#and ezra lives in a world where Teen Angst | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lalablue0 · 4 years

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Minutiae

Inspiration: Prospect (2018)

Pairing: Ezra x OFC (Nora)

Warnings: angst, teen angst, fluff, and flatulence (yeah- I went there)

Rating: teen+

Word Count: 3629

Authors Notes: PLEASE READ Unbeta’d. All mistake my own. This is a continuation of The Way Back series that I have dubbed ‘Noraverse’. I know it’s probably weird but I wanted to showcase the healing process.

This is the first of several (chronological) one shots. Tagging @jealousmaude as she has been a great supporter of my love of all things Prospect and Ezra.

Read A Series of Firsts the next chapter.

As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.

Lonely before the deluge

Paying no heed to the convoy around me

My mind a million miles away from the rush

I am stranded and alone.

I sit frozen and afraid.

I sympathize with the solitary.

Agonized cries of confusion.

My ego trifled.

My world closes in.

12 hours post fever (day 1)

He spoke a lot of nonsense during the week he convalesced . They all finally found peace when his fever broke. Ezra still felt an air of ethereality as he couldn't help but stare at her sleeping form beside him. He thought he dreamed her. She was his dream. She was a healer and he needed healing. He thought she was a dream. Here she lay beside him a dream come true.

He watched his girls sleep for hours on end. They were tired. Tired from taking care of him. He had been a handful to say the least. Cee had regaled him with tales of his exploits while he was incapacitated. Some things made him laugh, some made him blush, but all of it made him sad.

He looked at Cee sleeping on the sofa in the living room. When the door was opened, he could see her outline in the dimly lit room. She confessed that she watched him often. She confessed she was afraid that he would have another seizure. She confessed she was afraid that she wouldn't get to know Ezra like she had gotten to know Nora. She confessed she hated leaving Nora alone to care for him while she was at school.

He carried an enormous guilt for coming to this place. For putting them through what he did. Even though he had no control over what he did while fevered, as Nora insisted, he made his promise to make amends for his misbehaviour.

Their soft snores echoed against the bare walls. They hadn't even gotten settled in and his pyrexia addled mind decided to come and crash the party. It still puzzled him why he would come here when he was quite sure she was a figment of his imagination. Why would he risk chasing after a dream?

Because he would always follow her. He followed her through to school. Working whatever job he could to make their ends meet. Every little hole in the wall apartment, shack, drop pod, Testin Screamer stateroom. They lived like gypsy and he never once had regrets for their time save for their last few days together. Their home was always where the other was. When he walked away he fully expected to come back home to her. It was new territory after all. He had bloodied his knuckles to protect and defend what's his before, but he had never stilled a heart. He consistently suffered from a case of 'if I knew then what I know now'.

His thoughts betrayed him as his vision suddenly blurry with tears. Nora was a firm believer of can't change the past, move on, do better. She made him want to do better. Cee made him want to do better. When Nora told him that he can start by submitting to her will. His thoughts turned obscene.

“ Yeah, you're definitely feeling better,” Nora laughed when she gently smacked Ezra's arm.

–

48 hours post fever (day 2)

Here he goes again, over complicating things.

“ It's easy, Ez. All you have to do is stay in bed. Clear?”

“ But what if I need to use the head?”

She pointed to the portable urinal on the bed beside him. Ezra looked at it and then back to Nora. He watched as she pointed to the bedpan sitting next to his cardiac monitor. His Adams' apple bobbed up and down in his throat as he swallowed hard.

“ What if I get hungry?”

Nora pointed to the protein bars on the nightstand. Along with several cups of water and some dried fruit. She even put out his worn out copy of Shakespeare's complete works. A rainbow of pills inside little paper cups that Nora wrote out what times to take them completed everything he would need all in arms reach.

“ You are still very weak. I know you want to 'man up' and be all tough, but if you rush your recovery...,” Nora cut herself off with a shake of her head at the thought of the possible consequence.

“ The pressure to be good outweighs my sense of masculinity, dear wife. I will acquiesce to your will,” Ezra placated.

“ I don't like leaving you alone. But I have to go back to work. Cee will be home in a few hours. If you sleep you won't even notice,” Nora turned in her place a few times to make sure that everything Ezra could need was in his reach. She suddenly recalled an item she didn't want to forget. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial of salve. She held it up to him. “Rub this on your wounds around 1600 hours. You've seen me do it, so you know how much to put on. Clear?”

“ Clear.” Ezra confirmed.

“ If you can stomach this today,” pointing to the protein bars, “I'll consider taking this out tonight.” She pointed to his nasogastric tube that had been providing Ezra with the much needed nutrition he needed while he was unable to eat. His eyes brightened at the thought to be rid of one of his tubes.

“ See this?” Nora pulled her data pad to show Ezra. The screen lit up showing a familiar cardiac rhythm. “I synched to this unit so I will know if your heart rate goes too high.”

“ Go to work. I'll do some reading and probably nap like a good boy,” Ezra smiled. “You don't have to worry. You will,” he conceded, “But I promise you that I will not leave this bed. My bad boy ways are behind me, love.” He reached out to hold her hand. “I understand the trouble I was when I did not have my wits about me. Now that I do, I will do everything I can to ease your mind.”

Nora sat at his hip. She wiped away a few stray hairs from his face. “Your eyes are clearer. You almost look human again.”

“ Go to work. I'll be fine.”

Based on the cardiac synch, he fell asleep as soon as she left.

–

72 hours post fever (day 3)

This was the first time she had given him a sponge bath while he was coherent. She had shut the door even though Cee was at school. His breathing was erratic as she worked the cloth over his bare body.

“ Maybe, in a few days you'll be strong enough to take a bath,” Nora offered.

Ezra's tongue darted in and out of his mouth and his breath shuddered. Nora paused. “Are you okay?” suddenly worried that she was hurting him.

