nicodemus who taken over after his death, he's comedic but is also wise. He tells the group that they need to find their worth outside petty squabbling and their father Jonathan would hate for his boys to be estranged. Feeling guilty, Timmy and Martin realize that they need to work together. Before the group leave, Cecil requests to talk to Racso privately. We don't know what he says to Racso but it is enough to leave the boy visibly shaken.

The quintet find a truck belonging to NIMH and hitch a ride on it. In the city Racso takes the group to the Underground where they meets up with his old friends the Savage Rats. The rats aren't as friendly towards the other four mice. However the rats are called off by none other than Racso's mother.

Racso's mom explains she and Jenner had a fling which resulted in Racso, but was separated after the first escape from NIMH. Racso corroborates her story and admits kept it a secret so his friends wouldn't judge him. Jenny replies she and Maggie will never judge him for his father's sins. Jenny glared at timmy and Martin daring them to disagree. Racso's mom easy she has no plans to leave the city but wants her son to pursue his own life. She adds she did meet some lovely male rats who Timmy realize she was referring to Justin and Brutus.

Things fall apart when Martin and Maggie are kidnapped by two cats, who take them to NIMH. Timmy, Jenny and Racso go and find Dr. Valentine has been conducting illegal experiments. They hatch a plan to free their friends, then they are discovered by Justin and Brutus. They're angry at the children's disobedience but Timmy tells them they got martin and maggie and they they know how to stop Valentine.

At NIMH Martin and Maggie find Jenny's parents who tell them Valentine is using the mice to create biological weapons. Valentine also oversees on creating a dam that could flood Thorn Valley. Martin uses his dagger to unlock the cage, and he and Maggie go about freeing tbe othet animals. As everyone make a run fir it, Valentine's cats Floyd and Muriel chase them. In an act of selflessness martin distracts the duo long enough to Maggie to escape. Martin is then brought back to be experimented on.

Timmy and Jenny meet the escaped animals and Maggie, who got the schematics.

The evil martin and timmy duel, while timmy holds his own for a bit the sheer strength from martin proves too much and he is knocked down. but just as evil martin is prepared to strike he notices the lack of fear in timmy's eyes. This causes an internal struggle as he starts to remember his brother, seeing this timmy loudly encourages martin to fight back against The brainwashing. Martin thrashed about and knocked himself out. When he comes to Timmy is tending to his wounds. Horrified at what he tried to to Martin somberly apologizes but Timmy says he doesn't hold it against him. No matter what happens they will always be brothers. The two make up and leave but Martin suggests staying to try to stop Valentine. With Justin and Brutus they managed to lure muriel and floyd to their deaths.

Racso publicly admits he is jenner's son and he doesn't care what they (the townsfolk) think of him because he has real friends who accept him no matter what. He begs them to save the judgement late and help him save the city. Together everyone starts to sabotage the machinery guerilla style using the schematics Maggie brought.

At NIMH the four mice try to flee suddenly Dr. Valentine arrives with a butcher's knife ready to kill them. Justin attempts to use the amulet but is knocked back, causing it to slip. The brisby boys scatter trying to avoid the blade but timmy sees that there is a live wire and as Valentine approaches, Martin bites the mad scientist causing him to stumble onto the wire, electrocuting him and shutting the motherboard down. They stare at Valentine's body for a bit then realize the fire is close and they escape. As fire engines circle around the building timmy and martin are outside and climb onboard Jeremy (who was flirting with female pigeons when he heard about tbe incident) and gets his bird friends to carry the mice back home.

Back in the valley, the kids are reprimanded for disobeying. Mrs. Brisby defends them and says they more than made up for it by saving the valley and the experiments. Racso & Martin bury the hatchet. Jenny reunites with her parents. Timmy and Martin are changed by the experienced Martin having taken a life deciding to use his strength to protect people, and Timmy decides to be a master healer. Maggie is gifted with her very own sword and she and Martin admit their feelings. A few weeks later everyone gathers in the valley to welcome the two statues of Jonathan and Mrs. Brisby.

Mrs. Brisby doesn't play much of a role here, but to be fair the same can be said about the books. But she does get full recognized as a hero, she's just more humble about it. I also decided not to use the amulet too much or else it may come off as a deus ex machina. i want to emphasize the characters' strengths and how they work together.

Maggie is an oc meant to be martin's love interest, i thought it make for a cute Parallel to timmy x jenny. Racso comes from Racso and the Rats of NIMH.

