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ineffable-endearments · 4 months

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I was rethinking the bookshop meta I wrote a while ago and realized I was not thinking big enough.

The bookshop has always been Aziraphale's version of Crowley's plants (his trauma reenactment), but also, absolutely everything Aziraphale does in Season 2 is a re-creation of Heaven's role. Crowley's behavior also encompasses everything, not just his plants.

I've seen it suggested that centering Aziraphale and Crowley's trauma histories is reducing their characters to behaving like just reactive victims instead of survivors with agency. Or worse, it's "excusing bad behavior." I don't agree with either of these, because I feel that part of Good Omens is about how large, powerful systems affect individuals, and so the context of every character's decisions matters a lot to the overall themes of the story. Everyone starts out working within a system they believe to reflect reality and then has to learn how to break free of it. You cannot really illustrate that without having the characters start out being genuinely trapped with different ways of coping with their reality.

This is an attempt at a pretty big-picture meta. Although it isn't a plot prediction, it's how I think some of the series' themes are going to progress. It starts out perhaps a little grim, but in the long run, it's how Aziraphale's character growth and relationship with Crowley can simultaneously be massive for them as individuals, a crucial part of the overarching narrative message of the series, and symbolic of a change in all of Heaven and Hell, all while allowing the themes to continue to prioritize human free will.

In short, it's about Aziraphale's problems, but it's also meant to be an Aziraphale love post.

All of the below exists in tandem with Good Omens as a comedy of errors. Just because there are heavy ideas does not mean they will not also be funny. Look back on how much of Season 2 seemed silly until we started to pick it apart! One of the amazing things about Good Omens is how it manages to do both silly and serious at once! (I feel like that's maybe a little Terry Pratchett DNA showing through. "Laughter can get through the keyhole while seriousness is still hammering on the door," as Terry himself said.)

Aziraphale has really embraced his connection to Crowley in Season 2, and he has also become considerably more assertive toward Heaven and Hell. These are both major growth points compared to the beginning of Season 1.

However, again, we have the concept of growing pains...Aziraphale is starting to re-create Heaven's role in his relationship with Crowley and humanity. It's really obvious with the Gabriel argument and the I Was Wrong Dance, but I think we see it all over the place: he seems to feel any serious dissent is a betrayal. He also seems to assume there's a dominance hierarchy and he, of course, is on top. Now that he's decided to take control of his own future, then surely that does mean he's the one in control, right?

With all that said, he still seems to have trouble being direct about the feelings that make him most vulnerable. He manipulates people and engineers situations in which he can try to get his emotional needs met rather than saying things outright (case in point: the Ball).

Like I pointed out in the bookshop meta: subconsciously, he's playing the role of God, modified with what God would be if She were everything he wants Her to be. He's generous, almost infinitely sweet, always does what's best for people...or, at least, what he believes is best for people. During the Ball, Aziraphale influences the people around him to be comfortable and happy even when they're not supposed to be, and he limits their ability to talk about things he thinks are too rude or improper for happy, formal occasions.

Doesn't this pattern sort of make sense for an angel who's just discovering free will? Like, at the end of Season 1, he made an enormous choice to stand against Heaven and realized he could survive it. Now he's gone a bit overboard with exerting his own will. Unfortunately, while he's learned to question upper management, he's still operating on a fundamental framework of the universe where there have to be two sides and there has to be a hierarchy. Also, since Aziraphale is on the Good side, he of course has to gear his desires into what's Good rather than just what he wants, so he sometimes thinks he's doing things for others when really he's doing things for himself. (For example, matchmaking Maggie and Nina started out as something he wanted to use to lie to Heaven, but by the time he was commenting "Maggie and Nina are counting on me," he seemed sincere, like he had genuinely convinced himself this was for them and not for himself.)

Aziraphale knows Heaven interferes in human affairs, ostensibly on God's behalf. He thinks She should be intervening in ways that are beneficial. What I believe the narrative wants him to learn is that God and Heaven shouldn't be manipulating people at all, not even for Good, and in fact there is no real meaningful hierarchy.

Anyway, a top-down, totally unquestioned hierarchy is the primary social relationship Aziraphale has known, and it's certainly been the dominant one for most of his existence: you're either the boss or the underling, and if someone seriously questions you, they don't have faith in you - they don't respect you.

No, his relationship with Crowley has not always been like that, but they've been creating their relationship from whole cloth, so how would he know it shouldn't become that way, now that it's "real" and out in the open?

No, human relationships aren't like that, but Aziraphale clearly does not see himself or Crowley as human. As the relationship approached something that seemed like it must be "legitimate," Aziraphale would naturally look for a framework to fit it to. And again, the only one he has is the shape of "intimacy," or what passes for it, in Heaven. What has "trust" always meant in all his "legitimate" relationships? It has always meant unquestioning obedience, of course. What have the warm fuzzies felt like in Heaven? Well, praise from the angels above him is nice, so that must be it, right?

Aziraphale even describes being in love as "what humans do," separating out that relationship style. Someday, I think he'll realize he favors the shape of love on Earth, something that's more inherently equal, more give-and-take. Look at how he idealizes it from afar at the Ball. But I think that, like Crowley before Nina pointed it out, Aziraphale maybe hasn't 100% grokked that it can and in fact should work that way for him and Crowley, too. Just like people can desperately want to dance without knowing how to dance, or can desperately want to speak a language without knowing the language, Aziraphale does not instinctively know how to have the kind of relationship where he can be truly vulnerable and handle Crowley's vulnerability as well.

Aziraphale is downright obsessed with French, known as the "language of love." He's trying to learn it the Earthly way. He's not very good at it, but he wants to be.

This pattern is still present during the Final Fifteen even if we assume Aziraphale is asking Crowley to become an angel again out of fear (and I find it very hard to believe that fear doesn't factor in at all). He's still building his interactions off of that Heaven-like framework: he asks Crowley to trust him blindly, he tries to assume a leadership role with a plan Crowley never agreed to and couldn't follow anyway, and he tries very hard not to leave room for an ounce of doubt. He also suggests making Crowley his second-in-command and obviously does not register that this could possibly be offensive. Again, I think this is because for Aziraphale, there has always been a hierarchy in Heaven, it's started to transfer to his relationship with Crowley, and breaking out of that assumption about relationships is going to take more processing than a single argument can do.

As I mentioned in another post, I don't believe Aziraphale had a real choice about whether he accepted the Supreme Archangel position. I think he could sense that he was not getting out of it and chose to look on the bright side, to see it as an opportunity. And instead of looking realistically at how that would feel to Crowley, he tried to sweep Crowley up to Heaven with him using toxic positivity, appeals to morality, and appeals to their relationship itself. Again, mimicking what Heaven has done to him.

To me, "they're not talking" is a big clue that Aziraphale's approach with Crowley is going to be the mistake the narrative really wants him to face. "Not talking" has, thus far, been presented as the central conflict of Season 3! After losing the structure and feedback Heaven gave him, Aziraphale started creating Heaven-like patterns in his relationship with Crowley, and breaking out of those patterns is what he needs to do. Discovering first-hand that Heaven's entire modus operandi is bad no matter who's in charge is how he can do it.

Look, either you're sympathetic to Aziraphale's control issues or you're not. Personally, I am. He's trying so, so hard to be good. I think trying to figure yourself out (which Aziraphale is clearly doing) is hard enough, and when you start balancing what you want for yourself, what you think are your responsibilities, and what other people are actively asking of you, you're bound to fall into the patterns that have been enforced for your whole life or for millions of years, whichever came first.

It is very easy to assume that people should Just Be Better, but it's not actually that simple to be a thinking, feeling person. My anxiety tends to move in a very inward direction and Aziraphale's moves outward. But I'd imagine the desperation and exhaustion are the same.

Unlike Nina, Aziraphale became a rebound mess. I don't think it occurred to either him or to Crowley that there could be any soul-searching, anything but carrying on with the new normal after their stalemate with Heaven and Hell.

Now, instead of getting rejected by Heaven and surviving it, Aziraphale needs to be the one to reject Heaven. It needs to be a choice. And that choice is going to come from realizing that Heaven isn't just poorly managed but also represents a bad framework for all relationships.

