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supernaturalgirl20 · 2 years ago

Note

I don't know if you are taking requests and I'm sorry if you aren't (feel free to ignore this message if you like), but I would like to ask something like the reader meeting Sarah for the first time. Joel talked to her about the reader and she doesn't know how to feel on a first date because she is the first woman Joel introduces her to. Thank you for your attention and I love your writing <3

Thank you so much, you're so sweet. 🥰🥰Love this idea nonnie. I hope you enjoy. 😉

Head Over Heels

Pairings: Joel Miller x f!reader

Warnings: Smut 18+, explicit, unprotected sex, PinV sex, breeding kink, talks about the future, cursing, fluff, meeting Sarah for first time, admission of feelings.

Comments and reblogs really appreciated 🥰

You could get used to this.

Sitting on the couch, cosying up to Joel as you both watch one of his favourite movies. You weren’t sure what exactly he’d thrown on and to be honest you didn’t care. All that mattered was that you were both together.

“Not fallin’ asleep are ya darlin’?” He asked, the rumble of his voice stirring you from where you were nestled on his chest.

“Would I ever?” You teased and his fingers moved up over your hip to pinch your ass. A small yelp passed your lips, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, you are in for it now, Miller,” you laugh as you sit back and glide your hands under his arms, tickling him. He wriggles beneath you as he laughs hysterically.

“Stop…please…” he begs as he continues to laugh. “I’m beggin’ ya…. please darlin’.”

You pull your hands from under his arms and let them slide down his torso. His gaze meets yours and you suck in a breath at the way he’s staring at you. Like you're the only thing that matters in the world. Obviously, you know that’s not true, Sarah is his priority but maybe you’re a close second?

“I love you, baby,” he breathes out and you swear your heart has stopped. He loves you. It’s the first time he’s ever said those words in the eleven months you’ve been dating.

Of course, you’d hoped he felt that way, had even suspected it from the way he treats you but to actually hear those words fall from his lips, it was like you’d died and gone to heaven.

“I-I love you too, I…”

“I want you to meet Sarah,” the words had fallen from his lips so fast your heart stuttered. “What?!” You gasp.

He takes your hands in his and rubs his thumb against your skin soothingly. “We’ve been…. I mean we’re together a year next week and I….I love you so fuckin’ much baby and I want to introduce you to my baby girl. What d’ya say?”

His eyes shift between your own waiting for an answer but all you can think about is how your heart is going to burst from your chest. “You said you don’t introduce women to her, that you’d only do it if…. if it meant something…. I….”

You bite your lip, and you look at him with a smile on your face. You can feel your skin heating and when he places his hand on your cheek, you release a breath.

“I did say that, and it’s true. I’ve never introduced anyone to her before, never wanted to. Baby, I’m madly in love with you and I want the two most important people in my life to meet.”

His brown eyes are gazing at you as if you held all the answers to the questions in the universe, as if he could see straight into your soul. A sob escapes your plush lips as a single tear runs down along your cheek. “Yeah, ok. Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?” He asks, his voice low as he beams down at you. You nod and then his lips are on yours in a searing kiss. “We’ll have dinner over at mine next weekend. I’ll cook. Now,” he says as he slouches back on the couch, pulling you with him. “Let’s finish the movie.”

***

Sitting at the table eating breakfast, Joel plays with the food on his plate. He’s nervous. He wants to introduce you to Sarah, to have her meet you because he feels it deep in his bones that you're his one.

“What’s going on?” The sound of his daughter's voice startles him from his thoughts, and he turns to look at her. “Hmm?”

“I said, what’s going on? You seem distracted this mornin’.” She places her knife and fork on the table and turns in her chair to face him.

“How’d you know somethin’s going on?” He asks as he takes a gulp from his coffee mug. Sarah raises her eyebrow at him.

“Alright. Ok, you win. I’ve been seein’ someone.” He chances a look at his daughter to gauge her reaction only to find her smiling at him. “What?” He asks.

“You honestly thought I didn’t know? You’re not very subtle dad.”

“What are ya talkin’ bout. I’m subtle.” Sarah laughs as she places a hand on his arm. “Yeah. Subtle as a sledgehammer more like.”

“Hey now, I can be subtle.”

“Hmm Hmm. Whatever you say, dad.”

“Anyway, as I was sayin’, I’ve been seein’ someone, and I want to introduce her to you. She’s uh, she’s…I really like her. Hell, I love her and I think it’s about time you two meet. What d’ya say?”

Sarah stares at him and he can see she’s having a battle inside her head. “It’s alright. Forget I said anythin’.” He continues to eat his breakfast when Sarah touches his arm again.

“Dad, I’m sorry. Don’t mind me. I’m just- it’s just you’ve never brought anyone home before and I’m worried.”

“Hey now, what are you worried about baby girl?” He holds her hand, rubbing it with his thumb soothingly.

“What if she doesn’t like me? Or she pretends to and then once she moves in here with us decides she doesn’t want me here.” Sarah rambles and Joel can’t help but smile.

“Baby girl, you know you are always gonna be my number one. Ain’t no one ever gonna change that, ok? If you meet her and it doesn’t work out or you don’t like her, then I’ll end it.”

Joel’s heart clenches at the thought of ending it with you. It would break his fucking heart but if you and Sarah don’t get along, then that’s what’s gonna happen. Even if it kills him.

“Ok. When were you thinkin’?” She asks as she pulls her hand from Joel’s and continues to eat breakfast.

“This weekend. Was hoping to have her come here and I’ll cook dinner for us all.”

“You’re gonna cook? This I gotta see,” she says with a laugh.

“Hey,” he nudges her with his elbow, a playful smile on his face. “I can cook.”

“Yep. Sure you can.” Sarah stands dropping her plate in the sink before making her way back upstairs.

Joel sits back in his chair and rubs his hand down his face. “Fuck. I can’t cook for shit.” What the hell was he gonna do?

***

You were nervous, fiddling with the strap of your bag as you pushed the doorbell and waited with bated breath.

Not two minutes later, Joel was opening the door with a huge smile on his face as his eyes took you in. “Damn, baby. You look fuckin’ hot in that dress.”

He leans in, wrapping his arm around your waist to pull you close as kisses you softly. “It’s not too much?” You ask nervously.

He shakes his head. “It’s perfect, baby.” He smiles down at you as he closes the door behind you and just when he’s about to lean in and kiss you again, the sound of the fire alarm blaring startles you both.

“Shit.” He curses before running off towards the kitchen. You stare after him with a smile on your face and then a creak on the stairs has you turning your head.

“I told you to order take out. Better hope you can salvage it before…. oh,” the girl says a little startled and you can only assume from how closely she resembles Joel, that this is Sarah.

“Hi,” you say with a wave of your hand. “I’m Y/N, you must be Sarah. I’ve heard so much about you, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

She stands still with her eyes trained on you and you can feel anxiety begin to bubble inside you. Oh shit. She hates me already.

Suddenly she’s making her way down the stairs towards you with a shy smile on her face. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you too. Dads been a nervous wreck all day.”

“I can imagine.” The sound of pots banging and a slew of curses coming from the kitchen draws both your attention and you turn to face each other before bursting into laughter.

“Think maybe we should go help him out. What d’ya say?” You ask, eyes shining brightly at the girl you hope will one day become your step daughter.

“Most definitely. I told him not to cook, he’s never been overly good at it but he insisted. Think he wanted to make a good impression on you.”

“I don’t know why, I’m already madly in love with him,” you blurt out and when Sarah stops in her tracks you worry you’ve said the wrong thing.

“You love him?” She asks, a hint of hope in her voice.

You nod your head sheepishly. “I do. If

I’m being honest, I’ve been in love with him from the first date.” Sarah doesn’t say anything as she turns away from you, but you catch the smile on her face.

“We’re here to help,” you say as you walk into the kitchen, Sarah standing beside you. His eyes meet yours and you want to laugh at how adorable and flustered he looks.

“I-I don’t know what happened…” he huffs out a frustrated breath and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Oh god it’s really bad, he only does that when he’s really stressed,”’you whisper to Sarah and she nods in agreement, the faint hint of a smile on her face.

“How about I cook us something?” You ask as you move towards him, reaching out and wrapping your arms around his waist. “I can’t ask you to do that. I said I’d cook for us.”

“I know, but I don’t mind, baby,” you say softly as you run your fingers through his hair. He releases a contented sigh and closes his eyes at the feeling of your fingers in his hair.

“If you’re sure?” He looks down at you with eyes full of love and gratitude. “Positive.”

“Can I help?” You turn to find Sarah staring at you both with a huge smile on her face. “Sure,” you say as you pull away from Joel and slap him on the ass.

“Why don’t you set the table and we’ll cook something up.” He raises his eyebrow at you, a cheeky smirk on his face. “You’re gonna regret that later, baby,” he whispers in your ear before turning and making his way to the table.

“Ok,” you say, clapping your hands together as you look around at the mess. “First things first, let’s clean up your dads mess and then we can see what is left to work with.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sarah says as she empties the burnt pot into the bin.”

***

Joel takes a seat at the table, watching as you and Sarah work together to make dinner and he can’t help the smile that spreads across his face.

His heart swells as he watches the two of you laughing and joking, both getting on like a house on fire, something he had been so nervous about since he met you. Wondering if the both of you would get along. Hoping you would because he didn’t know if he had the strength to keep his promise to Sarah, to break up with you if things didn’t work out tonight.

As far as he was concerned, you were the love of his life. The woman he was going to marry and start a family with. The woman he was going to grow old with. He’d even bought the ring. Hidden away in his sock drawer waiting for the perfect moment.

“Dinners up,” you shout startling him from his thoughts and he sits up smiling as you carry over the plates of food.

Sarah joins you both at the table and turns to her dad with a smile. “We made a stir fry. Y/N used the steak that was left, and we found some veg in the fridge.”

“Well, it smells delicious. Thank you.” He beams as he reaches across the table to pull Sarah into a tight hug.

You smile at them and your heart flutters at how much they love each other. Joel is such a great dad. You hope that Sarah has warmed to you, and that Joel might consider settling down with you.

Everything is riding on tonight. You can just feel it in your bones. Joel had told you before that if Sarah didn’t get along with the woman in his life that the relationship would have to end. God, you don’t want it to end.

“That was amazing,” Sarah says as she finishes off her food. “You are an amazing cook, Y/N. Maybe you could teach my dad some simple dishes, or better yet, you could come live with us and then I’d always have nice meals all the time.” She says with a laugh but stops abruptly once she realises what she’s said.

Her eyes drift to Joel but she finds him staring at you with googly eyes, a happy contented smile on his face as he holds your hand in his. She knows at that moment that she could never ask her dad to give you up, not that she had planned to anyway. You were amazing and perfect for him.

***

“I really like her,” Sarah whispers as you grab the popcorn from the microwave. Joel’s gaze drifts from her to you and back again. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. She’s amazing, dad. I feel silly now for ever being worried. I’ve only known her a few hours and I know already that she’d never come between us or want rid of me. If you ever want her to move in, I’d be ok with it.” She shrugs her shoulders and Joel smiles down at her as he squeezes her shoulder.

“Ok. I’m ready. Let’s turn it on,” you say as you sit back on the couch and snuggle into Joel’s side. “Don’t you two fall asleep now, ya hear?”

“We won’t,” you say in unison as you wink over at Sarah who’s curled into Joel’s other side. Within ten minutes you hear soft snores coming from the other side of the couch and you lift your head to find Sarah fast asleep on her dad.

“Every time. Are my movies that borin’?” He tilts his head in your direction, his fingers running along the length of your arm. “Maybe just a little,” you tease.

Sitting up he leans in and kisses you softly on the lips. “I’m gonna lift her up to bed and then I'll be back, ok?” You nod at him as he stands and gently lifts Sarah into his arms.

“Be down in a second.” You smile at him as he walks towards the stairs carrying Sarah close to his chest. Maybe I should get going, you think to yourself as you begin to tidy up.

“Hey, what are ya doin’ baby?” He asks as he walks up to you in the kitchen, arms winding around your waist.

“Just tidying up before I go.” His eyes drift from yours to your lips and back again. “Was thinkin’ maybe you could stay, ya know, the night.”

“You askin’ me to sleep with you Miller?” You tease, running your finger along the seam of his bottom lip.

“I am. So, what d’ya say baby? Want to stay over and sleep in my bed tonight?” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and you can’t help the laugh that escapes past your lips.

“I would love to be in your bed tonight baby. So, we gonna go now or do you wanna fuck me right here?”

He groans loudly into your neck as his lips kiss a trail along your skin. “As much as I love the sound of that, I don’t think my back would let me.”

“You’re not that old, Joel.” You gasp as his teeth bite into your neck, a wave of slick pooling in your panties.

“Old enough, baby. Now, I need to get you to my bed because I need to be inside you.” He pulls back and places his hands on either side of your cheeks as he pulls you into a searing kiss.

Grabbing your hand, he leads you towards his room as quietly as he can. Once he has you inside, he quickly closes and locks the door before pulling you against him, kissing you passionately as he walks you back towards his bed.

His hands pull and grab as he quickly removes both your clothes before laying you back on his bed. His lips leave a trail of kisses along the skin of your thigh and it’s clear what his intentions are, but you don’t have time for that, not with how horny you are.

“Joel, please. Not tonight, I need you, now,” you plead as you pull him close, his body flush with yours as he nestles himself between your thighs.

“You sure, baby?” He asks as he runs the tip of his cock along your slick. You nod frantically because you’re unable to speak.

“Need you to say it baby.”

“Please Joel, I need you inside me. Just fuck me already…. oh god,” you gasp as he rolls his hips, sheathing himself inside you. His hand comes to cover your mouth as he stares down at you with lust blown eyes.

“Gotta be quiet, baby. Don't want to wake Sarah.” Your eyes roll to the back of your head as he continues to thrust into you, the thick length of his cock hitting that sweet spot deep inside you.

“Fuck, baby. You’re so damn tight…. made for me….so good….god I love you,” he groans as his grip on your hips tightens.

He can feel your cunt flutter around him, and he knows you’re about to come so he kisses you roughly, swallowing your moans.

“Oh god…. Joel…. fuck,” you breathe raggedly as he begins to pick up the pace.

“Fuck baby…. I’m close…..I’m gonna…..can I-can I cum inside you….please…” he begs, practically feral at the thought of spilling inside you and watching you grow round with his baby.

“Inside…fuck…. cum inside, please. I want it Joel…want you to fill me up…”

He groans into the curve of your neck as he thrust once more before he spills inside. He slumps on top of you and you both stay like that for a little while.

His head resting on your chest and your fingers running through his hair until you can feel the weight of sleep take hold.

“M’just gonna get somethin’ to clean you up baby. Be right back,” he says as he pulls out of you, kissing you softly before he hops off the bed and grabs a washcloth.

He’s gentle with his touch as he cleans you up, and then he’s handing you one of his t-shirts to sleep in. “Thanks baby,” you say softly, throwing it on and snuggling under the duvet.

Joel throws on pyjama bottoms and slips into bed behind you, wrapping his arm around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest.

“Think it’s safe to say that Sarah likes you, baby,” Joel whispers into the shell of your ear.

“Well, I really like her. She’s amazing, Joel. You did a great job with her. You should be so proud of yourself because it’s not easy.”

He’s quiet. And you worry you’ve offended him somehow until his grip on you tightens. “I love you so much baby. You’re it for me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, baby. Just me, you, and Sarah.”

“You can’t forget about Tommy,” you tease, and he pulls your face towards him, kissing you softly. “Couldn’t forget about him, even if we tried. And maybe…. maybe we could have a baby of our own. Ya know…if you want of course, I’m just sayin’ it would be ....”

You turn in his arms and quieten him with your lips. “I’d love to have a baby with you, Miller.”

“Yeah?” His expression is soft, and you honestly can’t believe that this man is so perfect, and that he’s completely yours.

“Yeah. Our own little family of four. And Tommy.”

“Sounds like heaven.” He whispers as he snuggles closer. After a few minutes you hear his breathing even out and you thank whatever god brought him into your life.

“Sounds like heaven indeed."