“ I am experiencing deja vu`, love. Do you remember that night on the moon of Rhabu?” Ezra asked her as he finally looked at her.

Nora laughed lightly. “Well get the naughty thought out of your head. I have been washing you for almost six weeks now. I take no pleasure in this task.”

Ezra frowned at her playfully. “No pleasure at all? I don't know if I should be offended or if I should commend your professionalism.”

“ Definitely the latter.”

Ezra took her hand in his. “You are a wondrous healer and deserve accolades for your dedication to your craft.” Cheeky.

She continued to wash Ezra's chest but he grabbed her wrist again. The fever in his eyes was not from the heat in his brain, but in his heart.

“ I'm afraid I must insist on cleaning the rest myself. I know that you think me weak, and you'd be right. I would not be able to control my reaction should you perform the labor,” Ezra confessed.

Nora sighed but conceded that to insist on doing it herself would be tantamount to torture for Ezra. She nodded gently and relinquished the washcloth to him. “Would you like me to leave?”

Ezra physically flinched at the question. He blinked a few times and his mouth worked to find the words. He choked out a passive “No,” and quickly washed his genitals, never once taking his eyes off her. He then threw the cloth back at her.

Nora thought that he needed a few more days in bed. She was beginning to wonder if either of them would be able to last that long.

–

114 hours post fever (day 4)

“ Eww! That's so gross!” Cee laughed out while she fled for cover to the only safe room in the flat.

Ezra felt the flush of his cheeks as he tried to hold his breath. Unlike Cee, he couldn't flee from the smell that emanated from his own body.

“ I am most apologetic, little bird. Please tell me that you are retrieving something to counteract the offensive odor?”

“ I'm not going back in there.” Cee yelled from her room.

“ Please, little bird, do not leave me to suffer,” Ezra pleaded with a hint of whimsy in his voice.

Real food, even though soft and bland, had been wreaking havoc on his stomach. He had intended to inform Nora once she returned from her shift. Cee had been unfortunate to be present when his body released the noxious odor. His eyes had widened and he watched Cee's eyes squint.

He quickly uttered an apology to her confusion. Only seconds later was Cee running out of the room and slamming the door to her own. Now he was left alone and he couldn't just sit there.

He spotted the matches on Nora's dresser next to a colorful candle, likely one of the scented candles that she liked so much. He had obeyed all of Nora's directions, particularly staying in bed. But it was only three meters away. He could do that. Yeah.

He rotated his hips and brought his legs over the edge of the bed. He tested placing his feet flat on the floor. He exhaled deeply as he prepared mentally for lift off. He was thankful the cardiac monitor was still next to the bed as he immediately grabbed it for support. He smiled as he remained upright. He looked at the dresser in front of him. Three meters suddenly felt like thirty. His smile faded as he realized that he was already getting tired and he hadn't yet taken a step.

He studied the path before him. He could lean against the wall and use it to support him till he reached the dresser. He carefully released his grip on the monitor and took a step forward. He could feel his legs weaken beneath him. He quickly reached for the wall. He took another step forward and looked back at his progress. If he really wanted to, he could just fall back into the bed and say forget this. He felt his stomach clench and knew that he made a big mistake.

Ezra hugged the wall a little closer before turning to face the bed. “Little bird,” he cleared his throat and tried to call out again, “Cee. I could really use you right now.”

“ You can wait for Nora to empty your bedpan!”

Ezra could feel his eyes roll at the petulant childish response. He huffed out and slapped his hand against the wall in anger. The action set him off balance and he could feel himself starting to lose the battle with gravity. The cardiac monitor screamed out a warning.

“ Nora is gonna kill you when she gets home,” Cee ground out between heavy breaths while she helped Ezra back into bed.

He fell into the familiar position and fought back the tears in his eyes. He looked down at his hand while Cee set to work straightening out all the leads to the cardiac monitor. She turned off the alarm and the room fell silent.

“ I thought I could light the fucking candle,” Ezra pointed toward the dresser. “I thought I could make it.”

Cee turned and walked to the dresser with ease that made Ezra jealous. She lit the candle and looked at Ezra in the mirror.

“ I shouldn't have run out. I'm sorry,”

“ I understand why you did. I am the one who should extend an apology. Maybe we could keep this between us.”

Cee grimaced, “You just don't want me to tell her you got out of bed.”

“ She may opt to tie me down again,” Ezra laughed.

Cee approached Ezra, “Just give me a little warning next time,” she sat on the foot of the bed, “Because that was rank.”

Ezra's laugh pierced the silence, “I'll do my best, little bird.”

–

120 hours post fever (day 4)

“ What is that?”

Nora rolled her eyes.

“ I'm not using that.”

“ If you think you are going to get out of bed again without it, think again,” Nora told him sternly.

“ I'm not limping. I don't need that,” Ezra countered.

“ It's not just for leg injuries, Ez. Look,” Nora started as she sat on the edge of the bed beside him, “You spent two weeks in a coma and the last month having an infection kick your ass. I'm not calling you weak, but- but this will help you.”

Ezra eyed the cane suspiciously. “My grandfather had a cane, remember?”

Nora smiled and then cringed at the memory that Ezra nudged to the front of her mind. “I remember him swinging that cane and making this,” she brushed the scar on his cheek with the pad of her thumb. “I'll insist to this very day he did not tell you to duck.”

Ezra laughed heartily. “No he did not.”

Nora's face shifted back to serious. She leaned in and kissed Ezra gently on the forehead. “Use the cane,” she stood up and placed the cane in his hand, “Or I'll beat you with it.”

Ezra eyes widened as he watched her walk into the living room.

–

192 hours post fever (day 8)

He could not stomach the minutiae.