How could this happen? Good question. We're obviously not supposed to know yet, although I think picking at existing themes within the narrative could possibly give us hints.

It's possible Aziraphale's character development trajectory will be akin to Adam Young's in Season 1. Please see this stellar post by eidetictelekinetic for more thoughts about it, but basically, in Season 1, Adam saw that the world was not what he wanted it to be and decided his vision was better; as he ascended to power, he took complete control over all his friends and then soon realized that's not what he wants because there's no point in trying to have relationships with people who can't choose you. It's that realization that leads Adam to conclude he doesn't want to take over the world and to reject the role he's expected to play as the Antichrist. Maybe Aziraphale's trip to Heaven is an attempt at a control move during which he'll realize he's defeating his own point.

Aziraphale clearly wants to be chosen. From the very beginning, he's wanted to be special and cared for - just like Crowley has.

Incidentally, I think Aziraphale and Crowley are going to represent pieces of the bigger picture here, and this - first imitating and then rejecting Heaven's relationship style - can both symbolize Heaven's transformation and directly start it (probably in an amusing, somewhat indirect way, like when he handed off the flaming sword to Adam).

If I'm right - which I may very well not be - I think this would all be so, SO cool. Like, "An angel who is subconsciously trying to be a better God" is a concept with so much potential for both tender kindness and incredible darkness. Add to that the comedy-of-errors aspect of "...but even deeper down, he'd much rather just be super gay on Earth" and you have, in my opinion, a perfect character.

I think this could work for Crowley as well. It's obvious that in the Good Omens universe, at least so far, Hell is all about detesting humans and punishing them; Satan seems to genuinely hate humans (unlike in some of NG's other works). Our perspective on this could change, but it potentially puts Crowley in a complementary position to Aziraphale, as a demon who is trying to be "better" than Satan. But this isn't about being "morally better." It's about things having a point. Crowley's exploits usually have a point: they test people. And you can pass his tests! He sincerely likes making trouble, but Crowley doesn't live to punish.

But, once again, the above paragraph would describe a transient phase for this infinitely charming character. Because, again, I think the point will be that in the end, Crowley's deeper-down desire, moreso than testing Creation, is watching it grow with a glass of wine in hand.

#go3 speculation

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tenyearsoftrash · 1 month

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Ten Years of HTP: A Celebration

Hi all, I (@eatingcroutons) set up this blog with all sorts of intentions about preparation and promotion and then Life Things Happened, but I'm still hoping to go forward with the idea of encouraging some nostalgia and memory-sharing about the last ten years of the HYDRA Trash Party.

The aim here is to be more of a celebration of community rather than your typical prompt fest - if you're looking for prompts for fanworks you might want to check out the @catws-anniversary that has just kicked off and will run until the 4th of April, or of course refer back to the Trash Meme itself!

So for this blog's purposes, feel free to post informal thoughts and musings and ramblings, and to comment on each other's memories - this is all about our shared history and nostalgia, and the idea is for it to be an open dialogue and celebration of community. A few points on logistics:

Anonymous asks and submission are open on this blog if you'd prefer not to participate under a named account. We all know how hostile certain corners of fandom have become to darkfic and adjacent content.

For all the themes below self-recs are also very welcome, if you want a chance to show off something you made years ago that hasn't gotten much attention in a while!

Go ahead and tag this blog at @tenyearsoftrash for a reblog of anything you post about the below themes!

All that said, here are some suggested themes and ideas to get you thinking and reminiscing:

April 4: Rewatch CA:TWS!

Take yourself right back to where it all began! With too many people across too many timezones we're not going to even try to organise a massive synchronised groupwatch, but maybe you could get a few of your old-school HTP buddies together to do a smaller one? In any case: fire up the movie, relive all the feels, and share any HTP-related thoughts that come (back) to mind after all these years!

April 5: Fanwork Recs

Go back and dig up some links to your favourite HTP fanworks - whether big or small, well-known or niche, what are the works that have really rewritten your brain chemistry, and stuck with you all this time? What was it about them that hit just the right spot? Feel free to share your thoughts on Tumblr - and to go back and drop a nostalgic comment on anything on AO3 😉

April 7: Meta Recs

Over the years there's been a lot of meta associated with HTP, from discussions of what CA:TWS and HYDRA represent in a broader social context, to endless back-and-forth about darkfic's place in fandom. Are there any posts that really made you think, or that remain relevant even now? Is there anything that came out of those meta discussions that has turned out to be particularly prescient, in hindsight?

April 8: HTP Fanon

What are your favourite bits of shared or personal fanon around HTP and its related concepts? Are there any Original Characters you're particularly fond of? Any particular tropes regarding characters or events that you will never get tired or bored of? Any ideas that might seem cracky on the surface but which you are totally into regardless?

April 8: Other Media/Fandoms

We've all had those moments where we've come across something in a new canon and immediately been like, "Oh, this is delicious trash bait," right? What other media has had a "Bucky Barnes Obediently Accepts The Bite Block" moment for you? What other characters might your fellow HTP friends enjoy as interesting targets for Trash Party Shenanigans? In what fandoms have you found yourself running into an awful lot of familiar HTP faces?

April 9: WIP Amnesty

Do you have any HTP fanworks that you never finished, or never got around to starting, for whatever reason? Now's your excuse to talk about them! Feel free to ramble about what your plans would have been, lament why they're never going to happen, or share some of those great ideas you never quite had time to plot out. Or, if you're feeling particularly inspired, go back and actually finish something off!

April 10: HTP Community Memories

To finish off the week let's talk about the community itself! What have been the good times, the interesting times, any times that have been personally significant to you, for any reason? What things have you experienced or shared or understood with or through or because of the HTP community? What new friends have you made over the years, and what old friends do you miss?

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Apologies again for taking some time to getting around to making this post, but hopefully people will still be interested in doing some reminiscing!

#hydra trash party #ten years of trash #admin

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leafofkudzu · 11 months

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Slightly delayed posting this, but hello again! The first Saturday of a new month fast approaches, which means it’s soon time for yet another community art party hosted by [VS] Verdant Shield! Last week I ran our first ever location-selection poll, and the winner by just a teensy margin was The Grove, so let’s try out a new location in the same map!

For those not in the loop about what an art party is, they’re an idea carried over from Final Fantasy XIV - big (or small!) get-togethers for artists/writers/creatives of all kinds to hang out, chat, and create together! Get your most eye-catching outfit together, find someone else who strikes your fancy, and create! Afterwards, everyone shares their creations on social media (mostly here on Tumblr for us) using a party-specific tag (ours is #VSArtParty) so others can see and spread the love around via reblogs! The tl;dr is the same thing I’ve been saying every time I make these posts, and will continue to say ad infinitum: the ‘goal’ of an art party isn’t to be drawn, but to draw others, and share with the community!

General party details are in the image above, but a text version with some additional details such as /squadjoin information is under the cut!

Location Details:

The last time we were in the Grove we tried Dawngleam Pergola as a location, but it very quickly overflowed during the NA party and has as such been disqualified from future large-scale events (sorry!). The Omphalos Chamber (aka the place where you go to visit the Avatar of the Pale Tree) is also limited in size, but is easily spilled out of onto the main floor immediately below it should the need arise (which it very well may). The closest waypoint is Upper Commons Waypoint, and the easiest way up to the uninstanced Chamber would be via a mount such as a springer or skyscale, but you can also use a teleport-to-friend or just kinda yell in an upwards direction to summon a helpful portal-bearer should the need arise. The map looks a little weird when viewed from Chamber-level, but here’s a screenshot just in case you aren’t familiar. If you still aren’t sure, just go the middle of the top floor and look up!

Time & Squad Details:

As always, the party will consist of two separate events, with an hour break in between (though technically people jump from one to the other immediately anyway so weee).

The first party will be on EU servers and begin at 9pm Central European Summer Time (aka 3pm Eastern Daylight Time or 5 hours before in-game reset). I’ll be hosting on my EU alt account, so to join either /squadjoin or whisper Aemryn of Dusk for an invite.

The second party will be on NA servers and begin at 7pm Eastern Daylight Time (aka 1am Central European Summer Time or 1 hour before in-game reset). This one I’ll be hosting on my main account, so to join either /squadjoin or whisper Kirslyn for an invite.