Everything: @maievdenoir @amneris21 @hnt-escape @elegantduckturtle @harriedandharassed @jediknight122 @ayrusss @hayley-the-comet @sherala007 @alexxavicry @scorpio-marionette @donnaa @practicalghost @tanzthompson @beskarprincessjenny @littlemisspascal @icanbeyourjedi @thatpinkshirt @maryfanson @sunnshineeexoxo @misspearly1 @misspearlssideblog @athalien @its--fandom--darling @sara-alonso @doommommy @browneyes-issac @trickstersp8 @nembees @kaitieskidmore1 @mswarriorbabe80 @allthe-ships @tintinn16 @hungrhay @rosie-posie08 @manuymesut @all-the-way-down-here @iccedays @tusk89 @graciexmarvel @pedrostories @musings-of-a-rose @untitledarea @your-voice-is-mellifluous @majestyjade @avengersfan25

#pedro pascal #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #pedro pascal x reader #joel miller x female reader #joel x reader #joel miller fanfiction #pedro pascal x female reader #pedro pascal fanfiction #tlou fanfic

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formulaa-1 · 2 years ago

Note

Can I requested you an Instagram au, carlos sainz x leclerc!reader?

instagram au 🏁 C.S

leclerc!reader x Carlos sainz

Idk what this is tbh:) kind of birthday posts ? idk…

y/n_leclerc

y/n_leclerc: camera roll dump📸👙👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨🥴🤔featuring a very confused looking Charles and Carlos !!!!😨😱 ps. probs gonna get some angry messages from Charles telling me to delete this😬wish me luck guys 😏

tagged: charles_leclerc and carlossainz55

Liked by pierregasly,lorenzotl and 178,918 others

view all 679 comments

pierregasly: he looks like megamind 😂

y/n_leclerc: lmao I can’t unsee it😭😭

user2728: NOT PIERRE BULLYING CHARLES AHAHAHAHA

charles_leclerc: seriously y/n???!!!! je dis à maman.

y/n_leclerc: je suis désolé! s'il te plaît ne le dis pas à maman😬🫶🏼

charles_leclerc: delete it then🙄

lorenzotl: stop bullying y/n,charles.

arthur_leclerc: yeah charles

leclercgenes: AAJAJSJSJS ARTHUR AND ENZO TAKING Y/NS SIDE IS JUST SO FUNNY TO ME

fan16: never delete this y/n🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

carlossainz55: ❤️❤️❤️

Liked by y/n_leclerc

arthur_leclerc’s story

y/n_leclerc’s story

caption: kisses 😙😙😙

carlossainz55

carlossainz55: happy birthday to my 👑 you deserve the world mi querida❤️ te amo y aprecio mucho mi amor❤️

tagged: y/n_leclerc

Liked by leclerc_pascale, lorenzotl, landonorris,charles_leclerc and 388,942 others

view all 975 comments

y/n_leclerc: je t’aime❤️ this made me tear up🥲

carlossainz55: I love you so much❤️

sainzgurlyy: sleeping on the highway tonight🫡

user56: me and you both🤞🏾🤞🏾

leclerc_pascale: si doux carlos💗

Liked by carlossainz55

lorenzotl: ❤️❤️

fan88: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST LECLERC😌😌

Liked by y/n_leclerc

charles_leclerc

charles_leclerc: happy birthday to the best and meanest little sister ever❤️

tagged: y/n_leclerc

Liked by y/n_leclerc,pierregasly and 458,932 others

view all 578 comments

y/n_leclerc: je t’aime charles❤️

Liked by charles_leclerc

pierregasly: happy birthday to my sister from another mother🫶🏼

y/n_leclerc: awhhhh, damn I must be doing something right if I got a happy birthday from you😱

pierregasly: don’t push it❤️

Liked by y/n_leclerc

leclerc_pascale: ah one of my favourite photos🥰

fanoflechair: stop this is adorable🥹

arthur_leclerc

arthur_leclerc: happy birthday to my little sis and my favourite sibling🫣❤️ you deserve to have the best day ever🫶🏼

tagged: y/n_leclerc

Liked by y/n_leclerc, lorenzotl and 357,272 others

view all 682 comments

paularon: happy birthday @y/n_leclerc💗

y/n_leclerc: Awh thanks loser🫶🏼🫶🏼

paularon: so rude

y/n_leclerc: you love it

user282: 👀👀👀👀

y/n_leclerc: je t’aime artie❤️

Liked by arthur_leclerc

eclair16_obsessed: okay let’s be honest everyone loved y/n😌

fan382: HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🥳

user2: we need a birthday dump @y/n_leclerc!!!!!

y/n_leclerc

y/n_leclerc: you ask and you shall receive😉 thankyou for all your lovely birthday messages💗 I had the best birthday ever🫶🏼 carlos even made me breakfast in bed💪🏽 and my brothers actually allowed me to have fun for once😱jk I love you all really❤️❤️

tagged: carlossainz,arthur_leclerc,charles_leclerc and lorenzotl

Liked by pierregasly,francisca.cgnomes, carlossainz and 458,917 others

view all 862 comments

carlossainz55: I’m glad you had such a good day mi amour❤️

y/n_leclerc: I love you mon amour❤️

francisca.cgnomes: we have to arrange something soon girl!💗

y/n_leclerc: spa day!!!!!

francisca.cgnomes: booked.

gaslyyfans10: I love their friendship❤️

charles_leclerc: hey we always let you have fun😒

y/n_leclerc: sure…what about that time I started dating carlos and you’d literally lock me in your drivers room so I couldn’t see him🙄

charles_leclerc: that was a different situation��your taking this out of context🙄

leclercsibs: ANAJAJA THEM ARGUING IS SO FUNNY

lorenzotl: I’m actually the most chill brother

y/n_leclerc: don’t worry enzo your my fave❤️

arthur_leclerc:😖I thought I was your favourite?:(

y/n_leclerc: Carla’s better tbh

arthur_leclerc: ouch💔

fanofcl16: the comments have me dying😭😭

y/ngurllll: the first pictures so cute🥹 definition of Pinterest girl❤️

authors note- for once o actually liked what I did :)) I’d still really appreciate feedback so I can make things better for you guys💗 Iv nearly worked through most of my requests so they may be open again soon🎀

#f1 instagram au #formula 1 #instagram au #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #fiction #charles leclerc x reader #carlos sainz x y/n #carlos sainz edit #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz f1 #carlos sainz x you #cs55 #carlos sainz fanfic #pierre gasly x y/n #pierre gasly imagine #insta au #scuderia ferrari

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crazylittlejester · 4 months ago

Note

Sooo, I know that you are technically the “Wars expert”, but you are really good at predicting things that will happen the LU comics.

I keep thinking that Twilight is getting more and more fed up with everyone treating him like he’s made of glass. What do you think, how long will it take until he snaps at someone for being overprotective? And who will it be? ( my guess is that it’ll be either Wars or Time and that it won’t be long 😉)

okay pardon the fact that my brain is soup rn my head is pounding lmao, none of this is gonna be coherent and most of it is off topic rambling i dont think a word of this makes sense-

I don’t really think the others are treating Twi like glass, at least not now

so in my mind i separate the group a bit into “kids” (wind, four, hyrule, legend, wild) and “adults” (time, wars, twi, sky). Now I think the only thing canonically established in LU is that Wind is the youngest and Time is the oldest, so the rest of the group hierarchy can go literally whichever way you interpret it, but I definitely think of Wars and Twi as pretty close up there to Time in regards to how much “power” (for lack of a better word-) they have within the group. They’re the only two who feel like they have the power to “talk back” (again for lack of better words) to Time in a way where Time might actually LISTEN. I feel like it’s not that the others are treating Twilight like glass, they’re worried about him because he almost died, but they have faith in him. But Time on the other hand has to look at Twilight and see his own future with Malon and all that, and based off the conversation in “Malon 5” it seems like Time might feel at least a little bit responsible for keeping Twilight safe and uninjured. But despite this I think that hasn’t impacted his view of Twilight’s capabilities, like yes he might keep more of an eye out for him, but he knows Twilight can handle himself

The new added element to this whole situation is Warriors and “Wild’s” dungeon inexperience. Because now Time, unofficial official leader, has his two “second” in commands as “Guy who has never stepped foot in a dungeon before in his life” and “Descendant who almost died”, and as we’ve seen he’s been really stressed lately and this is just adding to it. Which, yeah, I would be stressed too 😭

My theory isn’t necessarily that Twi is going to snap because he’s being babied, but rather if we DO see him getting snappy at people (Time) it’s going to be because of how strict he’s getting

That being said I have theories about the breakdowns of the groups, and I’m not sure I see a scenario in which Twi, Time, and Wars would be in the same group. MAYBE two of them, but I can’t imagine all three of them would be in the same spot. If they are tho, that’s be hilarious and the fucking DRAMA- oh my god

I think if Warriors WASN’T with Time, he’d be with either Twi or Legend, but not both, and I think the third person could be Wind. If I were the one building these groups, I’d make it Wars, Legend, and Wind

If Time WASN’T with Twi, he’d be with Wars, and if not Wars then I think Four and/or Hyrule. High Stress Adult + two experienced but very chill “kids”. They’d have their differences in how they do things, but I think those three would work well together. But if Jojo’s feeling evil I think Time, Wild, and Legend would be an EXPLOSIVE group of clashing personalities and all three of them would argue the entire time because they’re all very stubborn. I think poor Wild would really get the short end of the stick in that scenario-

I predict, if these groups are gonna be 3 groups of 3 and the goal is to create well balanced teams:

Twilight, Sky, and Wild would be a POWERHOUSE: two adults + one “kid” with ‘half’ dungeon experience. They’d get along well, they’d work well together

Time, Four, and Hyrule: Again, High Stress Adult + two quieter “kids”, but I really think Hyrule and Four would work well together, and they’d balance out Time’s stress with their goofy little guy-ness

Wars, Legend, and Wind: It’s giving a mom taking her two kids to indulge in their hyperfixation she knows nothing about. Wind and Legend are totally capable in a dungeon, and they both have a good dynamic with Wars that could be very entertaining and funny, and definitely just enjoyable to witness

but the evil voices in me want the groups to be Wars/Time/Twi, Legend/Hyrule/Wild, Sky/Four/Wind, because I’m just imagining Drama Queens (crying, screaming, emotions involved), Triple Threat (pure crack), and The People Actually Getting Shit Done, and that would be so epic

aight thats all i got

*falls over and dies*

#jes talks #jes ask #jes rambles

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gabessquishytum · 11 months ago

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Dream took his divorced wet cat energy to the adults only clothing optional resort he made reservations at before he broke up with his most recent partner. Dream thought a sexy vacation might rekindle the relationship's spark.

Hob is on his first vacation in the while since his wife passed. He chose a resort to help him get back in the swing of being around other people (not his hands) for sexy times. He's honestly trying to work through his dad bod issues.

Hob and Dream bump into each other at the welcome night mixer - both trying (and failing) to feel/be less awkward,,, except of course with each other. 😏😁 It's slow, but the spend their two weeks together and aren't leaving whichever room they fall into after dinner, until late lunch, the next day.

Awkward dads together being awkward and naked together!!! Fuck yeah!!! I just love the idea of Dream psyching Hob up to go shirtless on the beach with his lovely soft tummy and slightly greying chest hair on display. At the same time Hob is psyching Dream up to have conversations with other people XD

They become a kind of "it couple" for the resort, although they're far from considering themselves a couple. They're actually quite slow about holding hands, having their first kiss... and then after that it does kind of spiral and they have a whirlwind of amazing sex and hours of pillow-talk together.

Hob grows to love his older body because Dream loves it. Dream grows to tolerate social situations because it makes Hob happy. Dream comes clean about the fact that he can't just seem to hold down a relationship. Hob admits that he wasn't sure he'd ever love again after his wife died. Hob falls in love with Dream's hands, and Dream is so enamoured with the little notch in Hob’s chin, he can hardly look away.

Of course, holiday romances don't always last. But when Dream moves to London just to be closer to his new boyfriend (!!), and Hob books their very next couples holiday within just a few weeks of that, they both get a good feeling. Fast forward one year and you'll find Hob happily shirtless on the beach, diligently rubbing sunscreen into Dream’s back. Some awkward dads are just meant to be together 😉

#the sandman #dreamling #nsft

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cal-daisies-and-briars · 1 month ago

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Ok so I’m gonna go easy on TWATYTK and the BuddieShannon fic since we just got updates ⚡️⚡️⚡️🔼🔼🔼

But!!!! OMG can’t wait for the continuation of the Buddie scene in zombie fic so 😅!! 🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟

AND CRANBERRY MY BELOVED 🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮

Girl dad Buck is starting to grow on me 🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞

Aaaaand some horny Eddie as a ✨treat✨ 💪💪💪💪💪 😉

Thank you! (epicbuddieficrecs)

BEE! How did I forget this blog was you.

Ah hell yeah I love this.

9 for ⚡️:

---

Regardless, once they all get the email detailing the new coverage - in the middle of a shift in February - it’s sort of hard not to think about it in regards to them.

“This is ridiculous,” Hen grumbles, sipping her coffee and reading the email. “Why couldn’t this have happened while we were paying for IVF?”

“I thought Karen’s benefits paid for most of that?” Chim asks.

“Well, they did. But still. It’s the principle.”

Fair enough.

---

9 for 🔼:

---

“I think that’s reason enough to do it,” Shannon says, before thinking better of it.

“What?” Eddie asks, an amused tint to his voice.

“Come on. We both agreed we’d never be hard on him the way they were hard on you,” Shannon says.

“Oh, I know.”

“So if Ramon is anti-therapy, I say we send Chris,” Shannon says. “At least then he’ll never feel like we weren’t willing.”

“That’s a very good point.”

---

30 for 🧟:

---

“She’s alive,” Buck reminds him. “She’s alive and she’s here. You can take her to see Chris again. Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?”

Well, yes. That is true.

“This isn’t how I wanted her to find out about me,” Eddie admits quietly.

Buck gives him a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry. Kind of ripped the bandaid though, huh?”

“No kidding,” Eddie grumbles. He sighs. “You know the other one?”

“My ex,” Buck says. “And the librarian back in Sunport. Or she was…”

Jesus Chris. What are the chances?

“This is a weird fucking day,” Eddie exhales.

“Yep. Now come on,” Buck says. “We’ve gotta get dressed. I fully believe that woman will come back to shoot us."

▪️▪️▪️

It’s somehow just as awkward when Eddie and Buck leave the bedroom, clothed. He’s never done a walk of shame, per se, but if he had, he bets it would feel like this. Which is strange. Because he’s not actually ashamed of what they did. Or who he did it with. Being with Buck felt right. Really good and right.

---

30 for 🦮:

---

"Not the doctors’. Just random, horrible luck.”

Buck nods. Of course it’s not their fault Daniel died. It sounds like they really did try to save him. But parents only have so much power when it comes to forces of nature, like illness.

“I think it just fucked them up,” Eddie says. “I think it would fuck any parent up, honestly. I mean, think of all Bobby went through.”

Buck feels a twinge of guilt for saying they didn’t care if he died. He can see how that would have been salt in a never-healing wound.

“But it’s their fault for letting that hurt you, too,” Eddie says. “They let it hurt you and continue to hurt you and that’s the problem here.”

Buck twists a little in bed to look at him. He wants Eddie to continue. Tell Buck how to feel. He trusts him. He’ll feel it.

“I know I made mistakes after Shannon left and after she died,” Eddie says. “I let my pain dictate the choices I made. I know that.”

“Not for three decades,” Buck points out.

“No,” Eddie concedes. “But the point is, I’m sure I did things that weren’t best for Chris in the moment. But I tried. I tried like hell to do right by him. Even when it made it harder for me.”

“They did the opposite,” Buck follows.

Eddie nods. “I think they used their pain as a reason not to try.”

---

15 for 🪞:

---

“Mhm,” Buck confirms. “But we gotta ask, though. Look, he’s coming down the stairs.”

Bobby walks down towards them. Buck sets Dove back on the ground.

“That’s my captain, Bobby.” He tells her. “Should we ask?”

Dove wipes her eyes and nods.

“Okay, let’s do it,” Buck says. He takes her hand and walks her towards Bobby.