Cee hadn't come straight home from school and Ezra got worried. He knew she had a communicator but didn't know the frequency. So he called Nora. He tried not to sound panicked, but he did. When Cee finally came home, he yelled at her.

She slammed the door to her room. Ezra considered getting out of bed to yell at her some more, but instead, he quietly stewed from his side of the bed.

As the light of the afternoon shifted across the room and evening approached, Cee had yet to emerge from her room. He had managed to make his way to their kitchen. He used the cane to balance himself. He found himself sweating by the time he made it to the cooler. He allowed the forced cold air to blow over his face before finally making his selection for dinner. Normally Cee would make dinner, but after their argument he thought she wouldn't have been so keen on providing sustenance.

He realized his dilemma when he turned to cross the space between the cooler and the express heater. He couldn't use his cane and carry the protein bar disguised as a sandwich at the same time. Whomever designed this place did not have accessibility in mind. He learned just how far three meters is without the help of a cane. He was not want to tell Nora she was right about the cane being useful.

“ Fuck,” he mumbled under his breath. He weighed the sandwich in his hand and double checked the distance. If he tossed it onto the counter next to the express heater and then cross the expanse with his cane, he would be ok.

“ Fuck,” he mumbled under his breath. The sandwich, of course, landed on the floor. He crossed the distance and leaned the cane against the opposite counter. He bent down to pick up the fallen meal.

“ Fuck!” he yelled loudly. He couldn't stop himself from going head first into the floor. He had grasped the sandwich but he didn't have his right hand to stop him from toppling over. He spied the door to Cee's room open and watched from a snake's point of view as her petite socked feet came into his field of vision.

“ Fuck,” he mumbled under his breath. He came to a seated position on the floor. Cee sat down beside him. His breath hitched as he the memory of the Saters sprang to the forefront of his mind. She was mad at him then too. She ran and left him to fend for himself then too.

“ I'm sorry I yelled at you,” Ezra broke the silence.

“ I'm sorry I didn't come home right after school. I, I,” Cee stuttered. He stared at her with intense curiosity. She blushed and covered her face with her overly long shirt sleeves. He could hear her smile through the fabric, “I met a boy.”

Ezra tried to process the information. He wanted to be happy for her, but suddenly he was scared for her. Cee is the same age Nora was when they met. While he won't admit rue for the course their lives had taken, he didn't want that for Cee. He wanted her to be a little girl for a while.

Cee tilted her head as she peeked from behind her hands. The blush touched her cheeks and she hid behind her fingers again.

Ezra dropped his sandwich and took both her small hands into his, pulling them away from her face.

“ I know this look. Nora had it too when she met me. We were your age. Met at school too.”

“ I'm not going to marry him, jeez, I just met him,” Cee laughed and blushed again.

Ezra scoffed, “You think Nora went home and told her momma that she met the boy she was going to marry?”

Cee considered him for a moment. She sighed deeply. “Okay, I can't promise that I won't marry him,” she started, “But I can promise that I won't do anything stupid,” she squeezed his hand and began to stand, taking Ezra with her.

“ Oh little bird, doing stupid shit is part of being a kid. Don't give up your childhood for love.”

Cee bent down and picked Ezra's sandwich off the floor. She made a face and tossed it in the trash.

“ Hey, that's my dinner.”

Cee's face contorted like that was the worst thing he said to her all day. “Yeah, no. It's been sitting on the floor. Nora would kill me if I let you eat that. Go sit down and I'll make dinner. Here,” she pulled a small ice pack from the cooler. “put this on your face. You're starting to swell.”

“ Thank you, little bird.”

–

194 hours post fever (day 8)

Nora arrived home from work and looked at Cee and Ezra seated next to each other on the sofa. She smiled before physically deflating and throwing her hands in the air, “Why do you have a black eye?”

360 hours post fever (day 15)

“ You're not my father. You can't tell me what to do,” Cee screamed as she slammed the door to her room.

Ezra screamed back, “I'm the adult, it's my job.” He slammed his hand against her door.

"She's a teenager, Ez. She'll come around,” Nora offered. She guided Ezra back to the sofa and sat him down.

Ezra ran his hand through his hair. It was getting longer than he liked. Maybe he could talk Nora into cutting his hair later.

“ Wife, tell me, were you this difficult when you met me? I seem to recall your father wasn't too keen on our coupling,” Ezra posited the question carefully.

Nora laughed. “You mean did I act out and yell at my parents for no good reason?” She laughed a bit too easily, “Ha ha. I was a terror.”

Ezra ran his hand through his hair again. “Today is our one day together. I was hoping we could actually spend it together. Is that fallacious?”

Nora came to stand in front of Ezra. He instinctively reached for her hand. She caressed the side of his face and lifted his chin. His deep brown eyes looked defeated.

“ We can only guide her to make the right choices in life.”

Ezra rolled his eyes.

“ It's what parents do,” Nora finished as she pulled out her data pad to show Ezra.

It took him a moment to focus on the small text on the screen. His eyes widened as he processed the information. He looked up to Nora and smiled.

“ Yeah? Does she know?” Ezra asked expectantly.

Nora looked sheepishly at Cee's door. “I was going to tell her today. You seem to have soured the mood.”

Ezra pointed towards Cee's door and smirked, “Aw, wife, I am regretful for the argument on your day of rest. It was not my intention to sow discourse.”

“ It's just the application process, but I thought I should keep her in the loop. I hope she wants this,” Nora paused, “It's okay to want this, isn't it?”

“I know that you didn't ask for this,” Ezra stood up and wrapped his arm around her, “it's okay to want it though. To want her.”

He glanced again at the data pad. “Petition for Guardianship” it read in bold letters. Under the name of petitioners it listed Nora's and Ezra's names.