[mimisempai]

It feels like home

Summary

For the first time since he and Aziraphale have been together, Crowley begins to realize the meaning of being home. 

Notes

Canon in the book: Crowley has his CDs and books arranged alphabetically 

"He tried to sort his CDs into alphabetical order, but gave up when he discovered they already were in alphabetical order, as was his bookcase, and his collection of Soul Music.".

On Ao3

Rating G -  1192 words

Night was beginning to fall as Crowley parked the Bentley in front of the bookshop and got out.

"Bonsoir Crowley!"

He turned to see Madame Justine waving at him. He replied with a nod, and as he turned to walk toward the bookstore, his gaze was drawn to the lighted coffee shop and he saw Maggie and Nina chatting in close proximity. 

That made him chuckle and he murmured "vavoom..." before continuing on his way. 

He was about to open the bookshop door when Muriel burst out of it and, seeing him, exclaimed, a broad smile on their lips, "Good evening, Mr. Grumpy!" 

Crowley muttered, "Aziraphale was right, you are really getting cheeky!" then added, winking at them, "I like it. Change nothing.” 

Then, pointing in the direction of the apartment where Muriel was living, he ordered them in a tone whose protectiveness he could not hide, "Go home now, even for an angel, even in this neighborhood, it's never a good idea to be out alone after dark."

Muriel started to walk away, then threw over their shoulder, "I actually knew you were nice," then, seeing Crowley's grimace and about to retort sharply, they ran off laughing, openly mocking him.

Crowley shook his head and entered the bookshop.

Closing the door behind him, he said in a slightly louder voice, "Angel, I'm h-"

Realizing what he was about to say, he stopped in mid-sentence. 

Was this it?

Being home.

How could he know?

Whether in hell or in his own apartment, he'd never felt like this before.

Both places had nothing to make you feel at home.

Hell, because... well, it was hell. 

And his apartment, dark, without warmth, with its minimalist furniture, his few works of art and his plants. 

He had never felt what he felt now.

Belonging.

It took his breath away. 

He looked around and saw his plants placed here and there, between two shelves, one near Aziraphale's desk, one on a small table apart because it had become Muriel's plant. Aziraphale's apprentice had chosen this particular plant because it was smaller and more delicate than the others. Another plant could be seen on one of the steps leading up to the bedroom.

The bedroom.

Their bedroom.

His and Aziraphale's.

A new place, just for them. 

Their own sanctuary.

Then the demon's eyes slid over his CD collection in the back of the bookshop, neatly arranged unlike everything else around it. Because he liked it that way. Because even if Aziraphale wasn't exactly a stickler for order in his books, he respected the fact that Crowley was one for his CDs.

His gaze moved to the frame hanging on the wall just above the CD collection. His Mona Lisa, signed by his friend Leo. 

Al mio amico Antonio dal tuo amico Leo da V.*

His Ming vase in a corner, magically fixed to its base, his Eagle lectern on which lay a large book from Aziraphale's collection. 

He realized that his own possessions had become part of the bookshop, blending in with the rest of the decor as if they had always belonged there.

“Our car.”

Shocked, Crowley swallowed and replied, “ We don't have a car.”

Aziraphale retorted with assurance,“Of course we do. Isn't she a beauty?”

Crowley, annoyed, insisted,“This Bentley is my car.”

The angel answered gently, “Well, yes, technically. Just as that bookshop is technically my shop,  but... we both get plenty

of use out of it, don't we?”

Our.

We.

These words were so real now. Their fragile "we" before their near separation and reconciliation had now become tangible. Physically validated by their now completely intertwined lives.

Their "us" had become a home.

Crowley murmured softly, letting the words roll off his tongue, "I am home."

"Ah, there you are, my dear, I saw the Bentley pull up in front of the bookshop, so I thought it would be a perfect time to share a little appetizer."

Aziraphale came from the back of the shop, a bottle of scotch in his hand and two glasses.

He paused, smiled at the demon, and said in a natural way, "Welcome home," before turning and setting the glasses and bottle down on the small table by the sofa, oblivious to the emotion running through Crowley.

Turning, the angel saw that the demon hadn't moved, still standing in the same spot at the entrance of the bookshop.

He approached with a worried expression and then, studying Crowley's face, asked softly, "Are you all right?"

Crowley murmured, "I'm home."

Aziraphale smiled fondly and, now standing in front of him, took his hand and said gently, "Yes, you are, here we are, home. You look so surprised."