IMPORTANT NOTE (mostly for the NA party): If you join and the squad is at or above 45 members, please just taxi into the right map and then hop out of squad to allow others to do the same! Essentially all conversation now happens in say chat so you won’t miss out on anything by being outside of squad!

Closing Words:

For those who missed it, a week ago I posted a poll in the party tag where people could vote on one of the five main cities as a party location, with the promise that I’d select a location different from the previous party held in that map for whichever won. Going forward this will be the general format, with the poll going up 2 weeks before and the announcement 1 week before (yes I know this one is delayed I’m sorry D:). If you have suggestions for locations outside of the racial cities that are low/no combat and wouldn’t interfere with events/metas, feel free to DM me and I’ll scope them out for possible inclusion in future polls!

Anyway, that’s all for now! Sorry if I worried anyone by not having this posted back on Saturday - I had some irl stuff going on that delayed me a bit. Thank you so much to everyone who comes out to these and helps make them so memorable and fun, I can’t wait to see you all again soon! ♥

#i've been eyeballing the area trying to figure out if everyone would fit and tbh i fully expect it to spill out onto the main level hdkgfd #ANYWAY that's it that's all sorry this is late aaaAAA #gw2 #guild wars 2 #obnoxious tourist simulator #vsartparty #📢🎨

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borninwinter81 · 2 months

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William Blake and Good Omens - an intertextual analysis

Please note: I did another version of this and posted it, but it was quite hurried, way too short, and was incorrect in a number of ways so I deleted it. However it had already been reblogged by the time i did so. If you happen to see another version of this meta that's not the right one, this is the version I'm happy with!

After my previous post re William Blake and Good Omens did so well, and so many people showed an interest I've decided to do a more in depth piece. This is focused upon the TV version of Good Omens, not the book.

Please don't tag Neil in this - although it's mostly textual analysis I do a very small amount of S3 theorising, and I know he doesn't want to see that.

I am in no way suggesting that Neil and Terry specifically wrote Good Omens with Blake in mind, I honestly just wanted an excuse to write more about Blake because I love his work so much, and I thought it would be interesting to try and apply some intertexuality since the works will contain similar themes, both being about God, religion, humanity, and angels and demons.

I also should stress that I am not an expert on Blake, there are people far more qualified to comment on him than I. I'm just a former literature student who loves his work.

There have been many different interpretations of Blake's work over the years, so it's completely fine to disagree with someone else's ideas about it, as with any work of art or literature. And although this piece is likely to be long, I'll barely be able to scratch the surface of all the possible meanings that could be ascribed to it.

Much like the old adage that if someone claims to understand quantum physics they're lying, I'm not sure anyone can truly fathom the full meaning of Blake's philosophy (especially in his later prophetic works, fuuuuuuck those beasts....), so if you're confused by him don't be discouraged, that's perfectly normal!

That being said, I wish to discuss the parallels between Good Omens and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, my personal favourite and probably the most accessible of his longer works.

"Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and Repulsion, Reason and Energy, Love and Hate, are necessary to Human existence. From these contraries spring what the religious call Good & Evil. Good is the passive that obeys Reason. Evil is the active springing from Energy. Good is Heaven. Evil is Hell."

This excerpt is from near the opening and sets out the central idea of the work - that there is an essential duality to humanity, and each person is a combination of extremes. These extremes are not at war with each other, but rather are equally necessary, hence the "marriage" of the title. "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" is a metaphor for the human experience.

Consistently throughout The Marriage... Blake refers to the two extremes as Reason and Energy. These terms could be construed in a number of different ways: thought versus emotion, mental versus physical, restraint versus desire, temperance versus excess, caution versus impulsiveness, and following the rules versus free will.

Blake's use of the word "Reason" in this context may be somewhat confusing, however he likely chose it because of his negative feelings towards science and the Age of Enlightenment. Blake saw literal visions of angels and prophets and the divinity of all creation, and hated that science reduced everything to formulas, calculations, and materialism, leaving the world bereft of wonder. "Art is the Tree of Life. Science is the Tree of Death" as he put it.

His ideas about "reason" are best expressed by his painting "Newton". Though inspired by the scientist, it is not a portrait - instead it depicts a figure deeply engrossed in scientific drawings and calculations, totally ignoring the beauty all around him - see below.

In the context of The Marriage... Reason is "passive" because it involves thought, caution, self-restraint, and doing what you are told, all states which block action. Energy is "active" because it is physical, emotional, impulsive and allows you to act based on your own choices and desires. It's quite clear that Blake feels "energy" is the preferable state - he tells us as much in the next section:

"The Voice of the Devil

All Bibles or sacred codes, have been the causes of the following Errors. 1. That Man has two real existing principles Viz: a Body & a Soul. 2. That Energy, call'd Evil, is alone from the Body, & that Reason, call'd Good, is alone from the Soul. 3. That God will torment Man in Eternity for following his Energies. But the following Contraries to these are True. 1. Man has no Body distinct from his Soul; for that call'd Body is a portion of Soul discern'd by the five Senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age. 2. Energy is the only life and is from the Body and Reason is the bound or outward circumference of Energy. 3. Energy is Eternal Delight."

So the body is an aspect of the soul, not separate from it, Energy comes from the body, it is Reason which places limits upon Energy, but Energy is eternal delight. Physicality, desire, impulsiveness, emotion, sensual pleasure and free will are not wrong or evil, they are aspects of the human soul and it is from them that we derive our enjoyment of life.

This does not necessarily mean that Reason is always bad. After all, Blake tells us that both are necessary for human existence. Sometimes temperance, caution and thought before action are required. But Reason becomes negative when it "usurps its place and governs the unwilling", i.e. when it completely supplants Energy and becomes the sole guiding factor, forcing passivity.

The Angels of The Marriage... are governed by "systematic reasoning", therefore they are wholly creatures of Reason. They are also "all religious" meaning they believe the "errors" stated above. His Devils by contrast "hate religion" meaning they believe the "contraries", which are the true statements according to Blake. It does not necessarily follow that they are wholly governed by Energy, merely that they believe Energy is "eternal delight".

It is worth noting at this point that Blake saw God and religion as totally separate. For Blake, "God" is that connection with divine wonder which was integral to his life; he tells us plainly that "all deities reside in the human breast" and that "the voice of honest indignation is the voice of God". In other words all humans have a direct and intuitive link with God and don't require the church, Priests, or a religious framework and adherence to a set of rules in order to reach moral decisions. These rules exist only to "enslave the vulgar".

The importance of this ability to make one's own choices about a moral course of action is shown by one of the "Memorable Fancy" sections of The Marriage...

Blake relates how a Devil is able to use an Angel's "systematic reasoning" against them:

"if Jesus Christ is the greatest man, you ought to love him in the greatest degree; now hear how he has given his sanction to the law of ten commandments: did he not mock at the sabbath, and so mock the sabbaths God? Murder those who were murder'd because of him? Turn away the law from the woman taken in adultery? Steal the labor of others to support him? Bear false witness when he omitted making a defence before Pilate? Covet when he pray'd for his disciples, and when he bid them shake off the dust of their feet against such as refused to lodge them? I tell you, no virtue can exist without breaking these ten commandments; Jesus was all virtue, and acted from impulse, not from rules."

The Angel has no way to refute the "reasoning" that Jesus was governed by Energy and "impulse", i.e. his own morality, the "voice of righteous indignation", not reasoning and the rules laid down by Heaven. And because Jesus is the Messiah he must be virtuous, therefore Energy is virtuous. The Angel immediately allows himself to be consumed by fire and is resurrected as a Devil.

How can these concepts apply to the world of Good Omens? This was where my first draft was totally incorrect, as I tried to transfer Blake's ideas about Angels and Demons and Heaven and Hell wholesale, applying "reason" to Aziraphale and Heaven and "energy" to Crowley and Hell. In fact the divide is slightly different in the GO-verse: Crowley and Aziraphale *both* represent Energy, and it is Heaven and Hell that act according to Reason.