Read the next chapter - A Series of Firsts

#prospect 2018 #ezra prospect #Pedro Pascal #noraverse

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post-futurism · 7 years

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For that ask meme! There are so many good ones but here's a few: 4, 13, 14, 21, 30, 33, 34, 40, 56, 86, 98 :)

4. do you like your name? why?I used to hate my name altogether because it’s so unusual and often people say it wrong. When i moved from Sydney to the country, I used to be really adamant about pronouncing the ‘s’ in Tamsin with a soft ‘s’ sound. I think the bogan accent that kids used in the country made it really difficult for them to pronounce it the way i wanted them to, and instead they would pronounce the ‘s’ like a ‘z’ which really upset me as a kid lol. which in hindsight is really stupid lol. sometimes people get confused and call me tasmin and whilst i don’t like that name as much, it’s an easy mistake to make lol.i used to hate my middle name too because it was even more obscure than my first name. And my surname is plain. I just don’t like that it was hyphenated in the school system when it literally isn’t anywhere else which makes it confusing to explain that yes i am the same person as it says on my HSC or BA. lol. i should have changed it earlier…anyway. now it’s all fixed.

13. Any siblings?No actually! i’m an only child. for about ten years my mum was in a relationship with this guy who had two kids and during that time i would call them my step-sister/brother, even though my mum and their dad never married. it was a defacto relationship~~ anyway they broke up and i literally never hear from them anymore it’s really weird. i mean my step-sis was already really bad at talking to people and now? idk like if she wants to talk to me she can message me, but on my end? i’m done with trying to maintain a friendship if she isn’t going to put in some effort too.

14. if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?I’ve always wanted to go and live in Canada. I was always a bit like… when i was growing up so many people wanted to go to america and i was like, england~ but i didn’t want to live there… Canada is still part of the commonwealth and it looks so so beautiful and a lot of media that i like has originated from Canada so that’s influenced why i want to go there haha. also it’s cold! the only downside is existence of guns lol and that Canada is no better in regards to treatment of indigenous peoples :/

21. sandals or sneakers?sandals. i don’t even own a pair of sneakers lol

30. what’s your favourite candle scent? hm i like really earthy smells, but fruity ones are okay too. i actually can’t think of a particular scented candle i like rn except for vanilla which is not an interesting answer haha sorry

33. favourite actor?ROSIE just ONE?! i mean you know i love Dane Dehaan lol. i think he’s really flexible in terms of his roles. i’ve seen him do angst teen boy (with trademark dead eyes MM), evil angsty teen boy, angsty romance man, and even comedy. i think he’s got a good range. um, ezra miller. also so much adoration for Ben Whishaw, what a beautiful soul. and lately i’ve been really enjoying Michael Shannon in Jeff Nichols’ films. I just watched Get Out and oh man! I love Daniel Kaluuya he was my favourite in Skins all those years back lol and then he was in The Fades which is also a fave, i’m so glad he’s like back into making good stuff again i have so missed him. I’m also loving Keith Stanfield he was so good in Atlanta and he was also in Get Out and man does he have style on the carpet phew. I’m a bit worried about him being L in Death Note though it’s going to be undeniably terrible… oh and my narcissistic bb xavier dolan. taika wititi

34. favourite actress?T_T too many! i really love Ruth Negga, i’ve been meaning to watch Loving that’s defs on my watchlist next. but honestly she’s the reason why i kept watching Agents of Shield, her character portrayal in that was soo so good and Preacher! she was also fantastic in Breakfast on Pluto god she’s just great in everything. um, tilda swinton’s right up there, and catherine keener and julianne moore and carrie coon. i might be a little in love with Doona Bae but i can’t watch sense8 lol i just can’t get through it uhhh. umm also brit marling and hayley atwell and gemma arterton although i think gemma’s range is usually limited by the directors she goes with. um right, so cate blanchett?? rosario dawson

40. how many times have you been in the hospital?um only once for something really serious i think, apart from being born~. i got a really bad ear infenction when i was like 7 and had to go to a kids hospital for 2 weeks.

56. Would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs?I mean i don’t really mind? i’ve lived in both and there are ups and downs to both. i think i prefer the suburbs rn bc it pertains to being in a city big enough to have suburbs lol. and most of my friends are in the city. i do love living in a house house, like not an apartment building or townhouse type thing. because i like to be able to have a garden and ~breathe. but obviously that’s not going to be an option for me my whole life bc of money haha i’m very fortunate to rent in the place that i do but any minute i’m going to get a letter informing to vacate so they can build another gigantic crop of apartment blocks where i’m renting lol. bur also it depends on work/uni as to where i can live. i think still rather the suburbs though.

86. what is your phone background?I have a rotating wallaper app for my phone so i have lots of different pictures. mostly art from steven universe, and some other sci fi art and some vaporwave shit, as well as my own vaporwave photos haha. lock screen is a fixed steven universe picture which i’ll probably never change i love it too much.

98. favourite month?March haha for my birthday and because it marks the start of autumn, my favourite season (bc it starts on my birthday obvs) lol. also it seems like a really long month? idk. i also like January because it’s usually holidays haha

thanks for the qs rosie! i’ll ask you some soon~~~

#long post #replies #about me

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crowandazi · 5 years

Text

Good Omens: A Rec List

(I don’t read smut; this list will not include smut.)

My favourite fanfictions, in no particular order:

Favors

By musegaarid

Rating: General Audiences

Word count: 2k (1610 words)

Description:

In Ancient Rome, Crowley makes a somewhat unusual request of Aziraphale. Two thousand years later, the favor must be returned.

Themes + Personal Opinion:

Fake/pretend relationship. Aziraphale has a teenage body at one point, Crowley doesn’t. Incredibly funny! Very sweet! Crowley and Aziraphale are besties and I’d die for them.

How To Get Smote: 101

By ineffablemercury

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Word count: 3k (2710 words)

Description:

He’d made the mistake of kidnapping an angel. And not just any angel, no, but one who apparently had a demon on it’s side.

