#mirjam recs go wholesome

[mirjam-writes]

Good Omens Fanfic Rec: Demon and Angel Professors (series)

Demon and Angel Professors (series) by Ghostinthehouse (@ineffableghost)

Rating: G

Words: 133 200 (divided in 666 word ficlets)

Summary (by the author)

They're professors. They're married. Their students don't realise. Cue shenanigans.

Multiple short arcs with one-shots (and often pauses) between them. Characters continue from one arc to the next.

Any ambiguity between being human and being occult/ethereal is entirely deliberate.

I tagged this under human au’s even though it is never actually mentioned if they are human or not. Actually, considering how many students start and graduate while they continue teaching, over how many years the story spans... well, it’s up to our imagination, just like the writer said!

This series has  taught me so much about genders, sexualities, disabilities, neuroatypical traits and trauma. It has given me a lot of vocabulary to google with, and also affected on my view of myself as an adhd person somewhere on aro and ace spectrums. Definitely one of the most important fics I’ve ever read!

To put it simply, the plot of the series is that Aziraphale and Crowley are so different that nobody realizes they are married, and they have some fun with their students just to see how long it takes and how obvious they can be before the students figure out the truth. As every year brings new students, they can do it again and again, in different ways.

During these story arcs dozens of marginalized students are also seen and accepted, and they get the support, validation and respect they need and crave. It is absolutely heartwarming how big of an impact Aziraphale and Crowley have to the community and to their students lives! The familiarity, closeness and wordless understanding between Aziraphale and Crowley is also so well written I’m absolutely speechless with it. They have a tumultuous past (which is only hinted at, but at least for me that gave a lot of food for imagination!) and that has shaped their relationship. Nothing can come between them, and they both know it. They are The Most Important Person for each other (and they know it and appreciate it) and that’s my favourite trope in Ineffable Husbands fics, be it AU or not.

The series is long, 200 episodes (so far?) of 666 word ficlets, but the story arcs are short and the series is perfect for moments when you want to read something quick and wholesome. It’s like returning to old friends. 

This series ticks a lot of my boxes, it has many outsider pov moments, delightful humor, strong mature relationship between A & C, and it taught me something new. What else can I wish for?

Read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1412962

[mirjam-writes]

Good Omens fic rec: Hired Heart

Hired Heart (illustrated by many artists) by GayDemonicDisaster ( @scrapheapchallenge​ )

Rating: E Words: 112k+ Summary (by the writer):

As a result of his sheltered upbringing, Aziraphale made it to 50 without exploring his sexuality or coming out. After 50, all that changed - he's gay, he's out, and wants to find love. He also wants to have sex. He's a tad nervous about that. His friend Agnes suggests he consult a professional and get some no-strings practice and advice, and build some confidence. And her friend Tracy runs an agency…

Crowley has quite the breadth of sexual experience: he’s a high class escort. He’s been in his line of work for a long time, though in this industry, that’s not exactly an advantage. He likes his work, but the more he’s reminded that he’s not as young as he once was, the more he contemplates his exit strategy. When his bookings manager and friend Tracy gives him a new, nervous client, Crowley finds him unexpectedly captivating. In fact, Crowley can’t seem to get him out of his head.

A Smitten Crowley is also a very silly Crowley, so prepare for giggles and fluff along with your love story and smut...

This fic is sex worker positive, disability positive, & a variety of genders and sexual preferences are referred to in back story.

So, here’s what I have to say about this:

After reading this some time ago, the first thing that came to my mind was how wholesome this story was. Never in my wildest dreams I would have thought there would come a day I would call a sex worker AU wholesome, but here I am, and I’m going to tell you why! The fic does not glorify the sex work and it does not dismiss the problems in the industry, even though it depicts a safe and very much consensual side of it. Every sex worker in this fic has chosen their profession voluntarily, and can leave it whenever they wish to. The rules and safety precautions are explained and followed to the perfection, and no exceptions are made, not even in the name of true love. Their situation feels very safe and supported, but it is not a coincidence, the fic does not depict a perfect world where sex work is unproblematic and easy, it depicts a world where the rules, precautions and responsible actions can make it so for these people.

But wholesomeness for me was in the relationship between these two! They both are confident adults (seems to be my favourite trope!), and while Crowley is more confident in bed, Aziraphale is a fast learner. There is of course the pining (can you have a GO getting together fic without some pining?) and some uncertainty about the other’s feelings, but in the end, instead of hiding it they reach out and communicate! They do care for each other and they are not afraid to show it. And the best thing: there’s no real jealousy even though it’s so incredibly common in the sex worker trope and that’s why this was so refreshing take on that. 

And the communication during sex deserves it’s own paragraph: wow! At the beginning it’s of course more about Crowley explaining and teaching Aziraphale things, so it’s a bit given that there’s discussions, but IT DOES NOT END THERE! They keep communicating they have FUN while doing so, and it does not break the mood. I love the fics where expectations, preferences and boundaries are openly discussed, even when it’s not always easy for the characters. I wish I had read fics like this years back, maybe then I’d realized sooner that COMMUNICATION IN BED IS SEXY! I wish everyone who has sex with a partner, regardless of their sexuality, would know this. Communication and laughing is allowed in bed, and while the hot spontaneous first times look hot in movies, communication makes things so much better in real life.

Sorry, got into a rant mode, trying to rein that in! 

This fic is explicit, the sex is hot and there’s a lot of it. It is a good example that writing communication to a sex scene does not break the mood, and for me that made this fic really stand out. It also falls in the category of the fics that have taught me things about different people and life situations, which I also love. And the art, there’s art included in almost every chapter of the fic and it’s so good! Please go and check the list of artists at the end notes! So many talented people!

This was also a really comforting read, like a warm E-rated blanket. No big disagreements, no looming threats, no huge drama... Yes, I also love all that, and I will rec those fics too, but sometimes you just want to trust that the fic keeps holding you in a warm embrace. The first half of the story is more about the plot, and the second one is a bit more slice-of-lifey, which adds to the safety-blanketness of this story. 

I also love the fact that Agnes is here as a character! I’ve read a lot of human AU’s lately, and they have used almost every possible combination of the show cast as friends for the husbands, but Agnes is a rare treat!  So, if you want to read a fic where sex work and disability are treated with respect (as far as I understand the writer themselves is disabled?) and where there’s a lot of hot, responsible and thoroughly communicated sex (with matching art!), this is your jam!