At first glance Aziraphale may appear to toe the line - he needs creative application of the rules to make him comfortable with trying to avert the apocalypse, and when he doesn't like the way matters are being handled by the Archangels he seeks a higher authority and goes straight to God. He'd clearly prefer someone to be confirming the rightness of his actions for him. However this doesn't mean that he won't act on his own.

Immediately upon his introduction to the story he has given away his flaming sword, an action that he took impulsively because he felt it was right, not because someone told him to. It bothers him, but he does it anyway.

In the Job storyline, though he initially looks for some loophole within the rules that will allow him to save Job's children, in the end he directly goes against Heaven to do it, even though he believes he is going to Fall and become a Demon for having done so.

Though he resists it and exhausts all other possible avenues first, he eventually does take an active role in averting the apocalypse in S1.

He hides Jim at great personal risk to himself and against the will of both Heaven and Hell, again because he feels it is the right thing to do.

He is therefore perfectly capable of independent action from a position of "righteous indignation".

On a more basic level, he enjoys worldly pleasures, which all come from "energy" according to Blake's philosophy. Food and drink most obviously, but also books, music, dancing, theatre, art and so on.

Crowley is more easy to place as acting from Energy - in spite of the obvious aesthetic differences between them, he also loves worldly pleasures. Alcohol and coffee, snazzy clothing, driving his car with Queen blaring on the stereo, going to lunch with Aziraphale, Shakespearean comedies. All things he isn't supposed to want or need, and which baffle other Demons, in the same way that Aziraphale's desire for food baffles the Angels.

And he's absolutely willing to act according to his own moral impulses when they conflict with Hell's orders (or Heaven's), be it saving Job's children, ensuring that Elspeth doesn't die by suicide, or averting the apocalypse. Yes, he'll try to hide his "good" actions in order to avoid punishment by Hell, but he's firmly "on his own side".

Conversely, Heaven and Hell are both part of the structure of religion in this story, are strictly adherent to a set of rules, and their inhabitants appear to have no real desires of their own, other than possible advancement within the systems they uphold. They are "passive" in that their functions allow the status quo to continue and the "great plan" to unfold as they believe it is meant to, even though each side expects a different outcome.

Again, applying Blake's philosophy, I would say the reason for this is that "energy is from the body". Crowley and Aziraphale have both been given bodies in order that they can exist on earth, and *have* existed on earth for 6000 years, therefore "energy" - physical pleasures and free thinking - have become a part of who they are.

On a more fundamental level, possession of a body can be equated to humanity, and humanity has been shown as the most powerful force of all in this story, its influence having led to Adam becoming "human incarnate", and thus acting according to what he feels is right, instead of fulfilling the function he was destined for.

Heaven and Hell contain no material objects, and the Angels and Demons are spiritual beings, having no bodies, so they are not open to energy, and therefore are wholly governed by Reason, and the preservation of the religious structures within which they exist. Structures which, as for Blake, may not actually have anything to do with God herself. In S1 she is a distant observer, clearly aware through her narration of all that is going on, but not interceding in any way. In S2 she is barely present save for her voice being heard briefly in Job, and overlaid with Gabriel's on two occasions.

Bearing all this in mind, what predictions can we make regarding S3 by applying Blake's philosophy?

"The ancient tradition that the world will be consumed in fire at the end of six thousand years is true, as I have heard from Hell.

For the cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave his guard at [the] tree of life, and when he does, the whole creation will be consumed and appear infinite and holy, whereas it now appears finite and corrupt.

This will come to pass by an improvement of sensual enjoyment."

The parallels of the cherub with his flaming sword, and the passage of 6000 years should be obvious to anyone reading this - they have of course been lifted directly from the Bible as they are in GO.

I have read some metas which speculated that Aziraphale's bookshop, or perhaps Earth itself, is a metaphorical stand-in for Eden or The Tree of Life. Aziraphale has been commanded to leave his "Eden" and will now be instrumental in causing the whole of creation to become infinite and holy, but Blake tells us this will be done by an improvement of sensual enjoyment, which arises from Energy not Reason.

Sensual enjoyment is something which is intrinsic to Aziraphale's character, and this could make his placement in Heaven very important.

Putting aside all the "final fifteen" theories and taking matters at face value, Aziraphale tells us that if he's in charge he can make a difference - he needs to subvert the system from the inside out. The most subversive thing of all could be that a sensualist who acts according to "the voice of moral indignation" and "Energy" has become the supreme Archangel. We have seen in Blake how a realisation that Energy could be virtuous was enough to convert an Angel into a Devil (incidentally, does the image of an Angel being consumed by fire and emerging as a Devil seem familiar at all...)

We may have seen the beginnings of this already. Gabriel and Beelzebub became open to Energy from such little things as visiting earth, spending time in one another's company, and their mutual enjoyment of a song, which has given them wants and desires beyond those dictated by Heaven and Hell. This is enough to make them wish to leave their roles behind.

It's possible that the same may happen with Muriel. They haven't yet imbibed food or drink, but they have shown an enjoyment of books, which are an earthly pleasure, and open the reader up to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Of course, this would lead to questions regarding the Metatron's statement that he has "ingested things", and whether this means he is acting from reason or energy. Of course the simplest explanation is that it is a manipulation tactic, and he is lying about having done so, but if true that statement has some interesting implications. However, this is now super-long and I'm out of juice, so will leave others to speculate. I may return to this in the future!

There we go, hope you enjoyed. I doubt this will reach nearly as many people as my first Blake post, but if a few find it of interest then my work is done!

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ancientsweek · 20 days

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Ancients Week 2024 (!!!)

Welcome to Ancients Week 2024! This is a KOTLC fan-week dedicated to Ancient elves — because the concept of elves old enough to remember the very distant past is deeply fascinating, and because I love the Ancients. This event will be running from July 7th to July 14th 2024 (so a week and an extra day, but we'll call it a week for simplicity's sake). This is the first time I'm running this event (and, for that matter, any fandom event), so please be kind if I mess up somewhere. I'll try not to :)

Rules

DO NOT USE AI. NONE WHATSOEVER. I'm being serious. (although I'm pretty sure anyone won't, it doesn't hurt to state it outright)

No negativity on others' posts! We're all here to have fun.

And on that note, have fun!!!

Questions I Anticipate Getting

What can I make?

Anything! Fanfic, fanart, headcanons, meta, memes, incorrect quotes, dashboard simulators (those fake dashboard things), whatever — nothing is out of bounds!

Whom/what can I make something about?

Ancients! You can make any kind of fan piece about any and all Ancients, including implied/textual-ghost Ancients (like Bronte's mother, or Fintan's dead friends, who would have been Ancient had they survived into the modern day), characters you headcanon as Ancient, Ancient OCs, and even younger characters written as Ancients, so long as your piece involves an Ancient or is Ancients-centric somehow. So basically, go wild and have fun!

When will prompts be up?

If I stay on schedule, prompts should be up on (or in the week of, depending on what's going on) May 1st 2024. In the meantime, I'd love it if you could send prompt suggestions to this blog! I can only put seven prompts up but, I'd love to hear your ideas!

Do I have to complete every prompt or post every day?

No, you do not have to complete every prompt, or post every day! Feel free to post late, skip days, ignore the prompts, combine the prompts and so forth — do only as much as you want to. Remember, Ancients Week is a fun little thing and also a state of mind not bound by petty things like dates. (And I'd genuinely be delighted if I saw new ideas I hadn't considered and new posts in the tag even months later.)

How do I tag my works?

I will be tracking the #ancients week 2024 tag, so please tag your fanworks with that! You can also tag @ancientsweek in your post. All the posts I find will be reblogged to this blog.

Can I post my works elsewhere?

(Not sure if people think about it but I always wonder about it if I'm participating in an event so, here you go.)

Yes! If you would like to cross-post your fanworks onto another site (like AO3, for example), go for it — after all, it's your work, and I can't (and don't want to) dictate where and how you publish it.

Where can I find announcements/reminders/important stuff?

Announcements, reminders, prompt lists, and all other things in the vein of housekeeping will be tagged #proclamations and asides (like this post). You can search for this tag on this blog.