Themes + Personal Opinion:

Outsider POV! Kidnapping. The characterisation is very, very on point. I loved the ending. It’s so well written. (I’m a sucker for outsider POV’s, so that’s always a plus for me.)

(Don't) Say My Name

By CosmicOcelot

Rating: Mature

Word count: 5k (4761 words)

Description:

“Aziraphale,” Crowley clutches tighter at Aziraphale’s jacket, hissing the words between his teeth, and the slightly hysterical edge to his voice makes the angel’s entire body flood with sheer panic.

“Someone’s summoning me.”

Themes + Personal opinion:

Kidnapping, torture, hurt/comfort. The torturing is not too bad, in my opinion, but it’s there. Aziraphale and Crowley love each other very much and there is a very satisfying ending.

They're Married, You Asshole

By megacinnamonpeaches

Rating: General Audiences

Word count: 2k (2307 words)

Description:

Crowley may be in the basement of two loons, but he's more worried about his dinner reservations than their line of questioning.

Themes + Personal opinion:

Supernatural crossover, implied torture. It’s cute, it’s funny, they’re married. I don’t think it is absolutely necessary to know Supernatural to read this one - I don’t watch it anymore either. Kind of an outsiders POV, if you don’t read for the Supernatural characters!

Slow

By write_away

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Word count: 9k (9371 words)

Description:

It started like this: A boy with the ability to warp reality met an angel and a demon and he made assumptions.

You might say it started like this: An angel and a demon found a marriage contract hung on the wall of the angel's bookshop. They didn't question it.

It also could have started like this: Once upon a time, the angel told the demon he went too fast. The demon took it to heart.

Aziraphale and Crowley find themselves somehow married. Crowley fears going too fast. Aziraphale forges ahead. Neither know how to ask questions of each other.

Themes + Personal opinion:

Slowburn, mutual pining, miscommunication, slight angst. Jewish Good Omens! This was very soft and sweet and just a delight to read. Lovely, lovely writing style.

On Being Bar Mitzvahed

By write_away

Rating: General Audiences

Word count: 1k (1212 words)

Description:

Zachary Hirsch is quite certain that he's never met Uncle Anthony and Uncle Ezra before, but all sorts of relatives have come out of the woodwork for his bar mitzvah, so it's not like he's surprised.

Crowley and Aziraphale occasionally crash b'nei mitzvahs, confuse the bar mitzvah boy, and leave presents.

Themes + Personal opinion:

Outsiders POV! Jewish Good Omens! Just super fucking sweet.

Spoonful

By Demorra (thebibliosphere)

Rating: General Audiences

Word count: 2k (1959 words)

Description:

“Nanny?”

Crowley’s head jerked up as he twisted round awkwardly in his chair to find a familiar face staring at him through the crowd, the time-altered features torn somewhere between consternation and twitching on the verge of a grin. He stared.

“Warlock?” Crowley he demanded, reaching for his glasses and only just managing to resist the urge to pull them off, “Warlock?”

Themes + Personal opinion:

Warlock all grown up. Crowley was a good nanny. It’s great.

Too Much Love Will Kill You (Or I Fucking Will)

By PeachGO3

Rating: Mature

Word count: 10k (10427 words)

Description:

Gabriel is a douche, a cursing priest and still not over his ex-boyfriend Aziraphale. But when he finds out that no church is willing to marry off Aziraphale and his new partner, he moves Heaven and Hell for them.

Themes + Personal opinion:

Homophobia. Gabriel is actually sweet in this one! (Even if he is a bit of an asshole sometimes... he means well.) Very nice. Also, Gabriel’s POV!

ask, and ye shall receive

By Ariaste

Rating: General Audiences

Word count: 0k (441 words)

Description:

Smite me, Crowley thinks one day, about three or four days into the Beginning of the World. He feels rather daring about it, especially when God doesn’t answer. Puts a bit of a swagger in his slither.

Themes + Personal opinion:

Personally, I am not a fan of God in Good Omens fics. Especially not God shipping them. But this fic is way too good to be ignored. It’s amazing. (And God has like one line, so whatever.)

what a way to make a living

By attheborder

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Word count: 5k (5016 words)

Description:

Without any more assignments coming from Downstairs, Crowley is struck with a bad case of the doldrums.

It takes a bit of trial and error, but eventually a solution is found.

(Or: the one where Crowley becomes an Uber driver.)

Themes + Personal opinion:

The tag ‘Crowley is funemployed’ really describes this fic the best. Man, this was fun. Also, feat. an outsiders POV!

Close to Home, So Far Away

By Mercury Starlight (WoolandWater)

Rating: Mature

Word count: 40k (39828 words - SO FAR!)

Description:

In 1941, Crowley saves Aziraphale's books, along with his corporeal form. That night, Aziraphale realizes he's done pretending he's not in love. But love between an angel and a demon flies in the face of the Status Quo, and neither Heaven nor Hell will stand for such a threat to their authority. To make an example of them, Gabriel and Beelzebub collaborate on a punishment much harsher than mere execution.

What happens when Crowley and Aziraphale are allowed to keep their lives, but not their memories?

Based on the meme/concept, "What if their punishment was forgetting each other?"

Themes + Personal opinion:

NOT FINISHED! (But uploads regularly.) You should probably read the tags before reading. A lot of angst, but it’s very well written and I love, love, love it! I normally wait for fanfictions to be finished before reading them, but this one is an exception.

#Good Omens #Good omens fanfic #good omens fanfiction #go fanfic #go fanfiction #good omens rec list #go rec list #aziraphale #crowley #fanfiction #rec list #recommandations #ineffable husbands

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chpkns · 5 years

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BEST ALBUMS 2018

Ok here we go again for 2018, shall we?

