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sparkplug02 · 3 days

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My take on the Final Fifteen

To Aziraphale, I don’t think the choice was “stay with Crowley on Earth” or “leave Crowley for Heaven.” I think the choice was “go to Heaven with Crowley” or “go to Heaven without Crowley.” In other words,

“No” wasn’t an option (to Aziraphale) (gif is not mine).

From the coffee shop scene where the Metatron orders coffee from Nina:

Metatron: “Do people ever ask for death?”

Nina: “What?”

Metatron: “The name of your establishment, ‘Give me coffee or give me death’ - I assume they always ask for coffee?”

Nina: “They don’t ever ask for death, no.”

Metatron: “I don’t suppose they do. So predictable.”

Death isn’t an option. “No” isn’t an option. Not to Aziraphale, who goes along with Heaven as best he can.

With Job, there was wiggle room to bend the rules and interpret things in Job’s behavior. Aziraphale lied but he didn’t outright refuse anyone. Technically, Crowley was the one who made the trick happen. Aziraphale only affirmed it.

During the Final Fifteen, Aziraphale had effectively just started a war. To quote Crowley, “Heaven won’t like that.” Then Voice of God personally came down and, rather than issuing a punishment for using his halo, the Metatron told Aziraphale he would be the new Supreme Archangel.

If God (or God’s voice) says so, then it must be. Aziraphale IS the new Supreme Archangel. The Supreme Archangel must reside in Heaven, so Aziraphale will go to Heaven. For an angel, there is no choice in that. I doubt it crosses Aziraphale’s mind that refusal mighty be an option. There is no option.

Aziraphale’s time on Earth is up. Maybe that is how he sees it. Nothing lasts forever, and he has to go. I doubt he wants to go alone though.

(gif still not mine)

If Crowley came with him, that would make Heaven more bearable. Making Crowley into an angel again might not be an “I can fix you” but a “this is the only way we can stay together.” It is not within Aziraphale’s new jurisdiction to refuse the call of the Lord, but it is within his jurisdiction to give a call of his own. I doubt any angel has the power to make a demon an angel again, so the Metatron was probably banking on the fact that Crowley doesn’t trust Heaven and would never willingly return there, but I also doubt Aziraphale knew that.

If you approach this from a perspective of no alternative, no choice for Aziraphale to stay or leave, only the choice for Crowley to join him or stay behind, then the response to “tell me you said no” was a very honest and genuine “I couldn’t.” Not because Aziraphale values Heaven over Crowley, but because he has no choice in the matter. He IS going to Heaven. He doesn’t see a way out of that.

Of course, Crowley does, and why wouldn’t he? He makes his ‘too late’ love confession, and when that doesn’t work outright, he tries to convince Aziraphale that he has a choice, that he can refuse, that he should refuse, that he ought to refuse.

One of the things I learned in a public speaking class (shoutout to Donna) is that if you’re trying to persuade someone, you can’t expect to get them to swing from one extreme to another. You have to know where your audience stands on the issue and aim to move them one, maybe two degrees towards your side at a time. If you want to change someone’s mind the easy way (talking to them instead of forcing them through an experience that changes their perspective), you have to go slow and steady. If you try to argue someone from one extreme to another, then all you’re likely to do is push them even further away from the stance you want them to take.

This was not a slow and steady persuasion. This was a last-ditch attempt at a long shot. Aziraphale had just started to separate himself from Heaven, enough that he stopped Armageddon with Crowley, but he wasn’t completely detached from them. They still sent Muriel to watch him, which implies that he’s still under Heaven’s control, even if he has gone rogue.

Aziraphale doesn’t see staying behind as an option. He cannot do it, it will not happen. He spends all that time trying to convince Crowley to come with him because that it is the only thing that will make this inevitable future bearable. He must go to Heaven, he will go to Heaven. When Crowley asks him if he said no, he doesn’t respond because this isn’t something he can say no to. It doesn’t occur to him, and he doesn’t consider any possibility…

…until Crowley kisses him.

This is only one example. He keeps turning around, keeps looking back. THAT is one step in the right direction. THAT was enough to make him hesitate, to wonder if maybe he could choose not to go to Heaven and that maybe he should. One fabulous kiss and now, all of a sudden, he’s second-guessing himself.