Tag list under cut (I'm extremely sorry if I've forgotten someone)

@drama-llamaaa @fintan-pyren @swans-chirping-in-the-distance @chronically-ill-psionipath @kale-of-the-forbidden-cities @oroshka @ch3shireacat @crescentpaws @autistic-daydreamer @periwinkle-the-11th @lezabeththetheodoraimposter @i-died-dead @heliophilia63194 @mango-cheese67 @chaotic-starlight24 @jkriordanverse @mmeemy @myfairkatiecat @strange-cat (can't seem to be able to properly tag you sorry)

#proclamations and asides #kotlc ancients #ancients week 2024 #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #keepblr #it begins...sort of. but it counts!!!

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phoenix-kite · 2 months

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Reverse Robins AU - Outline

Sorry but this is a long one and a sum of my current ideas. A lot has changed from my first post.

Batman = Battinson or Brucie (either way Bruce is a good if not mid dad because I said so and I get to decide)

Damian starts off with the League until the recently formed Justice League makes a move against them. The mission is barely successful and Damian gets hit in the crossfire. The JL is horrified that the League would have a kid there and they take him to be fixed up. DNA tests are run to figure out who this kid’s parents are and they learn he’s Bruce and Talia’s son. Bruce has to step up and be a father for this small, violent, traumatized child and does so by letting him be his sidekick. Damian decides to go by Nighthawk. Eventually Dami wants to become his own hero and he becomes JadeWing. When Batman dies he takes up the cowl as a sense of duty but is seen constantly shirking his responsibilities.

Duke (he does not have meta powers) sees that Riddler has control of the city so he decides to study up on riddles to free them. This is how he meets Bruce for the first time. Duke’s parents have recently been jokerified and Bruce feels bad because he should have defeated Joker ages ago. Bruce decides to foster Duke until he grows close to the boy and adopts him. Bruce lets him be Nighthawk which angers Dami and Dami tries to kill him. Joker kidnaps his parents and Duke dies. He comes back to life to find out he’s been replaced and Joker is still around so he becomes Blue Veil. (I need more suggestions to flesh this out more.)

Cass had recently met Dami when the JL attacked the League base. She had become very protective of the boy and she snuck on Diana’s invisible jet to make sure he was taken care of. Once she realized he was safe, she tried to leave but she had nowhere to go and ended up roaming Gotham’s streets until she was put into the foster system. She ends up running into Nighthawk and sees him perform a move only Damian knew how to do (using katannas of course) and she figures out their secret identities. Damian dies and Duke leaves so Bruce becomes more violent. Cass hates this so she steals the Nighthawk costume and just shows up to a fight that Batman’s losing. Bruce is appalled by this and tries to get rid of her but she just keeps on showing up. Eventually Cass is made Nighthawk and later adopted. Duke shows up and is upset that he was replaced but he’s not angry at Cass so he really just breaks in (I don’t know where he’s breaking into because I have yet to do my superhero team research. I am begging for an assist). They end up having a heart to heart. Bruce dies (gets lost in the time stream???) and Cass tries to convince Damian to search for him but Damian quits being a hero altogether during this time. Cass single handedly brings Bruce back and stays nighthawk until Spoiler starts showing up. Cass feels betrayed by her family since they didn’t believe her about Bruce but she’s also concerned they just didn’t understand her. She decides to seek help to be fluent in more than body language. (It might be unrealistic that she never picked up English since she was only five years old at the time she left the League but I’m struggling. Either cut me some slack or offer me a solution at this point. Also this reason for her abandoning nighthawk doesn’t seem to fit well so please help.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, she ends up returning as Nightingale (for now because I do want to expand on this. She will end up becoming her own separate hero.)

Tim has been stalking the vigilantes for a while. He figured out their secret identities because he followed them back to the cave and hacked his way into not being picked up by scanners and not setting off the boundary alarm (RIP quadruple flip or whatever it was). A couple years later he finds out his parents run one of the largest child trafficking rings in the world. He tells Batman and Janet and Jake lose all of their work and are supposed to go to jail (they're not insane so not to Arkham) but they pay their way out of it. They trace a call Tim made to the Oracle hotline and he gets beaten near death because of it. Tim realizes Batman will never truly defeat his parents as they were already rebuilding their empire. Tim becomes Spoiler (I am in desperate need of a better name) to spoil his parents’ nefarious plans. Batman only sees Tim as the spoiled kid from next door. A rich kid with a cushy life that’s trying to play at being a hero. Batman tries to tell Tim he’s not allowed to fight. Tim says he’s going to fight anyway so Batman decides to make him Nighthawk and train him while Cass is gone. Tim’s father finds out that Tim is Nighthawk so he kills him. Or did he? Tim is not dead but was recovering far away from his father. When he comes back to Gotham he tries to kill his parents. Steph understands his anger and offers to train him to be batlad. Eventually Tim does kill his parents and he abandons batlad for his own anti-hero persona (currently unnamed).

Steph (I know that canonically she is the C-list villain Cluemasters child but that’s not going to work here partially because it’s not angsty enough) is the Joker and Harley’s child but Harley put her up for adoption. Somehow (please give me ideas for how) the Joker finds out that Steph is his kid so he, in a stroke of genius rather unlike him (possibly someone else's idea???), he hires some thugs to kidnap her and make it look like a random kidnapping gone wrong (as in fake her death). He sends her off to learn how to fight as well as Batman but also to keep Harley from knowing about her. She grew up with villains but the Joker only visited occasionally. Joker thought Batman was too concerned with the Penguin and thought that Bruce ought to be paying him more attention so he decided to test out Steph by sending her to kill Penguin. Steph succeeds but she is so disgusted by what she did that she runs away and Joker isn’t able to find her (again I could really use reasons why). Joker decides to draw her out by threatening to kill Commissioner Gordon. Joker decides to kill two birds with one stone by having Batman bring Steph to him. Steph saves Gordon’s life so Oracle and Batman decide to make her Batgirl.(I need ideas for a big reveal where Steph realizes Bruce is Batman.) After Batman dies Steph slowly distances herself from being Batgirl and focuses more on trying to meet her bio mom and getting back with the Browns (her adoptive family). Steph decided to pass the title on to Tim (as batboy or batlad) so he’d be taken more seriously by the bats. She finds out her adoptive father, Arthur Brown, is Cluemaster so she runs away and decides to become Black Bat. She uses this name until Joker is killed (by Duke or a joint effort. She finally settles on the name Orphan.

Jason discovers he’s a meta at age 10. He decides to hide this information because his dad is desperate to save Catherine from cancer but he can’t afford chemo. (I would greatly appreciate it if someone could tell me more about Jason’s parents.) Jason’s worried his dad would use him to aid his goon life. Catherine dies and Willis becomes a raging drunk to cope with the loss. Willis neglects his work for two-face so he’s killed. Cue tiny tire thief Jason. Batman finds out Jason is an orphan and he means to adopt him but he dies before that can happen. Jason joins We Are Nighthawk to help the city and escape Sheila. Sheila wants the Joker to leave her alone so she tells him about her meta son (I don’t know how she knows). The Joker wants to make Jason his Joker Junior. We Are Nighthawk offers both family and protection for Jason. When Bruce comes back he doesn’t want to be Batman anymore but a talk with Jason convinced him otherwise. Bruce then adopts Jason who decides he doesn’t want to be Nighthawk. He becomes Daybreak (unless someone gives me a different idea for his meta powers).

Dick’s parents’ die and he decides to go after Tony Zucco. Bruce was not there the night of their death. Instead he runs into Dick while he’s on the hunt for Zucco. Bruce decides to adopt Dick and help him move on from his revenge. (I can’t decide if I want Dick to kill Zucco anyway or not.) Dick ends up becoming Nighthawk.

Also if you can't tell I am desperate for help so please answer my many questions in the comments.

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brianllamawrites · 3 months

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Love Bites (Vampire!Sherloque Wells X Reader)

A/N: Buckle up because this is a long one! I've re-read and re-written this so many times, I really hope it's okay lol. I never know what to put in terms of warnings, but as the title suggests, there is vampire biting and (probably medically inaccurate) blood loss in this fic. Also, sorry if the French is bad, I used several online translators but I can never be sure how accurate they are.