“You must be Dove,” Bobby says to her, warm smile on his face. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she says, in a very tiny voice. Lacking her newfound confidence.

---

15 for 💪:

---

“I don’t know what you mean,” he says. Full of faux-innocence. He takes a step towards Eddie. “I’m just trying to make conversation.”

“Not sure I’m in the mood to talk,” Eddie replies. His voice is tighter than expected.

“Oh?” Buck presses. “And what mood are you in?”

Buck is the most infuriating man alive. Eddie is never going on a date with him. He will date any other guy in Los Angeles. They’d all be better behaved.

“I…” Eddie rasps. “You’re being very bad right now.”

#daisies and briars writes #things we're all too young to know fic #buddie shannon throuple fic #go and kill go and die fic #buck service dog fic #we won't look back fic

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patrochillesvibes · 5 months ago

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Who is an early bird and who is a night owl: Achilles vs Patroclus

Been seeing posts about this going around.

Achilles usually.

While it’s true nobility tend to sleep in and their peasant servants rise early to prepare the household for the day, Achilles is a demi-god and a warrior. Soldiers tend to rise 5:00am or earlier, with the sun as they say. I think Achilles’ demi-god blood makes him require less sleep. Not that I think he stays up late out of habit or desire.

That’s Patroclus. Patroclus for sure stays up very late, well past when Achilles curls up against him and nods off. He’s a night owl. You see this multiple times in TSoA. I agree with this characterization mainly because he’s exiled nobility and human. While he may have had more time training as a soldier, the habits from his prince years never died. I also like to think he worries and has a lot of anxiety which keeps him up at night.

But what can keep them both up at night is, obviously, all the sex they’re having. Starts off with a celebratory quickie like a handjob or a blowjob when they get back to camp. There’s more flirty, silly, languid, sloppy sex while they bathe the blood, sweat, and dirt off. Dinner break with some food play. Followed by some D/s play, tender sex, and frantic fucking. This lasts well into the night.

It’s a stress release. It’s calming. It makes them feel human and alive. It reminds them of their life before the war. Achilles eventually drifts off in contentment and exhaustion. But while Pat feels tired, his mind is buzzing. It won’t shut off. He watches Achilles beautiful face and lovely hair and he sleeps to try to relax himself. It helps.

Achilles wakes first and early in the morning. It starts with a Bigggg stretch. Sometimes he’ll curl back into Patroclus and rest lazily. He likes to rest his head on his chest, pillowed by his soft chest hair, and listen to his heart beat. He likes that it beats in time with his own. Other times he’ll watch Patroclus and think about how handsome he is.

This usually results in slipping under the blankets and furs to wake him up 😉 They don’t often have morning sex, but yeah Achilles wakes him up with his mouth, crawls on top him, starts grinding, Pat reaching down “mmm you’re still wet” with a sly grin, and Achilles rides him fast and furious. After lots of little kisses and giggles Pat will rise (Achilles trying to pull him back into bed) and grab a cloth to wipe their fronts. Of course, Pat will not clean between Achilles legs bcs he wants that reminder to stay, to drip down his thighs all day. And of course by then Achilles is ready to go again, but Pat tells him that if he’s a good boy he’ll get his mouth ~later. There’s a lot of whining but Achilles is desperate to be Pat’s good boy.

#achilles #patroclus #patrochilles #ask #my hcs #tagamemnon #tsoa #the iliad

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oldfashionedmorphine · 1 year ago

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If you’re seeing this first and haven’t caught up with chapter 16 cause you follow me DON’T LOOK YET!! (there will be a link at the end of the chapter if you aren’t caught up yet, so don’t worry 😉)

And if you don’t currently read my byler fic I’m a Wreck (Without You Here) …why not start? Give it a try, I might just make you cry ;)

Below the cut is a small POV of Will talking to Dustin :D

@across-thestars @boahey @magentamee @booksandpaperss @wheelersboy @sparks-olivarpente @greenfiend @castelobyers @daydreams-in-the-moonlight @total-serene560

😎

I’m kidding, I’m kidding!!

I just couldn’t help myself. I saw an opportunity and took it 🤣

Here you go! <3

——————————————————————————

Will catches Dustin’s eye in the rearview mirror. They shared a similar silent reaction to Mike cutting off the music. And again less than a minute later when he practically jumped out the car, because Will barely had put it into park. And by the time they both step out of the car, Mike was almost halfway across the street. But they don’t race to catch up with him, they linger behind, taking off their suit jackets and placing them in the car.

Dustin tilts his head slightly, then glances at Will. “Does he seem a little off to you?”

Good question.

They both watch as Mike slips from their view when he enters the bar.

“A little...”

Should he be worried? Will was only just getting to know Mike again. Overall he mostly seemed like an older version of the guy he used to know once upon a time. But there were almost fifteen years of bitterness that had kept them apart, so Will would be kidding himself if he really thought he knew him well enough to know better. It actually made him mad—mad because it was his own damn fault for becoming such a stranger to Mike. And Dustin wasn’t exactly wrong, Mike was acting a little off today. He started to notice it right after the burial service at the reception, but he brushed it off because it also made total sense to him—his sister had died and they literally just buried her. How else is he supposed to act? If it had been Jonathan, Will imagines he wouldn’t be acting much different at all. What Mike needs is time—time to process the loss. He’s bound to act a little ‘off’. Right?

“‘Course I don’t exactly know what else to expect from him…I mean, I’d probably be a little off too if Jonathan had died—maybe even more than a little off, actually.”

They both finally start walking towards the bar.

“True...I suppose…it was just a weird vibe I got.”

“Weird vibe how?” Will asks.

“Not sure. He seemed…I don’t even know—I’m not exactly best friends with him anymore—”

“And I am?”

“Hey, from my perspective, you two seemed all patched up and act like you’ve been friends this whole damn time—also another vibe I’ve been getting, by the way—I only meant that you’ve spent way more time with him the past few days compared to me, so I was curious about your opinion.”

After crossing the street Will stops walking, then Dustin stops too. “Well, l don’t have much else to compare it to…he’s still Mike, he’s…I don’t know what I’m saying—what I mean to say is, it’s been a long time. And what I do know, I could fit in the palm of my hand compared to what he’s lived through without me for almost fifteen years. I’m sure he could say the same. And maybe what seems off to us is normal for him. Either way, if I were in his shoes—if it had been Jonathan—I’d probably be acting no different than him.”

Why did that sound like a bunch of excuses? Because it was the truth. Will didn’t know everything. Which again stirs up an unpleasant feeling in his chest.

“Right…you’re right,” he sighs, “but I’m glad you both are friends again.”

“Yeah, me too…I really missed him—way more than I wanted to ever admit,” Will laughs. “But don’t tell him that though—it’ll go straight to his head.”

Dustin mimics the turning of an imaginary key over his mouth, then pretends to throw it over his shoulder.

Will uses the opportunity to change the subject as they start to inch closer to the door. “So…you ready to sing?” And then he reaches for the handle.

He groans. “Would saying ‘no’ would change my fate?”

“Nope…” Will opens the door, allowing Dustin to enter first before following him in. “It wouldn’t…you’re doomed.”

#another rare Will POV #sorry not even remotely sorry #iawwyh

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sashketter · 7 months ago

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The Captain and the Senator Chapter 3 Footnotes

This is where the fun begins 😜 bringing in more characters. Some things to chew on:

I’m guessing the Teth base hadn’t been established yet because WHY TF WOULD YOU STAY ON CORUSCANT OMG REX USE YOUR HEAD LOLOL

I had to come up with some convoluted reasons for the action to stay on Coruscant, hopefully believable ones 🤞🏽

One reason I left out: Trace and Rafa are supplying Rex with equipment for his bases. They leave them in the shop where the clones pick them up later. They don’t know about Riyo. I left it out because Riyo’s not supposed to know, either. She just knows the supplies show up and Rex comms when he needs them. The folks at Andor don’t have exclusive rights to smart strategy 😇

“Love you.” “Love you, too.” It will be addressed later.

In case you missed the allusion, the bounty hunters who caused Pantora to tighten security were Fennec and the Bad Batch in season 1 episode 4 “Cornered” 😉 At least two Pantoran policemen died and the explosion from the crash near the end of the episode looked like it could’ve damaged the foundations of the buildings it hit. So yeah, I’d say Pantora is in slight lockdown lol

I’ve said this before, but the way the clones arranged the Teth base reminded me so much of Republic command decks and Rebellion bases. Tell me I’m not the only one connecting the dots here!

Yes, the acronym for the Pantoran bill that helps the clones is ARC 🫡 I haven’t decided yet if it’s a secret bill that only Pantorans or the Pantoran Assembly know about or if the Empire is aware. You’d think a few people would start to notice the increased presence of clones, or are they that underground? 🤔

I need y’all to know I have the Chairman written down in my outline and notes as “Big Papa.” 😇

I capitalized “Chairman” because there’s only one in the Pantoran government, but kept “senator” lowercase because there’s many of them in the Senate. I’m not sure that holds water lol I might have to go back and capitalize Riyo’s title in the first two chapters 😭 It just didn’t look right to me capitalized, but I think capitalized is the MLA standard 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

It took me awhile to decide if Big Papa would be for or against the clones from the start. I could honestly see him going either way, so I went a little both ways, to build on his cunning.

But having him land squarely on the clones’ side foreshadows what Riyo says to Senator Singh about Pantorans starting to sour on the Empire. I might pick that up in later chapters.

I’ve said this before, but I just know deep in my bones that the clones would’ve looooved Big Papa! Smart, competent, and adept with two blasters, c’mon! And if he’s as righteous as Riyo, forget Pabu, the clones are gonna swarm Pantora and make cute little blue babies 🤣

Big Papa was severely underrated and underused in TCW. I have spoken.

#*#the captain and the senator #footnotes

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locria-writes · 2 years ago

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Hi, I’m pretty sure no anyone else has asked this (sorry if it already was) but it from lore posts it’s seems it’s possible for women to become ruling empresses in essenia?.

I was just wondering, how often has this occurred?, is it seen as a last resort?, is the new empress going to have to deal with allot of sexism and challenges?, is she expected to share power with her husband?, will the kids take her family name so that the dynasty can continue?

oh and most importantly, can she keep a reverse male harem and prevent her husband from having his own 😉

p.s, what about ruling women in nalaantai and gui'ansu?

sorry again for this barrage of questions but I’m high key obsessed with the world you created and can’t wait for the full game to come out

l O r E????? 👁️👄👁️

anon, you're absolutely correct there's nothing in essenian law that outright forbids a woman from becoming an empress regnant. it's just that most of the time, it's prevented by marrying her to a paternal cousin/uncle/nephew/etc. or in the worst case scenario, adopting a suitable man from a cadet family into the main imperial house to keep the throne.

in its two millennia history, there's been exactly three empress regnants who are some, um, colourful characters --

osenna of lunzig -- girlie had a wild life, and technically shouldn't have ever been a potential heiress, but oh well here we are. she's kind of a born-legitimate-then-delegitimized-and-removed-from-the-family-tree-then-hastily-scribbled-back-on kind of gal, and schemed her way to the throne by throwing her half-brothers and stepmother under the bus, kinda sorta maybe poisoning her father after begrudgingly ingratiating herself to him so he would be willing to entertain the idea of her being his heir (or rather, letting her then-husband take the imperial name and become emperor), and forged an edict to annul her marriage with impunity and become empress. fun fact, launcelin is actually her inspiration lol. oh, and she also kind of continued fucking her ex-husband even after their marriage fell apart because he's that pathetic lmao. she ended up adopting her nephew (from her late full-blooded brother), and left him the throne. she isn't looked upon too fondly in essenia, despite doing a good job at ruling, and faced frequent criticism for being a divorced woman, but haters gonna hate.

saint athelys the pious-- not a super dramatic story lol. she was the only child born to the emperor and his wife (with the bonus of being born shortly after her father's coronation), and was basically the only normal one of his kids (her half-siblings were all either violent idiots, suicidally-impulsive idiots, dying idiots, or some mix of the above, while she was demure, polite, and pious). the emperor died when she was sixteen, and everyone basically went 'yeah she's the only viable one'), and hurriedly engaged her to one of her father's younger illegitimate half-brothers, and she kind of sort of accidentally became empress regnant when her half-uncle died of a heart attack right after they finished their wedding ceremony. the court then arranged for her to marry a paternal cousin, who mysteriously disappeared a week before their wedding and was never seen again. her next attempted marriage was to another half-uncle who also died suddenly on their wedding day after becoming sick the day before. anyway, she did fabulously as empress regnant and may or may not have been getting railed by her lord protector (twenty years her senior), and the divine patriarch (her childhood peer) for most of her reign, and quite possibly had both at the same time. she died fairly young, leaving the throne to a paternal cousin, and she was later canonized as a chaste virgin saint lmao.

mehenna the young -- was actually an empress consort at first, married to her paternal half-cousin, but became one in her own right after he died. not much to say about her other than she was the one who personally oversaw the collapse of essenia, and just yeeted out of there before the dust even settled.

polygamy is only allowed for men (a lot of women who have titled in their own rights still have husbands with concubines), but rules really only apply to those without power. i mean, the supposed virgin saint athelys had two main boytoys, but also basically fucked anyone she figured she could use and/or found attractive and trustworthy.

nalaantai (and by extension, zhemingwa) and gui'ansu (plus all other yetakh tribes) don't really feel the need to bend over backwards to prevent women from becoming rulers since there's strong historical precedence.

the entire east was once under either the direct rule, or influence of zhewa nawang, who had several prominent and revered female monarchs and powerful nobles. all of these women who married had their husbands marry into their family, hence the woman was the head of the family, and could prevent her husband from taking concubines, though she was still not legally allowed to take any of her own (though a handful did do so albeit informally).

#a broken ever after #abea lore #athelys is my fave one way to go girlie you get your boytoys

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oraclekleo · 5 months ago

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Kleo 🥺

I really am so sorry, because I unintentionally ghosted you 😭 I really didn't mean to, but I've just had so much work this week and the last one, and I'm one minor inconvenience away from a(nother) mental breakdown 🥴

Like it's 3 am right now and I'm recording a tutorial on how to create a map with level lines on qgis (because my students are dummy dumb and apparently can't use fucking Google), and then I have to grade a shitton of quizzes, tests and projects 📉

Still, I want you to know that I'm still extremely invested in both your reverse tarot game and the reading you sent to my DMs and as soon as I get this done I will reply to you... Like i read your messages and was all giddy about it, but I haven't had the time and mental space to sit down and properly type out my thoughts about it 🫂

I just wanted to say this so that you don't feel I'm not interested, it's just been tough these days and I'm still working on my ability to cope with stress in a healthy manner (it's bad I literally am failing at this 🤡)

I'm feeling quite 10 of Wands, with a dash of 8 of swords right now, but I will Chariot through this shit (I hope) and come back a Queen of Pentacles 😔✊

On a separate note, I'm also a winter girly! People get so negative about the gray weather but I just love it so much... Like anything above 23°C gets very unpleasant to me, and I just can't function in the summers!

Hope you get your refreshments soon 🙏

How do Easy and Dachi do in the summer? Do they have a hard time too? I hope not 🥺

Hello!

Please! Don't worry! I meant it more like a playful nudge. 😁 It's not like you would break my heart. I know life happens and everyone needs to prioritise 1000+1 thing. Make sure to put your well being first! 💖

There's no rush, really. 😉

Coping with stress is an important and quite life saving skill which isn't taught in schools but probably would make more sense than memorizing historical dates. 😎 And I say that as a real history enthusiast. You don't need to remember when Alexander The Great died, you can Google that, but learning how to cope with stress and pressure, that's a real life skill. 😂

I like your tarot use in expressing emotions and ambitions 😂 Genius!