He still goes, but in the elevator, the Metatron tells Aziraphale about the Second Coming. Crowley figured this out earlier, and Aziraphale knows it now. That final look? Well, they both know how Crowley thinks the Big One will end. Heaven and Hell against Humanity.

In order for Crowley to succeed at stopping the Second Coming, Aziraphale would have had to stay with him. In order for Aziraphale to succeed at thwarting the Second Coming, Crowley would have had to come with him. They probably both feel like the other is abandoning them in their greatest time of need.

Here’s the thing, though: Aziraphale may be Supreme Archangel now, but he was Guardian of the Eastern Gate first and foremost. Aziraphale might stand by and watch Heaven and Hell fight, but the second Heaven turns against Humanity, ohhhhhh it’s over. He was only willing to kill Adam because he thought the rest of Humanity’s survival depended on it. He knows humans kill each other and die all the time, but the last time he’s watched a holy or unholy being kill people was the Flood, and that was God Herself doing it. If his captors fellow angels start killing humans as collateral for the Second Coming, then that will knock him over the edge.

And Heaven doesn’t want that. The Metatron gets Aziraphale in line before the Second Coming starts. If Aziraphale and Crowley team up (you know, the angel and demon who tried to subtly perform a double-half-miracle and instead produced a 25 Lazari smoke signal), it’s over. The day Heaven loses their grip on Aziraphale is the day Heaven loses.

I think Crowley’s kiss worked better than he thinks it did. It made Aziraphale doubt, and it walked him one step closer to turning around. Aziraphale’s protective Principality nature will take care of the rest, and as soon as Aziraphale realizes he has a choice, we all know the choice he will make. Crowley is an optimist. He’ll be there when Aziraphale figured it out.

He’ll be pissed off, but he’ll be there. They both will. Crowley is still on Their Side. My guess is that Aziraphale will go radio silent for an episode or so before he sabotages Heaven so bad that the only way they can recover is by teaming up with Hell. The second Crowley sees Heaven’s plan going up in flames, he’ll know his angel is behind it. He’ll know Aziraphale is on Their Side again.

#good omens #good omens season 2 spoilers #good omens season two #good omens season 2 #good omens s2 #good omens season 3 #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #crowley #aziracrow #crowly x aziraphale #final fifteen #metatron #neil gaiman

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sparkplug02 · 5 days

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"You're the idiot!"

Aziraphale's heart pounded. He'd never said anything like that before, certainly not to Crowley. The demon snapped back around, his face a mix of confusion and anger.

"What?"

Aziraphale hesitated. "You're always calling me an idiot-"

"-because you're always acting like one-"

"-when really, you're the idiot."

Crowley was incredulous. "Me? I'm not the one who decided to throw away 6000 years of friendship and - and love - and - and fly off back to Heaven."

"I had to, Crowley. They needed me."

Crowley rolled his eyes. "They needed to use you, you mean. Or make you their scapegoat. Or - to tear us apart. Well good on them, it worked."

"Not Heaven. Humanity."

Crowley stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well I was... Well to be honest, I was too proud to tell you the truth."

"OK, and what is the truth?"

Aziraphale hesitated. "I - I -"

"Oh would you just say it already angel?" The last word left his lips before he could stop himself.

"What did you mean when you said love?" Aziraphale flashed his blue eyes at him. Crowley was taken aback. "What?"

"A minute ago, you said I threw away 6000 years of friendship and love and -"

Crowley shook his head. "Nothing, it was - it was nothing. You're deflecting, angel." Aziraphale's eyes widened and he smirked. "So are you." Crowley cleared his throat."There's just nothing to talk about," he stiffened. "That was just -"

Aziraphale grinned and pressed his lips against Crowley's, the way he'd always denied wanting to before Crowley had kissed him.

Crowley thawed on the spot immediately. He couldn't help it. This is what he had wanted when he had first kissed Aziraphale. He could feel everything else stop, but it wasn't the same as when he stopped time. It was like time was still going, but the two of them were in their own separate bubble that was moving at its own pace outside of time. Despite enjoying it, he had never truly understood Aziraphale's desire for food on the same level as him. But this - this he understood. He never wanted to let him go again.

The angel's hands caressed his cheek and another his back and he felt himself shiver involuntarily like he had the last time. Even though he had had desires before - alcohol, knowledge, occasionally food, music - he had never wanted anything this much in his existence before. He wanted what humans had.