Word Count: 5255

Tagging: @ageless-aislynn @khayrrilrainxwells @mcbenson25 @yetanotherwells (Feel free to message me if you want to be tagged in anything!)

There was a metahuman running rampant throughout STAR Labs. You weren’t sure how they got in, what their powers were, or what they wanted, but you knew they were very angry and were determined to let everyone know about it. The moment the security alarm went off, the poor few of you who were still around at five in the morning had scattered, hoping it would be harder for the meta to track you all down. Being the only one around with powers, Cisco took it upon himself to hunt the hunter. You had all tried Barry’s phone but there was no response.

Sherloque ran off before you did, and before your survival instincts had the chance to kick in, you decided to go on a secret hunt on your own. You had suspected something was off with him almost immediately. Sure, the reason why he attracted your attention in the first place may have been the way he looked at you when he first arrived, but no amount of winks and little smiles could hide all the weird things you noticed. He refused to leave the building until after the sun had set, kept far away from windows and mirrors, and acted so, so strangely whenever someone was bleeding. You tried to ignore it at first, but it was all too coincidental for it not to mean anything. After months of research and spying, you came to one conclusion:

Sherloque Wells was a vampire.

Okay. Vampire was a strong accusation. It was why you hadn’t told anyone yet. Why you were stalking him through corridors whilst a criminal was threatening everyone's lives. You just couldn't help yourself. Too many vampire novels, Joe would say, but after years of facing metahuman after metahuman, you longed to get your hands on something supernatural. And it was just an added bonus that the supernatural thing you had found was a Harrison Wells doppelganger. It was as if the universe had gift-wrapped him for you – that is, if he turned out to be a friendly vampire of course. You hadn’t decided on what you were going to do if he was secretly evil. Probably scream, get bit, and then die, unfortunately. Although, the getting bit part didn’t sound all that bad – not if it was anything like the novels you had read, anyway.

Sherloque turned the corner into the lounge and you paused at the doorway to eavesdrop. A few footsteps here. A few footsteps there. A few… Nothing. You held your breath and edged as close to the doorway as you could without being seen, but it was like no one was in the room at all. Just pure, eerie silence. Peeking your head around the entrance, you took a brief glance around; the room was large and open, there were no hiding places, and there was no Sherloque Wells.

Against every cell in your body shouting at you that it was a bad idea, you took a deep breath in and crept into the lounge. Your footsteps filled the room with a solitary echo. The city night lights spilt through the giant windows, pulling you out of the dark and towards the soft glow. Drawn towards the window, with the skyline catching your eye, you could feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Something– Someone was watching you.

You span around. Darting your eyes all over the room trying to follow the shadows that flitted in your peripheral. There was movement. A lot of it. You could feel it in the air. But god forbid, you couldn’t see a single thing. You started to shuffle backwards and attempted to control your breathing but it was a fight against your lungs that you were already losing.

Your back hit something cold and solid, and it was not the window. Fingers grasped your arm and jerked you around.

“Hello chérie."

Yanking your arm away, you stepped out of reach and narrowed your eyes at the man in front of you.

“Sherloque.”

“It’s not very sensible to follow me when there’s a criminal on the prowl.”

Slowly, the detective began to circle you, like an animal stalking its prey. There was a look in his eyes that sent a chill down your back.

“Then again,” he continued, “something tells me it's not the criminal that has your attention, is it? No. You’ve had your eye on me ever since I arrived, studying me just as I study the case of Cicada. I’m afraid your interest has not gone unnoticed.”

The detective stopped right in front of you and leaned in, you could smell the bergamot on his breath.

“So, my curious little cat, what conclusions have you drawn from watching me?”

You wanted to take a step back. Or at least, you should’ve wanted to take a step back. The thought had definitely crossed your mind. However, the moment his icy blue eyes captured yours, you were fixated. You couldn’t even want to think about running away no matter how hard you tried.

God. Okay. You never intended this to be a big confrontation, but it was happening whether you liked it or not. Right here. Right now. Ignoring the croak in your voice, you mustered up as much confidence as you could and said what needed to be said.

“I think you’re a vampire.”

The phrase made Sherloque’s lips involuntarily widen into an indulgent smile.

“You think?” he teased.

“I know.”

He paused before replying, letting himself appreciate your firm tine. “And do tell, what exactly makes you so sure?”

Words fell out of your mouth, toppling over each other in a big, bumbling mess. Amongst the babbling you managed to get out some kind of accusation.

“Y-you don’t– You don’t have a reflection.”

“And?”

And? And… Shit. The more you tried to think, the harder it was to conjure up any of your memories. It was like that damned smirk of his was chasing away all the evidence you had collected over the months, and not in the usual flirtatious kind of way. He huffed, amused at the panic that had settled on your face – he was enjoying this too much. You weren’t sure what kind of mind games he was trying to play with you, but you weren’t going to stand for it.

“Stop it!”

His eyes glimmered.

“Stop what?”

“That stupid thing you’re doing with your eyes. You’re hypnotising me or something with your vampire powers. I know it.”

Sherloque innocently placed his hand on his chest. “Moi? Never.”

“Sherloque,” you warned.

The detective took a step back and the fog in your brain had been lifted. You could finally think clearly again, enough to see the two sharp fangs pointing out of Sherloque’s wide grin. Finally, you thought. Finally, something supernatural – and you figured it out without anyone else's help.

Sherloque leaned back against the window, folding his arms and softening his gaze. “You know,” he started, “I knew this was going to happen.”

You rolled your eyes. “No you didn’t.”

“I hoped this was going to happen. As I said, I've noticed your interest and it is… mutual.”

“Mutual? In what way?”

He shrugged. “You have a sharp eye for details, a master detective appreciates such a thing.”

“Uhuh, is that all?”

“Tu as un beau sourire que je ne peux pas quitter des yeux.”

“You know I don’t understand French.” You crossed your arms, hoping he wasn’t mumbling an insult.

Sherloque hesitated; a myriad of confessions lingered on the tip of his tongue. You were brave enough to confront him, but he wasn’t sure if he was brave enough to confront his own feelings, after all, he didn’t exactly have the best history with falling in love. Five Renee Adlers. All women who he once loved. All women who hated the shit out of him. He couldn’t stand the thought of you hating him like that.

A loud bang echoed down the corridor followed by heavy footsteps and shouting – one of the voices being recognisably Cisco. The footsteps soon stopped, but you both knew neither of you were safe standing in the middle of a big open area.

Your attention darted to the corridor, back to Sherloque, and then over his shoulder. The twinkling lights of the night skyline had diminished and the horizon was growing lighter and lighter by the second. He didn’t have to question you, the look on your face combined with the prickling feeling on the back of his neck told Sherloque everything he needed to know. You shifted your weight from one foot to the other.

“What do we do now?” you asked, watching the detective stiffen his back.

“What do you want to do?”

“For starters, I would like to leave this room alive.”

Sherloque scoffed. “Is that what you think of me? A murderer?”

“No! But–” you took a step forwards “–vampires need to drink blood right?”

“Oui, the longer you go without it the weaker you become, but a vampire can go many years without consuming blood before dying. And I can assure you, a well-experienced vampire can acquire more than enough blood without killing.”

Sherloque’s eyes were on yours, but you were positive that all his attention had moved to your neck. If he wanted to kill you he would have done it by now, but that didn’t mean you were completely safe. The others didn’t know about Sherloque’s secret for a reason, and now that you knew, you were a threat to that reason, and something had to be done about it.

The top of the sun began to peak over the horizon and Sherloque dropped the smug, in control act that he was playing. Quickly, he took your hand and took a step towards the door, hoping you would follow. You held his hand tightly and didn’t move an inch.

“Ma chérie, I cannot stay here,” he said desperately.

He could have yanked his hand away and left. He could have pulled you off your feet and dragged you out of the room if he really wanted to. But no. He wanted you to come with him, and he wanted you to come willingly.

“I will not harm you, I promise.”

There was no glimmer in his eyes. No tricks being played. You glanced at the sun rising and a part of you wondered if Sherloque would let the sun burn hum just so he could stay with you a little longer. Your stomach grew uneasy at the thought of watching that happen. Turning back to the detective, you nodded and let him lead you out of the room, away from the harsh rays of light spilling through the windows.