I'm basically half a woman, half polar bear, 23°C is my maximum for comfort, too. Anything above is just slow murder. 🥵😂

We just came from a walk, we went at around 10 am and it was already hot but not scorching hot. They cope better than my first dog Spock (German Spitz), she was even fluffier than Easy and Dachi. But they don't like the heat either. Like they actively seek shade (so do I) and back at home they just drink and then lie down and sleep after walk. They are from South Korea, so they probably went through hotter weather than the one here in Prague. For extra hot days I have like the mobile air con? It looks more like air purifier but bigger and I can put it on when I want to slightly ease the heat in one room. It's def not strong enough for entire apartment but it will cool the living room sufficiently when needed. But I'm a master of cooling the apartment by airing it during night and early morning. I heard it's a typical Czech thing because we don't have air cons here, it's not a normal thing. So we get up in the middle of the night just to open all the windows to cool the rooms and once it's becoming hot, we close them, shut the blinds and this will more or less maintain the temperature until it's cooler outside again for airing. 😂 Yes, it's sort of complicated and requires getting up when you would like to sleep but it works and it isn't such a hit for the environment, because air cons are actually one of the reasons why people need to use air cons. 😂

So yeah, we are managing. Also the weather forecast predicts rainstorms on Sunday so the temperature should drop again. 🤞

Take care! 💖

#oracle kleo

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vidavalor · 2 months ago

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Hi @kayleefansposts! Thanks for reading & for this very interesting info! I didn't know that the Phantom musical no one ever asked for lol had this "Devil Takes the Hindmost" song when I mused about (very loose) allusions to The Phantom of the Opera in the meta you're talking about and now I'm emerging from the very thought-provoking and enjoyable rabbit hole you sent me down about this omfg really awful musical... 😂 (The two clips you linked to were the best parts, imo.) Good Frances, I can see why this never went anywhere...

This sequel is actually full of the reasons why I have so many issues with both of these musicals. The number of people who romanticize The Phantom is terrifying to me. "Oh, he's misunderstood!" Tell that to Piangi, ffs. The Phantom has a body count. He's a *serial killer.* You'd be safer fucking Sweeney Todd! 😂 Yes, Raoul is a feckless bore but, Christine, c'mon... you can choose yourself, if you want. It's an option lol... Anyway, sorry to rant! *breathes* Right, rational thoughts... 😊

As you are showing with finding connections now to Brigadoon as well? We're kind of awash in references to musicals. Brigadoon and Into the Woods are two musicals with which I'm less familiar so I'm glad you know more about them. Your mention of the Brigadoon tie being that water is something that couldn't be crossed for demons, witches, ghosts, etc... It made me think of The Main Entrance scene in S1. Aziraphale "walking on water" and crossing it to get into Heaven and Crowley sinking beneath it.

I like the Burns poem you brought up and we have Danse Macabre in S2 as Aziraphale is listening to Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre on the Edinburgh trip. The Devil and The Dance of Death is quite the reference for them to be throwing in there for probably *casual* no particular reason *giggles*. (Somehow, I had not yet brought Danse Macabre up, despite being on what is probably Meta #478 on how it's Satan and not The Metatron with the coffee lol?) Just a smidgen of a hint, that. 😉

It's also about the dead rising from their graves to dance for The Devil. The scene of... whatever the fuck is happening to Gabriel here:

One thing about the Danse Macabre scene that also gave me the chills a bit when it popped up in S2 was that it did while Aziraphale was driving The Bentley alone at night and one part of "Bohemian Rhapsody" that is playing when Crowley is attacked by Satan in the car in 1.01 is the "scaramouche/scaramouche/will you do the fandango?" bit. Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre in the fandango and bolero family. Lloyd Webber's "Devil Takes the Hindmost" has some similar musical elements as well. It's all also an element of the two "deaths" that we were talking about before at play there. (Crowley'd rather die, Lucifer, thanks.)

What I like about Good Omens' potential allusions to The Phantom of the Opera is that they are doing so in a way that is referencing the fact that it's a horror story about a woman being targeted and hunted by a violent predator. I'm very okay with The Phantom-is-The-Devil-- in Good Omens and also people who see the Phantom story that way-- because he's supposed to be terrifying. In terms of maybe some allusions added in with the sequel clips you mentioned above and Love Never Dies as a whole: Raoul telling Madame Giry that he wasn't afraid of The Phantom and that he should come speak to his face was a bit Maggie, yeah? "The Beauty Underneath" feels very temptation-y. The kid screaming in terror when he sees the truth of what's underneath The Phantom (even considering the ending of the musical) feels along the lines of the recognition theme in S2. Raoul and The Phantom's bet is Final 15-ish, if not consciously on Crowley's part. (He has no idea that Satan is there and is fixated on The Book of Life.)

I'm not sure the extent to which they were doing this consciously as, honestly, the same allusions that we're suggesting are Phantom-esque are also very similar to some the stuff we were looking at with Hades and Persephone that are running through the Satan and Crowley stuff. I've mainly thought the Phantom stuff, though, is interesting to toss into Good Omens because of the possession/Christine's voice aspect and appreciate your info on the story! Would love to hear what you think about how some of musical maps to characters and anything else your clever mind wants to share, as time permits, of course. 💕

The Devil Takes The Hindmost

The Big Damn Post I've promised for ages on all the stuff suggesting that what we're watching in S2 is Aziraphale's mental health crisis leading to his fall...

...with a focus on a religious concept that intersects with secular ideas about mental health-- The Devil Takes The Hindmost-- that was unintentionally mentioned by Mrs. Sandwich and might be what's going on in The Final 15.

Plus, a look at the possible purpose of The Whickber Street Shopkeepers and Traders Association in the story and a dive into the symbolic role in Aziraphale's story played by Muriel... the most adorable Angel of Death anyone's ever seen.

@ao3cassandraic @komorezuki @kayleefansposts @masnadies -- This is basically what I was starting to talk about the other night, if you're interested. @ochre-sunflower -- the meta I mentioned.

TWs: suicide; depression; PTSD; negative self-thoughts... It's optimistic by the end but it's a look at some darker stuff in the story so please take care.

In GO S2, we have a lot of stressors building and overlapping for Aziraphale, with each episode adding new ones, all boiling hotter and hotter until we reach the The Meeting Ball. There, everything stops for the arrival of Shax at the door.

When she turns up, all the other plots cease to be relevant in the moment because the whole story's stakes upon her arrival now come down to a single, pivotal question:

Are these demons going to get into the bookshop?

On the surface, in our plot, Shax, Eric and the smallest number of completely ineffectual demons that a redemptive Furfur could get away with sending without looking like a traitor 😉 are interrupting Aziraphale having turned his first pass at hosting the monthly meeting of The Whickber Street Shopkeepers & Traders Association into a party.

Why is he doing that? For a dizzying number of reasons. So he can try to protect Gabriel by getting Maggie and Nina together and try to be part of his community by using the party to get Maggie and Nina together which is also so he can protect Gabriel... but, let's be real, it's really all so he can dance with Crowley...

Our heads are spinning as much as Aziraphale's is by this point and it's exhausting just to try to recap everything he's dealing with by The Meeting Ball... which is why it probably isn't surprising that all of that story just stops when the brick goes through the window and Shax is at the door. Because, symbolically...

...this is an anxiety attack.

Shax and the demons are Aziraphale's inner demons and they're trying to force their way past the threshold to take control of the bookshop the way that darkness can consume a person...

...as they're trying to take control of the bookshop that is what, symbolically?

Aziraphale, yes.

Aziraphale and Crowley. (And, as we looked at recently, also Maggie, on account of her family's history with it.)

Why this bookshop attack that is a metaphorical anxiety attack at this point in the story?

Because a lot of what Aziraphale wants out of life was happening before the demons that represent his inner demons showed up at the party.

For the first time ever, Aziraphale was no longer compartmentalizing his worlds and hiding parts of his life from people. He had Maggie and Gabriel under the same roof-- his human and angel families together. He had neighbors over and felt brave enough to call himself one of them by hosting the meeting. He was impacting the society around him in a big way by unifying Whickber Street's black market with its "legitimate" front by inviting Mrs. Sandwich to join the group. He was helping Maggie and Nina fall in love.

Most importantly, there was what the whole thing was really for: having all that happen with Crowley there, too, and everyone knowing they are together. Being able to dance with him and be a couple openly like everyone else. This Jane Austen cotillion coming out ball for ladies Maggie and Nina is really a coming out party of sorts for Crowley and Aziraphale. This is like the Christmas party of Aziraphale's dreams here. The one he's never, ever been able to have.

It's a wonderful thing when people who are in a great deal of emotional pain decide they've just had enough and want to break free of their misery and allow themselves to work towards being happier.

It's just a very delicate period because it can go either way, in a hurry. One minute a person can be thinking they're on top of the world and starting to live the life they've been dreaming of but the next minute find themselves freefalling emotionally. This is especially true of people who feel they have to present as cheerful and optimistic for everyone else and who hide their pain behind a smile.

They are some of the most at risk of their lives becoming like the Salinger short story about trauma and suicide referenced in S2-- "A Perfect Day for Bananafish"-- in which a man suffering from PTSD is believed to be fine by himself and those around him, has a nice day at the sea and chats with a symbolic daughter-like character and then, unceremoniously, goes to his hotel room and shoots himself dead.

As Maggie shows us during The Meeting Ball when she parallels Aziraphale's struggle, people get tired of being afraid and want to live-- want Nina, who is coffee, which is freedom-- but they can overdo it, if they're not careful, and wind up taking steps backwards.

Sometimes, the thrill of feeling like they might be on the edge of something good can cause someone to go too far, too fast, and, without the right support, they can find themselves going faster than a rollercoaster-- and right off a cliff as a result.

These people might look at their inner demons and think they're fine, now, actually, and that the darkness doesn't frighten them at all and they're all over their negative stuff-- all good now. No problems here.

Problem is that, sometimes, in the process, they might realize they're lying to themselves when they suddenly tell those inner demons that they can come in and say all that pathetic shit to their face... before they're really ready for that. Maggie, paralleling Aziraphale here, shows that with Shax during the bookshop attack. Not the best way to deal with inner demons, that.

And one person's inner demons can be an unintentional trigger for others, which is one of the things that started off Aziraphale's mental health crisis boiling up into a breakdown earlier in the season.

Aziraphale was already having a terrible week and then he projected his own issues all over his adopted goddaughter when she was having a moment and wound up accidentally saying something about himself that she took to mean about her and that came out sounding incredibly hurtful in a way that Aziraphale didn't mean for it to be. He then sought to make it up to her by finding a way to make her romantic dreams come true but was, all the while, silently berating himself for not having handled it flawlessly in the first place.

And when that got mixed in with trying to *checks Aziraphale's S2 list*... Jesus...

...recover from PTSD, manage all the anxiety and depression that comes along with it, deal with the fallout of his relationships with his abusive family, save his losing it brother from a religious cult/fascist regime trying to kill him and figure out why he's lost his memory, assuage his guilt over the memory-wiped angel that he feels he failed to save that showed up at the door, figure out wtf to do with the bookshop/embassy he's never wanted to run but that has become the M-25 that he's built and is now stuck in and that just reminds him that he hasn't any family to pass it onto, and, most importantly?

Tell his partner that he would like to live openly with him in the a little cottage by the sea in the South Downs...

I mean, by the time Mr. Vacuum showed up and suggested that Aziraphale add to the list that this week also be the first time he's ever hosted the monthly meeting of the business organization of the street he's basically founded but doesn't let himself really feel like he belongs to?

Sure, Mr. Carpet. Sure. Bring it on. Why not, at this point?

But Mr. Vacuum's idea actually caused Aziraphale to think he had the perfect solution-- continue to do what he was doing all week and combine this shit together! Protect Gabriel by tying him to Maggie and Nina and solve Maggie and Nina through the Whickber Street meeting and, well, if he's going to make it romantic for Maggie and Nina, well...

...maybe this is how Aziraphale can solve his biggest problem-- finding more of a way to just be forever near that one, particular person who makes everything okay.

So, by the time we get to The Meeting Ball? Aziraphale is pretty much losing his damn mind.

The heebie jeebies that Crowley gets in the street? It's not the low-rent demons. He knows what they feel like. He can't identify it but the thing that is really, really wrong is Aziraphale himself, in a dark reverse of Aziraphale feeling Crowley's love in S1.

Thousands of years of feeling a lack of enough control over his life have basically led Aziraphale to snap. Parts of it are very funny. Gabriel dressed up as Liberace circling with temptation trays of vol-au-vents is as hilarious as it is loony. Miracling the room so that everyone speaks like it's the 19th century causes a lot of humorous scenes, especially with Mrs. Sandwich... but is also a horror show. Justine loses her ability to speak English well and others have trouble understanding one another. It's like a zanier, more comedic version of Aziraphale's parallel antichrist, Adam, taking over The Them and deciding how, when, and if at all, they could speak.

It's a person in Aziraphale, who is normally very kind to others but not really to themselves, whose pain and anger have built within them to a breaking point and caused them to take that out on others and become, for a moment, almost the exact kind of person from whom he tries to protect others.

During this part of the season, Mrs. Cheng and Mrs. Sandwich have some dialogue that I think might be the whole rest of the season's plot in a nutshell. It happens here:

Mrs. Sandwich being unaware that "seamstress" is a 19th century-era euphemism for a sex worker means that she doesn't realize that she actually is, on one level, telling Mrs. Cheng what she does for a living. Her frustration is coming from the fact that Mrs. Cheng also doesn't know this euphemism and so thinks Mrs. Sandwich is a literal seamstress-- someone who sews and mends clothes-- and not a figurative/euphemistic one. While that and the rest of this scene is worth a whole deep dive in and of itself, it's not the bit I want to focus on here. That bit is what Mrs. Sandwich says as she gets increasingly upset.

Keep in mind as we look at this that the person who is the literal seamstress in this scene is not Mrs. Sandwich. It's the person whose magic is inhibiting her speech-- so, who is speaking, in a roundabout way, through her-- and who is the one changing everyone's outfits as they come through the door.

The seamstress really of note here is Aziraphale.

In the midst of her frustration, Mrs. Sandwich is trying to curse in 2023 terms but they are coming out in 19th century-era equivalents and this means that she says the following things when cursing:

She insists that she's not a godforsaken (abandoned by God; left to Satan) seamstress, that she's not a benighted (taken by darkness) seamstress, and, finally... while probably trying to say "what the hell"... winds up saying the whole season's plot in response to Mrs. Cheng asking her the also rather meta question of "what, in short" the problem is in that moment.

What, in short, is the plot?, asks Mrs. Cheng, on a meta level.

What the fuck is going on in this story?

To which Mrs. Sandwich replies:

"The Devil take it."

The curse "The Devil take it"-- meaning you give so little about something or someone that Satan can have it-- comes from a religious teaching (that works very well from a secular perspective, too) known as "The Devil Takes the Hindmost". It's this teaching that I think is extremely important to S2 and is arguably around what the story is structured.

This teaching argues that people who are excessively self-sacrificing are putting themselves at risk of being taken by darkness/Satan because of the cumulative effects of the anger, anxiety and depression that comes of denying that they are people with wants and needs of their own for too long.

It's about the people who go beyond kindness. It's about those who don't see themselves as part of the pack of people and think that the world isn't for them. They believe that their needs and wants don't matter as much as the need to prove to themselves that they aren't a horrible person-- which they do, in their minds, by denying themselves a full life of their own.

Sound familiar? It should. It's Aziraphale to a T.

Why are these people in "The Hindmost" for Satan to take when they're not terrible people?

Because they fall to the back of the pack of humanity.

Because they are left open to the darkness because they do not allow themselves to have what they work so hard to help others make for themselves.

The pain of that eventually renders them as bad off emotionally as those they counsel, or worse. The more they deny themselves, the more that pain builds and it can push them down dark paths.

They're in "The Hindmost" not because anyone left them behind, exactly, but because they've shut out the people around them.

They aren't letting people in.

It's about here that we can bring up that Good Omens is built around doors and all of S2 is basically about getting in the bookshop that is Aziraphale. It's here that we can mention Shax-- the darkness-- repeating demands to Aziraphale, to Crowley, to Beez to be let in. It's here we can mention The Final 15 and the world's most depressing kiss-- the literal embodiment of "let me in" as a theme-- and the horribleness that followed.

So, if S2 is The Devil Takes the Hindmost and he's headed Aziraphale's way the whole season with a large oat milk latte with a hefty jigger or dash or whatever of almond syrup and the job (the Job...) offer from Hell to tempt him, then we're watching (for now) the last days of the angel Aziraphale because a fall is a form of death.