Hon. Mentions: Negro Swan - Blood Orange; Singularity - Jon Hopkins; Elsewhere - Ryan Hemsworth; Scorpion - Drake; Diplomatic Ties - The Diplomats; Some Rap Songs - Earl Sweatshirt; FM! - Vince Staples; Rally Cry - Arkells; I’m All Ears - Let’s Eat Grandma; Be The Cowboy - Mitski; Kamikaze - Eminem; Ye - Kanye West; KIDS SEE GHOSTS - Kanye West and Kid Cudi; Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino - Arctic Monkeys; Black Panther: The Album - Kendrick Lamar, et al; KOD - J. Cole; Culture II - Migos; Hive Mind - The Internet; God’s Favorite Customer - Father John Misty; Blood - Rhye; Both Ways - Donovan Woods; Songs of the Plains - Colter Wall

10) Swimming - Mac Miller

This one was tough. Malcolm James McCormick’s fifth studio album was barely out three months before he left us. It’s hard to evaluate Swimming in isolation of Miller’s untimely death at age 26. Especially since, in my mind, the album represents something of a turning point for the former frat rapper. Recorded in the wake of Miller’s high profile breakup with Ariana Grande and in the midst of public struggles with addiction, Swimming is full of heartache and soul bearing self-reflection. Sonically, Mac’s airy raps and crooning vocals float over jazzy beats and orchestral accompaniments, with help from Thundercat and Dev Hynes. There’s room for fun as well amid the melancholy - the more upbeat Ladders and What’s the Use? are sure enough to keep a dance floor moving. The worst thing about Swimming is really how good it is, and how it felt like Mac Miller was on the cusp on something great we’ll now never see.

Highlights: Self Care, What’s The Use?, 2009, Ladders

9) QUARTERTHING - Joey Purp

Chance the Rapper’s Savemoney compatriot Joey Purp is like a breath of fresh air. QUARTERTHING’s 14 tracks, most clocking in at under 3 minutes, come fast and furious like Purp’s (mostly) un-autotuned flow. Joey’s full throated, almost Meek-Mill-esque, delivery gives the album a mixtape-like authenticity - notwithstanding the varied and expert production from the likes of RZA, Knox Fortune and frequent Chance collaborator Nate Fox. The opening 24k Gold/Sanctified, and Hallelujah just two tracks later, feel downright celebratory pairing Purp’s flow behind a blaring big band sound. Others, like Look At My Wrist and Paint Thinner, are Chicago Drill and house inspired, feeling like they’d be right at home in a sweaty club basement. Lyrically, Purp is a classic hip-hop storyteller and street documentarian, drawing from experiences in a former life selling drugs and the violence of his home city. This impressive studio album debut is more than enough to solidify Joey Purp’s place among an exciting new generation of Chicago rappers.

Highlights: 24k Gold/Sanctified (ft. Ravyn Lenae & Jack Red), Godbody (ft. RZA) [Pt. 2], Hallelujah, Look At My Wrist (ft. Cdot Honcho), Karl Malone

8) Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves is clearly in the pantheon of artists that can’t release an album without it making this list (I rated Pageant Material #8 in 2015 and Same Trailer, Different Park #9 in 2013... both criminally underrated in retrospect). Musgraves continued to be a revelation with her third album. There was a great Ezra Koenig quote last year, where he talked about seeing Musgraves’ concert and being inspired by the clarity of her music: “from the first verse, you knew who was singing, who they were singing to, what kind of situation they were in”. On Golden Hour, she maintains that clarity, stretching a little more outside the traditional country sound into pop and disco-inspired melodies. I do miss the dry humour and rebellious spirit of the previous two Musgraves outings, I’ll admit. You won’t find any overt weed references here, but Kacey finds plenty of ways to remind us how few fucks she gives about the Nashville country establishment. Golden Hour also shows off some of Musgraves’ strongest songwriting to date - the sprawling Space Cowboy stands out as one of the best singles of the year in any genre. I’m probably in the minority in thinking Golden Hour is not my favourite Kacey Musgraves album, but it’s still one of my favourite albums of 2018.

Highlights: Slow Burn, Space Cowboy, High Horse, Love is a Wild Thing

7) Lush - Snail Mail

It’s about to become clear that there is a “women in indie rock” movement happening on this year’s list. The debut album from 18 year old singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan is one of the most aptly titled records of 2018. Lush’s indie rock soundscapes are just that. Loud, full and richly textured. Jordan’s crystal clear vocals soar and float above her ringing guitar chords and riffs. The songwriting is perhaps what you’d expect from an 18 year old, full of heartbreak, confusion and teen angst. She does it well though. As the first chorus builds on Heat Wave, Jordan’s voice builds: “And I hope whoever it is Holds their breath around you, 'Cause I know I did”. The album’s standout track for me is Full Control which crescendos to a refrain of: “I'm in full control, I'm not lost, Even when it's love, Even when it's not.” At the same time, Lush exudes a maturity and a nostalgia that hearkens back to Snail Mail’s spiritual predecessors like Cat Power or Fiona Apple. Snail Mail was one of many reasons that 2018 gave me hope that there’s a future for indie rock and “guitar music” generally. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what’s next.