Trying to avoid running into the metahuman problem, you avoided loud noises coming from the lifts and found yourselves in one of STAR Lab’s many abandoned, windowless storage rooms. The lights had yet to be changed into LEDs like the rest of the building, but to your surprise they had no trouble turning on when you flicked the switch and filled the room with a gentle, orange glow. There wasn’t any furnishing, nowhere to sit down, nothing to hide behind. It was a long, empty, concrete box with Sherloque standing at one end, and you at the other.

“I know vampires are supposed to be pale,” you said, “but now that we’re in proper light, you look really pale.”

"Oui. It has been a few months since I last fed." You could feel his eyes on your neck again. "It has been taxing."

“Then why haven’t you found a uh– meal?”

“I may not be human, but I would like to consider myself not a monster.”

“You haven’t found anyone willing.” You bit your lip and averted your gaze. A terrible idea wormed its way into your head. A terrible, stupid idea. The kind that you would read about in your beloved vampire novels.

“Non, not on this earth.” Keeping his eyes on you, Sherloque made his way to the middle of the room. “Not yet, anyway.”

You took a small step towards him. “I suppose you’d be quicker at catching Cicada if you were at full strength, right?”

The detective smiled softly at you. He didn’t need any vampire powers to know what you were thinking. “Ma chérie, if I took enough blood to be at my full strength, you would be very ill for a long time.”

Feeling like a silly teen trying to charm your way into trouble, you took a few more steps closer, just out of arm's reach, and flicked your eyes back up at him. “Then I’ll be in need of someone to take care of me.”

Sherloque hummed as he considered your offering. Oh yes. He could definitely take good care of you. And it would certainly give him more time to think up a charming way of telling you how he truly felt about you.

“Very well, mon amour. I promise I shall take care of you, afterwards,” he said as his eyes darkened with hunger. “If you are sure?”

“I’m sure.”

It all happened so quickly. Before you knew it, Sherloque had closed the gap between the two of you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you so close against his chest that you swore, even if he didn’t have enhanced senses, he could hear how fast your heart was beating. He cupped your cheek gently and tilted your head to the side, eyeing up your warm veins. Leaning in, his chilled lips pressed against your hot neck, sucking the spot he had decided on. He lingered, letting his teeth graze the tender bruise he made.

You shuddered feeling his hot breath, and for a split second, you felt those survival instincts of yours telling you to run. Momentarily, you closed your eyes and buried those feelings, trying to focus on Sherloque instead. His nose brushing against your skin. His arms squeezing around your side. His hand on your jaw with his thumb stroking your cheek. Knowing that there was no turning back now made your insides fizz with anxious excitement.

He pulled back just enough to look at you, as if to ask for your permission one last time. You could feel your heart thumping in your head, so loud that if you opened your mouth, you were sure it would be the only sound that would come out. Clenching your jaw to keep yourself composed, you gave Sherloque a reassuring smile. Yes. You have my permission. He smiled back and his eyes glimmered. Just like it happened in the lounge, a foggy haze blanketed your mind, making everything feel like a dream. You didn’t think getting your blood drunk would be painful enough to warrant hypnosis, but you weren’t going to complain about a little bit of supernatural painkiller.

Even under Sherloque’s spell, you could tell that something changed in his eyes. The soft, cold look was overcome with lust, and his lips spread open, revealing those two inhumanly sharp fangs of his. Once more, the vampire leaned into your neck.

You gasped as his teeth pierced your skin with a painless, but sharp pressure. Despite the hypnosis, there was still a small part of your brain that was alert and trying to send you signals that something dangerous was happening. No matter how much you tried, you couldn’t stop from instinctively flinching away, but Sherloque pulled you back, holding you so tightly that you could barely wiggle. Once you were secure in his grip, he continued.

The fangs pulled away, but the lips stayed put. Sherloque licked the blood from your neck, and as soon as it reached the back of his throat, the months of thirst he endured hit him all at once. Suddenly he couldn’t help himself. You were too good. The licking turned into desperate sucking which caused the two of you to stumble. With your back hitting the nearest wall, you let out a whimper and grabbed a fist full of Sherloque’s wavy hair to steady yourself. Usually, the detective was very particular about how his hair looked, but right now he was far too drunk on your blood to care.

You weren’t sure how long it had lasted, but finally, Sherloque pulled away. The moment his arms left you, your legs buckled. Your vision was unfocused and Sherloque was a blur, moving quickly to catch you and softly sit you on the floor. His arms felt much stronger than what you remembered. Kneeling in front of you, he pulled off his scarf and wrapped it around your neck, tying it just enough to stop the bleeding – he’d see to it medically when you were properly safe. Seeing your glazed eyes trying to focus on him, Sherloque cupped your face with both his hands and gently guided your attention towards him. You wanted to rub your eyes, but your arms felt impossibly heavy to lift, so you settled on blinking until your vision cleared up and you could actually look at the man in front of you. His pupils were dilated, his once-pale skin was flushed with lively colour, and his lips were wet and red, stained with blood that smeared down his chin.

“Hmm, you… You look…” you mumbling trailed off.

"Just relax chérie, you won't be able to function normally for a few weeks. Best not to force it."

A door a few corridors away slammed, followed by Cisco shouting. The noises echoed painfully in your ears as they grew closer to your hiding place.

“I can say for certain,” he stood up, whipped out a handkerchief to clean his face, and then straightened his clothes, “you’ve given me more than enough blood to deal with our intruder. Wait here. Once I return, I shall get you home and take care of you, just as I promised.”

You wanted to object to being left alone, but with a smile and a wink, Sherloque left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

A few minutes passed and the sound of the intruder stopped. You waited for Sherloque to come waltzing back to you, but all you received was silence. A few more minutes passed, and you grew restless. It shouldn’t be taking so long. You made yourself wait a little longer, but the silence was torture. He really should be back by now. A few more minutes and… No. No more minutes. No more waiting. Sure, you were too weak to walk, but you weren’t a damsel in distress, you weren’t going to just sit still in an empty storage room all by yourself. Using the wall, you pushed yourself forwards onto your hands and knees and slowly shuffled towards the door. Your head spun as you moved, but you carried on, determined to find out what was going on.

Aside from Cisco, no one knew what the power the metahuman has, so for all you knew, Sherloque could be in danger. Or maybe Cisco was being overpowered and he was in danger. Or maybe everyone was in danger and you were their only hope of survival. Or maybe everything was perfectly fine and you were worrying about nothing. You really hoped the latter was true because you didn’t need a detective to deduce that you weren’t going to be much help in a fight right now.

You reached the door and strained to lift your arm. Curling your fingers around the door handle, you used your weight to gracelessly heave it open, narrowly avoiding the door swinging into your face. The corridor was dark and empty. No Cisco. No handsome detective. Struggling for breaths, you managed to lean yourself against the doorframe, thrilled at your small accomplishment. You let out a huff, eyes growing tired of staying open. Wherever your dashing vampire was, he better come back for you soon, and he better not be injured.

The hypnotising thing Sherloque did had started to wear off, making you hyper aware of your arms and knees aching, and your neck stinging like hell. Vampire romance novels never mentioned how much being bitten would feel like… well, like being bitten. Something told you that there was a lot about vampires that vampire romance novels don’t mention. For example, it really sucked to wait for what felt like a million stupid years for one of them to come back for you.

A loud look over here kind of cough snapped you out of your miserable thought spiral.

Your head shot up, the movement causing your stomach to swirl and turn, but you were too overwhelmed and excited to care. Finally! Sherloque walked over to you and crouched by your feet. He was a lot less easy to focus on now, but still just as nice to look at.

“Hello trouble. I found Cisco and we put the metahuman in the pipeline. He is dealing with the mess that was made, and I have come to finally take you home–” Sherloque looked at you, then at the open door, then back at you with an amused smile. “Je suis désolé. Was the wait too long for you to handle?”

You opened your mouth, but the back of your throat was too dry to make a quip. Oh. That’s right. The grand trials and tribulations of trying to speak. You swallowed and spoke with as much determination as you could muster.

“You,” you started, your voice hoarse and sore, “were gone–”

“Oui. But I returned, just as I promised.”