It doesn't mean it's the end entirely because, as Gabriel discovered, everything goes down but flies? They go up.

Flies are the product of letting someone in and not shutting out the love and care you need. That can only be done through accepting, at least for a little while, that you are allowed to be a person and deserve to be cared for the way you care for others. If a person does that, they can fall but they'll have what they need to get back up and to help them stave off future falls.

Letting people in and talking to people about how you feel-- figuratively: feeding your fellow ducks your frozen peas and listening to theirs--- is how we all defeat the darkness together and make it so that Satan never shows up at any of our doors.

Yes, it is, Crowley. Would have been helpful if you had mentioned any of your own Hell-and-Book-of-Life frozen peas at all to anyone but the audience all S2 but this meta isn't really directly about you so you get a pass for now 😂 Back to your partner...

So, this The Devil Takes The Hindmost stuff? Almost immediately after Mrs. Sandwich says it, the story begins to have the characters literally act it out.

Shax is The Devil in that she's a devout diabolical minister of Satan so she's representing Satan at the door.

First up? Gabriel.

Gabriel mirrors Aziraphale's excessive self-sacrificing. It doesn't matter to him that he just met most of the people in the bookshop an hour or something ago. If that angry mob outside wants him for who fucking knows what reason as this poor bastard can't remember anything 😂 then Gabriel is happy to throw himself on his sword for them.

In reality, no one in the shop should have let Gabriel go out there alone. The whole point of "The Devil Takes The Hindmost" is that if everyone looks after each other the best that they can?

There won't *be* any hindmost.

There will just a pack of people who are all keeping each other safe from the darkness.

Jim is ultimately fine to tussle with Shax, though, because that is the part of the teaching that he exemplifies.

Gabriel has been protected. He's not completely fine-- who ever is, really?-- and he's still not really over this current bout of depression but he's safe from Satan and the darkness.

He's safe because he has Beez, Aziraphale, Crowley, and his new friends on Whickber Street.

Gabriel has a pack and is allowing himself to be part of it. As such?

The Devil can't touch him. Shax can't recognize him and sends him back inside. Gabriel is not in The Hindmost because he's been hidden, safely, by his group.

Gabriel goes back to the middle of the pack where he spends the rest of the attack, helping Aziraphale fight off his metaphorical inner demons by way of aiding Maggie and Nina to save the bookshop.

It's the next to the door, though, who is not so lucky, and gets to be the first example of The Hindmost.

From the way, way back of the pack that has formed of the humans, Gabriel, Crowley and Aziraphale in the middle of the bookshop pushes forward our beloved Mr. Brown of Brown's World of Carpets.

The President of The Whickber Street Shopkeepers and Traders Association-- the Gabriel of the humans-- feels it's his job to sort out this mess... only he has even less clue as to what's going on than Gabriel did... and he's much, much more vulnerable.

Mr. Brown tells Shax that he doesn't know why she is "interfering" with the people in the shop, unknowingly using the word used in religious circles to talk about The Devil coming after people. Mr. Brown is a guy at real risk here. Going into the circle and getting discorporated if you're not prepared? Facing The Devil at the door without preparation is the same, terrible thing. Mr. Carpet has no idea wtf he's up against here and his motivations for going to the door are the heart of The Devil Takes The Hindmost.

What does our lionhearted Mr. Brown do for a living? What is he, symbolically?

He sells carpets, right? What are carpets?

Well, they're rugs, for one thing. They're found in every business and home in existence. They are necessary for living and also an example of having comfort in your life. (They're also walked on and taken for granted, like our Mr. Brown is quite a bit.) You pick out carpets on your own or with the people with whom you are making a life-- and they tend to symbolize that life.

We see, in 2.06, the shot highlighting the lotus flower carpet that Crowley and Aziraphale have in the bookshop, that they use to cover up the Heavenly circle in the floor-- the one they put Gabriel on to do the protection miracle. It symbolizes the life Crowley and Aziraphale have made together to which they've now let Gabriel in.

What else are carpets? In Good Omens' use of language, they're also cars and pets. Rugs, cars and pets... three of the most common things owned by people living a life on Earth, with the word own itself in Mr. Brown's name.

Brown's *World* of *Carpets*... this dude is, symbolically, everyone.

He's life itself.

That's why it's Mr. Brown who gets taken by the demons and, later, saved by Crowley and left in the care of Mutt, who is human magic-- the character who symbolizes the wonder and mystery and joys of being alive.

Mr. Brown-- an extremely common name for a man whose pain is extremely common. He's lonely. He's overlooked. He's the president of this group of apostrophe and Christmas lights-obsessed, irritating and wonderful, typical, human people because he's unflappable and no one else wants to do it. No one else will do all the boring work and hear all the complaints the way he will and he's made that his role and he hates it. In that way, he's the Beez of Whickber Street-- as desperate for appreciation as Aziraphale. He's Burbage and Shakespeare, wanting an audience that isn't sleeping, drunk, or flirting their way through Hamlet. He's Crowley and Aziraphale:

Mmm, good job... Oh, do you really think so?

Mr. Brown of Brown's World of Carpets is a professional carpet salesman. He spends his days selling everyone what they need to make lives of their own but his own life is far lonelier and smaller than he would like it to be. He doesn't have a partner or true friends, just the people of the group into which he's struggled to really fit, despite running it. He's nerdy and awkward. His over-the-top, affected manner of speaking belies the fact that he feels like he's jiggery pokery, through and through. If I took Mr. Brown's name and profession out of this paragraph, I could be describing Aziraphale just as easily, but for the fact that Aziraphale does have Crowley, if not in the open way he wishes for. Because of that, Mr. Brown being taken by The Devil is also foreshadowing the end of S2 for Aziraphale.

Like most, Mr. Vacuum has got some surprising resolve-- some unexpected moxie-- but, fundamentally, this man has spent S2 showing that he is one more papercut away from a nervous breakdown.

So, when he tries to prove his worth to the group by putting himself at risk, it's excessively self-sacrificing. While there are some titters of alarm and warnings to him not to leave the pack, the one who objects the most is Crowley. Mr. Brown, though, doesn't let Crowley in. He doesn't recognize him because it's partially to look good in front of Aziraphale that Mr. Brown has jumped to the front of the pack. It's his loneliness, his lack of his own life, his need to be part of the group and appreciated. His need to be the hero.

Only, Mr. Vacuum is what happens when you aren't prepared for the darkness and you haven't let anyone in to help you. Shax, realizing that Crowley has been lying to her about the threshold by the way that all the humans have been backed into the living room, tests the theory and Mr. Vacuum gets taken by The Devil.

The Devil Takes The Hindmost.

Mr. Brown went from the literal hindmost of the pack inside of the bookshop up to the front to self-sacrifice excessively, got taken by Satan, and then, in a darkly amusing turn, got tossed back through to the hindmost of the pack of demons outside. He's also near the back of the line for coffee the next morning at Nina's.

If The Devil can come for Mr. Carpet, we see, he can come for anybody. Now this lingering and malignant sense of unease we've been feeling throughout The Meeting Ball tips here into real horror.

Crowley is up next to evacuate the rest of the humans in the shop. He's going to walk them all in a pack past The Devil. They go out in mini-groups within a larger pack. He tells them that they need to all stick together and mind each other, not the demons.

If they do that, they live. If they don't, they won't.

It becomes that simple because it is that simple.

Crowley doesn't just tell The Whickbers how to do this, though-- he leads them out. Because he's one of them, too... but really also because this is all a metaphor for Aziraphale's mental health breakdown getting going and what happens when you are having an anxiety attack or a depression episode?

What goes out the door?

The things that keep you alive, right? The good stuff in life. That is defined differently for everyone but a lot of it overlaps for many of us. Many of those things are what The Whickber Street group characters stand for in the story. Aziraphale owns the land for most of Whickber Street so, in addition to being characters in their own right, all of the members of The Whickber Street group represent Aziraphale.

They're all the things he loves the most-- his reasons for living, and what helps keep the darkness away for him. This is really why, symbolically, neither they nor Crowley (symbolically, love) can be present in the shop when Aziraphale is melting down at his worst.

Crowley leads the pack out with Mrs. Sandwich up front. He is allowing himself to be part of the pack here. He might be supernatural and the group human but it doesn't matter. They're all people and there's more to it than miracles. Crowley can't face the darkness on his own-- and neither can Mrs. Sandwich. Neither of them should have to. So, they don't. They choose to be each other's friends and let each other in and they're both better for it and so is the rest of the pack. This is an example of how to deal with darkness in a positive way.

Crowley trusts Mrs. Sandwich in general but for this task, in particular, because who knows best how to deal with the darkness?

Survivors of prior run-ins with darkness, that's who. His fellow "fallen woman", Mrs. Sandwich, has got her hat pin and his back and Crowley has hers.

So, out the door of the bookshop that is Aziraphale goes love, friendship, sex, romance, healthy communication, human magic, community, food, music, and so much more... because not taking care with our mental health issues rob us of what we love.

Left in the shop? Maggie and Gabriel-- Aziraphale's past and his family... and Nina-- the possibility of freedom (her American-themed coffee shop) and what's left of Aziraphale's hope for the future. Nina's decision to stay symbolizes Aziraphale hanging onto some hope.

After Crowley and The Whickbers leave and Maggie accidentally lets in Shax, the demons have gotten in and are advancing. Without those who are no longer in the shop and with Crowley missing, Aziraphale's anxiety ratchets up and the demons-- his inner demons-- gain ground. The goal becomes keeping them from getting into the residence floor upstairs-- to the place to which Aziraphale has let hardly anyone in. The parts of himself that are not public-facing or for acquaintances but only for those he allowed himself to get close to. Maggie and Nina can be on the landing up there. Gabriel can stay in the guest room. They're family. Only Crowley is allowed free reign in the whole of the bookshop.

For the first time, we have an angel not named Aziraphale teaming up with humans to fight for a place on Earth. The start of the 'all of us versus all of them' that Crowley foreshadowed as still to come at the end of S1? It isn't some big battle for the planet. It is a battle for the life of a single person in Aziraphale because every person matters.

It's The Commander of The Heavenly Host rooting around the upstairs rooms of the bookshop collecting all the fire extinguishers bought to help Crowley deal with his trauma that he can find to supply his troops-- the human Maggie and Nina-- on the front lines.

It's Aziraphale's loved ones coming together to fight to save the bookshop that is, symbolically, Aziraphale himself.

Ultimately, though? Crowley, Gabriel, Maggie and Nina can help hold off the demons that are symbolically Aziraphale's inner demons but it's ultimately going to come down to Aziraphale and Aziraphale alone whether or not these demons are going to overrun the bookshop.

We reach the point where Aziraphale has to choose-- is he going to let the demons take him over or is he going to send them back? He decides, in this moment, to blow up his halo.

We learn that Aziraphale's halo isn't divinity floating atop his head-- it's a tight, hard band around his mind. It's mental health issues, in physical form. He is in visible pain and breathing shallowly as he struggles to take it off. If you took away the halo from the picture, it's visually very much like someone having an anxiety attack. He uses it to discorporate the demons-- to send his inner demons packing.

Well, almost all of them...

Shax, the one that voices his darkest inner thoughts, remains. She's unconscious for awhile, lying dormant on Crowley's couch.

Aziraphale tells Maggie and Nina that he thinks blowing up his halo might have "just started a war" and, symbolically, it did.

Because when you blow up your halo, it can work for awhile but if you still aren't able to address the underlying, fundamental issues at the root of why you have a halo in the first place, those dark thoughts will come back.

Those demons are coming back and, sure enough, Aziraphale's bookshop is full of plenty of voices by early the next morning. While he won The Battle of The Bookshop, he loses The Battle of The Bananafish the next morning.

While Aziraphale stopped the attack on the shop-- his anxiety attack-- with the halo, we learn the next morning that then something else happened the prior night that we didn't see that is affecting the rest of 2.06. We hear about it from Aziraphale after Satan shows up in this bit here:

What's this, now? Aziraphale doesn't want to chinwag with The Metatron because they already chatted the night before and our angel doesn't think there's anything left to be said. Our angel says he's made his position quite clear.

So, The Metatron got on the circle thing zoom after Aziraphale discorporated demons with it and blew up his halo and, by that point, Aziraphale had had enough.

Aziraphale told The Metatron, in so many words, to go fuck himself.

This is really what Aziraphale is trying to say when he tells Crowley that he "did the thing with The Halo." Yes, he literally blew up his halo to discorporate the demons and stop the bookshop attack but the halo is his the weight of all of his cumulative trauma from Heaven... which makes it also, symbolically, The Metatron. Aziraphale blew up his ties to Heaven by telling off The Metatron. He told off the floating head hanging over his head as part of blowing up the halo crushing his mind.

So, Aziraphale then spent the whole night assuming correctly that, if you yell at Head Office, he's going to tell Satan that you're fair game.

Aziraphale doesn't want to fall. He doesn't want to be a demon-- not because he thinks of them as lesser beings because he doesn't think of them that way. Because being a demon is a terrible existence and Aziraphale would rather not have his soul be owned for all eternity by his partner's assailant who is also, literally, The Devil. He's a hard pass on that and had a plan to have Crowley help him avoid it.

Satan and other events made sure that he and Crowley couldn't communicate what they were thinking and feeling to one another openly from the time that Crowley left the bookshop with The Whickbers through the end of S2. If they had been able to and if Crowley had any idea what was truly going on, things would have been very different. The story is Aziraphale's fall, though, so it has to be bad for now to improve in S3.

Because it's Satan at the door with the coffee, he uses Crowley to identify him as The Metatron to everyone else and, so, has convinced Crowley that he *is* The Metatron and that Satan is nowhere in sight. Crowley doesn't see Aziraphale's fall coming, as can be the case with many people-- even those who know of the mental health challenges of those close to them.

Crowley thinks that the biggest threat to Aziraphale in The Final 15 is The Book of Life-- and, I suppose, in a symbolic way, it is.

The Book of Life-- in the way that Crowley thinks it exists-- is not real. It's his and Beez's anxieties from when they were angels manifested as a ghost story to tell more impressionable angels. Yet, as a concept? It kind of is sort of exactly what Aziraphale goes through in S2. He feels erased into non-existence by Heaven already and he's fighting for his life.

Right, so, a hundred years ago lol, I mentioned that Muriel is key to this idea. Let's look at how their presence is highlighting Aziraphale's issues and ushering him closer to death/falling.

While two angels with memory issues show up at Aziraphale's door in S2, Gabriel is a tale of hope while Muriel is a cautionary tale.

If your memories are "all your you"-- your sense of self, formed through your history-- then, while Gabriel was preserved in The Fly, the example of what can happen without one?

The horror show of a total and complete, catastrophic loss of a sense of self? So... death?

That's Muriel.

There is an angel named Muriel in some Western Christian traditions who becomes a figure called The Abaddon, which is The Angel of Death. The Abaddon factors into different takes on Revelations and apocryphal Biblical stuff. There are several different ideas on who The Abaddon is, though my understanding is that their role as The Angel of Death who brings souls to their final judgement is pretty universal throughout.

In some traditions, The Abaddon is seen as the antichrist. In others, it's Satan. In S1, Good Omens played around with some characters seeing the role of The Abaddon in these ways during Armageddon: Round One through how the Satanic nuns referred to the antichrist baby and Satan as "The Angel of The Bottomless Pit", which is the descriptive phrase given to The Abaddon in multiple different religious writings.

In other religious traditions, though, The Abaddon is thought to be an angel of Heaven or a trio of angels of Heaven. It's these ideas that I think Good Omens is playing with in S2 with, I feel, the heavier emphasis on the true Abaddon being the one most frequently referred to that way-- Muriel. Also supporting the idea of Muriel as Death is that there is also that a character in Salinger's "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" with that name. Muriel is the one set to inherit the main character's wealth and property after he kills himself at the end of the story.

So, how is our lovebug Muriel The Angel of Death?!

For that, we have to look at what a fall is.