Crowley nodded, and as the two of them made their way to the sofa, holding hands, he explained, "Well, you know, angel, before, my apartment, you couldn't really call it home. It was more functional than anything. Not very warm, if you know what I mean. And to be honest, pretty lonely. Not to mention that I had absolutely no contact with the neighborhood. So when I arrived today, just on the street, Madame Justine greeted me, I saw Nina and Maggie in the cafe across the street, I bickered with Muriel. All these little moments, added to the fact of arriving here and seeing all my possessions here, made me realize that all these parts of me were now mixed up with yours. That our separate lives had become our life, and I finally became aware of what it meant to be home."

He sat on the sofa while Aziraphale filled their glasses, and he noticed that something else had changed. Before, they'd always sat facing each other when they drank, but now even that distance had disappeared. As if he'd heard what he was thinking, Aziraphale handed him his glass and sat down next to him.

Under the angel's attentive gaze, Crowley continued, "I don't remember feeling this way before. The closest thing to feeling like being home is probably the joy I felt in heaven. Creating my nebulae. But even that felt nothing like what I feel right now."

Aziraphale nodded gently and raised his glass to him, saying softly, "To us and that wonderful feeling of being home."

Crowley clinked his glass against Aziraphale's and each took a sip.

It was at that very moment, when Aziraphale looked at him in that loving way, with that soft smile, that the demon fully realized that he was home, and that realization was more vivid than the one he had when he entered the bookshop.

He put down his glass, took the angel's from his hands, and placed it on the table.

Turning completely to Aziraphale, he cupped his face in his hands, leaned over him and said in an emotional voice against the angel's lips: "I'm home because you're my home, angel."

He closed the distance and pressed his lips to the angel's in a deep, tender kiss.

A kiss that felt like he was all the way back where he belonged.

A kiss that felt like home.

*To my friend Anthony from your friend Leo from V.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : here (After season 2)

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[impulsivewcrewrite]

Allegiances

< Cover | ToC | Prologue >

(Original names are italicized in brackets after the cat's description.)

ThunderColony

Leader

Bloom (Morning Glory)- blue molly [Bluestar]

Deputy

Ruddy (Penny)- tortoiseshell tom with a distinct red tail (mentor of Raven) [Redtail]

Druid(s)

Scarlet (Penny)- tortoiseshell molly [Spottedleaf]

Elder(s)

Sparrow (Dusk)- big dark brown tabby tom [Halftail] (head elder)

Shrew (Fieldfare)- gray tom with small ears [Smallear]

Patches (Oreo)- black and white patched tom [Patchpelt]

Lily*- blind and deaf pale gray molly [One-eye]

Amanita (Strawberry)- tortoiseshell molly [Dappletail]

Warriors

Rose (Poppyseed)- tortoiseshell molly with a pink tinted tail [Rosetail]

Honeycomb (Maria)- magnificent golden tabby tom (mentor of Pebble) [Lionheart]

Basil (Cornflower)- cream tabby molly

Tiger (Hollow)- big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws [Tigerclaw]

Snowstorm (Snow)- fluffy white tom (mentor of Sandy) [Whitestorm]

Willow (Nuthatch)- gray molly [Willowpelt]

Nightshade (Willow)- black tabby tom [Darkstripe]

Stag (Lily)- brown tabby tom [Runningwind]

Mouse (Lily)- brown tabby molly [Mousefur]

Hornet (Basil)- cream tabby tom [Longtail]

Queen(s)

Speckle (Rhubarb)- pale golden tabby molly (camp queen) [Speckletail]

Frost (Inkcap)- white molly (mother to Juniper, Thorn, Shine, and Bracken) [Frostfur, Cinderkit, Thornkit, Brightkit, and Brackenkit]

Goshawk (Hedgehog)- gray tabby molly [Brindleface]

Buttercup (Maria)- golden tabby molly [Goldenflower]

Apprentice(s)

Raven (Robin)- black and white tom [Ravenpaw]

Sandy (Maggy)- light yellow tabby molly [Sandpaw]

Pebbles (Willow)- gray tom [Graypaw]

ShadowColony

Leader

Shatter (Garlic)- dark brown tabby with kinked tail [Brokenstar]

Deputy

Shrike (Holly)- white tom with black paws (mentor of Wolf Spider) [Blackfoot]

Druid(s)

the Mog (Saffron)- large gray molly with yellow protruding fangs [Yellowfang]

Slug (Garlic)- gray and white tom [Runningnose]

Elder(s)

(None)

Warriors

Newt (Bindweed)- old short black-and-ginger tabby molly [Newtspeck] (head elder)