“Gone f-for hours!”

Sherloque knitted his eyebrows and frowned, looking down at his pocket watch. He turned it to face you.

“No. I was gone for approximately twelve minutes.”

Suddenly, the detective’s hands were all over you. Face. Shoulders. Neck. Sherloque wasn’t a doctor, but you sat as still as you could and let the man carry out his examination. He promised to take care of whatever state he had left you in, but a part of you was still hoping that your state would be more breakfast in bed and less hospital gown. You attempted to take a slow deep breath, trying to make yourself as calm as the face you were looking at seemed to be, but what you ended you with was shaky and abrupt.

Sherloque stopped and sweetly held you by the shoulders – you could feel the new warmth of his hands through your clothes.

“You’ll be just fine.” His voice was soft and soothing. “I’ll get you home, make you something to eat to get some strength back into you, maybe make some tea to help you sleep– Hey. Hello? Chérie, look at me.”

You didn’t even notice it at first, but everytime you closed your eyes, it was getting increasingly difficult to open them again. With all your aches and pains, you were beyond exhausted. It would be so easy to close your eyes and drift off–

“I need you to stay awake for me,” Sherloque spoke in a slightly raised tone to keep your attention on him. “You can sleep as soon as I get you in bed. But until then, I need you to keep your eyes open. Okay?”

You mumbled that you’d try your best, and then the next few moments were a complete blur.

Sherloque had gotten you home… somehow. The details didn’t bother you, you were just happy to finally be home. Sherloque didn’t spare any time to start living up to that promise he made. He attentively tended to your wound, helped you change into pyjamas, and ushered you to bed. It wasn’t until after you had devoured his homemade soup did you lie down to sleep.

You tossed. You turned. You were exhausted beyond all means, but no amount of closing your eyes and hiding under the covers was helping you to fall asleep. Tor-ture. Grumbling, you rubbed your eyes and sat up. It wasn’t that long ago that you were struggling to stay awake. Penance from the universe for finding pleasure in aiding a vampire perhaps? No. He may have been smug, but Sherloque was a good vampire – Your vampire.

“Everything alright?”

Speak of the devil. You looked up at the detective leaning against your doorway and pouted.

“Can’t sleep.”

“No?”

“I know it’s the middle of the day, but my room is more than dark enough with my curtains closed. It’s like I'm too tired to be tired,” You said. “How does that make sense?”

“I bit you. There must still be adrenaline in your body.” Sherloque strolled over to sit by the side of your bed. “Your brain is still in fight or flight mode, bien-aimée, you need to relax.”

“Bien-ahh, uh–”

“Bien-aimée.”

“Bien-aimée,” you slowly repeated . “That’s a new one. What does it mean?”

Beloved.

Sherloque turned his head to look out the window and hummed.

“Maybe I will teach you some French when you get better.” He quickly kicked off his shoes and turned back to you. “But for now, you need to relax and you need to sleep.”

The detective swiftly slid under the covers. You opened and closed your mouth, deciding not to protest, and instead shuffled to make enough room for Sherloque to sit comfortably next to you. For once, you were glad for your small double bed; the lack of space pulling the two of you together, making Sherloque putting his arm around you feel like a natural advancement – the kind you had been trying to hype yourself up to make ever since you got home.

Somehow, asking a vampire to bite you was less nerve wracking than trying to cuddle up and relax with one. At least when you were running around STAR Labs you had adrenaline and the imposing threat of being hunted by a metahuman to motivate you. Now that the waters had settled, there was nothing to mask the fact that you had just ran head first into some kind of relationship with a detective vampire from another earth who you were half assuming was going to kill you when he found out you were investigating him.

You leaned into Sherloques side, rested your head against his shoulder. Perhaps it was better not to think too hard about these things. It wasn’t exactly like you were looking to get married the next day, just some good company and some well needed sleep. Feeling Sherloque relax under you, you closed your eyes tight, focusing on his thumb softly rubbing against your arm. The tiredness was really catching up to you now. With the cool, calm darkness granted to you via your black out curtains, and the warm embrace of your duvet wrapped around you and Sherloque, falling asleep no longer felt impossible.

“Relax and sleep,” you mumbled, “I think I can do that.”

Sherloque rested his head on top of yours, listening to the slow rhythm of your breathing. Why on earth he decided to get in bed with you was beyond him. He was so desperate to change the subject that he didn’t give himself time to think about what he was doing. Idiot. Whatever happened to avoiding another Renee Adler situation? They had all moved on but the memories of them – or more so, the memories of the mistakes he made with them – stuck to him like chewing gum in hair.

With a deep sigh, Sherloque closed his eyes. You weren’t her. You weren’t any version of her. But that didn’t stop him from assuming he’d screw things up with you like he had done over and over again with Renee. There was a chance that she and him just weren’t meant to be, but there was another, greater chance that any relationship with Sherloque just wasn’t meant to be – the latter scared him more than direct sunlight ever could. He hoped to God that you were feeling relaxed because inside his head was far from it.

To save your sleep schedule from becoming vamperic, you had planned to sleep until the sun had risen again, but it was quarter to midnight when you woke up. You almost weren't sure that you had woken up as you had to pry your eyelids open from deep sleep only to be met with darkness. Sherloque was lying flat on his back and you were still by his side, head still on his shoulder, limbs half sprawled out over him. All your joints ached and the pressure in your head persisted – perhaps it was a good thing that you woke up in the dark because oversleeping left you just as groggy as you felt when you got home.

“Beloved.”

You flinched. It made sense that the vampire next to you was awake during the night, but he was so still and you were so sleepy from waking up that it never got close to crossing your mind. You angled your head to look up at the outline of Sherloques Jaw.

“Huh?”

“Bien-aimée,” Sherloque said gently, staring at the ceiling. “It means beloved.”

The words tingled as you repeated them in your head. Beloved. Beloved. Beloved.

“Sherloque,” you breathed, “have you been calling me pet names this whole time?”

“Perhaps.”

It didn’t take vampire night vision to see the guilty, smug smile on his face; you bit your lower lip to hide a similar, bashful smile from appearing on your own. Sure. He noticed you noticing him. He took a liking to you. He flirted, bit, and then slept beside you. But it never occurred to you that he had been pining for you far longer than you had been for him. Not trusting the dark to conceal your flustered expression, you turned and smushed your face into Sherloques chest.

“Bien-aimée,” he said gleefully, squeezing his arms around you, “my fondness for you is not new information.”

Despite the tiredness and Sherloques chest muffling your voice, your laugh was undeniably embarrassed. “This. Whole. Time. Sherloque. Why didn’t you say anything?”

The pressure of Sherloques arms slightly loosened, and you were once again thankful for the dark hiding both your face from him and his face from you. Whatever he was thinking of, it wasn’t good, that you were certain of.

Renee. He had to get over it. You weren’t another repeated, doomed relationship. You were new. You were brilliant. And right now you were his and he couldn’t give that up, not for people who lived on different earths and didn’t even understand him properly.

Your heart was beating fast, and Sherloque couldn’t stand feeling his silence weigh you down any longer.

“A relationship with a vampire isn’t an easy one,” he finally said.

“No relationship is.”

“But especially with me.”

Taking your time as to not worsen your headache, you propped yourself up on your elbows so Sherloque could see your face.

“I’m not one to back down from a challenge, whether it’s supernatural, investigative–” you looked at the uncertainty in Sherloque’s bright, blue eyes “–or emotional. I’m strong enough to work through anything, and I’m sure you are too.”

Your eyes had bags but they were full of so much more life than they were when he first brought you home. If he wanted you to carry on looking at him like that, he’d have to move on. He would move on.

“My dear, if you believe I am strong enough–” Sherloque smiled at you softly “–then I am strong enough.”

“Good.”

You smiled brightly and leaned forwards, capturing his soft, warm lips with a kiss.

French translations:

Ma chérie: My dear

Moi: Me

Tu as un beau sourire que je ne peux pas quitter des yeux: You have a beautiful smile that I can't take my eyes off

Oui: Yes

Non: No

Je suis désolé: I'm sorry

Bien-aimée: Beloved

#the flash fanfiction #sherloque wells x reader #harrison wells x reader #x reader

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