Consider that The Metatron can tell Satan that an angel is fair game but, in order for that angel to actually fall to Hell, they have to fail to resist Satan's temptation. What the show is subtly saying is that every angel who is a demon is not just an angel who got caught out saying or doing something that threatened The Metatron's power but, also, an angel who was also already falling into despair and, so, couldn't resist Satan when he came to claim their soul.

The literal fall that happens-- the "freestyle dive into a pit of boiling sulphur", as Crowley called it-- is a symbolic thing that happens after an angel has been unable to resist Satan and, so, is now considered by Heaven and Hell to be a demon.

If you consider that the way the literal fall has been described-- going off a cliff; the parallels to Gabriel nearly jumping out a window-- all of these are images of ways that people sometimes kill themselves. Heaven and Hell come at angels and demons from a place of abuse that pushes them towards suicide. Even in S1, it wasn't straight out murder that Crowley and Aziraphale faced-- they were both forced into what, to Heaven and Hell, would have seen as committing forms of suicide. Crowley getting into a bath of holy water; Aziraphale stepping into hellfire.

So, we're saying that the physical fall happens after an angel has already fallen, and that, in order to fall to Hell, an angel has to have already first fallen into despair.

If the show wants Aziraphale to fall in the Heaven/Hell sense of it, he has to have a mental health breakdown and I'm reminded that the opening credits of this show are Crowley and Aziraphale walking the Earth with all of their history layering up behind them and following along with them and then they go up and up and up on a track in S2 and stop just prior to?

Falling off the edge. The literal fall is what we've stopped just short of but, all along so far, we've been watching the fall in progress build.

The reason why we've never been "shown a fall" on Good Omens is actually because the whole story to date is Aziraphale's fall. It doesn't even really start with S2-- it started long, long ago. It also, though, really kicked into gear just prior to the start of S2, as is noted a bit in this moment here:

Nina asks if everything being weird started the prior week when the power went out and Aziraphale replies:

Trauma is like that. It can be things that happened in your metaphorical 2500 BC that are coming back to bite you in your 2023 AD. It's cumulative. It builds and pushes. You can go and go and go and then, one day, your power just goes out. Your energy to fight is just gone and a storm is brewing. A series of events can push someone who is in an already vulnerable mental health state towards a full on fall into despair and that is what I think S2 is fundamentally about.

S2 is a suicide narrative. Our Clarence Aziraphale is going a bit George Bailey. Even as, on the one hand, he's taking big steps forward to claim more of the life he wants, it's the underlying trauma that he hasn't yet been able to fully deal with that is making him also, at the same time, begin to quietly wonder if those around him would be better off if he were not in their lives.

This is why the most dangerous character in S2 is not Satan or The Metatron.

It is, quietly, Muriel.

How so?

Because when people begin to have more frequent suicidal thoughts, their reasons for living that usually keep them going begin to change to being more of a list of obstacles that are preventing them from death. As a person falls into depression to a point that they begin to feel like maybe everyone around them would be better off if they weren't there, they begin in their minds to try to "solve" the problems that are keeping them from dying. They try-- not always super-consciously-- to set things up in such a way so as to convince themselves that their ties to the Earth will be neatly resolved with minimal bother for anyone else and, more importantly, that all their loved ones will be set up to be fine without them.

People in despair can-- and will-- come up with what are, objectively, absolutely bonkers rationales because, ultimately, they want coffee but they are in such despair that they thinking about ordering death.

Muriel's arrival means that Aziraphale then basically has a solution to every obstacle in his mind in such a way that he clears a path straight to taking his life. They help solve two of his "obstacles": Crowley and the problem of the bookshop.

Muriel is dangerous because they show up at the door with the same curious, upbeat, enthusiastic personality and sense of wonder at the magic of the world that Crowley both loves in Aziraphale and needs in his life.

Muriel is also who can take the bookshop. They're an angel who needs an escape and who loves books and Earth. They're perfect for it. Aziraphale is also horrified to realize that Muriel doesn't recognize him and what the implications of that are and he feels guilty about not having saved them somehow. They begin to represent his self-determined failures and giving them the shop would be, in his mind, making some of that right.

To Aziraphale, Muriel is the cheer and hope that Crowley needs in his life and they've taken to each other like ducks to water, which is then also coming after Aziraphale has subtly been pairing up his partner with the also-immortal-and-traumatized archangel with whom Crowley has much in common and whom we are told in S2 that Aziraphale knows that Crowley finds attractive.

Shax pops up throughout to help show some of Aziraphale's dark thoughts about himself.

What are you, Aziraphale? Crowley's emotional support angel? The one who went native? Do you need more big, human meals, Aziraphale?

The comments in Edinburgh that are not really about the car. It's really more like Aziraphale calling himself "an old piece of junk" and thinking Crowley deserves the chance to get an upgrade to someone better. Gabriel's good-looking and has been through much of the same as Crowley. Muriel is upbeat and makes Crowley smile. Crowley having friends who are supernatural is a great thing but, under the surface, it's also leading Aziraphale to create an inner narrative where he's telling himself that he's replaceable in parts by Gabriel and Muriel and that he wouldn't be leaving Crowley alone if he were to take his own life.

Aziraphale is telling himself that maybe the best way to love Crowley is to make it so that Crowley doesn't have to deal with him.

What did Crowley say about his stars once? The first time they met?

Six thousand years-- that's nothing.

Engine won't even have properly warmed up by then.

Crowley's borderline-immortal. He'll live forever. Six thousand years is a blink of the eye to them. He'll get over me, Aziraphale is telling himself, and find someone worth spending eternity with.

Aziraphale didn't see a path towards death until Muriel's arrival because he didn't fully have a solution to the bookshop and Crowley. That's what makes that adorable moppet of an angel the deadliest character in S2.

The reason why Muriel leapfrogs over every other character and makes it down to the last, pivotal minutes of Crowley and Aziraphale's story in The Final 15-- in a part of the story where even Gabriel is gone-- is because Muriel is death.

It's because this is all about whether or not Aziraphale is going to take the freedom of coffee from Mr. Six Shots of Espresso and live or whether he's going to take the false freedom of the lies he's telling himself from Satan and die.

Is he going to try to take his own life or is he going to find a way through this time, as he has before?

"It's just you and me, Aziraphale." What a statement that is.

It's both true and a complete lie.

Crowley and Muriel are both still in the room when Satan says that so, objectively, it's not really just him and Aziraphale... except that he is controlling Muriel and Crowley in different ways. In that way, it really is only Satan and Aziraphale left by this point. It's down, by that point, to just whether or not Aziraphale is going to live and since Satan is here for him, it's not looking great.

Satan is the embodiment of Aziraphale's life or death choice here and that choice, in many ways, is the only two other beings left in the shop at that point.

It's Crowley or Muriel. It's life or death.

Satan also as Aziraphale's darkest thoughts, really... as Aziraphale's internal dialogue playing out.

What about my bookshop? he asks himself.

Really: What about my life?

Muriel, replies Satan... replies the darkness... replies Aziraphale to himself.

You could entrust it to Muriel.

They need an escape. You'd be doing them a great favor. You'd be sacrificing yourself for them and redeeming yourself for failing to save them. It'd make what you're thinking of doing noble, actually. It'd make it okay. It'd make you a good person.

Aziraphale struggles, right? He almost doesn't do this. He almost says he thinks he's making a mistake because he knows he is. It's just that his every conflict has come up all at once and overwhelmed him.

Even still, the darkness has him pretty solidly-- but not completely-- until this moment right here:

Aziraphale is no fool and he's questioned the idea that this is The Metatron; he's actually trying to tell Crowley that he thinks it's Satan for much of That Scene in the bookshop and to get Crowley to see it and help him, in case it is. Aziraphale hopes he's wrong, though, because he wants it to be The Metatron because he thinks that is the way to fix things but it's not and he knows it, deep down. He doubles down because he's embarrassed, because he feels foolish and afraid and like he has nothing to offer Crowley without the power he thinks he lacks.

Satan's temptation, though, ultimately works because of the final of the death by a thousand cuts here in the whole "Second Coming" moment.

After Satan gets Aziraphale to leave the shop with him to head to Heaven, he, as The Metatron, flatters Aziraphale a bit. He says the things that Aziraphale has always wanted someone in Heaven to say to him. He tells Aziraphale he's needed and that they specifically need and appreciate who he is-- an angel who knows how things are done on Earth. It's validating who Aziraphale is and who is he proud of being in the way that Aziraphale has always wished would happen.

Aziraphale is hurting so much that he starts to wonder if maybe he was wrong about all of this. He was pretty sure before but, maybe, just maybe, he was wrong and he wants to be wrong because then it means maybe that he'd know who he is. Maybe it would mean he would no longer have to be an angel who goes along with Heaven as far as he can because Heaven would be finally starting to see the light.

Maybe this isn't Satan. Maybe it really is The Metatron. Maybe all of this is real. Maybe he can go to Heaven and take this job and really have the power to protect Crowley and they won't have to be afraid anymore.

Then, Satan drops the bomb. He fires the killshot.

He lets Aziraphale hear him say "we call it 'The Second Coming'" while pretending he didn't mean for Aziraphale to hear it.

This is the moment that Aziraphale knows it was all a lie.

He knows for sure who that is now. He has gone from being 98% sure to a full 100%. He knows that it's not The Metatron but Satan holding open the elevator.

Satan had to tell him, as it's the only thing Satan has to do in some form at the end-- because it has to be Aziraphale's choice. Satan sure as fuck doesn't have to be fair about it-- and he definitely wasn't-- but it's at this moment that Aziraphale knows with absolute certainty that there isn't a job offer.

How could there be if The Second Coming is on the table? They'll never put Aziraphale in charge of Heaven with Armageddon as the agenda. He's the angel who stopped it the last time. It means that Aziraphale knows for sure that, if he gets into the elevator, he's effectively killing himself, because this is all to entrap and kill him, not to promote him.

Satan sets it up so that the final things Aziraphale is thinking about when he makes the choice are that there is no chance that Heaven will ever improve and that they're going to do Armageddon again and just keep doing it until it happens and it's all hopeless and Aziraphale will never have the power to protect Crowley and they're going to just keep living this nightmare forever and he's been doing this for thousands of years and he can't take it anymore.

People who are suicidal are stuck in cycles of their lives they feel they can't get out of and that's exactly what Aziraphale is reminded of in the moment before he gets into the elevator.

He doesn't want death-- he wants coffee.

He wants Crowley, standing appropriately in front of Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death, with the coffee art and the blues and greens of Earth all around him. The canopy plants in the backseat. This is what Aziraphale wants but he just doesn't know how to get there anymore and the darkness wins out. The villains always win a battle at this part of the story or else there's no plot left going forward and there is a forward because it's Aziraphale. There are ways back from this but that's for S3.

Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death, as we know, is substituting the word coffee for the word liberty in the original quote and that's exactly what happens in Aziraphale's decision to get into the elevator. The truth is revealed-- there is no job, which makes him feel like there is no way to ever be free while living. He's exhausted by fighting the same battles, over and over, with no way to escape in sight, and takes what he thinks is the freedom of not suffering anymore.

He chooses the false freedom of death over the true freedom of living-- Satan's coffee over Mr. Six Shots of Espresso in a Big Cup-- because Aziraphale loves that espresso more than anything but he struggles to love himself. He thinks, in that moment of despair, that the best way to love Crowley is to set him free by leaving life.

It's the Job minisode foreshadowing all of it and going back to the start of his story for the end.

It's nothing important, Aziraphale, don't worry...

Just your kids, your house, your businesses, your money, your neighbors, your street, your car, your books, your friends, your community, your Earth and the love of your life.

Just all the love and magic of the world.

Just all your you. Just your life...

When the first shot of the season was the skies sweeping down towards the front of the shop door... and the final shot of the shop in S2 is The Angel of Death-- Muriel-- entering it alone, claiming it and closing the door? When the light goes off in the bookshop window?

When Aziraphale-- after running around with a paralleling clipboard for half an episode-- leaves a note on the dash for his wife, like International Express Delivery Dude did in S1? When his "I love you, Maud" is the car playing Crowley "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square"? That's when we can see why Death appeared to Aziraphale at the end of S1 and has been headed his way since.

Satan's temptation, yes, but executed with the help of The Angel of Death, who helped push Aziraphale into the lift with The Devil and not towards Crowley and The Bentley, where Aziraphale's love has always been willing to give him a lift, anywhere he wants to go.

In a show where people are symbolically what they profess that it is that they do-- midwifery/cobblering, conjuring, "seamstressing" and so on... all of those things are positive. They're about helping others and loving the world. With that in mind?

Go back and look at Muriel's arrival at the bookshop again...

What is adorable is, also, a fucking horror movie of a declaration:

Muriel is a human police officer.

Friends... that's Death.

Muriel is the only one with a horrible self-declared profession. They're not helping birth ideas and babies and art and mending everyone's pain. They're not a working, professional magician helping to develop the street. They're not a healing seamstress. They don't sell old films and records and books. They don't feed anyone at their restaurant or sell musical instruments to nourish their lives. They aren't the best guy on the block-- Mr. Brown and his World of Carpets, giving people what they need to outfit a life of their own. They're the not a member of The Whickber Street Shopkeepers and Traders Association-- like their paralleling Jim becomes as he begins to regain the will to live.

Crowley is worried about caring for Gabriel being too much for Aziraphale but it's really Muriel that is a walking trigger for him.

Gabriel is a character people think is a villain who is really a lovebug; Muriel is a character people think is a lovebug but who is, symbolically, the worst possible thing to ever show up on your doorstep.

Gabriel is saying books are keen and hot chocolate is amazing and live, live, live, live, Aziraphale...

He's the part of Aziraphale's mind that is trying to save himself while Muriel is the part that is luring him towards death.

Muriel is saying the best part of a cupperty is to look at it, Aziraphale.

It's not for you. You're an angel. You aren't supposed to want to live your own life. You aren't supposed to have wants and needs at all. Even if you go into that back room to be with Crowley alone and try to shut me out, I will break down the door and come after both of you before too long is up.

Muriel is cosplaying Earth's most invasive and violent profession and they're so sweet about it that it tends to bury the eeriness of their arrival. In Muriel, Aziraphale is confronted with his paralyzing perfectionism, his negative self-worth, his rampant imposter syndrome, and his excessive self-sacrificing-- all at once.

All his negative feelings are here at the door in the form of this fun house mirror version of himself-- a cheery and also clinically depressed angel, who is actually cosplaying humanity the way Aziraphale always feels like he is, even if he knows at the core that he's every bit as human as the billions on Earth.

The world is for the professional conjurers, for the humans, for everyone but Aziraphale, in his mind. He is supposed to be above needing any of it. He is supposed to never be angry, anxious, tired, depressed, hungry. He isn't supposed to need the home and books and music and food and sex and magic that he lives for. This angel isn't supposed to be a member of The Whickber Street Shopkeepers and Traders Association but he founded the street, let alone the group, and he'll die trying to host a meeting because nothing makes him feel more himself than when he lets himself be a part of the world.

Muriel's presence worsens his depression spiral, which we've seen is what happens when the negative thoughts get to be too much.

In S2, he goes a sherry-and-stomach-settling-drop diet. He doesn't eat the eccles cakes. He doesn't slow down and enjoy much of anything. Part of the joy of the ox rib scene is that Aziraphale isn't really enjoying himself that much in the present in S2 and it's the only thing like it in S2. Aziraphale, in S2, has put himself and his demon on half-rations and talks about his frozen peas to his fellow duck less. He goes back and forth between trying to self-care (Shostakovich and going to the Gabriel statue and brief moments of flirting with Crowley) and self-neglect (the entire rest of the season lol). Mix in too many additional stressors like what S2 had and it goes from the anxious period of fasting in 1967 to the cause for big time alarm that is S2.

Intellectually, Aziraphale knows that mindful human living is prescriptive. He saves Gabriel by starting to teach him what he knows about it. There's always been a little voice whispering at Aziraphale, though, that it might be right for others but that doesn't mean he's supposed to feel or need those things. He should be above it because that, apparently, would make him the good person that he doesn't often believe he is. His feelings aren't even about being an angel in the Heaven sense so much as in the human anxious perfectionist sense, in that he's excessively self-sacrificing because he doesn't fundamentally believe he's a good person.