His insides screamed for his touch, to be close to his angel. He pressed his lips back against the blond's, his body taking over all control. He gently pulled him in tightly, like there was no closeness that would ever be enough for him.

Aziraphale let himself go and fell into the - his demon's touch. It was the first time he had ever allowed himself to think of Crowley as his. Yet no matter how he had it tried to deny it for the last 6000 years, it was all he had ever really wanted. Crowley pushed back against him softly and he could feel himself sinking into the strongest temptation he had ever felt. The first time Crowley had given him food had been nothing compared to this. He kissed him back until the pressure in his chest was so tight that he had to pull away.

"I wanted to go to you," he breathed when they broke apart. "I nearly did."

"Why didn't you? All this time, angel, we could've -" Aziraphale smiled and rubbed a hand gently across his cheek. "I had to go. When - when The Metatron and I were talking - after - after - well, after anyway, he told me what they were planning. And I just couldn't walk away. And I knew if I told you, you would try to stop me, or it would give me away or - well, at any rate, I had to make a choice. And -"

"-You chose Heaven."

"No. Well, I mean, yes. But then no. And then yes, but also no. OK, so yes, initially, that did happen. But then, well, you kissed me, and I really thought for a moment about taking it all back, but there was so much pressure and you and me, well it was never going to work."

"Right," Crowley said in a disappointed voice.

"And then when The Metatron and I were walking, he told me what they were planning and I reconsidered for-for a moment."

"Okay..."

"Well I stood there and I thought about what you had said and how - how I felt and I really was going to walk away for a moment. But then I thought about you and how good you are -"

"I keep telling you, I'm not."

"But you are. You are what Heaven ought to be, Crowley."

"I'm - what?"

"Look at all the good you've done over the years. You - you never should have been cast out, Crowley."

"Careful, someone might hear you."

"But it's true. And I thought about it you knew what I knew in that moment and what you would do. And I knew you would fight. And that the best way was from the inside, where I could gather the most information. So I went."

"You what? The whole time?"

Aziraphale's cheeks reddened and he smiled sheepishly back at Crowley. "You know what angel? I think I just fell even more in love with you." His own words caught him by surprise.

"I-"

Before he could protest or take them back, Aziraphale was kissing him again. "I love you too, Crowley," he whispered. The demon's eyes fell closed and he felt himself melting into him once more.

#crowley #good omens #aziracrow #aziraphale #go season 3 #ineffable idiots #ineffable husbands

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sparkplug02 · 10 days

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Annabeth using the nickname “Seaweed Brain” is great on its own, but it’s made so much funnier by the fact that Percy’s nickname for her is “Wise Girl." Like Annabeth’s over her with “You’re a bit of an idiot sometimes,” and all Percy can think up to match the energy is “Well, you’re smart as hell!” He’s really so whipped for her; it’s a miracle he didn’t figure it out sooner.

#psst #I think it’s because #Rick couldn’t say dumbass or smartass #but don’t let me ruin your fun

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sparkplug02 · 24 days

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Thousands of years have passed, they both have changed, but the bickering remains the same + BONUS

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sparkplug02 · 27 days

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Where a Canvas Blooms by foolishlovers

It’s an Arrangement. Aziraphale knows this. He knows a lot of things, and others he doesn’t, but the most important things, he knows. He knows that the cheeky redhead in his arms smiles and purrs when he runs his fingers through his hair, knows that Crowley’s hands are rough from working outside, knows the softness of his heart. Aziraphale doesn’t know he’s in love with Crowley until he does. But it’s just an Arrangement. Is it? Part 1 of The Cuddle Arrangement

word count: 3.8k rating: T relevant tags: Human AU, Trans Aziraphale, Trans Crowley, Touch-Starved Aziraphale, Touch-Starved Crowley, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Cuddling & Snuggling, Comfort, Pining art by the wonderful @omens-for-ophelia

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sparkplug02 · 1 month

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On the road to Season 3 - Day 105

How deep is trust when you don't even flinch an inch at such closeness?

How deep is trust when you're naturally so close?

Master post : here

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sparkplug02 · 1 month

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The Skywalker/Naberrie family would have dominated baby races.