Foxglove (Trinity)- dark gray molly [Darkflower]

Comfort (Rat)- brown scarred tom (mentor of Tiny) [Clawface]

Tangle (Garlic)- light grayish brown tabby molly [Tangleburr]

Wise (Holly)- gray tom (mentor of Cowslip) [Flintfang]

Proper (Beverly)- gray speckled tom [Frogtail]

Amity (Beverly)- gray molly [Ashheart]

Noble (Patience)- brown tabby tom with a stumpy tail (mentor of Reason) [Stumpytail]

Humble (Patience)- thin gray tom [Cinderfur]

Grace*- brown molly [Applefur]

Ranger(s)

Noodle*- dark ginger molly [Russetfur]

Antler (Garlic)- brown tabby tom [Deerfoot]

Thyme (Storm)- tall brown tabby molly [Tallpoppy]

Prudence (Holly)- pale calico molly (mentor of Peace) [Fernshade]

Howl (Dart)- gray tom [Wolfstep]

Mercenaries

Forest (Katniss)- black and white molly (mentor of Yew)

Cobalt (Midnight)- gray scarred tom

Duke (Alice)- white tom with orange spots

Ram*- light brown tabby tom (brother of Lacy)

Lacy*- light brown tabby molly (sister of Ram)

Queen(s)

Saffron (Chanterelle)- black and white molly (camp queen) [Brightflower]

Parasol (Slush)- ginger tabby molly (mother to Love and Dignity) [Dawncloud, Blossomkit, and Swampkit]

Crystal*- brown molly (pregnant visitor)

Apprentice(s)

Reason (Newt)- large brown tom [Brownpaw]

Tiny (Newt)- short brown tabby tom [Littlepaw]

Cowslip (Foxglove)- gray tabby tom [Wetpaw]

Peace (Fang)- black and white tom [Whitepaw]

Yew (Shatter)- white molly [Snowpaw]

Wolf Spider (Shatter)- large dark brown tom [Ratpaw]

RiverColony

Leader

Storm (Rain)- brown tabby with a twisted jaw [Crookedstar]

Deputy

Oak (Rain)- handsome reddish brown tom [Oakheart]

Druid(s)

Mud (Heron)- speckled brown tom [Mudfur]

Elder(s)

Hemlock (Fen)- light gray molly [Lilystem] (head elder)

Pool (Flicker)- gray molly with yellow eyes [Graypool]

Warriors

Ripple (Coraline)- elderly silver tabby tom [Rippleclaw]

Creek (Otter)- pale brown tabby molly [Sedgecreek]

Whirligig (Mist)- black tom [Beetlenose]

Vole (Mist)- gray tom [Voleclaw]

Ember (Dawn)- ginger molly (mentor to Sprout) [Emberdawn]

Buck (Hemlock)- brown tabby tom [Heavystep]

Huckleberry (Shimmer)- black tom [Blackclaw]

Snapdragon (Starling)- speckled golden molly [Leopardfur]

Misty (Pool)- blue molly [Mistyfoot]

Stone (Pool)- thick blue tom (mentor to Petal) [Stonefur]

Skyler (Jana)- brown tabby molly [Skyheart]

Cliff (Paddle)- black tom with a white paw [Whiteclaw]

Ranger(s)

Cattail (Otter)- pale gray tabby tom (mentor to Aurora) [Reedtail]

Frog (Lake)- gray tom [Frogleap]

Mercenaries

Captain- dark gray tabby tom

Baja Blast (Minky)- black and white molly

Clover (Iris)- yellow tabby tom

Hound (Kiki)- light brown tabby molly

Queen(s)

Flow (Paddle)- brown tabby molly [Grasswhisker] (camp queen)

Otter (Ruby)- brown tabby molly [Ottersplash]

Arum (Brooke)- tortoiseshell molly [Mosspelt]

Apprentice(s)

Sprout (Hemlock)- brown tabby molly with green eyes [Greenflower]

Petal (Hemlock)- dark gray molly [Shadepelt]

Aurora (Watermint)- silver tabby molly [Silverstream]

WindColony

Leader

Magpie (Birdy)- tall black and white tom [Tallstar]

Deputy

Cricket (Ginger)- black tom with a twisted foot (mentor to Wren) [Deadfoot]

Druid(s)

Peat (Bracken)- brown tom with a short tail [Barkface]

Elders

Tranquil (Night)- black tom [Crowfur] (head elder)

Warriors

Raincloud (Jay)- light gray and white tom [Cloudrunner]