Highlights: Pristine, Full Control, Deep Sea, Heat Wave

6) boygenius EP - boygenius

The only thing that ever held me back from including boygenius on this list was my long held view that “an EP is not an album”. Well, since Kanye decided that 7 songs can be an “album” why not 6? Any album that has 6 songs as good as the 6 on boygenius EP would make this list! boygenius is the indie “supergroup” made up of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and the holder of last year’s #3 album on this list, Julien Baker - all accomplished solo acts in their own right. Predictably, the whole is something greater than the sum of its parts. boygenius EP’s six songs are a tour de force amalgam of indie, country and folk (owing to the band’s cross-genre Nashville and Viriginia roots) full of raw emotion and grit. Dacus, Bridgers and Baker seem made to perform, and sing, together. The harmonies on this record make boygenius sound like an indie rock iteration of Destiny’s Child or an edgier, less twangy version of the Dixie Chicks. The songs do not hold back, with high highs and low lows. On Me & My Dog, the soaring chorus evokes an escapist dream: “I wish I was on a spaceship, Just me and my dog and an impossible view”. The emotional highpoint of the record might be Baker and Bridgers’ chorus on Salt in the Wound apexing with: “I’m gnashing my teeth, Like a child of Cain, If this is a prison I’m willing to buy my own chain”. I can’t stop watching live videos of these three - they seem so at home onstage together. As excited as I’d be to see boygenius become more than a side project, I’m equally excited to see what’s next for Bridgers, Dacus and Baker on their own.

Highlights: Me & My Dog, Stay Down, Salt In the Wound, Ketchum ID

5) DAYTONA - Pusha T

YUGH! Amid Kanye’s unhinged tweets, messy, disorganized projects, and Oval Office visits, DAYTONA, the 7 track album he entirely produced for G.O.O.D. Music veteran Pusha T, was one thing that gave us hope that Kanye hadn’t completely lost his touch (or his mind) in 2018. DAYTONA showcases both producer Kanye and King Push at the absolute peak of their talents. It’s amazing, in this era of Xanax-fuelled mumblerap, to think how long we’ve been listening to Kanye and Push do their thing. Lord Willin’ introduced the world to Pusha T in 2002 (alongside his brother Malice, as he then was, as the iconic rap duo Clipse). The College Dropout came out two years later. I still remember buying the CDs and wearing out my discman with both of them. It’s easy to forget that Kanye and Terrence “King Push” Thornton are both 41 years old! There’s something refreshing about two guys in their forties still being able to make a banging rap record about selling drugs and buying expensive shit. Push said DAYTONA was made “for my family...high taste level, luxury, drug raps fans.” Those fans are well served by DAYTONA. After the beat comes in on album opener If You Know You Know, Push sounds like he’s speaking directly to his day one fans, raising a styrofoam cup to: “This thing of ours, oh, this thing of ours”. The album exudes the bravado of an MC on top of his game confident in the knowledge that he’s spitting bars on a classic. And we can’t forget the incendiary Infrared, the song that touched off a vicious beef between Pusha T and rap’s biggest star, Drake, ending after Push revealed in a diss track that Drake was hiding his son from the world. Almost 20 years on, Pusha T is still ready to go war, still “clickin’ like Golden State” and still wearing the crown as King Push. Long may he reign.

Highlights: If You Know You Know, The Games We Play, Hard Piano (ft. Rick Ross), Infrared

4) Honey - Robyn

I found myself slightly disappointed in Honey at first, largely because my expectations for Robyn’s first album in eight years were based on the high energy electro-pop brilliance of 2010′s Body Talk. What I should have realized is that, if Robyn were going to make another Body Talk, she wouldn’t have kept us waiting this long. Honey is not Body Talk - you won’t find another Call Your Girlfriend or Dancing on My Own among its nine silky smooth tracks. But it is no less brilliant. If I can forget that Beach2k20 exists for a second, it feels pretty darn close to a perfect album. Honey betrays a lighter touch for Robyn, perhaps more in tune with the sound of the moment. A little more euro house and disco tinged, Honey furthers the Swedish songstress’s long evolution away from the pop idol of her late 90′s past. Honey still embodies Robyn’s signature juxtaposition of electronic dance rhythms alongside themes of sadness, loneliness and heartbreak. And songs like Honey and Missing U can still light up any dancefloor. The highlight for me is the slow-building Send to Robin Immediately, which just swells over its Lil Louis sample as Robyn urges the listener into action: “If you got something to say, say it right away. If you got something to do, do what's right for you. If you got somebody to love, give that love today. Know you got nothing to lose, there's no time to waste”. In between albums, and while writing Honey, Robyn lived through the death of a longtime collaborator and a breakup and reunion with a romantic partner. The emotional toll of these experiences seem to shine through. Robyn told the BBC’s Annie Mac earlier this year: “When I wrote this album I think I was quite tired of myself writing sad love songs, but I did anyway and looking back on that now, I think it's OK for things to be sad. Combining it with something that's bright and strong and powerful is a way of finding your way out of the sadness.”

Highlights: Missing U, Human Being (ft. Zhala), Send to Robin Immediately, Honey

3) Clean - Soccer Mommy

Clean, the impressive debut album from 20 year old Nashville singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, was the first album I heard this year that I 100% knew would be on this list. By the time Your Dog hits at the third track, I was completely enthralled. That song is so goddamn rock and roll with Allison sparing no mercy for the subject shitty boyfriend of the opening verse: “I don't wanna be your fucking dog, That you drag around, A collar on my neck tied to a pole, Leave me in the freezing cold”. Elsewhere, on Still Clean, Allison plays with gruesome animalistic imagery singing of an ex-lover picking her “out your bloody teeth”. There is a warmer side to Clean as well. Scorpio Rising, with it’s “bubbly and sweet like Coca-Cola” softness and lyrics about meeting up after dark and missed calls from your mother definitely remind you that Allison is a self-professed devotee of Taylor Swift’s early work (which should give you another idea of why I love this album). Speaking of T-Swift, the rollicking Last Girl almost mirrors You Belong With Me in describing the crushing insecurity of comparing oneself to a new partner’s ex, somehow pulling off lyrics like “I want to be like your last girl, She's the sun in your cold world and, I am just a dying flower, I don't hold the summer in my eyes” as if that were a totally normal thing to say. Beneath the upbeat riff of Cool, where Allison idolizes the cool girl “with a heart of coal, She’ll break you down and eat you whole” is the understanding that being that person won’t bring her the happiness she seeks. Acceptance of one’s emotions and insecurities is the core theme of Clean - that “You gon’ be like that” (as Allison put it to the Fader) and you’ll be happier once you accept you for you. In many ways, Clean evokes a similar vibe to the Snail Mail and boygenius entries further up this year’s list, as a scrappy “girl with a guitar” indie record and a tongue-in-cheek stage name. That sense of charming honesty is what, I think, makes Clean stand above the other entries on this list.