Anakin would absolutely abuse take advantage of his and his childrens’ Force abilities to win. Maybe they can’t telepathically talk, so it’s more like they can send vibes to each other and they understand. I’ll bet Anakin would always know what was bothering the twins as babies. They would start crying and Anakin would instinctively know how to help them feel more comfortable.

So they pass by a baby race, and Padmé and Anakin exchange a glance and decide to enter the twins. Anakin is carrying Leia on his chest and Padmé is carrying Luke on her back, but within seconds they are out of the baby carriers and Padmé has them poised at the starting line.

As soon as the race starts, Anakin taps into the Force and guides the twins to him. Hence, so begins the quickest baby race on Naboo, and also the only one that ended in a tie with both winners belonging to the same parents.

Obi-Wan swindles 40 credits off of three people unfortunate enough to bet against him.

#padme naberrie #skywalker #anakin skywalker #luke skywalker #leia organa #leia skywalker #obi wan kenobi #star wars #star wars prequels #sw prequels

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sparkplug02 · 1 month

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can someone draw this

what if bilbo brought hobbit songs to the quest for erebor to add onto the songs the dwarves sung and they ended up sort of getting adapted into the dwarf song list and got passed on to the families of the survivors so at one point during the fellowship of the ring gimli starts singing and frodo's like now wait a damn minute

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sparkplug02 · 1 month

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One of my favorite relationship tropes (sexually, romantically, or platonically) is mutual slow-burn earned loyalty/trust. Thank you for asking what that is, I shall gladly explain in more detail than necessary:

We start with two characters who are not on the same side for whatever reason. They don’t necessarily have to be enemies, they could probably even know each other before the plot starts, but they can’t know each other well. This probably works best if they have goals that overlap but don’t align perfectly.

Something forces them to cooperate, whether it be forced proximity, common enemy, something plot-related, whatever. It’s these two individuals who would not work together under normal circumstances finding enough common ground to accomplish something whilst collaborating. Both of them are aware that this is a short-term arrangement because they aren’t on the same side, this kind of cooperation isn’t sustainable long-term given current conditions.

Whatever makes them cooperate gives them an incentive to trust the other (however fleetingly) but they both need to have motivation to do not do that as well. They both need to have some reason to distrust the other. Character A needs to think that Character B has something to gain by betraying Character A, and Character A needs to also be aware that they themself have something to gain by betraying Character B. Likewise, the same goes for Character B. It’s mutual distrust. I know you could betray me, and I know I could betray you, but due to extraordinary circumstances, I have no (some? but not enough) choice but to work with you in this instance.

The temporary alliance works, and A and B go their separate ways. If this relationship is sexual or romantic, now would probably be an appropriate time to introduce some of that.

Off they go, each to accomplish their own goals in life, but their paths cross again. Along comes another opportunity for cooperation, but this one isn’t as critical or urgent. They don’t HAVE to work together again, but for reasons, they do. Their feelings still haven’t changed, though.

They could still betray each other and have something gain from it, and they both know it goes both ways. The only two things that are different from last time is 1) At least one character is not as desperate as they were last time, and 2) historically speaking, they have a 100% probability of not betraying each other.

They’re not idiots. They know that just because the other person didn’t betray them last time doesn’t mean all is safe and well this time. They were desperate last time. This is different.

Now would be a good time to introduce what about their character/personality makes them so distrusting. A history of being betrayed, innate paranoia, personal biases, general worldview, pick your favorite. Bonus points if A and B have different reasons.

They cooperate again, and this begins a series of cooperative sessions, I say a good minimum here is three (3). Over the course of at least three shown cooperations, I like to see:

1. Growing compatibility. This can be sexual, romantic, or platonic. They learn to work together efficiently and effectively, to navigate being around one another, to not cross certain boundaries and know where the lines are. No giant gains on trust made this time, but by now they’ve probably established some habits and patterns so at least they know what to expect. For the extremely paranoid or anxious, it gives them places/scenarios to EXPECT betrayal. Give them something to overthink between team-ups. Now Character A can come up with warning signs and blind spots and armor chinks while Character B is Not Doing That TM. (A is for Anxious and B is for oBlivious)

2. Growing comfort/chemistry. Again, can be sexual or romantic or platonic. Now that they know the dance this team-up requires, it comes easier, more naturally, more instinctively. As long as the rhythm doesn’t break, there’s nothing to worry about. They don’t spend as much brainpower thinking about betrayal, so there are more brain cells available for small talk/casual conversation/trauma-dumping/flirting/philosophical debates/ethical debates/etc. The guards are slowly coming down, one at a time. Not too fast, they could just be trying to get the other to show enough vulnerability to stab them in the back. The trust is building, though, even if they deny it to themselves. Especially if they deny it to themselves. Especially if they deny it to OTHERS, who are becoming increasingly aware that this person who is Not On Our Side is getting a little too close for Others’s comfort.