Gobble (Posy)- gray molly with green eyes (mentor to Butterfly) [Plumclaw]

Apple (Swing)- light pinkish cream molly [Appledawn]

Rocky (Dormouse)- brown tom [Stagleap]

Doe (Dormouse)- brown molly [Doespring]

Rye (Dormouse)- brown tabby molly (mentor to Rooster) [Ryestalk]

Pigeon (Ginger)- gray and white tom [Pigeonflight]

Aster (Boots)- light brown molly [Wrenflight]

Fly (Birdy)- white tom [Flytail]

Rabbitdown (Birdy)- brown molly [Rabbitear]

Gristle (Birdy)- black and white tom (mentor to Brook) [Bristlebark]

Egg (Trill)- ginger molly

Whisper (Rye)- gray speckled tom [Tornear]

Spruce (Rye)- brown speckled tom [Mudclaw]

Leo (Bailey)- ginger tabby tom (mentor to Chirp) [Brushpaw]

Noon (Gobble)- tortoiseshell molly [Thrushwing]

Marble (Gobble)- gray tom [Stoneclaw]

Queen(s)

Rosehip (Ginger)- brown tortoiseshell molly [Sorrelshine] (camp queen)

Chime (Sheep) - gray molly with longer fur around her paws (mother to Chatter, Glen, Eagle, and Daffodil) [Ashfoot, Eaglekit, Hillkit, and Downkit]

Tune (Raspberry)- light tortoiseshell molly [Morningflower]

Apprentice(s)

Brook (Gobble)- gray tabby molly [Runningpaw]

Chirp (Gobble)- gray molly [Robinpaw]

Wren (Aster)- brown tabby tom with noticeably long whiskers [Onepaw]

Butterfly (Rosehip)- white and tortoiseshell molly [Whitepaw]

Rooster (Rosehip)- gray tabby tom [Webpaw]

Outsiders

Elder's camp

Crabgrass (Woodruff)- old black tabby molly [Crowtail]

Night (Rat)- white flecked black tom with breathing issues [Nightfur]

Aspen (Trust)- young gray tom with mobility issues [Ashfur]

Holly (Damson)- dark gray and white molly [Hollyflower]

Dove (Gracious)- pale gray and white molly [Poolcloud]

Modesty (Ragwort)- old brown tabby molly [Featherstorm]

Arch (Zest)- gray tabby tom [Archeye]

Vole (Fang)- light brown tom [Volewhisper]

Kittypets

Rusty- red tom

Smudge- black and white tom

*an asterisk notes that this cat's mother is unknown

[eybefioro]

Can you imagine: Aziracrow x Stardew Valley AU.

Aziraphale works to Heaven, a cold corporation that is indeed trying to take over every city and destroy the world in the process.

Then he henriets the farm from Agnes Nutter, a distant relative (that later he discovers to be a great grandmother of Anathema is the wizard, who lives in the tower). He just flee and start taking care of the farm. He gets to know the villagers.

Crowley is a rebellious son of the famous adventurer Beelzebub, that runs Hell, the guild that claims to protect the village from the monsters in the mines - but are in fact just exploring the mines themselves for money, and have a very particular contract with Heaven. Crowley works fixing his Bentley, in hopes to be able to just flee the house someday, and has an amateur rock band.

The local shop is run by the Young's, Pepper and her mom runs the animal farm, Brian and Wensley are brothers. RP Taylor is the mayor, and Warlock is his nephew who comes visit from the city, and always gets in trouble with Crowley (who is often hired as his nanny). Madame Tracy and Ms Sandwich are the seamstresses of the village, and Shadwell is the blacksmith. Newt is his apprentice, but he is really not good at it. Michael takes care of the Heaven branch in the village, Dagon is the fisher (yk where this is going) that is retired from mine work. Maggie is the teacher from the village, and is madly in love with Nina, who runs the restaurant. Although she teaches the children, her true speciality is in music, and she always helps Crowley with his band. Ligur and Hastur are miners at Hell, and they live with their child Shax. She's part of Crowley's band, but it's not that good at bass. Metatron is Mr Q in this, but he's actually ok-ish and not a piece of shit.

Aziraphale ends up helping renovate the community center, and a large part of it becomes the library/museum, before non-existent. Since he has to take care of the farm too, Muriel is the one to run it, until Crowley marries Aziraphale. Crowley is better with plants, so he begins to care for the farm while Aziraphale works in the museum with them.

THERES SO MANY LITTLE IDEAS THAT WOULD FIT SO NICELY!!!