There's nothing wrong with being as kind and generous to people as you can. It's when you're doing that while also not acknowledging that you are a person with wants and needs at the same time that you can self-sacrifice yourself right off a cliff as a way of trying to convince yourself that you're not a bad person.

You can deny yourself the life you want out of the excuse that it's your purpose only to care for everyone else but it's not really virtuous. It's a form of self-harm.

What hurts so much about S2 is 1941 because the minisode then gives us Crowley and Aziraphale slaying demons left and right. It gives us what a good day looks like in a whole season that is, otherwise, a series of bad days mixed with things that are also not within their control that then lead to the worst, possible ending.

We see, really, how good they are at caring for one another. The kiss scene is made infinitely more painful by us having seen in the 1941 minisode another conversation in the same spot in bookshop when Aziraphale was struggling with these same issues that went so very differently.

Crowley is very good at gently reminding Aziraphale that, not only is he wonderful, but that he's a person, too, and that everyone feels like they are jiggery-pokery sometimes. Everyone struggles with the voices of others and themselves trying to judge them and how that impacts a sense of self. That fighting through that to be able to live and love is, unfortunately, a pretty common experience of being a person.

This is not new for Aziraphale. It's so very old, stirred up hardcore in S2, now that it's been four years since Heaven contacted him. Aziraphale doesn't know that it's because Gabriel is trying to protect him. He thinks he's so inconsequential that Heaven couldn't even be assed to send someone to formally fire him and take the bookshop embassy that, despite being something of an albatross around Aziraphale's neck, he's also really proud of having built.

Aziraphale wants Heaven to fuck off but he also feels embarrassed by the fact that Heaven could fuck off so easily and that he feels like he doesn't have a friend there to speak of after thousands of years. He is ashamed of it needing to be Crowley who gets them a contact for info in Shax because he sees it as more dangerous for Crowley to need to be in contract with the demons and as a failure to protect him-- the thing that's at the core of Satan's temptation at the end of the season. (Also why Crowley is trying not to tell him about Shax taking his job and his conversation with Beez, which is a huge mistake but it's coming from a good place.)

Surely, Aziraphale thinks, if he hasn't fallen and he's still an angel... if he still is one, he's not really sure, as what is a non-working angel?... then, if he were good, there'd be some angel up there who would still be talking to him. He knows Heaven isn't good, exactly, but not all of the angels are terrible. As anyone who has ever had to go no contact with an abusive family knows, the illogical doubts that creep up can make a person think that maybe they're the wrong ones. At your worst, you can wonder: if the whole family thinks you're wrong, are you really right? Aziraphale knows he is right but it gets complicated.

Add to that the stress of worrying that something will happen to Crowley every time he goes out the door (part of Aziraphale's own trauma for millennia, made worse by 1827), and Crowley's PTSD exacerbated by the fire in S1, and Aziraphale's negative self-thoughts are being triggered even worse than usual. He's blaming himself for them not being safe, when that's not fully within his control... which, in Aziraphale's mind, is the whole problem and an example of how he is failing Crowley.

This is all long before Gabriel shows up at the door and the season gets started with a series of events that then worsen Aziraphale's state of mind. By the time Muriel shows up at the door, these negative kinds of thoughts out in full force in Aziraphale and Muriel represents them.

Muriel might be cute as a button and, as a character in their own right, being used left and right by Heaven, but it doesn't change the fact that Muriel is, symbolically, a mashup of the human and supernatural cops trying to kill them that Crowley and Aziraphale have been outrunning their whole lives.

The Angel of Death is a cop because of course they are, right? What other group of people has been existing to entrap, imprison, torture and kill people for eons?

From the book: If you want to imagine the future, imagine a boy and his dog and his friends. And a summer that never ends.

S1 was summer. It was the nightingales.

S2 is the lingering doom of preparations for Christmas lights. It's the days getting shorter and colder. The nightingales have flown to warmer climates. Because this is Good Omens so the season of Aziraphale's fall is set in the season of... well, the fall.

The good news is that, both literally and metaphorically?

Summer is always just around the corner.

#good omens #good omens meta #ineffable husbands #good omens theory #aziracrow #crowley #aziraphale #good omens 2

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sultrybaby · 2 years ago

Text

Fallin' (EN- REACTION)

Enhypen reaction to you tripping down the stairs and crashing onto them.

Requested by: ANON

'Enhypen reaction to you tripping down the stairs and crashing onto them

Why? Cuz my head is running laps around the east coast prison near the asylum. '

💞Warnings: a lot of falling, im pretty sure there's cursing, really cliché at times, this honestly feels like a fever dream💞 Word count:200 something 💞Pairing: Enha x gn!Reader💞 Genre: Fluff, crack (can be interpreted as established romantic relationship OR platonic relationship)

Heeseung:

Poor boy was coming upstairs to check on you

When he saw you coming downstairs. He turned away for like...1 second and suddenly u yelped.

PaNik-

He ran to you in order to catch you but in vain.

You just smashed into him.

Both of you fell on the floor, Heeseung suffering slightly more than you did considering u used him as a mattress when u fell, while he hit the ground straight up (RIP 💀)

You both start checking if the other was ok

"Dude you good?"

"I mean u almost curried me but yeah wtv"

"Hey I didnt MEAN to-"

U both make eye contact and just...start laughing.

"BRO that was epic"

"r u srsly bro-zoning me rn"

"i talk like this when im embarrassed shut up-"

Jay:

Honestly

I can imagine him just, catching u out of reflex

Like you would trip and fall and he would just extend his arm and casually catch u (Damn that's hot 😳)

"Uhh..thanks man"

"Oh baby, what would u do without me, mm?"

Jake:

Tripping and falling onto jake would be so cute

Like i think you'd both be going down the stair when u trip, and he would wrap his arms around you and envelope you

"noo bby r u okay??? 🥺🥺"

You'd be a blushing mess because of how embarrassed you are, and he will just make it worse by pecking ur crown and being all "i caught you falling for me 😉"

He might even go as far as bridal carrying u down the stairs (provided he does not give up and jsut leave u on the stairs by then)

Sunghoon:

This guy would react similarly to jay

As in he'd probably catch u perfectly with his reflexes

But his attitude

He is NOT as carefree as jay

This cocky mf is not gonna let u forget about it god

You'd trip, fall, and land straight into his arms. And he would push you in until ur noses are almost touching.

"If ur so desperate to be held, u can just ask baby"

And you'd eyeroll but ur also secretly, like, so flustered

And honestly HE'S EMBARRASSED TOO he does not know where all this confidence is coming from

Like he'll manage one more 'I see ur falling for me" before breaking and bursting into laughter, his face a red mess.

And u would laugh along with him, hitting his chest.

"You dork😡"

"You clutz 😡"

Sunoo:

Okay yall

Dont kill me for this BUT

I think sunoo would actually just let you fall LMFAOO 😭💀

Like he would be near the stairs when he would hear you trip

And he'd see you falling down, and he's jsut make that disgusted face he makes and move the fuck out of ur way like ur some dead insect

LIKE IM SAWRY but that is the only way i see this going down

And you would rub ur butt and stand up, and then he'd be like

"u okay?? 🥺🥺"

"I ALMOST DIED WHY DIDNT U CATCH"

And yall would just bicker endlessly until he notices like a red spot on ur elbow and gets seriously worried

Prepare for cuddle night

Jungwon:

The most normal out of all of them

U trip, crash on to him. He almost falls but then he catches his balance

He's lowkey amused but he keeps his cool and he's checking if you're okay

"Im good Im good dont worry"

He kinda dusts you all over

And then

Yall just go your merry way

Every once in a while he does bring it up when ur going downstairs tho

"Hey be careful...remember when u almost died"

"That's way too dramatic baby 😭"

Ni-ki:

The craziest out of all of them.

I feel like this would go down really badly.

He would probably be at the end of the stairs with some col drink in his hands, when you trip and fall

But he'd be listening to something with headphones in so he wouldnt know

Would get an inkling like a millisecond too late

You crash into him, he drops his phone and drink (which spills all over the two of you)

He would fall, and you would fall on him

Everything would happen way too fast and he would be so confused while you were embarrassed (and drenched)

You barely recover from the shock when you hear him yelp

"OMFG THAT WAS SO FUN"

Bruh wot 🤡💀

"Come on yn let's do it again"

So yeah you would somehow convince him to not do it again by getting him a new drink

TAGLISTS:

Permanent all works

@gloomysunny @thomas-the-tank-engene @goldenhypen

Permanent kpop

@soobin-chois @one16core @hoonsmarsbar

Enhypen

@yogurteume @annoyingbitch83

Networks

@kflixnet @enhypennetworks @the-k-neverland

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neewtmas · 8 months ago

Text

AKJHDKFKSD FINALLY

just the header already took me OUT✋🏻🫠

I know this will be the death of me, buff George can get it

You frowned at the boy in the armchair, who looked like the last thing he wanted to do was to share. “Am I supposed to fight you for them or something?”

that is so funny to imagine help

“What's going on with you and George?” This was definitely odd. “It feels like you've gone past teasing, you're almost flirting with each other.”

whaaaaat? I have no idea what you mean🙈

Her eyebrow quirked up at that. “You have a type?”

fuck yes I do👀

Lucy nodded. “Interesting.” It was spoken with the air of someone who knew exactly why it was interesting and someone who was absolutely not going to explain why.

the glee she must be feeling in that moment asgfsjfghkl

Just trying to hoist them up to make sure you'd oiled all the way round each joint was a workout.

god that sounds so tedious

someone cute and buff better come rescue me soon🤭🤭

He chuckled, climbing down the final few steps and holding out his hand. “Will the sacred pact allow a lunch break? I made soup.

Ah! convenient😉

There were two steaming bowls already set out on the table when you got back to the kitchen, and beside yours was a plate of sandwiches, cut exactly how you liked them.

I need him to cook for me oh my god

Your eyes widened as he scooped up a whole length in one easy movement and gave them a quick shake loose.

🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

You raised your fist higher, leaning forward in an offered challenge. “Right. Arm wrestle. Loser goes.”

the fuck am I thinking even if he wasnt buff at all I'd very probably lose😭

You weren't sure why you'd expected the easy, flexible grip of holding a rapier, but his fingers were clenched firmly around the back of your hand.

yeah that's just about enough to make me lose instantly🫠

You stared in shock at the boy opposite, the triumphant toothy grin that crinkled his eyes, the unexpected tightness of his shirt sleeve around his arm. The similar tightness in your chest.

sdhksdhakhd

You drew in a shaky breath as you struggled to drag your eyes away from George's arm, which was still pinning yours to the table. After a moment, you felt his fingers loosen and with some reluctance pulled your hand away. The silence in the room was palpable.

screaming, crying, throwing up OMFG

A flash of bicep clouded your vision again, and you reached for the door handle before you did something regrettable.

me fr

George moved closer, and you swallowed a lump in your throat. “I was actually going to question why you looked like you were about to leave without a coat.” He reached to the rack over your shoulder, lifting yours from its hook.

I'm just gonna pass out right there if you don't mind

“Well, I uh… I ran you a bath to warm you back up. I'll put this away.” He hauled up the bags of shopping with barely a huff, and you tried to reason that he hadn't just carried them through a storm.

12/10 on the attractiveness scale AHHHH

He wasn't like George though - smart, funny, thoughtful George.

Still didn't mean you fancied him, you told yourself.

the denial is stroooong😩🤭 just the way we love it

You'd chat or enjoy the companionable quiet, you'd both be at ease; nothing could possibly happen, which would give you time to prove your feelings were a fluke.

sure thing, I'm certain that will work

The sound died in your throat when he took off his gloves, draped them on the side of the sink and rolled his sleeves up out of the way.

I don't even kow what to do with that image HELP

You wondered whether it was just his arms that were so toned, or was the rest of him the same? Was he hiding a set of abs under that T-shirt too? Were his thighs-

The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, as did his deep brown eyes as he raised his head to look at you. You were already distracted by the tension which lingered in his shoulders, the rigidity of his arms as they supported his weight, the way he had leaned into the pose so much that now when he looked up his face was so close it almost filled your vision.

no words, just 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

The silence that followed dragged on longer than you could bear. Why wasn't she saying anything? You forced yourself to sit up. George stood at the entrance to your room, eyes wide and lips parted.

adskjdhkdhkjshksd ACCIDENTAL CONFESSION FUCK YES

There was no mistaking it: he'd heard you basically say you loved him and now there he was looking like the mere concept was so unbelievable, like the option hadn't even crossed his mind. Why would it?

ALKFLISHDF i am not functioning anymoreee

George stepped closer, and you shrunk even further into yourself. Your heart skipped a beat when he gently tilted your chin up to meet his surprisingly soft gaze. “I meant, why do you think I don't love you back?”

🚨CHIN TILT 🚨CHIN TILT 🚨CHIN TILT🚨

“Have you seen yourself?” Hesitantly, you raised a hand to his bicep, marvelling at finally being able to feel the muscle instead of just staring at it, and more amazed at the way the boy responded to your touch, drifting closer until you were barely inches apart.

You yelped in surprise as his other arm hooked under your legs and swept you off your feet, your arms flying up round his neck for support. His arm was tense across your back but he looked the most relaxed he'd been since he walked in, and he shifted you closer to press a quick kiss to your lips before setting you down on the bed and sitting beside you.

I think I have just died and gone to heaven

MERRY YOU KNOCKED THAT OUT OF THE PARK OUT OF THE UNIVERSE I LOVE YOU

Rock Paper Scissors

Pairings: George Karim x gn!reader, background Locklyle

Summary: George is your best friend, Lucy's convinced there's more to it but he's not your type... is he?

Content: friends to lovers, oblivious flirting, misunderstanding, light swearing and suggestive thoughts, kisses

A/N: it's officially 1 year since I posted my first Lockwood & Co fic!! Thank you all for making it such an incredible year and continuing to support my writing, it means the world to me ❤️ and thank you to the Multiverse of George for fuelling the buff!George fire 🔥 I've even made a montage so everyone can see the vision, plus the gif above of George swinging the chains he's definitely strong 💪

Word count: 4.2k

Taglist: @neewtmas @marinalor @ettadear @honey-with-tea @mischiefmanaged71 (let me know if you want adding or removing!)

Ever since you'd started working for Lockwood & Co, you and George had had the most playful rivalry.

It had started on the very first day, when you came for your interview. Lucy had welcomed you into the living room while George went to fetch the biscuits. After breezing through the tests, Lockwood gestured to the plate still being clutched by the other boy.

“Biscuit?”

You frowned at the boy in the armchair, who looked like the last thing he wanted to do was to share. “Am I supposed to fight you for them or something?”

George had the audacity to snort. “In your dreams.” But then he did offer you the plate, albeit reluctantly.

Once you got used to one another, you found that you actually got on really well and gradually he became your best friend, but by then you'd set a precedent that neither of you wanted to drop.

“We're heading out soon,” Lucy informed you both as she slid cups of tea across the table. She and Lockwood had an appointment with a client, leaving you and George behind to keep working. “Can one of you oil the chains ready for tonight?”

You turned to George; he was already looking at you. A gleam came to his eye.

“Rock paper scissors?”

“You bet,” you grinned, already raising your hand. It took a few attempts, as you'd done it so many times by now that the two of you knew what each other was planning before it happened, but eventually you lost. Sticking your tongue out, you picked up your cup and headed towards the basement. Lucy followed you down.

“Can I ask you something?” she began cautiously.

“Course you can.” It wasn't like Lucy to not just ask straight out. This was odd.

“What's going on with you and George?” This was definitely odd. “It feels like you've gone past teasing, you're almost flirting with each other.”

Your gaze flew to your friend, who had lingered on the stairs. Was she being serious? “It's not like that, Luce,” you replied, wondering if it was warm in the basement or if it was just you. “I love him to bits, but the same way I love all of you. He's just not my type.”

Her eyebrow quirked up at that. “You have a type?”

“Don't say that like you don't,” you hit back. “You and Lockwood are made for each other! And George is great, really, but I prefer guys a bit more… buff?”