3. Stress. Maybe the stakes are raised, maybe one person is catching some flack for teaming up with the other, maybe one person accidentally crosses a boundary they didn’t know about or touched a nerve they didn’t know existed. It’s not outright betrayal, no. Chances are, whoever introduced the stressor (if either of them did) wasn’t being malicious and had no idea this would be the response. This wasn’t intended to bring harm to the other, and the damage isn’t permanent or unforgivable or unreparable, but it is there now. Their chances of not betraying each other are still, historically speaking, 100%, but now there’s this great big thing in the way of what used to be a smooth partnership. What was easy and natural and instinctive last time is now tense and frustrating. I recommend some buffer time after this. Either A and B have at least one more cooperation during which tension dissipates, or they just don’t see each other for a while.

After the minimum three shown cooperations, the Thing happens. Remember how A and B have overlapping goals but not quite aligned goals? The Thing presents the grounds for a last-minute unification of Our Side and Not Our Side (as seen by both A and B’s sides). The leadership of the sides may not see it this way, but it has to be more than just Character A on A’s side and more than just Character B on B’s side.

Now, it’s one thing if Character A does something that risks Character A being betrayed and getting hurt. It’s another thing if Character A does something that risks Character A being betrayed and getting their friends/family/allies/peers/mentors hurt. Same goes for Character B. The Thing is absolutely a situation in which it would be beneficial for A or B to take advantage of their past team-ups and propose another, more robust, probably more permanent, and more widespread alliance. It also increases the risk involved exponentially. If there was ever going to be a betrayal between the two of them, it would be now. This is the perfect opportunity for the other to destroy Our Side and it would absolutely work, no doubt about it.

It doesn’t matter who proposed the idea first. Let’s say A and co goes to B and co. This can go one of three ways:

1. A reaches out to B. B brings it up with their friends/leadership on their side and is immediately met with suspicion, doubt, and criticism for it. There’s no way the other side would ask for our help. B argues for A, putting their neck on the line, and eventually gets at least some of their side (could be just a handful of close friends, could be the leadership unit) to agree to the alliance. B gets the word back to A and they get to work.

2. A reaches out to B, but before they do, they have to fight tooth and nail to get their friends/leadership to agree to even ask for a truce, and friends/leadership probably don’t believe they’ll get a ‘yes’ anyway. A argued for B, putting their neck on the line, and eventually gets at least some of their side to agree to ask for the alliance. B and co agree relatively quickly and they get to work.

3. A combination of 1 and 2 where both A and B have to stick their necks on the line for the other and both sides resist the idea of a truce before some/all members of both sides give in and agree.

It takes a lot of good faith and benefit of the doubt, but the sides cooperate. This leads to A and B being the main points of communication between the conjoined sides because they know the most about the Other Side as well as Our Side. Once the bare bones of the truce/alliance have been worked out, whichever side resisted the truce/alliance (or both sides in the case of option 3) somehow reveal the risk that was taken. If A had to advocate for B and their side, the B hears about how much A fought for them. If B had to advocate for A and their side, then A hears about how much B fought for them. If they both did it, they both find out separately.

In hearing about this, that character realizes what the other risked and went through to make this work. Maybe they had to give up their pride, or their safety, or their position/rank on their side, or maybe they’re just receiving a lot of shit for this decision. Now, this isn’t just risking a betrayal in order to gain something. It is also now that the other gave up something else (ideally something else important) in favor of trusting that they would not be betrayed.

Looking around, it worked. The start was rocky, but the gears are slowly starting to turn and a new machine has awakened and it’s working. The risk was worth it. There was no betrayal, even at the point when it would have been easiest and most beneficial. Despite that stressor from earlier, they chose trust over caution. This plan is working.