Highlights: Cool, Your Dog, Last Girl, Scorpio Rising

2) Lamp Lit Prose - Dirty Projectors

The first of our top two is another repeat offender on this list (a previous incarnation of the Projectors’ Swing Lo Magellan had #7 back in 2012 and last year’s eponymous Dirty Projectors was my 2017 #8). I loved every minute of Lamp Lit Prose - it’s almost a 1B for me on this list and was pencilled in at 1 for a time in the drafting process. This album has everything that was good about last year’s DPs record but is, ultimately, tighter, more fun, less weird and less sad. Dave Longstreth appears to have moved on (at least musically) from the emotions he was working through on Dirty Projectors, which was essentially an extended meditation on the breakup of his relationship with Amber Coffman and the band’s upheaval. With Lamp Lit Prose, his “new look” Dirty Projectors (with help from friends like Syd, Rostam and HAIM) have put together something a little more traditional (by Dirty Projectors standards) and a lot more listenable. Longstreth told Exclaim that this album, compared its morose predecessor, “is really about feeling hope again, finding the things that give us hope, that make us feel optimistic and joyful.” Lamp Lit Prose falls somewhere between the twangly, jam band atmosphere of the Projector’s Swing Lo Magellan and Bitte Orca heyday and the more experimental, electronic-infused vibe of the Dirty Projectors released 18 months prior. Longstreth’s guitar riffs are again front and centre, but the voice modulation and distorted electronic sounds are still there, albeit in a more subtle way. Four part harmonies bounce over the jazzy melodies and hopeful lyrics. Where he was mourning a lost love on the last record, here we see Longstreth “in love for the first time ever” on I Found It In U (a salvaged beat from his work on Solange’s last album). On Break Thru, the un-named romantic subject is held up as “an epiphany” with comparisons in quick succession to Archimedes, Fellini and Julian Casablancas. The horn-backed chorus on What Is The Time is the high point of the record for me - the kind of song that makes you want to raise your voice and join in on the hook. All in all, it’s just great to hear this band making fun music again. Lamp Lit Prose is upbeat, creative and simply a joy to listen to. I absolutely loved this album... but just not quite enough to edge out our number 1.

Highlights: Break-Thru, That’s a Lifestyle, I Found It In U, What Is The Time

1) ASTROWORLD - Travis Scott

IT’S LIT!!! I would have never predicted that a Travis Scott album would land here at number 1, but here we are. And I feel good about it. ASTROWORLD dominated my listening from its mid-summer release onward and, with each spin, I became increasingly convinced of its greatness. Travis is an artist that I’ve long found perplexing. Insanely popular among his legions of young fans, he embodies so much of the “new rap” ethos, the first genre of music where I’ve started to feel like I might be ‘too old’ to enjoy it. It was clear on his prior outings, Rodeo and Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, that the talent and creativity was there, but the overall product always seemed messy, disorganized, unpolished. With ASTROWORLD, Scott finally has made his Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The album is named for a former Six Flags theme park in Scott’s hometown of Houston that was torn down a decade ago and still sits vacant. Previewing the title of the album, Scott told GQ last year: "They tore down AstroWorld to build more apartment space. That's what it's going to sound like, like taking an amusement park away from kids. We want it back. We want the building back. That's why I'm doing it. It took the fun out of the city." True to his word, the album’s 17 tracks are tied together by an overarching creepy, grimy sound. Listening to ASTROWORLD feels like walking through an abandoned theme park. Even more impressive is how Travis, as curator of the album’s varied guest list, bends the star studded guest appearances to his will, fitting them in perfectly to his dank sonic menagerie. The likes of Frank Ocean, the Weeknd, Swae Lee, Tame Impala and James Blake don’t overpower Scott’s vision but blend into the scenery, their talents employed perfectly by Travis in the role of ringmaster. Newcomers get some shine too, like Scott’s Cactus Jack labelmate Sheck Wes who gets a guest verse on NO BYSTANDERS and a shoutout to his ubiquitous single from Travis on 5% TINT: “We did some things out on the ways that we can't speak, All I know it was "Mo Bamba" on repeat”. And then, there’s SICKO MODE. Why is it that the best Drake song each year invariably comes from someone else’s album, even in a year where Drizzy himself releases a double album? The ASTROWORLD track list, at least initially, left out the featured artists, so hearing Drake’s voice over the opening notes of the album’s third track was the first time most listeners had any indication that the 6ixgod himself would be making an appearance. What a wonderful surprise it turns out to be. SICKO MODE, the album’s best track, feels like three or four different songs as the beat changes form and Travis and Drake pass the mic back and forth. The song’s Tay Keith produced final act (the “out like a light” part) is for my money the best two minutes of hip hop music made in 2018. ASTROWORLD succeeds on its grandeur, vision and consistency. Travis Scott set out to build something big and from the moment the bass kicks in on STARGAZING through to the mellow, string backed denouement of COFFEE BEAN, he succeeds at every turn. ASTROWORLD was 2018′s biggest, most creative, most sonically consistent and most fun album in hip-hop. In my estimation, it’s the best album of the year.

Highlights: STARGAZING, CAROUSEL (ft. Frank Ocean), SICKO MODE (ft. Drake, Swae Lee and Big Hawk), WAKE UP (ft. The Weeknd), CAN’T SAY (ft. Don Toliver)

That’s all folks. Thanks for reading and see ya in 2019.

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