Lucy nodded. “Interesting.” It was spoken with the air of someone who knew exactly why it was interesting and someone who was absolutely not going to explain why. “Well… just don't rule anything out, but please be careful. I love you both too and I'd hate to see either of you get hurt.”

It was touching to hear her so candid about her feelings for you both. “I won't, I promise.”

—

You always forgot how ridiculously heavy the chains were. Just trying to hoist them up to make sure you'd oiled all the way round each joint was a workout. It was only adrenaline that carried you through working with them on cases. Thank goodness you were almost finished - your arms were beginning to ache and you were sure you were coated in sweat.

“Need a hand?” George's voice drifted from the stairs. You hadn't heard him come down, probably drowned out by the clanking links and your strained grunts, but there he was, sitting on one of the lower steps and watching you in amusement.

“You mean you want me to dishonour the sacred pact of rock paper scissors?” You mimed fainting in shock, taking the opportunity to slump back on the pile of chains and let the tension dissipate from your shoulders.

He chuckled, climbing down the final few steps and holding out his hand. “Will the sacred pact allow a lunch break? I made soup.” He'd got you there and he knew it. You loved his soup. Grinning, you accepted his hand and he pulled you away from the cold, hard metal.

There were two steaming bowls already set out on the table when you got back to the kitchen, and beside yours was a plate of sandwiches, cut exactly how you liked them.

“You're the best.”

“I know,” George smirked. He was eating with one hand, the other scribbling away on the Thinking Cloth. As he became more engrossed, he leant further forwards, his dark curls flopping over his brow. It was fascinating watching him get so engrossed in his work, the whole world melting away around him. Once you finished eating, you glanced across and took his empty bowl from in front of him. He looked up sharply, snapped from wherever his thoughts had taken him.

“Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you,” you mumbled.

“No, it's fine. We should probably get packed.”

You followed him down to the basement and pulled your kit bags from the shelf. Set side by side on the table, you both began to load up.

“You can carry the chains,” you told him over your shoulder as you picked up a half-empty box of flares and emptied it into your bag.

“Hey, you're the one who lost!”

“Only for cleaning them, I've done my bit.”

He huffed, but gave you a smile as he made his way over to the mound of chains. Your eyes widened as he scooped up a whole length in one easy movement and gave them a quick shake loose. You'd spent nearly quarter of an hour trying to manoeuvre that section earlier.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“They're not that heavy,” he shrugged, then added with a cheeky raised eyebrow, “or at least only when you’re trying to clean them.”

You threw the empty cardboard box at his head with a laugh.

—

A week later, the four of you were nestled in the living room. Outside, rain battered against the windows, which were almost being shaken out of their frames by the driving wind. You'd never have guessed it was June; it felt more like January. The fire was lit in the hearth, the occasional crackle of wood splitting the only other sound.

Eventually, Lockwood broke the silence. “I hate to say it, but someone's going to have to go out. We've got no tea left and barely enough food to last until tonight. We can draw straws to make it fair.”

He needn't have bothered. You and George already had your fists raised. One, two, three, paper. One, two, three, rock. Scissors. Paper. Scissors. Rock. Round and round you went, the symmetry only fuelling your competitive natures.

“This is ridiculous,” Lucy muttered. She was right, of course.

You raised your fist higher, leaning forward in an offered challenge. “Right. Arm wrestle. Loser goes.”

George leaned in, resting his elbow on the table. Lockwood and Lucy exchanged wide-eyed glances.

“Y/n…” Lucy began, but you weren't listening. Your elbow was already mirroring George's, hand in his. You weren't sure why you'd expected the easy, flexible grip of holding a rapier, but his fingers were clenched firmly around the back of your hand. Lockwood moved closer and counted you down.

Your hand hit the table almost immediately.

It felt like all the air had left the room. You stared in shock at the boy opposite, the triumphant toothy grin that crinkled his eyes, the unexpected tightness of his shirt sleeve around his arm. The similar tightness in your chest. Interesting.

Some sort of realisation hit you, and your attention shifted to Lucy. The look she was giving you was almost as satisfied as George's. Warmth flooded your cheeks. You drew in a shaky breath as you struggled to drag your eyes away from George's arm, which was still pinning yours to the table. After a moment, you felt his fingers loosen and with some reluctance pulled your hand away. The silence in the room was palpable. Lucy was still watching you in amusement. Lockwood was watching Lucy, trying to figure out why she had that “I know something you don't” look again over a simple arm wrestle. George was watching you too, his expression slowly shifting from victory to concern.

“Y/n? You okay?” he asked quietly. Your thoughts rushed back into your body, snapping your attention into the real world.

“All good,” you mumbled. “Just preparing to get drenched. If I'm not back in 20 minutes, assume I've been blown to the other end of the country.” At least that got a laugh out of Lockwood. Hurriedly, you stood and made your way to the front door. Why had you agreed to this? It was your own fault, of course, for continuing this whole competitive thing with George, but how were you to know he was that strong? A flash of bicep clouded your vision again, and you reached for the door handle before you did something regrettable.

“Hold on,” a voice came behind you. It was him. Keep it together, you told yourself.

“If you're about to volunteer to take my place, go ahead,” you forced yourself to stay casual.

“That might help.” You knew you were blushing again, but prayed he thought it was just from embarrassment at being so forgetful. Definitely not how close he was, how he was holding your coat in the same hand that had been holding yours moments ago.

—

By the time you made it back to the house, you were soaked to the bone and almost shivering. It seemed like the storm wasn't going to let up until at least the next day, so you'd decided to stock up on plenty of food which had seemed like a great idea until you tried to carry it all home. You'd had to stop several times on the way, ducking into doorways and bus shelters to escape the weather as you swapped hands, flexed your shoulders or relieved your fingers from where the handles of the bags had started to make dents. When you finally made it, you held the door open with one foot as you negotiated the bags in and dropped them unceremoniously on the hall floor. George emerged from the living room, alone this time; Lockwood and Lucy must have gone upstairs or down to the basement.

“You look awful.”

“Aww thanks, you're not so bad yourself,” you joked dryly. Oh god, Lucy was right, you were almost flirting. A shiver ran through you and this time you hoped it was from the cold.

For a second, you thought you saw George's eyelids flutter. “Well, I uh… I ran you a bath to warm you back up. I'll put this away.” He hauled up the bags of shopping with barely a huff, and you tried to reason that he hadn't just carried them through a storm.

The water was soothingly warm and scented with lavender salts, the smell wafting up in delicate bursts as it swirled around, relaxing all the tension in your aching muscles. As you lay peacefully, you reflected on what had happened earlier. You weren't sure you'd ever felt… You couldn't even identify what feelings you'd experienced during the arm wrestle. Shock? Embarrassment? No. It was something else, something that Lucy had noticed immediately and had been trying to get through to your oblivious self. But she was wrong, wasn't she? You said it yourself, you weren't into George, even if he did now fulfil your main criteria. Then again, so did plenty of other guys you'd met. Kipps was quite well built, definitely had muscles, but that didn't mean you'd considered dating him. He wasn't like George though - smart, funny, thoughtful George. You couldn't imagine Kipps running you a bath or making your favourite lunch, or doing any number of the things that with George felt so natural. And there were all the little things you did for him that you'd never do for anyone else. No, there were no two ways about it: you were a pair in whatever capacity that meant.

Still didn't mean you fancied him, you told yourself.

You volunteered to help George with the dishes after dinner that night. It was always nice to be able to spend time just the two of you in sync, but tonight especially you figured it was a good idea to be around him in perfectly normal circumstances. You'd chat or enjoy the companionable quiet, you'd both be at ease; nothing could possibly happen, which would give you time to prove your feelings were a fluke.

George picked up his blue rubber gloves and tossed you a tea towel. He was dressed casually, in sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt (so large that the sleeves almost met his gloves at the elbow). The radio was playing quietly in the background, giving you a welcome distraction. Whenever a song you recognised came on, you'd start humming along or singing under your breath, and George would smile at you, sometimes even joining in. Your heart leapt a bit when he did, but that was nothing, you were just happy to be sharing this moment with your friend. He stuck an arm deeper into the sink to grab something at the bottom and made a small noise. Water had splashed up onto the cuff of his sleeve. You giggled at the look of disgust he made at the wet fabric sticking to his skin. The sound died in your throat when he took off his gloves, draped them on the side of the sink and rolled his sleeves up out of the way. You were so used to him being hidden behind his giant tops, or at the very least being in longer sleeved shirts, that seeing his bicep completely exposed was a shock in more ways than one. It wasn't much wonder he'd beaten you so easily at arm wrestling with muscles like that. You wondered whether it was just his arms that were so toned, or was the rest of him the same? Was he hiding a set of abs under that T-shirt too? Were his thighs-

“You okay?” George nudged you, and you hastily looked away.

“I was just…” Come on, come on, find an excuse, your brain urged. “...thinking how this means we both got wet clothes today, if you want me to put that top in with my washing after this?” God that was lame. Not much wonder he wasn't interested in you. That wasn't the point, you reminded yourself.

“Oh,” he smiled. “That'd be great, thanks.” He leant over to put a chopping board on the draining rack, and his bicep brushed against yours. A shockwave of warmth resonated through your whole body. Oh.

“Tell you what,” you forced yourself not to stammer, “are you okay to finish up here and I'll go and grab the laundry basket?” He nodded, and you tried not to fall over your own feet as you retreated to the hallway and sucked in a breath to calm your racing heart. Oh.

—

You cursed yourself for ever starting this. No, this was Lucy's fault for pointing it out. No, still your fault.

Being around George was becoming unbearable. Not for anything he'd done, rather the things he wasn't doing. He was carrying on exactly as he always had, that inimitable blend of playful and caring, and it was driving you mad not knowing whether he meant any of it in the way you wanted him to. You couldn't say anything, of course. If you were wrong, it would mess up the whole dynamic of the group. That would hurt almost as much as any rejection. But the more things went on, the more you took notice of the little moments between you, the more your feelings grew until it felt like they would crawl out of your chest.

“What the hell were you thinking?” George snapped at Lockwood. He and Lucy had been out on a case which went badly, and now the four of you were sitting at the dining table in the early hours, George applying butterfly stitches to a cut on Lockwood's arm and you cleaning a couple of scratches on Lucy's face. The misty gloom of the night outside the window reflected the atmosphere within.

“I was thinking,” Lockwood snapped back, “that we only had to handle a couple of Type Ones, according to your notes.”

“I told you those weren't finished!”

“Well maybe next time, don't get distracted.” Was it your imagination, or had his gaze flickered to you?

“Maybe next time,” George replied darkly, “do your own research.”

“Fine.” Lockwood pushed his chair back and stalked from the room. Lucy shot you both an apologetic grimace and followed.

George began pacing round the kitchen, hands twitching angrily. You stayed at the table, knowing it was best to give him the space to say or do whatever he needed to let his feelings out. You were there if he needed you.

“Can you believe him?” It was rhetorical, you'd heard him say it enough to know, so you waited for him to continue. “We end up in this situation almost every week, because he's too reckless to wait! I know he'd rather be in the action, but he'd be able to do all that more if he'd let me give him the right information first.”

You gently waded in, trying to be reassuring. “We all know how useful your research is; he just gets overeager, especially when Lucy's involved.”

“I know you know how important it is,” his words sent butterflies through you, “but Lockwood just…” He gave a frustrated huff. “Maybe I should make him do all the legwork for a change.” You tried very hard not to think about whether George's legs were as muscular as his arms.

“I'll support whatever you decide, but for what it's worth I think you should just talk to him.”

He sighed heavily, placing his hands flat on the table and allowing his head to drop. “You're right. Thanks, y/n.” The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, as did his deep brown eyes as he raised his head to look at you. You were already distracted by the tension which lingered in his shoulders, the rigidity of his arms as they supported his weight, the way he had leaned into the pose so much that now when he looked up his face was so close it almost filled your vision. You swallowed nervously.

“Any time. I- I have to go.” You stumbled up from your chair, ignoring George's confused stare and sounds of protest as you practically bolted from the room.

—

You lay on your bed in the attic, tears slowly soaking into the pillow you'd buried your face in. This was the end; it had to be. You couldn't carry on working for the agency like this. If George had shown any interest it would be okay - Lockwood and Lucy managed to balance being a couple who worked and lived together, there was no reason you two couldn't do the same, but it could never work being so one-sided. You'd just keep being weird, struggling to hold your nerve around the boy until it would start bleeding into cases and Lockwood would have no choice but to fire you for everyone's safety, if you hadn't already got one of you hurt by then. Not to mention the emotional hurt. It would happen either way, but at least if you walked away now you could control it.

“Y/n?” Lucy's voice came tentatively from the bottom of the steps. “George said you ran off, is everything okay?”

You flipped onto your back, drawing in shuddering breaths to recover from almost suffocating in the pillow. “You were right, Luce.” There was movement on the steps, but you kept your eyes on the ceiling. You couldn't bear to look at anyone right now. “I tried so hard to make sure neither of us got hurt, but George doesn't love me back and now I feel like even if I stay I'm going to lose him.”

The silence that followed dragged on longer than you could bear. Why wasn't she saying anything? You forced yourself to sit up.

George stood at the entrance to your room, eyes wide and lips parted.

You scrambled to your feet. “Shit! I mean, hi, um… how long have you been there?”

George continued to stare.

“I'm so sorry,” the words were rushing out of you now, “I just panicked but I don't want to make things weird so can we just pretend-”

“What do you mean, ‘doesn't love me back'?” he interrupted quietly.

You froze. There was no mistaking it: he'd heard you basically say you loved him and now there he was looking like the mere concept was so unbelievable, like the option hadn't even crossed his mind. Why would it? Time stretched on as you fought the urge to run again, as far as the ever-widening space between you would allow. Neither of you had moved, but you could feel the room expanding around you to make room for the bottomless pit you wanted to crawl into. “I…” you drew in a slow, deep breath, “I was fine just being friends but Lucy got in my head about you being exactly my type and now I think I'm actually flirting while you're still just pretending and I'm sorry…” Tears were pricking at the corners of your eyes and you hurriedly looked away, hoping he wouldn't see.

You faltered. Was he saying what you thought he was? “Well, I mean, I thought I'd made things super obvious and awkward but you didn't change so I thought you weren't interested.”

George's hand was still on your chin and his thumb rubbed soothingly across your cheek, wiping away the single tear that had spilled. “I thought you weren't interested! You normally go for those muscly gym guys so I figured I'd take whatever I could get with the arm wrestles and stuff, but then you started avoiding me so I thought you were done with it.”

A small laugh escaped you, and he looked at you in confusion. “Have you seen yourself?” Hesitantly, you raised a hand to his bicep, marvelling at finally being able to feel the muscle instead of just staring at it, and more amazed at the way the boy responded to your touch, drifting closer until you were barely inches apart.

“So then why did you run?” His voice was whisper soft against your face, eyes gazing down at you with an overwhelming blend of sincerity, bewilderment and something like longing. His cheeks were tinted as pink as you knew yours were.

“Got flustered.”

“Flustered? You? I don't believe you.” A smile tugged at the edge of his lips, the playfulness you were used to creeping back into his voice. It was such a relief to feel the tension dissipating from the room, to have your George back, that you buried your head in his shoulder with a giggle. He laughed too, wrapping an arm around your waist. “Oh, I see, you really want to do this? Okay, let's see ‘flustered y/n’ at their best.”

“Lucy's going to be very smug about this, you know,” he nudged you.

“I know,” you whined, burying your face in your hands. “Rock paper scissors for who has to tell her.” George laughed again and placed his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer as you leant into the embrace.

“Is this just a ploy to get more hugs?”

“Is it working?”

In response, he brought his other arm around your waist and kissed your forehead. You smiled, leaning up to kiss him properly, and he reciprocated eagerly.

—

Lucy had left George alone on the steps to your room once you started your confession, giving you both a bit of privacy, and decided when he didn't come back downstairs immediately that things had either gone very badly or very well. She believed, and hoped, that it was the latter. Her suspicions were confirmed when she came to tell you she'd made breakfast and found you fast asleep, wrapped in George's arms.

#fic rec #lockwood and co #lockwood & co #george karim #george karim x reader

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