It is at this point that whichever character is discovering what the other gave up decides, right there and then, that the other is worth trusting from here on out. 100%, no reservations, no second-guessing motives or loyalties. If the other character could risk all of this for their partnership (friendship? Romance?), then they can commit too. Besides, isn’t it too late now anyway? They’re already here. If the other character is setting up the biggest betrayal of all time, then there is nothing that can be done anymore. Might as well go all in. (For option 3, both characters go through this, so double the fun.)

The final conflict happens, and once again, A and B are working together. Because it’s the final conflict, the stakes are probably about as high as the first initial cooperation, if not higher, but this time they know how this works. There is less desperation, less butting of heads, more understanding, more accommodation, more trust, and more loyalty. At the turning point of the final conflict, whichever character did not take the risk is presented with a choice (for option 3, pick one or the other).

This choice is two things: important and urgent. The choice is important because they now have to choose between the risk-taking character and something they would have chosen over the risk-taking character before their partnership started. No contest, they would have let the other character die before they gave up this other thing. The choice is urgent because there is no time to debate or deliberate. Choose now or you lose it all.

The choice character chooses the risk-taking character. Immediately, with no hesitation, with no remorse or regret.

Whether the risk-taking character processes this in the moment or after the final conflict, they come to these two realizations: firstly, if this had happened before their partnership, the choice character would have given the risk character up, and this has now changed. Secondly, this must have changed a while ago because the choice character answered right away, meaning they had already decided this before the final conflict happened. There wasn’t enough time for the choice character to think about their answer, which means they didn’t. Their reflexive response was to choose the risk character over the other choice.

Neither A nor B dies. This is a happy trope. Fight me.

After the final conflict, A and B are sitting alone together. Maybe the unification of sides is transitioning to a more stable phase, or maybe everyone is packing up to go home, but at least they’re parting on better terms than they arrived. Maybe they’re mid-celebration party. In any case, the two are actively sitting in the product of their relationship. The entire victory hinged on their trust and loyalty to each other. It’s sitting in the air between them and they both know it. Maybe it needs verbal acknowledgement, maybe it doesn’t, but some kind of relationship is confirmed between the two of them by the end of their conversation.

After all, historically speaking, the likelihood of them not betraying each other is still 100%. Both of them plan for it to stay that way.

#tropes #writing trope #enemies to friends trope #i care about you and i know you don’t trust me but i have done this for you and i do not regret it #trust #loyalty #relationship tropes #platonic #romantic #betrayal #I have needs okay

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sparkplug02 · 1 month

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THEY SAY SHES SHOULD BEVER USE NOBLE-TEMPLE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS WEIRD

TEMPLE-NOBLE

TEMPLE FROM THE LATIN ROOT TEMP MEANING TIME

NOBLE MEANING A PERSON BORN INTO HIGH SOCIAL OR POLITICAL RANK, INCLUDING NOBLEMAN WHO ARE SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS LORDS

TEMPLE-NOBLE

TIME-LORD

#doctor who #donna noble #rose temple noble

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sparkplug02 · 1 month

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What if Crowley’s hair fades to a deep, dark red or even black until Aziraphale comes back? I mean, his eyes already shift depending on how stressed he is. It’s not unreasonable to think his hair might do something similar

I like the difference in Crowley's hair from S1 to S2

S1. He's still working for Hell, it's a little messy, normal ginger color. He looks good.

S2. No longer employed by Hell. He chose a more vibrant red and miracles it to perfection because he's spending more time with his husband and wants to look extra nice for him.

Hopefully we get depressed unkempt hair Crowley in S3.

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sparkplug02 · 1 month

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Being an adult is buying your own ingredients for brownies, making them, and then eating them straight out of the pan with a fork. Quite possibly all in one sitting

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sparkplug02 · 1 month

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a fic featuring Fourteen and Donna being so so eepy (also on a03)

During one of The Doctor’s usual puttering about at 3 am in the Tardis, they immediately notice two things about a certain door. The first is that in the latest rearrangement of the floor plan, this door has gone from the hidden depths of what we’ll call it “the basement”, to a fairly central area of the top level. Second, and perhaps more alarmingly, this door that has been locked for millennia is now cracked ajar.

He doesn’t, however, feel any immediate panic. Instead, a little smile he can’t quite hold back appears on his face. Soft in their old age, really. Should at the very least check that what he thinks is behind the door is there, and not some sort of intruder. Technically, while the bio-metric locks that had been put in place were some of the finest in the universe, he had enough experience to know that no locks were truly unpickable.

As gingerly as possible, The Doctor opens the door enough to peek their head inside; it’s immediately revealed that he truly needn’t have worried about a break in. Donna Noble, currently prone on the bed, had been the one to open her room, just as he had guessed.

He should have worried about how now, apparently, Donna was an extremely light sleeper. He had been almost certain that he hadn’t made a noise, but not even a full second later, she rolls over to face the door and stirs awake. Blinking away some of the sleep, she sees him and gives him a half-sheepish, half-tired smile. Before he can say something along the lines of “don’t mind me, get some rest”, she pats the space next to her and gives him a “c’mere” nod of the head.

The Doctor goes willingly, and even manages to not hold their breath stepping through the former mausoleum of their best friend’s memory. He settles next to her, face to face in a classic “talking too late at night during a sleepover” pose. Because of who they are, he can’t help but let the first thing he says be, “I seem to remember someone lecturing me about sleeping in the Tardis when there’s a perfectly good bed in a perfectly good house, spaceman.”

Donna must be half-awake, because instead of arguing, she gives a one shoulder shrug and scrunches up her nose in amusement. “You caught me.”

“I thought everyone but Granddad was at the London house tonight?”

“Oh, they are. Work ran late and here was closer, so I sent off a text letting them know I was crashing here instead.”

“In the Tardis?”

“Well. No. That’s my little secret. Or, I suppose, our little secret now.”

The Doctor raises an eyebrow at her, asking for more info, to which she replies with a sigh. “You know, I wasn’t a super fussy baby-”

“-a bit shocking to hear, considering-”

“Oi! As I was saying, I wasn’t colicky or anything like that, but if Mum just could not get me to settle down, she would pop me in a car seat and drive around the neighborhood. Said I was out like a light within minutes.”

He has no idea where this story is going. He finds he doesn’t mind. It’s silly and sappy of him (what isn’t, these days?), but he finds it deeply charming when Donna goes on a little ramble. Especially when sleepiness is slowing her words and she keeps blinking for more and more seconds. They think they’ll get maybe 5 more minutes to chat before she’s fully gone again, and they’re going to savor it. She continues, “She stopped doing that when I old enough to toddle into their room and fall asleep between them. God, one morning they had gotten up early and I apparently screamed my little head off thinking they had left me forever.”

She says that last statement with a roll of her eyes, passing it off as one of those things kids do, but The Doctor’s heart lets out a pang. He wishes he could’ve told little Donna that it was okay, that her parents are there and they love her so so much. He wishes he could tell all Donnas that she won’t be left behind, not in the end. (They also wish they could tell themselves that they don’t get left behind, eventually.)

Personal timelines, however, are messy, and best left alone. Instead, he stays now, and he listens, and he takes Donna’s hand in his own. “Honestly, I don’t think my sleeping habits have changed that much. I still hate sleeping alone. I still hate sleeping motionless. Stick me on a boat with someone to cuddle up to and I’ll have the best rest of my life.”

She looks around the room briefly, then presses her forehead to the Doctor’s and continues, “You know, kind of like the nights I spent here. The Tardis, this room...it was only my home for a year. But it was also the most home I had been for a long, long time. And the house is lovely, so lovely, still can’t believe you bought us a house, but right now it’s too quiet and I missed it here. The various whirs and clicks and hums the Tardis makes? Better than any white noise machine on the market.”

The Doctor grins at her, feeling a bit smug and a lot soppy. “Now you know how I feel.”

She gives a half hearted poke at his chest, which is rather undercut by the yawn she lets out. “Still, ‘spect you to stay with us the majority of the nights.”

“Hey, I’m with you right now, aren’t I?”

She closes her eyes, giving a grin and a hushed, “Yeah, you are,” before slipping straight back to dream land. He technically could slip away now, but he’s already under the covers, are the steady breathing of his best friend is having a rather lulling effect. Remembering that he’s now allowed to rest, whenever he wants, he snuggles in closer, pulls the blankets tighter around them, and does just that.

#doctor who #fourteenth doctor #tennant doctor #donna noble #what if we were best friends and we coslept in your old room

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